Off to Thailand

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A trip to the hot springs and Mt. Batur
March 13, 2018 in Indonesia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
Mt. Batur erupted in 1968 (and again in 2000). There are 2 calderas, which are stunning. Lake Batur is enormous and has hot springs to soak in, overlooking the lake and volcano. With insane traffic in Bali and narrow, winding roads it took about 2 1/2 hours to get there and even longer to get back because of road closures for village ceremonies. But it was definitely worth it!Read more
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Ceremony day in Bali
March 14, 2018 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
While Indonesia is primarily Muslim, Bali is Hindu with a very Balinese flavor. There are countless ceremonies throughout the year. Saturday is New Years Day (more about that in an upcoming post) and leading up to it, there are major ceremonies. Today, especially. In each area, hundreds and sometime thousands of people march to the local temple. Traffic which is always horrendous becomes a total gridlock. It was a special privilege to be here to see the procession. The last photo is of an ogo ogo, which I’ll talk about in the Nyepi post.Read more
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Balinese New Year - Nyepi
March 16, 2018 in Indonesia ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C
Saturday is Nyepi, New Year’s day in Bali (but nowhere else in Indonesia). Balinese culture is a wonderful mix of Hinduism and local lore. The day before, there are massive ceremonies in every village to fool the demons and drive them away. Weeks before, groups construct effigies, many 20 feet tall, brightly painted and scary. These paper mache effigies are beautiful but destined to be burned at the end of the ceremony. People will bang drums and make chaotic rackets to get the demon ogo ogos to leave. Then on Nyepi, there is silence. Nyepi is a day of silence and mediation. It is illegal to go outside (including tourists in hotels). If you are found outside, you are arrested. The airport is totally shut down for 24 hours. There is no internet (OMG!). No television. You are not supposed to turn on lights, make a fire, or make any noise. Most tourists flee Bali before Nyepi. We are looking forward to experiencing it. (Check out Nyepi on Wikipedia)Read more
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The ogo ogo celebration videos
March 17, 2018 in Indonesia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
The celebration was somewhat like being at a 4th of July fireworks. Everyone was eagerly awaiting the display. When the parade started, everyone came alive. We were the only tourists among thousands of people. We were totally welcomed and people loved that we were there. To get there we walked about 4 miles up and over a steep hill (no taxis available). Same situation going home until a local guy who spoke almost no English offered to take us on his motorbike. On the way, he stopped at his house, called out to his brother. The brother brought out his bike so the 2 of them rode us back. When we got there, they refused to take any money. Balinese hospitality!Read more
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G'day mate!
March 22, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
What a great city Sydney is. Laid back, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It’s full of quirky, small neighborhoods like Portland. Coffee crazed, there are coffee bars and cafes on every block. Great wines, terrific beers and amazing food. The people are super friendly. Terrific public transport.Read more
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Sydney Seafood Market
March 23, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
The Sydney Seafood Market is one of the world’s largest wholesale fish markets. The retail section has the largest selection of fish and seafood I’ve ever seen. Everything was so fresh, it looked like it was just out of the water. There are lots of fish counters to enjoy lunch. Loved it !Read more
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Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art
March 24, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 22 °C
Located on the harbor in view of the cruise ships, the MCA is a free museum featuring Australian contemporary art.
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Blue Mountains and Katoomba
March 27, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 18 °C
The Blue Mountains and Katoomba are about 65 miles outside of Sydney. It’s another world. The pictures don’t do it justice- it’s too stunning.
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First day in Melbourne
March 28, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
Melbourne is an architectural mix of old Victorian and modern architecture, side by side. What is supposed to make the city special are all of its diverse neighborhoods. Tomorrow I’ll start exploring.
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Queen Victoria Market
March 29, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
For almost 140 years Queen Victoria Market has been a central part of life in Melbourne. It is both a wholesale and retail market with different buildings for fish and meat, dairy and breads, fruit. You can do all your good shopping there or put together a picnic. There are lots of good stalls as well. We stopped at a wine merchant who had more than s dozen varieties of wine all in the barrel. He bottles it for you and you save $3- a bottle when you reuse the bottle. On Wednesday nights, they gave a giant evening food festival.Read more
TravelerDid you get the anticuchos?!
3/29/18Reply
TravelerYes, flavorful and very tender. Could have been spicier though.
3/29/18Reply
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National Galley of Victoria Triennial
March 30, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
Absolutely amazing exhibit of artists work from around the world. So much to absorb that we only went to a part today and will return again tomorrow.
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A bit of Italy in Melbourne
March 30, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
DOC is a real pizzeria started by Italians who missed home. All the waitstaff are Italian as are lots of the customers. We sat next to a young couple. Francesco is from Italy and Charlotte from New Zealand. They borrowed our olive oil and in return poured us 2 glasses of wine. Lovely people. The pictures will make you hungry, especially the porcini pizza 🍕!Read more
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More art ftom the National Gallery of Au
March 31, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
TravelerIt’s the National Gallery of Victoria, not Australia.
3/31/18Reply
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A walk back in time
April 1, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
Just a few minutes outside of Melbourne is St. Kilda, a beach town that still draws crowds. There is an old fashioned amusement park, Luna Park, a theatre/concert fall the Palais Theatre and the beach. A lovely place to spend a few hours or the day.Read more
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Along the Great Ocean Road
April 3, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
More shades of blue and green than you can imagine. The road climbs up then heads down, curves and more curves. Stunningly beautiful.
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Art in the woods
April 5, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
An art gallery and sculpture garden hidden in the woods of a beach resort town. Tranquility to the nth degree.
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Great Otway National Park
April 5, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
Just 15 minutes from the Great Ocean Road you find yourself in a prehistoric like forest with giant eucalyptus trees and the biggest ferns I’ve ever seen. First kangaroo sighting today in the bush!
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The Twelve Apostles
April 9, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
Another amazing sight on The Great Ocean Road. In the 1960s a local decided that this area needed a new name to attract tourists so it was named The 12 Apostles. Are there 12? No but it doesn’t matter.Read more
TravelerImpressive. Looks like you have had some cloudy days. Join the club. We can’t get out of winter. Not for long though. Leaving Friday. Think good thoughts for us.
4/10/18Reply
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Mornington Peninsula wine country
April 11, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
The area has weather very similar to the Willamette Valley but is right on the coast. You can see the ocean in several of the pics. They specialize in Pinot Noirs and Chardonnay. So many wineries, so little time!Read more
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Art in the vineyards
April 11, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
Two wineries we visited had great sculptures in the vineyards.
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The Yarra Valley
April 14, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 12 °C
Just over an hour outside of Melbourne you are in the beautiful Yarra Valley. It’s another brilliant (to use the Aussie term) wine area with hundreds of wineries focusing of Pinot Noirs, Chardonnay and more. Super friendly people, great food and wines, and the hills.Read more
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Brisbane at night
April 14, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 21 °C
Just arrived in Brisbane this afternoon. First impression is that it’s a very hip, hipster less city. Lots of interesting new buildings as well as old ones. More bridges than Portland.
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Brisbane by day
April 15, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 23 °C
Brisbane is Australia ‘s third city and people in Sydney and Melbourne can sneer at it. However it is really hip. There are lots of green spaces, free ferries ⛴ that travel the river and a respect for restoring heritage buildings rather than demolish them. There is also a lot of interesting modern architecture. People are especially friendly, even in places like a 7 11.Read more
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Bridge City, Aussie style
April 16, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 24 °C
I think there might be more bridges in Brisbane than Portland. There are several pedestrian/bike only bridges. The Brisbane River winds its way throughout the city and there is a free ferry to travel on.Read more
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Gallery of Modern Art
April 16, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 21 °C
Brisbane has one of Australia’s best modern art museums. Too much to see in one day so I’ll go back tomorrow. But here are some of my favorites.
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