Success!

Posted on September 29, 2013 by robandlinds

We had such a fabulous time during our 2 weeks in the states. Thank you to all of our family and friends for making our trip so wonderful!

It was a busy few weeks with an engagement party, 2 stunning mountain weddings, a Broncos game (Rob’s first ever regular season NFL game), a Rockies game (Todd Helton’s last home game)…

…plenty of day hikes in the mountains, walks and runs, golfing, story telling, Tim Tam Slams…

…birthday celebrations, brekky/lunch/dinner/coffee catch ups with friends, wedding venue ‘shopping’, shopping in general, alcoholic beverages, BBQs…

…minding the kids, awkward O’Keefe family photos (see below)… the list doesn’t stop…. But it was all worth it! All said and done, we stayed at 8 different places over the course of 16 days! A special thanks to The Ralph’s, Al, Jeremy, Maria, Kristen and The Schneider’s for giving us a pillow to sleep on during our time at home.

And thank you for those who made the trek to Ft Collins for our engagement party – during some of the worst flooding Colorado has seen in years. Luckily, the skies cleared and it turned out to be a lovely afternoon at The Ralph’s in FoCO!! Thanks for hosting, Mom/Mum/Maureen and Dad!!!

100 Year Storm

Posted on September 13, 2013 by robandlinds

We were able to spend a solid 14 days in the states – the most ever since we’ve left Colorado in November 2010 – and we were welcomed with more rain than what Colorado has seen in years. Interstate 25 was closed Thursday evening (Sept 12), 4 hours after we landed in Denver. We were likely the last car to drive down i-25 for the next 48 hours. News spread internationally – we were getting phone calls and emails from friends in Sydney asking about it! Crazy. My cousins in Boulder had their basement flooded (picutres below).

Comment from my Uncle Joe on September 13, 2013: All safe. Water in basement, but everything we cared about up and out. The family and neighbors were superstars. Came close to being unscathed, but not complaining in what they’re now calling a 500-year flood. I welcome the opportunity for focusing on what’s important, and redoing the basement with the boys and friends. Patrick Glynn will probably run the show with Lloyd Linnell acting as counsel. All photographs and disk drive safe. Even the LPs and old comic books. But most importantly, everyone is sleeping now, safe and sound.

Newspaper Headings: “Flood conditions stretched about 150 miles, from Colorado Springs north to Ft. Collins. Saturated soils left water with no place to go, and puddles turned to ponds throughout the densely populated Colorado Front Range. Rainwater swelled rivers and creeks, overtopped dams, flooded basements, and washed out roads. By September 16, authorities had confirmed six deaths, and more than 1,000 people remained missing.”

“President Barack Obama first declared a state of emergency for Boulder, El Paso, and Larimer counties, with an additional 12 counties added September 16: Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver, Fremont, Jefferson, Morgan, Logan, Pueblo, Washington and Weld counties.”

“The event ‘was likely a 100-year flood (or more accurately: a 1% probability per year flood),’ the report states, and that all-time record or near-record precipitation was recorded during the week of Sept. 9-15 across the Front Range.”

The downpour that inundated parts of Colorado this month was a once-in-a-millennium event for those areas, according to an analysis by the National Weather Service.

Fortunately, we were still able to enjoy what Colorado is typically known for: the sun & Broncos sunsets! Despite the chaos with the weather, it was good to be home again.

Phuket, Thailand

Posted on January 2, 2013 by robandlinds

Fun Facts about Phuket, Thailand:
– 1 USD = 29.77 Thai Baht
– Thailand’s largest island, roughly the same size as Singapore.
– It was also hit by the 2004 Asian Tsunami, estimated over 5,300 people
died in Phuket.
– Thailand has the world’s longest reigning monarch, current the King has
been in power since 1946.
– Similar to the UK, the King is more of a figurehead but actually posses
some power in the government.

We went to a Brazilian BBQ which included an all-you-can-eat meat feast! One of the items on the menu was crocodile – something no one at the table had tried before. Rob and Jer thought it tasted like chicken, but Linds felt a bit differently. The best part was the entire meal totaled $30 per person – our most expensive meal of the entire trip, including the meal where we got ripped off in Hanoi! It all tasted delicious!

Everyone was keen on seeing elephants up close (a native animal to the area); however once we arrived at the local tourist attraction, it was clear the animals were not treated well. As an example, some baby elephants were chained to posts and trainers used a metal hook to keep them in line. Despite the cruelty, we learned how smart these animals really are and how well you can train them. It was still very fascinating.

The entire trip was a whirlwind. It went so fast, but we would’ve done it all over again. As the picture shows we hit 6 cities and 4 countries in a matter of 2 1/2 weeks – a very well thought out and planned trip! VERY happy to have JR and some friends from Sydney join us on the excursion.

Koh Phi Phi Island

Posted on December 29, 2012 by robandlinds

Fun Facts about Koh Phi Phi Island:
-1 USD = 29.77 Thai Baht
-Ko Phi Phi is only accessible by a 3 hour ferry ride from Phuket.
-Ko Phi Phi island was devastated by the 2004 Tsunami. The non tourist
population is typically between 2,000-3,000 and it is estimated that
4,000 people died on the island that day.

We spent New Year’s Eve on the island and prior to going out for the evening, we were chatting with the bar tender at our hotel. He was telling us his accounts of the 2004 Asian Tsunami. At the time, he was working at a hotel restaurant which was located in the middle of town. When the first wave came in, it flooded the entire place (up to around his hips) then eventually the water swept back into the sea. He immediately knew at that stage it was a Tsunami and ran towards the biggest hill in town. Unfortunately, several of the customers he was serving did not and wandered back to the beach to see what was happening. He recalled being very scared for his wife specifically since he had no way of getting a hold of her. Several days later they reconnected, but the island was destroyed.

We learned from other people that in some regards the Tsunami was a good thing for the island due to all the disease and mold that had developed over decades. Today, there are clear signs of where to run in case of a Tsunami (even a building lookout).

Fun Facts about Koh Phi Phi Island:
-There were no cars on the island, only motorcycles, bicycle, and the
most common means of transportation, a long tail boat.
– Our hotel was a good 2 miles from where the boat dropped us off – so
fortunately, the hotel sent a staff member with a cart to carry our
bags. Lucky for me, they had a sign with our names on it!! (I could
get used to this kind of service 🙂 )
-Neighboring island, Ko Phi Phi Leh is where the Leonardo DiCaprio
movie The Beach was filmed in 2000.

We went for a long hike to the tallest point of the island (which was directly above our hotel). The views were spectacular! Along the way there were very few houses, but when there were the property was full of chickens, goats, monkeys and other animals.

One of the popular activities was renting a long-tail boat with a guide to take you around the neighboring islands. We rented one for the afternoon and the agenda included a stop at an uninhabited, remote island with some of the most amazing beaches. We spent the better part of the afternoon enjoying lunch, a few beverages and the water. The next stop was snorkeling – the place where JR pulled off a front flip dive off the boat. It was the only day where the weather was slightly wet and the seas were rough, but we still had a great time!

Siem Reap!!

Posted on December 25, 2012 by robandlinds

When we stepped off the airplane in Cambodia, the air was thick and about 20 degrees warmer than Vietnam – a welcomed surprise. We had a tuk tuk driver awaiting our arrival holding a sign with our names on it (I enjoyed this minor detail because it’s not everyday you have a driver holding a sign with your name on it). The key difference was the type of transportation – a tuk tuk is no limo. Regardless, traveling in a tuk tuk was a fun experience! The vehicle is a small, three wheeled motorbike with an attached cabin – which is big enough for 4 small people.

Similar to Vietnam, tuk tuk drivers were everywhere. It seemed there were always more tuk tuk drivers than willing passengers and they had a way of convincing tourists to pay more than they normally would for the same distance. After our situation in Vietnam, we made sure to ask the driver how much he was planning to charge us before we got in.

We decided to travel by bike when touring Angkor Wat. Jeremy and Rob both wore Colorado t-shirts that day and a stranger asked us where we bought our shirts, hoping he could score a cheap Colorado shirt in Cambodia.

Fun Facts about Cambodia:
– 1 USD = 4,013 Cambodian Riel (However USD was accepted everywhere).
– “Tuk” means “cheap” in Thai.
– Angkor Wat is the largest religious structure in the world.
– The city was built in the 12th century, initially a Hindu temple dedicated to the God Vishnu.
– In the late 13th century, it was changed to a Buddhist temple.
– The Cambodian government estimates over 600,000 foreign tourists visit Angkor Wat each year.

– Things were dirt cheap in Cambodia. Beers were USD $0.50 at the bars.
– The main attraction on the streets of Cambodia were foot massages. Two groups of kids were trying to win our business and in the end, the 19 year olds pictured below won. They offered us a free beer with a 30 minute foot massage for USD $3 (vs. no beer at the venue next door).
– Everyday, we indulged in a 60-minute Thai massage (on top of our daily 30 minute foot massage).

– While we were having dinner one evening, the entire street went pitch black. Restaurant owners nonchalantly grabbed candles and lit them around the restaurant, on tables, and on the streets. The lights were out for about 15 minutes. We learned later this is relatively common in Cambodia.
– 4×4 tour we met local kids who didn’t know a word of English, except the words to Ghangnam Style.

– Our hotel was $20 per night. In fact, for three nights, two rooms, free brekkie for three days (for all three of us), three 60 minute welcome massages, free transport to the airport and a free drink upon arrival – we paid USD $120.

Ha Long Bay

Posted on December 24, 2012 by robandlinds

After spending several days in Hanoi, we took a short overnight detour to Ha Long Bay (after recommendations from several friends and colleagues in Sydney) which is where we celebrated Christmas Eve Day. Ha Long Bay is about a 3 hour drive east of Hanoi and is made up of thousands of tiny islands.

It was the first time many of us had taken an overnight cruise. The boat had 3 rooms that could sleep about 10 people + the crew – a bar tender, a chef, a captain and a tour guide. They certainly made us feel welcome by decorating the boat with Christmas trees and lights and, of course, a welcome beverage upon arrival (you’ll quickly learn that this is a common theme in this part of the world)!

The Christmas Eve dinner was spectacular! If I remember correctly, we had 9 courses with close to every type of seafood imaginable. The chef was even catching fish off the boat earlier that day – talk about fresh! Rob gave it a shot but never managed to catch anything.

Prior to serving each dish, our tour guide would introduce it as if it were the next person on stage at a concert. We would all applaud and laugh along. During one of the introductions the chef brought out a boat carved out from a watermelon (see picture below). He had spent the better part of the day carving it out – just for decoration!! He did something similar but carved it as an eagle… Pretty amazing work.

Fun Facts about Ha Long Bay:
– While we were there, 1 USD = 20,935 Vietnamese Dong
– Over 1,500 square km in size and has 2,000 tiny limestone islands created after 500 million years of erosion
– The bay is also home to around 1,600 fisherman than live permanently on floating villages. Most of these villagers live in extreme poverty, very small shack, no running water, illiterate and uneducated.
– Some have never set foot on dry land once in their life.
– We learned during the tour of the small village that most do not want to live there and hope to save enough money fishing to move to dry land someday.

Hanoi, Vietnam

Posted on December 21, 2012 by robandlinds

Vietnam was my favorite place to visit. For starters, the hotel we stayed at was rated 5 stars and it wasn’t necessarily due to the unbelievable brekkie (although that certainly helped). The staff treated us like we were Will and Kate… like royalty. Every time we approached the hotel, they would kindly open the door and ask about our day. They even greeted us with a beverage upon arrival and made sure we left our bags for them to carry.

Brekkie was unreal. We had an array of unlimited freshly squeezed juice, coffee, eggs, pancakes, toast, poh soup and – most importantly – unlimited FREE WIFI!

Did you know?
– Jeremy bought a custom made suit in Hanoi and has only wore it once, whereas Rob bought the same suit and has yet to take it off during the working hours of the week (Monday – Friday).
– Jeremy made two stops on his way out; one in San Francisco and one in South Korea. On his flight to South Korea, he saw Mt. McKinley from his airplane seat.
– While we were there, the city was celebrating the 40th anniversary of winning the war against the United States. There were banners all over the city similar to the picture below.

– According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, Hanoi will be the fastest growing city in the world in terms of GDP growth from 2008 to 2025.
– The Hỏa Lò Prison (also sarcastically known by Americans as the “Hanoi Hilton”) was where John McCain spent 5 1/2 years as a POW. Below is a picture of McCain’s flight suit and parachute, along with the rules every inmate must abide by.

I bet you knew…
– Jeremy and Rob were done shopping after the first store we walked in, while I was eager to take advantage of the massively discounted clothing shops (relative to the massively overpriced Australian retail market).
– Even in a third-world, communist country, the guys found a way to watch the Broncos game. Die Hard Fans.

– Scooters were EV..E.RY.Wh.E.R…e. (It’s like trying to play leap frog but the cost of getting hit is much more severe).

– We, Americans, towered over every single person in sight. Even the tables on the street were too small for us to sit. These kind of tables were very common on the compact streets of Hanoi, but it certainly made for good people watching!

The only minor setback we had was during our last meal in Hanoi. Vietnamese people were always trying to get us to eat at their restaurant or buy their water, their clothing, their goods or anything else they were selling. Since we were in a bit of a rush to catch our ride to the airport, a restaurant owner easily persuaded us to sit down and order the BBQ’d beef for 3 people. After finishing our meal, the owner pulled out his cell phone, calculated the total, and hesitantly said we owed 1,000,000 Vietnamese Dong (or about 50 USD). If we hadn’t just spent the last 3-4 days there, we probably wouldn’t have noticed much of anything. But considering we had a similar meal the day before for about 1/10th the price and, more importantly, we had very little dong left to spend (our next stop was Cambodia), we weren’t too happy. Jeremy and I argued with the owner while Rob went back to the ATM to get additional dong out. He wouldn’t budge.

I guess we learned our lesson.. Always ask for a menu or the price first before eating.

Rob and Linds

Travel the World (and do some other stuff along the way)

Category Archives: JR