So I’m not in Vietnam after all – I’m in New Zealand. Long story with an ok ending—we had trouble with our visas at the Tucson airport (“It probably won’t be a problem when you get to Saigon but…”) and we decided to go home and regroup instead of taking the risk of flying for 24 hours and having to turn around and come home. So we traded in our tickets, tried a few options and NZ was the one that worked out. Wild, huh?

Considering our rough start, the trip has gone amazingly well. We have seen parts of the country we haven’t seen before (we were here 4 years ago) and have done some really great stuff. Hiking, biking, kayaking, more hiking, some running on my part, whitewater rafting, more kayaking, glacier exploring, and a lot of driving. It is beautiful here and we have had great luck with the weather. The day of the glacier hike we got rained on for most of a 3 hour trip and it didn’t make such a big difference because the scenery was amazing. Our guide had to use an ice ax to carve out steps as we went up and in more than one spot we had a rope to hang onto for stability. On the way back (about 1 ½ miles) Mike and I motored past everyone else, even the guide, so we kept our blood racing.  J  

Here’s how O2 has made a difference to me: On one of our hikes, mainly uphill, when we hit a relatively level place I’d speed up, then when we started climbing again I’d hear Krystal saying “Keep up your cadence” and I’d try to keep my speed up. On our first kayaking trip when my shoulders ached I heard Dara saying “Your body is your temple” and I would try to relax my shoulders and urge myself onward. On our biking trip, in winds that almost knocked me over, I’d hear you, Susan, saying “Keep it up, watch your form, you’re doing great, I know you can do it!” and I would arch my back more and lean into my handlebars.

In all of our activities I have noticed how much easier it is for me to not only keep up but to stay at the front of the pack. Yesterday Mike and I rented kayaks and were on the water from 9AM until after 5, with a few stops for lunch and relaxation. Overall we kayaked 21 KM (about 13 miles) and on the way back we were paddling against the wind and waves. Something that would have horrified me to even attempt a few years ago. Something that made me really crabby when we were here last time, come to think of it. But I just kept on keeping on and today, while my shoulders are sore, I feel great about it. Mike pointed out how, considering that I do very well on this type of activity, I continue to expect myself to fall behind or fail. A good observation and another reminder of how my psyche is my worst enemy, not my body…

Today we had a 7 hour hike planned and our car battery died. We’ve spent the morning waiting for the rental agency to get us a new car or battery and now we’re about to go out and explore the area on foot. Maybe risk a zip-line tour as well, although it sounds little scary to me. Queenstown (where we are now) is a mecca for adrenaline-boosting-type stuff and there’s tons of adventures to choose from. We tend towards the activities that require movement on our part, rather than sitting on a tour boat, and it always gives us just as much scenery and way more fun.

As for the food, it’s almost impossible to eat healthy food here. Every time we order fish that is “grilled” or “pan-seared” it comes with breading and it’s clearly fried. We try to take off as much breading as possible but still, it’s not what we would have been eating in Vietnam, where most everything is steamed or truly pan seared. Even when we go to markets to pick up a picnic for our day out they mainly have white bread, meat, and lots of mayonnaise. Still, we’re doing our best. I’m not convinced I will see a happy difference on the scale when I get home but for now it’s not my main focus, just paying attention and doing the best I can.

The best thing on this trip is that my improved fitness is apparent. A few days ago I took a walk to a place we visited last time and it’s all uphill from our hotel. I noticed that when I got there it seemed like I had hardly worked at all, when I clearly remember that last time I was pretty much dead by the time we reached the top. That type of improvement in my overall health is what matters the most to me right now, not so much the scale. Remind me I said that when I get home!

 


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