Cross USA+Canada: Adventure Mobile

Being back in Canada has been so easy and pleasant. Now that we've re-adjusted to Canadian culture, everything's familiar and accessible. Our minds have "caught up" to the pace of life here and some semblance of routine began materializing. So what does that mean? PROJECTS!
Ladies and Gentlemen, we'd like to introduce you to our new Adventure-Mobile, "Taz!"

That's right! He's named "Taz" and he's our Honda Element
aka Toaster on Wheels

We picked him up from our friend Marcus during the middle of summer in order to prepare him for a big road trip we had planned: Vancouver-Vermont-Ontario-Vancouver

I call this "The 49th Parallel Loop"
approx. 14,000 KM

Our original intent was to do a one-way camper van/RV relocation, which would've cost 30% of standard rental rates but would restrict you to a set # of days in order to deliver the vehicle back to the rental company. After doing a bit of math and plane ticket calculations, buying a car like our Honda Element would give us more time, flexibility, and end up costing just about the same amount of money. Of course this meant we needed to do a bit of work to get Taz ready:

1) Research, plan out, and build a bed frame/storage system in the car.

We wanted to keep it simple and space efficient. There are some seriously elaborate Honda Element conversions out there complete with folding beds, closets, and even kitchens!!

3/4" plywood, varnished, hinged, and bracketed together

Bed hinge panel = coverts to full length bed

Bed hinge allows for comfortable driving positions

Approx. 210 cubic litres of storage boxes + space between for misc.

2) Measure and order in foam mattress.

4.5" mattress incl. egg crate style "pillow top"

3) Make a custom mattress cover.

Foam in mattress cover.
Nearly as comfortable as our bed at home!

4) Sew together bug screens for the windows and sunroof.

This provides better air circulation for those warm/muggy evenings.

Window "bags" made from screen-door mesh fabric

5) Create insulating covers for all the windows. 

We discovered while camper-vanning in Australia + New Zealand that you lose a huge amount of heat thru the windows!

Made from "Thermal Insulation" aka bubble wrap + tinfoil

6) Mechanically prepare Taz for 1 month of driving (no pics here cuz I just sent Taz to a shop, hehe)

210 cu. L of storage = gear, clothes, pots/pans, stove, cooler, and food!

So after 4 weeks' worth of research, carpentry, tailoring, tune-ups, and route planning, we hit the road at the end of August. Our itinerary encompassed:

• A total of 12 days to reach Vermont, USA and visit our friends Brian & Erin on their farm co-op
• 3 of those days in Yellowstone National Park (the world's first national park!)
• 1 day in Chicago

With the rubber on the pavement, we set our sights for our first major stop, Yellowstone!

-Terry

Desolation Sound

During the middle of August we had the opportunity to join our friends, Judy and Kent, on their boat for 8 days in Desolation Sound, BC.

Desolation Sound reminds us a lot of Milford Sound in New Zealand. The primary differences being:
-Desolation is wider and more spread out, whereas Milford is much tighter leading to more dramatic visuals
-Mosquitoes instead of sand flies (fortunately the mosquitoes weren't that bad)

20C water, so warm!

It was such an easy trip, we were so fortunate to join Judy & Kent as they did all the hard work to get the boat ready and prepared: drinks, food, fuel, gear and equipment for 4 adults for 8 days! This includes:

• 2 coolers the size of coffins filled with ice and drinks
• 2 fridges, 1 freezer, and several cabinets filled with food
• prawn traps + fishing rods
• a fully equipped kitchen
• kayaks and stand-up-paddleboards
• all the technical boat equipment I can't even wrap my head around

Before

Getting ready!

After

+/- 500 prawns total!

Spotted prawn sashimi, doesn't get any fresher!

Asides from the amazing nature we encountered, our biggest adventure was saving a loose and unmanned boat from crashing into a cliff face.  It was quite an adrenaline fuelled rescue, being newbies to boat life, we were desperately trying to control this runaway boat knowing next to nothing about proper "open water rescue" procedures. Also, being 30-40% bigger than our own ship, it really added to the mental hurdle of wrestling it down. Fortunately, with Kent's lifetime of experience on the oceans we were able to follow his lead and successfully secured the runaway boat.

Boat rescue in action

To our surprise, the adventure continued as we were preparing to leave. While pulling up our anchor, we somehow hooked onto another anchor and chain that was abandoned on the ocean floor. We ended up spending 1+ hours fighting to pull up several hundred feet of metal chain and the stray anchor.

Wrestling with an anchor

What's a trip without a little drama?

Chris & Ava, our fellow boat rescuers!

-Terry

Budget Review - Post Trip #s

So before we started our trip I had done some research and blogged that we budgeted approximately $75 CAD/day/person. Since this was a projected statement and since I'm known as a bit of a spreadsheet nerd by some of my less favourite friends (lol), of course I had to keep track of all our expenses and do the numbers. So without further BS, what were the total figures for our International travels?
Well first let me give you some background...hahaha just kidding!

We totalled $81.45 CAD/day/person. Here are the stats/details:

• Total # of international days = 235 days
• Total $ spent = $38,300 (rounded to the nearest $100)
• Australia + New Zealand = $19,500 ($119/person/day) we were very fortunate to be able to stay with family in Australia (thank you, thank you, thank you to the Australian Lui Family!!)
• SE Asia = $13,300 ($61/person/day)
• 98% of our accommodations were with AirBnB, which was a cheaper and nicer option than a private room in a hostel
• While we were aware of our expenses, we did not make our decisions strictly based on cost. For example if a flight /train ride cost a bit more but was more direct or a better and more comfortable experience, that would be our choice. And we did not try to limit our experience so if there was a "must do" activity, we signed up for it (caving, canyoning, camper-vanning, surfing, zorbing, bungee jump, etc)

Overall I'm quite pleased with this figure. While the "raised-by-immigrant-parents" side of me would have loved to see it below our budgeted figure, I'm happy that we traveled comfortably without using our "currency compass" to direct our path. It's a win-win in the end :)

-Terry

Being home

So we kind of disappeared there for a bit, part of "life" happening I suppose but let me get into it below...

Lynn Valley in North Vancouver

We have been home for just under 2 months and let me tell you, it has been an absolute whirlwind! Before we left Barcelona we had discussed what we wanted our days to be like when we got home. Wake up early, read, yoga/workout/hike, work on some hobby projects, explore the city, cook at home, sleep.  We got the sleep part right.

Upon arriving in Vancouver, we didn't account for the necessary things required for a typical functioning home: groceries, phone lines/cell phones, internet access, etc. It all swept us up and got us back into "busyness" (oh the joys of trying to set up a phone and internet when you do not have a phone and internet to begin with! Thank goodness for free wifi @ McDonalds and Starbucks!)

Baden-Powell Trail, North Vancouver

Within the first week we realized we were getting frustrated and up tight, the mental load of such basic Canadian tasks overloaded us, in fact Rhonda & I were getting snappy at one another and it wasn't until we spoke with her cousin Sherry that we were told we've been experiencing "Reverse Culture Shock!" WTF??? How can you have culture shock to your own home??? But sure enough, reverse culture shock is such a significant phenomenon that the US Department of State has a website dedicated to it: Link to Reverse Culture Shock

To quote the above page:

"The essence of home can be described in three key elements: familiar places, familiar people and routines, and predictable patterns of interaction."

The best, although nonsensical, way to interpret this from our experience is, "We have been so used to being in unfamiliar places, dealing with unfamiliar people, with no routine, nor predictable patterns of interaction that coming home to the exact opposite turned our world upside down." We were scratching our heads about it too.

We had been so used to doing very few things and doing them very slowly that when we jumped into the hustle and bustle of Vancouver, plus the tasks of a home that required re-setup...ack!! Everything in Canada moves and happens so fast, there is a constant bombardment of information, choices, decisions, overlapping and redundant options. "Can I have some sugar please? White sugar? Brown sugar? Dark brown sugar? Honey? Sweet 'n Low...? Just get me some effing sweetness!"

After realizing this and taking 5 steps back, several deep breaths, and a quiet moment, we said we'd space things out, do one to two necessary things a day, and dedicate time to continue "traveling" at home...this has been met with varied amounts of success. We had forgotten that during summer, the entirety of Western Canada comes to Vancouver (ok that may be slightly exaggerated), and we had lots of friends and family wanting to catch up (locals and out-of-towners). Don't get us wrong, we were so excited to spend time with familiar faces and missed everyone a lot but it literally meant we had events going on everyday for the first 30 days of being home! Contrast that to MAYBE talking with friends/family once every 10-14 days via Messenger/Skype/FaceTime when we were overseas.

The docks by our place :)

So now that we've been back for a little while, after having mostly re-established our home (the Canadian internet + cellular market is beyond ridiculous), buying a car (more on this later), and 3 road trips spanning 5000 km across Western Canada, we are slowing down a bit. We're reminding each other that the first things we do upon waking up is read, then breakfast, exercise, and do ONE thing a day that we WANT to do. This inevitably builds internal momentum and we end up doing several things but at least we feel it is purposeful and directed, not the proverbial "chicken with its head cut off" type of day.

With that said, it's my wish to continue with this blog for as long as it makes sense. We chose the name "Lui Living Life" because we wanted it to be more than JUST about travel (although that being the main catalyst) and hoped that it would encompass "life" topics as well. I've got some other online projects going as well, so hope those will pick up steam but stay tuned for more!!

Coming Home!!!

Yes it's true, we have decided to head back home!  We are rounding the 8 month mark and we've decided to spend the summer in Vancouver with plans to tour around BC and other parts of Canada.  We are very excited to be heading home!  Long term travel really gives you the opportunity to shed all your (and other's) preconceived notions of your priorities, your wants, and your needs and we now have this desire to put our new ideas and desires into practice.  Don't worry, we are still the same Rhonda & Terry that you knew and loved 8 months ago but we now have more clarity and confidence in our own internal thoughts and processing.  As an example, some of our most memorable experiences on this trip incorporate outdoor adventures such as canyoning, camping, hiking, caving, etc.  Sure we loved most of those activities before we left but we never placed them as high on the priority list as we did with work for instance...and why not?  Why not consider how to make it part of your work and/or scheduled time in your life?  We do happen to live in one of the internationally renowned outdoor meccas of the world! These are the type of questions we had time to ask ourselves and, even more importantly, the insights we had time to realize.

Long chats at coffee shops (this one's in Barcelona)

Life can be crowded and full.  Did we need to go away to figure some of these things out? No, not at all but it does make it easier when you can remove yourself from your everyday life and have a major adventure while you're at it!  Also, there's the new environment that supports these new thoughts; we have seen so much of life outside Canada, outside of 1st and 2nd world countries and it has an effect....a profound effect.  We are so grateful and sooooo spoiled to live in Canada.  The freedoms we have are immense and we live in an amazingly beautiful and clean country full of abundance.  It's something we want to embrace fully and maximize its potential.  Yes, we are also a little travel fatigued and miss home but we also have this intense desire to shape our lives and live it fully according to our own self-derived directions and goals.

Random mosaic mural in Barcelona

At the beginning of our trip, we discussed how we would feel if we came back before completing an entire year of travel and Terry felt he'd be a little disappointed. When we discussed it again four months into the trip, his response changed.  We realized that we wanted to incorporate long-term travel into our every day lives and that it was no longer about completing this one particular year of travel.  We've now learned about how we like to travel (slowly and outdoors related), what types of activities and places are most memorable to us and we have more comfort and know-how in the process to get there and back.

The past 8 months has gone by quickly and when we look back it really doesn't feel like we've been gone for such a long time.  The constant intake of travel keeps things fresh and new and time passes by easily. However that being said, when we look back over our blog posts, we are amazed at the experiences we've had and the places we've been.

No comment

It doesn't feel real yet that we're coming home, as we continue to explore and see a new city (Barcelona) and its culture.  In many ways we feel like Canada is our next destination and not necessarily "home" but the conflicting thought in the back of our minds is that it is "home" and with that comes all the associated things, thoughts, emotions and memories. It's new but it's not.  We wonder what may have changed or how it may appear different because of how we've changed.  We wonder how we'll handle the "cold" Canadian summer, what it'll be like to have clothing options, to cook in a familiar kitchen, to no longer require the constant assistance of Google Maps when we're out and about, and to eliminate the need to use "traveler's sign language" to find, order and buy things.  We love, love, love traveling but we are crazy excited to be coming home.

Over the Atlantic

-Terry & Rhonda

Cruisin' the Mediterranean

Decided to take a boat ride!!

So how on earth did we get from backpacking SE Asia to a cruise in the Mediterranean? Well long story short, we were invited by my parents to join them. Initially we were hesitant because the timing didn't work according to our "master world tour plan" but then we thought "well, why not disembark in Spain and head back to SE Asia over land?" Essentially flipping our travel path. Next hesitation was...perhaps we were a few decades too young for a cruise? With a bit of convincing from my parents we said Ok! So we committed to joining them and made the long flight from Hong Kong to Rome (12 hours).

St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican

Inside the enormous St. Peter's

Inside the Vatican Museum:  Opulence & beauty beyond imagination

Rome: A city full of history and ruins

Landing in Rome for 5 days prior to embarkation, we toured this ancient city and visited/revisited several "must see" sights, had some very nice Italian cuisine, and met up with friends and family who just so happened to also be in Rome/area at the same time! (Hi Diego, John and Louise!) I have to admit, there were numerous times when we were scratching our heads on the proper "Italian" way to do certain things and I took advantage to thoroughly abuse the saying "When in Rome..."

Family visit in Orvieto, Italy

The Mediterranean sea and all it's glory

Cruise day comes and we leave behind the Romans for the big boat. Our itinerary would take us to Italy (Pompeii, Sicily), Greece (Athens, Crete, Santorini), Turkey (Kusadasi/Ephesus), and Spain (Barcelona). We soon come to realize that as exotic as many of these locations are, you have an extremely limited amount of time to explore these places and are largely restricted to only glimpses of the tourists attractions (in other words, a glimpse of a glimpse). The restricted time also means time is at a higher premium than money so if you want to see/do the things that one "must do" in the port of call, you've got to really pay for it. Not to mention the cruise took us to a more expensive part of the world so there was the currency to factor in as well. Case in point, the cost of the cruise tickets alone (12 days) was about the same amount as our entire 2 months in Vietnam!

Mt. Vesuvius, Pompeii - dormant for now

Pompeii - mummified bodies from 79AD

The Parthenon, Athens, Greece 

The town Oia (pronounced Eeya) in Santorini, Greece

Now...with that said, we certainly enjoyed ourselves thoroughly in all the luxury that comes with such pampered traveling. Everything was amazingly easy, food was excellent at every meal, everyone was ultra polite and mannered, and our biggest concern was making sure we didn't get left behind at the port. We didn't have to spend any energy on figuring out all the details of daily life. Compared to our time in SE Asia and New Zealand, we were granted the luxury to focus on simple things such as a regular routine, good diet, and exercise, really getting into a good book, playing card games/mah jong, etc.

Our home on the sea

Feasting in Turkey

With 9 days of port calls (3 sea days), the highlight destination for us was Kusadasi/Ephesus in Turkey. Although we only had several hours to see the area, the little we did experience of its culture only served to re-affirm our belief that Turkey is a major destination that deserves spending a lot of time in. The history of its multiple empires, blend of ethnic cultures, focal trade point of the ancient Silk Road, and it being at the intersection of 2 major religions (Christianity and Islam), all within the past couple millennia offers so much substance it just oozes out of every crack and stone in its land. We will be back.

Our last stop and disembarkation was in Barcelona, Spain where we enjoyed 6 days on land exploring the city with my parents before saying goodbye to them.  Here we learned about the architect Antoni Gaudi and had the opportunity to tour the Casa Battlo and the Sagrada Familia Basilica.  This church has been under construction since 1882 and is estimated to continue until 2026 (144 years of construction!).  His work is absolutely magnificent and his vision incorporates nature in every element, making it a Christian church inspired by God's creation (nature). Despite it being "another church" it is unlike any other building we've ever been in, we compared the experience at Sagrada Familia with our time at Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Truly stunning.

Beautiful fountain in Parc de la Ciutadella, Barcelona

Casa Battlo by Gaudi, inspired by the ocean

Sagrada Familia, current entrance

Interior, inspired by trees and their canopy