tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23006613130467456212024-03-19T08:06:36.302+00:00The Antipodeanlife and travels of a wandering kiwi on the other side of the planet.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102908196869766655noreply@blogger.comBlogger294125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300661313046745621.post-47032131868227075722015-03-01T21:22:00.003+00:002015-03-01T21:22:55.782+00:00THE ANTIPODEAN HAS MOVED<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm moving to New York in ten days.<br />
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So, I decided to completely redesign and releaunch my travel blog.<br />
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This site will no longer be updated, so please visit the new address:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://andrewroams.com/">ANDREWROAMS.COM</a></span><br />
<br />You can also subscribe to updates by <a href="http://eepurl.com/bbFktn">email</a><br /><br />And follow @andrewroams on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/andrewroams">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.instagram.com/andrewroams">Instagram</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/andrewroams">Twitter</a> or Snapchat<div>
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Cheers,</div>
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AA</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102908196869766655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300661313046745621.post-38010049304508453592014-04-01T11:00:00.000+01:002014-11-25T01:47:34.345+00:00Niagara Falls on Foot<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Let's face it, nobody visits Niagara for the casino. If the thunderous falls are the only thing you want to see, i</i><i>t's entirely possible to do without a guide - and you only need to allow a few hours.</i></span></div>
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I was travelling from Toronto to New York and wanted to see the falls on the way. There's a Canadian/US border crossing (called the Rainbow Bridge) right next to the falls, so I decided to brave it on foot despite the fact that my one-way border crossing would require dragging my suitcase with me.</div>
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It was raining when I arrived, so I opted to take a cab from the train station to the farther end of the falls (about $11). This meant I started walking from the Canadian "Horseshoe" Falls, with the border crossing at the end.<br />
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True to what I'd heard, the Canadian side was more spectacular...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48oXtl6cqRQsbydopB1kyTvsCIWFPWEULQkgKHghR4XDZgOO2j5KtzgR1wqre8fZNjA9a5-W7SGsoywGI_UE0tIeY9uAhOPcFLHys0Ssbx8BiVokluLxQrA7ZDqEhcuh8BHtgW0VCNMOa/s1600/3.+Niagara+%231+(IMG_3741).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48oXtl6cqRQsbydopB1kyTvsCIWFPWEULQkgKHghR4XDZgOO2j5KtzgR1wqre8fZNjA9a5-W7SGsoywGI_UE0tIeY9uAhOPcFLHys0Ssbx8BiVokluLxQrA7ZDqEhcuh8BHtgW0VCNMOa/s1600/3.+Niagara+%231+(IMG_3741).jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>I was surprised I could capture a crisp photo... the speed of the crystal clear water rushing over the side of the Canadian Falls was a staggering 2,271,247 litres per second!</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4fdCLJfVXoR1j2s_Ml4EdnHPd6DOG9SHSupY70C5Rkhf0Lw7IPp9srvJbI6g7Fovl_uYZCE-grAHUbu0c4fOy91isRfN4h8vDeGtQA8OYWUSmQHcauNRn6bP19LYBN-4aolEmFNODhui/s1600/3.+Niagara+%235+(IMG_0257).jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4fdCLJfVXoR1j2s_Ml4EdnHPd6DOG9SHSupY70C5Rkhf0Lw7IPp9srvJbI6g7Fovl_uYZCE-grAHUbu0c4fOy91isRfN4h8vDeGtQA8OYWUSmQHcauNRn6bP19LYBN-4aolEmFNODhui/s1600/3.+Niagara+%235+(IMG_0257).jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
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Just a few minutes walk away, the American Falls were equally impressive for a different reason. They pass less than a quarter of the volume of water, so enormous ice floes gave the appearance that the waterfall had frozen. I contemplated ticking 'see a frozen waterfall' off my <a href="http://www.theantipodeanblog.blogspot.com/p/bucket-list.html" target="_blank">T-Shirt Bucket List</a>, but decided I should wait until seeing a waterfall that had truly frozen in place.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggb3gXWSw2enrt4Qt3kAVmE0FT8O7S04ANxlKcdpTEEHihBvWJft0h25PSPda8sl_QN4koIoQPdPnE3U5BcHr9U_nl1i6CyN9cr-mAzAjdoh9pGTrGCxtTRqurHpnIloKcVHieGTDpZyc7/s1600/3.+Niagara+%237+(IMG_3767).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggb3gXWSw2enrt4Qt3kAVmE0FT8O7S04ANxlKcdpTEEHihBvWJft0h25PSPda8sl_QN4koIoQPdPnE3U5BcHr9U_nl1i6CyN9cr-mAzAjdoh9pGTrGCxtTRqurHpnIloKcVHieGTDpZyc7/s1600/3.+Niagara+%237+(IMG_3767).jpg" height="612" width="640" /></a></div>
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Normally there are other paid activities at the falls, allowing you to go down on the water - but not in winter. However, I was really happy with what I got to see.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72O6orY18oHDyqwllx64A5VFLWsinav2wXpHsUkp3ODZggQG9YJWWq6FZbE1SY16W9gYaI2Us9FtrrODYbpadpMZYBk78qImNPQX9_1A1gAQJUBJHetNXj2GdgMKnkJK307__v37JN9mv/s1600/3.+Niagara+%238+(IMG_3771).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72O6orY18oHDyqwllx64A5VFLWsinav2wXpHsUkp3ODZggQG9YJWWq6FZbE1SY16W9gYaI2Us9FtrrODYbpadpMZYBk78qImNPQX9_1A1gAQJUBJHetNXj2GdgMKnkJK307__v37JN9mv/s1600/3.+Niagara+%238+(IMG_3771).jpg" height="368" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The American Falls on the left, and the Canadian Falls on the right</span></i></td></tr>
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I crossed the border at the Rainbow bridge without an issue, then caught a bus to Buffalo for my flight to New York.<br />
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Overall I found it a very straightforward experience and would highly recommend it even for one-way travellers like myself who need to bring all their luggage with them. Despite the rain and the recent snow, the walk was easy, and well-paved.<br />
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My #1 tip is not to miss the Canadian Falls - the border crossing is efficient and it's well worth the effort, even if you're not planning to visit Canada as part of your trip.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102908196869766655noreply@blogger.com0Niagara Falls, ON, Canada43.0895577 -79.08494359999997442.9039142 -79.407667099999969 43.2752012 -78.762220099999979tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300661313046745621.post-56682367313867694592014-03-31T16:00:00.000+01:002014-06-18T11:32:32.338+01:0024 Hours in Toronto<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>I knew I'd hit Canada the moment the view from my window became ice and snow.</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZw8PuW69q7j3FKZl0UqmTfZrYgLxlg-KmJq9E0-5vN3D90oFNuyFcPt-_HUdFzj8bW2k5IVUdhA5MffuEQGQdeWtu0gLBCwbYotiWd_0t4EZCSVAv_G-8lhxk7OzLgMoEfxg-U8nVF6hw/s1600/2.+Toronto+%233+(IMG_3682).jpg"><img border="0" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZw8PuW69q7j3FKZl0UqmTfZrYgLxlg-KmJq9E0-5vN3D90oFNuyFcPt-_HUdFzj8bW2k5IVUdhA5MffuEQGQdeWtu0gLBCwbYotiWd_0t4EZCSVAv_G-8lhxk7OzLgMoEfxg-U8nVF6hw/s1600/2.+Toronto+%233+(IMG_3682).jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" width="640" /></a><br />
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My first visit to Canada, unfortunately, was to be a short one. I wanted to do a day trip from New York to Niagara Falls, and discovered that it would save me over $500 to do it myself and fly via Toronto. So, I had the serendipitous opportunity to add 24 hours in Canada's largest city onto my trip.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>My first observation was that it was freezing cold. About -4°C to be precise. My second observation was that all the locals were wearing T-shirts and excitedly chirping to each other about how exciting it was to finally have a break from the cold weather. Apparently just a few days before it had been minus 20.</i></span><br />
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In true Toronto form, I started my day by walking around the city with a coffee from Tim Hortons (read: Canadian Starbucks) cradled in my gloved hands.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAx5zvejGrviehWysvcaJyBWwNaoifBf_lfLaSruviiSp2NHxW2j7xFJLpSIh5HSIlN3WZD0HNqLA8l6O9Lf8Hu-iUtac91x-wX4S8ySTTgJQbq1ogRheFuougyB6lAVozas_d05iY_rj/s1600/2.+Toronto+%235+(IMG_3701).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAx5zvejGrviehWysvcaJyBWwNaoifBf_lfLaSruviiSp2NHxW2j7xFJLpSIh5HSIlN3WZD0HNqLA8l6O9Lf8Hu-iUtac91x-wX4S8ySTTgJQbq1ogRheFuougyB6lAVozas_d05iY_rj/s1600/2.+Toronto+%235+(IMG_3701).jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" width="436" /></a></div>
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The inevitable first stop, to get my bearings, was the CN Tower – which was the world's tallest tower until 2010.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4e4wgc23f65rc9gwMokV1TOWXt3W6XnsatwjvPPvjULojq0WC5Hra8gDZj19Ij47mu24U356a2BzY7AnG2b154m0vylfuiAcxeRr3HgFTBGO87aV_n_6gUWU_SDtwUwQK4fQBs3u1t0I/s1600/2.+Toronto+%236+(IMG_0225).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4e4wgc23f65rc9gwMokV1TOWXt3W6XnsatwjvPPvjULojq0WC5Hra8gDZj19Ij47mu24U356a2BzY7AnG2b154m0vylfuiAcxeRr3HgFTBGO87aV_n_6gUWU_SDtwUwQK4fQBs3u1t0I/s1600/2.+Toronto+%236+(IMG_0225).jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>It's worth buying a coffee from the restaurant to see the last part of the 360<span style="text-align: left;">° view.</span></i></span></td></tr>
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The walk from the CN Tower to Chinatown provides some interesting views of Toronto which were made even brighter by the glorious sunshine – something I'm told the locals hadn't experienced for quite some time.<br />
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After an affordable lunch at Noodle King, a recommended Chinatown restaurant, I explored the colourful Kensington market area. This bohemian shopping neighbourhood is well worth a visit for any fan of vintage clothing or collectables.<br />
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When I popped home to unload my purchases, I was interrupted by a tapping noise on my window.<br />
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For dinner, I headed to Toronto's vibrant Church Street neighbourhood, determined to find some Canadian poutine (french fries topped with gravy and cheese) to top off my fleeting visit. I didn't have to look far. O'Grady's Tap and Grill offered an amazing gourmet poutine with bacon, and months after my visit I can still remember the delicious taste. In fact, a Canadian recently told me that the best poutine in Canada comes from a little pub on Church Street.<br />
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Though I had no idea at the time, it was O'Grady's. A great way to cap off my fleeting fist visit to Canada.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">I left <a href="http://www.theantipodeanblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/what-happens-in-vegas.html#more" target="_blank">Vegas</a> three years ago with a long list of things I'd missed, and no idea if I'd ever be back to tick them off. But this year, I unexpectedly got the chance.</span></i><br />
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But there was an important catch: this was no leisure trip, but my first international work trip. Consequently, my colleague Sarah and I had a very exhausting work schedule, and the few gaps in which to see Vegas had to be stolen from time we'd otherwise be sleeping - late at night or early in the morning. But, we managed to make a fairly decent go of it. Having said that... I didn't have time to gamble even once, my whole time there!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Sarah and I in the state we appeared for most of our time in Vegas.</td></tr>
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Without further ado, here's the list of activities I failed to complete last time:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>1. The Stratosphere rides</i></span><br />
Imagine getting thrown off the side of a skyscraper, 350m high. Welcome to Stratosphere. Seriously. There are three theme-park rides that throw you around in all kinds of directions from the top of a tower only a few storeys lower than the Empire State. It's insane. Sarah wasn't at all keen to try the rides, assuming the role of photographer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE0xE1a5IomV72EzB64bO4RhQ3IXkixmH6x_vxYfzPkrxEGbv2FdfOrDCJfrLHx07TJLdMfVN8nse0JFSy3vuXd6l-BFvR4E73u7n3rCCroRx-zdcH2D8-OuaHODDam-9GLuZgEpI9BJcw/s3200/Vegas+-+3+(IMG_0019).jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE0xE1a5IomV72EzB64bO4RhQ3IXkixmH6x_vxYfzPkrxEGbv2FdfOrDCJfrLHx07TJLdMfVN8nse0JFSy3vuXd6l-BFvR4E73u7n3rCCroRx-zdcH2D8-OuaHODDam-9GLuZgEpI9BJcw/s3200/Vegas+-+3+(IMG_0019).jpg" height="504" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>2. Visit a Vegas club</i></span><br />
This one I wasn't sure I would get to tick off, but I should have known the Les Mills Megamadness after party would be a good night!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>3. Buffet, sweet buffet</i></span><br />
After a long day on my feet, I nearly ordered room service again. But I couldn't pass up the opportunity to try my first Vegas buffet. Given my companion was the nutrition manager, there was no hope of company, but I enjoyed it on my own regardless. Though, I barely got through three platefuls - including dessert!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6CwpUnVkUdsZuDcs2uYebRp3OIb3CZOq6wAzKVKYTDfpDZocYED6qS_ml-XY0Iz73aSKV_LS7CsFtkMDQaXijtqnkt_8HnvCRK3fyCuUcRPDmwz6_fcBIVDHM23iJXEOErqY3XqG-atc/s3200/Vegas+-+55+(IMG_3655).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6CwpUnVkUdsZuDcs2uYebRp3OIb3CZOq6wAzKVKYTDfpDZocYED6qS_ml-XY0Iz73aSKV_LS7CsFtkMDQaXijtqnkt_8HnvCRK3fyCuUcRPDmwz6_fcBIVDHM23iJXEOErqY3XqG-atc/s3200/Vegas+-+55+(IMG_3655).jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>4. See 'O' by Cirque du Soleil</i></span><br />
Thank goodness Vegas never sleeps - 'O' performs twice nightly, and the second performance is late enough that we were able to make it after finishing our responsibilities at the convention. Although, we were cutting it so fine that we had to sprint the entire way, arriving so puffed out I thought I was going to die!<br />
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I'm very glad we made the effort - 'O' topped every Cirque du Soleil list I could find... and it really was a magical experience. My favourite scene involved a giant pirate ship, with trapeze artists and acrobats completed indescribably complicated manoeuvres while it swung in the air above an enormous pool, which at other times was filled with synchronised swimmers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBqfKop4uAGcmWdCeyFPsjT69AGE3kt9iCkKczNzibtY9jveelIF7Wks7XZ-LDznFJHhmjfVgNtt1GYzvbkv3XoAhid2YjmyJXVa2YTvy5K-6FYzG8vIKCBQXDQiH9nxEaFXM-yH2P1HJ/s3200/1_O_Cirque_du_Soleil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBqfKop4uAGcmWdCeyFPsjT69AGE3kt9iCkKczNzibtY9jveelIF7Wks7XZ-LDznFJHhmjfVgNtt1GYzvbkv3XoAhid2YjmyJXVa2YTvy5K-6FYzG8vIKCBQXDQiH9nxEaFXM-yH2P1HJ/s3200/1_O_Cirque_du_Soleil.jpg" height="366" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>5. Helicopter over the Grand Canyon</i></span><br />
Sarah surprised me on my first night, with a big idea that I never expected to work. She hatched an impossible sounding plan for us to helicopter to the Grand Canyon and back before the time that we needed to begin work the next morning - 10am. But it worked. The only catch was that we had to leave our hotel at 5:30am...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Arriving at the airfield shortly after sunrise</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: small;">The awe-inspiring Grand Canyon - with the SkyWalk <i>just</i> visible in the centre.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: small;">The mindblowing view from the SkyWalk</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQcXUGmKL79zCPsqYKQI9wUGSpGNt7dQ1rWtXffECaI5XMQ4Txkx75g6FwMeMugFM2IMGldkcvpW0yylyVIrOj8ULsh9P320QCcwW7COgyQEJDRxBNM9B-KXwNn5-T1HseHAratfe3VON/s3200/Vegas+-+44+(IMG_3671).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQcXUGmKL79zCPsqYKQI9wUGSpGNt7dQ1rWtXffECaI5XMQ4Txkx75g6FwMeMugFM2IMGldkcvpW0yylyVIrOj8ULsh9P320QCcwW7COgyQEJDRxBNM9B-KXwNn5-T1HseHAratfe3VON/s3200/Vegas+-+44+(IMG_3671).jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: small;">They say the glass is thicker than it looks.</span></td></tr>
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Given the minuscule amount of spare time we had, I'm still shocked at how much we managed to squeeze in.</div>
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There's only one thing still remaining on my Vegas list: the roller coaster at New York New York.</div>
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Oh well, maybe next time.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102908196869766655noreply@blogger.com0Las Vegas, NV, USA36.255123 -115.2383485000000335.8453825 -115.88379550000003 36.664863499999996 -114.59290150000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300661313046745621.post-6685871544340402222013-12-10T09:50:00.000+00:002014-04-02T02:30:19.459+01:00Rotorua: 4 Unmissable Activities Off the Beaten Track<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Rotorua, known for its pungent rotten egg smell, is probably New Zealand's most touristy city. So, for those who like to get off the beaten track, it can be difficult to know what's worth doing.</i></span><br />
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This list isn't exhaustive: there are plenty of other cool things to do in Rotorua (hot tip: if you visit the Buried Village, make you you do the side-route to the waterfall - it's worth it). But, this is a list of my favourite four things in Rotorua that you're unlikely to hear much about elsewhere.<br />
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And the best part is, you can do all of them in 4-5 hours.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>#1. Wai-O-Tapu</i></span><br />
Visiting a Geothermal area in Rotorua is absolutely essential, whatever kind of traveller you are. Having done several, I think the best one for people who like getting off the beaten track is definitely Wai-O-Tapu. It's about 25 minutes out of town, so it gets less visitors, and it offers the most colourful range of different kinds of volcanic sights I've ever come across. The only slightly less-cool thing is that their geyser is stimulated with a chemical to make it go off at a regular time each day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiby1-v7eFGEhN2sIdjhi_a9Mj9pnvUzBFiKQllfIkjYKuFyTK-2vxkJ3hKJHw_G2nGRIsAeeOHRE5JmfC85P_QaW87CieOZedbJvTE1hlCr9GPKc-V_oYce0nXB8Q-H2U3QaMxQUakwSw-/s1600/Summer+Roadtrip+2013+-+69+%2528_MG_4186%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiby1-v7eFGEhN2sIdjhi_a9Mj9pnvUzBFiKQllfIkjYKuFyTK-2vxkJ3hKJHw_G2nGRIsAeeOHRE5JmfC85P_QaW87CieOZedbJvTE1hlCr9GPKc-V_oYce0nXB8Q-H2U3QaMxQUakwSw-/s1600/Summer+Roadtrip+2013+-+69+%2528_MG_4186%2529.jpg" height="400" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Wai-O-Tapu geyser</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOuXjL15buYPULWJHeL8OQlVQRGeeHQxs1F_oazXtprUaJQmjeqIcmpiRBmEjnvc3M2ylzYuoe7FvmgDkaRsgEM8VXtBmRR0D9jddjFwVcsIfypgTZrKn78QSt8CAp_Y7N31U1allwpzg-/s1600/Summer+Roadtrip+2013+-+70+%2528_MG_4199%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOuXjL15buYPULWJHeL8OQlVQRGeeHQxs1F_oazXtprUaJQmjeqIcmpiRBmEjnvc3M2ylzYuoe7FvmgDkaRsgEM8VXtBmRR0D9jddjFwVcsIfypgTZrKn78QSt8CAp_Y7N31U1allwpzg-/s1600/Summer+Roadtrip+2013+-+70+%2528_MG_4199%2529.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The vibrant palette at Wai-O-Tapu</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitoZ3fhU7f_VoX9MdeqzhQNha-BHWImcHnqdlqyC7B6fbNZyT2O-3cc3vgZK4uR8qF12CsNMFr4KcQ0AxUlzr9tAV0_44_Mr7IF57nGkgcwpNG8-pP32uQTvoG3UI83jxNRoF-SHkuLe1x/s1600/Summer+Roadtrip+2013+-+75+%2528IMG_2207%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitoZ3fhU7f_VoX9MdeqzhQNha-BHWImcHnqdlqyC7B6fbNZyT2O-3cc3vgZK4uR8qF12CsNMFr4KcQ0AxUlzr9tAV0_44_Mr7IF57nGkgcwpNG8-pP32uQTvoG3UI83jxNRoF-SHkuLe1x/s1600/Summer+Roadtrip+2013+-+75+%2528IMG_2207%2529.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wai-O-Tapu's most famous sight: the Champagne Pools</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHAN2eLeYi8lAZxZHjRR_i4288X_TlQxd1cmNwVMShnHKqbbmVIfYWq60NlePbNfS3mR68rWx4pitBgDTaEnke2Pnr4HyXuXVkL0LA9eLQHwcRsE0-ushCDyOWv-7S1I6NgemlBRewnnbU/s1600/Summer+Roadtrip+2013+-+78+%2528IMG_2220%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHAN2eLeYi8lAZxZHjRR_i4288X_TlQxd1cmNwVMShnHKqbbmVIfYWq60NlePbNfS3mR68rWx4pitBgDTaEnke2Pnr4HyXuXVkL0LA9eLQHwcRsE0-ushCDyOWv-7S1I6NgemlBRewnnbU/s1600/Summer+Roadtrip+2013+-+78+%2528IMG_2220%2529.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oh, ya know, just an acidic, highlighter green-coloured pool</span></td></tr>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">#2. Kerosene Creek</span></i><br />
This place is <u>the</u> best kept secret in Rotorua. A naturally occurring spa pool, complete with a hot waterfall. Let me just say that again: a <b>hot waterfall</b>! It's located a 5 minute drive from Wai-O-Tapu and completely free. Do not miss it.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">#3. Māori Jesus</span></i><br />
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St Faith's Church, a beautiful Tudor-style building right next to a traditional Māori marae (meeting house), has a special secret. Instead of a traditional stained-glass window, they have an ordinary window looking through to the lake, with a white Jesus figure painted on it, appearing to walk across the lake towards you. And what makes it even more special is the fact that Jesus is wearing a Māori cloak and has Māori features. I love this sign of harmony between religion and indigenous culture.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">#4. The best pies in New Zealand</span></i><br />
We Kiwis are damned serious about pies. Not the family-sized fruit pies you see overseas, but a single-serving meat pie with flaky pastry. When I was in London there wasn't a kiwi treat I missed more than an old fathful mince and cheese pie.<br />
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So, telling you I know where to find the best pies in New Zealand is quite a big deal. But I'm going to: Better Pies 2000 has an awful name, but the most amazing pies you will ever taste. Usually I'm a total carnivore, but even the vegetarian one is incredible: with pumpkin, broccoli, carrot, mushroom all in a delicious cheesy sauce. Honestly, try anything, they're all good.<br />
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Once you've got your pie, drive back to the lake and eat it on the edge of the pier. It's bliss.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102908196869766655noreply@blogger.com0Rotorua, New Zealand-38.1368478 176.24974610000004-38.536366799999996 175.60429910000005 -37.7373288 176.89519310000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300661313046745621.post-3209490105264395052013-12-07T16:00:00.000+00:002014-03-31T22:59:19.070+01:00The Magical Coromandel (in Photos)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">"This place should have more visitors. It deserves them. You mark my words, the tourists will come flocking here in a few years when word gets out"</span></i></div>
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- my friend Ally, upon discovering the Coromandel for the first time</div>
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Most overseas visitors come to New Zealand expecting the epic snowy mountains from the Lord of the Rings. And they'll find them too - when they visit the South Island. Sadly, this means many visitors find the North Island to be underwhelming. But, once you get out of the cities, the North Island is every bit as beautiful (albeit in a warmer kind of way). If you're visiting Auckland in the summertime, do yourself a favour: hop on a bus or hire a car and get yourself to the Coromandel.</div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgkjXzBWX1SQvbOnoH4uJ4OD6deJTxMLoHsKzje-GWt2SM0cj_xtGDSFQLMTPkjDsS2JUFjE1WdpMKhef0Prd579I7PTuD-sYLbHoCPhOhyphenhyphenOzim3ZPEBKV3peB6qgOGSt6KiSddF8n0AFv/s1600/Summer+Roadtrip+2013+-+35+(DSC00146).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgkjXzBWX1SQvbOnoH4uJ4OD6deJTxMLoHsKzje-GWt2SM0cj_xtGDSFQLMTPkjDsS2JUFjE1WdpMKhef0Prd579I7PTuD-sYLbHoCPhOhyphenhyphenOzim3ZPEBKV3peB6qgOGSt6KiSddF8n0AFv/s1600/Summer+Roadtrip+2013+-+35+(DSC00146).jpg" height="140" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Whangamata beach (pronounced <i>Fung-ah-mah-tah</i>)<br /></span></td></tr>
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The Coromandel Peninsula is just a few hours drive from Auckland, but these sleepy seaside towns are a few degrees warmer than Auckland all year round. That's probably why the whole area is overflowing with local holidaymakers around New Years. But, arrive just a few weeks earlier or later, and you'll practically have the place to yourself.</div>
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It feels wrong to bore you with too many words about such a photogenic place, so I'm going to let the pictures do most of the talking...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFE9lE8s8PsTHmnQcvXM11jBHYlipk-WTf7ZsjAkRLNFoz9LrtbihCkzhp71VHnxr0HwTqn4NxT5qYWSRcfDk4QkdUC82PbHcgCz-C29KyxNizfA1IdylUhUD5JZzYXTP4mGwdTtf8bu8C/s1600/Summer+Roadtrip+2013+-+39+(DSC00147).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFE9lE8s8PsTHmnQcvXM11jBHYlipk-WTf7ZsjAkRLNFoz9LrtbihCkzhp71VHnxr0HwTqn4NxT5qYWSRcfDk4QkdUC82PbHcgCz-C29KyxNizfA1IdylUhUD5JZzYXTP4mGwdTtf8bu8C/s1600/Summer+Roadtrip+2013+-+39+(DSC00147).jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Epic photobomb from my uncle, who now lives in Whangamata</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmZzqYrxyo7wSEDC2aPs3KMsEZNxEgqwZarR4eMCMPquvlWTzgsUnwV45mW5EY70hLs1qvsUsJXMCYz3sLec9ShShn4fhEtZ-tlsNA3XxhMXoEf2WkKsW4gR4J4W-Fl6Ys9_eFQ_y4EI4/s1600/Summer+Roadtrip+2013+-+45+(IMG_1996).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmZzqYrxyo7wSEDC2aPs3KMsEZNxEgqwZarR4eMCMPquvlWTzgsUnwV45mW5EY70hLs1qvsUsJXMCYz3sLec9ShShn4fhEtZ-tlsNA3XxhMXoEf2WkKsW4gR4J4W-Fl6Ys9_eFQ_y4EI4/s1600/Summer+Roadtrip+2013+-+45+(IMG_1996).jpg" height="484" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">My favourite beach on the peninsula: Hahei (pronounced <i>Hah-hay</i>)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7E0KC8WMR9emuep9rJcZqD_VyeDjRSmHV0DFtyeVvhN15WS_lq_C7knMTHADB_oi_zPTMqvN2gcdNX3UUkyzYNwWH_eIaICOQzVbuGgBJaWZcRh_qZCJTrjh8ftmwtVtAxAsTUcdAKavj/s1600/Summer+Roadtrip+2013+-+48+(IMG_2043).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7E0KC8WMR9emuep9rJcZqD_VyeDjRSmHV0DFtyeVvhN15WS_lq_C7knMTHADB_oi_zPTMqvN2gcdNX3UUkyzYNwWH_eIaICOQzVbuGgBJaWZcRh_qZCJTrjh8ftmwtVtAxAsTUcdAKavj/s1600/Summer+Roadtrip+2013+-+48+(IMG_2043).jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cathedral Cove - one of New Zealand's stunning natural wonders</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLZ8GoCuaoD5StD8A9Ko0egZAcZFdBIJqdBhM8mOnRu5ZDKR1tpUXdhYUkHuZUAvvr15yZA_qXXEYsTWR7eSUZoie5WU2X3FhKNcSsHi3LE1K_J74xHepjRlvsm8zpDPqdx-OIVJbaFPbS/s1600/Summer+Roadtrip+2013+-+49+(DSC00222).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLZ8GoCuaoD5StD8A9Ko0egZAcZFdBIJqdBhM8mOnRu5ZDKR1tpUXdhYUkHuZUAvvr15yZA_qXXEYsTWR7eSUZoie5WU2X3FhKNcSsHi3LE1K_J74xHepjRlvsm8zpDPqdx-OIVJbaFPbS/s1600/Summer+Roadtrip+2013+-+49+(DSC00222).jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cathedral Cove alone is worth visiting the Coromandel to see</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2xXH9s2hXR-W0_wLPMVWmpsFN3NDNf-b_b8oXNhPN73GxOmeiCszX6LsDa2MeFDzF9Gta0IJwppl8XGJSQwGWkPP81VTtqSFFFIpATiXVjtF3B4VGqumb26hz52aISWrpJMf4hKD3ub2/s1600/Summer+Roadtrip+2013+-+54+(IMG_2105).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2xXH9s2hXR-W0_wLPMVWmpsFN3NDNf-b_b8oXNhPN73GxOmeiCszX6LsDa2MeFDzF9Gta0IJwppl8XGJSQwGWkPP81VTtqSFFFIpATiXVjtF3B4VGqumb26hz52aISWrpJMf4hKD3ub2/s1600/Summer+Roadtrip+2013+-+54+(IMG_2105).jpg" height="176" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Even on a cloudy day, Cathedral Cove is still a stunner</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUJ50Tyz46zZqkQw3SVNVDmA6pPx8LNhpJpniuVDcErspH94vQgezv4aPl2lTfsCXtReXCjV4mO72ZJvOnHcI9h3Yy55Er697PrifE_ICDE93Ih9LyO8EpDhoft1J3gqjaJgtW3LwOUVV/s1600/Summer+Roadtrip+2013+-+59+(DSC00259).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUJ50Tyz46zZqkQw3SVNVDmA6pPx8LNhpJpniuVDcErspH94vQgezv4aPl2lTfsCXtReXCjV4mO72ZJvOnHcI9h3Yy55Er697PrifE_ICDE93Ih9LyO8EpDhoft1J3gqjaJgtW3LwOUVV/s1600/Summer+Roadtrip+2013+-+59+(DSC00259).jpg" height="467" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hot Water Beach - bring a spade and make a natural spa pool</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvNqQHoDny4kwCdLi9wyye1aE4oCy3GuSvBllYi6Tm5dRQzsxipVsK5JpOdBWbtDHTSnajW6M8a1bAhA1EO2VFNg2mUWfHwdkud9IjW9ViUddBBcNabWPUPkHJgctbz1TjTB6oj27Atbi/s1600/Summer+Roadtrip+2013+-+64+(_MG_4156).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvNqQHoDny4kwCdLi9wyye1aE4oCy3GuSvBllYi6Tm5dRQzsxipVsK5JpOdBWbtDHTSnajW6M8a1bAhA1EO2VFNg2mUWfHwdkud9IjW9ViUddBBcNabWPUPkHJgctbz1TjTB6oj27Atbi/s1600/Summer+Roadtrip+2013+-+64+(_MG_4156).jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Driving Creek Railway in Coromandel Township - built by one crazy potter over decades</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The view from the top of the Driving Creek Railway</span></td></tr>
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I honestly can't recommend the Coromandel enough to people visiting New Zealand and wanting to see a less-touristy side of the North Island. It's truly magical.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102908196869766655noreply@blogger.com0Hahei, New Zealand-36.840114 175.80295550000005-37.0433355 175.48023200000006 -36.6368925 176.12567900000005tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300661313046745621.post-64528790428416481572013-07-20T08:34:00.000+01:002014-03-22T04:21:26.518+00:0024 Hours in Grampians National Park<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Barely three hours from Melbourne, there's a National Park I'd never heard of until I looked at a map to work out what there was to do on the drive from Adelaide. And it turns out, Grampians National Park has startling beauty that deserves to be better known.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">These are the highlights of my 24 hours in the Grampians...</span></i></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">MacKenzie Falls</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Boroka Lookout</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This poor young kangaroo tripped over his long feet and tumbled right in front of us!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">But he was fine - here's the same kangaroo an hour later peering in at people dining at our motel restaurant</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The amazing view from Mt William - my favourite lookout in Grampians</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bunjil's Shelter - one of the most important Aboriginal rock paintings</span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102908196869766655noreply@blogger.com1Grampians National Park, Northern Grampians Road, Halls Gap VIC 3381, Australia-37.13332 142.51835800000003-37.9422055 141.22746450000002 -36.324434499999995 143.80925150000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300661313046745621.post-15875529031352984062013-07-16T05:12:00.000+01:002014-03-19T09:43:30.089+00:00The Great Ocean Roadtrip<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">British people all seem to dream of going to Australia. And there's one item sure to feature on their itinerary. A highlight of Aussie travel marketing in Europe that somehow few Kiwis have ever heard of: Victoria's Great Ocean Road. After hearing about it non-stop when I lived in the UK, I decided to pop over the ditch to discover it for myself.</span></i></div>
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Driving the Great Ocean Road, I couldn't shake the feeling that it was a tad overrated - dreamed up by some marketers at Tourism Australia as another lure for tourists from the landlocked capitals of Europe.</div>
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Growing up in New Zealand, I have seen more than my fair share of beautiful coastal drives, and this 250km stretch of the journey between Melbourne and Adelaide didn't feel much more notable than the decidedly less-hyped routes along the Far North, Coromandel, or Nelson. But it does have a very marketable name, and I can't deny that there were a few truly beautiful spots.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Split Point lighthouse</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from Split Point</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erskine Falls, a short detour from the Great Ocean Road</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from one of many well-placed lookout spots</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the highlight of every Great Ocean Roadtrip: the majestic Twelve Apostles<br />
(time it for sunset if you want to recreate this gorgeous photo)</td></tr>
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We made other (less photogenic) stops in Port Fairy and Mount Gambier. Most roadtrippers head back to Melbourne after completing the Great Ocean Road, but we chose to continue along the Coorong to Adelaide.</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">And, interestingly enough, we stumbled across one of the most magnificent sights of our trip by accident, several hours after concluding the Great Ocean Road: pelicans chilling out by the gum trees in Meningie at sunset.</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitP2t7-VMeaSIK_gMJ7xS45_HVb9lMIuQSd2qc6XG5ivUOkc-OsXyMqzFXyxZ4EcjrQNlUwT_gjXC1vV9AGpbZzC2FLfueM9f35eA6L_TvSweEGMVrWnSLKELHjar4l-BQ7HJj_Ayl2nEt/s1600/Adelaide+2013+-+46+(_MG_0313).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitP2t7-VMeaSIK_gMJ7xS45_HVb9lMIuQSd2qc6XG5ivUOkc-OsXyMqzFXyxZ4EcjrQNlUwT_gjXC1vV9AGpbZzC2FLfueM9f35eA6L_TvSweEGMVrWnSLKELHjar4l-BQ7HJj_Ayl2nEt/s1600/Adelaide+2013+-+46+(_MG_0313).jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhws0hP2Sy5uk-qx0IxFVDmC3wxlvyCO16UeEpGRQfJYbgZJpMT1GggGjnFo97ckQKOctFmsTOrJFxcgx_zrm2Dm7RiAd7uZg0i4K77k9K8jlVHo49HFaxn7ND5mcoNXI5S6dEpuTYroL_J/s1600/Adelaide+2013+-+50+(_MG_4013).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhws0hP2Sy5uk-qx0IxFVDmC3wxlvyCO16UeEpGRQfJYbgZJpMT1GggGjnFo97ckQKOctFmsTOrJFxcgx_zrm2Dm7RiAd7uZg0i4K77k9K8jlVHo49HFaxn7ND5mcoNXI5S6dEpuTYroL_J/s1600/Adelaide+2013+-+50+(_MG_4013).jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
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But we had a very special reason for being in Meningie en route to Adelaide, and it had nothing to do with pelicans. Kat and Mikey, our best friends from London, who we also had epic trips to <a href="http://theantipodeanblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/01/weekend-in-copenhagen.html" target="_blank">Copenhagen </a>and <a href="http://theantipodeanblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/09/a-weekend-in-ireland_16.html" target="_blank">Ireland </a>with, had moved back home a few months earlier.<br />
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And a little while after they arrived back in South Australia, Mia turned up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihPXezjQ5NLnGWzG1pOAL1SIzbXsbNRSN-y2yVMHceLh4SwdecbCQ8_Sl-RAeUwSHv3TLrhHljC4xiKosjwnbzhGeKtjzgQMcKYseaIMjLklf8dlRY_oFkpEMmgWK8bvvBE-M4f0CWsGO5/s1600/Adelaide+2013+-+51+(IMG_1137).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihPXezjQ5NLnGWzG1pOAL1SIzbXsbNRSN-y2yVMHceLh4SwdecbCQ8_Sl-RAeUwSHv3TLrhHljC4xiKosjwnbzhGeKtjzgQMcKYseaIMjLklf8dlRY_oFkpEMmgWK8bvvBE-M4f0CWsGO5/s1600/Adelaide+2013+-+51+(IMG_1137).jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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So, for me, the Great Ocean Road itself was a little underwhelming (except for the Twelve Apostles). And I haven't even mentioned the $900 worth of speeding fine we managed to accumulate unawares in a single 24 hour period! But, our journey across the Tasman was completely worth it when we were reunited with the Pullman clan.</div>
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We're at an interesting point in our lives where people are coming home from their OEs and settling into families, careers and mortgages. And Kat and Mikey are the first of my friends to have a baby - a fact that made me a pathetic combination of proud and excited. We instantly assumed the titles of surrogate uncles. And the time we spent hanging out together, just the five of us in Mount Barker, was as memorable as any day we ever spent in London.</div>
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Life is good.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102908196869766655noreply@blogger.com0Great Ocean Road, VIC, Australia-38.6804625 143.39140509999993-39.475103999999995 142.10051159999992 -37.885821 144.68229859999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300661313046745621.post-6410594556146590522013-07-12T21:12:00.000+01:002014-03-22T20:13:51.830+00:005 Indie Things to Do in Melbourne<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Melbourne is the cultural heart of Australia. And for a country with not much history to speak of (compared with Europe), that makes it without a doubt the most interesting city in Australia to visit. It also means it's crawling with hipsters.</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">You have to love them or hate them, hipsters.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">And I have to admit, I kind of love them.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Ironic hats and all.</span></i></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the most hipster moments of my life - with Ally and Adam in New Zealand</td></tr>
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We had the pleasure of being hosted in Melbourne by Ally, the green-voting Damien Rice-loving vegetarian who I instantly fell in friendlove with on the Busabout <a href="http://theantipodeanblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/ottoman-trek-plovdiv.html" target="_blank">Ottoman Trek</a>. She hates the term hipster, but she fits it so effortlessly it's like it was created for her (minus the snobby side). She has flawless taste in music and second-hand clothing, and her Grandma is one of her best friends. Plus, she moonlights as one of those unpaid tour leaders showing travelling bohemians all the coolest places in her hometown.</div>
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So, who better to show us the indie side of Melbourne? This is the top five - so you can retrace our doc marten footsteps:</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Drink mulled wine at Section 8</span></b></div>
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A shipping container on Tattersalls Lane where you can drink mulled wine surrounded by lanterns. What could be more Melbourne?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYe4XwUg2V9y5Z3Y4kbH3unj-xmJ7bWNuzlt2Epd8DDRhFRy_XgZ4jFfEPmXZTt-qSWbmCV7epXXnEhE_fB0rV6_O2q7KEC_YD18JasDHlDP39-MuHshBDeCybAgFfQ-lXdrtoppnN9WP/s1600/Adelaide+2013+-+11+%2528IMG_0873%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYe4XwUg2V9y5Z3Y4kbH3unj-xmJ7bWNuzlt2Epd8DDRhFRy_XgZ4jFfEPmXZTt-qSWbmCV7epXXnEhE_fB0rV6_O2q7KEC_YD18JasDHlDP39-MuHshBDeCybAgFfQ-lXdrtoppnN9WP/s1600/Adelaide+2013+-+11+%2528IMG_0873%2529.jpg" height="491" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. Find a killer piece of street art down a nondescript alleyway</b></span></div>
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Melbourne wants to be a street art capital. And it's starting to pull it off. Don't be content just walking down the tourist-friendly graffiti alleyways near Flinders Street station (cool though they are), walk a bit further afield and you'll be amazed at the scale and beauty of some of the imaginative designs. If you're the planning type, there are websites where you can work out where the best pieces are. But I'm not going to link to them because a true hipster would befriend a local to find the best street art. Or better still - follow a stray cat and get lost.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipxNxtaPFt23UEK9zfJjC5sGVLuE4m4jm2UgHq9yCcqC9lHM7mAGpgLxffq-KPMTrOJtnolxusvukWS-Ko542kp10gTsO7SVmbkmvhykcdU5VzyMiN0AuQrAk1T4HvoH06BDHLwMmUvvBD/s1600/Adelaide+2013+-+12+%2528IMG_0877%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipxNxtaPFt23UEK9zfJjC5sGVLuE4m4jm2UgHq9yCcqC9lHM7mAGpgLxffq-KPMTrOJtnolxusvukWS-Ko542kp10gTsO7SVmbkmvhykcdU5VzyMiN0AuQrAk1T4HvoH06BDHLwMmUvvBD/s1600/Adelaide+2013+-+12+%2528IMG_0877%2529.jpg" height="492" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. Go meatless at Lord of the Fries</b></span></div>
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Ok so, full disclosure, Lord of the Fries is a deep-fried Melbourne institution, with its main location at the bottom of Elizabeth Street. It isn't nearly underground or hidden enough to be considered indie. But what puts Lord of the Fries on this list is that everything is vegetarian. From the gravy on the (delicious) Canadian fries, to the hamburger patties to the hot dogs. On Friday nights, the drunk hipsters flock.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXzZ99n7Bum0rPaIF9ODKBXSe_ZEn_Nde5_CEWhWjQMN6sIbTwTq0AgkuBUkrD9eT7Uu4zr3Atk0azg3vzh9Jr7cK33cnB32_X_SIS-LjWX-yFqJumS0e0L2mH5kqVD880-Uvc6KYkjU1/s1600/art-lord-20fries-620x0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXzZ99n7Bum0rPaIF9ODKBXSe_ZEn_Nde5_CEWhWjQMN6sIbTwTq0AgkuBUkrD9eT7Uu4zr3Atk0azg3vzh9Jr7cK33cnB32_X_SIS-LjWX-yFqJumS0e0L2mH5kqVD880-Uvc6KYkjU1/s1600/art-lord-20fries-620x0.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. Visit the Heide</b></span></div>
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Melbourne is spoiled for choice when it comes to art galleries. Ally's pick of the bunch is the Heide Museum of Modern Art. 20 minutes from the CBD, with gorgeous grounds and well curated exhibitions featuring a wide range of Australian artists, this was a great place to spend an afternoon.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6d2yZu45LM62j1dDBm5bKK8NByeK1EuzyKR5PcTGWziRxOnWMI8JltoFd58HQKCJj7P8_q3v4DLtXUi2YSNQWldeKWvmWc7RhsSwfW7uako5vs4EkwCdkNE8gsYFj6A2UHfvHNh5-OiJ/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6d2yZu45LM62j1dDBm5bKK8NByeK1EuzyKR5PcTGWziRxOnWMI8JltoFd58HQKCJj7P8_q3v4DLtXUi2YSNQWldeKWvmWc7RhsSwfW7uako5vs4EkwCdkNE8gsYFj6A2UHfvHNh5-OiJ/s1600/images.jpg" height="268" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. Pay what you want at Lentil as Anything</b></span></div>
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Abbotsford Convent is an unusually menacing building for a young city like Melbourne. It's instantly fascinating. Enter the grounds and it just gets better. Lentil as Anything, one of a few resident restaurants, is one of those bohemian restaurants everyone's heard of but few have tried. There's an absolutely delicious vegetarian buffet, and payment is by donation. It's a woefully unprofitable business model, but one which makes Lentil as Anything a delightful place to visit. Almost a sanctuary from the consumerism-fueled rat race outside. Of all Ally's amazing indie recommendations in Melbourne, this was comfortably my favourite.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBUGC7LLd_hMC20jIHc4tO9MXMWqgZJYTtbYuEkx2TSwRt9zrPPMqQ8oIlyQPVoNvZg3hAkr794fCJx0eQPtjtW8FFkJMhHwyCaggDeDE0qCEwqqNpq_sHEgldqiYC9D1ECuG9NlUhtp6/s1600/Adelaide+2013+-+7+(IMG_0835).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBUGC7LLd_hMC20jIHc4tO9MXMWqgZJYTtbYuEkx2TSwRt9zrPPMqQ8oIlyQPVoNvZg3hAkr794fCJx0eQPtjtW8FFkJMhHwyCaggDeDE0qCEwqqNpq_sHEgldqiYC9D1ECuG9NlUhtp6/s1600/Adelaide+2013+-+7+(IMG_0835).jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8vjkDB9UjN1TEEU2mK1E_4I_HOyt1gdbSvnikPA85rQeNh4RaOtuxkBoSQjZIuI-QTTzyq11MbRXx9n6yWaf7WoUl9bKQibXFw290OO6vTBGNNAxrJJKtSB3E6n5Y7ifgZ9ePe6CuUtH/s1600/Adelaide+2013+-+9+(IMG_0848).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8vjkDB9UjN1TEEU2mK1E_4I_HOyt1gdbSvnikPA85rQeNh4RaOtuxkBoSQjZIuI-QTTzyq11MbRXx9n6yWaf7WoUl9bKQibXFw290OO6vTBGNNAxrJJKtSB3E6n5Y7ifgZ9ePe6CuUtH/s1600/Adelaide+2013+-+9+(IMG_0848).jpg" height="534" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When your pose is way too dramatic to look hipster suave, fake it with a black and white filter<br />
(Ally and I mucking around on the grounds of the Abbotsford convent)</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102908196869766655noreply@blogger.com0Melbourne VIC, Australia-37.814107 144.96327999999994-38.6164245 143.67238649999993 -37.0117895 146.25417349999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300661313046745621.post-55296072045490553092013-04-01T19:00:00.000+01:002014-03-10T04:46:47.794+00:00The Best Beach in New Zealand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The New Zealand summer is long and scorching. Every kiwi kid has memories of spending the whole summer at<span style="font-family: inherit;"> the beach, trying to ride the scooter they got for Christmas with one hand so they can eat an ice cream with the other.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As a result, beaches are a hot topic in New Zealand. Everyone has their own favourite. The one they've been to every year since forever. I guess I don't have the authority to proclaim one beach the best. It's all subjective, really. But, I'm going to do that anyway...</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Glinks Gully, despite its horrible name, is actually paradise.</span></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguWmRm16iRpiZbw7ROpWGLhh8vmNWs6nNbK32KB46RjnkbVaErhFWJrrcd5PA0s0_omtzd0wyc-QAlIHEndANFwdq3PFyU6dNcKC6KCyfWOYCAqoDsUOuAhLsxbJ2vo5osEFJyhlOUo8nT/s1600/Glinks+2013+-+23+(IMG_0961).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguWmRm16iRpiZbw7ROpWGLhh8vmNWs6nNbK32KB46RjnkbVaErhFWJrrcd5PA0s0_omtzd0wyc-QAlIHEndANFwdq3PFyU6dNcKC6KCyfWOYCAqoDsUOuAhLsxbJ2vo5osEFJyhlOUo8nT/s1600/Glinks+2013+-+23+(IMG_0961).jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entire township of Glinks Gully. There's not even a store - so the beach is usually deserted.</td></tr>
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The campground is well-equipped and has friendly staff. And if you walk up the small hill behind it, you end up on a large rocky outcrop that looks like a piece of New Mexico. The view is out of this world.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_FbmCIu8B9RQPUUTyv1NsLI1sghGyxSDim1A0QTpL4riOZCyYLvIDnqacZuM6rCEJkC0F-4b1Fwa72j98d1i_iW3jCb9TtFE4xAXAsSfLRWC6TqH0FUA9dyfQ5ut-urWRKYjwmqjz4aYb/s1600/Glinks+2013+-+17+(IMG_0933).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_FbmCIu8B9RQPUUTyv1NsLI1sghGyxSDim1A0QTpL4riOZCyYLvIDnqacZuM6rCEJkC0F-4b1Fwa72j98d1i_iW3jCb9TtFE4xAXAsSfLRWC6TqH0FUA9dyfQ5ut-urWRKYjwmqjz4aYb/s1600/Glinks+2013+-+17+(IMG_0933).jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6w4gexsyicMmYoaGDKzPT1sg53hxGV5FFuDD0_yn9_6ghHPMQHHNaNSav-yIruGxbVv9V09GC3H_AHSikzkUBjLW8uKSG6BlAEqZnPyx_kQiTh0FroLBFYu1hQW2iIDp6EXrgfR6mFzB/s1600/Glinks+2013+-+20+(IMG_0957).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6w4gexsyicMmYoaGDKzPT1sg53hxGV5FFuDD0_yn9_6ghHPMQHHNaNSav-yIruGxbVv9V09GC3H_AHSikzkUBjLW8uKSG6BlAEqZnPyx_kQiTh0FroLBFYu1hQW2iIDp6EXrgfR6mFzB/s1600/Glinks+2013+-+20+(IMG_0957).jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cat, my American friend, took a lot of coaxing to leave this perfect spot</td></tr>
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But there's a darker side to Glinks too. Just three hours north of Auckland, it's on the wild West Coast, where the sand is scorched, and the water is too rough for the faint of heart.</div>
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When there's a storm, it's a ruggedly magnificent sight to behold.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_glAwtTWRBTqqbbOb3dV1mr4wvypXmisT-h2DjxW6aeKuJXUL4f1L702gDF5mUJwpdUc6oIkVeAp4eyvfaw0aU0QDzH_aQBq1MQsu9QEJg716TmhAAxyQ3KVwDur5VXY7t1qSLfy-0r_D/s1600/Glinks+2013+-+1+(IMG_0307).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_glAwtTWRBTqqbbOb3dV1mr4wvypXmisT-h2DjxW6aeKuJXUL4f1L702gDF5mUJwpdUc6oIkVeAp4eyvfaw0aU0QDzH_aQBq1MQsu9QEJg716TmhAAxyQ3KVwDur5VXY7t1qSLfy-0r_D/s1600/Glinks+2013+-+1+(IMG_0307).jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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Come in late summer for the best sunsets of your life. I took these photos at Easter time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2sNdNvEnT1ziSL-daGmvqbvaJ1PFZq4jaUgYOYNyLCdLaCciDmRBfTtW6NiKew9GNFvm0MWQGrCPvGIwPx58mWpXdJSMkrSsmMoYabBL7lvs_IXnNbV-8l-p4nE5Sb494rrepyaArJU6O/s1600/Glinks+2013+-+12+(IMG_0333).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2sNdNvEnT1ziSL-daGmvqbvaJ1PFZq4jaUgYOYNyLCdLaCciDmRBfTtW6NiKew9GNFvm0MWQGrCPvGIwPx58mWpXdJSMkrSsmMoYabBL7lvs_IXnNbV-8l-p4nE5Sb494rrepyaArJU6O/s1600/Glinks+2013+-+12+(IMG_0333).jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCiuVT1zJ5mCSDOq_ZOqQ2jpkL8Mk_NM__DBrWfhGp4BZj1mnfdmymB3wDS0JdTGgjchvfywFWoWFRHy9fvpgA3Hyqx3L86NRl7nenrtTJehdajDarqWGXGNqT43vKgvP7rQ0wpdTyX97z/s1600/Glinks+2013+-+16+(IMG_0355).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCiuVT1zJ5mCSDOq_ZOqQ2jpkL8Mk_NM__DBrWfhGp4BZj1mnfdmymB3wDS0JdTGgjchvfywFWoWFRHy9fvpgA3Hyqx3L86NRl7nenrtTJehdajDarqWGXGNqT43vKgvP7rQ0wpdTyX97z/s1600/Glinks+2013+-+16+(IMG_0355).jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Just promise me one thing. Don't tell too many people about my paradise. I don't want the word getting out.</span></i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102908196869766655noreply@blogger.com2Glinks Gully, Te Kopuru 0371, New Zealand-36.081212 173.85735699999998-61.6032465 132.54876299999998 -10.5591775 -144.83404900000005tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300661313046745621.post-59076872982963918352013-03-12T07:08:00.000+00:002013-03-12T07:08:52.807+00:00What a Difference Two Years Makes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">A lot can happen in two years.</span></i><br />
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Two years ago, I left New Zealand with a camera and a sense of adventure. One year ago, I wrote <a href="http://www.theantipodeanblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/year-of-superlatives.html" target="_blank">this</a> list of the most interesting moments of my journey up until that point.<br />
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Now that I'm back on the bottom of the world, my travels seem a world away. And I guess they are. But that hasn't stopped me from compiling a new list of the best moments of my <i>second </i>12 months away.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>100 </b>days on the road. <a href="http://www.theantipodeanblog.blogspot.co.nz/p/countries-ive-ticked-off.html" target="_blank"><b>29 </b>countries</a>. </i><i><b>1 </b>Olympics. </i><i><a href="http://www.theantipodeanblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/year-of-superlatives.html" target="_blank"><b>5 </b>new bucket list ticks</a>. First </i><i><b>5 </b>professional blogging gigs. </i><i><a href="http://theantipodeanblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/02/life-lesson-41-court-jester.html" target="_blank"><b>1 </b>court appearance</a>.</i></span><br />
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And there were so many highlights it took ages to link to them all:<br />
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<a href="http://theantipodeanblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/01/new-year-red-square.html" target="_blank">Fireworks over red square</a> ● <a href="http://theantipodeanblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/weekend-in-oslo.html" target="_blank">Tobogganing in Norway</a> ● <a href="http://theantipodeanblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/04/8-things-to-do-in-amsterdam.html" target="_blank">Sleeping on a houseboat in Amsterdam</a> ● <a href="http://theantipodeanblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/provence-roadtrip-in-photos.html" target="_blank">Roadtripping the south of France</a> ● <a href="http://theantipodeanblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/ottoman-trek-sofia.html" target="_blank">Dancing with Bulgarian Gypsies</a> ● <a href="http://theantipodeanblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/07/islas-cies-best-beach-in-europe.html" target="_blank">Island paradise in Islas Cíes</a> ● <a href="http://theantipodeanblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/08/santorini-in-photos.html" target="_blank">Santorini. Enough said</a> ● <a href="http://theantipodeanblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/08/sail-turkey-highlights.html" target="_blank">Relaxing on Sail Turkey</a> ● <a href="http://theantipodeanblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/09/tastes-of-tallinn.html" target="_blank">Olde Hansa, the medieval restaurant in Tallinn</a> ● <a href="http://theantipodeanblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/10/roadtripping-icebergs-volcanoes.html" target="_blank">Jokulsarlon, the iceberg lagoon in Iceland</a> ● <a href="http://theantipodeanblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/10/bus-egypt-conquering-sinai.html" target="_blank">Climbing Mt Sinai</a> ● <a href="http://theantipodeanblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/10/adventures-in-jordanian-desert.html" target="_blank">Spending a night in the desert </a></div>
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I considered putting "vomiting in a tube station in rush hour" on here, but decided that wasn't really a highlight...<br />
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Now that I'm home, next year looks exciting in a completely different kind of way. I'm working full-time in a job that pushes all the right buttons, and studying part-time towards that degree that's always eluded me. I'm going to be in print for the first time - writing an article for a travel magazine. Plus I'm going to be both an uncle and a best man again. So, true to form, there'll be no sitting still. I've no time for that.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgcSY627gA83Un5lqeVrvK_rl0-yRgJ_TtsXQdPhcLD-8cD_iHDG0qWdq1Z0ZMXfycO0BfqTf45LBAVbyVWOwBwxZ83KK331a4AvVnk6SKMvrzCq2-9WplejqFFBNjFefzmOCtWDcBXYxv/s1600/Italian+Roadtrip+193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgcSY627gA83Un5lqeVrvK_rl0-yRgJ_TtsXQdPhcLD-8cD_iHDG0qWdq1Z0ZMXfycO0BfqTf45LBAVbyVWOwBwxZ83KK331a4AvVnk6SKMvrzCq2-9WplejqFFBNjFefzmOCtWDcBXYxv/s640/Italian+Roadtrip+193.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102908196869766655noreply@blogger.com0Auckland, New Zealand-36.8484597 174.76333150000005-37.254986699999996 174.11788450000006 -36.4419327 175.40877850000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300661313046745621.post-52741972479795648232013-01-29T09:54:00.000+00:002013-02-18T04:20:22.952+00:00Mending Breakdowns<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">The bus broke down about two hours into our first trip. It was like the plot of a B-grade roadtrip movie...</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>'Two free spirits buy an enormous aqua coloured house bus on a whim, and a few short
weeks later eight people, most of whom barely know each other, are on a mission
to reach the northernmost tip of New Zealand'</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjomit7bQ6eyzLr6vSjhD_OBF_ZKYPvzsdVdiulDR11TFSlxLP4khfkAmmlYa0C-6uyRPQV-MZ17gEy0gLd1PQPlRnCa_lmHa6WTRYgNSOqcqwQNa_diDxto01Dkupu7J_yM3NMClpe3b-/s1600/164758_10150390719875585_666625584_16906697_7192904_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjomit7bQ6eyzLr6vSjhD_OBF_ZKYPvzsdVdiulDR11TFSlxLP4khfkAmmlYa0C-6uyRPQV-MZ17gEy0gLd1PQPlRnCa_lmHa6WTRYgNSOqcqwQNa_diDxto01Dkupu7J_yM3NMClpe3b-/s640/164758_10150390719875585_666625584_16906697_7192904_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Cape Reinga, our destination, is the point where the Pacific
Ocean violently meets the Tasman Sea and, according to Maori legend, also the
sacred place that every soul travels to before ascending to heaven. Driving there to end the year is a very romantic idea. But after just an hour on the road, we heard a loud clang and pulled into a ditch.</div>
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Nine hours on the side of the road, and two false starts later, we had no choice but to admit defeat for the day. A friendly local cop ferried us two at a
time to the best pick-up point, and we all had no choice but to try our hand at hitchhiking. It took a fair while, but eventually a dotty elderly couple picked Frankie and I up. They'd driven all the way from the Hawkes Bay without stopping, and were in need of new conversation.</div>
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In Whangarei, we purchased spaghetti and sausages from a petrol station, then waited a few hours outside the bus mechanics for the towtruck to deliver our aqua-coloured accommodation. Rose worked a miracle with the petrol station spaghetti and we all gorged ourselves.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfCdpyY6BbpFhYOQ-o1btVHCx6pAZ5StWe7lGdjbPLP7XMD3flNGW7v-4KfnIQ20yCSEgEWuIqlKKznAhyphenhyphend51Kgm5rPnbcbE8UKzXZpdc9-x3gicsY6QAALmfXXkJNRUYWFruqHLxKvKG/s1600/166269_10150390719275585_666625584_16906676_3204822_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfCdpyY6BbpFhYOQ-o1btVHCx6pAZ5StWe7lGdjbPLP7XMD3flNGW7v-4KfnIQ20yCSEgEWuIqlKKznAhyphenhyphend51Kgm5rPnbcbE8UKzXZpdc9-x3gicsY6QAALmfXXkJNRUYWFruqHLxKvKG/s640/166269_10150390719275585_666625584_16906676_3204822_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The next morning, in the bus mechanics.</i></span></td></tr>
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Over the next seven days we broke down five more times as we gradually worked our way north. And every time, we
got the chance to experience a tiny part of the world we’d otherwise have
skipped past without blinking.</div>
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In hindsight, our planned stops in Matapouri Bay, the Bay of Islands and Coopers Beach are no more memorable than the small stretches of grass we ended up stranded on for hours at a time. We quickly learned to keep water and essentials well stocked on board, and breaking down never felt like too much of an inconvenience. We'd pass the time playing card games and telling stories.</div>
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We made it to Cape Reinga out of sheer determination. When we finally arrived, we walked as far out towards the cliff as we could, then sat in silence observing
the last sunset of the year, over one of the most ruggedly beautiful places in
the world. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtXnT8FqZaP3r2zdIiO6PgNvlGdkjuEE8ehJQOModkqE6v_RlXBQ0SPOHy6RifoPnHFYeL4mETPUVVlvUVOgg7dSuoKrsYiV07fjU0w9tHICug_U9YizGYlkJDzn28rRQc6NC7CEpVrKx/s1600/166279_10150390723805585_666625584_16906812_6026467_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtXnT8FqZaP3r2zdIiO6PgNvlGdkjuEE8ehJQOModkqE6v_RlXBQ0SPOHy6RifoPnHFYeL4mETPUVVlvUVOgg7dSuoKrsYiV07fjU0w9tHICug_U9YizGYlkJDzn28rRQc6NC7CEpVrKx/s640/166279_10150390723805585_666625584_16906812_6026467_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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That night our bus wasn't the only vehicle in the parking
lot. We soon met a young mother from twelve hours south who’d had an emotional
breakdown that morning, hopped in the car and kept driving until she couldn't
drive any further. We welcomed Toni onto our bus and shared our food and wine
with her. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Once she had told us her dramatic story, her mood lifted. Soon
after midnight she was teaching us all Cook Island dancing inside the bus. The
wooden floorboards made satisfying makeshift tribal drums as we stamped our
feet in unison. <o:p></o:p></div>
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There was a strange feeling I couldn’t quite put my finger
on at the time; calm, yet urgent. It was a reminder of how travel differs from
tourism. My approach to travel, now more than ever, is carpé diem. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">A breakdown can be a wonderful experience, if you’re open to
it.</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT36NlEfOkC1wRADA8DYWqmi4H2r_AYhRXLmpA5iYLvOR6WziYM_byMaZAhmu5DXPqZ7d_1t8T5soGqj9EAFPIdAYQmKLJYl1SX8lAtgQdizXDc3Vf1l5JFdxStqWSmcKFdTwr52Y2-qRH/s1600/168484_10150390715750585_666625584_16906568_346506_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT36NlEfOkC1wRADA8DYWqmi4H2r_AYhRXLmpA5iYLvOR6WziYM_byMaZAhmu5DXPqZ7d_1t8T5soGqj9EAFPIdAYQmKLJYl1SX8lAtgQdizXDc3Vf1l5JFdxStqWSmcKFdTwr52Y2-qRH/s400/168484_10150390715750585_666625584_16906568_346506_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102908196869766655noreply@blogger.com0Cape Reinga, New Zealand-34.4287786 172.68048699999997-35.2671591 171.38959349999996 -33.5903981 173.97138049999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300661313046745621.post-48627251608492144372012-12-01T05:10:00.000+00:002013-01-01T22:59:53.933+00:00Coming Home<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">On 1 December, after <b>630</b> days, <b>35 </b>countries, </span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>156,106</b> miles travelled by air, </span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>37,154</b> photos, </span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;">nearly a <b>hundred</b> shows, </span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>281</b> posts, and <b>one </b>court appearance, I came home.</span></i><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheve6qzjfTusNZfg_PLMaCzYyXmO28cCepFU0kqqAyGIAqRx7jMXrzsbw2ba8Tlfq9DtcxHI-ogGIdmrOjXgBl_RY5sbGzmgst2AO6GCGWx9ZDpHmGP6nNTwawXUbNYqunP28IwyDoE8iL/s1600/4+Coming+Home+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheve6qzjfTusNZfg_PLMaCzYyXmO28cCepFU0kqqAyGIAqRx7jMXrzsbw2ba8Tlfq9DtcxHI-ogGIdmrOjXgBl_RY5sbGzmgst2AO6GCGWx9ZDpHmGP6nNTwawXUbNYqunP28IwyDoE8iL/s400/4+Coming+Home+02.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Paul and I at Auckland Airport, seconds after getting off the plane.</span></i></td></tr>
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I was worried that little old Auckland would feel like a small pond after the crazy pace of London, and it does. But there are good things about that.<br />
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For starters, I can afford to live in a flat that's larger than a garden shed. And I've already found a job that I'm quite excited about starting in the new year. Though I may have to get over my allergy to exercise... I'm the new Marketing Manager for a very energetic fitness brand!<br />
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Mince and Cheese pies are also a great reason to be home. Plus sherbet fizz, Whittaker's chocolate, pineapple lumps, grapefruit frujus and being able to refer to someone's deck without people laughing.<br />
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But the best thing about coming home, perhaps predictably, was that first moment of reunion with family and friends. I felt dizzy looking at the back of the automatic doors at Arrivals after I'd passed through customs. That moment had been the subject of my thoughts and dreams for nearly two years... and now that it had arrived, it didn't seem real. It felt too easy - in my dreams something always went wrong.<br />
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My heart was pounding, and my legs felt like jelly as the doors started to open. Soon, I was running. I have no idea where my trolley ended up - all I wanted to do was catch up on nearly two years' worth of hugs.<br />
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When we got home, my sister had a surprise for me. She had painstakingly recreated one of my favourite travel photos - taken in Porto in July - and named it "Coming Home".<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyrvs0u_E-W4fgf7ZWvxJsEJNaggFxnC103gPSC862TIv1jfOicX2QwfW501Ercwp4KWmOZCKyoXn5846KUV1dsDkLEPy3NxpsyUh3CSHMoxjg_dskbyw5aMGDFJDeaE2nVL6LJqKggmQR/s1600/Las+Islas+C%C3%ADes+28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyrvs0u_E-W4fgf7ZWvxJsEJNaggFxnC103gPSC862TIv1jfOicX2QwfW501Ercwp4KWmOZCKyoXn5846KUV1dsDkLEPy3NxpsyUh3CSHMoxjg_dskbyw5aMGDFJDeaE2nVL6LJqKggmQR/s640/Las+Islas+C%C3%ADes+28.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The original photo.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Vu3mQTP4xn8gFrIstadqz7fX2nIvXYg7nWTiq5yVmGKpa-1GiSPVUmfqKMS8eiZRG2GQGY4NZ5Mb0ZfkFzieu_YK4oT0xWd_na8UNdorxaPIg91_-wB0A71qLzTFDvsAE_TiTNpMy_xX/s1600/Coming+Home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Vu3mQTP4xn8gFrIstadqz7fX2nIvXYg7nWTiq5yVmGKpa-1GiSPVUmfqKMS8eiZRG2GQGY4NZ5Mb0ZfkFzieu_YK4oT0xWd_na8UNdorxaPIg91_-wB0A71qLzTFDvsAE_TiTNpMy_xX/s640/Coming+Home.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Hannah's incredible painting.</span></i></td></tr>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">It's good to be back.</span></i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102908196869766655noreply@blogger.com0Auckland, New Zealand-36.8484597 174.76333150000005-37.254986699999996 174.11788450000006 -36.4419327 175.40877850000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300661313046745621.post-90844325445635363652012-11-27T16:00:00.000+00:002012-12-21T02:42:49.261+00:00One Day in Yosemite (in Photos)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">We intended to stay in Yosemite for two days, but, as fate would have it, impenetrable fog descended on our second day and we chose to leave the area rather than spend the day moping indoors. Luckily we had really made the most of it the day before, because it turned out to be our only day in Yosemite National Park.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>And was it worth it? You bet.</b></span></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2FWZpjhskpYrSWGVtW9ux9OKODAOIzkoXtdZYOwCIQGoo50dVcjC-EWRF5bQelziYD2bwp-pamaifyFvdzywmZ5HrZa-Xwpkao4vvWAlNALDCaK4emp7A2qQPrbC8vV8AHX9dJRdGa_E/s1600/2+Yosemite+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2FWZpjhskpYrSWGVtW9ux9OKODAOIzkoXtdZYOwCIQGoo50dVcjC-EWRF5bQelziYD2bwp-pamaifyFvdzywmZ5HrZa-Xwpkao4vvWAlNALDCaK4emp7A2qQPrbC8vV8AHX9dJRdGa_E/s640/2+Yosemite+11.jpg" width="538" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Driving into Yosemite, one of the first things you see is the striking El Capitane. It may be foolish to rubber-neck at a cliff, but I nearly crashed doing just that.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7dLjyDJmCu45HVEdDkfJf-YpyFS0xpydRO9mdLJhbI-_dNqz3RNnkqLQGlL4ljNx3nrAg4j6-Bgq7aEZa1Cr_gyW-uj6icDB6lKaePcEPCZJcDXW-T4GuX6460LG8Kgpp_Nxbp1CM9URN/s1600/2+Yosemite+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7dLjyDJmCu45HVEdDkfJf-YpyFS0xpydRO9mdLJhbI-_dNqz3RNnkqLQGlL4ljNx3nrAg4j6-Bgq7aEZa1Cr_gyW-uj6icDB6lKaePcEPCZJcDXW-T4GuX6460LG8Kgpp_Nxbp1CM9URN/s640/2+Yosemite+02.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Yosemite Falls may be drying up as winter approaches, but the Autumn colours make a walk around it completely worthwhile.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTZxog5lVQ0VfffSlSxsrznbShbPohhY1VL7srJmvwk69FBNowVECwXHswxQ9Q5puElpAZwxrBMqxU2k4HKVYLsTidAZ9eZi_mj6aeVdlfC0KwD-R7Z1PRKYZG9cFv-vf1BnuuIb4ThLY/s1600/2+Yosemite+05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTZxog5lVQ0VfffSlSxsrznbShbPohhY1VL7srJmvwk69FBNowVECwXHswxQ9Q5puElpAZwxrBMqxU2k4HKVYLsTidAZ9eZi_mj6aeVdlfC0KwD-R7Z1PRKYZG9cFv-vf1BnuuIb4ThLY/s640/2+Yosemite+05.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The unmistakeable shape of Half Dome is visible from nearly everywhere in the valley.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9FoluhMXPuLbJf5UG85vsWHd57Y3pwxNjeNQybBsEG_kpwwayc9CP0bI00hO1CfaxcVHN3FPkwvmSY63FelRxvjKWWl6SZ_7Ex7WYUkMa2gRC-Vtc2Ln2CKDlolAWVPaHrIM0tp1KgJ4/s1600/2+Yosemite+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9FoluhMXPuLbJf5UG85vsWHd57Y3pwxNjeNQybBsEG_kpwwayc9CP0bI00hO1CfaxcVHN3FPkwvmSY63FelRxvjKWWl6SZ_7Ex7WYUkMa2gRC-Vtc2Ln2CKDlolAWVPaHrIM0tp1KgJ4/s640/2+Yosemite+12.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Bridalveil Falls.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">El Capitane and Half Dome as seen from Tunnel View vista.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The Grizzly Giant, one of the largest giant sequoias in the world, stands proudly in Mariposa Grove.</span></i></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>If there was one single moment that made our trip to Yosemite worthwhile, it was this:</i></span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieML_ccZzoF8K4dl1_VRJT8841J3gCpeRcI9NNbjrc1aWJBNRATcidx7GUwLPUy1SttvApVcL7iP1AcgXdGe4wjeBR1I_YR2OAZFsylHOvrOEPQcrrQgHdaCyALJgVPeEkQ8NNomETMKkp/s1600/2+Yosemite+20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieML_ccZzoF8K4dl1_VRJT8841J3gCpeRcI9NNbjrc1aWJBNRATcidx7GUwLPUy1SttvApVcL7iP1AcgXdGe4wjeBR1I_YR2OAZFsylHOvrOEPQcrrQgHdaCyALJgVPeEkQ8NNomETMKkp/s640/2+Yosemite+20.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The Antipodean = speechless.</span></i></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102908196869766655noreply@blogger.com4Yosemite National Park, Northside Dr, Yosemite National Park, CA 95389, USA37.7705963 -119.5112844000000236.9680813 -120.80217790000002 38.5731113 -118.22039090000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300661313046745621.post-91129708311878095752012-11-25T19:00:00.000+00:002012-12-10T22:53:52.871+00:00The Killer San Francisco Itinerary<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">San Francisco is renowned for being one of the most liveable cities in America, and it has a respect for the arts and sustainable living that puts it on par with Europe’s most forward-thinking cultural hubs. There are so many exciting activities that the hardest part of putting together the killer itinerary is deciding what not to do!</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br />But if I may be so bold, for our last hurrah on the way home from two years in Europe, I think we cracked the right balance of tourism vs. exploring, planned vs. spontaneous, cultural vs. just-for-fun, well-known vs. underground. <br /><br />Here are The Antipodean’s 14 top recommendations for a killer week in San Francisco.</span></i><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Visit the Beat Museum and City Lights Bookshop</span></b><br />
If you've ever read the classic novel <i>On the Road</i> by Jack Kerouac, you simply have to visit the Beat Museum. We've been reading it aloud on every roadtrip, and his view on the pulsing, smoky, jazz heart of San Francisco has influenced my view of the city more than any other. Even if you haven’t read it, you’ll be amazed just how much the Beat Generation of artists and poets have influenced your own life through their carpe diem approach to life in the 50s – which is credited for spawning the hippie movement. Afterwards, pop across the road to City Lights bookshop. This is where Allen Ginsberg's incredible poem <i>Howl </i>was published – resulting in a trial for charges of obscenity that were thankfully overturned. Today it's still a beacon attracting off-beat poets from all over the world.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The upstairs reading room at City Lights bookshop.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. See the seals at Pier 39</b></span><br />
The epicentre of family-holiday San Francisco is undoubtedly Pier 39. Though some call it a tourist trap, the old-fashioned candy stores and amusement arcades are a fun way to spend an afternoon. Grab lunch at Boudin Bakery – their sourdough is some of the best in the Bay Area. And remember your camera – the tribe of seals right next to the pier can be quite mesmerising! It’s like watching a slightly more pungent soap opera.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Buy lunch at a Farmers Market</span></b><br />
Locally sourced organic food is the pride of San Francisco. You can't visit the city without stumbling across a Farmers Market with dozens of stalls selling all kinds of delicious varieties. On our first day we ran into the Civic Centre one – right in front of City Hall (open Wednesday, Friday and Sunday). It's the best option in the city for delicious healthy food.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. Ride a Cable Car and Streetcar</b></span><br />
Cable cars are synonymous with San Francisco for most tourists. And consequently, the queues at the famous hand-operated turnaround can be an hour long. So long, in fact, that we saw the same rubbish bin foraged by nine different homeless people seeking pizza crusts. While the cable car is undeniably fun (especially on the steep parts!), I actually found the ‘F’ line to be more memorable. It’s the main line down Market Street towards Fisherman’s Wharf, and has returned retired streetcars from all over America – and even a few from Milan – to their former glory.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. Take a sunset boat to Alcatraz</b></span><br />
Of everything we did in San Francisco, I think Alcatraz was my favourite. The mysterious prison island has inspired writers of ghost stories for years – not least because of the mist that regularly surrounds it. I definitely recommend taking the sunset trip: it’s the only one that does a full loop of the island, plus the excellent 45 minute audio guide is included. This has been extremely well put together and really brings it to life.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Approaching Alcatraz Island</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The setting sun casts the island into an eerie sillhouette.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">A row of cells inside the prison.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The mist of Alcatraz makes the prison even spookier on the outside.</span></i></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6. Hum the Full House theme tune at the Painted Ladies</span></b><br />
If you can remember what John Stamos looked like with an 80s mullet, you’ll enjoy a trip down memory lane when you visit the Painted Ladies. Yes, this row of cutesy houses was the home of the Tanner Clan in Full House – along with about 70 other movies and TV shows.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>7. Get a cracking good photo of Golden Gate bridge from Fort Point</b></span><br />
If you have a clear day in San Francisco, head straight to Fort Point to check out the Golden Gate Bridge from its best point of view (as selected by Alfred Hitchcock to conclude his classic film <i>Vertigo</i>). Unfortunately the reason I can recommend you pick a clear day early in your trip is from my own failings… San Francisco’s famous fog can render this stellar view unrecognisable.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpe16VSqFPVOzGJdim7YkhUEBECKOjHiDSD1aYHUmvJ7hBsBxlHC-V_X9Idi-UvPni38x3matyFfkED9_ecDvSdYX-qzu7Reh-WX10tNVrCbswQpjNRDg2MxqgRgapb0SUyjfEWbZwL06p/s1600/1+San+Francisco+49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpe16VSqFPVOzGJdim7YkhUEBECKOjHiDSD1aYHUmvJ7hBsBxlHC-V_X9Idi-UvPni38x3matyFfkED9_ecDvSdYX-qzu7Reh-WX10tNVrCbswQpjNRDg2MxqgRgapb0SUyjfEWbZwL06p/s640/1+San+Francisco+49.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">My best photo of the Golden Gate bridge...</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>8. Visit Six Flags Discovery Kingdom</b></span><br />
Fans of adrenaline-pumping roller coasters will be in their element at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. Eight of the world’s craziest coasters are at your disposal. ‘Nuff said!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fA-3D5oaAhaMCbafuxuMOX9nbyIS1UeBR_WSoUEM3BkMR0Xv9lqq93RZDOfeWFcD99tMiucXhj1re7mU07Net_iEJVexhU5qSo42b2kdkFfcG9e39vNeHIrOrqN6fdTjoXxCdbDqKqsM/s1600/1+San+Francisco+39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fA-3D5oaAhaMCbafuxuMOX9nbyIS1UeBR_WSoUEM3BkMR0Xv9lqq93RZDOfeWFcD99tMiucXhj1re7mU07Net_iEJVexhU5qSo42b2kdkFfcG9e39vNeHIrOrqN6fdTjoXxCdbDqKqsM/s640/1+San+Francisco+39.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">9. Check out the Palace of Fine Arts</span></b><br />
The 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition left a lasting mark on San Francisco in the form of the Palace of Fine Arts. Don’t let the classical architecture fool you – this colossal construction serves absolutely no purpose except to look wonderful. And even the best Latin scholar will be unable to translate the carved writing… it’s gibberish!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCoTkg_H39UYrdcSLQJATPSNARjUPu50ydmH8mk32l42_inr0IViWnSr6kXt06FVjlPcYPOqpuh2P66AA_nJt4mN4UQPretLJJL-0P0NamU4TmQRl24IGbAoNTku-bf8lln5YypWK8aW6L/s1600/1+San+Francisco+28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCoTkg_H39UYrdcSLQJATPSNARjUPu50ydmH8mk32l42_inr0IViWnSr6kXt06FVjlPcYPOqpuh2P66AA_nJt4mN4UQPretLJJL-0P0NamU4TmQRl24IGbAoNTku-bf8lln5YypWK8aW6L/s640/1+San+Francisco+28.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">10. Drive down Lombard Street</span></b><br />
Often called the crookedest street in the world, the stretch of Lombard Street on Russian Hill between Hyde and Leavenworth streets is great fun in a car – consisting of eight sharp hairpin turns.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqYEpgjOM-Ek4Wqh5gQoO97Iq13n5iREmnqyZrCNfUAqx4qzh0498bKu0ykMw9yhRggD8znWf86O-YxMEfx1d-cotJU60imk8jkhBpfAt_HVz8unzFDH5JBaYwu2jVZ8XvDxiKglPEskU6/s1600/1+San+Francisco+07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqYEpgjOM-Ek4Wqh5gQoO97Iq13n5iREmnqyZrCNfUAqx4qzh0498bKu0ykMw9yhRggD8znWf86O-YxMEfx1d-cotJU60imk8jkhBpfAt_HVz8unzFDH5JBaYwu2jVZ8XvDxiKglPEskU6/s640/1+San+Francisco+07.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>11. Have dinner at the Stinking Rose</b></span><br />
This is by far the best restaurant we discovered in San Francisco – but there’s a twist: nobody will want to kiss you for days afterwards. The Stinking Rose is a garlic restaurant. My meal proudly announced in the menu that it included 30 cloves. However the chefs are true connoisseurs and it was one of the most delicious meals I’ve ever had. Those with an adventurous streak can try Silence of the Lamb Shanks – served with fava beans and a Chianti glaze.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd94uYiMX-vh0jGWr_9RtNLwAVCTjDgvt1LsB5ZcH5tJMF0fLQaD2xSgS7cGlKtxfjS1PpCWOHMjzYNSYwxi-lJ0KyNyWjoDaT0jQKp8-N8btYG-YMtIR_5PhpR2__VaBUWJeX4GP4lWzk/s1600/1+San+Francisco+18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd94uYiMX-vh0jGWr_9RtNLwAVCTjDgvt1LsB5ZcH5tJMF0fLQaD2xSgS7cGlKtxfjS1PpCWOHMjzYNSYwxi-lJ0KyNyWjoDaT0jQKp8-N8btYG-YMtIR_5PhpR2__VaBUWJeX4GP4lWzk/s640/1+San+Francisco+18.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">12. Sing or dance the night away in the Castro</span></b><br />
If ‘fierce’ is an adjective you’d like to hear associated with your hair, you’ll definitely enjoy the Castro district. It features sing-a-long Sound of Music, an enormous rainbow flag, and a Judy Garland lookalike. In the evenings, The Mint karaoke bar has very well-thumbed Broadway section, along with pretty much everything Barbra has ever sung.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The giant rainbow flag has pride of place in the Castro.</span></i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEU_Ld455G4MPbRcdnquCkrmXlvHZVJDru83vplQT9VLZVd1ZjcQO2QAMjCgetOZV8fkkpJsffrfaSOy3Vxb0Pmk2qhTuZZMYDCiHNsg35tBI_vsqiMqqEUaZTGYjx4ZjSIVhEp08QcIUP/s1600/1+San+Francisco+70.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEU_Ld455G4MPbRcdnquCkrmXlvHZVJDru83vplQT9VLZVd1ZjcQO2QAMjCgetOZV8fkkpJsffrfaSOy3Vxb0Pmk2qhTuZZMYDCiHNsg35tBI_vsqiMqqEUaZTGYjx4ZjSIVhEp08QcIUP/s640/1+San+Francisco+70.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">13. Visit the DeYoung Gallery</span></b><br />
This is my top pick for art in San Francisco, and it has the added bonus of being smack-bang in the middle of Golden Gate park. SF MoMA might get more foot traffic, but I thought the exhibitions here were more engaging and better curated.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Golden Gate park - enjoy a bit of fresh air after the gallery.</span></i></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">14. Go up Coit Tower</span></b><br />
For a city known for its hills, San Francisco has surprisingly few high vantage points. Built with money from an eccentric woman who loved chasing fire engines, Coit Tower is one of the few. The view over the Golden Gate is hard to beat, and you can even get a culture injection before going up the lift, as the mural in the lobby area was the cause of serious controversy shortly before the tower opened because of its surprisingly open communist themes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">View from the top of Coit Tower - with the Golden Gate bridge in the distance.</span></i></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102908196869766655noreply@blogger.com0San Francisco, CA, USA37.7749295 -122.419415537.6745235 -122.577344 37.8753355 -122.261487tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300661313046745621.post-21784323449372461072012-11-20T11:00:00.000+00:002012-12-09T23:21:43.033+00:00600 Days in London<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After 600 days in London (over a quarter spent elsewhere), it's time for this Antipodean to return to the Antipodes. That means the start of a new era for this blog - I'll have more time to write other kinds of travel content rather than focusing 99% on destination guides in order to keep up with the pace of my actual travels! Plus I'll be able to write more contributions for other cool websites and magazines.<br />
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As a parting gift, and to celebrate the launch of their new prepaid cards in the UK, Skype gave all my friends and readers in the UK the chance to win Skype Credit. Unfortunately, the game has now finished. Congratulations to everyone who played and won!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102908196869766655noreply@blogger.com0London, UK51.5073346 -0.127683151.3492066 -0.4435401 51.6654626 0.1881739tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300661313046745621.post-57475071860050695162012-10-26T15:00:00.000+01:002012-11-22T16:05:35.725+00:00Israel: Guns and Moses<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">The main thing that struck me about the Jewish state was that everything important or interesting had a church built right on top of it. The shepherd's field? Church. The stable in Bethlehem? Church. The possible site of Jesus' crucifixion? Church. The sites where water was turned to wine, loaves and fishes were multiplied, and Jesus was baptised? All churches. There's even one where Mary supposedly breastfed her holy wee son.</span></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbZjAp7D1493Am8Ze-dToCFkJz6y2FUmOLOHBW74BwZb9dU3vZHqU3UY3The9kUVQpdXCf2BD3fCaxz7E3AvEXvIOpbOwNi2Ahr69MygHOf9HJ1_R8AqRqGoZtk7VKrhPwqfHSNEZ5gb9G/s1600/08+Jerusalem+18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbZjAp7D1493Am8Ze-dToCFkJz6y2FUmOLOHBW74BwZb9dU3vZHqU3UY3The9kUVQpdXCf2BD3fCaxz7E3AvEXvIOpbOwNi2Ahr69MygHOf9HJ1_R8AqRqGoZtk7VKrhPwqfHSNEZ5gb9G/s320/08+Jerusalem+18.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">I wasn't kidding... this is the church on the site of the holy breastfeeding.</span></i></td></tr>
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The sheer number of churches was curious to me given Judaism's position on Christ, and the relative invisibility of synagogues by comparison. The realisation that the historical places I'd hoped to see had been completely bowled over and replaced with a hundred fairly typical churches - like seeing your childhood home flattened to build a mall - came quickly.<br /><br />I guess with the amount of preconceptions I had about the holy land, I was bound to find 21st Century Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth and Galilee somewhat less than divine. Disappointing, even.<br /><br />So, I felt like I had no choice but to ignore my preconceived hopes and focus instead on the genuine experiences that were still possible, regardless of their historical significance or lack of.<br /><br /><i><span style="font-size: large;">There are five that stand out. Perhaps unsurprisingly, none of them are churches.</span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. The Dead Sea</b></span></div>
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I've wanted to take this photo on the Dead Sea ever since I was a kid. And somehow I've always thought I'd be the first person who couldn't float in the Dead Sea. But, thankfully, I found the water so buoyant that it was difficult to sink - once the water passed chest height, I was unable to reach the bottom. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth, so it's a bizarre feeling swimming there. And the water feels thicker - the extra salt and minerals are actually tangible. Just don't put your head underwater... it stings like getting chilli sauce in your eye!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. The Via Dolorosa</b></span></div>
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The Via Dolorosa has been a bustling shopping street for millennia, and criminals being crucified had to carry their crosses up it. When we were there, it was a public holiday and most of the city was closed for business, including the Via Dolorosa. So what we were struck with was a kind of eerie calm - like an empty fairground. This was the only place in Jerusalem where it was really possible to comprehend what it would have been like 2,000 years ago.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. The Wall</b></span></div>
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The wall that divides Israel from the Gaza Strip is 7 - 9 metres high. And standing next to it on the Palestinian side, it was very clear to me that it was designed to keep me out rather than the other way around. I found it fascinating reading the messages of hope that had been spray painted on, much like in Berlin; e.g. "the Palestianian spirit is stronger than any wall" and "Make hummus, not walls". Visiting the Gaza Strip wasn't anywhere near as difficult or as scary as I'd been led to believe. I never felt unsafe. But it's a strange feeling writing this just two weeks later in light of the fresh conflict in the area.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. The Dome of the Rock</b></span></div>
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The mosque called the Dome of the Rock is undoubtedly the most beautiful building in Jerusalem. When the sun is out, the solid gold roof gleams like an expensive piece of jewellery. Because non-Muslims aren't allowed to enter, the best place to observe it is from the Temple Mount, where the panoramic view of old Jerusalem is extremely impressive.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. The Sea of Galilee</b></span></div>
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In the north, the only site we visited that hadn't been knocked over and turned into a church was the Sea of Galilee, which, for obvious reasons, is the one place to remain relatively unchanged for 2,000 years. Standing on the banks with my brother, we were finally able to get a spatial sense of where we were, relative to the stories that we were so familiar with.</div>
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In hindsight, I think my expectations of Israel were a little naive and unfair. I'm glad that I was able to put them aside and enjoy what the country could still offer, rather than feeling too short-changed. I doubt I'll ever return, because I found that Jordan and Egypt both had so much more to offer, but I have no regrets about going.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102908196869766655noreply@blogger.com0Jerusalem, Israel31.768319 35.2137131.660321000000003 35.0557815 31.876317 35.371638499999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300661313046745621.post-6042863256020307522012-10-24T15:00:00.000+01:002012-11-19T08:52:13.127+00:00Adventures in the Jordanian Desert<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">"The place on the planet with the most visible stars". That's what sold me on Wadi Rum, Jordan as the place to realise my goal of spending a night in the desert. And it turned out that the desert made famous by Lawrence of Arabia was special for a lot more than stars.</span></i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.theantipodeanblog.blogspot.co.uk/p/bucket-list.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW50IW944YroIYFzu2JKB4aBpqvjnF4dkN0_XJ4ZwOMzntksdVVQE1qog927710o9Uy0Z-ciBtNjABFxbGOC3yjcLun4sNMQpqqu9xuoCNJKigdzSnEoORszEHYPZGevno0AGVdjYoQ9u7/s400/Desert.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The newest tick on my T-shirt bucket list.</span></i></td></tr>
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When we arrived, we were met by Atek, our pre-booked bedouin guide. It's surprisingly easy to book a night in the desert online.<br />
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The first thing we noticed walking towards the 4x4 was that the windscreen had a huge webbed smash . But Atek didn't seem to mind. We sat on fixed chairs on the tray in the back, and he would glance at us in the rear vision mirror with a huge grin, laughing as we became accustomed to the wild lurching motion of the vehicle moving. Every few minutes there'd be a loud grinding sound. Atek would turn around to face us and laugh "no clutch!"<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Michael getting to grips with driving Jordianian desert style!</span></i></td></tr>
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The scenery was undeniably breathtaking. Possibly the best I've ever seen. Definitely the most unexpected and least repeatable. I always imagined all deserts to resemble the Sahara - rolling banks of infinite golden dunes. But in Wadi Rum the sand is every shade between bronze, rust and red, and the rolling dunes are punctuated by enormous canyon-like rock faces rising from the sand.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Standing in Wadi Rum and looking around, you could well be on Mars. And indeed it has substituted for the red planet in more than one movie.</span></i><br />
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Conversely, the 'attractions' we'd actually heard of before coming, such as Lawrence's [of Arabia's] Springs turned out to be kind of anticlimactic. I've seen toddlers who can piddle faster than that spring. I guess being from New Zealand, I'm inclined to take water features for granted more than the average thirsty desert-dweller.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Lawrence's Springs aka the toddler's piddle spring.</span></i></td></tr>
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After a few hours of wide-eyed driving, including a few short climbs to panoramic vistas, Atek pulled over and climbed a few metres up the rock face to a small shelf. With a cheeky look in his eye he asked if we knew why he'd brought us there, then said this was his favourite part of the day.<br />
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"How you say hello in New Zealand?"<br />
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"Kia ora", I replied.<br />
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"KIAARAAAAA", shrieked Atek, as if in response.<br />
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The sound of his cry reverberated around us in every direction, a supersized echo taking on its own shape and continuing for what felt like ages. I turned immediately to my brother Michael, who is profoundly deaf. He was astonished, having just heard his first echo.<br />
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We stayed put for ages, enjoying creating every echo we could think of. While we sat there, Atek made a small fire and began cooking lunch for us. Pita the size of a table cloth, a whole tomato and cucumber each, laughing cow cheese, canned tuna, and more mint tea than we could drink.<br />
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After lunch, we drove to the steepest dune I've ever seen. Atek took a snowboard out of the car.<br />
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I'm sure the gears turning in my head were visible as I realised what was about to happen. SAND BOARDING!<br />
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Having never been snowboarding, I wasn't sure how I'd fare. But I discovered that not only was it relatively straightforward to stay on the board, falling off didn't hurt! After several goes, I had red sand in every bodily crevice. I was still washing it out of my hair, ears, and elsewhere days later in London.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Word to the wise: don't sand board with shoes on!</span></i></td></tr>
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When planning the trip, I had worried that a whole day in the desert would be too much. Wouldn't sand, sand and more sand get boring? Nope.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">My favourite moment of the day: climbing on to a rock bridge for the mother of all photos.</span></i></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaXqL1Fma52_zpA4DSJkVj-OxVOFXhAW42gjWqgscELCc1tP1_OBXDru8xEGN7P_vL8owaHjZ_-AHcd19BBx8coCkCJz3vChPSmGOWNfwGRxkcUNN-mEAES-F1S1RGv92PXkhQsbHpuG2u/s1600/07+Wadi+Rum+71.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaXqL1Fma52_zpA4DSJkVj-OxVOFXhAW42gjWqgscELCc1tP1_OBXDru8xEGN7P_vL8owaHjZ_-AHcd19BBx8coCkCJz3vChPSmGOWNfwGRxkcUNN-mEAES-F1S1RGv92PXkhQsbHpuG2u/s640/07+Wadi+Rum+71.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The full 360 view.</i></span></td></tr>
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Before the sun went down, Atek drove us to the place he believes has the best sunsets in Wadi Rum. Understatement of the century: he was right!<br />
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After sunset, Atek drove us to his desert camp, where his wife Alia had already prepared a feast of epic proportions. She'd barbecued the chicken to perfection on an open fire, and served it with several kinds of Jordanian salad and rice.<br />
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The open fire provided our light, and we sat on thin cushions facing each other. Alia taught us a few words of Arabic, then challenged us to get up and dance while she plucked a small instrument and Atek sang. We couldn't quite shake the feeling of looking like a pair of headless chickens, but nonetheless obliged.<br />
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Afterwards, we walked out into the sand with bare feet, away from the light of the camp, and looked up to the stars. There weren't as many visible as we'd been hoping - it was a cloudy night and the moon was bright.<br />
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But after about 20 minutes, we saw a brilliant green flash in the distance, and something resembling a comet darted across the sky with immense speed. Trying to remain sane, we surmised that it could have been a flare or something less exciting. But without any kind of smoke trail, were unable to think up any other plausible explanations for the celestial occurrence.<br />
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Our beds were inside a large bedouin tent. They were extremely comfortable, and we fell asleep immediately.<br />
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When we woke, we discovered that we were right next to an enormous rock face. I guess that's the joy of Wadi Rum for you!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102908196869766655noreply@blogger.com3Wadi Rum Visitor Center, Jordan29.639276 35.434008829.197660499999998 34.8022948 30.0808915 36.0657228tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300661313046745621.post-8527402492536209702012-10-23T06:30:00.000+01:002012-11-12T23:07:11.299+00:00Petra: The Rock City (in Photos)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>I've wanted to visit Petra ever since watching Indiana Jones as a kid. The idea of a mysterious, ancient city carved directly into rock thousands of years ago by a lost civilisation (the Nabataeans) and forgotten by the western world until two hundred years ago is too exciting to be true, surely?</i></span></div>
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Petra is Jordan's #1 attraction by a long shot - and the entrance fee alone is £50. But the moment you glimpse the famous Treasury at the end of a kilometre of a twisting canyon, you realise it'd be worth ten times that. My words can't do it justice, so here are the photos.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfvcoThl3PHN2feilR482G7bOBACnIhH4M7tgxCqdOMLfcXs359ykKq_q6cOeB0wYWCDb1lD4OAnm2HS-KB7foRLT5En8-5AukFlFtPMoPVWxePr8fezrOg8h0cYwR5u_cfwWf5nunOdcR/s1600/07+Wadi+Rum+96.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfvcoThl3PHN2feilR482G7bOBACnIhH4M7tgxCqdOMLfcXs359ykKq_q6cOeB0wYWCDb1lD4OAnm2HS-KB7foRLT5En8-5AukFlFtPMoPVWxePr8fezrOg8h0cYwR5u_cfwWf5nunOdcR/s640/07+Wadi+Rum+96.jpg" width="540" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The quintessential Petra photo at the end of the siq.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIz4QqTOP0trEyeaY6QS-UovSbi3lKm-oEVx8232VGpkOPTHK1_iOi5fD99kUDz478Ymt_j9I9gB134nV2F05l6K7r9gqaeuVSwtiW3vRCYVeF9WlTexirGxAqdJ_iRPMh3BgkS42ZRbR/s1600/07+Wadi+Rum+97.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIz4QqTOP0trEyeaY6QS-UovSbi3lKm-oEVx8232VGpkOPTHK1_iOi5fD99kUDz478Ymt_j9I9gB134nV2F05l6K7r9gqaeuVSwtiW3vRCYVeF9WlTexirGxAqdJ_iRPMh3BgkS42ZRbR/s640/07+Wadi+Rum+97.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The Treasury in all its glory.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybmz-rrvdB01kufjHGgiXd_45jAdj009oN5B3LccH6GsQPCsQlUQb_BvRuLSIUB6LEXjFLtsU_1KJCpFKRKr0KvgPisd2bhSpSTsqbtZBwLeL9fDExAXXpuRKuRH37Gkkt0nma598Lx_r/s1600/07+Wadi+Rum+98.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybmz-rrvdB01kufjHGgiXd_45jAdj009oN5B3LccH6GsQPCsQlUQb_BvRuLSIUB6LEXjFLtsU_1KJCpFKRKr0KvgPisd2bhSpSTsqbtZBwLeL9fDExAXXpuRKuRH37Gkkt0nma598Lx_r/s640/07+Wadi+Rum+98.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">From further back, you realise just how incredible the carving into sheer cliff face really is.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">But there's more to Petra than the Treasury. We were there from sunrise until sunset.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The royal tombs.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">One of many merchants at Petra.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Not enough people visit the Monastery, setting of the final scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark, because it's up several hundred steps. Having climbed Mt Sinai the day before, we opted for the less strenuous ascent - by donkey.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Michael, Paul and I at the top of the climb, with the royal tombs visible in the distance.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZxuqVi05ZD16YwdFLnGPMqud0RnKAmqEBCcxTQ797974yVuDBC1_ajPySqoV5BFtaciVko3Z_0Lsrnpu11JHf5eR9_J8tQewlbxGmFP33GNFspDrNqMKBeZ5wl4SMSm1src6f_uR1CMz/s1600/07+Wadi+Rum+104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZxuqVi05ZD16YwdFLnGPMqud0RnKAmqEBCcxTQ797974yVuDBC1_ajPySqoV5BFtaciVko3Z_0Lsrnpu11JHf5eR9_J8tQewlbxGmFP33GNFspDrNqMKBeZ5wl4SMSm1src6f_uR1CMz/s640/07+Wadi+Rum+104.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Dwarfed by the gigantic Monastery.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTy3ZZ1ZE0MNGWUayNQEGsJIkgVXHNvzJ1HrABFnqi-YP7mqxjM7V87QAkea2L5bYMghkBDs4kExDQA_5OQMqEmb_t98E5ZReWSDyi8xEIrK6Nuwb_FFRnfO8_i0xddSm_qY8r9EpUfRGN/s1600/07+Wadi+Rum+105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTy3ZZ1ZE0MNGWUayNQEGsJIkgVXHNvzJ1HrABFnqi-YP7mqxjM7V87QAkea2L5bYMghkBDs4kExDQA_5OQMqEmb_t98E5ZReWSDyi8xEIrK6Nuwb_FFRnfO8_i0xddSm_qY8r9EpUfRGN/s640/07+Wadi+Rum+105.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">A daredevil leaping across the Monastery. (Paul shrieked).</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrgE0aKz5dhuFweeznUVjtQ5TKRtj877g4seWCTNP1vULVMCDtB0O7ZPYqzkg1xR0OEv1WKFDrZ1F8DMTjABO39aMtiypR4hLLQ3tVuWS_a7Iz8rZwhDtDDoIoG0QzMa1eolt8uJnK_Af0/s1600/07+Wadi+Rum+106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrgE0aKz5dhuFweeznUVjtQ5TKRtj877g4seWCTNP1vULVMCDtB0O7ZPYqzkg1xR0OEv1WKFDrZ1F8DMTjABO39aMtiypR4hLLQ3tVuWS_a7Iz8rZwhDtDDoIoG0QzMa1eolt8uJnK_Af0/s640/07+Wadi+Rum+106.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Some locals by the royal tombs, on the way back.</span></i></td></tr>
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My day at Petra was one of my best days travelling, anywhere. It trumps anything I saw in Egypt. If I could have stayed longer, I would have. I really can't rave enough.</div>
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Tip: do <u>not</u> join one of those tours where they come here just for a few hours before lunch!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102908196869766655noreply@blogger.com0Petra, Jordan30.328878 35.44258130.3151725 35.422839999999994 30.3425835 35.462322tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300661313046745621.post-18729104095037925282012-10-22T15:00:00.000+01:002012-11-08T23:31:56.603+00:00Accidentally in Israel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Fact: public transport in the Middle East is notoriously unreliable. <br />Fact: the only way to get directly from Egypt to Jordan is by ferry across the Red Sea. <br />Fact: the alternative route crosses overland through Israel. <br />Fiction: Nothing could possibly go wrong!</span></i><br />
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The ferry from Egypt to Jordan leaves from the port town of Nuweiba. When we arrived, it was crowded and smelled like a slaughterhouse. You can’t buy ferry tickets in advance – you have to just rock up and hope. Thankfully, our driver knew where the ticket office was – it’s a small, relatively nondescript building, where you can purchase tickets from a small, relatively nondescript man through a small, relatively nondescript window.<br />
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With a faint smirk, the ticket man informed us that the ferry wasn’t running that day. Or that night. There was a strike of some sort. Apparently the terminal was full of thousands of stranded passengers, and it’d be at least three days before anyone could get to Jordan. <br />
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At that moment, Paul spied the logo of a familiar tour company out the corner of his eye, and ran over to beg for help. The guide was friendly and accommodating – happy to share his information in order to help us work out the best alternative route to Aqaba. After about two hours in a greasy diner that appeared not to serve any kind of food at all, he informed us that his group would be heading overland, and advised us to attempt the same.<br />
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It would require three taxis in three countries, and two Middle Eastern border crossings. The risk of something going wrong was high, but it was certainly the cheapest option – and if all went to plan it could even turn out to have been a better option than the ferry. He bargained us a great price for a taxi to the Egyptian border and then wished us luck and returned to his bus to drive the tour group.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Taxi #1 – Egypt</span></b><br />
Relieved to be on our way, we hopped into the car of a young guy wearing long white robes. The seat covers were three dimensional Minnie Mouse heads, with her nose perfectly positioned to make your own head, resting against it, as uncomfortable as possible. Shortly into the journey north, we passed a small river that appeared to run across the road permanently. Just past it was a pile of burning tyres, and a main with one eye wearing a loincloth and covered head-to-toe in mud. A familiar sound rang in my ears – the default Nokia ringtone from the early noughties. Our driver answered his phone with one hand, and continued hurtling down the centreline by positioning his other hand on the horn. Good times.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoksRepOBaCxSFfLxcHUILy4jxH7BuiPIuDl-dQMFO2X8jCylWq9JWG4geQaDwmFflmG2P9WVH8dJ7Whkue9GIOq091w3QkKrQqAVnhioVJK9iZB1Hm2h5jO3ZAhI2jdwPdDOMyGPnfthS/s1600/05+Dahab+59.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoksRepOBaCxSFfLxcHUILy4jxH7BuiPIuDl-dQMFO2X8jCylWq9JWG4geQaDwmFflmG2P9WVH8dJ7Whkue9GIOq091w3QkKrQqAVnhioVJK9iZB1Hm2h5jO3ZAhI2jdwPdDOMyGPnfthS/s640/05+Dahab+59.jpg" width="640" /></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The coral reefs of the Red Sea make the whole drive rather pleasant!</span></i></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Taxi #2 – Israel</span></b><br />
Our driver was a calm, middle-aged man wearing a jewish Kippah on the back of his head. He spoke perfect English and his late-model BMW had a screen in the dashboard with a camera to help him reverse. I found myself experiencing reverse culture-shock from the stark contrast with Egypt!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj71JG2zyC1hSSn7qdlR2tZz3TRYJtIKpJY9CXUp8qP449PQbO1vhBL4GaBOGC5KEix1_AlJWy-BhO351YMFP0JZVyKpJH7WAIu_qDZkDbIjRx2wBIZjPEEieK4HEE9RMQ47fHL8ajEfdg/s1600/05+Dahab+57.jpg"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj71JG2zyC1hSSn7qdlR2tZz3TRYJtIKpJY9CXUp8qP449PQbO1vhBL4GaBOGC5KEix1_AlJWy-BhO351YMFP0JZVyKpJH7WAIu_qDZkDbIjRx2wBIZjPEEieK4HEE9RMQ47fHL8ajEfdg/s400/05+Dahab+57.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Taxi #3 - Jordan</span></b><br />
The driving is calm compared with Egypt, but Jordan clearly doesn’t experience the same level of foreign investment as Israel, judging from the state of the roads. At precisely 7pm, our driver pulled over, removed a small mat from the glovebox, walked to the front of the car and kneeled facing Mecca (a direction even I could have established because we were so close to Saudi Arabia). After around five minutes of prayer, he returned to the car and wordlessly continued driving us to our destination.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDTBZN7JMZiPwuzKy2IRjDB1fFXcsW9lCQ1ao668D_Ui16rF4qajhtHmhLvzCV7wf5spT2nhTrBvc__5W3eEylqQ9RGZYhhqZ6cGtyWXtE4IE52A3nVmIznrlwgJqznoso989iLIgpxlm/s1600/05+Dahab+58.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDTBZN7JMZiPwuzKy2IRjDB1fFXcsW9lCQ1ao668D_Ui16rF4qajhtHmhLvzCV7wf5spT2nhTrBvc__5W3eEylqQ9RGZYhhqZ6cGtyWXtE4IE52A3nVmIznrlwgJqznoso989iLIgpxlm/s400/05+Dahab+58.jpg" width="288" /></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">We pulled up behind these guys somewhere on the Sinai Peninsula. </span></i></td></tr>
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Relieved that our border crossings had been non-eventful, we arrived in Aqaba at around the same time as we would have if we’d been able to take the ferry in the first place. And it had actually cost less!<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Reflecting on our unexpected visit to Israel, I realised that the day's events had inadvertently overshot <a href="http://www.theantipodeanblog.blogspot.co.uk/p/countries-ive-ticked-off.html" target="_blank">my goal</a> of visiting 40 countries before I'm 30! </span></i><br />
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So thank you, Israel, for being my 40th. Normally I wouldn't count a visit so short - but seeing as I'll be back in a few days to see more of the country, I'll let it slide this time.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102908196869766655noreply@blogger.com0Nuweibaa, Qesm Dahab, South Sinai, Egypt28.9734441 34.653433228.917878599999998 34.5744692 29.0290096 34.7323972tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300661313046745621.post-20355256841154486372012-10-22T02:00:00.000+01:002012-11-05T18:04:24.297+00:00Bus Egypt: Conquering Sinai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Climbing a holy mountain at 2am will leave you dazed at the best of times, but add a million stars and a few dozen bellowing camels into the mix and I defy you not to feel like you’ve stepped into a Christmas carol.</span></i><br />
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We even had heavenly activity in the form of a lightning storm over Saudi Arabia while we were waiting to be picked up from our hotel in Dahab. Having disappeared only for a quick snooze after a tiring day, watching a lightning storm over Saudi Arabia while drowsy at midnight felt rather like an episode of the Twilight Zone.<br />
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None of us thought we got any sleep on the two hour drive to Mt Sinai, but clearly we must have as it only felt like it took half an hour – including the two abrupt awakenings as the driver swerved to the correct side of the road to avoid a head on collision. Egyptians have somehow decided that the safest place to drive in the middle of the night is right down the centre-line, like a slot car. I’m not sure if it’s just a misguided road safety tip or actually an attempt to subvert would-be kidnappers – who apparently operate in the area.<br />
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Either way, we were quite glad to arrive at the base of Mount Sinai.<br />
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It starts off easy. For the first 45 minutes or so, you’re barely going uphill at all. It’s quite a pleasant stroll, and it’s quite exciting realising that you can’t see any light at all besides the moon and your torch. And ahead of you, the torches of others form a large daisy-chain of lights far up into the distance. We reached the first rest stop with minimal exertion and then patted each other on the back.<br />
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When Rachael asked how much ground we’d covered so far, our Bedouin guide started laughing. Apparently this stop was the first of six, and it merely signalled that we’d reached the start. My bad.<br />
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I started to distract myself from the climb by staring up at the stars. I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of them – more than I’d ever seen. Several rest stops and around 90 minutes later, I almost overbalanced when I caught the sight of a shooting star out of the corner of my eye. Having never seen one before, this gave me quite a lift! Some of the others reported seeing three or four. My eyes were clearly too focused on avoiding camel poo to notice the rest of them.</div>
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About half an hour before the summit, the path reached its steepest point and became a series of abrupt steps. Being allergic to exercise, it took all my strength not to sit down on every fifth one. But sunrise was approaching quickly – and we’d climbed all night for the promise of dawn so weren’t about to waste any time.<br />
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At the point where strong winds hit the trail, a group of Bedouin shopkeepers make a killing lending blankets to climbers. They’re great as long as you don’t mind smelling like camel. At about the same point, the trail reaches a point where you can see the horizon stretching in front of you. I was suddenly aware that an impending glow had rendered my torch obsolete, and switched it off.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh59PF7bMgf5TTuJYUGxi1Uujzium_aXphmYLN99__AKtsGX-e6bhkTFI3Zx_Rlw6aOek9UFP1yKYlHN7VzaNMocgo8W2oyQU7c9TSLTcsO2nDv2GQrL07BTjf5iSxfPUbpi-CG8kE1C33K/s1600/05+Dahab+24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh59PF7bMgf5TTuJYUGxi1Uujzium_aXphmYLN99__AKtsGX-e6bhkTFI3Zx_Rlw6aOek9UFP1yKYlHN7VzaNMocgo8W2oyQU7c9TSLTcsO2nDv2GQrL07BTjf5iSxfPUbpi-CG8kE1C33K/s640/05+Dahab+24.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time to turn the torch off.</td></tr>
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For some reason, I always imagined the summit to be rather large and flat. Perhaps with a nice grassy patch. I guess I always thought it would have to be quite roomy in order to fit both Moses, God, and the two stone slabs that became the ten commandments. But it’s really quite tight on the top, and there are dozens of grannies and nuns who worked as hard as we did to make it, so every climber jostles for the best spot like a queue of Ryanair passengers.<br />
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Fortunately, Rachael found us a wee spot around the way and down a bit. The rocks were somewhat precarious – and of course there was no safety railing – but most importantly we could sit alone as a group and feel proud of our efforts as we waited for the sun to surface.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjztDnQPcyKW_LpjZ-fL85NmoDnlx5JWCoEle_JLCAk4xDC_YUEV1Gd_WXiCXrTQWB9NKIjHpA-kEMbUfaiL1CaTp19LLhyphenhyphenh62Z1k5Wdxv8f3Bb6tlagjizQ9I5vhyZ1yXbRCJfJvnQBSCz/s1600/05+Dahab+31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjztDnQPcyKW_LpjZ-fL85NmoDnlx5JWCoEle_JLCAk4xDC_YUEV1Gd_WXiCXrTQWB9NKIjHpA-kEMbUfaiL1CaTp19LLhyphenhyphenh62Z1k5Wdxv8f3Bb6tlagjizQ9I5vhyZ1yXbRCJfJvnQBSCz/s640/05+Dahab+31.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">The spot Rachael found us.</td></tr>
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Around ten minutes later, we let out a collective gasp when a sliver of intense scarlet light became visible. Though we’d been anticipating its arrival, the sun was far larger and more brightly coloured than we’d expecting. It wasn’t hard to see why the Ancient Egyptians considered the sun the most powerful of gods.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoq5yEVFO5sTw71QAEr_sgclhCdsaP_TD-Z8SWu95ICuqP-w0Z-KpX_rH4TgE1679kZypRZbY8i2igbRVUDDdg_4AbQTKFwiXHmdzBCgKZVaEcPwX2ZFtMUO-pCNifWup_VT3utRznaYEL/s1600/05+Dahab+34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoq5yEVFO5sTw71QAEr_sgclhCdsaP_TD-Z8SWu95ICuqP-w0Z-KpX_rH4TgE1679kZypRZbY8i2igbRVUDDdg_4AbQTKFwiXHmdzBCgKZVaEcPwX2ZFtMUO-pCNifWup_VT3utRznaYEL/s640/05+Dahab+34.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfaDKIpCMAv12yDS34HwnLTNkd5v__3SZxCgbJCHrIU9MF-sbgoKZRo43P-C6UiMRlWmXzBgl0CpXt5vfspoP8s72qnkiaDxudmvbo-NpxiiIy-Etk2CeQ85sCR5h9kPMG1b_lh4-2R1AH/s1600/05+Dahab+39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfaDKIpCMAv12yDS34HwnLTNkd5v__3SZxCgbJCHrIU9MF-sbgoKZRo43P-C6UiMRlWmXzBgl0CpXt5vfspoP8s72qnkiaDxudmvbo-NpxiiIy-Etk2CeQ85sCR5h9kPMG1b_lh4-2R1AH/s640/05+Dahab+39.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We spent around 45 minutes at the top taking photos, sitting in silence and watching the sunrise, talking about some of the many events that had happened there, and even singing Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The six of us who had the balls to spend all night conquering Sinai.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUM8TkLys9Pu7x-OK8aj54sfasSzCxgj4P_yk9CGKvxvxtdp9g7TbDHNrlQO1Y6xAcuG6jVUrQ-9R9UQZ61lf7uRffFnpyuYzFK1Khw6jo2GU2vnidlEzgcjIfHfXLIBXTAA2GlxYm3g5d/s1600/05+Dahab+27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUM8TkLys9Pu7x-OK8aj54sfasSzCxgj4P_yk9CGKvxvxtdp9g7TbDHNrlQO1Y6xAcuG6jVUrQ-9R9UQZ61lf7uRffFnpyuYzFK1Khw6jo2GU2vnidlEzgcjIfHfXLIBXTAA2GlxYm3g5d/s640/05+Dahab+27.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My brother Michael on top of Mt Sinai. I love this photo.</td></tr>
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Then, it was time to begin the trek back down. We opted for the lesser-known route: 3,750 steep steps directly down the side of the mountain. The path was created by a monk who intended its climb to be used as penitence. I can barely comprehend how hard it would have been in other other direction. Long before reaching the bottom, most of us were getting the yips – our knees threatening to twitch at exactly the wrong moment and fling us down to the rocks below.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the easier stretched of stairs.</td></tr>
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The way down felt vastly different to the climb up. Partly because it was steeper and there were no camels, but mainly because the sunlight enabled us to see the immense canyon we were climbing. As a kid, I always imagined Mt Sinai would resemble the mountains I was familiar with – grassy and fertile. But it turned out to be more like the Grand Canyon: vast, bare, red, and rocky.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNZuvWbnGpWByCwJU3NElxlAdVW6D-cjR1156SgY74JHdDpU6oJyO9ZLjto_gE7GBzK-0y6jA7HO5RqNS2_-lAC-MbGccuOG8T8hHMQQV8qXFu-7uKNKUPWAm83LI2vtxKCVNl2Yg1Ybm/s1600/05+Dahab+42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNZuvWbnGpWByCwJU3NElxlAdVW6D-cjR1156SgY74JHdDpU6oJyO9ZLjto_gE7GBzK-0y6jA7HO5RqNS2_-lAC-MbGccuOG8T8hHMQQV8qXFu-7uKNKUPWAm83LI2vtxKCVNl2Yg1Ybm/s640/05+Dahab+42.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A small Greek Orthodox church part-way down.</td></tr>
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Our descent took less than half the time our climb had taken. At the base of the mountain, we visited St Catherine’s Monastery – the oldest Christian church in the world. Sadly we weren’t able to go inside, as we were pressed for time to get back in time for our onward journey to Jordan.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St Catherine's Monastery.</td></tr>
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Later that afternoon, we found out that other tour groups had been cancelling their Mt Sinai climbs following kidnappings in the Sinai area. I’m relieved that I didn’t know this in advance as it may have made me uneasy about taking part. And I’m stoked that our group were fortunate enough to have to opportunity.<br />
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I spent the night in a Christmas carol, and it was choice as.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102908196869766655noreply@blogger.com0Mt Sinai, Qesm Sharm Ash Sheikh, South Sinai, Egypt28.5657532 33.984575328.3426232 33.6687183 28.7888832 34.300432300000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300661313046745621.post-66699503831084165472012-10-21T10:00:00.000+01:002012-10-29T21:12:42.101+00:00Bus Egypt: Snorkelling in the Red Sea<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Call me ignorant, but I never knew that the Red Sea was a decent diving spot. And I certainly didn't expect it to measure up to the Great Barrier Reef.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Red Sea = 2</b>, <b>Andrew = nil</b>.</span></i><br />
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The dive centre in Dahab feels like a hippie hangout - a recurring theme in this coastal town which is far more homely than its larger cousins Sharm-el-Sheikh and Hurghada. Here we're fitted for flippers before driving 20 minutes to the famous Blue Hole, crammed in the back of old jeeps.<br />
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It's an unremarkable day, grey and mild. And the Blue Hole looks similarly unexciting... until you get underwater. The moment your head goes under, you're in the middle of a Finding Nemo-esque scene with brightly coloured anemones and an overwhelming number of underwater species.</div>
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If you're lucky you can see a turtle gliding calmly, though we weren't fortunate enough for that this time. But I did see a baby stingray!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The baby stingray isn't actually in this photo, so you can stop looking. sorry.</span></i></td></tr>
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After a few hours of snorkelling, it's back to the hippie beachside hangout for a quick drink and some lunch before we return to our hotel.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The perfect spot for some afternoon water-ball games.</span></i></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102908196869766655noreply@blogger.com0Dahab, Qesm St Katrin, South Sinai, Egypt28.5091355 34.513634428.481229 34.4741524 28.537042 34.5531164tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300661313046745621.post-16930668080770788632012-10-19T12:00:00.000+01:002012-10-28T10:22:13.726+00:00Bus Egypt: Temple Town<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Thank God for Mohamed. Egypt is full of temples, and they're a little tricky to figure out for hieroglyph muggles like me. Thankfully, Mohamed (our Busabout guide) was always on hand to decipher things...</span></i><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8j0s8a6VTnFidOOuRyFuc9WnVAcLZqdyt0nV2bz6vzlNL3QSPl4U04thRFSMx2wEZI3mu9G62kxhCiJm3bPepdkHOw2eT-lVPp6vZGG7wHzKr0EwhTjp0PvHxewLvpax3lSBJ6Vk9OHwL/s1600/04+Luxor+26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8j0s8a6VTnFidOOuRyFuc9WnVAcLZqdyt0nV2bz6vzlNL3QSPl4U04thRFSMx2wEZI3mu9G62kxhCiJm3bPepdkHOw2eT-lVPp6vZGG7wHzKr0EwhTjp0PvHxewLvpax3lSBJ6Vk9OHwL/s640/04+Luxor+26.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Mohamed giving one of his enthusiastic talks about the hieroglyphics at Karnak Temple.</span></i></td></tr>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">The 10 day Egypt trip includes stops at the eight most important (or most interesting) temples and similar sites around Egypt. Mohamed is a really interesting speaker and manages to tell the whole history of Egyptian culture and mythology between the eight sites. Each has its own unique charm. Here's the rundown on what to look forward to:</span></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Philae (Isis)</span></b></div>
This Temple had to be relocated piece by piece in the 60s when the Nile dam was built; which created the largest man-made lake in the world. Nubia, including the former site of Philae, is somewhere at the bottom of that lake - along with 200,000 crocodiles. Luckily, we arrive by boat rather than testing the waters!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Abu Simbel</span></b><br />
I'd highly recommend opting in for the optional Abu Simbel trip. It involves a wake-up call at a rather obscene hour of the night, but when you get there you'll understand why I twisted your arm. Don't panic if you pick up a guard with a machine gun on the way - he's on your side. You'll be driving three hours south just near the Sudanese border to see these massive statues of Rameses II at the entrance to what many call the greatest temple in the land of temples.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Kom Ombo</span></b><br />
The felucca trip conveniently concludes in Kom Ombo. The temple here is interesting because it's dedicated to two gods - Sobek; the crocodile god, and Horus; the falcon god. This means that large portions of the temple are duplicated to honour both gods. My favourite part, though, is underneath: a crocodile museum! If you've ever wondered what a 3,000 year old mummified crocodile (or 10) looks like after it's unwrapped, look no further!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4. Edfu</span></b><br />
Praying should be a huge release, that's what the Ancient Egyptians believed. So at Edfu, there's a tiny spiral staircase for ascending to pray, and a comfy wide straight one for those coming back down afterwards - so they can feel free of their burdens. Plus, if you stand right there you look like a ghost.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Luxor</span></b><br />
We visited Luxor temple by night, offering an interesting contrast with the others - particularly because it was prayer time at the on-site mosque and the prayers rang out over the temple the whole time we were there. If the obelisk here looks familiar to you, it's because its twin was gifted to France over a hundred years ago, and now stands at Place de la Concorde near the Louvre in Paris.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6. Valley of the Kings</span></b></div>
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The entry fee to the Valley of the King's covers any three open tombs except Tutankhamen's and Rameses VI's. Only a handful of us paid the extra to see Tutakhamen's legendary tomb (the price was exorbitant and we were warned that it was small and anticlimactic), but I would highly recommend it. The tomb may not be large, but its drawings are more perfectly preserved than any others we encountered in Egypt. By now, Mohamed's explanations had started to sink in, and we were able to work out the story ourselves. Plus, it was fascinating to imaging King Tut's treasures in the space when Howard Carter discovered them in 1922, having seen them ourselves only a few days earlier at the Egyptian Museum.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">7. Hatshepsut</span></b><br />
The temple of Egypt's most powerful female pharaoh is a sight to behold. It resembles the ancient site of Petra more than the other temples of Egypt because of its position right in front of the steep cliffs, but it's not actually chiselled directly into the rock.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8. Karnak</span></b><br />
This, the largest temple in Egypt, is a wonderful finale. The central area features 134 gargantuan pillars in 16 rows. As a space it's completely overwhelming, and despite the crowds you can walk around without seeing a soul. Along with Abu Simbel, Karnak was a definite highlight of our Egyptian temple encounters.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102908196869766655noreply@blogger.com0Abu Simbil, Qesm Al Wahat Al Khargah, New Valley Governorate, Egypt22.3744371 31.60277122.345070600000003 31.563289 22.4038036 31.642253tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300661313046745621.post-19661215849081419902012-10-17T17:00:00.006+01:002012-10-28T10:15:21.426+00:00Bus Egypt: Sailing the Nile<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i style="font-size: x-large;">For thousands of years, the Nile has been more than a river for Egyptians. The country is pretty much only the desert and the river. So it's their lifeblood. That's why sailing down the Nile has always had a special place on my bucket list.</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.theantipodeanblog.blogspot.com/p/bucket-list.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVdv2VfDq1fgF4EMBtOG3iWDIisWV9EMyAYbcnZlQ0SY250vU_evJbwuOBRh3pOz5mYU37PhZRAfT6qLV8sEqVecSbdN_Apl4WNIHp9AGaFN8St0tFF-zvLuQBUCDbSVWxZPJkvIclmRl/s400/Nile+T-Shirt.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The newly-ticked T-Shirt on my <a href="http://www.theantipodeanblog.blogspot.com/p/bucket-list.html" target="_blank">bucket list</a>.</span></i></td></tr>
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On Busabout's 10 day Egypt trip, I was given the chance to see a completely different side of usually-frenetic Egypt from the relaxed pace of a zigzagging felucca on the Nile.<br />
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We sail from Aswan to Kom Ombo, about 50kms, over two days. This gives us ample opportunity to people watch. Three young Nubian kids having a blast with a rowboat. Cows grazing on small grassy patches in the middle of the river. Farmers driving from small shanty towns, presumably to market their produce.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">A typical scene from the side of the felucca.</span></i></td></tr>
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This is a traditional Egyptian felucca, so there are no cabins on board. The entire deck is an enormous mattress that we use for eating, relaxing and sleeping. There are no toilets either, so we improvise when ashore.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Lucy and Paul hanging out on board the felucca.</span></i></td></tr>
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Meals are prepared for us by the crew, then served on long tablecloths down the centre of the boat. My favourite was spiced rice with potato curry and fried chicken - absolutely delicious.</div>
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We pull up ashore regularly, which is a great chance for a quick dip.</div>
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On the second night, we gather around a roaring bonfire. But first, while the sun is still out, some of the Busabouters are challenged to a soccer match by a group of local teens.<br />
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After nightfall, the bonfire is lit, and our crew pull out drums and instruments which create the vibe of a hippie commune. By now, our group of 18 has bonded well, so some of us dance, some of us have deep and meaningfuls, and the rest sit by the fire and relax.<br />
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Tomorrow, we return to the frenetic pace as we continue north to Luxor.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102908196869766655noreply@blogger.com0Kom Ombo, Markaz Kom Ombo, Aswan, Egypt24.4698032 32.938132124.4408982 32.8986501 24.498708200000003 32.9776141tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300661313046745621.post-12285603114990375552012-10-14T16:00:00.000+01:002012-10-23T18:57:07.811+01:00Bus Egypt: Cairo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">In Cairo, the ancient clashes with the modern in an extraordinary way. Cows chill out underneath a motorway overpass. The ancient remains in the Egyptian museum are right next to the burnt out ruins from </span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;">last year's revolution.</span></i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The burnt out remains of Mubarak's headquarters behind the museum.</span></td></tr>
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The trip from Cairo to Giza is half an hour through slums that all seem to be a dozen or more storeys high. Between the endless squalid apartment buildings, I spot a marvel of ancient engineering that still has scholars scratching their heads today.<br />
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I’m not sure what I expected the parking lot to look like, but I was shocked by how… unremarkable it was. This is the only surviving wonder of the Ancient world, and you just kind of stumble up to it, right next to a main road and opposite modern shops.<br />
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But I quickly forget the lack of awe in the introduction when I get closer. There’s more than enough awe in the spectacle of staring at it up close. Apparently there are over two millions bricks, and the ones I can see are all bigger than my first car.<br />
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I scramble up the side to the entrance, and creep inside. After climbing for what seems like an age, I reach a tall shaft. Thanks to the wonders of modern lighting, I can see a path running up the centre. As I climb, I’m impressed by the height. Apparently King Khufu wasn’t too happy with the original plan of an underground tomb beneath the temple. He wanted something more grand. I find myself contemplating who exactly he had in mind when he requested such a grand design. Right now it feels like I’m the only person besides his architect who has ever had the opportunity to admire it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Climbing the great pyramid.</span></td></tr>
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At the top of the shaft is a bedroom sized tomb. It looks austere and simple, but if the treasures I saw this morning in the Egyptian Museum from Tutankhamen’s tomb are anything to go by, it would have been anything but austere when first constructed. I close my eyes and try to imagine the space before the musty smell set in. Piles of handy things for the afterlife. Gaudy colours. The smell of lotus flowers and papyrus. And in the centre of the room, a sarcophagus fit for a king. Layer upon layer of solid gold. Of course, all this disappeared centuries ago when the ancient Egyptians ransacked their own king’s tomb – so modern archaeologists have known only the same space I’m observing now.<br />
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About half an hour later, I’m introduced to Alice. Well, actually she wasn’t introduced to me, so I christen her 'Alice' myself. She has golden hair and a very long tongue.<br />
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Alice was the last camel to be chosen – everyone else was given away first. I’m a little worried that this might mean she’s the rogue of the pack. When Alice stands up, she lurches forward on such an angle that I feel like I’m about to plummet head-first to the ground. But somehow I survive, and start to feel quite comfy in my new perch a few metres in the air.<br />
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We’re connected in chains of two or three, and a little boy leads Alice over the sweltering dunes in the direction of the pyramids. I hand him my camera and he begins taking pictures. Along the way, Alice picks fights with every camel we pass ,snarling and snapping until the little boy tugs her away.<br />
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When we’ve been stationary for a few minutes, the little boy yells “Stand up!” as though this is a perfectly natural suggestion for a strange tourist two metres in the air on the back of a possibly-rogue animal. Observing the terror on my face at the mere concept of standing up, he taunts “it’s a camel, not a tiger!”<br />
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Not wanting to be outdone by a seven-year-old, I decide to trust Alice with my life and give it a shot. Hey presto!<br />
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On the way back, while free from the little boy’s grip, Alice decides to go for a wee gallop. As we gain speed, I lean in tight – afraid that this could be the last anyone sees of me until I perish from starvation somewhere in the Sahara clinging for dear life to the back of a wild camel. But she slows as we approach the camp, and I realise she’s not wild – just competitive.<br />
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There’s a moment on every good trip when you realise “this has been worth the time and expense it took me to get here”. Only on the best trips do you reach this point on the first day. As Alice lurches abruptly forward onto her knees to let me off, I realise that Egypt has already proven itself worthwhile.<br />
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Find out more about Busabout's 10 Day Egypt trip <a href="http://www.busabout.com/adventures/egypt/ten-day" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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I travelled to Egypt with support from Busabout and Flight Centre UK.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102908196869766655noreply@blogger.com0Cairo, Cairo Governorate, Egypt30.0444196 31.235711629.989439100000002 31.1567476 30.0994001 31.314675599999998