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Thailand

Hello Thailand!

Wow, what a whirlwind the last week has been! We left on a red eye out of Australia Monday evening. After our learning experience on bargain airlines on our Jetstar flight into Oz, we were better prepared for Air Asia. We purchased extra kgs for our luggage, upgraded our seats and decided, since we were planning on sleeping through both flights, to forego ordering any meals in flight. We chose to spend a little extra to upgrade our seats to the “quiet zone” and it was worth EVERY PENNY! Since most people choose either not to spend the money or just don’t realize it’s available, we each ended up with a row of 3 seats to ourselves. After a short layover in Kuala Lumpur we arrived in Bangkok around 8am. As we suspected, our hotel room wasn’t ready so we left our bags at the hotel (The Dream Hotel) and set out for our first foray onto the city.

Luckily, our hotel is in the neighborhood that our friend Tom used to live in and he gave us a list of places to look up. After the flight our first stop was for mani/pedi’s and massages. What a great way to recover from a long flight! Tom’s next recommendation was a little dive of a “restaurant” that serves the best crispy duck. As usual he was spot on – the duck was fabulous!  Back at the hotel the room was ready for us and we were ready for a nap.

Around 6pm we hopped on the subway to Bangkok’s famous Chinatown. It was a bustling swirl of color, and smells and crowds. We wandered the streets for about an hour and decided it was finally time to eat… no we did not try the bugs!

 

 

Finally, after roaming the streets for a few hours we decided it was time to head back. Since we we more than a little turned around and weren’t sure we could find the subway we hired a tuk-tuk for the ride home.

The next morning we headed out to see the  Grand Palace. We hopped onto the Skytrain, connected to the subway and finally boarded a riverboat ferry to the Old City. As we started across the street towards the palace we we stopped by the inevitable tuk tuk driver offering to take us to all the sights and sit and wait while we wandered around and took photos for a mere 500 baht. We decided it seemed worth it, so we climbed in.

First stop was the sitting Buddha followed by the Grand Bhudda followed by a “short stop” at a jeweler in between…it seems that shop owners offer the tuk tuk drivers fuel vouchers to bring potential customers to them. Since we were just touring the city with no real schedule, we decided to go along for the ride. After the Grand Bhudda we stopped at the tailor to have some clothes made – cause that’s what you do in Thailand, right?? All the while James, our driver, sat and waited…

Geo & our tuk tuk driver, James

After our busy day, we decided to have a simple dinner. We walked down to the grocery store (again recommended by Tom) along the same route we had taken the following morning, but at night the scene is completely different. After dark, the city street transforms into a night market. Every available wall space is converted into an open air stall selling every tchotchke and food you could ever imagine (and some you never even knew existed). We finally arrived at the store and ate at the “lunch” counter. The food was inexpensive but DELICIOUS!

FYI – Besides the fact that it is a crowed, bustling city,with insane traffic, one of the things I wish I’d been better 
prepared for before arriving was the intense amount of smog. It is so bad that a majority of the population wear surgical masks while walking or working outside and the week we were there tay actually closed the schools to keep people off the roads and reduce the amount of smog in the air!
Australia

Quality Ingredients are Important!

Ever notice how some folks will knock themselves out to get the very best brands of liquor and then mix it with some of the most awful stuff.

In this edition of Drinks with George we explore some key ingredients, and of course, make some excelllent cocktails.

Recipies for cocktails mentioned or made in this video are below:

White Russian

  • 30 mL (1 oz) full cream milk
  • 30 mL (1 oz) vodka (such as Titos)
  • 30 mL (1 oz) Kahlua

Fill a rocks glass halfway with ice, and add Kahlua and Vodka. Layer cream on top by pouring it slowly over the back of a spoon so that it does not mix with the other two liquors. Add a straw to stir with, but no other garnish.

 

Gin and Tonic

  • 30 mL (1 oz) Gin (such as Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray or Hendrick’s)
  • 60 mL (2 oz) Tonic Water (George suggests Fever Tree Mediterranean)
  • Squeeze of lime juice
  • Lime for Garnish

Fill rocks glass with ice. Add gin then tonic and a squeeze of lime. Stir gently and garnish with a lime wedge.

Moscow Mule

  • 60 mL (2 oz) of Vodka (such as Titos)
  • 30 mL (1 oz) fresh lime juice
  • Dash of simple syrup
  • 90 mL (6 oz) ginger Beer (George prefers Bundaberg)
  • Lime for garnish
  • 2 Dashes bitters (Angastora Orange)

Fill a copper cup with ice, add all ingredients. Stir gently and garnish with a lime wedge

Jack and Diet

  • 60 mL (2 oz) Black Label Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey
  • 90 mL (3 oz) diet Coca Cola

Fill rock glass with ice, add all ingredient and stir gently.

Important – never, ever garnish a Jack Daniels drink     NFL – No Freakin’ Lime!

Australia

Springbrook National Park

As our time in Australia draws to a close, we decided to take advantage of one of the many opportunities here in Queensland to do so hiking. We choose a relatively short (about 2 hours) hike that was not too difficult, rated as a Grade 3 (moderate fitness required) in Springbrook National Park.

The park is about an hour south of Brisbane and is listed as a World Heritage site. It was a spectacular hike. We chose the Twin Falls Circuit which is about 4km or 2.5 miles. As the name suggests along the way we passed two waterfalls, walked through the rainforest and got some phenomenal scenic views.

I couldn’t decide which photos to include in this post, so I just uploaded them all…

Australia

Summer Days in Surfer’s Paradise

It’s summer on the Gold Coast and we are finding plenty to do to entertain ourselves.

Since we technically are still tourists, we decided to do one of the ultimate touristy things – we attended a staged production by the Australian Outback Spectacular called Heartland. Maybe staged is not the correct word to use, since the show was presented in a upscale indoor rodeo with arena. A combination of horses, cattle, cars, trucks, 4 wheelers, singing, dancing and amazing choreography (most of it on horseback) was sewn together with very creative use of scenery projected onto the arena via an extremely sophisticated lighting system.

The story was a familiar Australian tale: cattle ranchers in the outback struggled to hang onto their farms through a severe drought. There was a love story, comedy and a villainous banker who tried to foreclose on the ranch. We were amazed how they were able to serve a three course meal to the whole arena while the showers was taking place. And we got hats!

About 40 minutes drive from the house is the Burleigh Heads National Park. There are many walking tracks within the park itself including the Ocean View Walk around the the rocky headland; the Rainforest Circuit which takes you through the park where you can view beautiful plant and bird life. Along the way there are many places that allow access to the beach. We went on a Saturday, so the beaches and trails were busy, but everyone was friendly and we had a great hike of about 3 miles or so. The views were amazing!

On another evening, we caught a ride from friendly Uber driver Dave. We went to wander through the Night Quarter

Rows and rows of storage containers have been converted to create alleys of shops, food vendors, beer stands and live music. This is truly a locals hangout, we were among extremely few tourist at there. The food was excellent, the beer was cold and cheap and the music was energetic. Definitely worth a visit.

George’s birthday dinner was a special evening. We sat at the edge of the lagoon, at the Intercontinenal Hotel a table with fine china and while linen table cloths and our bare feet in soft white sand. Dinner was a giant seafood buffet, with oysters, crab, jumbo shrimp (they call them prawns here) and an amazing dessert bar. Our waitress Kelsie made sure that our glasses stayed full of champagne and then red or white wine which flowed freely throughout the night. All in all, a delightful experience at a very reasonable price of for an “all you can eat (and drink)” meal In an ideal setting.

Australia

A Cocktail For Queensland

The idealic setting of the Gold Coast in Australia inspired a new cocktail called “Santuary Cove”.

Ingredients:

  • 1 oz (30 ml) white rum
  • 1/2 oz light agave syrup
  • 1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 oz Champagne or Prosecco

Add ice, lime, agave syrup,and rum to a Boston shaker. Shake, break and strain into a martini glass. 

Top with champagne, garnish with a lime wheel, enjoy with friends!

Australia

The Australia Zoo

Steve Irwin has been gone since 1996 when he was stung through the heart by the barb of a stingray tail. Ironically he was working on a film called “Ocean’s Deadliest”. But 23 years have done little to fade the memories of his exploits in global television shows such as the crocodile hunter.

In 1970 Steve started working with reptiles at his parents nature preserve in Northern Queensland, at 10 he wrestled his first crocodile while his father looked on. Later Steve married an American from Oregon (Teri) and together tho two launched a film series aimed at raising consciousness about wildlife conservation and raising money to expand the preserve his parents had started.

Today that preserve is the Australia Zoo and has more than 1,000 acres and is owned by Teri Irwin the family. Yesterday we drove two hours north to the Zoo and had an amazing day.

 

 

Australia

Mango Daiquiris

Cocktails from around the world…

We have divided this recipe into two sections:

1. How to cut up a mango
2. Making the perfect mango daiquiri.

The Recipe:

  • 3 oz white rum
  • 1 1/2 cops frozen mango chunks
  • juice of 1 and 1/2 limes
  •    Reserve other half for garnish
  • 4 teaspoons full of white caster sugar
  • splash of dark rum for the float

Add all ingredients (except dark rum) to the blender and on high until smooth.

Pour into 2 talll glasses. Garnish with lime wedge and float with dark rum.

 

Australia

A Day in the Life – Housesitting in Australia

Are you wondering what we do all day? Before we got here I had a vague idea of how we would fill our days. Now that it’s a reality we thought we’d let you know how we manage to fill all our time now that we “don’t have anything to do”.

We generally wake up pretty early (the sun rises a round 4:45AM here). The very first thing we do when we  actually get up is take the dogs for a walk. Cuddles generally leads and Honey straggles along behind. We walk into the “village” and back – about a mile and a half round trip. 

After our morning constitutional we have a light brekky (Aussie for breakfast, in case you couldn’t figure that one out), read or listen to the news of the day and contemplate what to do next.

Some days I go for a swim in the pool and George works out on the exercise equipment at the house, yesterday we started canoeing on the canals behind the house. Afterward we shower and get ready for the rest of the day. 

Most days we drive the golf cart to the grocery to buy dinner for the evening, check the mail and just cruise around to see what’s going on “in town”.  

On days we need to run a little further than the 2 miles to the grocery, we’ll take the car. It generally takes both of us paying attention to ensure we’re on the “right” side of the road all the time (although as we get used to driving on the left, it is getting easier). 

The afternoons drift by quickly between practicing guitar/mando or an afternoon nap and before we know it it’s cocktail hour and time to take the dogs for their shorter, evening walk. 

Australia

G’Day from Australia

For the next six weeks are house sitting for friends who have an amazing home on the Gold Coast in a city called Surfer’s Paradise. We don’t surf, but they got the paradise part correct.

Our task is to look after the house and it’s occupants: Honey, Cuddles and Shine (the cat). 

We settled in quickly, although it did take a while for us to get used to having the sun come up at 4:45am. After all, ‘if the sun is up, you should be too”.

Local transport around the village of Sanctuary Bay is mostly done by golf cart, although we have had need to take the car to a couple of places. Driving on the other side of the road came back quickly, as we have lived in Australia, England, and Ireland and have had to drive on the left before.

Yesterday we saw kangaroos for the first time this trip. They were standing on one of the local golf courses observing the game. We are told since this is a sanctuary, the wildlife always gets to “play through”.

The house sits on one of the canals that criss cross this area. We will be exploring them, first by canoe and then later via jet ski. But first we have to get licensed to ride the jet ski. If we get caught riding without the certificate, our house (the owner of the jet ski) will get fined. 

We will be here for six weeks, so it is sure we will have lots to share.

 

 

A note on visiting Australia – Americans do need a visa. It is not hard or expensive to get, you can do it online (it takes about 15 minutes), just make sure you do it before you travel.

Hawai’i

Aloha

So much to share already, we were lucky enough to get upgraded on the way to Honolulu. The flight was fine. We had to pay a small premium for luggage because we both had 2 bags, but after all it is everything we own, so what can you do.

Our Air BnB (booked a couple of months in advance) was right in the middle of Waikiki, about a block from the beach. We did some research comparing the costs of transportation from the airport, and finally decided on just using UBER as opposed to a rental car. About the same  costs with no hassle for parking gas, and somebody else gets to drive. The ride from the airport was about $35 one way. Mind you, if we had been staying longer or wanted to go anywhere far away, like the memorial site than a car would have been a better deal. 

Our Air BnB looked a little dodgy from the outside but once we got in we realized we had gotten a great deal, for a clean well appointed flat at $130 per night.

We wandered around a little bit in the evening after we arrived but we made an early night of it. The next morning we followed instructions from our friends Tom and Yawen and went straight to Eggs and Things for breakfast. The food was excellent and reasonably priced, the servings were huge and neither one of us could finish our servings. George had a local dish called Loco Moco, which we learned comes in several variations. The Hawaiin version includes a bed of rice, with a beef patty covered in grilled mushrooms and onions in a thick brown sauce, and topped with a fried egg.

A trip to Wakiki would not have been complete without a trip to Dukes, so we walked down the beach to have a mimosa after breakfast. I do agree with Jimmy Buffett, that Sunday is the day to go to Dukes, preferably about 10:00am. The people are friendly, the vibe is great and champagne is half price before 11:00,  

After wandering around for a while we grabbed some take away noodles and headed back the flat for some lunch and a little nap.

We have set a goal of getting away from the most common tourist areas, so about 6:00 we jumped into an UBER and headed over to the La Mariana Sailing Club, which is on the Sand Island access road in the middle of very industrial area. The locals we chatted with said that this is the last authentic Tiki bar in Honululu. Our bartender Wayne made us the best Mai Tais that we had ever had. We dined on local Poke so fresh it was amazing. Live music, women Hula  dancing and a class from the university singing their alma mater made the evening perfect!! Thanks Alysa for the tip.

We closed the place down at 9:00 and headed back to our flat, to get some rest for long day of flying ahead of us the next day.