A Year to Remember!

Jordan, June, 2015

Thailand, June 2015

Laos, July 2015

Indonesia, August 2015

Palau, September 2015

Singapore, September 2015

India, October 2015

Bhutan, October 2015

Myanmar, November 2015

Cambodia, December 2015

Vietnam, January 2016

Australia, January 2016

New Zealand, February 2016

Samoa, March 2016

Chile, March 2016

Mexico, April 2016

USA, May 2016

First World

We are definitely in the "first world".

There are the negatives, for example seeing homeless or people who live on the streets in such a rich country.  Or seeing signs full of rules in public areas (don't do this, don't do that).

But there are some wonderful positives too - public investment in art, safely sharing unpopular political views, and having clean, natural spaces within urban environments.

Nadia

Pou on transformational leadership, found along a nature walkway in Waikato

Waiting for the start of Marama, a political Maori and South Pacific dance performance we attended at the Auckland Arts Festival

Yet another reason to be a vegetarian (even if you love cheese)! 

Climbing down a municipal walking trail on Paritutu Rock in New Plymouth

The gorgeous view of Mount Taranaki and the Pacific, from the top of Paritutu Rock

Pristine and empty Centennial Park Beach, right in New Plymouth

Never Again?

Two days ago, while at staying at a gorgeous youth hostel in Raglan, New Zealand, I met an American (USA) family.  They have two girls (8 and 10 years old) with whom they are traveling for six months.  They are also homeschooling their kids.  They were only three weeks into their trip, which is heading west (compared to our easterly travel direction).  Next week, they will be heading to Asia, where we spent seven months.

We only spoke together for a few minutes, but the mother asked me for advice for their upcoming time in Asia.  She said "There are plenty of good places but is there any place we should avoid?"

It was a good preface to her question.  There ARE lots of good places.  There are tons of great places.  We have seen and done so many wonderful things so far, but quickly, three "must-do's" come to mind - places I would recommend in a second (interestingly, they are all very remote or natural places)!

Staying in treehouses and flying along 15 kilometers of zip-lines through the forest in the Laotian Nam Kan National Park.

Spending four incredible days snorkeling and hiking while camping and kayaking on the beautiful islands in Palau.

Exploring the remote backwater villages through the jungles of Borneo for five days in a motorized dugout canoe.

Surfing the long left-handed breaks on a near-empty beach when staying in a teepee at a serene and healthy hostel in Raglan, New Zealand.

But is there any place I would recommend travelers or families avoid, from amongst the many places we have been so far?  Places I would never ever go to again?

No.  There is no place (to which we have been on this trip), that I would never go to again or would tell people to avoid.

That might seem unlikely - but remember - attitude is everything!

Nadia

More Colonial History

When someone says New Zealand, what comes to mind?  Ok, besides rolling green hills and your typical western towns?

Rolling green hills in the central part of the North Island

A church in Napier, North Island, New Zealand

A beautiful art deco building in Napier, North Island, New Zealand

What other image pops into your head?  What do the people look like?  What types of clothes do they wear?  What kind of food do the people eat?  What kind of music do they sing or play?

Not surprisingly, I think of people who are descendants of Brits, with light colored, sun-sensitive skin.  I picture western-style clothing.  I taste fish and chips and roast and potatoes.  I hear European or American pop music.

The reality is a little different.  Much of the country is tropical.

A reserve on Cooks Bay, North Island, New Zealand

And the people, well, the pre-colonial people are not unlike the other people of the South Pacific, in their looks, their clothing, their food, and their music!

An amazing Maori singer in Whakarewarewa, near Rotorua, North Island, New Zealand

A powerful haka performance in Whakarewarewa, near Rotorua, North Island, New Zealand

The cultural similarities to Tahiti and Hawaii and Fiji and Somao are not surprising, not when you think about it, given the geographical proximity.  But I was surprised at my own stereotypes.  And surprised that I was surprised!

My reflexive images and ideas of the country are a good example of the strength of the colonial history and the power of the current dominant culture...

Nadia