Life As We Know It...

Gong Xi Fa Cai: Happy New Year from Boracay, Philippines

2012-01-25T08:22:00.000+08:00

Destination: Boracay, Philippines

Getting there: Cebu Pacific Air – 3 hours 45 minute fight from Kuala Lumpur to Manila, Philippines; 45 minute flight from Manila to Caticlan; 10 minute boat ride to Boracay Island

Where we stayed: Boracay Beach Club hotel – Station 1, White Beach

Time spent: 5 nights, 6 days

Gong Xi Fa Cai, literal translation "to increase your wealth" is a saying for Chinese New Year, or the Lunar New Year that is celebrated throughout China. Due to the large Chinese population all over Asia, we are fortunate enough to get this as a long holiday; a perfect opportunity for a beach getaway to the beautiful island of Boracay in the Philippines.

The first day we spent traveling starting from Kuala Lumpur to Manila on a 1 am redeye flight, which was 3 hours and 45mins. Once we got to Manila, we had a 3 hour layover, then another 45 minute flight to Caticlan (Boracay) A greeter from our hotel, Boracay Beach Club, was waiting for us when we arrived and we took a quick 10 minute boat ride to the island of Boracay. We arrived at 11 am on Thursday morning and were ready to find a bed, quick. The crystal clear water and white powdery beach tempted us to start exploring, but we had to take a quick nap first as we had missed a night of sleep due to our early flight.

Boracay Beach Club was a nice boutique hotel located on Station 1 of White Beach. It was prime location for restaurants, nightlife, or just lounging on the beach. After we got a bit of rest, we had dinner on the beach at our hotel while watching the breathtaking sunset. It was the perfect way to end our first day.

The next day was even better than the first! We went out on our first dive with Fisheye Divers, with our dive guides Carlos and Peter, to the dive site Camilia that was a shipwreck that happened 10 years ago. The water was clear and warm and it was a great way to get back in the water and acquainted with diving. After our first dive, Kaes decided to go on another dive and I decided that I had overexerted myself too much for one day. Therefore, I opted out of the second dive and decided on a massage on the beach. It was the perfect way to relieve me of all the stress ;) After my massage and Kaes' dive, we went back to our room to clean up and get ready to watch the beautiful sunset with bright orange and pink lighting over the horizon.

Moray eel

Nemo

Lion fish

Day three we had a delicious breakfast at our hotel, and then went out for a dive to the site called Bailinghai. The dive was quite easy and relaxing. The afternoon had a few rain storms, but luckily we were able to enjoy some Mexican food at Jony’s Bar and the most delicious mango shake we have ever had. Fresh mango is everywhere throughout the Philippines and fresh fruit drinks are made all up and down the beach.

Enjoying a swim in the clear waters

Of course we had to get our fill of fresh delicious Mexican food and once we discovered Jony’s, we had every meal after at the same place. Mahi Mahi grilled burritos with fresh cilantro and pico de gallo and tuna ceviche in coconut milk were some of our favorites {the whole menu was wonderful!!!}. We were thrilled to finally get some delicious Mexican food as we have not found a place in KL that is worthy of calling their food “Mexican.”

Tempted to eat here, but it was half the food for 3 times the price AND you were required to pay for your neighbor's dinner as well as your own...

The entire island was stunning with beauty!

The rest of the trip was spent relaxing on the beach and going diving. The coral was so colorful and full of many different species of fish and other sea life. Boracay has taken the crown for our favorite beach vacation in Southeast Asia. We couldn’t seem to get enough of the crystal blue water, white powdery sand, great diving, romantic sunsets, cheap local beer, excellent Mexican food, and friendly faces. It is definitely a place we hope to visit again very soon!

View from the boat coming back from a dive

In two weeks, we have another 2 day holiday and will make use of the long weekend on our first visit to Hong Kong!!!

Stay tuned for our adventures in the southern province of China - Hong Kong!

New Year's Resolutions...and what I have learned so far....

2012-01-17T08:29:00.007+08:00

I know this comes almost a month now after New Year's, but I figured I would go ahead and post it anyway. After much thought, I wanted to discuss my New Year's resolutions...

The typical resolution of "I'm going to lose weight this year" is always a given, but I wanted to really stick to some New Year's resolutions that were not your "ordinary" resolutions, and something to make me a better person, as well as help me enjoy our new adventure in KL.

My first one is to try and be more positive. I say this in that as some of you may know, the first month here in KL was pretty rough for us. I would say it was our hardest move yet, and we should be better at it by the 4th move (in 4 years). KL is a wonderful city with a lot to offer, but like a lot of places, it has its own challenges. People do not operate and do things the way we do in the US. That being said, I have noticed that I lose my patience a lot more than I should (and need to) I guess that ties in with another resolution of being more patient. Not only for health reasons, but being patient and explaining things that you want done in a calm manner can get you much further than losing your temper. Knowing this is one thing...doing is another. Asians in general do not respond well to blowing up and being loud or yelling at them, and customer service doesn't really exist. They pretty much freeze up do not respond at all. So, I am trying each day to be more patient, calm, and to enjoy the new culture we are living in.

My second is to do a better job of chronicling our lives overseas. I usually write up about our most recent excursion to some other foreign country, but don't do a good job of discussing what we do here on the weekends, our new friends we meet, or touring around the city in search of a new market place to get great cheap food.

I will do my best to work on my resolutions in hopes that they become more of a way of life instead of a "resolution" (especially the positive and patient part)

So what are your resolutions for the New Year???? Would love to hear what new goals you have for the new year!!!

Love and Hugs,
Kim

Happy New Year from Kuala Lumpur!!!

2012-01-08T10:47:00.006+08:00

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and very Happy New Year!!!

Our Christmas was spent anxiously awaiting the completion of work on our new house in KL. Christmas day was pretty quiet and we missed being home with family and friends, but were invited to spend Christmas dinner with some friends. Traditional dinner of turkey, ham, green bean casserole, dressing, and more desserts than you can imagine, made the day seem like we were at home.

After moving to KL almost two months earlier, we finally got to move in! The movers delivered and help unload all of our goods, and the feeling of sleeping back in our own bed was indescribable. Oh how we had missed it so much!

The pups were excited to explore their new yard and Jaek couldn't wait to jump into the refreshing pool to cool off. He loves to swim!

I have been travelling for the past 6 weeks to Singapore during the week and come home on the weekends. I have to say I am definitely ready to finally stay home and enjoy our home (as well as finish organizing and unpacking the rest of the boxes!!!) The house is in livable order, but needs a bit more attention in the office area and bedrooms. Unfortunately, our office desk top (made of glass) was shattered in the move, so we are waiting until a new desk comes in. Hopefully we will be able to get the office all sorted and looking more organized after, but for now, our makeshift desk will have to do.

Below are a few pictures (minus the photos of unfinished rooms) of the kitchen, dining, living room, lounge, and pool area.

The lounge area looking out to the patio and pool

The dining room looking out to the outdoor breakfast area and kitchen

The dry kitchen area

One of our first priorities to get the BBQ pit, smoker, patio furniture and pool area ready to have a pool party. We both worked very hard and were able to celebrate New Year's Day smoking some delicious pork ribs and grilling on the BBQ while sitting by the pool with friends. It was a great way to start out the New Year.

We hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year!!! xoxo

The de Jong Family has relocated!

2011-11-03T21:59:00.004+08:00

After spending 2 1/2 years in the beautiful city of Perth, it was time for us to make another move, this time to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We were fortunate that even under the circumstances of a last minute trip to Houston, the move went as well as it could have. Moving {especially internationally} with your house packed up and not having your goods for 2-3 months is never an easy task.

The dogs and I moved over and they went straight into quarantine. Luckily, they will only be in for 10 days, so it isn't terrible {originally there was no quarantine, but the Hendra virus set us back}. We are currently in a temporary apartment while I house hunt to find a permanent place. I am hopeful we will find our new home quickly so we can start to get settled.

Kaes and I {as well as the pups} enjoyed our time in Perth with the great weather and beautiful beaches, but are very excited to explore Malaysia and more of SE Asia. Leaving behind such great friends is always a struggle with each place we leave, but we are excited about new adventures to come!

It's Official - We are Moving!!!

2011-09-25T09:28:00.008+08:00

Well the time has come once again for us to relocate to our next position. Our company has been very good to us over the past 3.5 years with new and exciting places to live and amazing opportunities for both of us. We have known about this potential move since June, but it was just finalized a few weeks ago, and Kaes' announcement was published to the region this week.

We will be relocated to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. KL is just a short 3.5 hour drive to Singapore and on the Malaysia mainland that is bordered by Thailand to the north, and Singapore and Indonesia to the south. For those of that are unsure of where it is located, see the map below.

{click map for larger view}

Our very first overseas location was in Malaysia, but on the eastern side of the country in Miri, on the island of Borneo and close to the border of Brunei. I have pinpointed each location {A - KL and B - Miri} to see the distance between each city. 2.5 hours by flight separates the two from each other; similar to the distance between Houston and Denver.

Kaes officially starts his new position on October 1, which is a 2-year assignment, but it will take us a bit longer to relocate. Currently, there is a ban on importing horses and domestic animals from Australia to Malaysia {this is very unusual due to the strict quarantine process in Australia} due to the deadly Hendra virus {transmitted by fruit bats} that has killed 20 horses, a dog, and has infected humans. The ban on livestock and goats was just lifted a few weeks ago as they are the biggest exports for Australia and where Malaysia gets its main source of meat. Unfortunately, the virus is on the eastern side of Australia, over 2,000 miles away, but Malaysia is taking all precautions to ensure it is not transmitted to Malaysia.

What that means for us is a waiting game...the dogs and I will stay in Perth until the ban is lifted and Kaes will travel back and forth to KL. Hopefully the Malaysia and Australian governments can sort the issue quickly so this does not turn into a lengthy process. Once we get the green light, it will take 6 weeks by sea for all of our furniture to be transported from Perth to KL. I cannot say that I am ever excited to be packed up, wait for what seems like forever to finally get to sleep in your own bed again, then have to unpack and organize everything...it is quite the daunting task...

Perth's beautiful summer is quickly approaching, so I can't say that I am complaining {too} much!! It will be bittersweet to leave the beautiful beaches, river, and amazing weather that makes Perth such an enjoyable place, as well has the many friends that we have met, but we are excited about new opportunities in Malaysia as well as being closer to quick getaways in SE Asia.

Stay tuned for updates and pictures of our new city and home!!!

Weekend Down South - Albany and Denmark

2011-09-16T22:17:00.016+08:00

As our time in Australia is coming to an end, Kaes and I are taking advantage of our 9/80's {having every other Friday off work} to travel somewhere within Australia. This weekend, we decided to drive south 5 hours {260 miles SE of Perth} to the old whaling town of Albany and the Dutch discovered town of Denmark. I found a quaint hotel on Middleton Beach called The Pelicans where we would spend the weekend.

The first day we woke up to beautiful clear blue sunny skies and decided to drive along Middleton Beach along Frenchman Bay. Our first stop was to Cable Beach where we had breathtaking views of the ocean breaking against the cliffs. We even walked down the side of the cliffs to see a school of 5 dolphins fishing for food. Incredible doesn't come close to describing just how beautiful the cliffside is along the vast ocean.

Our next attraction was to Torndirrup National Park to see The Gap, Natural bridge and Blowholes all shaped by local granite. This point was where Australia was attached to Antarctica 45 billion years ago in what was then call the Gondwana land mass. The Natural bridge is pictured below.

The afternoon started to get dark and rainy, so we drove through the town and stopped at a local brewery for lunch and a "middie." The rest of the day was spent relaxing at our hotel planning the next days adventures.

The next morning we decided to head to Denmark for the day. Denmark is about 40 minutes west of Albany. On the way, we stopped at Mount Clarence for a panoramic view of Albany with its harbors and bays. The view was just stunning! An ANZAC war memorial is also at the top of the mountain to honor everyone that died between 1916-1918.

Once into Denmark, we stopped at Ocean Beach and Lights Beach, both with beautiful clear waters and great wave breaks that attracted the avid surfer. After a bit of time at the beach, we stopped off at Swiss Annie's chocolate lounge for some delicious hot chocolate and hand made truffles.

The next stop further down the coast was to Greens Pool and Elephant Rocks. The Greens Pool was a swimming beach area that had the most beautiful bright blue/green water. The pool was surrounded by what they call "Elephant Rocks." I was curious as to exactly what elephant rocks was supposed to look like until I actually saw the enormous boulders that resembeled a herd of elephant. We were both quite amazed at the similarity the rocks had to real elephant.

Before heading back to Albany, we stopped off at the town center that was holding a 100 year celebration of Denmark being a town. Children games and activities lined the streets and the local primary school was raising money selling homemade donuts, scones, having a dunk tank and even a small petting zoo. An antique car show was on display as well as other local craftsmen and artists. We also tried our first "meat pie," a staple food in Australia. It was fun to enjoy the local events of the town and reminded both of us of a small town back home.

Our drive back to Albany seemed to go quickly and we spent the rest of the afternoon at Emu Point, a beach just close to where we were staying by Middleton Beach. No wind made the bay very peaceful and a perfect end to our weekend.

Family Reunion - Rocky Mountain National Park - Estes Park, Colorado

2011-06-27T21:39:00.020+08:00

Our weekend in Colorado was short, but it sure was a wonderful time. Back in March, we started planning a surprise 80th birthday celebration for my father-in-law and a family reunion with extended cousins and other family members. We rented 5 cabins for all of us at Solitude Cabins in Estes Park, CO. The management there was so accommodating and helpful to make sure our weekend was perfect. Anyone in the Estes Park area looking for a place to stay, I highly recommend these cabins. They were just the perfect size with all the amenities and very friendly management to help make our family weekend a huge success!

We had a wonderful turnout of 32 family members from the de Jong/Spiller/Davis family as well as extended family members. The weekend was chilly with beautiful weather during the day, perfect for hiking through Rocky Mountain National Park.

Saturday, we got up and headed out for our first hike through RMNP. Below is a picture of the West Alluvial Fan that was created many years ago from a lake that overflowed during a flood, creating a waterfall and the "fan" of rocks seen below.

We also came across a field of elk sitting in the sun enjoying the weather. Everyone had to stop and take a look at the amazing creatures.

This guy was grazing and walked up pretty close to us as we stood very still. The size of these creatures is amazing and quite frightening at the same time. Kaes and I didn't know whether to stay still and take our chances, or turn and run for the car!

Saturday evening we had Dirk's birthday dinner at the cabins' pavilion where they grilled for us and we were able to enjoy the crisp weather while catching up with each other and getting to know some of the ones we have never met.

Sunday morning, several of us got up at 4:30 am to see the sunrise at Sprague Lake. Dawn is such a breathtaking time of day when the whole world seems so peaceful and everything around you is still. With the Continental Divide in the background, the lush green aspens, and the pristine water of Sprague Lake, it was clear that the good Lord spared no expense when created this place.

On our sunrise hike, we saw elk, a momma duck with her seven babies, and even a busy beaver swimming across the lake.

Sunday afternoon, Kaes and I went walking through the town of Estes Park to visit the cute shops and restaurants. It had been off and on drizzling, so a group of us decided to drive over Grand Lake pass for some incredible views. The highest point of the pass is a bit over 12,000 ft. It was quite frigid and even snowed on us as we made the stop for some hot chocolate at the top of pass. The pass boasts some of the most beautiful views far and wide.

Monday was our last day in Colorado and we had just a few days before we had to return to Australia. After giving lots of hugs and saying our goodbyes, we headed back to Denver to have lunch with a friend we had not seen in a few years before we flew to Houston.

Colorado is always one of my favorite places to visit in the winter. My first visit during the summer was so beautiful and reminded me of our vacation last year to New Zealand. The lush greenery and snow-capped mountains make both destinations a favorite, and we cannot wait until our next visit!~

Happy 3rd Anniversary!!!

2011-05-02T17:15:00.011+08:00

Happy Anniversary to Mr. & Mrs. Kaes de Jong! 3 wonderful years together experiencing so many amazing places. It has been a wonderful experience and I can't wait for us to make many more memories together :)

On that note, just a re-cap of our recent AH-MAZING trip to the Maldives!!!!

For those of you who don't know, the Republic of Maldives is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls stretching in a north-south direction off India, about seven hundred kilometers (435 mi) south-west of Sri Lanka and (250 mi) south-west of India.

Distance Travelled: 5 hour flight from Perth to Singapore, 2 hour layover, 4 1/2 hour flight from Singapore to Male, and a not-so-pleasant sea plane ride from Male to the South Ari Atoll where our beautiful paradise at Centara Island Resort began. {Side note: stormy weather, confined space, and the smell of diesel is NOT a good combo for motion sick sufferers...}

Our original plan for our Easter holiday and anniversary was to go to Japan to see the Cherry Blossoms in season. With the recent devastating effects on Japan, we decided to search elsewhere to spend our holiday. It turned out that the Maldives happen to be in great dive season and we headed off in hopes to see and snorkel with the famous {gentle giants} the whale sharks. Unfortunately, we weren't lucky enough to see them, but we did come across some some really cool creatures we haven't seen before.

The first time we have ever seen a sting ray! Unfortunately, we didn't have anything next to it to compare the size, but it was 6 to 7 feet in width and about 10 feet long!!! He was a pretty big fella.

Take a look at the video below of the hungry little guy :)

We are very excited about coming home to Houston soon! It is been a year since we have been home and we are both in need of some family and friends time as well as some Mexican food!!!

Off to Paradise in the Maldives

2011-04-17T20:23:00.006+08:00

As you know Easter break is coming up and we have several days of holidays. Anzac Day also falls on April 25, so we will have Good Friday, Easter Monday and Anzac Day off. Kaes and I loved our trip back in June 2008 for our honeymoon and since our Japan trip fell through, we decided to head back to the Maldives. We are staying at the Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives. It looks absolutely breathtaking and we are so excited to get there. It happens to be whale shark and manta ray season, so we have brought every piece of underwater camera equipment, lenses, HD video that we have to take diving! The resort also has a manta ray feeding station where groups of mantas come to visit each evening for feeding from the resort staff. We are definitely in for a treat :)

Check back for updates on our trip and if we get to meet any interesting new underwater friends!!!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

2011-01-10T19:25:00.005+08:00

Kaes and I are so thankful to have family able to join us over the Christmas and New Year holidays. Being away from home can make you miss family more than you know. Luckily, Mom and Mawmaw came to spend the holidays with us and it was such a beautiful time of year for them to visit. I was grateful they were able to come and see where we live and the beautiful scenery around Perth.

The week started off with walking along the trails through King's Park. We walked the Lotterywest Federation Walkway that is elevated 170 feet in the air and boasts exhilarating views of the Swan and Canning Rivers, local indigenous culture and the diversity of Western Australian flora.

A few visits to Mosman Beach, also known to be a local dog beach to take Jaek and Chloe to see some fellow friends. The water was crystal blue and the sand white as snow. They love trips to the beach and with all the running and swimming, are exhausted by the end of the day.

Swan Valley is also another popular spot to show tourists when they come to visit Perth. It is about 30 mins northeast of the city and known for the Caversham Wildlife Park and Swan Valley wine region. Mawmaw was so excited to see some "real" kangaroos and loved they they came right up to her and she could even feed them. After Caversham, we had a nice lunch at Cape Lavender in Swan Valley.

Christmas morning we opened presents and had a full feast for lunch. Jaek and Chloe love Christmas morning and are thrilled to see what Santa brought them!

December is summertime and quite hot in Perth, so we decided to take a trip out to Rottnest (Rotto) Island to spend the day. Rotto is an island off the west coast and takes about 30 min by boat to get there.

A Quokka {marsupial found only on Rotto and a few other places in the world}

To wrap up the last few days in Perth, we took a day trip to Margaret River which is a wine region south about 3 hours. Wine tasting is always a must when visiting Margaret River, along with the trying to catch a glimpse of the native kangaroos. For lunch we stopped into Providore known for its fresh herb and vegetable garden grown right outside the restaurant. I love to sample all of their delectable jellies, sauces, and chutneys. Their spices are so fragrant and I always end up bringing a few packets home with me! We then decided to head further south down to Augusta where the Cape Leeuwin lighthouse looks out between where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet.

I can't explain enough how memorable it was to have not only my Mother, but my 85-year old grandmother come to see where we live. I hope she had a wonderful time visiting Australia and enjoying the land down under!

Cruizin through Milford Sound

2010-11-02T12:23:00.006+08:00

Fiordland, South Island, New Zealand

Days 10-11

Total Distance: 2,545 kilometres/1,581 miles

Fun Fact: Milford Sound is actually a Fiord, not a Sound, by today’s definition. A Fiord is created by glacial action that produces u-shaped valleys with steep cliffs. Fiords are also characterized by shallow entrances that slope quickly seaward to deep water. A Sound is a river valley that has been flooded due to the land sinking below sea level.

Our trip through New Zealand has not only been adventurous, but we continue to see more and more breathtaking scenery with each new town we visit. We got into Milford Sound on Monday, November 1 and it was a bit dreary. This is the first weather we have come across that has not been perfect spring/summer weather. Luckily the 5 hour drive from Queenstown was quite picturesque and made for great places to stop and take more pictures.

Arriving into the small town of Milford to Milford Lodge where we stayed, we quickly realized that there was nothing in the town except for the ferry terminal so decided against staying our originally planned two nights and opt out of one. We had a lazy afternoon and hoped for better weather in the morning so our cruise would be a pleasant one.

The next morning we awoke to beautiful clear blue skies (I know I continue to use the word beautiful, but the weather really can’t get any better!) and decided to take the early 9:15 cruise through Milford Sound.

The cruise was amazing and it is hard to put into perspective how massive the Fiord really is. Take a look at the picture below of the small boat (by small it carries 300+ people) next to the rock face.

We were also lucky enough to see a colony of fur seals taking their morning naps after hunting all night. They are so precious with their sweet puppy faces!!!

Overall the drive to and the cruise through Milford Sound was breathtaking and we were glad we made the long venture to see the beautiful Fiords.

Queenstown – Home of the most extreme adventures on Earth

2010-11-02T11:59:00.006+08:00

Queenstown and Glenorchy, Otago, New Zealand

Days 8-9

Fun Fact: Queenstown was the first place in the world to offer commercial bungy jumping.

Skydiving, Bungy jumping, Jetboating, Canyong swinging, white water rafting, and heli-skiing: all can be done in Queenstown - the adventure capital of the world!

Before stopping for the night in Queenstown, we travelled 45 kms north to the small town of Glenorchy. At the top of Lake Wakatipu that surrounds Glenorchy and Queenstown lies what I now believe is the most beautiful place on Earth. The view of Glenorchy towards Pig, Pigeon, and Tree island with the lush green trees, the lake as smooth as glass, and the snow capped mountains in the background was a memory we will never forget. The sun was shining just perfect enough to see the mountainside reflection in the lake. We decided it would be the perfect place to stop for a picnic lunch and capture as much of the scenery as possible.

After lunch we decided to do a bit of hiking along the Routeburn track. The track has many different walks and even has small huts to stay along the way as it is popular for many people to do the 3-4 day hike.

After hiking 3+hours, we were tired and headed back to Queenstown to book our next days adventures. We did happen to come across a Mexican restaurant called Sombreros, but of course were not too excited about the not-so-Tex-Mex food. It would have been really tasty to those who haven’t been fortunate enough to taste Tex Mex!

The next morning, we decided to do the jet boating (which I was not too keen on) and white water rafting combo down the Shotover River. The jet boat was too much like a jet ski and terrified me, but the white water rafting tour was amazing!!! Our trip commenced at top of Deep Creek and went through 16 kms/10 miles of grade 3-5 rapids before finishing up at Arthurs Point. Kaes and I had a blast, even with Kaes being thrown out of the raft on the last rapid!!!

After a full day of activities, we went to The Bathhouse, with another couple we met while rafting from Melbourne, for tapas and wine to top of a wonderful and adventurous day.

The Wonderful World of Ice at Franz Josef Glacier

2010-10-28T13:42:00.009+08:00

Franz Josef, South Island

Days 5-6

Fun Fact: New Zealand has 3,155 glaciers. 18 of them are in the North Island with the remaining in the South Island. Franz Josef is the 5th largest in New Zealand with the steepest commercial climbing available.

After our incredible adventure in Kaikoura, and our long drive to Greymouth for the night, our next stop was to head south 235 kilometres to the township of Franz Josef, known for the breathtaking views of Franz Josef and Fox Glacier at Westland National Park.

The afternoon was a relaxing one catching up on emails and doing some laundry. We did take a short hour hike in the small town just north of Franz Josef called Okarito. The town is known to have a specific species of Kiwi that are only found there, but unfortunately, we didn’t see any on our hike. After climbing up the side of a really tall hill (it felt like a mountain, especially since we were expecting a pleasant stroll through the forest) we came upon an opening that looked out over the town of Okarito and the largest wetlands in all of New Zealand.

The next morning, we woke up for our 9:15 am full day glacier hike on Franz Josef Glacier. One really can’t put into words how large this thing really is. Just to give you an example, notice the picture below of the group of people walking on the glacier. It is not only enormous, but really hard to capture the beauty and magnitude of its size.

We spent 8 hours total hiking and 6 hours on the ice. It was about a 10km hike up rugged terrain and over ice, but with our crampons over our hiking boots, it made it quite easy to manoeuvre over the ice.

By the end of our cold and tiresome day, we had agreed that once again we had a once of a lifetime experience on our incredible journey through New Zealand.

Tomorrow’s agenda will be driving south 180kms to Lake Wanaka to see what it has it store for us!

Wines, Whales and getting wet with the Dusky Dolphins

2010-10-27T16:24:00.008+08:00

Blenheim and Kaikoura - South Island, New Zealand

Days 3-5

Total Driving distance: 1153 kms/ 716 miles

Fun Fact: Kaikoura comes from the Maori word meaning Kai = to eat and koura = crayfish

Our day started with a journey from the North to the South Island along the Interislander Ferry. The 3-hour sail through the Cook Strait from Wellington to Picton was quite beautiful with majestic views of Queen Charlotte Sound.

We were originally planned to stay in Blenheim and do a bit of wine tasting, but changed our plans and drove further south to what used to be a whaling town in Kaikoura. We did make time to stop at the Montana winery in Blenheim while passing through for a delicious lunch and wine before heading to Kaikoura.

The quaint seaside town used to be known for killing whales over a century ago, but now finds prosperity in showing them off, along with the various other marine life such as albatross, fur seals, and dusky dolphins. The rest of the afternoon was nice and lazy as we took a stroll along the black rocky beach and took a quick nap in the sun while listening to the gentle waves hit the shore.

The next morning we got up bright and early for a full day starting with the dolphin encounter. Out of all the diving we have done, Kaes and I both agreed that this was one of the most memorable experiences we have ever had. After just a 10 minute boat ride, the captain let all of us off to get in the water to swim with the frisky mammals. We all had on 10 mm wetsuits, but the water was 14 degrees Celsius, which is 57 degrees Farenheit. I can’t begin to express how cold the water really was, but as soon as the dolphins were playing and circling us, we quickly forgot the sacrifice it took to see them in groups between 10-20 at a time, all very interested in what we were. Along with the dolphins, we saw the albatross soaring over the water with the longest wing span of any bird (pictured below) and playful fur seals. The pictures were taken when we got out of the water as we didn't bring our underwater camera :(

After our exciting morning, we didn’t think the day could get much better, but we were wrong. Our afternoon ended with Whale Watch Kaikoura. We saw a Sperm whale that was around 70 feet long stretching across the waters acquiring more oxygen before diving back down into the deep waters.

The day was one of the most memorable we have ever had. It is hard to describe the beauty and richness of New Zealand. Pictures do not begin to do it justice. We were scheduled to end up in Greymouth for the night, some 310 kilometres away. It was a long 5 hour drive through mountains and passes, but we could not have asked for a more perfect day.

Knocking on Hell’s Gate in Lake Rotorua & Lake Taupo

2010-10-25T15:40:00.004+08:00

North Island, New Zealand

Days 1-3

Transportation: Air New Zealand flight from Perth to Auckland, 6 hours; Jucy Rentals for campervan; Interislander Ferry from Wellington to Picton

Total Driving distance: 703 kms/ 422 miles

Fun Fact: Sheep outnumber people 20 to 1 in New Zealand

Our adventure began landing into Auckland International Airport on October 23 at 6:00 am New Zealand time. New Zealand is 5 hours ahead of Perth time and 18 hours ahead of Houston time. It happened to be Labor Day weekend and we weren’t able to pick up our campervan until 11:00 am. Since we missed a night of sleep and didn’t get much rest on the plane, we stretched out on a few benches in the airport until time came closer to start our adventure. Once 11:00 rolled around, we were picked up by Jucy rentals, got our Jucy Charga, and were on our way.

First stop was Lake Rotorua, known for its energetic thermal activities and mud baths. Since it happened to be my birthday, Kaes and I decided to stop at Hells Gate (this is the only time I ever wanted to be in “Hell”) for a mud bath & spa. Hells Gate is the most active thermal reserve in Rotorua. The strong smell of sulphur was not pleasant, but the warm relaxing mud bath quickly made you forget the smell and was a great way to end our day.

Our next stop was in Lake Taupo, the largest lake in New Zealand covering 240 sq miles. Lake Taupo was formed by volcanic explosions from thousands of years ago and is now known to be the most famous trout fishing lake in the world, yielding in excess of 500 tonnes of rainbow trout annually. The drive around the town was amazing to say the least. I had always heard New Zealand was beautiful, but really had no idea that a place like this existed. The cute tourist town had shops, perfectly manicured gardens, and outdoor restaurants and pubs to enjoy the great weather and view of the lake.

Taupo is known for its picturesque scenery of lake views and snow capped mountains but also for the Waikato River and the spectacular Huka Falls. The full force of the river soars over an 11-metre (36 ft) ledge with enough water to fill two Olympic –sized pools every second. The brilliant turquoise color of the water crashes into a basin below, offering breathtaking views.

Our last stop for the evening was south where we stayed in the small beach town of Otaki at Byron’s Resort. Bright and early the next morning, we got ready and headed further south 70 kms to the ferry from Wellington to Picton, commencing our journey into the South Island.

Margaret River Weekend Getaway

2010-09-28T06:28:00.005+08:00

Our trip commenced to Margaret River Friday afternoon dogs and bikes in tow. Margaret River is about a 3.5 hour drive south from Perth. Our first stop was the Margaret River Dairy Company for cheese and yoghurt tasting before checking into our cottage at Margaret House right in the main town of Margaret River.

The dogs were so excited to get out of the car and explore all the new smells. As we were unpacking, we were greeted by a bird similar to a turkey (but could fly) that came right up to the fence. Jaek and Chloe both were anxious to do a little more than just greet them and soon enough, Chloe was under the fence on a bird chase. I couldn’t help but die laughing at our little bird dog that has learned so much from her big brother. Luckily, they were able to fly quicker than she chased them. Not a great start to the trip as I just knew we would get an earful from the owners for letting our dog escape.

That evening after unpacking and getting the dogs settled in, we drove to the town a few miles down the road to walk around and find dinner. Our next stop was the Settlers Tavern for a few beers and an afternoon snack of their delicious Mexican nachos complete with pico de gallo and guacamole.

After enjoying the beautiful weather and doing a bit of people watching, we decided to go to the local butcher to pick up a few steaks to take back to our cottage to grill and grab a bottle of wine.

The next morning we headed back to town for breakfast to have a bit of food in our stomach before a full day of wine tasting. The wine trail in Margaret River is not only picturesque, but full of some of the best wineries in all of Australia. First on the list was a small boutique winery called Edwards Estate. We decided they had some nice wines, but since it was our first stop, decided to not be over zealous and buy the first thing we tasted. I was keeping a list of our overall favorites from the trip to help in buying at the local regional wine center on our way home.

Next on the list was Voyager Estate with its manicured lawns and white stone building that reminded me of being in Greece. I have to say that I didn’t try a wine there that I didn’t fall in love with. Our favorites were their signature Chardonnay and my very favorite, the Sauvignon Blanc Semillon with its crisp refreshing aroma and taste; perfect for drinking during our warm summer months ahead.

Leeuwin Estate was right down the road and is also another popular winery in Western Australia. They are known to have their arts series premium wine label that has a new piece of art as the label for each new vintage that is released. Kaes had been given an Arts Series Shiraz from a vendor last Christmas, and it was one of the best wines we have had since being in Australia. We picked up three bottles here that we both agreed on and headed up the road to Xanadu for lunch.

I was very excited to wine taste at Xanadu as we had done a bit of wine tasting the night before at the Wine Industry Association of Western Australia event in Perth. The 2010 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon (did I mention I was a big fan of white wine?) is due to be released in February of 2011, but we were able to sample it at the event in Perth. The friendly representative from Xanadu gave us a bottle of their wonderful Chardonnay and convinced us that we had to have lunch at the vineyard after we told him we planned to head to Margaret River the next day. The 2009 Viogner (pronounced vee-on-yay) was by far my favorite with the flavors of kumquat and apricot that will go perfectly with a Thai or Indian dish.

After wine tasting and a late lunch, we headed back to the town to visit the Aboriginal Art Center and do a bit of tasting at the Margaret River Fudge Factory. (I know you are wondering if this place actually exists with its award-winning wine, superb cheese, and delicious chocolate; but yes, there is such a place) Then we headed back to the cottage to play with the dogs before taking an afternoon nap (wine tasting tends to make you sleepy, and we were on vacation) Dinner was leftover steak and potatoes while watching a movie.

Our last morning we woke up early to go bike riding down to the beach, only 5 miles away. Along the way, we came across some new friends.

They seemed quite docile especially considering that several of them had joeys in their pouch. They seemed just as curious of us as we were them. After we finished riding and got packed up to leave, we headed back to the field to take more pictures of our native friends.

Heading home we stopped at the Regional Wine Center to pick up our favorites from the trip, then headed back through Dunsborough as we heard there was whale watching at Cape Naturaliste Park. We couldn’t have asked for better weather and the breathtaking scenery of crystal blue waters with humpback and blue whales swimming so gracefully through the water.

It was quite a wonderful and relaxing trip for the long weekend that we plan to do again very soon!

All Aboard the Queen Scuba - Our Liveaboard Dive Trip to Bali and Komodo, Indonesia

2010-08-31T15:12:00.006+08:00

The conditions on this trip were perfect with lots of sun and blue skies, calm water and a magical underwater world below.

The first day was at Moyo Island and was a nice easy introduction into the diving in this area. The dive sites are a couple of sea mounts that barely break the surface at low tide. A small area of bright white coral that has almost turned to powder has accumulated creating the perfect postcard picture. It’s easy to imagine yourself sitting there under an umbrella sipping a cocktail as time just slowly passes by. With clear turquoise water on the surface and sky, and blue water down below, we were excited to get in for the first dives of the trip. We saw Denise pygmies along with a brilliant blue ribbon eel and of course schools of jacks, rainbow runners loads of different kinds of anemone fish, angel fish, butterflies and some colorful nudies. Off to Sotanda for the third dive where we had the chance to see a collection of giant frog fish along with a couple black ribbon eels and little yellow bargabanti pygmy seahorse.

The next morning at Sangeang Island was full of our favorite small things and gave us the chance to really get into macro diving. With minute filefish, sawblade shrimp, ghost pipefish, a baby lionfish, snake eels, imperial partner shrimp and more nudies then we have seen in a long time. The second dive at “Hotrocks” showed why the current in Indonesia is famous. We had a chance to drift buy the bargabanti seahorses and get a quick look but mostly just flowed with the current and enjoyed the ride. The afternoon dive at “Rollercoaster” was another drift dive which provided the opportunity to get familiar with some of the up, down and all around currents in Indonesia. There were schools of surgeon fish, jacks and a couple tunas out in the blue while the bright colors of the anthias, the angel fish and butterfly fish, lit up the reef as we passed by. The night dive had the sighting of the hard to believe stargazer and loads of unusual decorator crabs, a mimic octopus, and a striped catfish.

Our third day at “Castle Rock and Crystal Rock” was filled with Pelagics, white tip reef sharks, giant trevallies, tuna, maori wrasse, and the best of all three spotted eagle rays swimming in formation above us and next to us for more than 45 minutes. The afternoon was filled with a trek on Komodo Island looking at the famous Komodo Dragons. That night we hit the cold water at “Pink Beach” with an amazing sighting of the poisonous blue ring octopus.

The next day was more water and lots of small stuff like cowfish, zebra crabs, ornate ghost pipefish, orangutang crabs, squat lobsters and pygmy seahorses. On the beach during the day we were able to see more dragons in their natural habitat strolling the beach.
The dives at “Manta Alley” were filled with humphead parrot fish and of course the elegant mantas. In the afternoon we headed back to Gili Banta for a stunning reef dive with beautiful coral and every imaginable reef species you could think of.

Our last two dive were filled with some incredible macro dives with seahorses, snake eels, robust ghost pipefish, thorny seahorses and the mimic octopus. Then we headed into the sunset on our journey back to Bali.

Halfway Around the World...My Trip to Houston via Beijing and Vancouver

2010-07-25T09:03:00.006+08:00

After a 5 hour flight to Singapore, a 6 hour flight to Beijing, a 12 hour layover in Beijing, a 12 hour flight to Vancouver, a 12 hour layover in Vancouver, and a last 4 hour flight, I finally made it to Houston! Only 50 hours of travel time!!!

My journey began as I left Perth on Wednesday afternoon (Perth time) 30 June. I first flew to Singapore on a 5 hour flight, then had about 3 hours to spare before my flight to Beijing. What does one do when they have time to spare in the Singapore Airport??? You go to a Fish Spa!!!

The Fish Spa is a type of spa where a type of Turkish fish (with no teeth) suck the dead skin from your feet, legs and anything else you put in the bath to help with blood circulation and put you in a relaxed state. It was quite an odd sensation at first and I had to get over the mental anxiety of fish swarming my legs, but after the initial shock wore off, it was quite nice. After about an hour it was time to head to the gate, China bound!

Fish Spa in Singapore

Note: NEVER fly Air China! Old planes, no TV’s, and bad food. Luckily I was exhausted and slept the majority of the flight and when I woke up, it was time to land. I have to say I am a bit spoiled as well flying Singapore Airlines most of the time. The service and staff are so nice, you forget how nice you have it until you end up on another airline that doesn’t take hospitality as serious as Sing Air.

Beijing
Best of: Seeing the Forbidden City, visiting a silk factory and experiencing a traditional Chinese tea tasting

Worst of: The cloudy and rainy weather

My first trip to China was welcomed by hot, humid weather. Oh how I don’t miss those balmy Singapore days or the August summers in Houston. Luckily, it was overcast so the heat wasn’t as bad as it could have been. I met up with my English speaking tour guide Anly and we headed off to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City in downtown Beijing. Tiananmen Square was massive having two large LED screens in the center of the square to show the World Cup. The square is between the Parliament building and the Forbidden City.

In front of Forbidden City

The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost five hundred years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government.The Forbidden City is one of Beijing’s largest landmarks and in 1987 was declared a UNESCO Heritage sites.

Next we visited a traditional Chinese tea house to understand the proper way to drink tea and the different types of tea that are found in China. China is known to have the longest history of tea dating back more than 3,000 years ago. I tried Jasmine, Lychee with Rose, Black tea, and Oolong Tea. Some tea has been “aging” for over 100 years. There is fruit tea and handmade tea with Jasmine leaves rolled into a tight ball that after sit in hot water, open to a beautiful flower that can be used as decoration for 7 days or longer after you enjoy the flavor of the tea.

The last main site was of the Temple of Heaven (above) The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. It is regarded as a Taoist temple, although Chinese Heaven worship, especially by the reigning monarch of the day, pre-dates Taoism. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998 and was described as "a masterpiece of architecture and landscape design which simply and graphically illustrates a cosmogony of great importance for the evolution of one of the world’s great civilizations.

You quickly forget how long 12 hour flights are when you haven’t flown them in several months...this is also where I vouch to not get on a plane anytime soon; only to realize I have to get back home...

Vancouver

Best of: Seeing some of the country's celebrations for Canada Day (Independence Day)

Worst of: Being exhausted!

I landed in Vancouver on Thursday, 1 July 2010 which happened to be Canada Day; which is our version of the 4th of July. Parades and celebrations were under way with Canadians enjoying the beautiful weather. During the summer months in Vancouver, the sun doesn’t set until around 9:30 at night, giving them 16 hours of sunlight. It was perfect for me to be able to not only enjoy the nice weather, but to have plenty of sunshine to make up for the bad weather in Beijing!

My first stop was to Granville Island. The Island is actually a peninsula on the northern tip of Vancouver, not far from the city. The island is known for the famous market with heaps of restaurants, bars, and shopping or great places just to sit out on a bench to enjoy the scenery.

View of Granville Island Markets from an overhead bridge

After grabbing lunch at The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant and spending a few hours walking around, I decided to head off to Stanley Park, just a few more miles northwest.

Stanley Park is a huge park with ponds, lakes and outdoor activities to see and do.

A lake at Stanley Park

Below is a picture of handmade totem poles in Stanley Park.

Just as I was about to leave, I caught this beautiful picture of the sun setting over one of the lakes at the entrance of Stanley Park.

Last stop, Houston!!!

Paris - Da Vinci, Van Gogh, and Matching Scarves

2010-04-14T14:37:00.013+08:00

Kaes and I in front of the Eiffel Tower

Best of: The great accompaniment from Kathy and Evon. Although our husbands were busy at work, it was great to have the sweet ladies to see the sights of Paris. Chocolate, wine, and desserts were also a highlight of our trip :)

Worst of: Trying to be proactive and buy the group tickets to the Eiffel Tower in advance to avoid the extreme long lines, BUT buying the tickets only allows you "access" to the summit, not the actual ticket to the summit. In lamens terms, you get to the second story, then have to stand in another (extremely long) line to buy tickets to the top. This is a way for them to monitor how many are going up at a time and therefore can shut down the ticket booth when they have sold too many then only reopen when people are filtered out...

Tips: The metro/RER is very easy to get on and off as a mode of transportation. Taxi drivers do not accept credit cards anywhere in Paris. Taxi rides are not cheap either so be prepared with plenty of Euro. Also, the Parisians were very friendly if you made even the slightest attempt to speak their language. Most of them say they don't speak English well, but they can speak enough to get you where you are going.

Paris, however, was overall an amazing city. From the savory crepes and delictable chocolates, to the pungent cheese and crisp champagne, Paris has a wide variety of tantilizing treats. The city boasts incredible views of the Seine River, beautiful parks, and amazing architecture.

The first day my Paris buddies, Kathy and Evon and myself visited the Louvre museum. The Louvre has 8 million visitors a year, being the most visited museum in the world. The day we went to visit happened to be during school holidays and I believe 2 of the 8 million were there at the same time...

In front of the Louvre Museum

Art. One of many things that Paris is well known to have in abundance. Art is one thing, but there were many "paintings" that I would not classify as true art, but an absurd attempt to display very "exposed" pictures that were a little over the top and quite distasteful... The French are far more liberal and open-minded than Americans. That being said, I still cannot come to terms with the obsession of so much nakedness. After the Louvre museum, we were "arted" out; at least for another day or two.

The Louvre Museum gardens

Our day of sightseeing was brought to an end by a very romantic dinner cruise with the whole meeting group on the Seine River. The cruise began at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, followed the rive gauche (left bank) past: Eiffel Tower, Hotel des Invalides, Musees d'Orsay, Institut de France, Notre Dame de Paris, La Grand Bibliotheque, up to the Finance Minestry in Bercy, Hotel de Ville, Musee du Louvre, Concorde, Grand Palais, Trocadero, Tour Eiffel.

The Avenue des Champs-Élysées is known in France as La plus belle avenue du monde, The most beautiful avenue in the world. It runs for 2 km and ends at the west end at the Arc de Triomph. We did quite a bit of shopping and I was happy to find a Gap there to find some reasonably priced clothes that I was used to from back home. Kathy also bought us our matching scarves as seen below. It was a fun-filled day of shopping, eating, and people-watching.

Me, Kathy, and Evon with our matching scarves

The last day in Paris before we all went our separate was was spent in Versailles visiting the Palace of Versailles, musical gardens and fountains, and the Grand and Petite Trianon of Marie Antoinette.

Kaes with the Versailles Palace gardens behind

Overall, our trip to France was romantic and beautiful. Springtime in Paris was wonderful!!!

Gili T Island, Lombok, Indonesia "Happy Oz-tray-ya Day-e"

2010-01-26T18:36:00.015+08:00

Destination: Bali and Gili T, Indonesia

Days Spent: 4
Where we stayed: Harris Hotel in Bali and Manta Dive in Gili T

Best of: Relaxing on the beautiful beach of Gili T, cheap food, and even better, cheap beer!

Most memorable: Candlelight dinner on the top of the Beach House balcony watching the sunset

Kaes and I went had a long weekend for the Australia Day holiday, which is basically the same as our July 4th. For those of you who would like a correct pronunciation, the holiday is "Oz-tray-ya Day-e"

The celebration is quite big here in Perth, but we took the opportunity to get away to someplace new for the weekend, so we headed to Bali, Indonesia and to the Gili Islands off of Lombok. The 3 Gili islands are Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air. Gili T is the most popular with more hotels and restaurants and but still quiet enough away from the hustle and bustle of Bali. Here is a map below to show exactly where we were. Indonesia is made up of over 17,000 islands, so it is no doubt a huge country spread out over a very large region.

Kaes was in Singapore for work during the week, so I flew from Perth and we met up in Bali Friday night. We flew in late, so stayed close to the airport and boat port at the Harris hotel in Kuta. You can spot Kuta and Bali (Denpasar) on the above map at the southern tip of the island. Ironically enough, across the street was a Dutch bar that we decided to go check out and taste some authentic Dutch treats while listening to the band.

The next morning we woke up early to catch a high-speed boat on the Ocean Star express to the island of Gili Trawangan (Gili T for short) which is about 2 hours east of Bali (Denpasar) and on the northwest corner off the main island of Lombok, located in the West Nusa Tenggara region. Lombok map shown below.

We arrived to Gili T around 10:30 Saturday morning and checked into our bungalow at Manta Dive. It was conveniently located right by the boat dock and was a traditional Balinese style bungalow complete with an outdoor shower :)

As soon as we were unpacked and settled, we headed to grab a bite of lunch and then went out for our first dive that afternoon to the dive site "Halik." Here we were quite surprised at how many different species of fish and underwater life we saw and in such abundance!

Map of the dive sites around the Gili Islands

Sunday and Monday were both dive days to the sites Manta Point, Shark Point, Sting Ray and back to Halik. All of the dive sites had colorful fish and exotic sea life. Many cuttlefish, large octopus, stone fish, bat fish, dog-face pufferfish, and even rare frog fish that were enormous for their size!

Kaes and I with our awesome dive guide Dan. He did an incredible job and was quick to point out any creature great or small

Kaes toggling with his new underwater gear

Peek-a-boo! A very shy octopus hiding beneath a rock

A cuttlefish that has changed its color to clear so as to glide through the water unnoticed

Kaes supporting A&M all the way in Indonesia!

The last evening, we decided to go to the Beach House and have a romantic dinner on top of their balcony and watch the sun set. It was a perfect way to end our relaxing and wonderful getaway.

The next morning we heading out by boat from Gili T to Lombok. We had about a 30 minute drive to the airport and enjoyed the lushness of Lombok island complete with monkeys running around the street. Then it was back on a flight from Lombok to Bali to spend a few hours before our flight home to Perth.

On top of the Acropolis and Cruising the Mediterranean

2010-01-05T19:08:00.009+08:00

Destination: Greece - Athens & Santorini

Number of days spent: 6

Where we stayed: Hotel Rio (close, but not quite like the one in Vegas) in Athens and Neoklassiko and Porto Fira (after we were "stranded") in Santorini

Best restaurant: A small restaurant, Cafe Classico, looking out to the Caldera in Santorini

Best of: Breathtaking views from the Acropolis, wonderful Greek food and Baklava

Worst of: Although the weather was beautiful in Santorini, the high winds caused us not to be able to visit Crete, which we were a little disappointed

Most memorable: The outlook of the caldera volcano at sunset in Santorini and the lighthouse lookout in the southern tip of Santorini as well as the Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens

After a wonderful time in the US with friends and family, we set off to Europe. First we flew into Frankfurt, Germany and had time to walk around the city before our flight to Athens. It started to snow and was pretty cold walking around, but nice to get out after such a long flight. After about 5 hours, we headed to Athens. We didn't get in until the evening, so we settled into our hotel and then found some traditional Greek food for dinner.

The next day we hired a driver, Demetrius, to take us around to all of the major sites in Athens. We started the morning off to the Acropolis to see the Parthenon, temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheum, and the Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus. We also saw the Olympic stadium where the first "modern" olympics were held in 1896 and again 108 years later in 2004 for the summer Olympics.

Interesting Fact: The word Acropolis means the highest point of a city, but in Athens it is not. The Acropolis in Athens was a very flat rock 150 meters above sea level where it was easier to build temples and other buildings.

After a full day in the city of Athens, we headed back to our hotel, cleaned up and then went to dinner at a traditional Greek restaurant for crepes and salad.

The next day we flew out to Santorini. We got to our hotel, the Neoklassiko and enjoyed the breathtaking view of the sunset over the Caldera right from our own patio. The view of traditional white houses along the cliffside against the beautiful sunset was a memory never to be forgotten. Santorini is one of the most beautiful places we have been to yet. We rang in the New Year with a romantic dinner in the town of Fira.

The next morning we woke up and started to explore the town. Most things were closed since it was New Year's, but it gave us a chance to enjoy the clear perfect weather and enjoy all the views Santorini has to offer on both the east and west coasts of the island.

The last day we were not able to make it to Crete due to high winds, so we extended our time in Santorini and rented a car to drive all over the island. It was great because we were able to drive to the north to the town of Oia, see all the different beaches (white, red, and the volcanic black beach) as well as drive to the most picturesque part of the island at the south in the town of Faros.

The trip to Greece was unforgettable to say the least. It was a perfect and relaxing way to end our trip around the world and to ring in the New Year!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T19:03:00.001+08:00

I know this is a little late, but just wanted to post a few pictures from our trip home to Houston. Before we got to Houston, we stopped in Denver, Colorado to see Kaes' brother Richard and the family. I had not met Ashley, Matt and the boys, so it was really great to finally put a face with the name. The weather in Denver was chilly, but we missed the snow storm that happened a week before. The few days were nice to catch up and see everyone.

We finally got to Houston on December 15th. It was a dreary day, but felt great to be home. Dirk picked up Kaes and I took the rental car to go see my parents. Kaes and I try to "divide and conquer" while we are home to see as many friends and family as possible since we are always on a time crunch. We were both pretty successful with seeing everyone except for a few, but overall, had a great time visiting friends and family.

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year!!!

Adventures in Fiji on the Tui Tai

2009-12-15T16:52:00.002+08:00

Destination: Nadi, Savu savu, and Taveuni, Fiji

Days Spent: 7

Best of: The humanitarianism involved with the Tui Tai visiting different islands around Fiji to provide help and support to those in need

Worst of: Not enough sunshine (of course I still managed to get burned!)

Most Memorable: The welcoming dance from the polynesian tribe from the island of Kioa

Our trip around the world started from Perth and headed first to Auckland, New Zealand for a 7 hour layover, and then on to Nadi, Fiji. Auckland was breathtaking and we climbed the Harbour Bridge Climb in the lapse between our next flight. It was amazing to see the Harbour and have a 360 degree view of the city.

Next, we countinued our journey to Nadi to spend the night before our early 7 am flight to Savu Savu, Fiji where the group from Tui Tai would pick us up to begin our adventure cruise.

Day 1: Fly into Savu Savu airport and picked up by Tui Tai host Liga to take us to the boat. We had a welcome drink and met the others on board and then a delicious lunch before we headed out for our first dive at Natewa Bay at Vanua Levu.

Day 2: We set out to ride mountain bikes from the village settlement of Tabiang to a beautiful view of the Tunuloa Peninsula at the mouth of Natewa Bay. We also saw one of the most beautiful waterfalls where some of the local children were jumping off into the pool below. The afternoon was a snorkeling trip right off of the beach.

Day 3: Time for more diving! We dove the beautiful Rainbow Reef and saw colorful fish, blue-spotted rays and swam thru tunnels to see more creatures hiding between the rocks. Below is a picture of a blue eel, which we have never seen on any other dive before. In the afternoon, we visited the Polynesian inhabited island of Kioa to the Somosomo Village. Hugo, the Dutch doctor on board, provided services and medicine to some of the ill in the village and the Kioans performed a traditional song and dance for us.

Day 4: We woke up and spent most of the day near the stunning island of Cobia, a sunken volcanic crater, the inside of which has filled with sea water, forming a mystic lagoon. In the morning we hiked to the summit of the crater. The trail had an interesting terrain of natural steps formed by large tree roots. The island was home to a handful of wild goats and a dense population of fruit bats. Along the way, we came across Fijian children gathering fruit and plants to bring back to the family for dinner.

Day 5: After breakfast, we set off to the waterfalls a short 10-minute walk along a nice trail. There was a huge pool for swimming, which made it an ideal place to relax right in front of the pounding waterfalls! In the afternoon, we sailed to the island of Qamea. We visited a tiny and remote Togo Village for a tour and Melanesian cultural performance. Dinner was made the traditional Fijian method by an underground oven created by the chefs.

The last morning we woke up and had breakfast then got ready to fly out of Taveuni. The crew of Tui Tai sang the farewell Fijian song "Isa Lei" and wished us safe and happy travels as we left.

Our trip was wonderful overall and definitely relaxing. The islands of Fiji are beautiful and the people so welcoming and friendly. Now on to our next destination, the USA!!!

Trip to Lancelin

2009-11-21T19:09:00.004+08:00

Kaes and I decided to take the dogs in the jeep and drive up the Coral Coast 1.5 hours to Lancelin. Lancelin is a small fishing village, but known to have some good beaches, beautiful water, and good places for off roading. The dogs love going to the beach and Jaek especially loves to chase the birds, whether in the water or in the air. It was a really scenic drive and a great way to spend our Saturday. Here are a few pictures below of our trip.

The white sandy beaches and beautiful water of Lancelin

Jaek about to head out for a swim

Jaek trotting along - I think he is almost "starting" to get tired

Chloe testing out the water - mmm, not so much...

Litte Chloe chasing after a bird...she has been taking lessons from her big brother, and is now quite the little hunter :)

PowerStation Triathlon and Duathlon

2009-11-16T21:27:00.015+08:00

Last Wednesday Kim decided to sign us up for 2 upcoming triathlons/duathlons before we take our home leave in early December. The first one was last weekend (Saturday Nov 14th, 2009) and the next one is Sunday, Nov 29th. Kim did the duathlon which was 2 km run / 15 km bike / 2 km run which she finished in 1 hr 1 min. I did the triathlon which was 400 m swim / 20 km bike / 4 km run which I finished in 1 hr 22 mins. Weather was great and we both did well considering we really didnt train for the races.

Kim and I before our races

Finishing the bike

Starting the run

Starting lap 2 of the run

Finally, I'm finished. 1 hour 22 mins later.

Turquoise Coast - Road trip to The Pinnacles and Geraldton, WA

2009-09-28T18:56:00.006+08:00

Hotel: Ocean Centre Hotel - $ 130 AUD/night A boutique hotel in Geraldton city centre and Oceans West $125 AUD/night, an apartment style weekend stay 100 meters from the beach. We are definitely not in Asia anymore! The days of $55 USD/night hotels are OVER!

Drive: 340 miles total to Geraldton; 170 to The Pinnacles, then another 170 miles to Geraldton

Weather: 70 degrees with not a cloud in the sky- It was incredible!

Well we had our first holiday here in Perth - the Queen of England's Birthday. Now this may seem odd to most since we are in Australia; why the Aussie's would celebrate the Queen's birthday. Well, it is weird, especially because of the fact that even the Brits don't celebrate the Queen's birthday, and rumor has it, her birthday wasn't or isn't even this weekend....hmmmm...Oh well, it is a good enough excuse for me because we got a long weekend out of it ;) We realized very quickly that you cannot wait around long to book a vacation here in Australia. It was the end of the 3rd term for students, so many families take the opportunity to book vacations. I called about 15 kennels to board the dogs and FINALLY found a place to take them. We also booked one room, but were scrambling to find another room for the second night. Luckily it all worked out and we were able to take our first road trip up the Turquoise Coast of Western Australia since moving here 2 1/2 months ago.

Our first stop was north up the coast 270 kilometers (about 170 miles) to Nambung National Park, also known as The Pinnacles. The Pinnacles are limestone formations in the middle of the desert. It is quite odd to see them in the middle of nowhere. It was a nice attraction for us to see as well as stop along the beaches in Cervantes to see the crystal clear and pristine waters. The weather was amazing with not a cloud in the sky.

Me in front of The Pinnacles sign

The Pinnacles

Kaes in the crystal waters of Hangover Bay, down the road from The Pinnacles

Our final destination was further up the coast another 270 kilometers (another 170 miles) to the town of Geraldton. We brought our bikes along with us and our main goal for the weekend was to relax by the beach and see the town and coast while getting some exercise. Riding along the coast was a really great way to see what all Geraldton had to offer, and offset some of the goodies we consumed during the weekend. We got up early Sunday morning for a ride north of the town and rode about 1.5 hours. Afterwards, we met our friend's, the Kirkham's, for lunch before they headed back to Perth. Since we had to move hotels, we gathered our stuff and headed to our new location. We were very fortunate because the beach was just a short 100 meter walk. The beach was beautiful and quite peaceful. A nice getaway for all the hard work (Kaes) has been doing lately ;) We passed out early Sunday night and woke up early Monday morning to head south for a nice bike ride/calorie burn. The clouds had moved in from the previous two days, but we were able to get a great ride in to end our last day in Geraldton. After our ride, we headed back to get ready and head home to get the dogs.

Our hotel the first night - Ocean Centre Hotel

The town of Geraldton

Overall, our first road trip up the coast was everything we wanted it to be - quiet, relaxing, and peaceful. Now back to reality...

Click here to view the rest of the pictures from the weekend.

Almost Settled In

2009-08-03T09:21:00.007+08:00

Well we have made our move to Australia and found our house. We moved into our permanent house on July 31st and had some temporary furniture delivered until our shipment makes it through customs. Fortunately enough, it made it to Perth within 7 days and we are just waiting on customs to clear it (Who knows how long that will take, but we are waiting patiently)

We found our house in Bicton and didn't realize how much we would love it! The weather has been amazing in Perth getting up into the mid to high 60's during the day and in the 30's in the morning. Kaes and I went on a long bike ride this weekend around the river, almost to the city and back. The view is breathtaking and the weather amazing. The Point Walter golf course is less than a mile from the house and also has tennis courts. Many people gather around Point Walter on the weekends for barbecues, picnics and skiing on the river.

Jaek and Chloe are in quarantine in Byford and as of today, only have 13 days left! Over half way through. They have met many new friends while there and the workers are very nice and friendly. They will both be very excited to move into their new home. The backyard is big enough for them to have plenty of running room and I am sure Jaek will love going for a swim in the pool :)

Here are a few pictures below

Front of the house

The kitchen and living room looking out onto the deck and backyard

Our new backyard

Chloe saying hello!

Jaek rolling on a lemon in the exercise yard at quarantine. Some things never change, no matter where they are!

Big News...

2009-06-22T18:11:00.006+08:00

We are MOVING AGAIN!!!

We have been in Singapore since October 2008 and were just given the news a month ago that we would be relocating to Perth, Western Australia. Kaes was offered a position to build a base in Perth and run our Australia plant. Although it will be quite a complex job, we are fortunate for his wonderful opportunity. I will continue to work for my same boss in Singapore from Perth.
Below you can see where Perth is located relative to the other parts of Australia.

Keep checking back for pictures of our new home (once we find it!)

1st Anniversary Trip to Australia - Margaret River and The Great Barrier Reef

2009-05-04T05:28:00.014+08:00

Kaes and I flew into Perth April 30th and stayed with a friend from work that we know from Houston. Ross was very accommodating and let us stay the night before we drove to Margaret River the next morning to go wine tasting.

The next morning, we picked up Farah and Patrick at their hotel and were off heading south to the wine country. We were meeting another couple, Christina and Dirk, a little while later. Once we got to Cowaramup, a small town just north of MR, we checked into our chalet at The Grove Vineyard. It was a very nice cozy 3 bedroom chalet with living room, kitchen and outdoor grill. We even had a nice outdoor spa to enjoy after our long day of wine tasting! The scenery was very tranquil and the weather couldn’t have been more perfect. A light jacket was needed in the evening and it was nice to have the change from the always humid Singapore weather.

Our first stop was Sandalford winery first that was just a short drive from where we were staying. The view was breathtaking and the wine was even better! Then we met Christina and Dirk at the chalet and were then off to Woody Nook for lunch. After lunch, it was off to more wine tasting. Most wineries are open from 10am-5pm, so we didn’t have a lot of time to taste since we had to drive a ways to each one. We then headed to Tassell Park, the Cowaramup Butcher for some Australian steaks to cook for dinner, and then last to Lenton Brae. After the wine tasting, it was time to grill out our dinner. Dinner turned out delicious and we ended the evening by getting in the hot tub to indulge in our ever so tempting wine.

The second day, after a long night over overindulgence, Kaes, Farah and I finally got up and headed to Evans & Tate. We had to leave the other couple behind to do a bit more resting. This was one of my favorite wineries with the beautiful vineyards looking out in the back of the store.

Below is a picture of Farah and me with the Evans & Tate vineyard in the background. Their wine was outstanding and the scenery absolute bliss! Patrick joined us and we decided to head into the town of Margaret River to do some cheese tasting and find a place for a picnic. On the way to Margaret River, we stopped off at The Margaret River Dairy Company to do some cheese and yogurt tasting. After the cheese tasting, we decided to go to Cape Mentelle, which was an excellent recommendation from Farah for the scenery and delicious wines. Cape Mentelle had the perfect place to have a bottle of their 2007 crisp, oaked chardonnay. The pairing of chardonnay with our deli meats accompanied by the cracked pepper cheddar and vintage cheddar cheeses were perfect for our afternoon picnic.

After our picnic, we decided to go back to Evans & Tate to make a few purchases and then headed to the boutique winery Windance. Afterwards we decided to head down to the beach to capture the breathtaking views as the sun set. It was definitely a romantic end to our Margaret River weekend.

Sunday morning we woke up and had to head back to Perth to drop off Farah and Patrick. After we said our goodbyes, we met back up with Ross and decided to drive to Fremantle to see the harbor and visit the Little Creatures brewery. The bohemian staff and hippie atmosphere was quite different than what we were used to, but nevertheless a cool place to hang out before our flight out to Cairns.

We reached Cairns at 5:30 am Monday morning after our red-eye flight from Perth. We were both exhausted since airplanes are not conducive for good sleep. We headed to the Esplanade in Cairns and hung out at the McDonald’s in front of the Tusa Dive shop where we got picked up at 11:30 to begin our journey to the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. We started off meeting everyone on the boat, getting orientated with what to expect during the next 7 days, then had a delicious spread off food for lunch. I unfortunately, did not partake in these events as I was worshipping the porcelain god…a moving boat has no mercy on me for my chronic sea sickness. Even with good medicine, sometimes there is nothing you can do when you are hitting 5 foot swells in the ocean.

Later that night I felt better and was able to do the second dive. Kaes was feeling just as sick as I was and missed the two first dives of our trip. The next morning we started early at 6:30 for our first breakfast (Yes, I did say “first” breakfast) and were in the water by 7:30 for our first of 5 dives for the day. We dove Steve’s Bommie, Cod Hole, Cod Feed, Dynamite Pass and Pixie Pinnacle for our night dive.

Wednesday morning we were heading towards Lizard Island. This was the place where some of the people would get off and fly back to Cairns and others would join for the last leg of the trip. After a long day of 4 more dives, we had the traditional “Australian BBQ” that consisted of baked potatoes, salad, Australian steak, and kangaroo. It was delicious!!!

The rest of the week consisted of more diving in the beautiful #3 and #5 Ribbon Reefs each day followed by our journey back to Cairns before flying back to Singapore. We had about 5 hours before our flight to Singapore, so we decided to visit the Cairns Wildlife Dome that was on top of a casino right in the city. This is where I met Harvey, and it was love at first site!!! You can see why below. He was the sweetest thing I had ever laid eyes on. It was a great way to end our wonderful trip in celebration of our first Anniversary!!!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW ALL PHOTOS

Siem Reap, Cambodia - Home to Angkor Wat

2009-04-19T22:06:00.013+08:00

Hotel: Tara Angkor Hotel $43 USD/night- A fabulous hotel for the price with breakfast included!!! (Booked through Agoda for the best price) http://www.taraangkorhotel.com/

Flight: 2 hours 10 mins. to Siem Reap International Airport from Changi Airport in Singapore, Silk Air

Transportation: Hired a Cambodian driver for $25 USD/day, lots of walking & Taxi or Tuk Tuk -->avg ride 10 mins. = $3 USD

Weather: 98.6 - 104 degrees each day- It was quite steamy!!!

Restaurants: Red Piano on Pub Street (where Angelina Jolie hung out while filming the movie Tomb Raider) and Le Tigre de Papier - great pizza!! Most pubs on pub street also offer $0.50 draft beers during happy hour - can't pass that up!

The first night we (Kaes, Kim, Dirk, and Norma) got to our hotel, we took it easy and had dinner and went to bed early. It had been a long week for us all.

The first morning we went to Angkor Thom and Bayon temple. Angkor Thom has 216 heads on each tower that face North, South, East and West. One of the highlights of the trip for me was seeing monkeys on along the road to the temples. I have never seen so many in one setting before. They were so cute and I was able to get a great picture of a momma with her baby hanging underneath her. They were just precious! That evening we saw the sunset at the top of Pnohm Bakeng. It was quite an exhausting climb, but well worth it once we got to the top. The panaromic view of Siem Reap was breathtaking. After sunset, we had dinner at the Red Piano and enjoyed local Cambodian Amok and curry.

The second morning, we got up at 5:00 am to head to Angkor Wat to see the sunrise. It was a breathtaking view and quite peaceful and serene. We also visited the temples Preah Khan which has a small temple-within-the temple that looks more like a ruin from ancient Greece; Ta Keo and Ta Prohm, which was in the movie Tomb Raider with Angelie Jolie and is famous for having a huge tree growing inside of the temple.

Angkor Wat is a temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation—first Hindu, dedicated to Vishnu, then Buddhist. The temple is the epitome of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors.

During the day, Kaes and I visited the Angkor National Museum. It was very thorough and gave and great description of why Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples were built, how they were built, the religious symbolism each temple conveyed. That night we went to the Koulen restaurant to watch an Apsara cultural dance show and have dinner. It was very interesting to see the dancers in native dress and to tell stories through their dancing.

The last day we got up early and Kaes and I headed back to Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom to get some video of the temples and the surrounding area. After we went to Pub Street and had a pizza at Le Tigre de Papier, then came back to the hotel to get ready to fly home.

Overall, we had a great trip. The Khmer people have a very ancient history and have had their share of trials and tribulations, especially during the Khmer Rouge, but are still very friendly and welcoming people that always seem to have a smile on their face.

Our camera had some technical difficulties and these are some of the only pictures that made it. If we get it fixed, I will make a link to all of the amazing pictures.

The South Gate entrance of Angkor Thom

Kim and Norma at the top of Angkor Thom

The sunrise at Angkor Wat

Cambodian dancers at an Apsara cultural show

Jakarta, Bogor, and Bandung, Indonesia - April 10 - 13, 2009

2009-04-14T09:54:00.006+08:00

Hotel: Jakarta - Novotel Mangga Dua; Bandung - Hotel Mutiara
Price: $45 USD
Transportation: Lots of walking & Taxi or Tuk Tuk -->avg ride 15 mins. = $10 USD

We traveled to Indonesia this last weekend with my parents to visit Jakarta, Bogor, and Bandung. My grandfather (Kaes') was in the Dutch military so my dad's family travelled a lot. As a boy, he lived on several Indonesian islands but stayed the longest in Bandung.

Bandung, is the capital of West Java and is located 112 miles southeast of Jakarta. With over 2.9 million population in 2007 and over 7.2 million people on the greater Bandung area, it's one of the most densely populated city in Asia.

The first night after we got to Jakarta (Kaes and Kim) to meet Dirk and Norma, we didn't have the best of luck. After the ATM machine eating my credit card, and being dropped off on the side of the road by our hired driver, and botching the little Malay we knew, we finally got to the hotel. The next morning when we woke up in Jakarta, we drove south to Bogor, which was about 1 hour away and visited the beautiful botanical gardens. After that, we continued our drive through the Puncak Pass on to our main destination in Bandung. Puncak Pass is a longer route to Bandung, but a beautiful countryside drive.

The northern part of the city has a lot more hills than the rest and is home to the Tangkuban Perahu volcano. Long-term volcanic activity has created fertile andisol soil in the north, suitable for intensive rice, fruit, tea, tobacco, and coffee plantations which are everywhere. It is definitely a beautiful site to see acres and acres of tea plantations up and down the sides of the mountains.

My dad lived in two houses while in Bandung. We found the one on Jalan Bengawan and the other one was converted into a small school. Unfortunately, the house on Jalan Bengawan was not maintained but it was still nice to see where he lived. The best part was hearing his childhood stories including the home-made tank races down his street.

The last day we headed back to Jakarta, but unfortunately Kaes and I got an Indonesian version of "Montezuma's Revenge" and was stuck in the room the whole day until our flight home that night. Dirk and Norma flew back to Singapore two days later, and finally made it back home after a little mishap with taxi cab driver on the way home from the airport. Luckily, they were okay and finally made it back safe and sound.

Next weekend, we are off to Cambodia to see the largest religious monument in the world, Angkor Wat! Stay tuned...

Tangkuban Perahu volcano
A tea plantation

At the botanical gardens in Bogor

The house Kaes' dad lived in before World War II

Phuket, Thailand March 27-29, 2009

2009-03-30T22:20:00.016+08:00

We took another quick trip to Thailand to enjoy some more scuba and sun. We worked 1/2 day Friday then flew to Phuket. We landed around 1:30pm and it took us almost 2 hours to get through customs and take a shuttle bus from the aiport to the hotel. We stayed in Patong Beach at the Baan Thai Resort and Spa. The hotel was a lot nicer and in a much better location than the hotel we stayed at in January. We went scuba diving on Saturday with Sea-Bees diving (the same company as last time) and went on two dives in Rachai Yai. After our long strenuous day diving, Kaes and I got pampered with massages to help us relax :) Overall, it was a nice, relaxing weekend. Weather forecast was cloudy and rainy but weather turned out really nice with rains only on Sunday as we were leaving. It was definitely a wonderful way to spend the weekend!

Octopus Video

Cuttlefish Video

3rd Time's A Charm!!! - Phuket, Thailand

2009-01-28T18:16:00.008+08:00

Hotel: Quality Resort Patong Beach

Price: $51 USD/night inclusive of breakfast

Transportation: Lots of walking & Taxi or Tuk Tuk -->avg ride 15 mins. = $10 USD

Dive Company: Sea Bees - definitely the best way to dive with breakfast and dinner served to you each day Thai style!

The first night when we arrive, The Dunlap's (Christina and Dirk) and Sara Laster all got together to walk down the streets of Patong Beach. Our hotel was located right on the beach and was a pretty good setup for the price. I could have used a softer bed since it felt like laying on hard concrete, but we were so tired each night, we didn't have to worry about falling asleep. We had a great Thai dinner with drinks in a fresh pineapple, walked around to all of the shops selling cheap knock-offs, then headed back to our hotels since we had an early morning of diving.

Saturday morning we were all picked up by Sea Bees diving company. http://www.sea-bees.com/ The boat was 2 stories and the largest boat we have dived on yet. We dove two dives that day at Racha Noi. Here we saw 3 different octopus that were quite incredible. Of course this was the day that I forgot to bring the camera, and we never saw the octopii again...after a long day of diving, we all came back to get ready to head to FantaSea.

FantaSea http://www.phuket-fantasea.com/ is a cultural themepark and show of Thailand. We had an extravagant Thai buffet before the show. Right before the show, we happened to pass a sweet baby tiger that was being fed and available to take pictures with. I was in heaven, it was the cutest thing I had ever laid eyes upon!

The second day of diving was Super Sunday. We dove 4 dives this day including a night dive. We started off going to Shark Point, Anemone Reef, then Phi Phi Le, and finally the night dive at Ko Dok Mai. Shark Point had to be one of my favorite dives because it is here where we saw the Leopard Shark (seen with Kaes below). This was the first time either of us has seen one and it was truly an amazing site. They are quite docile and don't mind if you come up close for a picture. Don't worry though, they don't have any teeth! The islands of Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Le are beautiful. They are truly a place you don't think really exists. Maya Bay at Phi Phi is the place where the movie The Beach was filmed and was quite a popular place. This day was amazing except for the fact that I got sick on the way home. Being sea sick is no fun!!!

The last day of diving on Monday was just as good as the rest of the dives. We went to the ship wreck King Cruiser and back to Shark Point again. King Cruiser had more fish than I had ever seen! You almost had to part the fish to be able to swim through them. We saw many different types of fish including large lion fish (second picture below), barracuda, turtles, crocodile fish, jellyfish (third picture below), porcupine fish, and many more. Shark Point was just as great as the first time because unlike the first time we dove it, this time we saw a momma eel with 17 of her babies!!! The picture below only shows 7, but the rest were under the coral right next to where this picture was taken.

The last day we decided to take it easy and go to another one of the beaches (Karon beach) to look around. The weather was amazing the entire time but was definitely a little steamy the last day. We were heading back to the airport that afternoon, but couldn't do so before getting one more Thai massage. The massage place was right next to our hotel and gave 1 hour Thai massages for $9 USD!!! They were great and was a excellent way to wind down after our strenuous vacation :)

Giza, Memphis and Saqqara Egypt

2008-12-18T00:28:00.004+08:00

We arrived back in Cairo around 11am yesterday and got checked into Marriott Cairo Hotel and Casino around 12:30. We had a dinner cruise down the Nile River last night and spent the day catching up on emails and IM'ing with friends & family. The dinner cruise was very nice and had some good entertainment (singers - not so great, belly dancer & Egyptian dancers - great).

We had an all-day tour to Giza, Memphis, and Saqqara today. Giza is only 30 minutes away from Cairo by car and is best known for the Pyramids of Giza, situated high on the desert plateau immediately to the west of the urban district. Kim and I took a camel ride through the Sahara desert to see more of the pyramids. It was truly a once in a life time experience.

Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

2008-12-17T05:43:00.007+08:00

Kim and I landed in Sharm El Sheikh late Friday night and headed straight for our hotel (Sol Sharm). We planned to dive 3 days but only dove 2 days due to very windy weather and rough seas on day 2. Instead, we looked around the "old town" before leaving for Cairo Tues morning.

Sharm, as its normally called, is a well-known port and resort town at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula and is popular with divers. Its a hot spot for Russian and Italian vacationers since its close to both of those countries (only about 2 hours from some parts of Italy).

The Sinai Peninsula is a remote desert mountain range. The rocky mountains are parted from the deep-blue sea by a flat desert strip. This combination of desert and sea is an incredible sight and makes you believe you are on a different planet.

We dove at both the reefs of Tiran and Ras Mohammed which are known as two of the best diving-spots in the world. It took between 1 to 1-1/2 hours to reach them from Sharm by boat.

Ras Mohammed is the name of the southern most point of the Sinai peninsula. There, the current of the Gulf of Aqaba meets the Gulf of Suez. During the summer dive season the increase of plankton in the water results in huge amounts of fish. Unfortunately, its winter now so we didnt see the huge schools of Barracudas and Sharks but saw several Murray Eels, Blue Spotted Rays, Napoleon Fish, Lion Fish, and many others.

Cairo

2008-12-12T23:43:00.006+08:00

Kim and I landed in Cairo this morning around 6:30am after a 10 hour direct flight from Singapore. We were lucky to get bulkhead seats which made the flight much more enjoyable. We visited the Egyptian Museum and the Khilaly Market today.

The Museum was massive and had stuff dating back ~3000 BC. Its pretty impressive looking at statues, figures, drawings, and carvings that are ~5000 years old.

The Khilaly Market was also pretty fun. The constant "Where are you from?", "I have what your looking for", "take a quick look" gets annoying fast but everyone is pedalling the warez in hopes that you buy from them.

We didnt brave the food at the market and opted for a nice, relaxing lunch outside at the Marriott. It was 75 degrees F and dry as the desert and made for a very nice day outside.

We're currently sitting at the Cairo airport waiting for our flight to Sharm El Sheikh to go diving. We'll dive for the next 3 days then return to Cairo to visit pryamids in Giza, take a tour down the Nile, and see the rest of Cairo.

Singapore Zoo

2008-12-07T16:03:00.007+08:00

Kim and I took a trip to the Singapore Zoo this morning since our trip to Bangkok was cancelled due to anti-govt protests at the Thailand airports. That was the 2nd time we've tried to go to Thailand this year - both trips cancelled due to protests.

Entry fee was $18 SGD and zoo tour took about 3 hours. As expected, we saw tons of animals, a water show featuring penguins and sea lions and an elephant show.

The Singapore Zoo occupies 28 hectares of land on the margins of Upper Seletar Reservior within Singapore's heavily forested central catchment area. The area is also very popular with moutain bikers.

The zoo was built in 1973 and cost $9M SGD. Its operated by Wildlife Reserves Singapore which also manages the neighbouring Night Safari and Jurong Bird Park. There are about 315 species of animal in the zoo, of which some 16% are considered threatened species.

From the beginning, Singapore Zoo followed the modern trend of displaying animals in naturalistic, 'open' exhibits. It's very nice since you can get very close to the animals (see pictures below). It also houses the largest captive colony of orangutans in the world and you can see them walking above you in several different areas in the zoo.

Getting Settled in Singapore

2008-11-11T19:49:00.001+08:00

Well we finally got "most" of our boxes unpacked after receiving our shipment 2 weeks ago. I was very motivated to get them all unpacked and get rid of the boxes, but the momentum tends to dwindle after a few days of non-stop unpacking...Here are some updated pictures of our house with our furniture in it. We hosted our first dinner party at our house on November 9th and were very excited to have some old friends from Houston, currently living in China, to come and have dinner with us. Overall, everyone seemed to enjoy all the good food and wine. We will definitely be making this a reoccurance since it's much cheaper to invite friends over for dinner than to go out and eat/drink in Singapore. It starts to add up!!!

HCMC Day 2

2008-10-27T10:38:00.006+08:00

We took a day tour first to the Cao Dai temple, had lunch at a local restaurant (great Pho) and then to the famous Cu Chi tunnels used during the Vietnam War.

Cao Đài is a relatively new, syncretist, monotheistic religion, officially established in Tây Ninh, southern Vietnam, in 1926. The term Cao Đài literally means "high place." Figuratively, it means that highest place where God reigns. It is also the abbreviated name for God, the creator of the universe, whose full title is Cao Đài Tiên Ông Đại Bồ Tát Ma-ha-tát - Within the title are representations of the Three Teachings: Saint, Sage and Buddha.

Caodaiists credit God as the religion's founder. They believe the teachings, symbolism and organization were communicated directly from God. Cao Đài's first disciples claimed to have received direct communications from God, who gave them explicit instructions for establishing a new religion that would commence the Third Era of Religious Amnesty.

Adherents engage in ethical practices such as prayer, veneration of ancestors, nonviolence, and vegetarianism with the minimum goal of rejoining God the Father in Heaven and the ultimate goal of freedom from the cycle of birth and death. Estimates of the number of Cao Đài adherents in Vietnam vary, but most sources give two to three million. Some estimates are as high as eight million adherents in Vietnam. An additional 30,000 (primarily ethnic Vietnamese) live in the United States, Europe, and Australia.

We were able to view a ceremony take place from the balcony at the temple (2nd picture) This was very interesting to see how it was conducted and how the rituals were carried out.

The tunnels of Củ Chi are an immense network of connecting underground tunnels located in the Cu Chi district of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam and are part of a much larger network of tunnels that underlie much of the country. The Củ Chi tunnels were the location of several military campaigns during the Vietnam War. The tunnels were used by the Viet Cong as hiding spots during combat, as well as serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for numerous guerrilla fighters. The role of the tunnel systems should not be underestimated in its importance in resisting American operations and protracting the war, eventually persuading the weary Americans into withdrawal.

Seeing the tunnels was very interesting, but definitely hit a soft spot when hearing/seeing the videos of Vietnamese that were praised for killing Americans. The American Pride took over and I was finished seeing the tunnels after the first few. Overall, it showed how terrible war is and can be, no matter what side you are on.

This entry into the tunnels was only big enough for a Vietnamese person. There is little chance an average-sized American could fit in it.

Trip to Ho Chi Minh City

2008-10-25T23:30:00.006+08:00

Hotel: Liberty 1 Saigon
Price: $60 USD/night inclusive of breakfast
Transportation: Lots of walking & Taxi -->avg ride = $2 USD

We landed in Ho Chi Minh City on Friday night and did some exploring, but were caught in the rain and headed back to our hotel to rest up for the next day. We spent all day Saturday walking around the city to visit the War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, and Ben Thanh Market.

The War Remnants Museum is a war museum thatprimarily contains exhibits relating to the American phase of the Vietnam War, and is a major tourist attraction.
Operated by the Vietnamese government, the museum was opened in September 1975 as the "The House for Displaying War Crimes of American Imperialism and the Puppet Government[of South Vietnam]." Later it was known as the Museum of American War Crimes, then as the War Crimes Museum until as recently as 1993. Its current name follows liberalization in Vietnam and the normalization of relations with the United States, but the museum does not attempt to be politically balanced. The museum comprises a series of eight themed rooms in several buildings, with period military equipment located within a walled yard. The military equipment include a UH-1 "Huey" helicopter, an F-5A fighter, a BLU-82 "Daisy Cutter" bomb, M48 Patton tank, and an A-1 attack bomber.

Reunification Palace, formerly known as Independence Palace, built on the site of the former Norodom Palace, is a historic landmark in Ho Chi Minh City. It was designed by architect Ngo Viet Thu as the home and workplace of the President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War and the site of the official handover of power during the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. It was then known as Independence Palace, and an NVA tank crashed through its gates.

The Ben Thanh market was a great market for shopping. Cheap house decor (the same as what you can get at Pier 1) and your usual knock-offs: handbags, jewelry, clothes, and shoes. Kaes and I were able to both find "NorthFace" rain jackets for $30 USD a piece...beats the $300 USD you pay back in the states :)

There are TONS of motorbikes everywhere here and to be able to cross the street, you must start walking right in the middle of the traffic. Luckily the riders of motorbikes are cautious of pedestrians and do a good job of driving around them to avoid any accidents. We are heading to Cu Chi tomorrow to see the elaborate tunnel system used during the Vietnam war.

Mabul, Sipadan, and Kepalai

2008-10-01T20:58:00.005+08:00

Hotel: Seafest Hotel
Price: $ 30 USD/night inclusive of breakfast for 2
Duration: 6 days/5 nights
Transportation: Walking 5 mins. to Scuba Junkie, then diving!

Kaes and I took a trip to the islands of Mabul, Sipadan, and Kepalai to dive and get our Advanced Open Water Dive Certification. Sipadan is one of the top dive destinations in the world.

Sipadan is the only oceanic island in Malaysia, rising 2,000 feet or 600m from the seabed. It is located in the Celebes Sea east of the major town of Tawau and off the coast of East Malaysia on the Island of Borneo. It was formed by living corals growing on top of an extinct volcanic cone that took thousands of years to develop. Sipadan is located at the heart of the Indo-Pacific basin, the centre of one of the richest marine habitats in the world. More than 3,000 species of fish and hundreds of coral species have been classified in this ecosystem.

Normally rare diving scenes are frequently seen in the waters around Sipadan: schools of greenback turtles and hawksbill turtles nesting and mating, schools of barracuda & big-eye trevally in tornado-like formations, pelagic species such as manta rays, eagle rays, scalloped hammerhead sharks and whale sharks.

A mysterious turtle tomb lies underneath the column of the island, formed by an underwater limestone cave with a labyrinth of tunnels and chambers that contain many skeletal remains of turtles that have become lost and drown before finding the surface.

Trip to Brunei

2008-09-20T13:56:00.000+08:00

Kim and I went to Brunei last weekend and stayed at the Empire hotel. It was a quick trip to see the Empire hotel and look around the Brunei Capital of Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB). Unfortunately, we never made it (well honestly couldnt find directions to it) so we enjoyed ourselves at the hotel. We saw a movie, played tennis, and relaxed before heading back home and then on to KL for work.

Langkawi with Rob and Teri

2008-09-02T18:45:00.003+08:00

Kim and I were going to meet our friends Rob and Teri from Houston for a nice Thai weekend in Phuket but things didn't quite work out like we planned. Anti-government protests closed the Phuket airport for 3 days and we went to Langkawi, Malaysia instead. We had a lot of fun, weather was nice during the days, and it was great having good friends visiting.

2008-08-10T16:51:00.004+08:00

We went to Mulu National Park this weekend and walked around in the largest cave in the world. We watched 2+ Million bats leave the cave at dusk in search of foods. Surprisingly, we didnt get bitten by one mosquito or bug even though we were walking around in a rain forest - must be the bats! The last thing we did before leaving was a canopy walk across the top of the forest which is quite amazing.

Scuba in Miri 02AUG08

2008-08-05T07:58:00.003+08:00

Kim and I went diving last weekend. We visited a ship wreck and sunken oil platform. Visibility the whole day was very bad with the ship wreck being the worst. We saw a lot of bat fish (1st pic), lion fish (2nd), and some colorful plants.

Trip to Kota Kinabalu

2008-07-28T12:01:00.003+08:00

Kaes, Dayna, Alio, and I all went to Kota Kinabalu this past weekend. The first full day we went up to Poring Springs. It has the largest waterfall (100m) in southeast Asia. We were not able to climb to the large waterfall due to bad weather, but were able to still see a very pretty waterfall and had a great time climbing through the rainforest. On Sunday we headed to the beach. The beautiful beach and mountains in the background sure made it a picturesque place. We will post pictures soon but here is one from the island we visited on Sunday.

Bintan, Indonesia

2008-07-21T10:06:00.002+08:00

Since Kim and I were both working in Singapore last week we decided to spend the weekend in Bintan, Indonesia. It was a very nice, relaxing weekend.

Singapore

2008-07-21T09:47:00.006+08:00

Kim and I both worked in Singapore last week. We stayed at The Fairmont hotel which was very nice.

Singapore Skyline

Updated House Pics

2008-07-10T09:32:00.000+08:00

Here are some updated pictures of the house and our furniture. We received the 2nd sea shipment so we now have all of our stuff here.

Maldives Honeymoon

2008-06-03T22:09:00.008+08:00

We spent the last 5 days in Maldives for our honeymoon.

The Maldives form a group of atolls in the Indian Ocean about seven hundred kilometers from south-west of Sri Lanka. The twenty-six atolls exist out of 1,192 islets, but only 200 are inhabited by people.

We stayed at the Full Moon Resort and did lots of scuba diving, laying out on the beach, and soaking up the incredible landscape. Here are a few pictures. (Click the picture to see the full size view)

Me and Kim on the beach

Full Moon Resort Entrance

Picture of the water bungalows where we stayed

From front door of water bunglow

Pretty flowers with Kim in the background

Triggerfish we saw when snorkelling off the back of our room

Scuba Diving in Miri

2008-05-25T21:34:00.000+08:00

Kim and I did our first dives together in Miri. We did 3 dives and saw a lot of beautiful fish, coral, and plants.

Back in Miri as Mr and Mrs de Jong

2008-05-22T12:54:00.000+08:00

Kim and I have been back in Miri for a couple of weeks now. We got our new rental car yesterday - Nissan X-Trail. Its brand new, has less than 100 miles on it, and is very nice. Here is a picture.

Kim is taking scuba lessons this week and will be certified on Sunday. We're excited since we'll be able to dive whenever we travel.

We're crossing our fingers that our air shipment gets delivered on Friday this week. The shipment includes most of Kim's clothes, our wedding gifts, and scuba gear we bought in Houston. Hopefully it arrives so we can use the scuba gear for dives this weekend.

Kim and I will likely go to KL next week (for seperate meetings) and are trying to take a long 3 or 4 day weekend somewhere like Phuket or Langkawi. This wil be our first trip! There will be plenty of pictures if we go somewhere ;-)

Scuba Certified

2008-04-13T10:11:00.000+08:00

I've been taking scuba lessons the last two weekends and will be certified after I take the written final exam this week. Diving is great here in Miri. I can walk out my front door and be diving over coral reefs in less than 1-1/2 hours. Now I just need to buy some scuba gear.

Me and Kim

2008-04-12T10:22:00.000+08:00

I realized that some of you might not have met Kim yet. Here is a picture of us while we were vacationing in Jamaica last year. Three weeks from today we'll be married!

Miri Town

2008-04-10T22:27:00.000+08:00

I took a few pictures of "downtown" Miri while driving. If you've been checking this blog periodically you might think that Miri is some paradise since I've really only posted the picturesque views of the area. I often refer to the long flight over as a time machine back to 10 years ago with dot matrix printers, no drive throughs, mopeds everywhere, fastest available internet connection being 1 mb dsl, bottled water and soft drinks only sold as singles in grocery stores, etc.

View from the House Balcony

2008-03-23T20:34:00.000+08:00

Here are a couple of pictures from the house balcony. As you can see, the ocean is in clear sight.

I'm sure Jaek will love playing fetch along the path between the houses.

Click the picture to see more details.

Miri Beach Pictures

2008-03-16T15:50:00.001+08:00

I went to the beach this weekend (which is located just minutes away from my old home of The Marriott). This is definitely one of the advantages of being in Miri vs. KL - You wont find things like this in KL. The 3rd picture is of the food court where several different vendors offer differnt styles of food - drinking coconut milk straight from the coconut is very popular. The last picture is of the park that was filled with families with children. Click each picture to see the larger image.

Our house in Miri

2008-03-11T16:41:00.002+08:00

Click the following link to see a map of where we live. Can you find our house? Scroll over the boxes to see descriptions. HINT: We live very close to the ocean!

Once you find our place, zoom out on the map to see where we live in Malaysia and where we are relative to rest of South East Asia.

http://wikimapia.org/#lat=4.448763&lon=114.037485&z=14&l=0&m=a&v=2

Moving on Saturday, March 8th

2008-03-07T20:38:00.000+08:00

I move into the house tomorrow, Saturday, March 8th. Owner is leaving a coach, dining room table, queen size bed, and two tvs in the house until our furniture arrives. Furniture is scheduled to arrive March 25th and will take 3-5 days to clear customs and get delivered to the house. I just need to buy some pillows, linens, towels, and misc things for the house. I'm pretty excited to be moving out of the Marriott.

Miri Office

2008-02-15T16:51:00.001+08:00

This is the FMC office in Miri. My office is the one right below the FMC logo. There are normally 3-4 people in the office and rotating service personnel use it when they're in town. Before I got there, the office didn't have a refrigerator or microwave - those issues are both resolved. This is quite a change from the Customer Support building in Houston. Click the picture to see more of the fine details.

Back in Miri, Malaysia

2008-02-10T11:20:00.000+08:00

I'm back in Miri now after 30+ hours of flying. I flew a Singapore Airlines flight direct from LA to Singapore which is considered to be an "executive economy" class flight. 40% of the seats are removed to add more fuel for the 18+ hours of flying. This also makes economy class seats much nicer.

I'm staying at the Marriott Hotel until the house is ready and my furniture arrives. Kim, Jaek, and Chloe (Kim's Yorkie) will all come over after the wedding. I cant wait for them to get here.

The hotel has a very nice outdoor pool and I swam laps this morning. It's great to know that I can swim outside year round here. I start work in the Miri office tomorrow.

This is a picture from my hotel balcony.

Piasau Boat Club

2007-12-20T02:13:00.000+08:00

This is picture of the back of the Piasau Boat Club (http://www.piasauboatclub.com/) that Kim and I will join in Miri. It was created by Shell and Petronas (state-owned oil company) for their employees.

Trip to Malaysia

2007-12-20T02:01:00.004+08:00

I have accepted an expat assignment in Miri, Malayisa and will be moving there in early February 2008. I will return to Houston in May to get married to my beautiful fiance Kim. Over the Thanksgiving break, Kim and I traveled to Malaysia to look around and hopefully find a house (which we did). The following posts capture some of the highlights of the trip.

This is Miri from our hotel.