Open House - Hawaii Trip Winners!

by Bruce and Wendy Fougner

This past April at the Lloyds Travel Open House we featured a prize draw and gave away two tickets to Hawaii. Martin and Esther Kafer were our winners and they are took advantage of the tickets and traveled to the Big Island this November. Martin and Esther are both in their 80’s, have been traveling for years. They are both in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the oldest couple to have climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. We decided to interview the lovely couple and discover what inspires them to travel.

Q: How long have you been traveling?
E: We have been traveling all our lives, but have done most of our travels since Martin retired in 1990.

Q: Where have you been?
E: We have been to 60 countries including Canada and Switzerland (where we are from) since 1954. Our first big trip together was through Europe. We hitchhiked around Britain, France and Italy, making it as far south as Naples.
M: We have done a lot of traveling over the years. When we were younger we did a number of climbing trips.

Q: What kind of travel do you prefer?
M: Active adventures. No question! Our next trip is to Alaska where we will be camping for 10 days, hiking and rafting.

Q: What have been some of your favourite trips?
E: We haven’t had a bad one yet! We have really enjoyed traveling through India, exploring the south as well as various areas in the north.
M: In Morocco we went on a 5-day camel safari, and also did a camel trek in the Tartars. Kayaking the Tonga in the north of New Zealand, seeing Belize with a group of friends and mountaineering trips in Borneo.

Q: What inspires you to continue traveling at this point in your life?
M: There are so many good times, we have had so much fun, so why stop now?
E: We are very interested in cultures and love to see how people live their lives and what their lives were like in the past. India, for example, has so many different cultures, the north and south are so different, with many different cultural places in between. We really enjoy the cultural and historical aspect of travel.

Q: What tips do you have for people who are interested in adventure travel?
M: Get a good travel agent like Lesli! It is not for everyone and it takes money, but it helps if you study ahead of time. We get a Lonely Planet book for every country we visit and hire a guides for certain places.
E: The best tip is to make up your mind that you will enjoy the trip no matter what.
M: People will surprise you. We were in Turkey and I forgot my money bag under the pillow and the people at the hotel chased after me to return it. That kind of thing is amazing and unforgettable.

Q: What destinations do you still have on your bucket list?
E: We like Asian countries and we have not been to Tibet, so we would like to go there. Also Laos and Vietnam are still on the bucket list.
M: Also in South America, Brazil. Otherwise we have been to most of the countries we want to see.

Knit London & Cornwall

by Judy Fawcett, photos also by Judy Fawcett

June 1 to 11, 2013

When Cornwall, New York yarn shop owner Gail Parrinello called to say she was thinking about a knitting trip to Cornwall, England I didn’t need to think twice before agreeing to design and escort the tour. Much planning and two years later, 16 knitters and 2 non-knitting companions (affectionately known as NKCs) arrived in London.

Our intrepid NKCs’ independent explorations prior to the start of the tour were enlivened when they were caught in the midst of a protest march one day and a dress rehearsal for the Trooping of the Colour the next. 

A visit to London wouldn’t be complete without taking in at least one play, so after a brief welcome, refreshments and goodie bag opening we scrubbed up and headed to the West End for a sold-out performance of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night”. As we walked from our hotel to the tube station we wondered about the activity and barricades next door, but it was only after we were home again that we discovered our hotel was right next to St Mary’s Hospital where Prince George was born a few weeks later.

The next day our Blue Badge Guide, Anne, walked us around Central London filling us in on ancient and recent history. We toasted our adventure and rested our feet with a champagne tea while taking in such sights as Tower Bridge as we cruised along the Thames.

That evening, after rubbing his tummy for good luck, we left Paddington Station on the overnight train to Cornwall. The next morning we were greeted with sunshine and our local guide Sue. 

After breakfast at our hotel we were ferried by small open boats to Saint Michaels Mount, home of the St Aubyn Family.  Here we also had a close brush with royalty; unlike Queen Victoria, who famously was “not amused,” Ruth was amused to sit on the sofa where Her Majesty the Queen sat when she paid a visit to this island aerie.

Back at the Hotel Penzance, our home for the next week, we knit, chatted and enjoyed a drink in the garden before dinner in the hotel restaurant.

Each day we saw spectacular scenery as we travelled by private coach and local trains to fishing villages and artist colonies like Mousehole (pronounced Mozel) and St. Ives (home of Tate Gallery St Ives.) We felt that we might have stumbled upon Sleeping Beauty when we walked through the Lost Gardens of Heligan. The gardens were left untended for decades after World War I only to be rediscovered in the 1990’s and have since been restored.   

At the Royal Cornwall Show we watched sheep judging, found wool and some of us had another royal encounter seeing Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal who was also touring the show.

One of the highlights of our adventure was being invited to visit the Doc Martin set where they were filming Series Six and meeting actor Martin Clunes who, unlike his television personality, wasn’t at all curmudgeonly.  

We attended a performance of Antony and Cleopatra at the Minack Theatre where the Cornish Coast featured as the backdrop.  

Not knowing much about vicars and vicarages, we jumped at the chance to have coffee with Alan, the Vicar of Pendeen.  Between services the Vicar showed us the house, church and gardens and introduced us to some of the parishioners. We were convinced that the Vicar had special powers as once again the sun shone on us.

The stones in Cornwall may not be as big as those at Stonehenge, but they are just as mysterious as we felt their power at this hidden away outcropping.

Having visited all the local wool shops we could find, and stopping at the WI Hall in St Just for an artisan show, we said farewell to Cornwall with just enough time to put in a few stitches before boarding the train to London.

The next day we spent time with designer Patricia Roberts who opened her Knightsbridge shop especially for us. After a pub lunch we walked to the Victoria & Albert Museum where Assistant Curator Kate took us through the Costume Gallery.  Kate made the display come alive as she gave us an insight to how it was developed.

One more yarn store stop and then it was au revoir to London and England with dreams of our next adventure to Paris and a river barge tour through the French countryside in 2014.

Most interesting local you met while abroad

Locals can leave an unbelievable impression on your travels . . . some of us have had encounters with locals that have shaped our futures, some at the very least have just made our travels all the more pleasurable. Here are our top memories of locals met while travelling . . . 

Azaia:

I didn’t so much meet an interesting local, but a group of locals the first time I visited Budapest. My friend and I went out for the night to explore some of Budapest’s famous ruin bars. We were at Szimpla Kert when we met a group of Hungarian students. They brought us to an old abandoned theatre that a group of local artists had converted into an art studio/dance space. We spent the night dancing to local techno and talking with fascinating Hungarian students and artists about Eastern European history and politics. It was an unforgettable experience.

Barbara:

Back in 1988 my husband and I visited Adelaide and booked a day tour out to the Barossa Valley. We sat up front and took the opportunity to chat with the driver. In talking with him we discovered that him and his wife had actually moved to Vancouver many years ago to pursue a career in the radio industry. It was difficult to break into, so they thought they would try their luck in Toronto which was the centre of radio work at the time. They weren’t happy with Toronto so they decided to leave and travel around the world and back to Adelaide. He ended up inviting us to dinner and we had a lovely evening with his family, which made a very special ending to tour stay in that lovely city.

Bruce:

We were travelling down the Mekong in a fast boat from Chiang Saen in North Thailand to Luang Prabang in Laos. The boats we maybe three feet wide and 18 feet long and were very uncomfortable. The ride usually took 6 hours but unfortunately the blade on our prop engine broke and we were stranded on the Mekong, in the middle of what we thought was nowhere.

I had my three boys with me and the youngest at the time would have been maybe 12. We floated down the river to a floating dock and the driver spoke with the attendant who we discovered was the chief of the village. There was no English, French or Spanish spoken here at all. To make a long story short, we stayed overnight on the porch of the chief’s house. Raised up on stilts our presence was probably the highlight of the decade. We had grandmothers trying to marry off granddaughters to my sons and their local hooch was prevalent.

I admit I was a little nervous about being in the middle of nowhere and no one knowing where we were. I stayed with the chief through the next morning (I gave him my favourite Fairview Mountain golf hat with a Canadian flag) trying to get a lift down the river, he kept telling me no and to wait and I was a little worried. Eventually another driver with another fast boat picked us up. I first negotiated the price of overnight accommodation and dinner (less than $5) and then happily had to pay yet again for a ride out of there. If you go out on the Mekong and see a man with a Fairview Mountain golf hat (on the Laos side of the river) please say hello.

Crystal:

Many years ago when I had just finished high school, our family went on an amazing trip to India. While many of the large cities were a bit much for this impressionable teenager, what struck a chord was a remote village in Northern India in the Himalayas near the Tibetan border.

We had hired a driver and sought out special permits to travel to this remote part of the country. Not only was it some of the most majestic countryside that I had ever seen, but the people were absolutely amazing and beautiful. Very different from the locals in Delhi and Mumbai which we had also visited, this group of people resembled Tibetans in many regards. They do not see many tourists in this area and I will never forget how awed they were by our presence . . . especially so by my young brothers (I believe my youngest brother was about 2 at the time – so he was a real hit). The children all came running up to our jeep to touch our skin and talk to us.

The memories of them have left a lasting impression. One morning in particular we awoke in our room at a Buddhist Monastery where we had rented beds for about $3/night. We awoke to a woman bursting through our door. We were all in bed and pretty shocked to find a woman now standing in our room. She was grinning from ear to ear and selling hand knit socks. I’m not sure if my folks bought the socks just to get her out of our room, or because they really wanted the socks - but we all got a pair! They were the warmest socks and I wore them for many years afterwards. The memory of her wonderful smile is always easy to recall.

Deborah:

A few years ago when I went on safari in Africa I visited Kenya. In one of the towns we visited I came across an interesting little shop. The shop keeper was a Kenyan woman with a beautiful smile. She approached me and invited me into her shop to bring her good luck. She made me feel so special, and I will always remember her. Whenever I think of that moment it brings a smile.

Lesli:

When trekking the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal, an old knee injury began seriously acting up, so I had to stop in a tiny village in the mountains to let it heal. I stayed with a woman and her family, none of whom spoke a word of English, in a small, multigenerational home. The family’s livelihood was beekeeping and to heal my knee the woman performed ‘apitherapy’. She spread hot honeycomb on my knee over a few days until the skin became tacky. She then put a device on my knee and used a suction technique to pull the skin away from my knee. Overall, I spent three to four days in the village and the woman performed apitherapy each day until I could finally walk out of the village. I’ve never forgotten this experience all these years later.

Lucas:

Last year I went on an amazing trip to Cambodia. Though I can’t single out a particular local that stood out among the rest, I can say that everyone I encountered in Cambodia was friendly, honest and open. Everyone I met was incredibly interesting and I would return in a heartbeat.

Wendy:

When I was 27 I took a trip to the Philippines for a convention in Manila. During the convention, the revolution against President Marcos began and the convention was cancelled. The government asked people to open their homes to the people attending the convention. I went with my family to a woman’s house whose husband had been assassinated. The house was huge and tables of various dishes such as suckling pig were laid out. I spent the entire night talking with the woman about Asian culture and history. After spending the evening talking extensively with her, I enrolled in Asian Studies at UBC and eventually obtained my BA in the subject.

An Unforgettable Adventure

by Wendy Fougner

This past August I embarked on an adventure to the Arctic with 30 close relatives and friends to celebrate the 60th birthdays of my brother Bill and his good friend Sue. Bill and Sue wanted to celebrate the start of their 60th year in a momentous destination, and after deciding against Ireland, Scotland and a Caribbean Cruise, they settled on the Arctic. Our adventure to the Arctic included visiting Arctic Watch and a canoe trip from Déline to Tulita. Though the destination was absolutely spectacular, it was the group’s close family dynamic and the sense of camaraderie that developed among us that made this trip truly unforgettable.

It might seem rather daunting to travel with a group of 30, but the number of people was fantastic. The group was comprised of two generations, and most everyone had known one another since childhood. A few people on the trip were new to me, but the warm and friendly nature of the group meant that everyone got to know one another very quickly. The size of the group meant that there was always someone to talk to and the close dynamic of the group generated a lot of energy which made the experience really special.

At both Arctic Watch and on the canoe trip our group was quite secluded, so you only really had the people around you to communicate and spend time with. There was no cell phone reception and no access to internet, so you didn’t have the opportunity to get caught up in work or current events. We are so busy these days, and technology keeps us constantly connected to the outside world. When you’re cut off from technology, you’re forced to slow down and do things you wouldn’t necessarily do otherwise. This was important because it meant that we were really immersed in the environment and the people around us, rather than focusing on work or social media.

The active and adventurous structure of the trip really lent itself well to the group dynamic and enabled us to develop a sense of camaraderie throughout the trip. Each day was filled with activities which we participated in together as a team. On the canoe portion of our trip we worked together to unload canoes, unpack the food, pitch tents and make camp. Everyone was prepared to participate and contribute. This experience really gave credence to the phrase “many hands make quick work.” Everything we did on the trip, we did together as a team. We laughed and joked together, and when there were tribulations we worked through them together, building a sense of camaraderie and friendship. On the last night of our trip we enjoyed a wrap-up party at a restaurant in Whitehorse. The wrap-up party was the perfect way to reflect on the adventure we had shared and to celebrate Bill and Sue’s 60th birthday. 

If you’re planning your own large family adventure, make sure to start planning the trip early to avoid any disappointments. Make sure that you have a good understanding of what is needed for the trip, in terms of equipment, clothing and physical ability. Having a travel consultant who can organize the different facets of your trip and has an intimate knowledge of the destination is also very important. Lastly, a wrap-up party is a must. The wrap-up party was an integral part of our adventure as it pulled everything together at the end of the trip.

Simply put, the experience was phenomenal. The sense of camaraderie and togetherness that developed among our group and the close family dynamic was incredibly special and ultimately made the trip an unforgettable experience.

Did you Know?

by Barbara Broadbent

AER LINGUS will launch a new direct service between Toronto and Dublin beginning in April 2014.  The Boeing 757 will operate daily for the summer season, then up to 4 flights a week over the winter.

A NEW CUBA CRUISE program will begin in December, offering 7-night departures from either Havana (Cuba) or Montego Bay (Jamaica) over the winter season.  The LOTUS CRISTAL has 480 staterooms, and can carry up to 1200 people.  It will circumnavigate Cuba, making the island’s fascinating ports accessible and affordable for all.  You would visit world-famous beaches, 6 UNESCO World Heritage sites, 4 National Parks and Preserves, as well as in-depth exploration of Cuba’s dynamic culture.  Cruise only prices start at $586 per person, sharing.  Pre- and post-cruise stays will be offered in Havana and Montego Bay.

RED DEER: Air Canada has started scheduled service between Calgary and Red Deer with 3 daily flights, using an 18-seater Beechcraft.   Flights have been scheduled to enable easy connections to AC’s domestic, U.S. and international networks.

FLY OVER CANADA: the former IMAX Theatre in Canada Place now houses a new attraction “Fly Over Canada.”  Buckle up your seatbelt and explore our great country covering  6000 km. from coast to coast.  See spectacular Iceberg Alley near Newfoundland, gaze at ice-capped mountains, magnificent prairies, dip into deep valleys with wild rivers rushing through.  Marvel at Niagara Falls, the Muskokas (in Ontario), the incredible Rockies, the west coast wilderness and also busy cities and towns … to name but a few highlights. 

The attraction is open 7 days a week, from 10 am to 9 pm.  The total experience, which includes a pre-show uplift, a pre-flight briefing, and the flight itself, takes about 30 minutes.  Ticket prices run from $ 14.95 (children 4 – 12), $ 17.95 (seniors 65+ and youth 12 – 17) and $ 19.95 (adults).

Priority tickets are available for a slightly higher price (e.g. $ 21.95 for adults).  These guarantee admission for a certain date and within a 1-hour window especially nice if you have limited time or possibly on very busy weekends.  (See www.flyovercanada.com)

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: WestJet has introduced daily non-stop seasonal service from Toronto to Port of Spain.  Once there, access to Tobago is an easy 20-minute plane ride away, with departures every ½ hour.  This new destination for Canadians offers some niche markets such as birding and eco soft adventures.  There is kayaking, zip-lining and turtle watching… it being one of just 3 destinations on the planet that receives a visit from the leather-back turtle during the year (main season between April and August).  The area is also gaining a reputation as a preeminent culinary destination.   Their annual carnival (Feb or Mar) focuses on all aspects of creativity—music, costumes, and Caribbean life to the fullest.

Canoeing the Great Bear River

by Crystal Roche

This past August, my husband and I and 27 other family and friends went on an adventure to the Arctic Circle and the North West Territories. This was the first time that my husband and I have travelled without our children for such a long period of time. I’ll admit, we were a little nervous to leave them for so long. We flew up to Yellowknife, NT where we overnighted before flying out early the next morning to Arctic Watch, NU.

After a pleasant but chilly stay at Arctic Watch we headed to Norman Wells to meet up with our canoe guides at their lodge. We spent a lovely evening with them and got ready for the next phase of our adventure. Having never done this type of canoeing before, it was a really interesting process. For our canoe company, this was their largest guided group - so it was an experience for them too.

Our canoes had been flown to the start of our journey in Deline some days earlier, but we still needed  to be outfitted with paddles and life jackets and more rain gear as unfortunately the forecast was looking grim. Once we were suited up, the guides took our paddles and life jackets and all the gear barrels (these were waterproof barrels that held everything from camping pots and cutlery, to dry goods and tarps which we would need for camping) onto our airplane and flew them to Deline. Our guides overnighted there with our gear, and our plane came back for us. We all packed our personal items into our own waterproof barrel and got them ready for loading the next morning. All we would need we stuffed into a small bin...fleece, rainpants and jackets, hats, long underwear and warm socks. I’m glad we had just come from the Arctic, as we were well prepared for rainy weather in a canoe. Surprisingly, it all fit....and we were set to go.

Once the packing was done we could actually enjoy ourselves a little. This would turn out to be our last sunny and warm day for the remainder of the trip!

The next morning we got on our plane and flew to Deline. A small community at the Southwest corner of the Great Bear Lake (the fourth largest freshwater lake in the world). After a quick shuttle across the lake, we loaded all the gear into our canoes and then paddled off down the Great Bear River. The Boreal and Taiga forests that grace the shores of the Great Bear offered us amazing views of the Mackenzie lowlands. The current on this river often reaches speeds of 10 to 12 km per hour with absolutely clear water.

The rain was a serious impediment...but it did not dampen our spirits. Our group was amazing as this was not ideal conditions for this type of trip. The guides were amazing however, and the scenery was absolutely spectacular. I also shouldn’t be so harsh about the weather. We had a couple of re- ally torrential downpours and a lot of drizzling, but we did also have amazing periods where the sun would come out over the river and light up the area and it was truly the most beautiful sight.

We camped for three nights on the banks of the river, our hosts cooked up great meals and we drank wine (from bags not bottles) and told stories. We learned more about one and other and grew closer as a family and drew nearer to our new friends. When you are out in the wilderness like that, away from the hustle and bustle of society, it really gives you time to slow down and gain some perspective. It allows you to get back to what is most important (in my opinion) which is family and relationships, fresh air and the outdoors, helping out one another and teamwork.

It will be one of those experiences in my life that I will carry with me for my lifetime. We came off the river on the 4th day with a real sense of pride at having accomplished something amazing that very few people have or will have the opportunity to see and do, almost 100 miles of river navigation in the Canadian North with 27 wonderful people.

We finished off the paddling with a final night stay at the lodge of Canoe North Adventures, and then flew back to Yellowknife. We really finished off the trip the right way with an amazing wrap up din- ner in town. We invited everyone from our flight crew, and from the charter air company, Summit Air. It was the perfect finale to our perfect trip.

If you’d like to read in detail about the trip, please feel free to visit my blog at: www.thegreatnorthadventure.blogspot.ca/. And of course, if you feel up to an adventure like this of your own, please don’t hesitate to call us...we’d be happy to help you plan it out.

Lesli's Lists: Travel Films

Nothing inspires travel more than watching a movie set in an exotic locale with stunning scenery and a moving story. A great travel movie can make you leap off the couch and book your next adventure!

1. The Motorcycle Diaries: The true story of two medical students embarking on a 5 month motorcycle trip across South America in order to use their medical training to volunteer for a remote leper colony along the Amazon River.

2. L’Auberge Espangnole: (The Spanish Apartment) is about a young, slightly uptight Economics student who goes on an exchange program in Barcelona to learn Spanish before he lands a big job.

3. The Darjeeling Limited: This is a wacky film about three wealthy, spoiled brothers on a quirky train ride through India.

4. UP: This is about an old man who spent his life dreaming of world travel and adventure with his wife, only for the both of them to grow old without ever taking any action. Then he finally decides to do something after his wife passes. This children’s movie is a delight for young & old.

5. City of God: Two boys growing up in a violent neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro take different paths: one becomes a photographer, the other a drug dealer.

6. Ever Smile New Jersey: Traveling dentist Fergus O’Connell traverses South America on his motorcycle for the ‘Eversmile’ foundation of New Jersey offering his services gratis to the rural Argentine populace.

7. Paris, Je t’aime: Twenty short films make up Paris, Je t’aime, providing laughter and turning you red with embarrassment, all while giving you an excellent tour of every nook and corner of this fascinating city.

8. Swimming to Cambodia: Swimming to Cambodia is a mesmerizing account of Spalding Gray’s experiences while playing a small role in the 1984 film The Killing Fields.

9. Gorillas in the Mist: This is based on the autobiographical 1983 book by naturalist Dian Fossey who is inspired by famed anthropologist Louis Leakey (Iain Cuthbertson) to devote her life to the study of primates.

10. Shirley Valentine: Shirley Valentine’s life is a bit of a disappointment. Unappreciated, this Liverpool housewife’s most interesting conversations are with the kitchen wall. After an argument with her husband Shirley allows herself to dream of a different life and when her friend Jane wins a trip for two to Greece, Shirley accepts an invitation to join her.

11. The Italian: Vanya is a six-year-old boy from Russia, who is about to be adopted by a loving Italian couple, but this is a crucial moment in his life, and there are choices to be made.

12. The Gods must be Crazy: Kalahari bushman Xi is as surprised as the rest of his tribe when a Coke bottle, thrown from a passing plane, lands in the middle of their village. This “gift from the gods” proves to be a mixed blessing when the tribesmen fight over it and eventually use it for a weapon.

13. Long Way Round: A story about two men with notable acting careers, Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman who circle the globe on motorcycles.

-Lesli