The Cheng Familys Blog on RealTravel

Hengyang journal: Short Term Volunteer Project with International China Concern

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 07:42:09 GMT

April 3 – 17th

Short term team with International China Concern

Heng Yang Welfare Centre

None of us really knew what to expect from our short term team project at the orphanage in Heng Yang. We just knew that we would be working together with a team of 26 people from many different nations all having traveled here to this very un-touristy spot of China to work with about 100 physically and or mentally disabled children and some adults. We knew that it was to be our job to play with them and love them; these residents whose lives had been utterly starved of not only play and ...

Hong Kong journal: Hong Kong - the Last Stop on our Adventure

Tue, 15 May 2007 22:26:31 GMT

Hong Kong

April 18 – 28th, 2007

Having slogged our way around China by train, bus and boat for a month and then spent two weeks volunteering with International China Concern in an orphanage in Heng Yang, we were quite acclimatized to cheap street food, questionable sanitary conditions, and making ourselves understood with hand signals and very elementary mandarin. We were also used to being the only foreigners amongst masses of Chinese citizens who found us to be quite the attraction. However, 1 ½ hours flight time away from Heng Yang and we were suddenly in Hong Kong – ...

Changsha journal: Chinese Curiosities

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 02:48:12 GMT

Chinese Curiosities

We’ve already alluded to it in previous blogs, but what we’ve often found as fascinating about China as its very interesting historical sights are the ‘curiosities’ of its people. That, in fact, is what we have found to be one of the most interesting things about traveling; to see how people are the same and different around this planet earth. Language is of course a differentiating feature of different cultures, but there are also other things that are very different. In China we have perhaps noticed more of these than in any other country we have traveled in. ...

Yangtze journal: Cultural Immersion on the Yangtze River

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 02:32:31 GMT

Cultural Immersion on the Yangtze River

March 24 – 27th, 2007

Having seen the pandas in Chengdu, we wondered what next? Where should our next destination in China be?

China has a well-developed route of youth hostels and the bulletin board in the Dragontown Youth Hostel in Chengdu had tours posted to the Yangtze River. Thinking that sailing down the Yangtze might be a nice change to train travel, we decided to investigate. The travel manager, Leonard, at the Dragontown was great in helping us organize a cruise. (Just as an aside, the youth hostels did not usually, in ...

Chengdu journal: Chengdu Panda Adventure - by Stephanie

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 02:07:43 GMT

Chengdu Panda Adventure - by Stephanie

March 23, 2007

Visiting the Giant Pandas in Chengdu, China was one of the highlights of this trip for me. Giant Pandas have long been my favourite animal, so it was special to visit them in their home and natural environment. Having seen the beautiful black and white pandas live, I’ve come to love them even more.

The Chengdu Research Base of Panda Breeding is on the northern suburbs of Chengdu. It took a while to get there because our lost driver did not want to surrender and say that he was lost. He just kept driving along, up and down, ...

Xi'an journal: Ancient Warriors of Xi'an

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 01:50:51 GMT

Ancient Warriors of Xi’an

March 20, 2007

Xi’an is the city noted worldwide for the famous terracotta army found nearby. This was the impetus for our overnight train journey from Beijing to Xi’an. We boarded a train at 5 p.m. that would take us overnight to Xi’an arriving early the next morning at 6 a.m. This was our first experience with Chinese trains and we were quite impressed by the punctuality of the departure and by the comfort of the soft sleeper berths. We (except for Barb who still insists on a degree of cleanliness) even braved the dining car and managed to order ...

Beijing Metropolis journal: The Great Wall - by Karsten

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 21:37:04 GMT

The Amazing Great Wall

Have you heard the saying that you can see the Great Wall of China from the moon with the naked eye? Have you ever wondered what the Great Wall looks like? Is it your dream to see it? Well I have been there and it was truly amazing!

To start things off you can not see the Great Wall of China from the moon. In the year 2003 a Chinese astronaut went to see if this myth was true. He went into space and he could not see the wall so that myth is to be edited in Chinese textbooks, “where it has cast its spell over generations of Chinese” (Lonely Planet).

Beijing journal: The Forbidden City - by Steff

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 21:22:27 GMT

The Forbidden City

This massive structure of buildings entwining together forms one great big palace. In fact this palace is the world’s largest surviving palatial compound. These buildings have survived since 1644, but the original palace was built in 1406. Due to a fire, the future emperor, Hong Xi, one million laborers, and one hundred thousand artisans had to rebuild this one km long and three-quarter km wide grounds of intricate mazes of gardens, buildings and collected treasures. The 10 meter high wall surrounding the palace grounds are made to be seemingly impossible to invade. ...

Beijing journal: Beijing Surprises

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 20:34:36 GMT

Beijing Surprises

Yes, our first week in China has been full of surprises and to be honest, we are still a little befuddled. Is this really China, we ask ourselves?

We are entirely surprised by the lack of culture shock here in Beijing. “Be warned,” fellow travelers had told us, “Thailand and Vietnam are just a warm up for China in terms of culture shock”. So, being a bit travel-fatigued already after 8 ½ months traveling we rested up in Hanoi and gathered our strength for this last country on our round-the-world odyssey. Arriving in Beijing, therefore, we were prepared for a big ...

Hanoi journal: Goodbye Vietnam

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 00:40:11 GMT

Good Bye, Vietnam!

Four weeks visiting you has flown by so quickly! It seems like only yesterday that we arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (that’s what the rest of the world calls it, but you still refer to it as Saigon). I remember how we watched in amazement through the windows of the taxi as we drove to our hotel from the airport. We couldn’t believe the traffic – hundreds of motorcycles honking their way down the streets in a never ending stream. Pedestrians were hardly to be seen, and it’s no wonder, we thought. How would you ever be able to cross a street as a pedestrian here? Eventually ...

Hanoi journal: Friendly Great Little Hotel

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 00:39:54 GMT

Wonderful place to call home away from home. It is only 6 months new and the staff is very friendly and the rooms are clean and well appointed. Highly recommended. Only $30 USD per night for a room including breakfast.

Great location right near the old quarters by Hoan Kiem Lake. Contact info: (

Tel: (84-4) 8285581 email: sales@morningstarhotel .com.vn web: www.morningstarhotel.com .vn

Hanoi journal: Wonderful fusion of east meets west foods

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 00:37:12 GMT

Found this lovely cafe on 80 Ma May, Hanoi. Serves great food of vietnamese origin fused with a french influence. Ate there 5 days out 6 days while we were in Hanoi the second time around. Prices range from $3 USD to $5.50 USD

Hanoi journal: Moments of Hilarity in Vietnam

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 08:03:13 GMT

Moments of Hilarity in Vietnam

Barb points to the statue in the park and says: “Look, there is a statue of Lenin”

Steff responds: “Lenin who? John Lennon?” (home schooling opportunity later that day to discover Lenin)

David and Barb were changed and snuggled in bed at 10 p.m. when there came a soft tap on the door. “Hello, who is there?” David cries. No response came from the other side of the door. Fearing it was one of our children in distress, David went to open the door to find a very apologetic night watch man mumbling something about a football game ...

Mui Ne journal: The Ocean is Bluer on the Other Side

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 02:29:40 GMT

One of our biggest anticipations for visiting Vietnam was the possibility of enjoying the South China Sea and lounging on idyllic sandy beaches. This mental image was nurtured by our past experience on the east coast of Malaysia which shares the same ocean with Vietnam. So far our actual experience has not met up with our expectations. First of all, most of the towns and cities we have stopped at are actually not on the ocean but located on major rivers some distance away from the ocean itself. This is true of Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, Hue, and Hanoi. The one exception was the town of Mui Ne. ...

Mekong Delta journal: The Mekong Delta - by Steff

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 19:55:11 GMT

Mekong Delta

The Mekong Delta is a piece of land that has been formed from the Mekong River’s silt. The Mekong is one of the largest rivers in the world. Locals live on the rivers edge in stilt houses. They shop at the floating market, which is little put-put boats that sell fruit like pineapples, watermelon, bananas, fish, flowers and other items. The main market is a busy place with browsers, buyers and tourists. The boat that we were on was a little bit tippy, as were all the other boats the locals use. Gliding around the obstacles in our way is what we imagined we were to do, but ...

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) journal: V is for Vietnam...V is also for Visa

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 19:42:14 GMT

Feb 9, 2007

V is for Vietnam Visa

O is for Oops! We forgot to get them!

T is for Two extra days in Thailand as a result

$ is for the extra money a ‘fast visa’ costs.

Yes, it was the night before our departure for Vietnam. Our bags were packed, we were ready to go. While David watched the news on TV, Barb checked to see what the Lonely Planet Guide had to say about our next leg of the journey. Horrors! It says do not even think of going to Vietnam if you don’t have a visa, and it takes 5 to 8 working days to get one!

By now it is after 9:00 pm and the one ...

Angkor Wat journal: Amazing Angkor Wat - by Karsten

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 02:53:39 GMT

Siem Reap, Cambodia

February 4, 2007

Angkor Wat

Anybody who comes to visit Cambodia has to see Angkor Wat. It is the world’s largest religious building. It was built between the 9th and 13th centuries by Suryavaman II to honor Vishnu his patron deity and for use as his funerary temple. Actually Angkor Wat is only one temple of many other temples and buildings in this achaeological area around Siem Reap. It was a good thing that we hired a tuk tuk for the day to take us around because every temple you go to is at least 1 kilometer apart. The whole thing is spread over ...

Siem Reap journal: The Road Trip - by Steff

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 02:30:35 GMT

Chiang Mai to Siem Reap by Road

Feb 1-2, 2007

Have you ever traveled while you're really sick? Or worse, travel for 27 hours from Chiang Mai, Thailand to Siem Reap, Cambodia via Bangkok while you are really sick? Well, don't try. It's really tough, especially if the trip consists of 3 different stages. First you have to suffer in a bus full of coughing and sneezing people all night (Chiang Mai to Bangkok). There you can't sleep because of the snorers. After that, try being squished in a minivan full of 9 people (Bangkok to Cambodia border). The next stage is a bone rattling journey ...

Chiang Mai Province journal: Adventures in Chiang Mai

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 20:16:38 GMT

Adventures in Chiang Mai

January 27 – 31, 2007

Having woken up to the realization that we may have been had by a tout and a travel agency, we embarked on our trip to northern Thailand with a bit of trepidation. What would await us on this trip?

Our trip started out quite well. The overnight bus to Chiang Mai was more comfortable and better serviced than night buses we had taken in Turkey or Kenya. We got blankets and neck pillows for the night and a free congee break at a restaurant at 11:00 pm. So far, so good!

After a short nap in our guesthouse to recover from our ...

Bangkok journal: Goodbye Africa, Hello Asia

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 20:06:38 GMT

Bangkok

Jan 24 – 27, 2007

What a welcome we received at Bangkok – when our luggage arrived, Karsten discovered that the lock on his checked luggage was missing and that the contents of his PSP game console were stolen. This was the same PSP game console that he had purchased earlier in Germany with most of his savings. I have to give Karsten much credit for taking this development with so much maturity. He remained calm as he waited for Thai Airline’s response to his claim. Their first proposal was to pay $20 per kilogram of lost luggage and that would work out to approximately ...

Wilderness journal: The Lovely Garden Route of South Africa

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 21:24:03 GMT

The Garden Route of South Africa

January 11 – 19th, 2007

When I had heard of the Garden Route in South Africa, I had always pictured well groomed gardens one after another. This is not, however, the essence of the Garden Route. Yes, we did see some fabulous gardens, particularly at the Woodlands B & B in Wilderness and at beautiful Carmel by the Sea in Victoria Bay, but the real garden is this whole area of South Africa. Driving through it is like an excursion into the most varied and exciting nursery of plants one can imagine! One minute you are driving through pine forests, next ...

Winelands journal: The Winelands Tour

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 21:14:55 GMT

Winelands Tour of South Africa

January 4 – 10th, 2007

The Winelands are an easy and scenic few hours drive away from Cape Town and were our first stop after leaving the Mother City. Small towns are scattered in the rolling hills and valleys between huge and awe-inspiring mountain ridges. The valleys are beautifully cultivated with endless vineyards. Stephanie said they reminded her of cornrows of braided hair and their neat and tidy appearance did have that affect. No where have we seen so many vineyards! Many are open to the public for wine tasting and gourmet dining. Not being ...

Cape Town journal: Reunion in Cape Town

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 21:02:16 GMT

Cape Town, South Africa

Dec 31, 2006 – Jan 4, 2007 and Jan 20 – 22, 2007

We didn’t know what we would find in South Africa except that Barb’s mom would be meeting us here for a three week holiday. Omi, as she is affectionately known to our children, would be arriving at roughly the same time as we on New Year’s Eve in Cape Town. When we landed in Cape Town, we discovered that her plane just also landed but at the international terminal; we had clear customs in Johannesburg earlier in the day already and arrived in domestic arrivals. It was great that we could greet her as ...

Makindu journal: A Memorable Journey to Forget

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 22:21:40 GMT

A Memorable Journey to Forget

December 28, 2006

It all started out innocently enough – we merely wanted to arrange for safe transportation from Watamu on the Kenyan coast back to Nairobi from where we would fly to South Africa. Our flight to South Africa was scheduled for December 31st so we figured we would give ourselves plenty of time and leave for Nairobi on the 28th so that we wouldn’t miss our flight in case of unforeseen problems in our travel plans. As it turned out, we almost didn’t give ourselves enough time.

Having taken the bus to Watamu from Nairobi five ...

Watamu journal: Blessings Fund Update

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 12:49:24 GMT

Blessings Fund Update

December 28, 2006

It has been more than 6 months since our family left Vancouver, and readers of our travelblog may have felt at times that we have been strangely silent about the Blessings Fund. Other than in Romania, we did not use the Blessings Fund in Europe. The standard of living is very high in Europe and people generally live well. The responsibility of using the generous donations from to the Blessings Fund to bless those in need weighed heavily upon us as we flew to Africa in November. Would we find opportunities to bless others? Where would ...

Watamu journal: Merry Christmas

Fri, 22 Dec 2006 06:51:56 GMT

To all our family and friends in Canada and all of the great people who we have met along the way in the past six months,

Merry Christmas!

We wish you all a very blessed and healthy Christmas season with plenty of time to sit back and meditate on what the birth of Christ means to you personally.

“For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given … and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9, 6

For us this Christmas season certainly has been different from any we have experienced in the past. Paradoxically, ...

Watamu journal: Bird Ringing (or Banding) at Mida Creek

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 03:45:50 GMT

Bird Ringing (or Banding) at Mida Creek

Holding a little bird in the palm of my hand, alighted my senses.

The tiny fluttering heart inside this small creature I held

made me wonder how such a tiny thing can be so alive and so whole.

As the bird rested his head on my thumb,

I thanked God that He made creatures so small and so perfect.

Steff

On Nov. 28, I helped A Rocha with a bird ringing project. My dad and Colin, the manager, and some others helped put up nets in the middle of Mida Creek - a mangrove, to catch birds. This was done in a bay of the ...

Watamu journal: Football in Dongokundu

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 03:09:34 GMT

Dongokundu

December 4, 2006

It all started when we wanted to walk through Dongokundu. Dongokundu is a village on the coast of Kenya and across the street from where we are staying. We saw some boys playing soccer with a broken Styrofoam ball. When we came up to them one the boys asked us for a soccer ball. We told them that we don’t have a soccer ball. They kept fallowing us every where and kept showing us that their ball is not a soccer ball. They asked us to bring a soccer ball on Sunday to their church. When we finally came back to A Rocha mom had a brilliant idea. Mom ...

Watamu journal: Volunteering at A Rocha Kenya

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 02:54:21 GMT

December 1, 2006

A Rocha

Turtle Bay, Kenya

November 22, 2006 saw us on the road again. This time we were taking a 10 hour trip by bus, leaving the big city life of Nairobi for the vastly different life on the coast. Nairobi was cool and rainy, Watamu is hot and humid. Nairobi was crowded and scarey (not called Nairobbery for nothing!). The villages in this area are small, safe and very friendly. Walking or driving the streets of Nairobi was endangering to your health; black exhaust spews from cars, trucks and matatus. Walking in the streets of Timboni or Watamu, you see more ...

Samos journal: Studying Pythagoras Theorem on Samos

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 06:47:13 GMT

Studying Pythagoras Theorem on Samos

October 19, 2006

You might have heard the saying called a2 +b2 = c2. This is called the Pythagoras Theorem. It was invented by a Greek philosopher and mathematician named Pythagoras. Pythagoras, Pythagoras Therom, get it? Anyways, Pythagoras was born on a Greek Island called Samos. He was born in 582 BC. He died at the age of 82 in 500 BC..

So when we got to the island, Samos, we were walking around and we turn a corner and there she stood, the Pythagoras Hotel. Since Stephanie and I are studying the Pythagoras Therom in math ...

Maasai Mara journal: A Journey (Safari) to Remember

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 06:24:13 GMT

Safari in the Maasai Mara Games Reserve

Kenya

November 17 – 19, 2006

As we were unable to be accommodated at A Rocha until November 20th, we decided to use this time to go on safari before staring our next volunteer assignment. Safari is the Swahili word for journey, and what a journey it was!

Sam, our driver and guide picked us up in a safari minivan early Friday morning. We soon left the lush, greenery of Nairobi’s vicinity and had our first look at the massive Rift Valley from above. The Rift Valley is supposedly the most stunning and largest part of the scar created ...

Nairobi journal: Into Africa

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 11:52:08 GMT

November 16, 2006 Nairobi

Wow! It’s only been 4 days since we arrived in Africa but it seems so much longer! We have seen and experienced many new things and are realizing that there is so much more to learn about this country and this continent! We have a sneaking suspicion that we will be changed by our sojourn here; that one can not just visit and leave the same. Our first few days have mostly been spent in the safety and comfort of the Mennonite Guest House in Nairobi with a few short trips into the city or to wildlife refuges. Nairobi has a bad reputation for crime and yes, indeed, ...

Athens journal: Final European Destination - Athens

Sat, 11 Nov 2006 15:20:36 GMT

Athens

November 7 – 11, 2006

Everything we had heard and read about Athens prepared us for a polluted, grey and somewhat boring city. See the Acropolis and leave was the message we had heard from numerous sources.

It could have been the beautiful weather. It is likely that 22° C is a more comfortable temperature in which to explore the Acropolis than 40° C. It could have been that the Acropolis is truly an amazing sight. It could have been that Athens has been beautifully cleaned up for the 2004 Summer Olympics. It certainly has the cleanest and most modern-looking subway ...

Cyclades journal: Tour of the Greek Islands

Sat, 11 Nov 2006 14:38:56 GMT

Autumn in Greece

If one is traveling around the world and doesn’t want to carry warm clothes for cold climates, when and where does one leave Europe and head for warmer temperatures in the southern hemisphere? We thought that Greece might be a good final European destination and thus chose to spend late October and early November here. Was it a good choice?

Mykonos - Mykonos was our first experience on a calendar-perfect Greek Island. White-washed stacked houses, winding narrow streets (did you know that the Greeks purposely built their villages with these winding maze-like narrow ...

Paros journal: The Perfect Beach on a Greek Island

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 04:32:00 GMT

The Perfect Beach on a Greek Island

October 24, 2006

On a far, far away Greek island, Paros a lone, white, sandy beach lay waiting for someone to come and enjoy the peaceful, clear waters. Sure enough, two people came, and looked around. Unfortunately they did not stay, but a few minutes later, they came back, and this time with two kids. The young girl rushed to put her swim suit on and was the first to step into the warm waters. Soon after, the rest came to join her, splashing about in the clear, sparkling, blue water and climbing the funny sand stone rocks. Yes! They ...

Pamukkale journal: Hierapolis & Pamukkale

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 04:14:30 GMT

Hierapolis & Pamukkale

October 18th, 2006

Today we were supposed to leave by 8:30 am today in order to catch a 3 hour bus ride to Hierapolis and Pamukkale. After another Turkish breakfast, (12th day and counting) we were picked up half an hour late at 9:00 am.

The long bus ride was boring and we either slept or read to while away the time. We arrived at a town near Hierapolis and to our surprised met up with Claudia and Marie, 2 ladies from Nova Scotia we had met earlier in Oludeniz. We discovered that is the way tours are in Turkey. People you say goodbye to one ...

Ephesus journal: Ancient City of Ephesus

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 04:04:55 GMT

Ancient City of Ephesus

October 17, 2006

We woke up early on the morning of the 17th of October and found that the weather was overcast and raining. After yet another (11th straight day and counting) Turkish breakfast of boiled egg, olives, white bread, tomatoes, cucumbers and feta cheese, we began our tour from the Artemis Hotel in Selçuk towards the ancient city of Ephesus located 3 km away from town. By the time we arrived at the upper gate of the ancient city, it was pouring rain.

Aysha, our tour guide, provided us with much information during the course of our walking ...

Cappadocia journal: Out of This World in Cappadocia

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 11:09:42 GMT

Cappadoccia October 9th – 12th, 2006

After much deliberation, David and I finally decided to succumb to having a travel agent arrange a tour of Turkey for us rather than set off to explore Turkey on our own. Thus, the 4 of us got on one of those big white buses on Sunday night for an overnight trip to Cappadoccia. It seemed like it would be a comfortable trip at first. The bus was ¾ empty, clean and comfortable. However, after 3 hours we were still driving through the suburbs of Istanbul and were picking up people (mostly men, rarely ladies). The trip was beginning to feel long and ...

Istanbul journal: Turkey for Thanksgiving

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 10:59:16 GMT

October 9, 2006

Turkey for Thanksgiving

It is Thanksgiving Monday and we are thinking of you all at home in Canada enjoying turkey and cranberry sauce and masked potatoes and brussel sprouts and….Yum! We hope that you are all enjoying the Thanksgiving weekend with friends and family, and that you are remembering to be thankful for all the big and small blessings.

Well, we have Turkey for Thanksgiving in a different way this year. Let me tell you a little bit about our Turkey. We hope that you’ll be able to taste the flavor!

Our first experiences and impressions of ...

Rome journal: History Lession in Rome

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 01:33:30 GMT

Sept 28 – Oct 2, 2006

Rome

What can one say about Rome? Words really do fail to describe this city. The history, the magnificence and the enormity of the historical buildings, the wealth of the Vatican, the masses of people (tourists and locals), the vast collection of art...it needs to be experienced!

Our experience in Rome was a special one in that we celebrated Karsten’s 15th birthday here. His wish was to visit the Colosseum on his birthday. We did that, plus the Roman Forum, the Palatine Hill, and Circus Maximus. In addition, we also landed ourselves in the middle of a ...

Tuscany journal: Hill Towns in Tuscany

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 00:18:45 GMT

Hill Towns in Tuscany

September 20 – 28th, 2006

Dreams sometimes do come true! A week in late September exploring hill towns in Tuscany is as close to any dream that I had for this trip! Having left Cinque Terre, it was only a short 3 hour drive to Lucca, a beautiful city with a walled old town dating back to Roman settlement 180 BC. We decided to make Lucca our Tuscan base and once again found a very comfortable suite, Le Ginestre (email: leginestre2002@yahoo.it) , in the home of a wonderful family. It has certainly been our experience that living in an apartment not only gives us ...

Dalaas journal: Schooling in Austria

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 05:06:10 GMT

Dalaas, Austria

September 1, 2006

It’s September and I am finding that the start of this month brings with it mixed emotions. September usually brings with it the start of a new school year and thus, many fresh and new beginnings. This year is different for us as we realize that instead of buying school supplies and gearing up for homework and busier schedules all around, we are continuing this rather routine-less life of being foreigners in a foreign land. In a way, it is making us stop and contemplate why we are doing this whole thing of stepping back from routine and structure ...

Fornovolasco journal: Grotta del Vento (Caves of Wind)

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 04:58:33 GMT

Steff Grotto Del Vento September 23, 2006

The Grotto Del Vento is located in one of the wildest and rugged areas of the Apuan Alps Natural Park of Italy. It was called “The Wind Cave” by the locals because of the mysterious wind that came from deep inside the grotto. Before this cave was explored, the locals of La Mesta thought that the wind was the breath of a monster from in the grotto. When the spelunkers (speleologists) from different countries came to explore, they found the wind source. At the back of the tunnel there are cracks ...

Cinque Terre journal: Impression No. 2 of Cinque Terre by Karsten

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 04:50:03 GMT

Cinque Terre – A UNESCO World Heritage Site

UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, an agency of the UN and it was created in 1946 to promote world peace by focusing on areas of culture and communication, education, natural sciences, and social and human sciences. Cinque Terre means “five lands,” and it is a region of five villages in Italy. It was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999.

Cinque Terre has rugged mountain terrain, with drystone walls holding up terraces of vineyards. Some of them were made over a ...

Cinque Terre journal: Impression No. 1 of Cinque Terre by Steff

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 04:41:59 GMT

Cinque Terre National Park Sept. 16-20, 2006

The Cinque Terre National Park is located in north-west Italy in and around the five villages perched on high cliffs. The terrain is rocky and mountainous but has been terraced to provide agricultural land for olive groves and crops of grapes and lemon trees. Some of these terraces with their paths and dry stone walls are over 1000 years old.

Over the years, people deserted lots of land in this area to move to the big cities, letting the terraces of crops and vegetation become ruined. Since 1999 the Cinque ...

Crespellano journal: Italian Immersion in Emilia Romagne Province of Italy

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 04:23:42 GMT

Emilia Romagna Province (principally Bologna) - September 11 – 15th, 2006

It’s been a while since we’ve updated our travelblog, and that is primarily because we have found that internet access is not as easy or as cheap in Italy. However, it is time to record some of our impressions and memories of our sojourn in Italy.

We left Venice on September 11th not knowing exactly where our next destination was. That, we have found, is definitely one of the beauties and advantages of traveling over an extended period of time. One doesn’t have the pressure of having to see ‘everything’ in 3 ...

Venice journal: Magical Venice

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 06:34:52 GMT

Memories of Venice – September 9 and 10th, 2006

I must admit, I wasn’t really keen on visiting Venice. When I was 12 years old, I visited Venice with my family and my most vivid memories were of very dirty, smelly canal water splashing on my pizza as we ate beside the Grand Canal. This memory, plus repeatedly reading that Venice was the most expensive city in Italy, made it a low priority for me. My family, however, really wanted to see the city, and so we went. I’m glad we did! We all agree that it was a highlight of our trip so far. Expensive it is, and very touristy, but it was also ...

Muhlbach journal: Enjoying South Tyrol, Italy

Fri, 08 Sep 2006 07:04:12 GMT

Mühlbach, South Tyrol, Italy

September 3, 2006

Getting back to enjoying and experiencing local life and culture, however, we were definitely at the right place at the right time today! We started out the Sunday with a visit to a small, but sincere and authentic church service in Brixen, a nearby town to Mühlbach. On a continent where churches and cathedrals have for the most part become historic sights and tourist attractions, it is good to see that people still gather to worship. After the service, we decided to stroll around the beautiful little Tyrolean town of Brixen. We ...

Oberammergau journal: Celebrating King Ludwig's Birthday in Oberammergau - by Steffi

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 04:33:38 GMT

On Aug 24, our family visited a little village called Oberammergau. Oberammergau is located in south central Germany in the Bavarian Region. This village is famous for its wood carvings, its painted houses and the Passion Play.

The Passion Play is about Jesus’ death. The Passion Play is played every ten years because of a vow the people of Oberammergau made in 1633. They made the vow because 80 people had already died from a plague, so they promised that they would put on the Passion Play every 10 years if no one else would die from the plague. After that, no one else died from plague in ...

Oberammergau journal: Wonderful little Pension in Oberammergau

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 04:29:49 GMT

As per our custom, we drove into Oberammergau and headed straight for the tourist information centre. We spoke with the lady in the tourist office but she was not the most helpful person we have encountered within tourist offices so far. Fortunately, out the tourist info office, there was a board posted with different available accommodations. We selected the Schnitzereihof and called them up on the free telephone next to posting. Fortunately, they had a room for 4 for that evening and the price was right at 84 Euros including breakfast. When we drove up, we were pleasantly surprised by ...

Bodensee journal: Paradise Found in Germany

Sun, 20 Aug 2006 05:12:19 GMT

August 17 – 18th, 2006

Bodensee, Germany

We have found a part of paradise in Germany! The Bodensee area is truly an unforgettable area with its beautiful views of Lake Constance, its rolling hills, vineyards, fruit orchards and quaint towns. We spent two nights in the small village of Brematingen just up the hill from Meersburg and maybe should have stayed longer. The weather was perfect and we used one day to rent bikes and explore some of the 350 kilometers of paved bike paths (we only cycled about 25 km. but our muscles and behinds still remind us several days later that it has ...

Hannover journal: Treasures Found in Germany!

Sun, 20 Aug 2006 04:45:22 GMT

August 7th – August 17th, 2006

We have spent almost two weeks in Germany now and we feel like kings! We have been treated like royalty by a wealth of cousins, uncles and aunts and we are totally spoiled for the rest of our trip.

On August 7th, we left Romania very happy to have been there and to have participated in some of the activities of Greater Europe Mission there. We met some wonderful people and some babies that we will not forget. In Hanover, we were greeted by an overwhelming committee of relatives and the week that followed will undoubtedly remain a highlight of our ...

Timisoara journal: The Romanian Revolution - by Karsten Cheng

Mon, 07 Aug 2006 03:09:54 GMT

Romania and the Revolution

By: Karsten Cheng

August 7, 2006

Do you know when the Revolution happened in Romania? Would you have the courage to start shouting at Ceausescu and turning him down? Would you try to escape? Or hide? Or would you participate in the revolution? Find out more about the revolution when you read this essay.

In 1989 the people were starving because they had no food and there were long lineups to empty bread stores. But when Ceausescu was on TV he told everyone that Romania was doing very well. He was in stores that were stocked up with bread and he ...

Timisoara journal: The Blessings Fund Update

Sat, 05 Aug 2006 12:39:16 GMT

August 5, 2006

Timisoara

We have made use of the Blessings Fund to support Dawn Elenbaas' children's ministry here in Romania. We have used some of the money to purchase building supplies, tools, and baby equipment for the orphanage. In addition, we also used some money to take 7 older developmentally and/or physically handicapped children from another center on an outing to an outdoor swimming pool at a local hotel.

From our observations, the orphanage has little or no provisions for maintenance of equipment and furnishing and the net result is the staff makes do with ...

Timisoara journal: Goodbye to Romania

Sat, 05 Aug 2006 11:34:05 GMT

August 4, 2006

Timisoara, Romania

Amazingly, our 4 weeks in Romania are almost over! Tomorrow will be our last day working at the baby hospital. It’s been nice this week because David and Karsten have been working there as well, so we travel back and forth together by taxi and spend the noon hour break together. The guys, together with Ralph from Ontario, have been modifying and assembling donated cribs and varnishing them. A total of 8 new cribs will be ready for use soon and will replace some of the old playpens that are being used as cribs right now. It’s nice to have them be ...

Romania journal: "Drum Bun" (meaning Good Journey) in Romania

Sun, 16 Jul 2006 09:09:49 GMT

We have been in Romania for almost a week now and feel like we have seen much of the country and its people. It was arranged for us that Dawn Elenbaas would take us on an orientation and sight-seeing trip to various places in Romania. So by Wednesday we were on the road again and driving through Romania on bumpy, narrow roads with Dawn as our fearless driver and very capable tour guide. Had I been the driver, we’d still be trying to get to the first destination as driving in Romania involves much passing of slower vehicles. These could be big truck or horse-drawn farm wagons. The scary thing ...

Chartres journal: Sleepless in Chartres

Sun, 16 Jul 2006 08:47:07 GMT

It seems like a long time since we have updated our journal. A week goes by quickly in Canada. One looks back at a week and wonders where the time went so quickly, As we travel, however, we look back and think, “Wow! Was that only a week? So much has happened, and we’ve seen so much!”

Last Sunday we were spending our last day in France. We had spent most of Saturday driving after visiting the amazing Mont St. Michel in the morning. Mont St. Michel is an abbey, church and village built entirely on a rock in the middle of the delta. It was started in the 900’s AD and is a marvel of ...

Paris journal: Paris to Normandy

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 11:58:45 GMT

July 7, 2006

Normandy, France

Here we are with only 3 days left in France and it is time to capture some of our thoughts and impressions of this country. This has been the first visit for any of us to France, other than when David and I visited Cobourg for a few hours in 1986 with other family members. Thus, this allows us a much better opportunity to try and discover what France is really like. Alas, I am feeling like I am just scratching the surface, and for some reason my impressions, feelings and insights feel like they are being tumbled about and I fail to be able to make much ...

Paris journal: From Paris with Love

Mon, 03 Jul 2006 06:09:50 GMT

July 3, 2006

Paris

We haven’t been able to update our blog for some time because of lack of internet availability. It really is not as available here as we expected; especially in the small places. When we do have access, there are 4 people who ‘need’ to check email, check and update bank accounts, listen to past episodes of Adventures in Odyssey, etc., etc.. Thank you to all our friends and family who have emailed us! We love to see all those mails from home! Please excuse if we don’t respond promptly. We are very interested in what you are all doing and really do love to hear ...

England journal: Left is Right - Driving in the UK (by David)

Mon, 03 Jul 2006 05:43:00 GMT

June 20 - July 2, 2006

“Left is right!” exclaimed my navigator Stephanie from the backseat as we circled the roundabout in our rented car. That really summarizes the driving experience in the UK; everything is backwards in terms of left and right. After getting used to driving on the wrong side of the road (with a fender bender thrown in for educational experience), I have observed major differences in terms of driving in the UK versus North America.

In general, I noticed that almost all the drivers here are very competent drivers. I guess you have to be in order to navigate some ...

York journal: Historical York by Karsten

Mon, 03 Jul 2006 05:11:32 GMT

June 30, 2006

York

Do you like history? Are you the type of person that likes to know everything about history? Do you like seeing medieval ruins and amazing sites? Well, if you answered yes to all of these questions you will probably like York. We certainly learned a lot about the history of the Vikings, Romans and Medieval times of York. We started the day off by visiting the Jorvik Museum. There we learned all about the Vikings about their life and their times. It was quite interesting. You went in some kind of ride (time capsule) and you got a tour of the Viking life. To my ...

Bath journal: Trip from London to Bath

Sun, 25 Jun 2006 14:25:42 GMT

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Bradford – on Avon

After four full days in London, we feel ready to pack our bags and go on to our next adventure in England. We’re all ready to leave the intensity and high density of this magnificent but tiring city. Saturday morning after 4th breakfast of white toast and marmalade we pack our bags while David trots off to find Avis Car rEntals and pick up our [pre-booked car. Karsten, Steph and I finish packing and lug our HEAVY bags down the narrow flights of stairs to wait for David to pick us up. We wait and wait. Finally, approximately 1 ½ hours later ...

Bath journal: Wonderful pub with excellent food located in Winsley

Sun, 25 Jun 2006 14:16:18 GMT

Bath journal: Wonderfully informative 9000 year History of Bath

Sun, 25 Jun 2006 14:16:18 GMT

London journal: First Stop - London

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 01:10:38 GMT

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

London, England

We’ve’walked ‘til we’ve dropped’ for two days in London now. It hardly seems possible that we are here, but here we are! After our first day I asked David, Karsten and Stephanie what words would describe their first impressions of London. The responses:

David: “allergies!” It’s been very windy and all of us are suffering some from hayfever, and Karsten is downright miserable! Jetlag plus a dose of Benadryl put him right to sleep for most of the bus and boat tour yesterday. Poor guy!

Stephanie: “old buildings” She’s right. The ...

Vancouver journal: Chengs' Itinerary

Wed, 07 Jun 2006 15:35:33 GMT

This will be our itinerary for the next 10-1/2 months:

Jun 19, 2006 - Flying from Vancouver to London

Jun 20 - 23, 2006 - Touring London

Jun 24 - Jul 1, 2006 - Touring UK & Scotland

Jul 2, 2006 - Fly from London to Paris

Jul 2 - Jul 6, 2006 - Tour Paris

Jul 7 - 9, 2006 - Tour Normandy and surrounding areas

Jul 10, 2006 - Fly from Paris to Timisoara, Romania

Jul 11 - Aug 6, 2006 - Volunteering with Greater Europe Mission

Aug 7, 2006 - Fly from Timisoara to Hanover, Germany

Aug 8 - 13, 2006 - Visiting with Barb's relatives in Neustadt

Aug 14, 2006 - Fly from ...

The World journal: Chengs' World-Wide Odyssey

Tue, 16 May 2006 20:02:36 GMT

Many years ago, when Karsten and Stephanie were still very young, we decided that it would be important to travel with them in order to give them a world view that was much larger than the Canadian backyard they were growing up in. We believed that the exposure to different cultures and different situations would teach them more about themselves, about the world and about God than they would ever learn in even the best school we could enroll them in. Travelling together in foreign lands would also, hopefully, provide us with a common history that would bind us together with a story that ...