Wall to wall winter

Early December in Norman Wells, North West Territories a couple hundred km south of the Arctic Circle.  - 32 C when I stepped off the plan at noon on Tuesday.  Brisk, the locals would say.  Apparently "real" winter has yet to arrive.  The town of 700 is on the MacKenzie River and the ice road on it won't open until next month.  At that time huge semi trucks will drive on the river from Yellowknife to the south, north up the river delivering supplies all the way to the Arctic Ocean.  Other than air, no other way to get here or deliver supplies, aside from summer when tug and barge bring fuel and supplies.

Got the grand tour on arrival.  Here is the view from the hill above, looking over the town west towards the Franklin Mountains.  The Yukon Territory is somewhere beyond them.  Sun rises about 10:30 am and sets by 3:30 PM this time of year.  Even shorter days next month when I'll be back for two weeks traveling to four smaller, far more remote communities including Colville Lake (pop. 90) north of the Arctic Circle.

Wonderful people, great work experience.  Ever so thankful I took their advice on the cold weather boots (a struggle to get on and off, especially when you do this at the entrance of every building, and then walk around is stocking feet) and the parka is amazing.  When I left home, 3 separate people in the Abbotsford Airport commented on the parka.  Never seen anything like it.  At the Canadian North air counter in Edmonton boarding the flight (which goes Yellowknife, Norman Wells, Inuvik) I fit right in.  Massive, toasty, and with the fur trim hood up it's like looking through a tunnel.  Can only see 10 feet directly in front of me and nothing else.

Took all the picstures with my iPhone, which has no cell service here.  The one at street level of the sun and trees looking over the MacKenzie River is right out front of our training site.  I stepped out at lunch with no coat or boots take it quickly.  Nippy.

Did I mention the cold?  And wall to wall winter?

East Africa

Just left Juba, South Sudan yesterday after a week on the ground and am back in Nairobi, Kenya. 

Amazing changes in Juba since my last trip 2 yrs ago.  Lots of asphalt, street lights, cars, shops, restaurants.  Even dry cleaners!  Not at all like the first trip 5 yrs ago where there was nothing left after the war with the North.  First picture is the South Sudan Prison HQ team after one of our meetings in Juba.  The woman at the end is a UN advisor from Cameroon.  Great to see old friends.  Not so great was the failure of running water and WiFi in the hotel. 

Second picture is the carpet of jacaranda blossoms outside my hotel room in Nairobi (FAR nicer than that in Juba).  Massive trees full of these amazing violet blossoms.  Planning an outdoor lunch today at Talisman in the Karen area, just at the foot of the Ngong Hills.  Remember the movie "Out of Africa"?  The area is named for Karen Blixen, the author of the original autobiographical story written under her pen name of Isak Dinesen.  Her home is closeby, now a museum.  Her lover, Denys Finch Hatton (played by Robert Redford in the movie) is buried in the hills above, overlooking the Rift Valley.  He died in 1931 when his Gypsy Moth biplance crashed nearby.

Starting the homeward trek late tonight via a rainy, cold day in London.

Sitting at the front of the plane, for a change!

After all these years of sitting at the back of the bus, I finally got to be the bus driver. 

For my birthday some months ago, S gave me an afternoon in a Boeing 737 flight simulator at the YVR Air Canada training centre.  Now that all the eye surgery is done and I can see again (thanks to great US and Canadian health care!) it was time to strap myself in to the cockpit.  Had lots of fun.  Bells, alarms, audible warnings (Terrain, terrain - repeated several times as I came too close to the mountains, or the ground), the sounds of the jet engines at full thrust, landing gear retracting and all the associated motions of take off, turbulance and landing. 

Absolutely overwhelming as the instructor sat in the co-pilot seat telling me what to do.  So much to pay attention to  After the first hour I was exhausted.  Take off was easy, landing wasn't.  I also learned that banking too far leads evenetually to rolling over, losing altitude quickly, confusion, panic and augering in to the ground at several hundred miles an hour.  Oops.  Forgot to hit the chime button telling the passengers and cabin crew to fasten their seatbelts.

There are several different Boeing and Airbus simulators there.  Toured them all.  Some are $23 million to buy.  The middle picture above is the simulator we were in.  Notice all the hydraulics below it to provide full movement.  We were doing night flying, so could see all the airport runway lights on take off and landing.  On my final take off, the instructor programmed in an engine failure to spice things up a little.  Great day, and wonderful to walk away from the crashes.

Pow Wow in Punnichy, Saskatchewan

We are entering in to a joint venture agreement with a local First Nation in Saskatchewan and were invited to be guests at their annual Pow Wow last week.  Amazing experience.  We were part of the formal "grand entry" ceremony in to the sacred dance circle.  Over 100 traditional dancers - young and old, men and women all around us.  Two groups of drummers and singers took turns during the evening under a star lit prairie sky.  It was something I'd never experienced before.  Long day, awesome night.  90 minute drive north of Regina, then east for 27 km on gravel roads.  Enjoyed it so much S and I went to a Pow Wow this weekend in Langley.

Out and about in HaNoi

Two weeks in HaNoi and shot less than twenty pictures. Emily, the crim student traveling with me shot closer to 1,000 in the same time period. Fresh eyes, fresh interest.

I did take these in the first few days. The ever present construction, often using old technology. A Young Pioneer (Vietnamese socialst version of cubs and scouts roled in to one for boys and girls) pondering the carved figures for sale at the Temple of Literature. And of course, the local alternative to McDonald's. Rice burgers for the masses. Interesting the the upscale coffee shop across the street was doing far more business.

HaNoi, Viet Nam

Another two week trip to HaNoi working at the People's Police Academy and UNODC. End of training class photo, one with Hai the translator and I, and Ms. Thau one of the police academy instructors who was also a student. Group pic of the project planning team meeting at the Academy. Daria, the UNODC rep, and Emily, the student traveling with me are in the shot along with two local women from the UN office. It's hard to lose me in the crowd there. Great class, good trip, and wonderful to be home!

Breakfast in Hawaii

Sieglinde took this yesterday morning at breakfast. Who knew geckos like strawberry jam?

Sunset at 13,000 feet

What an amazing day. Great breakfast outdoors on a hill top overlooking Kealakakua Bay (Sieglinde has pics on her FaceBook page of a gecko eating breakfast jam), followed by a walk on the beach in 86 F weather, then watching the sun set and the rise of the full moon from on top of Mauna Kea (13,700 feet/4,205 m) in sub-freezing temperature, standing in snow and wearing an artic parka.

Our condo looks over a golf course, with Mauna Kea in the background. At sunset, we can see the sun glint of the observatories up there. Last week it snowed and left 18 inches of snow up there.

The picture of me is at 9,000 feet elevation and you can see one of the old volcano cinder cones in the background to my right. Awesome tour, driven right to the summit, then back down to 9,000 feet for a tour of the stars through some 14" telescopes. What a day!

More from Hawaii

Our first morning in Waikoloa we saw this amazing cloud in the sky and had to get a picture. Not sure if it's a fish, a whale or a shark. Very cool. The other pic is New Year's Day seafood lunch being supervised by Fish, the restaurant cat. Right at the marina with the freshest seafood in town. Menu changes daily.

Kona, Big Island of Hawaii

After being away for 12 years, we're back for another Christmas vacation in Kona. This time we're in a condo up the coast in Waikoloa. Fabulous view of Mauna Kea (13,000 foot) as the sun rises behind it. Had some great beach time, fabulous meals, an unplanned detour to check out emergency medical care in Honolulu (thank God for great travel insurance) and had lots of time together. Wonderful way to end 2011 and begin 2012.

The various pics are us on a snorkel cruise Christmas Day, at a luao in Kona and on the beach to welcome the first sunrise of 2012 in Waikoloa. Having a wonderful time!

Cao Lanh, Dong Thap Province, VietNam

I'm in HaNoi now, in the north where the temperature is great. 22 C and dry. Fantastic time of year to be here. Just spent the past several days in the south, up the Mekong Delta close to the Cambodian border in Cao Lanh. Part of the project included monitoring some training at a small rural police station, right on the Mekong River. I was last at this station in December of 2006, and was leading some police simulation based training on child interviews. We used 2 little girls, 11 and 10, who lived at the police station (not uncommon in rural areas) where their fathers worked as the "actors" in the simulations. They were awesome. Fantastic sense of humour. We took photos afterwards, had them printed in town and came back the next day to give them to the girls. Flash forward four years and eleven months. Back in Cao Langh, same police outpost, and the two girls are still living there! They even remembered my name. The pictures were lost a couple of years ago when the river flooded. We posed for new pictures and I'm having the new & old printed and laminated for them. So, here is the 2006 and 2011 photos, taken in exactly the same patch of ground in the station compound. The boat/river pic is taken from the same spot. Very cool experience to see them again, chat, visit with one of the mothers who works as one of the canteen cooks at the compound.

Wachau, day trip in Austria

Last day in Vienna and booked a trip out to the Wachau region. About 80 km north, along the Danube River and known for great scenery. Went through Durstein and Krems, then got on a river boat at Spitz. North to Melk then tour of the Benedictine abbey. Massive place. Got lots of sun on my face, but awfully cold. I was lucky to borrow a sweater from a colleague yesterday, and went out to buy a scarf last night. Totally failed to plan for the weather when I packed!

Schnitzel and yet more schnitzel

These are for Darrell.... As promised, I took pictures of two Vienna dinners just for you! Schnitzel the size of small children, all washed down with great local beer. I did have other dinners, but only took pics of the schnitzel. Did lots and lots of walking to help burn this off, sort of.

Side trip from Hoi An

After the first fitting and while waiting for the final tailoring of my shirts, we wandered down to the pier in Hoi An and stepped on to one of the local ferries over to Cam Kim Island to see village life on the other side of the Thu Bon River. 100,000 Vietnam Dong ($5 US) return for 2, which is more than locals pay. The ferries all have self-serve drive on/drive off bicycle and motor bike parking, passenger seating below deck (NOT sized for Westerners) and for busy days, more motor bike parking on the deck above the seating area. The Captain sits on a tiny plastic stool, controls speed with a foot on a lever and a crewman goes below deck to hand crank the engine to start it. One tiny woman to direct parking and a young guy who directs loading, takes money and then sits in his hammock (crews quarters) during the voyage. Click on the photo to enlarge it. Unlike BC Ferries, no flourescent safety vests, steel toed boots, safety briefing or life preservers. Seating and cargo capacity is limited only by the boats ability to stay afloat. After walking about the tiny island, seeing the chickens, cows and boat bulding, we stopped at the only cafe/store for something cold. We grabbed the only cold can of beer on the entire island and opted to drink it standing up. Note the plastic stool size. I was afraid that either I'd break it or couldn't get back up again after sitting down. We were a definite oddity on the island.

Day trip to Hue

Sieglinde stayed pool side while I hired a guide and car for a day trip north over the Hai Van Pass and up the coast to the old imperial city of Hue, located on the Perfume River. My guide was born in DaNang, but his family moved north walking up the Ho Chi Minh Trail to Hanoi during the American War as they were Viet Cong. The trip took six months. He recounted stories of being in elementary school in Hanoi when American B52's would bomb the city.

We stopped at the top of the Hai Van Pass for pictures. Great view ahead of the beach at Lang Co (there is a second photo of the beach and town), and of some of the bunkers built by French and US troops at different stages of the war. In the 15th century, the pass was the boundary between Vietnam and the Kingdom of Champa.

I'm sitting at the base of the Thein Mu Pagoda, founded in 1601. The Perfume River is right behind the photographer, and Loas is only a few hours away up river. We also toured one of the royal tombs outside town. More stair climbing in the heat.

The other pictures are from inside the Citadel and imperial palace grounds. Massive site, surrounded by 10 km of wall and moat. Almost all the buildings were destroyed during the 1968 Tet Offensive when North Vietnamese forces held it for almost a month. Fighting was heavy and US forces eventually shelled the entire site and used napalm to take back control. Less than 1/4 of the site has been re-built. Fascinating place, but after walking about in 35 C weather with high humidity for 3 hours I hit the saturation point.