Portland - thanks for the memories. 3.

A group of Sue's friends get together every fortnight.  They take turns to host a dinner at their place and it's a pot luck night.  It was Sue's turn recently and I wanted to do something a bit different for them because they had welcomed me into their homes and the group so readily.  So I did something that is really not so adventurous in Oz - I made lammies.  It wasn't as straight forward as it might seem because they don't have Self Raising Flour here and my attempts at making my own were downright disgusting so I had to cheat and buy a cake mix.  Also you need room for the assembly line of dipping, rolling and drying and I had to do a bit of improvising there.  Anyway, they got made and I think they were enjoyed.  There were enough left over for everyone to take them home.  I was so pleased to be able to do something to return their hospitality.

Last weekend Sue and I went to a Pow Wow and it was great fun.  I didn't know what to expect except loud drums and costumes with feathers.  It is a very large gathering of Indian tribes from various places and it turns out that it is also a competition of Indian dancers and their interpretation of traditional dances.  It's also a way for them to promote their culture, display and sell their traditional crafts and to come together regularly.  We didn't arrive until early afternoon and so the place was filling up fast.  The large parking area looked nearly full and I expected a bit of a walk from the car to the venue.  We stopped at the entrance and this man (who was not a spring chicken himself, may I add) said into his two way radio, "Two elders in a small green car." and blithely waved us on.  I was beside myself with indignation.  How dare he say something like that, even if it is true!  Sue was busy calming me down saying that, in their culture, elders are respected and just wait and see what eventuates.  We were ushered from one parking attendant to another until we were directed to park just a hop, skip and a jump from the venue.  "See", gloated Sue.  I still haven't quite adjusted to being an elder though.

The Grand Parade was still happening when we arrived and it was wonderful to see everyone out there showing their pride in their culture.    A grandmother was pushing her grand children in a pram.  An elderly lady was being supported by family.  Babies were being carried around.  Children in costume were skipping in and out of the participants.  It was a relaxed celebration of an important part of their identity.  .... and all the time this incredible drumming.  It was loud and and somehow had a very familiar and primal rhythm to it.  People who were obviously very familiar with all of this moved their feet in time with the drums almost oblivious to the fact they were doing it.

There were also many stalls selling various sorts of Indian crafts.  Some of it was stunning.  Being one to never walk past a nice piece of pottery that required admiration, I was particularly taken with a piece in Sue's hot little hands.  I knew I couldn't buy it but it was very nice indeed and deserved an appreciative home where it would be well cared for.  Sue wasn't sure because it wasn't coiled and it wasn't real Hopi pottery even though the design was Hopi and where would she put it and and and so I put it out of my mind.  However, much later, she said, "I don't know what to do about that pottery."  So we went back and it was still there.  She picked it up, spoke to the lady who made it some more, checked it out once again and again and again.  "I don't know what to do", she said.  So I said "Go on buy it."  And she did. And now it's my fault she has another beautiful piece in her house.  What are friends for?

My little Tai Chi companion.

So in a few days, it will be farewell to Portland.  It is a beautiful city and there is still so much more of it that I haven't explored.  I've been so lucky to base here with Sue and to learn about her life over here.  In one way, I'm sad to be leaving but I'm very excited about what awaits in Turkey and then moving on back home.

Cheers for a few weeks until I'm back in Oz.  Love yas all.

Dr L

Home sweet home away from home.

Portland - thanks for the memories. 2.

I took myself off to see the Chinese Gardens in Chinatown one day.  Sue had assured me the peonies there were spectacular.  However, because of the wet and delayed spring weather this year, there wasn't a peony in sight.  And just to reinforce that it does get cold and wet in Portland, it was cold and wet on that day too.  Nevertheless, the gardens were well worth a visit and very interesting.

The first impression is one of tranquility.  It is a classical Chinese garden that covers one city block in a very busy part of town but the noise hardly intrudes on the gardens.  There are lots of little nooks and crannies to go and sit and watch the rain or the fish in the lake or to check out all the detail.  Each area is significant and represents something important in Chinese culture.  The gardens were opened in 2000 but they look like they are much older.  They were built by Chinese craftsmen to mark the sister city relationship between Portland and Suzhou.  Every part of them were fascinating but I loved all the different design in the paths.

One of the most intriguing features of the garden was its system of plumbing for rain water.  It fell from triangular shaped tiles and made little tear drops.  One of the benefits of being there in the rain.

It was also a revelation to me how they used windows to make the area look bigger and to help your vision flow from one area to another. Some of the rocks used in the gardens came from China.  They are mined from a lake near Suzhou and are prized for their virtues of holes that allow the life force to flow, their rough texture, their slenderness and the fact that they are top heavy.  


I'm certain that this is a place to return to many times and to discover more treasures and tiny details.  I could have stayed much longer but I was freezing and needed to get home.

They're really big

What's a visit to a place with bears without a visit to the zoo?  
I knew the the zoo had polar bears so I was keen to go.  Of course, this was one of Portland's warmer days so the bears were taking it easy.  Never mind, Sue is a resourceful traveller and we have plans regarding polar bears in cold places.  








We saw all sorts of animals and sea life and had a wonderful day.  We walked miles and me little leggies were a bit tired when we left.


Sorry about the font.  I can't fix it.  Hope the next post is better.  Carmel

Portland - thanks for the memories. 1.

Hi Everyone

The excitement is building for Turkey but I can't leave without recognising some of the fabulous experiences I've had in and around Portland.  One of my first  and lasting impressions of Portland is how polite and friendly everyone is.  People look at you and smile and say "Excuse me," for the most minor things.  I have found it almost impossible to stand in the light rail if there is a spare seat.  I've given up trying to stand, I just take the seat and thank them.  People are bright and cheery and friendly, and, because they sometimes can't understand me, are interested to know where I come from and very enthusiastic about Australia.  In Canada almost every second person is an Aussie but, just over the border in the US, I feel like a very exotic creature and a person of great interest.  I'll have to get used to being boring old me again when I get home.

Sue's friends have been extremely welcoming and have involved me in many special occasions.  They have welcomed me into their homes and plied me with gifts and taken me places I might otherwise not have visited.

Janine is a master gardener in her own right and also a guide at the Japanese Gardens here in Portland.  She took me on a tour of the gardens one day when she was there and then drove me around some of the very well heeled suburbs (like Ascot and Hamilton in Brisbane) on the way home.  I just love looking at the different styles of houses over here and these were rather nice.

Janine also took me on a train ride to the other side of town where Sue works.  It took no time at all on the light rail and I saw the bike parking at the station.  They really do encourage people to use public transport and make it easy for them to do so.






Jean lives in one of the leafy well established suburbs and we drove to her neighbourhood and she showed us around the Rhododendron Garden.  The flowers here are more delicate that ours, generally, and the rhodies really put on a great show.  The whole thing is organised and maintained by volunteers.  After walking around there, we went back to her house and enjoyed a refreshing glass of wine with her husband, Gordon, on their back deck. 

Jean and Gordon also took us for a day in the wine growing area of Oregon.  They are true wine buffs and know the area and the various wineries very well.  They are also experienced wine tasters and fortunately they were driving because I was a bit wobbly after the first winery.  We tasted some beautiful wines and thoroughly enjoyed the picnic they had packed for lunch.   It is such a scenic drive and they took us on some back roads which is always much nicer.  What is about wine growing areas?  They are always so charming.  Sue and I had decided it would be a nice way to finish a perfect day by taking them to dinner on the way back to Portland and, between the three of them, there seemed to be lots of good ideas floating around.  By the way, Jean is also a gourmet cook, so Shari's wasn't the best of them!  We tried a couple of places and there weren't any vacancies or we were past them before we realised or ....  Jean had heard of a new restaurant at Alison's Resort so we phoned them and yes they could fit us in but we would have to sit at the bar.  Sounded fine to me, I was hungry.  We all agreed on it and off we went in our very relaxed wine tasting gear.  Actually, Jean and Sue were respectable.  Gordon and I were relaxed.  And it was one classy restaurant, the silver service kind.  It was fantastic!  Such a find!  And sitting at the bar meant sitting at a bar around the kitchen watching the chefs at work and having the occasional chat with them.  So much fun.  Needless to say the food was divine and the service was friendly and spot on.  The foodies in the group took advantage of the opportunity to try spectacular food.  I was satisfied with my melt in the mouth halibut.  What a fabulous way to end a perfect day and such a surprise as well.

The Capilano Suspension Bridge.

I had one more thing to achieve before I left Vancouver.  I didn't know too much about it but my trusty advisor from the hotel said I had to walk across it with a glint in her eye.  My thoughts were Sounds interesting.  I'll give it a go.  So I paid my money and in I went.  my first impression was one of peace and calm and cool shade.  It is a rain forest setting with birds in the trees and lots of lush vegetation all around.  i followed the path around and decided the first thing I would do was have a snack as I was getting hungry and I sat a rested for a while.  It was beautiful.  To add to my pleasure, there were fushias growing everywhere in all different shades.  I love fushias but they don't love me.  So once I was rested and refreshed I set off in search of the bridge.  As I turned a few corners, I started to hear screams and I knew I was getting close.

And there it was.  A suspension bridge that was 137 m across and 70 m above the Capilano River.  I had heard something about the Golden Gate Bridge being a suspension bridge but this didn't look much like that.  However, I was sure it wouldn't be too scary.  A little bit scary is fun, isn't it?  You walk down three rather steep steps and then you step on to the bridge.  I had expected to have problems looking down into the river but the bridge was also very wobbly and I'm scared of heights.  I was about a quarter of the way across.  Then some little  #*^! started to jump up and down and send ripples through the thing and then he started to sway the bridge from side to side.  Oh help!  This must be a regular occurrence because god told him to stop over the loud speaker.  He stopped the funny business but he laughed his head off at all the terrified people hanging on for grim death on the bridge.  I told myself I hadn't come all this way not to get a view of the river from the bridge but myself wasn't sure I'd be able to look down and myself could hear the river rushing under the bridge.  In the end, I held my head perfectly still and just moved my eyes and then got to the other side as fast as I could.  When I climbed up the stairs at the other side, I realised I had the wobbles all over.  So I sat down and calmed myself down and then myself was ready for more sedate pursuits.

It really is very pretty on the other side of the river.  I always enjoy being in forests and this one is beautiful.  Vancouver had a big timber industry initially and a lot of the forests have been cut down.  This one remains and there are some huge old trees as you walk through.  It has been dollied up a bit with ponds and cabins added but it smells like a forest and sounds like a forest and feels like a forest.  There are quite a few paths through the area and lookouts over the river (on solid ground).        

I wandered around there until the sun was getting low watching the fish and the insects in the ponds and looking at their bird display and decided it was time to go back to the hotel.  I was tired and hungry.  Going back across the bridge wasn't half as difficult as going across and I even managed to look down but I still didn't let go.  I got outside and couldn't decide which side of the road I should stand on to catch the bus and had to get some advice from some poor gut walking his dog.  Back to the ferry terminal, across the bay and then onto the bus.  Where's the bus stop?  I'll just walk up a block or two and see if I can find the right number.  Maybe one more.  Where am I?  Oh I know.  These b***** one way streets.  I have to walk across to a street going the other way.  I'm so close now, I may as well walk back to the hotel.


And so ended my stay in Vancouver.  It is a great place to go and so much more to see and do than I managed during my stay.  The next day I flew back to Portland for some R&R and more exploring down there.  Not too long before I head off to Turkey.

One more blog before I sign off from the US.

Lotsaluv

Carmel

My last day in Vancouver.

I had organised to stay for another whole day and, in that time, I wanted to go a bit further afield - to Grouse Mountain and to the Capilano Suspension Bridge - so I set the alarm and went to bed early.  You won't be surprised to hear that the alarm went off and I went back to sleep and I woke up later with a terrible fright.  "Oh my goodness!" I said.  (You can believe that if you want.)  I gobbled down some breakfast etc. and dashed down to the reception desk for my directions.  I usually forget something in situations like this .... and I did.

Ferry terminals.

I decided to take the long route because it included taking the ferry.  So I hopped on the bus, went too far, had to catch another bus back and finally reached the ferry terminal.  Things have got to get better.  The ferry is amazing.  It arrives in its special little dock, the multiple doors open on the other side and all the passengers get off.  Then the doors open on this side and the new lot of passengers get on.  All very orderly and quick.  

It was a beautiful, calm (thank heavens), sunny day and the trip was a very scenic and pleasant 15 minute ride to the other side of the bay where the ferry docked in the same manner and, before I knew it, I was on the bus to Grouse Mountain.  That is also a very scenic drive through some of the northern suburbs where, my guess is, not too many poor people live.

When I arrived at Grouse Mountain, I was told it was 10 degrees C at the top and it could get a bit cool.  Glad I wore my singlet!  So I was bundled into a cable car in a way that reminded me of the Japanese train stations where the attendant pushes the passengers into the carriages.  Hope I don't get an itchy nose.  It's a spectacular ride up the mountain in the cable car as you rise to an elevation of over 4000 feet above Vancouver and it wasn't so cold after all.  There's much to see and do up there.  There's a wildlife refuge which contains, among other things, two bears that were rescued as cubs and will remain there for study and observation.  They have a very large area that covers quite a bit of the side of the mountain. I did see one of them moving around in an area with dark shadows and he looked big.  I wish he'd come out in the sunlight, after all it's only 10 degrees.  The ranger gave us a little chat about grizzlies but nothing new for a veteran of Yellowstone and Alaska.

Mmm, not a tree or any shade in sight.  It would be nice to be in the shade for a while.

I moved on to the Birds of Prey.  This was great. we had all sorts of falcons, hawks and eagles swooping low over our heads and grabbing fast moving targets and all with a spectacular scenic backdrop.

   But all this paled into insignificance when they bought out the big boy, the Bald Eagle.  I had seen them flying, seen them in trees and on cliff tops but, wow, they are truly big and mean looking critters into the bargain.  I was very impressed.   NOW I know what all the fuss is about.  I don't think it's 10 degrees.  In fact it's a bit hot.  As I wandered around the large area at Grouse Mountain, i had noticed a couple of men without shirts and who struck me as very healthy 1*#? looking.  Must be the clean mountain air.

There are many things to do on the mountain: hang gliding, chair lift, admiring the many, huge wooden carvings, skiing in winter, go on walking trails and, in the evenings, there is a fabulous restaurant for special occasions.  You know what I mean - white table cloths, silver service, sparkling lights of Vancouver below, discrete, gentle music, the kind of food most of us can only dream of.  My brother has been to that restaurant.  I had a muffin and water from Starbucks for lunch (yes, there's one up there too!)

I have always been a great fan of the woodchop competitions at the Ekka at home.  I could sit for ages and marvel at their strength, speed, technique and shiny blades so I thought I might enjoy watching the Canadian lumberjacks and to see how they stack up.  So I went and sat and waited for the show to begin but, again, no shade and it was downright hot.  In fact, the sun felt like it was searingly hot.  Time for some more sun screen.  Where is it?  Oh no! I left it at the hotel.  I'd better go before I get sun burned.  But then I noticed one of those healthy fellows out to the side of the area where the lumberjack show was to happen.   What will I do?  Go?  Stay?  Go?  Stay.  And, for my sins, I got the worst case of sunburn in years.  It was only in a small area but it was very red.

Anyway the lumberjacks put on a great show.  It was lots of fun with slapstick humour, plenty of hair raising of skill and tricks and an over abundance of testosterone driven competition.

A picture of health.

   OK. Now it's time to move on. More places to go and things to see.  Down the hill and back on the bus for the Capilano Suspension Bridge.

Wood carving.