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We landed in Seoul at 5:30 pm after 11 hours in the air, almost all of them flying due north. Not only did we change latitude by 64 degrees, we also changed continents and, by some standards, worlds. Though Korea is a technological powerhouse, it still lacks what some may qualify as first world amenities. For the next nine and a half months, we will not be able to consistently drink the water, use Western toilets, eat uncooked fruits or vegetables, or speak the native language. Are we up for it? I guess we’re about to find out.

If Korea is a litmus test, we’re going to do just fine. Fortunately our travel mojo kicked in after three weeks of lounging at the beach and we became whirling dervishes of mobility. The kids power napped on the plane and Tom and I worked the internet. Though Korean Air temporarily lost Dax’s skateboard, upon arrival, everything else went smoothly. We found a cheap hotel, spent a fun evening at Airport Town in Incheon and one amazing day in Seoul. Though many of you at home were apparently sweating bullets that our kids were in the world’s nuclear hotspot, we joined the millions of South Koreans who take proximity to North Korea with a grain of salt. They were talking and writing about Pyongyang’s test of the previous week, but no one was fearing an impending influx of refugees or nuclear confrontation. In fact, if we had had two days, we would have joined a DMZ tour to the border. Remember, as an ancient Chinese proverb suggests, “May you live in interesting times.” If you do, embrace them.

Our day in Seoul started with the historical heart of the city, Gyeongbok Palace. We didn’t get very far before it began–Andrusmania. Like every other Western family that passes through, we became instant celebrities. No sooner had we walked through the main gate when a group of giggling, fawning high schools swarmed around Dax and McKane and begged Tom to take their picture with them. Assuming the obligatory peace sign pose (a favorite with the Japanese as well and possibly the most enduring legacy of Richard Nixon’s foreign policy), the boys indulged their Korean fan club. From that moment on, we were the objects of gawks, gazes, smiles, and nods of approval. Anyone who could speak English approached us to strike up a conversation. In the National Folk Museum we met some exceptionally nice and ably conversant mothers and children. We had the kids pose for photos and told them how much we were enjoying our visit to their country. When they asked how long we would be in Korea, we weakly responded “one day.” They were disappointed and befuddled. How do you explain that in choosing an 11-month itinerary, you still have to leave out a majority of the world’s countries? How do you tell them that Delta gives you only 6 stops and they were just a layover on the way to their much bigger neighbor to the north.

Everywhere we went we met people who were friendly, concerned and eager for us to love their country. The kids couldn’t believe we had only one day and grilled us as to why we couldn’t stay a month. They would have to be satisfied with a few traditional meals, a hug from a spirited Korean youth, and photo shoots with school girls. Next time kids, next time.

Oh, I almost forgot. Things here are open late, some even 24 hours. I love you, Australia and New Zealand, but your 8-hour business days were killing me. We’re ready to eat late, shop late, and live late. And to top it all off, they have scary mannequins here too. In this case, bizarrely undersized ones. These little guys are apparently making kim chee for giants.

Technorati Tags: Family travel, Gyeonbok Palace, Incheon, Korea, Round the world, Round-the-world, RTW, Seoul

Australia is a fabulous place to visit with plenty of beautiful beaches, mountains, deserts, and cities to explore. We found that in addition to the landscape, the people are a big part of the country’s allure. They are friendly, outgoing, and embrace life with an enthusiasm that is refreshing for overworked, stressed out Americans to behold. They can teach us a thing or two about enjoying life and living it to its fullest…and they can kick the snot out of us on the rugby field. Here are the top 6 things we learned during our month down under:

1. Real men are not afraid to put a -y on the end of their words, e.g. barbeque=barby, breakfast=breaky, football=footy, biker=bikey, tough guy=baddy, surfer=surfy, sunglasses=sunnies, or to call chickens chooks.

2. Everything closes early…even earlier than in New Zealand and even earlier on Saturdays.

3. Be sure to book ahead if you’re visiting during school holidays.

4. Sleeping in the car isn’t a cakewalk, but there are worse things you could do.

5. Crocs rule! (We’ll miss you, Steve)

6. What constitutes cussing is relative. Just because a few dicey expletives are commonplace here, don’t expect to get to use them at home kids!

Technorati Tags: Australia, Family travel, Round the world, Round-the-world, RTW

We LOVED our time in Australia and can’t wait to get back sometime soon. We covered only a tiny region of the vast continent and still could have done much more in this one area. Here are our favorite activities.

1. Asher — Go on a bushwalk at Richard’s house
2. Kieran — Play laser tag in Kawana Waters
3. McKane — Run with ferrel children in halls and elevators and go to the stream at Richard’s house
4. Dax — Surf the many beaches of Caloundra
5. Anne — Drive through the Warrumbungles
6. Tom — Bodyboard at the same beaches where Dax surfs

Technorati Tags: Australia, Bodyboarding, Family travel, Caloundra, Round the world, Round-the-world, RTW, Sunshine Coast, Surfing, Warrumbungles

Australian food was familiar and for the most part yummy. You can tell we suffer from chronic sweet tooth, as three of us chose candy for our favorites. But this is probably fair, since the candy aisles in Australian supermarkets are like nothing you’ve ever seen–long, luscious, and addictive. You used to be able to get Aussie licorice (yum!) at Trader Joe’s in the States but we’re not sure if they still have it. It’s well worth the effort to track some down. I think we’ll start ordering ours via the internet once we get home.

1. Asher –Teriyaki chicken shish kabobs on the barbie
2. Kieran — Violet Crumble candy bars
3. McKane — Meatasourus pizza at Dominoes with regular sauce (”Unleash the bloke within”)
4. Dax — Red Rooster chicken sandwich
5. Anne — Soft raspberry licorice
6. Tom — Soft black licorice

Technorati Tags: Australia, Family travel, food, Licorice, Dominoes, Round the world, Round-the-world, RTW

I love the sun. Warmth and light are good. When I got to LA after 27 years of living in places that lacked consistent, year-round sunshine I was in heaven. Given this proclivity for all things solar, I was naturally drawn to Queensland, Australia’s own sunshine state. With an average of 300 sunny days per year, people come here, soak up the sunshine, get happy, and never leave. But Queensland’s greatest asset is also its greatest danger. Australia has the world’s highest incidence of skin cancer, with 1 out of every 2 residents suffering from the malady at some point in their lives. Queensland takes home the prize among the Aussie states with 2500 cases of deadly melanoma each year. Queenslanders are no slouches however; they take their sun seriously and probably lead the world in sun awareness as well.

We began to suspect this when we drove into Caloundra and discovered an abundance of skin cancer screening clinics. They are literally everywhere and for Queenslanders visiting them may be as routine as picking up the dry cleaning or getting the oil changed. Pharmacies here sell sunscreen not by the ounce but by the liter. Even Richard, our friend who fears no venomous creature, is meticulous about slathering his kids in sunblock. After years of sleeping on the beach and surfing unprotected, he makes annual visits to the dermatologist to get “cut up,” or have cancerous and precancerous spots removed.

We were impressed by the Queenslanders devotion to sun protection, so I decided to take the camera our last day on the beach to see what I could find in the way of sun gear. Here’s what I came up with:

Then there were these people who chose not to wear hats, but for the most part did an admirable job of keeping the sunscreen applied.

Next stop, Korea.

Technorati Tags: Australia, Caloundra, Family travel, Round the world, Round-the-world, RTW, Sunshine Coast

Last Thursday we made our long awaited visit to Steve and Terri Irwin’s Australia Zoo…the inside of the zoo that is. You may remember that we spent some quality time in the parking lot in September. We had promised Kieran he would see koalas and after many fruitless attempts to find them in the wild, including a visit to Gunnedah, “the koala capital of Australia,” we knew the zoo would finally deliver. In truth, we hoped for much more. Prior to the Croc Hunter’s death on September 5th, the Irwins had declared that their goal was to make their Australia Zoo “the world’s premier zoological destination.” We weren’t sure what that meant, but since we have been to many zoos including the famed San Diego Zoo, we knew it would take a lot to impress us. What we found was very different than what we had expected.

The park is relatively small and intimate as far as zoos go. The focus is Australian animals but has expanded in recent years to include Asian elephants and tigers. We had no interest in these extra-contnental critters so after the snake, bird, and croc shows we headed right for the native displays. We fawned over the wombats, pet the kangaroos, and at long last cuddled the koalas. (It turns out kangaroos are softer!) We were fascinated by the story of Harriet, the Galapagos tortoise who passed away just a few months ago. She was originally captured by Charles Darwin…yes, the Charles Darwin…in 1835 and had been in residence at the zoo since 1987. She died at the ripe old age of 176. Our other favorites were the cassowaries, freakishly dangerous birds that build huge mounds of debris as their nests, and the Komodo dragons. Tom and I have seen both of these in the wild, but it was the kids’ first time experiencing both.

The vibe of the zoo was pleasant but weird. Everywhere we looked there were images of Steve–Toyota ads, billboards, cardboard cutouts, programs, tickets. Film clips of his antics were interspersed throughout the shows. One of his old trucks sat out as a prop for kids to play on. The gifts shop was selling a line of surfwear tragically branded “Steve Lives” as well as action figures bearing his countenance. Despite these constant reminders, there was no official allusion to his passing. The impromptu memorials that sat outside the zoo in the weeks after his death had been tucked away in a secluded hallway under the Crocoseum. It was almost as if the staff hadn’t figured out how to respond to his absence and as such were just going on as if nothing had happened.

After our day at the Australia Zoo, it was evident that the Irwins are what bring it to life. It is not just a place that houses exotic animals; it is the realization of a lifelong dream to instill in people a love of wildlife and a desire to fight for its conservation. I suspect that in the coming years Terri and little Bindi will find a way to continue Steve’s work and ensure his spirit pervades the zoo. It may still become the world’s premier zoological destination, but as I ambled through the old croc pools that still form the heart of the park, I couldn’t help but wish I had visited ten years earlier when the zoo was just an isolated reptile park and Steve was a zany young bloke hosting the daily croc shows. Every now and then you are charmed to find such an undiscovered treasure. We’ll let you know the next time we do.

Technorati Tags: Australia, Australia Zoo, Family travel, Crocodile Hunter, Round the world, Round-the-world, RTW, Steve Irwin