September 12, 2025

BeiJing, used to be Peking - so we had to have the famous Peking Duck!

There are several well known Peking Duck specialty restaurants, we went to Siji Minfu. They bring you appetizers of spicy cucumbers, grapes and baked bran with mushrooms and peanuts - tasty! Then comes the roast duck carved table side with it crispy skin. You put duck in super thin pancakes with slices of cucumber, scallions, melon and sprinkle of sugar with plum sauce. Wrap like small burrito and SO YUMMY !! We also enjoyed a side of crispy baby eggplant.

When we got back to hotel we got to witness another type of dinner. Robot delivery - most of the hotels use this service for takeout deliveries to the rooms. It's so cute and sometimes they chat to you if you ride elevator with them! Love how they park themselves right infant of doors, must be tied into elevator system because they always get next one down and go right to their floor. Want to order something just so we can receive delivery. Very Jetsons! Finally ! I really want flying cars next!

By Patricia Patrick February 15, 2026
We got up at 6:45am to get to National Park Forts Walk trail in the hope of seeing koalas . Prior walkers mark trails with tree branches pointing in the direction of their sighting and we were luck enough to see 3 markers in our first hour of hiking. It is so stinking hot and humid the success we had made it bearable. The koala population on the island started with 20 brought over in 1930, to escape fur hunters. Today, the island boast 800 to 1000, and they are so cute and drowsy. They need 20 hours of sleep a day! The early morning is when they are the most active.
By Patricia Patrick February 14, 2026
Just off the coast of Townsville, Australia is a special little island (that used to be part of mainland, hundreds of thousands years ago). The island was formed by molten granite that was pushed to the earth's surface with volcanic force.Over time the volcanic overlay weathered away leaving an extraordinary landscape of rounded domes and boulders, many as big as a house and spectcularly perched. Over Seventy Percent of the center of the Island is a National Park. There is lots of wildlife here too - koalas, rock wallabies, snakes & birds.
By Patricia Patrick February 14, 2026
This is my third time in CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA and I really enjoy how walkable, clean and charming it is. The waterfront esplanade and lagoon area is a nice walk day or night. We had 2 nights here in the waterfront Shangri La Marina Hotel while waiting for the Ship to arrive and then 2 additional days in Port.