2+ Months in Canberra: Update for February and March 2013

At long last, I'm getting this blog more-or-less up to date.  I've been away so long that I'm going to wedge all the stuff we've done during the first 11 weeks of our stay in the Australian capital into one epic blog post.  I'll keep it brief for the most part and I should be able to stay up-to-date in the future.  In no particular order, here's what we've been up to...including the first photo on the blog that's actually taken by a family member.  (Now that I have access to Meghan's massive online photo library, I plan to switch out the photos taken by others for those of our own):

Lockie (the kangaroo), Maeve (the emu), and I (the star) doing our impression of the Australian coat of arms in front of Parliament House in March 2013.

• Parliament House Tour
• Prime Minester's XI Cricket vs. West Indies at Manuka Oval
• Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve
• Telstra (Black Mountain) Tower
• Belconnen Markets
• Belconnen Arts Centre on Australia Day
• Australian War Memorial (several visits, including one to see the movie Gallipoli)
• Costco, Woolies, Oporto, and Hungry Jacks
• Baseball for Lockie (both U10 and U12 teams including the U12 Grand Final game)
• Woden Valley Lightning U10 Soccer Tournament
• National Art Gallery Sculpture Garden Sunday Family Day
• National Museum of Australia
• Working out on the outdoor fitness equipment at John Knight Memorial Park on Lake Ginnindera
• SkyFire fireworks display on Lake Burley Griffin (including helicopter stunts)
• Long weekend on the South Coast (including Bateman's Bay, Moruya, Batehaven, and Broulee)
• Easter weekend on the Gold Coast/Lamington National Park (O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat, Fingal Heads, Dubbo Gaol, and 16 hours of driving...each way!)
• BBQing and fishing at Lake Ginnindera
• The Village Festival in Glebe Park
• Farm play dates in Captains Flat
• Captain James Cook Memorial water jet on Lake BG
• Archery practice for Lockie
• Dinner dates with friends
• Eric's visit
• Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex
• Brownies for Maeve
• Meeting the neighbours on Hayball
• Lawrence's trip to Sydney for school camp, including a ZooSnooz program at Taronga Zoo.
• Weekend in Sydney for an Exchange Teacher's Conference, including a harbour cruise

Much more to come in the next few weeks as we wrap up Term 1 at school at head to the North Island of New Zealand.  Look out Hobbiton here we come!

- Lawrence

Mad Dash To The Bridge On The River Kwai: Update for Saturday, 19 January 2013

After getting foiled earlier in this trip in my attempt to see the BOTRK, I wasn't going to be denied on my final day in Bangkok.


I took the early morning tourist train to the bridge and the Nam Tok Waterfall. A pretty good deal for 120 baht (around $4 US).  While we only spent 25 minutes or so at the site of the bridge, it was still thrilling to see the real bridge that features in one of my favourite movies of all time (I recently saw it on the big screen back home in October or November).  As it turns out, the real item is made of metal not wood and only the middle section of the bridge was destroyed by the Allied forces and not the whole bridge as shown in the film.  Here's a video of a bridge crossing (not my own) and the flyer of the trip that I took.

- Lawrence

One Week In Ko Chang: Update for the Week of 13 - 18 January 2013

Beach at our front door. Infinity pool. Thai massages. Great local cuisine. Banana pancakes. Breakfast buffet. Runs on the beach.  Kayaking. Snorkeling/Fishing cruise. There were a few of our favourite things at KB Resort in Ko Chang, Thailand.

Here's a shot of the pool and our lodging - we're the cabin on the far right with the turquoise roof.  The place was so relaxing that I couldn't even muster the energy to write this blog...hence the fact that this entry is being written nearly 3 months after the fact!

A highlight for the kids was taking an hour long elephant ride at the Ban Kwan Chang elephant sanctuary.  After bathing the elephants in the river, we jumped on for 60-minute tour of the jungle in the capable hands of our mahouts.  We finished off by feeding the elephants bruised bananas and whole pineapples.

- Lawrence

Stuck At The Border With You: Update for Friday, 11 January 2013

After long sweaty days at Angkor, everyone was looking forward to some relaxing on the beach in Thailand.  The only obstacle to overcome - getting there!  

We hired a mini-bus for the trip and, while the route was long it was fairly comfortable the one massive fly in the ointment was the Thai-Camobian border.  

We waited for hours in Poipet-Aran as the line moved hardly at all.  The only way to speed up the process was to pay one of vultures standing to the side of the line to get you to the front of the queue.  Apparently there was some number system based on a slip of paper that you were to pick up upon arrival in the line but there were no instructions to that effect anywhere to be found.  As we waited and waited and waited and waited...and waited for about three hours or more we questioned our decision to travel overland instead of flying.  Were the $ savings really worth this hassle?  As it turns out, the problem was that there were only 2 customs officials checking the passports of foreigners and there were hundreds of people in line.  That and the queue jumpers who made everyone else wait just a little bit longer.

In the end, we made it over the border and then to the Ko Chang ferry on time.  We arrived at our destination - the KB Resort - after check-in but we secured our room nonetheless and settled in for a good night's sleep. 

- Lawrence

Final Day At Angkor: Update for Thursday, 10 January 2013

Today was our last day at Angkor.   Seeing as we'd seen most everything we really wanted to see, this was an opportunity to revisit some temples of particular interest and focus on putting the photographic tips I'd picked up during the workshop a few days earlier.  Lockie and Maeve had had their fill of Angkor so Eric and I left them with Meghan at the Lotus Lodge pool.  It was a full day - 8:00 am to 6:00 pm - with stops at (in this order):

• Phnom Bakeng - the temple mountain with the great sunset views of Angkor Wat
• Bayon 
• Ta Prohm
• Baphuon
• Terrace of the Elephants
• Terrace of the Leper King
• Bayon (redux)

The final stop at Bayon was so I could get a few "magic hour"photos in the warm light of the sunset.  I got a few decent shots but the highlight for me was sitting at the temple and soaking in the atmosphere. As I did so, I struck up a conversation with a young Dutch photographer.  As we spoke, from out of nowhere came the sounds of Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 as played by a musician hidden out of sight.  We both looked at each other, nodded and parted ways.  I sat down after a few steps to enjoy this serenade to a wonderful trip.  Knowing that Eric and the tuk tuk driver were waiting, i wandered off as the music filled the air.  A perfect end to a memorable trip to the temples of Angkor.

- Lawrence