It seems as though my travels are over for now folks. I'm stuck here for a little while until a new opportunity arises some place else. In the meantime, I'm moving forward with the home renovations and a lot is needed. The plan is not to make this place my dream home. Some basic repairs and renovations are needed in case I decide to sell in within the next couple years.
So I'm shutting down the travel blog. I'm glad I was able to document many of my trips since the journal was lost in New Zealand. Of all the placed I've been over the past 21 months, Patagonia was definitely my favorite. That trip was the turning point where I started thinking of the future instead on looking back into the past. I could go back to all the places I visited, but for some reason the pictures from Patagonia always grab my heart.
I was thinking about starting another blog with just some random subjects. Until then, I'm saying adios for now. I had loads of fun.....
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
The Poem
I've included the poem than Mark read on the Salmon. The poet is Robert Service and he lived and worte in the Yukon in the early 1900s.
The Men That Don't Fit In
There's a race of men that don't fit in,
A race that can't stay still;
So they break the hearts of kith and kin,
And they roam the world at will.
They range the field and they rove the flood,
And they climb the mountain's crest;
Theirs is the curse of the gypsy blood,
And they don't know how to rest.
If they just went straight they might go far;
They are strong and brave and true;
But they're always tired of the things that are,
And they want the strange and new.
They say: "Could I find my proper groove,
What a deep mark I would make!"
So they chop and change,
and each fresh move Is only a fresh mistake.
And each forgets, as he strips and runs
With a brilliant, fitful pace,
It's the steady, quiet, plodding ones
Who win in the lifelong race.
And each forgets that his youth has fled,
Forgets that his prime is past,
Till he stands one day,
with a hope that's dead,
In the glare of the truth at last.
He has failed, he has failed;
he has missed his chance;
He has just done things by half.
Life's been a jolly good joke on him,
And now is the time to laugh.
Ha, ha! He is one of the Legion Lost;
He was never meant to win;
He's a rolling stone,
and it's bred in the bone;
He's a man who won't fit in.
The Men That Don't Fit In
There's a race of men that don't fit in,
A race that can't stay still;
So they break the hearts of kith and kin,
And they roam the world at will.
They range the field and they rove the flood,
And they climb the mountain's crest;
Theirs is the curse of the gypsy blood,
And they don't know how to rest.
If they just went straight they might go far;
They are strong and brave and true;
But they're always tired of the things that are,
And they want the strange and new.
They say: "Could I find my proper groove,
What a deep mark I would make!"
So they chop and change,
and each fresh move Is only a fresh mistake.
And each forgets, as he strips and runs
With a brilliant, fitful pace,
It's the steady, quiet, plodding ones
Who win in the lifelong race.
And each forgets that his youth has fled,
Forgets that his prime is past,
Till he stands one day,
with a hope that's dead,
In the glare of the truth at last.
He has failed, he has failed;
he has missed his chance;
He has just done things by half.
Life's been a jolly good joke on him,
And now is the time to laugh.
Ha, ha! He is one of the Legion Lost;
He was never meant to win;
He's a rolling stone,
and it's bred in the bone;
He's a man who won't fit in.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Cast and Blast
We packed up the truck Thursday night and headed out towards Yellow Pine. This would be the start of a giant loop heading north towards the central part of the mountains then back down ending in the Owhyee for one last shot at those big browns. The first stop was a small pull off by Johnson creek. This was just a pit stop, but the area was quite nice. I couldn't sleep well due to the full moon which is kind of like sleeping under a spot light. The white noise of the creek rushing about 10 meters away from where I was sleeping also kept me awake.
The next morning was brisk compared to Boise. We had climbed a couple thousand feet and left the desert to enter the forrest. I passed the time a bit by fly fishing the stream, but the creek only held juvenile fish. Alex and I sped off to Yellow Pine for some breakie before heading to the secret lake where huge fish were rumored to lurk. The town on Yellow Pine has less than 100 people during the winter. the restaurant was just how you would imagine. Wood panelling everywhere with historic memorabilia of big salmon runs and pictures of trophy elk taken during the hunting season. No time for love Dr Jones! We need to find get to the lake while there is still daylight.
Now I have done quite a bit of backpacking over the past year, but I never thought I would be packing in so much gear. We decided to pack in the float tubes, find, and waders along with all of our camping gear which added at least 5-7 kilos. All in all, I estimate the pack weighed about 20 kilos. In addition to the extra weight, the lake was about 500-600 meters above the trail head which meant lots of climbing. Jeez! The climb and bushwhacking was worth the trouble. For the next 24 hours, I experienced some of the best trout fishing in my entire life. Not another soul other than my buddy Alex, and fish (big fish) rising to skim bugs off the surface of the water EVERYWHERE. I think we just happened upon a crazy hatch (meaning there was an unusual abundance of bugs). We kept one fish for tacos that night. Once again, I was cursed by the full moon. This time, I positioned myself behind a tree to shade me from the moon beam. The local squirrel was not pleased with my arrival and apparent resting place.
We moved on to meet Mark and camp on the edge of the middle fork of the Salmon river. The bratwurst was just the ticket to cap a day of fishing, BB gun shooting, beer drinking, and ranting about health care reform. After dinner, we were treated to a few poetry readings by Mark who wanted nearly every detail of my last 21 months of travel around the world. It was a nice relaxed evening and great to connect with a new friend who I met only twice before nearly four years ago.
We moved on to Mark and Ann's place near McCall. they had bought property (about 9 acres) in a subdivided ranch near Brundage Ski Resort. Mark and designed and built the place by hand and it was a good break from sleeping on a thermarest and down bag. Our activities involved more shooting and Mark's attempt at going off a ramp on his mountain bike (with a couple beers in him). He survived. Alex and I decided to make one more run into Oregon the next day. I had been skunked at the Owhyee last week, but now I had a good idea what flies to use. I would not go out empty handed.
Overall, it was a fantastic trip. It was good seeing my old friend after two and a half years. Although it wasn't the Tetons or Yellowstone, I was happy with my experience. We'll just save the trip for next time.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Trip Interrupted
I'm absolutely dumbfounded by how things have turned out. The last three weeks have been a whirlwind of activity for me. Unfortunately, It looks as though I'll have to head back to Dallas after Labor Day. However, Alex and I are headed up north to McCall and Yellow Pine tomorrow while Suz and the other girls are on their way to Burning Man. I'm a bit dissapointed that the west coast road trip has been cut short. I would have liked to have been on the road for at least another month. Looks like I'll have to make the most out of the time remaining. The next few days are sure to be quite an adventure.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Finicky Fish
After a few days of driving across the country, I finally landed in Boise. It was a long trip with great stretches of barren landscape between destinations. Wyoming looks a lot like southern Argentina with its dry grass and stubby bushes. Without a radio, I found myself singing out loud just to break up the monotony of the drive heading West on I80. I belted out old pixies, Weezer, and Red Hot Chili Peppers songs without fully knowing all the lyrics. It was enough to get me to Utah where the scenery quickly changed. I finally saw mountains and rolling farm land again. Friendly signs that I was close to civilization.
Alex and Suz had completed a remodel of their 1930's house and it looks phenomenal on the inside. It has all of the modern amenities (high end appliances) with the classic craftsman styling of that period. It has been a couple years since I've visited so it was all new to me. On the counter were fresh veggies from their garden which had done really well this year due to the composting and weather this summer. It reminded me of my weak and neglected garden in Dallas which yielded nothing but a few small watermelon. I was glad that this would be my home base for the next couple weeks.
Not wasting any time, Alex, Ian, and I met at the Owhyee river in Oregon that evening. The river is known for having some of the best trout fishing in the area. 20+ inch fish are common as long as you can get them to bite. Now I'm very experienced in catching 20+ inch browns in Arkansas, but out west it's a different story. Of the three anglers, only Alex was able to hook up once. It was a nice pumpkin of a fish coming in somewhere in the 22-24 inch range. Although the fishing was tough, the scenery and company more than made up for it. The plan while I'm here is to head north to Yellow Pine and fish some of the creeks. There is also some secret lake up there which is supposed to hold some huge rainbows. I can't wait to hook up with my first trout of the year.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Go West Young Man
Bags are packed and the car is loaded.
With most of my obligations complete in Dallas, I've decided to set my sights on the great western road trip through the United States. The thought of this trip has been brewing in my head for over a year. Every time I came back over seas, something whether it was timing or other obligations prevented me from embarking on this tour. Now I've seen many countries over the last two years, but there is something romantic about setting off on your own across the country not knowing where you are going to end up. As a precaution, I packed my new passport just in case I get close enough to reach Vancouver.
So the route. First draft... First stop will be Denver. I have many friends there who I haven't seen in years. It will also give me a good opportunity to warm up the legs since I've been sitting on the couch the entire time I've been back in Dallas. The fitness regiment is needed since I haven't carried a loaded back pack at altitude for 7 months. I'll work my way up to Boise to see Alex and the gang. Topping the list of activities is the backpacking trip to the Grand Tetons (or equivalent). From there, who knows. Just like the Salmon, I feel an instinctive draw towards my birthplace in the Pacific Northwest. However, California, especially San Francisco has a solid base of contacts. I'll play it be ear after Boise.
The anxiety still lingers although not as strong as the previous trips. Perhaps I not expecting as many surprises along the way this time.
With most of my obligations complete in Dallas, I've decided to set my sights on the great western road trip through the United States. The thought of this trip has been brewing in my head for over a year. Every time I came back over seas, something whether it was timing or other obligations prevented me from embarking on this tour. Now I've seen many countries over the last two years, but there is something romantic about setting off on your own across the country not knowing where you are going to end up. As a precaution, I packed my new passport just in case I get close enough to reach Vancouver.
So the route. First draft... First stop will be Denver. I have many friends there who I haven't seen in years. It will also give me a good opportunity to warm up the legs since I've been sitting on the couch the entire time I've been back in Dallas. The fitness regiment is needed since I haven't carried a loaded back pack at altitude for 7 months. I'll work my way up to Boise to see Alex and the gang. Topping the list of activities is the backpacking trip to the Grand Tetons (or equivalent). From there, who knows. Just like the Salmon, I feel an instinctive draw towards my birthplace in the Pacific Northwest. However, California, especially San Francisco has a solid base of contacts. I'll play it be ear after Boise.
The anxiety still lingers although not as strong as the previous trips. Perhaps I not expecting as many surprises along the way this time.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
America, Have You Seen It?
Although I have my new passport, I figure I'd cool it on the international travel for now. When this all started 20 months ago, I promised myself that I would take the great road trip out West. Well for now I had to settle for the great Midwest trip back to Indiana to see the family. It had been years since I returned to Elkhart. I don't hide that fact that I hate the town, for a number of reasons (none of which I'll get into). The purpose of this trip was to see family. None of my relatives have seen my nephew Teo, so this was an opportunity for everyone to see the kid for the first time.
Although the route was the same one I took back in December, the landscape looked far different. Summer has crested it's peak and the corn stood tall as if they were soldiers standing at attention in their rows waiting for the harvest in the fall. The acres of farmland look like a sea of gold tassels until you look at the correct angle revealing lines which seem to run in a perfectly straight line for what seems to be miles.
As you can guess, organizing a large multi-day gathering requires a lot of work. My brother, Jenn, and I were assigned the task of getting food from a local "gourmet" Italian deli. My mom seems to throw that term around liberally. Anything which isn't a chain and imports food is considered gourmet to her. Before picking up two giant tins of lasagna we sat down for lunch outside the deli. Jenn and Bill wanted to hear about my last trip to Spain and Italy, so we started to talk about travel and our experiences (Bill and Jenn had just returned from a film festival in Poland). Apparently, the old couple next to us was eavesdropping on our conversation. A few minutes later, the woman approached us and asked if we have seen America. At first, I wasn't sure how to take the question. Was she trying to make us feel guilty for not seeing ALL of the United States, before travelling abroad? I don't know. Now I feel that I have seen much of the US and definitely more than the average American. She then said that she felt no urge to travel abroad. I gave her my spiel about Americans who travel either for leisure or culture. If you travel for leisure, there really is no reason to leave the US. She sincerely accepted my answer which seemed to validate her reason for not travelling and my point for travelling abroad as the same time. This got me thinking about how middle class American perceives Europe and travelling abroad. I don't want this to get into a political rant, so I'll just leave it at this.
The median income in the US is 50K. Knowing what I do about the American way of life, there is no way average Americans can support a middle class lifestyle with this income. Forget about travelling abroad. For me, I'm going to take that road trip across the US. I do want to see more of America and the world , but not necessarily in that order.
Although the route was the same one I took back in December, the landscape looked far different. Summer has crested it's peak and the corn stood tall as if they were soldiers standing at attention in their rows waiting for the harvest in the fall. The acres of farmland look like a sea of gold tassels until you look at the correct angle revealing lines which seem to run in a perfectly straight line for what seems to be miles.
As you can guess, organizing a large multi-day gathering requires a lot of work. My brother, Jenn, and I were assigned the task of getting food from a local "gourmet" Italian deli. My mom seems to throw that term around liberally. Anything which isn't a chain and imports food is considered gourmet to her. Before picking up two giant tins of lasagna we sat down for lunch outside the deli. Jenn and Bill wanted to hear about my last trip to Spain and Italy, so we started to talk about travel and our experiences (Bill and Jenn had just returned from a film festival in Poland). Apparently, the old couple next to us was eavesdropping on our conversation. A few minutes later, the woman approached us and asked if we have seen America. At first, I wasn't sure how to take the question. Was she trying to make us feel guilty for not seeing ALL of the United States, before travelling abroad? I don't know. Now I feel that I have seen much of the US and definitely more than the average American. She then said that she felt no urge to travel abroad. I gave her my spiel about Americans who travel either for leisure or culture. If you travel for leisure, there really is no reason to leave the US. She sincerely accepted my answer which seemed to validate her reason for not travelling and my point for travelling abroad as the same time. This got me thinking about how middle class American perceives Europe and travelling abroad. I don't want this to get into a political rant, so I'll just leave it at this.
The median income in the US is 50K. Knowing what I do about the American way of life, there is no way average Americans can support a middle class lifestyle with this income. Forget about travelling abroad. For me, I'm going to take that road trip across the US. I do want to see more of America and the world , but not necessarily in that order.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Home Stretch
The trip is turning out much differently that I had originally planned. That is what happens when you just go where you feel like it. Originally, I had planned to go back to Switzerland for some summer snowboarding. I had packed enough winter gear for a day or two in the mountains. Well, I never made it to Switzerland, but I do not regret it. As my friend Jon says, I go to Switzerland more often than Jon sees his parents in Wisconsin. It was nice to see a few new places which I would have skipped if traveling alone. The only down side, is that some place we wanted to go required advanced bookings. June and I were a bit cursed with the San Fermin festival in Pamplona (AKA running of the bulls).
It was not my intention to even go to northern Spain, so we didn't plan ahead initially. This became a bit of a problem since trains and accommodations were somewhat limited due to all of the people attending San Fermin. We arrived in San Sebastian and found that our accommodation for the pension was already filled. I didn't check for the confirmation of the reservation before arriving , so we ended up scrambling for a place to stay during the weekend. Lucky for us, we did find a place not too far out of town. San Sebastian is small so everything you need to see is within walking distance (for June and I, that meant beaches and tapas bars).
Now I know the beaches in Europe are a little different than those in the US, but I never thought I would see so many naked people in my life. Even though I expected this, it was still a shock. The most shocking thing I saw was this 50-60 year old lady who was so dark and wrinkled, she looked like a walking raisin. She was the most disgusting body on that beach that day. For the most part, the beaches were the best here. The sand was soft and clean, the temperature was mild, and the water was fantastic. Similarly to the trip in Thailand and Australia, I closed out my Europe trip relaxing on the beach. We had been bouncing around from town to town that it was just nice to spend a day relaxing in the sun. June and I would pack up and spend the last couple days in Madrid before heading back to the states.
It was not my intention to even go to northern Spain, so we didn't plan ahead initially. This became a bit of a problem since trains and accommodations were somewhat limited due to all of the people attending San Fermin. We arrived in San Sebastian and found that our accommodation for the pension was already filled. I didn't check for the confirmation of the reservation before arriving , so we ended up scrambling for a place to stay during the weekend. Lucky for us, we did find a place not too far out of town. San Sebastian is small so everything you need to see is within walking distance (for June and I, that meant beaches and tapas bars).
Now I know the beaches in Europe are a little different than those in the US, but I never thought I would see so many naked people in my life. Even though I expected this, it was still a shock. The most shocking thing I saw was this 50-60 year old lady who was so dark and wrinkled, she looked like a walking raisin. She was the most disgusting body on that beach that day. For the most part, the beaches were the best here. The sand was soft and clean, the temperature was mild, and the water was fantastic. Similarly to the trip in Thailand and Australia, I closed out my Europe trip relaxing on the beach. We had been bouncing around from town to town that it was just nice to spend a day relaxing in the sun. June and I would pack up and spend the last couple days in Madrid before heading back to the states.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Basque Country
Well there are some events in my life I will never forget. The past year and a half has yielded a few major worldy milestones and events close to home. At the top of the list is seeing Obama giving his acceptance speech while I was downing a bowl of noodles in Hong Kong. Second on the list had got to be Michael Jackson's passing. We were just discussing the dates he was going to play in London with a guy in our hostel who had tickets. The next day, he was all over the news. Today, in Bilbao, June and I were treated to MJ songs in every bar and restaurant.
My experience with Spain had been great. In fact, I must say that I prefer Spain over Italy (more if this I will talk about later). The only thing I'm having to adjust to is the languages spoken in each corner of the country. Although my travel Spanish is decent, it is still tough to understand what people are saying in northern Spain. The Basque signs are also screwing me up too. It seems that none of the food terms are recognizable except for a few. Bilbao is a nice place so far. 9 o'clock is drinking time and everyone vacates the shopping squares for the bars. Rightly so, since there is still daylight at around 10 PM here. June and I are checking out the Guggenheim tomorrow, then off to San Sebastian.
My experience with Spain had been great. In fact, I must say that I prefer Spain over Italy (more if this I will talk about later). The only thing I'm having to adjust to is the languages spoken in each corner of the country. Although my travel Spanish is decent, it is still tough to understand what people are saying in northern Spain. The Basque signs are also screwing me up too. It seems that none of the food terms are recognizable except for a few. Bilbao is a nice place so far. 9 o'clock is drinking time and everyone vacates the shopping squares for the bars. Rightly so, since there is still daylight at around 10 PM here. June and I are checking out the Guggenheim tomorrow, then off to San Sebastian.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Tapas with Picasso
Spain! What a relief! June and I had a ton of delays trying to get to Barcelona from Milan. Once here, we had sort of a relaxed feeling. The city (or at least where we are staying) seems very lively. There is also the added sense of security which comes with speaking the language. Our first dabble with the language came at the tapas place recommended in the guide book near our hostel. The food which is so different than what we had in Italy seemed just as good if not better.
Barcelona itself has such a lively feel. I already prefer the mix in architecture and art compared to Italy. Spain has a better mix of old and more contemporary art compared to what I saw in Italy. June is doing a little bit more shopping than me on this trip. I think she is picking up a new pair of shoes in each town we visit. I may pick up a few things in Madrid before going home.
June has found a few special freebies for museum entries, so we are saving a few bucks here and there. It is also nice that she has had a lot of knowledge about aart history, so she can enlighten me about specific styles for each artist we see. For example, everyone is familiar with Picasso's cubist style, but remember that he was a classicaly trained artists, so his earlier works include standard portraits and and landscapes. Some of his sketches were a bit out there and sexually charged, but all in all you see the progression until the work he is best known for today.
Barcelona itself has such a lively feel. I already prefer the mix in architecture and art compared to Italy. Spain has a better mix of old and more contemporary art compared to what I saw in Italy. June is doing a little bit more shopping than me on this trip. I think she is picking up a new pair of shoes in each town we visit. I may pick up a few things in Madrid before going home.
June has found a few special freebies for museum entries, so we are saving a few bucks here and there. It is also nice that she has had a lot of knowledge about aart history, so she can enlighten me about specific styles for each artist we see. For example, everyone is familiar with Picasso's cubist style, but remember that he was a classicaly trained artists, so his earlier works include standard portraits and and landscapes. Some of his sketches were a bit out there and sexually charged, but all in all you see the progression until the work he is best known for today.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Zig Zagging
Man! we are really flying through Italy. The last two stops in our journey have been the best so far. We arrived in Lake Como a few days ago and was able to spen some time away from the crowds of Florence and Venice. I dragged June up a hike with a 759 m ascent. The broken toe slowed me down, so it helped keep me in check. The views from the top of the hike were just as pretty as those from my previous hikes in Patagonia and New Zealand. The hostel in Menagio was a great place to meet fellow travellers. I met a couple folk from Chicago, one of whom teaches school across from my old house in Willmette. Crazy!
Yesterday we zipped down to Cinque Terre for a day of sun and surf. It was June's first dip in the Med since her arrival. The beaches are all pebbles and somewhat tough on our office cured feet. However, the water was a blue as it could be and refreshing. I will definitely return since I feel that our time there was cut short. Overall, we havce seen a ton of Italy during this trip. Spain should be a bit slower and more relaxed. I'm looking forward to some good tapas and wines next week.
Yesterday we zipped down to Cinque Terre for a day of sun and surf. It was June's first dip in the Med since her arrival. The beaches are all pebbles and somewhat tough on our office cured feet. However, the water was a blue as it could be and refreshing. I will definitely return since I feel that our time there was cut short. Overall, we havce seen a ton of Italy during this trip. Spain should be a bit slower and more relaxed. I'm looking forward to some good tapas and wines next week.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Moving North
Today, June and I are moving northward to Venice. This was not originally an intended stop, but June convinced me to go. So far the trip is going well although the spending is a bit out of control. I feel as though we have been seeing all of the highlights from each town we visit. If I was to return for a shorter trip, I would likely rent a car to see more of the country side. Travelling by train is okay for the time being.
After a couple days in Florence, it is clear that this is high season. Lines are fairly long for the museums. There are so many tourist groups wandering the streets and so many American kids on summer break. June and I quite enjoy meeting the young folks and chatting over the free sangria the hostel provides. One drawback is that I'm having a bit of an issue finding cheap accommodations in the heavy tourist destinations. This should add some excitement to our journey this week.
We have done so much walking and waiting in lines that we are getting funny tan lines on our feet from the sandals and shoes. Finding a beach to even out those lines will be a high priority once we reach the Mediterranean.
After a couple days in Florence, it is clear that this is high season. Lines are fairly long for the museums. There are so many tourist groups wandering the streets and so many American kids on summer break. June and I quite enjoy meeting the young folks and chatting over the free sangria the hostel provides. One drawback is that I'm having a bit of an issue finding cheap accommodations in the heavy tourist destinations. This should add some excitement to our journey this week.
We have done so much walking and waiting in lines that we are getting funny tan lines on our feet from the sandals and shoes. Finding a beach to even out those lines will be a high priority once we reach the Mediterranean.
Monday, June 22, 2009
The Oddessey
So I may have one more encore left in me. I left for Italy for some sailing off the coast of Naples. This trip had all sorts of bad omens to start with. The group of friends joining me for this trip were some of the same ones from the Belize trip three years ago plus a couple Brits.
Jaime drove me to the airport where I spent the next six hours figuing out how to get to Rome on time. A big storm had rolled into DFW cancelling every flight that morning. I was lucky enough to get rerouted through NYC, but would lose a day in the process. This wasn't as bad as it seemed since it would give me a chance to see my brother's family before jetting to Italy. However, I knew immediately that my bag would not meet me in Rome due to all of the scheduling changes. So I grabbed a few things to survive (shirs, underwear, toothpaste, etc.) at my brother's place before going to JFK for the flight to Italy. As it turns out, I was right. My bag arrived in Rome about five hours after I left the airport for Naples. The bag never got to me until after the sailing was finished, so I'm wearing nearly the same thing in every photo.
I blame the lost bag for my broken toe in Capri. We hiked up to the main center from the marina one night for dinner. Capri is quite a fancy place with many high end boutique stores. I was dressed like a bum (I was wearing the same clothes for about four days at this point) with these flip flops I bought off the street. On the way down, we took a detour and I ended up crushing my big toe on one of the steps. Now this presents some issues especially if you plan on walking around various cities in Europe for the next three weeks. I decided not to do anything about it and to try to let it heal on it's own (a decision I may regret later). So now, I'm on a boat with a broken big toe and no clean change of clothes. It couldn't get much worse.
Unlike the previous sailing trip, this one was blessed with superb weather. Perhaps I was being rewarded for my luggage and big toe problems. In addition to the sun, the water was crystal clear and just the right temperature to cool off a hot body after a day on the deck of a boat. Top off the week with great food, drinks, and fancy mega yachts. Although I wore the same clothes for a full week, it didn't seem to matter too much.
I was getting used to pretending to be one if the rich and privledged. Was this the life of a professional slacker? I hoped so, but the truth is that we work our asses off to enjoy these few grand moments.
Jaime drove me to the airport where I spent the next six hours figuing out how to get to Rome on time. A big storm had rolled into DFW cancelling every flight that morning. I was lucky enough to get rerouted through NYC, but would lose a day in the process. This wasn't as bad as it seemed since it would give me a chance to see my brother's family before jetting to Italy. However, I knew immediately that my bag would not meet me in Rome due to all of the scheduling changes. So I grabbed a few things to survive (shirs, underwear, toothpaste, etc.) at my brother's place before going to JFK for the flight to Italy. As it turns out, I was right. My bag arrived in Rome about five hours after I left the airport for Naples. The bag never got to me until after the sailing was finished, so I'm wearing nearly the same thing in every photo.
I blame the lost bag for my broken toe in Capri. We hiked up to the main center from the marina one night for dinner. Capri is quite a fancy place with many high end boutique stores. I was dressed like a bum (I was wearing the same clothes for about four days at this point) with these flip flops I bought off the street. On the way down, we took a detour and I ended up crushing my big toe on one of the steps. Now this presents some issues especially if you plan on walking around various cities in Europe for the next three weeks. I decided not to do anything about it and to try to let it heal on it's own (a decision I may regret later). So now, I'm on a boat with a broken big toe and no clean change of clothes. It couldn't get much worse.
Unlike the previous sailing trip, this one was blessed with superb weather. Perhaps I was being rewarded for my luggage and big toe problems. In addition to the sun, the water was crystal clear and just the right temperature to cool off a hot body after a day on the deck of a boat. Top off the week with great food, drinks, and fancy mega yachts. Although I wore the same clothes for a full week, it didn't seem to matter too much.
I was getting used to pretending to be one if the rich and privledged. Was this the life of a professional slacker? I hoped so, but the truth is that we work our asses off to enjoy these few grand moments.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
This is the last one...Really
I always get a little anxious when I'm about to embark on a new trip. Especially if I'm going to a new place where I haven't been before. There is a balance of cautious and carefree feelings which need to be managed when you arrive. Although, you don't want to be paranoid about pickpockets and thieves the entire time, you still shouldn't be totally careless with your belongings. I have been preaching all of these safety rules to my cousin June. She's probably sick of hearing, but I kind of feel like a protective older brother in this situation.
Before I leave, I must promise myself that this is THE last trip and I need to get serious about finding new employment. Since the travels have began, I've learned so many new things which I would consider life skills. The past few trips, although they had a purpose, are just "fun" excursions. I'm trying to get as much culture out of each country, but let's face it.... You are sailing in Italy.... How much culture are you going to get swimming in the Mediterranean and eating pizza? As some of my friends and family keep reminding me, there are some big questions which need to be addressed when all this is over. I believe I know the answers now, so let's see what happens.
Before I leave, I must promise myself that this is THE last trip and I need to get serious about finding new employment. Since the travels have began, I've learned so many new things which I would consider life skills. The past few trips, although they had a purpose, are just "fun" excursions. I'm trying to get as much culture out of each country, but let's face it.... You are sailing in Italy.... How much culture are you going to get swimming in the Mediterranean and eating pizza? As some of my friends and family keep reminding me, there are some big questions which need to be addressed when all this is over. I believe I know the answers now, so let's see what happens.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Shifty eyes
I've stumbled into another world.
I left my normal coffee shop haunt and drove a couple miles north to the M street Starbucks just to the north of my neighborhood. I'm here to meet someone to discuss jobs at Raytheon. She's running late. Now you would think that in two miles, the clientele would not be that much different than those of the Lakewood Starbucks. However, I'm sitting here with a case of shifty eye checking out all the people in this place. While the Lakewood shop has a mix of wealthy country club goers, bearded musicians, and young hipsters, the M street shop is exclusively middle aged upper middle class folks. I'm overwhelmed by how loud people talk as if they want you to hear their conversation about all the unique and interesting things they have done. I wish they would just shut it.
The other thing I noticed are all of the creepy shifty eyed men checking out the ladies in the coffee shop. I never really noticed it before since I don't spend too much time hanging out for long. They are hiding behind their New Yorkers and NYTs but passing a glance whenever a new face walks in. I think I'm turing into one of those guys myself.
I left my normal coffee shop haunt and drove a couple miles north to the M street Starbucks just to the north of my neighborhood. I'm here to meet someone to discuss jobs at Raytheon. She's running late. Now you would think that in two miles, the clientele would not be that much different than those of the Lakewood Starbucks. However, I'm sitting here with a case of shifty eye checking out all the people in this place. While the Lakewood shop has a mix of wealthy country club goers, bearded musicians, and young hipsters, the M street shop is exclusively middle aged upper middle class folks. I'm overwhelmed by how loud people talk as if they want you to hear their conversation about all the unique and interesting things they have done. I wish they would just shut it.
The other thing I noticed are all of the creepy shifty eyed men checking out the ladies in the coffee shop. I never really noticed it before since I don't spend too much time hanging out for long. They are hiding behind their New Yorkers and NYTs but passing a glance whenever a new face walks in. I think I'm turing into one of those guys myself.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Productivity
It has been more than a month since my last blog entry. Being back in Dallas is starting to take its toll on my well being. I look back to the days when I was working and wonder how the heck did I get so much done in a day. The number of meeting, emails, call, experiments, reports, etc. It was amazing that I was able to get as much completed as I did during those days. Now, I'm lucky to get in a run, grab a coffee, and mow the lawn before 4 PM.
Speaking of coffee, I've been planting myself at the coffee shop just to get out of the house. The house is death if you are unemployed and are not actively looking for a job. Now I know how bored retirees are when they are at home all the time. Anyway, I've noticed certain types of characters who are always at the shop. I'm not talking about the people who come and go, but those whose lives seem to revolve around the local coffee shop. You have your pseudo intellectual reading the New Yorker (but you know its a prop to pick up girls, albeit smart ones). The rocker who played a gig last night and working off the hangover with a triple shot. The creepy old guy who checks out every girl who walks in the place. The writer, to has his mac and earbuds likely writing about the shitty show the rocker dude put on last night. On a side note, I saw an ex of mine roll up to the shop in a $50K sports car and fat wedding ring. Have I really been away for that long? Just a reminder of how my life has been on pause while everything else keeps on moving.
The sailing trip in Italy has exploded into another huge excursion. I've invited my cousin who just graduated from design school to join me. The plan now is to travel through the north west part of the country then to Switzerland. Hopefully Emma and Hamish will be in Saas Fee and I can get a day or two of summer skiing under my belt. From Switzerland, we fly to Spain. hopefully we will be indulging in some great food and wine along the way. The cost of this trip will be much higher than the previous ones. The money is starting to run out, so the job hunt will definitely pick up a notch when I return in July.
Speaking of coffee, I've been planting myself at the coffee shop just to get out of the house. The house is death if you are unemployed and are not actively looking for a job. Now I know how bored retirees are when they are at home all the time. Anyway, I've noticed certain types of characters who are always at the shop. I'm not talking about the people who come and go, but those whose lives seem to revolve around the local coffee shop. You have your pseudo intellectual reading the New Yorker (but you know its a prop to pick up girls, albeit smart ones). The rocker who played a gig last night and working off the hangover with a triple shot. The creepy old guy who checks out every girl who walks in the place. The writer, to has his mac and earbuds likely writing about the shitty show the rocker dude put on last night. On a side note, I saw an ex of mine roll up to the shop in a $50K sports car and fat wedding ring. Have I really been away for that long? Just a reminder of how my life has been on pause while everything else keeps on moving.
The sailing trip in Italy has exploded into another huge excursion. I've invited my cousin who just graduated from design school to join me. The plan now is to travel through the north west part of the country then to Switzerland. Hopefully Emma and Hamish will be in Saas Fee and I can get a day or two of summer skiing under my belt. From Switzerland, we fly to Spain. hopefully we will be indulging in some great food and wine along the way. The cost of this trip will be much higher than the previous ones. The money is starting to run out, so the job hunt will definitely pick up a notch when I return in July.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
The Horror
I have come to realize that one big reason why I loved travelling other than experiencing new cultures, meeting new people, and catching up with long lost relatives, is that it was an escape from the realities of life in Dallas. It seems that I'm spending more money being at home than I was when I was on the road. As a reality check, I came home to a leaky roof and unkept yard. Further investigation of my surroundings yielded a long list of items in the house I need to address. That takes a back seat to other more pressing items.
Before I left, Thad and I bought a house in the historic district in Dallas. The house has been on the market since September of last year. The time on the market has started to drain all of my "In case shit happens" back up cash. At this point I see no end to the bleeding of my checking account until the house is sold. The issue now is that the house IS complete, but it is not exactly restored to the period when the house was built. I'm faced with the delima of pouring in extra cash into the place to make the interior match the exterior. Pooh!
Before I left, Thad and I bought a house in the historic district in Dallas. The house has been on the market since September of last year. The time on the market has started to drain all of my "In case shit happens" back up cash. At this point I see no end to the bleeding of my checking account until the house is sold. The issue now is that the house IS complete, but it is not exactly restored to the period when the house was built. I'm faced with the delima of pouring in extra cash into the place to make the interior match the exterior. Pooh!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Press The Eject and Give Me The Tape
What a mess. I have returned home to Dallas and my room now looks as if my bags exploded. There are clothes, winter gear, bags, chocolates, and unopened mail all over the place. On top of that, the refrigerator broke and the yard needs a good manicure. It seems that I have been thrusted back into the domesticated life whether I like it or not. I'm feeling a bit a relief coming home and knowing that my travels have ended for the most part. It is a much different feeling than the previous time where I couldn't wait to get out of the US again.
I have been absolutely rocked by the north Texas allergies since returning. I do not with this affliction on anyone. The evenings have been especially bad since I can't breath through my nose. Being home also means boiling hot temperatures and bugs that bite and sting. maybe I should have stayed in Switzerland after all.
The end of my travels signifies a close of a chapter in my life. It's as if I'm on a long road trip and I'm tired of listening to the same mix tape. Now I'm digging in the glove box looking for another mix tape to play. However, nothing is labelled so I'm not sure how the next tape is going to sound. Will it rock, will it have too much electronica, will it remind me of an old girlfriend (the break up tape)? It is a mystery to me, but what I do know is that it WILL be different. I'm sure in the future, I'll have to press the eject and change the tape again. But until that happens, I'll welcome the new tunes coming from the old car stereo.
Below is the conclusion to my list of songs from Patagonia to Switzerland. Consider the box set to be complete.
Fleet Foxes- He Doesn't Understand Why. This is one of the only new albums I had on my ipod before it was stolen in Queenstown. I listend to this album constantly while I was on the Overlander and the Transalpine.
Ambulance LTD- Heavy Lifting and Ophelia. Wow. It turns out I have listend to these two songs nearly a billion times according to my itunes counter. The album was good, but I didn't think I was listening to it THAT much. I think these songs were on a play list I was listening to a lot while in Patagonia.
Elliot Smith -Thirteen I think this is a Big Star cover. The song was featured in the movie 'Thumbsucker' Not much to say here other than the song reminds me of me friend Heather in Chile.
Nouvelle Vague- Ever Fallen In Love. Another cover song. This time I wasn't sure whether to put the Buzzcocks version here or the bossinova cover version. I kind of like the softer bossinova version so it makes it on the list.
Oasis- She's Electric. This reminds me of a German gal I met on the Routburn track. A funky girl with red dreads.
Travis- Writing to Reach You. I'm not sure why this song is here, but I was listening to it a lot. maybe because I was seeing a few people for a second time during this part of my trip.
Franz Ferdinand- Matinee. Yes I know they have a new album, but my ipod is ancient.
I have been absolutely rocked by the north Texas allergies since returning. I do not with this affliction on anyone. The evenings have been especially bad since I can't breath through my nose. Being home also means boiling hot temperatures and bugs that bite and sting. maybe I should have stayed in Switzerland after all.
The end of my travels signifies a close of a chapter in my life. It's as if I'm on a long road trip and I'm tired of listening to the same mix tape. Now I'm digging in the glove box looking for another mix tape to play. However, nothing is labelled so I'm not sure how the next tape is going to sound. Will it rock, will it have too much electronica, will it remind me of an old girlfriend (the break up tape)? It is a mystery to me, but what I do know is that it WILL be different. I'm sure in the future, I'll have to press the eject and change the tape again. But until that happens, I'll welcome the new tunes coming from the old car stereo.
Below is the conclusion to my list of songs from Patagonia to Switzerland. Consider the box set to be complete.
Fleet Foxes- He Doesn't Understand Why. This is one of the only new albums I had on my ipod before it was stolen in Queenstown. I listend to this album constantly while I was on the Overlander and the Transalpine.
Ambulance LTD- Heavy Lifting and Ophelia. Wow. It turns out I have listend to these two songs nearly a billion times according to my itunes counter. The album was good, but I didn't think I was listening to it THAT much. I think these songs were on a play list I was listening to a lot while in Patagonia.
Elliot Smith -Thirteen I think this is a Big Star cover. The song was featured in the movie 'Thumbsucker' Not much to say here other than the song reminds me of me friend Heather in Chile.
Nouvelle Vague- Ever Fallen In Love. Another cover song. This time I wasn't sure whether to put the Buzzcocks version here or the bossinova cover version. I kind of like the softer bossinova version so it makes it on the list.
Oasis- She's Electric. This reminds me of a German gal I met on the Routburn track. A funky girl with red dreads.
Travis- Writing to Reach You. I'm not sure why this song is here, but I was listening to it a lot. maybe because I was seeing a few people for a second time during this part of my trip.
Franz Ferdinand- Matinee. Yes I know they have a new album, but my ipod is ancient.
Verve- Lucky Man. This song burst into my head while I was walking on the beach in Australia. I was already thinking ahead to Switzerland and thought, shit! I'll be snowboarding in less than one week!
MGMT- Kids. I should thank Emma for putting this song in my head. It is one catchy ass song. Makes me want to throw big air cab 5s.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Second Time Around
Well. I arrived in Zermatt yesterday afternoon. The place was just a bit less crowded than I remember due to it being the last week of the season. Being back in Zermatt is kind of surreal. A few things have changed, such as the addition of new hotel which was under construction when I was here last year. Some things haven't changed, like the high prices for food. I happened to run into Bemsy as I got on the bus to the hostel. She was the first of many familiar faces I would see this trip. I'm only here for two nights, before heading to Zurich so I'm gonna make the most of my time here and reminice about all the fun I had here with the PL kids.
I spent nearly a whole season and never saw a storm like the one we had today. We are supposed to get about a meter of snow over the next two days. The upper mountain is shut, but the lower mountain is still skiable. The snow flakes that are falling look like giant postage stamps. They are what my friend Alex calls 'Base Builders.' The snow is making the place look like a real Swiss ski resort in the middle of winter. Those who are lucky enough to stay until Saturday (change over day) will be blessed with waist deep powder. If it does clear before I leave, I should get some great shots of the Matterhorn (you can never have too many pictures of the Matterhorn).
I spent nearly a whole season and never saw a storm like the one we had today. We are supposed to get about a meter of snow over the next two days. The upper mountain is shut, but the lower mountain is still skiable. The snow flakes that are falling look like giant postage stamps. They are what my friend Alex calls 'Base Builders.' The snow is making the place look like a real Swiss ski resort in the middle of winter. Those who are lucky enough to stay until Saturday (change over day) will be blessed with waist deep powder. If it does clear before I leave, I should get some great shots of the Matterhorn (you can never have too many pictures of the Matterhorn).
Sunday, April 12, 2009
The Red Rocket Returns
I still can't believe that I was surfing off the beaches Australia a week ago and now I'm snowboarding in the Swiss apls. This morning I was putting on my snowboarding socks and saw that I still had my flip flop tan line. Now I'm going to work on my goggle tan this week. I truly feel blessed having the opportunity to travel around the world and enjoying things I would never have done staying at home in Texas. I'm glad the end of this chapter in my life is finishing in Switzerland. Seeing the mountains one more time makes me feel complete.
I was hoping for more people from the Peak Leaders group to come back for the reunion. Unfortunately, the kids are busy with exams or lack the funds to come out. My first stop is in Saas Fee which is in the valley next to Zermatt. I'm staying with little Emma and Hamish in their parents flat. Since Hamish broke his collar bone a week ago, I'm using his season pass this week. Last year, we spent over 70 days on the mountain. This year, I have spent two and a half days. My legs are not in the same shape as they were a year ago. Every time I strap on the board, it feels like I'm riding for the first time.
Saas Fee is much smaller than Zermatt. However, the freestyle park is awesome. The kickers are well shaped, the halfpipe had the perfect pitch with well maintained vert. Emma is teaching lessons in the morning, so I'm doing a lot of exploring myself. I need to be careful since this place seems to be more avalanch prone compared to Zermatt and I still don't own a beeper. Come to think about it, a beeper is only good if you are riding with a partner. Since Hamish is out of commision, I'm less likely to take risks off piste by myself. In any case, I'm chillin' on the mountain and should be well relaxed by the time I get home to Dallas. The time change hasn't affected me too much, but I did sleep about 11 hours the first night here.
I was hoping for more people from the Peak Leaders group to come back for the reunion. Unfortunately, the kids are busy with exams or lack the funds to come out. My first stop is in Saas Fee which is in the valley next to Zermatt. I'm staying with little Emma and Hamish in their parents flat. Since Hamish broke his collar bone a week ago, I'm using his season pass this week. Last year, we spent over 70 days on the mountain. This year, I have spent two and a half days. My legs are not in the same shape as they were a year ago. Every time I strap on the board, it feels like I'm riding for the first time.
Saas Fee is much smaller than Zermatt. However, the freestyle park is awesome. The kickers are well shaped, the halfpipe had the perfect pitch with well maintained vert. Emma is teaching lessons in the morning, so I'm doing a lot of exploring myself. I need to be careful since this place seems to be more avalanch prone compared to Zermatt and I still don't own a beeper. Come to think about it, a beeper is only good if you are riding with a partner. Since Hamish is out of commision, I'm less likely to take risks off piste by myself. In any case, I'm chillin' on the mountain and should be well relaxed by the time I get home to Dallas. The time change hasn't affected me too much, but I did sleep about 11 hours the first night here.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Brisie
I walked past two nearly identical piles of vomit this morning on the way to the South side river area. The contents were about the same. Same color. The only difference between the two piles was that the second one was actually stepped in by someone. It reminded me of the all the dog shit on the side walk in Buenos Aires. The vomit was located next to two adjacent park benches just outside of the Tinbilly Hostel. It is the hostel with thumping base emanating from the bar 24 hours a day. I'm so glad I didn't book there.
So my day started off with me trying to see the Nick Cave Exhibit at the performance hall. I really wanted to see it since I was late to the place the day before. I reached for the doors and everything was locked. Then I looked at the hours printed on the side of the door. 'Exhibit open from 10AM-4PM Tuesday-Saturday.' However, to me it read 'You are fucked!' So I wandered over to the GoMA which is the modern art museum. The GoMA had a free Chinese contemporary art exhibit, so I hung around for the rest of the morning before heading to Chinatown for some grub.
Brisbane isn't bad. It does have a nice area downtown by the river with museums and performance halls. like with most cities, it would have been good to see it with a local. That way you can really find things you would have missed in passing. Banana Benders Hostel was one of the better places I landed during my time in Australia and New Zealand. It reminded me a little bit of Pudu where most everyone in the hostel knew each other after a couple days. I made a few new friends in the hostel and was even taught how to do the Tim Tam Slammer (which is a method of eating a Tim Tam cookie by using it as a straw for hot tea). It was a good place to wind down the travel to this part of the world. looking forward to going home now.
So my day started off with me trying to see the Nick Cave Exhibit at the performance hall. I really wanted to see it since I was late to the place the day before. I reached for the doors and everything was locked. Then I looked at the hours printed on the side of the door. 'Exhibit open from 10AM-4PM Tuesday-Saturday.' However, to me it read 'You are fucked!' So I wandered over to the GoMA which is the modern art museum. The GoMA had a free Chinese contemporary art exhibit, so I hung around for the rest of the morning before heading to Chinatown for some grub.
Brisbane isn't bad. It does have a nice area downtown by the river with museums and performance halls. like with most cities, it would have been good to see it with a local. That way you can really find things you would have missed in passing. Banana Benders Hostel was one of the better places I landed during my time in Australia and New Zealand. It reminded me a little bit of Pudu where most everyone in the hostel knew each other after a couple days. I made a few new friends in the hostel and was even taught how to do the Tim Tam Slammer (which is a method of eating a Tim Tam cookie by using it as a straw for hot tea). It was a good place to wind down the travel to this part of the world. looking forward to going home now.
Friday, April 3, 2009
They Travel in Pairs
Noosa is a small town and most folks arrive and stay for only a day or two. Due to the length of my stay, I felt that I had to stay for a while instead of wasting days on a bus or train. I started to notice that people were arriving to my hostel in pairs. Everyday pairs of travellers from different countries arrived my dorm room, Germans, Swiss, Danish, Israelis, English, and Norwegens. It was as if the rain was a signal for Noah to collect pairs from each country to deposit into the ark also known as the Koala Backpackers Hostel. The only single traveller in my dorm was a Welsh guy who had been travelling since the last world cup (yep, thats three years ago). All this got me thinking that I'm about ready to stop my travels.
My plan was to file the claim for the stolen backpack this weekend. In so doing, I mentally reviewed the list of items in my bag which were stolen. The list was fairly short, but each item had wither high practical or emotional value.
1. Passport- high practical and sentimental value. Do I really need to explain? I can't go home without it. It also was chocked full of stamps and visas from all of the countries I've seen over the last 8 years.
2. Camera- High practical value, low sentimental value. Although the memory cards had all of my picutres.
3. Books (Autralia Lonely Planet and Buddism Explained)- High practical value, low sentimental value. One can argue that you don't need a travel guide for Australia. However, I ended up buying another one when I returned to Auckland.
4. Journal- High sentimental value. I'm really pissed off about this one. As Heather and others can attest, I was writting a lot over the past two months. Only a tiny fraction of my journal entry made it to the blog. There was about a half year of memories documented in that book. My hope was for Teo to be old enough to read it one day and to become inspired to travel the world. However, after some thought, he has already been to Berlin within the first six weeks of his life, so I'm thinking that travelling will not be a problem for him.
5. Sunnies- High practical and sentimental value. I loved those Smith sunnies! I'm wearing those sunglasses in nearly all of the pictures in the blog. I ended up replacing them with a pair of Electrics, but they are just not the same as the sliders.
6. The pack- I also loved that DaKine pack. I replaced it with another brand and I just don't like the fit.
My plan was to file the claim for the stolen backpack this weekend. In so doing, I mentally reviewed the list of items in my bag which were stolen. The list was fairly short, but each item had wither high practical or emotional value.
1. Passport- high practical and sentimental value. Do I really need to explain? I can't go home without it. It also was chocked full of stamps and visas from all of the countries I've seen over the last 8 years.
2. Camera- High practical value, low sentimental value. Although the memory cards had all of my picutres.
3. Books (Autralia Lonely Planet and Buddism Explained)- High practical value, low sentimental value. One can argue that you don't need a travel guide for Australia. However, I ended up buying another one when I returned to Auckland.
4. Journal- High sentimental value. I'm really pissed off about this one. As Heather and others can attest, I was writting a lot over the past two months. Only a tiny fraction of my journal entry made it to the blog. There was about a half year of memories documented in that book. My hope was for Teo to be old enough to read it one day and to become inspired to travel the world. However, after some thought, he has already been to Berlin within the first six weeks of his life, so I'm thinking that travelling will not be a problem for him.
5. Sunnies- High practical and sentimental value. I loved those Smith sunnies! I'm wearing those sunglasses in nearly all of the pictures in the blog. I ended up replacing them with a pair of Electrics, but they are just not the same as the sliders.
6. The pack- I also loved that DaKine pack. I replaced it with another brand and I just don't like the fit.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Wave of Mutilation
The last time I tried chasing the weather was about 5 years ago when we were searching for big powder dumps in the pacific NW. I ended up flying to Reno to catch a depression which dumped a ton of snow in the Sierras. It was the best powder I had ridden in Tahoe. Instead of following storms, this time, I was following sun. The weather forecast called for rain and storms for the rest of the week. However, I was afraid to venture too far north since getting back to Brisbane would be a hell of a long ride from Airlie Beach. I ended up settling for Noosa which is two hours north of Brisbane.
Despite the rain, I ended up doing a surf lesson in the morning. The lesson itself was well run. For some reason there were only women in my class (not that I'm complaining). Our instructor was a French guy who looked exactly like Clive Owen except for an annoying accent and zinc oxide all over his face. Having a REAL lesson was much better than taking instructions from a friend. The last time I tried surfing was in LA and the only thing my friend Steve told me was to paddle hard then stand up. The lesson that time was like the skiing scene in Better Off Dead when Booger tells John Cusack's character to go straight, then when something gets in your way....turn. Maybe it was due to the snowboarding or the BASI training, but I was able to get up on my board every time. I even paddled into my own wave. Although the the lesson was fun, I was absolutely getting worked by the waves. The incoming storm had really made the surf big (not that nice for beginners) and the rip current kept taking the students towards the jetty. I wish I had been able to take a multi day surf course, but the weather was not expected to ease until later in the week.
The next day, all of the schools were cancelled due to the surf. There were still people in the water, but the waves were too big for beginners. It would have been miserable if I would have decided to rent a board and practice on my own. I did see something unusual that morning. She was a tan and super hot Asian surfer girl. For those who don't know, most Asians HATE the sun and do as much as possible to stay pale. The beaches in Thailand often have lawn chairs under a canopy to keep Japanese tourists out of the sun. And if you pick up any Japanese beauty magazine, every other page is an add for skin whitener. That is why I was so surprised to see this gal so tan. It is obvious that she was not a FOB Asian based on her style. My guess is that she is actually from Hawaii and is just here for the endless summer surfing all the time and living out of a camper van. There is no other explanation. This is what I believe and I'm sticking to it.
The rain has killed the Frazier Island cruise, so I'm going to play things by ear until it's time to head to Brisbane.
Despite the rain, I ended up doing a surf lesson in the morning. The lesson itself was well run. For some reason there were only women in my class (not that I'm complaining). Our instructor was a French guy who looked exactly like Clive Owen except for an annoying accent and zinc oxide all over his face. Having a REAL lesson was much better than taking instructions from a friend. The last time I tried surfing was in LA and the only thing my friend Steve told me was to paddle hard then stand up. The lesson that time was like the skiing scene in Better Off Dead when Booger tells John Cusack's character to go straight, then when something gets in your way....turn. Maybe it was due to the snowboarding or the BASI training, but I was able to get up on my board every time. I even paddled into my own wave. Although the the lesson was fun, I was absolutely getting worked by the waves. The incoming storm had really made the surf big (not that nice for beginners) and the rip current kept taking the students towards the jetty. I wish I had been able to take a multi day surf course, but the weather was not expected to ease until later in the week.
The next day, all of the schools were cancelled due to the surf. There were still people in the water, but the waves were too big for beginners. It would have been miserable if I would have decided to rent a board and practice on my own. I did see something unusual that morning. She was a tan and super hot Asian surfer girl. For those who don't know, most Asians HATE the sun and do as much as possible to stay pale. The beaches in Thailand often have lawn chairs under a canopy to keep Japanese tourists out of the sun. And if you pick up any Japanese beauty magazine, every other page is an add for skin whitener. That is why I was so surprised to see this gal so tan. It is obvious that she was not a FOB Asian based on her style. My guess is that she is actually from Hawaii and is just here for the endless summer surfing all the time and living out of a camper van. There is no other explanation. This is what I believe and I'm sticking to it.
The rain has killed the Frazier Island cruise, so I'm going to play things by ear until it's time to head to Brisbane.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Look at that Rippah...Crikey!
Instead of flying up to Cairns, I ended up heading to Noosa from Brisbane. The weather forecast didn't look too good, so I figured heading a little north would buy me some time. Australia is definitely more expensive than NZ for travelling. Both hostels and food prices are jacked up. It may be a function of being on the east coast in summer. I guess it is not bad since I'm here for less than a week.
Spending a few days in Sydney only left me about 5 days for the rest of my travels. Originally, I wanted to do a cruise and some scuba diving further north, but I'm only able to do a few activities and limit my travel destinations. Noosa will be the furthest north I would go. All of the other destinations would mean lost time on the bus.
Never in a million years did I ever expect to see the Crocodile Hunter's Zoo. I remember watching the older shows with my buddies and laughing my ass off. Steve Irwin's antics looked like excerpts from a animals bloopers show. Since the zoo provides free transfer from Noosa, I decided to spend a day there to check it out. The place was awesome. It was one of the best zoos I've been to. You are able to get up close and touch the koalas and kangaroos. The staff were really accommodating and would take time out to take your picture and talk about the animals one on one. The highlight was the croc feeding which is not like what you have seen on the TV shows, but a more mild form. The zoo is constantly expanding. The original zoo was just a reptile reserve, but now it has everything. They plan on expanding over the next few years to add an Africa and Americas exhibit. It is a must see if you are going to Queensland.
Spending a few days in Sydney only left me about 5 days for the rest of my travels. Originally, I wanted to do a cruise and some scuba diving further north, but I'm only able to do a few activities and limit my travel destinations. Noosa will be the furthest north I would go. All of the other destinations would mean lost time on the bus.
Never in a million years did I ever expect to see the Crocodile Hunter's Zoo. I remember watching the older shows with my buddies and laughing my ass off. Steve Irwin's antics looked like excerpts from a animals bloopers show. Since the zoo provides free transfer from Noosa, I decided to spend a day there to check it out. The place was awesome. It was one of the best zoos I've been to. You are able to get up close and touch the koalas and kangaroos. The staff were really accommodating and would take time out to take your picture and talk about the animals one on one. The highlight was the croc feeding which is not like what you have seen on the TV shows, but a more mild form. The zoo is constantly expanding. The original zoo was just a reptile reserve, but now it has everything. They plan on expanding over the next few years to add an Africa and Americas exhibit. It is a must see if you are going to Queensland.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Finally Arrived in Oz
Well...It took me a week, but I'm finally here in Sydney. I did my normal walking tour through the major part of the city hitting a few of the tourist spots.My niece's place is in north Sydney, so one must cross the harbor bridge to get to down town. The views from the bridge are good and you can see the opera house and the main harbor from there. Along the way, I could spot people walking on the bridge as part of an organized tour. Everyone was wearing the same outfits and tethered to a safety cable. The folks on the tour are up really high on the bridge and totally exposed to the outside. This is one tour that I would not attempt if I was scared of heights (it's a long way down!). The walk only took about 30 minutes, then I was in the downtown area.
The big cities are all beginning to look the same to me now. The major shopping areas are crammed with the same stores and restaurants. I browsed for some new sunglasses and souvenirs on George and Pitt street working my way over to Darling Harbor by early afternoon. Sydney has a decent aquarium, so I stopped in for the remainder of the afternoon fighting crowds of Japanese tourists to check out the shark tank and dugongs (sea cows). I think I'll be seeing some more of the beaches and ocean tomorrow. Big cities are just not my thing anymore so I'm not planning on doing too much here before moving on to Brisbane.
The big cities are all beginning to look the same to me now. The major shopping areas are crammed with the same stores and restaurants. I browsed for some new sunglasses and souvenirs on George and Pitt street working my way over to Darling Harbor by early afternoon. Sydney has a decent aquarium, so I stopped in for the remainder of the afternoon fighting crowds of Japanese tourists to check out the shark tank and dugongs (sea cows). I think I'll be seeing some more of the beaches and ocean tomorrow. Big cities are just not my thing anymore so I'm not planning on doing too much here before moving on to Brisbane.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Ping Pong Wizards
I've had some time to fart around in Auckland while sorting out my travel plans. The extra time has been spent hanging with family. I ended up playing table tennis with the old timers one afternoon. These guys were serious ping pong players! My cousin and uncle are THE BEST table tennis players have have ever seen! My uncle watched me play Raymond (my cousin) for about three minutes and immediately knew what my weaknesses were. He basically toyed with me for a couple volleys before slamming a cross table shot to my backhand which was unreturnable. To counter this, I cheated over to the right hand side of the table (I'm a lefty). My uncle then targeted the left side of the table where I was not able to reach with my forehand. I have never been so sore playing ping pong before in my life not to mention being embarrased by a bunch of 60 year old dudes.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Sorted
The burglary at the hostel this weekend has cost me about a week in travel time (not to mention a few hundred dollars). The US embassy is closed on Wednesday, so the soonest I will be able to do anything will be Thursday. That means the earliest I'll be able to arrive in Oz will be this Friday or Saturday. Quantas has been great helping me change my flight schedule. So everything seems to be in order for me to start travelling again shortly. The latest word from the police is that about 13 different backpacker hostels in Queenstown were hit on the same night. According the the owners at Black Sheep, this was the first time anything like this has happened in years. I guess I let my guard down too early.
Looking over my schedule now, I will have to skip Cairns and fly directly to Brisbane after Sydney. We'll see if I can cover all the activities I had originally planned to do. Brisbane seems to be a good base of operations, but travel time to the Whitsundays and Byron Bay is a bit long. I find myself already thinking of Switzerland. I booked my tickets last night and I'm ready to go.
I "doctored down" again yesterday. Since I have saved about 1/3 of my pictures from my trip, I felt the need to capture as many photos of Queenstown as possible before moving on. I ended up buying another day pack and digital camera (the third one in two years) before summiting Dan Lomond peak for the second time in three days. Fortunately the weather was still awesome and I had great views from the peak. This time I cheated and took the gondola back down to the city instead of bombing the switchbacks. The other people who I have met during my travels will send me their pictures from Milford Sound and the Routeburn Track. Only the pictures from the glacier walk will be missing.
Looking over my schedule now, I will have to skip Cairns and fly directly to Brisbane after Sydney. We'll see if I can cover all the activities I had originally planned to do. Brisbane seems to be a good base of operations, but travel time to the Whitsundays and Byron Bay is a bit long. I find myself already thinking of Switzerland. I booked my tickets last night and I'm ready to go.
I "doctored down" again yesterday. Since I have saved about 1/3 of my pictures from my trip, I felt the need to capture as many photos of Queenstown as possible before moving on. I ended up buying another day pack and digital camera (the third one in two years) before summiting Dan Lomond peak for the second time in three days. Fortunately the weather was still awesome and I had great views from the peak. This time I cheated and took the gondola back down to the city instead of bombing the switchbacks. The other people who I have met during my travels will send me their pictures from Milford Sound and the Routeburn Track. Only the pictures from the glacier walk will be missing.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
The Oh Shit Bag...Gone
Of all the places my "Oh Shit" bag could have been stolen, I can't believe it would be New Zealand. Apparently, there was a rash of thefts last night in Queenstown. About eleven people reported items stolen from their rooms in various backpacker hostels. In my hostel myself and another girl had their belongings stolen. The only consolation is that the police have a good description of the person who committed the crime. So now I'm sorting out what needs to be done as far as my passport is concerned. I hope I don't need to travel back to Wellington.
By the way. The "oh shit" bag is where I keep my passport, emergency cash, itineraries, and credit/ATM cards. So when you loose it, you say "Oh Shit!"
By the way. The "oh shit" bag is where I keep my passport, emergency cash, itineraries, and credit/ATM cards. So when you loose it, you say "Oh Shit!"
Friday, March 20, 2009
Queenstown is...
The nicest mountain resort town I've been to outside of the United States!
Every country has a town like this, but this place is so clean and comfortable that you feel so at ease when you arrive. I would equate it to Bariloche in Argentina or possibly Pucon in Chile. The town is a year round destination with great hiking, water sports, bungee jumping, paragliding, etc. in the summer and skiing in the winter. The only problem is that the activities are quite expensive. Paragliding will set you back about $100 US. Bungee jumping costs about $85 US for a single jump (hmmm. 85 bucks for 4 seconds of free fall). After hiking the Routeburn, it was a nice place to rest and relax before heading off to Australia.
I had tacked on a sea kayaking excursion in Milford Sound right after the hike. There were nine of us including team France, a Canadian couple, and a couple of English girls. The weather was a mix of rain and sun, but mostly rain. Milford Sound (or the MILF as the guides called it) was carved from glaciers thousands of years ago. The surrounding rock faces were steep and covered with trees and bushes. It has been raining for the past two days, so there were multiple cascades along the sides of the rock as far as the eyes could see. I liked the rain and clouds because it gave the sound a nice backdrop for pictures. We paddled in tandem boats out into the water. Although we were given neoprene and fleece outfits, I was still cold. The water was a bit choppy as we headed out, so I was soaked immediately. To keep myself warm, I paddled constantly to keep my temperature up. Along the way, we spotted a few seals playing around in the water. The group was strong, so we covered a lot of water that afternoon. My arms nearly fell off when I finished. I was tired due to all the paddling I was doing. Since I was the only one who needed a ride back to Queenstown, I got a little tour from the guides on the way back. In hindsight, I should have done the overnight sea kayaking trip in Doubtful Sound, but I will save it for another time (maybe in BC this summer).
I'm off to Oz tomorrow. It's going to be warm, so I'm sending all my cold weather clothes back to the US this afternoon. Nothing but t-shirts and swimmers for the rest of this trip!
Every country has a town like this, but this place is so clean and comfortable that you feel so at ease when you arrive. I would equate it to Bariloche in Argentina or possibly Pucon in Chile. The town is a year round destination with great hiking, water sports, bungee jumping, paragliding, etc. in the summer and skiing in the winter. The only problem is that the activities are quite expensive. Paragliding will set you back about $100 US. Bungee jumping costs about $85 US for a single jump (hmmm. 85 bucks for 4 seconds of free fall). After hiking the Routeburn, it was a nice place to rest and relax before heading off to Australia.
I had tacked on a sea kayaking excursion in Milford Sound right after the hike. There were nine of us including team France, a Canadian couple, and a couple of English girls. The weather was a mix of rain and sun, but mostly rain. Milford Sound (or the MILF as the guides called it) was carved from glaciers thousands of years ago. The surrounding rock faces were steep and covered with trees and bushes. It has been raining for the past two days, so there were multiple cascades along the sides of the rock as far as the eyes could see. I liked the rain and clouds because it gave the sound a nice backdrop for pictures. We paddled in tandem boats out into the water. Although we were given neoprene and fleece outfits, I was still cold. The water was a bit choppy as we headed out, so I was soaked immediately. To keep myself warm, I paddled constantly to keep my temperature up. Along the way, we spotted a few seals playing around in the water. The group was strong, so we covered a lot of water that afternoon. My arms nearly fell off when I finished. I was tired due to all the paddling I was doing. Since I was the only one who needed a ride back to Queenstown, I got a little tour from the guides on the way back. In hindsight, I should have done the overnight sea kayaking trip in Doubtful Sound, but I will save it for another time (maybe in BC this summer).
I'm off to Oz tomorrow. It's going to be warm, so I'm sending all my cold weather clothes back to the US this afternoon. Nothing but t-shirts and swimmers for the rest of this trip!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Routeburn Track
As with everything else here in New Zealand, the hiking trails for the great walks are so well maintained that it doesn't even feel that you are out in the wild. The trails are groomed with fresh gravel where possible. Bridges are rock solid. The toilets are built in such a way that if the waste tank is full, it can be replaced with an empty one and the the full tank air lifted out by helicopter. The huts along the great walks have multiple stoves with gas, so no need to pack in extra stuff. You can definitely see where the money for the hut fees go.
I took the late bus out to the start of the trail and was accompanied by an American couple from Brooklyn and an Aussie. The weather forecast was for sun the first two days, then turning into rain for the next two. Steve (the Aussie) and I took of for the first hut at a relatively good pace. We decided to try climbing Conical Hill if time permitted. Since Patagonia, I've noticed that my pack carrying endurance has improved dramatically (thanks to HP). We arrived at Routeburn Falls hut at 5PM which was much faster than the estimated time. The clouds started to move in so we loaded a day pack and headed out for the pass. We had about 3 hours of daylight remaining, so I started a mix of running and walking to the approach. For this trip I decided to wear running shoes and packed my boots just in case. The shoes really allowed me to spring up the ascent to the climb. Unfortunately, the pace was too much for Steve and I ended up waiting at the emergency hut for him. From the hut we could see that the clouds had covered the peak. No views this evening.
When we returned, there were a group of people who were already in bed by 8:00! Why? It turns out that these same people woke up at 6 AM. Not to start hiking, but to eat their three course breakfast. And they had no regard for the people still trying to sleep at that time in the morning (fuckers!). Anyways, Steve and I made another attempt at Conical Hill the next morning. This time, the views into the adjacent valley were spectacular. There were low lying clouds swimming past snow covered peaks giving the views a mystical feel. From there, the trail hugged the side of the mountains up and over a pass, then down into Mackenzie Lake hut. The descent down to the hut was through the beech tree woods. Everything was so green and lush that you could tell this place received lots of rain every year. All of the trees were covered with moss as if they all wore wooly green jumpers. The sun was beaming down into the valley when we all arrived. Steve and I met up with the American couple and two German sisters on the way down to the hut. We all hung out by the lake stretching out our tired legs. The Germans actually jumped in the lake which was friggin freezing! Everyone started to get to know each other as the trek progressed. It was great fun meeting new people along the way.
As predicted, I woke up to rain the third day. By NZ standards, when they predict clouds, you have drizzle. When they predict drizzle, it is what we call rain. When they predict rain, it is like walking through a friggin' shower. Unlike Patagonia, when the weather changes, it normally sticks around for a while. I was well equipped for the rain this time (more than at Fitz Roy at least). It was only two hours to the last hut. With the clouds and the rain killing the views, I just put my head down and walked. It is amazing how many water falls appear when it rains. At times, it looks like there is one every 20 meters. The last stop was Howden Lake hut where we dried our things and gorged on the remaining food. Some people packed so much food that there was literally a buffet line in the evening.
Overall, the walk was good. I wish that I had time to do another one in another part of the South Island (maybe next time). I would wake up the next morning at 6 AM and walk to the divide in the dark to catch the bus for my sea kayaking trip in Milford Sound.
Final conclusion for the shoes on the trail. Running shoes are kind of soft, but trail running shoes may be a good option. Need to look for some approach shoes when I get home.
I took the late bus out to the start of the trail and was accompanied by an American couple from Brooklyn and an Aussie. The weather forecast was for sun the first two days, then turning into rain for the next two. Steve (the Aussie) and I took of for the first hut at a relatively good pace. We decided to try climbing Conical Hill if time permitted. Since Patagonia, I've noticed that my pack carrying endurance has improved dramatically (thanks to HP). We arrived at Routeburn Falls hut at 5PM which was much faster than the estimated time. The clouds started to move in so we loaded a day pack and headed out for the pass. We had about 3 hours of daylight remaining, so I started a mix of running and walking to the approach. For this trip I decided to wear running shoes and packed my boots just in case. The shoes really allowed me to spring up the ascent to the climb. Unfortunately, the pace was too much for Steve and I ended up waiting at the emergency hut for him. From the hut we could see that the clouds had covered the peak. No views this evening.
When we returned, there were a group of people who were already in bed by 8:00! Why? It turns out that these same people woke up at 6 AM. Not to start hiking, but to eat their three course breakfast. And they had no regard for the people still trying to sleep at that time in the morning (fuckers!). Anyways, Steve and I made another attempt at Conical Hill the next morning. This time, the views into the adjacent valley were spectacular. There were low lying clouds swimming past snow covered peaks giving the views a mystical feel. From there, the trail hugged the side of the mountains up and over a pass, then down into Mackenzie Lake hut. The descent down to the hut was through the beech tree woods. Everything was so green and lush that you could tell this place received lots of rain every year. All of the trees were covered with moss as if they all wore wooly green jumpers. The sun was beaming down into the valley when we all arrived. Steve and I met up with the American couple and two German sisters on the way down to the hut. We all hung out by the lake stretching out our tired legs. The Germans actually jumped in the lake which was friggin freezing! Everyone started to get to know each other as the trek progressed. It was great fun meeting new people along the way.
As predicted, I woke up to rain the third day. By NZ standards, when they predict clouds, you have drizzle. When they predict drizzle, it is what we call rain. When they predict rain, it is like walking through a friggin' shower. Unlike Patagonia, when the weather changes, it normally sticks around for a while. I was well equipped for the rain this time (more than at Fitz Roy at least). It was only two hours to the last hut. With the clouds and the rain killing the views, I just put my head down and walked. It is amazing how many water falls appear when it rains. At times, it looks like there is one every 20 meters. The last stop was Howden Lake hut where we dried our things and gorged on the remaining food. Some people packed so much food that there was literally a buffet line in the evening.
Overall, the walk was good. I wish that I had time to do another one in another part of the South Island (maybe next time). I would wake up the next morning at 6 AM and walk to the divide in the dark to catch the bus for my sea kayaking trip in Milford Sound.
Final conclusion for the shoes on the trail. Running shoes are kind of soft, but trail running shoes may be a good option. Need to look for some approach shoes when I get home.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
The South Island
I breezed through Christchurch and took the Tranzalpine to the west coast of New Zealand. The route passed through the Canterbury plains following the Waimakariri river up to Arthur's Pass. From there, you can see the mountains which make the south island look a lot like Patagonia. I'm currently in Franz Josef which is a small town and home to one of two well known glaciers in NZ. I refrained from doing any glacier walks in Patagonia thinking that I could do one here. I booked a half day on the ice which was just enough for me. The FJ glacier is nice, but it pales in comparison to the Moreno glacier in Argentina. The unique thing about the FJ is that it ends in a sub-tropical rain forest. It is strange seeing the ice and thick trees and ferns all in one place. I was blessed with great weather today. No clouds and you could see for miles. In Switzerland, if you heard helicopters during the day, it meant that some one was hurt or missing. In Franz Josef, helicopters in the air means good weather and visibility for aerial tours. There were heli tours leaving every 15 minutes from the town. It was a good day to be out.
One thing I've noticed is how good the hostels are down here. I have never been to a place where the facilities are consistently good. My YHA hostel in FJ has an awesome kitchen. You should see some of the meals people are cooking here. Friggin' Gourmet!!! From my perspective, travelling is too easy here. No one is paranoid about losing their belongings. Shit such as ipods, passports, cameras, etc. are just scattered everywhere in these dorm rooms. The hostels are top notch, transportation is well orchestrated so connections are always on time, and there is no language issue (for me at least). This has not been adventure I was looking for, but more of a vacation.
Technical Issues!!!!!!
I'm going to euthanize my ipod after this trip. I've had that thing for at least 5 years and the battery only lasts 3-4 hours. I have also decided that my pictures are quite limited compared to the live view. Maybe I'll buy an SLR camera once I return to the states. I just can't fully capture the scenery the way I want with my current camera.
FJ is only a two night stop. I'm off to Queenstown tomorrow.
One thing I've noticed is how good the hostels are down here. I have never been to a place where the facilities are consistently good. My YHA hostel in FJ has an awesome kitchen. You should see some of the meals people are cooking here. Friggin' Gourmet!!! From my perspective, travelling is too easy here. No one is paranoid about losing their belongings. Shit such as ipods, passports, cameras, etc. are just scattered everywhere in these dorm rooms. The hostels are top notch, transportation is well orchestrated so connections are always on time, and there is no language issue (for me at least). This has not been adventure I was looking for, but more of a vacation.
Technical Issues!!!!!!
I'm going to euthanize my ipod after this trip. I've had that thing for at least 5 years and the battery only lasts 3-4 hours. I have also decided that my pictures are quite limited compared to the live view. Maybe I'll buy an SLR camera once I return to the states. I just can't fully capture the scenery the way I want with my current camera.
FJ is only a two night stop. I'm off to Queenstown tomorrow.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
I Want My MTV....Back!
My buddy Kirk had sent out his top 25 most influential albums list on Facebook this week. Due to my jet lag, I've had a lot of time to think about mine between the hours of 3 and 6 AM. It occurred to me that much of what I listened to or liked in the early 80's was based on what I saw on MTV. Then I realized that there is a whole generation out there who have never known cable TV without MTV. Then I also realized that there will be a new generation of viewers who will watch MTV and NEVER see any music videos.
I really miss those days. Do the words "Hello, I'm Dave Kendall, and you are watching 120 minutes on MTV" make you smile. For those hardcore MTV fans, you should remember the first 120 minutes host Kevin Seal. Whoever thought of the concept of the music video was a genius. I'm not talking about live concert footage pieced together. I'm talking about Michael Jackson's Thriller video. A music video so powerful, there was a "Making of Thriller" video for the video. How about Mick Jones and Joe Strummer playing in an oil field with a pet armadillo running around in the video for Rock the Casbah. Oooooh, and David Lee Roth swinging a samurai sword around and doing the splits in the video for Panama. Men at Work, Talking Heads, Flock of Seagulls, Phychedelic Furs, Beastie Boys, Elvis Costello with those red boxing gloves, I can go on and on remembering videos from the 80's to early 90's.
I was able to pare my list of top 25 albums down to about 30. These would not be my favorite albums, just those that I remember during specific moments of my life. Maybe I should compile a list of top 25 music videos too.
I really miss those days. Do the words "Hello, I'm Dave Kendall, and you are watching 120 minutes on MTV" make you smile. For those hardcore MTV fans, you should remember the first 120 minutes host Kevin Seal. Whoever thought of the concept of the music video was a genius. I'm not talking about live concert footage pieced together. I'm talking about Michael Jackson's Thriller video. A music video so powerful, there was a "Making of Thriller" video for the video. How about Mick Jones and Joe Strummer playing in an oil field with a pet armadillo running around in the video for Rock the Casbah. Oooooh, and David Lee Roth swinging a samurai sword around and doing the splits in the video for Panama. Men at Work, Talking Heads, Flock of Seagulls, Phychedelic Furs, Beastie Boys, Elvis Costello with those red boxing gloves, I can go on and on remembering videos from the 80's to early 90's.
I was able to pare my list of top 25 albums down to about 30. These would not be my favorite albums, just those that I remember during specific moments of my life. Maybe I should compile a list of top 25 music videos too.
Wellington and The Start of My Backpacking Trip
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.
I decided to take the Overlander which is the train that links Auckland to Wellington. The route cuts right down the middle of the north island. The ride would be a long one, but at least I would get a chance to see the scenery. The landscape is green and lush. All of the mountains seem to be covered with grass. There are so many cows and sheep lining the country side that they seem to be part of the landscape itself. I would arrive in Wellington just late enough to grab dinner and check my emails before going to bed.
Maybe it is the part of town I'm in, but I'm getting a good vibe from this place. I found an excellent coffee shop called Fidel's (Castro) which is right across from a giant adult book store. No matter. The place is punky so I immediately liked it (or Ponkhay and Agyness Deyn would say with her Manchester accent). Yup. She's my flavor of the week. It quickly struck me like a Mike Tyson bitch slap that Wellington is actually a mini San Francisco. My friend Peter did tell me this before I left, but I only noticed it in the houses when walking up to Mt. Victoria lookout. The town is brimming with personality and it has a very arty and poetic feel to it.
I spent the rest of the morning and much of the afternoon at the Te Papa museum. There were about half a dozen school groups waiting outside the museum when I arrived. It reminded me of the scene in Ferris Bueller's Day Off when Ferris, Cameron, and Sloan were at the Chicago Museum of Art (Cameron starring at the Seurat painting with the Smiths "Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" playing in the background). I was in luck because the Monet Exhibit just arrived less than a month ago in NZ. The exhibit was slammed with people. There were art students taking notes, collectors, critics, and tourists making their way through the maze of impressionist paintings. I have noticed what I have coined the 'art critic' pose. You should know this one. It's the one where one hand cups the elbow of the opposite arm. The other hand is scratching the chin as the person stares intently at the painting expecting to discover its soul. Chill dude! The painting ain't moving. Besides the Monet exhibit, the other long standing installations were also good. Who can resist the real life giant squid? I wish I had another day in the city, but I must push on to keep to my schedule.
I finished the Alchemist much more quickly than I expected. It took me a while to find a few more good books to read. More weight for the backpack. I'll definitely send stuff home when I reach Sydney.
I decided to take the Overlander which is the train that links Auckland to Wellington. The route cuts right down the middle of the north island. The ride would be a long one, but at least I would get a chance to see the scenery. The landscape is green and lush. All of the mountains seem to be covered with grass. There are so many cows and sheep lining the country side that they seem to be part of the landscape itself. I would arrive in Wellington just late enough to grab dinner and check my emails before going to bed.
Maybe it is the part of town I'm in, but I'm getting a good vibe from this place. I found an excellent coffee shop called Fidel's (Castro) which is right across from a giant adult book store. No matter. The place is punky so I immediately liked it (or Ponkhay and Agyness Deyn would say with her Manchester accent). Yup. She's my flavor of the week. It quickly struck me like a Mike Tyson bitch slap that Wellington is actually a mini San Francisco. My friend Peter did tell me this before I left, but I only noticed it in the houses when walking up to Mt. Victoria lookout. The town is brimming with personality and it has a very arty and poetic feel to it.
I spent the rest of the morning and much of the afternoon at the Te Papa museum. There were about half a dozen school groups waiting outside the museum when I arrived. It reminded me of the scene in Ferris Bueller's Day Off when Ferris, Cameron, and Sloan were at the Chicago Museum of Art (Cameron starring at the Seurat painting with the Smiths "Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" playing in the background). I was in luck because the Monet Exhibit just arrived less than a month ago in NZ. The exhibit was slammed with people. There were art students taking notes, collectors, critics, and tourists making their way through the maze of impressionist paintings. I have noticed what I have coined the 'art critic' pose. You should know this one. It's the one where one hand cups the elbow of the opposite arm. The other hand is scratching the chin as the person stares intently at the painting expecting to discover its soul. Chill dude! The painting ain't moving. Besides the Monet exhibit, the other long standing installations were also good. Who can resist the real life giant squid? I wish I had another day in the city, but I must push on to keep to my schedule.
I finished the Alchemist much more quickly than I expected. It took me a while to find a few more good books to read. More weight for the backpack. I'll definitely send stuff home when I reach Sydney.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Auckland and the Family
Well... I don't think I'm going to see too much of Auckland while visiting with the family. It is just a fact that I'll have to deal with during my travels. I had some hint of this while travelling in Taiwan, so I should have expected the same thing while here. I've been doing a lot of family oriented things the past few days which is fine. Some of these cousins or nephews I'm seeing for the first time or the first time in over 23 years.
My brain is finally catching up with the language. Most of my communication with my family has been a mix of Taiwanese and English with a bit of Mandarin mixed in. For the first day, I kept on saying Spanish words such as "Si" and "Pero." Eventually, I was able to shake the habit. It is also kind of weird seeing a whole set of relatives with Aussie/NZ accents.
My cousins and I decided to drive up to the bay of islands for the weekend. My cousin in law Raymond is the perfect stereotype for bad Asian drivers. He drives super fast on the winding NZ roads and doesn't believe in blind spots. When we got in the car, he put these big sunglasses on top of his normal glasses making him look like a male Yoko Ono. Also, he speaks Taiwanese like Archie Bunker where everything seems to be totally obvious to him and everyone around him is stupid. The rain on the drive up made me a bit uncomfortable with his driving, but we arrived in Paihia unhurt. The day was a total loss. Even the cultural show at the museum was closed due to flooding and rain. The next day was clear and we booked a cruise in the surrounding bay (along with all the other retirees). The boat ride was nice and we were accompanied by two pods of dolphins. Overall the trip was not a total disaster. The next two days were spent with family at Cornwall Park (none tree hill) and the suburb of Devonport. Auckland reminds me of a combination of both Santa Cruz CA and Portsmouth NH. Don't get me wrong. I like the place, but it is similar to other places I've been before. I'm looking forward to head to the South Island soon.
One thing I can always count on when visiting family abroad is that they will feed you until you burst. Every night, I've had excellent Chinese food and a lot of it. Even during the day, the aunts and cousins will offer up fruit (which is excellent in NZ), snacks, and coffee. All of the weight I lost tramping in Patagonia will be gained back in a week.
My brain is finally catching up with the language. Most of my communication with my family has been a mix of Taiwanese and English with a bit of Mandarin mixed in. For the first day, I kept on saying Spanish words such as "Si" and "Pero." Eventually, I was able to shake the habit. It is also kind of weird seeing a whole set of relatives with Aussie/NZ accents.
My cousins and I decided to drive up to the bay of islands for the weekend. My cousin in law Raymond is the perfect stereotype for bad Asian drivers. He drives super fast on the winding NZ roads and doesn't believe in blind spots. When we got in the car, he put these big sunglasses on top of his normal glasses making him look like a male Yoko Ono. Also, he speaks Taiwanese like Archie Bunker where everything seems to be totally obvious to him and everyone around him is stupid. The rain on the drive up made me a bit uncomfortable with his driving, but we arrived in Paihia unhurt. The day was a total loss. Even the cultural show at the museum was closed due to flooding and rain. The next day was clear and we booked a cruise in the surrounding bay (along with all the other retirees). The boat ride was nice and we were accompanied by two pods of dolphins. Overall the trip was not a total disaster. The next two days were spent with family at Cornwall Park (none tree hill) and the suburb of Devonport. Auckland reminds me of a combination of both Santa Cruz CA and Portsmouth NH. Don't get me wrong. I like the place, but it is similar to other places I've been before. I'm looking forward to head to the South Island soon.
One thing I can always count on when visiting family abroad is that they will feed you until you burst. Every night, I've had excellent Chinese food and a lot of it. Even during the day, the aunts and cousins will offer up fruit (which is excellent in NZ), snacks, and coffee. All of the weight I lost tramping in Patagonia will be gained back in a week.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
They Lost My Bag Again!
My backpack was delivered 30 minutes before my shuttle to the airport. I dumped out all of the camping gear and switched out some of the clothes, but not all. The weather in New Zealand is similar to Patagonia, so I would require the same things. Since I booked the huts for the Routeburn Track, no tent or thermarest was needed. The only addition to my gear was the pocket rocket and mess kit. And so I would arrive to see my relatives bringing a lot of dirty laundry with me. I mean nothing in my backpack was clean when I left the house. I did have enough time to buy some chocolates for the family so I didn't arrive empty handed.
I was waiting at baggage claim for about an hour when they paged me over the intercom. Apparently, my bag was en route to Brisbane. Not Again! The airline had lost my bag twice within 48 hours. At least I was getting picked up by family and I could hang out without worrying about my bag. I was thinking about all the stuff I could buy if the bag was lost. Jane introduced me to a NZ clothing company called Icebreaker last year which uses wool for all their products. The great thing about wool is that it doesn't stink. I've had better results using natural fibers over synthetics in the past (only for base layers) so I'm going to load up before heading back to the US. Also, the dollar is very strong against the NZ dollar, so my travels should be fairly cheap this go around.
Upon my arrival, I realized that I hadn't done too much planning for my trip. I had a basic outline, but I knew that I would cross out a bunch of things due to time. Four and a half weeks in Patagonia was no where near enough time. How could I expect to adequately see New Zealand AND parts of Australia in five! My thoughts ran back to Florence who was the French gal I met on the Navimag. She had the same delima trying to squeeze in as much as she could in Patagonia before going home. The only thing which was set was the Routeburn Track from the 16th to the 18th. The rest was still up in the air. I surrendered the fact that I wouldn't see the great ocean road or Ayer's rock this time. My two weeks in Australia would be my vacation from my vacation, just like Phuket for my SE Asia trip. The plan now is to head up the east coast for surfing and scuba diving.
So I'm sitting around with my aunts, uncles, and cousins. Everyone is talking at the same time about what I should do in NZ. It's a real mess. I'm sure it will all work out. I just need to make sure to book everything ahead of time so I don't lose any days.
and on top of all that...
I still miss Patagonia.
I was waiting at baggage claim for about an hour when they paged me over the intercom. Apparently, my bag was en route to Brisbane. Not Again! The airline had lost my bag twice within 48 hours. At least I was getting picked up by family and I could hang out without worrying about my bag. I was thinking about all the stuff I could buy if the bag was lost. Jane introduced me to a NZ clothing company called Icebreaker last year which uses wool for all their products. The great thing about wool is that it doesn't stink. I've had better results using natural fibers over synthetics in the past (only for base layers) so I'm going to load up before heading back to the US. Also, the dollar is very strong against the NZ dollar, so my travels should be fairly cheap this go around.
Upon my arrival, I realized that I hadn't done too much planning for my trip. I had a basic outline, but I knew that I would cross out a bunch of things due to time. Four and a half weeks in Patagonia was no where near enough time. How could I expect to adequately see New Zealand AND parts of Australia in five! My thoughts ran back to Florence who was the French gal I met on the Navimag. She had the same delima trying to squeeze in as much as she could in Patagonia before going home. The only thing which was set was the Routeburn Track from the 16th to the 18th. The rest was still up in the air. I surrendered the fact that I wouldn't see the great ocean road or Ayer's rock this time. My two weeks in Australia would be my vacation from my vacation, just like Phuket for my SE Asia trip. The plan now is to head up the east coast for surfing and scuba diving.
So I'm sitting around with my aunts, uncles, and cousins. Everyone is talking at the same time about what I should do in NZ. It's a real mess. I'm sure it will all work out. I just need to make sure to book everything ahead of time so I don't lose any days.
and on top of all that...
I still miss Patagonia.
Monday, March 2, 2009
The Math is Not Working In My Favor
I'm currently waiting for my backpack which is supposed to arrive by 5 PM. However, my shuttle to the airport is picking me up at 2:35 PM for my flight to Auckland. This is going to be close.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Whoops. What about Pucon?
I must not be spending any time in the internet cafes. I'm trying to update everything from home since the internet is fast and there is no line.
It was a long bus ride, but we pulled into Pucon at around 11PM in the evening. I quickly found my hostel which was close to the bus station. The Tree House was a nice place run by and English woman and Chilean guy. It was a slightly more expensive, but it had a good relaxed feel and the beds were nice. John, Lou (the English couple), and I decided to book the climb of Volcan Villarica. Nearly everyone who comes to Pucon climbs the volcano. It isn't that technical, but it sometimes is too much for those who do not normally exercise. The day started at 6:30 AM. Dang! We took the bus to the ski resort where we took the top lift up to the start of the hike. The lava rocks grabbed at my boots quite well so I had good traction to pull myself up the switchbacks. The group started to thin out due to the pace of the guide. I was still with the fast group but John and Lou fell back a ways. That was alright. No need to rush anything when you are climbing something that tall. Eventually, we reached the snow. There was a temperature inversion that morning, so it got hotter as we ascended. The snow was soft, so we didn't need cramp-ons that day. Once we were at the top, you could smell the gasses coming from the crater. Sometimes the sulfur smell was so great, it felt like someone had sliced a whole bag of onions right underneath your nose. The way down was much faster than the climb. We all sat on these butt covers and slid down troughs in the snow. It was like being in a luge run. Quite fun, but we were soaked by the time we reached the bottom. Overall it was a good tour, but I would have liked to have done it in the spring where you can snowboard all the way down. Maybe next year.
The next day, I teamed up with a few folks from another hostel to hike to the mirador at Cani. There were four of us, each from a different country. Jess was the Canadian and the strongest of us four. She was doing the opposite loop as I had done the month before through Patagonia. Her triathlon training propelled her up the steep 9K track like a gazelle and the rest of us hung on as best as we could. The trail wound it's way through araucaria (monkey puzzle) trees past a couple small ponds to a mirador at the top of a cliff. From there we could see four different volcanoes. It was worth the effort. After a few minutes, I led the group off the mountain HP (Heather Poyhonen) style. Jess was the only one who stayed with me as I bombed the switchbacks back to the park office. This time the descent was a bit easier since I wasn't carrying 15 kilos on my back. We returned to Pucon all dusty and smelly. A good shower would do wonders.
Lou met me at the Tree House and invited me to join them for an evening at the hot spring. This would be a nice conclusion to my trip on Patagonia. I spent five hours on my feet today, so a nice long soak to relax was what my body needed. I had been hanging out with John and Lou for the last three days. John is a guy who could be anyone's friend and Louise is such a sweetheart with stunning piercing blue eyes. They are well traveled and great to talk to about going abroad and life in general. There were eight thermal pools in all. Each varied in temperature from the luke warm to the torturous 45 deg C boiling pot. We started off in the wrong direction starting with the super hot melt your skin pool first. Being far away from the city, the stars were very bright. I'm still not used to seeing stars from the southern hemisphere. I was so relaxed when I got back to the bus, the trip back seemed like it only took 3 minutes. My trip was nearly complete. I said my goodbyes to John and Lou. My bags were packed for the most part so I mentally prepared myself for the long bus ride back to Santiago and the overnight flight back to the US.
Just like the last time I left South America, I felt as though I was not completely finished with my time here. I could definitely see myself coming back, but who knows when and how.
Pit Stop
I get home and start checking the internet and I notice that Morrissey is holding a baby on the cover of his new album. Por Que?
It was a crazy travel day leaving Pucon. The bus had a flat tire on the way to Santiago so I was worried that I wouldn't get to the airport on time for my flight. Everything turned out alright and I even had enough time to order some food at the Ruby Tuesday's at the airport. The flight was long and I'm in the mode where I'm getting used to speaking to people with American accents again. I always seem to want to stay longer when I travel to South America. I don't know why. For Switzerland, it was the end of the ski season and for Asia, I was ready to come home to see friends and family. However, the last two times in South America, I wanted to extend my travels to hang out with people who I met along the way.
I arrived in Dallas at 6 AM. Everything was going smoothly until I was the last one standing at baggage claim with no bag. This puts me in a somewhat difficult situation since I leave for New Zealand in 36 hours. My thoughts turned to what could have happened. Could someone have walked off with my bag on accident? That seems very unlikely since I had my tent and Keen sandals strapped to the outside of the bag. The other possibility is that the bag never left Santiago. If they found it and put it on the next flight to DFW, it would arrive tomorrow which would do me little good. I mentally went through the inventory of items in my backpack that I needed for New Zealand and Australia. I had backups for most items, but I would have to buy new toiletries, sleeping bag, guide books, and rain gear. Crap! More rain gear! The list of things to buy gets bigger as I think about it. Maybe I'll pack light and buy everything in NZ.
It was a crazy travel day leaving Pucon. The bus had a flat tire on the way to Santiago so I was worried that I wouldn't get to the airport on time for my flight. Everything turned out alright and I even had enough time to order some food at the Ruby Tuesday's at the airport. The flight was long and I'm in the mode where I'm getting used to speaking to people with American accents again. I always seem to want to stay longer when I travel to South America. I don't know why. For Switzerland, it was the end of the ski season and for Asia, I was ready to come home to see friends and family. However, the last two times in South America, I wanted to extend my travels to hang out with people who I met along the way.
I arrived in Dallas at 6 AM. Everything was going smoothly until I was the last one standing at baggage claim with no bag. This puts me in a somewhat difficult situation since I leave for New Zealand in 36 hours. My thoughts turned to what could have happened. Could someone have walked off with my bag on accident? That seems very unlikely since I had my tent and Keen sandals strapped to the outside of the bag. The other possibility is that the bag never left Santiago. If they found it and put it on the next flight to DFW, it would arrive tomorrow which would do me little good. I mentally went through the inventory of items in my backpack that I needed for New Zealand and Australia. I had backups for most items, but I would have to buy new toiletries, sleeping bag, guide books, and rain gear. Crap! More rain gear! The list of things to buy gets bigger as I think about it. Maybe I'll pack light and buy everything in NZ.
The house was immaculate when I walked in the front door. Jaime had cleaned the place up quite nicely since I left. Now I had to go through piles of mail separating out the bills and tax forms from the junk mail. The day will also be spent uploading pictures and catching up on emails and such.
I'm glad I am not spending too much time at home. You just get way too comfortable when you are at home for a while.
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