The pains and pleasures of post-Covid travel

 Ahhhh... my Aussie passport is no longer empty. It has a beautiful stamp from Vietnam! We finally got brave and took an international trip, although it took SO much more planning. The flights were easy, as Aussies are still getting used to being able to leave the country so they weren't full and there were lots of hotels to choose from because Vietnam just re-opened to tourists in March. But then there were all the Covid related things. Proof of vaccinations. Travel insurance that covers Covid delays. Pre-flight PCR tests. A plentiful supply of masks.

But it was all worth it, as we had a fabulous couple of weeks in Ho Chi Minh City and Hue'.  Being us, we pretty much ate our way through all the street markets and sidewalk stands, trying anything that looked interesting. We found the Google Translate App to be fairly useful in helping us decipher food terms, especially after we added a Vietnamese keyboard to our phones. There are so many different variations on the different letters, and it can change the meaning quite drastically.

We had seen this sign multiple places but had no idea what it was (didn't translate!) until someone explained it was a dessert. You can choose what items you want, or you can ask for everything, which we did. It was delicious!

 

There were so many street stands, many offering a version of Bun Bo which is a variation on Pho.

 

This last picture is a stand where they grilled a dry rice pancake over hot coals, added all sorts of toppings, then folded it like a taco. This was probably our favorite snack.

Getting back into the habit of travel - maybe.

 So I think I may have forgotten how to travel. These last two years have been confusing, restrictive, and just all around depressing and I - like the rest of the world - would like things to be easier. Remember when you could just decide to take a trip and all you had to worry about was if you needed a visa? Now there is so much more... Covid-19 vaccination certificate. PCR tests, or Rapid Antigen tests. Covid restrictions in the country you want to visit. Mask requirements. Travel insurance in case you catch Covid. And then after all those considerations, you might be able to get down to the business of planning what you actually want to on said trip. It is enough to make me want to curl up on the couch and stay home! But I must plan a trip, and soon. You see, I have a new passport, all nice and shiny and EMPTY. I cannot leave it in this state, it must be used!

Tasmania, part 2 - into civilization?

As I mentioned in my last post, Queenstown, TAS is nothing like Queenstown, NZ. Or Queenstown, Maryland either. It was mined for gold and copper and the trees in the surrounding hills were all cut for lumber. It doesn't look very pretty, but it is a convenient stopping place when you are driving the west side of the island. And they have a good Pub there, as a beer was much needed after my prolonged driving "practice".  Had we planned this better, we would probably have headed a little to the west and stayed in Strahan, (pronounced STRAWN) a pretty town on a protected harbor. But no.
Hoping for better scenery out of Queenstown we turned east, climbing through some impressive hills and cresting along a gorgeous plateau with this view:

From there it was all downhill to Derwent Bridge and Lake St. Clair, the southern terminus of the Overland Track. This is not just some day hike, but a serious 7-10 day trek through the heart of Tasmania. My cousin (who leads treks in the Himalayas) had recently completed it and said it was "challenging".  Not for us!

From here it got increasingly less wild and more farmed, and we assumed more populated by wildlife as we saw these signs often -

We were now on the outskirts of Hobart, the largest city in Tasmania. It has an incredible history: of a penal colony, a trading post, and a jumping-off point for Antarctic exploration. We however were there for the wine, the cider, and the farm-to-table food.There are many "farm gate" produce stalls and eateries in the Huon Valley, south-west of Hobart, well worth the one hour drive. Well, it would be one hour, if we didn't stop at almost every stand...

Tasmania - not QUITE the edge of the known world

Since I now live in Australia, I thought I better explore this massive country/continent some more. Next stop? Tasmania! It sounds so exotic, and no one I know has ever been there, including my Aussie husband. Since it is an island there are of course only 2 ways to get there. Airplanes, or car ferry, which we chose. "We can drive around the island!" I said. "We'll see a lot, I can get more practice driving and it will be an adventure!"
What I failed to take into account was that a lot of the roads - especially on the wild west side - were, shall we say, rustic. And we had a 'city' car; white, low riding, no 4 wheel drive.  It was an adventure, all right.
It started out quite pleasantly with a smooth sailing on the Spirit of Tasmania across Bass Straight, which is on the edge of the "Roaring 40s", a maritime region known for its fierce winds. But not that day!

As soon as we disembarked in Devonport, I started searching for places where I could get up close and personal with a real live Tasmanian Devil. I knew they really weren't like the cartoon character but they still have an awesomely ferocious reputation. There are several wildlife parks and rehab centers on the island, fortunately one was just a few kilometers down the road. With my trusty Aussie navigator in the passenger seat, I pointed the car towards Wings Wildlife Park. After several detours down tiny winding roads, and a bit of time stuck behind cattle that were being herded to a pasture across the road, we arrived and found that we had the place almost entirely to ourselves. It was fabulous! They had Emus! They had Wombats! They had kangaroos that I could hand-feed! And they had Devils!!! We got there in time for feeding so got to see their incredibly powerful jaws at work. They looked a lot cuter than I expected...

After staying overnight in the quaint town of Wynyard we set out west, along the coast. Near Arthur River is a plaque on the coastal rocks that tells you there is nothing between you and South America but open ocean. It really made us realize how remote this was! Things really started to feel even more remote as we drove inland from that tiny town; the road was no longer paved, it had narrowed down to one-plus-a-bit lanes wide, and there were no signs at all. Fortunately it is the only road through this region so we weren't going to get lost, we hoped... 
After what seemed like days and days on this road (did I mention that I was driving, to get "practice"?) we arrived in the settlement of Corinna, on the banks of the Pieman River. There were two signs, one that pointed up a road saying that the bridge was 30+ kilometers away. The second sign looked more promising as it said there was a car ferry from that point. Just go into the Pub and inquire at the bar; if the bartender is not busy he will take you across. That's what I call service! And this was the ferry -

The road improved on the other side of the river and soon we arrived in Queenstown, which sadly is nothing like the place with the same name in New Zealand. We probably should have spent a little more time there though, as the history of mining in the area is quite interesting.
Next post - On to Civilization!

Riding a camel to see the sunrise on Uluru!

I can now cross TWO items off my bucket list! Although, as that list is continually being added to, I haven't really made a dent in it. But two - in one trip! We had some friends visit from the States and being excellent travelers they planned to see various sites across the country. And, being excellent friends, they invited us to join them on their jaunt to Uluru. Yes please! My Aussie husband had been there once, long long ago on a school trip, but I had never been. Plus, this was a new State for me - Northwest Territories!
And so we went, and it was incredible. We stayed in an apartment at the Ayers Rock Resort which is about the only civilization for miles and miles. They actually do a good job there, really emphasizing the Aboriginal reverence for Uluru, and offering tours that seem to be sensitive to their culture. We were only there for 3 nights so that kind of limited our options, as we didn't want to just run from one thing to the next. So that is how I came to sign up for the "Camel Tour to Sunrise". Fortunately we were there in the beginning of May (late Fall) so sunrise was at a somewhat reasonable time, a little before 7. The shuttle picked us up at Zero Dark Thirty and took us ("us" being one of my friends and I, we couldn't talk the other two into it) even further out into the bush to a camel ranch. And this is what was waiting for us!



 A bit of history - camels were brought to Australia in the 1840s for use in exploring the Outback, some escaped into the wild and they have been quite happy, breeding to pest-like numbers. So this camel ranch rounded up some and tamed them, and now we were going to ride them through the desert to see the sun rise and illuminate the massive iconic rock that is Uluru. If you have never been on a camel, I highly recommend it. They have a swaying almost hypnotic gate, and their height gives you quite a good view across the land. And what a view it was!

Season(al) Disorder

So today is officially the first day of Autumn in Australia. But it is not yet the equinox, you say. No it most certainly is not! However like so many other things, Australia assigns the season a little differently than everyone else - they start their seasons on the first of the month which is the Meteorological way of doing things. I had never heard of this as I have lived all my life believing that the seasons changed on the Solstices and Equinoxes. This I have learned is the Astronomical reckoning of the seasonal changes. This has been very educational because I have also learned that there are MANY other ways of assigning the seasons:
Ireland uses an ancient Celtic calendar system to determine the seasons, so spring begins on St Brigid's Day on February 1. Some cultures, especially those in South Asia have calendars that divide the year into six seasons, instead of the four that most of us are familiar with.
In Finland and Sweden, the dates of the seasons are not based on the calendar at all, but on temperatures. Here, spring officially begins when the average temperature rises above 0 °C (32 °F). This means that the seasons within each county start and end on different dates, depending on the regions and their climate.

It still feels like Summer, so I am holding out until March 21st to admit to Fall. 

Driving Lessons

I have now driven in 3 countries. The U.S. (of course) Canada, and now Australia. Canada almost doesn't count as a separate country as it is just like driving in the States except with that kilometer thing.  My Aussie husband has driven in lots more countries, Italy being his "favorite". He says that any non-Italian who drives there has to be crazy as there are so many unwritten rules of the road.
As he was born in Australia and learned to drive here, he has become my driving instructor. Australia being it's own land mass can make up whatever rules it wants to for driving, so they drive on the left (British) side of the road. In Melbourne there are all sorts of rules about how to drive with trams, as they use the same lanes as cars and the tracks run down the middle of the streets. They have stops every other block it seems, and you are not allowed to pass them while they are letting passengers on or off. Your only chance is to pull up next to them at an intersection and beat them out of the gate when the light turns green. I love the tram system, when I am riding on one. Driving behind one? Not so much. 
Back to my instruction. My husband, not wanting to add to his grey hair suggests that Sunday mornings would be a good time for me to get behind the wheel and work on my driving skills. Not too much traffic, and people aren't quite in as much of a hurry to get places, he says. Sounds good to me! So we set off, following streets that are near and familiar to me. My confidence building, I head for a main street with a tram line. Of course I time it perfectly and turn in right after a tram has passed. What should have been a quick 10 minute drive now stretches into an eternity, with me anxiously looking for an opportunity to pass the tram, and my husband sweating in the passenger seat, praying that the tram does not make any stops for the next 10 kilometers. Fortunately for all involved we arrived at the road that goes to our place, I turn left off the tram line, and my husband can breathe again. Strangely, he has not suggested another driving lesson for me...

More Language Confusion

So I moved from the United States to Australia. Easy, right? Both countries speak English! I won't have any problem understanding them, or them understanding me. Piece of cake? Not exactly...
They speak English, yes, but have a whole lot of different words for things and that confuses me daily.
Am I walking on the sidewalk? NO! It is a footpath. Do I put gas in my car? Of course not - it is petrol. Post, not Mail. Splash back, not back splash in the kitchen. A pie is most often savory and filled with meat, not something you get with a scoop of ice cream at the end of your meal. A Hotel is not a place you can get a room for the night, it is a pub. Actually it is like a Sports Bar, as they all have a million TV screens showing different races you can bet on, and often rows of slot machines or "Pokies". However they also have Chicken Parma specials with which you get platters of food bigger than your head for very reasonable prices, so I can overlook the other things... 
And my favorite? Cotton balls are called "cotton wool".  I think they are confused, as it cannot be cotton and wool at the same time.

And don't even get me started on the spelling differences! Harbour. Colour. Authorise. My spellcheck goes crazy every time I try to type anything. It is going to take some time to assimilate.

Hunting for good beer

The apartment we just moved into is right above a shopping center. We have a grocery store, drug store, dry cleaner, Chinese massage, several places to grab a bite to eat, and a Liquor Store - Bottle Shop as they are called here. I have wine at my fingertips! Want a cocktail, but don't have all the ingredients? Why, you can just pop down and pick up whatever you need. It is all just an elevator ride away. Except decent beer. The Bottle Shop has a woefully mainstream selection, where Golden Ales are deemed strong, and a Craft Beer is Sierra Nevada. (odd thing to import!) My poor Aussie husband was very disappointed. I felt bad. And so I went on an expedition through the nearby shopping districts. All the main roads have at least a block-long grouping of shops and restaurants on them, so it was just a matter of finding the right type of shop on any given main road.
One day last week after a visit to the Australia Post shop, I almost bumped into a sandwich board advertising beer on sale for Father's Day. (it is the first weekend in September here, not June) I walked in and was surrounded by Beer Nirvana. They had an amazing selection of Stouts, shelves of actual IPAs, and even stocked selections from Moon Dog, our new favorite brewery. I couldn't wait to bring my husband there! We have to leave our complex to get the good stuff, but it is worth the 15 minute walk. NOW we have everything we need!

Sniff...Sniff

Apparently people in Melbourne are very worried about toilet odors, During our apartment search, I noticed something I thought was rather odd - the bathroom extractor fans were all above the toilet. Not anywhere close to the shower, which is what I would expect when you want to prevent moisture from hanging around. No, it is above the toilet. I finally asked a real estate agent about it, and he exclaimed "to get rid of the smell"! Okay then... There is even a product on the market called "VIPoo" which according to the TV commercial (during prime time!) you spray into the toilet before you "drop your devil donuts" to "seal in the smell".  I am not kidding.

Almost Moving Day!

The Moving Gods are smiling upon us! We have only one possible day to move into our "real" apartment, and we have been able to schedule everything on that day. Everything!
Our very important appliances- refrigerator, clothes washer and dryer, and TV - will all be delivered. Our beautiful container that has spent weeks at sea will be delivered and unpacked. I cannot wait to see my treasured pots and pans.
My Aussie husband will be happy to see the container for different reasons as he will be able to sleep in his own bed once again. And he will have more than 7 changes of clothes. OK - so that is something I am happy for, maybe more than my husband. And SHOES! I will have all my shoes.
We only brought 3 checked bags with us so wardrobes have been limited, with emphasis on work attire for him. Emphasis on clothes that would pad the carefully packed bottles of Madeira for me.  Priorities!

Winter in July? Bah Humbug.

I have only been in Australia a few weeks but already I am thinking that the Northern Hemisphere is a better place to be in winter, especially if you celebrate Christmas. Christmas has lights and presents and parties, and you hardly know it is dark and the weather is crappy as you flit from one cheerful gathering to the next.
In the Southern Hemisphere during the darkest days and the worst weather, you have...nothing.

OK, so there is a half-hearted attempt at frivolity with a few scattered "Christmas in July" activities, but they seem to be held at the equivalent of a Rotary Club and involve people much older than I am.
Not exactly my idea of something to clear my calendar for.
They tell me it is awesome to have Christmas during the Summer as you can have pool parties and picnics on the beach and everyone wears Santa hats with their swimsuits and it is all very jolly. I experienced Christmas in Australia once, but I'm pretty sure I was too jet-lagged to appreciate the finer points as we had just arrived in the country Christmas morning about 6:00 am.
I'm sure it will be wonderful. In four and a half months.
In the meantime, I am scouting out anything that advertises wine and warm food so I can at least try to enjoy being thrown back into Winter. Spring is coming soon, isn't it? Please?

Home Appliances = White Goods

I am learning so much about appliances or "White Goods" as they are called here. What if you want a different finish on them? Do they call them "Stainless Steel Goods"? Probably not...
We have sorted out the refrigerator issue as the current tenant of our soon-to-be home has graciously supplied the measurements of her current fridge. (which she is taking with her) Yay! Now we can get something reasonably big and be assured that it will fit. As I am an American, I will of course insist on a Big American Refrigerator. So, one appliance down, many, MANY more to go.
Electric plugs and voltage are different here, so none of the dozens of kitchen gadgets we had in the States will work. Sadly we had to bid goodby to the Cuisinart. The KitchenAid. The handheld blender. My beloved rice cooker. Vacuums, lamps, fans, they all went.
Fortunately my Aussie husband understands the importance of getting new kitchen gadgets STAT! We will be shopping this weekend. =)

The other thing that is different here is that electricity has peak usage periods throughout the day and you are charged different rates depending on when you use it. Maybe there are other places that do that too, I have never really paid attention. I will be paying more than just "attention" if I don't shop for appliances that have a high Energy Star rating. I got all excited about the awesome features on a washing machine until my husband pointed out it only had 2 Energy Stars. It has been crossed off the list. I might be down at the river with a washboard at this rate...

Renting in Australia - things are different here.

So after much confusion, a lot of running around, and 5 million stupid questions, we have found an apartment to rent. It was an ordeal!
Apartments don't get listed until about 4 weeks out from their available date, so we had to wait until later in July to look at places. They are listed online, not on a common website but through different agents. The agents are the ones who set up public viewing times, so we had to register for a viewing with the specific company.  Once our registration was confirmed, we had to make sure we showed up early as you only get a 15-min window to preview the space and if you are late you could miss it, tough luck to you! And the inspection times? Scheduled on week days, during the day - so how are you supposed to go if you are actually working to make money to afford that apartment?  
After our whirlwind inspection, trying to elbow past 5 other people to see what the bathroom looks like, if we thought we wanted it, we had to rush home and submit an application with a bunch of supporting documents to prove we could afford it. With some agents you can fill out the application online, with others you have to fill out a paper form then scan it and email it to them. They will present to the landlord who looks at the applications and approves on a "first in, best dressed" basis. (it really pays to get your application in first; apparently if the first applicant is reasonably qualified they won't even look at the rest) They rent by the week here, so move in dates are all over the place.
Another odd thing: you have to bring your own refrigerator! I find this really weird, as every apartment we have seen has a different sized opening allocated for the fridge. What if yours is too big? Or what if you have had to buy a tiny one to fit into a previous place, and now you get a bigger, better kitchen? Do you have to buy a new one every time you move? What do you do with your old one? Is there a huge secret market for previously owned refrigerators? I'm going to have to look into this...

Australia here we come!

(I forgot to publish this prior to my "We've moved" post... ooops!)

I have to admit that when I first met my soon-to-be Aussie husband, I harbored dreams of living in Australia. After actually visiting the place and meeting his family and friends I was SURE I wanted to live in Australia. Well as luck would have it, my Aussie husband was offered a job transfer to Melbourne! In Australia!!!
Who says dreams don't come true?

 I will be sad to leave my friends and family in the States, but hey - I get to live in Australia!

We've moved halfway around the world! Now what...?

So what nobody ever tells you about moving internationally is that until you get moved in to your own apartment or house with your own furniture, you have nowhere to call "home". It is a very unsettling and lonely feeling. Even in this era of Skype and Facetime and Whatsapp, you feel totally disconnected from anything familiar and comforting.
They also don't tell you just how much work is involved in getting your life going in a new country. Sure - you know you are going to have to work your ass off to get all your things sold and the rest of your stuff packed and your accounts closed in your "from" place, but if you are like me and haven't moved more than a few miles in the last 20 years, you forget just how much you have to do in your "to" place.
Setting up bank accounts, getting debit/credit cards, buying a car, switching over your mobile phone service; these are all things you have to do almost immediately. Done? Great! Now you get to figure out where to live. And how to find a place. And how the whole Real Estate thing works. It is nothing like House Hunters International where you have a charming agent to whisk you all over town and show you places well out of your price range so you can choose one and live happily ever after.
Our Australian experience finding an apartment deserves its own chapter.  Even my Aussie husband was confused!
I can't imagine what it would be like if they didn't speak the same language. (mostly...)

Foodie Bucket List

So I have mentioned that we have crossed off an item on our own personal "Bucket List" on our last trip - percebes. We also managed to cross off a couple more items that we didn't even know we had on our list until we experienced them, like sushi fresh from the Tsukiji Fish Market just steps away, or the piure we had in Santiago. Sort-of a cross between a barnacle and a sea urchin, it was something we had never heard of.

We also have a wine bucket list, and are determined to taste the great wines at their point of origin.  This especially holds true for fortified wines. So far we have been to Jerez in Spain to learn about Sherry, Porto to drink Port, and our favorite, the Portuguese island of Madeira to taste all the different varieties of their delightful wine. Still on the list is Marsala... There are the incredible wine regions in France, Germany, and Italy, not to mention the "new world" wines. We also are open to seeking out  other types of beverages, as when we were able to attend a Cidre dinner just outside of San Sebastian, where you take your glass into the barrel room and catch the stream of cider straight out of the massive barrels. It was a lot of fun!

Airports as Destinations

So I was talking to my Aussie husband about my travel "bucket list" the other day, and realized after he agreed to everything I said that we truly do belong together.  Who else would have to fly into the most "interesting" airports in the world - not to visit the country they are located in, but just to land at that airport?  We both (separately) flew into Hong Kong's old Kai Tak airport, skimming the apartment buildings on approach. My husband has flown into Lukla in Nepal when the runway was dirt and describes it as harrowing. One of our favorite destinations is the Portuguese island of Madeira, with its runway built on piers over the ocean along the side of a mountain.
We are in the process of planning our next vacation and the conversation centered on which airports we have to visit. I think next on our list is Princess Julianna airport in St. Maarten so we can hang out on the beach and have jets land right above our heads, Gibraltar might be a close second.  Courchevel in France would be awesome, but we would need to go there in winter for the full effect of the snowy mountaintop landing. Toncontin in Honduras used to be dangerous, until they extended that runway so it is now off the list. We could go to Scotland and land on an official beach runway perhaps, or maybe fly to one of the many Greek or Caribbean islands that have tiny runways.  So many options!

Pumpkin Spice is Everywhere

It is Fall in Seattle; the leaves are turning brilliant reds and yellows before being blown off their branches, the rains have returned, (after a brutally dry summer) and Pumpkin Spice flavoring is in everything. No - seriously! Everything.  There are the things you would expect, like Starbucks lattes, of course... Quaker oatmeal... pies and cookies and other dessert things. But now I am also seeing bread and tea and popcorn and corn chips that are Pumpkin-Spiced.  Corn chips??  I may have to try those...
Here is just a sampling of what is currently on store shelves.

And then I saw this.  There is no escape!!!

Percebes!

My Aussie husband and I have a bucket list, but not your usual types of list that includes things like climbing the highest peaks on every continent or sailing all the oceans of the world.
No, our bucket list involves food items.

And I am proud to say that we were able to cross an item off the list when we dined on Percebes in A Coruna in northern Spain.  Percebes (a fancy name for barnacles) are harvested off the rocks in tidal areas and that is quite dangerous as it involves diving into swirling water around rocks.  We were not surprised that they were expensive.  We were surprised that they were so difficult to get open to eat!  Two different waiters tried to show us how to pry the little beak-like tops open and squeeze the body out.  We still wound-up struggling and making a bit of a mess, but it was all worth it - they were delicious!  Not much to look at, though -