BootsnAll Travel Network



Not all who wander are lost

Nov 25 2009 Wow - OK - my blog is still here!! Lets see if it works as well as last time.... Jan 2007 So...Erin, yes me, is finally heading out on the round-the-world trip I have been talking about since I was 22 and fresh out of ERAU. We will fast forward over the last few years which, suffice to say, had enough reality checks to make me realize I needed to get on the road sooner rather than later. Hence - in 2 weeks, January 17 to be precise, me and all my worldly possessions (that will fit in my backpack) will board a plane to Lima, Peru to go see the world. Well, at least 12 countries of it over the next 7 months. If I get this bloody blog to work - you will be seeing it with me! And we are off...

Day 94 – Koh Samui, Thailand

April 22nd, 2007

Attempting to get acclimated to Thai customs. People are very friendly and helpful and since it is a tourist destination – their english is passable. Of course like me when speaking a language, they grasp for the closest word they understand. So, while I figured my chances were bleak since it was a Buddhist country, I asked if there was a church in the area. The receptionist said “oh shirt, yes, you can buy, store” No, “Church” and tried to figure out how to charade the concept of a 2000 yr old western institution, so I put my hands together like “pray”. Well – this might have been fine in another place but in Thailand, they say hello/goodbye/thank you by putting their hands together and bowing slightly. So the receptionist and several other girls who had joined to watch me make an idiot of myself were all bowing now. “No, No” as I was chuckling and they were begging me to explain what I meant. Hmm – how do explain catholicism in one gesture…I had a relic of sorts in my pocket which my good friend Ruben lent me (thx man working so far!). NB- For those of you heathens (haha just kidding) these are little medals or trinkets usually depicting a saint or the virgin mary you carry with you, serving to remind you of your faith and protection and hopefully ward off against some calamity or another. Mine is a protection for travellers and is in the shape of a key with various images of transport such as an aircraft, a ship and as I pulled it out the girls were really perplexed at what I was trying to say! They finally got it with one of the religious images and everyone had a good laugh at the miscommunication. After all that, there was no church of the sort but it was a good effort.

I started thinking how different a perspective it must be that an entire culture has nothing to with christianity. Buddhism is more a way of life than an organized religion but the people are very dedicated. I kept seeing these little model houses on the street in the most inconvienent places. I learned that the people believe there are spirits everywhere and when a new structure is built, it is necessary to build a place for the displaced spirits to go, so they erect these little stands. Since it has to be in the prime location – they often end up in the middle of the sidewalk. They make offerings of food and drink to the spirits as well as light jawsticks. The also believe that the head is the most holy part of the body and feet, closest to the ground, are dirty. It is common to remove shoes before entering establishments and very offensive to raise your sole to anyone, most notably a Buddha image. This gives me great trepidation in shaking sand from my shoes because I am terrified I will accidentally balance and turn a sole towards one of the many images flanking the place! The King and Queen are highly revered here and it is nice to see portraits plastered than the population actually respects. Though this again brings thought – since the king is on the money – you have to remember not to stop a rolling coin with your foot since this would cause offense!

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Day 93 – Koh Samui

April 22nd, 2007

I had to leave my plush digs in the morning without even getting to explore the fabulous looking buddha adorned fountain courtyard I could see from my room. Headed back to the airport for my Bangkok Airways flight to a small island off the west coast. My agent booked me an extra leg, a phantom ticket, to get some ridiculously low 50$ tickets or something so I picked this island not really knowing anything. Turned out to be a touristy beach resort so I could ease on into Thai culture I guess. The airline lounge for Bangkok had refreshments, papers and free internet – US ailrine could learn some customer service from these people. 1.5 hours on an ATR72 to Koh Samui.

The airport was essentially a hut covering a conveyor belt. Walls are not necessary I guess. I grabbed a 3$ shuttle to Changwa, because that looked to have the most accommodation choice. Being spoiled from my night before and losing approximately half my bodyweight in perspiration in the thick humid air, I opted for an airconditioned bungalow instead of roughing it with a fan. Without a scheduled bus route to guide my days, I was back to the tough choices that were the brutal reality of my nomadic life – Should I swim in gentle, tepid, aquamarine sea? or should I recline on the glistening, opal sand and read my newly acquired book (forest fire fighting tragedies in the northwest – my favorite genre found in a bookswap!). Tough. I did both but quickly retreated under a palm before I melted. Explored the town a bit and calculated how many silk bedspreads I could pack in an extra bag. I had dinner in the most aesthetic (ok another word i do not know how to spell) pleasing restaurant I have ever graced. Dark wooden furniture perched on the sand, 40 feet from the waves lapping the shore. Floating white lanterns in the trees above and surrounded by flickering fires. Tops my favorite dinner restaurant list.

My sister, Nancy, has decided to abandon her husband and children and join me in Cambodia. She has always wanted to see Ankhor What and somehow logistically and made it happen. This is a bonus not only because I will have someone to drag out as a bodyguard for sunrise photography at the temples (she is a morning person, she will not mind haha) but she will be able to carry souvenirs home! Up to this point in my travels I have bought a grand total of maybe $50 worth of a tee shirt, small statue, a magnet and some trinkets for the niece and nephew. Besdies not being able to carry it, my attitude towards purging junk seems to have stuck with me and I have been able to avoid knickknacks. By the way – if you were expecting a present, get that out of your head now.

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Day 92 – Bangkok Airport

April 21st, 2007

Obviously requesting a window seat at the ticket counter was too late but she decided not to tell me. Probably better so I did not dwell on the fact until I boarded and was seated in the center of the center row. Nothing like being in between a heinekin pounding german mumbling to himself and a restless leg syndrome-snorer for 12 plus hours. Good things they had lots of movies to keep me occupied in between climbing over people to stretch and combat Economy class DVT.

We landed at the new airport in Bangkok around 2200 and must have walked a mile to get to luggage. Since I was arriving so late into a foreign world and leaving early the next morning, I cheated my ‘meet the people’ type philosophy of travelling and stayed at the airport Novotel. Oh my word – this was one smoking establishment. Maybe I was so impressed because I just spent 3 weeks in mixed dorms sharing a bathroom with 30 people but it was nice and only cost 6 nights worth of hostels in NZ. But 115$ for a 5 star is something I can deal with, at least for a night

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Day 90-92 – Christchurch

April 21st, 2007

On the bus once again for the long haul to Christchurch. Stopped for some volcano views along the way but otherwise straight on through arriving at Base Backpackers situated in the evening, dead centre in Cathedral Square. Explored around town via tram and did usual ‘before I leave a main city’ errands. The next morning, I picked up the shuttle to the airport and jumped a 1.5 hour flight to Auckland back up north. 3 hours later I was boarding an A340-600 to Bangkok.

So my 3 weeks in NZ has come to a close. Far too short a stay than the country demands but nonetheless a great introduction. The people are friendly. It is a backpacker haven, never having to pay more than 20$ or so for a dormbed though food was not so cheap and I would not give their cuisine great marks. Transport easy, Kiwi bus experiences and all. The scenery and nature are down right stunning. The local’s efforts towards protecting their environment makes you stop and consider if you are really doing enough back home. Overall glad I stopped by though I am ready to get back to ‘real travel’. As a fellow backpacker I met (recently in from S america) said – ‘everything here is so sterile’. It was a totally different vibe than the normal circuit because many people were staying on to work for a year so their backpacks included curling irons and cell phones. It was like a vacation from my vacation. Looking forward to culture shock once again…and on we go

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Day 88/89 – Queenstown

April 21st, 2007

Aronse at 0600 to try a catch a sunrise. Met the two diehard photographers I had been standing in the same spot with 12 hours earlier for sunset! Not a great morning for colour but worth it none the less. Did some walking and then got ready to meet the bus at 1400. We started the trek back to Queenstown and arrived at Discovery Lodge in the evening.

Next day I explored around Queenstown on the sunny day. You could occupy yourself for weeks with all the paid activities. Quaint little ski town but far too crowded for my taste. I stopped in for a cocktail at Minus 5. I am not a particularly keen Absolut drinker but I sacraficed in order to hang out in a bar made entirely of ice! Even the tumblers. It was actually -11 deg C when we entered. Yikes – no wonder they only let you in for 30 minutes.

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Day 87 – Milford Sound Lodge

April 21st, 2007

Two hour drive from Te Anau to Milford crossing the Southern Alps. This road often closes due to avalanche risk. In fact, the day we entered Queenstown while it was flurrying there, the road was shut. The tunnel that breaches the mountain range is at a 10:1 slope. It took 100kg of explosives to blow though each 25cm of rock, wow! We stopped at another mirror image water pool, a huge glacial formed flat expanse, and in a canyon to get a full appreciation of the surroundings. We pulled into Milford which is conidered part of a national park so there is one hotel for people finishing the Milford Track, a boat wharf, an airport, a bar/cafe and another Lodge where I stayed.

We boarded the boat to go into Milford Sound and dip into the Tasman Sea a bit. The cliffs were severe and made for a stunning trip. One waterfall we passed is 3 times higher than Niagara Falls, wild. Stopped at an Underwater Observatory. Since the shelf drops off so quickly due to Fjords, there is sea life not found so close to the shore anywhere else in the world. This observatory was custom built and dropped to view the unique marine life. We were greeted by frolicking dolphins as we left the research area.

The bus left me behind and I went to the Milford Lodge to get myself settled. There was some acoustic musicians playing at the cafe that evening, a rare event, and it was a big night as all the seasonal summer workers were leaving and just the winter diehards remaining. As I walked the 20 or so minutes back to the lodge, in the pitch black night – I could see a million stars. This rivaled some of the destinations I have been stargazing – being situated 2 hours from anywhere. bounded by Fjords and Sea there is not a heck of a lot to pollute the sky especially since the Lodge’s electricity generators are shut off at 2300.

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Day 86 – Te Anau

April 18th, 2007

Spent the day in this lakeside town. It is the starting point for some of the most famous tramps in the world (tramps = hiking in NZ) the Kepler, Milford track. So lots of people at the YHA stocking up on carbs for the 4 day crossing. A local veteran helicopter pilot with 25 years flying in the area, got together with some famous cinematographers to capture some of the amazing images of the area, Fjordland. The guy purpose built a cinema to show the result Ata Whatengua (Shadowland). 36 minute film but some lovely work. Stopped at the teeny catholic church for mass and headed homew to cook up some veggies. At dinner, I met a Japanese fellow, fresh off one of the tramps. The first thing he mentioned when I told him where I was from – he had visited DC because his hobby was ‘airplanes’. (Add hobbist to the freaky aviation people following me). In real life he was a foamer though. Working for the Amtrak equal in Osaka.

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Day 85 – Queenstown

April 18th, 2007

On the way to Queenstown, stopped at Kawarau Brudge, the birthplace of commercial bungy. I never wanted to do one because frankly I thought it looked stupid. I am not afraid of heights so I could not see the thrill but after watching, it actually looked like fun. The peple on the bus had pre-booked it and another busload came so I never got to try it. It was freezing cold and actually snowing so waiting for 30 minutes was not appealing either. Maybe next time. I was surprised how technical it isn’t. They take a towel, yes literally a bath towel and wrap it around the ankles. Then some webbing ‘until is all gone’, and then hook it to a cable. It was interesting watching the reaction of people before, while on the ledge and then after they finish. Good study point for fear and subsequent conquering!

They had a short film on the history. The two guys who started it were interviewing a tribe who would through themselves off a reed tower as part of a ritual. They worked out some kinks and started throwing themselves bridges as practice. The sport got widespread coverage when one of them AJ Hackett his inside the Eiffel tower in 1987 and bailed off it in the morning – I actually remember that. They continued their stunts and finally lobbied the govt for a temporary permit for a commericial operation off a historic bridge that was due to be closed down. The government granted it figuring it would bomb. 17 years later, it is a million dollar industry operating in Queenstown. With several variations including one built over a canyon some 440 feet up.

Checked into Pinewood in Queenstown. Up on a hill with stunning views of the mountains out of our windows. It was bitter cold when we went to explore the town and meet for a final group dinner as the group split from here.

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Day 85 – Lake Matheson, Wanaka

April 18th, 2007

The next day was spectacular, clear blue skies and warm sun. I saw amazing snowy mountains all around I had not even known were there. It was waking from a bad dream of the day before! Our hostel room was choice. It was a 3 bunkbed dorm and the room, tiny, was littered in addition to our backpacks with 6 sets of soaking sopping clothes and daypacks, with passports and documents strewn on the floor in an effort to dry them out, 2 heaters blaring and at least 2 or 3 guys hacking from something that sounded like pneumonia. The other 2 girls in the room were Scandinavian and apparently the cold did not bother them because they were parading around the grounds in bikinis in search of the hot tub, damn nordic. I stuffed my wet stuff into bags and headed for the bus.

We stopped at Lake Matheson where on a still day, you can see reflections of Mt Cook, Aoraki (cloud piercer) and fox glacier. Mt Cook is around 3754 meters, highest in NZ I think. Actually smaller than it used to be as they had am earthquake event within the last 10 years that chopped several meters off the top! Very seismic country, not sure how long before something else big happens here. Today the lake was a bit wavy so not a perfect picture but still beautiful. Checked out Thunder Creek Falls. Lake Wanaka. Lake Hakea. The size of these glacial lakes are like small oceans. 45 km, 5 km wide and some 550 meters deep!

Stopped in Wanaka for the evening and I gor to catch an outdoor photography exhibit Amazing Earth From Above by Yann Arthus-Bertrand. All aerial views of 100 plus countries showing different scenes with an environmental twist. Fantastic.

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Day 84 – Glacier Climbing during an Antartic Blast

April 18th, 2007

My nights rest was intermittently interrupted by the massive rainfall I could here outside and the worry of what the day goal. I signed up to do a glacier hike which involved slugging through a rainforest, crossing several rivers, strapping on crampons to hike up the ice into the nevee or snow field at the top. It was scheduled to at least 8 hours and form the tales of the people in the hostel – was not going to be an easy task. At the climbing center we were outfitted in waterproof pants and jackets, given socks, gloves, hats and crampons and told to put on as many layer as we had with us as it was going to be ‘fresh’ up there today. There is nothing in between Antartica and southern NZ so the weather systems that rush up from that direction are nasty and cold.

We headed to the start of the walk and the rain (which had subsided a bit) started again with a vengeance. The guide was even surprised at the ferocity of the sideways droplets which stung as they battered your face no matter which way you stood. My poor little camera was inside a plastic bag in my daypack and tired to wrap a poncho around to avoid it getting drenched. We emerged from the forest to find the river rushing past in nasty, brown swirling rage. If the water rises to high, they use a ladder to scramble to a higher ridge and cross over. They decided we could ‘probably make it’. As soon as I stepped in the river, I could feel the torrent try to sweep my legs form under me. You just do not appreciate the power of it until you try to breach it. I made it across one, then the other without losing my balance like some others. We got to the bottom of the glacier where the ice begins and it was like rushhour. The 1/2 day hikes had already turned back because their route was flooded out and another company’s guide was practially carrying a child down the mountain followed by the rest of his japanese group because it was so slick. We broke into smaller groups and my new guide had been out there already for a full 3 hours chipping steps and was soaked through to the bone gritting teeth as the wind started tearing up the valley in frigid blast.

One of my favorite reading genre are survival stories, adventure tales. Into thin air, Escape form Death etc. Being well familiar with mistakes explorers make – At this point – I probably should have used my judgement and thought – this is not such a wise move starting up in this weather. But – no – I put faith in my guides and they said it was a go. Full day hikers, an hour ahead of us, had no issues and the step chippers up higher were reporting clear skies. I was to later find out that was because the storm was crawling up the valley from the bottom up. It was impressive watching the clouds and fog as they raced by at mach speeds.

We donned crampons, and out first climb was up some ice steps, with a small river to the side of them, and a rope stuck into the ice to assist on gripping because it was determined to be a ‘fall hazard’. ie so steep that if you slip, you are taking out everyone under you too! After we cleared that, i realized the ‘path’ was loosely marked with chipped section and digging in with your spikes was about the only thing to give you traction without poles. We climbed through an ice cave, with a river rushing through it and the terrain became more sloped from that point on. The whole notion of hiking a glacier seemed absolutely ridiculous as I slipped and slid precariously about the chunk of frozen water. As we ascended single file, the rain and wind got worse. The increased downpour was feeding the streams already cascading down the glacier. New waterfalls would suddenly appear from a ledge above your head, dragging along rocks and pebbles trapped naturally in the glacier. The wind was actually making the waterfalls go straight. The power of nature was exhibiting itself and I was right unwittingly in the middle of it!

I was climbing with an Aussie and on a few powerful gusts – all 5 ft 4 or so of her was struggling to not be blown over. I had removed my poncho pack protector before climbing as the guide warned me the wind might catch it and it would act as a paraglider pulling me off the mountain. A wet Nikon was worth mitigating the risk of pulling a ‘mary poppins’ stunt.
As the weather intensified – someone finally called everyone off the mountain because ‘the ceiling had dropped to low for a helicopter to do rescues’. Fantastic reasoning. I did not care – I just wanted to get off. It was a tricky descend. All the steps were now submerged in small rivers and there was little to grip. The guides were struggling to clear the rocks so they would not pummel past you and take out an ankle. To add to the excitement, and there was plenty of that, it started thundering and lightening! Aghh.

I am sitting here so I made it down but it was a dodgy day and one I am glad I lived to tell about. Definetly an unplanned turn of events and next time I am signing up for the helihike – skip the ascend and just get dropped off at the easy part but the surrounding sights of being on a glacier and experiencing the full fury of weather is not something I will forget anytime soon!

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