Bundaberg, AUSTRALIA

 I'm still pondering the marvel of how I got to Bundaberg. It wasn't on my itinerary. It wasn't even on my mind. And when I first arrived here, I had no intention of staying. But here I am still after 3 weeks and 2 days. And let me tell you how it happened.

Blame it on the cyclones. I had flown from Brisbane to Gladstone because that was the nearest airport to my dream destination which was (and is) Agnes Water. Why Agnes Water? Because, while traveling on the bus, I sat beside a lovely Indian man from Bangladesh who told me that he'd lived there and it was "heaven". In fact, when he had to leave, he wept because the people there were so nice and the place was just "heavenly". He told me I had to go there. 

That kind of thing doesn't happen very often about a place to go to. So, I did take it seriously. After staying for a while in Brisbane, I made up my mind to see this heaven on earth that this man spoke of. But, I didn't want to take the train again. Not again. So I flew and when I got to Gladstone, I found a cheap backpackers bunk house and stayed there overnight, purchasing a bus ticket to Agnes Water for the next day.

However, that night I got an email from Greyhound telling me that my bus trip was canccelled "due to unforseen circumstances". In clear speak, there was a cyclone that flooded the bridges making passage impossible. So, I stayed another two days in Gladstone and booked another bus ticket. 

The night of the bus trip to Agnes Water, I went to the gas station shop and waited for the bus inside but suddenly decided to go outside, in case the bus was in a hurry. Well, the bus didn't show up. So I prayed. It took 15 to 20 minutes of desperate prayer before that bus showed up and as I walked towards it, the bus driver called down to me that I was not listed on her passenger list! What?

She allowed me to put my bags on under the bus and then said, "I can't take you to Agnes Water tonight but I can drop you at Mariam Vale. Do you still want to board?" Well, I had come this far and it was already dark, so wherever Miriam Vale was, at least it was closer to my destination. So, I said, "Yes."

However, when we got to Miriam Vale, it was pitch dark and the driver said, "There are no taxis going to Agnes Water tonight and I don't feel right about dropping you off here in the middle of nowhere. Do you want to get off at the next stop? It's Bundaberg." Sounded German to me but, what the heck, "Sure."

We arrived in Bundaberg at 12:40 or so and as I got off the bus, the driver asked, "You gonna be right?" I said, "Sure. The McDonald's is open." It was dark and as I walked with my luggage towards, McD's, cockroaches came alive under the wheels of my suitcase and scattered in all directions ahead of me. It was creepy. At first they looked like big globs of gum stuck on the sidewalks but as the wheels approached, they rose up and scurried off. (I discovered later that there had been massive flooding in the town turning the sidewalks into a huge lake. The cockroaches had apparently come up onto the sidewalks to get out of the water that had drained off before I got there.)

At McD's I had to ask a customer what town I was in. I looked up the cheapest hostel I could find and then a security guard came and gave me directions on how to get there. At 1 am, I stood at the Dingo Blue Place and rang the bell that didn't work. But a couple came out on their way somewhere and got ahold of the house mom who had gone to sleep. She was pregnant. 

She didn't want me to stay because she had so many people reserved to come in but in the end, she took me to a fully air-conned and empty room and let me stay for free! I had asked, "Do you want me to pay tonight or tomorrow?" She said, "Don't worry about paying. You've been through enough for one night."

That night I slept deep and sound. 

Next morning, I started walking with my suitcase wondering where to go and got, "Stop at the first restaurant." So I did. As I opened the door, a lady jumped to hold the door for me and I put my suitcases beside the door, ordered breakfast and afterwards, told her to have a nice day. She started talking and before you know it, her husband gave me his seat and left. So we sat talking a while. She invited me to her church the next day.

I started walking and came to a library, thinking, "I need an electrical outlet to charge my phone, an internet connection to look for a hostel and a toilet for the usual reasons. And a library has all that!" So I went to the library and found a hostel called "The Bunk Inn" which was only a few blocks away. 

Not only did they have a bed but it was a single unattached bed. In other words, not a bunkbed. It was clean and comfortable. So I booked on for a week and then another week and then I moved to the big dormitory for another week. The main lady in charge became friends and we hung out together a bit and shared war stories. 

Conversations were interesting and I even went to the beach which was only 45 minutes away. It's going to be hard to say good-bye to my new friends here but I'm getting used to it as people, especially backpackers, come and go frequently. Nobody stays for very long unless they get a job nearby. As for me, I'm still trying to get to Agnes Water. I booked a ticket for Tuesday. We'll see how that goes! 

"England Swings Like a Pendulum Do..."

 I didn't see any Bobbies on bicycles two-by-two. But I did see Westminster Abby and the Tower of Big Ben. And the rosy red cheeks of the little children. (song lyrics)

Big Ben is a LOT bigger than I thought it was going to be! 

You gotta love the architecture in the area around Big Ben and Westminster Abby. They don't make buildings like this anymore. It's like time travel to be on the ground around these marvels.

Trafalgar Square picture taken at the National Gallery Art Museum.

On December 1st, I arrived in London from Victoria, B.C. via Vancouver and Calgary. I had a few hours of layover in Calgary, so met up with my son, Solomon and his son, Kevin for dinner. It was our family Christmas dinner, so we had some wine with our meal. 

I had reserved a room at a B&B just outside of Heathrow, so I had to find the shuttle to get there. I thought it was going to be an easy walk off the plane onto a shuttle. I was wrong. 

Going through customs was easy as pie. All you have to do is go into a little booth, put your passport into a slot and the door opens to let you into England. No questions asked. Not even the electronic scanner. However, even though your passport doesn't get stamped and there's no visible visa, you're on record. You get three months and no more. And it's not just three months for the UK, that includes all of Europe. Times have changed. And it's going to get even tighter in March, 2025. We have to leave the entire European community after three months and stay out for three months before returning. 

To find the shuttle, I had to go on a shuttle to Terminal 5, then another shuttle, then up an elevator, through Arrivals and into a long, long walkway to the bus that would take me to the B&B. Since I didn't have an oyster card (the plastic card used to board local transport) I asked if I could use cash. The driver told me I needed to have exact change (6 pounds!) but all I had was a ten and he happily took it without giving me any change. 

Six pounds doesn't sound like a lot but what I got for the Canadian dollar was TWO TO ONE. Plus! That's right folks, the Canadian dollars is in the sh*tter compared to the rest of the world's currency. Who can we thank for that? Don't get me started.

Here's some more of London's gorgeous architecture. 

At the National Gallery, I waited for 20 minutes in a long line of people in the drizzling rain at Trafalgar Square where protestors were shouting and whistling in a huge crowd, waving Palestinian flags and setting off fireworks while Police surrounded them and then sirens went off as ambulances roared away from the crowd in the square. 

The Gallery was well worth the wait. We were gobsmacked by the amazing art pieces.

Notice the person on the right. This will give you an idea of the enormous size of the painting.

This is the Apostle John, presumably writing Revelation. I have to mention the inaccuracy of the cherubim. Cherubim are huge, powerful angels. And angels do NOT have sex organs.  

Thomas putting his finger into Jesus's wound after His resurrection. Did you know that Jesus walked on the earth for 40 days after He rose from the dead? 

MY TRIP TO VANCOUVER AND WHITE ROCK

My son, Solomon, invited me to visit him in Vancouver where he was on a working trip, staying at the Holiday Inn in Surrey. I accepted the invitation, worked out the bus schedules, threw a few items in a shopping bag and set off for an excursion. 

I had to take one bus to Duncan, another to Nanaimo and yet another to the Departure Bay Ferry Terminal.

Here's a picture taken at Departure Bay

The one hour, twenty minute trip is well worth $21 Canadian because every inch of the way, the scenery is amazing. White-capped peaks are visible in the background and there are several different colors of green in the landscape. Of course, if you have a more professional camera, you can go nuts.

                    Here's a little island we passed by out in the middle of the Strait of Georgia.

           Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

If you already live in Vancouver, you really should get out to the island just to see the sights. It's springtime on Vancouver Island and the colors of the blossoms on the trees and in the gardens are out of this world. Or, at least, they are heaven on earth. They're gorgeous.

The trip across the strait is FREE FOR SENIORS but only IF you can prove that you are a BC resident. And you have to prove it. (Since I haven't got the BC ID, I was charged full price. But, what the heck; it's worth it.)

Arriving in Vancouver at Horseshoe Bay, I took the Express Bus to the skytrain and then got off at the Water Front to meet my son. We ate dinner outside in a lovely court yard and walked around down at the waterfront where there was a cruise ship docked at the pier. 

This ship was called the Sapphire Princess.

 

Goodbye Courtenay, Hello Mill Bay!

 I moved to Mill Bay on the first of May. But before leaving Courtenay, I took a few pictures. The spring blooms are too much to overlook. Anywhere you point your camera, you can capture big, beautiful blossoms.

Of course, spring isn't restricted to Courtenay and blossoms are proliferous most everywhere on the Island these days. I'm not sure about up further north but we here in the southern part of Vancouver Island are enjoying a wealth of colour overhead and under foot.

The roses are out and tulips have also started opening but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Everything is springing to life to welcome warm, sunny days.

Rustic Mill Bay has some great walking trails. One of them is called the Bunny Trail which is where we went this morning. I caught a few pictures of the trail and the little river passing alongside of it.

If you want to see some of the most adorable dogs on the planet, go for a morning walk on the Bunny Trail. 

Everything is getting greener. The trees are sky-scraper tall and a lot of the bark is red. This is our Canadian rain forest.

The official flower of Ontario, Canada is the white Trillium. As it ages, the white Trillium turns pink.

Here's a picture of the Trillium after it turns pink. 

Nothing like a nature walk to bring you down to earth, help you forget about all your problems and breathe the salt sea air blown in from the Pacific Ocean. Top it off with a Tim Horton's coffee and what more could you want? 

GLOBE-TROTTER PRIORITIES

https://mybareway.com?sca_ref=6070610.IhLNwGBqrC 

I have found that one of my biggest expenses is shoes. It's not that I spend a huge amount on shoes. It's just that I rarely spend money on myself unnecessarily and when I do, I get the cheapest, most practical stuff I can find. I'm bad that way.

Traveling has been my life since 1972. I usually stay six months at a time in any given country. I don't own a car and I don't have a license, so I do a LOT of walking.

I used to be bound to wearing sandals in countries like Thailand or Malaysia where it seemed ridiculous to put on an extra layer like a layer of socks on one's feet. However, over the years of living in tropical countries, I started to wear lightweight running shoes with cotton socks. Of course, whenever you enter someone's house or church, one must remove all footwear and go BAREFOOT.

Going barefoot in public or even with family is a little humbling. I started painting my toe nails because I felt a bit self-conscious about people looking at my imperfect toes. And it doesn't hurt to get a nice tan on one's feet for these occasions.

But what if you could FEEL like you're going barefoot WHILE WEARING SHOES? What if someone invented a pair of shoes SO COMFORTABLE you felt like you were wearing nothing on your feet? 

Bareway has come out with some shoes I think you should try out. You can check them out below. I'm unabashedly promoting them and I hope you click on the link and BUY A PAIR for the great walking weather that we are approaching now! (Be sure to check out the measurement chart so you get a good fit. The sizes are a bit different.)

https://mybareway.com?sca_ref=6070610.IhLNwGBqrC

Courtenay

 Spring has sprung in Courtenay, British Columbia on Vancouver Island.  

My neighbors are really into their gardens. And most everyone has at least one blossoming tree in their yard.

                          It may be spring in the valley, but there's still snow on the mountains.

                                                                     Elephant grass

                                                  A cute little farm owned by the Amish in Comox

                                                                 The Courtenay River 

(Picture taken from the bike trail that follows along the river and the estuary to the Pacific Ocean)

There's a little bit different weather system up here compared to that of Victoria in the south. We seem to get more snow and the temperatures here are generally a little lower, of course. Still, in all, there were probably only two weeks when snow was on the ground. If that. It hardly matters at all. Unless you use a bike for transportation. 

Cusco to Lima to Cancun to Courtenay

 I can write about it now. Now that it's all over and I have actually set foot on Canadian soil --the best Canadian soil that is, which happens to be, in my estimation, Vancouver Island. Best soil. Best people. Best air. Best altitude: sea level. Hallelujah!

But, seriously, do you want to know what I went through to get here? It's a story of mesmerizing magnificence combined with trauma and intrigue and layered with maleficence --just as I knew it would be. I expected nothing less, even when it seemed as though I'd be stuck in Mexico for a very long time. 

There were blockades before me every step of the way. The first one was right in the airport in Cusco. And, of course it had to do with money because the enemy of my soul knows that money is my nemesis. I went to get my boarding pass at the Airline Agency and was told that I needed to pay $40 US ($56 Canadian) for my carry-on. Now, that didn't make sense since carry-on was supposed to be free, according to the ticketing agent. Yes, you had to pay for check-in bags, but not for carry-on or one personal item you were allowed to take on the plane with you. But, I went to an ATM to get the money.

That's when I discovered that my debit/Mastercard was not working. (That's another story in itself with regards to a block on my bank card due to an unauthorized online payment. However, my bank had UNblocked the card, so what was the problem?) Well, after trying three different ATM's, I went to Information to ask if there was another ATM around or even a Western Union. I knew I could use Western Union by going on my laptop and sending myself money. But, no, there wasn't one anywhere near the airport. I was told there were no ATM's near the airport either. However, a security agent offered to take me outside and around a barricade to another part of the airport to try an International ATM --also unsuccessful at retrieving money. Back to Information.

I stood there, "hat in hand" so to speak, utterly forlorn and unable to come up with a solution, planning to go back to my landlord and ask him for the key back so I could return to my Cusco rental. Then, I heard the Information girl (a lovely girl) say, "How can I trust you to pay me back if I lend you the money?" (WHAT?) That was a great question. A delightful question, under the circumstances. I thought about it. At length, I remembered that my granddaughter lived in Cusco and she could be my go-between. So, I gave my granddaughter's phone number to the girl at Information and we made a deal that she could get reimbursed through her. 

The Information girl gave me 160 soles. She couldn't get 155 out of the ATM. And that was a good thing because when I had to pay for my luggage at the boarding gate, they charged me 158 soles. AND they wanted to put my carry-on bag as check-in. I refused to allow that since I knew it would take too long in Lima for me to collect my bag before the next flight. They reluctantly allowed me "an exception" to carry my carry-on onto the plane! Go figure. 

Let this be a lesson for all you cheap flight seekers. Hidden costs. Not just "select-your-seat" costs, insurance costs, "buy-an-inflight-meal" costs, Kiwi Guarantee costs, hotel or rental car costs, preferential boarding costs, or any other ways they can charge you extra, but there are hidden costs, too. These are the costs you don't find out about until you're about to board. (In the small print Kiwi warns you that if you don't check-in with them, there could be check-in fees for which Kiwi will reimburse you. I have yet to see whether or not I will be reimbursed. When you try to check in with Kiwi, you get an air message that Kiwi is unable to check you in and you must check in with the Airline.)

So, I was able to leave Cusco. What a relief! I had a chance to be down at sea level again in Lima. During the 1 1/2 hour flight, we were given a FREE small cup of water AND a tiny cube of chocolate. BONUS.

In Lima, when I went to check in, there was a charge. Of course there was a charge. But, it wasn't for checking-in. It was for a tourist charge for landing in Mexico that had to be paid in Lima! At the airport in Lima, by the way, nobody knows where anything is. You more-or-less have to find it yourself. I was able to find the airline agency eventually after going around in circles a couple of times before someone sent me downstairs. (The airline agencies are downstairs.)

I tried my card again in Lima at the ATM's and found they would not accept my card. Therefore, when I was told there was a charge, my heart felt faint once more. I thought, "I can find an Air BNB, right? It might be nice to stay in Lima a while..." But, when the check-in agent took my card, I was shocked to see that my card worked. So! That means there's no block on my bank card after all.

The flight to Cancun was a little boring. I had a window seat but it was too dark outside to see anything. The upside was that the air hostesses allowed us to sleep through the entire flight without bothering us with food or drink. 

Landing in Cancun, I had a tight schedule. I had only 2 hours and 25 minutes to get everything done and get on my flight to Canada. It was touch and go for a while. First, I had to go through Immigrations, fill out the form and find the shuttle to Terminal 4. 

There was security for entering another country so our bags had to go through the scanner to get to Immigrations. Then, when that was done, it was onward to the free shuttle. 

Alas, I was intercepted by a taxi promoter who insisted that I needed to take a taxi or I would most certainly miss my plane. He informed me that the free shuttle was not dependable. It could show up in a half an hour or an hour or even two hours. Who knew? (This was all a lie, but how could I know that? He wouldn't allow me to get close to the free shuttle to find out.)

I tried to pay for the taxi with my card, thinking for sure my card would work in Mexico. But, it didn't. So, this taxi promoter took me back inside the airport to a group of ATM machines. They didn't work either. Back outside to try a different taxi payment method. Didn't work. I was left with no choice but the free shuttle. It was either that, or go find an Air BNB in Cancun. Not a bad prospect, but not quite good enough. I wanted to GO HOME.

When I got to the Free Shuttle stop zone, I noticed a digital sign telling the time for the next shuttle. But the shuttle showed up less than a minute later! It had been a total rouse that the shuttle was not dependable. The taxi was going to charge $40 US to drive me five blocks! Instead I got to Terminal 4 for free. A kind passenger helped me with my bag and I was on my way to the next check-in.

You should know that normally check-in is done online. But, when you buy a cheap flight with an agency like Kiwi, they quote you a low, low price by avoiding all these "extra charges" which are normally included in the price of the ticket. (My flight was only $500 Canadian to fly all the way from Peru to Canada.) 

At the Flair check-in, the agent told me I had to pay $20 for my boarding pass. But he didn't make eye contact. Instead he was examining his computer screen. I knew what the problem was. 

"Are you wondering why my passport has a different number? You see, my passport was stolen in Peru and I have a new passport," I said, handing him the Police Report from Peru. "This is the Police Report."

He glanced at me in a sort of frenzy saying, "This is a Police Report from PERU! We need a Police Report from MEXICO," he emphasized. It was as if I was supposed to know that and to have GONE to the Mexican Police to get this VERY important paper for his records so that HE wouldn't get in trouble for allowing a Canadian woman to board a flight back to Canada.

Two men with Canadian passports came up and I was asked to step aside while he dealt with their check-in bags, put labels on them and took their money. As I patiently waited, he glanced at me from time to time saying, "I'll be with you in a moment, lady." I just silently prayed and claimed Bible scriptures. His severe tension was totally lost on me. I was in God's hands, not his.

When the two men left, I said to him (using as much tactful reasoning as possible) "My passport was stolen in Peru, not Mexico."

He got on his phone and spoke in Spanish on and on about this Police Report and the conflicting passport numbers. Another guy showed up to judge the situation. Meanwhile, my flight time is growing nearer. I'm breathing to calm myself. But, I buttoned my lip so this guy would stop calling me "lady". "Just a moment, lady" and "Calm down, lady" and "Lady, this is a different passport number" and "Lady, I can't give you a boarding pass. You won't be able to get on this flight without a Police Report from MEXICO."

By then, I was wondering, "Where do these people come from with these crazy ideas? They're totally freaked out about a piece of paper." The Canadian consulate in Peru said I was fine using my other passport number to buy a flight. I stood silently waiting for the verdict from this frazzled agent.

"Okay," he said, "You can show your Police Report at the security before you board. Your boarding pass is $20."

My card worked again! These check-in desks seem to have the best terminals. 

On to security with my boarding pass in hand! They grabbed my carry-on suitcase and I was told to wait. With five minutes to boarding time, I got a little panicky. Actually, I was more than a bit panicked. (In the past, I had missed a flight because of getting held up at security.) My plane could be leaving in ten minutes and I knew that it was probably a very long walk to Gate 60. The woman at security gave me a blank stare when I mentioned that my flight was boarding.

The decision to be made here was: MISS MY FLIGHT or SURRENDER MY PURSE AND SUITCASE at security. Easy. I was NOT going to miss my flight. Not now. Not after all I had gone through to get to this point. I was going to be on that flight to Canada no matter what it took!

I waved good-bye to the security and she waved back at me with no intention of returning my possessions. Then I walked fast past all the shops, down the long halls and towards the gates. Each gate was spread far apart so it was a long walk to Gate 60. 

It was boarding time when I arrived. However,  nobody was boarding. I asked at the counter when the doors would close and was told I had 20 minutes before they would finish boarding. She said the crew hadn't arrived yet. Great! I had enough time to go back and claim my bags. So, I did. 

What a test! I had sacrificed all to get on this flight but now I got all my earthly possessions returned to me. Not only that but there were blessings ahead. I got a WINDOW SEAT with TWO empty seats beside me and my seat was at the back of the plane so that nobody could sit behind me and kick the back of my seat. It was definitely the BEST seat on the plane. 

But, that's not all. Flying over the States, I had a perfectly clear view of the ground. We first flew over the Gulf of Mexico, then over Texas. Then the landscape changed as we approached Colorado and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Magnificent. I was gob-smacked. I even got a few amazing pictures with my phone that looked like Google Earth shots. 

You can see the wing on the upper right. It seemed to me that, considering the immense size of the plane, that wing was awfully skinny. Don't you think so? Skinny and fragile is what it looked like to me. Here's a picture taken over the Gulf of Mexico. Clear skies all the way as we crossed from Cancun on the Yucatan Peninsula clear across the gulf to Texas. 

Once over Texas, I started seeing the earth beneath us all divided up into squares. It was a God's Eye view. 

Then there were circles, perfectly round inside of the squares. I couldn't figure out how they got to be so round nor why they were inside of these squares. 

I believe we were over Texas for quite a stretch of time because we were flying in a beeline it seemed directly to Vancouver. 

A long, brown, windy river extended below us but the river bed seemed to be dry because I couldn't see any movement of water or any shine off of it. It was just brown.

After a while the scene changed to lumpy brown ground with speckless off to the side that were trees.

Then, snow-capped mountains shining in the sunlight for miles and miles..

                                 You gotta love God's creation. Planet earth in all its glory. The good

                                                              ol' US of A at our feet. 

The over 6 hour flight "flew by". It didn't matter that I was hungry. (I hadn't been able to buy anything in the airports since my card wasn't working.) It sort of mattered though that I was thirsty. I started imagining Canadian food. There was a menu in the pocket in front of me with yummy hamburgers and sandwiches pictured in living color. So, I ordered a breakfast sandwich, coffee and water.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am," the airline host said, apologetically, "The only hot food we have is noodle soup. When we boarded the flight, all the other food had been taken."

WHAT? What a strange situation. All the food had been taken? And not replaced? No bread? Nothing?

Well, I got a cup of Raman soup, a bottle of water and a cup of instant coffee and guess what it cost? $15 Canadian. I'd have to wait until I could find a Tim Horton's in Vancouver. 

It was tempting to want to kiss the ground when we landed. Beautiful BC. Clean, organized, English. I took the Sky Train from the airport and got off in downtown Vancouver where people were waiting for the light to turn green before crossing the street in orderly fashion while the cars STOPPED to allow the pedestrians to cross. Imagine that. Yes, I was home at last. 

There was a Tim Horton's. Of course there was. That's one thing that hasn't changed. I got a medium sized coffee that was twice the size of a coffee in Peru and really hot. The Horseshoe Bay Express bus arrived too late for the 3:45 pm ferry, so I waited in the waiting room, inserting my card into a vending machine that ATE IT. Two security guards helped me jimmy the slot to pull out my card. Then they told me I had put my card into the wrong slot. It was the slot for cash only. The slot above that one was where I should have put it in to pay. But, I was just glad to get my card back and didn't want to take any more chances. 

Since I arrived on the island at 8 pm or so, the express bus to Courtenay was not running and I had to take a taxi. The driver said it would cost $300 but he cut me a deal for $250.00 and got a $20 tip. It was raining when we drove into the driveway of my new home.

The lady of the house welcomed me and, after meeting the big Samoyed dog, I went straight to bed. It's a nice, soft double bed in a nice, clean room with a view of the tree-filled yard. The sweet smell of wood burning in the iron stove permeated the house. Cushioned in a tomblike silence, I dozed off.