It’s Hard not to Love Buenos Aires…

  
As we sit at the airport on our way to Ushuaia, Argentina, to commence our Antartic adventure, I reflect on the place that is Buenos Aires… 

Having spent time here twice now, I will look forward to returning when homeward bound. Whilst it may not be the most well-kept place, it is no less appealing. There’s such a laconic, laissez faire attitude to it and yet it functions delightfully well.  

Except for not quite getting the hang of ordering a cup of tea! You know when you’re gagging for one and you order ‘té con leche’ (confidently, thinking you’ve got it sorted) and you get a cup of hot milk and a tea bag… I’m still gagging (literally) at the thought of it!

 

But given that’s been our biggest hiccup so far, except for our “luggages” missing for the first two days, we cannot really complain. 

It is such a great place to wander aimlessly, admittedly in a particular direction as it’s pretty big, as you never know what you will find. For example, last visit we discovered one of the worlds most impressive bookshops – El Ateneo Grand Splendid – and made a point of popping in again. 

 
There’s lots of greenery around too so taking time out to contemplate your navel is doable as often as you like.  

 

As with any city, the locals are in a hurry to get somewhere, constantly.  We wondered whether they ever take the time out to appreciate what they have? Or is it that as they may not know any different, no reflection takes place… hard to tell. 

We, as one, are a big fan. Thank you Buenos Aires. 

the Kimberley Experience; from Darwin to Broome

cruising the Katherine Gorge

cruising the Katherine Gorge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August 9-17 of 2014, Daughter and I (together with Grandma and 44 of her closest 65+ year old friends) travelled by coach from Darwin in Northern Territory to Broome in Western Australia. With 2853 kms clocked,  a cracking pace was set and to everyone’s credit, all kept up!

If you’ve not been to the Kimberley’s, you must change that as soon as possible.
It is some of the most exquisite countryside you will ever see… and the colours, just stunning.

Ord River

Lake Argyle, Ord River

Katherine Gorge

Katherine Gorge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was drama afoot when about to leave Fitzroy Crossing. A road train had rolled on the road to Broome and we could not get through. That meant an unplanned overnighter at the Fitzroy Crossing Resort. Lucky for us, they could accommodate (and a few others), with the tents being just fine. Even got to watch the football with the locals at the bar that evening. The banter between the grey army and the young blackfellas was hilarious!

tents at Fitzroy Crossing Resort

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It was a very special to be able to have 3 generations together on adventure.
Time cherished by us all. Shame it’s over now…

the Hall girls at Halls Creek

7 steps to becoming a Better Traveler…

beautiful children

 

 

 

 

Got to love a good list! and those on this list are ones I, as a single parent traveler, also subscribe too…

In the course of Costa Christ’s travels and career as a promoter and practitioner of sustainable tourism–one question comes up again and again: “What can I do to be a more responsible traveler?” So he thought he’d pen a primer.

Here are seven things globetrotters can do to lessen their impact on the planet…

“Swimming Against the Current” is what choosing Alternative Education can sometimes feel like…

Download “Swimming Against The Current” Ebook

Swimming Against the Current-CoverWhen asked to try to make sense of 93 survey responses about alternative education choices (aka progressive and NOT mainstream) I thought it would be an overwhelming task, a little like herding cats! But as I read through the answers to questions such as why a particular school was chosen and whether it met expectations, it was amazing how like-minded all the respondents were, regardless of age. In fact, they seemed to be speaking in one voice, a voice that expressed a shared and unequivocal philosophy, set of values and their vision of what education could and should be.

Please believe me when I say I did not want to oversimplify nor detract from the unique and personal answers I am trying to summarize here as that would, above all other concerns, be totally unacceptable to alternative ways of seeing and representing the education world. However, in the interests of flow and brevity, I have constructed a response of one person speaking, liberally quoted from the actual responses received. I have made sure though that I have included all degrees of responses, from the exuberant to the not so.

In terms of structure, I have addressed the answers making the following assumption –
”OK, so you’re definitely interested in exploring alternative education, what if…”

An apology upfront, but to those who participated only. If I have quoted you but have not named you in particular, sorry! All quotes are in red. Not intentional, but then I’m no journalist either. Having said that, all contributors (who gave us permission to) are listed towards the last pages.

Where there is a reference to a particular choice trait, I have left it if it made sense to do so. For example, the Steiner stream has the teacher with the children from years 1 to 6. This may not apply to all streams.

All photos/pictures included are of a personal nature, and therefore Real.

Some schools have dual curriculum i.e. government-run schools that run both mainstream and alternative options, and others only the one. I’ve attempted to reflect a blended and balance viewpoint from both. I hope I’ve done them justice.

I trust that what follows is an engaging, informative and helpful guide to your “what if…” questions that you may consider if you head down the path of alternative education.

Download “Swimming Against The Current” Ebook

Dallas…

Not much worthy of note in Dallas, expect for the Book Depository, site of the museum dedicated to the JFK assassination… a rather moving tribute

The Book Depository from which JFK was shot when in Dallas

The Book Depository from which JFK was shot when in Dallas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

we started with Hard Rock Cafe and we ended with one too…

Hard Rock Cafe Dallas

Hard Rock Cafe Dallas