Travel Location: Byron-Bay,Australia

Travel About: beach,relaxation,the-arts-factory

I started my venture up the East Coast of Oz and spent a week in Byron Bay at The Arts Factory. I’ve heard this hostel described as a 1960‘s commune gone right – and there are more than a few hippies, surfers and artists in this town; it’s a place where you wont find a high rise building anywhere and few mainstream shops.

I visited a town called Nimbin (the pot capital of Australia) near Byron – spent a hazy day there, visited the Byron market which was different to the likes of Covent Garden(!), walked up to the lighthouse and to the most easterly point in Australia, and that’s probably as energetic as i got! When I asked a local what there was to do here he told me I’m doing it…relaxing! So I chilled out in the hammocks, lazed on the beach during the day and around a campfire at night with guitars, goon (v nasty but cheap wine) and great company. I finally found a guitar on my travels hurrah! Met a fantastic group of people here and would have loved to stay longer but I had a job offer not to be missed so I’m postponing the east coast for now….

When I asked a local what there was to do here he told me I’m doing it…relaxing

After just 1 week in Byron I have flown back to Sydney to have a medical for the job which i start on 8th June. It’s for 2 months, on a cruise ship around the Kimberleys (Northern and Western Australia). It’s going be hard work (7 days/wk for 2mths, ouch!) but such an experience and I’ll get to see many stunning sights that most travellers don’t venture to.

After settling back in nicely I’m enjoying travelling and will get to continue doing with this job! I’m very excited and will keep the pictures coming…

Related Travel Entry

• Smoke On The Water, Fire In The Sky!
  Stepping off the bus at ‘Byron Bay’ was like stepping into a ‘blue marijuana hazed flashback to the seventies’. If we could use music to describe it, it would be "Smoke on the Water, Fire in the Sky....
• Bryon Bay
  Well what can i say about Bryon Bay? It is a brilliant place, it's so laid back and i think suits my personality down to the ground! I had some of the best times of my whole journey so far in Byron. ...
• Santa in the sun
  We didn't want to get sunburnt on the beach on Christmas Eve, so it's a good job we had some hats to protect us.Sending you all lots of love and wishing you a very merry Christmas - hope you have won...
• Slow down and Sun Tan
  To escape the "hectic" life in Antigua, we went to Guatemala´s most laid-back location: Monterrico. This small beach town is located at the pacific coast quite close to Antigua and El Salvador. Peopl...
• Perth to Darwin
  Hi Everyone,Hope you are all well at home, well I made it to sunny Oz in one peace thankfully! Landed in Perth, and had 6 nights there. The hostel was really nice, but have to get used to this hostel...

Travel Location: Monterrico,Guatemala

Travel About: natural-wonder,wildlife-viewing,beach,relaxation,swimming,hotel

To escape the “hectic” life in Antigua, we went to Guatemala´s most laid-back location: Monterrico. This small beach town is located at the pacific coast quite close to Antigua and El Salvador. People usually come here in the weekends and stay at one of the many hotels at the beach.

It seemed like a good idea to us, and it promissed us a walk to find Sea Turtles!

Waiting for …

We were picked up by a normal car instead of the shuttle bus, since we were the only 2 people that would be going up to Monterrico today. We knew it wasn´t high season and we just heard that bad weather was predicted, but that wouldn´t stop us from going to this paradise called Monterrico.

The bus driver recommended us the hotel Atelier del Mar and we booked a 2bed-bedroom there, just next to the blue swimming pool. We were the only two guests there and were very friendly welcomed by the Finnish Manager and his Guatemalean wife, and not to forget the big Rottweiler called Neko.

There are two things you can do in Monterrico, besides swimming in the hotel pool, or tanning in the sun: Go to the beach at night to find Sea Turtles that walk up to the beach to lay their eggs OR go to the Mangrove forest with a small boat.

We booked for both activities on the same day, and immediately at night we walked up and down the beach of Monterrico for 2 hours. In the pitch black ocean view, we heard the waves from the Pacific crash down on the black sand of Monterrico. The sand is black because it´s mainly composed of vulcanic rocks. This also gives the sea a very black and dark colour.

Unfortunately, we just missed a turtle that already laid its eggs on the beach and walked back to the sea. We just saw the local turtle farm owner collect its eggs in order to breed new turtles which are set loose each saturday. The second night we also ventured out to the beach but again without any luck.

Meanwhile the weather got as bad as predicted, and after 2 hours of sun, we saw mostly rain and dark grey clouds till the day we left. It also meant that our morning trip to the mangrove forest at 5 AM was cancelled and postponed to the next morning. Finally on saturday morning, the rain stopped and together with two Icelandic travellers we went to the Mangroves.

We saw mostly mangrove plants an occasionally a bird or two, but nothing spectacular to report. However, the trip itself is quite relaxing and gave us a great view of 5 Vulcanos in the distance.

A bit disappointed with the weather, the turtles and the mangrove forest, we left on Saturday so we could visit Chichi on Sunday and Lago de Atitlan right after the ChiChi market. On the last morning in Monterrico, the sun came out and we finally got our tan.

All in all, we relaxed a bit, ate some sea food met nice people and did all we could do in Monterrico (and that only in 48 hours).

Here people are waiting for either:

sunny weather,

New touristis to arrive from Antigua or

Anything to happen at all.

Related Travel Entry

• Perth to Darwin
  Hi Everyone,Hope you are all well at home, well I made it to sunny Oz in one peace thankfully! Landed in Perth, and had 6 nights there. The hostel was really nice, but have to get used to this hostel...
• Bamburgh or Bust!
  Our last full day in Seahouses and the wather is not looking good. The boats can’t go out because of the wind and there are showers passing through. Still that doesn’t stop us heading for the beach – ...
• Finally here…
  We stepped out of the plan at the airport in Cairns and were immediately assaulted by the oppressive heat of the tropics. Giant palm trees and ferns greeted us cheerfully, and the lush mountians made ...
• A visit to Dargaville, Baylys Beach, Kai Iwi Lakes & the Waipoua Kauri Forest
  We had a fun weekend up around Dargaville, a town on the west coast of Northland. We stayed at the Kaihu Farm Hostel which Avani loved. There were lots of animals there that she liked, including cows...
• Rach in a 1960s commune gone right?!
  I started my venture up the East Coast of Oz and spent a week in Byron Bay at The Arts Factory. I’ve heard this hostel described as a 1960‘s commune gone right - and there are more than a few hippies...

Travel Location: Toyama,Japan

Travel About: relaxation

Finally…

Our friends in Toyama!! Andy and Yukko were wonderful enough to be our hosts and tourguides for a few days.

Andy took us on a tour of the sake factory he works in. We saw almost the entire process for making sake. We also got to sample the sake at many different stages….Mmmmmm.

One of our other favorite activities so far on this trip was our visit to Andy and Yukko’s favorite local onsen (hot spring). It is up on one of the hills on the outskirts of Toyama so the men get to sit outside in the hotsprings gazing at the stars and looking out over the city. The women get to look at the rocks dividing the women’s side from the men’s (who decided that was fair?). There were many steps to having a full onsen experience. First you must scrub yourself Japanese-style (you get a shower space, a tiny stool to sit upon, and a wash basin full of water), from there you could move on to your choice of the outdoor pool, the indoor hot or cold pools, the lavender pool, the sauna (96 degrees CELSIUS!), or the wonderful waterfalls that work beautifully for beating tension out of your shoulders. After you get your fill of soaking and scrubbing you can retire to the resting room where there are tables and cushions upon which to sit. Sorry guys, no photos of that experience.

We left our friends Andy and Yukko as they were preparing to head off to Hawaii to get married! Have fun guys!

Related Travel Entry

• Tokyo
  En el aeropuerto de Narita lo primero que me sorprendió fue que nada más bajar del avión (fuimos de los primeros) los pasillos, hasta llegar al control de pasaporte, estaban llenos de periodistas y c...
• Dragon`s den
  We spent the day in Nagasaki to look at the 15,000 colourful laterns on display around the town for their annual winter festival. It`s centred in Chinatown`s bustling streets. It was raining most of ...
• Mud glorious mud
  Beppu is famous for its onsen: mineral hot spring public baths. The town and surrounding area is full of vents spouting hot white clouds of steam from the geothermal outlets.Our hostel has an onsite ...
• Meeting the Carolyne
  It was sad to leave India after only 6 weeks, so much more to see and do there, but our flights had been booked for a while and Japan was calling.From Narita airport we headed into Tokyo on the cheap...
• My Driving-Vacation to Japan
  Feeling like a JetsonsDriving around Tokyo on the elevated ring roads reminded me of one of my favorite cartoon shows, the Jetsons. At about a twenty story building high, I was cruising at 70 km/h in...

Travel Location: Nice,France

Travel About: relaxation,casino,gambling

After almost two months of travelling around Europe in the middle of winter, we were keen for a bit of sun so we headed to the Cote D’Azur in the South of France. First stop, Nice.

The first thing we did upon arriving in Nice was to head to the world famous coastline. Covered in large pebbles, its not exactly the kind of beach that us aussies are used to, but the view of the coastline was just breathtaking. The views got even better when we made our way up to the lookout at the end of the beach….just spectacular. And the weather was so warm, I even wore a T-shirt!

Covered in large pebbles, its not exactly the kind of beach that us aussies are used to, but the view of the coastline was just breathtaking

Wandering around the park at the top of the cliff (which used to be home to the town chateau before it was destroyed) was just wonderful. The parks and gardens were lovely and we managed to find a secluded little moss alcove where we sat for a good hour playing ‘Who/What Am I’! Such fun!

We wandered back home through the old town, which was really lovely and full of old balconied apartments with flower pots….I’m a sucker for flower pots! We finished off the day sitting on the pebbly beach! It was just lovely relaxing with the warm sun on us.

We also managed a trip to the local flower markets which were just full of small town charm. Flowers, fruits, olives, cheeses and spices of all colours and smells were just everywhere. All the senses just felt alive. We broke the budget a bit later by having a coffee in a beach cafe. The coffee wasnt great, but it was worth it for the amazing views.

Another trip was down to the port of Nice to check out how the other half live on amazing, enormous luxury yachts. We spent the morning pretending we were in the market for these boats and discussing the pros and cons of each one. (Of course, this one is lovely, but one really needs a third floor with a deck and more space for a spa)

A day trip to Monaco was on the cards the next day, which added another country to our list (but alas, no stamp in the passport AGAIN). If we thought Nice was the playground of the rich and famous, we now realised that Monaco was the playground for the REALLY RICH AND FAMOUS! The town itself is lovely, perched on the side of cliffs with beautiful bays. We were just blown away by the number of high rise apartment buildings jutting out of the cliffs. First stop in Monaco was a trip to the palace for the changing of the guards. It was quite good and we managed to get prime position in front to watch the show. The rest of the day was spent wandering along the coastline and admiring the lovely yachts and looking for famous people. Alas, no luck though.

Our trip to Monaco wouldnt be complete without a stop at the world famous Monte Carlo Casino. So we paid our 20 Euro entrance fee and entered into the amazing splendeur of the casino. It really was a grand place with chandeliers everywhere and glitzy furniture. So we dug deep and managed to lose 20 Euros in about five minutes on the pokies and with a bit of a dab on the roulette table (where the dealer shoved our one chip to Mike as he slid our fiver in between the hundreds that were rolling in!) Oh well, we are lucky in love!

Well, our trip to France wouldnt be complete without trying out the local delicacy of Escargot (ie. Snails). So whilst in Nice, we managed to find a relatively cheap placed which served up these slippery little suckers. And to our surprise, they were actually REALLY YUM!

Related Travel Entry

• A very short stop in the town of Blois
  EARLY MORNING START, the wake up call is at 6.45am. Cosmos tour has a luggage order where you leave your luggage at the front of your room and by the time you have had breakfast and return to your ro...
• 700 stairs… Each Way!
  The group started the day early (7:30am) due to a full day of attractions in our short time in Paris, France. Our breakfast was lacking in comparison to our previous hotels that had spoiled us. We lo...
• Paris, Je t’aime
  And we are now in Paris! I don't have much time to update now, we have been pretty busy but also relaxing because we have been able to stay in one place for more than 2 days - its very nice. We have ...
• Wonderful Paris
  I went to Paris 2 month ago. The most interesting thing was cost of living which is higher than those of London. I was supprised when I bought just a can of coke, I spent money on buying that around ...
• 3 Americans in Paris
  Early start to our Thursday - up at 3:00 am to get ready and catch 4:00 am cab to Luton airport for our 6:05 flight to Paris. Yes, it was very hard to get started this morning, but knowing we were on...

Travel Location: Jeffrey’s-Bay,South-Africa

Travel About: food-&-wine,beach,shopping,relaxation,surfing

The second Tovah and I arrived at our amazing hostel, Ubuntu Backpackers, we decided to make our stay in J-Bay 2 days instead of 1. The hostel is a beautiful house overlooking the ocean. It is owned and run by Jamie and Elizna (a really cool, young couple who have backpacked before and thus know exactly what backpackers like in a hostel). They put most, if not all, the work into the hostel (i.e. painting/decorating it) and it is outstanding! It was the first time since Tovah and I began our travels that we did not sleep in our sleep sacs, but instead slept under the clean sheets and on the pillow…we even got to shower without our sandals on! In addition to the place itself, they have 2 dogs that Tovah and I could not get enough of.

Anyway, when we arrived there the power was out. Since the kitchen appliances were therefore not working, Jamie and Elizna told us (and Mark, the other guy from Australia that was staying there- it was just the 3 of us there) they were going to have a braai (a barbecue, but better). So, Tovah and I went to the grocery store to get food for the braai. It was quite an experience as the power was out there and it was very dark. There was a security guard shinning a flashlight on the food so we could see what we were getting. When we got back Tovah and I seasoned our veggies and Tovah’s meat, and they took care of the rest. It was a feast! Another bonus point for the already wonderful hostel. Oh yeah, we also managed to buy wine even though it was Sunday and they usually don’t sell alcohol on Sundays (maybe they didn’t see what it was since it was dark??).

After lunch Tovah and I took a walk through the very quiet surfer town. Not many places were open because it was Sunday, as well as because the power was out. Even though it was extremely windy, we walked along the beach, watched a surfer, and just enjoyed this beautiful town. The power was still out when we got back and it was beginning to get dark, so they lit a bunch of candles in the house. We were very relaxed and happy to just talk with the others, and read/write in our journals by candle light! When the power did come back on, we took advantage of the free internet (another bonus point- also free breakfast ) and spent the rest of our night updating the blog for all of you to read.

The next day was spent shopping at the factory outlet surf stores (i.e. Billabong, Quicksilver, Roxy..), and relaxing on the decks overlooking the ocean at the hostel. We were not ready to leave this great place and great people, but we knew there was more we wanted to see and do and so the next morning we headed off to Knysna.

Related Travel Entry

• Jeffreys Bay (aka J-Bay)
  The second Tovah and I arrived at our amazing hostel, Ubuntu Backpackers, we decided to make our stay in J-Bay 2 days instead of 1. The hostel is a beautiful house overlooking the ocean. It is owned ...
• The Road to Rotorua
  Today began with an 8am departure south via the Southern Motorway through the sprawling suburbs of South Auckland and Manukau City.  We crossed the Bombay Hills, an area known for its light volca...
• Ahh!! Vera Venezia!!
  By the time we arrived in Venice, we were starting to feel more like wilted flowers in mid summer than the spring chickens we are. Jet lag plus a packed schedule of almost every waking hour was start...
• Live music at Alma Cafe, Rosebank
  A wintery evening with snow on the mountains and drizzle in the air, but six Meridians were cosy at Alma Café in Rosebank among good company with good food and great live music.Having heard ab...
• Rach in a 1960s commune gone right?!
  I started my venture up the East Coast of Oz and spent a week in Byron Bay at The Arts Factory. I’ve heard this hostel described as a 1960‘s commune gone right - and there are more than a few hippies...

Travel Location: Bridgetown,Barbados

Travel About: beach,road-trip,relaxation

Wednesday, Dec 26

Our trip started at a very early hour but was greatly brightened when after seated on the plane our names were called and we discovered we had been bumped to First Class. Flying through Miami from San Francisco to Barbados, the trip lasted all day and into the night. When we landed at 11 PM, we were the first to clear customs as we had carried on all of our luggage.

…roads are very rural and beautiful…

Since we had been unable to book a rental car (they were all booked due to the holidays), we grabbed a taxi for our hotel, the Accra Beach Hotel in Rockley on the south side of the island, which, as are most things on Barbados, was only a few miles away.

The hotel clerk greeted us and said we would be treated to a rum punch at the bar which closed at midnight so we quickly headed out to the bar by the pool to enjoy, as it was nearing midnight.

We wandered to our room (#4105) and were delighted to find that we had been upgraded from the ocean view room which we had booked to an ocean front room. We fell asleep to the sound of the waves breaking on the beach just outside our balcony.

Thursday, Dec 27

We awakened early to the sound of the ocean waves … yes, we are here. After drinking some coffee on our balcony, we headed downstairs to the Coco Patch Restaurant for breakfast. We chose to sit at an outside table (we were the only ones outside) and enjoy the pretty beachside location.

Since we did not have a car, we walked down the street a ways to explore and check out the strip mall across from the hotel (Quayside Shops), where we stopped at a convenience store for a few incidentals which we needed, as we carried our luggage onboard, and it’s difficult to pack 3 oz of sunscreen. We decided to make this a “relax on the beach day” since we didn’t have a car to roam about the island. I actually am appreciating the ability to relax today and not feel that I must tour, tour, tour. That we shall do later.

After a relaxing morning on the beach on the loungers and under the umbrellas provided by the hotel, we grabbed lunch at the same restaurant where we had breakfast. We grabbed a table by the window and had Caesar Salad with shrimp (me) and with chicken (Gary) and iced tea. Very nice.

We checked with the concierge about hiring a car, even if for one day. She confirmed there were no cars available. As we conversed about taking the very plentiful and inexpensive busses, the concierge was calling several rental agencies (they are all small family owned companies on Barbados, no big Hertz or Avis, even Europcar goes through the family companies). On her third or fourth call, which was to 1st Choice, she was able to get us a car for Saturday, the day of our departure on the Royal Clipper. We were to pick it up Friday night delivered to the hotel at 5:30 PM. We were elated.

In the late afternoon, the phone rang, and we found that there had been a cancellation and that the car could be available for another day. We arranged for delivery the next morning.

We spent the rest of the the afternoon on the beach, reading, relaxing and getting wet.

Friday, Dec 28

Our rental car was deliverd this morning at 8:30 by 1st Choice Rental Cars. We decided over breakfast to spend the day exploring the island using one of the tour books in the room. Our main goal is to see a lot of the island and hopefully get some nice photos, rather than shopping or seeing museums and the like. We drove from the hotel into Bridgetown and the drove by the Cruise Terminal to kind of scope it out for tomorrow. We were concerned about where to store our luggage between the hotel checkout at noon and boarding the Royal Clipper at 4 PM.

From there, we drove north through Holetown and stopped at the historic St. James Church which was originally built in 1628. We continued along the west coast road toward and through Speightstown to Port St. Charles. There we stopped for some pictures, my favorite of a decrepit boat named “Big Hooker”. We continued inland to the Barbados Wildlife Refuge. Once there, we then actually read the guidebook, and found that the best time to go was at 2 PM for the monkey feeding, the only time you are guaranteed a look at the wildlife. In this park, the animals roam freely through the forest, so you may not see them at all. We decided to have lunch, and then return for the 2pm feeding.

In our search for lunch, we ended up on the east side of the island headed south to Bathsheba. There we discovered the historic Round House Inn, where we could dine on the terrace with a gorgeous view of the beach and the coast line. We were happy to have discovered this place as it in well off the beaten path.

It’s very important to have a good map when you drive here, and sometimes directional signs are either not obvious or are missing completely. The roads are very rural and beautiful and I was lucky not to be driving as you need to drive on the left side here. Or as our taxi driver from the airport put it, “we drive on the right side here”, meaning we drive on the “correct side”. We took some wrong turns somewhere trying to get back to the Wildlife Refuge, and eventually found ourselves going south when we needed to be going north. Fortunately, Gary has a compass in his watch which proved to be very useful. By the time we got back to a proper road and direction, we found we were unable to make it to the monkey feeding, so we forged on to the next stop, the Morgan Lewis Windmill, the only working sugar mill windmill left in the world (according to the tour book in our room). Just up the road is Cherry Tree Hill and just past there is a beautiful avenue of mahogany trees that form a canopy over the road and , of course, we stopped to get some pictures.

On to our next goal which was Little Bay, a beautiful bay of exposed reef (at low tide) and spectacular views down the east coast. The winding drive is certainly worth this gorgeous scenery. The next stop was River Bay, a bit further north. After climbing up on the cliffs, we were rewarded with some more gorgeous views of the island and the coast, as we watched thunderous waves pound the shore, sending spray 50 feet high at times. This is the windward side of the island, rough seas and strong winds. The sea is pounding the island. The island here is of vulcanic rock, while not immune to the sea, it puts up a good fight to keep the sea from reclaiming the island.

The next stop and the place I most wanted to see here is at the northernmost tip of the island, the Animal Flower Cave. For an entrance fee of only BDS$15 (US$7.50) you receive a guided tour of the caves. Animal Flower takes its name from the sea anemones found in the pools in the cave. They were named “animal flowers” in 1750 in Griffith Hughes book “The Natural History of Barbados”. The views from inside the caves through the windows in the rock to the ocean beyond are worth every bit of effort to get here. Bring your swimsuit to enjoy the pool inside the cave. I didn’t have mine but my husband did and he enjoyed a swim here and taunted me by standing at the cave opening as large waves were breaking. I really have to recommend this spot to anyone who wants a bit of adventure in their touring. The guide we had was superb. And I say that because he handled the somewhat hesitant American tourist as she had some nervousness at crossing the wet rocks on the way into the cave with great care and courtesy. He gave encouragement and a steady hand when needed. Definitely recommended. I purchased a bracelet of some natural stone to remember this experience and will make some nice earrings out of it … a nice souvenir.

From here we headed south toward our hotel, as it was about 5 PM and we stayed on H2A most of the way. Once back at the hotel, we thought it would be relaxing to enjoy the jacuzzi hot tub on our balcony and though it took a long time to fill, it was certainly relaxing and with a great ocean view. We decided to walk the mile or so from our hotel to “The Gap” (officially on the street named “St. Lawrence Gap”, which runs along the coast) for dinner. The Gap is known as the place for great restaurants and night spots on the island and this area comes alive at night. We were shown the Gap by our taxi driver from the airport, who recommended it for dining and night spots. We walked only about two blocks before we stopped at Sweet Potatoes – “Good ol’ Bajan cooking” on the first curve at the west end of the Gap. The restaurant was built on stilts and looked very Caribbean. I ordered Pot Belly Flying Fish stuffed with vegetables. Flying fish is a dish unique to Barbados and delicious. Apparently this fish has many bones and is a challenge to prepare but on this island they take pride in it even going as far as having competitions for fastest deboning. We also ordered a chicken in jerk sauce which was accompanied with Duck Pond 2005 Pinot Noir from Oregon. Though we should have walked back to the hotel, we got lazy and took a taxi which turned out to be relatively inexpensive (US$5).

Saturday, Dec 29 Last day in Barbados

This morning we took our time while we packed and checked out of the hotel. We have been happy here and we wouldn’t mind coming back (they even have meal plans which are quite reasonable, though you need to purchase for a three day minimum). We packed our suitcases into the trunk of the rental car and set about exploring the city of Bridgetown. The main goal was to purchase a few items we needed, which was not a problem here with all the shopping options.

One thing we did find difficult were the many one way streets which change directions seemingly every couple of blocks. Sometimes it seemed like we were driving in circles. We were driving in circles. Unbeknownst to him, we finally decided to follow a small truck with a local driver. We followed him in a circle, then he eventually got out, and we got to where we could navigate on our own. Odd that a local was as confused as we were. He was probably wondering what sort of idiots were following him in circles!

We found a parking lot which charged only one $1 BDS or fifty US cents per hour, and walked through much of the locals shopping area (we stayed out of the tourist area as we will probably see a lot of that later on). However, they must enjoy chicken, as there is a Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) shop seemingly every block. They are as plentiful as Starbucks in Seattle!

As it was nearing midday, we headed to the waterfront area and grabbed lunch at the Limelight Cafe on the top floor of the Bridge House. After lunch, we drove to the Cruise Terminal on the north end of town. There we left the rental car in a prearranged parking lot, we locked the keys in the car in a special location and headed to the terminal. We were very happy with our rental experience with 1st Choice, especially considering that they were able to get us a car at the last minute. Their service was great and very personal, they delivered to the hotel and picked it up from the cruise terminal at no extra charge.

We have certainly enjoined our short visit to Barbados and it would be great to come back here sometime in the future. We would guess 80-90% of the visitors here are from Great Britain. Also, the local people remind me very much of the people of Jamaica with their lovely accents.

As we drove into Bridgetown this morning, I could see the five tall masts of the Royal Clipper in port. Goosebump time! I have really been looking forward to the cruise.

Related Travel Entry

• Rach in a 1960s commune gone right?!
  I started my venture up the East Coast of Oz and spent a week in Byron Bay at The Arts Factory. I’ve heard this hostel described as a 1960‘s commune gone right - and there are more than a few hippies...
• Slow down and Sun Tan
  To escape the "hectic" life in Antigua, we went to Guatemala´s most laid-back location: Monterrico. This small beach town is located at the pacific coast quite close to Antigua and El Salvador. Peopl...
• Jeffreys Bay (aka J-Bay)
  The second Tovah and I arrived at our amazing hostel, Ubuntu Backpackers, we decided to make our stay in J-Bay 2 days instead of 1. The hostel is a beautiful house overlooking the ocean. It is owned ...
• Jeffreys Bay (aka J-Bay)
  The second Tovah and I arrived at our amazing hostel, Ubuntu Backpackers, we decided to make our stay in J-Bay 2 days instead of 1. The hostel is a beautiful house overlooking the ocean. It is owned ...
• Happy in Singapore and Bintan, Indonesia
  We spent Chinese New Year Holiday  traveling to Singapore and Bintan Island, Indonesia. We are all primary school teachers and had the week off from school. Singapore is about a 3 and a half hour flig...

Travel Location: Rotorua,New-Zealand

Travel About: park,relaxation,hot-springs,bath-house

At the moment we are in Rotorua which is very important to the Maori culture as well as being apparently the thinnest area of the earths crust. This means that there are loads of steaming sulphurous ponds, bubbling mud holes and a pervasive odour of rotting eggs. Despite this Rotorua is a very funky place (in more ways than one), we are staying in a lovely modern hostel and there are loads of interesting places to visit. Today we went to the Governors gardens, a historical park with an old bath house which has been turned into a museum. Amidst the steaming ponds of the park were, surreally, a group of older people in crisp whites playing a big bowls tournament. We sat and watched for a bit, there were lots of swallows swooping around and the day was absolutely gorgeous (mid 20s and sunny), and the boys were strangely transfixed by the whole event.

We ended up in the Blue Baths, the re-housed bath house built in the 30s in a grand Roman style and it was a very chilled experience. There was hardly anyone else there, and we had the main pool and the two hotter side pools almost to ourselves. Stanley practiced his breast stroke and Archie luxuriated in the hottest pool whilst we enjoyed the sunshine and Ella Fitzgerald over the tannoy. After lunch we booked the next leg of our journey (8 hours on the coach to Wellington tomorrow – joy) and the ferry over to the south island the day after tomorrow. Reeling from the amount of money we’ve spent since we’ve arrived (my god everything is expensive here) we strolled around the streets of Rotorua enjoying the $2 shops (about our price range at the moment) and the continuing sunshine – can’t get used to it with all the Christmas decorations and carols.

Related Travel Entry

• Waitomo to Rotorua
  The north island is spectacular scenery - rolling peaks dotted with sheep and cattle, winding roads through little villages.  John and I breath in the beauty while the girls peacefully sleep .&nb...
• Rotorua
  Having started my journey on the ' Magic Bus ' I'm now aware of the drawback of using this type of travel. As it takes passengers to tourist spots on route , you're in for a long wait if you don't wan...
• A Buried Village, and Mitai Maori Night
  So how did you like all the funky stuff I told you about Rotorua in the last post? Sometimes the city seems like any other city....then you bump into a geothermal area, and it looks like another plane...
• Te Puia
  Today we went to Ta Puia. This is a big geothermal area with mud pools and geysers as well as a lot of native Maori buildings and stories.The geysers in this park erupt spontaneously and the are magni...
• New Zealand’s big attraction
  We made it to Rotorua later in the afternoon, we could see and smell the town before we got there. The steam  and smell rises from the geothermal areas well above the town. Stopped at a park...

Travel Location: Rotorua,New-Zealand

Travel About: natural-wonder,relaxation,hot-springs

The north island is spectacular scenery – rolling peaks dotted with sheep and cattle, winding roads through little villages.  John and I breath in the beauty while the girls peacefully sleep .  En route to Rotorura we have a rest stop at the Waikite Valley thermal pools.  Three hot mineral pools ranging from 36-40 degrees.  The sun is beating down on us and steam rises from the water.  Too hot for Rebecca – she wants a cool swim but settles for a cold drink.

Hot thermal pools

Related Travel Entry

• funky Rotorua
  At the moment we are in Rotorua which is very important to the Maori culture as well as being apparently the thinnest area of the earths crust. This means that there are loads of steaming sulphurous p...
• A Buried Village, and Mitai Maori Night
  So how did you like all the funky stuff I told you about Rotorua in the last post? Sometimes the city seems like any other city....then you bump into a geothermal area, and it looks like another plane...
• New Zealand’s big attraction
  We made it to Rotorua later in the afternoon, we could see and smell the town before we got there. The steam  and smell rises from the geothermal areas well above the town. Stopped at a park...
• Thermal Reserves, Maori Village & Te Wairoa
  We left Waitomo at 9.30am and arrived in Rotorua at 12.15pm. The area is famous for having a rotten egg smell caused by its many geothermal areas which seeps into all of your clothes! After check...
• Rotorua
  This place absolutely whiffs of rotten eggs - you could fart to your heart's content here and no one would know (of course I don't do things like that).  People come here to visit areas of therma...

Travel Location: Punta-del-Este,Uruguay

Travel About: market,relaxation

Punta del Leste é muito bonita, suas praias, pessoas muito legais, ruas limpas, tudo é fácil em Punta! Uma vida noturna agitada, e os Cassinos são demais pra tentar ganhar algum dinheirinho hehehe…

Montevideo fiquei pouco tempo, a parte perto do mercado publico é meio perigosa, é melhor você ir de taxi até lá do que atravessar de a pé. Mas curti muito, achei bem legal também!

Related Travel Entry

• Russia: Severobaikalsk
  Thursday 17th AugustAs mentioned already, everything in our time capsule called the Trans Siberian train, operates in MT. At 02h00am [7am actually], we were all woken up to the loud strains of Russia...
• Rach in a 1960s commune gone right?!
  I started my venture up the East Coast of Oz and spent a week in Byron Bay at The Arts Factory. I’ve heard this hostel described as a 1960‘s commune gone right - and there are more than a few hippies...
• Otavalo Market and Festival
  After an uneventful boarder crossing, I took a bus for about 3 hours to a town called Otavalo, famous for it Saturday market.One big shock now being in Ecuador is that you have to pay for everything ...
• The Serenity of La Serena
  Wow a lot to say as a lot has been done.Firstly, let me mention that photos will be coming as soon as we find a place that actually has DSL or Cable, as it´s basically impossible to upload our (fanta...
• Global Warming Makes My Hair Flat
  Ho there blogites!It's been hard to find time to write as my internet time is scattered and we've been working 12 hour days. Well...sometimes those last couple hours are spent at the pub, but the day...

Travel Location: Rotorua,New-Zealand

Travel About: natural-wonder,cultural-immersion,relaxation

We left Waitomo at 9.30am and arrived in Rotorua at 12.15pm. The area is famous for having a rotten egg smell caused by its many geothermal areas which seeps into all of your clothes! After checking in to our new hostel we went straight to the info centre for help on deciding what to do for the days we were in the area. With all that sorted we went to Hells Gate which is one of the geothermal reserves. We walked around looking at the different bubbling/steaming pools and thermal areas. You could actually feel the heat on some of the rocks on the path. Our favourite part was the Kakahi Falls, where the water flows at about 40 degrees. After the walk round we tried our hand at wood carving which Andy particularly enjoyed. We then went to relax in an outside bath of natural thermal mud which we smeared all over ourselves. That was good but having to have a freezing cold shower to get it off wasnt so great! We then bathed in some geothermally  heated pools which were filled with the natural waters (Meg loved all of this). On the 22nd we went to Wai-O-Tepu Thermal Wonderland where we went straight to watch the Lady Knox Geyser go off (they manually activate this at 10.15am everyday) sending water shooting high into the air. After, we spent 3hrs following the trail around the 18sqkm thermal reserve looking at the many collapsed craters, bubbling pools of mud and water steaming fumeroles. Our favourites were the artists pallet and the champagne pool. Back in Rotorua town Andy finally found a pair of shorts to replace his DKNY ones that hes had for 9 years! In the evening we got picked up and taken to the nearby Mitai Maori Village where we had a really nice evening. We watched the Mitai warriors in traditional dress and body paint, paddle a hand crafted canoe down stream chanting and pulling their faces of war. After we sat and watched a really good traditional Maori performance set in a actual village site. It was led by the Mitai cheif and his tribe performed a number of dances, games and songs. The finale was a brilliant full blown haka. We ate a lovely dinner that was cooked in a hangi (traditional underground oven of hot stones and wood). The evening finished with a bush walk and a look at the sacred Fairy Spring. On our last day in Rotorua we visited the Te Wairoa – buried village. Here we spent time looking around the museum learning about people and places affected by the massive volcanic eruption of Mt Tarawera in 1866 which buried a large town. We saw a lot of the excavated artefacts and looked at the remains of some surviving buildings in the grounds. We then followed a steep track down to the foot of the picturesque 30m Wairere Falls. After, we drove to a nearby lookout which provided great views of the Waitoharuru Valley (where the lava flooded) Lake Tarawera and Mt Tarawera. In the evening we visited the Polynesian Spa where we spent an hour or so sitting in the various outdoor geothermally heated pools that were filled with natural waters – they ranged in temperature, the hottest being a lovely 42 degrees!

Related Travel Entry

• Rotorua
  This place absolutely whiffs of rotten eggs - you could fart to your heart's content here and no one would know (of course I don't do things like that).  People come here to visit areas of therma...
• A Buried Village, and Mitai Maori Night
  So how did you like all the funky stuff I told you about Rotorua in the last post? Sometimes the city seems like any other city....then you bump into a geothermal area, and it looks like another plane...
• "Whiffy….Who Dropped One?"
  This thing is going to time out in a minute so the writing might just stop and you'll have to hold on with baited breath for the installment about the eggy city....Anyway we arrived in Rotorua on Frid...
• Rotten-Rua
  Rotorua earned its nickname ‘Rotten-Rua’ as a result of the distinctly eggy smell that lingers around it, owing to the geothermal activity of the area - bubbling mud pools, hot geysers (not you Dan), ...
• Day 16 (sorry this is a long one)
  Rotorua - Breathe in the Sulpher rich air of Rotorua and youve already got a taste of NZ most Dynamic thermal area with Spurting Geysers, Steaming hot Springs and Exploding Mud pools. The Maori revere...