Ho Chi Minh City

The New York City of Vietnam, the happening place, is here where many young people want to go to school and settle. The central city and luxury hotel areas look no different from any cosmopolitan western metropolis complete with the high end Italian and French boutiques. Throughout the city are reminders of the war with helicopter or tanks displayed in front of buildings. The most poignant remembrance of the war is the War Remnants Museum. One cannot prepare for the emotionally devastating exhibits. The information was fairly presented: facts speak for themselves. Rooms of professional photographs of the results of agent orange and deforestation on Vietnamese troops and civilians, and US troops and civilians. The insidious effects continue to this day, as the poison perpetuates  through genetics. It was so disturbing that I went into the ladies room to sob.

Other rooms dealt with the political foolery and blunders by governments, mostly US. There was a 1953 photo of Richard Nixon and his pronouncements on the Vietnam situation. Another about governor Bob Kerry and his involvement in war crimes. A bright shining light was a quote from Oregon's Senator Wayne Morse who strongly cautioned our country from engaging in an immoral and problematic intrusion into war.

Cu chi tunnels

The Vietnam Cong resurrected and greatly enlarged tunnels used against the French west of Saigon. Visiting them is eerie. Hundreds of miles of narrow passageways, some barely tall enough to crawl through are camouflaged in the woods. Booby traps discouraged deserters and intruders. At times, thousands lived in the tunnels, used as bomb shelters. Some very thin members of our group crawled through the original tunnels, but the rest of us managed our way through the ones somewhat enlarged for western travelers.

 Afterwords we visited a private home nearby where we had a home-made lunch by the widow of a South Vietnamese soldier. Attending were two former Vietnam Cong vets in uniform and the father (92 yrs old) of a high ranking Government official. Apparently this open format with westerners took years to arrange and get approved, even so we were told to ask any questions, and we did. Like most Vietnamese, these vets are not looking in the rear view mirror at The American War, but concentrating on the progress made since. One man's thoughts on this were particularly poignant: his son, age 35, was born with effects of agent orange and will perpetually be an infant.

The land of LONG WHITE: clouds, glaciers and waterfalls

The Maori name for this land does not register properly until seeing those magnificent long white clouds. Everywhere. Enjoy the view.

The Franz Josef Glacier. We walked 1 hour along the riverbed to view the lowest point reached by the ice sheet. A heavy rain had flooded the small town a few days before which made it inaccessible for awhile. The flood ran through a local hotel, prompting discussion of moving the town!

A waterfall on the way to the glacier

The scraped boulders imprinted by the advance and recession of the glacier left fascinating patterns.

A fond farewell to the white water, snow, clouds, and of course...

New Zealand's South Island

Christ Church

Devastating earthquakes in 2010-12 hit this city of 380,000  and has left much of the downtown in shambles. 184 people died in those quakes, and unfortunately, smaller quakes continue. However, the central business district is rebuilding slowly; the resilience is evident everywhere. On a tram ride through the part of town that was cleared, we marveled at the positive energy, and took in our breath in thinking of the 30 billion dollars it will take to get it done. All in a fault zone.

A shopping center made out of containers for now.

Typical shoring up of many buildings

Queenstown and beyond

The view from our hotel in Queenstown

Queenstown is an Aspen-like vacation get away town, an epicenter for winter skiing and summer nature adventures. A compact CBD (central business district) shouts to young, athletic, risk taking, well outfitted Mates and Shielas : you are welcome. Business names such as Hydro Attack, Torpedo, Shotover, Canyon Swing, NZ Skydive, and Ziptrek, to name just a few, lure the fit, beautiful, and probably fool hearty 20 somethings from all corners of the globe to test their resolve and nerve. The drop dead gorgeous bay on a volcanic lake with perfect mountains as a backdrop couches the lively city harbor teeming with restaurants, cafes and outdoor gear shops on every block. It is oh so sublimely civilized.

Sunrise in Queenstown

Did they or didn't they?        NO way!

Flax plants. The leaves are stripped then woven into baskets. 

The South Island is a bit of the Wild West. OAT builds in to every adventure an opportunity to discuss controversial  topics in each country. We visited with Peter Bushman,  a one man Erin Brockovitch/mountain trapper type who has a crusade to save the  environment from the ravages of an insidious lethal chemical, 1080, that is dropped by the government to kill the possums. Unfortunately it also kills many other animals, including those in the human food chain.

The small seaside town of Hokitika was our home for two days. It has become a mini destination for art enthusiasts with some galleries and jade carving businesses. The one movie theater was showing The Hunt For the Wilder People, a NZ film that had some buzz at Sundance. Our guide, Jane, is somehow related to the writer so we went to see it with her, which was the night after the opening. Apparently the dog stars walked the green carpet then.

A highlight of the trip for me was a visit to a sheep farm. Not only did we witness a shearing, but a masterful sheep herding demonstration by "Pete" a canine sheep wrangler extrordinarre. 

The directives of his steadfast eyes coupled with agile body language had that unruly mob of future sweaters and lamb chops clustered like a school of frightened fish waiting for the teacher's yardstick to smack. I could have watched all day.

Wellington

Wellington is the capitol, and the epicenter of the NZ film production industry. The film studio and production company WETA, which have made the artistry for Hobbit films, Avitar, Mad Max and many more have extensive studios for filming, creation of creatures, and computer operations. 

Greetings in the Wellington airport.

A tour of an art studio gave us an appreciation of the complicated process for making objects in the films from sketch to computer program to e printer to hand work. Months go into each object, or costume, or character face, any of which might be in a film for just seconds. The fastidiousness of Peter Jackson is evident down to the skin dimples and hair. It might take a week, for instance, to make eyebrows on a Hobbit.

Related is an extraordinary exhibit at the Te Papa museum in Wellington, the most imaginative and exciting natural history museum I have seen. Besides the fact that locally they have a lot to work with (volcanos, glaciers, and earthquakes) the current exhibit, created by WETA is about the ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) during the WWI Gallopoli battles. There are no creatures, instead you follow several real soldiers which have been created at 2 1/2 times their size. They are so artfully created; you see beads of sweat, and seeping blood from wounds.

 Computer illustrated battles, sparsely staged artifacts, and photographic essays in winding dark corridors (to simulate the trenches) beacon you while dramatic but subtle voice and music pulls at your heartstrings. The experience offered a thorough education of the tragic folly that was trench warefare, and a condemnation of foolish wars and personalities who create them in general.

Hobbits

Hobbiton, New Zealand

No kidding. It is a real place. The Anderson farm about an hour out of Rotarua was scouted out by Peter Jackson, filmmaker, as the perfect location for the Hobbit films. No wonder, the dramatic green rolling hills, walkable hollows, and expansive horizons are nature's ready made movie set. When the filming ended and so many fans made pilgrimages to the hallowed ground, the family knew they had an opportunity. Today there are Hobbiton buses from surrounding population centers , along with car travelers which contribute to 1800 a day arriving for tours. The only reason we decided to spend a half day in this endeavor was because we wanted to report our findings to David and to our young Polish friends as well.

The charming young tour guide entertained us with details of building the sets, gossip about the actors, logistics for the hundreds of crew members, what scene in the films occurred at each spot, and mishaps on the set. The most interesting information was fanatic attention to details insisted on by Jackson . The large, well placed trees were built with man made materials, and the thousands of leaves were painted and wired on individually . If he didn't like the hue, they would be taken down and repainted. The many Hobbit homes were in one word, adorable. At the end of the trail we were offered a drink in the Dragon Pub.

Wanaka and Wine

A charming town not far from the wine country. We pulled in to the rest stop to find out there had been a 4.8 earthquake yesterday. Just missed it, as we missed another 4.8 which occurred in Milford Sound the day after we left! Watch out Hawaii.

Near Cromwell, a fruit growing area , grape vineyards grace the slopes. We visited the Aurum Vineyard, one of the few organic enterprises. It is run by a family who does most of the work themselves with the help of 10 backpackers at harvest time. This is the vineyard Prince William and Kate visited a few years ago. After a tasting we came away with a few bottles.

Dart river jets

Not boaters or speed enthusiasts, we nevertheless signed up for the touristy Dart River jet boat experience. These buzzing demon motor boats carry 15 people, each decked out in rain cloaks and life jackets, which when stacked body to body in the boat felt more like strait jackets. The hour long drive thorough several pristine rivers, carved out by volcanic events required two hands on a grab bar and feet braced on the floor at 60 mph. The scenery was spectacular, but might have been more calmly viewed in a slow boat without noise and fancy swirl tricks.

Very NEW Zealand

The land of the long white cloud (Maori)

Until 800 years ago, there were no humans here. It was two isolated islands with only 3 mammals, no snakes. Maori were the first settlers, and the English came aboard in the 1700s.Today, a good deal of the flora and fauna present was unfortunately brought in by English settlers for their hunting pleasure , many of which have become pests: rabbits, deer, scotch thistles. Even sheep, horses, and cattle were not indigenous, and now dominate the landscape, and the economy.

A Day in the Life (an OAT event in every country) to an organic dairy farm was a delight. The farm couple, Dot and Ray welcomed us warmly into their home for a delicious homemade lunch in their dining room. After we sat around their living room for a spirited discussion of how they managed their farm, then took a tour of their milk shed.

The north island is tropical and steamy in parts. During our two days in Auckland , a city sitting in 8 volcanos , we were in proximity to an offshore "cyclone" which we know as hurricane type storms. The wind was wild, reported at 100 mpk ( 60 mph?) There are backpackers galore, thus many backpacker hostels, so everyone seems young. There is a vitality with a variety of eateries to choose from. Our group dined at the new warf area at a Greek fish restaurant, but when in Rome, we had delicious leg of lamb. Another evening we went to a burger place , and couldn't resist the , yes, you guessed it, lamb burgers!

A most unusual city is Rotarua. It is also a backpacker center, as many adventure tours and sports abound. How strange to see fenced off pens in public spaces all around the city. Wild animals? No. Quicksand? No. Deep wells? No. Would one guess hot geisers, mud holes and dangerous heat vents producing ubiquitous streams of steam in downtown spaces? The smell around town is putrid. A short ride out of town are nature parks, where up close we saw the results of unstable collision of two tectonic plates ( a volcanic blast in 1886) ; thermal rivers of sulphur where  there had once been a settlement. Most astounding are the mud geisers. Like something out of a teenage horror film. The next eruption? Could be today or any guess.

 A morning with Prince, a Maori educator gave us a peek into this noble culture through stories and song. These first settlers, cousins to other south sea islanders, were also displaced from their lands, as the Australuan Aborigines, but we're not treated with as much disrespect. He reported t hat he only knows of two individuals today who are pure Maori. Today they are integrated into the society, and have reestablished their place as landowners. Prince's wife and daughter in law prepared a picnic tea in the park for us. As is the custom, we bumped noses and foreheads to say a fond goodbye.

One night we attended Mitai performance. We anticipated it would be a hokey tourist event, but it was actually a fascinating look into ancient Maori customs. The dancing and singing was enchanting.

The most curious custom is the scary tongue protruding face. This, combined with black animal tattoos was designed to repel an enemy. No doubt it did.

Misc Australia

Andrew has played the didgeridoo all over the world. What a treat to have a lesson. Almost impossible.

Think back to making a motorboat sound with vibrating lips, then resting them inside the top of the skinny hollow log. All of us tried with lame results so we marveled as he entertained us with variations of sounds, some like an elephant skat-singing. Followed by an outback BBQ a la Jak our leader.

The Great Barrier Reef is as big as Japan. Who knew? Surrounding tropical Cairns are beachfront towns catering to vacationers, honeymooners and tourists most setting out on boats of one kind or another for around an hour to reach an island, cay or drop spot to see the coral and sea life wonders. Raining buckets? No worries, Mate. Just have a go. The idea of dropping into the ocean on a grey day was not appealing, so even though it cleared up occasionally, we spent a relaxing day in the catamaran watching our friends come and go. Besides, because the jellyfish are terribly poisonous, they all had to wear bodysuits. Now the men have an idea of how pantyhose and Spanx fight back. More tame was Jules Verne contraption, the semi submersible boat with glass windows below the surface. The coral varieties were amazing, but apparently not as vibrant as through a snorkel mask.

The Sydney Opera House; spectacular building. The story behind it as well. Unfortunately there were no performances when we were there. We enjoyed it , the harbor bridge, and the rest of the beautiful harbor sights on an hour cruise, even through the grey and rain.

We considered skipping Sydney's Jewish Museum as our year has been filled with so many Jewish museums already. But we did go, and how glad we were. The professional exhibits, surrounding a foyer shaped like a Jewish star presented the history of the Jewish world and not just of Sydney's community. Holocaust education is a focus, and the school groups in their crisp uniforms fanned out to  glean what they could in a short time. We happened upon a lovely octogenarian woman, Olga Horak, standing in front of a glass case containing a woven blanket. It had been hers, found discarded after her five concentration camp nightmare. It stayed with her while she was nursed back to health after the war, and was saved by the people who took her in. In recent years she got it back, and now gives talks about her experience to the school groups. It was made with human hair.

We bought her book "Aushwitz to Australia" in the bookstore and promised to mail her Max's book.

Jackaroo, our OAT leader, our own cutie Olivia Newton John look alike, encouraged us to taste the offerings of her homeland.

Tropical fruits (never seen before), kangaroo, Pavlova, ANZAC cookies, goody balls, vegemite. Vegemite is a definite no go! And of course meat pies. Little round flaky creations approximately 4" in diameter can be filled with almost anything; lamb, beef, Indian curry, chicken, and fruit. Then there is McDonalds, (they say Mackers) where there is a lamb and feta wrap. Imagine that going over on Main Street America.

Kangaroos, Koalas, Birds, and a Tasmanian Devil thrown in

Of course! These Roos are not skittish and let people feed them by hand.

These cute little guys are reclusive and hard to spot. A tracker scoured the park before we arrived and sent GPS locations and left pink ribbons for our guide to locate them for us. They sleep 20 hours a day and often stay in the he same group of trees for awhile.

Young dingo

A real Tasmanian Devil. They are rare now due to an unstoppable nose cancer.

This Pelican downs several fish in one gulp.

Emu dads sit on the eggs and take care of the young.

Scarface the Croc as seen on a Croc cruise