http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Brooks-Family/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Brooks Family en-us Sat, 19 Dec 2009 07:16:34 +0000 Sat, 19 Dec 2009 07:16:34 +0000 BY JUSTINOI got home 2 weeks ago today but still have not adjusted to day to day life off the road. After 27 flights San Diego to Houston to DC to Newark to San Francisco to Newark to London to Newark to Beijing to Hong Kong to Guangshou to Saigon to Hoi An to Saigon to Singapore to Sydney to Wellington to Aukland to Wellington to Melbourne to Singapore to Kuala Lumpur to Phuket to Kuala Lumpur http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/San-Diego/Ocean-Beach/blog-415127.html By JustinoAfter three months in Wellington there are alot of things I'll miss. Here's my top ten10. The smell from the cookie shop on Lambton Quay9. Walking along Oriental Beach at night8. The view over the city from Boulcott Suites7. The accordion guy on Cuba street6. Sundried tomato hummus from New World5. The Recliners at the Four Kings Bar4. Habit Gymnasium3. The Gold http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Wellington/blog-405507.html by JustinoEaster break at the law school allowed us to take a family trip to the New Zealand South Island. It started with a beautiful 3 hour ferry trip across the Cook Strait from Wellington to Picton where we picked up a rental car. We then drove to Nelson where we stayed in an old English cottage with wooden beam and brick construction. The place looked four hundred years old but it was act http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Christchurch/blog-393812.html ZACK I spent my 14th birthday flying over the Tasman Sea. I spent most of the time sleeping on the plane ride over here. My mom got me a box of Begian chocolate from the Duty Free store in the airport along with an ice cold bottle of sprite. These sound like the birthday gifts of a 60 year old Swiss woman but I was greatful nonetheless.When our plane reached Wellington we noticed that the http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Wellington/blog-382388.html BY JUSTINOTo lead this nation onward and to glorify and grace the land.Its voices echo down the years the voices of the pioneers.In my experience the spirit of Australians hasn't changed much since E.J. Brady described it in the 1800's. Like the United States Australia is a country of pioneers and community building was required for survival. Sometimes it feels like we've lost that spirit in http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Brisbane/Central-Business-District/blog-376018.html Heidi G'day seriously they do say this everywhere. Sydney is one of the most friendly cities I have ever visited. Everyone seems to be happy and life just seems to be good here. We are staying in a little apartment in Greenwich which is a short boat ride to the city. There is a cool little beach called Greenwich Baths that we can walk to. Today was one of the hottest days in Sydney and we http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/blog-371215.html BY ZACKIt was weird watching the inauguration of Obama late at night in our little hotel room in Hoi An Vietnam. My dad had trouble staying awake for it and kept drifting in and out. People in Vietnam seem to like Obama but there was no celebrating on the street...or no more than usual. The Tet festival is approaching Lunar New Year...so there is lots of celebration going on all through Asi http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Singapore/Commonwealth/blog-366883.html By JustinoThere is a moment when you are travelling in a foreign environment that you completely break away from your daily routines let go of your life and worries at home and live in the moment. That moment for me was 300 am yesterday on a sleeper train somewhere between Saigon and Da Nang. I woke up surrounded by the sounds of families sleeping and the clatter of the train on the tracks http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/South-Central-Coast/Hoi-An/blog-364117.html by ZACKWe are now in Vietnam. We flew here from Guanzhou China and we got to Guanzhou by train from Hong Kong. I really liked Hong Kong but I found there wasnrsquot too much to do there besides go to the local Disneyland. China is already generally crowded so I couldnrsquot even imagine the lines to get on some rides. A bunch of Chinese guys dancing around in giant talking mouse costumes http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/blog-362630.html Since we have been on the road for a month I thought I would list some of my favorite things When we flew on Southern China Airlines from Beijing to Hong Kong the flight attendants all lined up at the front of the plane and bowed to everyone to introduce themsleves. In Hong Kong I took the Star Ferry across to Kowloon and found a park where men and women were practicing Tai Chi. Next to them was http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Guangdong/Guangzhou/blog-361079.html JUSTINO On our last day in Beijing Heidi and Zack were able to get out of the hotel and see some sights. We went to the Temple of Heaven an incredibly beautiful place but what makes it even more interesting is all of the dancing singing music playing and gambling going on in the gardens around the temple. As is typical in China there was a long list of rules e.g. our hotel pool required th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Hong-Kong/Hong-Kong-Island/Wan-Chai/blog-361063.html ZACKSo far in China I have not seen much more than the inside of my hotel room at the Courtyard Marriot Forbidden City. Christmas in England was fun except for the ldquoKill Santardquo campaign. To my horror my aunt and uncles neighborhood was filled with people hanging model Santas by nooses out of their windows to protest the commercialization of Christmas.Christmas day was quite interest http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Beijing/Forbidden-City/blog-358814.html HEIDIIt only seems fitting that we touched down at Heathrow airport in dense fog. We have spent almost 2 weeks in England with family and friends. Highlights so far... 1 Our friend Chris Fitchew's 30th birthday party in London at the Cobden Club. He put on quite a show including the lead singer from Rent on Broadway performing a song a trapeze artist ukelele playing women and amazing singe http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Derbyshire/Derby/blog-356875.html JUSTINOOne last pit stop in the United States and one last business meeting for a long time. Today is Alec's 19th birthday and while he is taking his first set of college finals in Santa Cruz I am in the city of his birth. Happy Birthday Alec I'll see you tomorrow. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/District-of-Columbia/Washington/blog-353090.html JustinoThe past few weeks have been a haze of getting our house project as far as we can packing up moving into a rental in Dog Beach and getting work under control. In 3 days I leave San Diego for DC and then I will meet Heidi Zack and Alec in San Francisco on December 11th to start our 6 month adventure. The beginning of our itinerary is the only part that is set. San FranciscoNewarkLo http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/San-Diego/Ocean-Beach/blog-351837.html