So what’s next? I’ll probably spend more time on environmental issues. My hope is that my grandchildren will get to explore and discover the same beautiful & healthy planet that I have enjoyed.
Do you wonder if I’ll now have this wanderlust out of my system? Of course not! There are still amazing places on my bucket list..
Citizen of the World 🌎
Some people do not see the need to travel, they say; you can just experience the country in books and on media. I firmly disagree. It is said; 10 steps in another country is worth 10 books about that country. There’s no substitute for being there!
The question people ask me the most is “which is the best place”. That’s a really hard question to answer. Some places had extremely kind people, others were gorgeous and others were fascinating. There were wonderful things about every place we visited.
I also enjoy telling my stories through my photography. I hope my photo’s have captured our feelings, shared our discoveries and made you feel a part of the journey… because it was an amazing journey.
Maybe we should work harder at world peace…
The people of New Zealand were made for the outdoors! They are rugged, earthy & capable. They are also really, really, kind, friendly and always willing to help a complete stranger. We felt this on our first steps into the country. When we walked up to passport control (this group is usually not the friendliest) they smiled, asked a couple of questions about our stay, wished us a pleasant holiday, smiled again and said; “g’day”!
We traveled to Iceland recently and we stayed at a hotel in Reykjavik. I forgot my key in the room so I went downstairs to get another one. I told the man at the front desk I needed a new key and room number, he just politely gave me a new key (no questions asked, not even my name) because of course he believed it was my room!
There are a number of reasons why people in these countries are so trusting but “trust me” its heartwarming to see their belief that all people are good.
The Māori people were the first ones to settle in New Zealand in the 1300’s. They came in boats from the South Pacific. It wasn’t until the 1800’s that people from Asia and Europe came here. Currently New Zealand is about 16% Māori and they continue to speak their language and honor their culture. We see the Māori with these tattoos fairly often. The tattoo’s are not considered a “lower class” symbol but rather an important tradition. Women have tattoos that run from their lips and down over their chins. They start adding them when they “become of age” and then add more designs when they marry and have children. Men will have tattoos all over their bodies that speak to their family history and accomplishments etc. The Māori are spiritual and have a strong connection to the earth and oceans as well as a respect for society and family.
Although the Māori face some discrimination here for the most part they are accepted into society. Children are taught in school to respect their history and customs. In general people from New Zealand are very open minded, warm, inviting and tolerant of all types of people. They take pride in not discriminating against people who are different from themselves. I wish every country were like this 💟
This is Simon, he works at the Punga Cove Lodge where we are staying for a week. He has more positive karma than anyone I have ever met. One day we asked him if he ever sees dolphins in the bay. He said, he does and he would help attract some for us. Within 30 seconds there was a huge pod of dolphin swimming and jumping into the air near us…..
So I asked him if he ever sees whales???
The lotus flower seen everywhere in Vietnam.
We took an over night flight from Vietnam to Australia. It took 9 hours but the good news is we slept most of the way. We’ll leave for New Zealand tomorrow.Just one more comment about visiting a communist country; there is NO free press in Vietnam. All news is censored. You are told what the communist party wants you to hear. If the party doesn’t agree with what journalists write, the news outlet will be closed for good. I wouldn’t have even felt comfortable making these comments while in Vietnam but since I’m thousands of miles away I can say what I want.
Freedom is good!
This is the 5th time I have traveled to Asia. This area of the world is a wonderful, fascinating place. But in my travel blog l like to share the good and the bad. Pollution is a major issue here, as a person who cares deeply about the environment it’s troubling. The air quality in the major cities is very poor and I wouldn’t think of drinking the tap water. 60% of the worlds population lives in Asia so it’s a challenging issue. When I respectfully ask people about it here in Saigon they seem indifferent. It’s hard to blame the ones who are poor and living day to day. But…you have to have hope that their countries leaders will find the right path.
Vietnam is bordered by China to the north. There has been a trend lately of large communist countries attempting to take over smaller near by countries. The Vietnamese are concerned that China may try to invade their country at some point.
The Vietnamese like America and they like Americans. They also think it is wise to maintain a close friendship with the USA. They believe (hope) that if China attempts to take over their country the US will step up and come to their aid.
If only we could all just live in peace ☮️
The 2nd photo is of a Giant Asian Macaw.
