Vancouver

Well we are now in beautiful Vancouver - one of the top two most livable cities in the world. The other one being Melbourne of course!
We are staying with friends of Leigh & Ange's, Randy and Rita, for a few days than moving in with the Olivers once their room mate moves out. Sarah will then have a more permanent home for the next four months.
Today we went downtown to a market by the bay and took a bus boat across the other side.

The Farm

The Ambros farm here in Saskatchewan is famous for hospitality, humour, great food and cut kids! We got to experience all of the above. We arrived into Saskatoon and were collected by Diane and Jud from the airport. We then got to see some of the highlights of the City - like Sobey's supermarket. This gave Jud great ammunition to tease Sarah by constantly working the words Justin and Sobye into the conversation!
We had "supper" at a Greek resterant with Aussie friends of the Ambros family who have managed to keep their accent intact despite being in Canada for many years.
The next few days were spent resting, eating, and enjoying the open spaces after five big cities.

Visiting wirth George W

Today we ventured out into the nation's capital. Well eventually, when Sarah woke up anyway! The travel is starting to catch up with her in a big way. I think she needs a couple of Doona Days soon.
Washington certainly is more than the dull grey buildings we saw on arrival. A well laid out city of parks and gardens with monuments to great men and powerful ideas.
We set out around 1pm and hired bikes to see the sights. We found this was a great way to get from place to place, and sure made a welcome relief from walking the pavements.
There was really only one traffic incident and it wasn't because we were on the wrong side of the road. Can't really say it wasn't our fault though. There was a three car pile up on a bridge just as Sarah cycled across. She claims it wasn't her fault that the taxi driver didn't see the cars in front of him stopping, but I have my doubts!
We have been very fortunate throughout our trip to have been in the right places at the right times and today was no exception. We had already found out that to visit the White House you need to apply 6 months in advance. Imagine our delight when we found that today was one of the two times a year that the White House grounds are open to the public! So we got to go through the immense security and wander less than 20 metres from the Oval Office! We didn't see any of the big Bushes but did catch up with the two Scottie dogs belonging to the president.
We later visited with Mr Lincoln and went for a ride around all the big landmarks and along the Delaware river.
Tomorrow our shuttle transport arrives at 4.40am to take us to the airport! We don't fly out until 8.40 but it was the only connecting shuttle bus. Looks like it will be another long day of travel. We fly to Toronto with a 2 hour stopover before flying into Saskatoon.
Soooooo looking forward to catching up with everyone at the farm!

New Jersey

Yesterday we took a train to Newark, New Jersey to meet up with Angela's Aunt & Uncle Marlene and Nasing. They very kindly took us on a sightseeing tour and to catch up with their son and daughter in law and the delightful Andrew! We stayed the night in their home only a short distance from New York but in a beautiful wooded valley with a stream flowing through the back yard. Unfortunately the area had been flooded a few days earlier and the bubbling brook had been a torrent.
Today there was more sightseeing of the local landmarks before lunch with the family and then Nasing was kind enough to drop us across town to the airport (that's across the "town" of New York). We flew to Washington after waiting for nearly two hours on the tarmac. It seems that there are traffic jams in the New York airports as much as in the streets!
Washington has the same feel as Canberra when you arrive. Very bland and serious looking. I'm sure once we get to see the sights it will be different but I know the first time I went to Canberra I was confronted by dark, unfriendly buildings and found it very difficult to find food and lodgings. Arriving in Washinton was similar. We caught a bus, then a train, then a cab before getting to our hostel! We then had to walk three blocks to McDonalds which was the only thing still open at 10pm! Looking forward to a good sleep now!

The Big Apple!

Boy this city is BIG!
Today we went up to Central Park. We walked for ages and think we covered about a fifth! Had a buggy ride through the park which was great - ecpecially the big rug we got to hide under from the chilly New York Spring weather. Believe me, Spring has not yet sprung in the Big Apple!
After much searching and some freindly directions we found our way to the resteraunt off Sienfield! The Soup Nazi's kitchen is still there too but is now closed. We had dinner in the diner in one of the middle booths where the show was filmed. Very good value and huge meals.
We then went back to our room for Sarah to defrost in a hot bath.
Later we went the other direction and paid our respects at Ground Zero. Still an erie place to reflect on all those lives lost. One of the photos that really struck home to me was that of the despair on the face of a nurse waiting by the empty hospital beds with the realisation there were very few survivors for them to treat.
We only had time to wave to the Statue of Liberty as we ran out of time to take the ferry ride. Then it was back on the subway - did I say we have been riding the subway all day! We only had a few mishaps, getting off too early or ending up in the Bronx cause the train we were on was an express and didnt stop where we wanted! Anyway we had an all day ticket which made it easy to just jump right back on.
Tonight we had managed to get tickets for the Broadway version of Beauty & The Beast which was brilliant! We then took a pedal powered cab back to our street. Again, very grateful for those warm blankets they provide!
Have photos but finding it hard to find access to Internet that allows uploads! IT access was easier in Bangkok! Very hard to get on a computer that we can use Skype on too. So much easier in Vienna where Skype and headphones were always provided at the Internet Cafes!

New York New .....Yark!!!

Well we arrived at JFK after one of our longest flights. Sarah was coughing most of the night before so she was feeling pretty miserable by the time we arrived. We lost around 6 hours somewhere along the way. We finally fell into bed around 9 pm New York time and slept well right next door to the Empire State building. Will take things a bit easier for a few days and try to stay warm in what the locals say is unussually cold spring weather.

Spanish Riding School

Today we went to church at the Chapel beside the Spanish Riding School. It was all in latin but the Vienna Boys Choir were singing during the service. When I say 'went to Church' I mean huddled around the door as the chapel was packed with tourists!

The Church bells ring out all over the city on Sunday morning, calling people to worship. A lot of the service was also sung in Latin by the Priests - must be a prerequisite for the priesthood to have a good voice - or maybe thatswhat thechoir boys do when they grow up! Anyway the whole thing was good.

We were not allowed to take photos during the Riding School's performance but it was amazing! The horses are so collected and controlled throughout the performance and the precision riding was like a ballet! When you forst see thestallions you think they are very fat but once they start to work out you realise its all muscle. The riding arena is like a giant ballroom that was built especially for the horses hundreds of years ago. The bloodlines go back forever and only the best performers are kept for breeding. From the whole royal stud only 8 stallions are chosen each year as 4 yearlolds to start their 4 to 8 years of training before they perform the complete program. The Lippzanner breed mature slowly but horses can be performing in the school for up to 20 years!

If you have a spare 10,000 Euro you can buy the colts from the stud that have been deemed not good enough for the school!

Seeing the Sights

Today we really mastered the subway and tram system of Vienna - well Sarah did anyway! Too much turning around and varying levels for my sense of direction to function well. Sarah bought us three day passes when we first got off the plane which gives us free access to any public transport. We spent the day checking out the incredible old buildings, statues galore and glorious gardens. We then arrived in a rather shady part of town to find a climbing wall Sarah wanted to try but as it was their first day of operation for the year they were not quite set up yet. We were rather pleased to get back on the train and get away from the porno shops though!
We then went right across to the othr side of town and after a bit of walking arrived at the tall tower where we had tea in the revolving restaraunt 165 metres above ground. While we were eating the dusk turned to night and the view of the lights of Vienna was amazing. I was even able to forget how much I dislike hieghts and enjoy the view!

Flea Market

This morning we braved the Vienna transport system which is much easier than the 20 letter names of all the places would indicate! We met an older gentleman on the tram last night who suggested we check out the market this morning. Along with everyone else who spoke English he warned us to watch for pickpockets and so we wandered around the Flea Marcket with our handbags clutched tightly. I was sort of hoping someone would test out my high tensile wire reinforced bag but they didn't! Sarah was rather relieved because she really didn't think that having a knife slashing at my bag would be too safe. The market was full of things from Austria, Turkey and the Arabian Gulf. It had a very Middle Eastern flavour. Sarah found the safest place to stand!

Vienna

Well we made it to Vienna!
We found the right train to the right station and a short walk to the right hotel! Pretty good when we dont understand the language. To date everything seems to go like that. Must be some powerful prayer happenning on our behalf around the world. Soooo grateful! We also seem to find our way by accident most of the time.
Just had the best pizza ever! It was in an Italian restaraunt, cooked by an Arab in downtown Vienna. Probably helps that its 3pm and we have had nothing but coffee all day!
Just going to look around today then do some sightseeing tomorrow - and of course see the dancing white horses!

Oxford

Along with all the history we decided to change our plans slightly and take in the seat of learning in the UK and visit stately old Oxford. Actually the hostel in Bath was more antiquated than the Roman baths in the city. The showers didn't work and the rooms were so musty we felt sick.
On a number of recommendations we chose Oxford as a good place between Bath and London. We are very happy with our little Mini, and even more so after trying to negotiate British roads. The only roads that are more than one and a half cars wide are the big motorways! It is a matter of constantly stopping to give way to oncoming vehicles!
Oxford it seems is a city of bikes, with most visitors using the parking areas out of town and taking buses in to their destinations. We spent a long time driving around and around the one way streets before finally getting parking near our hostel. We only went up the wrong way once! Pretty good effort we thought, and fortunately the bobbys came along after we had corrected our error!
Oxford is really quite pretty. The rivers and streams meander through the city with stately buildings, gothic caherdrals and weeping willows lining their banks. You could easily imaging men in stripped suits paddling their bonneted ladies along the river.
We ate at a resteraunt called the Slug & Lettuce! It was very flash inside with reasonably priced good food, but really the most un appetising name I could imagine!

Riding around the World

You might think some of the plans for our trip are a bit corny but there are certain things we wanted to do along the way. We wanted to ride an elephant in Thailand - check! We wanted to ride through English hamlets and across the fields - check! Today we hired two cobs and with our guide set off through the little hamlet and out into the fields. Sarah rode a big black and white gypsy cob called Merlin which was maybe a sign our choice of the origins of Stonehenge was right! Both horses were well trained and loved to gallop acroos the top of the hills. We also went through part of a wooded area - alas no merrymen in sight!
On our next stop we have tickets for the dancing horses of Vienna, and then plan to take a buggy ride through Central Park in New York.

And of course Sarah just had to have a pint at the Hungerford Arms Hotel where we had lunch!

Stonehenge

Did you know that henge means hanging which gives the literal meaning of this pile of rocks "hanging stones". They are really quite imposing once you get close to them. Again we took the audio tour which gave numerous accounts for the origens and purpose of the henge. Sarah and I decided we liked the verion that had Merlin the magician fly the stones over from Ireland where the giants had brought them from Africa. He did this because King Arthur's father wanted something to honor his valiant soldiers. Improbable you say? You didn't hear some of the other options! (photos to come - just cant get good uploads in England!)

Hungerford History

We called in to the township of Hungerford on our way to Bath. It is a small hamlet with a rather scary reputation. It seems one of the residents went a lot crazy and opened fire on everyone else a few years ago. Today though it is a sleepy little hollow on the banks of the canal which boasts some of the oldest barges in the country. We browsed through some antique shops for which the Hungerford residents would prefer to be known. According to my recollections of Hungerford family history, I think Hungerfords once lived in the area but that was around the 1100's, and funnily enough no one there today seemed to be able to remember them.
After arriving in Bath and spending the night in a grand old mansion which has been reduced to backpacker accommodation, we visited a more recent Hungerford landmark.
The Hungerford Farleigh Castle was built by Walter Hungerford aroung 1500. He converted his manor house to a castle and later generations added more walls and fortresses. We took an audio tour which provided numerous stories of the Hungerford families rise and fall within the British aristocracy. It seems the Lords and Barons within the Hungerford clan insisted in backing the wrong sides in royal battles and kept paying for their poor judgement with their heads! Twice they lost possession of the castle and had to earn it back with deeds of valour for various kings. Eventually though, in the late 1700's Young Edward Hungerford squandered the family fortune and had to pay off his debts by selling the castle. It then fell into the hands of another castle owner who used much of the stonework to increase his own castle.
(photos to come)

Driving with a Movie Star!

How COOL is this car!!!!!

I was convinced by Ross & Sarah that I could afford the bit extra to hire my dream car rather than a Ford Escort. When we were on the plane we watched the movie The Holiday and saw this cute Mini in the film. When we picked up our car we commented on how cool it was to have the Union Jack on the roof. The guy went on to tell us that this particular little car had been hired on numerous times for TV commercials, and even a film - The Holiday! It is so good to drive. And just the right size for meandering around the Roman designed streets of Bath! It feels like we are in Italy with the archetecture here. Settled by the Romand in 800BC, it is very unchanged in the centre of town. More pictures to come.

London

Well after a 12 hour flight we touched down at Heathrow airport at around 6.45 Sat evening. We were pretty weary but managed to catch the underground into Earls Court where we are staying at a backpackers hostel for two nights. The weather here is cool but pleasant, quite a relief from the humidity of Thailand.
The area around the hostel is sooo English. I mean it looks just like the scenes in Knotting Hill. There are little bookshops and a pub on every corner. The Hostel is only a short walk from the station, although after such a long flight and carrying backpack laden with Bangkok shopping, it did seem further! The walk back up the street to grab some tea from Subway was much shorter!
We keep meeting such interesting people on out travels. The man that we had breakfast with each morning in Bangkok is trying to raise funds and get government approval to build hospitals and orphanages for aids orphans. A girl we met on the plane has just spent 8 months volunteering for an aid agency for street kids in Bangkok.
We are now going to sleep after being awake for around 21 hours!

Very Weary!

I will put up some photos of our last few days when I get to London. Too tired after a big day at the beach 3 hours away. Check Sarah's blog for some photos.
sezzysblog11.blogspot.com
Night!

Tax Free Festival

Well we managed to arrive in central Bangkok on the last day of the Tax Free days. Each year just before Thai New Year (next week), the King designates three days during which both import and export taxes are suspended. Similar to our end of financial year sales but these sales are for all those luxury items which normally attract 30% tax. As part of the celebrations, foriegners are allowed to shop in the official export centres. Sooooo.... the Tuk Tuk drivers are given free fuel vouchers for every foriegner they bring to the jewellery and silk centres. Can you see where I'm going with this?.?.?.?. Well we didn't seem to be able to get to any destination without first being dragged to two or three of these centres in between each visit to a temple or the Royal Palace. In fact we missed out on getting inside the Palace because our Tuk Tuk driver was 5 minutes late getting us there. Mind you the Tuk Tuk rides were an adventure in themselves! These people have no fear! Imagine doind 70 k's an hour on a motorbike towing a two seater trailer, and spending most of your time weaving in and out of oncoming traffic! Who needs those scary rides at Disneyworld! We also stayed in the city centre on the urging of these drivers and a policeman who gave us directions to be part of the festival excitement that evening - a whole other story!

Bangkok

Oh so hot !!! And humid - but then we really should have expected that. The good news is that Sarah has arrived and we spent our first day together swimming in the the roof top pool at our hostel - not your average backpackers! I was a bit scared to go in at first 'cause it feels like you might fall over the edge of the building - but Sarah made me!
We took a bus into the shopping plaza and after a little bit of walking, were very easily persuaded to have an hour long Thai foot and leg massage - sooo good!
Then when our bus finally came - I wasn't at all worried and don't let Sarah tell you I was!- it was back to the pool!
We are still planning tomorrow but hope to head into the city to look around. we are sort of out in the suburbs between the airport and city so have to take two busses and the sky train. That should test Sezzy out. I mean she might have trouble finding her way home if she doesn't let me drop breadcrumbs!