A Full Circle

To all our friends both near and far:

Its hard to believe that this will be our final blog entry!!!!

The team met up on Sunday 16 September to reminise and catch up. The photo is from the same location (my backyard) and its feels like full circle as our first meeting was in the same place and almost the same weekend..... one year ago.

It was fantastic to find out what everyone has done since they have been home. Jeffrey came home straight to family. Clare and Robert went onto Hong Hong after the exchange and are now settled back into life here in Perth. Jill and Andrew went hiking and camping through California and Canada. For me I got to see old friends and even one of my host mums which was just fantastic. Suzanne arrived home only 2 weeks ago having been through Central America and even survived Cyclone Dean in Jamaica. See Suzanne's blog for her journey on http://www.suzannespitz.blogspot.com/ . Jeffrey and Jill have also both started their new jobs and are loving it.

I know I speak for the team when I say the trip was one of life's most amazing journeys and we can't thank people enough for everything they did for us. Looking back through our blog (thank goodness Jill suggested it) just shows how much we have done and the people that we met.

We have even had our first visitors from District 5330 with PDG Helene and Len visiting for 10 days. It was fantastic to see them and catch up. We also got to spend their 42nd wedding anniversary with them.

We have done a little video message which can be seen below and a copy will be winging its way over to you all soon with some photos of our time with each of the clubs and out host families.

If you need an excuse to come and stay just ask Helene about all the reasons you can use from the beaches, sailing, scenery, food (don't ask len about spicy though), wine, and most of all our hospitality.

So from all of us here in WA, its bye for now, we hope to see you soon, stay in touch and thank you for making our time in the Inland Empire something none of us will ever forget.

Hola De Nicaragua

Well I have been very bad not posting a blog sooner, but believe it or not I have been very busy! I am pictured here taking a little study break enjoying a local drink.

Firstly I would like thanking Rotary for the amazing opportunity GSE has provided me. I had an amazing time in California, and feel extremely privilaged. Rotary is full of amazing people doing amazing things! Words can not express the depth of my gratitude to my host families, rotary clubs, their friends and families.

At the conclusion of the GSE exchange I had the opportunity to do a little more travelling in California, including a trip to San Fransisco and Yosemite National Park. It was then off to Central America for two months.

I am now half way through my journey, and have completed 4 weeks of spanish school in Granada, Nicaragua. Next, I am heading up to Guatemala (slight change of plans) via Hondoras and El Salvador. You can check out my adventures at www.suzannespitz.blogspot.com.

Once again a huge THANK YOU for my GSE journey. To my team, missing you guys heaps!

Back to reality!

Well after 10 spectacular weeks of leave, I've now come back to reality and back to work! I had an absolutely awesome time in the States and it was sad to say goodbye to all our fabulous new friends, but after a couple of days at home in Perth, resting, relaxing and catching up with friends and loved ones, Rob and I headed off to Hong Kong.

Highlights of Hong Kong:

1. Dolphin Encounter at Ocean Park.

2. Visiting trendy Lan Kwai Fong for dinner and drinks.

3. The Symphony of Lights show - a multimedia display including 43 buildings on both sides of Victoria Harbour.

4. Visiting the Buddha on Lantau Island - the world's tallest, outdoor, seated bronze Buddha.

5. Shopping on Nathan Road and Ladies Markets (I think this may have only been a highlight for me...)

6. Taking a ride up the peak to enjoy the famous view of Hong Kong.


7. Heritage Tour of the New Territories.

8. Gambling in Macau - the Asian 'Las Vegas' and while not as spectacular as the real thing, actually rakes in more money!

9. Hong Kong Island tour including a visit to historic temples.

10. Cruise of Victoria Harbour (well it was a highlight for Rob, I dozed off if you can believe it!)

11. And last but certainly not least... catching up with family and eating lots of yum-cha!

Natural Wonders of BC

We've had a great time here in beautiful British Coumbia, Canada. There are seemingly endless opportunities for outdoor adventures in and around Squamish to keep us occupied for a couple of more weeks...but it's back to reality with less that 24 hours until we depart for Perth via LA and Melbourne.

Over the last week we have visited Whistler (still quite a lot of snow around - minus 5C at the top, but too much rain for skiing!), caught the ferry to Vancouver Island (the hiking in the Pacific Rim National Park was amazing and sad we only had a few hours there), viewed amazing Titanic and First Nations Exhibitions at the Royal BC Museum, had a few beers at the Stickey Wicket (a cricket pub in Victoria!) and completed numerous hikes in around Squamish.

The Garibaldi Provincial Park, only a few kilometres from Squamish was very beautiful. Yesterday we set out on a day hike, hoping to complete the 28kms to Black Tusk. After 6km we encountered a lot of snow and at 9.5km we hit Lake Garibaldi which was still frozen in some parts. At that point although we tried to proceed we had to turn around as there was so much snow around that it was very difficult to follow the track.

It will be sad to leave North America but looking forward to catching up with our family, friends and news from the last few months.

Beautiful Paris

Having managed to negotiate la metro and the Roissybus I got from the airport to where I met Charles, Dina's husband who grew up in France and was to be guide for the next day or so

I had just over 48 hours in Paris and using the brilliant Frommers Guide (the map in the back is fabulous) to Paris managed to see all the important points. The first day we walked about 8.5km from the Eiffel Tower, across Alexandrie Bridge down the Champs-Elysées to Place de la Concorde. Being the 21 June Paris has this huge party with bands playing on every corner. It was awesome.

On Friday I walked over 25 kms making sure I got to see everything, from the Arc de Triomphe, Tuileres Gardens, the Louvre, Pont Neuf, Sacre Coeur in Montmarte, Notre Dame, the left and right bank and the moulin rouge. Basically if you can walk to it I covered it and even managed to take my french guide to some places he hadn't been like the Royal Palais Jardins.

I walked back streets and side streets and have many many photos of doors and architecture!!!!!

Dina and I had promised each other 4 years ago that we would go to Paris so it was fantastic to make it happen. On Sat having been left to my own devices I navigated the Metro and my Frommers map ( I was a wizz by now) I even managed to order breakfast in French in a gorgeous little french cafe and then with my luggage get two metro trains and a bus to the airport.

Then came more than 30 hours to get home with my luggage by alas no time for duty free in Singapore. It was great to get home and sleep horizontal, although the weather change has certainly been different..... It is good to be home but harder to be at work.

Marine Officers, Amish and Civil War

My time catching up with friends in Maryland included visits to Harper's Ferry West Virginia where the Potomac meets the Shenandoah River, site of civil war conflict and civil rights actions. Being a hot day I just wanted to be the one that was floating down the river in an inner tube. We even hiked some of the AppalachianTrail and the town was a great combination of old buildings and history. The scenery and trees were just beautiful and quite different to anything else I had seen in my travels so far.

Its hard to believe its been 8 years since we caught up. Falling back into old rhythms it seems like it was just few months ago we last saw each other. Good old Riley who is now 11 is still going strong.

Vera and I went to Annapolis for the day and had a tour of the Naval Academy which was amazing with a lot of french architecture and an amazing chapel. Although unfortunately classes were out and therefore all of the officers training weren't in situ. They only take the top of the top into the school and there is a huge focus on sport and fitness. It was very inspiring.

Its a cery cute town and I even managed to ensure that I had crab cakes, something Maryland is famous for.

On the last day Dave, Vera, Bethany and I went to Pennsylvania which meant crossing the mason dixon line and unlike at home I was able to visit 5 states in 4 days including DC which I flew out of.

In Pennsylvania we visited Intercourse which is the site of a major amish community and was amazing to see the carts on the roads and the houses that form the community. It was certainly an eye opener and just amazing to see hay balers pulled by 5 horses and a calf being carted around in the back of a cart.

It was wonderful to catch up and I left them organising princess birthday parties etc. After 2 hours to check in I started to make my way to Paris......

From California to Canada

We arrived in Canada a few days ago late on Wednesday night after a bit of a flight delay.

We had a fairly relaxing day in Vancouver on Wednesday, shopping, followed by a long walk from Coal Bay along the seawall to English Bay through Stanley Park. This was followed by We had a great night out at Elixir, a restaurant in Yaletown. The food was excellent!

Yesterday morning we picked up another hire car and headed up to Squamish, a small town about an hour north of Vancouver. The house we are staying in is amazing - snow capped peaks are visible from the front porch and there is a forest and river at the back - it is absolutely beautiful.

Today we hiked up the colossal Stawamus Chief, the world's second largest granite monolith. The "Chief" is famous for rock climbing, but as Andrew wasn't able to climb it due to inclement weather we decided to hike it instead. It was fairly steep - up about 550 metres in 1.5 hours, and a little slippery on the way down, but seemed like a stroll after some of our previous hikes.

Tomorrow we plan to visit Whistler, and then spend some time in Victoria before flying home next weekend.

Before we arrived in Canada we spent two wonderful days /nights in San Francisco - it was a great city and we could have spent more time there. Highlights included:

Two walking tours of San Francisco - about 15kms each day - taking in the Golden Gate Bridge and Park, Fisherman's Wharf, Lombard Street “the most crooked street in the world” (which isn't really), Alamo Square (the old buildings were amazing!).

The Ferry Building - too many amazing restaurants and deli-style gourmet food shops to mention.

A great dinner at Fino, an Italian restaurant downtown (and pretty much across the road from our hotel) which we found by accident.

Great shopping - if only there was more time!