Two seals near Nugget Bay.
donderdag 12 november 2009
Today is Thursday 12th. November 2009.
We drove from Portobello (Otago Peninsula)
to the most southern point of the south Island
of New Zealand.
It’s called Slope Point.
The weather is not to good (rain now and
than) and it is cold. According to the
weather report on the radio it would rain and
it did and the temperature would be like 16
degrees Celsius. This last part was not right.
Although we don’t have a thermometer it is
Probably something like 10 degrees and the
fierce wind (from the Arctic) makes it a lot
colder.
But since we have a holiday and a heater in
the van we shouldn’t complain.
Lots of people wear ski-jacks, woolen caps,
etc. like it is winter (and it seems like that).
We only brought summer-clothes.
During our trip today we stopped at a place,
called Nugget Point near a village called
Kaimataitai.
At Nugget Point there is a lighthouse.
We took a hike to the lighthouse and on the
rocks, below the lighthouse we saw (and
photographed) some seals or sea-lions.
From the top of the cliff to the sea is more
than hundred meters or even more, but still
it was nice to see.
Big waves on the rocks make always nice
views.
So that I don’t forget I have to tell you that we
saw yesterday a Maori woman in the Albatros
Observation Centre, with facial tattoos.
It just looked like she was wearing a beard.
On our way we visited the New Zealand Niagara
Falls. The falls were only very, very small.
Here in New Zealand they do everywhere
everything to attract tourists.
All villages have a museum, old buildings
(even older than 1900) and everything is advertised
on colourfull signs. You can’t miss them.
Today we saw again thousands and thousands
of sheep (for people who love sheep, it must be
heaven overhere).
They have lots of cows here too (Blaarkoppen
and Lakenvelders); I don’t know the English
names. These cows we used to have in
Holland too (50 years ago or so) before the
nowadays cows who just give milk and that’s it.
For people who love cows (and especially older
races or versions or whatever) it must be heaven
too.
We are camping now at Slope Point, a few miles
from the ocean.
It is a campground (farm-camping) for some tents
(no tents today because it is to cold) and two
campers.
We are the only people camping here tonight.
Buys Ballot’s law doesn’t seem to apply here,
because there are (the last so many days) only
westerly winds and I thought that in the southern
hemisphere the winds come from the east??
The trees think so too, because they all have
grown with their branches and treetops to the
east.
We enjoy our trip here very much because every
time the landscape differs from meadows to
rainforests and from flat country to high, snow-
topped mountains.
The coast does resemble Scotland and Nova
Scotia very much and is, for that, beautiful and
sometimes even awesome.
This is it for today.
Hope to “post” this tomorrow.
We drove from Portobello (Otago Peninsula)
to the most southern point of the south Island
of New Zealand.
It’s called Slope Point.
The weather is not to good (rain now and
than) and it is cold. According to the
weather report on the radio it would rain and
it did and the temperature would be like 16
degrees Celsius. This last part was not right.
Although we don’t have a thermometer it is
Probably something like 10 degrees and the
fierce wind (from the Arctic) makes it a lot
colder.
But since we have a holiday and a heater in
the van we shouldn’t complain.
Lots of people wear ski-jacks, woolen caps,
etc. like it is winter (and it seems like that).
We only brought summer-clothes.
During our trip today we stopped at a place,
called Nugget Point near a village called
Kaimataitai.
At Nugget Point there is a lighthouse.
We took a hike to the lighthouse and on the
rocks, below the lighthouse we saw (and
photographed) some seals or sea-lions.
From the top of the cliff to the sea is more
than hundred meters or even more, but still
it was nice to see.
Big waves on the rocks make always nice
views.
So that I don’t forget I have to tell you that we
saw yesterday a Maori woman in the Albatros
Observation Centre, with facial tattoos.
It just looked like she was wearing a beard.
On our way we visited the New Zealand Niagara
Falls. The falls were only very, very small.
Here in New Zealand they do everywhere
everything to attract tourists.
All villages have a museum, old buildings
(even older than 1900) and everything is advertised
on colourfull signs. You can’t miss them.
Today we saw again thousands and thousands
of sheep (for people who love sheep, it must be
heaven overhere).
They have lots of cows here too (Blaarkoppen
and Lakenvelders); I don’t know the English
names. These cows we used to have in
Holland too (50 years ago or so) before the
nowadays cows who just give milk and that’s it.
For people who love cows (and especially older
races or versions or whatever) it must be heaven
too.
We are camping now at Slope Point, a few miles
from the ocean.
It is a campground (farm-camping) for some tents
(no tents today because it is to cold) and two
campers.
We are the only people camping here tonight.
Buys Ballot’s law doesn’t seem to apply here,
because there are (the last so many days) only
westerly winds and I thought that in the southern
hemisphere the winds come from the east??
The trees think so too, because they all have
grown with their branches and treetops to the
east.
We enjoy our trip here very much because every
time the landscape differs from meadows to
rainforests and from flat country to high, snow-
topped mountains.
The coast does resemble Scotland and Nova
Scotia very much and is, for that, beautiful and
sometimes even awesome.
This is it for today.
Hope to “post” this tomorrow.
Aheap of (three) sealions.
You can see other lions lying on the beach, somewhat further away.
There was an icecold, fierce wind blowing from the sea (sometimes so hard we couldn't look at the beach) and we both had sand in our hair, clothes, shoes and other places (for instance later also in bed).
The water was almost freezing cold.
Today, Tuesday, we woke up at 8 in the morning.
It was cold tonight (must have been around zero
or so) and there were a few tents on the camping,so they must have been cold in the night.
At 9 we drove to the big town of Twizel, well
known in Twizel itself and surroundings.
In Twizel we bought groceries and after this main
event we set for Oumarua, a town on the seaside.
Here we will see (we hope) penguins.
And………………..yes, we saw two penguins.
We visited a special place on the beach where
Penguins come from the sea, where they were
fishing, for their partners who stay on the beach
to hatch or to look after little penguins or
whatever.
Lots of people were looking from a special
shed (they paid $ 20,- for a busride to the beach
and back and we just drove down there) at the
beach where one penguin was standing, looking
at the sea.
He (or she) stood there almost for one and a half
hour and almost didn’t move.
Because no other penguin showed itself all the
people left again and Ankie and I waited a little
longer and “YES” there came another penguin
out of the sea and I have the beast on video.
Of course this is very spectacular.
This morning we set for Dunedin (a sort of copy
of Edinburg) also on the east coast of New Zealand,
Southern Island.
We found ourselves a nice campingplace on the
Otago peninsula, in a very little village, called
Portobello.
We àrrived early (we were the first today) and
after doing the administration we went to a
beach, called Sandfly beach.
We should see there:
- Sealions (Pakaka in Maori)
- Penguins.
As I wrote there was a strong wind (I think at
least 9 or 10 beaufort) because you could lean into
the wind and the sand bit in our eyes.
We started on the high cliffs and walked down to
the beach via a “long and winding road”, through
the sanddunes beneath the cliffs.
We were halfway and we thought to see a sealion
on the beach and soon it turned out there were at
least 15 big sealions (and a small dead one too) on
the beach, sleeping.
You could walk up to them, as close as a few
meters.
It was amazing to be so near to these big animals
who didn’t give a shit about us, being close by.
We photographed them all.
They just lay around on the beach and although
now and than one looked at us, they didn’t pay us
any further attention, flipped a little with their
flippers and went on sleeping.
The way back, up the cliffs was tiresome.
And……….…we didn’t see any penguins today.
Maybe tomorrow, who knows.
All the villages and towns have their own penguins
and we’ll be able to see some more, I think in the
coming days.
We also went to an albatross observation centre.
Prince Charles of England was there before us, in
2005. Maybe he chased the birds away.
It was cold outside, because of the strong cold
wind, so we decided to drink something and looked,
in vain, for an albatross (a bird with a wingspan of
3,5 or 4 meters when mature) from the observatory.
Probably the birds were doing something else than
having us have a look at them.
After this event we went home.
No pictures today (no wifi although we paid for it).
Shit happens.
Till the next time.
It was cold tonight (must have been around zero
or so) and there were a few tents on the camping,so they must have been cold in the night.
At 9 we drove to the big town of Twizel, well
known in Twizel itself and surroundings.
In Twizel we bought groceries and after this main
event we set for Oumarua, a town on the seaside.
Here we will see (we hope) penguins.
And………………..yes, we saw two penguins.
We visited a special place on the beach where
Penguins come from the sea, where they were
fishing, for their partners who stay on the beach
to hatch or to look after little penguins or
whatever.
Lots of people were looking from a special
shed (they paid $ 20,- for a busride to the beach
and back and we just drove down there) at the
beach where one penguin was standing, looking
at the sea.
He (or she) stood there almost for one and a half
hour and almost didn’t move.
Because no other penguin showed itself all the
people left again and Ankie and I waited a little
longer and “YES” there came another penguin
out of the sea and I have the beast on video.
Of course this is very spectacular.
This morning we set for Dunedin (a sort of copy
of Edinburg) also on the east coast of New Zealand,
Southern Island.
We found ourselves a nice campingplace on the
Otago peninsula, in a very little village, called
Portobello.
We àrrived early (we were the first today) and
after doing the administration we went to a
beach, called Sandfly beach.
We should see there:
- Sealions (Pakaka in Maori)
- Penguins.
As I wrote there was a strong wind (I think at
least 9 or 10 beaufort) because you could lean into
the wind and the sand bit in our eyes.
We started on the high cliffs and walked down to
the beach via a “long and winding road”, through
the sanddunes beneath the cliffs.
We were halfway and we thought to see a sealion
on the beach and soon it turned out there were at
least 15 big sealions (and a small dead one too) on
the beach, sleeping.
You could walk up to them, as close as a few
meters.
It was amazing to be so near to these big animals
who didn’t give a shit about us, being close by.
We photographed them all.
They just lay around on the beach and although
now and than one looked at us, they didn’t pay us
any further attention, flipped a little with their
flippers and went on sleeping.
The way back, up the cliffs was tiresome.
And……….…we didn’t see any penguins today.
Maybe tomorrow, who knows.
All the villages and towns have their own penguins
and we’ll be able to see some more, I think in the
coming days.
We also went to an albatross observation centre.
Prince Charles of England was there before us, in
2005. Maybe he chased the birds away.
It was cold outside, because of the strong cold
wind, so we decided to drink something and looked,
in vain, for an albatross (a bird with a wingspan of
3,5 or 4 meters when mature) from the observatory.
Probably the birds were doing something else than
having us have a look at them.
After this event we went home.
No pictures today (no wifi although we paid for it).
Shit happens.
Till the next time.
maandag 9 november 2009
Wat heb ik nou an me fiets hange???
Ik heb nu "volgers" o.a. uit China: Muslimah4life.
Ik wist niet dat ik zo populair was.
Enfin, dit kan er ook nog wel bij. Ik ben benieuwd of ik nog word bekeerd en tot welk geloof.
Ik wist niet dat ik zo populair was.
Enfin, dit kan er ook nog wel bij. Ik ben benieuwd of ik nog word bekeerd en tot welk geloof.
To make it a little easier I show the map of New Zealand.
We arrived in Christchurch (See southern island on the east coast) and now we are somewhat north of Dunedin. On the west coast (it seems but that is not the case) you see the little yellow triangle (Mount Cook). That's the place where we were yesterday.
It's not on the west coast and to visit this place you have to start from the east coast.
To Oumarua (those names!!!)
Today, Tuesday, we woke up at 8.00 in the morning.
It was cold tonight (must have been around zero
or so) and there were a few tents on the camping, so they must have been cold in the night.
At 9.00 we drove to the big town of Twizel, well
known in Twizel itself and surroundings.
In Twizel we bought groceries and after this main
event we set for Oumarua, a town on the seaside.
Here we will see (we hope) penguins.
On our way to Oumarua we passed a place called
Vanished World Elephant Rocks.
The boulders look like elephants (in the dark and you have to be stark drunk) and we took
some pictures (Ankie more than me) and on the the pic I made you see Ankie on such a boulder.
The weather is OK now while I am writing, but this morning we had lots of clouds and it rained
a little, so the picture is dark.
The camping where we are now is OK. We took a shower and in a while we will visit the
Town Centre about which more the next time.
It was cold tonight (must have been around zero
or so) and there were a few tents on the camping, so they must have been cold in the night.
At 9.00 we drove to the big town of Twizel, well
known in Twizel itself and surroundings.
In Twizel we bought groceries and after this main
event we set for Oumarua, a town on the seaside.
Here we will see (we hope) penguins.
On our way to Oumarua we passed a place called
Vanished World Elephant Rocks.
The boulders look like elephants (in the dark and you have to be stark drunk) and we took
some pictures (Ankie more than me) and on the the pic I made you see Ankie on such a boulder.
The weather is OK now while I am writing, but this morning we had lots of clouds and it rained
a little, so the picture is dark.
The camping where we are now is OK. We took a shower and in a while we will visit the
Town Centre about which more the next time.
After a while we had to cross the river again and there it was, another Dr. Jones hangbridge. Ankie didn't allow me to swing the bridge when she was on it.
Look at the last picture. That's mount Cook, some 3750 high. We were lucky (our guide of the day told us) because there were no clouds around the top of the mountain (clouds are there usually).
Our goal was to climb Mount Cook but now we know that many climbers died on this mountain, and although I am a climber myself, we decided to look at the mountain from the valley.
During our walk up the mountain (well a little bit up) we heared lots of noise and we saw an avalanche. The pics of the avalanche are not OK so, no pics of the avalanche.
We saw beautiful white flowers when we walked along the river. See pic.
On monday we set for Mount Cook. The drive from Geraldine to Mount Cook took us about 4 hours.
On the raod to Mount Cook we came upon Lake Tekapo (or Tepako or whatever) and it was very nice.
On one of the pics here under you see the lake.
Iceblue and beautifull to see. The weather was nice and the road clear.
Somewhere in the afternoon we reached Mount Cook and in Hooker Valley we made camp. I looked everywhere but no single hooker in sight.
It is the only campground in Mount Cook and the only thing they have is a place to park your camper and there are toilets with water. It cost only 6 Euro's for the night.
Right after we arrived we took a hike direction Mount Cook. The first thing you see, apart from the mountains all around us, was a monument for climbers who lost their lives climbing Mount Cook. Apperently it is a tough mountain to climb (Edmund Hillary - no family of Hillary Clinton as far as I know - climbed this mountain a few times) and since the 1970's about 40 climbers died on this mountain. All their names were on the monument.
After the monument we soon arrived at a Dr. Jones hangbridge over the river (water flowing down from Mount Cook) and in the middle of the bridge you can see Ankie.
Geraldine, New Zealand.
This is a pretty town (our touring guide of today
says so).
And it has many, many features like:
- an old building that used to be the town hall,
- another old building which is now the town museum*,
- other buildings and shops and everything what you
can find in a little town which is one hundred years
old and is still sleepy.
On a vacation in a certain country or wherever, you
see their most interesting sites. In this case the sites
are as mentioned above.
* Behind the museum (closed, because it is Sunday) is
our campground.
The campground is very neat (as far as I can see it used
to be the town hortus - they have lots of different trees,
amongst which one giant Pine tree, original of North America -).
Price for one night: 30 New Zealand dollars, which is about 15 Euro’s. And what do you get:
- water
- electricity
- an internet shed (only one PC)
- a large kitchen with everything you need for cooking
and doing the dishes (Ankie cooked and I did the
dishes)
- a TV-room with TV (!!) and chairs
- a place to loose your grey waste
- a laundry (washers and dryers)
- large places to park your camper
- only 2 minutes to the city centre
- etc.
In town there are at least ten shops. You can get almost everything you want, except today (Sunday every shop is closed except bars, café’s, the local juiceshop and the souvenirsshop).
As you can see this is a very exciting town which thrives like unreal (even on Sunday).
We met at least ten people.
We started this morning late. We slept until ten and
we left the campground in Akaroa around eleven.
We had to drive back to Christchurch (75 Km’s) on “the long and winding road” with hairpin corners here and there.
After Christchurch we headed south, direction Mount Cook, which we are to see tomorrow.
From Christchurch we took the scenic road (nr. 72) and came trough very interesting villages like:
- Darfield
- Mount Somers (no mountains to see in the
neighbourhood)
- Mayfield
and suddenly we arrived in Geraldine.
Look on your maps at home and see where we are.
The weather is nice. Some 20 degrees or so and sunshine. Tonight it will be like 10 or so.
It was a very exciting day (we gassed up in Mount Somers) and I am looking forward to another day with lots of interesting things like cows, sheep (for people who like sheep, it must be really heaven), birds, lots of roadkill, sleeping villages, mountains far away (with snow on the tops), a car now and than and many, many other things.
This was it for today.
Tomorrow we head for Mount Cook (3754 meters) and
probably experience: snow and cold. We’ll see.
Greetings to you all from Geraldine, New Zealand.
This is a pretty town (our touring guide of today
says so).
And it has many, many features like:
- an old building that used to be the town hall,
- another old building which is now the town museum*,
- other buildings and shops and everything what you
can find in a little town which is one hundred years
old and is still sleepy.
On a vacation in a certain country or wherever, you
see their most interesting sites. In this case the sites
are as mentioned above.
* Behind the museum (closed, because it is Sunday) is
our campground.
The campground is very neat (as far as I can see it used
to be the town hortus - they have lots of different trees,
amongst which one giant Pine tree, original of North America -).
Price for one night: 30 New Zealand dollars, which is about 15 Euro’s. And what do you get:
- water
- electricity
- an internet shed (only one PC)
- a large kitchen with everything you need for cooking
and doing the dishes (Ankie cooked and I did the
dishes)
- a TV-room with TV (!!) and chairs
- a place to loose your grey waste
- a laundry (washers and dryers)
- large places to park your camper
- only 2 minutes to the city centre
- etc.
In town there are at least ten shops. You can get almost everything you want, except today (Sunday every shop is closed except bars, café’s, the local juiceshop and the souvenirsshop).
As you can see this is a very exciting town which thrives like unreal (even on Sunday).
We met at least ten people.
We started this morning late. We slept until ten and
we left the campground in Akaroa around eleven.
We had to drive back to Christchurch (75 Km’s) on “the long and winding road” with hairpin corners here and there.
After Christchurch we headed south, direction Mount Cook, which we are to see tomorrow.
From Christchurch we took the scenic road (nr. 72) and came trough very interesting villages like:
- Darfield
- Mount Somers (no mountains to see in the
neighbourhood)
- Mayfield
and suddenly we arrived in Geraldine.
Look on your maps at home and see where we are.
The weather is nice. Some 20 degrees or so and sunshine. Tonight it will be like 10 or so.
It was a very exciting day (we gassed up in Mount Somers) and I am looking forward to another day with lots of interesting things like cows, sheep (for people who like sheep, it must be really heaven), birds, lots of roadkill, sleeping villages, mountains far away (with snow on the tops), a car now and than and many, many other things.
This was it for today.
Tomorrow we head for Mount Cook (3754 meters) and
probably experience: snow and cold. We’ll see.
Greetings to you all from Geraldine, New Zealand.
Today is November 7th. (Saturday).
So yesterday was Friday. And the day before that was.......
On Friday we arrived from Sydney in New Zealand in
Christchurch.
Our suitcases arrived too, so everything was OK.
We were brought, from the airport, to our hotel in
the middle of the city.
Christchurch centre is nice, for a New Zealand town.
We visited the cathedral (Church of England or so) and
the boyschoire (spelled right?) was singing and it was
nice. After that we walked around a little.
More than half of the shops sell typical NZ things like:
- sheepskins
- woolen whatevers (by the thousends, because they
have like 5 million sheep over here; for people who like
sheep, it must be really heaven),
- Alpaca woolen vests, pullovers, etc.
- Maori art
- T-shirts with New Zealand and all other texts
- sheepskin boots (popular overhere too)
- caps with New Zealand
- all kinds of goods with "All Blacks"
- pictures of penguins and dolphins (for people who like
dolphins, it must be really heaven),
New Zealand is also well known because of its sandfly
and I'll tell you about it (I fear) later.
No caps with "sandflies" however.
For people who like sandflies, it must be really heaven.
The hotel was OK again and we slept well.
This morning a taxi came to bring us to the "rent
a motorhome" and around 12 we were heading east,
to Akaroa.
This little town is famous for its dolphins (for
people who like dolphins, it must be really heaven),
its french history (some streets even have french
names!!) and for its bay in which the dolphins.
It could somewhere in Nova Scotia but than
without dolphins.
Our camper is much better than we expected.
It has everything:
- TV
- radio
- soundsystem
- heating
- a boiler for water
- a shower
- a toilet
- two beds (but the camper sleeps 3 if neccesary)
- a kitchen with almost everythying like
. exhauster
. microwave
. watercooker
. fridge
. stove
. etc.
Tonight is the first night we will sleep in the camper.
This was it.
Greetings from Akaroa, New Zealand, famous for its
sheep and dolphins and penguins and All Blacks
and Kiwi's.
So yesterday was Friday. And the day before that was.......
On Friday we arrived from Sydney in New Zealand in
Christchurch.
Our suitcases arrived too, so everything was OK.
We were brought, from the airport, to our hotel in
the middle of the city.
Christchurch centre is nice, for a New Zealand town.
We visited the cathedral (Church of England or so) and
the boyschoire (spelled right?) was singing and it was
nice. After that we walked around a little.
More than half of the shops sell typical NZ things like:
- sheepskins
- woolen whatevers (by the thousends, because they
have like 5 million sheep over here; for people who like
sheep, it must be really heaven),
- Alpaca woolen vests, pullovers, etc.
- Maori art
- T-shirts with New Zealand and all other texts
- sheepskin boots (popular overhere too)
- caps with New Zealand
- all kinds of goods with "All Blacks"
- pictures of penguins and dolphins (for people who like
dolphins, it must be really heaven),
New Zealand is also well known because of its sandfly
and I'll tell you about it (I fear) later.
No caps with "sandflies" however.
For people who like sandflies, it must be really heaven.
The hotel was OK again and we slept well.
This morning a taxi came to bring us to the "rent
a motorhome" and around 12 we were heading east,
to Akaroa.
This little town is famous for its dolphins (for
people who like dolphins, it must be really heaven),
its french history (some streets even have french
names!!) and for its bay in which the dolphins.
It could somewhere in Nova Scotia but than
without dolphins.
Our camper is much better than we expected.
It has everything:
- TV
- radio
- soundsystem
- heating
- a boiler for water
- a shower
- a toilet
- two beds (but the camper sleeps 3 if neccesary)
- a kitchen with almost everythying like
. exhauster
. microwave
. watercooker
. fridge
. stove
. etc.
Tonight is the first night we will sleep in the camper.
This was it.
Greetings from Akaroa, New Zealand, famous for its
sheep and dolphins and penguins and All Blacks
and Kiwi's.
zaterdag 7 november 2009
vrijdag 6 november 2009
Today is November 7th. (Saturday).
So yesterday was Friday. And the day before that was.......
On Friday we arrived from Sydney in New Zealand in
Christchurch.
Our suitcases arrived too, so everything was OK.
We were brought, from the airport, to our hotel in
the middle of the city.
Christchurch centre is nice, for a New Zealand town.
We visited the cathedral (Church of England or so) and
the boyschoire (spelled right?) was singing and it was
nice. After that we walked around a little.
More than half of the shops sell typical NZ things like:
- sheepskins
- woollen whatevers (by the thousends, because they
have like 5 million sheep over here; for people who like
sheep, it must be really heaven),
- Maori art
- T-shirts with New Zealand and all other texts
- sheepskin boots (popular overhere too)
- caps with New Zealand
- all kinds of goods with "All Blacks"
- pictures of penguins and dolphins (for people who like
dolphins, it must be really heaven),
New Zealand is also well known because of its sandfly
and I'll tell you about it (I fear) later.
No caps with sandflies however.
For people who like sandflies, it must be really heaven.
The hotel was OK again and we slept well.
This morning a taxi came to bring us to the "rent
a motorhome" and around 12 we were heading east,
to Akaroa.
This little town is famous for its dolphins (for
people who like dolphins, it must be really heaven),
its french history (some streets even have french
names!!) and for its bay in which the dolphins.
It could somewhere in Nova Scotia but than
without dolphins (for people, etc.).
Our camper is much better than we expected.
It has everything:
- TV
- radio
- soundsystem
- heating
- a boiler for water
- a shower
- a toilet
- two beds (but the camper sleeps 3 if neccesary)
- a kitchen with almost everythying lik
. afzuiger
. microwave
. watercooker
. fridge
. stove
. etc.
Tonight is the first night we will sleep in teh camper.
This was it.
Greetings from Akaroa, New Zealand, famous for its
sheep and dolphins and penguins and All Blacks
and Kiwi's.
So yesterday was Friday. And the day before that was.......
On Friday we arrived from Sydney in New Zealand in
Christchurch.
Our suitcases arrived too, so everything was OK.
We were brought, from the airport, to our hotel in
the middle of the city.
Christchurch centre is nice, for a New Zealand town.
We visited the cathedral (Church of England or so) and
the boyschoire (spelled right?) was singing and it was
nice. After that we walked around a little.
More than half of the shops sell typical NZ things like:
- sheepskins
- woollen whatevers (by the thousends, because they
have like 5 million sheep over here; for people who like
sheep, it must be really heaven),
- Maori art
- T-shirts with New Zealand and all other texts
- sheepskin boots (popular overhere too)
- caps with New Zealand
- all kinds of goods with "All Blacks"
- pictures of penguins and dolphins (for people who like
dolphins, it must be really heaven),
New Zealand is also well known because of its sandfly
and I'll tell you about it (I fear) later.
No caps with sandflies however.
For people who like sandflies, it must be really heaven.
The hotel was OK again and we slept well.
This morning a taxi came to bring us to the "rent
a motorhome" and around 12 we were heading east,
to Akaroa.
This little town is famous for its dolphins (for
people who like dolphins, it must be really heaven),
its french history (some streets even have french
names!!) and for its bay in which the dolphins.
It could somewhere in Nova Scotia but than
without dolphins (for people, etc.).
Our camper is much better than we expected.
It has everything:
- TV
- radio
- soundsystem
- heating
- a boiler for water
- a shower
- a toilet
- two beds (but the camper sleeps 3 if neccesary)
- a kitchen with almost everythying lik
. afzuiger
. microwave
. watercooker
. fridge
. stove
. etc.
Tonight is the first night we will sleep in teh camper.
This was it.
Greetings from Akaroa, New Zealand, famous for its
sheep and dolphins and penguins and All Blacks
and Kiwi's.
donderdag 5 november 2009
Langs alle wegen, waarop we hebben gereden, vind je "winkels". Meestal is dit een houten tafel waarop de koopwaar is uitgestald met een paar parasols erboven, maar hier hebben we een winkel die "zich zelf verkoopt"; geen parasols, geen mensen erbij.
Hier worden huistempels verkocht. Die huistempels vind je bijna in iedere tuin. 't Is weer eens wat anders dan aardappelen, gekoelde dranken, fruit, etc. etc. etc.
In het dorpje waar de vorige dag was gefeest zagen we een monnik uitrusten van alle inspanningen. Hij heeft een aardig onderkomen, lekker droog en toch luchtig.
Een monnik bezit eigenlijk, behalve zijn kleding, niets. Dat kun je hier goed zien; hij heeft verder nauewlijks iets in huis.
Wel meen ik een fles bier te herkennen?
In een dorp, vlakbij één van de tempels van de Roluos groep (dat zijn overigens drie tempels waarvan er eentje, juist in dit dorp, "op zijn laatste benen loopt". 't Is net een grote berg stenen), hadden ze de vorige dag feest.
Hier is een aantal vrouwen bezig de rommel op te ruimen en dat was zeker nodig; wat een kolerezooi!!
Waar zijn opa en oma nu?
Het is 6 november en we zijn net geland in Sydney, Australie.
Gisteren zijn we 's-morgens vanuit Siem Reap vertrokken en kwamen daarna in Bangkok aan.
Daar weer een poosje wachten op het vliegtuig hierheen.
Alles is goed gegaan en straks, over twe uur stappen we op het vliegtuig naar Christchurch. Om 16.00 uur (of zo) komen we daar aan en dan worden we weer opgehaald en naar ons hotel gebracht. Dan eten, een ommetje maken (hangt ook van het weer af; het is daar nu iets van 19 graden Celsius) en naar bed.
De volgende dag komen ze ons van het camperverhuurbedrijf om 11.00 uur (ik weet dat niet precies) ophalen en dan gaan w de camper ophalen.
Dus, voorlopig is alles OK. Als we vanmiddag in Christchurch ook nog onze koffers kunnen ophalen is alles voorelkaar.
Groeten vanuit een beetje grauw Sydney en tot de volgende keer, hopelijk weer met foto's van Cambodja.
maandag 2 november 2009
Elephant
Elephant (Olietappe) on the road to Angkor Thom for Mika.Look at the statues in the background.
Since the political situation in Cambodia was unstable (after the French left in the 1950's) lots of artifacts were stolen, amongst them lots of heads from these statues.
Entrance to Angkor Wat
The entrance to Angkor Wat.
In the moat (left and right of the "rainbowbridge" to the entrance building) there use to be crocodiles so nobody could swim to the temple.
ricefield near Siem Reap
Ricefield in the neighbourhood of Angkor Wat.
Everywhere you look tehre are ricefields and they harvest rice twice a year.
Mount Popa
Mount Popa, religious place in Burma.
The mountain is about 1500 meters high. It has not only lots of Buddha statues but is famous too because of the "Nats" (holy spirits) to which people pray to help to make them rich, stay healthy, get beautiful children, grow old, etc.
It is the place in the whole of Burma to pray to the "Nats".
Goldeh Pagoda in Bagan
Ankie and me in front of one of the golden Pagoda's in "Old Bagan".
Again forgot the name, but who cares; We both thought that driving, biking and walking through "Old Bagan" is already one of the highlights of our trip.
Not only because of the beautiful buildings but also of "the serene environment" (Ankie thinks) and the almost total absence of other tourists.
Our guide Aung we recommend.
"Old Bagan"
"Old Bagan" A view from one of the highest pagoda's to the east.
It's about 18.00 hours in the evening and lots of pagoda's are to be seen.
"Old Bagan" and Irrawady river
Bagan.
View from an "Old Bagan" Pagoda to the other side of the Irrawady river on which stands another pagoda.
Bagan Pagoda, forgot the name
Back to Bagan, Myanmar (Burma)We have now the possibillity to ujpload some pictures. This is one of the bigger pagoda's in "Old Bagan", a 16 square mile place with more than 4000 religiuous buildings.
The smallest are only 3 meters high and the tallest more than 50 meters.
"Old Bagan" is the old city where the people used to live. Since the military took over the people were moved - around 1990 - to "new Bagan" and they had only ten days to move, find a home (which had to be built), install watersystems, etc. etc.
White Buddha Shwe Dagon
Another golden Buddha with white body or with a white body with golden mantle.
Shwe Dagon Pagoda in Yangon
As written earlier we had an afternoon to spend in Yangon and we went to the Shwe Dagon Pagoda in the city centre.
Around this pagoda there are many smaller pagoda's, stupa's, an ordination hall, etc. etc.
I don't know but I think there are at least tousands and tousands of Buddha statues here.
Today is November 3rd.
We are still in SIEM REAP.
This is the 3rd. day and it is raining very hard. It is the first day it is raining
since we left Holland.
Luckily we didn't make reservations to visit some temples today..........and
since it is raining we do something else.
Ankie is going to get a footmassage and I am going to read or talk to some
other hotel guests or so.
Yesterday we visited other temples than the two most famous ones.
We visited:
- Chau Say Tevoda (in restoration by the Chinese; friends of Cambodia)
- Thommanon (restored in its old glory by the French)
- Ta Keo temple (the first temple to be built of sandstone)
- Ta Prohm (it is still exactly as it was found 150 years ago, overgrown with
huge trees)
- Banteay Kdei (a Budhist monastery with on most of the pillars an image
of a lady dancer (Apsara) which make you think what the monks were
thinking of at the time)
- Srah Srang (a manmade lake - huge - for the ritual bathing of the royal
family of king (here we go) Rajendravarman II
- Prasat Kravan (a Hindu temple with images of Lakshmi and Vishnu).
When I am home I'll have every reader do an exam about these temples and
the winner gets a prize (a warm hand and or kisses depending on who the
winner is).
We went by Tjuk tjuk, a motorbike with a sort of riksha at the back.
This kind of transportation is popular because it is cheap*, makes driving in
the heat more comfortable and it is not going too fast.
When something is cheap we like it very much (the Dutch).
Something really amazing is that practically all the cars, motorbikes (all
vehicles with a engine) make no noise at all; this totally different from
other countries like - for instance - Thailand.
And almost no honking too.
Food is good here. We have good breakfasts, lunches and dinners.
You can get almost everything you want so we can choose all sorts of
food we like chicken liver (which I like).
Yesterday afternoon we went to the river (also called Siem Reap) for the
boatraces. These days they celebrate their Waterfestival which has to do
with the fool moon.
It was very crowded along the river.
We saw the races and it was fun seeing the people enjoying everything.
We visited the Old Market and bought little trinkets to bring back home.
In the evening (we went back to the river) there are lots of activities like
looking at the local bands (the music totally different from
what we were or are used to), selling all kinds of foods (also the fried
cockroaches again – getverderrie -), fruits, drinks and little floating
candleholders (with – guess what – candles) which didn’t burn because
there was alas to much wind.
In the afternoon it was crowded but in the evening it seemed that all the
people of Siem Reap and surrounding villages came to celebrate along
the river and look at the fireworks.
This is my account of our second and third day in Siem Reap.
Now I have to find the means to get this on my blog and……. when you
are able to read this, I have succeeded in doing so.
Greetings now from a wet Cambodia.
We are still in SIEM REAP.
This is the 3rd. day and it is raining very hard. It is the first day it is raining
since we left Holland.
Luckily we didn't make reservations to visit some temples today..........and
since it is raining we do something else.
Ankie is going to get a footmassage and I am going to read or talk to some
other hotel guests or so.
Yesterday we visited other temples than the two most famous ones.
We visited:
- Chau Say Tevoda (in restoration by the Chinese; friends of Cambodia)
- Thommanon (restored in its old glory by the French)
- Ta Keo temple (the first temple to be built of sandstone)
- Ta Prohm (it is still exactly as it was found 150 years ago, overgrown with
huge trees)
- Banteay Kdei (a Budhist monastery with on most of the pillars an image
of a lady dancer (Apsara) which make you think what the monks were
thinking of at the time)
- Srah Srang (a manmade lake - huge - for the ritual bathing of the royal
family of king (here we go) Rajendravarman II
- Prasat Kravan (a Hindu temple with images of Lakshmi and Vishnu).
When I am home I'll have every reader do an exam about these temples and
the winner gets a prize (a warm hand and or kisses depending on who the
winner is).
We went by Tjuk tjuk, a motorbike with a sort of riksha at the back.
This kind of transportation is popular because it is cheap*, makes driving in
the heat more comfortable and it is not going too fast.
When something is cheap we like it very much (the Dutch).
Something really amazing is that practically all the cars, motorbikes (all
vehicles with a engine) make no noise at all; this totally different from
other countries like - for instance - Thailand.
And almost no honking too.
Food is good here. We have good breakfasts, lunches and dinners.
You can get almost everything you want so we can choose all sorts of
food we like chicken liver (which I like).
Yesterday afternoon we went to the river (also called Siem Reap) for the
boatraces. These days they celebrate their Waterfestival which has to do
with the fool moon.
It was very crowded along the river.
We saw the races and it was fun seeing the people enjoying everything.
We visited the Old Market and bought little trinkets to bring back home.
In the evening (we went back to the river) there are lots of activities like
looking at the local bands (the music totally different from
what we were or are used to), selling all kinds of foods (also the fried
cockroaches again – getverderrie -), fruits, drinks and little floating
candleholders (with – guess what – candles) which didn’t burn because
there was alas to much wind.
In the afternoon it was crowded but in the evening it seemed that all the
people of Siem Reap and surrounding villages came to celebrate along
the river and look at the fireworks.
This is my account of our second and third day in Siem Reap.
Now I have to find the means to get this on my blog and……. when you
are able to read this, I have succeeded in doing so.
Greetings now from a wet Cambodia.
Yesterday we arrived at Siem Reap (pronounced like Seem Reep) from Bangkok.
Siem Reap means: The place where the Siamese (Siem) were slain (Reap) by
the Khmers at the time.
The flight was on time and took only little more than one hour.
Before that we flew in about one hour from Yangon to Bangkok where we had to
stay for about three hours. Our suitcases were labelled through, so no carrying
of them or waiting at the luggage/baggage(what is the difference?)belt.
At the airport, as usual, there were people waiting for us who brought us to our
hotel, the Casa Angkor Hotel.
Today (Sunday 1st. November) starting early we visited Angkor Thom with the
Bayon Temple and Angkor Wat. These temples were built 1000 years ago by
Khmer Kings who were powerfull because they were able to have their people
harvest rice twice a year (the same as the Bagan Kings at their time in Burma).
They were rich because of that and it shows in their majestic temples in the
northwest of Cambodia.
These temples were created by Khmer kings form the 8th. till the 13th. century.
The most beautiful ones date from the 12th. century. The first famous king of
that time was Jayavarman II.
From the 15th. century the temples were abandoned by the kings and
subsequently forgotten until their rediscovery in 1861by a frenchman called
Henri Mouhot.
Angkor Wat (The temple of Angkor) seems to be the largest temple in the world
with a volume of stone, equaling the volume of the Cheops pyramid.
It is a 12th. century Hindu inspired temple which symmetrical towers (there are
now 5 but there were 9 towers) which are stylized on the modern Cambodian flag.
The building of the temple took some 40 years and is generally believed to have
been the funeral temple for the king at that time (Suryavarman II).
The temple has been occupied by budhist monks and is rather well preserved,
due to high quality building materials (very good quality sandstone). On its four
walls their are awesome bas reliefs showing Hindu tales of battles between the
good and the bad (the king with his monkey armies fighting the demons).
Angkor Thom (walled city) contains the famous Bayon Temple with the more
than 200 large mysterious smiling faces. It also contains the 300 meter long
elephant terrace with its large sculptured elephants.
In the same area you'll see the Leper Kings terrace with a statue of this king.
It was again very hot today and we drank a lot of water.
I am now writing at the hotel in our cool room (airco) and going to have a nap.
All is well, the food is good, the water - and beer - cold.
Alas no Ketel I over here.
Tonight we go to the river waterfront to look what is happening there.
Today there is now a waterfestival with boatraces, air balloons, dances and........
drinks (they say).
It is only some three hundred meters from our hotel and we will see.
Till the next time.
Siem Reap means: The place where the Siamese (Siem) were slain (Reap) by
the Khmers at the time.
The flight was on time and took only little more than one hour.
Before that we flew in about one hour from Yangon to Bangkok where we had to
stay for about three hours. Our suitcases were labelled through, so no carrying
of them or waiting at the luggage/baggage(what is the difference?)belt.
At the airport, as usual, there were people waiting for us who brought us to our
hotel, the Casa Angkor Hotel.
Today (Sunday 1st. November) starting early we visited Angkor Thom with the
Bayon Temple and Angkor Wat. These temples were built 1000 years ago by
Khmer Kings who were powerfull because they were able to have their people
harvest rice twice a year (the same as the Bagan Kings at their time in Burma).
They were rich because of that and it shows in their majestic temples in the
northwest of Cambodia.
These temples were created by Khmer kings form the 8th. till the 13th. century.
The most beautiful ones date from the 12th. century. The first famous king of
that time was Jayavarman II.
From the 15th. century the temples were abandoned by the kings and
subsequently forgotten until their rediscovery in 1861by a frenchman called
Henri Mouhot.
Angkor Wat (The temple of Angkor) seems to be the largest temple in the world
with a volume of stone, equaling the volume of the Cheops pyramid.
It is a 12th. century Hindu inspired temple which symmetrical towers (there are
now 5 but there were 9 towers) which are stylized on the modern Cambodian flag.
The building of the temple took some 40 years and is generally believed to have
been the funeral temple for the king at that time (Suryavarman II).
The temple has been occupied by budhist monks and is rather well preserved,
due to high quality building materials (very good quality sandstone). On its four
walls their are awesome bas reliefs showing Hindu tales of battles between the
good and the bad (the king with his monkey armies fighting the demons).
Angkor Thom (walled city) contains the famous Bayon Temple with the more
than 200 large mysterious smiling faces. It also contains the 300 meter long
elephant terrace with its large sculptured elephants.
In the same area you'll see the Leper Kings terrace with a statue of this king.
It was again very hot today and we drank a lot of water.
I am now writing at the hotel in our cool room (airco) and going to have a nap.
All is well, the food is good, the water - and beer - cold.
Alas no Ketel I over here.
Tonight we go to the river waterfront to look what is happening there.
Today there is now a waterfestival with boatraces, air balloons, dances and........
drinks (they say).
It is only some three hundred meters from our hotel and we will see.
Till the next time.
Last days in Burma
The last addition* to the blog about Myanmar (Burma).
Driving or walking around in Burma is like really being in another world. A multitude of traditions, flawless hospitality, redstone and golden pagoda’s in green landscapes and genuine friendly people.
All visitors are invited to view the sun set from the top of one of the bigger pagoda’s. The atmosphere is beautiful when looking around to the other pagoda’s you can see everywhere in the fading light.
Something totally else.
In Burma workforce is very cheap. So everywhere you see lots of people doing chores which we in Holland do only with one of a few. In the restaurant next to our hotel in Yangon I counted no less than 13 people doing the waiting, cleaning the tables, taking orders. The restaurant has some 10 tables and not more. And….. I couldn’t look in the kitchen.
In the restaurant in Bagan, where we ate every night, there was at least one waiter or waitress per table. The laundry – a shirt and one pair of trousers – was brought by three men!
One more example of this phenomena (I hope I spelled this right). One morning we heard a lot of shouting and when we looked 19 man were measuring a long piece of land along the river. A cleaner of our bungalow explained that those guys were measuring pieces of land to grow peanuts. Apparently the rows of peanuts have to be so many yards apart from each other and this had to be pointed out. 19 man with poles, to stick in the ground (after measuring). It was really a sight.
What else is there to tell about our adventures in Burma?
Villages like ours but than 200 years ago or so (pigs, dogs, chickens, people living all together in a one room house of wooden structure with walls of woven bamboo and roofs with the leafs of the palm-trees). To keep the feet dry during the rainy season every house has a floor about one meter above the ground……and the roofs (I asked) don’t leak!!.
Trucks so old you are really surprised they still run.
Goats and cows on the highway on which you drive mostly not faster than 40 or 50 Km’s per hour because of the potholes in the road, the people (with animals) on the road on bikes or just walking.
The devotion to “The Lord Buddha” seems somehow unreal to us. But almost all the people we met and talked to were Buddhist and believed in reincarnation. If you try to do your best, be nice, do chores for others, take care of elders, the family, the monks, etc. the Buddha will make sure that you live a better next life than this one. Or something like that.
* apart from some pictures I still am not able to load up (no time or no internet or no electricity or the plugs don’t fit in the sockets or there are no sockets or there is no wifi or whatever).
Driving or walking around in Burma is like really being in another world. A multitude of traditions, flawless hospitality, redstone and golden pagoda’s in green landscapes and genuine friendly people.
All visitors are invited to view the sun set from the top of one of the bigger pagoda’s. The atmosphere is beautiful when looking around to the other pagoda’s you can see everywhere in the fading light.
Something totally else.
In Burma workforce is very cheap. So everywhere you see lots of people doing chores which we in Holland do only with one of a few. In the restaurant next to our hotel in Yangon I counted no less than 13 people doing the waiting, cleaning the tables, taking orders. The restaurant has some 10 tables and not more. And….. I couldn’t look in the kitchen.
In the restaurant in Bagan, where we ate every night, there was at least one waiter or waitress per table. The laundry – a shirt and one pair of trousers – was brought by three men!
One more example of this phenomena (I hope I spelled this right). One morning we heard a lot of shouting and when we looked 19 man were measuring a long piece of land along the river. A cleaner of our bungalow explained that those guys were measuring pieces of land to grow peanuts. Apparently the rows of peanuts have to be so many yards apart from each other and this had to be pointed out. 19 man with poles, to stick in the ground (after measuring). It was really a sight.
What else is there to tell about our adventures in Burma?
Villages like ours but than 200 years ago or so (pigs, dogs, chickens, people living all together in a one room house of wooden structure with walls of woven bamboo and roofs with the leafs of the palm-trees). To keep the feet dry during the rainy season every house has a floor about one meter above the ground……and the roofs (I asked) don’t leak!!.
Trucks so old you are really surprised they still run.
Goats and cows on the highway on which you drive mostly not faster than 40 or 50 Km’s per hour because of the potholes in the road, the people (with animals) on the road on bikes or just walking.
The devotion to “The Lord Buddha” seems somehow unreal to us. But almost all the people we met and talked to were Buddhist and believed in reincarnation. If you try to do your best, be nice, do chores for others, take care of elders, the family, the monks, etc. the Buddha will make sure that you live a better next life than this one. Or something like that.
* apart from some pictures I still am not able to load up (no time or no internet or no electricity or the plugs don’t fit in the sockets or there are no sockets or there is no wifi or whatever).
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