Klammheimlich und leise hat es sich vorbeigeschlichen. Am letzten Donnerstag waren wir genau 1 Jahr in Melbourne. Unglaublich! Wirklich unglaublich, wie die Zeit vergeht. Mittlerweile ist der Sommer gen Nordhalbkugel gezogen und wir haben mal wieder die Heizung an. Wir wissen mittlerweile, wo es Schwarzbrot gibt, welche Weingüter leckeren, süßen Wein machen, und wo es das beste Essen gibt (daheim!).
Aber seht selbst: http://tinyurl.com/52weeksinMelbourne
Showing posts with label pics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pics. Show all posts
Monday, 9 May 2011
Sunday, 6 February 2011
Down Under unter Wasser
Zu allererst: Es geht uns gut!
Allerdings ist Zyklon Yasi gestern abend bei uns angekommen und hat uns zuerst eine halbstuendige Wasserwand mit Sturmkrone und dann einen Swimmingpool beschert. In der Kueche und im Schlafzimmer. Nicht durch die Decke, durch die Waende. Gott sei Dank haben wir Betonboden, also keine siffigen Teppiche, nur viel Wischen. "There is nothing I can do" war die lapidare Antwort des Hausverwalters, "Take some pictures". Die Handwerker kommen Montag. Bis dahin gammeln die Kuechenmoebel halt vor sich hin. Sind ja nicht unsere. Cool, mate.
The Age hat die Bilder. Philipp auch.
Unsere Gedanken sind bei all den Menschen, die in den letzten Wochen alles verloren haben. In den Fluten und an Yasi.
Allerdings ist Zyklon Yasi gestern abend bei uns angekommen und hat uns zuerst eine halbstuendige Wasserwand mit Sturmkrone und dann einen Swimmingpool beschert. In der Kueche und im Schlafzimmer. Nicht durch die Decke, durch die Waende. Gott sei Dank haben wir Betonboden, also keine siffigen Teppiche, nur viel Wischen. "There is nothing I can do" war die lapidare Antwort des Hausverwalters, "Take some pictures". Die Handwerker kommen Montag. Bis dahin gammeln die Kuechenmoebel halt vor sich hin. Sind ja nicht unsere. Cool, mate.
The Age hat die Bilder. Philipp auch.
Unsere Gedanken sind bei all den Menschen, die in den letzten Wochen alles verloren haben. In den Fluten und an Yasi.
Thursday, 23 December 2010
Keine weiße Weihnacht'
für uns dieses Jahr. Im Moment ist es 19:13 Uhr und es hat 17 Grad (Actually a bisserl cold für Hochsommer aber vielleicht will Melbourne uns vorsichtig an dieses Klima gewöhnen). Die Sonne scheint hier in Elwood, es ist kaum eine Wolke am Himmel und das Jahr neigt sich dem Ende zu. Es war ein bewegungsreiches, wunderschönes und aufregendes Jahr. Es ist das zweite Mal in Folge, dass unsere Familien daheim ohne uns Weihnachten feiern müssen, denn letztes Jahr waren wir zu dieser Zeit in Neuseeland und kurz darauf in Fiji (Amazon Dank muss(te) trotzdem keiner weinen ;-) ). Auch dieses Jahr geht es bald in einen Flieger, denn wir werden "Boxing Day" und "New Year" mit Sonja und Alex in und um Perth verbringen (so Tigerairways denn will ...).
Dankbar sind wir für das Glück in dieser kurzen Zeit hier eine Heimat gefunden zu haben. Philipp stellt nächstes Jahr die ganze Logistik für Australien auf den Kopf und Tina hat es geschafft, ein Projekt zu bekommen, das ein wenig weniger Reisen beinhaltet (so lautet zumindest die Stellenbeschreibung). Langweilig wird uns also nicht. Dafür sorgen auch unsere Nachbarn und Freunde mit denen wir schon allerlei Pläne für nächstes Jahr haben. Dieses Land ist schließlich riesig und 20 Urlaubstage sind sooooo wenig. Das beigefügte Fotoalbum gibt ein paar Einblicke in das kürzliche Treiben der Elche down-under.
Ankündigungen gab es ja schon viele, aber Anfang Dezember war er tatsächlich da - unser erster Besuch aus Deutschland. Obowhl, ob man das beim weltreisenden Markus so noch sagen kann ... und der zweite ist auch schon angemeldet. Barbara/Oma Taunus/Philipp's Mum wird uns im Februar/März besuchen kommen und die Golfplätze sowie Tasmanien testen. Im Herbst vielleicht noch einmal umziehen (ich hätte schwören können, unsere Wohnung hatte nen Balkon, als wir sie angeschaut haben), im Winter wollen wir uns dann Darwin ansehen und irgendwie müssen wir dazwischen auch noch arbeiten. Und natürlich wollen wir noch ganz viel Besuch bekommen ...
Wir wünschen unseren geneigten Lesern, dass die staade Zeit bereits begonnen hat und das Leben sich im Moment um Lebkuchen, Glühwein und Vorlesegeschichten am Feuer dreht. Dass ihr alle mit lieben Menschen zusammen sein könnt und dass die guten Vorsätze sich von ganz alleine umsetzen. Prost und Guten Appetit.
Mutig sein, das Leben ist viel zu kurz, um zu zögern!
Alles Gute und nen guten Rutsch.
Dankbar sind wir für das Glück in dieser kurzen Zeit hier eine Heimat gefunden zu haben. Philipp stellt nächstes Jahr die ganze Logistik für Australien auf den Kopf und Tina hat es geschafft, ein Projekt zu bekommen, das ein wenig weniger Reisen beinhaltet (so lautet zumindest die Stellenbeschreibung). Langweilig wird uns also nicht. Dafür sorgen auch unsere Nachbarn und Freunde mit denen wir schon allerlei Pläne für nächstes Jahr haben. Dieses Land ist schließlich riesig und 20 Urlaubstage sind sooooo wenig. Das beigefügte Fotoalbum gibt ein paar Einblicke in das kürzliche Treiben der Elche down-under.
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| 33 weeks in Melbourne |
Ankündigungen gab es ja schon viele, aber Anfang Dezember war er tatsächlich da - unser erster Besuch aus Deutschland. Obowhl, ob man das beim weltreisenden Markus so noch sagen kann ... und der zweite ist auch schon angemeldet. Barbara/Oma Taunus/Philipp's Mum wird uns im Februar/März besuchen kommen und die Golfplätze sowie Tasmanien testen. Im Herbst vielleicht noch einmal umziehen (ich hätte schwören können, unsere Wohnung hatte nen Balkon, als wir sie angeschaut haben), im Winter wollen wir uns dann Darwin ansehen und irgendwie müssen wir dazwischen auch noch arbeiten. Und natürlich wollen wir noch ganz viel Besuch bekommen ...
Wir wünschen unseren geneigten Lesern, dass die staade Zeit bereits begonnen hat und das Leben sich im Moment um Lebkuchen, Glühwein und Vorlesegeschichten am Feuer dreht. Dass ihr alle mit lieben Menschen zusammen sein könnt und dass die guten Vorsätze sich von ganz alleine umsetzen. Prost und Guten Appetit.
Mutig sein, das Leben ist viel zu kurz, um zu zögern!
Alles Gute und nen guten Rutsch.
Sunday, 12 September 2010
traces-in-the-sand is back ...
Hello, g'day, cheers and 'gude ... we are back!
It has been 4 months now (18 weeks) that we left winter Frankfurt to arrive in winter Melbourne. Everyday life has settled by now. The pictures tell the stories of our first 120+ days here.
It has been 4 months now (18 weeks) that we left winter Frankfurt to arrive in winter Melbourne. Everyday life has settled by now. The pictures tell the stories of our first 120+ days here.
3 weeks in melbourne
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| 6 weeks in melbourne |
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| 9 weeks in melbourne |
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| 18 weeks in melbourne |
Sunday, 7 February 2010
And then, it is over
We are home. It is winter in Frankfurt. The pile of mail is about 30cm high. The cars drive on the wrong side of the road. The mobile mailboxes still have funny messages on them. Winter boots can be found in a moving box deep down in the garage. The air is fresh and clean. Leberwurst and proper beer can be bought around the corner. The jetlag wakes us up at 6am. But apart from that: it seems like we have been away for only a second. It also feels like a second, until you open Picasa and look at thousands of pictures.
Thank you for traveling with us! We hope you discovered a few places you also want to visit one day. We for sure were excited about every reader.
To all who want to see more pictures that the roughly 2,000 we uploaded over the past weeks. Come and visit us for a dinner or simply invite us - we will bring the netbook ;-)
Take care!
Ah, you're right - PS: Project status update:
The "Natural Tan" album followed us along our travels. 215 pictures document how we have changed over 126 days on the road. The three below not only mark the happiest days of our travels (guess why ... ;-) ) but definitely define the highlight of our tan.
My travel diary (project "stranger") is full and will provide an everlasting memory to all the wonderful people we met on the road. Thank you for sharing your wishes & thoughts with me.
Thank you for traveling with us! We hope you discovered a few places you also want to visit one day. We for sure were excited about every reader.
To all who want to see more pictures that the roughly 2,000 we uploaded over the past weeks. Come and visit us for a dinner or simply invite us - we will bring the netbook ;-)
Take care!
Ah, you're right - PS: Project status update:
The "Natural Tan" album followed us along our travels. 215 pictures document how we have changed over 126 days on the road. The three below not only mark the happiest days of our travels (guess why ... ;-) ) but definitely define the highlight of our tan.
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| Von Natural Tan |
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| Von Natural Tan |
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| Von Natural Tan |
Tai, a moose on drugs
As you may probably have noticed, we were accompanied by two mooses during our travels. Glenf & Soeren both come from Sweden where they grew up in a yellow & blue home called "IKEA". About ten+ years back they were old enough to go travelling for their first time: to Germany. Soeren was about to meet Martina, while Glenf crossed Philipp's path.
It was not until early 2009 that Glenf and Soeren finally met but they liked each other instantly. Since then they conquered glaciers, drove off-road, flew over Aoraki/Mt. Cook, sailed the Whitsunday Islands, were chased by Paparazzi, threw wild parties, and happily survived a dozen other adventures (while of some of them they still need to recover ... viewer's discretion is advised ;-) !).
But the best part - they told us - is always, when they meet friends: like Nils in Shanghai, Pätrick in Munich, or Urs while climbing the Mont Blanc.
No wonder they were very much excited when we met another moose in Bangkok, where we spent the last 5 days of our 4-month holiday: Tai. We immediately decided to adopt him and take him home with us. Unfortunately we heard rumors that he had turned towards the dark side of life and worked as a drug carrier from very early on. All of his seams have been opened multiple times. The wound in his head probably is a sign of a recent gang fight and for sure needed immediate treatment. We decided not to test the excellence of the Thai, Bahrain and German border control and drug search dogs. And with 4 heavy hearts we decided to leave Tai behind.
Our other adventures in Bangkok included:
It was not until early 2009 that Glenf and Soeren finally met but they liked each other instantly. Since then they conquered glaciers, drove off-road, flew over Aoraki/Mt. Cook, sailed the Whitsunday Islands, were chased by Paparazzi, threw wild parties, and happily survived a dozen other adventures (while of some of them they still need to recover ... viewer's discretion is advised ;-) !).
But the best part - they told us - is always, when they meet friends: like Nils in Shanghai, Pätrick in Munich, or Urs while climbing the Mont Blanc.
No wonder they were very much excited when we met another moose in Bangkok, where we spent the last 5 days of our 4-month holiday: Tai. We immediately decided to adopt him and take him home with us. Unfortunately we heard rumors that he had turned towards the dark side of life and worked as a drug carrier from very early on. All of his seams have been opened multiple times. The wound in his head probably is a sign of a recent gang fight and for sure needed immediate treatment. We decided not to test the excellence of the Thai, Bahrain and German border control and drug search dogs. And with 4 heavy hearts we decided to leave Tai behind.
Our other adventures in Bangkok included:
- Siam Ocean Aquarium - Ocean Walk - Shark Encounter (also under water!)
This visit again proved it: Aquariums & Under-Water worlds for sure are my favourite sightseeing places, still waiting to be able to visit the world's largest - Emerald Buddah - Grand Palace - Huge Buddah
Very much colorful! - Cooking Class - Hands-on activities - Surprisingly good food (although we made it ourselves!)
Since he was first mentioned in the Lonely Planet, Nusi has 2 cooking classe a day, some of them as large as 14 people. We were lucky and were only 4. As an introductionary course it was a great experience but the famous Thai smile is missing in this place. No wonder, Nusi doesn't like Nutella, that's why! ;-)
- Enjoyed the stopover arrangements by Gulf Air which included a giganto-enormous hotel room, dinner and transport - all for free. Great! But still, we had to add a new highlight to our "having fun while traveling"-experience. So much complaining, about nothing. Amazing. And in the end even we were "attacked" for being relaxed and smiling, can you imagine?
- Miss-judged that 15 km on a GPS can actually turn into nearly 75 km on the road. Our taxi-tour to the Tree of Life was exquisitely expensive.
- But with a sunset over the desert and a bread-baking lessons in the local souk still worth the fun.
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
T-5 and a Physics-Question
121 days ago we left Germany at about 17 degrees and sunshine on a mild September Sunday afternoon. Four months, 6 countries, over 50,000kms and a few ups and downs on the thermometer later we are close to the end of our "holiday". Angkor Wat was a closing highlight for our Cambodia journey. Start with pic 82 to see some tourist-pictures. We safely arrived in Bangkok (that taxi driver trying to trick us should have got up earlier yesterday!) and enjoy a nice hotel and the Spa-menu (all of it!).
Today's Thai massage created some weird cracking noises on my side of the room, but the Aromatherapy Massage tomorrow will hopefully be smoother. Apart from that we (possibly) will do a little bit of sightseeing. And cooking.
While travelling we have learned about a few things:
Today's Thai massage created some weird cracking noises on my side of the room, but the Aromatherapy Massage tomorrow will hopefully be smoother. Apart from that we (possibly) will do a little bit of sightseeing. And cooking.
While travelling we have learned about a few things:
- Chaotic traffic runs better when there are a lot of motorbikes involved. The more cars (or elephants) on the road, the higher the risk of a traffic jam. It actually works better when everyone is ignoring street lanes, traffic lights and driving directions.
- Mooses make friends. Even really grumpy tourists smile when they see two stuffed animals accompanied by their so-called-grown-up owners. This rule can also be applied to 8 spoiled kids with 2 helpless mums on a business class flight, who are clearly marked by 1 week "off" their nannies/au-apairs. And suddenly the "little bastard" (quote!) is quiet/sleeps.
- No matter if you travel for 3 days, 2 weeks or 4 months.
YouI always pack too much. AndyouI always carry stuff you never wear. This time a woolen poncho which I thought would be great for cold evenings (those that were cold required a parka not a poncho). Fazit: I have packed and unpacked this thing at least 75 times, but I like it too much, to throw it away (and there is not even 1 single picture with it, go figure). Fazit 2: Packing sucks! And a fancy front-zipped backpack doesn't change that a little bit. - If you are homesick - go to Mc Donalds. No matter what letters the menu is in, what direction they read & write in and whether they speak 1 word of English or not. You already know what you are going to order anyway and you know what you get. Easy point-it picture menus included. And if you are lucky, they even show Bundesliga.
- Good hotels are a heaven. Period! Only Pippilotta and a tent on the beach can measure up.
- Oxygen-mask bags do not inflate. (Obviously Philipp paid attention to one of the 12 emergency procedures announcements we heard since September, good boy!)
- And now a Physics-Question: Salt in warm areas is always clotted - no matter how much rice you add or how small the whole is. It is also the same with graters and saltshakers that have a lid. Anyone any ideas to solve this?
Sunday, 24 January 2010
A little bit respect and a little bit of fun
... sometimes simply seems not to be part of the travellers world.
Have you ever noticed that a lot of travellers look grumpy?
They sit in a Tuk-Tuk somewhere in Asia and look annoyed (ok, it is 40 degrees outside and the Tuk-Tuk is not a brand new BMW). They sit on a boat while cruising some turquoise islands and look hungry (well, no Schnitzel on the Fijis or proper bread in China). They squeeze into a tiny guest house and complain about the old mattresses (perhaps they should have invested more than US$ 5 for a double-room?!). But also in a 4-5 star "etablissement" like we are currently staying at in Angkor the people mostly do not look happy. It seems there is always something that does not work for them: the weather, the food, the tour programme, the (or no) internet, their company, the money they paid, ...
I still think about 2 swedish girls who would spend their days in Phnom Penh sitting in front of the TV, watching Hollywood movies. Sightseeing is boring, especially when it involves history.
While spending the last 2 days mostly in religious temples and places of worship it is amazing how many people simply cannot read, not even a stupid simple sign. They climb the temple towers to prove they can do it, they wear close to nothing or complain about the uncomfortable walk-ways. They pat every kid's head and ignore the "No pictures"-signs wherever possible (Is this because you bought a very expensive D5 which you just cannot handle?). Why did they decide to travel 20,000 kms, when all they want to do is to behave as (badly as) they do at home? For example, yesterday I had to listen to a(nother) "Tschörman tourisst" who assured me about 20 times that the typical tourist pictures are nothing he would normally do and that he is really ashamed of doing this (ähm, then why?). After that he took off and positioned himself in the middle of the "real" Aspara dancers and pretended to be some kind of very cool Heavy Metal band lead with his groupies. It was obviously one of the highlights of his holiday! Then - of course - he discussed about 5mins whether the prize for the picture would be 5,000 riel (about 50 cents) or 1 US$.
Didn't they all make the choice to leave their comfortable home to explore a different country and experience something new - something that they cannot see or do every day at home in Wanneikel?
We of course also had our days of frustration and 3 weeks of continous rain may be a blessing in some really dry areas of the world. Sure, in the meantime, I am absolutely craving a "Leberwurstbrot" and a proper washing machine. And the never ending "Mistaaaaar, please buy this. For school. Very cheap prize" at every possible corner can be hard to take. But on the other hand: We didn't go away to be home.
We went away to find something new. To learn (... to relax (guess who ;-) ?), to cope with the heat (guess who ;-) ?), with the food, with different ways of sleeping, other languages, weird bus schedules, ...) Which we did, maybe in little steps, but we did. Amazing things every day. The pictures prove it:
Thank you, world!
Have you ever noticed that a lot of travellers look grumpy?
They sit in a Tuk-Tuk somewhere in Asia and look annoyed (ok, it is 40 degrees outside and the Tuk-Tuk is not a brand new BMW). They sit on a boat while cruising some turquoise islands and look hungry (well, no Schnitzel on the Fijis or proper bread in China). They squeeze into a tiny guest house and complain about the old mattresses (perhaps they should have invested more than US$ 5 for a double-room?!). But also in a 4-5 star "etablissement" like we are currently staying at in Angkor the people mostly do not look happy. It seems there is always something that does not work for them: the weather, the food, the tour programme, the (or no) internet, their company, the money they paid, ...
I still think about 2 swedish girls who would spend their days in Phnom Penh sitting in front of the TV, watching Hollywood movies. Sightseeing is boring, especially when it involves history.
While spending the last 2 days mostly in religious temples and places of worship it is amazing how many people simply cannot read, not even a stupid simple sign. They climb the temple towers to prove they can do it, they wear close to nothing or complain about the uncomfortable walk-ways. They pat every kid's head and ignore the "No pictures"-signs wherever possible (Is this because you bought a very expensive D5 which you just cannot handle?). Why did they decide to travel 20,000 kms, when all they want to do is to behave as (badly as) they do at home? For example, yesterday I had to listen to a(nother) "Tschörman tourisst" who assured me about 20 times that the typical tourist pictures are nothing he would normally do and that he is really ashamed of doing this (ähm, then why?). After that he took off and positioned himself in the middle of the "real" Aspara dancers and pretended to be some kind of very cool Heavy Metal band lead with his groupies. It was obviously one of the highlights of his holiday! Then - of course - he discussed about 5mins whether the prize for the picture would be 5,000 riel (about 50 cents) or 1 US$.
Didn't they all make the choice to leave their comfortable home to explore a different country and experience something new - something that they cannot see or do every day at home in Wanneikel?
We of course also had our days of frustration and 3 weeks of continous rain may be a blessing in some really dry areas of the world. Sure, in the meantime, I am absolutely craving a "Leberwurstbrot" and a proper washing machine. And the never ending "Mistaaaaar, please buy this. For school. Very cheap prize" at every possible corner can be hard to take. But on the other hand: We didn't go away to be home.
We went away to find something new. To learn (... to relax (guess who ;-) ?), to cope with the heat (guess who ;-) ?), with the food, with different ways of sleeping, other languages, weird bus schedules, ...) Which we did, maybe in little steps, but we did. Amazing things every day. The pictures prove it:
Thank you, world!
Friday, 22 January 2010
No words
To those who know me well, it may be surprising but the "sightseeings" of our past days has left me kind of "speechless", in this case more "writeless". It is hard to put into words what we learned, saw, read, heard and experienced. It was both - pure beauty and pure horror.
The pictures - might be able to - tell our story:
The pictures - might be able to - tell our story:
- Mui Ne: 2 nights on the beach - see Vietnam album starting with pic 67
Relaxing: beach - Margaritha - white sanddunes - sunset
- 3-day Mekong-Delta: Floating markets and villages and snake for dinner - see Vietnam album starting with pic 111
Pure life: snake wine - wedding crasher - ferry logistics - floating markets - real pasta - west meets asia
- Phnom Penh: Khmer Rouge history horror and fried spiders - see Phnom Penh album
(and our last blogpost)
Unspeakable horror: lost future - cries for help - brutality - ideological obsession
- Siem Reap: Quite relaxed and excited to meet the 8th wonder of the world - see Siem reap album
It is all about architecture: balance - interior - and more to come ...
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
Knallstock in Absurdistan
So here we are in Cambodia. We did travel to Phnom Penh from Vietnam, so there wasn't much of a cultural clash. The first impression was that the country is even poorer than VN: The irrigation-pumps were mounted onto wooden carriages. The motocycles were older and until now nobody opened a taxi-company within a bigger city.
Second impression: It is definitely a poor country. The overcrowded minibus-shuttle (18 people in a Toyota Hiace) droped us in the eastern part of Phnom Penh so we took a Tuk-Tuk to our hotel and there it started. The guy did speak reasonable good english so why is he "only" driving a Tuk-Tuk? Obviously it pays off to charge the tourists with higher fares instead of working in an office where his still astonishing language skills aren't appreciated that much. We liked that funny driver (Safety First!) and arranged to pick us up for a typical tourist-tour in Absurdistan the next day:
Although this establishment is run by the 911 Para-Commando Battalion they really make sure it looks less like an army installation and more like gun & rod club - I've never been to one in the US but this is how I imagine them to be. We drove by two barracks before we entered a side-street and ended up in front of a huge gate. The guard on duty looked like he had a good time but fortunately he was unarmed. I'm always a little bit freaked out by people with guns where I'm not sure what they are doing with this thing. So he opened the gate and our Tuk-Tuk driver from hell (Safety First!) entered the gate only to find ourselves in front of two APCs. From there on is was pretty straight forward and not different from ordering a pizza at the Italian around the corner.
"I'll have a clip of AK47 and ... errrr ... the 60 looks nice but I don't feel like machinegun today ... hmmm ... maybe a Famas? ... ahh what the heck. Just a beer." Yes there is a menu. And yes you can just order anything from a basic Colt .45 up to full scale RPG. Latter you have to shoot at another site but the "small" firearms can be shot in one of two indoor shooting channels on site.
The Lonely Planet strongly discourages travellers to go to the Happy Club (which has been renamed from Thunder Shooting Range. Happy sounds better). They say the country has suffered a lot from war. Yep. That's right and only sixteen years ago the Bundeswehr lost its first soldier on a mission abroad right in Phnom Penh. But now it's good and you can ease our mind by saying to yourself that if you shoot these weapons nobody gets hurt except the arab guy on the target (just in case you misread his facial features, he is wearing a Fez - so far for political correctness in cambodia), the stock of ammunition in this country gets less and moreover the guns don't get any better from using them a lot. Well ... nice try. In the end I believe by going to the Happy Club you fund a military unit. That's the ugly truth. But still >> it's fun!
Anyway. We left the outskirts of Phnom Penh and returned to the city in order to get a nice and decent meal. This time it really should be for the greater good. The only problem was that Martina decided to inspect the food before it was prepared. In this case preparing meant frying and since alive means fresh this one was pretty much alive.
Her scream would have waken the dead arab for sure.
The Happy Club:
Second impression: It is definitely a poor country. The overcrowded minibus-shuttle (18 people in a Toyota Hiace) droped us in the eastern part of Phnom Penh so we took a Tuk-Tuk to our hotel and there it started. The guy did speak reasonable good english so why is he "only" driving a Tuk-Tuk? Obviously it pays off to charge the tourists with higher fares instead of working in an office where his still astonishing language skills aren't appreciated that much. We liked that funny driver (Safety First!) and arranged to pick us up for a typical tourist-tour in Absurdistan the next day:
- Killing Fields
- Happy Club Shooting Range
- Genocide Museum
Although this establishment is run by the 911 Para-Commando Battalion they really make sure it looks less like an army installation and more like gun & rod club - I've never been to one in the US but this is how I imagine them to be. We drove by two barracks before we entered a side-street and ended up in front of a huge gate. The guard on duty looked like he had a good time but fortunately he was unarmed. I'm always a little bit freaked out by people with guns where I'm not sure what they are doing with this thing. So he opened the gate and our Tuk-Tuk driver from hell (Safety First!) entered the gate only to find ourselves in front of two APCs. From there on is was pretty straight forward and not different from ordering a pizza at the Italian around the corner.
"I'll have a clip of AK47 and ... errrr ... the 60 looks nice but I don't feel like machinegun today ... hmmm ... maybe a Famas? ... ahh what the heck. Just a beer." Yes there is a menu. And yes you can just order anything from a basic Colt .45 up to full scale RPG. Latter you have to shoot at another site but the "small" firearms can be shot in one of two indoor shooting channels on site.
The Lonely Planet strongly discourages travellers to go to the Happy Club (which has been renamed from Thunder Shooting Range. Happy sounds better). They say the country has suffered a lot from war. Yep. That's right and only sixteen years ago the Bundeswehr lost its first soldier on a mission abroad right in Phnom Penh. But now it's good and you can ease our mind by saying to yourself that if you shoot these weapons nobody gets hurt except the arab guy on the target (just in case you misread his facial features, he is wearing a Fez - so far for political correctness in cambodia), the stock of ammunition in this country gets less and moreover the guns don't get any better from using them a lot. Well ... nice try. In the end I believe by going to the Happy Club you fund a military unit. That's the ugly truth. But still >> it's fun!
Anyway. We left the outskirts of Phnom Penh and returned to the city in order to get a nice and decent meal. This time it really should be for the greater good. The only problem was that Martina decided to inspect the food before it was prepared. In this case preparing meant frying and since alive means fresh this one was pretty much alive.
Her scream would have waken the dead arab for sure.
The Happy Club:
Wednesday, 13 January 2010
The peaceful side of Vietnam ...
... comes in bright colors, soft fur, quiet minutes with your favorite newspaper, a happy smile, bright cakes, your community evening massage, a 5 EUR-dinner at a comfortable restaurant. And motorbikes. Everywhere. Preferred method of transportation for families of five, the recent acquired 3-seater couch or close to due-pregnant woman. Don't worry, they will not run you over - especially not, if they actually can see where they are going ;-). There is no such thing as waiting for a free road, just blend into the flow, it will never stop anyway.
The Cao Dai Temple was an oasis of quiteness in bright pink. The mass could have been a 30-min escape of the busy world outside - if it wouldn't have been for "Klaus-Dieter" and "Ingehold" (all names changed; no similarites intended!) busy trying to trample down every inch of the temple in their white tennis socks (including throwing their camera down the gallery and ignoring the rule of covered arms & legs). Grrrr, tourists! Cao Daismus has some famous followers around the world (one of them was Shakespeare; so says the Lonely Planet) and is actively practised by about 3 Millions around the world. How tree grooming exercises fit into the charta remains a secret to us.
Buildings here in Vietnam come in toast-slices. Does anybody know why? We already learned it is all about style, feeling relaxed & comfortable and the proper view. But we still are not quite sure whether the "Beauty Salon" I visited for a Manicure & Pedicure (EUR 3,20 in total) actually performes these activities on a regular basis. Quote from the advertising: "touch your sense - Staffs are young, beautiful and professional". Aha ... ;-)
So far, so late - again. Hmm, these New Year's resolutions (like: getting enough sleep) start off really bad. Of course all Vietnam pictures (and yes, there are more) can be found in the new apactravel album on facebook. We are off to Mui Ne for the next 2 nights before cruising through the Mekong Delta into Phnom Penh.
Do something fun today!
The Cao Dai Temple was an oasis of quiteness in bright pink. The mass could have been a 30-min escape of the busy world outside - if it wouldn't have been for "Klaus-Dieter" and "Ingehold" (all names changed; no similarites intended!) busy trying to trample down every inch of the temple in their white tennis socks (including throwing their camera down the gallery and ignoring the rule of covered arms & legs). Grrrr, tourists! Cao Daismus has some famous followers around the world (one of them was Shakespeare; so says the Lonely Planet) and is actively practised by about 3 Millions around the world. How tree grooming exercises fit into the charta remains a secret to us.
Buildings here in Vietnam come in toast-slices. Does anybody know why? We already learned it is all about style, feeling relaxed & comfortable and the proper view. But we still are not quite sure whether the "Beauty Salon" I visited for a Manicure & Pedicure (EUR 3,20 in total) actually performes these activities on a regular basis. Quote from the advertising: "touch your sense - Staffs are young, beautiful and professional". Aha ... ;-)
So far, so late - again. Hmm, these New Year's resolutions (like: getting enough sleep) start off really bad. Of course all Vietnam pictures (and yes, there are more) can be found in the new apactravel album on facebook. We are off to Mui Ne for the next 2 nights before cruising through the Mekong Delta into Phnom Penh.
Do something fun today!
Travel back in time (to today?)
Our last two days were a journey through time - back into the Vietnam War (like it or not, there is no way around it here). We have visited the Cu Chi tunnels, an underground network of caves & bunkers which served as a hiding & living place as well as strategic "tool" for the Viet Cong. The guided tour included (admittedly "slightly" propagandistic) insights into the structure and history of this scary world buried beneath the ground, some hands-on crawling experience (imagine you "run" down here to seek shelter from gun & tank fire ... and don't forget to hold on to your pink Longchamp bag ;-) ) and the rather hair-raising stories told by a former flight attendant who used to fly in American soldiers and fly out mere survivors at an age of 21. "They were not well, the still are not well" was her summary, still shaking herself today. One wonders, is that the reason why some soldiers volunteered to become the so-called "tunnel rats"? Special forces to destroy the tunnels (and their inhabitants) from the inside. Why the hell would you sign up for a job like this? Crawling in pitch black, claustrophobic narrow tunnels where each turn & corner surely did not contain a pleasant BBQ invitation (not to mention the exploding, slightly hostile world on the outside).
The War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City succeeds well in making you even more sick to your stomach with 100s of pictures of kills, tortures, genetic birth defects due to Agent Orange (be aware, the pictures are painful to the eyes!) and documentations of the sheer madness of this war (any war!). While the Cu Chi tunnels lively highlight the traps & tools to "defend" the Viet Cong against the American attacks, the museum rather eloquently focuses on the "gruelty" of the the Americans towards Vietnam people. The Ho Chi Minh City Museum adds a little more background information around the activities & reactions across the world and allows for different viewing angles. But still, massively one-sided "sightseeing" over here. Very moving, though. Hard to digest ... what would I have done? Why do people fight?
And: Did we learn anything?
Can we make the world a better place by being better people? Does it make a difference? Can we, can you stop fighting? Not there, but here.
The War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City succeeds well in making you even more sick to your stomach with 100s of pictures of kills, tortures, genetic birth defects due to Agent Orange (be aware, the pictures are painful to the eyes!) and documentations of the sheer madness of this war (any war!). While the Cu Chi tunnels lively highlight the traps & tools to "defend" the Viet Cong against the American attacks, the museum rather eloquently focuses on the "gruelty" of the the Americans towards Vietnam people. The Ho Chi Minh City Museum adds a little more background information around the activities & reactions across the world and allows for different viewing angles. But still, massively one-sided "sightseeing" over here. Very moving, though. Hard to digest ... what would I have done? Why do people fight?
And: Did we learn anything?
Can we make the world a better place by being better people? Does it make a difference? Can we, can you stop fighting? Not there, but here.
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
Where are we?!
Our dopplr badge led to some confusion - according to dopplr Philipp is back home already. He's not! But we will be (unfortunately) soon: Arrival in Frankfurt is planned for Jan 31, 2010. If nothing happens to Gulf Air or we decide to simply stay in Thailand for the rest of our lives. ;-)
We are currently in Vietnam. But let's connect to our last "route description".
The Hong Kong pictures are online, start with picture 165. Vietnam pictures will follow soon.
We are currently in Vietnam. But let's connect to our last "route description".
- On December 26 we visited Karekare and Piha Beach. Great views and some serious magic.
- Dec 27 we flew to Nadi on the Fiji Islands and spent the night with a couchsurfing host in a real Fiji village - not the ones made up for tourists.
- Dec 28 & Dec 29 we enjoyed Manta Ray Island Resort - perfect snorkeling & awesome food.
- Dec 30 - Jan 2 we spent on a very remote island, celebrating New Years until the generator was turned off and sleeping most of the time.
- Back in Nadi for one night and a big day.
- Another 2 nights in Auckland to watch Avater 3D and meet big fellas at the Auckland Zoo.
- On Jan 5 we left Auckland for Hong Kong with a comfortable Air New Zealand Flight - love their entertainment program!
Btw - question: How do you reduce your hotel prize by 30%? You book 1 night more than you actually need (sure, that was the plan ...) and pay less than you would have paid for 1 night less. Comprende? Ok, Hotels.com helped a little ... - Jan 6 strolling around Kowloon, exploring the markets and specialty stores. Either the Sushi that night or a rotten dragonfruit kept us busy with window-sightseeing from the hotel for the next day.
- On Jan 8 Hong Kong lit up a little - time to visit the Peak. And meet up with some well known guys ...
Ever wanted to be a Consultant? There is a consultant for every skill set! It's all about a self-explaining name, but we were not quite sure if it would help to make the description even bigger ...
- Jan 9 was even more sunny and put Victoria Harbor and Hong Kong Island in amazing lights. And with a 3h delay we left to Vietnam that night. Arriving at 2am in the morning at an absolute fabulous hotel.
- Jan 10 - City Sightseeing and tour bookings, but above all: enjoying 30 degrees celsius and a bustling scootermadness around us.
- For Jan 11 we booked a 1 day trip to the Cu Chi tunnels (German) which were used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. Can you imagine living 3-10m below the earth, moving through tunnels about 60cm wide and 80cm high? We tried today - fun for 10 mins, no fun for any second longer. And the traps they used to "capture" soldiers hurt by looking at them.
- When did you attend a guided tour the last time? We haven't for years so we decided to change that. On Jan 13 we leave for a 2-night tour to Mui Ne and on Jan 16 we will leave Vietnam towards Cambodia with another 2-night tour through the Mekong Delta.
The Hong Kong pictures are online, start with picture 165. Vietnam pictures will follow soon.
Sunday, 10 January 2010
Not quite ...
Friday, 8 January 2010
Memories
A quiet day like today is perfect to take a break and look back. Our apactravel journey started on September 27, 2009 - about 3 months and a little bit ago. So far we have visited 5 countries, 4 are still to come until our return to Frankfurt on Jan 31, 2010. We have seen cities, lakes, mountains, caves, villages, animals big and small, people (mostly absolutely wonderful, some weird), cars, trucks, trees, glaciers, islands, bikes, boats, campgrounds, hotels and many more. We have lost only 2 cameras and did not experience any theft or serious injury. And in addition to all of this there are so many fantastic news from home to keep up with!
Looking at the pictures - we have roughly uploaded 1,000 pics already (about 20% of the pics we actually took) - most of our days were simply packed. Just wondering, how do you keep the memories of a journey like this?
One way might be my little red travel diary which by now holds wonderful stories from all the travellers we met along the way, I even have collected some handprinted pictures. The actual "travel-diary-ing" though is a tough job to keep up with. Ever tried to write a diary really every day?!
Another way could be our "Natural Tan" project which by now holds over 170 pictures and shows how we changed along the more than 40,000 kms we have already travelled. What do you think about the progress we made so far?
Quite relaxed for an average moving speed of 101 km/h, isn't it ;-)) ?
For sure it is a day like today or our days on the Fijis where we simply did nothing. Apart from breathing, maybe. And as the Fijis were just wonderful we have added a few more pictures to the Fiji album.
Do you remember the best day of your life?
Looking at the pictures - we have roughly uploaded 1,000 pics already (about 20% of the pics we actually took) - most of our days were simply packed. Just wondering, how do you keep the memories of a journey like this?
One way might be my little red travel diary which by now holds wonderful stories from all the travellers we met along the way, I even have collected some handprinted pictures. The actual "travel-diary-ing" though is a tough job to keep up with. Ever tried to write a diary really every day?!
Another way could be our "Natural Tan" project which by now holds over 170 pictures and shows how we changed along the more than 40,000 kms we have already travelled. What do you think about the progress we made so far?
 |
| Von Natural Tan |
Quite relaxed for an average moving speed of 101 km/h, isn't it ;-)) ?
For sure it is a day like today or our days on the Fijis where we simply did nothing. Apart from breathing, maybe. And as the Fijis were just wonderful we have added a few more pictures to the Fiji album.
Do you remember the best day of your life?
Thursday, 7 January 2010
Nachtelfirokesen (engl. night elf with a mohawk)
A short note upfront: this is one of the rare occasions where the German word is smoother than the English. We will stick with German.
"Nachtelfirokesen" are probably know to everybody who plays WOW (World of Warcraft). So was I told. I also was told they originally were thought to be an invention by some smart marketing guy to help promote the game by the help of Mr. T.
All bull***, we met one on Piha Beach in Auckland ;-)
The new 17 pics (Start with pic 164) were the last pictures of New Zealand - Good-bye southern hemisphere. We are already in Hong Kong, busy with hotel-room-window-sightseeing and sleeping as Philipp doesn't feel very well (either the Sushi or the Nashis ...). So we rest until the "Po Chai Pills" (I cannot believe there is a Wiki-page for them) do their work.
@Mums, don't worry, he is already feeling better! And yes, I make sure, he drinks a lot ;-)
"Nachtelfirokesen" are probably know to everybody who plays WOW (World of Warcraft). So was I told. I also was told they originally were thought to be an invention by some smart marketing guy to help promote the game by the help of Mr. T.
All bull***, we met one on Piha Beach in Auckland ;-)
The new 17 pics (Start with pic 164) were the last pictures of New Zealand - Good-bye southern hemisphere. We are already in Hong Kong, busy with hotel-room-window-sightseeing and sleeping as Philipp doesn't feel very well (either the Sushi or the Nashis ...). So we rest until the "Po Chai Pills" (I cannot believe there is a Wiki-page for them) do their work.
@Mums, don't worry, he is already feeling better! And yes, I make sure, he drinks a lot ;-)
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
Something old, something new...
Something old: We are still on holiday ;-) .
Something new: Welcome to 2010!!!
Something borrowed: The fins to follow the Manta Ray.
Something blue: This was our "neighborhood".
Our New Year started slowly and remote on Nanuya Lalai Island at the Cold Coast Inn Resort. No electricity, no hot water, but a lot of sun, dancing and relaxation. Luckily our camera runs on batteries so we can show you some of the best pictures just here. But still, the highlight was the Fiji Beach Resort & Spa beach bar. Yes!
Something new: Welcome to 2010!!!
Something borrowed: The fins to follow the Manta Ray.
Something blue: This was our "neighborhood".
Our New Year started slowly and remote on Nanuya Lalai Island at the Cold Coast Inn Resort. No electricity, no hot water, but a lot of sun, dancing and relaxation. Luckily our camera runs on batteries so we can show you some of the best pictures just here. But still, the highlight was the Fiji Beach Resort & Spa beach bar. Yes!
Sunday, 27 December 2009
Finally ... big picture post
163 pictures were uploaded today. So brew a coffee, put on some music and enjoy a journey from the South to the North Island with us. Our last route description finished in Dunedin and on Dec 11. Let's get started:
All pics from this post can be found in the new picture album on facebook.
- Dec 12 - We start off with the steepest road in the world in Dunedin and then drive up the coast to the Moeraki Boulders. These "pearls" are formed below the surface and then washed out until they get stuck on the beach. We enjoy a hidden DOC campsite with a pet wild pig, a self-build dam and a geocoin in surprising dimensions.
- Dec 13 - The day of the bush! From the DOC campsite there is a track towards some limestone rocks. After a loooooooooong breakfast (Thank God no check-out at 10). The climb is beautiful, even challenging, and the views are amazing. We decide to not return the same way but keep on walking looking for a track to go home ... 5h later we are back, exhausted, tired and so happy that apart from some heavy scratches all over our bodies we did not suffer from anything else, while crouching through dense "furze" forest and knee-deep swamp. But, anyhow, we saw wild horses ... and sheeps (of course).
- Dec 14 - We meet Aoraki / Mt. Cook. After a few morning clouds it is a beautiful hiking day with crystal-blue water (glacier flour!). Only the Nazi-campsite and the snow at night weren't actually part of the "ideal holiday-day" plan.
- Dec 15 - Again Aoraki / Mt. Cook, this time from the air, on a tiny helicopter. Amazing, breathtaking views and clear-blue sky with only some clouds. We did a snow landing and also flew over Fox Glacier. Well worth its money!
A big part of the night we spend driving - and hoping - to catch the ferry to the North Island the next day (Dec 16; Dec 17 we drive up north to do the Tongariro Crossing). - Dec 18 - A 5:50 am alarm clock. Nuts! At 7:30 we are on track, walking/climbing the Tongariro Crossing - what a unique adventure ,-) But the blue is convincing. We enjoy two nights at the perfectly organized Whakapapa DOC campground - incl. UMTS *yeah*! It seems like all Germans (speak "I am fffrommm Tschöarmaniiiieeeee") have retreated to New Zealand by now ... they are simply everywhere here.
- Dec 19 - We continue north to Lake Taupo and come across floating beaches, curious swans and warm rivers. 360 degrees Jet Boat spins sound a lot more dramatic than they actually are, but squeezing through canyons with 40 degrees hot waterfalls is actually fun. And I am so thankful to Philipp that he actually did not mention that there were waterspiders running around where I had my nose ... The treat of the day is the Lake Taupo Top 10 Holiday Park - best facilities ever, close to hot springs. A must-stay! And it didn't even rain. Lesson-learned: Being a camper does not mean you cannot turn on the x-mas lights!
- Dec 20 - belongs to the hot and boiling elements. Volcanic valley, bubbling mud pools, fuming busses and sparkling camper-x-mas-trees fill the day.
- Dec 21 - The Pueroa Forest contains some left overs, some 50 others 2,000 years old. The Deer Jaw-Inbox is another reason why hunting is not on my fun-thing-to-do-list. Groce!
- Dec 22 - 100m down, water, rocks, crawling, climbing, swimming, jumping, screaming, eating. This is our Waitomo Epic Cavetour experience in a few words.
- Dec 23 to Dec 26 - Our campingtour is over. We say good-bye to Pippilotta after we "checked-in" with our lovely couchsurfing host in Auckland. 4 nights in Auckland, no driving, sunshine (finally!) and good food are waiting for us! We visit sparkling Franklin Street and celebrate x-mas with a bunch of couchsurfers from around the world. Santa was here. But not only he, also Markus flew in from Guzbach to make sure we keep up the BBQ-spirit.
All pics from this post can be found in the new picture album on facebook.
Friday, 25 December 2009
Merry x-mas, happy holidays, a happy New Year and all the best!
We wish you a wonderful time with your family & friends, enjoy a few quiet days off and don't freeze to much where it is cold and where it has snow. We are thinking of you (while we party BBQ at the beach)!!!
Saturday, 19 December 2009
South Island trip notes
Yes, we are still here. I mean, there.
Since leaving Australia we did not update you with where we went. Here we go:
Since leaving Australia we did not update you with where we went. Here we go:
- From Sydney, we flew to Christchurch. But not only there. Also to Winter. To rain. To cold. To a sleeping room with no windows at all (Christchurch YHA) and no smile on the face of the reception staff. So far, all a little bit depressing ... And to rain. Did I already mentioned it rained? And it was cold? Very cold? Winter?
- We picked up Pippilotta @ Escape Rentals and drove off to Akaroa. On beautiful Banks Peninsula we met the sun (Thank God!) for a few hours and enjoyed one of the Top10 holiday parks with a splendid view.
- Dec 2 greeted us with rain again so we decided to go to a Spa. Unfortunately Spa in this country means "hot pool outside with no roof and no heating". So instead of being warmed up we froze even more. Especially because the Hanmer Springs Holiday Park did not feature any heating whatsoevèr. How do the Kiwis do this when it is really winter? With snow? Also weird, the Sauna at the Spa was time restricted - 30 mins slots. How am I supposed to "do Sauna" in 30 mins??? Still all a bit depressing.
- Our way to the West Coast was then a turn towards the better. Our first DOC campsite was cheap ($10), clean and a paradise. The sun turned up and we enjoyed a lazy afternoon and a beautiful evening walk through the rainforest.
- Unfortunately that should change again the next day, with Franz Josef keeping it grey, as well as the Fox Glaciers. But we did enjoy the great Holiday Park.
- We didn't see the sun again until further south on "one of the most beautiful roads of the world" (at least according to Lonely Planet) ... well, the weather was better ;-) Really amazing were again the DOC campsites we stayed the following two nights. And the fact that "Nikolaus" showed up ;-)
- The Conyon Swing in Queenstown is already covered by an earlier blog-post. And the area really looks like "Lord of the Rings"-country, yes.
- In Te Anau we were back to the usual grey and wet and really appreciated underfloor heated facilities at another nice holiday park. Well, let's say you enjoy the small stuff after 1 week of continous rain. Btw: Have you ever seen aerial hunters?
- Luckily the weather worked according to the weather report and finally on Dec 10 we saw the sun again. Perfectly in time for our trip to Milford Sound. Breathtaking landscape, an 25 metre deep aquarium and another beautiful DOC campsite. Snow, santas, Keas and some close-up flowers.
- Leaving the Westcoast (and the sand-flies - we admit murder in about 1,000 times) towards the east coast solved one major question: How does the milk come into the coffee? Here is the answer for Cappuchino and the answer for Espresso Macchiato.
- Further north in Dunedin we were back to rain which made space for a visit to the movies (Where the wild things are) and the Otago Peninsula Aquarium before heading north towards the Moeraki Boulders.
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