The World Is My Oyster

We're off!

zenjen — Fri, 3 Sep 2010 13:02:00 GMT

So I'm off again on another journey. This time a near cross continental road trip from Toronto to Vancouver Island. My sister Kaitie and I will be traveling over 4400km through the United States to finally reach BC where we will end our adventures in Kelowna, where I will hang my hat for the next few months.

Ruby (my mazda 3) is packed to the brim with my personal possessions but this task was not easy. Our journey began with a small but mighty test of mine and Dad's patience when it took us over 4 hours to install the roof rack on Ruby. Eventually, defeated I took the car over to the a bike shop where the guy installed it in less than 10 minutes! For the price of a new bike lock, to pay him for his "time", we were finally up and running! After a late start at 4pm i had already learned three important lessons. ALWAYS read instructions, don't leave installations until the last minute and be kind to your father when it comes to working on black assault on a 30plus degree day!

So we were off! Flying down the highway, against crazy winds and the bike held up! A great test to our many hours of effort. Phew! Our emotions were quickly soothed when we drove through Muskoka, Ontario's famous cottage country and laughed at the Inukshuks (Native rock sculptures) dressed as construction men!? We stopped for dinner in unmentionable Sudbury at Tim Horton's for chilli and tea. A quick left and we were heading west on top of the North Channel of Lake Michigan. We spent the final hours of the day driving into the most amazing sunset of orange and red, twinkling atop the trees. Alas, the Bovarian Inn. A quirky motel in Bruce Mines, the site of the first successful copper mine in Canada. A quick take-away dinner from a dodgy diner and a shower and it didn't take us long to both be asleep. Day one complete!

Day 2 started with the most beautiful clear skies and sun reflecting off the the North Channel. I met the cutest couple from Florida while loading up the car at the Motel. She gave us a pot of coffee she had brewed and didn't want to waste! I stood at their door and chatted about their travels while her husband stood behind her asking if she had found out what day it was yet! As soon as I filled him in that it was Thursday he asked his wife if standing at the door talking was what she meant by getting off to an early start! lol

Reaching Sault Ste Marie we pushed on to the USA boarder. Ruby got her first x-ray here and passed with flying colors! Yeha we entered the states with no hitches! Driving along hwy 28 we stopped for Kaitie's first lesson at driving manual. She did very well, learning quickly and I'm sure by the end of our trip she will be a star! Still some confidence to build i got back in the driver's seat and drove us clear through Michigan to Wisconsin. Wisconsin was adored by both Kaitie and I especially Ashland where in the late 19th century millions of tons of timber and iron ore crossed its huge docks. Many of the homes there are made of timer that are situated on the lake making it a very cozy and beautiful place.

Pushing on we entered Minnesota. With very impressive navigating by Kaite we got through Duluth and found ourselves starving and stopping to eat at Country Kitchen. I think the fatigue had gotten to us at this point as we laughed at our fellow patrons. A small, but heavy boy eating take-away butter next to his sister who was drinking half and half while their mother was on her iphone. Finally the kids stopped when their dinner of cheese sticks, fries, and pizza arrived! Through our tears of laughter from this scene we noticed the old man behind us showing off his hat that read "Boondocks USA". Thank goodness we got a workout on our abs from laughing cause when our "homestyle" meat loaf arrived and turned out to be unidentifiable meat and instant mash and gravy, neither of us really ate. A great diet for our a**s that we have been sitting on for the last 10 hours.

Well now we are in our cozy hotel after a well deserved hot tub and swim thinking of the other funny things today like the giant totem poll, animal pelts and doggy paw earings. I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow!

Total distance 900km 1.5 days

Talyho!

Kaitie and Jen

Photos: England

zenjen — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:05:00 GMT

David, Vikki and The Bird In Hand

Photos: England

zenjen — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 10:53:00 GMT

Eve and Nick, the Lake District and Maccelsfield

Photos: Geneva

zenjen — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 09:04:00 GMT

Visit with Monica and Celine

Photos: Copenhagen

zenjen — Sun, 30 May 2010 01:16:00 GMT

May 2010

Photos: London

zenjen — Sat, 29 May 2010 23:42:00 GMT

May 2010

Friends in high places

zenjen — Sat, 29 May 2010 07:07:00 GMT

One of the most beautiful things about traveling is making new friends and I have been so fortunate on this trip to visit some friends, in their home countries! I left Thailand just as the polution of chiang Mai was getting to me and the red coats were getting closer! I flew to kl where I believe I now hold the world record for the longest coffee break in starbucks. coffee, tea, lasagna, chai latte, wifi and single serving friends in the booth next to me I actually managed to kill the 12 hour layover. Then I flew to London, escaping the threat of the volcanoe in Iceland and it's ash cloud havock! I was greeted by Jenny at Liverpool train station and stayed 2 beautiful nights with her generous brother and his partner on broadway market street. A wonderful part of east London where I was spoiled with trendy cafe's amazing authentic Italian pizza, "gutter beers" and peaceful canal walks where I reconnected with Canadian geese! One memorable canal stroll took me to an old English pub where I treated myself to spicy pork pie, mash and veg all topped with gravy and accompanied by a refreshing pint! Can u spell contenment??? After a tourist stroll past London eye, buckingham palace and south bank, I successfully navigated my way Through the tube and train to the airport where I caught my flight to Copenhagen, Denmark. at Copenhagan airport I was met by yogini trine who I met when I lived in burleigh heads, NSW. I Had 3 days to marvel at the bikram yoga studio trine has brought to life! Building it from the ground up, the first bikram studio in Denmark trine has set a high standard. She has thought of everything and created a haven where people come to sweat, detox, chat and receive love. Ialso had the opportunity to see a concert at tivoli and the ballet at the opera house! Nothing to mention about the menu here other than Thai take away left overs 3 days in row is the MSG devil and sent my intestines to he'll for the next week...enough said about that! Cab, plane and voilà, Monica, in Geneva Switzerland! I was welcomed with open arms by the beautiful Swiss miss who was my flat mate in Bali at yoga teacher training, her flat mate Celine and my new best friend whisky the cat. Water, mountains, fresh air, cheese, chocolate, wine and girlie time...I was in heaven. I felt like a princess, spoiled by my hosts and 4 days was just not enough time to revel in the beauty of this magcal city and the company of two beautiful girls, and a fury friend. Cab, plane, train and anothe train and poof, Portsmouth! Back in England I am reunited with David in the pub he manages with his girlfriend vikki. A quaint, classy pub with amazing food, friendly service and magical surroundings. They live upstairs from the pub and have made it onto lovely home and I feel honored to be their guest. With a happy tummy, warm boozy cheeks and tired feet from a stroll in the harbour where the titanic set sail, I will now sign off! 8 more days and I'm home bound... I love this world, the beauty is flooding in and I'm reminded of of all the wonderthat keeps us traveling and the people make our lives so rich money couldn't buy it! Tally ho! Jen xxxx

Photos: chiang mai

zenjen — Thu, 20 May 2010 07:03:00 GMT

Spicy make u sexy

zenjen — Sun, 9 May 2010 19:28:00 GMT

Ahhhhhhhhh Chiang Mai, Thailand! I'm not normally a city lover, but I'm in love! There is plenty going on here for a city in Northern Thailand and half the time you forget where you are when you see Macdonalds, Starbucks and 7 Eleven! Everything is in English and everyone speaks some understandable English so its soooooooo easy to get around. When i got off the plane the familiar smell of Asia brought back memories of going to China in 1988, but so much is different here than what i remember. The streets in 1988 were a sea of black hair with everyone riding bicycles...and now, everyone is on motorbikes/scooters! They travel as a family of 4 sometimes and even include the family dog! I even saw a 3 year old steering other day! I ride my bicycle (not scooter) to school and i have to say it has been the most exciting, liberating and memorable part of my trip so far. The streets appear crazy and hectic but once you are riding along you realized it is organized chaos....just like the culture here, everyone works together. Everyone watches out for each other and are used to all forms of transportation on the streets, so you can ride with confidence knowing people will just go around you. It works just perfectly, and if there is any moment of confusion and you cross the same path as someone else, they just smile and laugh at you as you work it out and safely pass each other. Not like at home, if you cross someones path they are so intensely focused on where THEY are going, they get pissed at you for getting in THEIR way! None of that here, just peaceful, happy traffic... can you imagine???

I am half way through my Thai Massage training now and loving it! Every morning at 9 my class of 10 meets at the beautiful Sunshine Thai Massage School that is on the most quite street off the busy highway...its like magic when you turn off the highway and arrive in serenity. We open the day with our beautiful teacher Dot's singing and prayer. But it isn't long until we are sweating in the 45 degree heat, pummeling, twisting. stretching and kneading each other on the mats! Dot will cool us down by spraying us with flower water and distracting us with her funny tell-it-like-it is comments! Thai Massage is a very active form of massage where you take the client through yoga postures passively, while massaging them with your palms, knees, elbows and feet. Needless to say i have gotten to know my fellow students quite well in a very short time.

My class is full of the most beautiful, smorgasbord of people! Slowly through the week we have been starting to meet up after class to share dinner or cool off at the pool. I have even met another Canadian, Theresa (Tree) from Whitehorse! We get along famously and we have been the best shopping buddies at the famous Chiang Mai markets.

Today i completed a cooking class where i learned how to make curry paste, mango sticky rice, pad Thai, fish cakes, chicken curry...and more! My belly is so full but so satisfied. My favorite thing to do here is to wonder through the markets and see all the glorious and interesting food. So many new flavors and food combinations...its endless! Thai's LOVE sugar so many things are sweet...but they balance that off with the spice and I learned today in cooking class that "spicy make you sexy"...but i didn't need to know that to be convinced that a thai diet is the way to live. Yum yum....sweet coconut milk, juicy mango, spicy curry and to wash it all down with iced tea or thai iced coffee with condensed and coconut milk. HEAVEN! And the best part of it all is any meal out at a restaurant will not cost you more than $5...i usually eat for under $3!!

Tonight i wonder the markets again with Tree and i'm sure it will turn into another marathon like last night - 4hours of endless streets of magnificent crafts, food, clothes, shoes, homewares, fairy lights...anything you can think of. Its a sea of people and i'm happy to be amongst it.

Its the slow season here and I now know why...the heat is almost unbearable! I am paying a little more for my room of luxury...POOL, air conditioning and fridge and i feel like i'm living extravagantly until i make the conversion and realize i'm paying only $16/night!

The melting humid heat, the sweet and spicy food, the noisy and polluting traffic and the happy-go-lucky people, i'm in love!!!!

So who's wants me to cook them dinner and give them a massage???????

Arrival Chaing Mai, Thailand

zenjen — Sun, 2 May 2010 18:40:00 GMT

So here begins my meandering road back to Canada. Pit-Stop 1 Chiang Mai Thailand.

Why is it that everytime I plan a trip, no matter how organized I think I am, I'm NEVER ready in time to leave. Thanks to some of my friends and mostly to Adam, I managed to get on the plane with MOST of my things packed up and ready to go. With very little sleep from the night before, as Adam and I were up packing until 11pm or later! I grabbed a cab to the airport at 4am and sadly left Perth as the sun was rising on a very ironic rainy day. I wont say much here about that, as you can imagine it was not a happy departure.

I first flew to KL where I spent the night at Tune Hotels at the airport. Not that exciting, but a comfortable bed and Starbucks to provide some comfort away from anything familiar. Up again the next morning at 3am and flew to Chiang Mai. My first contact with someone English speaking was an American guy who last lived in Alaska, we just chatted as we boarded the plane, but it was nice to actually speak to someone after a day of being alone.

I arrived safely and the hot humid air hit me like a tun of bricks. Australia is hot, but the humidity is something totally different! There is no sign of any civil unrest here, no one really seems fussed about it. My hotel room is perfect, modest and small but just what i need. First things first, I rented a pink push bike and test drove it on a trial ride to the Thai Massage School. I was a bit wobbly at first as i got used to the old rickety thing but i managed to navigate my way through the traffic (btw not as scary as Bali)and arrived at the school with only a few missed turns. This made me excited about tomorrow as I will meet some new friends and in 2 weeks have another trick in my bag. After riding back to my hotel I took a dip in the pool and used my new itouch with the free wifi...magic!

Early to bed tonight as tomorrow I start school...hehe.

Until some more exciting things happen,

Jen

Photos: Life Is A Beach

zenjen — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:34:00 GMT

Perth, WA