Arrival in Opotiki

This morning we left Rotorua for Opotiki to visit our friend Sally Kibblewhite. The home she and David established here is beautiful. They have about 10 acres of land at the end of the road, with a view of the ocean. David was quite the gardener. They planted trees where there was brush. They put in more than two dozen olive trees. There are also figs, pear, apple, avocado and lemon. She now has a small vegetable garden as well.

The internet here is pretty slow and I'm having trouble linking pictures. So there may not be much here until we arrive in Auckland again on Thursday afternoon/evening.

A Day in Rotorua

On Monday morning we went to the Polynesian Spa to bathe in the thermal waters. We signed up for the Adults Area and Priest Pools. The Priest Pools are acidic and benefit the aches and pains in muscles and joints. The others are alkaline and are said to be good for the skin. I only went in the latter for a brief time; the water felt very slippery, as if it were highly softened. The three Priest Pools had different temperatures -- 39, 41, and 42 C. Dan enjoyed the hottest, but I found the 39-degree one the best for me. There were low wooden benches built into each pool so you could sit around the edge. Below is a view of one of the Priest Pools, overlooking Lake Rotorua. It was wonderful to be in the warm water and I wish I could have stayed in it longer, but 30 minutes was all I could manage.

We found a nice bakery for lunch, were we both had a Paleo-sandwich, a grain and seed tortilla wrapped around sautéed veggies and chicken or pork.

We took a rest in the afternoon and I even napped. We had signed up for a Maori village dinner and program. It was very well organized. Multiple buses went around the city picking up attendees. When we arrived at the village, we were assigned to our dining tables (about 24 tables of 10 in a tent). After some introductory remarks, we proceeded outside to see the unveiling of our dinner -- a hangi. Lamb, chicken, potatoes, and sweet potatoes were steamed in a fire pit for four hours.

Then we took a walk into the woods to see the passing of a Maori canoe on the stream. The path was pretty good, although somewhat uneven, and had more steps than I expected. The woods were beautiful.

After we returned from the canoe tableau, we went into a performance arena, a large tent with an open stage set up like a Maori village. There were dances, songs, and speeches. It was all very well done, with one person describing what was going on.

Following the performance we headed back to the dining tent and to our assigned tables. The dinner also included a variety of salads, garlic bread, and desserts. While we ate, the master of ceremonies tried to find out how many countries were represented. It was over 20. The most unusual was a group from Reunion Island near Madagascar and Mauritius.

There was one more event -- a short hike to see the glowworms in the woods. As we had missed the glowworm caves, I was looking forward to that, but, unfortunately, neither Dan nor I was up to another walk in the woods. We went into our bus and waited for the others to return.

West Coast Drive

This is the post about Saturday that I thought had already been published. Thank goodness it showed up here somehow!

The major attractions in the area we are staying are several cave tours, a waterfall, and similar wonders. However, all of them require more walking than either of us is up to right now. So we decided to take a drive to the west coast, about 50 kilometers from our motel. Our goal was the village where the Marakopa River meets the sea. It is evidently a favorite beach for fishing and surfing, although the currents are extremely strong. It is also known for its black sand volcanic beach. The sand was very fine and gritty so we didn't walk around on it.

The scenery began with farm land

At one point the view opened up across the hills to a valley

We saw many beehives like this in fields

Many one-lane bridges, clearly marked for right-of-way

Hills showing areas of trees and bare grassland

Another gorgeous view along the way

Marakopa River meets the sea

South from Marakopa we had unpaved road part of the way

We headed south through the hills to Awakino, near where our small road meets a highway. We were looking forward to lunch, as our map showed food availability here. We went into Sparky's, the only restaurant, called out, rang the bell, and left when no one showed up. I guess this isn't the season for tourists in this area. Once we got on the main road north, we found a takeaway food cafe and had lunch, but it wasn't memorable, or photogenic!

It threatened to rain off and on all day, but we didn't really hit anything heavy. Very fortunate. Tomorrow we head to Rotorua.

Waitomo to Rotorua

I was very disappointed to open up the blog today and find my post from yesterday completely missing. I had lots of photos! I will try to recreate it after I get this one up.

Today (Sunday) we traveled from the Waitomo area to Rotorua, a well-known destination for its thermal waters and adventurer tours. The rain finally came during the night and we had more off and on during the two-hour-plus drive. The scenery wasn't much different than some we saw yesterday, rolling hills with lots of sheep and cattle. The rain made picture-taking difficult.

Our motel here is much nicer than the one in Waitomo. It is really hard to tell what to expect online, even with the TripAdvisor site and all the reviews it hosts. After checking in, we went downtown to find some lunch and see what the area is like. The downtown is quite large, with shops, restaurants, and other businesses filling perhaps 12 square block or so. We were looking for a Thai restaurant, but the first one was closed. The second one was, thankfully, open. We had spring rolls and our fallback Thai dishes, Pad Thai for Dan and Pad See Yew for me.

After lunch, we drove to a point on Lake Rotorua. I tried to photograph the heavy waves, but they didn't turn out. An attraction there is the black swans, of which there were many. I did manage this one shot showing two of them with dozens of little ones. How many cygnets do they have at one time? It is hard to see them here, but all those little black dots are babies.

Traveling to New Zealand, Days 1 to 3

We left home about 11:00 in yet another snowstorm. Maybe it will be the last one for this winter in northern Indiana. We can only hope spring comes soon! It was a slow drive to Michigan City, but we didn’t have any real trouble. In fact, the further west we went, the nearer we were to the end of the storm. The bus leaves from a new location just a mile or so from the old one. Instead of a hotel parking lot, it is in a shopping center with space allowed for long-term parking at no cost. We arrived just a half hour before the bus was due, enough time to go into Applebee’s and have a quick bite to eat. Once we were on the bus, it got stuck trying to pull out of the parking lot into the street. After much wheel-spinning and patient (or not) waiting, it began to move. Everything was behind schedule because of the storm that had come through Chicago earlier. When we arrived at the United check-in area, there were many people milling around trying to talk to an agent. It seems that many flights out of O’Hare had been cancelled that morning and people had been waiting around for some time. We couldn’t check in via a kiosk, as our tickets were from Air New Zealand and not recognized by United’s system. Eventually we got to the front of the line and got our boarding passes. After another 10-15 minutes my wheelchair arrived. From there we had a very easy time, being taking right through security and delivered to our gate area. We only had about an hour to wait; we were glad we had left much earlier than planned and caught an earlier bus.

We were disappointed to be assigned a middle and a window seat. The plane was not quite full, and the young woman assigned our aisle seat moved to sit with her friends. So in the end we had an empty middle seat between us. That is luxury in economy.

We were met at Los Angeles by another wheelchair. But this time we had to change terminals, which involved a long distance to the baggage area and the outdoor transportation area. At that point we were put into a special mobility bus that took us to the international terminal, quite a distance away. There was another chair waiting for us, and we were taken directly to the Air New Zealand Premier Lounge. We had found out just a few days earlier that our Premium Economy seats had been upgraded to Business Class. We felt like quite the yokels in the lounge, having seen these places so often and never been allowed inside! The chairs were very comfortable and there was an array of food and drink available. At last we were taken to the plane, where we were the first on board. It was so amazing to us to be there. We have traveled to and from India many times, as well as to South Africa and Thailand, but we had never “turned left” when entering the plane. (Fans of “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” may remember that was an important thing to the unhappy woman who left India to return home.) By this time (11:00 PM, 2 AM at home) we were ready to get some sleep. Dinner was on offer, but neither of us wanted it. As soon as possible after takeoff, we fixed up our beds on the seat, which automatically laid out flat. There was a nice mattress that fit it perfectly, two nice pillows, and a quilt-like blanket. Both Dan and I were asleep within minutes. It was very comfortable and we both slept a good long time — at least seven hours.

Morning tea was available in nice porcelain mugs. We could order whatever breakfast we wanted, cooked to order. I had Eggs Benedict with spinach. The entertainment system was extensive, although I didn’t even look at it until morning. I was thrilled to watch “Philomena,” a Judi Dench movie that I’ve been wanting to see. There were many other choices as well.

Deplaning and going through immigration and baggage was again made easy by my wheelchair assistant. Our car rental agency required a shuttle bus ride and we were soon there. We brought our Garmin GPS system with us, including the Australia/New Zealand SD card. We plugged in the address of our motel and took off. It was about a three-hour drive to Waitomo, an area with many caves. We had hoped to tour at least one, but Dan and I are both having some mobility issues that make walking difficult, so we will do something else tomorrow.

Our very basic motel, the Glowworm (at least one of the caves is lit up by them), is only a few miles from the town of Otorohanga. After getting checked in, we went into town for lunch and to pick up a few groceries for supper and breakfast. We will spend the rest of the day relaxing and trying not to sleep too early! And, yes, we left on Wednesday the 12th, but arrived here on Friday the 14th, having crossed the International Date Line. At the end, we will fly from Sydney through Auckland back to LA and Chicago all in one day.

Tomorrow I promise to have some photos!

Winter of Snow

Snow on top of snow on top of snow. Last week the trucks pushed back the piles to make room for more. This was taken right outside our front door just before noon Wednesday, February 5, 2014.

Interim non-Travel Post

A little over two weeks after we returned from our Ireland trip, we went to Hot Springs, Arkansas, for a week. Some dear friends had given us a week in a time-share condo that they couldn't use. It is a place we had never been, so we were happy to accept. The first morning we were there, I woke up with a terrific pain all down my left leg. I've had sciatica and other back issues off and on over the years, but this pain was definitely more intense. It didn't respond to the exercises I do that usually decrease the pain. Fortunately, I had a walking stick along (having hopes of taking some walks on the trails in the park), which helped me get along. 

That afternoon we went downtown to the National Park Headquarters area and visited the old spas there. I decided to try one of the treatments, and it was wonderful. The building was from 1912 and in fine condition, but not modernized. The full course was wonderful, starting with the bath and ending with a massage. It is described here if you'd like more information. It all felt wonderful, but didn't decrease my pain.

The next day it hadn't improved, so I called my sister Becky the N.P. She said the only thing to do was to go to an E.R., but it might not be helpful. They would be reluctant to give strong pain medicines to someone passing through. So we decided to head home. We left on Tuesday afternoon and got back on Wednesday late afternoon. I spent the entire time lying in the back seat on my right side. I had a few pillows and was pretty comfortable except when we stopped and I had to go to the motel room or for a rest stop. We went straight to the Goshen Hospital E.R., where we had to wait for an hour or so. It was a busy place. A doctor checked me out and gave me some prescriptions, which we picked up and went home. Over the next six weeks or so, I saw my regular doctor, two orthopedists, pain clinic doctor, had an MRI and an X-ray, and was scheduled for surgery on December 6. I had severe lumbar spinal stenosis and a ruptured disk.

I had surgery at Goshen Hospital, where they fused L3, L4, and L5 to the Sacral area. Four days later, I was moved to the Elkhart Hospital Rehab Unit. I was there ten days. The therapists and nurses were excellent and I made good progress. I had to learn to dress myself using an arm-length grabber, use a walker correctly, and do some exercising. I was home in time for Christmas, when our daughter and son-in-law came to be with us. 

Since Christmas I have gradually improved. I have had a lot of pain in my right hip, making it difficult to sit. At my six-week postop checkup, we learned that one of the screws had pierced the pelvic bone and it was taking longer to heal. By now, at two months postop, it is much better. I can sit (with a cushion) without as much pain, so I can tell it is healing. I have been able to move from using a walker to getting around with a cane, and even without the cane for shorter distances. (The wheeled walker is good for transporting things, though, so I keep it around.) I've been out of the house for various medical appointments, but not much else. Last week Dan began taking me more places, and we even went out to lunch. This week I have a goal of getting out daily, starting with a library trip this afternnon. As I write this, it is February 4, and I have a checkup tomorrow. I hope the doctor will be pleased with my progress.

This has been a difficult experience, but greatly helped by Dan and our house guest Darab, who have been handling everything around the house, especially managing the kitchen, grocery shopping, meals, and clean-up. Dan and I are leaving for a long-planned trip to New Zealand and Australia on March 12. I may not be back to my full pre-surgery self, but I should be able to manage. The long flight on Air New Zealand will be difficult, but we are in Premium Economy, and the seats are more comfortable than regular economy. I'm so glad we had decided to book those seats; little did we know at the time how grateful I would be for a little more comfort!

Check back here in mid-March if you want to follow our trip!

Last Day in Ireland

Tomorrow we fly home. It has been a wonderful two weeks. We've seen a lot, had great experiences, and overall are very happy we came. But two weeks of nonstop touring is a lot! This is one of the first places we've travelled to in many years that we didn't have someone to visit while here.

Fortunately, we planned for our last two nights to be in a B&B in Swords, the town closest to the airport. It will make a short easy trip in the morning to return our car and check in for our 11:25 flight. Today we went north to see the Bru na Boinne visitor centre, from where it is possible to visit several Stone Age monuments. We went to Newgrange, a circular burial mound on the top of a small hill. It is in the middle of farmland, so it was a bit roundabout to get there. We shouldn't have followed our GPS, which took us very near the monument, but we had to go another 20 kilometers around to get to the actual entrance.

This burial mound has been very well preserved. It was discovered by modern people in 1699 and taken over as a national monument in the 1880s. We went inside to the center room, where about 25 of us were able to stand. There are three alcoves with large stone basins, where some cremated human remains were found. The structure has been dated to about 3200 B.C., a thousand years before the pyramids in Egypt and Stonehenge in England. The structure is build of overlapping huge stones that were brought more than 20 miles to this location.

Walkway into the visitors' centre

River Boyne from walking bridge

View of the monument

In the photo below you can see the entrance with the decorated stone in front. The entrance is low; adults have to stoop to enter. The slit above the lintel allows the sun to penetrate completely into the center of the structure for five days surrounding the winter solstice.

Entry way with decorated megalith

Closer look at the stone

Another area nearby

A structure off to the side

Looking in the passageway; no photos allowed inside

A large circle of low stones nearby

A view from the hill

A lovely old tree on the hill

Can you tell we aren't in the USA?

Country road again

Heading South

After a very nice day in Northern Ireland, we headed south this morning. We didn't have any particular sight-seeing plans on the way, but we saw a sign for Navan Fort and its visitors' centre, so we decided to go for it. We told our GPS to go to the Fort. We ended up on a one-lane country road with no visitor center-type place nearby. But there was a lovely farm. There was a gateway marked Navan Fort, so we went in and climbed up the path. At the top of the hill was a large circular mound surrounded by an earthen wall. It is prehistoric; no one is sure exactly when it was in use. Under the grassy top there are chambers filled with stones. I have a feeling it is similar to what we are planning to see tomorrow at Newgrange and Knowth. There was no one else around and we had an idyllic little hike and a great view.

Farm below the hill

The Navan Fort

Interesting tree at the fort

Another view from the top

We continued on our way and enjoyed a stop at a service center on the M1 super highway. It was impressive -- yes, it had a Burger King and a Costa Coffee, but it also had a local cafe with excellent-appearing food. We had our usual tea and scone in a nice setting.

Our B&B is in Swords, the town north of Dublin that is near the airport. We have two nights here, giving us a leisurely end to the trip and an easy drive to the airport Wednesday morning. We went into the town for supper tonight and ended up at a local pub. The food was decent and plentiful.

Pub interior

I looked at this clock a lot and got a kick out of it -- it's not working any more

Irish stew in bread bowl

Ivy-covered wall of our B&B

Into Northern Ireland

We left the Donegal area fairly early, planning to stop at the Ulster American Folk Park. Alas, we discovered it didn't open until 11:00 and we didn't want to wait more than an hour, so we kept heading north. We had a wonderful drive along the coast, which is absolutely gorgeous. We stopped for tea in the little seaside resort town of Castlerock.

Dan had a latte; pretty, isn't it?

Our main stop for the day was the Giant's Causeway, a World Heritage Site. Basalt columns pushed up by ancient volcanoes form an amazing natural phenomenon. It was about a kilometer's walk from the visitor center to the actual rocks. The audio guided tour was very enjoyable, including quite a few stories about Finn McCool, the giant who allegedly used this walkway.

You can see the columns here

Camel formation in stone

Finn McCool's giant chimneys in the distance

Looking across the cove

Dan at the top

You can see some of the hexagonal rocks

The surface near the top

After we left there, we headed on around the coast, back toward our B&B in Portrush. We passed this old castle.

Small rock islands seen from the shore

We easily found our B&B, right on the main road through Portrush. This is another holiday resort town and lots of people were around here for a Sunday outing. We had dinner at 55° North, a very nice restaurant just across the street. We enjoyed sitting next to a couple from Belfast who were very friendly. This place has a special 3-course early bird menu and it was really busy!

We both had Caesar salad to start

Dan's pork chop on mash with red cabbage

My stir fry with veggies, cashews, and noodles (I left most of the noodles!)

Dan's brownie with toffee sauce

My fresh fruit roulade