The Wild Wild West

It's a sunny day in Queenstown and we are watching the adrenalin junkies jumping from the sky, passing by on the fast boats, climbing into the caves and the rest while we are lazily soaking in the sun. Queenstown is a lovely little place surrounded by mighty mountains and fronted by a crystal clear Wakatipu lake. This is the home of bungy jumping and place where adrenalin runs high but somehow we are not affected by it.

On the road to Queenstown we have passed countless beautiful bays, beaches, waterfalls, forests, mountains and other geographical marvels. It got to the point where it almost become too much that we started to miss the concrete, noise and pollution (not sure if this fresh air is good for us). But to tell the truth New Zealand can be so beautiful that it literally takes your breath away.

After chilling with the hippies in Karamea and listening to heavy metal played on the pirate radio station in the hostel by a young German passer-by while drinking beer next to the log fire we headed to the Oparara basin where we saw giant limestone arches and climbed into crazy paving caves filled with spiders and glow worms (http://www.karameainfo.co.nz/opararbasin.html).

We then headed south to Punakaiki and it's pancake rocks and blow holes where we had some pancakes, well you have to don't ya?! After a good night sleep we continued on our way south to the mighty glaciers. We walked hours to the face of Franz Joseph glacier and then laid our hats at the Fox glacier. As we are taking it easy we have spent one day there just watching the sun go from east to west. First from the Gillespies beach (miles and miles of empty sandy beach) and then at the lake Matherson (famous for it's beautiful reflection of Mt Cook but it didn't want to stay still for us). The next day we tried to be more adventurous and took a heli-hike to the Fox glacier. A small four seater helicopter dropped us off in the middle of Fox glacier where we got booted up for an amazing hike over the glacier. We hiked through ice caves, crossed mighty crevasses and slithered through small ice tunnels. It was unbelievably cool! We took so many photos that our camera run out of batteries so you have hundreds of photos of ice to look forward to :)

We left Fox for Queenstown which brings us to this sunny day watching the world go by. Sorry that this post is so long but trust us - this is just the highlights.

On the road again

We have left the security of sunny Papamoa and took the scenic route (although every road in NZ is scenic road) down to lake Taupo, across the desert road where we managed to miss not one but three big mountains due to torrential rain and mist (one mountain so big that it played the part of Mount Doom in 'the rings'). Impressive stuff. We ended up in misty Wellington where met up with Mikey, Leihia's mate who was a star to put us up in a massive house on the hill overlooking Wellington bay at very short notice - we left it too late to call on Rob's family who live there.

Wellington was pretty and looks great from the top of the hill - or so Mikey told us as took us up to the lookout but unfortunately we saw as much of Wellington from above as we did of those three mountains. It was like 19th century London. But when we drove down the town has opened up in front of us. The long bay, big lights and some funky art. It was an exhibition of photos of Earth from above.

The next day we caught the legendary ferry to the South Island. Even though it was misty (yet again - and they complain about England) the chugging away through Malbrough Sounds was quite an experience. (btw. a sound is a large sea or ocean inlet larger than a bay, deeper than a bight, wider than a fjord, or it may identify a narrow sea or ocean channel between two bodies of land - Thanks to Wikipedia).
We have disembarked at Picton and headed straight to Nelson by, shock horror, another scenic drive. We spent two nights in Nelson which is a very lovely little town - they call it a city (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson%2C_nz). After lazing around for a day or two we drove west hit the sea and turned north to the end of the road where we find ourselves now - in a hippy backpackers in Karamea awaiting a big BBQ.

Still Chilling in NZ

we are still with Leihia and Liam in Papamoa and are having such a relaxing time - mainly spending time on the beach (got burned slightly even though it's officially Autumn here - damn that ozone layer). Yesterday we went to Mt Maunganui to the natural salt water hot pools. It was great just chilling in the pools on a sunny Tuesday morning - then the rest of the day we spent switching between cafes, pubs and bars.

Leihia and Liam are being such great hosts plying us with lots of food and alcohol.

We have also got ourselves a NZ mobile number to keep in contact with you guys.
The Number is: +64 2102 717 257

Even though we are really enjoying our time with our hosts we have decided to brave the world and check out the south island. We are hoping to go to Wellington today and then catch the ferry over to South Island tomorrow morning.

Chilling with Leihia and Liam

we have arrived to sunny New Zealand and are chilling with Leihia and Liam. Their house is right on the beach and we are hoping to have a lamb bbq there tonight. Wicked!!!

The NeckAche City

Well we are in Hong Kong now!
As some of you might know Hong Kong is a very tall and a very steep city. We are getting a neckache just from trying to find a road crossing.

Yesterday we spent stroling around Hong Kong island. We took the peak tram to the peak. The hill is soo steep that if Nina didn't laugh she would have started crying. The tram is one piece of great engineering. From the peak you can see the great Hong Kong harbour - the rest we couldn't see as it was bit cloudy.
It was great taking the commuter escalators up to SOHO (south of Hollywood Rd) and from there we went down to the Man Mo Temple. They love their incense sticks over here. You couldn't even see inside the Temple from all the incense smoke but they also has some wicked big spiral incese hanging from the ceiling.
After that we went to ginseng and bird's nests market. Man oh man do they have some weird stuff there ( bird's nest are made of half digested seaweed and bird's spit used to make the nests), they also had all sorts of sea animal parts and plants but we were too scared to find out what they were.
In the evening we took the ferry over to Kowloon for a spectacular view of HK skyline. All for the extortianate price of 20p. We really dig the ferry!!
Thanks Anne for the helpful tip about picking up the HK walks booklet at the airport.
Today we are on the Kowloon's side of the walking tour.
In Kowloon especially we can see the difference between the quiet, light, clean side of Japan and noisy, busy, smelly, crowded side of HK. But the city is charming in it's own way anyway.
We are off to New Zealand tomorrow evening so it will be time for something completely different.

Sumo - The beautiful art of fat people fighting

Osaka. Not much to report. Our hotel was a little in the sticks which gave us a few headaches trying to find. In the end after catching the wrong train, getting off at the worng station and then finally getting somewhere only to find that the station we wanted was run by a different company and so was located a few kilometers away, we surrendered. Called a taxi and told them to take us home. Exhausted by this adventure we were adament that we would rest a while (all this walking we have been doing has been taking it's toll - not sure we are as young as we used to be) when we realised that there was a Sumo tournament in town! Whoop! How could we resist. Off to town we headed, paid our money and took our seats.

Sumo is sooo cool. Wrestling with ancient rituals, salt throwing, hairstiles which were fashionable when sumurai were still around and semi-naked men in nappies. What is not to like? It was just as we imagined it would be. The crowd were not quite as enthusiastic as lets say, a football match or a boxing match, but when the big names of the day came on they at least raised themselves from the reclined position that most were in to clap and cheer. Obviously not having a clue who anyone was we just supported anyone we liked ... the big guy with a bandage on his knee, the one in a purple outfit, and the skinny white guy who suprisingly won over the big Japanese guy. Then at the end the funky dance which I am sure has some deeper meaning, but looked like a one man Japanese Haka.

All in all a perfect way to end our trip to Japan.

In Hong Kong now

we have just arrived so there is not much to write yet. We are in the coffee shop at the moment and we'll try to find an internet place soon to write about our last day in Japan.
P.S. our phones work again - and an email from time to time would be nice as well :)

The Festival of Lights

every day in every way Japan delights us more and more...

After obligatory temple hopping in the morning we have spent our last night in Kyoto at the Kyoto Hana Touro - not sure what is all about but we call it the festival of lights. The whole downtown area of old Kyoto has been lit by million lanterns and all sorts of weird lamps. One of our favourite parts was the little stream in the Maruyama Park where about 1,000 bamboo lanterns have been aranged along the stream to create the fantasy of light and romance. All this has been done as a reflection of Kyoto's fasinating 1,200 years of history and culture.
It's really difficult to describe how tranquil, delightful and painfully beautiful the little carefully lit zen gardens are in the spring moonlit evening so we took about 1 million photos. All is to be revealed soon.

We ended the evening at the most popular ramen joint in Kyoto where waiters wear white wellies and all you can order is small, medium or large. Lucky for us we walked straight in but by the time we left the place the queue was around the corner.

We have left Kyoto now and are getting badly lost in Osaka.

We are very very sad to be leaving Japan tomorrow and we really hope to return one day soon but the healing powers of New Zealand awaits us - after a short 3 day break in Hong Kong.

Memoirs of a Geisha

We've read the book and now we took the tour so we can't wait to see the movie. We even stalked one Geisha who was on her way to the tea house with her customers. The whole Gion experience is quite unreal. Beautiful old streets lined with members only little wooden tea houses with barely any signs on the door and no indication on how to get in. An odd Maiko(apprentice geisha)/Geiko scurrying by on her way from and to the tea house. It is quite unbelievable feeling when you spend the whole afternoon in Gion to walk just across the river into the bright lights of the modern Japanese city.
Kyoto is quite amasing city! It should be high on any tourist's route in Japan.

Yesterday we spent a day in ancient capital of Japan (the one before Tokyo and Kyoto) Nara. We saw the biggest bronze Buddha housed in the biggest wooden building in the world. What can you say - it was BIG! and of course we went to a temple or two. There were quite a few deer there, 12000 or so they reckon, wandering all over the place. Not entirely sure why but apparently they are sacred.

We also saw the second biggest pagoda in Japan there - the biggest one is in Kyoto which is 2 cm taller then the one in Nara (they must have done that on purpose). What can you say - it was BIG!

We are getting better in japanese restaurants. We still pointing at the pictures of the food but at least we can now say thank you it was a great feast at the end.

There is one thing we need to clarify - the face masks we keep seeing people with are for hayfever and not some crazy paranoia that Nina has started to develop.

ohh and we saw some more temples too...

Zen and the art of temple hopping

Kyoto .. seemingly the home of all the temples in the world. But fortunately they are so calming that once you have entered the first one you are not sure you want to go anywhere else. They have Zen gardens with carefully raked gravel, stones placed importantly, carp swimming through their heart shaped ponds and little waterfalls to wash away your worries.

We spent a nice warm spring day chilling in the temples, removing our shoes every few steps. We have drunk green tea in the ritual way sitting on the tatami mats contemplating a pretty waterfall (or at least some freaky concoction that they claim is green tea ... perhaps they saw us coming.) We have seen five different temples (or sub-temples), from the austere Zen of Nanzen-ji temple (http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3905.html) to the Tendai Buddhist Shoren-in temple (http://www.taleofgenji.org/shoren-in.html). We are now at one with the world.

The bullet train was fast - smooth - and very safe. In 30 years of running, they proudly tell us there have been no fatalities. Oh, and we caught a glimpse of Mount Fuji on the way. Wow. What a mountain.

Hope to do the whole Memoirs of a Geisha thing soon, and perhaps a few more temples :)

off to catch the bullet train to kyoto

well we really enjoyed our stay in tokyo, one of the most fashionable cities in the world. from the harajuku girls' outfits to slick city workers and the traditional suites.
tokyo doesn't have that many sites to see but we enjoyed a few temples, parks, even a wedding or two and not to forget the bright lights of the big city. wow!!!
you should see the toiltes here. wow!! - heated seats with so many buttons to press that you need a mini course to use it.
well we are off to catch the bullet train to kyoto now - it should take us 2.5 hours.
bye bye tokyo hello kyoto!!

The bags have landed

Ok, things are looking up. The bags are now here in Tokyo and even better with us. So after sleeping for about 14 hours we have braved the tokyo Metro system. Have to say it is the cleanest and friendliest city we have been to for a while. Everyone tries to help us even though we can only point and pronouce things so badly that we have surely told someone their mother is a goat.

Loads of people are wearing those surgical masks here. It is either that they have colds and are too polite to pass their germs to everyone else, or they know something we don't (hmm ... perhaps we should check the news ..)

We have wandered over to Asakusa to the famous Senso-ji shrine with its magical healing cauldron of incense (well you have to give it a go don't you) [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensō-ji] and to Ueno Park [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ueno_Park] for a wander through the bare trees (we had to imagine the blossoms which are meant to look amazing), but it was such a nice day that we didn't mind. There a homeless man spoke to us for ages in suprisingly good english until we had to make our excuses as we would have remained there for the rest of the day (why he was homeless is a mystery to me)

Unfortunately, by the way, our phones don't work here either so we won't be picking up any messages for a few days (just in case you tried!)

Ok must go as this is a shared computer in the hotel lobby. Take care.

in japan now

we have arrived nice and safe　but are still waiting for our bags to arrive. hope to get them today!
cannot type more as this is a weird japanese keyboard. we are off to explore tokyo now - god help us!

All packed, taxi booked, bags too heavy and just wondering what we are going to forget. Oh well. Tokyo here we come.