Now, I know it's been far too long since the last update and being its Christmas time it's probably even worse. But The good new is, we're still having an amazing time and still making our way further and further each day along what's becoming a more familiar world.
We've been moving north east from Melbourne since the 13th of December and now just days before Christmas we found a place to sleep just north west of Sydney. That's what we've been doing every night, finding a place to stay along the way. It's another trick we learned from some savvy travelers and it's been saving us money and getting us off the tourist track every day since. We don't book ahead anymore, we just drive until we feel like stopping. Then find a safe and level place, usually away from noise and call it home for the night. Most of the time we find other travelers doing the same but occasionally its just us, alone for miles and nothing but the oceans rhythm to sing us to sleep. My favorite nights by far.
Our little green and purple home on wheels however hideous it looks has been great to us. We can stop and eat, sleep or read whenever we wish and most of the time wherever. It's small enough to waddle around in cities and though Juicy rental company should never know this it's been off road just a littler for a good camping spot or two.
From Melbourne we took the the A420 south until it runs into the Bass Strait, over a small bridge on the B420 to the end of Phillip Island! It's not a very big island so we explored it and found a spot overlooking a surf beach to read, have lunch, take a nap and just do nothing before heading to the watch the Penguin Parade. Ever night just after sunset little patches of penguins waddle up to their colonies after being out at sea fishing for weeks at a time. For hours emerging from the break in little groups, finding the way to the certain main paths they all take one group at a time then branching off one by one. The babies waiting patiently in their little nests amongst the colony of other waiting penguinos, literally come charging down at the adults begging to be fed. The adults only feed their own babes and no one else's so unfortunately if one of them doesn't make it back, the babe has to learn to swim and fish quickly, or die.
This specific colony holds only 6,000 of the 70,000 Little Penguins found all over Philip Island, and that number is low compared to the masses that occupied the island before locals and tourists started trampling the nests to get to beaches and penguin watch. Over the years more conservation works been put in place and now you can watch all the action from boardwalks at this specific spot.
We get there after dark and the stadium seating down to the beach was packed so we started up on the board walk above what looked like one the the main paths. Turns out it was one right under our feet, so when they started ascending up and passed the people in the front/beach section they turned and came up right under the boardwalk where we were standing. Incredible. There was a little fella charging down at every single group coming up, squawking for food and almost tackling them! He definitely provided sufficient entertainment to make up for the over priced ticket. It only got better.
Once the people cleared from the stands and beach up to the board walk, made our way down, all the way to the beach. With no one around we crouched down and waited for the group coming up ahead to pass by us. Before long they were literally heading straight for us so as still as we could watched them waddle curiously within a foot of us on either side. Surrounded by Little Penguins, the smallest of the penguin species found in Australia and New Zealand. The park ranger watching from behind said they rarely do that even with them. They were closing up or I would have stayed and tried my luck for another close encounter. Though it was a pricey ticket it was well worth it with experiences like that!
We slept that night at a beach access in a small town on the west side of the island with another van and station wagon camper. With the beach just behind us we fell asleep and woke to the sound of waves again. That morning I met a Dutch couple with the van on my way down to the beach. On their way down from Cairns to Melbourne in three months, also only on the island for one night. They provided great tips on must sees and don't bothers along the way and even offered a place to stay in the Netherlands. They live south of Amsterdam a few hrs where he's a chef too in what they described to be a very laid back city compared to Amsterdam. They had also had a green Juicy van through New Zealand so had tricks and tips for improving the not so wonderful features of the thing.
Philip Island has two wineries so we dropped into one for a tasting on our way out, a quick stop at the chocolate factory and a look at the seals from The Nobbies and then back over the bridge and on to the next spot...
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Photos working from Australia
There is a link to the right below "Picasa" for maps and photos that is working and has most of our trip photos to date available for view. We'll be using this site most from now on due to the convenience factor mostly. Hope you like it as much as we do and p,ease feel free to ask questions since we too are still learning about it.
We made it to Melbourne, Australia safely and just picked up our campervan/home for the next month or so. It's hideous and screams tourist but, on a budget it turned out to be the most economical option for us. So, clad in purple and lime green (we'll show pics at some point) we'll hit the road tomorrow for our very long journey up to cairns where we hope to do some scuba diving along the Great Barrier Reef. Many stops along the way to see more "new" family in Sydney and take in the Aussie scenes along the east coast of this huge country! We made a wonderful new friend in Queenstown who's from Brisbone who invited us to stay with him for a couple days and enjoy his city so it's on the itin now as well.
We continue to meet incredible people along the way, some of which we're sure to stay in contact with for the rest of our lives. We're blessed to come accross truly dinamic and wonderfully lovely people.
Love you all and appreciate your gifts of love and support!
We made it to Melbourne, Australia safely and just picked up our campervan/home for the next month or so. It's hideous and screams tourist but, on a budget it turned out to be the most economical option for us. So, clad in purple and lime green (we'll show pics at some point) we'll hit the road tomorrow for our very long journey up to cairns where we hope to do some scuba diving along the Great Barrier Reef. Many stops along the way to see more "new" family in Sydney and take in the Aussie scenes along the east coast of this huge country! We made a wonderful new friend in Queenstown who's from Brisbone who invited us to stay with him for a couple days and enjoy his city so it's on the itin now as well.
We continue to meet incredible people along the way, some of which we're sure to stay in contact with for the rest of our lives. We're blessed to come accross truly dinamic and wonderfully lovely people.
Love you all and appreciate your gifts of love and support!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Fate by the heart of wine
We wake up in Te Anau and ask ourselves having no set plans for the day. Do we hike and then return to Queenstown on the last day with the rental, or do we drive past Queenstown to do a little wine touring for the day? Not a clear choice but since we'll be back in this area on a bus for Milford Sound tour we decide on the wine.
About two hours and a few stops to throw rocks in the lake later we're in New Zealand's southern wine country. Instead of stopping at the first one we see we decide to drive all the way into central Otago and then make our way back stopping where we feel out of the dozens of wineries. Finally at the end of the paved road in Bannockburn we pull off into the Felton Winery which welcomes us in for a free tasting. That's nice since we're quite used to having to pay for tastings in California. She brings out the Pinot Noir they're known for, a bright Chardonnay we both really enjoy and a Vin Gris I had never tried before. It's a Pinot grape without the skins in barrel so it's a white with the slightest hue of peach. They only make this vintage every few years when they need the extra skins for the Pinot Noir and are left with skinless grapes. The result is a pleasant mix of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with almost a Champagne flavor without the bubbles. Refreshing!
While continuing onto the Riesling and asking her more questions than she probably bargained for she ended up taking us to the actual fermentation tanks and barrel caves filled with French oak and that oh so lovely aroma that comes with them. She was wonderful and we thought our selves so lucky to have walked in without appointment and had such a beautiful experience. with wine list in hand and smiles on our faces we were excited for our next adventure.
As we were pulling out we noticed a couple of signs for wineries down the dirt road and we both decided we'd see what we could find off the beaten or in this case paved track. Apprehensively we pulled in next to what looked like a shed and parked the car by the Labrador sleeping in the shade on this surprisingly hot dry day. We walked toward the "tasting" sign and went in. The sign read Desert Heart as we entered this very rustic and simple building decorated with all sorts of elegant and ornate hearts. A nice lady said hello from the office and stepped out to greet us and once she knew what we wanted she started bringing out the wines. Thanks to the wine writer who had been there the previous day we had before us a longer than normal line-up of their wines including an award winning Pinot from '08.
We must have spend an hour or more there just chatting and sharing her especially good wine! She poured us a full glass of the award winner and showed us around her property she bought and cultivated only about 10 years ago. Most of the wineries in NZ are young in comparison to some of the bigger wine regions of the world but I have to say the majority of the wines we've tried here have been excellent.
She sold us a bottle of here Saignee Rose for a remarkable discount and sent us on our way with lots of love and well wishes. We left smiling and happy once again for allowing fate to take us on a perfect journey.
This has become our way of doing most things in life and it's working just fine. We don't plan much too far in advance, allowing the moment to present itself and it more often than not flows right into perfect moments like this one. Of course there are the moments that don't work out as well and then we just laugh at ourselves and move on. Some times the frustration takes hold but in the end we're always smiling about it and learning from the many lessons we're learning together. Life is good to us and we're so blessed to be experiencing it i this unique way!
In our Queensland "home" on the hill overlooking the lake and what they call the Southern Alps for good reason we read and shared our lovely bottle of Rose before heading down to our tent. What a perfect way to end such a magical day!
Abel Tasmen our way!
3 days of kayak, hiking and camping along the Northern Coast of the Southern Island of New Zealand has been the highlight of our trip thus far.
Most of the Abel Tasmen National Park is only accessible by boat, kayak or hiking in so we chose to do a little of all to get the full experience in the short 3 days we had set aside for it.
Starting at the Southern most tip of the park we kayaked north to a bay called Anchorage where we would camp for the night. Along the way we stopped at several small beaches, bays and lagoons, some of which you an only access by kayak at high tide not allowing boats enough depth. One of the coves wasn't even accessible by hike trail so if you can imagine it's still fairly "untouched".
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| The only people on this entire beach. |
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| I dream that one day it's our boat in that bay. |
The penguins however are harmless and quite cute to see playing around or swimming along close by. Cruising along with a favorable wind, sticking my hand in the passing water reflecting the ozone-less sun onto my skin is a piece of heaven to me. Especially having the lush bush and jagged rocks watching us pass by them and enjoying life on the move. ahh, if only words could truly describe how lovely it really is here. Theres a certain love that vibrates from the earth in a different way i've ever felt, maybe similar to Hawaii but still it's own kind altogether.
Day 2 of kayaking we left it along a beach for a scheduled pick-up as we moved on by foot up the slopes and over to the next valley where we'd set up tent for out last night in the park. After crossing the desert of ocean at low tide covered with all sorts of shells crunching under our feet, over another hill and down we arrived at the beach camp where we set up camp. Only having 2 other tents in the whole site was a very welcome change from the thousands of hoodlums in the last site. We pitched the tent and took our snacks and books down to the beach for a little evening shell hunt and walk along the beach for sunset again. It's cold here at nights but the beach is always worth bundling up for.
Love life!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Glow worms and dark caves
Waitomo caves
Igna not only booked our bus ride to Waitomo but dropped us off at the bus stop quite early in the morning before heading to work. A sleepy ride there and we arrived with plenty of time to unload our bags at the hostel, have a little snack and even read before our ride came to pick us up for the pending adventure.
We arrived at Rap Raft and Rock to find a group just returning from a tour and another young couple waiting to go out on the next with us. The returning group looked happy and reassured us the trip would be fun and well worth it, not that wee were too worried about it but it's nice to hear they were satisfied since its not what you'd call a cheep experience. We had heard from so many people that it was worth the money so decided to take the plunge. Literally, after riding to what seamed like nowhere, gearing up with wetsuit, hot pink pants and harness we walked down to a cluster of trees in the middle of a slopped pasture. We were informed that the area was riddled with caves bellow and the openings to them usually are where a random bunch of tres are growing out of it. Off a platform we repelled down about 90 meters Into a dark wet cave with a river running right through it.
The walk up stream with tubes in hand was quite easy an well lit with our head lamps attached to helmets. Our informative guide, Simon with his British accent and good sense of humor kept us entertained until he had us set the tubes aside and turn off our lights in the pitch black space around us. I"m sort of nervous in the dark still like once of those childhood fears I've never gotten over. We could see the glow worms above and around us just barely lighting our space until BAM! All shocked from the random loud noise we could all of a sudden see the glow worms a million all around us almost like the night sky from the middle of the ocean with no light pollution. Simon had smashed his tube in the water supposedly heightening our flight or fight sense which opened the blood vessels in our eyes to see them more clearly. It worked cause the whole cave lit up to where we could even see each other's silhouettes.
These "glow worms", exclusive to Southern Australia, New Zealand and the Cook Islands were something spectacular beyond description all glowing together in a dark wet space. Up close they're just worms with slimy webs hanging from them to attract food in the form of other bugs and other glow worms. Cannibalistic little buggers but they don't live very long once the 6 month larva/worm period is over. They basically have one day in the form of little flies to mate as much as possible and at this point don't have mouths big enough to eat anything so why not just have a lot of sex!
Back to the tubes the 5 of us floated down the river in the dark again passing the spot we repelled down and going deeper down stream into the cave. After our thrill ride on tubes we walked farther and deeper, scaling rocks, crawling through small spaces and even going through holes under water that opened up to other parts of the cave. Stalactites and stalagmites hundreds of years old reminded me that i'm such a small part of this fascinating eco system I live in for only such a small amount of time in retrospect. Right before turning around we asked Simon for one last photo but unfortunately he couldn't "have evidence" of taking us as far as he had gone. The four of us were apparently far more ambitious and fit than most of his groups so he took us farther than normal. The five of us had a great time laughing most of the way out. We were so glad we got a good small group that we got along with and a really fun guide. Well spend money in our eyes!
Off to Abel Tasmen National park for a 3 or so day kayak adventure!
Igna not only booked our bus ride to Waitomo but dropped us off at the bus stop quite early in the morning before heading to work. A sleepy ride there and we arrived with plenty of time to unload our bags at the hostel, have a little snack and even read before our ride came to pick us up for the pending adventure.
We arrived at Rap Raft and Rock to find a group just returning from a tour and another young couple waiting to go out on the next with us. The returning group looked happy and reassured us the trip would be fun and well worth it, not that wee were too worried about it but it's nice to hear they were satisfied since its not what you'd call a cheep experience. We had heard from so many people that it was worth the money so decided to take the plunge. Literally, after riding to what seamed like nowhere, gearing up with wetsuit, hot pink pants and harness we walked down to a cluster of trees in the middle of a slopped pasture. We were informed that the area was riddled with caves bellow and the openings to them usually are where a random bunch of tres are growing out of it. Off a platform we repelled down about 90 meters Into a dark wet cave with a river running right through it.
The walk up stream with tubes in hand was quite easy an well lit with our head lamps attached to helmets. Our informative guide, Simon with his British accent and good sense of humor kept us entertained until he had us set the tubes aside and turn off our lights in the pitch black space around us. I"m sort of nervous in the dark still like once of those childhood fears I've never gotten over. We could see the glow worms above and around us just barely lighting our space until BAM! All shocked from the random loud noise we could all of a sudden see the glow worms a million all around us almost like the night sky from the middle of the ocean with no light pollution. Simon had smashed his tube in the water supposedly heightening our flight or fight sense which opened the blood vessels in our eyes to see them more clearly. It worked cause the whole cave lit up to where we could even see each other's silhouettes.
These "glow worms", exclusive to Southern Australia, New Zealand and the Cook Islands were something spectacular beyond description all glowing together in a dark wet space. Up close they're just worms with slimy webs hanging from them to attract food in the form of other bugs and other glow worms. Cannibalistic little buggers but they don't live very long once the 6 month larva/worm period is over. They basically have one day in the form of little flies to mate as much as possible and at this point don't have mouths big enough to eat anything so why not just have a lot of sex!
Back to the tubes the 5 of us floated down the river in the dark again passing the spot we repelled down and going deeper down stream into the cave. After our thrill ride on tubes we walked farther and deeper, scaling rocks, crawling through small spaces and even going through holes under water that opened up to other parts of the cave. Stalactites and stalagmites hundreds of years old reminded me that i'm such a small part of this fascinating eco system I live in for only such a small amount of time in retrospect. Right before turning around we asked Simon for one last photo but unfortunately he couldn't "have evidence" of taking us as far as he had gone. The four of us were apparently far more ambitious and fit than most of his groups so he took us farther than normal. The five of us had a great time laughing most of the way out. We were so glad we got a good small group that we got along with and a really fun guide. Well spend money in our eyes!
Off to Abel Tasmen National park for a 3 or so day kayak adventure!
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Family in NZ
Tauranga
After a 5 hr journey our arrival in Tauranga was welcomed by friendly faces and warm hearts of family long lost. Philip and Natalie were so kind to pick us up and introduce us to the area with a picturesque walk up and around Mnt, Maunganui from which we could see a 360 degree view of the Bay of Plenty. This also happens to be the spot Philip chose to propose to his beautiful bride almost a year ago which makes it that much more special.
This vast bay was still recovering from an oil spill caused by a freighter taking a short cut and run-a-ground spilling out not only loads of oil but much more cargo including people's personal items being shipped. The ship is still out there and they project it'll take about a year to get it all cleaned up. Apparently the crew had been partying the night before and by morning there was no turning back, literally.
The best meals are made by "mom"! A short ride to Te Puke took us to Tannic Igna's where she had a lovely spread made for the family's Sunday dinner with steak and real South African "worse" grilling on the brai filling the whole neighborhood with that distinct smell initiating a rush of memories of my childhood . Thanks to Marie's diligence and love for bringing family together we were actually sitting around the table with "family" in a far off land with an indescribable feeling of love and acceptance . Finding how we all fit in together and where we belong was a riot with uncle Lukas' humor intertwined. And by the end we knew how and where I came from and were my dad fit into the whole mix of past family not speaking for one reason or another.
We couldn't have asked for better tour guides and a more enjoyable experience the next day. Philip and Nat took us to Hamairana Spring by recommendation of Igna and we were so happy we went. Just along side the Rotorua Lake up a little stream walk through Redwood trees we found a beautiful spring of sweet crystal clear water gushing from the earth. At one point it was even bubbling from the ground agitating the sand above where the trout were swimming in the clear blue water. Absolutely beautiful and so sweet to the taste.
This ares of the country is filled with kiwi fruit farms that are unfortunately being attacked by a disease that still has no cure. A lot of the crops are having to be burned out and since it's still so new theres a lot of uncertainty of what they'll do next season.
New Zealand is known for having more cows and sheep than people so how appropriate that they took us to a dairy farm just outside Whakatane run by Nat's sister and brother-in-law. Even a thrill ride on the back of a truck holding on for dear life up to the top of a mountain for a spectacular view of the valley to the ocean and outlying islands in the Bay of Plenty. I could have stayed for days exploring that area and the extremely kind people. We returned to the Meyer house to cook the family a meal of delicious curry, and when I say "we" I mean Craig cooked an I chopped. Dinner table talk turned to South Africa and the current condition which of course has Craig's eyes big and beady with fear. Uncle Lukas continued the chat after everyone went home which left me with a feeling of strange homesickness and Craig wondering if our pending visit really is a good idea after all. South Africa still may not be the safest place to live but it's where my family lives and I tried to reassure him as much as possible that it's safe when you're with people who know where to go and where not to.
Thank you to every one of our Kiwi family for your absolute kindness and open armed hospitality. We had an inspiring time visiting and feeling your sincere love! And thank you Marie for your love of family and the importance of generational connection. xoxo
After a 5 hr journey our arrival in Tauranga was welcomed by friendly faces and warm hearts of family long lost. Philip and Natalie were so kind to pick us up and introduce us to the area with a picturesque walk up and around Mnt, Maunganui from which we could see a 360 degree view of the Bay of Plenty. This also happens to be the spot Philip chose to propose to his beautiful bride almost a year ago which makes it that much more special.
This vast bay was still recovering from an oil spill caused by a freighter taking a short cut and run-a-ground spilling out not only loads of oil but much more cargo including people's personal items being shipped. The ship is still out there and they project it'll take about a year to get it all cleaned up. Apparently the crew had been partying the night before and by morning there was no turning back, literally.
The best meals are made by "mom"! A short ride to Te Puke took us to Tannic Igna's where she had a lovely spread made for the family's Sunday dinner with steak and real South African "worse" grilling on the brai filling the whole neighborhood with that distinct smell initiating a rush of memories of my childhood . Thanks to Marie's diligence and love for bringing family together we were actually sitting around the table with "family" in a far off land with an indescribable feeling of love and acceptance . Finding how we all fit in together and where we belong was a riot with uncle Lukas' humor intertwined. And by the end we knew how and where I came from and were my dad fit into the whole mix of past family not speaking for one reason or another.
We couldn't have asked for better tour guides and a more enjoyable experience the next day. Philip and Nat took us to Hamairana Spring by recommendation of Igna and we were so happy we went. Just along side the Rotorua Lake up a little stream walk through Redwood trees we found a beautiful spring of sweet crystal clear water gushing from the earth. At one point it was even bubbling from the ground agitating the sand above where the trout were swimming in the clear blue water. Absolutely beautiful and so sweet to the taste.
This ares of the country is filled with kiwi fruit farms that are unfortunately being attacked by a disease that still has no cure. A lot of the crops are having to be burned out and since it's still so new theres a lot of uncertainty of what they'll do next season.
New Zealand is known for having more cows and sheep than people so how appropriate that they took us to a dairy farm just outside Whakatane run by Nat's sister and brother-in-law. Even a thrill ride on the back of a truck holding on for dear life up to the top of a mountain for a spectacular view of the valley to the ocean and outlying islands in the Bay of Plenty. I could have stayed for days exploring that area and the extremely kind people. We returned to the Meyer house to cook the family a meal of delicious curry, and when I say "we" I mean Craig cooked an I chopped. Dinner table talk turned to South Africa and the current condition which of course has Craig's eyes big and beady with fear. Uncle Lukas continued the chat after everyone went home which left me with a feeling of strange homesickness and Craig wondering if our pending visit really is a good idea after all. South Africa still may not be the safest place to live but it's where my family lives and I tried to reassure him as much as possible that it's safe when you're with people who know where to go and where not to.
Thank you to every one of our Kiwi family for your absolute kindness and open armed hospitality. We had an inspiring time visiting and feeling your sincere love! And thank you Marie for your love of family and the importance of generational connection. xoxo
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Photos
We've switched to Picasa since it's far more compatible with the Ipad and less frustrating in every way! There's now a link to the right that you an click on to see some of the photos we've been able to download slowly but surely. Enjoy them and look forward to a more organized system soon enough!
The Coromandel
Coromandel
Loved the people so kind and friendly everywhere we went. Coromandel town or what to us was oyster land thanks to our bus driver taking us right to the door of the distribution center. Up the 309 on our free bikes from Anchor Lodge past a wild pig farm and Water Works, a water park concocted of recycled things like bikes, toilets and bathtubs galore. Creative to say the least though we didn't try the rides it's uniqueness appeared from the first step onto the property. Said to be the largest water park in NZ.
Kauri trees are famous here not only for the massive size but their species dating back to dinosaur times. They do have strange prehistoric feel to them or something out of avatar. Definitely ones to hug.
Whitianga, a small town where we finally found some free Wifi which turned out to be quite slow but free still nice and quite rare in this expensively beautiful country.
Just a minute ferry ride across the bay we landed on the road we'd hitch hike from to Cathedral Cove from with our new friend Simon from Quebec. (hitchig short rides in this country is very common and entirely safe we've come to find, and it turns out it's the best way to meet the locals). His French accent has you wondering where he's really from but he turned out to he quite a unique 23 yr old just out of law school traveling to decide what he really wants to do with his life. Long hair and a red beard like Jesus shows he's a weathered traveler with loads of advice he was nice enough to impart to us. His time in SE Asia proved to be a good learning ground from unfortunate experienced and some lucky learning. He was kind enough through stories to teach us about the people and ways to get around trouble. First week of the trip and we learned how to save money on laundry that seems to be a rip off everywhere you go. At 2 dollars a scoop of soap and average of 7 dollars to wash and dry its a trick we dared not fall for. We had been doing it by hand from day one with the soap strips we bought in the US but with our new trick with the machines we can wash for free. Just one of the many gifts Simon gave us!
We got picked up by a very nice local "mucking around for the day" with his son who's a life guard at one of the tourist traps we never made it to. We did find a black sand beach swirled with the deteriorating white sand stone. "Magic sand "beach is what we named it as we played around and made designed in the colors. Farther up we searched for the well known clams that are said to grow as big as oxygen dive tanks of which you're allowed 20 per person per day. We didn't find any in the cold shallow water and may have been too far north anyway. But we searched and had a blast doing it.
We stopped for a rest on another unnamed beach we called Salt and Pepper beach for its even mix of heavier black sand that sat right bellow the white. A quick nap and we headed back again for another try home with our thumbs and met some more great people on holiday or just heading home from a day at the beach. It was well worth the experience and the people we met.
Loved the people so kind and friendly everywhere we went. Coromandel town or what to us was oyster land thanks to our bus driver taking us right to the door of the distribution center. Up the 309 on our free bikes from Anchor Lodge past a wild pig farm and Water Works, a water park concocted of recycled things like bikes, toilets and bathtubs galore. Creative to say the least though we didn't try the rides it's uniqueness appeared from the first step onto the property. Said to be the largest water park in NZ.
Kauri trees are famous here not only for the massive size but their species dating back to dinosaur times. They do have strange prehistoric feel to them or something out of avatar. Definitely ones to hug.
Whitianga, a small town where we finally found some free Wifi which turned out to be quite slow but free still nice and quite rare in this expensively beautiful country.
Just a minute ferry ride across the bay we landed on the road we'd hitch hike from to Cathedral Cove from with our new friend Simon from Quebec. (hitchig short rides in this country is very common and entirely safe we've come to find, and it turns out it's the best way to meet the locals). His French accent has you wondering where he's really from but he turned out to he quite a unique 23 yr old just out of law school traveling to decide what he really wants to do with his life. Long hair and a red beard like Jesus shows he's a weathered traveler with loads of advice he was nice enough to impart to us. His time in SE Asia proved to be a good learning ground from unfortunate experienced and some lucky learning. He was kind enough through stories to teach us about the people and ways to get around trouble. First week of the trip and we learned how to save money on laundry that seems to be a rip off everywhere you go. At 2 dollars a scoop of soap and average of 7 dollars to wash and dry its a trick we dared not fall for. We had been doing it by hand from day one with the soap strips we bought in the US but with our new trick with the machines we can wash for free. Just one of the many gifts Simon gave us!
We got picked up by a very nice local "mucking around for the day" with his son who's a life guard at one of the tourist traps we never made it to. We did find a black sand beach swirled with the deteriorating white sand stone. "Magic sand "beach is what we named it as we played around and made designed in the colors. Farther up we searched for the well known clams that are said to grow as big as oxygen dive tanks of which you're allowed 20 per person per day. We didn't find any in the cold shallow water and may have been too far north anyway. But we searched and had a blast doing it.
We stopped for a rest on another unnamed beach we called Salt and Pepper beach for its even mix of heavier black sand that sat right bellow the white. A quick nap and we headed back again for another try home with our thumbs and met some more great people on holiday or just heading home from a day at the beach. It was well worth the experience and the people we met.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
A ferry ride to life.
The amount of little islands around this area are incredible and make for an absolutely stunning coastal view. Each ferry ride has taken us on a new adventure of meeting wonderful new people both local and visitors. Last night we stayed in a colorful place called Backpackers on the Beach in Whitianga right on the water with loads of other people from all over the world. Dinner time brought us all around the table for what turned out to be quite and excited conversation and thanks to the current world financial situation there was plenty to get lightly heated over. A few Germans, French, Irish, one Canadian and the two of us all with our own views and experiences of the world and each other's county. It was a friendly chat of course with no hard feelings but extremely eye opening and enlightning! I felt so lucky to be alive at this unique time that we're living in and couldn't help but wonder what has to happen to make it better and what our children will have to say about "history" when they're our age sitting around a table with people from all over the world.
We're off again on this bright sunny day to a town called Tauranga where we're meeting long lost family from my father's side. It's exciting to think we have family we've never met let alone knew about! The bus ride down from the Coromandel Region where we have been should be another beautiful journey as each bus ride has been. It's not worth being tired on any of the trips from place to place because sleeping just seems a waste of good scenery. We are loving New Zealand for the beauty and we haven't even been to the South Island yet where they say it's even more stunning. The prices here are nothing to be desired but it's the price you pay for beauty I guess. We're on the search for a tent and sleeping bags now. We hear it's the way to go on a budget and also to get off the backpackers beaten track. It has been extremely fun to get to know so many people from all over the world though. This is one thing that I think only hosteling can bring.
xoxo
We're off again on this bright sunny day to a town called Tauranga where we're meeting long lost family from my father's side. It's exciting to think we have family we've never met let alone knew about! The bus ride down from the Coromandel Region where we have been should be another beautiful journey as each bus ride has been. It's not worth being tired on any of the trips from place to place because sleeping just seems a waste of good scenery. We are loving New Zealand for the beauty and we haven't even been to the South Island yet where they say it's even more stunning. The prices here are nothing to be desired but it's the price you pay for beauty I guess. We're on the search for a tent and sleeping bags now. We hear it's the way to go on a budget and also to get off the backpackers beaten track. It has been extremely fun to get to know so many people from all over the world though. This is one thing that I think only hosteling can bring.
xoxo
Thursday, November 10, 2011
A New Zealand welcome
Auckland
6 Nov 2011, Indy to Chicago to LA to Auckland = 24 hrs. The 13 hr flight to Auckland was wonderful with Air New Zealand seats being comfortable and giving up both dinner and breakfast with free NZ wine and an assortment of drinks and movies to watch. Definitely recommend them!
Landed 8 Nov 2011 @ 8:15am. (lost a day of our lives). Customs took our sandwiches we'd saved for the flight from LA but since they fed us we were saving them for lunch. I hope the customs dude enjoyed them!! About an hr bus ride to Auckland where we took our bags to Nomad hostel in the heart of down town. We packed a little day pack and left our luggage in a closet room stuffed to the gills with bags and such until we could check in after 2pm. Our roommates in the 8 bed dorm were a Welsh dude that had been traveling for about 6 months and was heading home soon, a young and very shy French guy looking for work here and two super nice German girls. The girls complained that NZ was riddled with germans and we didn't believe them until we actually started getting out an meeting people. If you want to improve your German language skills, come to NZ. Nomads was decent but the beds were squeaky so anyone moving would wake up the whole room.
Being here wasn't as strange for me as much as it must have been for Craig because our first little stop to the market felt like a familiar face. Many of the groceries brands and foods were the same as South Africa and so rather than looking at everything with a blank stare i was giddy to see things I hadn't eaten for half my life. It's the converting the metric system and reading the dates that's not so familiar though. So we bought a loaf of bread, some cheese and cold meats (all on special) and walked up the hill to Albert park overlooking the city to fill our tummies an get our bearings. The weather here is turning so in the shade it's still spring time chilly but when the sun comes out it's surprisingly hot! Walking around down town looking at all the shops we ran across a book store where Craig check on a book that he's been waiting on to come out for a few years. It was meant to come out on 8 Nov in the US and being it was the 8th we thought we'd check. Unfortunately it said the release date was 9/11/2011 and they didn't have any. We both left kinda bummed since he had been so excited. Forgetting all about it we were checking some prices later in the day at a local fish market. The packaged on date was 8/11/11 shocking him at how old the sea food was. Ha, then he realized that the date was actually 8/11/11 since the order of the month and day are switched in NZ vs. US. These are the little things keeping us smiling and that our adventure really has begun in another world.
By 4:30 our first day we had walked around and seen most of Auckland "CBD" (central business district). So after meeting up with our wonderful friend Amanda who lives here, and walking around the wharf watching the many sail boats we really felt like we had a good feel for what Auck has to offer. The roof of Nomads is where the kitchen, out-door eating area and hot tub are so it's always hopping with party travelers. We had some dinner up there amongst them and then crashed from exhaustion .
Day 2 we got up kinda early, for us, and hopped a ferry full of fellow tourists an a load of school kids at 9:00am to a volcanic island called Rangitoto. Being it was a cloudy day the view wasn't spectacular but still could see Auckland's skyline and some surrounding islands which there are plenty of. We took a different way down to crawl through some black caves and were really happy we had a head lamp. Instead of stopping off at Devonport ferry stop, we took it back to the city to try and find some free internet to book our next few days and update the blog. It turns out the internet access all around NZ is expensive and when free, extremely slow so don't expect daily updates but we'll do as can.
Amanda was kind enough to pick us up later that evening and took us over to Devonport town. It's quaint and artsy with a great view onto the city at night. we got some fish and chips from a little place where the guys accent was so thick we could barely understand him but we managed to get an order and pay the amount on the till. With our food under arm we walked up the steep hill of Mnt. Victoria which served as a watch point and cannon hold for WW? for the Auckland harbor. It also happened to be a volcano amongst the 52 that sit in Auckland alone. We drilled Amanda for information on the city and country and even though she's an American transplant she did a fantastic job and was so kind to take us around to some of the smaller neighboring suburbs after dinner and desert of deep friend Maro and Marz candy bars. There is nothing quite like a friendly a familiar face when you're on the other side of your familiar world. She was the perfect intro to our journey far from home. Thank you so much Amanda!
Day 3 we got to take another 2 hr ferry ride to Coromadel where we hopped another little bus to Coromandel town, famous for it's oysters which craig happens to be obsessed with. We were the last two on the bus and after asking the driver where the best place to get some oysters was he said he would take us right to the factory where they're distributed. He passed our hostel and with trailer and all took us right there, went in with us and asked Nathan if he could get us some fresh oysters from that morning. The factory which over looks the bay where they harvest them was just up the same road as our hostel and on the way happened to be his house. He told us all about the town and what to do in the region. The people are so nice here in general but he was the epitome of NZ hospitality. The oysters turned out to be the best either of us had ever had a of course the freshest being that they were in the water just hrs before they swam in our bellies.
Coromandel town is small and known for it's shell fish and offers both sea front an lush forest mountains so considering we'd be in a beach town next we decided to take the free bikes from our hostel and trek up the mountain. The 309 is a road that's mostly unpaved and has some interesting stops along the way unique to this region. A water park made of all recycled "junk" and remarkably creativly done. we didn't go all the way in but rather continued on to the waterfall and Kauri tree hike. Imagine lush jungle and thats what we hiked through to these spectacular and giant trees bigger than any others in NZ. It was much like being in the movie Avatar. Unfortunately most of them where
chopped down and used for ships and boats for the war but few still remain untouched and preserved.
Day 4 is right now. We took a windy bus ride this morning through lush mountains to Whitianga, the "wh" is pronounced with the "f" sound. We're staying at another hostel right on the water just outside of the little town where we found free wi fi at the library. Hence the update!
Most valuable items so far are our sleep sacs, head lamps and day packs, Lowe Alpine back packs. Most precious resource we miss is the internet availability by far. Being in an english speaking country with familiar foods is the best way to break us into the trip so we can still get used to living out of a pack and being nomads. We're having a blast and are so exited to be doing something this incredible! We love you all and thank you for your love and support! We're very happy and keeping safe everywhere we go.
Love love love from Whitianga New Zealand!
Landed 8 Nov 2011 @ 8:15am. (lost a day of our lives). Customs took our sandwiches we'd saved for the flight from LA but since they fed us we were saving them for lunch. I hope the customs dude enjoyed them!! About an hr bus ride to Auckland where we took our bags to Nomad hostel in the heart of down town. We packed a little day pack and left our luggage in a closet room stuffed to the gills with bags and such until we could check in after 2pm. Our roommates in the 8 bed dorm were a Welsh dude that had been traveling for about 6 months and was heading home soon, a young and very shy French guy looking for work here and two super nice German girls. The girls complained that NZ was riddled with germans and we didn't believe them until we actually started getting out an meeting people. If you want to improve your German language skills, come to NZ. Nomads was decent but the beds were squeaky so anyone moving would wake up the whole room.
 |
| Our first dorm-room experience! |
Being here wasn't as strange for me as much as it must have been for Craig because our first little stop to the market felt like a familiar face. Many of the groceries brands and foods were the same as South Africa and so rather than looking at everything with a blank stare i was giddy to see things I hadn't eaten for half my life. It's the converting the metric system and reading the dates that's not so familiar though. So we bought a loaf of bread, some cheese and cold meats (all on special) and walked up the hill to Albert park overlooking the city to fill our tummies an get our bearings. The weather here is turning so in the shade it's still spring time chilly but when the sun comes out it's surprisingly hot! Walking around down town looking at all the shops we ran across a book store where Craig check on a book that he's been waiting on to come out for a few years. It was meant to come out on 8 Nov in the US and being it was the 8th we thought we'd check. Unfortunately it said the release date was 9/11/2011 and they didn't have any. We both left kinda bummed since he had been so excited. Forgetting all about it we were checking some prices later in the day at a local fish market. The packaged on date was 8/11/11 shocking him at how old the sea food was. Ha, then he realized that the date was actually 8/11/11 since the order of the month and day are switched in NZ vs. US. These are the little things keeping us smiling and that our adventure really has begun in another world.By 4:30 our first day we had walked around and seen most of Auckland "CBD" (central business district). So after meeting up with our wonderful friend Amanda who lives here, and walking around the wharf watching the many sail boats we really felt like we had a good feel for what Auck has to offer. The roof of Nomads is where the kitchen, out-door eating area and hot tub are so it's always hopping with party travelers. We had some dinner up there amongst them and then crashed from exhaustion .
 |
| Occupy Auckland |
Amanda was kind enough to pick us up later that evening and took us over to Devonport town. It's quaint and artsy with a great view onto the city at night. we got some fish and chips from a little place where the guys accent was so thick we could barely understand him but we managed to get an order and pay the amount on the till. With our food under arm we walked up the steep hill of Mnt. Victoria which served as a watch point and cannon hold for WW? for the Auckland harbor. It also happened to be a volcano amongst the 52 that sit in Auckland alone. We drilled Amanda for information on the city and country and even though she's an American transplant she did a fantastic job and was so kind to take us around to some of the smaller neighboring suburbs after dinner and desert of deep friend Maro and Marz candy bars. There is nothing quite like a friendly a familiar face when you're on the other side of your familiar world. She was the perfect intro to our journey far from home. Thank you so much Amanda!
 |
| Amanda who took great care of us in Auckland! xoxo |
Day 3 we got to take another 2 hr ferry ride to Coromadel where we hopped another little bus to Coromandel town, famous for it's oysters which craig happens to be obsessed with. We were the last two on the bus and after asking the driver where the best place to get some oysters was he said he would take us right to the factory where they're distributed. He passed our hostel and with trailer and all took us right there, went in with us and asked Nathan if he could get us some fresh oysters from that morning. The factory which over looks the bay where they harvest them was just up the same road as our hostel and on the way happened to be his house. He told us all about the town and what to do in the region. The people are so nice here in general but he was the epitome of NZ hospitality. The oysters turned out to be the best either of us had ever had a of course the freshest being that they were in the water just hrs before they swam in our bellies.
 |
| Ferry out of Auckland |
Coromandel town is small and known for it's shell fish and offers both sea front an lush forest mountains so considering we'd be in a beach town next we decided to take the free bikes from our hostel and trek up the mountain. The 309 is a road that's mostly unpaved and has some interesting stops along the way unique to this region. A water park made of all recycled "junk" and remarkably creativly done. we didn't go all the way in but rather continued on to the waterfall and Kauri tree hike. Imagine lush jungle and thats what we hiked through to these spectacular and giant trees bigger than any others in NZ. It was much like being in the movie Avatar. Unfortunately most of them where
chopped down and used for ships and boats for the war but few still remain untouched and preserved.
 |
| Adventures up the mountain. |
Day 4 is right now. We took a windy bus ride this morning through lush mountains to Whitianga, the "wh" is pronounced with the "f" sound. We're staying at another hostel right on the water just outside of the little town where we found free wi fi at the library. Hence the update!
Most valuable items so far are our sleep sacs, head lamps and day packs, Lowe Alpine back packs. Most precious resource we miss is the internet availability by far. Being in an english speaking country with familiar foods is the best way to break us into the trip so we can still get used to living out of a pack and being nomads. We're having a blast and are so exited to be doing something this incredible! We love you all and thank you for your love and support! We're very happy and keeping safe everywhere we go.
Love love love from Whitianga New Zealand!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Rough Itinerary
Planning, reading, talking, map pinning, saving, organizing and the list of "ings" goes on and on of things we've done for a trip that doesn't seem real even a week before we leave. At one point we just decided to stop planning and go with the flow for a change. Of course we still have our travel guide books. We've been "mixing and matching" different guide books together. Ripping out sections of the books that we like and are most helpful, and then organizing the pieces to compile an ultimate guide book that's tailored to our trip. Then disguise the cover to look inconspicuous, so we can read and study it anywhere. Who wants to be targeted as a tourist anyway? Its Rick Steves' idea to "build your own travel guide book". Rick happens to be our favorite travel guide expert but unfortunately only covers Europe and a few other select countries, but still offers some fantastic general travel advice! He also offers great packing tricks and all sorts of valuable safety tips and much more. But I'm not here to promote Rick Steves I'm here to share our Itinerary.
We think of this Itinerary as a very loose guide to go by that is subject to change on a day to day basis. That's how we're choosing to allow the trip to unfold rather than regiment each moment and experience. A lesson in letting go of sorts for me at least. We'll of course be updating our itinerary as much as possible on the blog, everlater and through email. And to all you kind and wonderful people who have offered to open your homes to us along the way or plan to meet us somewhere! It may be a little unsettling to hear that we're going with the flow so loosely but let me assure you we want to make it easy for you! So please let us know what dates work best for you based on the approx time of year we'll finally be in each respective area so we can tailor our timing accordingly. demelza.sa@gmail.com will be the best way to correspond for us. The current looseness of our plans gives us the flexibility to work with your individual schedules so please keep us posted along the way. Thanks again to all of you!
**locations and durations subject to change.
*Nov 8, '11 New Zealand (3ish weeks)
*Australia (4 weeks)
*Indonesia (2 weeks)
*Singapore (1 week)
*Malaysia (2 weeks)
*Thailand (3-4 weeks) * Cambodia (1 week)
* India, Burma, Nepal, Laos, (3 weeks)
*Vietnam (1 week)
*Southern China (2 weeks)
*Taiwan (1 week)
*S. Korea (1 week)
*Japan (3 weeks)
Around May/June
*Europe -Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, France again, Italy, Croatia, Austria, Switzerland, Greece (countries subject to change) (12-16 weeks)
*South Africa (4-6 weeks) Oct
If time and money permit:
*Brazil (2 weeks)
*Argentina (3 weeks)
*Chile (2-4 weeks)
*Peru (3-4 weeks)*Costa Rica (2 weeks)
*Honduras (1 week)
*Mexico/Belize
*Belize/Mexico
*This is an ambitious list even for us but it's just an outline that will more than likely change based on time, money and how easy it is to get a visa.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Not so still life.
Just one month and 4 days away from a 2 day long kick-off flight to Auckland, NZ. No visa necessary for neither Craig or myself to enter is a kind relief from the long list of visa's we have yet to attain. Australia, which comes next on the loose itinerary does however require a little visa action to enter. Nothing grueling or painful with only an online application, and a nominal fee in comparison to some of the more lofty laws of countries I'll keep you posted on when we cross their bridges. I'm not by any small means complaining about paying to enter any of these countries in fact I'm just happy to be able to visit them at all and all at once!
The calm before the proverbial storm has been anything but calm instead it's been rather packed with fun and adventure still. Since being back from our trip out west we've had some down time to relax, some exciting times of good news, and plenty of family enjoyment and celebration! One of the highlights was a week-end of bachelorette party excitement, an elegant bridal shower tea party and an over all fabulous weekend with my still new family in Pittsburgh, PA.
Southern Indiana this last weekend was a host to an annual car show as a fundraiser for Pulmonary Fibrosis put on by Craig's cousin and her husbands family. They gather the very large and extended family in a small town called Holland, though highly populated with Germans the name somehow seems fitting with the windmill land marking the park where the event was held. We were amongst the army of volunteers wearing bright orange shirts with lungs and some sentimental words once spoken by the late Douglas Partenheimer on the front. "
The wonderful part about instant new family that comes with having in-laws is getting to know them. You and the spouse may have an unspoken love and who knows, maybe even some mysterious mutual understanding, where as with the families, one gets to know each other tid bits at a time. That's how it's worked for us with our unconventional ways of marrying even before the families had met. Who ever said it had to look a specific way? So this summer has been so perfect for both of us to spend some valuable time with valuable people in our lives, and I at least have managed to have a wonderful time doing it!!
The calm before the proverbial storm has been anything but calm instead it's been rather packed with fun and adventure still. Since being back from our trip out west we've had some down time to relax, some exciting times of good news, and plenty of family enjoyment and celebration! One of the highlights was a week-end of bachelorette party excitement, an elegant bridal shower tea party and an over all fabulous weekend with my still new family in Pittsburgh, PA.
Southern Indiana this last weekend was a host to an annual car show as a fundraiser for Pulmonary Fibrosis put on by Craig's cousin and her husbands family. They gather the very large and extended family in a small town called Holland, though highly populated with Germans the name somehow seems fitting with the windmill land marking the park where the event was held. We were amongst the army of volunteers wearing bright orange shirts with lungs and some sentimental words once spoken by the late Douglas Partenheimer on the front. "
The wonderful part about instant new family that comes with having in-laws is getting to know them. You and the spouse may have an unspoken love and who knows, maybe even some mysterious mutual understanding, where as with the families, one gets to know each other tid bits at a time. That's how it's worked for us with our unconventional ways of marrying even before the families had met. Who ever said it had to look a specific way? So this summer has been so perfect for both of us to spend some valuable time with valuable people in our lives, and I at least have managed to have a wonderful time doing it!!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Free to fly
On Saturday, September 24, 2011, Demelza Danquist wrote:
It's quite often we take advantage of the "normal" things in our lives that are always consistent and seemingly simple. Like waking up every morning nestled into your cacoon of soft warmth, for a job that may not pay you what you're worth but it pays. It's the food that somehow multiplies overnight at your local market that you frequent, always making sure your favorite treats are stocked for your next visit. It's the money, however little or much, that rests in your wallet until you chose to exchange it for something you find worthy. Countless things I forget are such a luxury. But this is not however a reprimand for enjoying the life and privileges we share, this is a celebration of sorts for one particular privilege I have not been able to enjoy until this week.
March 17, 1997 part of my already small family arrived in this beautiful melting pot of the USA. It's been an incredible experience I've loved almost every step of the way. Ive enjoyed living inside this beautiful county but unfortunately have not been able to enjoy leaving and returning to it since that far off day in March. This is not because I never wanted to but rather because of a series of unfortunate events and a clearly incompetent immigration lawyer, that I wasn't legally allowed to exit the country and then return. A little dramatic but almost as though being trapped in a cage surrounded by a forest of trees and other free flying creatures. Trapped.
>
> The grueling process of immigration contains mounts of paper work smeared with lawyer jargon and countless fees of amounts best not mentioned. Then there's the waiting and nail biting for the desired "approval" notice that for years seemed to get interrupted or delayed or even lost. 14 years, 6 mo and 2 days later, Craig joined me in the final interview for the application to become a permanent resident in the United States which was finally approved. I am now free to roam the world and return with ease. I'm inclined to book myself on the next flight to anywhere but will refrain and wait our wait until nov when we leave for our long awaited journey. Its still a surreal reality that i don't think will set in until I'm actually on the plane holding a ticket to Sydney Australia.
Australia will be our first of many destinations I can't wait to share with you all! A tentative itinerary will be posted on here next week for any and all of you to take a look at for potential meeting spots along the way. We would love to share this trip with you not only through the blog but also in person when possible. This is an exciting time for both Craig and I and we look forward to having you participate in any way you choose.
PS. More frequent posts to come!
PSS. Please share this blog with anyone you think may be interested.
Cheers and aloha
It's quite often we take advantage of the "normal" things in our lives that are always consistent and seemingly simple. Like waking up every morning nestled into your cacoon of soft warmth, for a job that may not pay you what you're worth but it pays. It's the food that somehow multiplies overnight at your local market that you frequent, always making sure your favorite treats are stocked for your next visit. It's the money, however little or much, that rests in your wallet until you chose to exchange it for something you find worthy. Countless things I forget are such a luxury. But this is not however a reprimand for enjoying the life and privileges we share, this is a celebration of sorts for one particular privilege I have not been able to enjoy until this week.
March 17, 1997 part of my already small family arrived in this beautiful melting pot of the USA. It's been an incredible experience I've loved almost every step of the way. Ive enjoyed living inside this beautiful county but unfortunately have not been able to enjoy leaving and returning to it since that far off day in March. This is not because I never wanted to but rather because of a series of unfortunate events and a clearly incompetent immigration lawyer, that I wasn't legally allowed to exit the country and then return. A little dramatic but almost as though being trapped in a cage surrounded by a forest of trees and other free flying creatures. Trapped.
>
> The grueling process of immigration contains mounts of paper work smeared with lawyer jargon and countless fees of amounts best not mentioned. Then there's the waiting and nail biting for the desired "approval" notice that for years seemed to get interrupted or delayed or even lost. 14 years, 6 mo and 2 days later, Craig joined me in the final interview for the application to become a permanent resident in the United States which was finally approved. I am now free to roam the world and return with ease. I'm inclined to book myself on the next flight to anywhere but will refrain and wait our wait until nov when we leave for our long awaited journey. Its still a surreal reality that i don't think will set in until I'm actually on the plane holding a ticket to Sydney Australia.
Australia will be our first of many destinations I can't wait to share with you all! A tentative itinerary will be posted on here next week for any and all of you to take a look at for potential meeting spots along the way. We would love to share this trip with you not only through the blog but also in person when possible. This is an exciting time for both Craig and I and we look forward to having you participate in any way you choose.
PS. More frequent posts to come!
PSS. Please share this blog with anyone you think may be interested.
Cheers and aloha
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Breaking in the Shoes
At the end of July Craig and I packed our recently purchased backpacks for a full month of US travel. We started in Pittsburgh for a wonderful weekend with my sister-in-law and her fiance. We had a wonderful time kayaking the river, meeting Mr. Rogers and his newly knitted red sweater, eating fabulous food and meeting their dynamic friends. Pittsburgh has far more to offer than I ever imagined passed the Stealers, and amongst my favorite was the Strip District. The streets are lined with open and in-door markets where you can get anything from fresh meat butchered that day to hundreds of types of cheeses from all regions of the world. The produce is fresh and local and there is more black and gold sports paraphernalia than any non Stealers fan would care to experience. We enjoyed some remarkably delicious tacos de lengua from a street stand where I got to practice my spanish skills on the highly surprised chavo behind the wagon. This is where we bought everything needed for the spanish flare meal Craig prepared for a us and a group of Jenny and Todd's friends. I'm so spoiled to be able to take him and his skill wherever we go.
So after a bit in utah visiting family, we packed our rental Nissan Versa with the 2 coolers, a small grill, pot, pan, plates, silverware, auxiliary cord, a bin to hold all this and there must have been something else we bought at DI (the Utah version of Salvation Army or Good Will) for a meager $23.00. We bought some food, ice and packed our things for a camping adventure through Southern Utah.
The drive to Bryce Canyon National Park was far more comfortable than expected only because the cheapest care we could get had begun to surprise us it's smallness but masses of space available on the inside. We got to the park and after a short search the perfect camp site fell upon us. No one near us, a hillside behind us and better bathrooms than I've seen in any public location in a very long time only 150 yards away. This backyard hillside lead us straight to an overlook of a valley of Hoodoo below and all the way around to the next valley. Hoodoo are the unique formations in the rock formed over hundreds of years of corrosion and weather found in the Bryce Canyon. We watched the sun set on the deep pinks and oranges on these pillars of dirt and decided to not only enjoy a different view the following day from the valley over but also to explore and find our way to the distant ridge called Table Top Plateau. This would give us a view looking straight at Bryce instead of down from above. This is when the Versa really proved her magnificence!
First step, find a map. Second step, find the road. Final step, live through it to tell the tale. The road to the trail was not too bad. 4 wheel drive recommended but we had the confidence and determination to see it through. The trail was farther walk than we thought and much longer but very worth the view and beauty at the top. The perspective from that elevation is priceless and to think just hrs before we were standing hundreds of miles across the valley looking at the point we were now standing on. The trek back was just as fun as the hike up with lots of laughs, creativity and silent moments to look within. The Versa was still there with her thick layer of dust, well rested and ready for the journey down the mountain. But why go down the way you came and knew when you can take another way that would bring us closer to our next destination? Not knowing what the road would bring we made our way farther up to go down. It was Craig's turn to drive now and he was doing very well through treachery until we crept up on a slope of big rocks and gravel. Volunteering to scope it out I walked down about a 1/4 mile of pure rock of all sizes which made up the road now. The slope being about an 8% grade and extremely narrow with a cliff on one side there was no way we could make it back up or turn around if we decided to take the plunge, so it was turn around or take the chance! Having no clue wether or not the road got worse down the way, he put the Versa in low gear and I started chucking rocks, boulders and whatever else obstructed our way. Careful guiding, several hundred squat thrusts and hours of nail biting conditions later, we made it through what we came to find out was actually an ATV trail. Thanks map that clearly needs to be updated! We survived and actually had a hell of a good time doing it!
Just south of Boulder Utah theres a lovely campground nestled into a rock canyon called Calf Creek. It sits next to a stream thats fed by a waterfall only three miles into the canyon and cost us a mere $7.00 to camp.
Camping just outside of Moab Utah next to he Colorado river meant rinsing off. It's cold but very refreshing and surprisingly cleansing after not showering for 3 days. Arches in the morning and then the drive to desolate but breathtaking Monument Valley where my dad lives and works.
Utah is a marvel to be sure offering the most diverse landscape within it's milage than any other state i've visited. Showing Craig the State brought a new and bright perspective of a place I spend so many of my growing up years.
And so our journey continues in Durango Co for the next few days before we fly off to West Hollywood to spend some time with a couple of good friends.
So far this trip has proved to be the testing ground for our year or so journey around the world. There's so many things to consider when traveling out of one back pack for an extended period of time with one person that you love before you start and hope they can still tolerate you by the end. We're learning that we still love to travel together and have lots to learn about and from the other.
So after a bit in utah visiting family, we packed our rental Nissan Versa with the 2 coolers, a small grill, pot, pan, plates, silverware, auxiliary cord, a bin to hold all this and there must have been something else we bought at DI (the Utah version of Salvation Army or Good Will) for a meager $23.00. We bought some food, ice and packed our things for a camping adventure through Southern Utah.
The drive to Bryce Canyon National Park was far more comfortable than expected only because the cheapest care we could get had begun to surprise us it's smallness but masses of space available on the inside. We got to the park and after a short search the perfect camp site fell upon us. No one near us, a hillside behind us and better bathrooms than I've seen in any public location in a very long time only 150 yards away. This backyard hillside lead us straight to an overlook of a valley of Hoodoo below and all the way around to the next valley. Hoodoo are the unique formations in the rock formed over hundreds of years of corrosion and weather found in the Bryce Canyon. We watched the sun set on the deep pinks and oranges on these pillars of dirt and decided to not only enjoy a different view the following day from the valley over but also to explore and find our way to the distant ridge called Table Top Plateau. This would give us a view looking straight at Bryce instead of down from above. This is when the Versa really proved her magnificence!
First step, find a map. Second step, find the road. Final step, live through it to tell the tale. The road to the trail was not too bad. 4 wheel drive recommended but we had the confidence and determination to see it through. The trail was farther walk than we thought and much longer but very worth the view and beauty at the top. The perspective from that elevation is priceless and to think just hrs before we were standing hundreds of miles across the valley looking at the point we were now standing on. The trek back was just as fun as the hike up with lots of laughs, creativity and silent moments to look within. The Versa was still there with her thick layer of dust, well rested and ready for the journey down the mountain. But why go down the way you came and knew when you can take another way that would bring us closer to our next destination? Not knowing what the road would bring we made our way farther up to go down. It was Craig's turn to drive now and he was doing very well through treachery until we crept up on a slope of big rocks and gravel. Volunteering to scope it out I walked down about a 1/4 mile of pure rock of all sizes which made up the road now. The slope being about an 8% grade and extremely narrow with a cliff on one side there was no way we could make it back up or turn around if we decided to take the plunge, so it was turn around or take the chance! Having no clue wether or not the road got worse down the way, he put the Versa in low gear and I started chucking rocks, boulders and whatever else obstructed our way. Careful guiding, several hundred squat thrusts and hours of nail biting conditions later, we made it through what we came to find out was actually an ATV trail. Thanks map that clearly needs to be updated! We survived and actually had a hell of a good time doing it!
Just south of Boulder Utah theres a lovely campground nestled into a rock canyon called Calf Creek. It sits next to a stream thats fed by a waterfall only three miles into the canyon and cost us a mere $7.00 to camp.
Camping just outside of Moab Utah next to he Colorado river meant rinsing off. It's cold but very refreshing and surprisingly cleansing after not showering for 3 days. Arches in the morning and then the drive to desolate but breathtaking Monument Valley where my dad lives and works.
Utah is a marvel to be sure offering the most diverse landscape within it's milage than any other state i've visited. Showing Craig the State brought a new and bright perspective of a place I spend so many of my growing up years.
And so our journey continues in Durango Co for the next few days before we fly off to West Hollywood to spend some time with a couple of good friends.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
"God bless America"
the fourth of july now marks the great american holiday in the mind of this hybrid and soon to be american. i always heard it was but until this year i have not felt it, truly ingested it for the first of many times. being married into this lovely and truly american family sheds light on such treasure and wonder for me. to the detail of recycling to the wonder of fire works its all a key part of the new and blessed experience. now let us eat another hamburger...a fabulous one at that. but its those moments of brie and blue mixed with my american cook of a husband introducing flavor from around the world through his own unique experience. this is the moment i basque in the light of his passion. the loves of my life making love in the kitchen...food and craig in america xoxoxoxo
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
From the one came the many!
As most of you know, love comes when you least expect it. As cleche as it sounds, it's proven true in the lives of my now husband Craig and I. The brilliant moments that brought us to this point of our journey are far too many to begin with here. Therefore, i'm jumping feet first into where we are now, this moment on our journey of life and soon...Around the World!
It starts here in Hawaii with two very excited and creative lovers planning a trip that may proof to be greater and more epic than they now comprehend. At least that's what this lover feels! My feelings almost always hold true if I allow them to play out as a bistander yet clearly a co-creator. At this moment we are certain of little regarding the next year of our lives, but sure of this... We're open to AnYtHiNg and endless possibilities!! We know we're leaving this quite perfect living environment in June to spend time with family and friends on the mainland. Time spent between Indiana, Utah and Bermuda with family and friends. Then possibly Chicago, New York and maybe LA with friends! Depending on timing the early summer may be enjoyed working and playing in Indiana to save even more money for this world adventure. A summer in the US rather than our original Europe plan may be just what we need, and i'm certain we'll have plenty to fill it with.
October will most likely be filled with family to celebrate the wedding of Craig's sister Jenny and her man Todd. We're so excited for them and thier special moment! The world will be here for us to explore forever but they'll only get married once.
The uncertianty of timing is a blessing in disguise, allowing us to explore and research all the options available so that we can soon piece them all together into a perfect adventure!
Then, we allow the adventure to take us! A year of hand picked countries, cultures and cuisine to saciate an undying desire to explore and taste it all!
Stay tuned for updates...
It starts here in Hawaii with two very excited and creative lovers planning a trip that may proof to be greater and more epic than they now comprehend. At least that's what this lover feels! My feelings almost always hold true if I allow them to play out as a bistander yet clearly a co-creator. At this moment we are certain of little regarding the next year of our lives, but sure of this... We're open to AnYtHiNg and endless possibilities!! We know we're leaving this quite perfect living environment in June to spend time with family and friends on the mainland. Time spent between Indiana, Utah and Bermuda with family and friends. Then possibly Chicago, New York and maybe LA with friends! Depending on timing the early summer may be enjoyed working and playing in Indiana to save even more money for this world adventure. A summer in the US rather than our original Europe plan may be just what we need, and i'm certain we'll have plenty to fill it with.
October will most likely be filled with family to celebrate the wedding of Craig's sister Jenny and her man Todd. We're so excited for them and thier special moment! The world will be here for us to explore forever but they'll only get married once.
The uncertianty of timing is a blessing in disguise, allowing us to explore and research all the options available so that we can soon piece them all together into a perfect adventure!
Then, we allow the adventure to take us! A year of hand picked countries, cultures and cuisine to saciate an undying desire to explore and taste it all!
Stay tuned for updates...
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