Hey there KJ -
Finally, some relaxation for me on the beaches in the south of Sri Lanka. Hong Kong for a day was splendid, as it always is, just an amazing place to visit with by far the best airport in the world to boot, so Colombo really had a hard time living up to any expectations. It's nothing but dust and dirt, people and more people, unbelievable noise on the streets from continuous honking and 50-year old diesel buses, not to mention legions of tuk tuks. Escaping towards the south I rode an "Intercity Express" train for 3 1/2 hours, something more similar to old wooden cargo waggons than anything remotely resembling up-to-date train technology, not to mention the 1000+ people spilling out from open doors along the entire stretch of this express moving at about 30 km/h. Quite an experience, let's leave it at that. The beach at Hikkaduwa was nothing to write home about (but plenty of tsunami t-shirts on sale, of course), the ancient fort town of Galle at least has something akin to what one would call charme, but the beach at Unawatuna is worth a day or two - nothing like the South Pacific but relaxed and nice, not to mention cheap. Back to Colombo tomorrow, the day after on to some more stressful life for me - island hopping on the Maldives.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Ciao Kermit -
Oh wonderful Old Continent! After dust and dirt, deserts and camels, Islamic round-the-clock prayers and mosques, shwarma and dishdashas - finally, some old-fashioned relaxation with capuccinos in trattorias on Rome's cobblestone streets in beautiful springtime sunshine. Two days here (again) reminded me of ultimately questioning my final destiny... it always seems so much more like Mediterranean Europe than Northern California. We shall see one day! Hong Kong for a day tomorrow, then via Bangkok to Colombo for a few days in Sri Lanka. Beach time!!!
Oh wonderful Old Continent! After dust and dirt, deserts and camels, Islamic round-the-clock prayers and mosques, shwarma and dishdashas - finally, some old-fashioned relaxation with capuccinos in trattorias on Rome's cobblestone streets in beautiful springtime sunshine. Two days here (again) reminded me of ultimately questioning my final destiny... it always seems so much more like Mediterranean Europe than Northern California. We shall see one day! Hong Kong for a day tomorrow, then via Bangkok to Colombo for a few days in Sri Lanka. Beach time!!!
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Hello Junior -
I am back in Bahrain now at the Cathay Pacific lounge but what a trip to Kuwait it was! On my Gulf Air flight from Abu Dhabi (Emirates) to Doha (Qatar), I sat next to this cool Kuwait stock exchange manager, in full Arabian outfit of course. When I told him about my travels and complained that it was impossible to get in and out of Saudi Arabia or Kuwait he just smiled and told me "no problem" because he has "wusta" - basically, some sort of local influence with the powers. I went to the headquarters of you-know-who Al Jazeera in Doha for a "business invitation" of some sort, flew to Bahrain where I received said invitation along with tickets on Jazeera (yeah, there's an airline, too) and then was immediately granted residence in Kuwait upon arrival when I handed over my fancy letter! (The Americans haven't managed to do that for me in over 9 years now!) Pretty amazing plaze there... patched bullet and missile holes on the famous Kuwait Towers, tons of destruction/construction going on, bustling life, and probably the most S-Class Mercedes cars I have ever seen in my life. I always think I am so smart but this time I got screwed: I wasn't able to send a postcard for bragging rights - think about it, obviously there isn't any money to be made from selling postcards if there are no tourists! Believe it or not, sometimes we fail at the simplest tasks... here, buying postcards and stamps. Now via London to Rome for two days of well-deserved R+R!
I am back in Bahrain now at the Cathay Pacific lounge but what a trip to Kuwait it was! On my Gulf Air flight from Abu Dhabi (Emirates) to Doha (Qatar), I sat next to this cool Kuwait stock exchange manager, in full Arabian outfit of course. When I told him about my travels and complained that it was impossible to get in and out of Saudi Arabia or Kuwait he just smiled and told me "no problem" because he has "wusta" - basically, some sort of local influence with the powers. I went to the headquarters of you-know-who Al Jazeera in Doha for a "business invitation" of some sort, flew to Bahrain where I received said invitation along with tickets on Jazeera (yeah, there's an airline, too) and then was immediately granted residence in Kuwait upon arrival when I handed over my fancy letter! (The Americans haven't managed to do that for me in over 9 years now!) Pretty amazing plaze there... patched bullet and missile holes on the famous Kuwait Towers, tons of destruction/construction going on, bustling life, and probably the most S-Class Mercedes cars I have ever seen in my life. I always think I am so smart but this time I got screwed: I wasn't able to send a postcard for bragging rights - think about it, obviously there isn't any money to be made from selling postcards if there are no tourists! Believe it or not, sometimes we fail at the simplest tasks... here, buying postcards and stamps. Now via London to Rome for two days of well-deserved R+R!
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
As-salaam aleikum, Mr. Junior!
Moving on to Doha, Qatar, tonight after my whirlwind tour of Oman and the Emirates. There really are camels on the back of trucks!!! Hiked all over Muscat, visiting the sultan's palace area in the old walled city and having afternoon tea at the mundane Al Bustan Palace Hotel. Crossed overland into the Emirates - nothing but gorgeous rock and orange sand deserts everywhere. Dubai is something else... glitz and glam everywhere, shopping with no end in sight, and people rich beyond my wildest dreams driving all sorts of nowhere-else-to-be-seen cars. For one day I got to experience how The Other Half lives: I managed to get an invitation into the Burj-al-Arab, the monumental sail-shaped seven-star offshore hotel on Jumeirah Beach. Wealth is measured by the size of your snow-white Rolls Royce here, with the occasional Lamborghini or Ferrari thrown in. A bar visit at its top-of-the-seas Al Muntaha restaurant and bar on the top level, that little glass appendix opposite the helipad, almost broke my bank account and made me cancel the rest of my trip. It was awesome, though, baby!!!
Moving on to Doha, Qatar, tonight after my whirlwind tour of Oman and the Emirates. There really are camels on the back of trucks!!! Hiked all over Muscat, visiting the sultan's palace area in the old walled city and having afternoon tea at the mundane Al Bustan Palace Hotel. Crossed overland into the Emirates - nothing but gorgeous rock and orange sand deserts everywhere. Dubai is something else... glitz and glam everywhere, shopping with no end in sight, and people rich beyond my wildest dreams driving all sorts of nowhere-else-to-be-seen cars. For one day I got to experience how The Other Half lives: I managed to get an invitation into the Burj-al-Arab, the monumental sail-shaped seven-star offshore hotel on Jumeirah Beach. Wealth is measured by the size of your snow-white Rolls Royce here, with the occasional Lamborghini or Ferrari thrown in. A bar visit at its top-of-the-seas Al Muntaha restaurant and bar on the top level, that little glass appendix opposite the helipad, almost broke my bank account and made me cancel the rest of my trip. It was awesome, though, baby!!!
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Hello KJ -
I didn't get lost in the Bermuda Triangle! (But plenty of money did.) It's one of those check-off-the-list destinations: Pretty nice and entertaining for a few days but way overpriced for what it's worth, in my humble opinion. I explored the entire rock from end to end, from its naval dockyard to historic St. George, from Hamilton to the southern shoreline of Horseshoe Bay and Ellbow Beach. A short overnight hop to London, where I missed my connection coming from Gatwick to Heathrow, so I got stuck here for 24 hours and wandered the always nice-to-look-at new embankment area on the river, strolling across the Millenum Bridge past the London Eye back to Westminster, not to mention the obligatory loop from Oxford Circus via Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square back to Centre Point. Same story here, though: Everything has gotten extremely overpriced now; even the YH charges a cool 50 bucks per night now. So I am happy to finally jet to new frontiers today - I am in a lounge at Heathrow awaiting my flight via Abu Dhabi to Muscat. Arabia, here I come!
I didn't get lost in the Bermuda Triangle! (But plenty of money did.) It's one of those check-off-the-list destinations: Pretty nice and entertaining for a few days but way overpriced for what it's worth, in my humble opinion. I explored the entire rock from end to end, from its naval dockyard to historic St. George, from Hamilton to the southern shoreline of Horseshoe Bay and Ellbow Beach. A short overnight hop to London, where I missed my connection coming from Gatwick to Heathrow, so I got stuck here for 24 hours and wandered the always nice-to-look-at new embankment area on the river, strolling across the Millenum Bridge past the London Eye back to Westminster, not to mention the obligatory loop from Oxford Circus via Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square back to Centre Point. Same story here, though: Everything has gotten extremely overpriced now; even the YH charges a cool 50 bucks per night now. So I am happy to finally jet to new frontiers today - I am in a lounge at Heathrow awaiting my flight via Abu Dhabi to Muscat. Arabia, here I come!
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Frog!!!
I suck, I know. Sorry for being such a pathetic blogger these days. And I can't even say that there hasn't been anything to blog about! My Europe trip was nice as always, except for the fact that the airlines lost all my luggage and I had to do some extra shopping for myself. My god-daughter had a great time, as she first received all the hastily purchased replacement gifts for x-mas, then two weeks later all her original gifts (the luggage did eventually arrive, after all). A great sight-seeing day in Berlin with friends, then it was off to Canada, oh Canada! A cloudy and rainy day in Montreal, then for the big prize: Toronto and my beloved CN Tower. I kind of enjoyed a super-icy day at Niagara Falls on New Year's Eve, then froze off my ass in Toronto's central square for the midnight festivities. The trip back home, via Chicago in winter (!!!), would fill yet another book - let's just say that I got my new dose of anti-O'Hare medication. Now it's finally the second week of January and I am ready for my next spin around the globe... T-1 days! Tomorrow night I'll red-eye to JFK, then I'll venture over to the magic triangle of Bermuda.
I suck, I know. Sorry for being such a pathetic blogger these days. And I can't even say that there hasn't been anything to blog about! My Europe trip was nice as always, except for the fact that the airlines lost all my luggage and I had to do some extra shopping for myself. My god-daughter had a great time, as she first received all the hastily purchased replacement gifts for x-mas, then two weeks later all her original gifts (the luggage did eventually arrive, after all). A great sight-seeing day in Berlin with friends, then it was off to Canada, oh Canada! A cloudy and rainy day in Montreal, then for the big prize: Toronto and my beloved CN Tower. I kind of enjoyed a super-icy day at Niagara Falls on New Year's Eve, then froze off my ass in Toronto's central square for the midnight festivities. The trip back home, via Chicago in winter (!!!), would fill yet another book - let's just say that I got my new dose of anti-O'Hare medication. Now it's finally the second week of January and I am ready for my next spin around the globe... T-1 days! Tomorrow night I'll red-eye to JFK, then I'll venture over to the magic triangle of Bermuda.
- 01/14 British-Atlantic Luxury:
Stop-over in New York City for a day, then getting lost in the Bermuda Triangle while buying those shorts and having Tetley Tea. - 01/19 Cruising the Arabian Peninsula:
Discovering the Muslim first world of Oman, the Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain. - 02/01 Recharging batteries in Europe:
Two days in Rome, just because. - 02/04 Indian Ocean island hopping:
More of what I love to do most - sunshine and turquoise waters for beaches and diving in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. - 02/16 Western Pacific explorations:
Did I mention my preference for blue waters and secluded island beaches? Adventures in Palau and the Philippines. - 03/01 Caribbean Delights:
A week in the southern West Indies to relax from all these exhausting travels.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Hey Frog -
Just a brief status update... there never seems to be the right time for blogging when I am actually inside the US of A. My multi-hop return via La Paz, Lima and Los Angeles was rather uneventful, albeit yet another reinforcemnet of why I have gotten addicted to flying in the front of airplanes only. Red-eyes suddenly turn into the most desirable kind of flying, as they save so much time without all the exhaustion that comes with being squeezed into the trunk of the cabin space. Obviously, my bottle of champagne to tuck me in properly certainly doesn't hurt, either. Now that I am back in the States for a few days I can see exactly why I don't want to be here right now: Rain, wind, cold. Well, actually, we've had blue skies yesterday and today for a change, so I shamelessly undressed and enjoyed my beach - what a beautiful day it was by the sea yesterday! Okey dokey, gotta get going - big German dinner tonight, so I have to get back to the stove.
Just a brief status update... there never seems to be the right time for blogging when I am actually inside the US of A. My multi-hop return via La Paz, Lima and Los Angeles was rather uneventful, albeit yet another reinforcemnet of why I have gotten addicted to flying in the front of airplanes only. Red-eyes suddenly turn into the most desirable kind of flying, as they save so much time without all the exhaustion that comes with being squeezed into the trunk of the cabin space. Obviously, my bottle of champagne to tuck me in properly certainly doesn't hurt, either. Now that I am back in the States for a few days I can see exactly why I don't want to be here right now: Rain, wind, cold. Well, actually, we've had blue skies yesterday and today for a change, so I shamelessly undressed and enjoyed my beach - what a beautiful day it was by the sea yesterday! Okey dokey, gotta get going - big German dinner tonight, so I have to get back to the stove.
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Heya Frog -
You'd absolutely love it here! After another spectacular day combing through the ruins of Machu Picchu and even climbing atop the incredible Wayna Picchu right behind it, I finally made my way down south to the shores of Lake Titicaca. It's the highest navigable lake in the world and I am constantly out of breath but I just had to visit the famous Uros people on their floating islands right away. Remember Thor Heyerdahl's expeditions on Kon-Tiki and Ra I/II? They have these amazing boats here made from the same material as their little islands and houses. There's not much that leaves me speechlss these days but to see these little people actually live on these floating islands is beyond description. Tomorrow I'll head further south to Copacabana, past the Bilivian border, and hop onto a catamaran to get to the Isla del Sol and the birthplace of the Inca sagas. If all goes well I will end up in La Paz late at night, ready for my return to Lima and Los Angeles.
You'd absolutely love it here! After another spectacular day combing through the ruins of Machu Picchu and even climbing atop the incredible Wayna Picchu right behind it, I finally made my way down south to the shores of Lake Titicaca. It's the highest navigable lake in the world and I am constantly out of breath but I just had to visit the famous Uros people on their floating islands right away. Remember Thor Heyerdahl's expeditions on Kon-Tiki and Ra I/II? They have these amazing boats here made from the same material as their little islands and houses. There's not much that leaves me speechlss these days but to see these little people actually live on these floating islands is beyond description. Tomorrow I'll head further south to Copacabana, past the Bilivian border, and hop onto a catamaran to get to the Isla del Sol and the birthplace of the Inca sagas. If all goes well I will end up in La Paz late at night, ready for my return to Lima and Los Angeles.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Heya Junior -
Just remember these few items: Ukuku's and Mama Africa! After some inicial exploration of Cuzco, capital of the old Inca world, I joined a half-day city tour yesterday in the afternoon. Lucky me... I had a great time hopping from cathedral to church to Inca relics to whatever-else-there-was, not the least because of wonderful company I found on this on-the-bus-off-the-bus-style excursion. I should have been tucked in by 10 at night because of my 5:00 a.m. departure the next morning for Machu Picchu but, alas, it didn't happen. I had about 2 hours of sleep before hopping onto the 4-hour train ride to km 104 towards Aguas Calientes and, to say the least, had quite a tough time on today's first day of Inca Trail trekking at high altitude. If nothing else, all the jungle sweating and 1000+ cobblestone stairs were defintely worth it, arriving after over 7 hours at the Gate of the Sun for a first breath-taking close-up look of the Lost City of the Incas. The hot springs tonight were right on the money, and that big jug of mate de coca will make me sleep like a baby tonight! More Machu Picchu tomorrow, a return ride to Cuzco, and then I will be off to Lake Titicaca.
Just remember these few items: Ukuku's and Mama Africa! After some inicial exploration of Cuzco, capital of the old Inca world, I joined a half-day city tour yesterday in the afternoon. Lucky me... I had a great time hopping from cathedral to church to Inca relics to whatever-else-there-was, not the least because of wonderful company I found on this on-the-bus-off-the-bus-style excursion. I should have been tucked in by 10 at night because of my 5:00 a.m. departure the next morning for Machu Picchu but, alas, it didn't happen. I had about 2 hours of sleep before hopping onto the 4-hour train ride to km 104 towards Aguas Calientes and, to say the least, had quite a tough time on today's first day of Inca Trail trekking at high altitude. If nothing else, all the jungle sweating and 1000+ cobblestone stairs were defintely worth it, arriving after over 7 hours at the Gate of the Sun for a first breath-taking close-up look of the Lost City of the Incas. The hot springs tonight were right on the money, and that big jug of mate de coca will make me sleep like a baby tonight! More Machu Picchu tomorrow, a return ride to Cuzco, and then I will be off to Lake Titicaca.
Monday, November 21, 2005
Yowza KJ...
What a great time on Galapagos! I left the islands after less than a week but I sure will return one day soon - quite an amazing place. I visited the Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora on my last day there (and, just to rub it in and to further support research on evolution, spent quite a bit of money at their store). Wonderful to see their repatriation efforts with all those baby tortoises; Lonesome George is obviously quite another sight there. On my way back I went through Guayaquil and arrived in Peru yesterday. Lima is such a big city full of contrast... most people are not even remotely aware that it's another city with close to 10 million inhabitants. I wandered around the old colonial center today, went atop Cerro San Christobal for a rather foggy bird's eye view of the city, and made it back to the really nice part of town Miraflores, where I stay and where one can kill time at the cliff-top Larco Mar entertainment mall under open skies. Tomorrow I'll be off to Cuzco - time for those old Incas to live up to the hype when I ascend to Machu Picchu!
What a great time on Galapagos! I left the islands after less than a week but I sure will return one day soon - quite an amazing place. I visited the Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora on my last day there (and, just to rub it in and to further support research on evolution, spent quite a bit of money at their store). Wonderful to see their repatriation efforts with all those baby tortoises; Lonesome George is obviously quite another sight there. On my way back I went through Guayaquil and arrived in Peru yesterday. Lima is such a big city full of contrast... most people are not even remotely aware that it's another city with close to 10 million inhabitants. I wandered around the old colonial center today, went atop Cerro San Christobal for a rather foggy bird's eye view of the city, and made it back to the really nice part of town Miraflores, where I stay and where one can kill time at the cliff-top Larco Mar entertainment mall under open skies. Tomorrow I'll be off to Cuzco - time for those old Incas to live up to the hype when I ascend to Machu Picchu!
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Salut Junior!
Take that, all you "intelligent design" idiots around George W. - evolution is absolutely fantastic, at least here on Galapagos, the Islands of Fire. Wow... there's not a moment when one does not stumble over giant tortoises, colorful iguanas, funny blue-footed boobies, playful seals, or red-bubbly great frigate birds. I even went diving with hammerhead sharks and manta rays today! It is simply astonishing how fearless these animals are over here; one can approach all of them without hesitation and they will curiously meet your interest rather than taking off. Gotta run... too much to see and do here!
Take that, all you "intelligent design" idiots around George W. - evolution is absolutely fantastic, at least here on Galapagos, the Islands of Fire. Wow... there's not a moment when one does not stumble over giant tortoises, colorful iguanas, funny blue-footed boobies, playful seals, or red-bubbly great frigate birds. I even went diving with hammerhead sharks and manta rays today! It is simply astonishing how fearless these animals are over here; one can approach all of them without hesitation and they will curiously meet your interest rather than taking off. Gotta run... too much to see and do here!
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Hola Froggie -
I will finally get to see your Darwinian ancestors - I actually did manage to get super-expensive tickets to fly out to the Galapagos islands tomorrow! My little whirlwind tour of Quito is coming to an end tonight; I went to the Center of the World obelisk at the equator for the obligatory tourist fotos yesterday and rode along the highest stretch of the Panamericana to see the Cotopaxi volcano today. And guess what... I am back here at Papaya.net and I am going out for dinner tonight with the smiling beauty from two days ago and her best friend. Welcome to Ecuador!
I will finally get to see your Darwinian ancestors - I actually did manage to get super-expensive tickets to fly out to the Galapagos islands tomorrow! My little whirlwind tour of Quito is coming to an end tonight; I went to the Center of the World obelisk at the equator for the obligatory tourist fotos yesterday and rode along the highest stretch of the Panamericana to see the Cotopaxi volcano today. And guess what... I am back here at Papaya.net and I am going out for dinner tonight with the smiling beauty from two days ago and her best friend. Welcome to Ecuador!
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Heya Junior -
Hola from Quito in Ecuador, where 9300 feet is your daily base altitude while inside the valley of the city. I got here rather late this Saturday night, so I went straight for the night life in the capital's Mariscal Sucre zone around the corner from the place where I stay. Kind of scary to see numerous private security guards with full body armor and armed to the teeth with their beefy dogs in front of every bar and club here but, as I've been told, they are there for good reason. Strange how my effect on people is different from culture to culture - while in Colombia women couldn't care less about me being yet another gringo visiting their country; now that I've been in Ecuador for the past 4 hours it seems like I got them melting left and right with just a smile. I had the first phone number and date for tonight before even leaving the airport, I left the hostel together with two hotties from Guayaquil, and now in the Papaya.net cafe I have this stunner of a beauty queen smile straight at me while I'm typing this. Life is good, sometimes! Well, trying to think clearly - the plan is to ride atop (!) a train tomorrow morning to the Cotopaxi volcano, and then on Monday to snatch another one of those spread-your-legs-across-the-equator pictures. Hopefully, I'll also be able to get tickets for a flight to the Galapagos islands. Gotta check for real Kermits there! Taataaaa...
Hola from Quito in Ecuador, where 9300 feet is your daily base altitude while inside the valley of the city. I got here rather late this Saturday night, so I went straight for the night life in the capital's Mariscal Sucre zone around the corner from the place where I stay. Kind of scary to see numerous private security guards with full body armor and armed to the teeth with their beefy dogs in front of every bar and club here but, as I've been told, they are there for good reason. Strange how my effect on people is different from culture to culture - while in Colombia women couldn't care less about me being yet another gringo visiting their country; now that I've been in Ecuador for the past 4 hours it seems like I got them melting left and right with just a smile. I had the first phone number and date for tonight before even leaving the airport, I left the hostel together with two hotties from Guayaquil, and now in the Papaya.net cafe I have this stunner of a beauty queen smile straight at me while I'm typing this. Life is good, sometimes! Well, trying to think clearly - the plan is to ride atop (!) a train tomorrow morning to the Cotopaxi volcano, and then on Monday to snatch another one of those spread-your-legs-across-the-equator pictures. Hopefully, I'll also be able to get tickets for a flight to the Galapagos islands. Gotta check for real Kermits there! Taataaaa...
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Heya KJ -
Doing business in Medellin today! Just kidding, of course... greetings from the former epicenter of all things cocaine, which today presents itself as a beautifully situated modern city surrounded by mountains - this already captures the essence of its problem nowadays, terrible smog. Other than that, I could actually like it here for a few days but I'm on the fast track back to Santa Fe de Bogota, a 9-hour bus ride away tomorrow. Later gator!
Doing business in Medellin today! Just kidding, of course... greetings from the former epicenter of all things cocaine, which today presents itself as a beautifully situated modern city surrounded by mountains - this already captures the essence of its problem nowadays, terrible smog. Other than that, I could actually like it here for a few days but I'm on the fast track back to Santa Fe de Bogota, a 9-hour bus ride away tomorrow. Later gator!
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Hello Froggie...
I finally am Romancing The Stone, can you believe it?!? Greetings from Cartagena de Indias, where I fell into the honey pot of the City's maddest days of the year - the election of Miss Colombia. Holy cow, I feel more like a wolf locked up in a sheep corral here... the Colombianas are a feast for the eyes anywhere, any time, but put them into hot and humid Cartagena and they dress decidedly eye-popping, leaving nothing to the imagination. "Sin tetas no hay paradiso." (I didn't make this up; I read that on a girl's t-shirt written across her impressive assets.) Luckily, I managed to buy a replacement camera after Miss Digital Elph III had kicked the bucket two days ago, so I am back in business documenting everything for the next iteration of my globetrotting web site. The gigantic medieval walls constructed around the old center are quite impressive; I even managed to climb atop the largest fortress ever built by Spaniards in their former colonies. It's a bit more touristy here than in the rest of Colombia but the stunning colonial architecture alone is worth the trip, not to mention the fun night life. A couple more days here, then I will be off to Medellin to check out the core of the white powder business.
Tataaa...
I finally am Romancing The Stone, can you believe it?!? Greetings from Cartagena de Indias, where I fell into the honey pot of the City's maddest days of the year - the election of Miss Colombia. Holy cow, I feel more like a wolf locked up in a sheep corral here... the Colombianas are a feast for the eyes anywhere, any time, but put them into hot and humid Cartagena and they dress decidedly eye-popping, leaving nothing to the imagination. "Sin tetas no hay paradiso." (I didn't make this up; I read that on a girl's t-shirt written across her impressive assets.) Luckily, I managed to buy a replacement camera after Miss Digital Elph III had kicked the bucket two days ago, so I am back in business documenting everything for the next iteration of my globetrotting web site. The gigantic medieval walls constructed around the old center are quite impressive; I even managed to climb atop the largest fortress ever built by Spaniards in their former colonies. It's a bit more touristy here than in the rest of Colombia but the stunning colonial architecture alone is worth the trip, not to mention the fun night life. A couple more days here, then I will be off to Medellin to check out the core of the white powder business.
Tataaa...
Monday, November 07, 2005
Heya Kermit -
Well, there's good news and bad news, as almost always. The good news first: I am having fun, fun, fun!!! The bad news is that the Murphy Cam Law has hit me full force... my beloved little digital camera, one of only three items of nostalgia that have made it with me through all my travels around the world since the beginning of The Big One (the other two are my Amex and my Tissot), finally died on me at 13:03 local time on November 6, 2005. Rest in Peace! Looks like the CCD sensor got somehow fried after attempting to take picture number 23,875. I can still look at the first few pics I took on this trip but any new pictures I take look rather not-so-funny. The Murphy's Law part of the story is, of course, that this had to happen after leaving the cheap shopping haven that is the US of A, not to mention the fact that it had to happen the afternoon before a major public holiday here in Colombia, meaning I will have to wait yet another day until I can go shopping in Cartagena tomorrow. Oh well! However, I did get to indulge in two of my favorite travel activities yesterday: I took the funicular and cablecar up and down the Montserrat monastery mountain, and I obviously had to get on top of the Torre Colpatria to enjoy its spectacular panoramic views over downtown Bogota. Oh, and I suppose I should mention that it was the final day of the regular football (note to Americans: "soccer") season here, so a bunch of us went to see the Leones Rojos de Santa Fe de Bogota beat Real Cartagena at the electric El Campin stadium to make it to the playoffs - what a party!
Hasta pronto froggie.
Well, there's good news and bad news, as almost always. The good news first: I am having fun, fun, fun!!! The bad news is that the Murphy Cam Law has hit me full force... my beloved little digital camera, one of only three items of nostalgia that have made it with me through all my travels around the world since the beginning of The Big One (the other two are my Amex and my Tissot), finally died on me at 13:03 local time on November 6, 2005. Rest in Peace! Looks like the CCD sensor got somehow fried after attempting to take picture number 23,875. I can still look at the first few pics I took on this trip but any new pictures I take look rather not-so-funny. The Murphy's Law part of the story is, of course, that this had to happen after leaving the cheap shopping haven that is the US of A, not to mention the fact that it had to happen the afternoon before a major public holiday here in Colombia, meaning I will have to wait yet another day until I can go shopping in Cartagena tomorrow. Oh well! However, I did get to indulge in two of my favorite travel activities yesterday: I took the funicular and cablecar up and down the Montserrat monastery mountain, and I obviously had to get on top of the Torre Colpatria to enjoy its spectacular panoramic views over downtown Bogota. Oh, and I suppose I should mention that it was the final day of the regular football (note to Americans: "soccer") season here, so a bunch of us went to see the Leones Rojos de Santa Fe de Bogota beat Real Cartagena at the electric El Campin stadium to make it to the playoffs - what a party!
Hasta pronto froggie.
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Hola Junior -
It's been 13 months in the making... and finally I'm on the road again - greetings from Bogota, Colombia! This is what it's all about: Crazy zoo at the airport, hair-raising taxi ride to downtown, and cool people at the hotel. I'm just enjoying some R+R tonite before venturing out tomorrow morning to explore the city. It's a big holiday here on Monday (Dia de las Almas), so tomorrow, on Sunday, truckloads of people will climb Montserrat or take the cableway or funicular to the cathedral on the mountain top. I will have a look and then descent upon the city... the famous Museo del Oro is first on the list. Monday afternoon I'll be off to the north coast - my beloved Cartagena of Romancing The Stone fame. Woohoooo!!! Happy again, Matthias.
It's been 13 months in the making... and finally I'm on the road again - greetings from Bogota, Colombia! This is what it's all about: Crazy zoo at the airport, hair-raising taxi ride to downtown, and cool people at the hotel. I'm just enjoying some R+R tonite before venturing out tomorrow morning to explore the city. It's a big holiday here on Monday (Dia de las Almas), so tomorrow, on Sunday, truckloads of people will climb Montserrat or take the cableway or funicular to the cathedral on the mountain top. I will have a look and then descent upon the city... the famous Museo del Oro is first on the list. Monday afternoon I'll be off to the north coast - my beloved Cartagena of Romancing The Stone fame. Woohoooo!!! Happy again, Matthias.
Friday, October 28, 2005
Yowza Junior - Wake Up! ;-) It's been a year since we last had a talk but Black Is Back... Hello again, dear frog. The obvious reason for my return is H3 - The Next Big One, my next globetrotting adventure set to get under way November 4, 2005. Gotta scratch that itch - time to travel again to far away places, not to mention to get away from all this cold and rainy madness in the winter of northern California. So, here we go again - probably not seven times around the world again but definitely close to two spins around this globe. I will post the latest plans at www.matthiasworldwide.com but most of the fun stuff (maps, pictures, stories) won't be there until after my return in March 2006. See you around!
- Matthias.
- Matthias.
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Hola KJ - back in Madrid! What a busy week did I have... returned from Crete to Germany and enjoyed mama's cooking for a few days before spending a fun night with my high school gang - class reunion after 16 years. Quite a surprise to hear the life stories of some of them, and funny to note that most girls were quickly turning into big breeders while most guys are still clinging to the life in the fast lane. Another great train ride followed aboard a tilt-technology ICE-T through many Germain mountain areas to Munich, where I obviously had few other reasons for being than the Oktoberfest. A quick side trip to Salzburg in Austria, and then it was again off to Madrid to put the icing on top of my round-the-world cake. For all of you in the know - I did get my new passport and I also managed to finally get my new US visas today... woohoo! Sunday it's back to California for my next round of dishwasher-to-millionaire attempts.
Saturday, September 18, 2004
Once again, Kalimera - this time from the island of Crete. After my last post I did manage to get to Istanbul in Turkey, which is quite an amazing place for religious architecture, intercontinental river cruises, and fake designer goods on 1,000s of bazaars throughout the city. As I am not too impressed by all things churches and mosques etc. I took the overnight bus two days later to get via Izmir to Bodrum, only to catch a ferry to the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Yeah!!! My favorite past-time.. island-hopping in the land of Homer & Co. This year, I started on Kos, where I visited the ancient Asklipieion of Hippocrates, first hospital in the world and birthplace of modern medicine. Some beach time, then on to Rhodes to wander around this amazing old town of cobblestone alleys and medieval fortresses. I also made it to the touristy Akropolis of Lindos and the southern beaches of Gennadi, where I could finally escape the relentless crowds. A ferry at ungodly morning hours took me to Karpathos, half-way towards Crete. Climbing around the old village of Olymbos is nothing short of spectacular, with its isolated people and their strange customs providing the real traveling experience away from the beaten paths. Another beach-only day at Amoopi before I hopped on the next ferry to Sitia, Crete's easternmost port. More beachtime at the famous palm tree forest of Vai in the far east, then a day in Agios Nikolaos. I arrived at Iraklio today, main city of the island, and after all that island solitude this is quite the civilization shock here, with thousands of stupid tourists causing prices to be more than twice as high as in the rest of the Aegaean Sea. Nevertheless, I did venture to the Palace of Knossos and must say that, after having seen the likes of Pompeji and Herculaneum in Italy, I was quite disappointed. Anyway, more beach time tomorrow and on Monday it's back to Germany for a few days!