Index of Entries, 9/25

  Entry titles are listed in order from oldest to newest (top to bottom) in this index; however, the actual blog entries are posted from oldest to newest (back to front).  Thus, the 2005 entry will be at the back end of this blog.  Find a topic in the left-hand column, then click on the corresponding archive year in the right-hand column to get close on a time scale to the desired entry before scrolling up or down for the specific entry.

 December 2005-   Building my first boat, Leaving home and Nebraska (my bio) 

February 2016-     Travel Blog, Croatia preview

March 2016-         Iceland, Copenhagen, Zagreb, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Ireland

July 2016-             Scandinavia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Berlin

September 2016-   Colorado

November 2016-   California coast

December 2016-   Washington DC, Island of Maui

March 2017-        Argentina:  Buenos Aires, San Carlos de Bariloche, Mendoza

May 2017-           Northern Italy preview

July 2017-            Alaskan cruise

September 2017- Venice, Lake Garda, Lake Como, Lake Maggiore, Genoa, Nice, French hill villages,                                        Portugal & Algarve 

October 2017-      Lisbon & Sintra, Washington DC

December 2017-   Eastern Caribbean cruise:  St. Kitts-Nevis, Martinique, Antigua, Barbados, Grenada,                                Puerto Rico

February 2018-     South Pacific preview

March 2018-         Tahiti & Tuamotu cruise, New Zealand

April 2018-           New Zealand South Island, Australia

September 2018-   Road trip to Colorado. Idaho, Wyoming

September 2018-   Galapagos Islands, 2015

September 2018-   Panama 2014 trip

September 2018-   San Blas islands cruise 1981

October 2018-       Krakow, Poland

November 2018-   Zakopane, Danube, Budapest, Azores

January 2019-        European trip preview

May 2019-              northern France, cruise to Med, Mallorca, Rome, Copenhagen

July 2019-              Azores, Maine, Cape Cod preview

August 2019-         Omaha visit

September 2019-   A Voyage to Remember, Florida to Panama, 1980

October 2019-        Azores, Maine, Cape Cod

December 2019-    Puerto Vallarta

February 2020-      Madeira Island, Azores

April 2020-            The Lost Vacation (due to Covid), Switzerland, (now rescheduled)

August 2020-         Road trip to Montana

October 2020-        Road trip to Arkansas

April 2021-             Living in Panama, 1979-1982

July 2021-               Brazil preview (canceled and rescheduled April-June 2022)

August 2021-        Raising Children in the Military

September 2021-    Switzerland:  Lausanne, Interlaken, Lucerne, Zurich

April 2022-             Road Trip to Omaha, Washington DC, and Florida 

May 2022-              Roatan snorkeling, Our 1972 Road Trip

August 2022-            A Lifetime Travel Partner

June 2022-              Bocas del Toro snorkeling, Panama               

October 2022-         France:  Strasbourg, Colmar, & Mulhouse

                                Switzerland:  Basel, St. Gallen

April 2023-             Spain, Canary Islands, France, England, and DC

September 2023-    Scotland, Sardinia

November 2023-    Travel Planning Details

December 2023-    DC, Dubai, Mahe Island (Seychelles)

January 2024-        more Seychelles Islands, Maldives Islands, Sri Lanka

February 2024-      South Africa, a brief stop in Brazil

March 2024-          Snorkeling Sri Lanka & Maldives

April 2024-            Military Travel

September 2024-   Revisiting the Past, Germany

October 2024-      Garmisch, Germany to Hall, Austria

                              Salzburg, Munich, and Onward

                              Istanbul, first encounter

                              Cappadocia, the Balloon Capital

                            

November 2024-    Back to Istanbul and a Cruise

                               Tuscany, Italy

                                Living in the Sweet Spot

January 2025-           New Destinations 

February 2025-         A Time for Reflection

March 2025-             Puerto Rico, instead of a Cruise

May 2025-                 Japan

                                   Taipei, Taiwan

                                    Manila, P.I.

                                    East Malaysia, Brunei

                                    Semarang + Surabaya, Indonesia (Java)

                                    Celukan Bawang, Bali

                                    Benoa (Bali) plus Sumba, Komodo 

                                    Cruising

                                    Perth, Australia

                                    Adelaide, Australia

                                    Tasmania

                                    Maui

August 2025-            Careers and a Hobby, New Travels

September 2025-        Rewards Beyond Money

Rewards Beyond Money

 After writing "Careers and a Hobby", I kept remembering the special patients and unique situations that made my dental career so rewarding.  In the US military, dental/medical care is not determined by rank or cost, the question is whether the patient needs and deserves the treatment considered.  I asked three things of my patients: 1) Will you practice good hygiene to maintain the results?  2) Will you show up for all needed appointments?  3)  Will you be assigned at this base long enough to complete required treatment?

Question number one was most critical.  I will not waste my time or the taxpayer's money.  Number two could be impaired by frequent deployments.  Number three is important because partially completed treatment can leave a patient in worse condition than no treatment all.

What follows is a story of one of many patients for whom care provided was life changing, and I will never forget. 

When Dawn suggested that I apply to dental school, instead of medical school, her consideration was that it would allow more regular hours, more time available for family activities.  My reply was, “Dentistry sounds boring.”; I had very limited understanding of dental procedures at that time.

However, I did take time to interview a dentist, with an engineering background, and was introduced to the broader span of dental procedures.  Certainly, the technical complexity and creativity needed in dental treatment, individualized for each patient, made dental practice seem interesting.  After working with patients for some time, the procedures became more routine (still challenging and tedious), and the personalities and experiences of my patients became the central aspect that made my practice rewarding.

The opportunity to apply for a military scholarship was attractive to us, both for financial support and a chance for future travel.  In dental school, some of my classmates derided the thought of practice in the US military, saying that such a practice would mainly consist of tooth extractions on patients with low appreciation for dental health, but that was the voice of ignorance.  I knew from previous enlisted military experience, that such patients could appreciate good care.

Our military service members come from a wide span of backgrounds, including hardship and foreign-born (mainly third world), but their commitment and necessary discipline come from a desire for achievement, improving their lot in life.  They have interesting stories from their personal backgrounds as well as military assignments worldwide.  When military recruitment is difficult, the US Army is forced to accept less qualified candidates for recruitment to meet quotas.

I was serving at Fort Drum, in northern New York State, when one of our dental hygienists called me over to meet a young, enlisted arrival, who had been treatment-planned for full dentures at his initial dental examination elsewhere.  I could easily see why he had been marked for such drastic treatment.

His hygiene was garbage; plaque, food debris, and inflamed gingival tissue everywhere, and every tooth had visible caries, the front teeth looking like apple cores, with the contacts between adjacent teeth rotted away.  The only reason he was scheduled to see a hygienist was that, even when surgery is planned, oral hygiene needs to be at an acceptable level to avoid surgical complications (i.e., excessive bleeding) and post-surgery infections.

Much of the bone in our jaws is there to support our teeth; once the teeth are gone, the surrounding bone atrophies.  Dentures at an early age may mean that later in life there will not be enough jawbone remaining to support dentures.  I have seen it happen.  He obviously came from a sad dysfunctional background.  Did I want to commit him to a toothless future?  Change is difficult.

I try never to judge a person by first impressions (although they are often accurate).  This was what his previous life had given him, but, now with his military life, he had a chance for a new future.  Would he be up to the challenge of changing his habits and accepting responsibility for drastic improvement?

I sat with him and clearly explained why the previous dentist had recommended full dentures.  I explained that, with his absolute lack of effort toward hygiene, any attempt at restoration would be a waste of time.  (Something I had learned early in my career was that the patient must care as much as you, the provider, to achieve success.)   The treatment plan could change if his efforts toward dental health improved.  At this point, he had completely given up any attempt at hygiene.  He was in a world of ignorance, neglect, pain, and shame.  I left him with the hygienist for cleaning and instruction and told her to book his next appointment with me.

When I saw him next, his hygiene had improved little, if at all.  He was still stuck in a cycle of hopelessness.  He hadn’t fully comprehended the alternate future that I was offering.  Difficult oral conditions, copious debris and inflammation, were present, but I was able to isolate and restore a few of his front teeth comfortably, esthetically, and without exposing the pulp tissue while removing deep caries.  I handed him a mirror to view those few teeth which I had carefully restored to an original healthy form.  For the first time, he started to comprehend what I was saying: “If you improve your oral hygiene, I can restore enough natural teeth to give you an acceptable smile.”

Every visit after that, his brushing and flossing efforts were greatly improved.  I had to improvise on many of the restorations because caries were more extensive than commonly encountered.  We had to extract (hopeless) all his molars and two lateral incisors (replaced by false teeth bonded in place), but to appearances, the result was a pleasing and healthy smile.  He told me, “Now for the first time I can go home, see my family and friends, and have a normal smile!”  Think of the significance of that…. Not just his smile, but his life had changed.

A year later I saw him again.  Excellent hygiene and not one defective restoration or new cavity.  He stated that the dental clinic was his favorite place to visit on our Army base.  What could be more professionally satisfying?  With dental treatment, I had been able to improve his entire outlook.

Encounters such as this were repeated throughout my career.  The military is a great place for encouraging change.  The goal was not just teeth but improving lives.  Dentistry is a very personal service.  I view my patients as good people who perhaps need some education, motivation, and treatment to correct faulty habits.  The satisfaction in doing that far outweighed any challenges involved in completing necessary procedures.

Looking Ahead to New Travels

 Currently, we have four future trips to look forward to.  First, we return to Europe for more exposure to some of our favorite destinations.  There are always new regions to visit.  Second, we take a cruise to Argentina and Chile with two more stops on our way home.  We have visited Argentina previously and been to the border with Chile, but most of our stops will be new.  Third, we return to the island of Hawaii for a break from winter weather in Colorado.  Fourth, we return to Japan to see more of the country.  Our stop there this past Spring was too brief to satisfy our interest.

Stay tuned, there is more to come.

  

Careers and a Hobby

 My interest in boats, shared with my brother, started when our uncle gave us a decrepit plywood pram.  It was poorly cared for and leaked.  We sealed the seams with roofing tar and painted it with house paint.  Then we named it “Tar Baby” in honor of the tarred seams.  Later, our family bought a boat for waterskiing, a sport we learned to love.  Next, my brother and I each joined the US Navy Reserves when we reached 17 y. o. and while still in high school.

My Navy service included crossing the Pacific Ocean twice (LST hull, then destroyer), spending most of a year in the Mekong Delta, next providing coastal fire support, and finally cruising north from Vietnam to Japan for ship maintenance.  My nautical education began with navigation school in San Diego and subsequently continued with real life experience and onboard texts as my guide.

USS Askari, ARL-30, on station in the Mekong Delta.  As usual, barges and river craft alongside, our ship providing repair services for all of the Riverine forces in Vietnam.  A converted LST hull, this 325-foot-long ship had a top speed of less than 10 mph.

USS Preston, DD-795, taken October 1966, a year before I was assigned to her.  This was a WWII vintage vessel, capable of up to 35 knots (40 mph) but near the end of her service life.  As well as serving as plane guard for the aircraft carriers in the gulf of Tonkin, its six 5-inch guns were used for coastal fire support.  At 375 feet long, it would be considered small by today's standards.

One early morning, while on a training exercise off the coast of Mexico, I witnessed a rare event of the sun’s rays being bent, diffracted, by the earth’s atmosphere just before sunrise so that, for a few moments, I was able to see islands that were far beyond the visible horizon, more than a hundred miles away.  While crossing the Pacific, we went through the edge of a typhoon, experiencing huge waves crashing over the bow, waves sweeping across the deck, and the entire ship shuttering as the plunging hull intermittently exposed the propulsion screws from the seas.  From instances like this, I developed respect for the unflagging nature of the ocean’s power and its vastness.

With my girlfriend, Dawn, at the beach in Santa Barbara, CA.  She helped me with the model hull testing for my engineering research paper.  (Great partner, still together 55 years later.)

After my release from the Navy, I went back to my mechanical engineering studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.  The Pacific Ocean forms one boundary of the campus.  The school has a crew club (rowing), surfing team, and a fleet of sailboats at Santa Barbara harbor.  Taking a sailing class out of Santa Barbara, I was intrigued by the forces in play determining sailboat performance.  Joining crew club exposed me to the influences of wave versus frictional drag.  At the same time, I needed a senior research paper topic for my engineering studies.  Thus, I chose sailing hull design as the topic of my research paper.

I was able to design a system for testing scaled hull models in a calm swimming pool with valid and consistent results.  The drawback was that I needed to construct a series of model hulls with varying parameters to test the influence of design changes and be able to describe them mathematically.  Simple photos would not suffice.  Researching previous hull design information, which was sparse in the published literature, I was able to customize mathematical equations and methods of projection to describe a limited range of hull forms.

An outline of hull measurement methodology: static stability & towed resistance (drag).

My research paper was successful with an "A" grade.  But my search for fulfilling employment as an engineer was not so successful.  At graduation, jobs for new engineers were hard to find.  I was successful in gaining employment, but much of my duties consisted of reviewing architectural plans and financial data, looking for mistakes and ways to increase efficiency or, alternately, ordering parts from a catalog.  Not much creativity in that.

Our engineering department was blamed for project construction cost overruns; in response, I did a comprehensive review of the past ten-years construction bids (for projects to be built several years later) showing that, in fact, it was the marketing department failing to allow for labor price inflation that resulted in the cost over-runs.  The big boss was a marketing guy and did not want to accept my facts.  I was disgusted and started looking for alternatives to these petty office politics. 

Our Morgan 27 sailboat on San Francisco Bay.  A very nice ocean-going boat, but the worst purchase decision I have ever made.  Too many changes going on in our lives at that point to make such a commitment.

I considered pursuing an MBA degree (scoring in the top 1% on the Graduate Management Aptitude Test needed for admissions) but decided that it would likely put me in a realm where office politics were even more central to any success.  Later in my career, I realized that office politics are universal, unavoidable and a basic aspect of human nature.

I considered a degree in naval architecture, but, at a visit to UC Berkeley, was told that ship design had no future in the US.  Designing ventilation, plumbing, and electrical systems for ships would be a better pursuit.  I considered sailing around the world (even to the extent of buying an ocean-going sailboat), but after reflection, realized that was just escapism, avoiding difficult career choices.  My degree would be obsolete by the time I returned from such a voyage.

I considered medical school, but a suggestion from my wife, Dawn, changed my career path to dentistry, a whole new environment.  My focus became people: biology, chemistry, physiology, and psychology.  In our classes, little was said about the molecular structure of the materials we used; that was for engineers to know.  One of our dental texts included a chapter with sections written by one of my UCSB engineering professors, but it was given little attention.  Dawn encouraged me to apply for a military scholarship, not just for the financial help but also for the travel opportunities it provided.

Our first major military assignment was in the country of Panama, near Colon, on the Atlantic coast.  When friends there asked me to be navigator in bringing the trawler they had purchased from Miami to Panama, I had the chance to use my navigation training once again.  I was very thankful that I had supplemented my Navy training with a text on Polynesian navigation, using nature instead of instruments, because their 'new' boat had little to offer for ocean navigation other than a compass and one chart.  We arrived safely on schedule despite engine problems.

I enjoyed my career in military dentistry, not completely retiring until age 75 (including time as a military contractor).  There were many patients I could list where I was able to not just ensure healthy teeth but improve their lives.  That was always my goal.  Let me give one example: a woman (wife of a soldier) came to our office in the Netherlands in pain with her face visibly swollen due to a tooth which had rotted off into her jawbone (no visible tooth).  It was a surgical extraction with ample drainage of pus, but I was able to treat her comfortably with adequate anesthesia.  After she departed, I told our receptionist, “I want to see the mouth that kisses her mouth.” (her husband).

Because her husband was a member of the US military, I was able to order him to come in for an examination.  Sure enough, he had significant dental problems also.  Neglecting your dental health can be grounds for separation from the military.  We treated both parents empathetically, comfortably, and were able to bring them into healthy, confident smiles.  Not just treatment, but education and motivation.  Then, they voluntarily brought their children in, and we were able to correct all developing problems.  We replaced fear, ignorance, neglect and shame with dental health and a confident future.  What better professional reward could I have?  This sequence was repeated with many other patients.  Being in the military, cost (other than not wasting taxpayer money) was not a factor.

Can I tell one more story concerning the Army commander’s wife in Germany who was a dental phobic?  I diagnosed a dental problem of hers before even seeing or talking to her (but I had treated her husband, the base commander, and he brought her previous radiographs to me).  His wife was talking to my wife by telephone one day, concerning base activities, when she mentioned that she had a minor toothache.  My wife whispered this comment to me.  I told my wife to ask her if the discomfort was on the lower right toward the back of her mouth.  She replied to my wife, "How can he know that!"

As a phobic, she had a past of visiting dentists only when forced by circumstances.  She would then, at the end of any visit, take with her all records generated, not planning to return.  I had carefully reviewed all her previous radiographs (provided by her husband) before filing them and had noted a developing defect in that lower right area.  After her toothache was comfortably treated, she came in for a series of cosmetic dentistry appointments, completely overcoming her phobia and improving her smile.  How about another…. enough said; I could go on and on.  Dentists tend to get little respect, but on multiple occasions I have witnessed the dramatic improvement in a person's entire life outlook from a healthy, pleasing smile.  That is all the satisfaction I need.  

Designed and built here in Colorado for daytrips and waterskiing.  The freeboard is probably greater than if I were designing a boat for a warmer climate.  The altitude for boating here can reach 10,000 feet.  We have full canvas enclosure when needed.

Was my engineering background to be forgotten?  No.  I went back to my senior engineering research on hull design using mathematical concepts.  Over the past fifty years, I have built 14 boats using my mathematical design approach and expanding on it.  While in dental school in Omaha, I built a canoe for the small nearby lakes and rivers.  While in Panama, I built a cartoppable sailboat for the beaches, and shallow reefs there.  While in Alabama, I built a twenty-foot, two-masted sharpie sailboat for the large reservoirs in that area.  During a ten-year period (residency, Board exams, clinic management) I was too busy for such projects.  Part-time work and then retirement have given me more time, and a better workshop, for my design ideas including two outboard runabouts.

A small kayak for my wife; the 13th boat hull I have designed and built.

Boat #14 is currently being constructed: slightly longer, lower and narrower than boat #13.

I have enjoyed all of it: studying navigation, engineering, dentistry, woodworking.  My father, a high school graduate, taught me by example that being a professional does not require a college degree; it is your attitude toward the task at hand that makes you a professional.

Life is a process of learning and becoming; dreams evolve to plans, then to realization, while facing the challenges of new situations along the way.  We learn, grow, and find meaning as we explore the world around us.

Tasmania II, more photos

The dense forest at Mount Field NP, SW Tasmania.  You could imagine a dinosaur appearing out of this lush forest.  Instead, it is the home of platypuses.

Russell Falls at Mount Field, NP.  A well-groomed trail zigzags upwards from the parking lot to get here.

A kind lady asked us if we would like our photo taken in front of the falls.

After hiking to Russell Falls, we hiked further up the forest path to the Upper Falls.  Even further up, we encountered a substantial grove of massive trees, about 250 feet tall.  How do you take a picture of such trees when you are surrounded by them?

Mount Wellington as seen from our hotel in Hobart.

Cataract Gorge, Tasmania, on the edge of Launceston.  If you don't want to walk the gorge trail, you could take the river boat up until encountering rocky rapids.

April in Japan, we saw the Spring blossoms and flower pedals on many trees.  A month later, we are seeing the Fall colors on leaves in Tasmania.  This photo was taken at the park above Cataract Gorge.

Tasmania, South (Hobart) to North (Launceston)

Mount Wellington as seen from our hotel in Hobart.

We landed at Hobart at sunset and, after retrieving our luggage, switched to a rental RAV4.  Hobart is quite a nice city; big enough but not too big.  We had a comfortable stay at the boutique Islington Hotel on the west edge of Hobart.  The hotel had views of Mount Wellinton and a landscaped garden.  The following morning, we first did a tour of Hobart on the hop-on-hop-off bus and then later drove to nearby Mount Field National Park for some hiking and scenery.  The park was old growth forest; trees up to about 250’ tall with huge trunks, plus lush tree-like ferns.  Growth was dense due to ample rain which also sustained some small waterfalls.  Platypuses are found here.  We did not see them, but others have reported sightings.

That evening we walked the harbor front, checking out all the shops and restaurants, until we found a restaurant with the quiet atmosphere we were seeking, and had a nice seafood dinner. 

Maria Island.  This scene is incredibly peaceful: calm water, blue sky, natural-appearing island.

More of the same: quiet ripples on the beach, totally natural, painting-like.

Look at this broad beach with no disturbance, only in Tasmania would you find a vacant beach without evidence of people.

Different beach but the same natural peacefulness.

The following day, we drove the east coast of Tasmania to Swansea, then turned inland ending up in Launceston.  We stopped at a wool store in Ross along the way, but the store was disappointing: high prices and limited inventory.  The east coast was beautiful: wide sand beaches, low cliffs, clear water, calm seas, and few people.  Tasmania reminded us of northern California.  Another tourist couple we met in Tasmania, who are from California, also sensed the California similarity.  Residents we talked to report that the climate is quite mild, and, as an island surrounded by ocean, that is to be expected.  The west coast of Tasmania gets plenty of rain (like the Oregon coast), but the east coast is significantly dryer.

This could be California's central coast.

The island of Tasmania is slightly bigger than the island of Sri Lanka but has a population of only 532,600 compared to Sri Lanka's 22 million!  The island of Java, with twice the land area, has a population of 157 million!  The difference in population densities is astounding.  Having visited all three islands, we have witnessed the difference it makes in peoples' lives.

Launceston's Cataract Park, walking the trail through the gorge brings you to this location.

Launceston is a small but scenic location.  We stayed in a small B&B there; probably the least impressive of any of our trip accommodations, but about what we could expect in a small, non-touristy town.  The area is hilly with seaport frontage on a bay which extended far inland from the main coast.  We toured the downtown area on foot and had lunch at a small cafe.  Most notable is the Cataract Gorge waterway/trail/park.  You can walk to it from any part of the city, and it is wonderfully scenic.  It appeared that some town residents use the trail through the gorge for their daily walks.

Looking across the bay from Brady's Lookout to the village of Windermere.

We drove to George Town on the outer coast, stopping at 'Brady's Lookout' along the way.  The lookout is a high point along the bay with views far up and down the bay and surrounding valley.  Mathew Brady used the lookout to spot ships he sought to overpower and steal to leave Tasmania.    The drive was a chance to view more of the surrounding terrain.  The Launceston airport is small with only basic services; we flew out on a propellor-driven turbojet when leaving.  Without that airport, I could not have planned our south-to-north driving tour of the island. 

[ Brady was a young man who was arrested for stealing food in England.  He was sentenced to 7 years in prison and sent to Tasmania where he later escaped along with other inmates and became an outlaw.  After years on the run, he was captured and killed at age 27.  It was a harsh life back then.  Imagine, it all started from stealing some food.]

(I need to add more photographs to this entry.)

Adelaide, AU

Adelaide as seen from the hills to the north.  You can see the coast to the south of the city.

 Staying in Adelaide, we were at the Adelaide Marriott, a central location only two blocks from the Central Market, known for its fresh food stalls, and just a bit further to Chinatown.  We had a great Chinese meal at Perth, but after two nights of Chinese in Adelaide, we had had our fill. We spent a day exploring Adelaide; Botanic Park, downtown pedestrian malls, the river walk, and Central Market. 

One booth of many at the central market- flowers in abundance.

Multiple booths for fruit here, but there were booths for every need.

A view of Botanic Park.  We like the quiet and tranquility such parks furnish in an urban environment. 

From the botanical garden, we walked past the zoo, discovered hordes of large bats, and then followed a path along the river.  Perfect weather.

Adelaid as seen from Mount Lofty.  We are ready for our mountain biking adventure.

Our biking group getting ready for our descent.  The first portion was quite steep, crisscrossing the slope with hairpin switchbacks to reverse directions.

Dawn ahead of me.  We are now on a lower section of the trail, not so steep.  We made stops to see the koalas in nearby trees.

Adelaide is known as a wine-producing region, but we wanted to do something more active than visit a vineyard.  We did an awesome excursion, riding mountain bikes from the peak of Mount Lofty following switchbacks on the initial steep slopes, seeing koalas in the wild, then a stop in a nature park, and finally ending in the neighborhoods and parks of the city suburbs.

The city park trails were relaxing and easy to follow.

If you follow this path far enough along the river, you arrive at the coast.  It is a doable ride, but we were in late afternoon already.

Happy campers: bicycling is Dawn's favorite activity.

  Dawn asked Ian, our guide, if we could keep the bikes all day: he agreed (for an added charge), and we took advantage of it; another wider circuit of the city, then threading our way through the central streets back to our hotel.  We made the most of our short stay in Adelaide.

Fox Bat hanging from a tree near the Adelaide Zoo.  There were thousands of them, and they were large.  Their faces actually looked like a fox.

This one only one of many trees full of Fox Bats.

To get to Tasmania, we were flying Qantas business class and had a short layover in Melbourne.  I did not realize how many eating opportunities were ahead.  After checking in at Adelaide, we proceeded to the airline lounge to wait for our flight.  It was lunch time, and an assortment of buffet food is waiting.  Then we boarded the 1-hour-20-minute flight and were offered another meal.  Arriving in Melbourne, we went to the airline lounge to await our next flight, and another buffet of food was waiting.  A few snack items were tempting.  On the one-hour flight to Tasmania, we were then offered another meal, but I had to refuse.  It was just too much.... and forget about dinner.

Is it any wonder that a person often gains weight while on vacation?

Perth, Australia

After five full days aboard our cruise vessel Insignia crossing mainly open ocean, we disembarked at Fremantle, Western Australia.  We immediately summoned Uber, an Audi Q7, and enjoyed a scenic ride to the Parmelia Hilton on the edge of downtown Perth.  The location is ideal: near King’s Park, Elizabeth Quay, Perth Convention Center, and some great shopping streets (blocked off for pedestrians, in Germany called ‘fussganger’ districts) with a wide variety of interesting stores.  Little sign of vacant storefronts from the inroads of online shopping as yet.  Remember the 1960’s?  Perth has a Kmart, a Woolworth’s, a Gorman’s, and really has the feel of vibrant, in-person, 1960’s shopping, without the ‘homeless’ vagrants, trash, and aimless teenagers you find at malls today.

The first thing we did in Perth was to walk to Kings's Park.  While the initial few blocks were uphill, the path then leveled out to a pleasant tree-lined path.

We are looking back at the city center from Kings Park.  Those residential buildings in the foreground are very upscale with excellent views and a short commute to the city.

Again, we are in the park and looking across Swan River toward South Perth.  Very nice waterfront homes and condominiums on that far bank also.  We rode rented bicycles along both banks: there were separate bicycle lanes on the bridge for crossing the river.

A view of downtown Perth from the harbor entrance.  The city had many shoppers, excellent stores, and exuded vitality.  Our hotel would be about one block to the left and one block back from the harbor as viewed from this vantage point.  It was an easy walk to central attractions.

Very modern buildings viewed from Perth's inner harbor.

That is a pedestrian bridge at harbor entrance (with Dawn).  I have a compact telephoto camera while she has a cellphone which requires her to get closer.

Except for a few older buildings kept due to historical significance, the buildings are very modern.  The portion of the park on our right is welcoming with great landscaping plus open space for exercise.  Dawn and I walked this park after dark: the city seemed safe.  We did not see any people who appeared to be vagrants, loitering with no purpose.

Our first destination was King’s Park, easy walking distance.  King’s Park is 1000 acres, larger and more scenic than New York's Central Park.  The area is also blessed with a much milder climate.  For Dawn and me, one of our first thoughts was, “I could see myself living here.”  Yes, it was/is a very positive first impression.  While distant from the United States, Perth is close to many Asian destinations such as Singapore and Bali.  Australia is a large country: it stretches almost 2,200 miles from Perth to Sydney.

Crossing Swan River on our rented bicycles.

A rather unusual bridge upstream on the Swan River which we used to cross with our rented bicycles from the city to the nearby stadium.

At the portion where the Swan River flows past Perth, the river is wide, shallow, and with little current; unfit for commercial ships but well-suited to recreational boating.  These two catamarans are part of a fleet lined up on the far bank.

We recrossed Swan River on our bikes and stopped at a park.

On another day, Dawn & I rented bicycles and did a 9–10-mile circuit around a large section of the Swan River.  Along the north shore is Perth itself; the south shore is lined with high-end homes and apartments.  The entire course was on paved bike paths with parks, natural areas, and lawns.  Again, the weather was perfect. We stopped for ‘dim sum’ at a Chinese restaurant and had some amazing dumplings.

Shore of Swan River near Fremantle, very nice homes and boats.

Fremantle downtown, the city has an 'artsy' vibe.

Our final day, we took a scenic ferry ride down the Swan River, back to Fremantle, where we toured the central business district composed mainly of small shops and eateries, then were loaned free bicycles (with deposit) to ride the trail along the river/ocean front.  We took the train back to our Perth starting point.  It is much easier to get train tickets when the ticket machines are in English- unlike the ‘guessing game’ experienced when buying train tickets in Japan.

Perth has been an enjoyable destination, and we haven’t even experienced the two most highly touted activities: a day trip to Rottnest Island and a cruise to the wine country on the upper Swan River. Our idea was to avoid long boat rides and instead substitute more active alternatives.

Cruising

 We have learned that about 240 passengers onboard are part of an around-the-world trip (out of 677 max. passengers).  We talked to a gentleman from Michigan who is a part of this group.  He and his wife sold their home and are using a relative’s home address while embarked on this lengthy trip.  I like travel, but we also really enjoy where we live.  These one-day stops, port after port, would get repetitive after a while.  I have a kayak hull, framed and waiting to be completed, in my shop at home.  We have trails to ride on our mountain e-bikes.  We have Spring yard maintenance to complete.  After our visit to Japan, we are interested in getting one of those heated, multi-function Toto toilets installed at our home; they are ubiquitous in Japan.

Although Dawn and I do cruises, we aren’t really ‘cruisers’, we don't quite fit in.  We seldom go to the lectures or attend the evening entertainment.  We don’t sit at the bar, play games in the game room, and seldom participate in classes.  We do frequent the library, which has an extensive and neatly filed inventory of recent books, and we hit the fitness center (but not enough).

Walking the top deck on our cruise ship for exercise on most evenings, I was able to witness the gradual change from no moon to a full moon shining across the waters.

Ship pools by necessity have to be small.  When the ship is rocking in swells, the pool water splashes out onto the deck.

Formal meals at the restaurants onboard start about 1830 in the evening and reservations are quite often later than that.  Those rich meals will kill you.  All the expensive dishes you have yet to try, they are there for the asking.  With plenty of alcoholic drinks as well.  You will be at that dinner table for 1 1/2 hours if you include dessert (and why not?).  This was the longest cruise we have experienced, and I came home slightly heavier(!) because of it.  Dawn and I ultimately cancelled the remainder of our dinner reservations and instead ate an earlier and quicker meal at the buffet cafe.  We always used the stairs and walked laps on the top-level walking track after sunset to get some exercise.

So many excellent food items are available that we must consciously refrain from trying to sample it all, a real “first world” problem.  My lactose intolerance actually makes it easier for me to pass up many of the rich foods.  A drawback of cruising is the widespread obesity encountered among passengers.  It may not be contagious, but it is scary to observe.

As a comparatively small ship on a world cruise, this ship stops in ports that are off the usual cruise itineraries.  Who has ever heard of Kaohsiung, Kota Kinabalu, Muara, Semarang, Surabaya, or Waingapu?  These are some of our ports visited.  

The most profound issue we faced was mentally dealing with the disparity in the quality of life for the hundreds of millions of people who live in these third world countries.  US citizens who criticize the United States should live in one of these countries for a while to experience firsthand the struggle entailed in basic life there.  People, as individuals, have the same aspirations and concerns everywhere, but all cultures are NOT equal.  I see these people ‘trapped’ in their traditional, backwards, discriminatory, short-sighted ways of living that will never change.  The obstacles are too great.

These people are not stupid, and they are not lazy.  They only lack opportunity.  We, in the United States, have hints of the same problems that these people experience overwhelmingly.  We need to be educated, informed, and jealously guard our responsibilities and freedom.