Florida and Castaway Bay, February 7 – 13, 2017.

Joe Jr was invited to this Social Media conference (SMMC) which entailed a stay of two nights at a Disney Resort and a three-night cruise, at a reasonable price.  He was bringing Emmie, Jess didn’t want to take too many days off, so we got invited to come along.  We returned from Australia on February 3 (original plan was to return on the 5^th), but we weren’t going to pass up the opportunity to spend some time with our granddaughter, so we joined them.

Prolog.  All four of them traveled together on the 4^th, with the expectation that Jess and Harrison would leave on the 7^th.  Since this was before the start of the conference, they rented a room at the same Disney resort.  Joe decided to keep the room for a couple of extra days, so four of us don’t all have to squeeze into the same room.  (Of course four of us will have to squeeze into a small room on the cruise ship.)  All well and good.

February 7, Tuesday.  Yesterday Jess left her backpack on the Disney bus depot, and had to leave early today so she and Harrison could get on the flight home without her ID.  Evidently that was possible, although there was a 45-minute stretch during which the TSA agents seemed to be calling for instructions.

.

Anyway, we left around 6:30 am so we could make our flight at 8:30 am.  Turned out to be a bit tight as there was quite a bit of commuter traffic and EZWay Parking didn’t have a van ready to go.  We were the last in Group 1 to board, and had some trouble finding stowage in the first class section (we were upgraded.)  After we landed, it was rather straightforward to get to the Disney buses, although the signs seemed to make us go around a big circle, and we got to our hotel at around 1 pm.  Joe and Emmie met up with us at around 1:30 pm after spending the morning in Magic Kingdom, so we all took a nap while Joe went to one of the SMMC events.  Emmie went for a swim, grandparents in tow, after nap time.

At 6:30 pm we boarded a bus with other SMMC guests and had dinner at Wild Safari.  I was surprised at how big the gathering was (each participant having brought along a few guests).  Afterwards the group was treated to a preview of the “Rivers of Light” show and walked by the Tree of Life Awakenings show before we headed back to the hotel.  A long day.

 SMMC Name Tags.

 Emmie and Anne at the Pool of Port Orleans - Riverside.

Self-Service Dinner (Complimentary) at the Theater District of Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Parts of the Rivers of Light Show.

Accommodations.  Disney Port Orleans – Riverside.  (Room 3735, 2 nights.)

February 8, Wednesday.  Joe Jr had an early event, so we had Emmie for the morning.  The park that she picked was Magic Kingdom, so we dutifully went and got on a few rides.  Emmie was here last year and took in everything (that was reasonable for her age); this year, however, she was a lot more cognizant of the scarier aspects of the indoor rides, including “It’s A Small World,” which surprised a little.  So we filled the morning with rides on the Race Track, Dumbo, the Carousel, and getting autographs from Disney characters.  It looks like the love Joe Jr has for Disney is not shared by his daughter, at least for now.

Dinner was a pizza and pasta party at PizzeRizzo at Hollywood Studios, sponsored by Alamo Car Rental.  The evening concluded with a Star Wars-themed fireworks show.

 Emmie on the Carousel.

 Liberty Square Riverboat.

Dinner at PizzeRizzo of Disney's Hollywood Studios.

 

Star-War Themed Fireworks.

February 9, Thursday.  Joe Jr again had a morning meeting, so Anne and I took Emmie to breakfast at the hotel café (Riverside Mill Food Court.)  Things are not that expensive, the meal cost about $20.

At about 11:15 am the whole group (a few hundred?) boarded several buses to head out to Cape Canaveral where we would board Disney Dream for a 3-night cruise to Castaway Cay.  The check-in process was quite straightforward.  As the room wasn’t ready yet, we had lunch at the Cabana on Deck 9.

If memory serves, Disney Wonder is about 300 meters long, has close to 900 rooms, can accommodate 2400 guests and a crew of about 900.  Not big by today’s huge cruise ship standards, but 3 times around the deck still equals a mile.

After checking out of the boat for a bit, it was dinner time at Tiana’s Place at 5:45 pm.  I had the Ahi Tuna Tartare, Seafood Soup, and the Sea Bass; the meal was okay, not spectacular.

 Buffet lunch on Disney Wonder.  The last time Emmie ate so heartily was when we were in Germany a couple of summers ago.

Our Stateroom in the Disney Wonder.  This sofa turns into a single bed, and another drops from the ceiling.  That's where Joe and Emmie slept.

Accommodations.  Disney Wonder, Room 7088 (3 nights.)

February 10, Friday.  Today is an at-sea day.  As I type this we are whiling away the time sitting in the middle of the ocean, somewhere near us were docked a few other boats.  It is a short distance from Cape Canaveral to the Bahamas, after all.  While there are some activities on board, in our jet-lagged state we haven’t joined any of them.  One thing I did was laundry.  Self-service laundry costs only $4 (wash and dry), an amazingly reasonable deal for a cruise ship.

Breakfast again at the Cabana (we are not into fine dining.)  Joe Jr is in a meeting, Emmie with Kid’s Club, and Anne and I are sitting here on Deck 9.  It is a bit cooler than expected, though.

Lunch was at Triton’s with Emmie, Joe was still involved with his group meetings.  I had the Ginger-flavored Carrot soup, meatloaf, and apple pie (no sugar added.)  Emmie really enjoyed her halibut and saffron rice, and ate the ice cream that came with my apple pie.

For tonight’s dinner Joe booked Anne and me into the Palo Dining Room.  An extra fee ($30 each) is tagged on for eating here.  The dining room is mid-level grade, food was okay.  The meal started with an antipasto; Anne had the fried calamari and prawn, seared sea scallops, and the almond soufflé; I had the cioppin soup, rack of lamb, and the chocolate soufflé.  Our server is from Serbia.

 Top Deck of Disney Wonder.

 Photo Opportunity with Frozen's Anna and Elsa.  I have no idea what the story is.

 Antipasto and two appetizers: Calamari & Shrip and Cioppin.

 Rack of Lamb at Palo on Board Disney Wonder.

Vanilla Souffle and Chocolate Souffle.

It was a Pirate-Theme Evening.  This is as fierce as Emmie looks.

February 11, Saturday.  After crawling along for about 36 hours, the ship finally docked at Castaway Cay, a private island in the Bahamas owned by Disney.  Anne, Joe and Emmie went on the island first, I followed a bit later.  We spent most of the time on the beach; and it was a comfortable stay as the temperature was moderate (high of around 80F), we had an umbrella providing shade, and the fine sand felt cool to the touch if it wasn’t under direct sunlight.  Lunch consisted of BBQ chicken, ribs, and assorted side dishes.  I headed back to the ship after lunch, the others rented a couple of bikes to ride on the island a bit.

Dinner was at Animal’s Palate.  It was then back to the hotel room to pack for disembarkation.

 The Ship docked at Castaway Cay.

 One of Several Beaches on the Island.

Dinner at Animator's Palate.

February 12, Sunday. Ship docked probably around 5 am.  It was zipping along at 22 knots.  We had breakfast, disembarked, and took the Dinsey-provided shuttle to Orlando International Airport.  We stuck around for a while before getting an Enterprise rental car to drive down the Fort Myers.  Arriving at around 3 pm, we drove in Ding Darling National Park to look for birds – not much success there.

We met up with Miss Ruth and York and had a nice dinner at Sanibel Marriott’s restaurant.  It was good to be able to see them.

Meanwhile, Joe Jr’s flight was delayed because of mechanical issues.  That plane eventually took off – about 7 hours late.  Joe opted for a flight tomorrow; the uncertainty of waiting at the airport probably too much for a 4-year old.  Turns out Boston schools are closed tomorrow (Monday) anyway.

 Roseate Spoonbills at Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge.

 White Pelicans.

Dinner with Miss Ruth and York at Tarpon House, Marriott Sanibel Resort and Spa.

Accommodation: Residence Inn Fort Myers Sanibel (1 night.)

February 13, Monday.  This is about 4 pm, we are sitting in the RSW airport.  This is a very quiet airport, much bigger than the current traffic warrants, but as a result provides a quiet place to wait.  Free wifi on top of that.  In any case, our 1:30 pm flight has been delayed multiple times, and is now slated to depart at around 5:30 pm.  Airlines of course tell their passengers that a little at a time, so we could make decisions only a little at a time.

What we ended up doing was revisiting some of the places: Marina South in Cape Coral, North Star Yacht Club in North Fort Myers, and Lee County Manatee Park.  Had we known we would have 3 additional hours on our hand, we would most likely give Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge another shot.

We happened upon this OK UK Fish-n-Chips place.  Rather good, and inexpensive.  Third-generation from the UK.

We stopped by Lee County Manatee Park to watch manatees.  Saw a few glimpses.  If you zoom in you will see the back of one.

It was quite straightforward to pick up our car and return home.

Australia. January 24 – February 3, 2017.

This is our annual Chinese New Year trip.

Tuesday 1/24.  Henry H came by to pick us up at the airport.  Check-in was again very quick with TSA Pre-Check.  Our 4:59pm flight should get us to SFO by around 8 pm, giving us a lot of time to connect to the 10:40pm flight to Sydney.  Things were a bit suspicious when the plane was late by about 1 ½ hours coming in from SFO, with “maintenance issue” as the reason given.  At the Newark end, another (or the same?) maintenance issue, initially characterized as minor, kept pushing back the departure time.  When I went to the counter to see if I should try to catch another flight, I heard the agents saying they were waiting for a part to show up.  I was put on the waitlist 6:35 pm flight, which was also experiencing some minor delays.  Eventually we took our originally scheduled flight which pushed off at 6:30 pm.  With all the supposed overbooking, I ended up with an empty seat next to me.  When we got to SFO, we were about the last few people to board, although it was a hurry-up-and-wait situation: boarding was complete at around 10:20 pm, but the plane didn’t leave the gate until 10:45 pm, and we were airborne at around 11:10 pm.

The weather in Newark has been quite bad: rainy and foggy, so some level of traffic delay is expected.  This, however, was United’s problem.  The gate agents were unusually unresponsive today.

UA863 was completely packed.  This was also the first time I ever flew a 787.  A coach seat is a coach seat, except the padding on this one seemed thinner than usual.  Supposedly the higher pressurization would result in a milder jet lag.  We shall see.

This was the first 787 I ever flew in.  Supposedly the higher pressurization would make jetlag less severe.  So far (this is two days after return from Australia) it seems to be the case.  The plane was packed going over (SFO to SYD) but quite empty on the return (SYD to LAX).

Both the 757 and the 787 had the improved entertainment system, with a good-sized screen (doesn’t seem to tilt, although not an issue.)  I managed to watch several “newly released” movies: Jack Reacher: Never Go Back; Ice Age: Collision Course; and Jason Bourne; as well as an episode each of Lethal Weapon and The Simpsons.  The rest of time I basically vegetated, I am sure I caught some sleep in between.

Arrival in SYD after a 14-hour flight.

Thursday 1/26.  The immigration system has been modified, now you scan your passport and have your photo taken at two different places, still very efficient – less than ten minutes.  Ruth picked us up.  After a shower at Jennings Street we went to Zetland Phoenix to have dim sum.  We were then dropped off at the domestic airport for the Tigerair flight to Adelaide.  At close to two hours it was a longer flight than I expected.  A quick taxi ride got us to Glenelg.  Our hotel room is actually a 1-bedroom apartment, which is nice.  It is by the ocean, but we have a city-view room.

We walked along the waterfront and jetty area a bit before setting on dinner at Outback Jack’s.  We were seated by their (open) kitchen and noticed a lot of steaks and ribs being ordered.  We opted for the chicken (“breast is best”) and fish and chips (“beer battered flathead”) instead.  Today being Australian Day, there were a lot of tourists around.  The downside is other than restaurants most shops were closed.  We were hoping to buy a windbreaker of some sort as evenings here can get quite chilly (tonight it will be around 60F).

 Tigerair Australia is a low-cost airline serving the country.  I have found their sservice and ontime performance to be quite good. I paid extra for "excess" carryon (from 7 kg to 12 kg), turned out that wasn't necessary.

 ADL arrival.  I was here some 30 years ago on business, and of course have no recollection of what it was like.

 Our hotel is located right on the beach.

These are called Australia Pied Cormorants.  Their underbodies are white.  The ones we see in the USA are all-black.

Accommodations: Oaks Plaza Pier Hotel, Glenelg, South Australia (2 nights.)

Friday 1/27.  We decided on this one-day Kangaroo Island tour.  KI was where the first South Australian settlement was, and used to be the capital of SA until the lack of water resources caused the government – together with most of the residents – to be relocated to Adelaide.

It was going to be a long day: we were picked up at the hotel at 6:30 am, and dropped off at 10 pm, 15 ½ hours.  A great chunk of the time was taken up by transportation to and from the island.  On the way over, a small bus picked us up and transferred us to a large bus at around 7 am, and we arrived at Port Jervis at around 8:30 am.  The Ferry left a little after 9 am, getting us to Penneshaw in about 45 minutes.  On the way back we got to the pier at around 7 pm, the ferry left a little after 7:15 pm, and the bus left at 8:30 pm, dropping us off at 10 pm.  That made for a total of 6 ½ hours for transportation.  There is a flight option with each flight taking about 30 minutes, but costs about $300 more per person.

 At the Port Jervis Ferry Terminal, waiting to board ferry for Kangaroo Island.

 The coach that took us around the island on an 8-hour tour.  The island is 155 km across, and about 50 km wide.  The narrowest point is only about 1 km in width.

About 50 fellow tourists boarded the SeaLink coach for the day.  The island is about 150 km long and 50 km wide, although only 1 km at its narrowest point.  Our first stop was Seal Beach where a couple of hundreds of Australian seals (not sure their exact name) sit on a fine-sand beach.  Mostly mothers with their young, some still nursing, and an occasional solitary male here and there.  Some young makes are beginning to show aggressive behavior towards their siblings.  The Beach is part of a National Park and access is tightly controlled, and visitors have to be 10 meters away from any animals.  The next stop was lunch at Vivonne Bay.  While simple: salad, baked chicken and sausage, and dessert, it was quite delicious (or maybe we were hungry).  We then walked in a Koala Preserve where we saw quite a few koalas.

 On Seal Beach.  The young male is trying to exert his dominance.

 Shorebirds on the beach.  A bull in the background.

We saw quite a few koalas in the Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary.  They are all resting in Eucalyptus trees.  We are told they sleep for 22 hours a day as the tree leaves provide minimal nutrition.

You don't have to be in a wildlife sanctuary to catch these bears.  This one was in the parking lot of the visitors' center.

Remarkable Rocks started as magma 10 miles deep in the earth, 500 million years ago.  With all the geologic activities and erosion, the rocks can be described as broken egg shells sitting on a large smooth rock.  The aborigines believe this is where the deceased spirits go to go back to dreamtime.  I may have the details wrong, but it explains why there were no aborigines on the island when the Europeans first settled, and why many aborigines don’t stay overnight on the island.  A short drive away is Admiral’s Arch, best described as a big hole in a rock, with interesting views of the raging sea around it.  We saw many New Zealand fur seals frolicking in the giant waves.

 Remarkable Rocks from a distance.

 Getting a closer look.

 Some of the pieces resting on a large "dome."

 It's clear a lot of erosion has taken place over the years.

We passed by the Cape Du Couedic Lightstation, but didn't have time for a visit.

 Admiral's Arch.  If you look closer you'll see several long-nosed fur seals.

It will be quite a desperate situation if one has to take shelter on this walkway.

Today was a relatively calm day, yet there are huge waves pounding the coast.

I had the wrong setting on the camera (a Canon SX720) and the result is a rather interesting clip.

After a short stop at the Visitors’ Center, the bus first headed to Kingscote so people who wanted to could catch the airline.  We got to Penneshaw early enough that we had food there (fish and chips), although service was quite slow.  After we boarded the boat we bought some more food (sausage in my case) to eat.  We were the first to be dropped off, but most food places were closed by 10 pm.

Saturday 1/28.  We took a taxi to ADL and got to our gate for our return flight to Sydney.  The plane was late coming in, and somehow they managed to turn around the plane in about 30 minutes, which is phenomenal.  Again the plane was fully packed – I did notice one empty seat.  It was a pleasant flight to Sydney.

We ate something light at ADL, and decided to eat again at SYD.   Tim had already arrived and was getting a few check-in-related issues taken care of, while Ruth came by to pick me up.

Dinner was at a nearby restaurant “A Tavalo.”  While it appears most of the people that work there are recent Italian immigrants, including the young lady who served us.  When we chatted with her, it became clear she had been in Australia for over 20 years, so I assume she could have spoken in perfect Australian English if she had wanted to.  Service was a bit slow, but the six of us enjoyed the meal.

 

New Year's Dinner was the six of us having an Italian meal at A Tavola in Darlinghurst.

Some of the dishes we ordered.

The Red Rooster restaurant at the SYD Domestic Terminal.  The half-chicken (nothing else) costs A$9.  I had it three times during my two domestic round trips (to Adelaide and Brisbane.)

Accommodation (for rest of time in Sydney): 410/227 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney.

Sunday 1/29.  We Uber’ed down to Jennings Street to meet up with Ruth to go to Praise Church for Sunday service.  Afterwards Ruth dropped us off at SYD Domestic for our flight to Brisbane.  I had the Red Rooster half chicken for the second time while Anne went for something Vietnamese.  Tigerair again delivered an on-time performance.  Wally and Ling were waiting for us at the gate – you do not need to be a traveler to get to the gates for domestic flights.  After stopping by their apartment for a short while, we went off for dinner at a Chinese Restaurants.  Things were quite quiet despite its being the second day of the Chinese New Year.  We had regular dishes which tasted good, although presentation could be better.  The air conditioning in the bedroom wasn’t quite a match for the oppressive heat, but eventually we cooled down enough for a good night’s sleep.

Accommodation: Wally and Ling’s apartment, Middle Park, Queensland.

Monday 1/30.  We met up with Andrew Prince for breakfast at 7:30 am before heading out to Brisbane School of Theology for a meeting that started at 10 am.  About ten people were in this first Board of Reference meeting to discuss the Center for Asian Christianity business.  The meeting concluded at 3 pm and Wally drove us back to the airport.

The incoming Tigerair plane was a bit late coming in, so we took off about 15 minutes behind schedule.  We got in a few minutes late.  And I had Red Rooster for the third time.

We took the train back to King’s Cross.  It was straightforward and reasonably fast, only surprise was at A$16 per person it wouldn’t have been that much more expensive for us to take a taxi.

In case the random reader worries about all the flying we have been doing since we got here, we will be staying in Sydney for the next few days.

Tuesday 1/31.  This was a day spent on buses, trains, and ferries.  We first took the train to Circular Quay where I bought two tickets to Cavalleria/Pagliacci, taking advantage of the 20% coupon found in the Sydney Guide we got at the airport – for a savings of A$40, not bad.  Today was a hot day, the temperature hit 100F while we were at the Quay.  We then took the Manly Ferry which got us across the harbor in about 30 minutes.  We notice the temperature had dropped to about 80F.  We did our usual walk-around, and bought some fish, calamari, and chips to eat at the beach.  Bus 144 then took us to The Spit with its marina and quiet beach, where we sat for a short while before catching another bus to Chatswood.  Even though we weren’t that hungry, we couldn’t pass up the chance to eat at Tim Ho Wan.  We had only 3 orders of dim sum.  I thought the locations in Hong Kong serve up much better food.

 This is the year of the Rooster in the Chinese zodiac.  As with last year, all 12 animals are displayed in the Circular Quay area.  The rooster takes a prominent position next to the Opera House.

 It was a hot day in Sydney, reaching 100F in the early afternoon.

 We took a bus from Manly to The Spit.  A panoramic shot.

 We couldn't pass up the opportunity to eat at Tim Ho Wan in Chatswood.  It was a disappointment.

Dinner at the Glass Brasserie in Sydney Hilton.  The space looks newly renovated.  We had the fish for two and the duck for two, both substantial dishes.

By the time we got back to Darlinghurst it was time to go out ahead for dinner with Tim and Whitney.  We wandered for quite a while, mostly walking down Williams Street, and didn’t find anything particularly appealing.  Our walk eventually led us down town and we decided to play it safe and stopped by the Glass Brasserie in Sydney Hilton.  We ordered the fish for two and the duck for two, which ended being a lot of food.  The fish was a red snapper that had to weigh close to 2 kg; it was prepared the Chinese way: steamed with soy sauce and leeks, and water spinach with shrimp paste.  When we wanted to take the leftover away, we had to sign a waiver so we won’t sue them if we get sick from the leftovers – a first for all of us.

It was about 9 pm when we got back.  Anne and I took the train, Tim and Whitney walked back, and were less than 5 minutes behind us.

Wednesday 2/1.  We went to Fish Market early to buy some food for lunch at Jennings Street.  We got there before the crowds.  This now looks like a Chinese tourist trap, with many workers speaking Chinese.  We also bought a fresh red snapper and Ruth steamed it – quite similar to what we had last night, except here it cost less than A$20, and it was A$95 at the Hilton Glass Brasserie restaurant.  It was a much bigger fish, though.

After a quick visit to father’s grave, Ruth drove us to visit mother at the nursing home.

We then went to Maroubra Beach and had coffee at the Pavilion (we also shared one piece of cheesecake.)  Ruth dropped us off at East Gardens so Anne could look for clothes for the grandkids, with little success.  It was close to 6 pm when we got back to Darlinghurst, so we only had time for a beef pie and noodle before we headed back out for the opera.

During the day we got a couple of text messages from the box office saying they have moved our seats because of filming during the show.  We ended up with very good seats (we paid $79 for ours, the ones we actually sat in were $260 each.)  It was 11:15 pm when we got back to the apartment.

 Fifteen-year old oysters being sold at Doyle's at Fish Market.  They are huge.

 More fresh food being sold in the market.  The place feels more touristy every day.

 A visit to father's grave.

 Curtain call after a performance of Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci.  The two operas are linked up by having singers from each opera appear in the other.

 More zodiac animals scattered around Circular Quay.

 This snake changes color.

Thursday 2/2.  Anne and I first stopped at Circular Quay to get a few T-shirts for the grandkids, we then took the ferry to meet up with Ruth and Stephen, where we had takeout from Doyle’s for lunch.  Ruth and Stephen headed back after lunch while Anne and I walked on the Gap for about 30 minutes.  Today was a pleasant day, in the mid 70s, with a nice breeze going.  We took the 2:45 pm ferry back to Circular Quay and “hunted” for the other Chinese Zodiacs that were scattered about in the CQ area.  Some of these were unchanged from last year, some were new (e.g., the two roosters by the Opera House.)  It was close to 5 pm when we got back to the apartment.  The six of us had a simple meal at Tropicana Café, which is on the ground floor of our building.

Tim then drove us to the Opera House for the 7:30 pm performance of Szymanowski’s King Roger.  The opera ended before 9:30 pm, so we had a lot of time to do the light-packing we needed to do.

 The Tropicana Cafe on the ground floor of our building serves up a variety of food.

King Roger by Karol Szymanowski is a relatively short opera (1:20 hours) sung in Polish.

Friday 2/3.  We had several options to get to the airport, but we ended up asking Tim for a ride.  Our flight (UA840) was delayed by about an hour, but we should still get into LAX on schedule.  The flight is quite empty (we are about 4 hours into the flight), Anne and I each have entire rows of three seats.  It’s been a bit bumpy so far.  Sure enough, I didn’t get much sleep on this flight either, but did manage to pack in quite a few movies: The Hollars, Suicide Squad, Morgan, and Ghostbusters; as well as the three episodes of Divorce.  Overall I am not impressed with the movies where many plots are drawn out a bit too much.

I was checking earlier LAX-EWR flight availability and managed to switch our flights to an earlier flight (UA54) which ended up getting us into Newark about 2 hours earlier.  We didn’t have E+ seats but did have adjoining aisle seats with empty seats in the middle, which was quite acceptable.  I saw “Inferno” based on Dan Brown’s book on this flight.  United seems to have stopped charging for entertainment on these flights, anything to keep the passengers quiet, I guess.

 Waiting in the Singapore Airlines lounge.  Today the lounge was quite crowded.

 Our flight was delayed by an hour, and took off after the United SYD-SFO flight which was scheduled for departure an hour later.  Here is UA870 on its takeoff roll.

It didn't seem to be particularly long flight (13:30 hours).  Having 3 seats to myself probably helped.

We Uber’ed back to our house.