February 2024

Stars are not lining up for my family in lottery winnings. I feel tired when people give me a shopping list when I am already busy as it is. The weather has been super hot on the weekends that it can melts brains.

Work

More and more people resign for some reason each week. Project work wise we still carry on and hope to meet our goals. A few of my projects were positively received than others. Still no all gendered toilet or maternity fitted toilets. Accessible toilets in staff areas.

PoGo

By far the most successful aspect in my life. With the increased lucky friends I was able to trigger lucky with many of my friends. One player and I traded a shiny Rayquaza and it went HUNDO! Ah! OMG! Me of all people got it. This was unbelievable, especially when so many players were concerned that I will milk them for a hundo legendary. Well, well, there are players out there who are not afraid of me getting a  successful outcome from the trade. Besides it just one pokemon. 

Then I was able to catch a Galarian Zapdos with an ultra ball and golden raspberry. OMG! Followed by a rare hatch of a Larvesta. Oh yeah! 

Then a normal trade turned into a lucky hundo Drampa. The most newest pokemon to date.

Dating

Fake people still. One insists on talking about Bitcoin, ugh! Another boast about how he can beat others in sports. Yawn. These are not even AI. They lack conversation skills. 

And another one asked if I would be keen to move to another chat app just to waste my time and sell me Bitcoin, ugh. The person never message back within the dating app since.

===================

 

Osaka 2025

6 February 2025

After Sis came back from picking her online purchase, bro drove us to the airport, and we beat the lunch time traffic. It was 31 degrees today. Too hot to wear a jacket outside. 

Once inside people were hovering around the monitors for their flights. Sis and I went into a cafe for lunch. There were only bench seats. I had a salmon soba noodle with orange juice. Sis had a salmon bagel with apple juice. 

At security check Sis was held up for bringing an inappropriate item. I’m like what? Uh. All purpose tool. Ugh. Once that was over and done with we went to smell perfume and pose with displays. 

I completed two T5 battles and 1 Dyna max Moltres. Done for the day. 

Watched movies on the aeroplane

Boston Stranglers
Fly me to the moon
Lee (Miller)
Conclave


7 February 2025

Day 1: our arrival was smooth. For @sngo1982 and I it was a bit of learning g process to work out where to claim all our 3 passes. Luca and Lunk mall has mod itself, Tennoji MIO mall has several sweet shops. The sauce makes takoyaki sing in Namba. 

Sis didn’t bring winter clothing again. 

She got a sore throat and didn’t take medicine on first itch. 

Day 2: (8 Feb 2025) unexpected snow fall in Demachi-Yamato area. Sis didn’t bring her jacket. The locals looked shocked by it too. The park nearby the Demachi-Yanagi station has large rock pebbles to walk on with snow on it.  snap away! We lined up for fresh mochi! 

Day 2: (8 Feb 2025) let it snow, let it snow. @sgo1982 and I saw fresh snow fall in the north. Then ate match curry with matcha noodles for lunch in the south. Followed by an evening of playing a tapping game with a maiko. I lost and drank sake. #Kyoto exp

The snow was fresh! Coming down at a rapid pace. Quite magical. It hurts when the snow flakes jab you in the eye. Nothing has changed there. Where the two river meets up in the fork are walking plank large rocks. Covered in snow. Even the large turtle shaped rocks. 

A family by the park brought their own sleigh ride for kids and some couples were having a picnic under the trees. The tree offered slim shelter from the snow fall. 

Sis and I proceed to line up at the fresh mochi stall. The matcha and yuzu mochi were a bit rubbery. The original black bean one was super soft. The rice and beans was not overly sweet. 


Day 3: (9 Feb 2025) @sngo1982 and I rode the longest cable car in Japan (see Sakamoto). Hieizan Enryaku-ji Temple in fresh snow! Picture perfect views of Lake Biwa. Lake Biwa Prince Hotel has views on 36th floor (food ok lah). The ground floor had light illumination from Xmas. Hee hee#LakeBiwa 

Day 3: (9 Feb 2025). 


叡山延曆寺

Hieizan
Enryaku-ji
Temple

Biwako-Hamaotsu is a main transfer station. 

Snowy cold. Slush and ice was a trip hazard. The buildings had poor insulation against snow. 

There was no warm waiting or resting room. 

Several walking and hiking trails up the mountain. Sadly, the cable only operates until 4pm. So, we had to leave early. 


Day 4: (10 Feb 2025). I hoped on a special rapid instead of local train. Oops! Kobe Kuma Sea World was amazing! I got to see orcas in-person! Plus dolphins ofc. @sngo1982 and I fed sea turtles calamari. Tough jaws! Fun part was getting splash at show time. Hee hee. #Kobe

During the turtle feeding session Sis and I were given a tong and a bucket of sliced squid meat. Sis side of the pool a bigger turtle bit the smaller turtle fins. Someone was super hungry. Everyone was shocked by the experience. It supposed to be a simple experience. Not. lol. These turtle sure have a strong jaw. They clamp down real hard on the tongs. Some couples were scared and just drop meat into the water. I watched the turtles looking left and right, more or less feeling lost. lol. 

We went back for the last orca performance session.  You got it. We got splashed one last time. Then we shopped a storm in the gift store, before leaving for some takoyaki snack, just opposite of the sea world. 

Day 5: (11 Feb 2025). Kani brunch with @sngo1982 in Dotonburi. Shopped up a storm in Don Quijote in Shinsaibashi. The tax free queue was super long. Snack-u in Kyoto. We saw the new electronic rsv system. Punch n wait for number. Suss out valentine choc paradise in Isetan. Posh! #Namba #Kyoto

Day 6: (12 Feb 2025). Once off the train @sngo1982 & I went straight to Temple of Jorenji (via Tobu Tojo line). Narimasu is a relaxing for walks (white sakura).  Sunshine city had Pikachu Sweets - huge take away store. Cheese and rice dori was delicious for dinner. #Tokyo

Day 7: (13 Feb 2025). Boom! Hello Kitty 50th anniversary exhibition at Tokyo National Museum. @sngo1982 loved it. So much collaboration over the years. Lunch @ Saizeriya (ah. melon soda). TeamLab Planets was excellent (unexpected foot bath x2). BYO shorts and flat shoes. #Tokyo

Day 8: (14 Feb 2025). Spent #ValentinesDay in #Tokyo with @sngo1982 and hundred of others at TeamLab Borderless: Mori building. A few interactive art works. Afternoon high tea at Peter Rabbit Garden cafe (Jiyugaoka branch). Nakano (grilled food mecca) for din din. Enjoyed some illumination in Shinjuku. 

I did 1 special trade with Maki (62, f, retiree). Dialga origin. No luck. 

Day 9: (15 Feb 2025). Off to Chiba. part rural, part urban. 3 transfers later. Nokogirriyama-sanroku (cable car) to the peak and to see Nihon-ji Temple daibutsu on a mountain. The path way was filled with rocks and stairs. The carving was impressive though. #Chiba 



There is a machine that lets you reserve your own seats on shinksnsen now and in English. Whoa. Super cool. Now I can book seats for Sis with ease. 


Day 10: (16 Feb 2025). Chiba Zoological garden has some red panda magic. @sngo1982 was in awe. Chiba port area is wide w small gems. Sapporo Chiba Beer Garden (BBQ) was far. Tuck away in an industrial area (Shin-Narashino JR stn). #Chiba

Day 11: (17 Feb 2025). 



The triple transfer from hell.  In the early morning check out you can hear Sis huffing and puffing as she deals with the lack of space in her suitcase had originally. As always she brings too much make up, accessories, and of all things thick jumpers. Then she stuffs her suitcase with fluffy toys and socks. Whereas mine is full of food. Not to boast or anything. I plan to polish the food within days!, as I ain’t carrying them home, only to be confiscated by custom. 

Sis would stand in the middle of the corridor trying to put away her JR Pass. I told her to stand aside and not get knocked by a rush of people. She growls at me. Oh well. Then go ahead get hit by prams, suitcases, bags, and get kick by boots. I can only advise once. Saving my voice for the remainder of my trip. I ain’t gonna mother a bloody forty years old woman. 

I managed to get a good snooze on the first Shinkansen. 

The Shin-Osaka station has the most delicious foods on offer. The smell brings comfort. Sis dashed to get her fave waffles (not available in Tokyo in fresh format). 

There was even staff driving traffic and allocating toilet stalls for you in the female toilet. Talk about being busy. 

The weather is sunny and 16°C today. 

I managed to sneak in a light lunch box in the second Shinkansen. A ginger pork eki ben. 

Sis and I both got aisle seat. Many individuals did not like to sit with a complete stranger. Not much choice now. They will have to put up with our medium thick suitcases now. lol. 

Note: you cannot use Personal Hot Spot on any of Klook eSIM. Moreover, their data chews up pretty quickly than Airaloe eSIM.  I’ll stick with Airalo for better consistency. 


Day 11: (17 Feb 2025). A day of Shinkansen transfers (x3). So many salary man booked window seats for two stops. We sat in aisle seats and constantly having to get up. Ugh. Shin-Osaka had good food, Kokura has some good local produce, Beppu has lots of hotels. #Beppu

Day 12: (18 Feb 2025). Jigoku Meguri (aka Hells of Beppu) was totally FUN! Ask for Common ticket! Foot bath x3. Drank 80°C mineral water. Steamed my face n throat. Drank hot Kabosu. Watched ppl eat steamed eggs. Use Kamenoi 1 day bus pass. Danced in Beppu Tower. Korean BBQ dinner. 

Day 13: (19 Feb 2025). @sngo1982 and I took bus no. 36 to #Beppu Ropeway up Mount Tsurumi. -5°C it was and it had ice snow. Tallest view yet. Sadly, Kijima Kogen Park was closed. Lucky, Beppu Park had Sakura trees already flowering. Pretty! 

Day 14: (20 Feb 2025). @sngo1982 and I took a local train from Oita to #Yufuin. So much street vendor food! Many tourist focused stores plus a few local stores. We got to pet owls and cats (paid exp)! I love cardboard cut outs and roof top views. The foot hot spring (spa) cafe was lovely. The lake was okay. Good day out. 

Day 15: (21 Feb 2025). @sngo1982 and I went in search of stone carved Buddha(s) in #Oita and they were interesting, many of them were damaged. IC card were accepted on buses here. 1 under cover passage shopping mall. Murals. BBQ meat for dinner w private room. 

Day 16: (22 Feb 2025). x2 successful transfer. Third was cancelled due to flying object obstruct Haruka Ltd Exp train. Ugh. @sngo1982 and I took the limousine bus to hotel. Food, food, food kept us entertained. #Osaka 

The hotel may have been on a flat surface. The little hill to the train station was somewhat a challenge to push a 20 kg suitcase full of lollies. Luckily, I repaired my leg and arm last night with onsen session followed by ointment. 

The Sonic 8 train leaving Beppu had more leg room than the Sonic 28 train coming into Beppu. How odd! Anyways, this one had wooden floor boards. How posh. We get to see the sun rise brightly above us as the train sweeps by the towns in between stops. 

Here comes the x3 transfers. Last leg of the trip. Then it is back home. 

Day 17: (23 Feb 2025). It’s the last day for retail, food, and art in Japan. Plus it’s our last TeamLab session too. In Botanical Garden #Osaka(Nagai subway stn). Best viewed at right after sunset. We saw repeat themes from previous TeamLabs’ Planet (Shin-Toyosu via Shimsaibashi) and digital art in Mori building.

Sis thought adding another 1000 yen would fix her IC card. When the machine states she has forgotten to tap off at a subway station gate during the day. She didn’t check for lights and walked through the gates and didn’t check if the gate registered her card. It usually displays your remaining credit when you have officially tapped off. She was too lazy to look and was too focused on her social media posts yet again. Idiot. 

We did a rally from Namba to Nara to Tennoji using mix of JR Pass and IC Card. 

Day 18: (24 Feb 2025)

Watched movies on aeroplane

Kraven
Substance
Here 

Oh. The movie Substance was intense, crazy, and wild. Beauty can be intoxicating. One can be too carried away with it. Trying to remain beautiful forever and appeal to people’s eyes is an exhausting routine. Also, not respecting the balance of a system will result in failure. 

Heretic
Twisted games. Host likes to talk a lot. 
Somehow host doesn’t seem to make sense. Why keep so many ladies in cages. Feels sexist. 

The Apprentice
Poor Roy Cohn. Died without getting paid. 

Overall, this trip we learnt many of our favourite shops have permanently closed. Especially in the major cities. All them pop up themed cafes now require telephone reservation. Plus restaurants and cafes we used to frequent as well. Only a handful was kind enough to allow us in without reservation. 

Also, we should book to major activities in one day or second last day of our trip. 

Note: 7GB from Airalo eSIM will suffice our trip. Plus it allows you to turn on hot spot for Arthur. Meanwhile, Klook eSIM does not. Also, Klook data is quickly consumed by Google map app. 

Sis was annoyed by a crying baby behind us from Singapore in our transfer flight.  

January 2024

I get that grey skies make for a gloomy day. However, that does not mean we give up working on projects. Projects mean something to someone somewhere. It will bear fruit if you just put in the effort. No what people say. People seem to always have a perspective, they wish to share, which is fine, but do not go asserting them badly and destroying people's project goals. 

Such as when mom wanted to throw out the burn slices of white peaches. I said I can save them and I asked her kindly to set them aside. Sure, mistakes in cooking can happen, but try to understand the vision of the dish being put together. before binning someone's effort. Gosh. I just had remind her that we not rich and we cannot indulge in food waste, as we would only be poorer. Besides I did manage to save 75% of flesh for each piece. I am good at salvaging food from becoming trash unnecessarily. Sis and Bro found the peaches added a touch of sour and sweetness to the pork mince in our tacos. Everyone finished their small bowl of taco meat with ease. Phew. New Year Eve meal solved!

PoGo

No hundo gained from this Christmas event.

Work

I was lucky to given the week off.

Dating

It seems to be on a pause at the moment. Well, I am no hot AI lady. Just a human full of flaws.

December 2023

More and more companies are pushing us onto fickle products. Worst is they want domestic products to connect to the Internet. I don't find internet of things particularly useful when people can spy on you. From internet connected televisions to home pods, and do not forget security cameras. Much of these devices cannot protect you from online thugs. My family and I have enjoyed many years of living without internet of things in our household. Less fuss, less stress, sleep better. Anything that causes us grief will be met with cancel culture.

PoGo 

Repeat hundo and repeat shinies so far. The RNG gods of PoGo does not seem to have much Christmas cheer with my account. Sad.

Work

Many staff are feeling burnt out. I find management like to create obstacles for themselves. These obstacles from the media stand point make great stories, as they look pretty from the outside, but on the inside it is creating poison for staff mental and physical health. 

The use of the spaces should not have such a great of an impact on work flows as it does now and quite possibly over the next 3 years.

The work place is not great at generating income to sustain itself without polluting itself. I feel they still need to copy existing bench marks and modify a business model that works for them.

Dating

Nothing but scammers and fake profiles online. People in-person are not asking me out. Everyone seem to be shy on all fronts.

===============

Healesville staycation

Oh my gosh, did we see lots of parrots and kangaroos. It was lushes. Though heaps of flies about. The most sweetest yummo food was the gingerbread cookie from the Gewürzhaus Spice House. The cheese jalapeño bagel from Cheese monger Sophie store was by far the most savoury, crunch on the outside, soft on the inside, and overall delicious. The alcohol wise the family voted on Innocent Bystander's pink moscato. I do not mind another serving of the Four Pillar shiraz gin with a slice of lemon and soda.

The Maroondah Dam Wall

Reachable by bus 685. Quite a big park. Slopes. Poor cellular reception. Plenty of parrots. One tried to attack my eyes then later it would use its beak to lean on my hand. Strange. There were some waterfall structure by the dam wall. I am guessing it will only go into action when there is an overflow.

Healesville Sanctuary

Reachable by bus 685. The talks are good. The bird show is the best in the world. The nocturnal exhibit was pretty well designed I must say (for the animals), not visitors with poor eye sight. The playful creek area was nice respite from the heat. They are open to you bringing your own food. Only one big cafe and a small coffee take away.

Tarrawarra museum of art

Reachable by bus 685. However, it might take an hour to catch another bus out to Lilydale or Healesville.

No bench. Slopes. Wine tasting available for a fee. Good art on display. Thought provoking materials. No casual food store.

Warratina lavender farm

Reachable by bus 685 then transfer to 683 then walk for 30 mins. It seems tourist activities was an afterthought at this site. They have this bundle called $15 consist of a charge to take photographs in the garden, a small cup of lavender ice cream (rrp. $4), and a talk (which is not a given, you have to find the owner and request). There were 3 kinds of lavender found on this site: intermedia, munstead, and the darkest one was Egerton Blue (angustifolia lavender). The essential oil really did kill the mosquito bite itches.

Yava gallery and art hub Healesville

Reachable by bus 685. On the main street and in the town centre. Amazing staircase art. Very friendly staff. Amazing collection of work on display. We saw The Water stories. Lots of recycled material turned into beautiful works of art. They would look amazing in anyone's home.

Hearth galleries

Reachable by bus 685. On the main street and in the town centre. Hand made crafts. Possum ball of fluff for your sofa. Lush. The Christmas hand made ornaments were adorable. Plenty of indigenous works of art here.

Overall, Sis and I will come back for more delightful experiences.

November 2023

Back in Oz. I miss all my basics. I never knew how much different other cities are compared to ours. We have toilets in some of our train stations. I feel sad for people with mobility issues and incontinence. Canada major cities could do with re-work or an overhaul.

October 2023

Oh gosh is it windy! My hayfever is totally not liking it. I will do my best to endure but it has been difficult to sit still without a bit of dribble. Ugh. So embarrassing.

Work

I'm learning people only want to do the minimal and get a quick win. Which is good, but you gottta think of the problems that would arise in the long run.

PoGo

I finally have a hundo Hitmontop. Dang! We did it. Painfully.

Dating

Dead silent. Nothing but fake accounts from China always asking how's your day at 6am and how's your weekend on Friday. Yet the will not talk about anything else. Snooze.

====================

CANADA! The trip of a life time.

Montreal

Quebec

Toronto

Vancouver

Victoria

Whistler

!=== 9th October 2023 🦄

 

The aeroplane was late to take off at the Melbourne airport. This meant we arrived late for our transfer in Auckland, and yes, there was another round of security checks. Ugh. The transfer board next to the transfer security queue had information that would make you panic. It stated the gate was open when in fact it actually had not opened. Geez. Sis and I pushed through the queue thinking our flight was about to leave soon. Sheesh. After the mad dash and catching our breath, we found seats to rest our legs.

I did watch several movies on Air New Zealand.

No hard feelings
The bogey man
Teenage mutant ninja turtle
The book club gang
Hypnotic

 

The 12-hour flight was the most painful section of our flight. Sure put pressure on our leg and back. I kept dozing off but did not get proper sleep despite I had my Kmart neck pillow.

Vancouver International Airport was HUGE. All of it interiors and all over the place was some sort of green. The air was a bit stuffy too. Quite humid. They had charging ports on the floor. BYO adapter.

The Starbucks staff were overwhelmed by the sheer amount of visitors descending into the airport. We lined up for the queue, but we had to ditch it as we had to get to our gate before any issues occurred.

At the boarding gate, the Air Canada staff sounded an alarm that we had checked baggage. Ugh. Yes. We do. We are transferring. We were ushered to another boarding staff, who did some tapping on the screen and we were good to go to board the airplane.

It was a BYO food and drink kind of ride. On board, I tried to re-watched some of the movies I had only watched halfway. Ha. I dozed off again.

 

!=== 10th October 2023 🦄

We arrived pretty late after midnight. All our luggage was with us. We headed to a self-service machine to buy our Opus smart card. No problems there.

The air was crisp cold as stepped outside to find our bus. The bus 747 was slow to swing by the Montreal airport. Several people waited longer than us and some gave up and hopped into a taxi. A taxi car would swing by the bus stop frequently to see who would give up waiting for the bus. We stuck by our guns and boarded it at 1:57am. Oof.

We fell asleep as soon as we plugged in our devices. We did not go to the spa in Old Montreal. Too tired. Too cold.

Jean-Talon market was medium in size. It had some gluten-free food on offer. I had macron, canelé, and buckwheat crepes. I bought a box of mixed coloured carrots. Yummy. Sis got maple candy and a maple leaf-shaped glass bottle with maple syrup. Several French Boulanger nearby but no good for gluten intolerant folks. In one, we found blue cheese sausages that don’t require refrigeration. Yay! Travel food. Sis could not resist the pumpkin-faced shortbreads. They chipped easily in the bag. Ha.

Montreal has a few old and small shopping malls. Les Cours Mount Royal was one of them. Much of it was under renovation. The surprise was the Barbie Expo. So pretty. They had a selfie corner. Which Sis loved.

Chinatown was relatively small-ish filled with bubble tea shops, steam bun shops, and buffets. A few murals here and there. There were a few Asian grocery stores and as I recall some in Jean-Talon market too.

Montreal downtown is long. Saint Catherine is a long stretch of road. We went looking for Zenzaimai and it gave us bowel problems. We went in search of the toilet and found Dollarama. Needless to say, Sis fell in love with Dollarama.

Sis came across an anime sculpture-filled restaurant and it only served buffet. CAD$39 pp. Sis didn’t feel like eating that much food. We left it.

Settled for a Mexican restaurant on the same street with three giant sombre hats. Sis had a taco set meal. It came with rice and salad. CAD$15.40. I had buffalo wings. CAD$11.95

!=== 11th October 2023 🦄

Sis was obsessed with Dollarama, especially its Love Heart Canada t-shirts and blames me for not buying it. Ugh! Lame.

Jardin Botanique de Montreal costs CAD$22 pp. We hung outside the garden, we saw a squirrel or two and chased them around. The display of pumpkins outside had no carving art and Sis was disappointed by it. All the more she did not want to go in. We just browsed through the gift shop.

The surprise find was Parc Olympique. We posed on the podium in front of the rings.

Parcs San Gluten bakery staff sold us dodgy food. The staff said the triangle pastry was pork and the crescent-shaped one was beef. Instead, it ended up being a blueberry triangle and the crescent one was spinach and chicken. Ugh. Also, at the counter, the staff wouldn’t accept credit cards when we were about to pay, but he allowed the old French Canadian lady to pay by credit card. Talk about rude!

The walking tour was great. We learnt a lot from Darren. Luckily I didn’t take Sis down Old Montreal. So hilly for one and expensive.

Montreal is huge. Nearly everyone there spoke mainly French. You don’t hear any other language spoken on the street. Not quite multicultural in that aspect. Yet amazing how they maintained the French Canadian language for this long.

We went to Best Buy for a Canadian wall power plug and it was okay priced. Sis got angry and went looking for a bench outside. She was upset about how she could not go into a church to see it light up. I said there was not enough time. We are only here for a short time. We need adapters for the 4-day train trip.

Time Out shopping mall had a huge food court and it had a small section for arcade machines. Young and old enjoyed having such treats at the food court. Sis was in a foul mood. Until she bought some Halloween chocolates in trick or treat bag from Jeff chocolates. Took pics around Meutas via the dias sugar skull display.

The Notre Dame did not light up much on the outside as much as the YouTubers say it did. Just some blue light. Ugh.

We took bus 55 to Saint Viator bagels and boy, they were rock-hard bagels. Sis ordered two plain, but we ended up with 3 plain. Canadian being rude continues. Sis took a bite and did not touch them again. Ugh. I ate my blueberry one. It tasted like sultanas. I would not recommend the place. We could have busted Fairmont bagels but Sis was tired by this point.

She is not used to being awake from morning to evening. She usually sleeps in until 3pm and watches streamers online until midnight.

 

!=== 12th October 2023 🦄

The IGA sold ridiculously long lightning cables for iPhones. We bought some for our folks. I got myself a tandoori chicken wrap. Sis got a plain chicken wrap and only ate half then binned it. What a waste of food.

When we got to the coach terminal, we saw people already lining up to check in for our coach. There were two coaches. Popular. We boarded the second one. Sainte-Foy coach terminal did not offer Opus card top by counter or machine. Ugh. We had to find a taxi.

The taxi drivers REPEATEDLY asked was the hotel address correct. I booked the hotel so I should know. Why would EXPEDIA give me a false address? Come on mate. Dude really didn’t think females had brains. Nuts I tell ya. Canadian being rude continues.

Poutineville in Vieux Quebec staff said they were closed at 8pm but Google has them listed as closing at 9pm. Sis couldn’t stop her wailing about having nowhere to go to eat. More like she was afraid to walk any further. Plus she didn’t wear clothes suitable for winter. Ripped jeans. Really. Even if I had corrected the staff at Poutineville we won’t be served either way. Canadian being rude continues.

We ended up in fine dining BO. CAD 178 worth of Asian fusion food later she felt better. Ugh.

After 10am the buses are slow in the suburbs. There are no trains in the city or in the suburbs. Everyone drives a car here. Also, many would avoid the city centre as it is just a historical centre now. No real need to be there. It serves no function in people's daily lives.

 

!=== 13th October 2023 🦄

Bus 800 to Montmorency Falls was flawless. It delivered us to our destination right. There we paid CAD$8.70 for the entry fee to the parc. Walked along the black bridge to the zipliner station but it was closed for the season. We proceed to the 453 stairs along the cliff face. The view was magnificent. The rushing waters were strong. You can feel the water spraying against your face.

When we reached the bottom Sis didn’t want to walk any loser to the waterfall base. I took my GoPro and proceeded to get close and got sprayed with water and in the eye. Oof. So strong! The GoPro and I were not able to get a great shot. My eyes were heavily soaked.

My jacket managed to dry off before reaching the cable car station. Hooray for Kathmandu! However, Sis was not happy about the piss-poor food options at the snack bar. I told her to buy whatever she liked. However, I can’t eat any as none of them were gluten-free.

She became a little cheerful when she purchased some souvenirs. Then sad again when the staff went for a toilet break from the cable car ticket desk. I said wait and I’ll buy us cable car tickets. When it got up to the mansion the restaurant was closed and no food found any where. Sis was upset yet again. October is the beginning of closed season in Canada and much of their tourist hots spots were closed for service. She was unaware of that as she never research despite she has two enable Internet smartphones.

When we caught the bus back to the city centre and transferred buses. We queue up at the spa but it was full and we were told to go on a wait list. How long they did not say. Sis was growling hungry-angry by this point.

She did not want to eat at the bistro on-site. There was no waiting room on-site or nearby. It was 6pm by the time reached the counter only to be put on a waiting list.

Bus number 1 ended by the time it was 9pm. We had to walk up 453 steps from Old Quebec to Parc de Abraham to get to the green bus 807.

After exiting the parc, and passing a musee, we came across a lit-up Parliament House. Outside the windows were bronze sculptures of significant founders of Quebec. A few other people joined us in taking pics of the old building. Cool. What an unexpected find.

 

!=== 14th October 2023 🦄

The green RTC buses are the fastest in the Quebec metro area. The blue buses are pretty decent but they are infrequent and they finish early.

The New Grand Market (Le Grande Marche) was awesome. They had colourful fresh produce and food that was made on the spot or reheated on the spot. Sis had a slice of pizza and bacon cheese sausage. I had a German sausage. Fresh blueberry juice was a bit sour. Canelé was okay.

The second floor had an event called Festival de Maggie de Quebec. We saw staff dressed as witches, ornaments and decorations, there were boards with stories, live story telling, games, ouija boards, masks, hats, face painting, and books with scary fiction tales. It was magical alright. 

After two transfers from the Marche to the huge mall bus terminal to the Musee Huron-Wendat area, a brown rag doll cat came to greet us in the middle of the street. So cute!

The lobby of the hotel was beautiful. Luxurious looking. There were animal furs with heads intact on either side of the sofa.

After visiting Musee Huron-Wendy’s exhibition. We headed what was directions for the gift store but it was closed and so was the cafe. People were confused by what was there to see or do. Sis and I made our own fun by exploring the trail by the river. We took our boots off to dip our feet in the cold river. Our feet felt refreshed.

The river was cold but it felt good to slip my feet into it. Ah. So refreshing. The rapids were powerful. Sis and I sat on a rock dipping our feet in and out of the freezing but refreshing water.

The hotel staff at the counter ignored us. Served four old French Canadian ladies before greeting me. Sis wants a beaded turtle brooch. Canadian being rude continues. The question remains how authentic was this Musee as it was completely staffed by Anglo-Saxon French Canadians.

We took a stroll into the long room. There we saw REAL animal fur. A fire on a log. I guess, that’s where they would tell stories.

Nearby the bus stop was a few small souvenir shops. Many nice things in there and we were served by a real native. Skilled in several languages. Items were not as overpriced as the Musee/hotel. You can see there is some sort of class system going on here in Canada.

We took the bus back to the Galaries de Captole. They went to Dollarama again. Sis was not able to find her red t-shirt with a maple leaf on it.

Then we went to check out Simon's department store. They had NorthFace at lower prices than Australia. I got myself an autumn coloured bum bag and a recycled metal trio flower ring. There were luxurious gloves too. Sadly, I need fingerless gloves. They had none. Meanwhile, Sis went off looking for a black bikini top. My French is at tourist level best and I was able to make out some of the words on the label. It felt like I was in Myer but only with one floor level worth of stuff.

Dinner at Chez Viator was so-so. The duck poutine was delicious but I got bowel problems when I got home. Sis had fried gnocchi in BBQ sauce. Lol. She said it was salty and the cheese curd was hard.

We walked home on the main road. There we found a 24-hour diner called Royal. The Jean-Cu pharmacy was still open until 9pm. Sis went in search of more souvenirs. I found a 15x zoom mirror. Omg. I can see my pores. I just had to buy it and clean my face. I felt hairy. What a find. Good travel ware. Also, the pharmacy is great for topping up your Opus card too. Great service. Top notch.

 

!=== 16th October 2023 🦄

The hotel kindly arranged a taxi to drive us to Jean Lesange International Airport. The staff at guest services for Air Canada warned us that our aeroplane was late and that we may not make it to the next flight. However, Air Canada will put us on the next earliest flight upon arrival. She told us to try and make the transfer.

Silly me I forgot to empty my water bottle and it was taken away from me at the security check.

The aeroplane was slow and people on board would not allow those who had tight connecting flights to alight first. They all stood up despite the crew mentioning it over PA several times.

 While we waited for the plane to make its way to a gate. I checked my emails. According to my email, Air Canada had instantly moved us to the next available flight. We had about an hour or so to rest our souls. Phew! Gosh, it was a skinny plane. Air Canada Express! The overhead lockers cannot fit carry-on bags with wheels. People had to leave their wheelie bags aside and Porter plane would carry their bags to our destination. The Porter plane flew not far behind us.

Overall, we didn’t have to manually re-book another flight ourselves. This is a pretty good service. It goes to the same airport at least. Save on taxi fares! Sis and I lined up for a new boarding pass for ease of passage.

Sis and I had lunch at Pork and Pickles restaurant at the Montreal Airport. It was yummy. We had buffalo wings and fried pierogi with pork and bacon crisps. Sis had pickles on the side.

Sis and I were appointed separate seats on the 3:30pm flight. Many people were just like us got shuffled on board this flight as well. On board the express plane they gave us complimentary snacks and water. Noice.

Upon arrival at Toronto Billy Bishop Airport. We waited for a taxi. Once we got in we gave him a prepayment of CAD$35 ahead of time, as the traffic jam was bad, and if we let the meter run it would cost a lot more.

When we reached our hotel, we couldn’t make it to our 7pm Zombie Apocalypse session. Instead, we made it to the Legends of Horror session. Oh well. Forfeit a ticket. Sis wanted to dress up before we left our hotel room.

The Casa Loma put up a good show alright. Plenty of animatronics and projection lighting. The most amazing part was it took us through an underground tunnel to the stables. Se ended up in a totally different section and exited in another street. Hee hee.

We had Japanese food for dinner across the street from our hotel.

Note: for a domestic flight in Canada you need to:

a) present your boarding pass at security check and they’ll scan it.
b) at the boarding gate you need to present a photo ID with your boarding pass.

 

!=== 17th October 2023

 Mel our tour guide for the Niagara Falls day the tour guide handed us maple cream cookies.

 Our first stop was the floral clock. We hopped off and quickly took snaps. Followed by maple syrup tasting at a tourist pit stop. Omg! Golden, amber, and dark maple syrup are not the same. They actually have depth in taste. The chocolate and fudge tasting were delicious too. However, our time here was short, so, we stopped tasting and proceeded to the toilet and look at souvenirs.

Skylon Tower sure has the best view of the falls. The Hornblower City cruise was a good starter for the in-person experience of the fall up close. We saw people doing the tunnel walk. However, that’s with another tour company. People were walking down some stairs by the cliffs near the falls. Sis didn’t feel like crossing over a bridge.

The day trip to Niagara Falls is what dreams are made of. It was gigantic in size. Multiple waterfalls. Plenty of activities around it.

Sis didn’t want to play mini golf or pose any more in front of the falls. She only wanted to post stuff on her Facebook. Ugh.

Once we got back to Toronto we hopped on a tram to find an angel above the exhibition gate. Then tools tram to three Dollarama. Farm Boy grocery store isn’t bad. We purchased breakfast food there. For dinner, we had pub food at Pone Mahone.

 

!=== 18th October 2023 🚂

We are about to board the cross-country scenic train!!!

We checked in our luggage at the VIA Rail counter.

Then headed to the business lounge to have hot chocolate. At 8am Meranda checked us in. Colleagues: Michael, and Josh. Dining reservation is organised with Kelly who handed us a card for lunch and dinner. At each breakfast session, we will get another dining card. We are in dining cart A.

Sleeping in Carriage 110. 10L.

Bunk beds.

The dome carriage is nice for a train built in 1950. Not many modern electrical power outlets for everyday users. Those who have booked an AUD$ 6,000 room will get access to a direct power let. Everyone else who booked a bunker will have to charge their device in a washroom. The dining carriage is by far the best-looking carriage of them all. The dome windows are streaky. Adds a level of grey to your images. Regardless of which class you view it through.

When I was able to find a non-streaky window a Latino staff wanted the room to himself so that he could charge his device. He said the room was occupied and that I couldn’t sit there. La Lame. It was not booked for anyone. La Liar!

Anyhow I got my non-streaky images and videos with sunlight beaming through, so there! Ha!

The first part of the trip is done. Just need the Rockies and I can stop filming totally. We have rural areas in Australia too. It ain’t new to anyone.

The dining crew was the sweetest. Kelly, Josh, Bernadette. Melissa our activity officer was super helpful.

 

!=== 19th October 2023 🚂

Eat eat eat sleep
Do puzzle

Sample beer
Not much to the day.

I mean you can talk to people but they have their clicks (closed groups). Besides they have preferred topics of choice and if you don’t match theirs you aren’t of interest to them. Simple as that. I’m not sensitive by that act as Sis is. I’m more like let know if you need me and I might help you but it is not given. Ha. Relaxing is my goal and looking at trees and not talking to people is the way to go.

!=== 20th October 2023 🚂

Sis hates dome talk. I enjoy dome talk. The point of this journey is to learn about the area as quick and briefly as you can without stopping by overnight. Meg did a great job. As Melissa on the first day. It can be hard to get a seat in the dome cars. Highly competitive.

We tried a game of bingo. They’re styles to aim for and not just a straight line. First, it was a letter X, second it was a stamp (I won and my sister says I didn’t but Meg the host goes I qualify as you only need a square of four in a corner - Ha). Some people don’t understand what parameters mean. Other patrons didn’t either. Uh. The postage stamp is a very small square. Where have you been people! Another lady also played bingo in that case. The last pattern was a picture frame recommended by an elderly gentleman. Karen won it on her third board.

Sis says she does care for prizes. It is about that, in the world of law knowing what your parameters are and operating within them successfully. Besides law and games have rules. In the end, I’m a winner out of 3 games. So take that! A few more digits and I could be won in all 3 games. Hee Hee. Close but no cigar. 

The canapés were great. All are served on brown bread. Salmon pate. Beef pate. Zucchini paste. There were some vegetarian options too. The second sitting was late again. Instead of going up and down and taking a peak. We decided to sit and eat canapés until the staff came to activity 2 carriage and yelled out our dinner sitting.

 

!=== 21st October 2023 🚂

I waited for the sun to rise over the trees in the dome car since 5:45am. I saw nothing as it was cloudy. Dang it!

We did stop at Jasper for an hour. Sis and a few others got off the train earlier than me. I dozed off in the dome car you see.

When I heard the announcement over the PA it stated you needed a boarding pass before you can come back on the train. I quickly got dressed and went in search of my sister. I told her to message me before you do such things. Otherwise, you can’t get back on the train. I had access to our electronic copies and paper version of the boarding pass.

 

Sis and I ran around taking photographs and rummaging through open gift stores. Most of the stores were closed. Jasper is a mountain base town. Poor design of a mascot. Plenty of snow-capped mountain views and wooden cabins here. They even have a dark sky festival. Umm. 

On board the train they have brunch offerings. The few who boarded a day ago lost track of time and missed out on brekkie and brunch. Canapés and mimosas as a farewell in activity room number 2. Sis and I stayed here doing puzzles and taking photographs of the Rockies and Frazer River. Which was blue-green from the limestones nearby.

I attended one more dome car talk about the Rockies, Fraser River, and Thompson River.

By the time it is time for dinner. Sis and I failed to complete the train rail puzzle.

!=== 22nd October 2023 🚂

We had our last meal, our last breakfast on The Canadian. Sis and I were seated with French besties. Who is travelling throughout Canada together? One of them managed to tag along with her younger brother on a trip. They only planned as far as this train ride and will wing it for the rest of the trip. Sweet.

We took photographs with Carrie and William our roommates before grabbing our bags to alight the train. The Pacific Center train station was packed with people. Easy to navigate. We will be returning here several times throughout our trip on the west side.

After dropping the bags off at our hotel. We went to Waterfront and Gastown. The steam clock was the best thing there, but no, the Ukraine pierogi restaurant was the highlight of the day. I drank a warm Uzvar (apple and pear mocktail). Tastes like apple crumble. I loved my stuffed mushroom cabbage roll.

Gastown has lots of dog poo, homeless people, drugged and drunk people hanging about. Also, no easy public accessible toilet for families or the disabled. The train station here has no toilet as well. I walked all the way to the Pan Pacific centre to find a working toilet. Sis and I went around to every Dollarama in Downtown near Granville St.

For dinner, we went Delivous Pho. Walked around Yaletown. Then caught bus 6 back YMCA Hotel.

 

!=== 23rd October 2023

Vancouver Public Library - central branch

They have Zoom text and Jaws on adjustable tables from the second floor to the sixth floor. One ClearView magnifying machine and one manual magnifying lamp. The tables are not obvious and that you’d need to seek staff assistance. The children's books were on the basement floor. Plenty of fiction in LOTE. The rooftop garden was awesome. I felt like I was in Rome. The balcony design was curvaceous and tall. Beautiful.

Granville Island. Lots of eat at The Market. Lots of see. Artistic creations and craft beers to be had. Curated gardens. Riverwalk trails. They had a warehouse dedicated to children. We caught a bus to Park Royal Mall. Checked out Simons. Nothing suitable for bro. We had dinner at The Keg. Nice restaurant. Great for outer suburban folks to come and meet up. Paid parking though.

 

!=== 24th October 2023 🛳️

Victoria. Rain Downtown. Nobody sold us daily passes or smart cards Umo. I only managed to buy a sheet of 10 tickets. Each bus transfer costs you another paper ticket.

Tacos for dinner.

Mini golf.

hang out in Dollarama to avoid the rain.

 

!=== 25th October 2023

 Victoria. Whale watching tour with Orca Spirit Adventures company on zodiac ship. Closer to the waters kind of boat. I got sprayed on by the ocean water. So salty. We saw 3 whale tails, 1 teenager whale fin, 1 bald eagle, several seals and blackbirds. Plus several boat houses. Watch a seaplane land in the bay.

The visitor sold us the Umo smart card. Yay! Walked along the bay to Parliament House and went in for a free tour. Sis eyed the gift store. The stained glass windows were the highlights of the space.

We had high tea at the Fairmount Empress. The rooms were beautiful.

We caught bus no. 2 to Breakwater Walk and watched the sunset. We came back to take pictures of the lit-up Parliament House before going home.

 

!=== 26th October 2023

Victoria. Butchart Gardens. Pretty. At the coffee shop, we bumped into Kerry and her friends. They were still in Victoria. They have come to the garden early. Ah. Sis likes to wake up late. Sis was dissatisfied that the garden lacked originality. Using foreign plants. Then she fell in love with the rose carousel and fountain. The sun's shine warmed us up. The gift shop had some nice things.

Carousel fun. Sis was peeved she did not take enouch selfies (pics).

There isn’t much for interaction. Many people come here for high tea and concert by the lawn. We got on the bus and tried to make it to the castle in time but alas it closed at 5pm.

Near Bastion Square were some unique shops. Munro bookstore and Murichie tea shop. We got there before it closed. Sadly, Sis doesn’t understand shops don’t open until 9pm just because you want them to. These shops only operate during daylight. I told her you gotta sleep in less and be out there at 9am to get to all these places. They open at 9am and close at 5pm.

We are at Earls near Bastion Square as Sis hates budget food. They are beneath her. Ugh. My wallet is hurting.

 

!=== 27th October 2023 🏔️

 Whistler.

The coach arrived late. The view was beautiful from the coach as we approached Squamish. You can see the snow caps. The footpath to our hotel was not direct. Not far. But when you are pushing a heavy suitcase up a hill it is challenging. 

I managed to find an elevator that would take you to the next level of the street. It took a bit of digging and I got there. Our room had a fireplace, a small balcony, and a bathtub (which Sis never used, too busy watching Twitch streams).

We had dinner at Mexican Corner. She said the tacos were too soft. Oh wells.

We checked out a few gift stores but they were closing soon. There was a grocery store open. Sis purchased some thick socks with a PAC Man's design.

 

!=== 28th October 2023 🏔️

 

Zip-line time! With Zeek and Emily. While hanging off the cable the view of the mountain and the creek was amazing. These trees holding us up were strong. We saw one squirrel with a white line down it had grey fur. We saw some bear claws against trees. The zip-line zig-zag between Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain.

We had lunch at D-inn Gate. The meal was charged back to the hotel who gave us $90 credit to use over the time of our stay for breakfast. All because The Raven room was being renovated for winter. Service was slow.

Ka-Ze doesn’t do email booking and the Westin concierge doesn’t take booking. Ka-ze doesn’t open until 5:30pm. We were advised to do a walk-in. The visitor centre advised us to take a taxi to the Squamish Lilwat Cultural Centre or walk. Sis has a bad knee. We were sold a sheet of 10 paper tickets for bus use.

We walked over to the Olympic Plaza in the north village and took a stroll through the Audain Art Gallery.

 

!=== 29th October 2023 🏔️

Trying 10am brekkie. Took forever. There was a free shuttle bus between the mountains. Which the staff at the visitor Center failed to mention. It could have saved us money.

The Squamish Lilwat cultural centre has locals as staff. Totem and canoe were a highlight. Artwork by artists was mentioned. I learned Bill Reid did most of the graphic and sculpture artwork we see around Vancouver.

  

!=== 30th October 2023 🏔️

Time to leave the mountain for the city.

We ate food we brought from the supermarket the night before for our breakfast in our room. Sis wanted to buy one more icon patch. We are running low on Canadian cash. I said no. I need to reserve my energy for the coach ride. Sis got upset.

I just sat by the fireplace and rested my head on the ottoman. Such luxury is wasted on mutters. This room has so many luxurious options.

The coach Skylynx had already arrived at the Visitor Centre. Luckily, we did not dine at D Inn Gate, otherwise, we would have been late. The views from the coach on the way back to Vancouver were gorgeous. The Sea to the Sky ride would have come by this highway.

Richmond

T&T supermarket sold the cheapest bubble tea drink and no cream. Aberdeen Centre was like Paramount Centre. Not huge at all. Landsdowne Centre has the budget stores. Sis had Japadog via their drive-through van. She felt sick later on. CF Richmond Centre has the posh stores. Bus 403 and 410 run on 3rd Street.

We had fun rummaging through the malls.

 

!== 31st October 2023

 

VanDusen botanical garden

Beautiful

Lovely cafe

Good salad

 

Queen Elizabeth Park

Hilly but a sweet view of the city and the mountain.

The Bloedel conservatory had McGraw birds and a pheasant.

 

Bear Creek

Not well labelled.

We managed to find the train and mini golf place. It doesn’t open until 6:30pm.

Sis failed to go to the washroom when we were at the mall. This park only has portable toilet stands littered across the park.

We saw squirrels.

 

Jollibee had great fried chicken and the mash was good. A patron dressed as the mascot. Lol.

 

!== 1st November 2023

 

Stanley Park is HUGE!

Geese

Totem poles. Quite the sight. Each one tells a different story.

Vancouver aquarium. Cafe had staff that did not recall what was on their menu and I had to take a photograph of the menu on the board.

Sea otters

Sea lions

 

They have to close the aquarium early today due to a private event. Everyone was sad about it. You can hear the children whine at their parents that is so unfair I was not done looking at the animals.

 

Sis sussed out Walmart and the Canadian Superstore. We did not purchase anything in the Walmart store. However, we went ham in the Canadian Superstore. Chipotle - Mexican grill for dinner. Pretty delicious.

 

 

!== 2nd November 2023

 

One last time at Granville Island.

CF Richmond Centre

Hang out in the hotel lobby.

 

We had hot food at the Thai Hang stall.

 

Chocolate lava cake at The Lift (restaurant).

 

Our flight was delayed.

We did get to board the plane while they sorted out baggage issues.

 

 

I watched the movie 64, a French film of misfits led by a priest off to build a platform in the lake in Quebec, and forgot to watch Flash's latest movie.

September 2023

When you get to a certain age, you feel ready to tackle on more challenges than you think you can handle, but you keep thrusting yourself into them, as you just never know what the rewards might be.

I am embarking on learning about all the entrapment of cruise and how difficult can it be?

Travelling on cruise ship requires carrying cash in several currencies. Ah.Pain. Sadly, most of my old money card products have been terminated after COVID. I now have to try some new ones out there. Many do not offer much as in cash withdrawal. Um.

Work

I am looking into how to use AI to further our work, I would like to see AI being able to fetch mass data and do mathematical calculations.At least, search through our collection and tell us that subject heading was not used but these other records look similar.

PoGo

I cannot believe it my gotcha caught a hundo Meltan from the Mystery Box. One too many GBL seasons later. lol. Now it is no longer meta relevant. Also, I was about to hit remote raid cap when I encountered my hundo Kartana (ultrea beast). Man, this is what I call amazing stuff. You just cannot make these things up.

Dating

Nothing but fake accounts so far and people who are just angry at the world for their failures. I mean I curse companies at times when their product fail me. However, there are 8 billion people whom I have never met ,and so, I cannot blame them for my failures. Besides I have too much reading to do about AI prompts.

August 2023

The topic of brain washing. My father have taught me never to let such psychological activity infect me. I have to say, his teaching has taught me well. I now enjoy throwing shades at controlling individuals. Yummy Yummy in my Tummy is my favourite line to date.

Work

Applying lots of policies at work. Only 1 out of 1 million patron would blame staff for not telling them the correct thing, despite some of these patrons have been regularly visiting the library for years. WTF. Are you kidding me?

On the flip side, we have some first time visitors who have watched our webinars and finally, came into the library, and remembered our face, and to bring a USB memory stick. I feel so proud that we have touched people and they feel more confident in using the collection.

PoGo

I finally got a hundo Lickitung. Yay! Time to celebrate. Aw, it sure did feel like forever - not getting a hundo of it. Dialga was once like that for me. Well, Giratina Altered is still being a biatch. lol.

Dating

Nothing seems to stick. Nice or funny or intelligent. Every guy seems ticked off when I talk about Australian foraging ways. Why, is mushrooms gonna kill you? Maybe, but still, it is a great conversation starter.

July 2023

Cold as always. The sun's warmth does come through occasionally. When we had a staff BBQ recently it was really sunny, it made cooking for 45 minutes all the much easier. A few people peaked through to say Hi by the barbie. Which was nice.

Work 

I am on three work streams now. A co-lead in one. Hosting meeting in another. Helping to create resources for training in another. All the while doing my core duties. Next month I will have to put much of these work streams projects on pause and work on Family History month.

PoGo

Not much hundo this month even though I have traded heaps of pokemon with my friends. Also, not much luck in the raids or task either. The game is pretty buggy. Freezes a lot. Pokemon that has been caught remains in the map. Odd.

Dating

I keep coming across men who have distance and travel phobia. They keep blaming city folks  and saying things are expensive. Then they say there is nothing to do in their suburb. Sheesh. Talk about sad. No creativity in their bones. These men only watch streaming service and all day too. They call that living it up while envying others. Maybe for people with mobility issues watching stuff on the screen is most ideal way of living. But I am rather fit still, and so prefer to travel instead than to sit in front of the telly all day.

June 2023

Winter teaches where your joints and pain are. What I did not anticipate is dry skin across my face and neck. Ageing presents you many challenges and this is one of them.

Work

I am helping my colleagues by carrying out their previous responsibilities while they are away on holiday. It isn't much of a burden when you have many other colleagues who willing to teach you and take over the work if it requires senior level permission thingy. I am sure learning a great deal. Sure there is no extra pay but you get rewarded with knowledge you did not possess previously. On another note, we are playing word game puzzles on a daily basis and it is a new experience for me. I have seen the word game on television shows and newspapers, but I have tried it myself. It is a confidence builder and initiates conversations among staff.

PoGo

I got some task hundo, gotcha picked a few hundo, and several raid hundo. I think, I am doing great despite my right foot hurts like hell everyday. The plantar fasciitis likes to acts up when I am on the move. Someone told me I looked like a cripple. Thanks, but no thanks. Comments such are not funny. I'm blessed to have friends who are willing to catch some pokemon on my behalf and trade them to me. Very kind of them indeed.

Dating

Nothing but fake accounts lately. They keep trying and making excuses to move the conversation over to WhatsApp. Sadly, I felt no chemistry or romance. These fakes do not even ask me what my dreams are or what I like to do. It is all about them and what they are up to, not an invite to dinner or meet up. How rude!

=========================

A trip to Lake Entrance

⛳️

Wednesday 21st June

It took 2 coach bus rides to reach Lake Entrance. Three road works slowed us down. Bairnsdale train station is the mecca for regional coach transfers. Decent toilet facility.  The road into Lake Entrance is hilly and curvy. I’m amazed how the bus driver was able to drive down this road with such gusto. 

Everything was closed by the time we got here. The main road of Lake Entrance was wide. The footpath was wide. Probably to accomodate summer crowds. There were only a few people here and there. Sis found Woolies. We got some basic supplies. We checked in quickly and went to a pub to have dinner. At the Central motel we had scallop with bacon crisps & pea purée entree. It was delicious. Sis had entree fried calamari. I had a brick Gippsland brisket. Then we shared a sticky date. For a winter night it warmed our bellies alright. 

We set the heated blankets on and warmed our room to ease our sleep shivers. I put my Daiso cat portable humidifier to the test. It worked a treat. You can hear the waves crash against the shores as walked home from dinner. 

Thursday 22nd June

We went and did the Entrance Walk 3km. Lovely weather. We saw finches. Fur seals. An old signal station. Historic houses. An old relic stone mason ship. Broken colourful scallop sea shells. Strut birds. The path itself was windy, filled with twisted tree roots and logs. Quite the hike. 5.5km in total. 

The mini golf places were closed except for 1. Even so, Sis wanted lunch as it was getting late in the afternoon. Polar bear donuts has the best looking dessert in town. Sis ordered the rainbow one with gold dust on the menagerie clouds with sour rainbow band. I had a lemon curd one. For lunch we had fish n chips it was good. 

Then we went to check out the shell museum. Wow the amount of shark jaws there was incredible. We saw glow in the dark rocks from the abyss. The shells from Thailand were most colourful and spike stuck from its body. We managed to find a button hole shape abalone shell and two purple dotted shells for mom. Sis got a dream catcher. While I bought two nice brown swirly looking shells. None of them had the weight of the one sis I found in the fossil route though. 

Dropped off the shells and went to Zephyr cafe  at Lake Entrance Bowls for dinner. For entree we had yellow tin tuna tartare with avocado. They make yummy parmas. Also, The Debortolli rose  drink was a nice blush pink and dry.

The locals come here to gamble, listen to live music, and gain points for food. Neat. 

Friday 23rd June

Metung Hot Springs is completely outdoors. It is made up of several tiny pools. Most of very warm. Only three had views of the Gippsland river. The barrel bath was in another area and on a hill top. You had to ask staff to drive up with their golf buggy.  We felt awkward going past private residence in a robe and swim wear. I enjoyed floating in the medium barrel and stare into the sky. 

The hot springs had 1 sauna to warm you up. It was hard to keep the towel dry. We had some sunshine. Not enough to keep us from shivering. After a good 2 hrs. Sis got hungry. 

We walked to The Clubhouse, Metung Country Club for a late lunch. We ordered vegan lasagna, local Maffra cheese board, and molten lava cake for dessert. We just sat there sipping our mocktails looking over the golf course. 

By the late noon we felt full and sleepy. After a nice nap. We had KFC for dinner and watched some music video clip from the 80s. Sure made us laugh. 

Saturday 24th June

11am Boat cruise with lunch and wine tasting.

Wayne our skipper on Stormbird drove us to see the fur seals up close. They are chonky and cute. A few went into the waters and synchronised their fin flaps for us. Giggles. No need. You are cute as you are. Ah. Watching them interact is interesting as can be. 

We continued our way up North Arm and saw many beautiful hill top homes. Some had jetty connect to their yards. One had a dome rooftop garden. Talk about posh. 

The jetty we parked at had bird pool towards the right had side. At the bottom of the hill a mini van came to pick us up. The cosy cottage was welcoming. A bar next to a small fire place. Our group table was in the upper terrace courtyard. The blazing sun beamed down at us.

We tasted several whites and reds. The warm bread with the cheeseboard was the star. The butter a bit frozen. The jam was nice. The hard cheese was good but not delicious. The rose wine had a good colour and dry. The frozen muscat was syrupy nice. For mains I had gummy shark with chips and sis had lamb shank with mash. Sis wanted cola and fried waffle with de Luce sauce vanilla ice cream which was an extra cost. 

By far the most tastiest wine tasting session yet. Back on the boat Wayne drove us past the fishing industry packing office by the pier. They are extending their cafe and got a new trawler called Tommy Norton. Then we were back in the main area of the town. 

Sis and I went home for a nap. Then caught a taxi to Medieval Winter Fire Festival behind Bruthen Mechanics Hall. 

Upon arrival we were greeted with a metal sculpture of a dragon head! Kapow! I couldn’t help but pose with it. I had a cup of warm quince and apple spice non-alcoholic. Pulled pork with slaw sandwich. Fresh fried gluten free donut. Ah, the big bonfire was able to warm my hands and face from a far. We watch troupe do some English dance. A medieval interest group perform sword fight with flame blades. The last act was an outdoor juggler using fiery objects. Very skilled individuals. We missed the 3-6pm acts as we were sleepy but we managed to watch 3 acts. That’s not bad. 

Sunday 25th June

We went to Boat Shed for brekkie. Then went over the river by the rental boats area to take snap shots of pelicans. Oh my they are huge! They have a blue line that runs across their beak. Nearby was the Lakes Entrance Visitor information centre. There was a small gallery upstairs. 

We went to play mini golf at three different outlets on the main street. Woo Hoo!

Mini Golf

This one felt like welcome to Hollywood. Lots of sculptures. One or two moving objects.

Esplanade mini golf

Pirate themed mini golf. Great to see families play together. Including grandpa.

Footbridge mini golf

Sis won twice on the laughing clown skill board. My golf ball kept getting stuck at various spots. Plenty of candy inside the store.

6:30pm Dinner: Sodafish

The dishes were moorish and dessert was a highlight for Sis. Interesting use of a floating building. 

Monday 26th June

We took the coach and a train back to Melbourne safely. 

There was guy trying to catch a coach to Sydney from Lake Entrance. Sadly, there are no official looking stands or staff to assist. Just a local post office and you just have to ticket office ring for assistance.