| Where in the world? |
| FIJI Our first stop after leaving LAX is Fiji, where we'll spend seven days. This is more a function of the fact that we bought our airline tickets to New Zealand on Air Pacific - the national carrier of Fiji - and the stopover was free. |
| We both have friends in New Zealand, and it is one of the countries that holds the most interest for us. Coincidentaly, both friends live in Christchurch on the south island. Monica's father's friend moved to New Zealand from Europe after WWII. We have spoken with him several times, and he has graciously offered us a place to stay and his hospitality while we are in town. My friend's older brother John went to NZ on vacation in 1986, and never came home. He and his wife have 3 girls, 2 dogs and a house on the beach. 11/30/2001: I spoke with John today. He said that he, too, has room for us to sleep, as well as a car that we can use. We hadn't planned on driving, relying instead on public transportation, but a car would enable us to explore more remote areas that we might otherwise miss. He recently bought the cottage next to his house, which needs major rennovation. Having just finished my mom's house, including installing new flooring, bathroom fixtures (including installing a tub), countertops, painting, drywall, electrical, etc, we should be able to return the favor by being handy and helping out as much as we can. I think that we'll have a tough time getting used to roughing it with all the generosity we'll face. We plan to spend the month of February in Queenstown (southwestern south island) doing several backpacking trips in the area, including several Great Walks - the Milford and Routeburn. How many of the adrenaline activities that the self proclaimed "adventure capital of the world" is famous for, including bungy jumping, jet boats, etc., is anyone's guess. Dollars flying out of one's pocket in the pursuit of a rush is the name of the game in this town. |
| 10/16/2001: Given that there is a shooting war going on right now, other than Fiji, New Zealand and Australia (we hope), nothing is certain. This is what I had originally thought of as my ideal trip, but ideal and what will come to pass will be two different things. Much travel in and around NZ, Australia and South East Asia (SEA) will be by bus, train, ferry and God knows what other type of organic transportation. |
 |
| In a country as big as this, we could spend a lot of time and money. Depending on the world situation, we may spend more time here, then head into Europe. I have relatives on my father's side of the family to find in Melbourne. This is one huge country, and getting to everything west of the east-coast cities (Cairns down to Melbourne) will be a real challenge. However, there are several Southwest-ish airlines that make getting around the east coast much easier. 12/15/01: With the demise of Ansett (the other big airline in Australia, besides Quantas), a new airline which has been active for a while has become very aggressive in the low-fare market. Richard Branson's (of the Virgin music stores and Virgin Atlantic airlines) Virgin Blue airline, which had been making great gains in the short-haul market on the east coast, has recently expanded into almost all cities throughout the country. It is a no-frills airline like Southwest (you even pay for everything but coffee, tea or water) but their fares are so low that no one seems to care. They offer an alternative to 8 - 12 hour bus rides for those who can afford the 50% increase in price. I think that being able to ride this airline will keep us off the bus (though the Greyhound bus line in Australia is quite nice, given that they carried all the middle-income people who couldn't afford an outrageously priced airline ticket) and open up many more cities to us. About the only two places that you can't get to on them are Alice Springs (Ayers Rock) and Broome. These are the cities they service right now: |
| INDONESIA |
| Other than a transportation hub in the region, there really isn't too much that we would like to do or see here. Any place where they will throw you in jail for having gum on your person or, God help you, Tylenol 3 w/ Codeine = opiate = same jail term as posession of heroin, seems a little uptight, but we'll see. We may use up some of the free nights at Marriott Hotels I earned while working at the Fed to take a luxury vacation in the middle of the trip. This will afford us the opportunity to have our laundry done, watch CNN, eat room service, etc. Basically, spoil ourselves for a while before we return to our travels. One thing that we were warned about, especially as first time travellers on a long trip, is the almost inevitable burn-out and fatigue from travelling in the 3rd world. In countries where we spent the equivalent of an entire village's earnings for a year on a couple of cameras and clothes, and where the cash in our pockets is more than most earn in a year, there is a level of constant tension that is present. Being able to spend some time in a miserably safe place like Singapore will recharge us for the next leg of the trip. |
 |
| THAILAND |
| There may be a lot to do and see in this country, but my expectations are not that great. This may be a good indicator that we'll love it, since it isn't a popular destination yet nor full of Australians on holiday. I met a student from Kuala Lumpur last summer who was attending St. Cloud University in Minnesota. That must be a culture and weather shock! He said that the country is very beautiful, and not as overrun with tourists as southern Thailand. Hopefully we'll meet up at some point. The politics in many nations in the area are something that we'll have to adapt to. It is not common practice to voice dissent over the practices or policies of the monarchs and dictators who rule these countries. I think that this will be one of the great learning experiences of the trip, and one that will make us appreciate the USA a little more. |
| NEPAL |
| 8/29/2002 Update: Well, things changed, and we wont be making it to Nepal. The combination of the hiking fiasco in New Zealand and an early departure to Europe in September (instead of December) led us to the decision to drop Nepal as a destination. Instead, well be spending our final 2 months in Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Not fewer adventures, just different. |
 |
| A look at the places we hope to visit before we head home. |
| We fly into Nadi, arriving at 5 a.m. What shape we'll be in is anyone's guess. From what I gather, Nadi is a built-up industrial area, so we'll likely only find a hotel that we can spend our first and last nights in, and where we can store our luggage so that we don't have to drag our stuff all over the place. A week on the beach and not much more. Should look something like this.... |
 |
 |
 |
| The Ghan is one of 4 great train journeys in Australia, and probably the most interesting way to get to Ayers Rock (outside of Alice Springs). |
| (click on the logo for more information) |
 |
| Yes, it is the largest muslim country in the world; and no, we don't plan on going to Jakarta or Sumatra on this trip. But yes, we do plan on going to Bali and Lombok, two islands that are almost exclusively Hindu. The islands are known for their beauty and unique culture, and their isolation from the political turmoil that engulfs Jakarta. 11/30/2001: One of Monica's clients has a friend who now lives in Ubud, Bali. We have her phone number and e-mail address, and hopefully we'll be able to find her when we get to the island. The transition from Australia to Indonesia is one that will test our intestinal and mental fortitude. This will be our first stop in the 3rd world, and I'm sure will change our views of luxury vs. necessity. |
 |
 |
 |
| Conventional wisdom in the backpacker/budget travel community is that Thailand is paradise on earth. It is inexpensive by our standards, is absolutely beautiful and has great food. It is also full of Europeans and Australians on holiday, all looking to get away from it all. So instead of getting away from it all, in most tourist areas I'm sure they end up spending most of their time with other tourists. The southern resort areas of Phuket and Krabi are large enough to provide us the ability to get away from the tourists, but this will require a lot of time on decrepit ferry boats and local craft, such as long-tails (basically, a large canoe with a car motor perched on back and a propeller at the end of a 10-foot shaft). |
 |
 |
| After many hours or days of travel, we may find a place remote enough to seem like our own personal paradise. |
| There are three areas that we would like to see. Up north is Chaing Mai. These are the cooler mountains that are a great escape from the heat and polution of Bangkok. One of the great cities of the world? Down south are the islands where the weather is warm and a hut on the beach is only a few dollars a night... |
 |
| There are trains that run from Sydney out to Perth and up to Alice Springs that we might take just as a change. Train travel is slow and used to be rather expensive, but the price has come down as a result of Virgin Blue servicing the same destinations. The ride from the Melbourne/Sydney area to Alice Springs is |
| Per Bob Segar: I THINK I'M GOING TO KATMANDU, THAT'S REALLY, REALLY WHERE I'M GOING TO. IF I EVER GET OUT OF HERE, THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA DO. K-K-K-K-K-KATMANDU. |
| I'm both excited and apprehensive about Nepal. The views of the mountains that make up "the roof of the world" during the Fall, when we hope to be there (Oct. - Nov.), should be spectacular. Also by this time, we should be in shape to handle hiking at altitude, after spending 2-3 weeks in Kathmandu. The network of trails in the Annapurna area (which, along with Everest, are the two most popular areas) run for 100s of miles. We can pick and choose which segments we want to hike, and where to stop for a while and just admire the view. This is one area where I'm very glad we won't be in a hurry. Pushing to try to get too much done in too short a time increases the risk of health complications. We might take twice as long as most, but the cost of doing this is negligible. The recent death of the royal family has resulted in political chaos, but the tourist trade and economy seem to be functioning as smoothly as before. When an entire nation relies on the tourist dollar to stay solvent, despite whatever else is going on, every person from child to politician is dedicated to keeping tourists safe and happy. Even a Communist movement in eastern Nepal (far away from where we'll be) is sure to keep clear of any tourists in the area. The rebels know that nothing will turn the locals against them faster than an "accident" of some sort resulting in tourists shying away from their shops, hotels, resturants, etc. |
 |
| MALAYSIA |
| SINGAPORE |
| AUSTRALIA |
| NEW ZEALAND |