The Highs and Lows of My Five Month Trip

So my 5 month retirement trip is a wrap, although I am only home for two months and then hit the road on September 1 for the Channel Islands (Jersey and Guernsey), Nice, France, Monaco, Spain, Algeria, Senegal and the Gambia.  I will be back in mid-November.

Now on this trip, I have taken 32 flights, 22 trains (excluding commuter trains), 11 ferry rides (excluding commuter boats in Bangkok), 7 boat trips (including the 2 boat trips in Papua New Guinea), 2 jeepneys, 2 tuk tuks, 6 buses, and more Ubers, Grabs, private cars and taxis than I can count.

So the following are the highs and lows of my trip through New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines and Fiji.

The Highest of the Highs

• The day my grandniece Cora aka Boo was removed from life support and spoke her first words
• The day we learned Cora had no brain damage;
• The day a few weeks later when Cora was allowed to return home.

(Cora continues her recovery with PT to regain her strength and medications to heal her heart.  She just turned 16 yesterday!)

The Highs

• Travelling with my friend Tom Linde in New Zealand
• Queenstown, NZ (fabulous town)
• The green mussels in Queenstown, NZ (superb)
• Milford Sound, NZ (gorgeous)
• Peter Jackson Gallipoli exhibition in Wellington, NZ
• Food and Spice Odyssey food tour in Wellington, NZ
• Sydney Harbor in Australia
• Sydney Harbor bridge climb in Australia
• Manly Beach in Sydney, Australia
• Gourmet Getaways tour to the Hunter Valley outside Sydney, Australia (awesome food and wine)
• Lease 65 oysters at Binalong Bay in Tasmania, Australia (best oysters ever)
• Cradle Mountain, Tasmania, Australia
• The Great Ocean Road (outside Melbourne, Australia) with koalas
• DeBortoli Winery outside Melbourne, Australia (with that fabulous cheese)
• Phillip Island tour (outside Melbourne, Australia) with kangaroos wallabies and the fairy penguin parade
• Fabulous Perth, Australia (enough said)
• The Cherry Blossoms in Japan (stunning)
• Finding that my new credit card was delivered to my hotel in Kyoto after it was cancelled by B of A due to fraud
• Kyoto, Japan and its magnificent history and temples
• The Golden Temple in Kyoto (gorgeous)
• Hiroshima, Japan (also see the lows)
• Onsens in Japan (damn I love those heated springs)
• Takayama, Japan Spring Festival
• Japanese bullet trains
• Mt. Fuji, Japan day trip
• Lunch with the Nagasakas in Ginsu, Tokyo, Japan
• Day trip in Taiwan to Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen Old Street, Shifen Waterfall and Shifen Railway Station (with the balloon lighting)
• Dumplings in Taipei Taiwan
• Chef’s Streetfood Tour of Chinatown in Bangkok, Thailand
• Lad Mayom Floating Market outside Bangkok, Thailand
• The crab and glass noodle lunch at Lad Mayom Floating Market outside Bangkok, Thailand
• Guide Apple in Bangkok, Thailand (first rate)
• Riva Surya Bangkok Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand (fabulous with an amazing views to the Chao Phraya River from my room)
• The nightly music show from the cruise boats along the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, Thailand
• Klumpu Bali Resort in Bali, Indonesia (fabulous hotel)
• Swinging over the Tegalalang Rice Terraces on the giant swing outside Bali, Indonesia
• Ulun Danu Bertan Temple (aka the Water Temple) outside Bali Indonesia
• Trista Gangga Water Palace outside Bali, Indonesia
• Ululawatu Temple Kecia Fire Dance Show, outside Bali, Indonesia
• The Indonesian people (incredibly kind)
• Komodo Dragon Island and the Komodo dragons in Indonesia
• North Stradbroke Island tour outside Brisbane, Australia
• Karawari River boat trips in Papua New Guinea
• Karawari Lodge and the people at the Karawari Lodge in Papua New Guinea
• Flying with Sam all over Papua New Guinea
• The two food tours in Manila, Philippines (Mandaluyong and China Town)
• Cruisin Fiji and the snorkeling tour to Mana Sand Island, Monu Island and Monuriki Island, Fiji
• Chili Crab Shack on the Coral Coast in Fiji
• Bedarra Beach Hotel, Fiji

The Lowest of the Lows

• The phone call on February 22, 2025 from my niece Callie when I was in Auckland to tell me Cora had been airlifted to Seattle Childrens Hospital with pneumonia and severe flu
• The phone call from my sister the next day (February 23, 2025) to tell me Cora had suffered cardiac arrest and was on life support

The Lows

• The no show tour company (Sydney Private Day Tours) for my private Sydney, Australia tour (but the replacement company did a great job)
• Getting food poisoning from pizza in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
• Having my credit card cancelled while in Melbourne by B of A due to credit card fraud
• Darwin, Australia – not a fan
• The Ghan train trip from Darwin, Australia to Adelaide, Australia – I don’t get the hype: mediocre views from the train and OK food
• Ayer’s Rock, Australia – again, I don’t get the hype
• Sails in the Desert at Ayer’s Rock, Australia – rude staff and mediocre accommodations (not worth the price)
• Hiroshima, Japan (brutal history, but I had to visit)
• Nara, Japan sacred deer – I found them overly aggressive and a bit dangerous
• Shinjuku in Tokyo, Japan – way too crowded
• Getting food poisoning after the street food tour in Taipei, Taiwan
• Historic Dadocheng walking tour in Taipei, Taiwan – it was just a street with a bunch of vendors
• Bali, Indonesia – I don’t get the hype; traffic is awful; tourist overload; and lots of garbage
• Getting food poisoning in Bali, Indonesia (apparently they call it Bali Belly)
• The Whitsundays, Australia – overhyped and the cruise was mediocre
• Papua New Guinea – the men stink (seriously with B.O. and lack of showers … had to cover my nose repeatedly); the country is nothing but a garbage dump with garbage piled everywhere (except for the lovely Karawari River)
• PNG Tours Papua New Guinea – someone in the Port Moresby office is a thief who opened my carry-on suitcase with many of my souvenirs and stole my backup camera and the handpainted shirt for Cora
• Jace, the novice tour guide on the Tagaytay, Taal and Taal Heritage Town tour in Manila, Philippines

So that’s a wrap.  I will be back blogging in September.  Cheers and thanks to everyone who made my trip so so special and to anyone who read my blogs.

Author: lawyerchick92

I am a lawyer by trade, but long to be a full time traveller. My life changed for the better when my brother donated a kidney to me on October 14, 2002. View all posts by lawyerchick92