Spring Break 2012 - New Zealand (part 1)

2001:  Canadian Rockies
2008:  Hawaii
2010:  Steamboat, CO
2011:  London
2012: New Zealand

Top Five List of Best Marion Family Vacations? 
Nope. 
Just the Top Five List of Vacations Made More Memorable by Someone Throwing Up. 

Ah, yes.  It's not just holidays that are made more memorable; we include vacations, too!  That's how we celebrated our first night in New Zealand.  We congratulated ourselves on a good flight, an easy handover of our camper, and a quick grocery shopping trip that enabled us to get out of Christchurch ahead of schedule.  Although we drove later into the night that we had planned, we successfully made it past Arthur's Pass and into Jacksons to a great campground.  Everyone was cosy and warm in their beds.  Until about 3 am, that is.    After that, I began to wonder whose crazy idea it was to go to New Zealand, and who thought a 5 x 10 space for all 4 of us was a good idea?  I was certain the entire trip was ruined!  Would we pass a virus around for the next 7 days? 

Thankfully, no.  B3 was our only victim (he did have an encore performance on night 5, too), and otherwise, the trip was absolutely wonderful. 

Prior to moving to Singapore, I didn't know I wanted to go to New Zealand; it had never been on my radar.  It's too far away from The States to be practical.  Now,   I can honestly say that it's one of the most amazing places I've ever been to.  Each day, Ben and I would comment that our surroundings reminded us of something familiar from another vacation or from another home.  We were reminded of:

• Hawaiian Rain fForests
• Highways around Mexican Volcanoes
• Blue Ridge Parkway Drives
• Yellowstone Valleys (We automatically searched for moose in swampy areas and bison in the fields)
• Wyoming cliffs
• Alaskan Mountain Views
• Montana Skies
• South Georgia Tea Colored Rivers
• North Georgia Winding Roads

Perhaps that's why the trip was so enjoyable; everyday brought something new, but there were fond reminders of other favorite places.

It's Autumn in New Zealand right now, so some of the trees were even kind enough to have some color in their leaves for us.  The weather was cool but comfortable, and the rain was courteous enough not to completely ruin any of our days.  Although I took lots and lots of pictures, they don't compare to the amazing beauty that we were in awe of daily.   If I had asked Ben to stop each time we saw a view that I wanted to remember in a picture, we wouldn't have made it very far at all. The scenery was absolutely amazing, and everyone we met was kind, friendly, and polite. 

(Note:  I'm giving a little extra detail here so I have a record for our next trip to NZ ).  After arriving on Friday, we spent the night in Jacksons after crossing through Arthur's Pass.  We rolled in after dark and chose a spot in an odd little shelter .

We were thankful for that shelter when we awoke to rain (and other events at 3 am, but enough about that). Ben claims to have seen a kiwi here as well - the first of two he spotted on our trip.  I didn't see one, and I'm still a little bitter about that. 

Saturday morning's plan was to drive to the glacier area on the West Coast.  As we drove, it became obvious that the couple of cute one lane bridges we had seen the day before weren't unique.  Evidently, the entire country (at least the South Island) saves on its DOT budget by only building 1/2 of a bridge. 

I never got used to seeing another camper driving across the bridge as we sat and waited.  Crazy!

Another driving challenge was staying on the left hand side of the road.  Ben had a crash course in driving a right hand drive, manual transmission camper on the left side of the road.  He says that shifting left handed was the biggest challenge, and he only drove on the wrong (right) side of the road twice all week!  Thankfully, the road usually had arrows to remind us which lane was ours.

 We dropped out of the mountains and hit the west coast near Hokitika, where we had our first glimpse of the Tasman Sea. 

As you can see, it was windy, rainy, and not especially warm.  Even so, it must have made an impact on this little girl.  She asked questions about the "sea" and seemed thrilled to be there.  Later, she proudly unveiled an artist's rendering of what we had seen.

Note the raging storm clouds in the sky :). 

These two really were terrific travellers.  Aside from a daily spat over who got to sit by the window, they did a great job of filling the long drives with games and songs and giggles.

As we headed south down the West Coast through the Southern Alps, we had the odd combination of snow capped mountains, the beach, and a rain forest.  And, what would a rain forest be without rain? 
When we arrived at Franz Josef Glacier, all of the glacier walking trails were closed because of the rain.  So, we took a short walk in the woods just to stretch our legs and see the forest. 

It was incredibly green and lush and a bit peculiar to know that if we could have seen the mountains around us through the fog, we would see snow.

We spent Saturday night in the Franz Josef Glacier Top 10 Holiday Park, which was great.  Our little camper was just the right size, but we definitely didn't have room to spare.  Each night, my job was to occupy kids by brushing teeth or playing a game while Ben built their bed in our eating area.  By the end of the week, we had our routine well rehearsed.  We were definitely thankful to have the camper each day as we travelled many miles without seeing (m)any stores or facilities.  When we needed a potty break or a snack, we were ready! 

**Stay tuned for the next installment!**

Leavin' On a Jet Plane

We're leaving tomorrow night for a Spring Break getaway. Friday, we'll pick up our home for the next two weeks - a motor home, or "camper van" as they're known in New Zealand.  That's right!  New Zealand.

Sure, there are tons of destinations that are much closer to us, but we have no idea how long we'll be in Singapore, and week long vacations are rare.  Many of the places closer to us can be seen over long weekends, so we're using this week to explore a little bit of New Zealand's south island.  One week isn't nearly long enough; everyone has told us that.  Planning our itinerary was a challenge; Ben wanted to see penguins (or at least try; there are no guarantees), I wanted to see Milford Sound, and we both decided it would be unacceptable to miss the Southern Alps/rain forest/glaciers of the West Coast of the Island.  So, we're packing lots of hours of driving  into one short week. 

B3 is really, really excited about "sleeping in the camper", and he announces daily that it's going to be "cooooooold in New Zealand".  Today, he has negotiated my two car rule into three; Lightening McQueen gets to take both Mater AND Pumper with him.  He's brought me two pair of shoes "for New Zealand" (that we won't need to take), and he's piled his most prized possession onto our bed, AKA Packing Central:

His green Pancake Bear.  Not only did he bring his, but my considerate boy also brought his sister's pink Pancake.  He knows they usually both go with us, but he's taking no chances that I'll forget.  While we don't leave until tomorrow, I'll be surprised if he takes it back tonight; he wants to be certain that Pancake makes the trip!

The overnight flight and five hour time difference won't be fun, but we're confident that the next week will be well worth our effort.  I'm looking forward to some cooler weather, mountains, and wide open spaces. We haven't seen any of those things in Singapore.

See you next week with more stories than you want to hear and more photos than you are interested in seeing!

Hong Kong Holiday (#1)

Back in the Fall, I realized that we didn't yet have any plans for the week of Chinese New Year (CNY).  AK would be out of school for the week, and Ben's office would be closed for the 2 official days of holiday.   I heard time and time again that it was already becoming too late to book a trip if it hadn't already been done.  Did we want to go to the beach?  No; airline tickets seemed to be scarce and inflated 100-200% if available at all.  While looking for inspiration on a travel site, an ad for cheap(er) tickets to Hong Kong popped up. 

Well, why not?  It was only a 4 hour flight, and Hong Kong is in our time zone.  Hurray for no jet lag!  We began to plan.  Ben has been to Hong Kong a few times before for very quick business trips, so he would enjoy being a tourist.  He mentioned that he'd love to see the Tian Tan Buddha at Po Lin Monastery. I had been intrigued by the idea of Disneyland in Asia.  A plan was hatched. Part of AK and B3's Christmas present involved Princess and Lightening McQueen water bottles, Jessie and Lightening T-Shirts, and a note from Santa telling them to enjoy Disneyland.  They had no clue what a Disneyland was, but they were still excited to be going on a trip last Sunday as we boarded our plane.

We flew on Jetstar, which is Quantas' budget airline. In this case, 'budget' means food and beverages are available, but for a price. There was no extra leg room, and no blankets or pillows.  But for 4 hours, it was do-able.  It was a morning flight, so we were checking in to our hotel around 2  in the afternoon.

I didn't really know what to expect at the Hollywood Hotel; it was the lower priced of HKDL's two on-property hotels.  I shouldn't have worried; everything was perfect.  From the overly helpful bellboys when we arrived to Mickey's voice announcing our floor in the elevator, we enjoyed every detail.  Well, some of us enjoyed it.  Ben declared that he'd be tired of Mickey before we left, but I think even he would now admit that the entire experience was well worth our time and effort and money.

Our room overlooked the water (because that's all that was available when we finally made reservations), and someone enjoyed seeing the many ferries pass each day.

The hotel grounds were beautiful, but it was too cold to really enjoy them.  Waaaay too cold.  Had I not stuck in long johns and warm hats as an after thought "just in case", we would have been all wearing furry Goofy hats trying to stay warm. 

There were orange trees everywhere to celebrate CNY.

The hotel was decorated in an art deco theme, and these cars were along the walkway.

 In nicer weather, we would have enjoyed walking along the water. Maybe next time.

As is always the case at Disney, it was All Mickey All the Time. And I loved it.  Loved it so much that someone made fun of me for taking pictures of the ubiquitous Mickey silhouette. 

We saw Mickey on park benches...

...in espresso and in ketchup...

...and on our hotel, decorated for CNY.

It's fairly easy to tell which subway train goes towards Disney, too.

I've never ridden a subway car with glass-enclosed bronze statues before!

Of course, eating Mickey shaped ice creams was a priority.  I loved them as a kid, and I was looking forward to those chocolate ears.  Anna Kate enjoyed a Minnie Ice cream, which was strawberry, banana, and vanilla ice cream and chocolate on one side.  She obviously needs more practice eating ice cream from a stick, though.  Maybe next time, the last 15% of her dessert won't end up on the floor. 

Unfortunately, B3 had to settle for a dairy free orange juice bar instead of a delicious Mickey. He didn't seem to mind; he enjoyed every lick!

Visiting during CNY had some unexpected bonuses.  The hotel was decorated elaborately in oranges and red. One day as we returned to the hotel, we could see that a lion dance was about to be set up.  B3 enjoyed the front row view, while AK's little fingers couldn't mash her ears closed enough to block the drums and clashing cymbals.

The dance was a lot more involved than I thought it would be; I didn't expect acrobatic, salad eating lions.  Honestly, I'm not sure what I expected, but it was impressive.  (You can read all about the salad at Wikipedia. Of Course.)

Here's a video.  It was even louder in person, but it's still loud.  Beware.  It's a little long, too.  I'm not into editing, so just watch a little.

At the end of each of the three days we were in Hong Kong, Ak and B3 crashed. 

Stay tuned for pictures from our fun filled Disney Days...

Georgia (and Germany) On Our Minds

AK's last day of school before Christmas break was Friday, December 16, so we scheduled our trip back to the US for that night.  Our flight was at 11:30 that evening, and none of us were looking forward to it.  On our trip over here in August, we had all enjoyed the benefits of a Singapore Air business class flight.  No such luck this time.  AK kept talking about her bed on the plane; we repeatedly prepared her for the small, confining seat that would barely recline.  Ben spends a lot of time in the front of the plane, and not even the thrill of travelling with his family could excite him about being in the back.  Way in the back.  As in, the very last four seats in the back. 

Before we boarded, we had a couple of hours to kill in the airport.  We settled in to wait near a piano.  Imagine our surprise when the pianist began to play "Georgia on My Mind". How did he know? Maybe the trip wouldn't be so bad after all.

Despite Air France's efforts to make our trip miserable before we even left Singapore by being unreasonable and uncooperative, the flight was surprisingly uneventful.  AK was asleep before we even took off, but B3 was there to be entertained.  He enjoyed a movie with his little Fisher Price earphones; he played an iPad game; he ate snacks, and he enjoyed the meal that was served.  All at the same time.  At 12:30 am.  I wanted to sleep, but I had to wait until he finally crashed. 

Since we weren't able to enjoy the direct business class flight from Newark this time, we opted for a long layover in Frankfurt. Ben had been there a few years ago during December, and he thought we'd enjoy visiting their Christmas Market. He knew the perfect hotel to stay in, too. We arrived early Saturday morning and left for Georgia on Sunday, so we had one day to play.

We enjoyed Burger King brunch (don't judge; when you're travelling with jet lagged kids, the path of least resistance is our favorite road to take) at the train station near our hotel, while we waited for our hotel room to be ready.  My Dad was stationed in Frankfurt during his Army years long ago, and it seems we ate our lunch in his old neighborhood. I'm sure it's much different now, but it was fun to talk to AK about that fun detail.
Finally, we were able to check in and put on our many layers.  We brought bits and pieces of winter clothes to Singapore, but no one had a complete winter outfit.  Pajama pants became long johns, and I borrowed Ben's fleece jacket since I had brought nothing warm for myself.  We needed all of the clothes we had; it was cold!  It felt a bit strange to wear hats and gloves and boots and scarves after nearly 5 months of wearing short sleeves and sandals. 

The Christmas Market was intriguing.  Never have I seen so many sausages. 

 Never have I seen such decorative sausages. 

Never have I smelled such sausages.  Yes, there were lots and LOTS of sausages!

 And the bratwurst tasted delicious. 

We did a little shopping, but we mostly oohed and ahhed over things we couldn't transport or couldn't afford. Or both.

One of the highlights for AK and B3 was the double decker carousel.  We didn't know the rules for riding, but we watched many people just go and choose a horse.  So, we did, too.  No sooner than I have both kids strapped on did the attendant approach me for our tickets. Oops.  We missed that detail. 

The snacks were plentiful, beautiful, and tempting  These, in particular, caught our eye, but we never tried one.    We finally figured out that they were marshmallow filled. 

Generally not a fan of pretzels, I made an exception for this one. All four of us were glad that I did! It was a soft, tasty pretzel covered in a thick layer of dark chocolate. Milk and white varieties were available, too, but if you know me, you'll know I didn't even give those a second glance.

Everyone loved the pretzel, and Ben also snacked on warm sugared nuts while AK enjoyed the most authentic and German snack of all: cotton candy. 

The market was packed, and the buildings around us were beautiful. 

After just awhile in the market, we headed back to our hotel.  It was cold, everyone was tired, and it was time to call it a day.  B3 and AK thoroughly enjoyed the views from our window.  They watched barges and boats on the Main River, and the lights in the cold winter sky made us thankful to be inside our warm hotel room. 

 B3 and AK were asleep by 6 pm, and they managed to sleep until nearly 6 the next morning. Our little stop over experiment worked well!  Frankfurt is definitely a city I'd like to return to in a more friendly season, but it was certainly worth visiting for the Christmas Market, too. 

Our flight to Atlanta was, again, surprisingly easy, but we were ready to be there far before we arrived.  I wish I had had a way to record AK running to her PaPa waiting for us at baggage claim.  It was so good to be back in the land of grits and all things familiar!