Tunisia

Off to Tunisia tomorrow, away from cold, dark and depressing Holland!

Up and running again...

Things changed a lot during the past year. Moving houses twice, a new job, lots of things to be done.

Last time I wrote about Istanbul. One amazing city!! Then a week in Barcelona in march.

Summer: my schwester jeanette and stefan finished building their house and held a housewarming on july 31. So, I packed my backpack again, and since I got a new (actually reliable) car in april, I drove to Switzerland, accompanied by my tomtom. After the housewarming I went to see brother Alby near Bern, and then onwards to homebase Grächen in Wallis. Friends, good food and wine, hot weather, good times, change... a lot of memories...

Today I returned from Budapest. A four day city trip with my (pregnant!) schwester from Switzerland. I have booked a flight to Switzerland already, since there will be a wedding and a christening on may 1st!

More travel

Haven't written anything new for a while.. But not for too much longer!!
In three weeks time I'm off to England for a Performing Arts reunion in Worthing. It's been 8 years since I lived in the UK. Apart from the reunion I will be hunting for Monteiths!!

Then... the 25th of december I'll get on a flight to Istanbul! In february I visited Syria and Jordan, and now finally Turkey!!

Keep following!

Coincidence

Last week I had my friend Shep from Coromandel, NZ coming over to Holland. Before Shep got here he told me he has a nephew living in Odoorn, not far from Emmen. Since I got a couple of days off from work I decided we would go and stay in Emmen and surprise his nephew and wife.
So, off we went, and after a one-hour trainride we arrived at the Emmen trainstation. As we didn't know where to go we called for a cab.

After 10 minutes of waiting we see a car driving up and a guy gets out. Shep can't stop himself from staring at this guy.. He looks exactly like his nephew... so Shep decides to walk upto him... then he decides not too... then we realise he is wearing an All Blacks jersey... it's got to be him! Obviously Brian (the nephew) can't believe his uncle is just simply standing there, coming all the way from NZ.

If you think this is coincidence, read the next story.

After a few days in Holland Shep leaves for England to see a couple of mates. This was last tuesday.
Friday, as I step into the elevator at work I receive a phonecall from the UK. Damn the elevator since there is no signal... So I try calling back... the number is busy. Five minutes later I try again. Shep picks up... he is at Heathrow Airport, ready to fly home, and called me from a public payphone. He just happened to walk past that same payphone when I called and he picked it up... Anyone could have picked up that phone.. It was the weirdest thing!

Home in Switzerland

Had an amazing week in Switzerland. Not in Wallis this time, but Aargau. Thermal baths, some nice towns, and skiing near Luzern. Great to be there again. Jeanette und Stefan: Merci vielmal!

Bremgarten

Jeanette, Stefan un i
Skifahren!!

Jeanette un i

Switzerland!!!

Since I could get a cheap flight to Basel I am going to visit my 'sister' Jeanette in Aargau!!!!!
DASS MACHT EIN RIESEN HEIDEN SPASS!!!!!
I haven't seen her since my Interrail trip in 2006. So, I am away from monday to friday :D

Jordan and Syria: Way too much going on

Petra, a world wonder in Jordan

Me riding Casanova!!
Old city of Palmyra, Syria

Way too much going on to spend time behind a computer and tell you about our adventures in Syria and Jordan. In one word, it has been AMAZING. We went to a couple of mosques, the national Museum in Damascus and the old city of Palmyra. I have been sick over 2 hamburgers, bought a leather jacket, had a haircut in Palmyra (very brave I was told later) and rode a camel called Casanova. Everywhere people invite us for tea and we end up staying in shops for hours. My mum always smokes a waterpipe with apple tobacco. Yesterday we traveled to Jordan, Petra and today we saw the amazing sites that get blown up in Indiana Jones. Everywhere you go you are offered a donkey as taxi (You want ferrari? Special price for you!).

Syria and Jordan: At the border the costums officer whistles at you when checking your passportphoto, every mother will have a son for you to marry and a Bedoin will ask your family how many camels you cost.

Syria: Culture shock!!

I am having a lot of trouble getting photo's on this website. So sorry, but just one will have to do for now!!!

Damascus is amaaaaaaaaaaazing!!!!!!

We went to as mosque, and many people came to talk to us or gave us sweets and bread or they covered us just a little bit better!

Edit: added some more photo's on a different computer! Enjoy.

Syria

Tomorrow, sunday february 10, my mum and I will fly to Damascus, Syria. From there we will explore the country and also travel to Jordan, hopefully Petra.

So, don't forget to follow us by checking out the weblog!
See you there!

After Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Rep, Italy and New Zealand, this backpack is now going somewhere entirely different (note: it's only 1,5 years old)

New Zealand: the best of!!!!

I designed my very own book with my very own 24 best photo's of New Zealand. It's got a little bit of everything. From Cape Reinga till Milford Sound with Bay of Islands, Great Barrier, Taranaki, Coromandel, Tongariro, Abel Tasman, Fox Glacier, Akaroa and more in between.

I LOVE IT!!

The highlights of 2007

These highlights obviously all happened in NZ

• Paddle through the eighth natural wonder of the world: Milford Sound, Fiordland
• Meet Shep
• Three days away from the world: Abel Tasman National Park
• Meet Alrun and the fab time we had at Honi B backpackers. Vermisse dich!!!!!
• Swim with a group of dolphins
• Abseiling and blackwater rafting
• See whales
• Meet the seals
• Jetboating in Queenstown was awesome!
• Get to know my family down under and go quadbiking with Roger!!
• Sonny and Annette from Blarneys, getting pissed and go to Hidden Valley the next day
• See the All Blacks play (and win)
• Live in Auckland with Wendy
• Piha, I love Piha
• My flight to Great Barrier Island and the dolphins when I was on the ferry back to Aucks
• Losing my job in Auckland was obviously one of the highlights: if I hadn't I wouldn't have gone wwoofing in Coromandel and I wouldn't have met Shep! Love you always.

Probably forgot a few, 2007 has been absolutely amazing. I very well realise that I am a blessed person.

Happy new year!

Great Barrier Island

Great Barrier Island is one of the cutest experiences I've had in New Zealand. I flew in on wednesday and took the ferry back on sunday. By then, I knew half the people that were on the boat. I went to visit my friend Stephen, who I met while traveling through Taranaki. Great Barrier has maybe 800 inhabitants, 1 tiny shop, a couple of restaurants and pubs and that's pretty much it. Recently the island has been on tv quite a bit in New Zealand and the UK (BBC) since the programm 'Cast away' was filmed here. (Another survive-vote who is leaving- and that kind of crap programm)

Flying above the island

The airport
Flying doctorrrrrs!! The plane that took me from Auckland to the island :)

Stephen, the stubborn kiwi who doesn't read signs Sunset

A dolphin seen from the ferry, I don't know what kind

I was supposed to do the Tongariro Crossing this week, but after a 6,5 hours walk on the island I got some kind of foot injury and I can't walk properly. So, I am going back to Coromandel and soak in the spa on the deck :P at Sheps place.

Cathedral Cove

I think I can call Coromandel my favourite place on the North Island :)

A few wise words from the Coromandel

This is the shed that belongs to the house where I live at the moment. I like it.

Coromandel: Paradise

I got rid of my job in Auckland (or the job got rid of me whatever you prefer). Found a wwoof place in Coromandel. Stay with the sweetest horey in Coromandel Town. Get to see the whole peninsula while checking roadworks. I take about 100 photo's a day, so here is a small collection. Enjoy it like I do!

A day on Piha

Today I went to Piha, one of best west coast beaches on the north island.

First of all I went for a run, which was hard because my feet sunk deep into the sand all the time (good training for Tongariro Crossing though!). This is why I look so troubled.Then I went for a climb up Lion Rock. You gotta love it!

Well worth it, climbing up there gave an nice viewThen I did some tramping and found a nice place for my siestaAnd I finished the day with a:The best beer in New Zealand :D

Auckland

Two more weeks of work ahead so for now just a picture. This is the view from our kitchen window. Since we live all the way out west on the top of a hill we have Auckland all stretched out in front of us. I think it's pretty mean bro!

When I finish work I am off to Coromandel and Tongariro (Mordor!). I am not sure in which order yet, but I look forward to it.

Waitomo Caves: The pictures!!!

Think back. This is way before I went to Bay of Islands, way before I worked at National Park, this is even before I went back to Wellington to visit my family for the 2nd time. So, must be june or beginning of july that I went abseiling, rafting and rockclimbing in the Waitomo Caves! Well, I just got the pictures from my friend in California, so I just thought I'd put these online! At the moment I am part of the Auckland life, basically just working and saving up, so not much going on really (except for the crewnights, pizza's and beers)! Enjoy!

Still smiling: I'm about to abseil 27 m. Obviously I survived. If you only knew how small the hole was... I don't know, do I look relieved?

Haha, I just had to put this one on

The sad story of the All Blacks

It's october 7 in New Zealand but october 6 in Europe. Rugby world cup. The All Blacks are playing France in Cardiff. The first half goes well and after 40 minutes the score is 13-3 for NZ. In the 2nd half it changes. Both teams score a few more tries, but New Zealand misses a conversion and in the end the score is 20-18. For France. New Zealand cries. You better not be here as a French tourist now or drive a French car coz it will be bashed!! And that's how the All Blacks lose the Rugby World Cup again... :(

Day of Islands

6.30 am. The alarm clock goes way too early for a lazy backpacker like me. It's all for a good reason though, it's time for a day in the bay!! I decided this is how I would celebrate my birthday (which isn't until wednesday but the weather is good at the moment so i just went).
So, I got on a cruise, went swimming with the dolphins (AMAZING to see a dolphin right underneath or next to you in the water, went to hole in the rock, and after siesta on a deserted island we saw some more dolphins.

Paihia at 8 am

Approaching Hole in the Rock
Hole in the Rock

Bottlenose Dolphin!

No I did not download a picture from google, I really took it myself!

Pretty cool huh!!!?