tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-287583242024-02-22T05:43:49.468+01:00Holey CheesesCheeses with holes, cheeses with mould, cheese that's old, cheese eaten cold, cheeses melted in a pot, or grilled with potatoes, steaming hot, cheeses dried in alpine air, cheeses, cheeses everywhere.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28758324.post-32555470689191579912012-11-14T03:16:00.002+01:002012-11-18T21:00:40.902+01:00Vanuatu: The Adventure Of A Lifetime
This blog post is about my three month sailing voyage with my father Max from Christchurch, New Zealand to Vanuatu and back. The journey was… a maelstrom of experiences. That would make a good title, although it’s not the one I chose. In fact it took some deliberation to decide on a suitable title for this blog post. I even pondered this during the trip, usually during my darker moments. “WorseUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0Vanuatu-15.376706 166.959158-19.293855 161.905447 -11.459557 172.012869tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28758324.post-30032213436203184142012-10-28T02:13:00.000+02:002012-10-28T04:33:41.077+01:00Oz: A brief stopover
My Jetstar flight was delayed, so I landed in Darwin at 1am. I had arranged a pickup with my Couchsurfing host Chris, but only if I arrived on time as he had work the next day. So I slept on the darwin airport floor among my bags. It wasn't comfortable, but at least I wasn't the only one. Chris picked me up at 7am. He'd planned a trip to a cultural aboriginal festival somewhere in the outbackUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0Australia-25.274398 133.775136-49.1116815 93.3454485 -1.4371144999999999 174.2048235tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28758324.post-32895812852576672442012-10-19T11:23:00.001+02:002012-10-19T11:23:43.436+02:00Bali
I didn't like it. No sir, I did not. The land is beautiful, the weather warm, the beaches sandy. But the people? Sadly, I can count the number of locals whose company I enjoyed (mostly couchsurfers) on one hand. There is a single reason for this: tourism. As a white person in Bali you are, in the eyes of most locals, an ATM. I was short-changed almost every time, especially in bars. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Bali, Indonesia-8.4095178 115.188916-9.4147398 113.9254885 -7.4042958 116.45234350000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28758324.post-37049035566892689992012-06-23T06:39:00.002+02:002012-06-25T00:00:20.709+02:00Incompetence level: Jetstar
As many of you have heard, I've been experiencing problems with the Jetstar airline of late. Essentially their administrative team are a joke. In fact, it's so ridiculous that I was inspired to write the whole, more-detail-than-necessary version on the www.dontflyjetstar.com fan-site. Enjoy.
Jetstar incompetence soars to new, dizzying heights.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28758324.post-92147018321175786612012-06-23T02:41:00.000+02:002012-06-23T02:46:13.461+02:00Bikes, Birthdays and Good-byes
We went for a 25km bike ride in the country near Kutina. It was a well organised event and included bike transport by train, snacks, drinks, road marking, police escort, and cultural events and activities at the end. It was attended by hundreds (if not a few thousand) cyclists.
The talky conductor guy
Beer @ wrong way!
I spent two domesticated weeks of sleeping in, hanging out, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Zagreb, Croatia45.814912 15.978514545.637843 15.6626575 45.991981 16.2943715tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28758324.post-56827743401209887492012-06-21T12:11:00.000+02:002012-06-23T00:44:47.992+02:00So long, Spain
Granada
I made port in Algeciras. I was waiting at the bus depot when a policeman approached me and asked for my ID. I handed him my passport. He then asked what was in the bag, referring to Plucky's black travel bag which he then bade me to open. I don't think he was really expecting to see a guitar. :) It's funny how Plucky attracts attention.
The bus took me in the early afternoon to Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Spain40.463667 -3.7492234.283161 -13.856642 46.644173 6.3582019999999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28758324.post-8142207524203462902012-04-15T03:38:00.000+02:002012-04-15T03:55:16.818+02:00Morocco
Day One: Transit
Rising at 6am in Malaga I hiked it to the bus station and rode to Algeciras, then caught a ferry across the strait of Gibraltar. That right there was the extent of my amazing plan. Other than a recommendation from Kevin, an English guy from the hostel in Malaga, that I visit Chefchaouen I had no idea what to do in Morocco. And other than a discussion/slideshow with my Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Morocco31.791702 -7.0926224.895481 -17.200042 38.687923 3.0148019999999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28758324.post-82235755355877674112012-04-11T12:34:00.000+02:002012-04-11T12:59:39.647+02:00To the South of Spain
It was time to continue my journey south. I sought a means of transport to Montpellier and Pédy showed me the French carpooling website covoiturage.fr. I found a ride with a French guy keen to practise his English who was going to visit his girlfriend in Montpellier. We split the fuel and I paid him €20, roughly half the price of the train. Thus:
Rideshare - Lyon to Montpellier: Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Spain40.463667 -3.7492234.283161 -13.856642 46.644173 6.3582019999999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28758324.post-4673276446573206072012-03-14T17:22:00.000+01:002012-03-16T15:42:05.557+01:00The Lead-Up to Lyon
View from Pedy's terrace
Lyon. I arrived on Monday evening by train. I'm staying for nearly a week at my old friend Pedy's flat, who I knew years ago at uni in New Zealand. Yesterday I wandered around the city with one of the flatmates, Diego, who gave me a guided tour of the city. Being an architecture student he was able to tell me a lot about the development of the city.
[edit 16/03/Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Lyon, France45.764043 4.83565945.7197345 4.756695 45.8083515 4.914623tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28758324.post-43331289700269896282012-02-19T13:58:00.001+01:002012-02-19T16:48:00.329+01:00Thailand
As opposed to my traditional chronological
“I-went-here-then-did-this” style of blog, this post will be part rant, part
travel guide, part summary style, detailing my experiences with various topics
and places I have encountered during my three month visit. I’ve had the good
fortune to have seen Thailand from various angles – as a tourist, as a
traveller and to a certain point as a local – Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2Thailand15.870032 100.9925418.0741374999999991 90.885119 23.6659265 111.099963tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28758324.post-33278152197399498102011-11-17T11:31:00.001+01:002012-01-22T16:42:50.391+01:00Nepal
Kathmandu. I spent most of my time in Thamel, the tourist
sector. It’s a congested, hot, dusty overgrown hive of noise and bustle.
Peddlers sell fruit, juice, instruments, kukri knives, antiques and marijuana
off the dusty streets. Merchants beckon you into their garage door-fronts to
sell you clothes, pashminas, antiques, wool-craft, paintings, Buddhist statues
and anything else a tourist Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28758324.post-55371112845497204672011-09-15T11:55:00.001+02:002011-11-17T11:31:24.652+01:00
So, where to begin. At the end of my last post I'd freshly returned from an extended vacation in NZ/Oz and hinted obliquely that I might be heading off someplace again. Without going into tedious detail the idea befell me to go travelling again in September. Actually it was Max's suggestion to go hiking in Nepal, and since I wasn't at all recalcitrant about it... well here I am sitting at 1am inUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28758324.post-90689273423779224772011-04-25T17:08:00.001+02:002011-04-25T23:29:29.183+02:00RotoitiI was dropped outside of bulls and, with heavy heart, said my farewells to Team Spork. Tanja took my tramping boots back to Christchurch for me (bless her), and BJ promised to lovingly babysit my guitar on his journey around the South Island (bless them both). Within five minutes I had hitched a ride to Taupo. The guy who picked me up worked on a land-based drilling rig and was driving hisUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28758324.post-27386773241160154432011-03-17T13:14:00.000+01:002011-03-17T13:14:55.629+01:00I'm currently taking advantage of my uncle's PC and internet connection in Rotiti. Blog time. (Further editing made on a different uncle's computer in Melbourne, but that's just detail.)
A week in ReeftonI spent my week in Reefton with my mum mostly hanging out, writing the previous blog post and playing guitar. We did a two-day walk from Black's Point up to Kirwins mine and back Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28758324.post-60433847592188544602011-02-10T05:28:00.000+01:002011-02-10T05:28:35.917+01:00So I'm here in Reefton with a little time on my hands, and have decided to write a blog update. How did I get here? Guess there are some gaps to fill. Listen - I tell you.
So if we rewind to where we left off - after the Sziget adventure in August. I had a great night out drinking with a last minute Turkish couchsurfer and a local Irish expat in October, did a night hike with the local Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28758324.post-30019611714742912562010-12-22T15:21:00.000+01:002010-12-22T15:21:59.137+01:00The months following the Sri Lanka trip pale in comparison - at least as far as excitement goes. I got home and it was frozen. Work was waiting for me, and life rumbled on at the same pace it had before I'd left. Aside for a tan and some new perspectives it was as though nothing had changed. February and March disappeared into the cold monotonous haze of the Zürich winter never to be seen again. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28758324.post-81378960712754793822010-05-08T17:33:00.055+02:002010-09-18T00:06:20.163+02:00I promised a blog about Sri Lanka right? Well hold onto your sarongs, here it comes. Better late then never, right?
The story begins when Marissa met Sagar. Yadda yadda yadda, they hook up and get married. The wedding is to be in Sri Lanka. They invite friends - this is where I come in. Since they both grew up in NZ, there are a lot of friends - particularly Kiwis. A road trip is to be had, and Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28758324.post-17092484791637632532009-12-27T17:30:00.007+01:002009-12-27T19:05:19.573+01:00I'm not sure whether I've raved over the wonders of Google, the omnicscient, omnipresent cybermonolith. I usually associate those three dysphemisms with evil corporations like Microsoft and recent member to the club, Apple, yet my enthusiasm towards Google remains unchanged. Why? They provide great services to everyone for free. I sit here on the precipice of a new adventure, and decide that it'sUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28758324.post-71873835092389389392009-05-28T09:43:00.003+02:002009-05-28T14:53:24.032+02:00My last official day of work was on Tuesday 22/05/2009 (although I was there unofficially on Wednesday till lunchtime, but never mind). I had the 'official' Abscheids Apero (formal farewell drinks) on the roof of the building and invited as many of the UBS folks I could remember the names of. I had luck with the weather, as it was the first really sunny day in around two weeks. Around twenty Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28758324.post-4448058962926865502009-04-23T23:32:00.008+02:002009-05-13T21:54:45.902+02:00So... where was I? Oh, yes. I remember now.November 2008:Things returned mostly to normal. Hosted a few couchsurfers, jammed a bit, dnd'd a bit, worked a bit. Kind of a bitsy month.December 2008:Ah yes, December. There was the iLogs winter event to speak of. Same deal as every year (every year being third time running). Arrive Thursday evening, get completely shit-faced until around 4am, stumble Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28758324.post-4628033666720998052009-01-02T23:12:00.005+01:002010-09-18T00:04:20.921+02:00...continued from last post.
September, 2008:
The first thing which happened is that everyone came back from holiday and my working hours were suddenly reduced to normal. I was able to offload a lot of work to others, and well... sort of went on holiday for a bit at work. I guess you could say my motivation wasn't quite all there. I'd lost my muse, as it were. This phase lasted for most of Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28758324.post-310434363138288432008-10-30T19:24:00.019+01:002009-01-03T12:37:54.915+01:00Wow... I haven't posted since March. I must have been busy. I'm getting sick of starting posts by lamenting how guilty I feel about not posting, so I won't. Not that I don't feel guilty, mind. The blog is like a plant which hasn't been watered in six months. Well, maybe more like a cactus.So, we left our intrepid hero after his incredible adventure around the world. What happened next? Well... a Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28758324.post-49774065503138067142008-03-26T06:39:00.015+01:002008-03-28T09:50:30.276+01:00Wednesday the 12th of March: Fly to InvercargillRowena drops Max and I to Christchurch airport, stopping for a last minute shop en-route. We board a plane and fly to Invercargill, arriving a little after midday. Watched 10'000BC, bought cooker fuel and spent night at Tuatara backpackers.Thursday the 13th of March: Arrival: Christmas Village hutWe take a shuttle bus to Bluff (the southern-most Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28758324.post-23622500058743374552008-03-11T08:48:00.041+01:002008-03-20T08:34:41.393+01:00Friday the 29th of February: Back in NZThe trip to NZ took around 23 hours in the air, and cost two calendar days. I slept in Singapore airport for eight hours. I arrived in Christchurch airport at 10:20am, but had been awake for around 12 hours.I spent the first day alerting friends of my presence in NZ and planning the first phases of my adventure. It was a long day, and I made it until 7pm Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28758324.post-46537129304247842282008-02-23T17:01:00.006+01:002008-02-23T23:33:38.122+01:00Zurich to Singapore Departure: 12:15 Wed 27/02/2008 Zurich, Switzerland Arrival: 07:05 Thurs 28/02/2008 Singapore, Singapore Airline: Singapore Airlines SQ345 Duration: 11:50 Fare type: Economy Restricted Aircraft: Beoing 777-300ERSingle occupancy Standard Room for eight hours in Terminal THREESingapore to Christchurch Departure: 19:45 Thurs 28/Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0