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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Feb 19, 2010 07:00 PM New Zealand - to the Northland!
Some agencies advertise here that they are ready ro rent a car 10 NZ dollars per day! Do not trust them! It is a trick.
But it is true that the best way to visit NZ is to rent a car. It is also good to have somebody to share the cost.
I rented the car to go to the Far North of New Zealand... It took me 7 hours of driving through the picturesque hills to the little town of Kaitaia in the Northland. On the way there were ferry crossing (18 NZD per car) and - a highlight - visit to the Waipoua forest where the giant kauri trees are. - Can you imagine the tree of some 4 meters in diameter? Yes, I saw sequoias in California - but here is the Pacific!
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Feb 18, 2010 07:00 PM Welcome to Kiwilandia!
It was in the middle of the arrival hall of Auckland airport. I did not have my backpack yet, but two ladies in charge and the dog stopped me and asked to put my camera bag on the floor. -Do you have there something forbidden/ -No! The dog was sniffing and She took everything from the bag on the floor. There was nothing forbidden. After few minutes she said -We are sorry - and went out. I was sitting on the floor in the middle of the big hall taking everything back to the bag... People were looking...
Welcome to Kiwilandia!
Immigration asked me to show my onward ticket... The airport bus is going now all the night every 30 minute and day (every 15 minutes. backpackers have special fare /14 NZD - YHA card works/. I landed in the middle of the night in the youth hostel. It was full. I had to wait for the check-in for the next night till 2 pm.
OK - the staff is very flexible - you can stay in the lounge, you can use the kitchen and showers. I was sleeping after long flights and 14-hours time change...
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Feb 17, 2010 07:00 PM Over Antarctica...
I started from Buenos on Wednesday 1 pm. Now, after landing in Sydney, Australia it is 6 pm, but Thursday already. The flight over Antactica took us some 15 hours, but we also crossed International Date Line and I lost one day. It was big 747 - jumbo-jet. The service of Quantas was good and I was watching on the private screen four movies one by one...
I did not see much from the air due to the clouds, but I afforded to take some photos of the table icebergs floating in the ocean. Now I am waiting for the connection to New Zealand. In the Sydney airport they have free internet kiosks in the gates area - that's great - you can check your e-mail box and send some messages waiting for the connection. What I am afraid is how the New Zealand customs will treat me on arrival - I have very bad experiences from the past. They can even check if your shoes are clean enough - not to spoil clean Kiwilandia. We will see...
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Feb 16, 2010 07:00 PM Do not cry for me, Argentina...
I am ready for the flight to Sydney and onward to New Zealand. This will be probably lhe longest flight in the history of my traveling: 14.5 hours...
But before I need to get to the distant Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport. Years ago I used city bus 86 to get there on a cheap. But it does not operate any more. Now you have to look for the red number 8 bus. Fortunately I have the stop just round the corner on Independencia/Peru corner. They say it costs 2 pesos and it takes long 2 hours to get to Ezeiza. But for the backpacker it is the best solution - for the alternative minibus transfer (Manuel Tienda Leon) you will pay 45 pesos!
I hope to write for you next message from the other side of the globe... I also hope that everything will be on time and my backpack will be also there... So let´s go for the new adventures!
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Feb 15, 2010 07:00 PM Buenos Aires per pedes...
If you are pressed by the time local bus company offers a day ride on the tourist doubledecker bus... It goes to the most interesting places of Buenos making 13 stops to get-on and get-off. One day ticket costs 25 pesos... I prefere to go by myself to the well known, but worth to see again after 20 years places - just walking, stoping where I want, taking pictures... I spent almost full day wondering around the city.
Recoleta church located out of the noisy streets is one of my favourite places in Buenos. Nearby there is the cemetary with a grave of famous Evita - Eva Peron. I was there to recognize that (like years ago) it is still probably the only grave with a fresh flowers on it. Then there was a long walk along central Avenida 9 de Julio. They say it is the wides street in the world, and probably it is - with a high needle of ´´Obelisco´ in the middle.
Do you remember ´Caminito´ song? You have to go to La Boca quater to find the cobled streets full of colors. They say that this song was born there. Today there are street bars, souvenir shops and you can see free tango shows or even try to dance with those charming young ladies performing tango on the stage... Oh, la la! Unforgettable!
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Feb 14, 2010 07:00 PM Tengo Tango...
I have a tango (in my blood)- said one of my friends years ago...
Evening in Buenos Aires. Some people say it is noisy and polluted but I still think that in the old part of the city like San Telmo it has a charm of the Paris of South America. Thousands of little cafes, bars, restaurants... People - the Portenios sit there in the evenings (it is pleasantly warm) chatting, drinking, enjoying the life...
It is my third time in Buenos. Each time it is more expensive. Now the city bus cost 1.25 pesos and you have to put it into machine at the entry. Take care - here is coin shortage, so collect them earlier if you have opportunity. Good news is that the hostel business is growing fast: it is enough to jump on the bus 17 or 45 going down Chacabuco St and get off at Chile street corner. You will find here more then a dozen hostels. Typical price is 40-50 pesos per dorm bed, 90 per single shared bath and more then 100 per room with bath. The best idea of course is to share the room. Continental breakfast is always included and slow internet is free. There are many tango schools and tango shows. For the backpacker I recommend a free, open-air show on the nearby Plaza Dorrego. Let´s go, let´s dance! I like the tango!
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Feb 13, 2010 07:00 PM Tucuman -Argentina
Sunday, but it will be laundry day because I became sweaty and my jeans stink a little bit already. I am almost off of my pesos. The hostel does not accept payment in dollars or by credit card. I expect exchange problem (Bolivia is much easier and sweeter for the traveller!)
In the hostel for the included in the price ¨desayuno¨- breakfast they serve two pieces of bread, some jam and a coffee - how can I carry my 18 kilos in the heat on such a diet!
The city of Tucuman has some nice churches to see, there is Casa Independencia, where they declared independence from Spain and Sugar Cane industry museum (there are sugar cane plantations around) - just enough for 4-hours walk. Tomorrow I am heading to Buenos Aires.
Happy St Valentine´s day to all of you who are in love!!!
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Feb 12, 2010 07:00 PM Argentina Norte -Quebrada Cafayate
It is one more wonder of the nature. For those who travel on really tight budget it will be enough to see quebrada from the window of the scheduled bus Salta -Cafayate. Flecha bus does this route in 4 hours and the cost is 38 pesos. After the little settlement of Alemania you will see many ladnscapes like from the Wild West; interesting rock formations in colors...
In Cafayate (many wineries around in the valley) I recommend ¨Ël Balcon¨Hostel - 40 pesos per dorm bed. Great terrace to seat in the evening...
They offer 5-hours tour to quebrada (40 pesos pp) - I took it in the morning. It is worth the price but let you know that all places they visit (Garganta del Diablo, Amphitheatre etc) are along the main road Salta-Cafayate and you can reach them by hitchhiking - I did not know about that.
In the hot afternoon I took a bust from Cafayate to Tucuman - 5 hours and hefty 55 pesos. There were also nice views of the mountains from the window but the landscape is completly different - not comparable to full of colors quebrada. So hot! It is hard to carry backpack in extreme humidity and some 35 deg Celsius!
I reached Tucuman Hostel in the evening to get a dorm bed for 35 pesos. It is different culture here: they normally go to sleep at 1 am so the sleeping was not so good
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Feb 11, 2010 07:00 PM Walking through the border to Argentina...
Yesterday in The afternoon I was walking with my pack from Villazon/Bolivia to La Quiaca in Argentina. On the Bolivian side immigration check is surprisely quick. Then, an the other side of the bridge... Long story... The sergeants (two of them and one officer too) searched every page in my passport (oh, yes - there are a lot ov visas!). I had impression that they were waiting for something... But on the immigration window there is written twice that the control is FREE of charge. 20 minutes or more... I got my passport... Customs were a bit faster, but they announced that on the Argentinian side tere is no chance to change my dollars! So I went back to Bolivia to change money (very smart process there: they pay 3,90 pesos for USD - more then in Salta) , and back to Argentina...
There is 5 long blocks walk from the border to the bus terminal. Remember to push your watch by one hour. The bus to Salta via Jujuy was just departing. I paid 38 pesos for the ticket and get on... What a pleasure to travel here! No dust inside, paved road with no bumps and great views of Quebrada Humahuaca (from UNESCO list) around... It was 2 am when I reached Hostel in Salta (32 pesos for the dorm bed).
Today I visit Salta. They have great historical buildings around Plaza, San Francisco Church and San Bernardo Convent. But the highlight is to take the cableway to the Cerro (only 20 pesos RT) and enjoy the view of the city and the mountains.
I am dissappointed: do not think that you will find here on the streets such a folklore, like in Bolivia! (I expected to see Indios in the north of Argentina...)
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Feb 10, 2010 07:00 PM Wara - Wara express...
I like so much those double, exotic names... Do you remember Langa-Langa on Solomon Islands, or Puka-Puka on Tuamotu, or lapu-Lapu?. Also well known Bora Bora...
There are only two trains going twice per week to the border of Argentina. I decided to take Wara-Wara express. It is not easy to buy the tickets. I went to Tupiza railway station already on arrival. Nobody speaks English. But with some effort I understood their Spanish: please come tomorrow! When I came again they said: please come tomorrow - half an hour before the departure. OK, I am patient - we will see...
The Wara-wara arrive with only 30 minutes delay. I bought the ticket for 38 bolivianos and we started the rail journey in the great landscapes soon. Around 11 am train stoped in the middle of nowhere and staff reported that the wheel of the bar carriage is out of the rail.
They started to try to improove situation - one meter ahead and one meter back. And again! Fortunately they do carry emergency 1m of the rail - it helped and after an hour we started the journey again. Argentina is close!
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