Ko Chang - Island Paradise

The taxi from the ferry took us to Lonely Beach where we planned to meet America Mike from our Chiang Mai trek. Found a hut to rent out along with our Dutch friends but it felt like a bit of a rush with everyone hopping off the taxi in search of rooms. It is a pretty busy island I guess so the rooms do fill up quickly. We stayed on Ice Beach right across from the massage place right on the water. Went to the Treehouse restaurant which was so chill, all built out over the rocks right on the water. They are moving it to a different part of the island after this season so I don't think they are keeping up so well with repairing the wood floor boards, just have to watch your step or oops down to the rocks. Okay, it's really only a few feet down. Gorgeous sunsets from our first night there. Most of the tables are low and you sit on mats with pillows. Very relaxed and chill with music to keep you groovy. We tried the BBQ snapper which was incredible, mmm nothing like fresh fish on the barbie!

After two nights of the hut with it's own bathroom we decided to go economical and only pay 200 baht instead of 400 to have a hut right on the water but with a shared bathroom. Not exactly a bathroom like in the U.S. Especially the shower which mostly consisted of a cement room with a trough for water and a plastic bucket to pour the water over yourself. Ah, nature. Timing was not the best because the night we switched I ended up getting some really serious food poisoning (think it was from some seafood pad thai at another place we went for lunch). So the private bathroom would have been really nice. But, I survived and Martin got me some medicine (antibiotics, rehydration packs, pain med) from the local health clinic. So I took it easy that day and slept in a hammock at Treehouse quite a bit. Not too bad I guess for being sick. I even had one piece of toast for breakfast and soup for dinner. Mmm, mmm, good but not Campbells. No spicy food (which I've been loving) or Singha (Thai) beer either! Damn!

We did take a scooter out the following day as I was partially recovered by then. Hit a beautiful waterfall at the National Park, Klong Plu Falls. The water was cool for swimming but great in the hot weather and for a bit it was even secluded until some loud - I hate to say it - America and German tourists showed up. Next a trip to the Bang Bao pier where they have little shops set up all along the pier. I got a little something for you there Shannon! You guessed it a beautiful fresh fish, hope it arrives okay. :) We also made it to the gates of some fancy resort but didn't want to pay money to get inside for a look (cheap tourists huh!).

The days mainly consisted of a yummy breakfast of porridge with boiled bananas, omelette, or pancake like crepe with bananas. Yes, you are sensing a banans breakfast theme on my part. And, Martin wouldn't be able to start the day without a Chai tea. I have to admit they were pretty delicious and I also got addicted after awhile. We considered kayaking but somehow never got up the energy. The torture of days on the beach, or in the shade sipping a fruit shake or beer when I wasn't sick. Lots of reading, writing, talking, sunning, eating and just relaxing. I really enjoyed being in one place for at least a week!

Carrie was going to meet me in Ko Chang but she decided to go on her own to Phuket and Phi Phi for a bit. Martin headed back to Bangkok on Friday, January 27 and I stayed until Sunday. My last two nights on the island I had a Thai massage right by the water and the second one I was the only person and it was sunset. Just gorgeous! The day I left it was sweltering hot, I was not a pretty sight by the time I got from the taxi, to ferry (which turned out to be some "cruise" boat that was more like a fishing boat), to the VIP bus, and finally to arrive in Bangkok. I met up with a nice girl in Ko Chang, Eileen, and rode back on the bus with her so we shared a room and hung out Sunday night around Khao San Road. Evidently it was even crazier that night because it was also Chinese New Year which they evidently celebrate here too. We decided to get facials as I had a massage the previous two nights. It was pretty interesting, lots of weird stuff on my face and odd tools that I couldn't see.

On Monday I went in search of a new guesthouse as the Sawasdee House was terribly loud the night before. I went to a place that was recommended, AT Home Guesthouse, and it's great! I decided to spend the day just walking around, eating at the veggie restaurant across the street, and shopping. Carrie was to meet me that night at Sawasdee House but we had some mixup with info and email communication. Luckily, I sent her the new guesthouse info as well so she met me back there. Unhappily, I left my camera on the table outside the guesthouse when I went in to check the email one last time to check on Carrie. And, it was gone and with it all of my photos from Thailand because I had planned to burn them on CD today (Tuesday, Jan. 31). I have to say I'm still really devastated by it but as I told my brother it could be much worse, at least we are all safe and healthy. I'm hoping to get some photos from others on our trip and Carrie has some from Chiang Mai until she left to go another way. We did go out for a big thing of ice cream which helped temporarily and then a beer and a little dancing, also only helped temporarily.

My optimistic nature was truly hoping someone would turn it in but I guess that's just silly. So, I have to buy another camera today and they run about the same as at home. Too bad I couldn't just get the thief to leave the memory card huh! I think as well as buying a new camera I might treat myself to a pedicure and some Mango with sticky rice for dessert. Stay tuned for Cambodia - The Crowd at Angkor Wat and beyond.

Chiang Mai Times Continue

A few days of exploring more of Chiang Mai for some of the trekking crew. We all went on Sunday for a drive on some scooters (don't worry dad I didn't drive and Martin is an "excellent driver") up the mountain to Doi Suthep again. Saw the temple again, can't get enough spiritual times you know! Sadly to see, they have an elephant chained by the wall at the base of the temple. It just keeps swaying back and forth lookin like it wants to be free or at least able to do some trekking right? Hell, I suppose the alternative could be worse - I can't say I know the whole story. Then back down to chill at the Waterfall restaurant for a great view and some food and drink.

On the way back Martin and I got a flat tire, thanks to it not happening on the mountain. A nice tuk tuk driver drove me, while Martin precariously drove behind, to a repair shop. Some nice Thai boys fixed it for us and got shy when Martin wanted to take a photo. So, on our way again to find a yoga place which we never actually went to take a class. Too lazy I guess. Great day despite the mishap with the tire, could have been worse right?

All of us headed out to the Sunday market right down the street and it was a blast. Street entertainment, curious and good food, crafts and clothes, and much more! Of course some of the guys decided to try the fried grasshopper although they didn't go for the maggots or locusts. I decided on the more normal options of pancake on a stick (with a jelly or chocolate face filling), hot waffle, pad thai (of course), fresh beetroot and orange juice, and more I'm sure. Too many too remember, we really ate! The crafts including jewelry, clothes, purses, and too many to list were gorgeous. This is one time I wish I wasn't traveling so long so I could really stock up on some cool stuff. Minimal is key when carrying your crap around with you for six months!

Some of the crew decided to move on to Pai on motorcycles (yes, Carrie included of course!). I on the other hand, decided to stay in one place for a bit and really see the town, and hang out with my friends as well. So Carrie (on the back of Andrew's motorcycle) and Mike from Canada rented motorbikes and left Monday afternoon. That's a story Carrie will have to tell but let's just say somebody fell off the motorcycle (okay I should say it wasn't Carrie in case the Mongers read this and get worried). This was of course after we all drove up the mountain again for kicks and then on to the Snake Farm.

This was a trip for certain, there was a ring set up where the snake handlers "played" with the snakes, and dangerous ones they were! The other funny thing was the announcer who kept this continuous litany of commentary but all in about the same tone. I can't even remember all the poisonous ones they were handling but the really fast smaller ones were all over the place. I swear that one of the snakes was so close to me that I couldn't even move (yes the guys decided I should sit on the bottom right next to the ring). Guess I proved them I was the brave one huh! The last snakes were announced as being jumping snakes and two handlers were messing around in the box attempting to get it out when all of a sudden they threw it out into the audience. Okay, turns out they threw a piece of rope but it sure made that section of the crowd practically jump off the bleachers entirely. Of course we can say that we wouldn't have jumped since it didn't happen to our section. Finally, they brought out a python and I they put it around my neck and I kissed it. Carrie supposedly got a photo but not sure which camera. Can't wait to see that one. After the show we looked at the "farm" portion which housed a number of different animals including snakes, birds, and a monkey. I was so disappointed in tourists when I saw some trash in the monkey's cage and two people (I do think I heard them speak French) give him gum between the bars while they laughed. Are people really such asses? Guess so.

The Pai Motorcycle gang of three headed out and the rest of us went with John to watch him bungee jump. Can't believe a Kiwi comes to Thailand to bungy, I mean they started it and have three great ones to choose from in NZ. It wasn't very high but he was the only one to attempt it so kudos to him. We vainly attempted to find some waterfall and then back home to chill and go out with Michiel (Dutch) for his last night with us before heading to Laos. Again, a chill night but we had some laughs at the restaurant near Thapae Gate. The lady boys (oh, have I described this phenomenon yet?) who were waiters were barely understanding English and making us laugh. So, a lady boy is basically a boy who dresses like a girl - like a transvestite back home. There are quite a few in Thailand, some who are really great looking and probably can and have fooled some Western men. :)

Our last full day in Chiang Mai was spent driving up to DoiSuthep to try to find some shirts like Martin's (such a trendsetter that guy!). Of course the women there were actually kind of mean when we tried to bargain with them where they usually have a bit of fun with it in other places. I think because Martin was just tired of it he got us a good deal so we each bought one! Good thing we aren't traveling together for too long. he hee, we'd look like some kind of gang. Not a very tough gang of course. Later that evening we ate at a cool veggie restaurant near Thapae Gate and the moat called Aum which also served as a used book store. Excellent food, I think Adam and I had the best dish. A northern specialty but don't ask me what was in it. Just lick your lips and imagine goodness.

Martin and I attempted to find this lake that was described as picturesque with the mountain behind it but mostly we found some small body of water with nothing really pretty about it and lots of dirt paths. We did find Lanna Park IV where the tribal museum is located (no we didn't do the tourist thing and visit) and a lake with shanty type restaurants set up all along the banks. We decided to stop for a drink and luckily not more because everything was in Thai and our servers didn't know any English. I did get some green water which turned out to be Fanta while Martin tried out the Singha beer (Thai). The drive was a bit out of the city and it was a beautiful day. The Pai crew returned that afternoon with Carrie frantically trying to figure out how to get her passport to Chiang Mai the next morning before 10am. We had left them with a travel agent in Bangkok to get our Vietnam visas since we didn't have any plans to leave the country. Turns out the owner of the guesthouse where we stayed got two travelers going to Chiang Mai on the overnight train to bring her passport. So the next morning she had to get to the railway station by 8:30 to meet them. Of course it all worked out fine and they left in a minibus. You'll have to read Carrie's blog (camjourney.blogspot.com) to find out about the rest of her time in Thailand.

We all had one last dinner out at Riverside but an early one for most of us. Next day the Kiwi's and Carrie left and those of us left (Martin, Mike from Canada, and Jenn) hung out until we caught the 4pm sleeper train. Ah, the sleepr train this time was a blast. I liked the 2nd class cars (about 20-40 beds in each car) with the fans. I actually felt less motion sickness because I was able to sit facing the direction we were headed. We hung out for a bit in the restaurant car where the music was BLARING and the Singha beer kept coming. A French couple ended up dancing in the aisle and we just kept laughing. Then back to the seats which were already turned into beds by now. So we played our game of Shithead, aided by a Dutch guy we met named Bart, for a bit before heading to sleep. I didn't actually sleep too much because we were right by the door between cars and the bathroom but I enjoyed myself anyway.

After arriving in Bangkok we hung with Mike and David (another Canadian and an organic farmer we nursed a bit on the train, some food poisoning most likely). The dutch couple decided to join our Ko Chang contingent (Martin and myself) to take the VIP bus which is a double decker bus and is pretty comfortable. Just don't think about using the toilet, especially near the end of the 6 hour trip. We did have one stop for lunch along the way but I got at least three hours sleep (YEAH!). Then we took the ferry over to Ko Chang.

My next installment will be on the trip to Ko Chang and my time there which I can tell you in preview was wonderful.

Trekking around Chiang Mai

Trekking:

Day 1 -
Drive by minibus to the market to pick up supplies and then a bit of a drive to stop for some lunch before hopping on the elephants for a 1 hour ride. Okay, maybe hopping isn't quite the right word. Climbing up a ladder to a platform and then stretching out to first step on the elephants big head (sorry guy) and onto a wooden seat strapped behind it's neck. The skin was so thick and the black hair very course. This was definitely an experience riding on top of such a huge animal that traveled pretty slowly for most of the time with a few quick moments. You can only imagine what it would be like if the animal was actually running. A few times ours seemed like he wanted to go down the steep hillside instead of staying on the path but it always turned around. And the sight of a bunch of elephants traveling in a caravan gave you just a hint of what it must have been like years ago. Getting off the elephant was even crazier because we weren't expecting it to get down on it's haunches so we could slide off so gracefully (hmmm, okay maybe not the right word).

After the ride we started the walking with our own two feet, a group of 13 plus our guide John (not his Thai name obviously). This hike was about 3 hours or so and VERY steep. Yikes! But our group was very cool and interesting. We were so happy to arrive at the first hill tribe village. Great big room with pallets for us to all share the space. Our group bonded pretty quickly:
3 Kiwis - Adam, Andrew, John
1 England - Martin
2 England - Sarah, Kathy
1 Canada - Mike
1 America - Mike
1 Dutch - Michiel
2 America - Sarah & Chris (married traveling for awhile)
2 America - US!

The view was gorgeous from our stilted hut, which included kitchen, sleeping, dining, and bar areas! A misty mountain view of the village and surrounding mountains. Our dinner of rice and two types of dishes (one for the veggies) was eaten by candlelight along with a number of Chang (Thai) beers and some Thai whisky by some of the guys. Turns out our authentic hill tribe was also to include a Thai rockband singing at the community hall outside to raise money for a school. Not exactly what we expected but fun and made for some laughs among our crazy crew.

There was even a bit of guitar playing by Martin and Adam, although I admit I couldn't last them. The beds and blankets were actually pretty comfy but the sun woke me up fairly early in the morning.

Day 2 -
Ah, our first breakfast of hard boiled egg and toast with pineapple marmalade and butter. I walked with Carrie, she wasn't feel so energetic and wanted some morale support. Probably good for me too, it had been awhile since we had done some hiking. Not quite as tough as the first day because it wasn't as long, except there were still steep parts. Had a nice noodle lunch at a village after seeing two discreetly dressed police escorting (by handcuff) two Thai guys, later our guide said they were caught for Opium. We arrived at the waterfall where we were to camp out that night. Beautiful sight to see the water and then later feel the chill and the pounding down my back. We all chilled out on the rocks in the sun for a bit, doing some more group bonding I think. :) Another good dinner and some Chang beers, I also broke out our Oreo's and peanut butter crackers to share. The Dutchie had never even had an Oreo! A few cute little kids again at this camp and some tiny puppies too, lots of fun.

So, all was good until we went to sleep in our shared room with not enough blankets and too much of a chill. Wow, it was freakin freezing this night. A bunch of us were just scrunching up together as much as possible to stay warm. Not our best night sleep but made for a bit of laughing that night.

Day 3 -
yes, more hard boiled eggs and toast. Yumm. The walk today was short and sweet but Carrie and I both fell in the water trying to cross the stream on a rope swing (well actually a vine). Then we had to wait around a bit for the white water rafting (only level 2, maybe a 3 spot) to happen. We had all Americans in our boat except we did let Martin (a Brit, oh my!) join us. Mike almost fell in the water when we were messing around with another of our rafts but we pulled him back. Our guide kept saying "Oh my god!" in this falsetto voice. I think that was his only English, I mean it's not like we were in rapids. Then we boarding these bamboo rafts with half our buts sunk in the water. Not exciting, but relaxing for certain. Ah, now it's time again for a late lunch and then back to Chiang Mai.

Back to Lanna's Guest House to freshen up and then head out as a group to Riverside restaurant where we ate (yes on the river) and danced to a Thai band. They were great until the power went out on us. This is when our group split and I went back to hang at Lanna's for a bit. Incredible times for certain. More on Chiang Mai in next post.

Thailand - A Different World

The flight from NZ to Thailand was about 9 hours long and overall was great! Good food, comfy seats, nice flight attendants, not too bumpy - until, I got an intense case of what I would call food poisoning. Let's just say I was nervous about being in the toilet when the plane landed. You would think I would get sick once I arrived in Thailand but not from the airplane food. Oh well, at least I got it out of my system, literally. And, I felt better within a bit over a day. We arrived in Bangkok airport around 10pm and just leaving the airport and trying to get a taxi was overwhelming. We arrived at our hostel, Big John's Guesthouse and pretty much just went right to sleep. My body was destroyed and rest was imperative. The place is run by an Australian guy and was nice enough. Even had a restaurant on the main level and the bed was comfy and we didn't have to pay for a blanket like in New Zealand hostels. Plus is was like $5 US a night, nice!

Walking around Bangkok the next day was more overwhelming then the airport but in a much better way. The streets were crowded with motorcycles and scooters zipping their way through the traffic. Some drivers even wore medical masks to keep dust out! The streets were also lines with little food stalls and impermanent noodle stands. They set up tables and everything right on the sidewalk for lunch and break it down later. Decided to let my stomach recover before attempting some real Thai food. We decided to go ahead and book an overnight sleeper train (1st class) to the northern town of Chiang Mai for that night so we had just enough time to get our first Thai massage and then back to Big John's before lugging our packs and extra bags on the sky train and then subway to the railway station. We were exhausted by the time we arrived.

It felt funny to us to hear both Thai and English on the subway announcements. I guess there are just so many foreign travelers that speak English it makes sense. The sleeper train was a funny experience but I wasn't feeling so I just took some Pepto and slept. The breakfast we ordered was not the best, Carrie didn't even eat hers. The eggs were pretty runny for scrambled and mine had a hot dog cut up in a design along with bread not really toasted and a yummy piece of pineapple. Heck, I do eat pretty much anything when I'm hungry. :) We decided to take the tuk tuk to our guesthouse, Lanna's. Well, actually we were going to another but the driver asked us to check out his "sister's" place because it was cheaper. After Carrie looked at both (and I stayed with our bags) we stayed at the cheaper place. Good move in retrospect. Only 120 baht for a double bed with bathroom, very cheap.

Also, decided to go on the 3-day trek to the hill tribes the next day. I already decided I liked this city and guesthouse much better then Bangkok, much more chill atmosphere. The Thai people are so friendly and many speak at least a few bits of English. Lanna's is right near Wat Prasingh (wat is a temple) so we checked it out and then found some French guys to share the taxi up the mountain to another Wat, Doi Suthep. This one has 300 steps to walk up to the temple itself and was just beautiful. It is too bad that there is so much pollution in the cities because the view from the temple would be gorgeous. While we were in Wat Pra Singh I was blessed by a monk for happiness in the New Year!

After, we headed with the guys to try out a street restaurant (one of the impermanent) and it was YUMMY! And, only 210 baht for about 5 meals! So, we decided to try a bar and the taxi driver took us to this very cheesy club called Bubble Club. Quite a few old white guys looking to pick up some young Thai women. Pretty digusting if you ask me! But, we got a bit of dancing in and just had fun anyway. Then back to sleep before we go on the trek the next day (Jan. 12-14).

Next installment I'll tell you all about the trek and our othere adventures in Chiang Mai!

Say Goodbye Australia!

Okay, so we decided to redeem our lazy selves from our days doing quite a bit of nothing in some dreary weather. Booked a Blue Mountain bus tour, a bit of a blue-hair tour we knew but wanted to get to see a few things before heading out for good on Jan. 9.

Early start to walk to a bus stop and catch it into Sydney before entering our monstrous luxury bus! We certainly shouldn't miss the sights from the height of this walking city! So, that is a bit of an exaggeration as there was no toilet on board. Probably better in the long run right! Good mix of blue hairs, families, and younger folks. We caught a few scenic views before stopping in a cute little town for a huge lunch! Very antique looking place, sort of like my hometown Annapolis on a smaller scale with no water. Back on the bus to Scenic World where we took a sky train with a clear floor, an extremely steep train, and then a large tram where we actually couldn't see anything because they shove so many people in the darn thing! We caught some views here of the Three Sisters rock formation but saw better views later on at another scenic lookout.

The legend is that the shaman of the Aboriginal tribe turned three sisters into the rocks to save them during a war but couldn't change them back when he lost his magic stick. They also say he became a peacock and continues to root around the forest floors looking for the magic stick. Well, that's what I remember of the story anyway - I wouldn't vouch for it being 100% accurate.

The next stop was at a Wildlife Preserve for only indigenous animals, including the Koala and the kangaroo or walloughby (sp.?). We were able to pet (or pat as they called it) a number of the Koala, definitely a highlight! Made this entire tour worthwhile. We also drove through Sydney's Olympic park which is an odd thing to see with no people around. Next, we caught a Rivercat jet boat back to the city and had some dinner at Wagamama Japanese restaurant. Thanks to our friend Vig (American) who we met in NZ for giving us some coupons! Yeah, to a free bottle of wine and who says Americans aren't the best?! Oh, we also saw the Opera House at night, which was gorgeous. I have to mention the dessert at the restaurant because it was a great mix of flavors, chocolate mousse with a wasabi ganache center. Odd but delicious!

Our last day in Sydney we did some laundry and thanked our friend Bob for sharing his space with us for our last few days in town. Off to Thailand!

Last Days in NZ - New Year's in Sydney

Mount Maunganui
We met up with our friend Lance at his house in Rotorua to pick up his brother Paul who we stayed with in Mount Maunganui. Lance offered his brother's place when we met him in the Cook Islands. As it turns out his girlfriend Tina is from Salisbury, Maryland not too far away from my hometown of Annapolis, MD. Great people and a nice house (definitely a guy's place, lots of semi-clad women in calendars but lots of space and nice people) not far from the beach. Turns out our days here (about 4) were mostly about chilling out, must have needed it after all the driving from place to place.

Paul took us along with him for his Dad's birthday celebration, boating on the lake and dinner at his parent's house. We decided to just watch others water ski as the water was cold and we weren't really prepared (they all had wetsuits and were also really good). Everyone was really nice and we had a huge meal later on and watched some action video of the family rafting and kayaking (Their dad Franz takes lots of video and edits it all too.) Thanks to Franz and Parky for including us in the celebration and for Lance, Tina, and Paul for bringing us along.

We did a walk to the top of Mount Maunganui, one part was a very steep climb but overall not too tough. Gorgeous views from the top and still gave us a bit of a work out, feeling a bit like a slug so good to get some exercise. Enjoyed some time out dancing and drinking (a wee bit) at Imbibe within walking distance of the house - that's always nice! Oh, the negative here was the arrival of a large group of Jim Beam girls in their tight white jeans, skimpy tops and cowboy hats, oh did I mention the stiletto's? Makes you feel good when you are wearing Chaco sandals and a t-shirt. Ah well, the life of a traveller. :) We then made an early, yikes 4am, drive to the airport on Saturday, Dec. 31.

Sydney
Arrived in Sydney with no problems and took a taxi (yikes more money then the info guy said it would be!) to our friend Mike's house in Narrabeen in the Northern Beaches about 40 minutes from Sydney City Center. Another boys' house but nice to have a space to share, thanks to Mike, Wags, and John for sharing their space a bit. And, very close walking distance to the beach. We headed to the beach and had a great swim in the ocean, it felt incredible and the waves were a blast! Just stayed a bit then headed to catch a real beef burger (in NZ everything is made of lamb even burgers and sausages). Wow, it was huge and fun that it had beetroot on it too - oh, I found that I like beetroot in salads, etc. Used to hate it when my mom would cook beet, still not sure if I could eat it hot. Had to take some naps, yes I actually napped which I haven't done once since travelling. Carrie on the other hand has the napping science down pat!

So, New Year's consisted of trying to get a taxi to the City Center for a party at Greenwood bar. A bit of a fiasco but we caught a cab with an interesting girl named Mandy, thank goodness she let us share! However, her first words were to tell us she was asking the driver if he ever had sex in a taxi - evidently she had been drinking since 3pm and it was 8ish. Her next words were, "don't you just wish someone would throw you a champy (champagne)?!" Definitely an experience to lighten our moods after trying to catch the taxi. Arrived at Greenwood and found out it was $30 more then what we thought but since we were already there we went ahead. Oh, and for this we got nothing free at all. The bar was pretty cool as it used to be a church and had three different bars inside and an outside dance area. We got some good dancing in and left about 2am. Here came the negative, trying to catch a taxi home was IMPOSSIBLE. We all felt like sitting down on a bench and just crashing. Alas, Bob found a bus and we hopped on to head home and it turned out to be free too. Bonus!

On New Year's Day it turned out to be the hottest day since about 1939 if I recall the date correctly. It was about 104 degrees Fahrenheit! Woo, it was hot on the beach so we mostly hung out in the water. We did catch the Junior Surf Championships down the beach, they were pretty amazing.

We took a day and went by ferry from Manly over to Circular Quay to see the Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge, and the historic neighborhood of the Rocks. Very hot day again and fun to get out in the City. Mostly, cloudy days since then so we've been chillin and watching some movies, reading, etc. We hope to get to the Tauranga Zoo and Sky Tower and try to make it to the Blue Mountains and Palm Beach before leaving on Jan. 9 (Monday). I do miss New Zealand but also very excited about getting to Thailand, we even bought a guide book to help us out in SE Asia. More later!

Christmas in Lake Taupo & Tongariro Crossing

Lake Taupo - December 25, Christmas
Christmas morning was warm but a bit cloudy and we were hoping to do a short tramp/hike today. Made some pancakes for breakfast as a treat but the syrup Chelsea Golden Syrup was a bit weird compared to our maple syrup. However, we weren't going to spend the exorbitant amount on maple so...we made it work. Funny, one of our roommates is from Finland, second Finnish guy we met so far. The first was Heikki who we met in Cook Islands and the second also turned out to be a Heikki. He had just done the Tongariro Crossing and said it was incredible if the weather is good so we decided to try it the next day.

Took a drive to Huka Falls, lots of people out and about despite the town of Taupo being like a ghost town with everything closed. Then we drove to Craters of the Moon, a geothermal area that was very different then anything we had seen in NZ so far. Not a real hike but interesting terrain with geysers, fumeroles, craters and lots of steam. Back to Sunset Lodge to make our Christmas dinner. Turns out we should NOT have bought the Teryaki enhanced steaks that we thought would be like our premarinated meats at home in the States. Luckily I made a great rice dish with sauteed veggies in a pesto sauce and we had the chocolate caramels. :) Turns out our friend Mike (British) who we met originally in Cook Islands was also in town so we went to the bar at his hostel, Taupo Urban Retreat, and had a few beers and shooters. Hmmm, probably not such a great decision considering we were going to be walking for 6-8 hours the next day on the Tongariro Crossing. Ah well, we are on holiday right?! Darn you Mike for being a bad influence, you and your Kiwi bus friends! :)

December 26 - Tongariro Crossing
Is it really time to get up, I thought when the alarm went off and I saw it was 5:30 am. Time to make some PB & J sandwiches to bring with us for nourishment along with some muesli bars. We also had to put all our stuff in the car because we didn't book another night and checkout is at 10am. The Tongariro Expeditions bus picked us up at 6:20 am and we had a not so wonderful bus ride to Tongariro National Park (about 45min to 1 hour away). Luckily, the weather cleared up with the rain stopping although still a bit cloudy. Carrie was feeling pretty hungover and I was just plain tired out.

They call this walk the best one-day hike in New Zealand and after having done it I agree it is incredible! The varied and spectacular volcanic terrain (17 km) gave us so much to look at during the 7 hours it took to complete the hike.

1. The first view of Mt. Nguauruhoe (229m) is the same one they use for Mount Doom in The Lord of the Rings. This portion is flat and called The Mangatepopo Valley Track and took us about 1 hour. It runs the Mangatepopo Valley to the saddle between Tongariro and Ngauruhoe Mountains .
2. The Devil's Staircase portion was a killer, so steep and winding and it took us about an hour.
3. It climbs to the Red Crater (1886m) at the highest point. This hike along the ridge to the crater was a killer mostly due to the wind whipping us around on a smallish ledge with a long drop down on either side.
4. Next it drops down to the vivid Emerald Lakes , three varied colored water filled explosion craters. The driver told us they are poisonous due to naturally occurring elements of arsenic.
5. Continues over central crater to Blue Lake (old volcanic vent called Rangihiroa's Mirror) and from here it sidles around the Tongariro Mountain descending in a zig zag to Ketetahi Hut.
6. Below the hut it continues down the tussock slopes to forest bushline.
7. According to our brochure, the cool podocarp hardwood forest provides the final contrast on the long descent to the trail end.

Let me just tell you that we were exuberant to complete the trail, even had some company when our friend Vignesh (we met on the ferry and he's from NYC) ran into us near Red Crater. We all rested while waiting for our buses to leave around 4:30 but we finished about 3pm. It was well worth the early wake-up and sore muscles. We all agree to meet up later for a big steak dinner in town (Taupo). We did it right by ordering Porterhouse steaks at On Tap and it was reminiscent of a big American meal (I must admit we pretty much ate almost every bite too!).

Next, on our way to meet up with our friends in Rotorua and Mount Maunganui.

Last Days in South Island & Ferry to North Island

Blenheim
Left Kaikoura after doing a brief walk to the hill above the seal colony not much of a hike but nice views. Not too bad a drive to Blenheim, I reckon (commonly used in NZ) it took us about 4 hours. The town was a bit bigger then where we left and after checking out a backpacker using the drive-by method we stopped at Kaianui Lodge. A bit more pricey but really nice owner with great space in the dorm and the facilities. The one odd thing was the lights in the toilet and shower stalls. You pushed a button and they automatically went off by themselves. Of course the showers were timed really quickly so I had to keep reaching over to turn it back on again! Heck, I was going to enjoy the nice showers! Had a nice lunch in town and tried a local wine for a treat. I made us a yummy salmon dinner (also a treat) and we decided to book on a wine tour the next day from 1-5ish.

So, next morning we got some laundry done - that is always an issue for us to figure out when is the best time as most places that have a washer don't have dryers so you need some good weather to dry it on the lines. Worked out well and we had a beautiful day to tour the local wineries. Our driver Gerry was a really nice older Kiwi, made it even more fun. These are the wineries we visited:

1. Montana - larger winery (goes by Brancott in the U.S.)
2. Lawson's Dry Hills - smaller family run and very cute. The dog Tomey eats the grapes when they are ready!
3. Villa Maria - fairly large and a guy working the tastings is actually from Takoma Park, MD but moved here with his wife who is a Kiwi. This winery has won more accolades then any other single winery in NZ.
4. Matua Marlborough - Interesting asian flair to the decor
5. Cloudy Bay - Brief visit here, a bit bigger like Villa Maria
6. MudHouse Village - Last stop, had to keep drinking water during the tour and here they had some crackers too!
7. Prenzel - next to Mud House and they sold liquor not wine. We bought a bottle of Butterscotch Schnapps to try out.
8. Manuka Chocolates - hand made chocolates here and we treated ourselves to a box of dark chocolate caramels for Christmas.

The Marlborough wine region is known best for it's Sauvignon Blanc wine but we tasted quite a few yummy Pinot Noir and other whites. Of course we were good sports and tried everything!

Back home to sober up a bit, make dinner, and watch a movie for the first time on TV. Jerry Maguire was the selection of the evening and entertained us, forgot how funny Cuba Gooding, Jr.'s character is as the football player. Of course the romantic stuff is pretty corny.

Picton

Only about 1 1/2 hours drive to Picton and we found a really cute BBH called the Villa to stay for the night. Attempted to do a walk to what they call the Snout but the rain interfered. So, when we arrived back very wet we decided to do some exercises (pushups, situps, etc.). In the middle of this is where we met one of our roommates Tom from England. That must have been a lovely site for him arriving! Ha ha. Our dorm (the biggest with 10 beds) was called The Swamp and once it filled up it did smell a bit swampy. he hee! Although this place overall was pretty large it had a great homey feel to it with beautiful gardens and outside areas to hang out. Made us a very simple meal of boiled kumara (sweet potato) and carrots because we didn't want to go to the store. Not bad actually! Poor Tom was persuaded to help us test out the Butterscotch Schnapps, yikes - sweet as! Thanks to Tom and our Israeli friends for playing some great music on the guitar for us! Too bad we had to leave the next day to take the ferry to the North Island because we had a great time there at the Villa.

Arrived 1 hour to the prior ferry departure to check the car in and wait to get loaded on board. I've never been on a ferry like this one - it was HUGE. I wonder how many vehicles actually fit on the ferry!? Went up on the sun deck and met some people from U.S. and Belgium, too bad we had to cut the lounging out when the weather got bad. We weren't feeling so great when we started heading through the Cook Straits - not fun to be on a huge ship inside a crowded lounge with hardly any air. I think we ended up standing for over an hour once we found a good spot outside on the back of the boat. Sorry to leave our new friends as we weren't staying in Wellington but heading on to Lake Taupo for Christmas. Our friend Tom from Picton and Vignesh on the ferry both told us about the Tongariro Crossing - they had not gone but planned to and heard it was an incredible day walk. Got us thinking about doing it the day after Christmas.

On the way to Lake Taupo

Left Wellington at almost 6pm and decided to go ahead and drive the 5 hours to Lake Taupo where we already had reservations booked at Sunset Lodge for Dec. 24/25. It ended up being a long drive and the last portion was on the Desert Road which is very bleak so luckily we filled up with petrol and went to the super market before finishing the drive. Yeah we arrived at Sunset Lodge about 11pm and found our room and just went to bed. Next day we didn't even wake up early although we could have slept later if our room wasn't right off the kitchen area.