Mendoza Wine Tour

As I said in my previous entry, wines are the other good reason to go to Mendoza.

I had Saturday to play around so I opted for a tour of several wineries as I didn’t feel like renting a car and driving around solo in unfamiliar territory.  It was a great choice.  The wine tour I chose was offered with Trout and Wine (http://troutandwine.com/).  The tour cost about $135 lasted from 9AM until 5PM and covered 4 different wineries.  At one of the wineries we were to have a 5 course lunch paired with different wines.  The tour was a great idea as the wineries were guaranteed to be open and ready to receive you (though I sensed that would not have been a problem in this season). 

All the wineries offered us a tour of the facilities as well as a tasting either by sitting down at a pre-set table or by standing around a bar or table (except for the lunch one).  We visited Terrazas which sat us down at a table and where we felt we were just having a chat with a knowledgeable friend about wines.  At Belasco de Baquedano, we were treated to the aroma room where you can walk around and try smelling different scents to train your nose.  I actually tried to do the smelling blind to see if I could detect the aromas.  I didn’t do too well, I must admit…  But the concept was phenomenal.

Aroma Room at Belasco de Baquedano

Our tour guide, Cecilia, had worked at one of the wineries in the past and knew a lot about wine.  That, combined with the on-purpose small size of the tour group, made for a great day.  Along with me were a Danish father and son, and a California couple.  We enjoyed talking throughout the day and exchanging travel stories. 

I had asked Cecilia about a good parrillada place for dinner (meaning, a good local place) and she recommended Estancia La Florencia on Ave. Sarmiento which was really a building away from my hotel.  The California couple and I decided to go together for dinner and we had a fabulous dinner in a mostly-locals only restaurant with great atmosphere.  It was the perfect place for a piece of Argentine steak!

As I flew back Sunday, I got to see Mt. Aconcagua (tallest mountain in the Americas, north of 22,000 feet).  Unfortunately, it was on the opposite side of the plane so I could not get a good picture of it but I did manage to get a few good pictures from my side of the plane.  Enjoy!

View of the Andes Crossing

The Awesome Andes

A Weekend in Mendoza, Argentina

My current business trip to Santiago is for 2 weeks so I had a weekend in between to either:  walk around Santiago and re-discover parts of it, opt to go and visit southern Chile (Puerto Montt or Pucon, for example; both of which I had visited in 1991), or go to nearby Mendoza, Argentina (capital of Argentine wine country).  Because it is peak season in the south (high airfares, no rental cars available, and only 2 days) and due to a colleague strongly recommending Mendoza, I chose the quick trip over the mountains to Mendoza, Argentina, a place I have been wanting to visit because of its wines.

Mendoza, as the eagle flies, is pretty darn close to Santiago.  However, the magnificent Andes sit in between.  So the drive takes 6-7 hours over spectacular landscape from what I hear.  However, I also hear customs on either side of the border can be quite bad so for a 2-day weekend visit, I had to fly.  Luckily, LAN had an $82 fare (taxes included) and a 30-40 min flight time so it all became a no-brainer for me.   My colleague suggested a moderately priced hotel ($60/night) in a great location so that eliminated guesswork and research time which I didn’t have.  She also got me some recommendations for restaurants which was great.  Flying over the Andes brings with it incredible winds and both flights gave me a run for my money in terms of scary moments!

I arrived in Mendoza around 5 PM and had no problem getting a taxi at the airport at the rate I had been told ($23A or $8US).  The Hotel Internacional where I stayed (http://www.hinternacional.com.ar/) was OK.  The room was not as nice as the pics on the website but the hotel was quite decent for the price.  For the $60/night, it included a good breakfast and wi-fi.  The location was great, surrounded by good eateries and close to the center of town.

I walked the town Friday after I arrived and on Sunday morning.  The contrast couldn’t have been any bigger:  the pedestrian part of Sarmiento (the main street) was a beehive of activity Friday but almost deserted Sunday morning.  It sports cafes and shops and you can see the locals coming out from their homes to enjoy fresh air – and likely “cooler” temperatures than their own homes.  Mendoza is very, very hot this time of the year (90s – but dry) and I doubt everyone has AC at home.  So it is nicer to sit in a plaza and enjoy some breezes under the shade of the many trees that line the streets of Mendoza (an odd thing considering it rarely ever rains here and that it is very arid land; the answer is that snowmelt is captured and then released to the city and farms via an ingenous curbside open flow system).  

Street Scene in Ave. Sarmiento

Sunday morning, I got to walk almost in total solitude around town, covering all major squares and parks in the center.  Mendoza struck me as a town that would be probably a great place to live as it is pleasant, clean, and not chaotic as Buenos Aires.  At the same time, the time I spent walking around was probably all that a tourist needs to do in the town itself while visiting (surely, I am omitting some museums or theaters) outside of just chilling (in which case a tourist can do a LOT of that perhaps while enjoying wine, beer or ice cream at a café…).

A Street in Mendoza

Now, while the city is not a grand collection of sites for tourist interest, there are 2 things that make it quite a good choice destination to see:  1.  the food.  2.  wine country and the rural areas.

I ate at Mi Tierra on Friday night where I enjoyed empanadas to start and deer raviolis for dinner.  The food was definitely good but I wouldn’t call it spectacular.  The ambience of the restaurant is outstanding.  (Watch out:  the menu offer is only valid if you pay cash!)  Saturday night, I ate at La Florencia on the corner of Sarmiento and Peru, a few steps away from my hotel.  This is not the same type of fancy restaurant than Mi Tierra (or a couple of the other restaurants recommended by my colleague, like Azafrán).  It feels very local (in fact, most of the customers seemed either local or, at least, Argentinian) and was highly recommended by my wine tour guide.  She was right!  I was wanting just a normal Argentine piece of steak and fries and this place was PERFECT!  The menu was quite broad and everything I saw served looked fantastic.  We sat there for 3 hours and we felt we were at home.  THAT’S the experience I was wanting and I got it!  Thanks, Cecilia.

I still have to write about my wine tour and the wine but that will be a topic for the next entry…

2009 in “Review”

Well, 2009 is almost in the books and who would have told me at this same point in 2008 all that I would do in 2009!  On the less glamorous side, sinus surgery and losing my job.  Yep, I wouldn’t have imagined both.  But, on the more exciting side of things, I certainly had even less of an idea that Iwould get to see the land of John Paul II (Poland), the mythical (at least for those of us far from it) land down under (Australia), the majestic islands in the far south Pacific (New Zealand), the mountains and beauty of the granite state (New Hampshire), and 18 years later a country I loved when I lived there (Chile).  I also did get to visit more familiar places like Tampa, DC, Panama, NYC, and Denver but most of those were in my plans already.

So I sit here during Christmas Day wondering which places will I get to see in 2010 for the first time and what will I discover in more familiar places…   I can’t wait to find out!  Could it be the year I see the Holy Land?  Or check out Iceland?  Perhaps visit southern Chile and the lake district?  Or finishing off “Western” Europe by seeing Portugal and Ireland??  Or, why not, go to Australia again and explore other parts of the continent?  SO much to see, so little time and money!

Thanks 2009, and good riddance in way.  2010, bring it on!

Santiago Visit Continues – Lucky Me

So, I came back to Santiago after 18 yrs.  That was 3 weeks ago.  I went to the US and then I turned right around to come down to Chile!  Crazy?  Heck, no.  I don’t mind coming to this town and country!  I am traveling here for business but seldom is business travel the vehicle to get back to a place I want to keep coming back to…

On the first trip, I traveled 3 hours south of Santiago to an area right outside of the town of Curicó. 

Why Curicó?  Well, my friend’s son was competing in the national championship of Chilean motocross, of course!  I have never been to a motocross race before and it was definitely a fun event to be at.  But the best part was the drive down there with the Andes to my left and the lesser range of mountains to my right.  The views were great.  However, though I stayed in the shade most of the time, I got quite sunburnt unintentionally.  One has to remember that the sun here hits harder!

That first week, most of my free time was spent with fellow co-workers on the same trip as me.  But I did get to sample two great local restaurants, one in Bellavista and the other, well, in a part of town whose name I can’t remember.  The former was a seafood place in a very artsy-bohemian part of town named Bellavista.  Pablo Neruda’s (former!) home is located there.  Also, that is the place where you go to go up Cerro Santa Lucía for great city views (on the less-smoggy days…).  Bellavista is practically littered with cheap bars and eateries where lots of young people hang out as well as better dineries and an area called Patio Bellavista with good shopping and more places to eat and have a drink.  Azul Profundo, the name of the restaurant on Constitución 111, was simply outstanding.  The seafood, as pretty much anywhere here, is quite fresh.  http://www.flip360.cl/ver_local.php?id=1035&ver=panorama&idPanorama=1035&categoria=51

I then was taken another night to a Peruvian restaurant called La Mar (actually, a ¨cevichería”) on Nueva Costanera (http://www.biggi.cl/4DCGI/Noticia466).  It seems Peruvian restaurants are the bomb these days not sure if because more Peruvians live here or just because.  This was a classy place with very cleverly designed indoor and outdoor seating areas.  You can go there for sure and sit outside and people-watch (both in the restaurant and also those who walk down the streets).  It is located in a very nice residential neighborhood and I highly recommend their food!

I am staying at the local Marriott (OK, this is not a backpacking it kind of trip! it is a beautiful building!  As I was looking for a pic of the 40-story hotel, I found a Spanish wikipedia entry that says the building can stand an 8.0 earthquake – I will sleep well tonight!) where 3 weeks before I came, a small bomb was found and detonated outside.  It is a little weird because I don’t associate Chile with crime like that.  So, I remain undisturbed about it.  The hotel has a good sitting area downstairs where in the evening between 7 and 9 PM they have happy hour with free hors d’oeuvres.  I have once or twice opted to go for pisco sours (yes, more than 1!!) and these hors d’oeuvres for dinner.  Don’t get me wrong, there is FINE dining in this city for sure.  But after nights of going out, it is nice to just camp.  The added bonus is that it seems that locals like to come to this happy hour so you get to be with locals though you are at the hotel.  I have noticed that every night there are several groups of local women who apparently choose to meet here to have a night out at one of the nice hotels in town.  I do not exaggerate, these women look like upper class folks who meet here for kicks (it isn’t a cheap place so my observation is likely not off the mark).

Next to the hotel there is a very nice mall called Parque Arauco.  It has the usual types of stores but also a great outdoor area with many restaurants.  El Otro Sitio, a Peruvian (!) restaurant, was quite good and reasonable in terms of price.  In these Peruvian restaurants, ceviche is typically the draw, as only Peruvians can make it – phenomenal stuff!

Alright, I intend to think about what these two quick back-to-back trips have meant to me and I have to say that the main conclusion is how awesome it is that today I feel as strongly as I did 18 yrs ago that I love this city and this country.

Fast Forward Santiago, Really Fast

I arrived in Santiago de Chile this morning to a different airport and entrance fees than in 1991.  Why charge an entrance fee of $132 is beyond me (yeah, yeah reciprocity; that’s what you call it when you don’t want to admit you are just as capitalistic as everyone else…).  And why not have it a surcharge on the price of the plane ticket and make me stand in another line after landing is WAY beyond me.  I thought Chile was more modern than that.  Maybe it is indeed a piece of Europe in South America after all…  After standing in line for about 20 minutes, at least I was able to use a credit card to pay – of course, in the line I had to listen to cheery, chatty tourists from my own country yap away when all I wanted was silence to slowly wake up (no coffee in me yet)…

It was neat to see a friend I had not seen in about 15 years who then drove me into the city proper on a highway I did not recognize.  We didn’t have to go through the city streets in order to make it to the opposite end of town where I used to live the 3 months I lived in Santiago way back or where he now lives.  A nice highway running by the river is a welcome change.  And, boy, was there change in store!  While Santiago was to me quite livable a city back in 1991 and not lacking in terms of places to go, eat, and shop, today’s Santiago is a much more modern and livable place than I remember.  Fast forward indeed 18 years!

I barely recognized parts of town that used to be my stomping grounds.  Yes, that is to be expected after 18 years but there was so little that actually was like I remembered to leave me floored.  Parts of town like Sanhattan and El Bosque are way more developed than they used to be by the building of centers of business.  Parque Arauco is similar inside but a whole new invention outside (though I recognize the McD’s I used to eat at after playing racquetball!). 

Busy Av. Providencia was barely recognizable too!  Storefronts and restaurants of course change even just a few years apart.  A pedestrian alley here and a residential street there did look very familiar but so much has changed…   The building I used to work in is there (the company is not), the building I used to live in is there (though no longer an apart-hotel).  Sections of town like Bellavista or Calle Suecia are still there and still retain an air of what I remembered – whew!  

All in all, the residential areas that I used to know still have that quiet air around them.  The people are still interesting but not obnoxious.  After eating at Eladio’s in Calle Pio Nono in Bellavista, I can say the food is:  still excellent.   And after a good bottle, I can say the wine: still good.  I still would not mind living here after all this growth and change!

But the one constant that truly tells me I have come back is the mountains at the edge of the city.  Those mountains with the snowcapped tops that used to greet me every morning when I would wake up are still there and like will be there way after I am gone.  I have come “home” after all.

Back to Chile

It has been a while since I write on the blog.  It has been a busy time as I have been on job search.  But, that period is coming to an end and, lo and behold, my next job will start with a business trip to Chile. 

Lo and behold for many reasons.  One, though the job is in the States, my first day will take place visiting the Chilean operations of the company.  Two, I could only have dreamt that my next job had an international angle to it but it turns out it produces that angle from the get-go.  And three, I worked in Chile back in 1991 greatly enjoying the place, the lifestyle, and the people and, yet, I never got to go back (I did try).  It has been a long 18 years and I finally get to fulfill the desire to go back.  Will El Tallarin Gordo still serve as good a meal as it did back then (I do know it exists still thanks to the Internet)?  Does Pollo al Coñac still exist in Lo Barnechea?  Will I get to visit Los Dominicos again to make some purchases of Chilean arts and crafts?  Does the Pizza Hut near the offices where I worked still exist?  Does Coppola still serve wonderful ice cream?  (notice most of these are about food!)

I do not have to wonder about re-connecting with my friends as we managed to re-connect after that odd period between 1991 and the late 90s bridging over the period when people did not have emails or laptops to the new highly connected world of today with email, Facebook, Skype, etc.  I will get to see my friends and, by now, their kids.  I also hope to do at least a quick drive-about the old hangouts for memories’ sake.  Always healthy for me. 

I do expect Santiago to be totally transformed.  I was there in the aftermath of Pinochet as Chile was beginning to come of age after the close of 2 decades of Pinochet.  Chile was under a construction boom at the  time and I hear that boom kept on going years after I left.  What was new then (e.g., the Hyatt) will be rather old by now.

I long to eat palta York.  Drink a Chilean pisco sour.  Eat one of those Chilean sandwiches whose main ingredient is mayonnaise, then the bread, and then a filet of pork.  Oh, and Chilean wine, of course.  I long to see the amazing Andes, which greeted me every morning when I woke up as my bedroom faced these magnificent mountains and I left my curtains open at night so I could have them be the first thing I saw every morning…

With these random thoughts I wrap up this entry.  I will certainly write more once I am there and share my observations and reflections of a city likely transformed since I last saw it.  Yet, I hope I will feel as if I were going back home after a long exile…

If anyone has recommendations of good places to eat these days from hole-in-the-walls to nicer places, please share.  Though I won’t be able to spend time sightseeing per se, drop your suggestions on that too as it may help others!  Vamos po’!

Climbing Croagh Patrick – An Ancient Irish Pilgrimage

Having walked the Camino de Santiago, I am always searching for opportunities to embark on other pilgrimages – big or small. I found one such opportunity on a recent vacation to Ireland. In addition to visiting Athone, Galway, Kilkenny, and Dublin (including attending a U2 concert!), my wife and I joined 20,000 other people on an ancient pilgrimage called the Croagh Patrick.

Located a few miles outside of the west coast Irish town of Westport, the Croagh Patrick is the name of the mountain as well as the famous pilgrimage that occurs there.  According to Christian tradition, St. Patrick climbed the mountain and fasted there for forty day in AD 441, after which he banished the snakes and demons from all of Ireland. Today, as many as one million pilgrims climb the mountain throughout the year- with 20,000-30,000 making the trek on “Reek Sunday” – the last Sunday in July.  Reek Sunday coincided with our vacation so of course we were compelled to do the pilgrimage on this day!

Reek Sunday for Wendy and I began around 8am in Dublin, where we took a taxi to the airport to pick up our rental car.  The highway traffic was very light so we were able to reach Westport by 11:00am…we followed the signs for Croagh Patrick and after another 15 minutes of driving, we were at the foot of the mountain.  Thousands of people had already converged on the area – there were food and craft vendors, religious activists handing out flyers, and the Garda (Irish police) directing traffic. We pulled into one of many large grassy fields and paid 5 Euros to park. “OK”, I said to Wendy, “let’s go do our penance for the day.”

The weather was cold and a light rain was falling, but we were somewhat prepared with our waterproof jackets and hiking poles! I say “somewhat” because the pilgrimage actually turned out to be quite difficult – the light rain at times became a torrential downpour with strong gusts of wind- the kind of wind that turns rain drops into bullets that sting your face and hands and make loud smats as they bounce off of your jacket…at times it was necessary to stop for a few minutes, standing with your back to the wind.  In addition to the weather, two other factors made the pilgrimage difficult.

First, the terrain itself – the first half was a moderately sloping, well worn dirt and rock path that was easily navigated; however, the second half was a much steeper, broad pathless collection of football sized rocks  – the kind which shift easily…on a sunny day this terrain is difficult, but on a rainy day it becomes downright treacherous!

Second, the shear number of pilgrims hiking the mountain added to the difficulty. The newspaper indicated approximately 20,000 people were on Croagh Patrick at the same time we were. Some were in front of us, some were behind us, some were coming down as we were going up, and visa versa. With so many people, there was a fair amount of “stop and go” dynamic. We also had to be watchful of the “rolling rocks” unwittingly dislodged by those scrambling up in the mountain in front of us. 

Despite the difficulties, Wendy and I persevered and after 3 hours of huffing and puffing – driven by our own determination, our faith and yes – perhaps a little insanity – we reached the summit! We were greeted by one of the more intense rain and wind storms…and near zero visibility.  The summit was a flattened area that housed a simple white stone chapel (unfortunately it was not open for worship) – the chapel had a sort of glass bay window where the Arch Bishop says mass to the shivering crowds – we just missed the last mass for the day…as a consolation, we bought an 8 dollar can of sprite from a make shift tent store.  We sat down on a rock overlooking the bay below and ate our snack of cheese, crackers, and chocolate we packed. Occasionally, we were treated to crystal clear glimpses of Clew Bay below – multiple shades of blue and green – very beautiful!  

Coming down the mountain was in many ways even more challenging than going up – due to the steep declines and shifting rocks and mud…but I’ll spare you the details…suffice it to say, Wendy and I slipped and fell on our backsides more than once – but we were unharmed thankfully…oh and then there was the time we were stopped on the trail while the Order of Malta mountain rescue team placed several people into a military helicopter for evacuation to the hospital.

We reached the bottom of the mountain around 4pm – we were soaking wet and covered with mud, but we both felt a great sense of accomplishment.  And as an act of penance, we were also hopeful that our hard work had gotten us – as we heard one pilgrim say – “a little bit closer to Heaven…” Wendy and I pondered the day’s experience on the long drive back to Dublin where a hot shower, dry clothes, and a soft bed awaited us.

If you’ve hiked the Croagh Patrick, share your experiences here! Likewsie, if you have any questions, please ask!

A Wonderful Spot in the Northeast – New Hampshire

What did I know about New Hampshire before I went there? Well, an uncle was born there. A high school friend (and NH resident) boasted about the natural beauty. A place where folks have an independent spirit. Somewhere crunched in New England. No, I had never heard of the old man rock nor of its recent demise.  I also did not know how sensitive a topic this was!  After hanging on to an invitation from my friend for a few years, the opportunity materialized to actually go for more than a 3 day weekend so I went for it.

Getting There

Getting to my friend’s place in Intervale would require a bit of coordination and a few different means of transportation.  However, it was easy and quite comfortable.  (Perhaps my recent trip down under from Atlanta would make any other trip seem easy!)  At Logan (Boston), I was able to catch a very comfortable coach that would take me north to Portsmouth, NH where my friend would pick me up and then drive close to another 2 hrs to get to their place.  (If you do take the coach, buy the ticket online as you cannot buy it from the driver and will have to stand in line when you get to the destination as they take your driver’s license away to ensure you pay!)

Portsmouth

While the plan was not to go sightseeing in Portsmouth, it was after lunch and neither of us had had lunch.  After grabbing a quick bite to eat, we walked around the downtown area of Portsmouth.  It was a charming town and perhaps because of the beautiful day the town was teeming with people walking about and soaking up the sun.

A Mountain Biking Marathon?  That Is Nuts!  But Fun

My friend’s husband and oldest son were to participate in what I consider a mountain biking marathon called the 24 Hours of Great Glen (right by Mt. Washington) where individuals and teams bike -in theory- for 24 hours solid with the individual and team making the most laps winning.  The other son served as the videographer and my friend and I acted as groupies, I suppose.  It was definitely something I had not seen before and I greatly enjoyed the atmosphere at the event and seeing folks come down the intimidating “Chute” where I think I would even worry if I had to WALK it down!  My friend’s son and his team did awesome and won their category – way to go Slow and Steady Gets Eaten by a Bear!  (I think the team name itself guaranteed their success.)

Nature – Rivers, Waterfalls, and Mountains

So, for all these years, my friend kept telling me to go around July or August so I could get in the river.  Well, it was not just one river nor were they just rivers.  The rivers had all sorts of rock formations and waterfalls which means you not only got in and got wet but you got to climb around rocks and even throw yourself down “natural water slides” letting the current take you down whether with an inner tube or without one.  I tried the latter though I admit it took me a little bit to summon of the courage.  But before any of that were possible I had to accept and tolerate the FRIGID waters!   Wow, the water was so cold my feet hurt!  But, of course, nature takes its course so as soon as my feet were sufficiently cold, I no longer felt anything which facilitated continuing my entry into the waters.  My friend managed to take some rather unflattering pix of me in the process of getting in and jumping in which I will most certainly not be loading here

We also drove to the Mt. Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods (famous for being where the IMF was created) – a very impressive structure in an even more impressive natural setting!  The drive there though was just as impressive and we even saw a moose roadside minding its business, whatever moose business is about.

In all, I have to admit being very impressed at the natural beauty and the amount of places to see and explore in New Hampshire.  Places to hike, places to get wet, places to swim, places to sit and soak nature in.  How did I never hear about this (friend aside)??  Is someone trying to keep this a secret?  I think there is likely a conspiracy here somewhere…

Old Friends, New Friends and a Discovery

Topping the weekend off was meeting some of my friends’ friends and going to one of their places to eat a wonderful lobster paella.  Good food, good setting (a house by a river), and great folks.

I also discovered a place of wonder called Patch’s.  A gas station-cum-small-diner-cum-post-office – a veritable all in one.

Getting to hang out with old friends, getting to know their kids much older than last time I saw them (2000!), and enjoying the natural beauty of NH made for a perfect 5 day trip and great memories.  I wonder what the rest of NH is like – perhaps I will get to find out in a future trip!

Gatlinburg, Tennessee

I came to Gatlinburg to spend a week with family touring the area. By far, it is the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP) that has been my favorite. The towns around here are geared to tourists, which makes sense, but they seem to cater more to the tourist shoppers or folks attracted to wax museums, believe it or not museums, etc. Not necessarily bad things but, having seen some of those in the past, that is no longer what I seek to experience when seeing a new area. I could come to this part simply to enjoy nature and skip the towns happily.

The Great Smoky Mountain National Park

The GSMNP, however, is exactly what I seek. As in my trip to Tasmania, discovering “new” types of nature is something I enjoy, even if on this trip I am not able to go on longer hikes than 30 minutes would fit. As my parents are with us, they can only do fairly flat hikes and nothing that takes more than 45 mins round trip (or so). Fortunately, the GSMNP can be enjoyed by everyone as there are many types of stops, short hikes, scenery along the road, and even great history.

As a lover of history, getting exposed to that along with great scenery is a fantastic combination and use of my time (if I focus on efficiency for a sec!). The Cades Cover area and the Roaring Forks area show great examples (real, not built for the purpose) of how people lived 80-150 yrs ago in this wilderness. The Bales farm, the John Oliver cabin, the Cable Mill, the various churches in Cades Cove, etc. are all great examples of the type of life that took place here in times long gone. Life here was hard though one can over-romanticize it in these times of concrete cities, 100mph lifestyles, etc. Everything seems very peaceful – yet these folks had to work day and night to survive. I especially enjoyed looking at how the structures were constructed following methods no longer in use, even in wooden frame houses. These structures still stand today as witnesses to a not-too-distant past that seems ages ago…

The Carter Shields cabin

Detail of the construction

From the house we rented on a mountaintop overlooking Gatlinburg, we can see the GSMNP and it is amazing how at every time of the day, we get a different view as the sun moves across the sky and hits the mountains at different angles. It is simply breathtaking.

Morning view

Late afternoon view

And if you look carefully around the deck of the house, you may even get to see a rabbit… or a black bear.

Visiting Cairo – and Feeling Cairo

I am fortunate to have visited Cairo two times:  once in 1998 and then in 2006.  The first with friends and the second for work.

A First-Timer in Cairo in 1998
The first time, I joined 4 friends on a trip to Egypt about 2 weeks before they were to depart due to an opening in my work schedule in between projects.  There were no pre-defined itinerary or arrangements except the plane ticket and the hotel for the first night in Cairo as we were landing at night.  I didn’t fly with them as I was using miles to get there so I flew from Atlanta via Newark, Paris, and Istanbul to get to Cairo (I was going to visit Istanbul after Egypt).  The first thing that struck me as I got off the airplane and walked the steps was the smell of burning wood, followed quickly by the sense of being in a dry place!

My friends and I were supposed to meet at the airport (I was arriving after they did) but, when I got there, my friends were nowhere to be found.  Eventually, I was taken by a customs (or was it immigration?) official eager to take me to his cousin’s taxi business (funny how that works…).  I got his “cousin” to let me use his phone to ring our hotel in Cairo – my friends were already there!  What happened?  The airport had 2 different terminals and we had landed on opposite ones so they ended up going to the hotel.  I ended up riding with the customs official’s cousin who, try as he did, could not hit a pedestrian…

I will admit that I was uncharacteristically anxious being there for my first time.  It was the year after the massacre of tourists at Queen Hatshepsut’s temple in Luxor where many were gunned down execution style (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairo_Citadel).  It took the first full day of being in the city to get past this initial anxiety.  People’s friendliness made me feel welcome and comfortable and pretty soon I was back to normal mode:  ready to explore!

We decided to not spend too much time in Cairo but did want to see the essentials.  As happens to most tourists, we were offered a camel ride to see the Pyramids “from behind” by first being taken to someone’s store or house (hard to tell the difference) where we were swayed to hire them with tea and plenty of smiles and friendliness.  Riding the camels was a fun ride but they ride differently than horses…  However, we did not see the Pyramids up close so we were left still wanting to do that. We tried again the next day to get close to the Pyramids by hiring horses to get us there.  I emphasized to our guide that if I didn’t touch the Pyramids, I would not pay – I really wanted to make sure we didn’t get cheated again from seeing them up close.  So he made my horse gallop super fast either to pay me back for being demanding or to make sure he could get us further than he had planned in the time he had!

Yet Another Photo of the Pyramids

Next on the list:  The Mohammed Ali Mosque in The Citadel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairo_Citadel) which was spectacular (as was the Citadel itself).  For sure, one of the best places to see!

Mohamed Ali Mosque, Cairo

We visited the Egyptian Museum which, as you can imagine, have some neat things to show from pharaonic times for those who enjoy the topic.  We also hired a car to drive us to Saqqara, a step pyramid south of the city.  The site was worth the trip but the drive to it also allowed us to see life outside of the city (e.g., bread being made on a wood burning “stove” by the side of the road).

The end of our stay in Cairo came quickly and we took the overnight train which would take us to the southern city of Aswan.

Cairo Re-Visited

I returned to Cairo on business to attend a conference with colleagues from around the world.  Having gone once and checked out the main sights, it was actually very nice to return and not feel the pressure of visiting a must-see list of places.  Instead, we discovered hole-in-the-wall places to eat at, hired a boat for a group of us to cruise up and down the Nile, visited Khan el-Khalili (the bazaar or souk), and sipped tea at a local tea shop.  It was a very nice way to enjoy Cairo and just be.

I did add to my list of visited sites the Old City (which I missed the first time there) where we got to see the mosque, the Church of St. George, the Hanging Church, and the Ben Ezra Synagogue.  However, this was not a matter of just visiting important sites as I had always been curious about Coptic Egypt.  I really liked the Old City as it was loaded with history and meaning.

Some assorted pictures from the sightseeing…

At a Local Tea Shop

Church of St. George

A Scene from Khan el-Khalili

Note what this waiter has in his hand as he crosses the street in front of us!

Fresh Bread Being Taken from a Bakery around Khan el-Khalili

Cairo – Always Something New to Experience
My second trip differed significantly from the first in many ways but Cairo offered me great experiences both times. The city itself awes you as it teems with so many people, so many cars, and so many sounds (and do watch out for those cars!). It can be initially daunting but then, if you let yourself wander a little and soak life in, say, at a local tea shop, you can begin to see beyond the main things that draw us to go there in the first place – really get a feel for the tempo of and life in this fascinating city.

A Very Southern City – Dunedin

Well, by southern I mean “geographically”.  It was the southernmost city I visited in New Zealand and I was expecting it to be frigid but, mercifully, it was not. In fact, we had some really beautiful days though one morning we had minor rain.

Dunedin with about 130,000 inhabitants is quite a pleasant town to explore.  It has Scottish roots but, never having been to Scotland, they were not as easy for me to identify.  However, I enjoyed the town as it was quite walkable – except for the steep hills!  Dunedin sits by the water but it is surrounded by hills.  The city’s area includes the slopes of these hills where many neighborhoods are located.  It is a nice drive to go up to higher ground and see the old houses as the road curves along, while looking down on the city.  But having walked a few of these streets, I can certify they are steep!  In fact, Dunedin does lay claim to the steepest street in the world and I am not surprised.

Not the steepest street I saw

The world's steepest street

During my visit, I explored the Otago Museum right by the university.  It is a very nice museum (and free to boot!).  It is an excellent place to take the kids.  http://www.otagomuseum.govt.nz/

I also took tours of the Cadbury factory (also good for the kids) where they kept giving us different chocolate bars along the way (not all were to my liking as they were mainly milk chocolate based and I am a dark chocolate fan) as they showed us how chocolate is made (very interesting) and of the Speight’s brewery (where, of course, we sampled their beer – very nice!  sure, why not, also good for the kids! lol ).

Dunedin’s railway station is a piece of art onto itself, both the exterior and the interior, and a must-see if you visit.

Railway station

Finally, the main street itself has a good number of places to eat as well as places to shop so walking it up and down a couple of time is certainly worth it.

Main street

I found Dunedin to be quite charming and the people friendly.  I am not sure how cold it gets in the winter being so far south but I counted my blessings of not finding out in person!

Random Observations during Trip to Australia and New Zealand

As I used to do when my writing was in email form to friends and family, I am going to share some of the random things I observed that caught my attention.  These are not earth-shattering observations or anything that is better or worse in the places I visited than what I am used to, just things that caught my eye.  I always find it interesting to hear what others find curious so I will share what I found curious…  Hope no one takes offense!

1. I arrive in Sydney, my first main stop in the trip.  After surviving the strict customs and health things they do at the airport, I leave the secured zone and what is the first thing I see?  Krispy Kreme.  Don’t get me wrong, nothing wrong at ALL with a KK doughnut.  But I travel halfway around the world and the first thing I see is an outlet of a doughnut chain founded in the southeastern U.S. where I live!
2. Alright, I get past KK (without stopping), handle a few things (ATM, buying SIM card, etc.) and eventually get to my friends’ place (a train and a metro ride away – plus a short hike).  I shower, unpack somethings, and venture out to combat jet lag.  But first, let me load up on caffeine!  I look around and there are coffee shops EVERYWHERE!  I did not know Aussies were so into coffee.  Not that it should surprise me, coffee is good but there were coffee shops not just in every corner but in between corners and multiple ones at almost every corner.  Wow.  That’s a serious devotion of coffee.
3. So I pick one coffee shop – a hard thing to do with so many around.  I ask for a coffee.  I get a blank stare.  I repeat myself.  The young woman has an accent (eastern European, perhaps) so I assume my own accented English is too new to her ears.  I repeat my request “a coffee, please”.  She asks if cappuccino, latte, or flat white.  I didn’t want either of the first two and the third option sounded like a cup of milk – just white, flat white, only milk.  I say no I just want coffee.  It occurs to me that perhaps I needed to explain that I meant coffee with nothing else.  I get a blank stare.  Eventually, the other clerk joins us and I repeat the last statement.  I succeed in getting black coffee.  I wasn’t sure what the deal was but, heck, I got my black coffee.  Only to discover it was horrible.  And then it dawns on me: perhaps black coffee here is not as good as say, PR, France, Italy, hence they must always add some amount of milk and/or foam.  Got it.  But I still didn’t know how I should have asked for black coffee… Nor did I get what a flat white was… (until later).
4. It is not “how are you doing?” but “how are you going?”.  At first, I wanted to say by bus or by train until I caught on.
5. In a many places I went to eat, you order up at the bar and then sit down and they will bring your food.  The cool thing about this is that you can pay when you order so after you are done eating, you just get up and go.  In some places that felt normal but in others that were more like restaurants, I lfelt like I was bolting without paying, except I had already paid.  I like this approach as it saves time since you don’t have to play that game of “I am ready for the check”, then wait to get it, then lay down $ or credit card, and wait for it to be picked up, etc.
6. There are these “stores” called TAB in Australia.  I wasn’t quite sure what they were and my friends explained they are sports betting places.  Mind you, not glitzy or big like casinos (they have those too) but like small stores.  And they can be quite a common sight in Sydney and Melbourne – one every couple of blocks?  (an exaggeration on my part but it felt like that!)
7. Air travel is a breeze here.  Not sure if that is good or bad but for domestic flights, just show up 30 minutes beforehand.  Security doesn’t even require shoes off.  My belt and shoes set off most US airports’ machines.  Not here.  Nada.
8. Driving:  in some places, it felt like these were the best drivers in the world and, in others, pretty bad.  No locations shall be named…
9. The times I ordered salads, not once did I see regular plain lettuce.  I love these countries!
10. More than a couple of times, I think I was fed some mis-information by eager-to-share-knowledge guides.  Like Lake Taupo being the largest lake in the southern hemisphere.  It IS the largest freshwater lake in Oceania (616 km2) but that is a far cry from Lake Victoria (69,485 km2)…  Another was the “world’s longest bridge” somewhere between Dunedin and Christchurch…  I didn’t buy either of these claims but I wonder how many I “bought”!  Now, I am sure Dunedin DOES have the world’s steepest street (it is so according to the Guinness Book of Records, I checked).
11. Constant references to something being the x-most in the southern hemisphere.  It felt like everything wanted to claim something.  Best example:  the Christchurch airport signs telling the travelers that the company that runs the airport was the 1st airport company in the southern hemisphere to become carbon neutral.  I was wondering when we were landing…
12. Rainfall in the north island is measured in inches but in the west part of the south island, it is measured in meters!  (I am raising this not because they used different measurement systems when giving me these data points but because it points to the significant difference in rainfall amount.)
13. Train restrooms were clean (as opposed to those in many other countries I have been to).
14. Power outlets have a small switch immediately next to them to turn them on.  If you don’t realize this, that electric razor you are trying to charge up won’t be doing anything the next morning!
15. Upon arriving at a motel or B&B, the person at reception ALWAYS offered me milk.  It took me a while to develop a solid theory on why (outside of “they just love drinking milk here perhaps”):  since it was winter and the rooms had electric kettles, maybe it was in case I wanted tea/milk or coffee/milk?
16. Many places had windows with 2 positions for closing the window.  One was to entirely shut it but the other was to leave a slight crack open yet have the window locked.  It was hard to see that the windows were slightly ajar.  At first, I wondered why motel rooms had a draft…  I figured it out on my own, thank you very much.
17. Every motel or B&B I stayed at had towel warmers.  I loved that since it was very cold.
18. Airlines had a bit of an obsession that the safety card in the seatback pocket must always be the first thing in the pocket.  Before landing, flight attendants requested this and/or would fix it for you if they noticed the items in the pocket were not in the right order…
19. Public restrooms in every town’s central area!  And easy to find!

Criss-crossing New Zealand

Besides flying into and out of the country and riding the TranzAlpine train, buses (or coaches) were my main mode of travel. I was surprised that trains were not talked about much in my readings about how to move about the country but it seems buses are the main way to get around (outside of driving).

Backtracking a little, I did not sign up for a standard guided tour but instead bought a package of transportation and accommodations based on the places I wanted to visit. The agency that helped me basically ensured the places were sequenced in a logical manner and handled the synchronization of schedules when connections were required or when special linkages to other events were needed. The package also included a couple of main attractions (like the ferry ride through Milford Sound). I really liked the idea of an independent tour, as they are called, since I wasn’t looking forward to the “confines” of a guided tour nor of driving around solo.

The “Bus/Coach Experience”

I was not sure what to expect from taking a bus around and in between towns. I was not expecting a regular public transportation bus (as I know them in the U.S. and Europe) but also was not expecting a major tour bus type. These inter city type of buses (InterCity seems to be the largest bus company around but there are others affiliated with tour companies) pretty much go everywhere and are fairly comfortable. Many will have a restroom (or “toilet”) on board and, if not, they will make frequent stops every couple of hours or so for nature breaks, food breaks, and even some photo opps. The drivers for these buses will even do some narration of what you are looking at or going through which was a very nice surprise so that you could understand better the land you are observing. Some of these drivers were a veritable fountain of facts and knowledge! The buses were also on time and some even picked you up/dropped you off at your hotel. In researching the options, there were buses that seemed to be focusing on college-aged tourists – I sensed as much and stayed away from those as I am well past that age. Make sure you understand the focus of any bus company you choose!

Following a Circuit

Another curious thing about doing an independent tour and using the bus system to get around in the south island is that, more likely than not, you are really following a circuit that goes something like this with variations possible: Christchurch, Greymouth, glaciers, Queenstown, Milford Sound, Te Anau, Dunedin, and back to Christchurch. Some of the variations include the Catlins, Invercargill, Stewart Island and a few other places at the very south and very north of the island. (I didn’t do the same type of travel in the north island so I am not as familiar with what a good circuit might be there.)

The neat thing for me was that I began to run into the same people at different stages of the circuit (people who were going counterclockwise on that circuit; the opposite direction is also possible!). Sometimes we would be in the same bus 2 or 3 places in a row. Sometimes we broke the sequence only to reconnect later in the trip. It took at least a couple of times of coinciding before really chatting them up. And I actually enjoyed running into the same people later in the trip. Grace from NJ, Chris from London, the Lees from Hong Kong, a couple from Delhi, etc. were some of those folks I ran into a few times. I also did meet other folks whom I only saw at one spot but got to chat or hang out (Ben from Tamworth and Ryan from Melbourne).

Finally, because of the various stops the buses make, you get to see a couple of smaller towns even if for a short 30 minute walk. We are talking small towns (the largest I reckon was about 4,000 people) so 30 minutes gets you at least a peek at the town center which is better than a drive-by. If you like seeing small towns, clearly driving around would be better as you can decide how long to stay somewhere but I enjoyed seeing places like Wanaka (on the shore of Lake Hawea and somewhere I would stay instead of Queenstown if I ever return!), and Hokitika near Greymouth.

So, among the various good ways to travel the country, the bus system gets a thumbs up. And you will never be a total stranger to everyone while going around NZ!

The North Island of New Zealand

When I planned my trip, I decided based on my interests and what was on offer to spend more time in the south island than in the north island.  However, this does not mean the north island lacks places to explore.  I left the visit to the north island for the last 4 days of my month-long trip down under making Auckland my base and then traveling around the center of the island to visit places like the Waitomo glowworm caves (incredible!), Rotorua, Taupo, Huka Falls, and the geothermal fields.  There was so much to see that even 2 days for these sites was a bit rushed.

I noticed a few differences between the two islands during my visit.  Clearly, the north island is more densely populated (this does not mean it feels crowded) and there was more evidence of human presence along the roads traveled in that part of the north island whereas the south island felt more vast and empty.  Also, the presence of the Maori culture was much more evident in the north island than it was in the parts of the south island that I visited.  Finally, the north island also seems to have more going on in terms of volcanoes and geothermal activity but the south island has the more extreme mountain scenery (the Southern Alps, glaciers, fiords).

Meeting the Maori Culture for the First Time

One of the highlights for me of the north island was to get a small peek at Maori culture by visiting the Auckland Museum (highly recommend it) and one of the cultural visits in the Rotorua area.  It was great to understand better the songs and dances of the Maori, including the scary “haka” that I was familiar with only through watching the All Blacks rugby team in action!

Sample Maori meeting hall - being greeted when we arrived

Maori dance performance

Hot Lava, Anyone?

Another highlight for me was visiting the geothermal fields and understanding why those fields exist and are so active – the area is a very “alive” volcanic area.  I visited a few sites where I saw geysers and thermal pools.  The Artists Palette and the Champagne Pool were my favorite among the various famous sites near Taupo.  But everywhere you looked, you could see a column of steam coming off the ground, not only in the areas set up for visitors but just about anywhere you looked.  I have never seen anything like that before!  Of course, along with all this comes a strong “aroma” of sulphur.

One of the pools

Part of the Artists Palette pool

Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating too much so I did not get a good view of the lakes in the area.  It rained a good bit the weekend I was in the north island so I am sure that kept me from enjoying some nice views.

Auckland

In Auckland itself, I limited myself to the Auckland Museum and the Maritime Museum, and to do a very long walk around the central business district, Ponsonby (where I stayed) and “K” road (Karangahape is the proper name).  While the central business district had some neat architecture that I assume is early 20th century, it was the districts of Parnell and Ponsonby that seemed to have more of the charming feel.  I did not explore beyond this central core of the city so there is likely more than I got to see.  For instance, the central business district waterfront area is only a fraction of the coastline that is available to the city, which is bounded on one side by the Pacific Ocean and on the other by the Tasman Sea.

Auckland definitely felt very different than everything else I had seen in NZ in the trip.  It is the most populous city in NZ (around 1.3 million residents out of the 4.something in the entire country).  By comparison, the next largest city I visited, Christchurch, has about 350,000 residents.   After spending a week in the southern half of the south island, coming to Auckland required a bit of an adjustment!

Other Areas

Among the many things I did not see but heard were worth seeing were the Coromandel Peninsula, the city of Wellington, islands off Auckland like Waiheke, the areas on the north of the north island, etc.  It seems, therefore, that I need to return to NZ to complete my visit

Experiencing Majestic Fiordland

A Question

For some reason, fjords here in New Zealand are fiords.  No time to google it.  Just sharing…  In any event, I left Queenstown early in the morning to see the wonderful site that is Milford Sound in the southwest corner of the south island of New Zealand.  As the bird flies, this should have taken, I don’t know, an hour or two.  However, there is no direct route so we had to drive all around the lake by Queenstown – a VERY long lake – and backtrack to get to Milford Sound.  This took about 5 hrs or so (I am guesstimating, my memory begins to confuse the segments’ durations…).  I wondered why they would not just build a more direct route since Queenstown is such a popular destination in NZ for skiing and adventure (the adventure capital of the world, or is it of the southern hemisphere??), and Milford Sound is high on the list of must-sees in NZ.

The Answer?  (Or My Theory of It)

Well, the question answered itself along the way.  The trek to get to Milford Sound is the most beautiful of all the road scenery I had seen in the trip.  You are, the last part of the way, driving on a road flanked on either side by a mountain range with snow-capped peaks.  But I am not talking about far in the distance you see some mountains.  No, they are right next to you!

The drive, needless to say, was spectacular.  We passed a few mountains (Mt. Christina which in my mind was spelled Mt. Cristina as it made me think of my cousins named Cristina, all 3 of them; and Mt. Talbott where Sir Edmund Hillary trained for his eventual climb to Mt. Everest).  Right by Mt. Talbott we entered a tunnel where ice stalactites had formed due to water seepage and some of these would fall on the roof of the bus as we passed – quite loud and it took us all by surprise!

The well-named Mirror Lake

The zone was beginning to show the effects of the arrival of winter.  The contrast between how the zone looks in winter vs. how it looks in summer must be incredible to see.  (Mental note:  I need to go back in late spring or summer.)

Winter begins

During this drive, we passed the divide of the south island and the vegetation clearly became more rainforest-like as we went west over the divide.  It was neat to see the contrast.

One interesting note is that, in this area, tree avalanches are possible.  The trees along these mountains can’t develop a root system (if I recall correctly) that goes deep enough onto the mountain sides so the trees’ roots intermingle not only underground but above ground.  If a tree dies, the overall root system weakens.  With enough of this and high winds and entire group of trees can fall and it becomes a cascade of trees all the way down from wherever the avalanche started.  We saw a couple of such avalanche sites and basically you can see, just like with a mudslide, the entire section where the trees rolled down.  We were told one time it took 2 weeks to re-open the road below!

The Sound

Milford Sound is a fiord that takes about 45 minutes to traverse in one direction until it hits the open seas (this would depend on boat speed).  One can go in one of the boats that take tourists or kayak some of the way.  The former was the way I did it and I enjoyed taking in the views, seeing the waterfalls that dot the very vertical faces of the mountains along the fiord (I still want to spell it fjord; Norway on my mind?).  The Mitre mountain is the one typically shown on pictures of Milford Sound.  It is called “Mitre” because it resembles the hat of the same name worn by bishops/cardinals.  Unlike some fiords elsewhere, these are part of a national park and there is no development or habitants in the fiord.

Heading out on the boat

Along the cruise we took, we saw seals and dolphins, the latter quite playful, following the boat, turning on the side as they swam with us, etc.  The place had a peacefulness to it that made me want to kayak it on my own, just looking around and enjoying this wonderful corner of earth called Fiordland.

The playful dolphins of the sound

Milford Sound, as far as I understand, is just one corner of the Fiordland region.  Now I want to come back and spend the same amount of time I spent in the south island in the Fiorland region!  So much to see and do, so little time…

Breath-taking!

The Adventure Capital of the World – Queenstown

Queenstown’s claim to fame, perhaps among others, is that bungy jumping was invented not far from the town.  By now, taller and scarier jumps have been created in Queenstown and elsewhere but that original bungy jump exists in the same bridge.

Now, I am not sure if Queenstown is indeed the adventure capital of the world.  For instance, I thought me eating guinea pig in Lima would make Lima the adventure capital of the world, for me at least.  But there is definitely plenty of adrenaline-pumping activities all around town as well as the more traditional and sensible activities of skiing and snowboarding.  I heard people talking about the different things they did while there an dhow much they paid and I concluded (not rocket science!) that the reputation of the city as adventure capital certainly helps the city with revenues as these adventures are not cheap!

I arrived in Queenstown at the start of the winter season after crossing a good but of the west coast of the south island from Franz Josef.  It was a beautiful drive with the only issues being some black ice once we left the coastline and headed inland – it was cold!!!  The west coast is less populated than the east coast of the south island and it showed.  Very few towns, very small if they existed.

Queenstown seemed like a metropolis after my passing through Greymouth, staying at Franz Josef, and seeing the small towns along the west coast.  We did pass some inland towns that were a little more substantial with Wanaka being one of the nicest ones (on the shores of Lake Wanaka).  It seems to attract similar type of tourists as Queenstown for skiing and other activities but it is smaller and retains a smaller town feel to it.  I would not have minded staying there and exploring…  Anyhow, back to telling you about Queenstown.  It was littered with skiers and snowboarders and all the types of businesses that cater to this crowd (average age must have been 20!).  I could have been anywhere in ski country USA – the town had that type of feel to it.  My motel was a walk away from the center of town but was very adequate and the staff was great.  As far as places to eat, I was surprised at how good a semi-hidden joint on The Mall was.  Its name was Chico’s Bar and Grille and the beef and venison pie was simlpy outstanding!  The Peregrine Saddleback pinot noir was a nice wine to drink with it.

A view from a square by the lake

My “Adventure”

So what adventurous activity did I undertake?  Well, all the hiking in Tasmania and at the glacier ruined my left knee to the point that days later even walking hurt.  So I had to drop my plans to ski at one of the two main sites (Coronet Peak or The Remarkables).  I was bummed.  I considered white water rafting but even with a wet suit, I could not stomach the thought of the frigid waters.  It was frigid just walking around – I had not appetite for trying the waters!   I could not just sit around all afternoon so I opted for a float and a massage.  Not adventurous?  Well, the float thing was new to me and it required getting into this sort of enclosed tank and laying there on very salty water floating in the dark for 30 mins.  That was adventurous to me!

I also got to go up the mountain right above town using a gondola for some excellent views of the town, of The Remarkables, and mountains beyond.  I do not know if the skiing is worth the trip down under but certainly viewing The Remarkables made me want to come back and get a shot at their slopes!

The Remarkables range (and an adventurer; I'm very proud of this pic!)

Flying onto and Hiking a Glacier!

The village of Franz Josef on the west coast of the southern island of New Zealand (whew, that’s a long “address” to give for a village) exists to share the Franz Josef glacier with those who want to see it.  This glacier and neighboring Fox glacier are 2 out of 3 glaciers in the world that end in a rainforest and miss getting directly to the ocean by not much!  

Now, there are numerous ways to explore the glacier:  short walks, half-day or full day hikes, heli-hikes, flyovers and perhaps more that I do not know about.  I decided that due to sore knees from earlier hikes that I should not do the full day hike. But then the helicopter ride tempted me as we would start further up the glacier plus we would do all the hiking on the glacier instead of part of it being on normal ground to get to the glacier.  I am always up for such a shortcut when the tradeoff is like this!

The helicopter flight up took less than 10 mins.  I could not tell you how long it took as I was to busy looking out and snapping pictures.  He did fly us to the top before coming back down a bit to drop us off.  In that last segment, the pilot did a nice maneuver where we were almost on our side.  Nice surprise…

Approaching the glacier

The amount of ice is unbelievable and we didn’t really get to see the top field of the glacier which must be quite expansive (and deep!).  We landed – it seems – like 2/3 of the way up the face of the glacier.  A guide had been dropped off earlier to scout the terrain that day (since the glacier moves, etc. they cannot just assume the same area will work from one day to the next) and set up the landing spot for the copter.  Once we landed, he quickly explained a few things to us (like how to use the crampons on our boots to better get a grip on the ice as we walked).  We quickly got the groove of it and began exploring.  The guide would check out the area he wanted to take us through and then we would follow.  Like this, we explored crevasses, mini-caves and open spaces.  The most exhilarating thing was getting deep into a crevasse or mini-cave and be surrounded by beautiful blue ice.  Of course, you always had to be mindful of the floor of crevasses and mini-caves as they could be at any moment just a thin layer of ice and your foot would just go right through to freezing water underneath!  That happened to a couple of folks in the group.  Another solo traveler and I quickly clued in that it would be best if we traded cameras during the hike to snap pix of each other instead of constantly having to ask each other or others “can you take my picture?”  He did a great job of snapping pix away of me with my camera so I have a nice set of pix of me in all sorts of tight spots, etc.!

The guide leading the pack

Me in one of the most vertically tight places we went through

The group

After 2 hours, the helicopter came back for us and took a more direct route down than he took up.  A fellow traveler and I went to grab lunch and celebrate with a beer.  Later that evening, New Zealand was going to be playing a match of rubgy against France so we met up again at one of the few pubs/restaurants in the village to watch with the rest of the visitors.   The place was The Landing and we enjoyed the setup and the friendliness of the wait staff.

I was told that during summer, during peak tourist season, the village can get up to 3,000 visitors in one day.  In winter, the numbers are much lower but I was surprised still at the amount of visitors.  I think that the place is likely just as beautiful in the winter (though colder).  It was not really terribly cold, in fact, we had lunch outdoors that day with no heaters (but still wearing our jackets).  In the evening, it definitely got cold!

There are lots of options when visiting this glacier, or Fox glacier, on what to do.  Cost can be a key factor in choosing the activity but, if you can afford it, by all means do the heli-hike!  You will not regret this way of experiencing nature and the beauty of glacier country in New Zealand!

Melbourne

I arrived in Melbourne on a late Wednesday afternoon from Sydney, after a relatively short flight.  The distances in Australia are enormous and, perhaps, they feel more so because of a lot of vast empty lands in the middle (as opposed to us in the US where we have Kansas in the middle!).  Fortunately, trekking between Sydney and Melbourne does not require traversing the country. My friends in Melbourne live in a penthouse pretty much in the central business district of town, enjoying a view of the Yarra river and the Crown casino.  I think my friend Matt chose this apartment for a reason…

The next morning I made my first stop the information center in Federation Square, a relatively new and modern square next to the Flinders train station by the river.  There I found way more information than I needed but that would have been very helpful had I decided to spend 2 months in Victoria, the state where Melbourne is.  It was very well organized and the folks there were extremely helpful.  My first objective was to see the Great Ocean Road that heads out west from outside Melbourne by the ocean so I scheduled it for the following day.  The road trip ends at the 12 Apostles which are remnants from the mainland that water has eroded over time so they look like massive columns of rock coming out of the water, no longer connected to land.  The number 12 is just used ’cause it sounds cool but now there are <>12 (I don’t even remember how many they said).  In fact, 2 days before I went, one collapsed so I missed ever seeing it – well, I saw it in a pile of rocks. 

Some of the apostles from the helicopter

Close-up of an apostle

The road trip goes through beautiful lands overlooking the ocean, sometimes from cliffs and sometimes from a more flat road.  Along the way we stopped to see wildlife including kangaroos, colorful birds, and koalas all in the wild.  The koalas took the prize in my book – they sleep about 20 hrs a day perched in trees.  They looked fake – so peaceful did they look in their sleep.  Like my sister (love ya).  The Great Ocean Road consumed about 12 hours of my life but it was very much worth it and a must-see. 

Koala in the wild - asleep!

After booking the Great Ocean Road tour, I took advantage of the free bus the city has for tourists to hop on and hop off at the various important sights in the city.  It is a great way to orient oneself in a new city, to see some places that one may decided “check, don’t need to come here”, and to actually get off and visit places that seem interesting or make a note to come back another time.  With this, I discovered the Victoria Market which sold just about everything but, unfortunately, most of the sellers were in the process of closing.  I got a couple of souvenirs and fruits and made my way back to the city center proper.

I did not get to visit the art gallery in Federation Square which I was hoping to see but got to see the Immigration Museum where I gained a good understanding of the Australian immigrants’ story.

Other things I did was enjoy chocolate at the chocolate stores in the arcades (the city center has this beautiful arcades from early last century with shops and that’s where this chocolate shops are).  I also, based on my friends’ recommendations, enjoyed great soup from a little chain store called Blue Bag – the red lentil soup was excellent.

On my final night in Melbourne (and Australia), I got to go to a football/soccer match at the MCG between Australia and Japan.  It was great to be able to watch such a match with the local crowd though that required being careful on leaving as we had to walk through a minefield of a kind… Let’s just say, there seems to have been over-drinking during the match   I got to try one of the famous meat pies during the match which was good but by the time we were done with the match, I was hungry again – should have had 2!   That’s when I tried vegemite – on the salty side but the butter made it better.

Anyway, I have struggled in my mind to compare the cities of Sydney and Melbourne but can’t find a way to properly explain how they felt.  Sydney has the harbor right there which was more in your face than Melbourne’s proximity to the ocean.  Sydney felt fast-paced, Melbourne more laidback.  I enjoyed them both and feel like I need to go back to keep studying what makes them different

New Zealand – Traveling from Christchurch to Franz Josef

In order to get to the village near the Franz Josef glacier on the west coast of NZ, I had to take a train across the mountains in the center of island (which are called unofficially the southern Alps, hence the train is called the Tranz Alpine train). 

This train cuts through the plains of Canterbury where Christchurch is on the eastern side of the southern island and then climbs up to Arthur’s Pass before beginning the descent towards Greymouth, a small town on the western coast where I connected to a bus that would then drive me south to Franz Josef village.

View of the Canterbury terrain

The views were spectacular along the route.  The train had a viewing platform from which one could take pictures without the glare of the train window – but only if one was willing to freeze in the cold wind that hit the platform.

Western side of the island from the train (after crossing the southern Alps)

The train ride was very comfortable and made a stop or two where we were allowed to get out and stretch our legs.  The train ride took about 4.5 hours.

The bus ride was also very interesting.  Bus rides here include the driver providing commentary that is quite good for a tourist.  The bus also makes several stops along the way not just to pick passengers but at some scenic spots for pictures or to take in the view.  It also makes one or two stops depending on the route and duration for people to eat something or go to the local supermarket.  This made the trip quite comfortable as one always had access to food and restrooms!  These, I learned on my next trip in the southern island, were typical of bus rides not just the one from Greymouth to Franz Josef.

I may become redundant at some point but the beauty of the land is incredible.  I have been to many places I have liked and it continues to amaze me how many types of natural beauty there are around the world.  What strikes me about New Zealand’s west coast is how close the different types of terrain are.  The alpine mountains and glaciers almost touch the ocean where rainforests dominate.  It is like Switzerland by the ocean, sort of (the statement probably doesn’t do justice to NZ or Switzerland but it is the best I have come up with so far!).

New Zealand – Arriving in Middle Earth

Alright, I can’t cover all those in one posting but I will start.  I arrived in Christchurch on the eastern coast of the southern island of New Zealand (where Lord of the Rings was filmed; the lands in the movie were called “Middle Earth” for those who may not be familiar with the movie!).  From the plane we flew over the southern Alps, as they are unofficially called.   In this picture, we pass over the highest peaks and you can even see a glacier coming down.

Glacier flowing to lower right corner of pic

It was around 230 PM and we were delayed getting off the plane because a passenger had flu-like symptoms.  Nice.  The health person from the airport had to board the plane and do some kind of test on the passenger before any of us could get off.  I couldnt see exactly what he was doing but after a few minutes of whatever, we were allowed to get off the plane.  The airport claims to be the “top carbon neutral airport company in the southern hemisphere” which I found amusing for a couple of reasons, one of which is the recurrent theme in Australia and NZ of claims about a place being the “—-est” (tallest, biggest, cleanest, etc.) in the “southern hemisphere”.  Considering how little of the world is in the southern hemisphere, these claims almost seem too easy   but, heck, someone’s got to make the claim!

Besides being carbon neutral, the airport is nice and small and it was very easy to just go to the bus stop and catch bus 29 intown.  It dropped me off very close to my bed and breakfast but apparently I signalled “stop” one street too early so I walked an extra block.  No worries, extra exercise. 

The Orari bed and breakfast was in an old house and was very nice.  At 6 PM they cracked open some wine for the guests so I knew I had ample time to walk around before sunset (around 430 PM) and be back to shower, unpack and get some wine.  The room was frigid when I got there though they had turned on the standing heating unit probably just before I arrived.  I thought I would freeze that night but the stnading units (there was another one) and the heating blanket worked really well.  In fact, all too well, I was burning up in the middle of the night and had to turn off the heating blanket!  It was the first time I had used one…  I was very glad with my choice of place to stay due to a great location next to an art museum but otherwise not in the middle of things, yet a short walk away from places to eat, the city center, etc.  Oh, and the staff is great!

The town of Christchurch is called the garden city and I would agree with that although it was the beginning of winter.  The “suburbs” were very nice but also the areas closer to the city center.  The city center itself was manageable and with some key sights to check out.  I strolled down Oxford Terrace by the small river that cuts through the town as there were a lot of restaurants/cafes/pubs along the street and I wanted to scope out where I would have dinner later that night.  I settled for a place called Sticky Fingers where I later got to enjoy a very nice Sauvignon Blanc for Malrborough called Clouday Bay.  The place has a nice smart and modern ambience.  The seating areas was very comfy and next to but separate enough from the bar area.  The food was good but I would not say stellar.  Other restaurants in the strip that caught my attention were Ferment and Liquidity.

New Regent St. in Christchurch

My visit in Christchurch was short and I am going back at the end of my tour of the southern island so I should get to sample another restaurant and sip on the wine at Orari.

In the meantime, on to other entries about my experience in the south island so far!