Well I’m back in Tokyo waiting for the flight home. Another adventure returning home this year. However due to a Comedy of Errors that really wasn’t funny- Marion (another teacher) and I missed our flight home and Steve (our group coordinator) ended up picking up the tab for a rebooking fee in Economy Class and an upgrade to First Class. For this additional expense, it appears he had access to brown slippers and more alcohol (much needed by this point in time. I was worried but not frantic until I realized I didn’t have an exit form and thought I was headed back through security and guaranteed to miss the second flight of the day. Fortunately for me, it was not Mexico and you do not need to have a stamped document granted at arrival to be resubmitted when you leave. Another story for the collection.
This year in China, I was not able to get on my blog. Due to the number of sites and amount of times I tried, I can only guess that it is due to China’s increased control of the information flow on the internet. I managed to get my hands on The China Daily English Language Newspaper while I was in Shanghai. The weekend edition was a total of 12 pages and the bias of the articles was amazingly transparent. Millions were reported with the Swine Flu in the US and Chinese economic success emphasized.
The influence of the western world in cities is quite evident but other than Caucasian billboard models for advertising, it’s more limited in towns. On the Fuyang River each morning, even the younger people dance to Chinese music. They have just created a massive square where they eventually will put a tunnel under the Fuyang River. It is quite the gathering spot, very similar to Vienna square, close to the Rathaus Nightly from 6:30 – 8:30 pm, there is line dancing on giant screen which is very popular. One night, my Chinese buddy, Hongbo (alias Jane) and I stumbled on quite the production. A huge stage was set up with seating. The first person we saw on stage, I recognized immediately. He is a “famous” Fuyang comedian from local tv. He is on the television in restaurants and during foot massages. His sketch with another comedian involved confusion due to the use of their different dialects. The audience was in stitches. We also saw a scene from a Beijing opera and a Hangzhou opera. People all knew the stories and were obviously moved by the production. You don’t hear western music at all unless you go to the bar frequented by westerners. However we did see one group of belly dancers that Hongbo immediately asked if we danced like that in Canada.
Smoking is far more prevalent in China. I was very aware of trying to avoid smokers during the performances. My custodian, Mr. Wu, at the Education Bureau always had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, whether it was first thing in the morning or after classes. This is quite common for many people and when they put them in an ash tray or toss the cigarette on the ground, they rarely butt out. The smoke just continues to curl its way to your face! Aagh!!! It was most problematic for me when I was eating breakfast or dinner. It gave me a healthy appreciation of our no smoking initiatives!
Consumer culture is well entrenched in China. I always think of it as something plaguing the Western World, but I suppose China has had more to sell for thousands of years. Life is Shanghai is teaming with tourists from all over China and the rest of the world. There is always a throng of people moving in and out of shops. Unfortunately I was sick in Shanghai despite my preventative Dukoral before I left Vancouver. It was inconvenient but not disastrous. I was able to make it to the large mall with the “real” designer clones and fill my quota for pearls. Every shop has a back room and “the best deal”. I shopped until I dropped and then spent the rest of the evening in the hotel room while my traveling mates went dancing.
The Western World has had some impact on the beverage consumption of the Chinese. In our classes at the Education Bureau, we always had green tea and 6 large dispensers filled with boiling water. Green tea was on the go all day. However coffee consumption has become “progressive”. Interesting versions of Starbucks are appearing in China as coffee is gaining in popularity. The prices in Starbucks are about the same as in Canada but to spend that much on coffee is prohibitive for all but the most affluent Chinese.
The best place I went to with Hongbo was Crowne Café in the Old Town of Shanghai. You proceed through a wonderful bakery first and pick up your sweet or savory treats. Then you end up at the coffee counter. To go cups are made in the Italian design espresso machines and then they go into another machine that seals on a metal lid that goes under the plastic lid to ensure the coffee stays hot and doesn’t spill. Cool design. The cost for a latte was 12 RMB(Yuan), tea was 4 RMB and several treats for both of us was about 14 RMB. This is about $5.00, the same cost of one latte at Starbucks. We also sat on the second floor looking at the rain pour down on the narrow and extremely busy Old Town Routes…and far away from the stinky tofu vendors (as distinct from the non-stinky versions).
Hongbo also slipped down to get us “The famous Shanghai dumplings”. Many cities seem to have “famous” versions of pork dumplings. My favorite was definitely the Hangzhou version. But they were also the freshest. We were in a VERY busy restaurant where you push through the throng to order and they grab as it is passed over. Not sure I could have managed myself even with $1.49 training in my formative years.
Well, Marion is back from her chair massage. She reports it was pretty good, but I’ve been ruined by the Chinese massage. This year I expanded my horizons and also had the head massage. For a mere 30 RMB ($5.00 Cdn), you get a dry head massage, lathering massage, rinse massage, hand, arm, and shoulder massage and a blow dry. Although I chopped my hair off before the trip so I would be cooler, there still was a fascination with making my hair as big as possible. Ronnie McDonald and I were in the running for biggest hair first time of all time. My travel buddies were sure I needed to back away from flagging the cab because I was scaring the drivers. Yes that bad! My stylist certainly had fun though. Much to his chagrin, I curbed his enthusiasm next time around and taught him the skill of curly hair control.
Well, hopefully we’re boarding soon. I can’t wait to get home. Three weeks was too long to be away from my little family. Can’t wait to see everyone.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Hangzhou Fuyang Hotel
This year is a little different in that I am staying at the Hangzhou Fuyang Hotel. It has a grand entrance way, antiques, a lovely fishpond, a VIP room for dinners and very popular restaurant that the town frequents for dinner. Although the grandeur of the place has faded over the years with neglected upkeep, it has air conditioning, clean rooms, and sit toilets. Certainly a bonus in China!
I still have a room with a view that I very much enjoy. I look out onto lush green trees that positively radiate with the amazingly loud sounds of the cicadas, especially right around dawn and dusk. I can still see the Fuchun River, the distinctive curve of Chinese rooves, and the new bridge with its steady flow of traffic.
I’m still in walking distance to the river and enjoy my morning ritual walk. It gives you insight into the city, not otherwise visible. The homeless are still asleep as the town wakes up and goes out to exercise before the heat of the day. I’ve missed the Chinese kung fu this year and haven’t joined in on the Tai Chi or dance lessons yet. I am a regular at the exercise park and compete with the old men for access to the equipment with bolts.
The only this that slows down the morning crowd is the torrential rain, of which we have had more of this summer. It starts to rain and people run for cover. One morning a woman tried to give me her umbrella, she was so distressed to see me unprotected in the rain. Even my trusty, somewhat soggy pocket dictionary couldn’t help me explain that Vancouverites are like ducks and do fine in the rain, especially when it’s still warm. The rain has slowed me down in the morning. I manage to sleep later and miss my walk.
Hotel life has familiarized me with the Chinese breakfast buffet. It includes squash, bok choi type vegetables, soups, boiled eggs, thousand year old eggs, banana bread, steamed buns, corn of the cob, rice, egg fried rice, watermelon and more. I did try ordering “flat eggs” a couple of mornings but have come to the conclusion that it’s best to let them stick to what they know best. It’s amazing what you can get used to.
I certainly do appreciate having someone else do my ironing. I’m quite pleased that the room is not equipped for me to accomplish this task on my own. I’m also not missing cooking, doing dishes, taking out the garbage or taking care of anyone but myself! Although I’m technically working, it makes for quite the holiday!
I still have a room with a view that I very much enjoy. I look out onto lush green trees that positively radiate with the amazingly loud sounds of the cicadas, especially right around dawn and dusk. I can still see the Fuchun River, the distinctive curve of Chinese rooves, and the new bridge with its steady flow of traffic.
I’m still in walking distance to the river and enjoy my morning ritual walk. It gives you insight into the city, not otherwise visible. The homeless are still asleep as the town wakes up and goes out to exercise before the heat of the day. I’ve missed the Chinese kung fu this year and haven’t joined in on the Tai Chi or dance lessons yet. I am a regular at the exercise park and compete with the old men for access to the equipment with bolts.
The only this that slows down the morning crowd is the torrential rain, of which we have had more of this summer. It starts to rain and people run for cover. One morning a woman tried to give me her umbrella, she was so distressed to see me unprotected in the rain. Even my trusty, somewhat soggy pocket dictionary couldn’t help me explain that Vancouverites are like ducks and do fine in the rain, especially when it’s still warm. The rain has slowed me down in the morning. I manage to sleep later and miss my walk.
Hotel life has familiarized me with the Chinese breakfast buffet. It includes squash, bok choi type vegetables, soups, boiled eggs, thousand year old eggs, banana bread, steamed buns, corn of the cob, rice, egg fried rice, watermelon and more. I did try ordering “flat eggs” a couple of mornings but have come to the conclusion that it’s best to let them stick to what they know best. It’s amazing what you can get used to.
I certainly do appreciate having someone else do my ironing. I’m quite pleased that the room is not equipped for me to accomplish this task on my own. I’m also not missing cooking, doing dishes, taking out the garbage or taking care of anyone but myself! Although I’m technically working, it makes for quite the holiday!
Narita Airport in Tokyo, Japan
Japan en route to ChinaSteve, our trip mastermind, booked me on JAL to China this year. That means that at this moment I’m at the Computer Desk at my gate (hopefully) passing time and drinking green tea and munching on peanut M&M’s. They have a quarantine area when you arrive at the Narita airport in Tokyo and have security wearing masks and waiting to escort “suspicious” people showing signs of the flu. They are definitely on high alert. However security was higher in YVR. My metal buttons on my dress warranted a full pat down in Vancouver but only my shoe buckles were a concern at Tokyo security. And I was kindly offered slippers while they checked them out.The hostesses on JAL are the most gracious and hospitable that I have even seen. They smile and have excessively good manners with passengers and each other. Brad got me a mini laptop (so Tyler has the other one to take to Milan) and I got a lot of work done on the flight, although I did manage to watch two movies. They had 12 movies that repeated continuously through the flight. I must admit I did like the menu selection of the flights last year. The Narita Airport is a shopping mecca. I didn’t think of checking out the exchange for the currency but I’m catching on. –especially since I caught myself before spending $150.00 on REAL designer sunglasses. Lots of designer stores but even great deals are too rich for my pocketbook! Great prices on Sony walkmans, cameras, watches, and everything else electronic in the airport. Image what the prices would be outside the airport! Well, only two more hours before boarding…
Fun in Fernie - Part 2
Fun in Fernie – Part 2
Well this small dot on the map has turned out to be quite a discovery. Tumultuous weather patterns have allowed Brad and I times to languish on sunny decks and sleep when the thunderstorms roll in from the Rockies. A deer greeted us on the first day out on the gorgeous Fernie Golf and Country Club, and gophers the next day. Good fun and we used every club in our bag and several balls to deal with sand traps, streams, ponds and just plain long drives. Good fun!
Of course, Brad’s choice was the action adventure of Whitewater rafting and cliff jumping into the Elk River. Blair and his partner started the business in 1985 and gave us our money’s worth. He was a Neil Young look alike and a funny guy! Certainly an adrenalin rush but one heck of a lot of fun! I preferred being in the front of the raft where I could see what was coming and “spear the dragon”. Amazing how those flatwater canoe certification classes came in handy when paddling!
Along the path, we saw a huge herd of mountain goats that literally disappeared off the edge of a cliff. Fishing osprey and their nest, and an enormous eagle nest added to the adventure. And of course, I was delighted to discover more hoodoos! Fortunately a photographer accompanied us in a kayak to document our trip.
The big excitement on the trip home was the caribou that just wouldn’t get off the road in front of us. By this point in time, we were use to the very plentiful deer population. Although I was relieved that the bear didn’t come back down the mountain to check out Kelsey’s or request a beer while we were there.
Well this small dot on the map has turned out to be quite a discovery. Tumultuous weather patterns have allowed Brad and I times to languish on sunny decks and sleep when the thunderstorms roll in from the Rockies. A deer greeted us on the first day out on the gorgeous Fernie Golf and Country Club, and gophers the next day. Good fun and we used every club in our bag and several balls to deal with sand traps, streams, ponds and just plain long drives. Good fun!
Of course, Brad’s choice was the action adventure of Whitewater rafting and cliff jumping into the Elk River. Blair and his partner started the business in 1985 and gave us our money’s worth. He was a Neil Young look alike and a funny guy! Certainly an adrenalin rush but one heck of a lot of fun! I preferred being in the front of the raft where I could see what was coming and “spear the dragon”. Amazing how those flatwater canoe certification classes came in handy when paddling!
Along the path, we saw a huge herd of mountain goats that literally disappeared off the edge of a cliff. Fishing osprey and their nest, and an enormous eagle nest added to the adventure. And of course, I was delighted to discover more hoodoos! Fortunately a photographer accompanied us in a kayak to document our trip.
The big excitement on the trip home was the caribou that just wouldn’t get off the road in front of us. By this point in time, we were use to the very plentiful deer population. Although I was relieved that the bear didn’t come back down the mountain to check out Kelsey’s or request a beer while we were there.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Fun in Fernie, B.C.
Summer has arrived and it's time for R&R. Larkyn is doing a French Immersion Program and staying on campus at Laval University in Quebec. Tyler is working construction in the effort to raise enough money to defray the costs of studying fashion design in Milan this fall. His Italian class starts at the beginning of September and his full program starts in October. His flight has been booked and the first installment of his tuition paid - he must really be going!
Brad and I made the 12 hour trek to Fernie, B.C. to enjoy a mountain retreat. Although I was reticent about this small dot destination on the map, it has turned out to be quite fascinating. Brad's maternal grandfather took refuge in the coke mines outside of Fernie with his family to esape the Fernie fire of 1908. Apparently the coke ovens had been newly built by the Crow's Nest Coal Company and not yet used for processing the coal from the mines. Five hundred Fernie residents survived the fire by taking refuge in the City Hall. It begs the question, who decided who could seek the safety of City Hall? Who's idea was it to take refuge in the coke ovens 6 km outside of town. Brad's maternal grandmother described her mother in law in less than favourable terms. Could the cantankerous aspects of this woman's character also have been responsible for the quest for survival. It came from somewhere and that split second decision in the time of crisis was responsible for perpetuating many generations to come, including Brad's and our childrens. Quite wild.
The other morning, Brad and I headed to the much recommended Blue Toque Cafe. It is located in the town Art's Centre that was previously the site of the Railroad Station in town. The coal industry is alive and well in Fernie. Trains regularly travel through the historic town centre loaded with coal and blasting their whistles. Our new friend, Nick Guiliani, assured us that nowadays it is very clean coal and expounds the virtues of the Shell Corp. In the 1902 explosion in the Coal Creek Mine, apparently an entire shift of 128 men and boys died. True enough, the modern open pit mine has a vested interest in ensuring that is not repeated.
We met Nick in the town museum, always a guaranteed place to meet interesting people with interesting stories. He came from Italy in the 50's to work in the sawmills. The recession of 1981, resulted in his being laid off from the Shell Corp lumber division. Although he lost his benefits, the Shell Corp did rehire him in their mining division to drive trucks and maintain equipment. He is very impressed with the generosity of the Shell Corp donating so much of the land to wildlife preserves and the historic buildings to the community. His wife, Mary, also popped in and we had a good discussion about Italy. Interesting enough, he brought up the whole issue of language. When he left Italy in the 50's the internet explosion hadn't occurred. Him and his wife do not know thousands of words that didn't exist in Italian in the 50's. His wife was speaking Italian to a tourist in town and she complimented his wife her attempts to speak Italian-her native tongue. Too funny.
Brad and I made the 12 hour trek to Fernie, B.C. to enjoy a mountain retreat. Although I was reticent about this small dot destination on the map, it has turned out to be quite fascinating. Brad's maternal grandfather took refuge in the coke mines outside of Fernie with his family to esape the Fernie fire of 1908. Apparently the coke ovens had been newly built by the Crow's Nest Coal Company and not yet used for processing the coal from the mines. Five hundred Fernie residents survived the fire by taking refuge in the City Hall. It begs the question, who decided who could seek the safety of City Hall? Who's idea was it to take refuge in the coke ovens 6 km outside of town. Brad's maternal grandmother described her mother in law in less than favourable terms. Could the cantankerous aspects of this woman's character also have been responsible for the quest for survival. It came from somewhere and that split second decision in the time of crisis was responsible for perpetuating many generations to come, including Brad's and our childrens. Quite wild.
The other morning, Brad and I headed to the much recommended Blue Toque Cafe. It is located in the town Art's Centre that was previously the site of the Railroad Station in town. The coal industry is alive and well in Fernie. Trains regularly travel through the historic town centre loaded with coal and blasting their whistles. Our new friend, Nick Guiliani, assured us that nowadays it is very clean coal and expounds the virtues of the Shell Corp. In the 1902 explosion in the Coal Creek Mine, apparently an entire shift of 128 men and boys died. True enough, the modern open pit mine has a vested interest in ensuring that is not repeated.
We met Nick in the town museum, always a guaranteed place to meet interesting people with interesting stories. He came from Italy in the 50's to work in the sawmills. The recession of 1981, resulted in his being laid off from the Shell Corp lumber division. Although he lost his benefits, the Shell Corp did rehire him in their mining division to drive trucks and maintain equipment. He is very impressed with the generosity of the Shell Corp donating so much of the land to wildlife preserves and the historic buildings to the community. His wife, Mary, also popped in and we had a good discussion about Italy. Interesting enough, he brought up the whole issue of language. When he left Italy in the 50's the internet explosion hadn't occurred. Him and his wife do not know thousands of words that didn't exist in Italian in the 50's. His wife was speaking Italian to a tourist in town and she complimented his wife her attempts to speak Italian-her native tongue. Too funny.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Mayan Riviera
Brad felt like he really missed out when the kids and I went to the Mayan Riviera for Spring Break. I really wanted to NOT try and pretend it was business as usual for Christmas. So Brad decided to celebrate his 50th birthday in Mexico. This year has been my first experiences with all inclusive holidays. They have never really appealed to me because they didn't seem like a good way to experience a different culture. However, I get it now. It is far more about REST and RELAXATION than a cultural experience and I've been totally in need of that!
All I needed were the palm leaves wafting in the gentle breeze, a few good books, the sun, the ocean, and dinner reservations as the only pressing demand on my schedule. Brad felt pressed to extend his life with regular exercise and actually saw the inside of the fitness facilities and jogged. I read articles on how to reduce the amount of belly fat without exercise but was not at all compelled otherwise. Hhmmm room service or working out? Not such a tough choice.
For Brad's birthday, I agreed to an action adventure tour as long as it complied with Canadian Health and Safety Standards (NOT) as promised by Transat Holidays. It being Mexico, they never did pick us up and we spent the rest of the morning rebooking. Although we had to forgo snorkeling, we did make it on the Alltournative Coba Mayan Village Encounter on Friday- quite an interesting concept. The Mayan people open up their village to tourists and are employed by the company rather than having to leave their land to clean toilets in large hotels. In exchange they agree to no longer hunt (jaguar, turtles, other protected species), log hardwoods, pollute the land, and practice some of the traditional cultural practices (ie. building homes with wooden posts on the concrete blocks, some traditional dress and cooking..).
Coba and the Mayan Village were quite a ways from the Riviera Princess Hotel. The trip was extended significantly by the Military Roadblocks. The Military has its work cut out for it in terms of trying to deal with the drug cartels. The drug cartels make 5 times the amount of money as the entire Mexican Military budget. The police make minimum wage which is $4.50 per day and are threatened with death of themselves or their families if they don't cooperate with the drug cartels. Bar owners must either pay to be left alone or allow the dealers in their bars. High ranking government officials and police officers deal with death threats and attempts on their lives for trying to deal with corruption at any level. Of course, the American solution of targeting end users offers no more promise in Mexico than it does in the U.S. Generally the average population is happy that the roadblocks represent an attempt to deal with the problem. The average Mexican is the target of the many types of kidnapping (ransomed, virtual, express/ the bank machine one...) that are related to the drug trade. Although the checkpoints don't target tourists, the machine guns, Military attire, and tanks with guns levelled at the traffic are quite disconcerting.
We had an abbreviated canoe trip due to the wind and therefore did not see any wildlife around the lagoon. Our next task was to trek through the jungle (being wary of snakes and acid burning resin on trees) to the station that suited us up for the zip lining. Our guides were kind enough to point out the crocodile in the open sink hole we were about to travel over. I took a running jump to avoid hitting my head on the cliff. I zipped along so quickly that they didn't manage a picture and my little hooked stick threw off a lot of sawdust but didn't slow me down enough. I bounced off the end post and managed to skin my knee on the metal cable over my head. Brad managed to twist his wrist more and negotiated a much more dignified finish and looked like a pro. Nobody was sacrificed to the crocodile below.
We left on our harness and trekked through the jungle to the closed sink hole and rappeled down 15 metres to the inner tubes waiting for us in the water below. I was quite worried about supporting my weight initially but was amazed at how much control you maintain. The water was so clear that in spots with enough light, you could see down to the bottom of the 45 m hole. There are two openings into the sink hole and they reflect the light off the water to shine two eyes on the roof - hence the name Jaguar Eyes Sink hole. There were two exits - one being pulled up by the rope you rappeled down on or climbing up the very slimy wooden and rope ladder. You guessed, Brad opted for the ladder for his birthday. Much to my delight I didn't slip and managed to negotiate the surprisingly challenging climb. Our guide tells me she dropped two sizes when she quite her job as a the manager/technician of a food safety lab to be a guide.
At this point, we had earned our lunch back in the village. The women in the village served a soup that tasted very much like Grandma Derksen's borscht, black beans and rice that reminded me of Armando and Iza, and tamales with hot sauces that would even have tested Tyler's taste for spicy!
After lunch we were off to Coba. An archeological tour that revealed that the Mayans did not participate in human sacrifices until much later, after they had experienced the civilizing impact of the Aztecs? Rental bikes to travel t0 the three pyramids. Our final stop was the tallest of the pyramids in the Yucatan Valley. Going up wasn't so bad and it was fun to meet one of my Colleagues from Coquitlam and his wife on the top. Coming down was heart rending. Very steep. Loose rocks. People with kids threatening to take flight. The rope down the centre wasn't overly reassuring. I felt like I was in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo.
Once we biked back to our meeting point, Brad and I sat down and I actually ENJOYED a beer. Never have acquired a taste for it. However the heat, the fatigue, and need for a celebratory moment have been the missing ingredients. When the rest of the group caught up with us, we embarked on the biggest traffic jam ever. Too many cars. Too much construction. Too many Military roadblocks.
The only other time we ventured away from the hotel was to go to Playa del Carmen for the day. It's only claim to fame use to be as the jumping off point to Cozumel, home of some of the best scuba diving in the world. This town has experienced significant growth but managed to maintain it's Mexican village charm. 5th Avenue is packed with jewellry shops, tourist stops, and restaurants. In Spring, Larkyn emerged as the bargainer extraordinaire but I held my own. China certainly helped me in that department - bargaining with very good manners as opposed the more Middle eastern variety. The most fun was the fellow who we bargained our final prices and then he suggested I flip a coin to see which price we'd settle on.
We arrived home to a more snow than I have seen in Vancouver in my entire life! Fortunately the weather cleared enough for our flight to arrive in Vancouver and for the roads to be good enough for the cab to drive us home and conquer the unplowed cul de sac!
All I needed were the palm leaves wafting in the gentle breeze, a few good books, the sun, the ocean, and dinner reservations as the only pressing demand on my schedule. Brad felt pressed to extend his life with regular exercise and actually saw the inside of the fitness facilities and jogged. I read articles on how to reduce the amount of belly fat without exercise but was not at all compelled otherwise. Hhmmm room service or working out? Not such a tough choice.
For Brad's birthday, I agreed to an action adventure tour as long as it complied with Canadian Health and Safety Standards (NOT) as promised by Transat Holidays. It being Mexico, they never did pick us up and we spent the rest of the morning rebooking. Although we had to forgo snorkeling, we did make it on the Alltournative Coba Mayan Village Encounter on Friday- quite an interesting concept. The Mayan people open up their village to tourists and are employed by the company rather than having to leave their land to clean toilets in large hotels. In exchange they agree to no longer hunt (jaguar, turtles, other protected species), log hardwoods, pollute the land, and practice some of the traditional cultural practices (ie. building homes with wooden posts on the concrete blocks, some traditional dress and cooking..).
Coba and the Mayan Village were quite a ways from the Riviera Princess Hotel. The trip was extended significantly by the Military Roadblocks. The Military has its work cut out for it in terms of trying to deal with the drug cartels. The drug cartels make 5 times the amount of money as the entire Mexican Military budget. The police make minimum wage which is $4.50 per day and are threatened with death of themselves or their families if they don't cooperate with the drug cartels. Bar owners must either pay to be left alone or allow the dealers in their bars. High ranking government officials and police officers deal with death threats and attempts on their lives for trying to deal with corruption at any level. Of course, the American solution of targeting end users offers no more promise in Mexico than it does in the U.S. Generally the average population is happy that the roadblocks represent an attempt to deal with the problem. The average Mexican is the target of the many types of kidnapping (ransomed, virtual, express/ the bank machine one...) that are related to the drug trade. Although the checkpoints don't target tourists, the machine guns, Military attire, and tanks with guns levelled at the traffic are quite disconcerting.
We had an abbreviated canoe trip due to the wind and therefore did not see any wildlife around the lagoon. Our next task was to trek through the jungle (being wary of snakes and acid burning resin on trees) to the station that suited us up for the zip lining. Our guides were kind enough to point out the crocodile in the open sink hole we were about to travel over. I took a running jump to avoid hitting my head on the cliff. I zipped along so quickly that they didn't manage a picture and my little hooked stick threw off a lot of sawdust but didn't slow me down enough. I bounced off the end post and managed to skin my knee on the metal cable over my head. Brad managed to twist his wrist more and negotiated a much more dignified finish and looked like a pro. Nobody was sacrificed to the crocodile below.
We left on our harness and trekked through the jungle to the closed sink hole and rappeled down 15 metres to the inner tubes waiting for us in the water below. I was quite worried about supporting my weight initially but was amazed at how much control you maintain. The water was so clear that in spots with enough light, you could see down to the bottom of the 45 m hole. There are two openings into the sink hole and they reflect the light off the water to shine two eyes on the roof - hence the name Jaguar Eyes Sink hole. There were two exits - one being pulled up by the rope you rappeled down on or climbing up the very slimy wooden and rope ladder. You guessed, Brad opted for the ladder for his birthday. Much to my delight I didn't slip and managed to negotiate the surprisingly challenging climb. Our guide tells me she dropped two sizes when she quite her job as a the manager/technician of a food safety lab to be a guide.
At this point, we had earned our lunch back in the village. The women in the village served a soup that tasted very much like Grandma Derksen's borscht, black beans and rice that reminded me of Armando and Iza, and tamales with hot sauces that would even have tested Tyler's taste for spicy!
After lunch we were off to Coba. An archeological tour that revealed that the Mayans did not participate in human sacrifices until much later, after they had experienced the civilizing impact of the Aztecs? Rental bikes to travel t0 the three pyramids. Our final stop was the tallest of the pyramids in the Yucatan Valley. Going up wasn't so bad and it was fun to meet one of my Colleagues from Coquitlam and his wife on the top. Coming down was heart rending. Very steep. Loose rocks. People with kids threatening to take flight. The rope down the centre wasn't overly reassuring. I felt like I was in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo.
Once we biked back to our meeting point, Brad and I sat down and I actually ENJOYED a beer. Never have acquired a taste for it. However the heat, the fatigue, and need for a celebratory moment have been the missing ingredients. When the rest of the group caught up with us, we embarked on the biggest traffic jam ever. Too many cars. Too much construction. Too many Military roadblocks.
The only other time we ventured away from the hotel was to go to Playa del Carmen for the day. It's only claim to fame use to be as the jumping off point to Cozumel, home of some of the best scuba diving in the world. This town has experienced significant growth but managed to maintain it's Mexican village charm. 5th Avenue is packed with jewellry shops, tourist stops, and restaurants. In Spring, Larkyn emerged as the bargainer extraordinaire but I held my own. China certainly helped me in that department - bargaining with very good manners as opposed the more Middle eastern variety. The most fun was the fellow who we bargained our final prices and then he suggested I flip a coin to see which price we'd settle on.
We arrived home to a more snow than I have seen in Vancouver in my entire life! Fortunately the weather cleared enough for our flight to arrive in Vancouver and for the roads to be good enough for the cab to drive us home and conquer the unplowed cul de sac!
Whistler, B.C.
Whistler has been one of our favorite destination spots since both Brad and I started skiing in high school. We've been very fortunate to have many happy memories of Whistler. We've stayed in many B&B's and rented places with friends before kids. I really learned to ski when I had to push to keep up with Brad and his buddies. We've also be very lucky to be the happy recipients of our friends, Joe and Yvonne's generosity. We have had many amazing ski trips and biking trips at their condominium. I still clearly remember the quad burn when Larkyn got scared on the big hills and it had to be Mommy to ski down with her between my legs.
The trips have changed over the past couple of years. The Vancouver Administrators have the fall conference at The Chateau Whistler. Brad and the kids came with me last year to live like the rich and famous. This fall, everyone was going in different directions. Brad stayed home to pick up Larkyn from her Encounters Canada trip in Ottawa. However not a bad working weekend. My principal and I discussed our families, future directions and everything else on our fall walk. That will teach him to trust my sense of direction!
The trips have changed over the past couple of years. The Vancouver Administrators have the fall conference at The Chateau Whistler. Brad and the kids came with me last year to live like the rich and famous. This fall, everyone was going in different directions. Brad stayed home to pick up Larkyn from her Encounters Canada trip in Ottawa. However not a bad working weekend. My principal and I discussed our families, future directions and everything else on our fall walk. That will teach him to trust my sense of direction!
California, Here I Come
I returned from China to an empty house at the end of July. Brad and the kids had already driven down to Ventura for the time that my step-mother had set aside for us. The beach house in Ventura has always been a favorite destination for our kids and I wanted them to have the opportunity to visit with their grandparents and my youngest sister's family.
It is usually overcast first thing in the morning, which has always made it great for jogging along the beach to the pier. We didn't spot any dolphins swimming along the route this year but there were WAY more dead seals washed up on the beach. Not sure what that was all about.
The beach is great for kite flying. There is usually a good breeze and it lifted the string of kites I had brought my little nephews from China. Nice to see my sister, Michelle, in her role as mother. It's funny to her in that role, when I changed HER diapers. I must be getting old!
This year for my birthday, Brad booked a trip to Catalina. I've always wanted to do it and it was even better than anticipated. The dolphins followed the ferry on the way over and gave us a full performance. We rented a golf cart when we arrived and got an overview of the island first. The huge "casino" is beautiful and was for dancing as opposed to gambling. We were practically stacked on top of each other on the small, private beach but the snorkeling was very cool. Nothing like eating fresh seafood beside the ocean.
Glad to have honoured the kids beach house desire this year. This fall, Dad and Carole sold the beach house. The end of an era! No more hours of just soaking up the sun and then heading to Joe's Crab Shack (where Dad introduced Tyler to lobster) or out for Mexican food at Yolandas! I can't eat a fish taco without thinking of Michelle and Dan. Having grown up by Jericho Beach has made me a definite beach person. I love to read and ponder life by the ocean.
Usually on the way home from my father's, I head up to visit Santa Cruz to visit Judy, John, Dan, and Nate's and to Palo Alto to visit her parents. They use to live across Mundy Park. It's always a fun reunion. However this year was a little different because our schedules didn't jib. Instead we spent time gorging on seafood in San Francisco and pursuing Brad's dream of dune buggying on the Oregon Coast. Larkyn rolled her ATV just to make things a little more memorable. Can't lie - glad to hand in those WAY TOO POWERFUL machines! Fortunately no one was hurt! AND it was terrifying but exciting!
It is usually overcast first thing in the morning, which has always made it great for jogging along the beach to the pier. We didn't spot any dolphins swimming along the route this year but there were WAY more dead seals washed up on the beach. Not sure what that was all about.
The beach is great for kite flying. There is usually a good breeze and it lifted the string of kites I had brought my little nephews from China. Nice to see my sister, Michelle, in her role as mother. It's funny to her in that role, when I changed HER diapers. I must be getting old!
This year for my birthday, Brad booked a trip to Catalina. I've always wanted to do it and it was even better than anticipated. The dolphins followed the ferry on the way over and gave us a full performance. We rented a golf cart when we arrived and got an overview of the island first. The huge "casino" is beautiful and was for dancing as opposed to gambling. We were practically stacked on top of each other on the small, private beach but the snorkeling was very cool. Nothing like eating fresh seafood beside the ocean.
Glad to have honoured the kids beach house desire this year. This fall, Dad and Carole sold the beach house. The end of an era! No more hours of just soaking up the sun and then heading to Joe's Crab Shack (where Dad introduced Tyler to lobster) or out for Mexican food at Yolandas! I can't eat a fish taco without thinking of Michelle and Dan. Having grown up by Jericho Beach has made me a definite beach person. I love to read and ponder life by the ocean.
Usually on the way home from my father's, I head up to visit Santa Cruz to visit Judy, John, Dan, and Nate's and to Palo Alto to visit her parents. They use to live across Mundy Park. It's always a fun reunion. However this year was a little different because our schedules didn't jib. Instead we spent time gorging on seafood in San Francisco and pursuing Brad's dream of dune buggying on the Oregon Coast. Larkyn rolled her ATV just to make things a little more memorable. Can't lie - glad to hand in those WAY TOO POWERFUL machines! Fortunately no one was hurt! AND it was terrifying but exciting!
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