Good evening, I have bad news I am in Jail - again!
Apologies for the long delaying in writing this blog but as you will read I've been quite busy recently. I managed to get to Christchurch by bus but got no further!
I arrived back at Jailhouse Accommodation I settled back into life in Christchurch.
During the few days in Jail I found out the hostel needed a new Night Manager as the existing person had to leave suddenly. I was interested in the role and so threw my name into the hat for the job.
I spoke to the management team and started a trial. The trial period involved a few hard days cleaning and learning about the Jailhouse. Once this had been completed I then shadowed the reception team for around 7 days to learn the ropes before taking over my first night shift alone.
The role is working 5 nights a week in exchange for a private room. Working hours are 18:00 - 22:00 and 08:00 - 09:00 while being on call between 22:00 - 08:00.
I have agreed to stay here for a few months and so expect to be in Christchurch til at least July 2008. This means that my overall plans have changed a little with my departure to Australia and the Pacific Islands being delayed slightly.
As I am staying for a few months I took the decision to apply for a Working Holiday Visa to allow me to get a part time job (during the day) to earn some pocket money. This sounds simple enough but as I'm already in NZ it is a complex task. I've had to pay for the visa application and have a thorough medical check (costing £140) before the application can be approved. I'm still waiting and expect that the decision may take around another 2-3 weeks. I have applied for a IRD number and opened a NZ bank account - so I've been quite busy really!
The hostel staff is a real international mix with many European nations represented. There is a good atmosphere and always something to do. I went to see a Super 14's Rugby Match as the Canterbury Crusaders were playing at home. The match was very entertaining if not a little one sided.
I have enjoyed going to see Jack Johnson in concert, his voice was amazing and much better live than on a CD. I have been to the beach, spent a lot of time in the beautiful botanic gardens and been running regularly round the parks.
The hostel has good Internet, free DVD's, Sky TV (plenty of British sport being watched!) and even a Cinema room, so little chance of getting bored. The facilities combined with the constantly changing guests makes for a fun and interesting time.
My blogs may now become slightly less interesting (as if they could!) but I will aim to write every couple of weeks to update you with the latest goings on and job update.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
Hunting invisible Geese
Hello Ladies and Gents,
Since I last wrote I have enjoyed a weekend out in the wilds of central NZ hunting invisible Canadian geese and have left Birchmore Farm.
The hunting weekend was really interesting and made all the better by going with a good group of guys.
We had many meetings (at the Irish Bar) in preparation for the big event. I had to complete a large amount of shopping, begging and borrowing to obtain all the equipment that I needed to go.
Hunting is very serious out here and all the guys had professional gear and an assortment of weapons. Rations were vital and so a great deal of unhealthy food and alcohol were taken and consumed.
We left on Friday morning, before sunrise, and joined a convoy heading south to the entrance to the private Clarence reserve (largest farm in NZ) where we were hunting. En route to the reserve we enjoyed our final taste of civilisation - a breakfast pie by the side of the road in Kaikora.
Transport from the entrance of the reserve to our are was difficult as 4x4's with trailers could not get through. Therefore the six guys (including me) that went had 3 4x4 vehicles and 3 quad bikes. I was then made aware that I would need to ride one of the quads the 40km off road to where our hut was.
Having not ridden a quad since I was 12, this was a bit of a challenge. The terrain was tough with steep inclines and sheer drops off either side of the narrow rock/mud tracks. However the views and mountain landscape was stunning and we soon dropped down from the heights into the river valley. This then led to numerous river crossings which led to very wet feet, even through the gators. Along the way if an animal was spotted we stopped and hunted; quails and rabbits were shot and we then continued with our slow progress.
On arrival at the first hut, a wardens hut, we opened a celebratory beer and toasted the moment in the warm morning sun.
Since I last wrote I have enjoyed a weekend out in the wilds of central NZ hunting invisible Canadian geese and have left Birchmore Farm.
The hunting weekend was really interesting and made all the better by going with a good group of guys.
We had many meetings (at the Irish Bar) in preparation for the big event. I had to complete a large amount of shopping, begging and borrowing to obtain all the equipment that I needed to go.
Hunting is very serious out here and all the guys had professional gear and an assortment of weapons. Rations were vital and so a great deal of unhealthy food and alcohol were taken and consumed.
We left on Friday morning, before sunrise, and joined a convoy heading south to the entrance to the private Clarence reserve (largest farm in NZ) where we were hunting. En route to the reserve we enjoyed our final taste of civilisation - a breakfast pie by the side of the road in Kaikora.
Transport from the entrance of the reserve to our are was difficult as 4x4's with trailers could not get through. Therefore the six guys (including me) that went had 3 4x4 vehicles and 3 quad bikes. I was then made aware that I would need to ride one of the quads the 40km off road to where our hut was.
Having not ridden a quad since I was 12, this was a bit of a challenge. The terrain was tough with steep inclines and sheer drops off either side of the narrow rock/mud tracks. However the views and mountain landscape was stunning and we soon dropped down from the heights into the river valley. This then led to numerous river crossings which led to very wet feet, even through the gators. Along the way if an animal was spotted we stopped and hunted; quails and rabbits were shot and we then continued with our slow progress.
On arrival at the first hut, a wardens hut, we opened a celebratory beer and toasted the moment in the warm morning sun.
After what seemed like hours (and it was!) we got to the area that we'd been allocated to hunt and found a new hut to stay in. The hut was only opened in August 2007 and was in great condition, with 12 bunks and benches and worktops to prepare food on. The location was stunning as it was on the banks of the river (our bath) and surrounded on all sides by mountains.
Soon after unpacking had a skinny dip in the river, very invigorating but cold. Then started the serious activity of scoping out our area for good hunting ground. It was quickly established that we had not been fortunate with our area and so we set off on quads to look further afield. After little success on our scouting mission we returned to the hut and enjoyed beer and food while relaxing in the sun. This soon became the activity of choice for most. In fact this became the activity for much of the weekend as it became apparent Geese were few and far between. We went out hunting at night and had a great success when spotlighting from the 4x4. Rabbits and Hares were shot in number along with one Possum.With the lack of artificial light the sky at night was a fantastic black canvas splashed liberally with a brilliant array of stars.
The weekend continued along much the same lines with hunting becoming more varied, ducks and goats were shot, but soon it was time to head home retracing our tracks back out of the reserve. The journey again took a fair while and even had time to include an accident! Thankfully no one was injured as two of the 4x4s hit one another as the front vehicle stopped suddenly as the driver thought that he'd seen a Goose. The result was that two of the party stayed an extra night and were recovered home the following day. Overall the whole weekend was a fantastic experience and very tiring. It gave me the opportunity to meet new people and see things in a different light - very worthwhile.
Once back at Birchmore Farm I felt that it was time to move on as I had been at the farm for two weeks. I felt that I wanted to head south and managed to locate a small farm and vineyard slightly further south towards Kaikora where I arranged to stay for a few days. My hosts were a semi retired Christian couple who had recently moved back to NZ from Australia and begun an Organic vineyard. The work was very different hear to Birchmore and focused on tending to the small vines and gardening. Jan and Talbot were excellent and friendly hosts, who welcomed me and I spent a good few days with them.
I'm now moving further south (just booked a bus!) and heading back to Christchurch again before venturing further south to explore more of NZ. I'll update you as and when I have further news but I'm still having a fab time!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Fun at the Farm
Howdy folks,
I am writing from a cafe in Blenheim NZ as the farm that I’m staying at has dial up Internet connection. I m happily settled in Blind River at Birchmore Farm and despite the remote rural location I’m having a great time.
The farm is located around 35km (south) from the nearest town, Blenheim and you must travel for all necessities. Birchmore is the only livestock farm around here and is utterly surrounded by rows and rows of vines. Wine is the big business in this area with more and more existing land being planted and vine culturists everywhere. The coast is around 4km to the east but the sea is not suitable to swim in. The remoteness leads to fantastic sunrises and clear night skies with brilliant bright star spotting.
The farm deals in small livestock and I’ve been introduced quickly into the farm life which centres on feeding/moving/mating (with one another not me!) the animals. My favourite animal so far is the large Essex Sow who is somewhat intimidating but much nice than most of the Essex girls I’ve met. The whole thing is very reminiscent of the BBC series "Jimmy's Farm".
Soon after I arrived and had met my host, Barb, I realised that I left my wallet in Trevor and so had to make an unscheduled trip to Blenheim the following day to pick up. Barb is a really friendly and accommodating host, not afraid to call a spade a spade and with a wicked sense of humour.
As part of Helpx I’m expected to complete a certain number of hours per day in exchange for food and accommodation. I’ve really enjoyed completing a real variety of tasks and meeting all suppliers, wine makers and friends. The tasks have been from simply weeding the garden, feeding animals, catching sheep, driving round utes and moving sheep, dealing with dying ducks, helping at the farmers market, looking after neighbours animals, chain sawing logs, picking up shopping, picking up animal food etc.
One of the funniest moments was when a ram was brought to the farm to impregnate the ewes, not wanting to do this when being transported from one trailer to another the ram made a dash for freedom. As I was very close I ended up in some sort of ram rodeo until we managed to calm him down.
Barb had a contract with a local vineyard to house workers for the harvest and so I am living with vine culturists from Moldova, Spain and Germany. The farm has a real international flavour.
Excellent food and good fresh country air has led to me feeling good with plenty of energy until my head hits the pillow at night and the lights immediately go out! We have been to Blenheim to an Irish Bar (they’re everywhere don’t you know!) called Paddy Barry’s and enjoyed drinking the black stuff and participating in the weekly pub quiz.
It seems on my trip I keep running into pregnant dogs and this did not change on the farm with Barb and me babysitting a neighbour’s pregnant bitch until she (Bess) finally gave birth to five gorgeous puppies on Saturday evening.
Sunday was the Blenheim Farmers market and I helped out on the Birchmore stall, it really showed how popular and central to the towns these markets were (compared to UK) as many people flocked round. We were selling a range of products from Sausages, eggs, bacon, steak, cakes, jams, curd and marmalade and beans.
I have been invited on a biannual Goose Hunt this weekend for three days on New Zealand’s largest farm and will involve camping and staking out the Canadian Geese. The geese are a notorious pest over here and this is an organised hunt on controlled land that most Kiwis’ have never seen. I keep getting told how privileged I am and that I’m going to be the camps bitch. On Sunday the hunters came to a neighbour’s field and honed their shooting skills on clay pigeons. I had a go and I hit one with only my second shot, however my lasting memory will be the wide array of guns on show and enjoying a good few beers after the shooting had ceased round the back of the utes; not to mention the sore should I had the day after.
Must go soon as need to head back, 6 long tailed sheep are still missing and we need to take two young calf’s to a new home. I am really enjoying it here and it’s nice to take a break from the lifestyle of travelling (packing, unpacking, moving, arranging trips). Future plans are unclear but my first experience of helpx has been positive and so I would like to continue if possible.
I am writing from a cafe in Blenheim NZ as the farm that I’m staying at has dial up Internet connection. I m happily settled in Blind River at Birchmore Farm and despite the remote rural location I’m having a great time.
The farm is located around 35km (south) from the nearest town, Blenheim and you must travel for all necessities. Birchmore is the only livestock farm around here and is utterly surrounded by rows and rows of vines. Wine is the big business in this area with more and more existing land being planted and vine culturists everywhere. The coast is around 4km to the east but the sea is not suitable to swim in. The remoteness leads to fantastic sunrises and clear night skies with brilliant bright star spotting.
The farm deals in small livestock and I’ve been introduced quickly into the farm life which centres on feeding/moving/mating (with one another not me!) the animals. My favourite animal so far is the large Essex Sow who is somewhat intimidating but much nice than most of the Essex girls I’ve met. The whole thing is very reminiscent of the BBC series "Jimmy's Farm".
Soon after I arrived and had met my host, Barb, I realised that I left my wallet in Trevor and so had to make an unscheduled trip to Blenheim the following day to pick up. Barb is a really friendly and accommodating host, not afraid to call a spade a spade and with a wicked sense of humour.
As part of Helpx I’m expected to complete a certain number of hours per day in exchange for food and accommodation. I’ve really enjoyed completing a real variety of tasks and meeting all suppliers, wine makers and friends. The tasks have been from simply weeding the garden, feeding animals, catching sheep, driving round utes and moving sheep, dealing with dying ducks, helping at the farmers market, looking after neighbours animals, chain sawing logs, picking up shopping, picking up animal food etc.
One of the funniest moments was when a ram was brought to the farm to impregnate the ewes, not wanting to do this when being transported from one trailer to another the ram made a dash for freedom. As I was very close I ended up in some sort of ram rodeo until we managed to calm him down.
Barb had a contract with a local vineyard to house workers for the harvest and so I am living with vine culturists from Moldova, Spain and Germany. The farm has a real international flavour.
Excellent food and good fresh country air has led to me feeling good with plenty of energy until my head hits the pillow at night and the lights immediately go out! We have been to Blenheim to an Irish Bar (they’re everywhere don’t you know!) called Paddy Barry’s and enjoyed drinking the black stuff and participating in the weekly pub quiz.
It seems on my trip I keep running into pregnant dogs and this did not change on the farm with Barb and me babysitting a neighbour’s pregnant bitch until she (Bess) finally gave birth to five gorgeous puppies on Saturday evening.
Sunday was the Blenheim Farmers market and I helped out on the Birchmore stall, it really showed how popular and central to the towns these markets were (compared to UK) as many people flocked round. We were selling a range of products from Sausages, eggs, bacon, steak, cakes, jams, curd and marmalade and beans.
I have been invited on a biannual Goose Hunt this weekend for three days on New Zealand’s largest farm and will involve camping and staking out the Canadian Geese. The geese are a notorious pest over here and this is an organised hunt on controlled land that most Kiwis’ have never seen. I keep getting told how privileged I am and that I’m going to be the camps bitch. On Sunday the hunters came to a neighbour’s field and honed their shooting skills on clay pigeons. I had a go and I hit one with only my second shot, however my lasting memory will be the wide array of guns on show and enjoying a good few beers after the shooting had ceased round the back of the utes; not to mention the sore should I had the day after.
Must go soon as need to head back, 6 long tailed sheep are still missing and we need to take two young calf’s to a new home. I am really enjoying it here and it’s nice to take a break from the lifestyle of travelling (packing, unpacking, moving, arranging trips). Future plans are unclear but my first experience of helpx has been positive and so I would like to continue if possible.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Change in Christchurch
Good afternoon ladies and gentleman I have now left Christchurch for the second time and with very different plans from last time! I have headed north towards the Marlborough wine region and a volunteer job on a farm.
When I left Dunedin the journey north was uneventful except for visiting the Moreki boulders again for the second time. We stopped in a small town for lunch and had the typical Kiwi lunch of pie. We arrived in Christchurch late in the day and checked into our motel/hostel. The weather was stunning and so we headed off to the Arts Centre and found a lovely bar to enjoy a drink in the park.
Despite already being to Christchurch I once again enjoyed the sights and sounds visiting the Art gallery, Botanic Gardens and Cricket ground.
Sadly when I watched the One Day International cricket match between NZ and England the hosts was victorious leaving the locals very happy.
I booked myself on a sunrise balloon flight from Christchurch but sadly the weather had other plans and led to the flight being cancelled (after a 04:00 phone call to check) for both days I booked. I managed to sell most of my camping possessions to Cash Convertors, for those pieces that they did not want the Salvation Army were very willing recipients.
I then took time to consider what I wanted to do next and joined Helpx, a company who connect hosts and helpers for volunteer work. I searched through the network and contacted many hosts. I found a suitable position (general farm work) near Blenheim and agreed that I would start the following day.
Therefore after a final journey north with Claire, Helen and Trevor (including a nice lunch in Kaikora) I arrived at Birchmore Farm. I am now settling into the rural life and will soon write again about all my exciting experiences on the farm.
When I left Dunedin the journey north was uneventful except for visiting the Moreki boulders again for the second time. We stopped in a small town for lunch and had the typical Kiwi lunch of pie. We arrived in Christchurch late in the day and checked into our motel/hostel. The weather was stunning and so we headed off to the Arts Centre and found a lovely bar to enjoy a drink in the park.
Despite already being to Christchurch I once again enjoyed the sights and sounds visiting the Art gallery, Botanic Gardens and Cricket ground.
Sadly when I watched the One Day International cricket match between NZ and England the hosts was victorious leaving the locals very happy.
I booked myself on a sunrise balloon flight from Christchurch but sadly the weather had other plans and led to the flight being cancelled (after a 04:00 phone call to check) for both days I booked. I managed to sell most of my camping possessions to Cash Convertors, for those pieces that they did not want the Salvation Army were very willing recipients.
I then took time to consider what I wanted to do next and joined Helpx, a company who connect hosts and helpers for volunteer work. I searched through the network and contacted many hosts. I found a suitable position (general farm work) near Blenheim and agreed that I would start the following day.
Therefore after a final journey north with Claire, Helen and Trevor (including a nice lunch in Kaikora) I arrived at Birchmore Farm. I am now settling into the rural life and will soon write again about all my exciting experiences on the farm.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Crossing the South Island
Hello,
Well since I have last spoke to you I have racked up a lot of km’s crossing from east to west and back again in NZ. Unfortunately Betty is nearing her maker with the smoke and drink problems getting worse by the km. I think the end is nigh and I’ll soon be looking at a new form of transport and a new direction.
I started my journey from the northern town of Picton. Picton is the main port on the South Island of NZ for the ferries between the two islands of NZ. The town was very pleasant but had a very high number of tourists.
I headed south and west travelling initially through the world famous Marlborough wine region. The many km’s of vineyards gave way to once more stunning mountain scenery. The weather turned and large “straight” rain made driving hazardous, I stopped in the Nelson Lakes National Park district and enjoyed the damp views of the lakes.
The km’s ticked by and passing more stunning landscapes similar to the Ardeche in France with roads cut into the rocks with precarious overhangs and sheer drops! Only slowing to give way on the single lane narrow bridges and occasional ford crossing I made good speed to the town of Westport.
As I had spent a few nights without washing facilities on arrival at Westport I opted to stay at the “top 10” campsite. The site was very busy and well run; I met some Irish travellers (not gypsies!) who arranged an impromptu singsong round the campfire. I could have almost been in the emerald isle as we sipped whiskey and sang along to the guitar and violin.
I went into Westport town and discovered that there was not much to see. It gives you some idea about the availability of the Internet in NZ as when I asked in a cafe if they had Wi-Fi I was given very blank expressions and no answer.
The following morning and under a bright sun I set off to journey further south. The starting of Betty attracted much attention (and large clouds of smoke!) and I decided that this was the calls of her final death throws.
The coast road was undulating and covered in the most amazing fauna. The plants and animal life was amazing with many fantastic views and deafening noises when stood admiring the views. I continued south and made time to stop and explore the famous pancake rocks.
Stopping and cooking bacon sarnies in the heat of the sun while looking down at the beautiful blue waters made me very happy and forget about the pain Betty was in!
I then began the crossing back west across the challenging Arthurs Pass. At points the gradients were between 10 and 20%, Betty was struggling with the road to say the least. Sorry to be boring but the views were once again stunning with snow capped mountains and beautiful valleys.
At the summit of the pass was a great viaduct; when stopping to admire the view Betty was attacked in a bizarre manner with the local bird life pecking at the lower end.
Towards the western end of the pass the mountains were utilised as Ski resorts; I felt I had to take a break from the journey to visit the “Porters” Ski Resort.
I drove on West until dusk by which time I had reached a town south of Christchurch called Ashburton. I headed down the deserted farmland gravel roads for about 20km in the direction of the sea and finally hit a “no exit” road. Luckily there was a small area that was sheltered and allowed me to park up Betty on the edge of the cliff. Once again the next morning I was awoken by a brilliant sunrise, watching the bright sun emerge from the blue sea was another sight I will not forget.
The next day the journey south to Dunedin was a real struggle – Betty was not well and the winds made it difficult. The views between the sea and the snow capped alpine mountains was nice though. I stopped at the town of Otago en route to visit the Yellow penguin and Blue penguin colonies, nothing spectacular but interesting nevertheless. The most exciting thing was the emergency manoeuvre I had to complete as a mattress flew off the roof of the Ute and onto the road in front of me. The driver of the Ute didn’t realise and thought I was being aggressive when I tried to alert him by flashing my lights. Eventually it dawned on him and he pulled over and I wish that I had a photo of his face when he realised the mattress was no longer where it should be!
I crawled into Dunedin late and stayed at the “top ten” campsite, watched the film Cinderella Man and pondered Betty’s life in my hands! The following morning I drove to a couple of garages and booked Betty in for a check up. This could not be done for a couple of days and so I moved into a hostel and left Betty to her fate.
The hostel was really pleasant and situated up a steep hill around 10 minutes walk from the centre of Dunedin. Dunedin was a very pleasant city with many attractive sights for the tourists and opportunities to explore the local area though outdoor pursuits. I visited the advertised “steepest road in the world” but to be honest walking around Dunedin there were many to choose from.
Students ruled the streets while I was there as it was the beginning of a new academic year. The first year fresher’s were enjoying the week long “orientation” activities and it was not unusual to see smurfs, tree people and cavemen staggering around.`
In the hostel I made friends with a couple of English girls, Claire and Helen, and spent a good few days with them exploring the local area and chilling out watching films. Highlights include a Bridget Jones evening (including a screening of the film and plenty of wine and chocolates) and walks on the Otago peninsular (including a close encounter with wild Sea Lions on the beach – there camouflage works well!).
During the time at the hostel I received the fateful call regarding Betty’s future, put simply she needed a new engine – the result cost did not make sense with how much I would sell her for so I took the decision to get rid of her as she was. The mechanics at the garage helpfully agreed (I bought them a few crates of beer) to arrange something and so she eventually ended up going to the wreckers yard!
It was a final sad act to remove her number plates and deregister her at the local AA. I was left with a large void in my life and will now take a few days to work out what I want to do next and how I will get there.
I’m starting by travelling back to Christchurch with Helen in their car Trevor. So until then its goodbye from me with a final farewell to Betty (RIP), our time was short but event packed and a lot of fun! I would not change it.
Well since I have last spoke to you I have racked up a lot of km’s crossing from east to west and back again in NZ. Unfortunately Betty is nearing her maker with the smoke and drink problems getting worse by the km. I think the end is nigh and I’ll soon be looking at a new form of transport and a new direction.
I started my journey from the northern town of Picton. Picton is the main port on the South Island of NZ for the ferries between the two islands of NZ. The town was very pleasant but had a very high number of tourists.
I headed south and west travelling initially through the world famous Marlborough wine region. The many km’s of vineyards gave way to once more stunning mountain scenery. The weather turned and large “straight” rain made driving hazardous, I stopped in the Nelson Lakes National Park district and enjoyed the damp views of the lakes.
The km’s ticked by and passing more stunning landscapes similar to the Ardeche in France with roads cut into the rocks with precarious overhangs and sheer drops! Only slowing to give way on the single lane narrow bridges and occasional ford crossing I made good speed to the town of Westport.
As I had spent a few nights without washing facilities on arrival at Westport I opted to stay at the “top 10” campsite. The site was very busy and well run; I met some Irish travellers (not gypsies!) who arranged an impromptu singsong round the campfire. I could have almost been in the emerald isle as we sipped whiskey and sang along to the guitar and violin.
I went into Westport town and discovered that there was not much to see. It gives you some idea about the availability of the Internet in NZ as when I asked in a cafe if they had Wi-Fi I was given very blank expressions and no answer.
The following morning and under a bright sun I set off to journey further south. The starting of Betty attracted much attention (and large clouds of smoke!) and I decided that this was the calls of her final death throws.
The coast road was undulating and covered in the most amazing fauna. The plants and animal life was amazing with many fantastic views and deafening noises when stood admiring the views. I continued south and made time to stop and explore the famous pancake rocks.
Stopping and cooking bacon sarnies in the heat of the sun while looking down at the beautiful blue waters made me very happy and forget about the pain Betty was in!
I then began the crossing back west across the challenging Arthurs Pass. At points the gradients were between 10 and 20%, Betty was struggling with the road to say the least. Sorry to be boring but the views were once again stunning with snow capped mountains and beautiful valleys.
At the summit of the pass was a great viaduct; when stopping to admire the view Betty was attacked in a bizarre manner with the local bird life pecking at the lower end.
Towards the western end of the pass the mountains were utilised as Ski resorts; I felt I had to take a break from the journey to visit the “Porters” Ski Resort.
I drove on West until dusk by which time I had reached a town south of Christchurch called Ashburton. I headed down the deserted farmland gravel roads for about 20km in the direction of the sea and finally hit a “no exit” road. Luckily there was a small area that was sheltered and allowed me to park up Betty on the edge of the cliff. Once again the next morning I was awoken by a brilliant sunrise, watching the bright sun emerge from the blue sea was another sight I will not forget.
The next day the journey south to Dunedin was a real struggle – Betty was not well and the winds made it difficult. The views between the sea and the snow capped alpine mountains was nice though. I stopped at the town of Otago en route to visit the Yellow penguin and Blue penguin colonies, nothing spectacular but interesting nevertheless. The most exciting thing was the emergency manoeuvre I had to complete as a mattress flew off the roof of the Ute and onto the road in front of me. The driver of the Ute didn’t realise and thought I was being aggressive when I tried to alert him by flashing my lights. Eventually it dawned on him and he pulled over and I wish that I had a photo of his face when he realised the mattress was no longer where it should be!
I crawled into Dunedin late and stayed at the “top ten” campsite, watched the film Cinderella Man and pondered Betty’s life in my hands! The following morning I drove to a couple of garages and booked Betty in for a check up. This could not be done for a couple of days and so I moved into a hostel and left Betty to her fate.
The hostel was really pleasant and situated up a steep hill around 10 minutes walk from the centre of Dunedin. Dunedin was a very pleasant city with many attractive sights for the tourists and opportunities to explore the local area though outdoor pursuits. I visited the advertised “steepest road in the world” but to be honest walking around Dunedin there were many to choose from.
Students ruled the streets while I was there as it was the beginning of a new academic year. The first year fresher’s were enjoying the week long “orientation” activities and it was not unusual to see smurfs, tree people and cavemen staggering around.`
In the hostel I made friends with a couple of English girls, Claire and Helen, and spent a good few days with them exploring the local area and chilling out watching films. Highlights include a Bridget Jones evening (including a screening of the film and plenty of wine and chocolates) and walks on the Otago peninsular (including a close encounter with wild Sea Lions on the beach – there camouflage works well!).
During the time at the hostel I received the fateful call regarding Betty’s future, put simply she needed a new engine – the result cost did not make sense with how much I would sell her for so I took the decision to get rid of her as she was. The mechanics at the garage helpfully agreed (I bought them a few crates of beer) to arrange something and so she eventually ended up going to the wreckers yard!
It was a final sad act to remove her number plates and deregister her at the local AA. I was left with a large void in my life and will now take a few days to work out what I want to do next and how I will get there.
I’m starting by travelling back to Christchurch with Helen in their car Trevor. So until then its goodbye from me with a final farewell to Betty (RIP), our time was short but event packed and a lot of fun! I would not change it.
Friday, February 15, 2008
The long and winding road
Hello from a camp site somewhere on the South Island of NZ!
I am thoroughly enjoying the slow paced (vehicle speed controlled!) and winding roads through NZ. I finally managed to leave Christchurch on Tuesday afternoon after stocking up on supplies and camping essentials.
The journey to Akaroa was good and I decided on the scenic route to take in some of the passing beauty. Unfortunately this was hampered somewhat by the closing in of the weather and the mist reducing the speed further. However you could still get glimpses of the fantastic rugged landscape complete with beautiful lakes and raw coastal cliffs.
We headed south to the beautiful seaside resort of Akaroa and stayed in a “top 10” campsite. The campsite was well organised and contained showers, kitchen facilities, TV room and Internet.
On arrival at the camp we had an issue with the airbed in that the pump did not fit the bed. We ended up driving to a local petrol station and using the compressed air hose to fill the bed; judging by the bemused look on the faces of the locals this is not a frequent occurrence.
The first night in the van was surprisingly good and after a restful night’s sleep we enjoyed a very pleasant morning spent by the harbour drinking we set of back towards Christchurch.
En route there was some spectacular scenery and at lunchtime we stopped by a beautiful lake and cooked on our stove surrounded by a pair of interested chickens.
We drove for the rest of the afternoon and after passing Christchurch headed north and found a deserted beach (Amberley Beach) on which to free camp by the sea for the night. The stars were amazing and after cooking an exciting dinner (pasta) had a great night sleep.
The following morning I woke early to an amazing morning sky, the sun had not risen and the colours were breathtaking. The best sunrise I had ever seen.
We continued to head in a northerly direction but journeyed inland to the thermal town of Hanmer Springs. The town was like a small resort in the Alps and had a nice relaxed feel. We tried to arrange a horse ride for the afternoon but unfortunately it was fully booked and so we continued to head north towards Kaikoura. On stopping for lunch somewhere in the country we were invaded by a swarm of insects and mid way through eating had to flee the area; following many bites, especially to the feet, (and about 50km driven) the insects were finally gone.
Just north of Kaikoura we stopped to observe seals in a large colony at Ohau Point just next to the road. The seals were on the rocks and intent on not doing very much at all, simply enjoying the warmth of the sun and rocks – who can blame them!
By this stage it was early evening and we were all running low on fuel and energy. In NZ outside the main towns and cities fuel stations are very sparse – we ended up by pushing on with the petrol light on and found a deserted small (expensive) fuel station by the side of the road. As it was after 18:00 and it was a private, family station I was charged a $20 opening fee after I went to the cottage nearby and asked them to open!
Soon after we pulled off the road to camp at a site next to the sea and made dinner as the sun set.
From here the plans for Betty and me are a little hazy, I think that we’re going to head cross country through the wine region to the west coast and see a very different rugged (and probably wet) west coast. Betty is struggling a bit with the km’s that are piling on; she’s smoking every morning and drinking oil like an Irish man drinks stout. Hills are a constant struggle but the pace of life is great. If anyone has any particular advice or routes that they’ve travelled in NZ I’d be please to hear them. Otherwise take care and have fun.
I am thoroughly enjoying the slow paced (vehicle speed controlled!) and winding roads through NZ. I finally managed to leave Christchurch on Tuesday afternoon after stocking up on supplies and camping essentials.
The journey to Akaroa was good and I decided on the scenic route to take in some of the passing beauty. Unfortunately this was hampered somewhat by the closing in of the weather and the mist reducing the speed further. However you could still get glimpses of the fantastic rugged landscape complete with beautiful lakes and raw coastal cliffs.
We headed south to the beautiful seaside resort of Akaroa and stayed in a “top 10” campsite. The campsite was well organised and contained showers, kitchen facilities, TV room and Internet.
On arrival at the camp we had an issue with the airbed in that the pump did not fit the bed. We ended up driving to a local petrol station and using the compressed air hose to fill the bed; judging by the bemused look on the faces of the locals this is not a frequent occurrence.
The first night in the van was surprisingly good and after a restful night’s sleep we enjoyed a very pleasant morning spent by the harbour drinking we set of back towards Christchurch.
En route there was some spectacular scenery and at lunchtime we stopped by a beautiful lake and cooked on our stove surrounded by a pair of interested chickens.
We drove for the rest of the afternoon and after passing Christchurch headed north and found a deserted beach (Amberley Beach) on which to free camp by the sea for the night. The stars were amazing and after cooking an exciting dinner (pasta) had a great night sleep.
The following morning I woke early to an amazing morning sky, the sun had not risen and the colours were breathtaking. The best sunrise I had ever seen.
We continued to head in a northerly direction but journeyed inland to the thermal town of Hanmer Springs. The town was like a small resort in the Alps and had a nice relaxed feel. We tried to arrange a horse ride for the afternoon but unfortunately it was fully booked and so we continued to head north towards Kaikoura. On stopping for lunch somewhere in the country we were invaded by a swarm of insects and mid way through eating had to flee the area; following many bites, especially to the feet, (and about 50km driven) the insects were finally gone.
Just north of Kaikoura we stopped to observe seals in a large colony at Ohau Point just next to the road. The seals were on the rocks and intent on not doing very much at all, simply enjoying the warmth of the sun and rocks – who can blame them!
By this stage it was early evening and we were all running low on fuel and energy. In NZ outside the main towns and cities fuel stations are very sparse – we ended up by pushing on with the petrol light on and found a deserted small (expensive) fuel station by the side of the road. As it was after 18:00 and it was a private, family station I was charged a $20 opening fee after I went to the cottage nearby and asked them to open!
Soon after we pulled off the road to camp at a site next to the sea and made dinner as the sun set.
From here the plans for Betty and me are a little hazy, I think that we’re going to head cross country through the wine region to the west coast and see a very different rugged (and probably wet) west coast. Betty is struggling a bit with the km’s that are piling on; she’s smoking every morning and drinking oil like an Irish man drinks stout. Hills are a constant struggle but the pace of life is great. If anyone has any particular advice or routes that they’ve travelled in NZ I’d be please to hear them. Otherwise take care and have fun.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Awesome times in Auckland
Does anyone want to lend/donate me some money?
After a few days spent in Auckland the price change has been massive! The hostel I’ve been staying in is very nice and well equipped (very professional in NZ) but costing £10 a night vs. £5 in South America makes a noticeable difference. All my budging has suddenly changed and the costs are similar to those in a city in the UK.
I must also confess that I have been burning the candle at both ends a bit and after my month not drinking I’m back with vengeance, not to mention memory loss and bad hangovers!
On Sunday 3rd in the afternoon me and one of my Irish friends decided at the last minute to go on an Americas Cup Sailing experience. The yacht was a retired Americas Cup vessel that was used by the Japanese Nikon team in the 1990’s. We rushed to the harbour and met up with the crew who gave us a full briefing and made clear that this experience was not a pleasure cruise. There were approx 4 crew and 10 guests. The sailing was fantastic , we all got hands on experience and tired limbs. The highlight was taking a turn at the wheel as skipper and navigating through the Auckland Bridge; I managed to get the yacht up to a speed of 10 knots
and tacked a few times with all hands on deck.
Following the sailing we went to an Irish bar to have an afternoon drink with the crew just next to the harbour in a smartly refurbished area called the Viaduct. We ended up having a few drinks more than anticipated and enjoyed drinking with the crew till I cannot remember. The last recollection I have was of singing very loudly to the live music while drinking copious amounts of Rum and Coke.
I awoke the next morning in my own bed (which was a good thing) and suddenly remembered that we had paid the previous day to do the SkyJump off the SkyTower.
The SkyJump is a 192m jump (connected to wire) with controlled decent to the ground below. To say that the hangover didn’t help me feel enthused about the jump ahead would be an understatement.
One the ledge of the leap I was nervous but the jump itself was over very quickly. I enjoyed it so much that I asked if I could have another go. As they weren’t busy I was allowed me a second jump and jumped off backwards to enhance the thrill. After the adrenaline kick dissipated the hangover was awoken. Relaxed for the rest of the day and went to the cinema and watched Sweeny Todd.
Auckland was hosting an International Buskers Festival during my visit and I took time to watch a few of the shows, very entertaining and eclectic mix of entertainment. Watching the Superbowl in a busy bar was also a great experience, being able to view the spectacle during the day and with passionate fans added to it. As one of the greatest upsets and with a thrilling climax it was a good way to spend a few hours.
On the Tuesday evening I made my way to Eden Park to watch the NZ vs. England Twenty20 Cricket match. The ground was buzzing and the match was really exciting, England winning was a bonus. Afterwards headed back to the Irish Bar at the Viaduct for a few Rum & Cokes with the yacht crew. At about midnight a group of lads turned up, on closer inspection it transpired that it was the majority of the victorious English cricket team. They were all out celebrating the victory and having a few beers. I was lucky enough to have a decent chat with Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Phil Mustard, and Ali Cooke.
The following day I again woke up with a sore head (again!) and struggled to pack for my afternoon flight to Christchurch. Leaving Auckland with a heavy heart I enjoyed my time in this vibrant small city. It has plenty to offer and the weather was certainly nice, I look forward to returning for my flight to Australia in the next few months.
Next stop Christchurch and a spell of time inside....
After a few days spent in Auckland the price change has been massive! The hostel I’ve been staying in is very nice and well equipped (very professional in NZ) but costing £10 a night vs. £5 in South America makes a noticeable difference. All my budging has suddenly changed and the costs are similar to those in a city in the UK.
I must also confess that I have been burning the candle at both ends a bit and after my month not drinking I’m back with vengeance, not to mention memory loss and bad hangovers!
On Sunday 3rd in the afternoon me and one of my Irish friends decided at the last minute to go on an Americas Cup Sailing experience. The yacht was a retired Americas Cup vessel that was used by the Japanese Nikon team in the 1990’s. We rushed to the harbour and met up with the crew who gave us a full briefing and made clear that this experience was not a pleasure cruise. There were approx 4 crew and 10 guests. The sailing was fantastic , we all got hands on experience and tired limbs. The highlight was taking a turn at the wheel as skipper and navigating through the Auckland Bridge; I managed to get the yacht up to a speed of 10 knots
and tacked a few times with all hands on deck.
Following the sailing we went to an Irish bar to have an afternoon drink with the crew just next to the harbour in a smartly refurbished area called the Viaduct. We ended up having a few drinks more than anticipated and enjoyed drinking with the crew till I cannot remember. The last recollection I have was of singing very loudly to the live music while drinking copious amounts of Rum and Coke.
I awoke the next morning in my own bed (which was a good thing) and suddenly remembered that we had paid the previous day to do the SkyJump off the SkyTower.
The SkyJump is a 192m jump (connected to wire) with controlled decent to the ground below. To say that the hangover didn’t help me feel enthused about the jump ahead would be an understatement.
One the ledge of the leap I was nervous but the jump itself was over very quickly. I enjoyed it so much that I asked if I could have another go. As they weren’t busy I was allowed me a second jump and jumped off backwards to enhance the thrill. After the adrenaline kick dissipated the hangover was awoken. Relaxed for the rest of the day and went to the cinema and watched Sweeny Todd.
Auckland was hosting an International Buskers Festival during my visit and I took time to watch a few of the shows, very entertaining and eclectic mix of entertainment. Watching the Superbowl in a busy bar was also a great experience, being able to view the spectacle during the day and with passionate fans added to it. As one of the greatest upsets and with a thrilling climax it was a good way to spend a few hours.
On the Tuesday evening I made my way to Eden Park to watch the NZ vs. England Twenty20 Cricket match. The ground was buzzing and the match was really exciting, England winning was a bonus. Afterwards headed back to the Irish Bar at the Viaduct for a few Rum & Cokes with the yacht crew. At about midnight a group of lads turned up, on closer inspection it transpired that it was the majority of the victorious English cricket team. They were all out celebrating the victory and having a few beers. I was lucky enough to have a decent chat with Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Phil Mustard, and Ali Cooke.
The following day I again woke up with a sore head (again!) and struggled to pack for my afternoon flight to Christchurch. Leaving Auckland with a heavy heart I enjoyed my time in this vibrant small city. It has plenty to offer and the weather was certainly nice, I look forward to returning for my flight to Australia in the next few months.
Next stop Christchurch and a spell of time inside....
Jailhouse Rocks
Well I’ve been let out of jail today after a six night stay. I’m about to leave Christchurch by a different means of transport but more of that later.
Getting to jail was more of a problem than I’d anticipated despite only involving two buses. As I got on the second bus I thought that nothing strange was happening despite the fact the female driver did not charge me anything. As the driver pulled up outside the wrong hostel I discovered that the driver was heading back to the depot for the night and thought she was being helpful. After much confusion and swearing to the control room, the driver told me that she would give me a private tour of the city on the way back to the jail!
I was staying at a hostel on the outskirts of the city that was based in the old jail building. The hostel was very modern and finished very well. It was a bit strange to be sitting in the central area eating breakfast, I half expected Mr McKay to appear and give us an earful.
Christchurch is on the South Island of NZ and is a small city with a very colonial feel. The street names are a mixture of English/world locations and the first explorers/inhabitants. There is a magnificent cathedral, botanical gardens and punting on the river – you could be in an English city.
The weather was much cooler on the South Island, yet despite this I was able to explore the city easily on foot and enjoy all the magnificent attractions. I also watched the second NZ vs. England Twenty20 Cricket match (another English victory!) and enjoyed outdoor theatre in the form of a comedy show in the park.
I made the decision regarding transport around NZ and began the search for a Van! After visiting many sales and test driving a few vans I decided on a 1994 Mazda Bongo van. The next two days were spent arranging a pre purchase inspection, cash, new tyres, registration transfer, tax and a lemon check. The van is good value and despite a few nuances of a vehicle that’s covered 194,000km (smoke, rattles etc) I hope that it will be good enough to transport me round the Island for the next few months and will be going to the shops shortly to stock up on camping gear before heading off on the open road.
From now on access to the internet might be slightly more difficult but I’ll try and update you on the road trip shortly......
Getting to jail was more of a problem than I’d anticipated despite only involving two buses. As I got on the second bus I thought that nothing strange was happening despite the fact the female driver did not charge me anything. As the driver pulled up outside the wrong hostel I discovered that the driver was heading back to the depot for the night and thought she was being helpful. After much confusion and swearing to the control room, the driver told me that she would give me a private tour of the city on the way back to the jail!
I was staying at a hostel on the outskirts of the city that was based in the old jail building. The hostel was very modern and finished very well. It was a bit strange to be sitting in the central area eating breakfast, I half expected Mr McKay to appear and give us an earful.
Christchurch is on the South Island of NZ and is a small city with a very colonial feel. The street names are a mixture of English/world locations and the first explorers/inhabitants. There is a magnificent cathedral, botanical gardens and punting on the river – you could be in an English city.
The weather was much cooler on the South Island, yet despite this I was able to explore the city easily on foot and enjoy all the magnificent attractions. I also watched the second NZ vs. England Twenty20 Cricket match (another English victory!) and enjoyed outdoor theatre in the form of a comedy show in the park.
I made the decision regarding transport around NZ and began the search for a Van! After visiting many sales and test driving a few vans I decided on a 1994 Mazda Bongo van. The next two days were spent arranging a pre purchase inspection, cash, new tyres, registration transfer, tax and a lemon check. The van is good value and despite a few nuances of a vehicle that’s covered 194,000km (smoke, rattles etc) I hope that it will be good enough to transport me round the Island for the next few months and will be going to the shops shortly to stock up on camping gear before heading off on the open road.
From now on access to the internet might be slightly more difficult but I’ll try and update you on the road trip shortly......
Friday, February 8, 2008
All New in Zealand
Hello,
Well it’s been a fair while since I last spoke to you all and I have to update you on my recent activities.
I got to Santiago following a smooth bus journey from Pichilemu and headed straight for the hostel. I was staying in a large hostel about 15 mins from the city centre. The hostel was extremely well run and enjoyed all the facilities possible including an outdoor swimming pool and the only cricket net in Santiago! I met many people who were on the same transpacific flight as me and made good friends with a group of Irish people from Cork and some English girls.
Santiago was a pleasant enough city that had some beautiful buildings, the atmosphere was very European and had a lot of cultural sites.
On the day of my flight (February 1st) I spoilt myself with a fresh cut throat shave at a traditional barbers. The barber was a perfectionist and the entire process lasted around an hour. It included three shaves; first an electric razor, second was a normal wet shave and finally the cut throat razor! I was also covered and recovered in towels (boiling and cold) numerous times and the kettle was boiled at least three times! The barber was very proud of all his trophies that adorned the shop and explained that the price was so high due to his qualifications and experience; I didn’t have the heart to tell him that £3.50 was not that much!
The airport and flight experience were fairly normal except for crossing the International Date Line and never experiencing the 2nd February 2008. A 13hr overnight flight is never that much fun, especially as I was stuck in the middle seat in the middle row of seats in the plane and got about 1hrs sleep!
We arrived at Auckland international at the staggering hour of 03:30 on Sunday 3rd February. My plan was to try and get into the city quickly and find a bar to watch the England vs. Wales rugby match as NZ is currently 13hrs ahead of GMT. Sadly this was not to be as I couldn’t get in and find a place in time. However I didn’t miss out on much judging by the result!
Going to close abruptly now as knackered as haven’t been to bed yet and going out to explore Auckland shortly. I’ll update you soon on the fun to be had on Auckland before I head further south to Christchurch on the South Island of New Zealand.
Well it’s been a fair while since I last spoke to you all and I have to update you on my recent activities.
I got to Santiago following a smooth bus journey from Pichilemu and headed straight for the hostel. I was staying in a large hostel about 15 mins from the city centre. The hostel was extremely well run and enjoyed all the facilities possible including an outdoor swimming pool and the only cricket net in Santiago! I met many people who were on the same transpacific flight as me and made good friends with a group of Irish people from Cork and some English girls.
Santiago was a pleasant enough city that had some beautiful buildings, the atmosphere was very European and had a lot of cultural sites.
On the day of my flight (February 1st) I spoilt myself with a fresh cut throat shave at a traditional barbers. The barber was a perfectionist and the entire process lasted around an hour. It included three shaves; first an electric razor, second was a normal wet shave and finally the cut throat razor! I was also covered and recovered in towels (boiling and cold) numerous times and the kettle was boiled at least three times! The barber was very proud of all his trophies that adorned the shop and explained that the price was so high due to his qualifications and experience; I didn’t have the heart to tell him that £3.50 was not that much!
The airport and flight experience were fairly normal except for crossing the International Date Line and never experiencing the 2nd February 2008. A 13hr overnight flight is never that much fun, especially as I was stuck in the middle seat in the middle row of seats in the plane and got about 1hrs sleep!
We arrived at Auckland international at the staggering hour of 03:30 on Sunday 3rd February. My plan was to try and get into the city quickly and find a bar to watch the England vs. Wales rugby match as NZ is currently 13hrs ahead of GMT. Sadly this was not to be as I couldn’t get in and find a place in time. However I didn’t miss out on much judging by the result!
Going to close abruptly now as knackered as haven’t been to bed yet and going out to explore Auckland shortly. I’ll update you soon on the fun to be had on Auckland before I head further south to Christchurch on the South Island of New Zealand.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Black Beauty
Hello from me in what will be my last post from South America!
On Friday I fly across the Pacific to Auckland, missing out on experiencing Saturday 2nd February 2008 ever which is a little disconcerting! Although because of the time difference I hope to be able to watch the England vs. Wales Six Nations rugby match at 05:30 (local time) in Auckland International Airport on Sunday morning. My flight is due to arrive at 04:15 so keep your fingers crossed.
Since I last wrote I have journeyed back south through Chile, briefly stopping in Santiago, before ending up in the beach town of Pichilemu.
Arriving from La Serena in a large hectic bus station in Santiago (one of four) was a bit of a nightmare and as the bus was delayed prevented me in getting to the next bus station in time to make a connecting bus to Pichilemu. Therefore had to stay in Santiago for one night.
Bought a bus ticket for the following day and then had to try and find somewhere to stay. Unfortunately the guidebooks chapter on Santiago was obviously written about a different city as I tried in vain to find four hostels that didn´t exist in reality. In the end I found a hostel but it only had a private room, by this time I´d had enough and just wanted a bed!
Looking on the map the distance from Santiago to Pichilemu was significantly less than other recent journeys, but this being rural roads it still managed to take us five hours!
The journey was pretty uneventful apart from being the one individual removed from the bus at the police checkpoint for questioning. Thankfully this being Chile (as opposed other South American countries) all went smoothly and the police were just doing their job.
Upon arrival at Pichilemu I then had the joy of looking once again for accommodation in a bustling seaside town. I did well and managed to find a single room (more like a shed!) for about 4GBP per night after wandering the streets for two hours (with pack). I settled into my windowless shed and set out to get my bearings of the town.
Pichilemu is a busy and bustling seaside town that is very touristy but relaxed at the same time. The beach is a strange black colour of sand and the waters of the Pacific are very cold.
Despite the number of Chilean tourists and associated goods/attractions the place was really pleasant.
I quickly settled into a routine of visiting the beach, judging the conditions and making a decision if to to venture into the water and therefore hire a board, suit (4/3) and boots. By the third day I´d managed to negotiate a discount with the staff at one of the surf shops and some days we ended up surfing together.
If I decided against Surfing then lying on the beach reading and listening to music was a lowly second choice! Thankfully the waves were great every day and the water was quiet. The only off putting things was the Jellyfish!
The weekend saw a big influx in numbers from Santiago and the beaches were packed (not only with the alpacas either!). The tourist numbers had an impact as we run out of tap water at one point on Saturday. This is a common occurrence according to one local but made washing the sand out of everywhere slightly more difficult!
The end of the weekend (Sunday night) saw a procession of buses (under police motorcycle escort) leaving the town, while the hapless car drivers queuing for hours watched on in bemusement! (reminded me of Croyde in August!) Most entertaining to watch while enjoying a cold drink (of Canadian Dry Ginger ale no less) and eating dog food (smelling) paté on bread
On Friday I fly across the Pacific to Auckland, missing out on experiencing Saturday 2nd February 2008 ever which is a little disconcerting! Although because of the time difference I hope to be able to watch the England vs. Wales Six Nations rugby match at 05:30 (local time) in Auckland International Airport on Sunday morning. My flight is due to arrive at 04:15 so keep your fingers crossed.
Since I last wrote I have journeyed back south through Chile, briefly stopping in Santiago, before ending up in the beach town of Pichilemu.
Arriving from La Serena in a large hectic bus station in Santiago (one of four) was a bit of a nightmare and as the bus was delayed prevented me in getting to the next bus station in time to make a connecting bus to Pichilemu. Therefore had to stay in Santiago for one night.
Bought a bus ticket for the following day and then had to try and find somewhere to stay. Unfortunately the guidebooks chapter on Santiago was obviously written about a different city as I tried in vain to find four hostels that didn´t exist in reality. In the end I found a hostel but it only had a private room, by this time I´d had enough and just wanted a bed!
Looking on the map the distance from Santiago to Pichilemu was significantly less than other recent journeys, but this being rural roads it still managed to take us five hours!
The journey was pretty uneventful apart from being the one individual removed from the bus at the police checkpoint for questioning. Thankfully this being Chile (as opposed other South American countries) all went smoothly and the police were just doing their job.
Upon arrival at Pichilemu I then had the joy of looking once again for accommodation in a bustling seaside town. I did well and managed to find a single room (more like a shed!) for about 4GBP per night after wandering the streets for two hours (with pack). I settled into my windowless shed and set out to get my bearings of the town.
Pichilemu is a busy and bustling seaside town that is very touristy but relaxed at the same time. The beach is a strange black colour of sand and the waters of the Pacific are very cold.
Despite the number of Chilean tourists and associated goods/attractions the place was really pleasant.
I quickly settled into a routine of visiting the beach, judging the conditions and making a decision if to to venture into the water and therefore hire a board, suit (4/3) and boots. By the third day I´d managed to negotiate a discount with the staff at one of the surf shops and some days we ended up surfing together.
If I decided against Surfing then lying on the beach reading and listening to music was a lowly second choice! Thankfully the waves were great every day and the water was quiet. The only off putting things was the Jellyfish!
The weekend saw a big influx in numbers from Santiago and the beaches were packed (not only with the alpacas either!). The tourist numbers had an impact as we run out of tap water at one point on Saturday. This is a common occurrence according to one local but made washing the sand out of everywhere slightly more difficult!
The end of the weekend (Sunday night) saw a procession of buses (under police motorcycle escort) leaving the town, while the hapless car drivers queuing for hours watched on in bemusement! (reminded me of Croyde in August!) Most entertaining to watch while enjoying a cold drink (of Canadian Dry Ginger ale no less) and eating dog food (smelling) paté on bread
Other strange things in Pichilemu was horse drawn carriage taxis everywhere (and the subsequent men who had to tidy up after them!) and the binmen with bells (traditional) of notification who you could hear before you could see.
All in all then I´ve had an extremely easy and enjoyable final week in South America, although my arms and upper body say differently!
To much has happened since I´ve left the UK to detail the highlights in this post but suffice to say that I´ve really enjoyed South America and leave wanting more, which I think is always a good sign of a great place.
So until next time this is me signing out!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Coasting Round Chile
Hello Again,
I write this as I´m about to leave La Serena to head south in Chile to search for some surf!
I have recently visited the city's of Valparaiso and La Serena and have little in the way of excitement to update you with I´m afraid. I have spent many hours on buses and in bus stations getting more and more fed up of the lack of new songs on my iPod!
On the plus side I feel very relaxed and well read currently.
Valparaiso was a real mixed city and didn´t live up to the high expectations that I´d been set.
The city was dirty and felt very industrial after the lake district. There was very clear evidence throughout of the strong maritime influence on the city (particularly from the Navy) which gave it a functional rather than beautiful feel.
What rescued the city for me was the "Cerros" or small mounts that were picture perfect inland. Making for very nice strolls round small boutiques and galleries in a maze of narrow cobbled streets on impossible gradients. The colours of the houses were stunning and I managed to find a few good places to eat.
The most noticeable thing about staying in Valparaiso was a different type of traveller was present at the hostel compared to the rest of South America. For the first time numbers of Australasians appeared in numbers as they were either just heading to or had just come in from Santiago.
Following from Valparaiso I made the decision to head further north to La Serena.
En route the scenery and vegetation changed dramatically into one that was almost dry desert landscape.
The primary function of La Serena is as a seaside resort and as such it appears to do a very sound job. There were a great number of South American tourists, mainly families from Chile and Argentina.
I met some friends who have spent some time here and made the most of the fact that there was few Gringos around. We went to the cinema and saw some poor action film (Agent 47 or something) and then suffered again the very bizarre feeling when leaving the cinema. I expected to be coming out of the enclosed screen into Maidenhead or Wycombe or somewhere and not a car park in Chile! The feeling is not nice and a bit of a shock and takes a few moments to get bearings again, but underneath there is a slight feeling of sadness. You may think I`m mad but try it and I`m sure you`ll feel the same.
The biggest positive about La Serena was the costs were cheap (although I was staying in a shed complete with window!) and the Chileans very friendly but the place did not light me up and as such I only decided to stay for a few nights. The surf was not up to much and the weather was average.
I did a couple of trips to different places including visiting the nearby resort of Coquimbo and the amazing fish market (with some very interested pelicans looking on!). Whilst there took the opportunity to climb the giant concrete Christian cross for a good view, but it didn´t leave me in awe (or spiritually moved!).
The best trip was to the observatory to view the brilliant night sky from the desert in the best start spotting area on the planet. The only problem was that it was a full moon, which was very impressive but dominated the sky. The guide actually pointed out that we`d missed the full moon by a few hours as it was only 99.6% full at midnight at getting smaller again.
The guide was knowledgeable and although it didn´t make me want to rush out and buy a telescope it certainly was insightful and thought provoking.
The most memorable thig was the telescope size race which is ongoing and is the equivalent of male penis envy. The US and Europe keep battling out for the grandeur of having the largest scope (with largest mirror) on the planet (despite then putting it in Chile!). The names of these things are ridiculous as well and you can tell that the people spend too long looking at the sky! Currently US is winning with the California Extremely Large Telescope (30m mirror) due for completion around 2014.
Europe is busy with the owl or Overwhelmingly Large telescope, but it will not be ready for about 50 years due to the size of the mirror (approx 50m)!
So that's once again it folks. Although I have now loaded on some more photos so please click on the links to view the albums. You will need to sign up to have a Snapfish account and then just follow the link and login to see the latest pictures.
Hope all is well back in the damp UK and its getting lighter again in the evenings (at least a little). Trying to now work out what I can fit in my last two weeks in South America and what I can get rid of from my bag!
I write this as I´m about to leave La Serena to head south in Chile to search for some surf!
I have recently visited the city's of Valparaiso and La Serena and have little in the way of excitement to update you with I´m afraid. I have spent many hours on buses and in bus stations getting more and more fed up of the lack of new songs on my iPod!
On the plus side I feel very relaxed and well read currently.
Valparaiso was a real mixed city and didn´t live up to the high expectations that I´d been set.
The city was dirty and felt very industrial after the lake district. There was very clear evidence throughout of the strong maritime influence on the city (particularly from the Navy) which gave it a functional rather than beautiful feel.
What rescued the city for me was the "Cerros" or small mounts that were picture perfect inland. Making for very nice strolls round small boutiques and galleries in a maze of narrow cobbled streets on impossible gradients. The colours of the houses were stunning and I managed to find a few good places to eat.
The most noticeable thing about staying in Valparaiso was a different type of traveller was present at the hostel compared to the rest of South America. For the first time numbers of Australasians appeared in numbers as they were either just heading to or had just come in from Santiago.
Following from Valparaiso I made the decision to head further north to La Serena.
En route the scenery and vegetation changed dramatically into one that was almost dry desert landscape.
The primary function of La Serena is as a seaside resort and as such it appears to do a very sound job. There were a great number of South American tourists, mainly families from Chile and Argentina.
I met some friends who have spent some time here and made the most of the fact that there was few Gringos around. We went to the cinema and saw some poor action film (Agent 47 or something) and then suffered again the very bizarre feeling when leaving the cinema. I expected to be coming out of the enclosed screen into Maidenhead or Wycombe or somewhere and not a car park in Chile! The feeling is not nice and a bit of a shock and takes a few moments to get bearings again, but underneath there is a slight feeling of sadness. You may think I`m mad but try it and I`m sure you`ll feel the same.
The biggest positive about La Serena was the costs were cheap (although I was staying in a shed complete with window!) and the Chileans very friendly but the place did not light me up and as such I only decided to stay for a few nights. The surf was not up to much and the weather was average.
I did a couple of trips to different places including visiting the nearby resort of Coquimbo and the amazing fish market (with some very interested pelicans looking on!). Whilst there took the opportunity to climb the giant concrete Christian cross for a good view, but it didn´t leave me in awe (or spiritually moved!).
The best trip was to the observatory to view the brilliant night sky from the desert in the best start spotting area on the planet. The only problem was that it was a full moon, which was very impressive but dominated the sky. The guide actually pointed out that we`d missed the full moon by a few hours as it was only 99.6% full at midnight at getting smaller again.
The guide was knowledgeable and although it didn´t make me want to rush out and buy a telescope it certainly was insightful and thought provoking.
The most memorable thig was the telescope size race which is ongoing and is the equivalent of male penis envy. The US and Europe keep battling out for the grandeur of having the largest scope (with largest mirror) on the planet (despite then putting it in Chile!). The names of these things are ridiculous as well and you can tell that the people spend too long looking at the sky! Currently US is winning with the California Extremely Large Telescope (30m mirror) due for completion around 2014.
Europe is busy with the owl or Overwhelmingly Large telescope, but it will not be ready for about 50 years due to the size of the mirror (approx 50m)!
So that's once again it folks. Although I have now loaded on some more photos so please click on the links to view the albums. You will need to sign up to have a Snapfish account and then just follow the link and login to see the latest pictures.
Hope all is well back in the damp UK and its getting lighter again in the evenings (at least a little). Trying to now work out what I can fit in my last two weeks in South America and what I can get rid of from my bag!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Pretty Pucon
Hello Gang,
I am now writing this while I`m whiling away the time before leaving Pucon to head further north to Valparaiso overnight by bus.
Pucon is a lovely place in the middle of the Chilean lake district (located in central Chile).
The town is set on Lake Villarrica and is surrounded by Mountains and Volcanoes.
The Volcano Villarrica lies about 7km away and last erupted in 1985; the town of Pucon is on constant alert and has a traffic light warning system in place with lights located across the town.
I arrived to a shock with the heat very different to the cold and rain that I`d left behind in Puerto Montt 7hrs earlier. The first task was to find a hostel and I somehow managed to stumble into a house that offered rooms. The guy seems nice enough and so I decided to stay. The room however was like a cell with the bunk bed just fitting in (1ft space on two sides) and no windows, all for the sum of 6GBP per night (that's a lot!).
This was my first idea that Pucon may be expensive and it wasn´t to be my last. Pucon turned out to be touristy with a capital T. The tourist majority was not foreign though but families escaping from Santiago for a summer break.
Activities was why I came to Pucon and on my second day I did Canopy(zip lining) in the morning followed by rafting in the afternoon.
Canopy was good and very exhilarating but not for one whose scared of heights. I was part of a group that contained some Americans on summer holidays from teaching in Santiago. It was a good activity and reasonably cheap which made a nice change!
Rafting was great fun (despite being the only English speaker) and the guide ensured we all got wet. Nearly as soon as we got in he pushed us out and encouraged us to swim in the calm waters between rapids.
The river was grade 4 rapids yet we had to get out the raft at one stage to allow the guide to navigate the small section of grade 6 rapids. Our way of getting down was finding a large rock and jumping off down the 25 ft drop to the river below and swimming like mad to get to the raft.
The final part of rapids was grade 2 and we were given the option of swimming/floating down in the water (with the safety kayak nearby). This was the most fun of the whole day.
Next day I woke early (05:00) to climb the Villarrica Volcano. The day was going to be a tough climb up to the summit (approx 2900m) before a tour at the top and sliding down on ones bottom.
We were extremely luck that the day was fine and still meaning we had increased chance of making the summit. We were kitted out in Helmets, suits and with Ice Axes (and a very heavy bag) and given in depth guide as to what to do if you started to fall!
There was about 30 people climbing in our group with a guide for every 4 people. I managed to go with the quick group of 8 who raced up to the summit in 3hrs! I was hanging on sometimes to the tails of the Swiss and Austrian climbers who seemed quite serious.
Lunch was had sitting at the summit admiring the spectacular views. We then walker the perimeter of the crater careful not to get to close! You could not see any molten lava (I was quite glad) but it certainly was hot and the sulphur stung the eyes and throat.
The decent was tremendous fun as we were kitted out with what can only be described as nappy like pouches. We then climbed the first 200m down before sliding in channels on our bottoms . At the end you hit a pile of snow and had a short walk to the next channel.
Arriving back at the base camp I was rightly knackered but with a big smile on my face.
Next I´m looking forward to visiting Valparaiso (after the 13hrs overnight on a bus) and then will travel up, further north to La Serena to see if I can find some decent surf. Three weeks and counting now till NZ!
I am now writing this while I`m whiling away the time before leaving Pucon to head further north to Valparaiso overnight by bus.
Pucon is a lovely place in the middle of the Chilean lake district (located in central Chile).
The town is set on Lake Villarrica and is surrounded by Mountains and Volcanoes.
The Volcano Villarrica lies about 7km away and last erupted in 1985; the town of Pucon is on constant alert and has a traffic light warning system in place with lights located across the town.
I arrived to a shock with the heat very different to the cold and rain that I`d left behind in Puerto Montt 7hrs earlier. The first task was to find a hostel and I somehow managed to stumble into a house that offered rooms. The guy seems nice enough and so I decided to stay. The room however was like a cell with the bunk bed just fitting in (1ft space on two sides) and no windows, all for the sum of 6GBP per night (that's a lot!).
This was my first idea that Pucon may be expensive and it wasn´t to be my last. Pucon turned out to be touristy with a capital T. The tourist majority was not foreign though but families escaping from Santiago for a summer break.
Activities was why I came to Pucon and on my second day I did Canopy(zip lining) in the morning followed by rafting in the afternoon.
Canopy was good and very exhilarating but not for one whose scared of heights. I was part of a group that contained some Americans on summer holidays from teaching in Santiago. It was a good activity and reasonably cheap which made a nice change!
Rafting was great fun (despite being the only English speaker) and the guide ensured we all got wet. Nearly as soon as we got in he pushed us out and encouraged us to swim in the calm waters between rapids.
The river was grade 4 rapids yet we had to get out the raft at one stage to allow the guide to navigate the small section of grade 6 rapids. Our way of getting down was finding a large rock and jumping off down the 25 ft drop to the river below and swimming like mad to get to the raft.
The final part of rapids was grade 2 and we were given the option of swimming/floating down in the water (with the safety kayak nearby). This was the most fun of the whole day.
Next day I woke early (05:00) to climb the Villarrica Volcano. The day was going to be a tough climb up to the summit (approx 2900m) before a tour at the top and sliding down on ones bottom.
We were extremely luck that the day was fine and still meaning we had increased chance of making the summit. We were kitted out in Helmets, suits and with Ice Axes (and a very heavy bag) and given in depth guide as to what to do if you started to fall!
There was about 30 people climbing in our group with a guide for every 4 people. I managed to go with the quick group of 8 who raced up to the summit in 3hrs! I was hanging on sometimes to the tails of the Swiss and Austrian climbers who seemed quite serious.
Lunch was had sitting at the summit admiring the spectacular views. We then walker the perimeter of the crater careful not to get to close! You could not see any molten lava (I was quite glad) but it certainly was hot and the sulphur stung the eyes and throat.
The decent was tremendous fun as we were kitted out with what can only be described as nappy like pouches. We then climbed the first 200m down before sliding in channels on our bottoms . At the end you hit a pile of snow and had a short walk to the next channel.
Arriving back at the base camp I was rightly knackered but with a big smile on my face.
Next I´m looking forward to visiting Valparaiso (after the 13hrs overnight on a bus) and then will travel up, further north to La Serena to see if I can find some decent surf. Three weeks and counting now till NZ!
Monday, January 14, 2008
Charming Chile
My feet are still getting accustomed to firm ground after a few days on the water so please bear this in mind when reading this post as my brain maybe slightly befuddled.
Prior to catching a ferry I headed to Puerto Natales in Chile and enjoyed a wonderful few days exploring the National Park of Torres Del Paine.
The National Park was stunning with wildlife abundant, especially Lama, Eagles and grey foxes. Thankfully I didn´t run into one of the Pumas though I think the sheer volume of tourists (high season) resulted in humans being the dominant species. I was lucky to meet up with some like minded travellers, three girls (Swiss, German and Italian), and we ventured round encouraging one another when the going got tough (especially the biting wind!). The mountainous landscape and beautiful lakes (of many colours) reminded me of Switzerland .We also visited a waterfall and glacier that are contained within the park.
Following the visit to the park I returned to a very cosy hostel in Puerto Natales for a final night on dry land.
The ferry journey from Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt was scheduled to take around 4 days and was about 1600km. All accommodation and food was included but the cost was quite high at US$370; this when comparing to travelling through other means.
The next day I checked in at the ferry terminal and tried to get a decent bunk by being pleasant to the camp member of staff.
It must have worked as I got a decent lower bunk in a group of four bunks near a window. My "room mates" were a Swiss couple and a Frenchman, all of whom were very pleasant.
The cabins were very comfortable with individual lockers, curtains, power sockets and a light in your bunk; all luxuries to the budget traveller.
The strangest thing in the cabin was being woken by the noise cows and livestock at about 5am. The cabins were above the vehicle deck and so subsequently could hear the contained goats, cows and sheep.
The most annoying thing was the Hi-de-Hi style announcements every 30 minutes of the day that made you jump out your skin (particularly the breakfast one!).
Entertainment facilities on board (the working ferry) were basic with three main areas for passengers to go; the bar, outside or a large canteen (that also became Cinema, Briefing room and Bingo hall).
Washing was interesting (and a workout) as to save water one had to pump a button repeatedly in the shower to continue the water flow. The temperature of the water varied dramatically and could not be adjusted.
The food was OK with little variation. Breakfast was scrambled eggs, cereal, yogurt and fruits.
Lunch and dinner composed of Soup followed by some bizarre attempt at cuisine. The highlight of which was Spaghetti Bolognaise during the period of rough seas and mass sickness!
There was a period of around 14hrs where the ferry left the safety of the channels and headed into open sea. At this point passengers were advised to take seasickness tablets and get fresh air as the 25 foot waves hit the ferry. Lying in the bunk that evening was amusing and I only fell out once!
Surprisingly we were allowed on the bridge at any point to observe the goings on or sit in the captains chair; initially this was very exciting (we were trapped on a boat!) but after a few days the novelty wore off and the music played on the bridge was getting worse (Meatloaf!)
The best thing on the ferry was simply relaxing for a few days and watching the world go by. This involved visiting another glacier, a tiny town (Puerto Eden) and seeing abundant wildlife.
The wildlife seen included swimming Penguins, Dolphins, Seals, Sea Lions, Condors, Albatross but no whales!
Finally on the Monday morning the town of Puerto Montt came into view and attracted the biggest gathering yet on deck. Following disembarkation headed straight for the Bus terminal and booked a bus to Pucon.
Now planning to spend a few days in Pucon (still off alcohol) and do some activities and so I update you all in a week or so.
Prior to catching a ferry I headed to Puerto Natales in Chile and enjoyed a wonderful few days exploring the National Park of Torres Del Paine.
The National Park was stunning with wildlife abundant, especially Lama, Eagles and grey foxes. Thankfully I didn´t run into one of the Pumas though I think the sheer volume of tourists (high season) resulted in humans being the dominant species. I was lucky to meet up with some like minded travellers, three girls (Swiss, German and Italian), and we ventured round encouraging one another when the going got tough (especially the biting wind!). The mountainous landscape and beautiful lakes (of many colours) reminded me of Switzerland .We also visited a waterfall and glacier that are contained within the park.
Following the visit to the park I returned to a very cosy hostel in Puerto Natales for a final night on dry land.
The ferry journey from Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt was scheduled to take around 4 days and was about 1600km. All accommodation and food was included but the cost was quite high at US$370; this when comparing to travelling through other means.
The next day I checked in at the ferry terminal and tried to get a decent bunk by being pleasant to the camp member of staff.
It must have worked as I got a decent lower bunk in a group of four bunks near a window. My "room mates" were a Swiss couple and a Frenchman, all of whom were very pleasant.
The cabins were very comfortable with individual lockers, curtains, power sockets and a light in your bunk; all luxuries to the budget traveller.
The strangest thing in the cabin was being woken by the noise cows and livestock at about 5am. The cabins were above the vehicle deck and so subsequently could hear the contained goats, cows and sheep.
The most annoying thing was the Hi-de-Hi style announcements every 30 minutes of the day that made you jump out your skin (particularly the breakfast one!).
Entertainment facilities on board (the working ferry) were basic with three main areas for passengers to go; the bar, outside or a large canteen (that also became Cinema, Briefing room and Bingo hall).
Washing was interesting (and a workout) as to save water one had to pump a button repeatedly in the shower to continue the water flow. The temperature of the water varied dramatically and could not be adjusted.
The food was OK with little variation. Breakfast was scrambled eggs, cereal, yogurt and fruits.
Lunch and dinner composed of Soup followed by some bizarre attempt at cuisine. The highlight of which was Spaghetti Bolognaise during the period of rough seas and mass sickness!
There was a period of around 14hrs where the ferry left the safety of the channels and headed into open sea. At this point passengers were advised to take seasickness tablets and get fresh air as the 25 foot waves hit the ferry. Lying in the bunk that evening was amusing and I only fell out once!
Surprisingly we were allowed on the bridge at any point to observe the goings on or sit in the captains chair; initially this was very exciting (we were trapped on a boat!) but after a few days the novelty wore off and the music played on the bridge was getting worse (Meatloaf!)
The best thing on the ferry was simply relaxing for a few days and watching the world go by. This involved visiting another glacier, a tiny town (Puerto Eden) and seeing abundant wildlife.
The wildlife seen included swimming Penguins, Dolphins, Seals, Sea Lions, Condors, Albatross but no whales!
Finally on the Monday morning the town of Puerto Montt came into view and attracted the biggest gathering yet on deck. Following disembarkation headed straight for the Bus terminal and booked a bus to Pucon.
Now planning to spend a few days in Pucon (still off alcohol) and do some activities and so I update you all in a week or so.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Farewell Argentina!
Hello Folks,
How are the January blues getting on? Those resolutions holding strong or a distant memory?
I have left Argentina (with a heavy heart) and I am about to begin exploring Chile, from south to north.
I left the bottom of the world Sunday (6th Jan) and travelled to El Calafate (not Elephants farting as some wise person suggested it sounded!).
El Cafate was not a picture perfect town for the romantic and was basically a street with restaurants, tour operators and souvenir shops! Give me the Alps any day.
There was plenty of life at the hostel though, unfortunately most of it was of the bug variety as they had an issue with fleas in the beds. Luckily there was a significant spray to cull the epidemic the day I arrived. The result was that I was bite free, others were not so lucky!
However in El Calafate (and around) I enjoyed a wonderful Patagonian setting for cold adventures on mountains and glaciers. Temperature constantly very cold with biting winds and I´m now longing for the heat of the north!
The highlight was a trip to the Moreno glacier situated within The Glaciers National Parkwith wonderful views, friendly knowledgeable guides and a chance to trek in crampons on the glacier. The glacier was amazing, sounds of ice breaking free was like thunder and made for amazing views for those with patience and a sharp eye.
The glacier trekking was hard work and needed good concentration to avoid falling and injuring oneself. The briefing for techniques for ascending/descending was highly amusing as some things got lost in translation! One lady fell and cut her hand on the ice as it was very sharp, she´d taken off her gloves to take a photo despite being told not to.
As we rounded a corned near the end a "whiskey table"came into view and gave the opportunity for a "wee dram" of whiskey on ice (that was 5000 years old). Following my whiskey activities at New Year and my abstinence in January I declined a drink but simply posed for the photos!
The boat transfer home was good and allowed us to get close to the Icebergs and a different viewpoint of the glacier.
The low light of recent times has been the border crossing (by bus) from Argentina to Chile. To say that Chilean immigration and customs do a thorough job would be an understatement. The crossing wasn´t helped by the number (30-40) of us. The whole process took around 2hrs and I wasn´t impressed that my nicely packed rucksack was subjected to a full inspection and needed repacking!
A good point of the journey cross the Andes was the scenery and variety of wildlife happy to be seen next to the gravel tracks we journeyed along. Lama, Eagles, Ostrich were all visible; along with the less exciting Cows, Sheep and Horses.
Arrived in Purto Natales and am now visiting the large national park, Torres del Paine, before catching a ferry north through the fjords, hoping to see some more ´bergs and dolphins en route.
Will try to upload some more photos to snapfish shortly and send links out.
Less than a month now till I leave South America and I wish it was longer. NZ will be fun though and looking forward to it!
If anyone has any information/contacts/ideas about where to source a Campervan in Auckland from I´d be grateful!
Till the next time this is me saying it goodnight from him......
How are the January blues getting on? Those resolutions holding strong or a distant memory?
I have left Argentina (with a heavy heart) and I am about to begin exploring Chile, from south to north.
I left the bottom of the world Sunday (6th Jan) and travelled to El Calafate (not Elephants farting as some wise person suggested it sounded!).
El Cafate was not a picture perfect town for the romantic and was basically a street with restaurants, tour operators and souvenir shops! Give me the Alps any day.
There was plenty of life at the hostel though, unfortunately most of it was of the bug variety as they had an issue with fleas in the beds. Luckily there was a significant spray to cull the epidemic the day I arrived. The result was that I was bite free, others were not so lucky!
However in El Calafate (and around) I enjoyed a wonderful Patagonian setting for cold adventures on mountains and glaciers. Temperature constantly very cold with biting winds and I´m now longing for the heat of the north!
The highlight was a trip to the Moreno glacier situated within The Glaciers National Parkwith wonderful views, friendly knowledgeable guides and a chance to trek in crampons on the glacier. The glacier was amazing, sounds of ice breaking free was like thunder and made for amazing views for those with patience and a sharp eye.
The glacier trekking was hard work and needed good concentration to avoid falling and injuring oneself. The briefing for techniques for ascending/descending was highly amusing as some things got lost in translation! One lady fell and cut her hand on the ice as it was very sharp, she´d taken off her gloves to take a photo despite being told not to.
As we rounded a corned near the end a "whiskey table"came into view and gave the opportunity for a "wee dram" of whiskey on ice (that was 5000 years old). Following my whiskey activities at New Year and my abstinence in January I declined a drink but simply posed for the photos!
The boat transfer home was good and allowed us to get close to the Icebergs and a different viewpoint of the glacier.
The low light of recent times has been the border crossing (by bus) from Argentina to Chile. To say that Chilean immigration and customs do a thorough job would be an understatement. The crossing wasn´t helped by the number (30-40) of us. The whole process took around 2hrs and I wasn´t impressed that my nicely packed rucksack was subjected to a full inspection and needed repacking!
A good point of the journey cross the Andes was the scenery and variety of wildlife happy to be seen next to the gravel tracks we journeyed along. Lama, Eagles, Ostrich were all visible; along with the less exciting Cows, Sheep and Horses.
Arrived in Purto Natales and am now visiting the large national park, Torres del Paine, before catching a ferry north through the fjords, hoping to see some more ´bergs and dolphins en route.
Will try to upload some more photos to snapfish shortly and send links out.
Less than a month now till I leave South America and I wish it was longer. NZ will be fun though and looking forward to it!
If anyone has any information/contacts/ideas about where to source a Campervan in Auckland from I´d be grateful!
Till the next time this is me saying it goodnight from him......
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
New Year in the Deep South
Happy 2008 Everybody!
I have finally recovered from my excesses of New Years Eve and am in a position to give you a bit of an update!
I travelled from Mendoza on the evening of the 26th back to Buenos Aires for one night. As ever in BA, the night was long and alcohol fuelled but it was really nice to meet up with lots of friends made there.
Next day I got a flight from BA down to Ushuaia and settled into the B&B I´d booked.
Ushuaia (http://www.e-ushuaia.com/ingles/index.htm) claims to be the most southerly city in the world and sits on the Beagle channel. The port is the main base for ocean cruises to the Antarctic and Falklands. The town itself is a little disjointed due to volumes of tourists and others passing through. As a result their is little character or atmosphere but it makes up for it with great expense. The biggest shock to the system however was the temperature. Even though its summer here the temperature is similar to that of the UK, a noticeable change from the heat of BA/Mendoza.
I have enjoyed many activities, including visiting the prison (wouldn´t want to stay there!) and a cruise up the Beagle Channel to see Penguins and Seals. The cruise was very good apart from the journey back in which conditions on the catamaran got a little rough. 70% of the people inside disappeared with sick bags and the smell wasn´t very pleasant. I managed to keep it together but still felt giddy hours after disembarkation.
This episode somewhat put me off the idea I had of trying to join a 10 day Antarctic cruise (well that and the $6000 price tag!).
New Years Eve was celebrated at a hostel with a large group of friends and a BBQ being cooked by the Kiwis in the rain. The meat once again was good and the beer flowed (perhaps a little too well). I then was volunteered to "do a funnel" which involves drinking liquid though a hose and large funnel (as the name would suggest). The main problem was that the beer had run out by this stage and so I was given Whiskey and Coke instead; this would have a great bearing on the whole evening!
I remember at 22:00 (local time) we opened the bubbly to celebrate the UK New Year; following this everything gets a little hazy and the rest is witness testimony!
I apparently saw in the New Year but en route to the nightclub downed tools and refused to go any further so I was kindly taken back to the hostel where I awoke the following morning with little recollection of any other events. Thankfully I was not ill but my self abuse led me to feel so awful that I did not get up till approx 18:30.
Big thank you to individuals involved for making my New Year so special and ensuring that I got home in one piece, you know who you are!
I am now greatly looking forward to my month free of hangovers and liver regeneration prior to leaving South America and heading to NZ. I moved hostels last night and met an English fireman who is going to be on the same flight. On arrival in Auckland we plan to watch the NZ vs England Twenty20 Cricket and celebrate my dry spell ending! (I don´t learn!).
Heading north (as the only way is up) to El Calafate on Sunday for some glacier spotting and trekking. So until the next time this is JP signing out and wishing you all well for 2008 from the bottom of the world (and my heart!)
I have finally recovered from my excesses of New Years Eve and am in a position to give you a bit of an update!
I travelled from Mendoza on the evening of the 26th back to Buenos Aires for one night. As ever in BA, the night was long and alcohol fuelled but it was really nice to meet up with lots of friends made there.
Next day I got a flight from BA down to Ushuaia and settled into the B&B I´d booked.
Ushuaia (http://www.e-ushuaia.com/ingles/index.htm) claims to be the most southerly city in the world and sits on the Beagle channel. The port is the main base for ocean cruises to the Antarctic and Falklands. The town itself is a little disjointed due to volumes of tourists and others passing through. As a result their is little character or atmosphere but it makes up for it with great expense. The biggest shock to the system however was the temperature. Even though its summer here the temperature is similar to that of the UK, a noticeable change from the heat of BA/Mendoza.
I have enjoyed many activities, including visiting the prison (wouldn´t want to stay there!) and a cruise up the Beagle Channel to see Penguins and Seals. The cruise was very good apart from the journey back in which conditions on the catamaran got a little rough. 70% of the people inside disappeared with sick bags and the smell wasn´t very pleasant. I managed to keep it together but still felt giddy hours after disembarkation.
This episode somewhat put me off the idea I had of trying to join a 10 day Antarctic cruise (well that and the $6000 price tag!).
New Years Eve was celebrated at a hostel with a large group of friends and a BBQ being cooked by the Kiwis in the rain. The meat once again was good and the beer flowed (perhaps a little too well). I then was volunteered to "do a funnel" which involves drinking liquid though a hose and large funnel (as the name would suggest). The main problem was that the beer had run out by this stage and so I was given Whiskey and Coke instead; this would have a great bearing on the whole evening!
I remember at 22:00 (local time) we opened the bubbly to celebrate the UK New Year; following this everything gets a little hazy and the rest is witness testimony!
I apparently saw in the New Year but en route to the nightclub downed tools and refused to go any further so I was kindly taken back to the hostel where I awoke the following morning with little recollection of any other events. Thankfully I was not ill but my self abuse led me to feel so awful that I did not get up till approx 18:30.
Big thank you to individuals involved for making my New Year so special and ensuring that I got home in one piece, you know who you are!
I am now greatly looking forward to my month free of hangovers and liver regeneration prior to leaving South America and heading to NZ. I moved hostels last night and met an English fireman who is going to be on the same flight. On arrival in Auckland we plan to watch the NZ vs England Twenty20 Cricket and celebrate my dry spell ending! (I don´t learn!).
Heading north (as the only way is up) to El Calafate on Sunday for some glacier spotting and trekking. So until the next time this is JP signing out and wishing you all well for 2008 from the bottom of the world (and my heart!)
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