tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62754532137994425862024-03-13T09:09:01.291-07:00ocean view - a travel blogUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275453213799442586.post-68810241205797538982022-05-12T18:29:00.005-07:002022-05-13T00:35:47.761-07:00One Last Hurrah <p><br /></p><p>We travel often, at least two to three times per year. In 2019, we went on two big trips to Asia: China in June and Japan in October. So it wasn't unusual for us to plan a trip in early 2020. In early 2020, we found a great deal to fly down to Los Angeles, so we booked the trip for the end of February into early March. It was a Disneyland trip. We were excited to visit Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. </p><p>Little did we know this would be our trip for the next year and a half. </p><p>Here's our COVID travel story. </p><p>Our Disneyland trips are a whirlwind. We jump in head first, and we leave before we can get comfortable. We flew down to Los Angeles on Thursday night, and on Friday morning, we were at Disneyland's front door. Luckily, when we do Disney, we go hard. We start off running like the hare (like the classic telling of the Tortoise and the Hare), eating all the food we can, going on all the rides we can - and buying all the things we can. We slow down after a couple of days, but by Saturday night, I was not feeling well. I had a sore throat and I didn't know why. Nobody I knew was sick. I thought I just was worn out from work, and tired from not taking a breath before jumping onto the plane midweek. That evening, I even requested soup noodle for dinner (outside of the park). On Sunday, I had shortness of breath and I definitely was in no shape to be spending 12-hour days at the park. My body was aching. My husband teased me that my age was finally catching up and I was no longer a young spry. We left the park multiple times during the day so I could rest, and by the time the fireworks were on, I was in bed. I struggled through the next two days. Truthfully, I couldn't wait to go home. We were worried I would actually get turned away on our flight, because I had a terrible cough and I had lost my voice. I had no idea if I had a fever, but I was definitely very sick. To be safe, I masked up during the flight. We returned home late on a Tuesday night. </p><p>The next day, I went to my walk-in doctor, who immediately said I probably had coronavirus (what it was known at the time). He did a swab test on me (excruciatingly painful, I might add) and sent it to the CDC for testing. Unfortunately, at the time, in Canada, the belief was that you would only be at risk if you travelled to/from Iran or China. The United States wasn't on the list. The CDC threw out my test, and I was never diagnosed. As a precaution, I stayed home for the next two weeks, and for the next eight days, I had the worst body fatigue, cough, hot sweats, and cold chills of my life. I had no appetite and I was in bed the entire time. I have never been so sick. My husband became ill a week after me. By the time I felt better, and was ready to return to work - it was March 16, 2020. The entire world had shut down. </p><p>For context, I had been in close contact with international clients at work a week prior to my first symptoms. It's possible that I caught something from work or I could have caught something from someone on the flight to Los Angeles, or I just had a bad case of the flu. Regardless, I will never know if I had COVID-19 in March 2020. Between you and I, I think I did.</p><p>Here's a few pictures from our trip to commemorate the last trip we took before the world shut down.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUrVdUdF86Ttjh2BDt7IurT2KWfoDoXmx4ZWUw3C7stjTVqiQuF9JN_SOpMCLevB84BdQGW2kshyMad6Qld9mSkyg1SNCP8w3fBkO9fdVZqYwgeUeIKJAyDBwEGpzAsLuCYmfZoFRRToQ7CAgvoenmVPUuxaSSOfWVJIdZ8GFGYlOekVJvudLsSse2xA/s1500/Kobe.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUrVdUdF86Ttjh2BDt7IurT2KWfoDoXmx4ZWUw3C7stjTVqiQuF9JN_SOpMCLevB84BdQGW2kshyMad6Qld9mSkyg1SNCP8w3fBkO9fdVZqYwgeUeIKJAyDBwEGpzAsLuCYmfZoFRRToQ7CAgvoenmVPUuxaSSOfWVJIdZ8GFGYlOekVJvudLsSse2xA/w200-h133/Kobe.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUw9KgIOxxZ-eRz2ob0ygqZ3Wk3Pebx_iy6As7DB6fRwUuXvzIV9KmEPXLx2FD2wHFMmZQGYvoqoW0ovNRxu4LNOfImoeizDzYIZgcNdLt06PG79pLpb4UEoTdPHZkUmfsyY2qy8G420QE1fObc1po7B4pR_UKJ1IwOIa3j1Ge6YAJnPKX-jSLZ5Hq9w/s1500/disney.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUw9KgIOxxZ-eRz2ob0ygqZ3Wk3Pebx_iy6As7DB6fRwUuXvzIV9KmEPXLx2FD2wHFMmZQGYvoqoW0ovNRxu4LNOfImoeizDzYIZgcNdLt06PG79pLpb4UEoTdPHZkUmfsyY2qy8G420QE1fObc1po7B4pR_UKJ1IwOIa3j1Ge6YAJnPKX-jSLZ5Hq9w/w200-h133/disney.png" width="200" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiyprFbj6uiR9FQ-sesG83DVmpRQIfqiXD9bGhl52yNEngnApcPGdABzVkaomRUUHJ8ZZN9mrkfxNKAzfbS8jS7zxCA48UlKazh3it36hEXEVyl5DGagTJF8srs0zznuQy6SIzw3pBWmCJpldMLKmW-IDMFxGedYFlBxfXawMAz92AbRBOs6RlBokRg/s1500/starwars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiyprFbj6uiR9FQ-sesG83DVmpRQIfqiXD9bGhl52yNEngnApcPGdABzVkaomRUUHJ8ZZN9mrkfxNKAzfbS8jS7zxCA48UlKazh3it36hEXEVyl5DGagTJF8srs0zznuQy6SIzw3pBWmCJpldMLKmW-IDMFxGedYFlBxfXawMAz92AbRBOs6RlBokRg/w200-h133/starwars.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi33lrozPjlAc7jWcYIAfIUDsVdh2SR1pjwMKezKievvqHLFHktyCTRhnXq70EJ6atspM1w3KF_Sq1urwNFdzHUhHuP_wZMlRJbLLuy54ZOZTc7_pdKT9Fjis5hK7-Shuic8Lo1mSY_k0vQOshiNFvRv82m3KIyjpOu0AUieZlhIrmgVqFHC8V0IWzV4A/s1500/trooper.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="999" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi33lrozPjlAc7jWcYIAfIUDsVdh2SR1pjwMKezKievvqHLFHktyCTRhnXq70EJ6atspM1w3KF_Sq1urwNFdzHUhHuP_wZMlRJbLLuy54ZOZTc7_pdKT9Fjis5hK7-Shuic8Lo1mSY_k0vQOshiNFvRv82m3KIyjpOu0AUieZlhIrmgVqFHC8V0IWzV4A/w200-h133/trooper.png" width="200" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQcYsIEhSQ7NuB_dkszCFNwehhNN7kt8LTBQZYjkoYFaQnUYl9k6vVf_bX1a4JvCApWHyhwyMdYUpZpSku5qpR0dUMMfRH6GRsoHxlLA83krupEE5F1yo31JoovzzK5g5zf5NsXcbSijzGsK4STXz5_2WamAWN4Yq1ykV9qg5nX9OW2t30k8lM0jLFw/s1500/Galaxys_Edge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQcYsIEhSQ7NuB_dkszCFNwehhNN7kt8LTBQZYjkoYFaQnUYl9k6vVf_bX1a4JvCApWHyhwyMdYUpZpSku5qpR0dUMMfRH6GRsoHxlLA83krupEE5F1yo31JoovzzK5g5zf5NsXcbSijzGsK4STXz5_2WamAWN4Yq1ykV9qg5nX9OW2t30k8lM0jLFw/w200-h133/Galaxys_Edge.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwbtWzggPvbF4JppJLIKKjYYIeAH68tZH4s3XmKnLYY8EpRJzl7UpTFooLziOM-SA5eViVHiSWmt7YX9Tn22AwOdge49aa850cBBCmIylQSNTkdQj2FiLgsH1CY5DVAB-dnnGWiOyKWGbRSNjegSCdrTSBR3QuLGSVi2mTXQHKZ1PUGlxts7-Mu0u2ew/s1500/IMG_0135_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwbtWzggPvbF4JppJLIKKjYYIeAH68tZH4s3XmKnLYY8EpRJzl7UpTFooLziOM-SA5eViVHiSWmt7YX9Tn22AwOdge49aa850cBBCmIylQSNTkdQj2FiLgsH1CY5DVAB-dnnGWiOyKWGbRSNjegSCdrTSBR3QuLGSVi2mTXQHKZ1PUGlxts7-Mu0u2ew/w200-h133/IMG_0135_2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_cY9mDV7xvKN5Le4PnQKK0ccE664YW99y-7chAbgTQ8uL35Zpe4ia2roEIQsuKdeYNHJw5N5hYc3iiLZ-zCDX9KTPwoQAi615yLWvl5ecUJoo4bsPdaC3XWXO435PJuRh39hOB5YuAjkfyX0XrVvpOxHn4FYu3U-vKUHFPmVwNyVHewaxRzNp0W0MQ/s1500/castle2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_cY9mDV7xvKN5Le4PnQKK0ccE664YW99y-7chAbgTQ8uL35Zpe4ia2roEIQsuKdeYNHJw5N5hYc3iiLZ-zCDX9KTPwoQAi615yLWvl5ecUJoo4bsPdaC3XWXO435PJuRh39hOB5YuAjkfyX0XrVvpOxHn4FYu3U-vKUHFPmVwNyVHewaxRzNp0W0MQ/w133-h200/castle2.png" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Cth0DtS0ainlUSce9LqUQa9ZloPWBwt3T--a78-3-q2gbCFk7i0dOhBsaoNy1Cq7wfSjHBRYZAoe_uC4JYzgU7gg8LgSp5v1MBjijVnooToq2g4pFiA4Cwhn3u4p5VIbuwbpAK3qT-Hd8BHdzciSxvZUsJogTB05RHjgB0bEZDn4WxSqvA7law_Qug/s1500/Castle.png" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1499" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP8WOr1-AhRYWjt0f4jAsWYm4zt9I665t6doDjkDCQsXXdKDW3U-wsAhO5TT3q1dgCVYJcDvSJVq1SjxGKdO0k6ktAsv9xApRaHiZlNjtO5qUGkcMfIH5I7VqxCtCGicj3T9NNvcbKqdjN2eayZll__ckcex5E7TltxXZ6sJH9HryPZ3AN83bm6dLrEg/w133-h200/dolewhip.png" width="133" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275453213799442586.post-16028743991923797512022-05-12T17:13:00.004-07:002022-05-13T00:46:36.241-07:00Shanghai Stories: Venice of the East<p><i>Disclaimer: There is a currently a travel advisory issued against all non-essential and all cruise ship travel outside of Canada due to the COVID-19 pandemic as advised by the Government of Canada.</i></p>Wow! Has it really been over twelve months since I last blogged? It has been so long that the pandemic is now officially "over." It is now safe to travel if you are vaccinated. It has been an extremely busy year in our personal lives and our entire world has changed! In April 2021, we welcomed a new family member, and she has kept us busy. Meet our pandemic puppy, Dashi the Dobermann. You can follow her adventures on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/mochianddashi" target="_blank">Instagram</a>! <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim9tlPSGwCx1XQ6V-PCgqRWY5BX4eJX3ELWfUK6ufmJC2Wg8poLuHlsmZrGnLL4xFfcltlcnhuwCguMhCdgS2xm36OiUtgpe-kFWMcn_qiX6RBa7YiP1_ulVkEViUce8-qpm4LmUfpFMi01d7j5mE-TuDFnYfbmBh8tZYpe2iBCT-2gacT9ES20y8hVQ/s1500/DashiIMG_0395.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim9tlPSGwCx1XQ6V-PCgqRWY5BX4eJX3ELWfUK6ufmJC2Wg8poLuHlsmZrGnLL4xFfcltlcnhuwCguMhCdgS2xm36OiUtgpe-kFWMcn_qiX6RBa7YiP1_ulVkEViUce8-qpm4LmUfpFMi01d7j5mE-TuDFnYfbmBh8tZYpe2iBCT-2gacT9ES20y8hVQ/s320/DashiIMG_0395.png" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhauA-iyh8aD-eAWVgyDXW15KRBNRzlbo3PyNjlpV6si65LFDhVSb63s5yySom0jUGS-8UZqsXFtzbvfeBXjrCoo4KMBl1RDeKKimnb5S1PM8vBidfLtjRMWCtlx73NMJ5PLJFeIc2OEMNzNfYJmmgI2ILhMjldSCDJs_LOoS9aXfW2QyvB-ayoo7GITA/s1500/IMG_5226_Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhauA-iyh8aD-eAWVgyDXW15KRBNRzlbo3PyNjlpV6si65LFDhVSb63s5yySom0jUGS-8UZqsXFtzbvfeBXjrCoo4KMBl1RDeKKimnb5S1PM8vBidfLtjRMWCtlx73NMJ5PLJFeIc2OEMNzNfYJmmgI2ILhMjldSCDJs_LOoS9aXfW2QyvB-ayoo7GITA/s320/IMG_5226_Edit.jpg" width="213" /></a><br /><br /></div></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Back to our regular programming... The last time I blogged, we were coming back to China from Japan. </div><div><br /></div><div>We disembarked in Shanghai mid-morning on Friday. As I mentioned in our embarkation post, the port of Baoshan was about an hour and fifteen minutes away the centre of Shanghai. There weren't many taxis at the port, as most passengers had family there to pick them up. We managed to secure one which took us straight from the port to our hotel, and we were luckily able to check in early. By the time we reached the hotel, we were starving, so we dropped off our luggage and headed back out to find some lunch. </div><div><br /></div><div><div>Afterwards, we decided to check out to the "fake market." The "fake market" is a plaza with little shop that sell knock-off versions of luxe brand items from electronics to purses. After buying a few things, we went back to hotel to drop off our fake treasures and change. We went back out to the Bund, to People's Park (pictured below). It was a beautiful day. We had Din Tai Fung for dinner. It was delicious! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgRkDIAeyXPaA7wbnzr3LWygHIrV-9ReinA2Qwm06wvrwwZjbft5FAztZyR-8RuxpQxpKInteJrvBWXNnTnrAt088TgAckzInBHA1KPRH2yrHJ0vLvXDFaUJAXP0u7qfFHsYErOwfpZr2tGuaQpjDYJTssF8oiCCV8rFqXKVXnpDs4h5CwGa2odJ0HGg/s1500/Shanghai%20C%20(1638).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgRkDIAeyXPaA7wbnzr3LWygHIrV-9ReinA2Qwm06wvrwwZjbft5FAztZyR-8RuxpQxpKInteJrvBWXNnTnrAt088TgAckzInBHA1KPRH2yrHJ0vLvXDFaUJAXP0u7qfFHsYErOwfpZr2tGuaQpjDYJTssF8oiCCV8rFqXKVXnpDs4h5CwGa2odJ0HGg/w200-h133/Shanghai%20C%20(1638).png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zdluA_XpysQm44ceY1ehlEi79AkwPYlyba-iYwW5xNDhjpQOU0b9ABPnFdNa7O4L776V1QBw0FHkMnctLZ96FaJiUOcQ-H8E2kfPfMcUEk3K_pRuCmM7keR0-0AwrU6DT-QBseC2FdVX96CA905v8LTEO7LdQiA0WS_Lpe-0GQZfn_tzERJWG0BlVA/s1500/Shanghai%20C%20(1642).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zdluA_XpysQm44ceY1ehlEi79AkwPYlyba-iYwW5xNDhjpQOU0b9ABPnFdNa7O4L776V1QBw0FHkMnctLZ96FaJiUOcQ-H8E2kfPfMcUEk3K_pRuCmM7keR0-0AwrU6DT-QBseC2FdVX96CA905v8LTEO7LdQiA0WS_Lpe-0GQZfn_tzERJWG0BlVA/w200-h133/Shanghai%20C%20(1642).png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRiT6fprtsBOvLJMNymYhHHP6M9FVi69UZbM-Nt8TChnVRK1rNQ99XpVK9pr27crKV2RRdaZYt7fpxtgGugOI4CJReKznIX9ti8xCHOYFWzI2Tsx05WDTbNVMomer2PAMHuNrSRPMqNUpDIrom8ckeGA3DjaYWbpNzLSqARJ6U9OkUx0pyIPgzkr7ZA/s1500/Shanghai%20C%20(1651).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRiT6fprtsBOvLJMNymYhHHP6M9FVi69UZbM-Nt8TChnVRK1rNQ99XpVK9pr27crKV2RRdaZYt7fpxtgGugOI4CJReKznIX9ti8xCHOYFWzI2Tsx05WDTbNVMomer2PAMHuNrSRPMqNUpDIrom8ckeGA3DjaYWbpNzLSqARJ6U9OkUx0pyIPgzkr7ZA/w200-h133/Shanghai%20C%20(1651).png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLaljJxu3uhPzcpwPn9UDa6m0wN_u_DsJ5a6RFzwYQxZQBoFwBtoD31y1na9ZpthXfRcglZ-c8ro_5wka3gTsvNbxqFMIAE_vg8e_J0us8DKCM0x48RpHilMpZmn-zvq1zcV_jee8HfaBbY7moPefakhFU0M2pqR-l9ViwMXZXCDy4FsUOKmsR8fc1Dg/s1500/Shanghai%20C%20(1652).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLaljJxu3uhPzcpwPn9UDa6m0wN_u_DsJ5a6RFzwYQxZQBoFwBtoD31y1na9ZpthXfRcglZ-c8ro_5wka3gTsvNbxqFMIAE_vg8e_J0us8DKCM0x48RpHilMpZmn-zvq1zcV_jee8HfaBbY7moPefakhFU0M2pqR-l9ViwMXZXCDy4FsUOKmsR8fc1Dg/w200-h133/Shanghai%20C%20(1652).png" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div>That night, we went to the Bund, and took a night river cruise. Although it was windy, it was a great experience. We paid a little extra to ensure we got a seat towards the front, because we didn't want to wrestle anybody for a spot by the side of the boat. You can see how packed the boat is before we even boarded below. We got a snack and drink along with the seat. The Bund was lit up, and it was gorgeous. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgan0mnBmtOeHxlTYXWHV553TJ7EjB-VwhIkd-qg_iLoHOc5ggwFerVKWgdRwJpsnHCMojtRPhkbkEZqsjTUKzhCXPBKqDJYFywc4Vka86N3y5dCpYMllANNv119WerfhFJRotsQ0o7iHv7x_-zVBxroEerKrQbdqGU-ovOlFkvKDCqCFTlOHOBl2lvUQ/s1500/Ferry.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgan0mnBmtOeHxlTYXWHV553TJ7EjB-VwhIkd-qg_iLoHOc5ggwFerVKWgdRwJpsnHCMojtRPhkbkEZqsjTUKzhCXPBKqDJYFywc4Vka86N3y5dCpYMllANNv119WerfhFJRotsQ0o7iHv7x_-zVBxroEerKrQbdqGU-ovOlFkvKDCqCFTlOHOBl2lvUQ/w200-h133/Ferry.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LIf32gndC0_KVL4kG49KYygiNTFuCtOwkThpBG4hGtwsrjHiaarlrvBxFjt5NGYn0Do007IocLgSI4uhQDUM0ClfmApvuvAJDUad-mT0Fynbv_SEGyDpJktAgZq1mNRW3_7Y9thaaQ7J7QBThdl-QZo9RXS8YPGyPM-cq0MAg5SrbaUrGByG-Mkn8w/s1500/Shanghai%20C%20(1661).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LIf32gndC0_KVL4kG49KYygiNTFuCtOwkThpBG4hGtwsrjHiaarlrvBxFjt5NGYn0Do007IocLgSI4uhQDUM0ClfmApvuvAJDUad-mT0Fynbv_SEGyDpJktAgZq1mNRW3_7Y9thaaQ7J7QBThdl-QZo9RXS8YPGyPM-cq0MAg5SrbaUrGByG-Mkn8w/w200-h133/Shanghai%20C%20(1661).png" width="200" /></a></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"> </span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div>The next day, we had a trip to the country side planned. We really wanted to take a day trip to the Chinese country side. Early on, we were deciding between Hangzhou or Suzhou. A colleague had told me that Hangzhou was not very pleasant in June. It was hot and rainy, which meant there were a lot of mosquitoes and bugs at the the lake. It would not have been an enjoyable experience, so with that in mind, we chose to visit Suzhou. </div><div><br /></div><div>Suzhou is a romantic water town also known as the "Venice of the East." The town is known for its beautiful Chinese gardens and its historical architecture. </div><div><br /></div><div>We booked a tour with Grayline Tours, and we met with our tour guide at another hotel as a meeting point early in morning. It was a one and a half hour drive to town. It was a rather cloudy day but it was muggy and humid. </div><div><br /></div><div>Our first stop was the Master of the Nets Garden, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a classical Chinese garden with delicate gardens and beautiful ponds surrounded by traditional pavilions. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4LCvvmdJC-ewgSeRZGma0Olr17jWMcHGcl085yvTHldJjNEQmcZKfJ3eteYchogRtAudC5-3iVljPeMGIOnTKO2n8yEHrOn1BvWci5fpN7-3b5uRsYgTEVKFAxLe78hWBN5KVudAUj4hz3Gw8Iwfof2s109oAaBjPMUUf1O07i0iOK3hkT7gbYqEc2Q/s1500/Shanghai%20C%20(5158).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4LCvvmdJC-ewgSeRZGma0Olr17jWMcHGcl085yvTHldJjNEQmcZKfJ3eteYchogRtAudC5-3iVljPeMGIOnTKO2n8yEHrOn1BvWci5fpN7-3b5uRsYgTEVKFAxLe78hWBN5KVudAUj4hz3Gw8Iwfof2s109oAaBjPMUUf1O07i0iOK3hkT7gbYqEc2Q/w200-h133/Shanghai%20C%20(5158).png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCmLP9qPUD8LX4Uh9hsF873Zw5o6D9CTU-_WUnQtyunLz6pUKSoKNiolEE7WVFzvifncqfQ1ph_OpRHAbbnQpRtmRrglkEqE6cbsj8oEE6DLCpvLQ6I8dVtUGsMhmHl65EXcV_yRCUD-aopSBJFl6yeJfxMDthkZe1KyYQC6YAqNAS_m7_sFLDoOOY0A/s1500/Shanghai%20C%20(5164).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCmLP9qPUD8LX4Uh9hsF873Zw5o6D9CTU-_WUnQtyunLz6pUKSoKNiolEE7WVFzvifncqfQ1ph_OpRHAbbnQpRtmRrglkEqE6cbsj8oEE6DLCpvLQ6I8dVtUGsMhmHl65EXcV_yRCUD-aopSBJFl6yeJfxMDthkZe1KyYQC6YAqNAS_m7_sFLDoOOY0A/w200-h133/Shanghai%20C%20(5164).png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmuJn4kFouuak8vst9S44-kZkaPZJW6zOhfj9pnlMJT-5DU3G0_n9t-v56JpCo0CFU4hTma_P5o1ThiGwUUPS_XYjx32iItMtjwwZt8PsKRaZVS4qYT6l2FdgPCyFv4JooQ5qzjCD3VsCRRNGN1yW10R3VybB8jxI6tyzu5PKKZnzff91iBuce72P5g/s1500/Shanghai%20C%20(5207).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmuJn4kFouuak8vst9S44-kZkaPZJW6zOhfj9pnlMJT-5DU3G0_n9t-v56JpCo0CFU4hTma_P5o1ThiGwUUPS_XYjx32iItMtjwwZt8PsKRaZVS4qYT6l2FdgPCyFv4JooQ5qzjCD3VsCRRNGN1yW10R3VybB8jxI6tyzu5PKKZnzff91iBuce72P5g/w200-h133/Shanghai%20C%20(5207).png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFKU9tB3TyT3_C4Zx2loLKz6le7hohCv9X82m18roA7PWMk0gPamKpnZ-xO1m6_ZsDX7kXVnXImpYUmxBjay_-KfbfMbBW1X08mPUC-ouR-gdq1vlg-mYZTuUMrnBUn1IUlFES86aKXysrFUX9OQzZVQfXOKzYLYoffOvrHfYb3tWQtNZ2MvBd41jPA/s1500/Shanghai%20C%20(Amazon).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFKU9tB3TyT3_C4Zx2loLKz6le7hohCv9X82m18roA7PWMk0gPamKpnZ-xO1m6_ZsDX7kXVnXImpYUmxBjay_-KfbfMbBW1X08mPUC-ouR-gdq1vlg-mYZTuUMrnBUn1IUlFES86aKXysrFUX9OQzZVQfXOKzYLYoffOvrHfYb3tWQtNZ2MvBd41jPA/w200-h133/Shanghai%20C%20(Amazon).png" width="200" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>After the visit, we stopped at a silk worm factory then at Panmen Gate, a part of the ancient city wall that surrounded and protected Suzhou. At some point in history, it was the only point in and out of Suzhou. The gate involves a complex of both land and water gates, so for the reason, it is often known as the Land and Water gate. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVxuDMSb9i5g7UaTcAf3W0aXXLWgb3HFF0T3lko_xETlxkq-P-V5XfVIm-0pQxnKrRkyMmrrNk16v7WiXZHkdr8e22HdEi8-Z4lF8MiM6GZJGTJ3WH8QcqGWTsS8CKYtA1YjkxDC-ebaL8kR0u12W741gO0sK4GcAFTUCK57OSFxWtqx7meYQmBonN_Q/s1500/Shanghai%20C%20(1985).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVxuDMSb9i5g7UaTcAf3W0aXXLWgb3HFF0T3lko_xETlxkq-P-V5XfVIm-0pQxnKrRkyMmrrNk16v7WiXZHkdr8e22HdEi8-Z4lF8MiM6GZJGTJ3WH8QcqGWTsS8CKYtA1YjkxDC-ebaL8kR0u12W741gO0sK4GcAFTUCK57OSFxWtqx7meYQmBonN_Q/w200-h133/Shanghai%20C%20(1985).png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNaPSgGt3a5g1TXpioBfOQHuEsvjEf6v66VNsJwS5EG9QnPMl2_Bkx3U9ttI8TvSsja4dNc9obwwU-MZJN4pwXGC_H_aHE_XqxqvkTBKlAeXKHeuESeo8j2rOJPkkCWqRw-ymHZCht-nbe_mJJvMlf5X7EfXGaQxYEFb1FtzAj3hnv4ZQpbfmtLZHew/s1500/Shanghai%20C%20(1974).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNaPSgGt3a5g1TXpioBfOQHuEsvjEf6v66VNsJwS5EG9QnPMl2_Bkx3U9ttI8TvSsja4dNc9obwwU-MZJN4pwXGC_H_aHE_XqxqvkTBKlAeXKHeuESeo8j2rOJPkkCWqRw-ymHZCht-nbe_mJJvMlf5X7EfXGaQxYEFb1FtzAj3hnv4ZQpbfmtLZHew/w200-h133/Shanghai%20C%20(1974).png" width="200" /></a></div></div><br /><br /><div>The tour arranged for our lunch at a Suzhou Chinese restaurant. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>Afterwards, we were given free time to explore the marketplace area along the canals. We also took a canal boat ride down the waterways. As per the olden days, it was traditional for the operator to perform onboard. Our singer was not great, and she was shy but she was encouraged by our tour guide, and had to sing for us... which also meant we had to tip her for her song. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhioGPDaCxyxd25rLliInT-Y1LJmHwDFFFjx1Us4D95R3sCqNebH2dtAaPJn0J0IOCHX0Q_dmPo-wv3Sk8LKpSO9Mr--e9H6_8di1fA1c8LAfgyOSFBUnSD75-MLFkFm9Bry-1FCJp5Ky9KfmxVj7W53QZ6rMKxv4L4Wg_Mi7lHprAL6Nn-V7jkR7usFw/s1500/Shanghai%20C%20(2014).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhioGPDaCxyxd25rLliInT-Y1LJmHwDFFFjx1Us4D95R3sCqNebH2dtAaPJn0J0IOCHX0Q_dmPo-wv3Sk8LKpSO9Mr--e9H6_8di1fA1c8LAfgyOSFBUnSD75-MLFkFm9Bry-1FCJp5Ky9KfmxVj7W53QZ6rMKxv4L4Wg_Mi7lHprAL6Nn-V7jkR7usFw/w200-h133/Shanghai%20C%20(2014).png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5oF-wt2YWzHkL26v5Zl6ONP4CMnwlzzx43JScGUQlAhWyi0JqaK_7mmcqAxykurcZckHgDFG3viFPkH0eL4CbogvGJDypmIH8MjGO3YUfZ20zfhSn3h-OkooqNOcrs5w5CGQflHpa4Db3CxmrAalrNznAxhYNalnGILW7EFNopp5m38B1uHsq40as3Q/s1500/Shanghai%20C%20(2004).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5oF-wt2YWzHkL26v5Zl6ONP4CMnwlzzx43JScGUQlAhWyi0JqaK_7mmcqAxykurcZckHgDFG3viFPkH0eL4CbogvGJDypmIH8MjGO3YUfZ20zfhSn3h-OkooqNOcrs5w5CGQflHpa4Db3CxmrAalrNznAxhYNalnGILW7EFNopp5m38B1uHsq40as3Q/w200-h133/Shanghai%20C%20(2004).png" width="200" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSL0AJYLybiBT5gVwJg5_wgpL3av7F9j6Q3vHlowTMalD85E50bfaaaatYcsHe-pfiotVrtxqx6wfJnLWyoUOHrqRnqKVrIwMNkpt0Ae7y8Kc0wHILut7tK0hHxXQtcqQdDFjb8Y6-iDuJXFllCIxA1j3YTnValC9COMCmu2LMgwKw5_53Md8UzzkRpQ/s1500/Suzhou3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSL0AJYLybiBT5gVwJg5_wgpL3av7F9j6Q3vHlowTMalD85E50bfaaaatYcsHe-pfiotVrtxqx6wfJnLWyoUOHrqRnqKVrIwMNkpt0Ae7y8Kc0wHILut7tK0hHxXQtcqQdDFjb8Y6-iDuJXFllCIxA1j3YTnValC9COMCmu2LMgwKw5_53Md8UzzkRpQ/w200-h133/Suzhou3.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA7LClRshjp8w4mD8GyAkzFPptjSVTrWS4V-M9gUaBsGjeqrnEwXDLxsOgS3OHdyzbox2_rspZIc1O3h64jW4skC0zA0yVGe1ANMun0y_mGybUyF81Rtcndj-zhBUD6bjCJMNmu6MArCN_zhra0vr1ToInzTd0XzCsvpvKpxoYBnT3qkBJrFRhCDQoJA/s1500/Suzhou4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA7LClRshjp8w4mD8GyAkzFPptjSVTrWS4V-M9gUaBsGjeqrnEwXDLxsOgS3OHdyzbox2_rspZIc1O3h64jW4skC0zA0yVGe1ANMun0y_mGybUyF81Rtcndj-zhBUD6bjCJMNmu6MArCN_zhra0vr1ToInzTd0XzCsvpvKpxoYBnT3qkBJrFRhCDQoJA/w200-h133/Suzhou4.png" width="200" /></a><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitn27-P7lIqo5O8XxhMm_ugrYuLTBoDeeyLv2cNe_6BVAAa4OYFkF14pcFqKLVVMvYUpEPPlcccDIYPc4ua1ch4xnjP92K1X8y9Boh_g9uIabKqhzh0P9PlNykgtbAwl3Cfa-htlL3Ywfo0XSMxagO0bQJkzEhCxRWJ4Wop35FBAQ_UclFtyBagYQJBg/s1500/Suzhou2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitn27-P7lIqo5O8XxhMm_ugrYuLTBoDeeyLv2cNe_6BVAAa4OYFkF14pcFqKLVVMvYUpEPPlcccDIYPc4ua1ch4xnjP92K1X8y9Boh_g9uIabKqhzh0P9PlNykgtbAwl3Cfa-htlL3Ywfo0XSMxagO0bQJkzEhCxRWJ4Wop35FBAQ_UclFtyBagYQJBg/w200-h133/Suzhou2.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6DB1JIAodFkIn6mj4W6h-Z9qrJHAhrkUdjij45d9VBY5rJKOqrQHJcEEX57s-60reIwGtkVun8IEJiGSTa5bdB1fctfSG2-W5fyOvYCbDBTQz7OWq5YrwAo7y4WKy8Km_L_oNa9gdSV1nebNvJ5o9g2ZyhMH_4zVrIBpcSQl3TmXfg3xnQTXM7SlZIw/s1500/Suzhou1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6DB1JIAodFkIn6mj4W6h-Z9qrJHAhrkUdjij45d9VBY5rJKOqrQHJcEEX57s-60reIwGtkVun8IEJiGSTa5bdB1fctfSG2-W5fyOvYCbDBTQz7OWq5YrwAo7y4WKy8Km_L_oNa9gdSV1nebNvJ5o9g2ZyhMH_4zVrIBpcSQl3TmXfg3xnQTXM7SlZIw/w200-h133/Suzhou1.png" width="200" /></a></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div>I can't say enough great things about our tour guide. Our tour guide was fantastic, she spoke great English, and explained all of the sites in detail. She was happy to take pictures for us, and gave us plenty of time to shop. One of the best tour guides I've had on any tour!</div><div><br /></div><div>That evening, we were dropped off by the Bund again. We ventured out to a well-known xiao long bao restaurant for a light dinner, and stopped by a few more food stands to try some different foods. We also went back to Nanjing Road for shopping, and ended up staying much later than expected... because I ordered a bubble tea from a popular Chinese bubble tea shop that had an hour and forty minute wait. I blame the language barrier, because I had no idea the wait was that long when I ordered it! Don't get me wrong, Shanghai felt very safe late at night. Nanjing road was still bustling and we never felt unsafe or at risk. However, we were cutting it close to the last train back to our hotel. </div><div><br /></div><div>I wasn't about to leave Shanghai without one last bubble tea! There are bubble tea shops everywhere in China - and they all have long lines. After I got my bubble tea fix, we headed back to our hotel, settled in and got ready to fly out the next morning.</div><div><br /></div><div>Shanghai was a beautiful city and I enjoyed exploring the city so much. There was so much to do, see and eat! We spent around 10 days there in total, Disneyland included, and it was just about the right amount of time for us. Without a doubt, we want to go back and visit other cities in China, and we can't wait to go back once it is safe to travel to China again. </div><div><br /></div><div>This entry concludes our trip to China in May 2019... but come back soon. I'll be continuing my blogging with our following trips soon: </div><div><br /></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Japan in October 2019</li><li>Los Angeles in March 2020</li><li>Hawaii in November 2021</li></ul></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275453213799442586.post-75331185136044243042021-01-30T00:20:00.002-08:002021-01-30T00:20:36.210-08:00Seas the Day<i>Disclaimer: There is a currently a travel advisory issued against all non-essential and all cruise ship travel due to COVID-19 pandemic as advised by the Government of Canada and the State Department. In addition, all major cruise lines have suspended operations around the world until the end of April 2021. I am not promoting any travel during this time. I am just sharing my past travels and continuing to work on my blog while we are all staying at home, practicing social distancing. If you are reading this, stay safe and healthy out there. Take care of yourself and each other. </i><br />
<br />Happy New Year! 2021 is finally here, but so is the pandemic. Sadly, not much as changed, but with the vaccine's arrival, we can only pray it will bring hope that we can travel later this year - if not, one day... <div><br /><div>As we left Japan for China, we had two sea days to relax. The sea was a lot calmer on the way home. The weather also cleared up, allowing for some sun to peek through, so we spent some time on the deck during the day, and ate a lot throughout the day.<br />
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We booked tickets to watch Starwater, a Royal Caribbean production. It was a complimentary show but since the show was in the Two70 theatre, it had limited space. It was a confusing but captivating show. The show incorporated the lights and tech (monitors and screens) in the theatre along with the live performance of the dancers and singers. The plot didn't make sense, but it was good entertainment for the evening. </div>
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We enjoyed our last sea day from our cove balcony. We enjoyed our own afternoon snacks - mine was from Japan and my husband's was from the Lido deck. </div>
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We were invited to Chops Grille for a complimentary dinner, so the two of us fancied up for the night. The entrees (filet mignon and steak) were nothing to write home about, but the appetizers, the sides and the dessert were delicious. </div>
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As we sailed back to Shanghai, we knew we wanted to come back to Japan. This cruise was just a taster, and we couldn't wait to explore more of Japan. I was excited to return home to start planning for our trip to Japan exclusively, but before that we still had a couple more exciting days in Shanghai. Stay tuned for our day trip to Suzhou! </div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275453213799442586.post-9876394541408769162020-08-30T23:45:00.000-07:002020-08-30T23:45:47.920-07:00Japan Journeys: Yokohama <i>Disclaimer: There is a currently a travel advisory issued against all non-essential travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Government of Canada and the State Department have advised all Canadians and Americans to avoid all non-essential travel due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, all major cruise lines have suspended operations around the world until the end of October. I am not promoting any travel during this time. I am just sharing my past travels and continuing to work on my blog while we are all staying at home, practicing social distancing. If you are reading this, stay safe and healthy out there. Take care of yourself and each other. </i><br />
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Yokohama was our last port. While we knew that Tokyo was just a short bullet train ride away, we decided against going into the city for a number of reasons. First, we just wanted a slow, relaxing day. Secondly, it is always a risk to take the train into the city on your own so we decided to play it safe. Lastly, it was also my birthday and I just wanted to eat food I love and go to a cat cafe!<br />
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We awoke to a cloudy day in Yokohama. Our plan was to visit the Yokohama Cup Noodle Museum first. It wasn't too far from the port, but sadly, we arrived to find it closed! We should have checked online before going there because it turns out it's closed on Thursdays. It started to sprinkle, so we headed to a nearby mall complex for some cover. I did some light shopping and decided to have lunch at a sushi restaurant in the mall. It had exceptional reviews and we were very pleased with the sushi (some pictured below!). It was also early so we were the only customers in the restaurant. I also treated myself to a mango soft serve.<br />
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Afterwards, we walked to the Chinatown area in search of the cat cafe I had found online. It started raining again, so we ducked in and out of the stores along the main strip. The cat cafe was just a 5 minute walk outside of the Chinatown area, tucked away on above a Familymart of an unassuming residential area. We were there for an hour petting kitties (and missing our own who was back at home).<br />
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Since we had lunch early, we were hungry again. We found a chain yakitori restaurant, Torikizoku, for happy hour. This restaurant was the first smoking restaurant we came upon in Japan. The food was great, but the experience wasn't so pleasant.<br />
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When we left the restaurant, it was dark, but we wanted to do a little more shopping. We shopped at a local grocery store, and at Donquijote a little further away from the area. There was also a few restaurants at the strip mall, so I decided to get myself a little fluffy pancake dessert as a birthday cake to celebrate.</div>
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It was time to leave and it was starting to sprinkle again so we took the taxi back to the port as it was getting late and rainy. What a day!<br />
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Sadly, our journey to Japan was over. Little did we know this taste of Japan would bring us back a few months later... but let's stay in the moment! Our cruise was not over yet, we still had two more sea days before we returned to Shanghai. Stay tuned!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275453213799442586.post-48307111992515386002020-06-28T12:55:00.001-07:002020-06-28T12:55:33.892-07:00Japan Journeys: Kobe<i>Disclaimer: There is a currently a travel advisory issued against all non-essential travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Government of Canada and the State Department have advised all Canadians and Americans to avoid all non-essential travel due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, all major cruise lines have suspended operations around the world until September. I am not promoting any travel during this time. Please do not travel. I am just sharing my past travels and continuing to work on my blog while we are all staying at home, practicing social distancing. If you are reading this, stay safe and healthy out there. Take care of yourself and each other. </i><br />
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In comparison to Osaka and Kyoto, Kobe is a quieter and slower-paced city. We were still tired from the day before, so we decided to take it slow in Kobe. The ship provided a free shuttle from the port to the Chinatown area, so we took advantage of it. Once we were dropped off in Chinatown, we wandered the area. It was still early so most of the area was not opened yet. We grabbed some snacks from FamilyMart and melonpans from a local bakery. We made our way to Motomachidori, a "namesake" shopping street; then Sannomiyacho shopping street.<br />
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It was almost lunchtime, and we wanted to beat the lunch rush so we found a nearby Kobe beef restaurant, Steakland. Even though we were early, there was a short line. Kobe beef is Wagyu beef from Japanese Black cattle. It is valued for its flavour, tenderness and marbled texture. I didn't end up ordering Kobe beef but my husband did. The chef cooked our meals in front of us teppanyaki style. The Kobe beef is certainly very tender, but in comparison to my normal steak order, I didn't think it was a huge difference! It was a nice treat though.<br />
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While we're on the topic of food, I want to talk about food allergies. I have an anaphylactic allergy to soy and bean sprouts are included. I told our server, and asked for the chef to not serve the bean sprouts, and she fully understood but somehow, the bean sprouts still ended up on my plate. It was not mixed with my meat, so I was able to eat the beef without any issues but I wasn't happy that it was still served. After this incident, I began to notice a pattern. I personally think that food allergies are uncommon in Japan, so it's often forgotten or dismissed. So if you do have a food allergy, you may have to reiterate it several times; and if it's severe, you might have to send the plate back.<br />
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After lunch, we continued to walk around the area and stumbled upon Ikuta shrine. This Shinto shrine is believed to be one of the oldest shrines in Japan.<br />
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We walked back to Motomachidori to do some shopping, stopped to get katsu for the husband and soft serve for me. There was not much more to do around the area, so we decided to call it a day and hop back on the shuttle to port. By this time, we've fallen in love with the vending machines, and stopped to get a drink before heading back on the ship.<br />
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Our last port is coming up! Stay tuned for my milestone birthday in Yokohama...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275453213799442586.post-42917927904879877562020-04-03T23:47:00.001-07:002020-04-03T23:47:26.647-07:00Japan Journeys: Osaka <i>Disclaimer: There is a currently a travel advisory issued against all non-essential travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Government of Canada and the State Department have advised all Canadians and Americans to avoid all non-essential travel due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, all major cruise lines have suspended operations around the world until mid-May. I am not promoting any travel during this time. Please do not travel. I am just sharing my past travels and continuing to work on my blog while we are all staying at home, practicing social distancing. If you are reading this, stay safe and healthy out there. Take care of yourself and each other. </i><br />
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Aside from the low price of this sailing, the itinerary was the other reason why we chose this cruise. Japan was on my wish list for a long time, so this cruise would give me a taste of Japan. Our three ports of call were Osaka, Kobe and Yokohama.<br />
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Our first stop was Osaka. We had over twelve hours in Osaka but we also wanted to see Fushimi Inari-taisha in Kyoto, so we booked a tour with Royal Caribbean. When you're travelling to an area that's far away from the port, we always recommend booking an excursion with the ship. By doing so, it is guaranteed that the ship will wait for you should the excursion run late. Our excursion left first thing upon arrival, which was around mid-morning. It took over three hours to get to Kyoto by bus.<br />
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Upon arrival in Kyoto, our tour group went straight to Fushimi Inari-taisha, Kyoto's most important Shinto shrine. It is best known for its thousands of vermilion torii shrine gates. The gates lead into Mount Inari, which is 233 metres above sea level. The challenging hike up the mountain takes about two hours. Fushimi Inari is dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice. There are also many fox statues across the shrine grounds, as they were thought to be Inari's messengers.<br />
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It was a particularly hot day in Kyoto (over 30<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">°</span>C), and it was extremely crowded. There were <i>a lot</i> of people at the shrine. The combination of crowds and heat didn't exactly make it a pleasant visit. The best time to visit would be first thing in the morning when the crowds are still light and the temperature is still mild. Of course, due to our constraints, we didn't have a choice in the matter. (<i>Note: Fushimi Inari is opened 24 hours, and has no admission fee. It is lit up at night so visitors can see the trails.</i>) My husband was a saint, and had a ton of patience taking photos of me in front of the torii gates. It was a difficult shot because there are always tourists walking by. We didn't have a lot of time at Fushimi Inari. Before we knew it, it was time to go. As with any excursions, there is a sell before you get back to the ship. In our case, we stopped at a high end Japanese craft shop. We were given some free time, but we weren't interested in purchasing any art. Instead, we walked down the block and stumbled upon a pharmacy, and stopped to buy some snacks.<br />
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Our excursion ended with a drop off back at our ship. Since we had such a long stop in Osaka, we decided to head back out to Dotonbori for dinner. From the port, we took a taxi to Dotonbori. Japanese taxis have a high rate. We paid a fairly expensive fare for a twenty minute ride. Dotonbori is a tourist area that runs along the Dotonbori canal in the Namba district. It is a popular area for shopping and eating. The area is lit up brightly at night, with prominent billboards that illuminate the streets. The best known billboard is the Glico display of a runner crossing a finishing line.<br />
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We went on our own mini food tour in Dotonburi, eating as much food as we possibly could within three hours. We stopped by the food stands along the canal and had freshly grilled scallops, takoyaki (not pictured), and melonpan. We also stopped in a ramen shop for a bowl of ramen. By then, we were stuffed. Getting around in Osaka was easy, and we felt safe in the area even though it was late at night. Our ship left at 1 in the morning, but we were back onboard well before midnight. We had a long day, and another one ahead of us! Next up: Kobe, Japan. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275453213799442586.post-86795279755482316322020-03-18T00:44:00.001-07:002020-03-18T00:44:43.001-07:00Quantum of... Solace<i>Disclaimer: There is a currently a travel advisory issued against all non-essential travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Government of Canada and the State Department have advised all Canadians and Americans to avoid all non-essential travel due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, all major cruise lines have suspended operations around the world until at least mid-April. I am not promoting any travel during this time. Please do not travel. I am just sharing my past travels and continuing to work on my blog while we are all practicing social distancing. If you are reading this, stay safe and healthy out there. Take care of yourself and each other. </i><br />
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There are many places in China we wanted to visit but we only had two weeks, and with it being our first trip to China, we decided to take it easy. After our must-visits (Shanghai Disneyland and the Bund), we decided to set sail on a cruise. We chose a seven-day Royal Caribbean cruise to Japan; it was our first time in Japan as well.<br />
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We didn't have high expectations for the cruise. We had heard a lot about cruises in Asia, both good and bad. It's important that you do your research carefully before you head on an Asian cruise. A cruise in Asia is entirely different than a cruise in the Caribbean. The cruise is catered to the Chinese. The culture on the ship is entirely different. I don't want to discourage anyone from going on an Asian cruise, but I do want to make people aware of the cultural differences. As I've previously mentioned, my husband and I were not as affected, as we come from an Asian dominated Canadian city, and we are ourselves are of Asian decent, so we were familiar with the cultural differences.<br />
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Transportation: It was a long trek from the heart of Shanghai to the port of Baoshan, at about 75 minutes, but the taxi was cheap at around $25 - $30.<br />
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Embarkation: Because we were Emerald members, we were able to embark quite early. We were so happy to be able to do so, because we walked by a line of at least a thousand people lining up (in the heat) to embark.<br />
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Ship: We had wanted to sail on the Quantum class at some point in our lives. They mostly sail in Asia so we were thrilled to get the chance to sail on it. The ship was still pretty new, and in good shape. The Quantum is the 7th largest ship in the world, but it didn't feel nearly as big as the Oasis, but not small like the Navigator. We had a cove balcony stateroom with plenty of cabin storage. On that note, I loved our cove balcony! It felt private and it was very quiet.<br />
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Crew: The crew spoke some English, many understood what we were saying but had trouble speaking. Our stateroom attendant was great. He cleaned our room quickly. We didn't see much of him, but when we asked for anything, he delivered.<br />
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Activities: There's a chance to give acrobatics a try at the SeaPlex. There are a lot of activities such as bumper cars (shown below), rock climbing, the North Star (for a fee; shown below in action), RipCord by iFly (skydiving at sea for a fee; shown below), and of course, the FlowRider and much, much more. Tip: Book the North Star as soon as you get on the ship, we made the mistake of not doing so and it booked up fast for the rest of the week! We were bummed about that.<br />
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Entertainment: The shows are in Mandarin, but were all very entertaining and wonderfully performed. We especially loved Starwater, a visual production with robotic light technology and human choreography. There is also the casino. My husband likes to gamble, but it closed early almost every night.<br />
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Food: Dynamic dining with no set dining times, no assigned seats, and no formal nights. It was chaotic. The Chinese line up super early to get in the dining room. There are two seatings, and both have long lines. On any given day, we would wait at least thirty minutes for a table. You get a different table and a different server every night, and the menu is largely a variety of different Chinese cuisine. We aren't familiar with Northern Chinese foods, and we did try some, but we weren't a fan. We enjoyed the Southern Chinese food because it was what we were used to at home. We didn't know there was a Western menu until Day 4. The buffet was great as well, although they mostly served the same foods during the week. It was typical for long lines at the buffet, and to wait in line for the buffet, only to have someone cut in in front of you to get food. A simple (but stern) "excuse me" may get the offender to tuck their tail in between their legs and scurry away, but not always. On our last night, we were invited to Chops Grille for complimentary dinner. It was a lovely break from the crowds and the meal was superb!<br />
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Disembarkation: We strolled off the ship and grabbed a taxi back into the city. There are a ton of taxis at the port, and only the Westerners take it. The locals all get picked up.<br />
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Ports: I saved the best for last. The ports were the whole reason why we wanted to go on this cruise. Japan was on my wish list for a long time, we didn't think we would be able to visit anytime soon so we decided on this cruise to get a taste of Japan. The ports of call were Osaka, Kobe and Yokohama. All are major cities and there were so many things to do at each one. I'll be getting into what we did at each port in more details in my next few posts!<br />
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Stay tuned!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275453213799442586.post-38782776038026367472020-01-18T00:30:00.001-08:002020-01-19T01:45:07.593-08:00Shanghai Stories: Old CityThe next day, we visited the Old City of Shanghai. The first attraction we visited was Yuyuan Garden. Yuyuan Garden is a classical Chinese garden. The garden has beautiful greenery with many grand stone sculptures, and classic Chinese architecture. There is a beautiful pond with koi fish in the middle of the garden. Koi fish attract good luck and fortune, which is why the Chinese hold such a high regard for these fishes. At the time of our entrance, the admission fee was 10 RMB. The garden is inside the bazaar. The bazaar is a maze but the garden is not hard to find as there are signs that lead you there.<br />
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One thing we missed at the Old City was afternoon tea at the Huxinting Teahouse. It is Shanghai's oldest teahouse, located by the Yuyuan Garden. If you plan to visit, I suggest making reservations ahead of time!<br />
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We also walked around the bazaar surrounding the temple and garden. The marketplace sold local souvenirs and snacks. We stopped by a well known dumpling store, Nanxiang Mantou Dian, to try out their xiaolongbaos. Shanghai's best known snack food is the xiaolongbao, or quite simply XLBs. These little dumplings are filled with hot soup and a pork filling; they are traditionally steamed in a bamboo basket. We also visited the City God Temple, with the admission price of 10 RMB.<br />
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After spending the whole day in the Old City, we decided to head to the Oriental Pearl Tower next. The Oriental Pearl Tower is located across from the Bund, on the other side of the Huangpu river. The tower had a revolving restaurant and an observation deck with a glass-bottomed skywalk for visitors. You can purchase different tour packages to visit the tower online or in person. We opted not to go inside as we didn't have much time. The tower is brightly lit in different LED sequences at night, so we spent some time watching the light show.<br />
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There are also several malls in the area, and Shanghai's flagship Disney store. We walked around the area and visited the Disney store, but soon found ourselves hungry. There weren't a whole lot of good food choices, and the restaurant (Din Tai Fung) we had wanted to go in the area had unfortunately closed down. We ended up grabbing something mediocre in the mall to fill our tummies.<br />
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Next up: a 7-day cruise to Japan!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275453213799442586.post-60042115991950430082020-01-13T00:38:00.000-08:002020-01-19T01:43:46.125-08:00Shanghai Stories: The Bund After two fun-filled days in Shanghai Disneyland, we headed into the heart of Shanghai for two days.<br />
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Cabs are extremely inexpensive in Shanghai, and we found ourselves often taking the cab instead of the Metro in the interest of time. Although, the Metro was also very easy to use and extremely efficient.<br />
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We arrived to the Intercontinental early so we dropped off our luggage, and decided to explore the area. Intercontinental is located in the heart of Shanghai's financial district, about a 10 minute Metro ride from the Bund. Our hotel was farther away from the waterfront, but we had a better rate staying further away from the Bund. The hotel was also older, but the rooms had been renovated in the past few years. I really enjoyed their breakfast - we had fresh juice every morning! We were on one of the higher floors too, so we had a nice view of the area as well. We stopped for a quick lunch at Yang's, then headed to Tianzifang, a touristy shopping area in the French Concession area of Shanghai.<br />
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After some browsing and more eating, we made our way to Nanjing Road. Nanjing Road is one of the busiest shopping streets in the world. The shopping area extends from People's Square to the Bund. We walked along the street until we finally reached the Bund.<br />
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We waited until after sunset so the city lights were bright. We spent around an hour at the Bund to take photographs. It takes quite a bit of patience and a little bit pushing to get to the waterfront. Here's what you see online vs. the reality of the crowds.<br />
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Afterwards, we had dinner at a restaurant near the Bund. It was a long wait, so we ended up having quite a late dinner. We walked back to Nanjing Road to catch the Metro back to our hotel, and grabbed dessert at McDonald's along the way. We had a slow day, but we needed it to ease ourselves back into the hustle and bustle of the fast paced city life.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHhjdk7VRUw/Xhu_GbSovOI/AAAAAAAAFg4/txfXIt-fMSYxFTn_fDkuD6abm_Ffpf4egCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_3285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHhjdk7VRUw/Xhu_GbSovOI/AAAAAAAAFg4/txfXIt-fMSYxFTn_fDkuD6abm_Ffpf4egCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/IMG_3285.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6mchCNnaoes/Xhu_Gc8v-wI/AAAAAAAAFg8/89Yv-_GWS4w2qFJTy65mjCotWLEc1oENwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_3291-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6mchCNnaoes/Xhu_Gc8v-wI/AAAAAAAAFg8/89Yv-_GWS4w2qFJTy65mjCotWLEc1oENwCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/IMG_3291-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-4" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11.199999809265137px; line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"></sup>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275453213799442586.post-39521592057533410612019-11-01T00:47:00.000-07:002019-11-01T00:51:19.495-07:00First Stop: Shanghai Disneyland It's always hard to review Disney. Each park is different and unique in their own way. I've never been disappointed by any of the Disney parks we've visited. I wasn't wowed by Shanghai Disneyland, but it is a fairly young park so I know there is a lot of potential.<br />
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One thing to note is, even though this is a Disney park, it is very much Chinese. A lot of North Americans experience culture shock when visiting China, and Disney is no exception. I am not going to sugarcoat it. There is a lot of line-cutting, pushing, and yelling. Generally, the locals will back off if you stand your ground. My husband and I were both born and raised in a multicultural city, where a lot of Chinese people live. We experience a lot of line-cutting, pushing, and yelling at home in general, so we weren't surprised by the culture and social norms in China.<br />
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Shanghai Disneyland is pretty massive. It's quite a walk around the park as the distance between lands are pretty far apart - plenty of room for expansion in the future. We spent two days in Shanghai Disneyland. It was more than enough time to ride every ride and try all the food. For guests who stay on Disney property, there is a separate entrance which is opened earlier. We didn't go early, but we did get in the park a lot faster due to shorter lines at this special entrance.<br />
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Shanghai Disneyland was nearing the end of their Spring-Easter Celebration, so a lot of decorations were still on display.<br />
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We got a lot done on Day 1 and it was a good thing we did. Our first ride was easy and calm. We rode Pirates, and we loved it. It's a very different ride and much more exciting than the snoozers in Disneyland and Magic Kingdom. We walked through the Garden of the Twelve Friends, a rest area where the Chinese zodiac are depicted by Disney characters, and watch the lively stage show ("Golden Fairytale Fanfare") in front of the castle. We walked through the Alice in Wonderland Maze and did a little window shopping. We lined up for Rex's Racer for a little over an hour, which was the longest line we experienced at the park. It was a short, but exhilarating ride! We enjoyed it. Next, we were on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which we had a FastPass for. We grabbed lunch afterwards. It was sunny and a lot warmer by this point, so we headed back to the castle for some pictures.<br />
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As we finished up our pictures, a parade - "Disney Color-Fest, A Street Party! - started. Perfect timing! Super catchy tunes too.<br />
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Tron was next, followed by more exploring and snacking, before we ended up at the "Once Upon a Time" Adventure in the castle. We had a quick dinner afterwards. After dinner, we rode Tron one more time, and Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue. We ended our night with the "Ignite the Dream" fireworks celebration.<br />
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We slowed down on Day 2 because the weather was a lot more extreme. It was over 30 degrees by noon, and it was <b>hot</b>. Shanghai Disneyland has very little shade. We saw two shows back to back just to seek out shade. All the shows and rides were in Mandarin. I had pretty much no idea what they were saying, but the Pirate of Caribbean show was pretty amazing. It's action-packed with great effects!<br />
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The Tarzan show was even better! I could not rave enough about this stage show. The acrobatic performers were amazing. It was like a mini Cirque du Soleil show!<br />
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We rode a lot of the same rides, with the exception of Peter Pan's Flight and Roaring Rapids. After lunch, we had to go back to hotel to cool off. We ended up eating in Disneytown for lunch and dinner. We weren't very interested in the food, but the park has a lot of interesting and delicious snacks. The pork fluff corn dog was really good, as was the tea drink in the Minnie Mouse souvenir cup. Unfortunately, the Mike Wazowski bun was pretty to look at, but it was super dry and hard.<br />
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Overall, we had a wonderful time in Shanghai Disneyland, and we would love to go back. They are already currently expanding with the first ever Zootopia-land. The park is young, so we're excited to see what they have planned!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275453213799442586.post-76693648527636644912019-10-27T17:24:00.002-07:002020-08-30T16:55:16.747-07:00Oh Hai, ShanghaiHello! We're back from our trip to Japan, and I'm extremely behind in blogging. I'm skipping 2018 altogether, and I'm fast forwarding to our first trip this year to keep up with the momentum, and also my memory.<br />
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We went to Shanghai in May, and we had an amazing time! Despite the travel advisory, which had come out after we booked our trip, we felt very safe in the city and we had no problems during our time there. The Chinese were generally very welcoming. The food was delicious and the Metro system was extremely easy to use. We were able to get a lot of things done this trip, including Shanghai Disneyland and a cruise.<br />
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Our trip to Shanghai was completely spontaneous. This trip basically served as our honeymoon. We were looking for an overseas destination, and Shanghai came up on our radar with extremely low flight fares. We booked on a whim before doing any research. Getting a China visa was not an easy task. As we previously did not apply for our Vietnam visa on our own, we didn't quite know where and how to start. I don't recall the small details of our application for our Chinese Visa as it was done ten months ago, but I'll review it briefly below.<br />
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Getting Our Chinese Visas</h3>
There are quite a few steps to take to complete your application: a ten page application form, visa photo, supporting accommodation documents, etc... But after you've submitted your paperwork, it is a short wait (less than five business days) to receive your actual visa. The visa is label that is placed into your passport, so yes, you do have to submit your passport to the service centre. If you've done everything correctly, you will have no delays. It is important to note that you can only apply for your visa three months before your departure date, so be sure to submit all the correct information. You can make an appointment to visit the China Visa Application Service Centre, but expect waits of up to three hours. As previously mentioned, you need to ensure you have all the supporting documents (listed on the website) with you, or you will be asked to return on another day. The most commonly missed item is a photocopy of your passport. A lot of people didn't have this. They do have a photocopier at the service centre, but you have to pay, it jams often and there is a long line for it (probably contributing to the overall long waits). Aside from the long wait, we had a positive experience at the Vancouver branch. We opted for the ten-year visa as the cost was the same (~$150 Canadian), but it is only valid up to the year your passport expires, so my visa expires in eight years.<br />
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One of our main reasons we decided to go to Shanghai was, of course, to visit Disneyland Shanghai. The park is relatively new, as it was just built in 2016. We decided to start our trip in Disneyland. So without further ado, let me jump right in!<br />
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Shanghai Disneyland Park</h3>
We arrived on a rather cold and foggy day. The haze in the sky was thick as the sun was barely visible. We stayed in the Disneyland hotel for easy access to the park. The Shanghai Disneyland Hotel is by far the most affordable Disney hotel anywhere in the world. The details in the decor were ~<b>magical</b>, and the rooms were spacious and elegant.<br />
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We were extremely jet lagged, but we needed dinner. So after settling into our hotel room, we immediately took the ferry over to Disneytown. The ferry stop on the hotel side is just through the Wishing Star Park, we could see the Enchanted Storybook Castle on the other side (below right) as we waited.<br />
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The stop on the other side of the lake is just steps away from the entrance to Disneyland. Disneytown was a good size. It is not a big shopping area like the two in the US, but it had enough shops and restaurants to keep you busy for half a day. There were the usual shops like Nike, Sephora, Pandora, LEGO and World of Disney; and some Asian based stores like BAPE, Superdry and innisfree. </div>
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We walked around for a little while to check out the stores and eventually, we had to pick a spot for dinner. All the restaurants either had a huge lineup or no lineup. We decided on a cantonese restaurant with a moderate line, and an English menu. The food was okay, nothing special, but it was cheap and it filled our tummies. After dinner, we lined up for bubble tea before heading back to the hotel on the ferry. Coming up next: Disneyland!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275453213799442586.post-3220660307812666632019-09-12T19:26:00.001-07:002019-09-12T19:26:37.853-07:00A la Prochaine, ParisThe next day, we visited the Louvre. The Louvre Museum is considered the world's greatest art museum, and one of the most iconic monuments in Paris. You probably need more than a day to explore the museum, and we only had three hours. We went mid-morning and were met with an average queue through security. We did not purchase tickets in advance, but found that the queue for tickets was much less daunting than others had warned us about. There were about 5-7 people in the line with us, and it moved quickly. The Louvre was intense. We didn't know where to start, and wandered in an area.<br />
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We made it though all of the Main floor, through the Roman, Italic and Etruscan, and Greek Antiquities. We also walked through the rooms with paintings from Great Britain, USA, Spain, Italy, France and Decorative Arts of Europe. </div>
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We eventually made it to the Mona Lisa, the main attraction of the museum, in between the paintings of France and decorative arts of Europe. It was not easy to find. By that time, our three hours were up and we were tired. The air flow and circulation was difficult to withstand inside the museum. I fully understand the climate had to be regulated to conserve and house the artwork. However, but with the crowds, it was very uncomfortable for us in the museum. It was hot, dry and stuffy so it was time to leave.</div>
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We had a few more "must-see" places on our list, so we jumped back on the HOHO bus to Sacré-Coeur Basilica. On the way, we passed by the Moulin Rouge, a cabaret. The bus stop (or even subway stop) is nowhere near the basilica. Sacré-Coeur is located at the summit of Montmartre, which is the highest point in Paris. It was a 15 minute uphill walk to the foot of the basilica, and another 10 minutes to the entrance. Quite the workout!<br />
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We ran into the annual Grape Harvest Festival in Montmartre taking place just outside of Sacré-Coeur during our visit. Northern Paris is the only place in the city where vineyards are still grown. It was very lively, and locals were enjoying the food and drink. However, the crowds made it difficult to move around, so after trying a couple of local foods, we made our way back down to the bus.<br />
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Our bus ride was short as we headed back to our neighbourhood, the Marais, to shop for a little while before dinner. It was our last night in Paris and we had our eye on a restaurant we wanted to try. We had lost track of the dates, but it just so happened to be our dating anniversary. <br />
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We ended our last night in Paris on the perfect note, with memories of the best French food and a delicious scoop of gelato. We had lost track of the dates at that time, but it just so happened to be our anniversary date.<br />
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We had a magical time in Paris, and three days was not enough! We hope to visit again in the future, there are still so many places we didn't get to visit: Mont-St-Michel, Normandy, and Disneyland Paris. Here's to hoping it won't take me another twenty-seven years to go back... Until next time, Paris!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275453213799442586.post-56651357923799107642019-07-25T03:33:00.001-07:002019-10-27T17:29:05.687-07:00Notre Dame: Heart of ParisThis blog entry is dedicated to the Notre Dame. This is a special entry for me. I grew up with the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Esmeralda's independence and Quasimodo's heroism inspired me. In high school, I attended Notre Dame Secondary for a year. It was always a part of me, and on my mental bucket list, I said to myself that one day, I will visit the cathedral and climb its tower. While we were in Paris in October 2017, we had the opportunity to visit the Notre Dame de Paris. We were very fortunate to climb the towers as well. Sadly, earlier this year, on April 15, a structural fire broke out in Notre Dame. My heart was breaking as I helplessly watched the fire online. The fire destroyed the roof and the building spire, but luckily the towers were safe. It will undoubtedly take time, but I have faith that the Notre Dame will be restored to its best form one day. <br />
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The entrance to the Notre Dame is free, and can be accessed at the front of the cathedral. The cathedral is known for its magnificent facade, the beautiful stained glass windows inside, and the unique, lifelike gargoyles atop the tower. The queue to enter the Notre Dame is intimidating, it snakes around the front, and the massive crowds outside of the cathedral make it hard to find the end of the line. Don't let the queue scare you off! It does move fast. We were prepared to line up for at least an hour, but we spent less than twenty minutes in line.<br />
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Sadly, the lighting wasn't quite right for photographing the stained glass windows, and we don't have very many pictures of the windows.<br />
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We made a spontaneous decision to climb the bell towers that day. Notre Dame has a confusing booking system. It's not possible to buy tickets in advance for the Tower of Notre Dame, nor are they sold online. The best way to get tickets to the Notre Dame is to download an app to book a reservation time to purchase your ticket. You can only do so on the day of, and you must be within a certain distance to the cathedral. There are also limited spots available as they only allow a certain number of people go up the tower every hour or so. We had pocket wifi, so we were able to reserve a time while many tourists around us struggled to find wifi. I remember there is wifi available, but the password is hard to obtain, especially with the language barrier. However, even with the reservation, we still had to queue up outside of the cathedral (the side facing away from the Seine) to get inside the ticket booth. We were lucky. Thanks to our pocket wifi, we ended up grabbing the last two tickets of the day.<br />
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The towers of Notre Dame are just under 70 m high. The climb is 387 steps up a narrow spiral staircase. We climbed about a third of the way to the gift shop to buy our tickets, then we continued to climb to the belfry. The belfry houses the biggest bell of Notre Dame, which weighs 13 tonnes.<br />
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We visited the bell before going onto the terrance for a panoramic view of Paris. From that level, there is another leg to the top of the tower, where you finally come face-to-face with the gargoyles.<br />
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There is fencing all around the balconette (as you can see in some of my photos), so tourists won't fall over or try to touch the gargoyles. It's not pretty for photographs, but it's a necessary safety measure. As history has it, the stone carved creatures were considered spiritual protectors of the church. Pictured below on the right was the beautiful spire that fell in the fire this past April. <br />
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The panoramic view was amazing. Honestly, it was a dream. I wish I could stay up there for a longer period time, but alas, our time was up, and we had to descend the tower. Going down is always easier than going up, but the tower stairs are slippery, so descend with caution!<br />
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By the time we exited, the sun was setting. The cathedral was closed, but the crowds still hadn't dispersed. It really goes to show how iconic Notre Dame is. It is not just a Catholic church, but a beloved symbol of European culture. Our visit at the Notre Dame was a memorable experience. I am so glad we decided to climb the towers, and we were so lucky to have been able to.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275453213799442586.post-72960246927070608012019-07-01T00:08:00.002-07:002019-07-01T01:29:59.852-07:00Paris: City of Lights IIFriday, the 13th, was our first full day in Paris. At the time, we were still engaged, and we started off our day with a Flytographer engagement shoot early in the morning. We met our photographer at Trocadero, and took some pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately with our luck, the sun didn't break through the clouds until after our photoshoot. When we arrived at Trocadero just before 9 am, the crowds were just forming. However, you can see larger crowds in the photo below, that photo was taken just after 10 am. The crowds gather fast in Paris!<br />
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We went back to our Airbnb for a quick change of clothes afterwards, and got on the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus. The HOHO bus in Paris is not a great idea. Traffic moves extremely slow in Paris, especially for busses. At one point, we were stuck by the Louvre for almost 30 minutes. We purchased a two-day pass, which did come in handy, but we only rode it from Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower on the first day.<br />
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The HOHO bus took us to the Arc de Triomphe. We marvelled at the monument from afar, but decided not to climb it. We drove down Champ Elysees, and past Place de la Concorde - but because we had an appointment at the Eiffel Tower.<br />
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Going up the Eiffel Tower isn't for everyone, but it was something we wanted to do. Unfortunately, upon arriving at the Eiffel Tower, we discovered there was a national strike movement which restricted access to the tower at the time of our visit. Defeated, we walked through Champ de Mars instead, and towards the Wall for Peace. The monument was under construction so we weren't able to get too close. As we continued walking, we reached the bridge and decided it would be a good time to go on a river cruise. <br />
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After our river cruise, we walked around the area in search of a search of a small snack (well, specifically French pastries!), before heading back to the Eiffel Tower. We had heard the strike would end around 7 pm, so we made plans to head up the Tower that evening. Our ticket was now invalid, and we had to line up to purchase new tickets. It's definitely not recommended, and buying tickets in advance would certainly save you a lot of time, but we were in an unavoidable situation. </div>
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We made our way up the Eiffel Tower, and spent about an hour marvelling in the views and lights of Paris. For us, it was a toss up between going up the Eiffel Tower (280 m), and the Arc de Triomphe (50 m). We decided more height would offer us a more breathtaking view of Paris. I think the turn of events worked towards our favour. Nothing compares to the Eiffel Tower at night. The sparkle is even more magical and impressive up close.</div>
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Paris is very walkable. After our visit to the Eiffel Tower, we walked back to Trocadero to watch it sparkle from a distance, and also grab dinner in the area. At the time, it was easier for us to find an Uber to get back to our Airbnb from Trocadero. We dined at an Italian restaurant across from the square.</div>
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We got back to our Airbnb around midnight, but the night was still young. Marais is a very atmospheric and lively area for lgbtq-friendly nightlife. The restaurants were busy with live music and chatter, and the bars still had long queues around the block. We had a long day, so we were happy to go home. To cap off our night, we stopped by one of the many gelaterias for dessert. </div>
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Time passes by quickly in Paris, even when you're moving slowly. We tried to savour every moment. In our daily lives, everything moves around us so quickly. It's nice to be able to sit back, appreciate the little things, and watch the world go by when you're on holiday. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275453213799442586.post-23440346781291209962019-06-09T23:43:00.002-07:002019-06-09T23:43:40.729-07:00Paris: City of Lights IOur cruise was a Southampton to Southampton round-trip, however, we decided to disembark (downline) early in Le Havre to finish our trip in Paris. Paris has been a dream destination for my entire life; so I was ecstatic about our stay.<br />
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This was our first time disembarking early on a cruise. From what I've been told, downlining is not permitted on Caribbean cruises but common on Asian and European cruises.<br />
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Le Havre is a port city in Northern France; it is a three hour train ride from Paris. As soon as we left the ship, we took a taxi to the train station, and boarded the train with our pre-purchased train tickets. The trains were not meant to take luggage, as there was absolutely no room to store luggage. We felt terrible, but we had no choice but to leave our luggage in the aisles.<br />
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We arrived in the city centre and booked an Uber to our Airbnb in Marais. We got settled in our lovely two bedroom apartment. It was siesta time, so not many restaurants were opened, so we grabbed lunch at the only restaurant opened within a two block radius: a kosher Jewish restaurant. We decided to explore the area after lunch, and made our way to Place des Vosges, the oldest square in Paris. It was nice to walk around and people watch. Parisians were lunching, reading, and resting at the park.<br />
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We took a look at the map and discovered we weren't too far from the Louvre, so we decided to take a walk there. On our way to the Louvre, we caught the Eiffel Tower in the sunset.<br />
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The Louvre was quite quiet that evening. We were able to get some good shots in without many people around.<br />
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After the sunset, we headed back to Marais for dinner. We choses a French restaurant that happened to be quite popular, and ended up having to wait a little for a late dinner. There were many ice cream shops on the block, so we decided tried one from each shop, and called it a night. Hey, who says you can't have two ice creams in one night?<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275453213799442586.post-25303375675227282572019-04-02T00:03:00.000-07:002019-04-02T22:48:34.989-07:00Loving La Coruna This cruise is running long, eh? I don't blame ya, it was a 14 day cruise - a lot of ports, and a lot of sights to see! But here we are, the last port for us.<br />
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We weren't expecting much from La Coruna. We were at the end of our cruise, and ready for Paris, so we just wanted a mellow day around town. We were happy to be back in Spain as they are known for their tapas. We discovered so much within the medieval old town in the Plaza de Maria Pita and the narrow alleyways. We found great food, beautiful coastal views and so much culture in the little, but long seafront city in northern Spain.<br />
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We grabbed lunch along the pier at a busy restaurant; fresh scallops and octopus. If we had more time, we would have spent more time in the city. Instead, we chose to walk along the pier with our ice creams.<br />
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We had two lunches and two desserts during the time we spent on La Coruna. We stopped for razor clams at another restaurant, and Spanish churros with chocolate sauce, a traditional dessert.<br />
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La Coruna reminded me why we cruise. This is what I love about cruising. We would never be able to visit these charming towns if it weren't for the cruise. It is through cruising that we find these beautiful places, and get the opportunity to live as locals for a day.<br />
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As the sun set, we sailed away and caught sight of the Tower of Hercules. It is an ancient Roman lighthouse on a peninsula at the tip of Galicia. The Tower of Hercules is a National Monument of Spain, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.<br />
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Next up: Paris!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275453213799442586.post-42129892665968072162019-04-01T00:00:00.004-07:002019-04-01T00:01:19.181-07:00Failing in FunchalWe ported in Funchal, Madeira on a Sunday. Madeira is an island of Portugal situated in the Atlantic by the Canary Islands.<br />
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We didn't have much planned for Madeira but we had read about the crazy toboggan ride down Monte, a must-do attraction in Funchal. However, because it was a Sunday, the attraction was closed! We ended up taking a bus into town, and came across a huge mall. Unfortunately, that was closed due to an emergency evacuation! There was also a marathon along the waterfront, so most of the roads in town were blocked off. Just our luck! It just wasn't a great day to port. <br />
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We ended up stopping by a cafe for pastries and cappuccinos.<br />
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As we left the port, the rain clouds had arrived, and it started to rain as we sailed away.<br />
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We had a lovely dinner in the main dining room that evening. We were served a variety of popular Filipino dishes; lechon, pancit (my favourite!) and lumpia.<br />
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Next up, La Coruna, our last port before Paris!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275453213799442586.post-12187487663819115052019-03-15T01:16:00.001-07:002019-03-15T01:17:44.299-07:00Trapezing through Tenerife Tenerife was another "must-visit" on my bucket-list. Yet, it disappointed me too. Maybe we should have booked an excursion, but after many excursions on the other two Grand Canary islands, we thought it'd be best to explore this one on our own. <br />
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Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands. It is known for its many beaches, its active volcano (Mount Teide), and its many national parks.<br />
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We only made it to downtown Tenerife, and shopped among the other cruise passengers, but the atmosphere was jovial and celebratory. Street musicians were everywhere, and there was even a Chinese dragon parade! We made our way through the stores, and decided to find a marketplace.<br />
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After doing some quick research on free wifi, we made our way to La Recova de Tenerife. We love food markets, but unfortunately this one was closing as we arrived. But there were a lot of stands with fresh fruits and vegetables; there were ice cream stalls, butchers' counters, tea shops, florists, fish counters, and cheese stalls. It's always interesting to see the daily bustle and many locals shopping for their groceries.<br />
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We had a short and easy day in Tenerife. We felt recharged and ready for our next port: Madeira, Portugal.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275453213799442586.post-38088236296564812312019-02-04T21:45:00.001-08:002019-02-04T21:50:00.393-08:00Getting Guided through Gran CanariaGran Canaria, aka the island where I dropped my brand new iPhone 8 Plus down the side of a caldera... I'll get to that.<br />
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Gran Canaria is another one of the Canary Islands of Spain. Once again, we booked a tour through Royal Caribbean to see the city sights.<br />
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First, we stopped at the grand Cathedral of Arucas, one of the most iconic buildings on the island of Gran Canaria. The cathedral is known for it's neo-gothic architecture and its facade was carved by hand on black lava stone. It reminded me of La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.<br />
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We then enjoyed some free time in the town of Teror. Unfortunately, we were there quite early in the morning, so not many shops or restaurants were opened. We grabbed a cappuccino, and wandered around the streets for about an hour.<br />
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Next, we were driven up to the Bandama caldera, about 1, 870 feet above sea level to take in the panoramic views of the natural rocky landscape. So this is where I dropped my phone. My husband (fiance at the time) was taking a picture of me with my arms in the air (as seen below in the last photo), and I had put my phone in between my knees. Well, it fell. Down the caldera! It slid about 3 feet down a steep slope. I ended up having to crawl under the safety fence to grab it. Scary moment, but I'll take that as another lesson learned! Always put your phone away safely before posing for photos! <br />
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My small disaster aside, it was very calm, soothing and peaceful up on the caldera. There is a warm and comforting breeze. The views were awe-inspiring and well worth the visit.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275453213799442586.post-87308662657219781052019-01-22T18:06:00.002-08:002019-01-22T18:06:28.894-08:00Livin' La Vida Loca in Lanzarote<i>From here on out, I'm going to speed things up as this review is now a year and a half overdue!</i><br />
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We had an adventurous day planned in Arrecife, Lanzarote. Lanzarote is one of the seven Canary Islands of Spain. With its subtropical desert climate, it is known as the "Island of Eternal Spring." The island has breathtaking volcanic landscape with vast craters and uniquely shaped rock formations.<br />
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We started the tour with a short camel ride in the volcanic lands of Timanfaya, where subsurface bubbling belies the quiet landscape. I have never been on a camel before, and I was a little surprised they did it this way. I would have preferred to sit directly on the camel (with a saddle, of course).<br />
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While the camels had muzzles, the owners treated them very well. They were not whipped or kicked at any time. They were only gently pulled or nudged. You can tell they respected one another, and that makes me very happy.<br />
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We visited Timanfaya National Park and saw the geographical events of the recent volcanic eruptions in the unearthly landscapes of the beautiful park.<br />
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There were hot pockets everywhere in the park. Park employees showed us how hot the pits were by setting bushes on fire with the intense heat beneath; cold water was poured into the ground and shot back up into the surface as steam; and there was a deep pit where geothermal heat was used to cook the meat.<br />
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We also made a stop at the Bodega La Geria Winery, where lush vines flourish on barren lava fields. The winery is located in the heart of the wine country. It is also one of the oldest wineries on the island.<br />
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When we got back to the port, we stopped for a cappuccino. The harbour area was very walkable. It was small, but lively with old town charm and cobblestone.<br />
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Dinner is served late in Spain. We wanted to have dinner in a local restaurant and enjoy their seafood, so we walked around the area until sundown.<br />
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The food was delicious, and we were so so satisfied! Unfortunately, our gluttony ended up getting us in trouble.<br />
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While the ship looked like it was just around the corner, the path to the gangway was a maze. It took double the time we had expected, there was no shortcut, or direct path to the ship. We ran along the walls of the port, and through the port shops. This was the first time we were in panic mode. Thankfully, we made it back onto the ship. We ended up being the last passengers back on board, just five minutes before the gangway closed. As soon as we stepped onto the ship, they wasted no time in folding up the gangway.<br />
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Needless to say, we've learned our lesson!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275453213799442586.post-70123009269008577652018-12-16T02:23:00.003-08:002018-12-18T21:26:52.435-08:00Missing the Mark in Morocco Morocco was the main reason we decided to book this cruise. The port of Agadir was only on the itinerary once a year, so it was what sealed the deal for this cruise for us.<br />
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We had a sea day in between Lisbon and Agadir, Morocco. So we were well rested for our day in Morocco. Agadir is a beach resort destination, but the port is a commercial. It was not very welcoming as there were stacks of containers in a very industrial environment greeting us.<br />
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I really desperately wanted to love Morocco - and I tried, but things just weren't in our favour. Marrakech was about a 3 hour drive away, so a 6 hour commute in total, and with a $300 price tag, we decided to choose a different tour. We chose to tour Taroudant, also known as "Little Marrakech." Taroudant was a bit closer with a 3 hour commute. We saw something interesting on our way there. In Morocco, there's an eye-catching phenomenon of goats on trees. Morocco is famous for their argan trees, which is where Moroccon oil - or argan oil comes from, and goats are attracted to the smell and taste of the tree fruit - so much so that they will climb the tree for it! We had the luxury of driving past many trees with goats, and our tour guide allowed us to stop for pictures. We also made a stop at a restaurant for a traditional Maghrebi mint tea. I'm not sure if it's made differently at other restaurants or hotels, but this restaurant did not not rinse or wash the peppermint. Our cups of tea were filled with bugs. No one on our tour actually drank the tea. I took a small sip after taking some bugs out and it tasted delicious, but there were way too many bugs in the tea. It was too bad, I really wanted to enjoy it.<br />
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Moroccan architecture is very unique and distinct. There is a lot of geometric designs, ornate tiles and bright colours influenced by Islam.<br />
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Unfortunately, the souk wasn't anything like what we had expected. We had hoped to visit a marketplace with local food, souvenirs and handmade crafts. Instead, we were at a flea market with junk and secondhand knick-knacks. Merchants were haggling the tourists and trying to trap them in their stores. It was very chaotic.<br />
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When the tour returned us to the ship, we wanted to venture out on our own. We still had half a day and we thought Agadir had more to offer. However, the shuttle service hired by Royal Caribbean had been shut down. According to the crew, the shuttle wasn't dropping the passengers off where they were supposed to so the ship stopped the service - I guess that should have been our first sign to stay on the ship. Well, we decided to take a cab. Most of the cab drivers didn't want to take two passengers into town - this was our second sign. They didn't think the trip was worthwhile for them. They also wanted us to pay in Euros. We had Moroccan dirhams and they wouldn't take it! This was because they charged double the amount in Euros, so essentially, they were trying to rip us off. We finally found a driver who was willing to drive us into town, but he didn't speak any English. We got dropped off in the city centre, and walked around the area. I'm not exactly sure which area we were in as there were no landmarks or attractions. There were a lot of hotels with little souvenir shops, so it felt like a tourist area. By the time we reached the beach a couple of hours later, the weather had done a full 180˚. The sun and blue skies were gone, the sky was grey and cloudy. It was windy, sandy and cool. We were disappointed, and decided to head back to the ship. We had a lot of trouble tracking down a cab, even in the hotel area.<br />
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We didn't feel entirely safe in the city of Agadir when we explored on our own. There were a lot of men hollering at me even though I was with my husband. With the series of disappointing events, we felt like we weren't able to experience the real Morocco. I don't know if we'll ever be back, because it's such a far trip. But I would be open to re-visiting in the future.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275453213799442586.post-85383975771394881452018-11-14T00:23:00.003-08:002018-11-14T00:23:51.772-08:00Soaking up LisbonLisbon is a city of both modern culture and unique heritage. It just seems like one of those cities that has sunshine all year round. There's something just so warm and inviting about the city.<br />
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We wanted to see as much as Lisbon as we possibly could in 9 hours, so we hopped on a sightseeing bus to take us around Lisbon. We literally got on the first bus operator who approached us, and that was Yellow Bus. We had a few hot spots on our list, and luckily, this bus route took us to all (but one) of them.<br />
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We got off the bus at the stop along the Tagus River, where the Belem Tower and the Padrao dos Descobrimentos are located. Both are The Belem Tower is a fortified tower built in the 16th century. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Padro dos Descobrimentos monument is located across from the Belem Tower. It was first constructed as a temporary exhibit, but was reconstructed as a permanent structure twenty years later. The monument celebrates the Portuguese Age of Discovery during the 15th and 16th century. Unfortunately, you can't walk over from the Belem Tower to the Padrao dos Descobrimentos monument on the dock. You have to walk around the pier, on the sidewalk along the street. I decided to look around the souvenirs stand while the husband ran over for some pictures. <br />
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Our next stop was lunch! We sat down for lunch at the original Pasteis de Belem. They're famous for their Portuguese egg tarts, also known as pastel de natas. The bakery was packed! It's a small shop, but a big operation. The recipe has been a secret since the early 19th century, and it's a huge hit! They sell over 20, 000 tarts every day.<br />
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From the bakery, we hopped back onto the Yellow Bus. We got off in the Commerce Square (Price ado Comercio) by the Tagus River, and eventually made our way to the Lisbon Cathedral, or the Se de Lisboa, or the Santa Maria Maior de Lisboa. It was quite a steep walk on cobblestone to the church. The church is the oldest church in the city.<br />
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We were a little tired at this point, and luckily, there were a ton of tuk-tuks parked around the church. We decided to take a tuk-tuk tour in the city, and our driver drove us to the highest point of Lisbon, Our Lady of the Hill or Miradouro da Senhora do Monte. The hillside overlooks Lisbon with panoramic views. From this viewpoint, you can also see the Sao Jorge Castle.<br />
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Our tub-tuk driver took us back into the city, and dropped us off in downtown. We did some shopping, grabbed some ice cream, ogled at the pastry shops and took an uber back to the ship at sunset.<br />
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Lisbon has a lot to offer, but we didn't have enough time. We tried our best to get a taste of it, but it is a big city. We barely dipped our toe into it. With so much distance in between attractions, I definitely wouldn't recommend the sightseeing bus as the bus moves slower and makes many stops (Uber would be the way to go).<br />
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Lisbon, we'll be back one day!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275453213799442586.post-69344760599226595962018-09-13T21:30:00.000-07:002018-09-13T21:30:00.549-07:00A Visit in Vigo Our first sea day was pretty rocky. Although we were supposed to avoid the Bay of Biscay, I suspect we didn't sail too far around the bay. We experienced pretty rough seas going down from Southampton to Vigo. The Bay of Biscay is known for its rough waters and intense storms. The ship was pretty empty for the day, and it was too misty to go out on the deck. Since not much was going on around the ship, so we rested up. We did manage to get dinner in the dining room at our newly assigned table. Dinner was enjoyable!<br />
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We visited the Windjammer right before the show for a snack and discovered another great thing: it was stocked with exotic fruits! We enjoyed rambutans and dragonfruit almost every day. There were also a lot of evening activities on the ship. We're always happy to see a large number of musical performances! On the first day, we watched the cast perform Abba's greatest hits. We returned to our cabin to find a towel animal waiting for us.<br />
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We visited Vigo on a Sunday. Vigo is definitely a cruise port with a large marina and a big mall waiting for you once you get off the boat. However, most of the mall was vacant. But because it was a Sunday, everything else (shops and restaurants) was also closed.<br />
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Vigo had a lot of cobblestone and Romanesque architecture. We had planned to walk to the the Castro fortress but because everything was closed, there were not a lot of people around. The path seemed like a road less travelled and very steep. We were heading into a more residential area, we decided against wandering off and stayed in the town centre. There was protest that day, which was why the town centre was so busy. Vigo also had a lot of sculptures and street art. There is a park facing the ship along the pier. A great place to sit and enjoy the sea breeze. <br />
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We grabbed lunch at a local restaurant, Taberna A Pedra. The food was so delicious but there was a language barrier and we had a little trouble ordering off the Galician menu! We ordered fresh scallops, octopus tentacles and padron peppers. Padron peppers are small, mild green peppers. Eating a plate is kinda like playing Russian roulette. Theres always a few spicy ones on the plate. Funny story, we didn't finish the peppers, so I tried to bring them back onboard. My peppers made it through security but when the crew member who scanned my SeaPass saw my container, he asked me to throw it out. I was not about to waste half a plate of green peppers, so I ended up eating a box of peppers in front of him. :)<br />
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Here we are sailing away from Vigo... We stayed up on deck for sail away. The sun was setting as we headed in for dinner.<br />
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Dinner that evening...<br />
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I didn't find dinner to be anything special that evening, especially not after our meal in Vigo! I ordered the gyoza dish (not pictured) but I'm pretty sure it came out of a freezer. The ceviche was not very authentic. Dessert was just okay. The performance that evening was Soul Satisfaction, a Motown show.<br />
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Our next port is Lisbon, Portugal, one of my favourite ports on this cruise! We had a full day in Lisbon and an amazing time. Stay tuned!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275453213799442586.post-29785148475783561662018-08-29T21:30:00.000-07:002018-08-29T21:33:17.451-07:00Touchdown in London TownIt's time to take a trip down memory lane and revisit our European cruise from last year. It was hard to write about this trip because we had a family medical emergency on our way home. We ended up staying behind in Montreal for an extra week.<br />
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But our wedding festivities have come to an end and everything is back to normal now, so I thought it was a good idea to look back on our trip. The incident may come up later on, and I may or may not choose to address it then. For now, let's focus on our happy moments during our vacation.<br />
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To refresh your memory, our trip started in Southampton, England. From there, we set sail on a two week cruise across the Atlantic stopping in Spain, Portugal, and the Canary Islands. We then sailed back through the Bay of Biscayne returning to France, where we disembarked early for three days in the wondrous city of Paris.<br />
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We flew into London on a red-eye, and took a car to Southampton. Southampton is about an hour and a half away from London, and it was exactly as I had imagined it... Cold and dreary, much like Vancouver, to my dismay. We stayed at the Holiday Inn directly outside of the port for one night. It was a great location! From our hotel room, we could see the Navigator of the Seas.<br />
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The hotel was also about two blocks away from the West Quay Shopping Centre, so we decided to check it out. We took the long way there through Old Town as tourists. We passed by the Titanic Restaurant, a pub that paid tribute to the Titanic as Southampton was the port of its ill-fated maiden voyage. We explored the area around Bargate, which is a medieval gatehouse. Today, it serves as a historic monument for the city of Southampton.<br />
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Since it was pretty late when we arrived at West Quay, we decided to have dinner there as well. There are a strip of restaurants outside by the movie theatre, and we wanted something filling so we chose L'Osteria, the Italian restaurant. I recommend sharing a pizza. It's huge! The pasta, on the other hand, was not great. It had gotten very cold and windy by the time we finished dinner, so we rushed back to our hotel.<br />
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It was raining the next morning, so we ran to Primark to get myself some water-resistant shoes. I was worried it would rain at the ports and all I had packed were espadrilles, sandals and heels. Luckily, I was able to buy a pair of loafers for £5. Why don't we have Primark in Canada?! When we returned to the hotel, we set out to the cruise terminal. There were two entrances to the cruise terminal, unfortunately, the one closest to our hotel (which was literally a two minute walk) was closed due to a boat show. That meant we had to walk all the way around the port to the other entrance. With six pieces of luggage and unfavourable weather, it made more sense to take a cab instead. It was about £12. Once we were there, security and check-in was a breeze. Because we were Platinum cruisers, we had a large window for check-in - between 11 AM to 3 PM. We were in no hurry and ended up going at 2 PM.<br />
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Once onboard, we headed straight to our cabin to put down our carry-on luggage.<br />
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Immediately after, we headed up to the Windjammer for a late lunch. Nothing like a hot meal to start your cruise! Afterwards, we attended our muster drill before the sail away. Goodbye Southampton!<br />
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We had dinner in the dining room that evening. As it was the first day of the cruise, the menu wasn't very exciting. We did have to put in a request for our own table. Out of our many family cruises, this was the first time our party of four was seated with two other groups. I wasn't full from dinner, so we grabbed a few slices of pizza from the Promenade Cafe. The Promenade Cafe is opened 24 hours, and it serves pizza, sandwiches, sweets and other hot food. It's also the place to grab a hot cup of tea after a show. We found ourselves sneaking in a midnight snack at the cafe nightly throughout the cruise.<br />
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Age is finally catching up with me! I was still pretty jet lagged so we turned in early that evening. The next day is our first sea day. Stay tuned...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275453213799442586.post-79171195196080607152018-08-07T21:56:00.002-07:002018-08-07T21:56:59.524-07:00City Girl in a Small TownThree and a half months ago, we got married! We had a beautiful ceremony on the Oasis of the Seas, and spent a week celebrating with our closest family and friends. A month later, we hosted a local wedding reception for our friends and family. It's been a hectic couple of months, but we are settling into married life and looking forward to being travel partners for life.<br />
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I'm way behind on our travel diaries! I still have to catch up on our Navigator of the Seas cruise and Paris. It's hard to believe that trip was nine months ago. But I will definitely get to them, and get to our Oasis of the Seas wedding cruise. In the meantime, while this is fresh on my mind, I'm going to jump right into our little mini-moon trip last month. We won't be going on a real honeymoon, so this is as close as it will get!<br />
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The husband goes to the Okanagan for work twice a year in the summer. The Coquihalla highway is notorious for its steep, mountainous terrain. It's especially dangerous in the winter, which is why he visits in the summer. I've never been the Okanagan so we thought it would be a good idea for me to join him for the weekend. It was also a chance for me to explore my own province!<br />
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I flew up late after work one night to rendezvous with the husband. The flight was over an hour delayed, and it was via a small, little propeller jet. For a girl who flies often, I was nervous about this tiny little plane. It honestly felt like it didn't have enough power to take off. Thank God it was a short plane ride. We were only in the air for about 40 minutes.<br />
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Kelowna definitely had a small-town charm vibe. It was very quiet, and the air was still. It's hard to describe, but in the city, you always feel rushed like there's always a sense of urgency. There is always honking and people talking in the background. It's different in small towns.<br />
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We had lunch at Old Vines Restaurant at Quails' Gate Estate Winery. I visited my first vineyard, and boy, do I love being in the vineyard. I just wanted to run up and down the rows for days (actually, I am majorly out of shape so I didn't.) It's an awestruck feeling though, and the views are beyond gorgeous.<br />
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I'm not big on wine, unfortunately, I haven't quite acquired the taste of wine yet. I know, I was in wine country and everything is dry! I will have the odd Riesling, but I am totally guilty for being a Moscato fan.<br />
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For lunch, we had oysters to start. I had the cod (pictured), he had the steak (not pictured).<br />
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After lunch, we drove to La Frenz in Penticton to pick up a few bottles of wine. Penticton is about fifty minutes away from Kelowna. While we were there, we stopped by Tickleberry's, a local favourite ice cream shop. Here, two scoops was the minimum!<br />
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The next day, we drove Oliver, which is about an hour and twenty minutes south of Kelowna. We stopped at Terrafina at Hester Creek Estate Winery for lunch. I had a squid-pea sprout salad, and the husband had pasta. Both dishes were very unique and delicious!<br />
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Oliver was where we started to see cherry trees everywhere. Being in the produce industry, I knew that cherry season had just started. I had never seen a cherry orchard before, so I was pretty excited to see them. Unfortunately, U-Pick doesn't start until July, so we missed out on cherry picking.<br />
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We also made a pitstop at LaStella, the only winery in the Okanagan that makes a Moscato! LaStella is a smaller winery, but it was the end of the day, so we were able to sample a couple of wines while we were there. Wine tastings at LaStella are to be pre-booked, so the sommelier was very nice to let us sample a few.<br />
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From there, we continued our drive to Osoyoos, another twenty minutes west. Osoyoos is a border town to the US. It is also the most southern town in the valley, so it was pretty hot and humid. We stayed at Spirit Ridge at NK'IP Resort. It is a unique area with lush vineyards for miles. While the resort overlooked Lake Osoyoos, behind it was the Cascade Mountains. It was also a desert, home to rattlesnakes and gophersnakes, both of which are "at-risk" species in BC. The resort is on the Osoyoos Indian Band's reserve. There was a cultural centre in the resort, but we didn't have time to visit.<br />
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It was raining and the weather was cool when we checked in, so that meant we had to skip the pool.<br />
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We visited the NK'MIP Cellars and had our first wine tasting. I didn't try anything I liked, but the husband really enjoyed their Merlot, and ended up buying a bottle for himself, and a few bottles of Meritage for our family. Afterwards, we walked around the vineyards and the desert trail to take in the surroundings and the gorgeous view.<br />
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We took advantage of our full kitchen, and cooked dinner. We had cedar plank salmon, sweet corn and grilled mushrooms. We watched the sun set and enjoyed a glass of Moscato on our balcony.<br />
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Isn't that a cool sunset picture on the right? I read about this trick online - using your iPhone as a mirror to photograph a "live" reflection with your SLR. I really liked how it turned out!<br />
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The next day, we checked out and had lunch in the resort restaurant, Mica. It was Father's Day, but it was a very quiet day. Maybe it's just like this all the time in the Okanagan?<br />
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Before we set off on our way home, we had three more wineries to stop at. We stopped at Platinum Bench Estate Winery. Funnily enough, Platinum Bench is known for their artisan bread. We had pre-ordered three loaves. It was so good. Next stop was Burrowing Owl Estate Winery, a very well-known BC winery. Burrowing Owl had an observation deck for viewing. The climb up the tower was well worth it - the view was breathtaking.<br />
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Lastly, we mad a quick pit stop at LaStella to pick up a couple more bottles of wine! It was much busier than it was the day before. But we were in and out in no time.<br />
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On our way out of the Okanagan, we stopped at many fruit stands, buying cherries for our families. We took Highway-1 home. It was a four hour drive, a shorter route than the Coquihalla.<br />
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Even thought I am from this province, BC is uncharted territory for me, and I love being able to explore it like my own backyard. We had a wonderful time in the Okanagan and I would love to go back for a longer visit next time! And whether you like wine or not, I highly recommend a visit to the Okanagan!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0