Life Safari

2007-05-20T07:56:00.000-07:00

It has been quite a few months since we last posted anything on the blog. Finally, we have managed to get our broadband connected at our flat so we are back on-line...

We have been busy settling into our new life in London. Here are some pics which show what we have been up to over the past few months:

Steve (Jack's Dad) came to visit us for a few days

Mallesons girls' afternoon tea party at Kelly's in Angel

Watching The Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge on the Thames with Pete

Our flat in Exmouth Market (above the Coca Cola sign)

Football in Regent's Park with DC

Picnicking in Regent's Park

The rehearsal dinner for the Hightower weeding in Naples, Florida

The grooms men at the Hightower wedding in Naples, Florida

Maartan visits from the Netherlands

2007-03-05T01:34:00.000-08:00

Our departure from Australia - now over two weeks ago - started well with Suz offering a full service lift to the airport. Full service came in the form of two personalised Nat and Jack packs which included snacks, drinks, chocolate and magazines. We were both very impressed and anybody taking friends/family to the airport in the future would do well to take this great idea onboard.

The midway point of our journey was a stop over in Hong Kong to visit the Hightowers... soon to be Highfields, and we had a great night catching up over Sichuan crab. Andrew and Tara get married in Florida in April so it was a good opportunity to spend time with them before the big event. It was also a chance to sample Tara's air bed complete with inbuilt massage options.

2007-02-16T11:56:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone

The life safari site has been MIA since we reached Australian shores so today, being our second in London, it is time to re-instate our blog.

4 weeks in Australia were spent catching up with friends and family, packing, visiting the ACT and QLD and generally taking care of a lot of personal admin.

Here are a few photos from our stay. The first is with Jack's parents - a kind of farewell as Steve was heading to China the next morning.

The next is with Nat's Dad's family at dinner for her 28th birthday.

This was taken in Maleny Qld, while visiting Nat's mum.

Finally, here are some photos with friends.

It was a great stay and we will miss everyone very much. It goes without saying that everyone should get in touch if they are coming in our direction.

2007-01-16T07:43:00.000-08:00

Only 5 days until Sydney!

Our final week before heading home has been spent in a great apartment in Chelsea (mid-town), New York. The cold is a bit of a change for us as it's the first winter climate we've visited, however, as soon as we hit the streets that NY buzz makes it all worthwhile. Huge thanks to Nat's friends Sophia and Sarah who had us to stay in their beautiful flat and spent time with us out on the town and at the Knicks (a game NY won in the last 15 sec).

On the way from the airport we saw a fight on the bus between the driver and passenger, which ended with the ejected man turning towards the bus and issuing the Donald Trump line "You're fired". I was then kicked repeatedly in the leg by a woman at a subway station seemingly because I had luggage and she didn't want to wait while I got out of the elevator. After the attack she cried "Who do you think you are? some kind of jetsetter?" We couldn't help but think "Welcome to NY".

Most of our time has been spent shopping and eating, with Asian food suddenly an option. The diversity and culture here is endless and it's really interesting to end the trip here after seeing other parts of America and being in countries where many would do anything to live here. Frankly, the life we saw in Queens is tough and if those wanting to leave Central America could only see the faces of the spanish immigrant classes here they might think again.

We also visited a jazz club deep in Harlem called the St. Nicks Pub. It was recommended by an Australian studying at Columbia for some 'real' jazz and as we headed off by subway our two friends admitting they had never been so far north. This feeling of being out of place was compounded when after being asked for directions to the pub the policeman said to his partner "See, I told you white people go there." We survived and had a great time as it was an amateur night full of talent.

One more thing. Last night we were having dinner with two locals when I asked "What are New Yorkers talking about?". The answer: "How stupid our President is!" I then asked whether people thought the same thing 5 years ago and the answer was no. Apparently 9/11 (which is still very raw) shocked people into believing in him.

2007-01-13T16:16:00.000-08:00

Cuba II: The Road Trip

After a slightly dissapointing first visit to Cuba due to an over-supply of street husslers we had no hesitation in renting a car and getting out of La habana for a few days - destination Trinidad.

With our excellent guide Daniel we were able to have our endless questions answered. Some of the more interesting things we learned are:

- Rum and coke is called Free Cuba (Cuba Libre) in the latin world and I have enjoyed them throughout central America. However, in Cuba they feel so gipped by Castro's failure that when locals ask for the drink here they ask for a Mentira - a lie.

- Having a free health system sounds great but it's not so good when you have to bribe doctors just to recieve treatment without the usual months long waiting list. Having extra money to be able to do this is only possible for people who either work somehow with tourists, or who steal.

- Free education also sounds great but University placement is determined solely by school results, not by choice.

- Cubans know exactly what is going on in the rest of the world. They get access to the internet through friends with government jobs and read the NY Times and Miami Herald.

- Besides the Florida approach, Cubans also head to Honduras on makeship tube vessels braving shark infested waters. Once there, they can arrange flights/passports for the US where they then discard the new passport and declare their Cuban nationality to US authorities. This automatically entitles them to rights and protection under US law (in an attempt to save them from communism). Unfortunately this means that Cuban ID cards are worth thousands to people in Central America and they are willing to kill for them - so even once they beat the sharks, they still have to get past the Mexicans.

- David took me to a restaurant where locals go - something we had found very hard to find. Customers paid in local currency and dishes were between 1-2 dollars. According to Daniel most Cubans could only afford this treat 1 a month (average salary is around $15/m).

2007-01-13T16:04:00.000-08:00

Adios Argentina

Leaving Buenos Aires after 2 months is hard because we were just starting to see what living there permanently would be like. More Argentinian friends, more spanish and less tourist spots.

Buenos Aires has been really good to us and is probably our favourite single city of the whole trip. In fact, when we were asked last night about our favourite places we had visited on this trip, we both confidently answered BA for favourite city, and Guatemala for best memories/experiences.

So we are starting the long trip home... A special goodbye to Aaron and Sarah, Jason and Jimena and a huge thank you to James and Wendy who kindly lent us their beautiful apartment in Recoleta. Also thanks to Andrew who flew in for 2 big weeks!

2007-01-07T12:13:00.000-08:00

Now that is a llama!

We spent a fun morning with the animals at the Buenos Aires zoo. Highlights included the world's weirdest looking llama and Nat on top of a shetland pony in a sombrero.

Jack and Andrew agreed it was the best 5 pesos they had spent in BsAs...

2007-01-07T11:59:00.000-08:00

La Boca!

El Caminito is a block in the working class barrio, La Boca (which is also home to the Boca Juniors). Apparently the resourceful Italian imigrants who used to live in this neighbour got scrap tin from boats docked at the port, which they painted in bright colours to beautify the neighbourhood.

2007-01-05T07:31:00.000-08:00

New Years Eve!

NYE in Buenos Aires turned out to be so much bigger than Nat and I had expected if we´d been asked 3 weeks ago. We started at a house party held by friends from our school (again proving how amazingly social Ibero Spanish School is!) where we counted down to midnight, watched amateur fireworks enthusiasts throughout the city from our 19th floor vantage point and began down the slipperly path of communal drinks.

At around 1.30am we were ushered out by our hosts, above, who were keen to move on (and no doubt get everybody out). We headed to Pacha where others in our group had organised VIP entry the night before. After almost an hour standing on deserted streets trying to hail a cab we eventually found someone and arrived at the club which is a stand alone building on the side of River Plate (ie. the ocean).

Inside we met up with Nat´s friends and took full advantage of our VIP area access. Drinks were dangerous as asking for a vodka means a tall glass full of vodka not a shot in a tall glass (Jay, think Bilbao). We were there until well after sunrise and as the picture below shows, so was everyone else! (check out the waves lapping the shore in the background).

2006-12-31T11:59:00.000-08:00

The other news is that Nat´s brother Andrew is in town after making a snap decision to be here for NYE. We spent a day on the delta at Tigre and visited Evita´s tomb at the Recoleta cemetary... but we keep heading back to Palermo where almost everything that involves eating and shopping is centered. As a happy coincidence Nat and Andrew´s friends Mel and Tommy are here with a whole group which means that NYE will be on the bigger side of enormous.

2006-12-31T11:51:00.000-08:00

We had an excellent night out at an underground site where we enjoyed an orchestral performance of Tango music. Underground in this case meant being dropped by our taxi at the address with 10 minutes to spare and arriving at a closed garage door with 20 other people milling about...

We´ve also been hanging out with friends throughout the festive season and spent a really nice day at home on Xmas day with Aaron and Sarah from San Diego. The above photo is a selection of Mate mugs (think tea mugs) which young Argentinos pass around as they lie about in shady parks.

2006-12-22T07:50:00.000-08:00

Puertas cerradas - Restaurants With Closed Doors

Last night we celebrated the Oaxacan Festival of the Radishes with a Oaxcan inspired feast at Casa SaltShaker - a 5 course tasting menu prepared by an ex-NYC chef served in the living room of his BsAs apartment. The idea is kind of like a public dinner party with 10 strangers.

Booking a table at Casa SaltShaker proved a little more difficult than we had anticipated as an article was published in the New York Times' travel section last Sunday on the hip underground club and restaurant scene in Buenos Aires. Our host for the evening, Dan Perlman, was quoted as saying “There’s something kind of cool about knowing what’s behind the secret door ... of being in on something that no one else knows”. He is right!

Our menu for the night was-

Chilled Watercress & Melon Soup
Ricotta & Squash Blossom Empanadas
Shrimp in Pumpkin Seed Sauce
Shortribs in Chatino Mole
Oaxacan Chocolate Lasagna

The food was delicious and we were glad to have another stab at mole (a savoury chocolate sauce) after a not-so-positive experience in Mexico earlier this year. Although Dan´s version didn't include the traditional ingredient of chocolate, it was divine. The company from our fellow diners was also great, although we were flying the flag as the only non-North Americans (this might have had something to do with the NYT article, given that half of them were from the Big Apple).

2006-12-22T07:39:00.000-08:00

No mas español (no more spanish). We are now officially on holidays having finished up our Spanish studies.

In addition to helping us try and make some sense of the subjunctive, our school proved to be a great way to meet fellow travellers as it organised weekly social events. This included drinks at Milion, an old mansion which has been transformed into a trendy bar and restaurant.

We were a little confused by the process for ordering drinks which required you to line up at the cashier to pay while at the same time the cashier was trying to manage all the bills from the restaurant. Then once you had your ticket you could proceed to line up at the bar until you were served. It was a long time between drinks and the more dependent among us (mainly Australians, British and Americans) could not wrap their heads around such inefficiency.

After Milion, we headed to a club where our fellow students received a lot of attenion from the porteños for their raunchy 'American' booty shakin. Argentinian youth, and this has been widely commented on, just don´t throw themselves into it.

2006-12-14T09:12:00.000-08:00

We have spent the last few weeks enjoying our laid back life in Buenos Aires - a few hours of Spanish school, sipping on cafe con leche as we wolf down medialunas (the Argentinian equivolent of a croissant), a spot of shopping - who could complain!

We also met up with Emily and Georgia (Nat's old flatemates), again, who were in town for a few days. We had a delicious parrilla dinner together (Argentinian BBQ) in true porteño style, sitting down to eat at 11.30pm.

The nocturnal lifestyle here does take some getting use to. The other night we went to the opening of a bar with some friends from Spanish school and were surprised to see the Argentines sitting around chatting and sipping their beers in a most civilised fashion at 5am as if they were spending a leisurely Sunday afternoon at the pub! (in contrast, we were rolling out of the place heading home for a day of hungover misery)

Other news from Buenos Aires:

Last night Boca Juniors lost their chance to make history as the champions in three consecutive seasons as they were narrowly defeated by Estudiantes who had not held the champion's title for more than 22 years.
Argentine purse-snatchers have proved themselves a cut above the rest, successfully managing to steal W Bush´s daughter´s handbag from right under the nose of the US secret service, whilst her and her twin were filling their bellies in the San Telmo neighbourhood. Classic!

2006-11-29T10:09:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, thanks to our real estate agent, we managed to get tickets to the La Boca. This is a big deal in Buenos Aires as La Boca (Boca Juniors), the glamour team here, are on the verge of winning the league.

Unfortunately crowd violence is the norm and in the week we arrived the government had just announced that visiting fans were banned from the remaining 4 weeks of the season. We had seats in a non-rowdy section and were fenced in with the spikes turning towards the adjacent section (see below one fanatico trying to provoke our side of the fence). The game was a good one with Boca winning 4-1 and no crowd problems.

The singing was incredible and seemed more inventive than in England where they copy other songs and repeat short lines. Everyone gets into it and waves their arm as if to say ´I spit on your mothers grave´. It all looks very passionate. They also jump up and down in unison which gets the stadium, and your confidence in Latin American enginerring, shaking. Great day!

2006-11-24T12:31:00.000-08:00

Now that we are back in the swing of city life we finally have some contact details should any of you wish to contact us for a chat or some late night texting. Here are our numbers...

Mobile - +54 154 067 6864

Home (Until 15 Dec) - +54 11 48073299

...And some recent pics of us enjoying the funky public art here in Buenos Aires.

2006-11-22T06:38:00.000-08:00

We are now in Buenos Aires, Argentina!

This is no mean feat as getting to BA from Central America is a huge leap and means crossing the Darien Gap (look it up)... one of the most dangerous land borders in the world. Of course, we flew so the potential kidnapping/ransom scenarios meant little to us.

It is incredible to be in this city after so many months in Mayan America. BA feels, and acts, European and the Spanish sounds Italian. Steak, football, Tango and corrupt goverment seem to be the local staples... although Nat would probably add shopping which has kept us busy for the first few days.

We ran all over town trying to find and apartment... but we now have one, have found a school, made contact with various people thanks to Suzanne and are starting to settle in.

2006-11-22T06:29:00.000-08:00

Two points to mention as we leave Cuba. We did make it to the deluxe (official) cigar shop which was lush and included a walk in humidor and smoking lounge. Very impressive... reeked of diplomats and corrupt officials enjoying their spare time. We also spent a night at a Jazz bar called the Fox and the Crow... amazing music that everyone should get to experience at least once in their life!

2006-11-20T11:51:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about Cuba was getting to enjoy it with friends from home. Our trip coincided with that of Georgia and Emily (Nat´s old flatmates from Sydney). We only had one night together, their first in Habana and our last, but we packed a lot in and managed to visit two of Hemmingways old haunts for Mojitos and Daquiris.

The night was also memorable for two other reasons. The first, while we were eating dinner, involved an impromtu magic show at our table which literally blew us away... almost perfect magic right in front of your face is incredibly impressive and left us wanting more. The second, was convincing a hotel to open its rooftop bar for us to enjoy a 360 degree view of Habana at night. While the staff were very accomodating, the elevator wasn´t quite up to scratch and left us stranded between floors. Scrambling over each other, after a night full of drinks, seemed very amusing at the time.

We finished the night by sampling one of the infamous Cohibas which received the thumbs up from the boys.

2006-11-20T10:46:00.000-08:00

Marcel (Nat´s Dad) had given us a mission in Cuba and there was no way we were going to leave without having achieved it - he wanted cigars - the world´s finest. The brief arrived by email and consisted of 4 pages of instructions detailing various brands, sizes and likely prices.

We had come across cigar vendors more regularly as we tracked south through Central America and had refrained from making any purchases due to the probability of fakes... having said that, the packaging was excellent and Nicaragua is now home to a reputable cigar industry of its own.

In Habana we planned to only visit official habano stores. However, as we walked through the backstreets on our way to old Habana our day took a turn.

A local couple bumped into us in a gritty non-touristy sort of area and after guessing that we were Australian offered to take us to a music festival. We found ourselves in a Chinese bar having a mojito when they (Alan and Jennifer) discovered we were looking for cigars. Alan informed us that he worked at a cigar factory and that he could get us any of the cigars we wanted at a significantly reduced price.

He offered to bring the cigars to the bar but we insisted on being taken to the cooperativa hoping that some kind of impressive backroom presentation would fill us with enough confidence to make a purchase. We were then led through streets the tour agencies don´t go and ended up on a couch in a private home that resembled a drug dealers house - think random people knocking for access and being admitted after inspection though the door within a door... think also two german shepards straining on their leashes while we sat uneasily, our bodies emitting fear.

The cigars were presented, we were assured of their authenticity (and provided with the 3 seals required by Cuban customs) and were then pressed to make a decision. Our hesitation, and many questions, caused increasing impatience and menace on the part of Alan and we were made to feel like fools who didn´t know a good deal when they had one.

Despite pressure to buy our entire order then and there we agreed to one box of Cohiba Robustos on the condition that we would have to visit a bank. They sealed the box and then began our journey to the bank. The first 4 ATMs declined our cards and as we had yet to draw any money in Cuba we were starting to doubt the logic behind buying first and paying later. As Alan, who was by this stage highly agitated made clear, once the box was sealed there was no way they could take it back.

Walking now in silence, under the midday sun, through blocks and blocks of unknown territory the whole situation became increasingly tense and when bank number 7 gave us a negative response Nat just about lost it on the street. The four of us, two locals, two foreigners, outside a bank must have looked a picture.

There was only one way to bridge the impass... a trip back to our house to get our passports and make a bank teller withdrawal. As you can imagine we had fought long and hard to avoid this and as we got in the cab (with our new friends) tourist horror stories were flowing hard and fast through our exhausted, beaten minds.

With passport in hand we went to one of Cuba's top hotels and finally withdrew the money... by this stage the four of us were barely speaking and god knows where it would have led if we hadn´t got the money.

As Nat and I pondered over the days events we almost went crazy trying to work out if it was just a complete scam or if we were just in the right place at the right time and that our suspicion and banking problems turned the deal ugly.

Points in favour of it being a scam include: they knew we were Australian, they never took us to the music festival, they never took us to the factory, they barely knew how to fill out the receipt required for customs (although this also suggests they weren´t doing this often), they were able to pay for 2 cab rides.

On the other hand the box was perfect complete with seal, holographic seal and beautiful cigars that one local we later met said were real. It is of course possible that they were husslers with access to the real product... but we just don´t know. Marcel, you be the judge!

2006-11-19T10:13:00.000-08:00

Check out the enormous billboards positioned outside the US relations office (unofficial embassy). Luis Posada Carriles is a Cuban born anti-Castro militant who is accused of terrorist acts against Cuba including bombing a Cubana flight in 1976 and killing 73 people. The other Villian needs no introduction...

2006-11-18T13:10:00.000-08:00

La Habana, Cuba.

We`ve hoped all along that we would make it to Cuba and it just depended on finding the right flight. While the price was right, Cubana Airlines isn´t exactly keeping boeing busy with orders, although as the Cold War demonstrated, there´s nothing wrong with Soviet technology. As I kept telling Nat, what was lost on onboard entertainment was made up for with reliability.

From the moment we arrived and met our driver we were exposed to the patent dissatisfaction and desperate urge for change felt by the Cuban people. Just like the story goes Orlando (our driver) was a University educated professional who earned a few dollars a month as an engineer and worked as a driver to supplement his income. This was the case with our guide (also an engineer) and our landlord (lawyer) who paid the government for the right to host tourists.

The hassling on the streets is intense and even people we met who we were already giving money to asked for extra. The Cubans made Central American street hawkers seem like those patient gentlemen who attend the David Jones menswear section.

Despite this, it has to be about the most interesting place we have been to on this trip, probably with South Africa as number two. It is beautiful... best described as a decaying, crumbling beauty from another era. The people admit that free education and health care is great, but everyone we spoke to wanted to the chance to earn more money and to travel.

2006-11-17T10:04:00.000-08:00

Costa Rica, being the next country south of Nicuragua, is known for its environmental beauty, American tourists and higher prices... This didn´t make it a priority stop for us, and as we soon found out, it´s all true!

Far more developed than the other countries we have visited in this region we headed for San Jose more to get a ticket to our next destination than to experience CR. Unfortunately we arrived on a weekend and had to wait until offices opened, which meant 5 days in total in our friendly youth hostel. Still, personal admin has to get done somewhere.

Having finally worked out our next steps, we booked a tour to the Tortuguero National Park, known as a mini Brazilian rain forest. This took us via the Chiquita banana factory which Nat loved, an injured animal park where we met our first Toucan, and a roadside sighting of a two toed sloth spotted by our expert driver who pulled over so that we could check it out.

The main part of the tour was by boat and we saw a huge amount of bird life, crocodiles, and another sloth. We were also surrounded by Manatees (also known as sea cows) but they were below us so no snaps were taken.

(By the way, apparently in the 80s the Costa Rican government decided to scrap its army and direct all military funding to education and health... it is now known as the Switzerland of Central America)

2006-11-07T19:10:00.000-08:00

On crossing the border between Nicaragua we were given strict instructions that the bus would stop, we would all get out to pass through immigration, and then our bags would be searched.

Stage 1 passed without incident... then they said that if everyone on the bus paid US$1 dollar our bags wouldn´t be searched. Everyone on the bus agreed immediately. Not sure if this would be called a bribe, but we were not complaining.

2006-11-07T18:46:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note on the Nicaraguan elections. Frankly when we arrived we had no idea there was about to be a national election. However, one road trip left us in no doubt that something was up. It was pretty impressive... every house, car, and shop displayed some kind of sticker, colour, flag or poster to express their affliation.

In comparison to Australia it was quite a change to see political positions so openly expressed by the general public. Then again, they have good reason to get involved. Nicaragua only has national elections every 6 years and as the poorest country in the region they need effective goverment. It is also a country that has struggled to shape its own future with the US generally not liking left wing leaders, and funding the infamous contras. We read a brief history while on one of our routine 7 hour bus trips and Nicaragua is the best example of the hypocracy of the US who says it wants democracy, but only if it delivers a leader of its choosing. (The above photo is of a painting in leon and shows Ronald Regan sitting on the shoulders of a Mayan woman)

We spoke to an American living in Nica who said that US land owners were worried that if Ortega won office he might reclaim foreign owned land (as he did a similar thing in the 80s when he took power, and Chavez nationalised foreign owned national resources recently in Venezuela).

We now know that Ortega has won but I will be suprised if he does anything radical as foreign investment is so crucial to Nicaragua´s future. Still, it´s interesting to be here, in 2006 when the same issues are being fought over in Central America that have dominated here for the last 2 decades, only this time the US isn´t funding a war.

2006-11-05T10:55:00.000-08:00

Our final stop in Nicaragua was San Juan del Sur... a small fishing town come surf haven for wave hunters. San Juan also meant our first trip to the Pacific coast, having visited the Carribean in Belize.
While it was very beautiful, as non-surfers we didn´t really take full advantage. Nevertheless, we did have some seafood, a rarity, and go for a swim.

2006-11-03T10:50:00.000-08:00

Back to Latin America. More specifically Nicaragua.

Two colonial towns have featured. Leon, the more liberal University town and Granada, conservative and wealthy. We liked them both although the Spanish spoken here in Nica is a complete wreck and makes a beginner feel like... yes, a complete beginner. We also thought that it is likely that Granada will become the new Antigua with its beautiful parque central, colourful colonial buildings and romantic horse drawn carriages.

In Granada we had our first run in with the policia on this entire trip. We decided to hire a scooter to visit the ´biggest market in the country´ in the nearby town of Masaya, which was disapointing besides discussing real vs fake cigars, and the very beautiful Laguna de Apoyo, a lagoon in the crater of a volcano where we took a dip to cool down from the intense Nicaraguan heat.

On our way back to Granada, only a few blocks away from a refreshing frappuchino, we were waved down by a policeman. We handed over the documents the rental place had given us in the event that we were pulled over and the cop said something about 'no license' and 'accompany me to the police station'. Our cries of 'we don't own the bike' were met with a blank stare.

On the way to the station we started stashing cash and passports in different parts of our bags in anticipation of well known corruption in central america.

We arrived at the station, complete with prisoners behind bars, where we were told to wait in what resembled an interrogation room - four concrete walls, no windows, a table and two chairs. After refusing to sit down and mumbling our growing concerns (part of which was due to being surrounded by male police who had no qualms in taking their time looking at Nat) we were then asked to sign a statement, in spanish, which placed us on the bike, ilegally, in a very matter of fact way. We insisted on altering the statement to make it clear that the bike was rented.

In the end the drama didn´t live up to our fears. The scooter owner arrived confirming our position and we were allowed to leave. Naturally, as we left the station the very officer who had detained us was taking the bike for a spin (and obliged when we asked for a photo).

2006-11-02T17:16:00.000-08:00

By the way, the anti-bush sentiment expressed in the US media was overwhelming. The tone was far beyond a ¨it looks like the democrats will win¨, and more blatently like ¨the country cannot bear one more minute of this government, the Iraqi disgrace and the most corrupt, inefficient congress in our history¨... It was a very political media... much more so than in Australia. (photo taken in Madrid)

2006-10-30T17:00:00.000-08:00

Guatemala direct to Miami - a crazy contrast.

US security is as clearly implemented at ground level as it is explained by its Commander in chief.

As Nat and I approached our American Airlines specific gate a man behind the screen quickly put on rubber gloves (this worried me) and sure enough I was taken aside where my backpack was inspected and various items removed - deodorant, face cream, shaving cream and liquid clothes wash. I shrugged, the official shrugged, then in one foul swoop desposed of them in the garbage. Dangerous goods! Nat meanwhile was being worked over with a handheld metal detector. The shaving cream had distracted my guy so I never had the metal detector search. 1 point for Bush... he´s got my deodorant, but never found out if I was carrying a gun!

The next morning we quickly found the nearest diner where the menu was probably 5 times your local chinese restaurant. Upon finishing breakfast we were asked, by a man who probably couldn´t understand why not judging from his girth, if we would like dessert (at 11am).

Miami reminded us at times of Bondi... just a bit flashier. The Art Deco buildings are the highlight of South Beach and the fact that everyone speaks spanish. We were also having coffee one day when a guy rode by on his bicycle with a large iguana on his back.

We returned to the diner so that Nat could get her Jewish fix. This meant bagels with chopped liver and pickles. Eat your heart out Hanka!

2006-10-30T16:58:00.000-08:00

2006-10-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

The most difficult goodbye so far.

Our last few days at IslaVerde were a little more emotional than we had expected. On our last night at the hotel, the staff presented us with a hand woven Mayan cloth with the words ¨Restaurante IslaVerde¨ sewn into it. The staff had put a lot of thought and effort into our gift and it really made us realise what strong friendships we had forged.

The next morning when it was time to say goodbye we were overcome with sadness. It seemed that we had underestimated the extent of our connection to the locals, our foreign friends, the animals (especially Beltxa), the hotel and our life in Santa Cruz and in the end we were left questioning whether we should really be leaving this special place...

Thank you to everyone who made our time at Santa Cruz so magical. We hope to see you again soon - hasta la proxima!

2006-10-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

Feliz cumpleanos...

We celebrated Jack's birthday with a few of our Santa Cruz friends. We enjoyed a delicious meal and ended the night with a midnight skinny dip in the lake.

2006-10-20T06:05:00.000-07:00

We needed a day away from the hotel and managed to convince Rick and Amanada, a couple who had driven to Lake Atitlan all the way from Colorado, to take us on a road trip.

Our chosen destination was the magical and misty hot springs at Fuentes Georginas.

2006-10-11T21:35:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we took part in a scavenger hunt organised by the staff at the Iguana. The idea was to answer questions by collecting information from a number of different towns situated around the lake (think the Amazing Race). We had a private boat to take us from each town to the next, complete with an esky full of coldies and lots of fun along the way.

Our first stop was Santiago de Atitlan, famous for the shrine of Maximón - the naughty saint worshipped in various forms by Maya people. In Santiago, he is a wooden statute who moves from house to house each year. Visitors bring offerings of liquor and we came armed with a bottle of Gallo (beer), but were bluntly told by his attendants that Maximón would prefer it if we purchased a bottle of his favourite beverage, aguadiente (think cheap backyard rum). Nice try!

Outside the rather bizarre shrine to Maximón, we got chatting to the friendly family currently housing the saint, who decided to take the opportunity to attempt to transform Nat into a Tzutujil Mayan...

We ended the day with the Lake Atitlan cliff diving championships. Jack earned a few points for our Budgie Smugglers team by plunging into the crystal blue water of the lake from the ridiculously high cliff pictured above (Mexican cliff diving south of the border). Go Budgies!

2006-10-07T18:56:00.000-07:00

Our mates at La Iguana...

Over the past few weeks we have been enjoying the more social side of Santa Cruz as low season has really kicked in.

Our favourite people to hang out with have been our friends at the hostel down the road, the Iguana, including Hector, Bex and Rich above. These guys have coordinated a number of brilliant social events including a progressive dinner around Santa Cruz and a scavanger hunt across a number of the villages by the lake (a more detailed entry is to come).

We celebrated Bex's farewell BBQ last night with a pinyada and fire dancer. There is never a dull moment with the Iguana crew and we have yet to make their famous Saturday night cross-dressing party!

2006-10-04T14:17:00.000-07:00

Just another day in paradise -

A day trip to Pana for supplies with our favourite guests Heather and Matthew...

2006-10-03T13:09:00.000-07:00

We have 3 very special staff who work with us in the restaurant at the hotel - Domingo (17), Elena (20) and Christina (17). They are all indigenous Mayans who live in the local pueblo. These kids work at IslaVerde to help support their families, which in Christina's case includes her 1 year old daughter.

Elena (pictured below right) is a particularly unique women in her community. She is currently in the process of applying to the bank for a loan to build her own house and has chosen to focus on her career unlike most women her age who are married or have children.

Working with these guys has been very special for both of us. Elena, who thinks Jack is a better looking version of Ben Affleck, has even told us that we are like her second set of parents! They have helped us with our Spanish and now Jack is returning the favour by holding English classes for them in the afternoons.

The other week we let the staff hold a small dinner for some of their friends at the restaurant. We were invited as special guests to feast with them on chicken, guacamole, salad and tortillas all of which was impressively prepared by Mario (our gardener pictured on the far left above, who according to Elena, is the most wanted bachelor in Santa Cruz), Domingo and two of their mates.

2006-09-22T08:55:00.000-07:00

The biggest downside about staying at the hotel, and this part of the world generally, are the creepy crawlies.

Scorpians are the main problem and they are one of the most terrifyingly designed creatures on earth. They aren't deadly here (we've done the research and the Israeli scorpian holds that title), but they sting like a wasp and cause mild numbness. Someone here in Santa Cruz rolled onto one in bed, was stung repeatedly (7 times), and lay paralized for 1 hour unable to move...

So far, we have killed 4 in our room and had two dangling above our heads in bed. I carry out a nightly inspection and can only be described as completely paranoid. One also crawled onto my bare foot last night while having a drink on the deck! They are very difficult to kill and react to a whack with a thong like a light tap on the head. The above photo was taken after crushing this little beauty under our side table.

2006-09-21T08:14:00.000-07:00

The animals here at the hotel are a big part of our lives, and feel like family.

First there is Beltxa (meaning black in Basque), the black Akita. He is the biggest dog on the lake (possibly in the country) and creates fear/awe wherever we go.

Then there is Umper, the remaining half of Umper Lumper... still just a kitten, she barely survives as the less favoured animal in the house.

2006-09-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

Some shots from the hotel. The view from the restaurant..

From the hotel dock...

Sunrise...

2006-09-14T09:43:00.000-07:00

We're a little behind... We have now been at Hotel IslaVerde for over 2 weeks, and have been running the place without Jonnie & Ana (the owners) for 10 days. We are loving this experience - living right on the lake, meeting new people everyday, working in Spanish with the locals and having daily spanish classes.

2006-09-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

Getting from Belize back to Lake Atitlan in Guatemala meant 20 hours worth of bus time. We broke it up with a visit to Tikal, Guatemala's standout Mayan ruin site set in dense jungle.

This is the site where you are likely to spot howler monkeys, jaguars,
and tarantulas. We did see a group of monkeys high in the trees and the odd wild Turkey. We also defied the prevailing view that walking boots were required and made the trip in thongs. A rainy afternoon made it something of a mosquito infested swamp and Nat excited the locals by falling face first into the mud.

2006-09-08T14:48:00.000-07:00

Rod headed back to Perth and we made for Caye Caulker, probably the best known Caye (island, pronounced key). Too touristy for us... but we did enjoy watching a game of street basketball.

2006-09-07T12:56:00.000-07:00

So what do you do when you have 3 nights in a carribean paradise?

We spent our time in Placencia enjoying our beachfront cabana, soaking up some sun under the palapas and getting to know some of the quirky locals. This included Big George, our friendly landlord who despite his rather rotund physic and the phat cigars he was constantly sucking back seemed concerned about where his next meal was coming from, and Kevin "but you know my name is not really Kevin", one of the local wheelers and dealers on the beach.

We also managed to squeeze in a day of snorkelling and diving on the Belizian barrier reef, which is the second largest in the world after our very own GBR. We were transported to Laughing Bird Caye, a small island on the reef with creamy white sand and crystal blue water, in a power boat with our captain yelling things like "now we're jammin" as we motored full speed ahead across the Carribean Sea.

The snorkelling was great, particularly as we had a guide that went with us and showed us many things an untrained eye would normally have missed like a school of baracuda, giant lobsters hiding in the coral and conch on the move across the sea bed in their shells...

And how do you end a day in paradise? With a lobster meal and some rum punch of course!

2006-09-02T14:36:00.000-07:00

"Find yourself a coconut tree and chill..."

Belize is a small country which boarders Mexico and Guatemala. It's unique because Spain chose not to settled here... then the English made it a colony and brought workers from their settlements throughout the Carribean. The result is that it's english speaking, that's if you understand creole, and it feels like Jamaica.

We arrived in Placencia and sorted a beachfront cabana straight away then headed out for lobster and drinks. On the way home (much later) Rod and I were invited into the cabana next door where 3 American girls were hosting a small get together. Fortunately Nat heard their enthusiastic invitation and vetoed my attendance. Fortunately for Rod, that is...

2006-08-30T17:46:00.000-07:00

From Copan we headed back into Guatemala and up to Rio Dulce, where we enjoyed a night sipping mojitos by the pool at Bruno´s, a yachties haven!

The following morning we boarded a launcha (wooden boat) expecting to take a short ride up the river to the Garifuna town of Livingstone. Three hours later we had fully explored the Chocon-Machacas Nature Reserve which included a scenic boat ride through the mangroves - home to the manatee (sea cow), Rod swimming in thermal springs and shack homes where people who have never seen a road live on the side of the river.

Finally, having arrived at Livingstone in the midday heat, we decided that given our extensive travels over the past few days we should push on to our ultimate destination - Belize.

Here was the problem, the standard ferry didn´t leave until 7.30am the following morning and with Rod due to depart in a few days from Belize City, time was not on our side. So we decided to bite the bullet and hire a private boat to take us over to Punta Gorda, a Belizian port, only to find out that we had been scammed and had paid double the going rate. Worse still, the port´s manager had decided to take a long lunch and we couldn´t leave Guatemala until he had stamped and signed our papers - and we had to make the last bus at 3pm!

The race across the Carribean at top speed was memorable... nothing but blue water, a foreign land in the distance and circling sharks below. Very bond (or the Amazing Race depending on your perspective). Below is a picture of the customs office at Punta Gorda - welcome to Belize!

2006-08-29T16:40:00.000-07:00

We decided to visit Copan, a town in Honduras about 15 minutes from the Guatemalan boarder, to take Rod to see some Mayan ruins.

Copan is famous for its well preserved intricate Mayan carvings and hyrogliphics. Its rulers also had some of the coolest names in history such as Smoke Jaguar, 18 Rabbit and Smoke Monkey.

However, the biggest surprise was the town itself. A quaint and colourful colonial town where cowboys gather around the main square, it´s an easy town to enjoy. In addition to the numerous funky bars and restaurants, it is also home of the JAMAICANMECRAZY - a delicious fruit cocktail with 3 different types of rum.

The night got a little crazy after we had exhausted the various happy hours around town and ended up at our hotel (the excellent Via Via Cafe) which had transformed itself into Copan´s party central. Jack and Rod ended the night at a jungle reggae bar complete with bamboo swings and local thugs!

Another day, another hangover, another long bus ride...

2006-08-26T10:20:00.000-07:00

Guatemala City is one big, ugly, uninviting place. The sole purpose of our trip to "el capital" was to pick up Rod at 10pm from the airport and get on a bus to Honduras the following morning at 5am.

We surprised Rod and managed to grab a few Gallos (local Guatemalan brew) at what could only be compared with the local RSL before returning for a couple hours of sleeeeeeeeep.

2006-08-26T10:07:00.000-07:00

The first stop on our tri-nations trip was Antigua - a pretty colonial town (think bright colours and cobblestone streets) which used to be the capital city of Guatemala before HQ was moved to Guatemala City.

Most people visiting Guatemala go to Antigua, so in addition to some cosmopolitan bars and restaurants you are likely to find hordes of tourists.

The highlight of our stay was our visit to Casa Popenoe - a stunning colonial mansion built in the 17th century which was home to Antigua's royal officials. In addition to beautifully coloured and decorated rooms and manicured gardens in various courtyards, the mansion comes fully equipped with a room to house your homing pigeons!

2006-08-16T08:35:00.000-07:00

Farewell San Pedro!

This morning we leave San Pedro for Antigua and the much anticipated trip to Belize with Rod. That's right, someone has actually come all that way from Australia to visit us - might be worth thinking about for anyone reading this (particularly as we are going to manage a nice little hotel for 2 months...).

Our farewell, last night, was suitably weird. We cooked dinner for our landlord and housemates... Then we were taken to a local speakeasy to sample some moonshine. We then made a visit to an infamous Cantina, a local drinking hole for local men only. Fortunately we were escorted by two locals and they were needed as the place was full of total drunks. Dark, dirty... more like a slum really. We literally ran out of the place being chased by a guy who we had denied free booze.

It's sad to leave, but very exciting to see a new country and Antigua - the most visited Guatemalan city and well known as a charming colonial town. We will miss Poppy, but have made our contribution to the community by paying for her to be de-sexed, a move that has convinced our landlord to take care of her.

On our return from Belize we will managing a hotel for a couple while they travel in Europe. The timing couldn't be better and we can continue studying Spanish while working with the 6 local staff. Check out the hotel via the link on the right.

Finally, for interested parties and our own records here is a San Pedro Price Index (AUD):

- One night's accomodation $2 pp
- One litre of beer $3.20
- Cheapest burger in town $1.20
- Street snack (tostada: big crispy tortilla filled with chicken, veggies, salsa, avocado etc) .35c
- One hour of spanish tutition (1 professor for 2 people) $2 pp

2006-08-13T17:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we headed to the annual "fiesta" in the nearby town of Santa Clara.

We had been told that there would be a bull fight and that we may even get to dance with the queen of the village. However, in truth, Santa Clara's big day consisted of two bands playing directly next to each other with all the town drunks (total approx. 5) dancing and everyone else watching, an old ferris wheel in the corn fields, the usual Guatemalan market stalls selling everything from shampoo to shoes and some funky games for the (big) kids.

We made our way home after the fiesta via collectivo (or 3), ie standing in the back of a truck with the locals, clutching a recent purchase of a bunch of spring onions. It was a true Guatemalan experience and we got to meet some of the locals like the funky 4ft granny above!

2006-08-13T10:03:00.000-07:00

Tell your people, that our people are churnin!

We have had some good times with our neighbours here in San Pedro, Danny and Cathryn, a couple from Belfast who are visiting town for the 3rd time in 6 years! I think it is fair to say they are considered San Pedro veterans and know almost everyone in town.

Not to mention, they love a drink or two and have kept us entertained with a steady supply of bad, no - really bad, jokes. Jack has also found them great inspiration for perfecting his Irish accent.

2006-08-13T09:45:00.000-07:00

Chichicastenango is said to have the biggest market in the whole of Guatemala. Last Sunday we boarded a shuttle to check it out for ourselves.

Artisans from all over Guatemala come to Chichi to fleece their textiles and handicrafts. The market was indeed huge taking up most of the streets of the town. The quality of goods varied and it was not uncommon to see the same things over and over again - clearly every tourist needs a chicken shaped oven mit! However, the general buzz and colour of market day in Chichi made it well worth the visit.

We were particularly keen to visit Chichi as we had been told that it was home to an unusual animal market. We found two animal markets, both oddly located in building labelled as toilets. We were expecting monkeys, sloths and exotic birds and were a little disappointed to only find your run of the mill chickens, a couple of old turkeys and a few pot-bellied pigs who were probably going to end up as dinner...

2006-08-05T14:56:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about studying Spanish has been hanging out and chatting with the locals on the street and the kids down at the dock.

It has given us an interesting insight into the people of San Pedro. For example, a late night man-to-man discussion between Jack and Manual, our landlord, revealed a surprisingly liberal view regarding sex and extra-marital afairs, which are apparently common place here despite the fact that Guatemala is full of church-goers. The desire of the local chicos (boys) to hook themselves a foreigner (aka¨cash on legs¨) is also ever present. Young men are constantly asking us questions about the status of our relationship...

2006-08-04T15:49:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we took a trip to Panajachel, a town on the other side of the lake. We were surprised to find that tucked behind the main drag Pana has a beautiful beach right on the lake where locals were chatting while they snacked on freshly cut fruit. Being amongst locals was a refreshing change from the gringo-filled streets of San Pedro...

We also stumbled across a bus terminal filled with old US school buses which had been transformed into multi-coloured Guatemalan speedsters - the famous "chicken buses". We monstered one of Jerry's famous burgers with great coleslaw before taking a late afternoon boat back across the lake where we got to enjoy the view alongside el capitan.

2006-07-21T16:27:00.000-07:00

Our little piece of heaven...

Wow! We've only been in San Pedro for a week and it feels like months.

It looks like we have been really lucky. On our second day here we found an apartment on the lake. It is basic but we have a kitchen, hammocks and hot water - something 90% of the town lacks.

The other great thing about our house is that the garden runs down to the lake where we have a jetty and a soon to be opened bar!

Manuel, our earnest landlord, is slowly building an empire (think multi-storey hotel - it's current one floor -, lakeside bar, restaurants etc etc), but we have arrived just in time because there is no one else staying here and it is still underdeveloped.

We are already scheming to work in the bar while improving out Spanish.

We have also found what we think is an excellent teacher. We say this with hesitation however... this is a man who in the first 4 hours told us that he speaks 7 languages, holds 4 degrees (1 PHD), has travelled the world, is a champion rally car driver, martial arts expert, goes hunting with a sling shot - and that modesty is his more outstanding attribute!

Despite this he has been an amazing teacher and in 1 week we can already say so much! One-on-one tuition is the way to go!

As for San Pedro itself, well, what a querky world we have entered.

It is an idilic town on the edge of lake atitlan, adjacent to 3 volcanoes. It is also a getaway of the budget traveller (that's saying something in Central America) and has also become a hideaway for hippies - or as our teacher Roberto likes to say - social drop outs.

The Western presence means that we have internet, hamburgers, thai curry, a pub with cable and 3-4 places showing nightly movies - creature comforts that we appreciate given how long we are staying.

The downside is that the largely hippy foreign populace cruise around town in their own world, an ocean away from our more conventional backgrounds. It also means that San Pedro is known as a bit of a drug town. We had no idea!

Ironically, on our first night here, as walking home after dinner Nat said 'Where on earth would you find drugs here?' Literally that moment someone said 'Ganja? Weed? White stuff?'

It's comical that in the centre of town, just next to our school, the most frequently heard words are 'Kayak? Weed?' and they're coming from the mouth of the same guy.

Fortunately San Pedro is still a lovely Guatemalan town where people wash in the lake, cows walk down the main street, taco vendors ply their trade and we can chat with the friendly locals who are all keen to help us improve our Spanish.

Our final stroke of luck is Poppy, the puppy. She wiggled her way under our fence the first day we were making lunch (our kitchen is outside). This town has a massive stray dog problem and at first we were planning a full adoption. We then discovered that she actually lives next door, but Nat has nevertheless assumed responsibility for her feeding, washing and grooming. In a few days she has been transformed from skin and bones to a healthy pup. It's just another thing to help us feel more at home.

2006-07-18T14:25:00.000-07:00

One of the main reasons go through San Cristobal is the nearby Mayan ruin site of Palenque. It is just over 100 kms but the trip takes 4 to 5 hours on a speed bump riddled road.

This was our first ruin hit and it was breathtaking. 15 kms worth of ruins spread throughout the jungle - totally Indiana Jones. Large enough so that tourists were limited to one or two in the distance. Bright blue sky, stunning green jungle, grey stone temples... Some well preserved, others no more than crumbling blocks.

2006-07-16T09:06:00.000-07:00

Zapatista dolls, sold throughout the Chiapas region of Mexico. In 1994 this leftist group occupied San Cristobal and surrounding towns with the aim of improving the lives of indigenous people. The presence of the group is still felt today, although behind the scenes...

2006-07-15T16:04:00.000-07:00

Spanking the saints and a shot gun wedding in Chiapas.

San Cristobal is a lovely little town set in the Chiapas hillside. There is that special something about this place - the perfect mix of Mexican culture, Mayan history, cosmopolitan expat establishments and plenty to see and do.

We hired a scooter and headed for the nearby village, San Juan Chamula, famous for its unorthodox religious practices. This includes ´spanking the saints´ and people rubbing themselves with chickens and eggs then drinking Coca Cola to burp, thereby expelling any demons!

We also participated in an improptu wedding ceremony in traditional garb at the home of Juanita in Zanacantan. The surprise was that Jack and I were the bride and groom. Jack felt a tad emasculated in his Little Bo Peep straw hat with rainbow coloured ribbons and matching handbag (an outfit for next year´s marti gras), while I looked like a distant cousin of Moses. We were glad when we could get changed and snack on some of Juanita´s delicious homemade tacos.

2006-07-09T15:05:00.000-07:00

From Mexico City we headed south to Oaxaca (pronounced Wah-ha-ka). We took a tour for this leg of the trip. Due to an overbooking we were driven to Oaxaca in a private car with Edgar, our very own local dreadlocked leftie guide.

We stopped in the pretty colonial town of Pueblo for lunch which consisted of chicken enchiladas with mole, a paste made from cocoa and chili. Unfortunately this dish sounds far more exotic than it tastes. We also took a moment to admire the cactus covered hills and the vultures circling above the Mexican desert.

Not much seemed to be happening in Oaxaca so after a few quiet days we decided to jump on the overnight bus to San Cristobal de Cases.

2006-07-09T14:53:00.000-07:00

We hit the museums on our second day in Mexico City. First up was the Museo Frida Kahlo, housed in the beautiful ´blue house´ in which Frida Kahlo was born and lived for most of her life. The museum is only a few blocks from the house where Trotsky, who was a friend of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, lived in exile until he was brutally murdered there.

We also visited the gigantic and somewhat overwhelming anthropolgy museum which is home to numerous Aztec and Mayan artefacts like the one pictured above.

2006-07-09T14:49:00.000-07:00

A garbage truck Mexico City style. Check out the mags!

2006-07-07T14:10:00.000-07:00

We touched down in Mexico City 13 hours later than originally planned after a hickup with the checkin for our flight thanks to Iberia´s inefficiency. We were only going to stay for one day due to Mexico City´s reputation as a dirty and dangerous metropolis. However, we were pleasantly surprised to find that the city was nothing like what we had expected.

Our first stop in town was the National Palace in the Zocalo (the main square and site of the protests regarding the recent election result). The walls of the palace are covered with gigantic Diego Rivera murals depicting certain periods of Mayan and Mexican history.

We spent the rest of the day getting lost in the colourful markets and munching on authentic Mexican street food. Future visitors be warned - taste the guacamole before smoothering it all over your taco as it may be full of lethal chilli seeds!

2006-07-06T05:59:00.000-07:00

The most amazing thing we did in Madrid was to attend a Flamenco performance. Admittedly we made the effort to track down a Flamenco shop and ask for advice on where to go - our main concern being to avoid tourist traps.

We ended up at a place called Casa Patas and on arrival were ushered into a small, dark room located at the back of a bustling tapas restaurant.

The performance was stunning. From the moment it started we realised that we had found an authentic show... the singing was raw, gutteral (almost painful) while the dancing itself was entrancing. Jammed into the room like sardines everyone was close to the stage and in awe of the performance.

After the show we walked home on a high and happened to stumble across the symbol of Royal Madrid - a bear foraging a strawberry tree! Dad happily posed for a photo.

2006-07-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

Two relaxing days of discovery were followed by a massive surprise at our one must do attraction in Madrid - the Prado.

Mum was checking out the Goya, and guess who was checking out Mum? Tess Phillips, cousin to the FitzGeralds, who lives in Canberra.

Tess is doing a 6 month Europe trip and while we knew she was away we thought she was in London - it was a total surprise!

Once the shock subsided we had a great lunch and decided that Tess and her friend Meryn had to move in to the apartment with us.

2006-07-04T08:11:00.000-07:00

We flew, Mum and Dad took a train, and we all met a few hours later in Madrid. A booking (language) misunderstanding had us in 2 apartments instead of one so we had plenty of space, however we still missed our little plaza back in Barca.

First priority... to watch the Australia v Italy game. Stunned disappointment. You know the story.

Next... more spanish food. To our dismay Madrid lacks the Basque style pinchos that is more common in Bacelona. Conventional tapas is everywhere though and soon we found a place for tortilla, prawns with aioli, grilled asparagus and broken eggs.

2006-06-29T00:26:00.000-07:00

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One of the challenges in Spain has been adjusting to "Spanish time". This means eating lunch after 2.30pm and dinner any time from 10pm onwards (a time when most Australian are getting ready for bed!). Now that our stomach clocks have been reset, we have been enjoying a refreshing cervesa or two and sampling the tasty treats at a number of Spain's bustling pinchos and tapas bars.
Most memorable Barcelona foodie moments:
1. A walking gourmet tour which was a great way to check out the foodie scene and sniff out some of the oldest establishments in town (pictured below is the entrance to Barcelona's La Boqueria food market).
2. Our 3 visits to Origens 99.9%. OK maybe a little excessive but we just couldn't get enough of their mouthwatering tapas including veal and pear stew, duck with peaches and roast apple stuffed with pork.
3. A pinchos bar where everything was served in miniature - think everything from gourmet hamburgers to chocolate fondants.

2006-06-28T12:12:00.000-07:00

Gaudi's architectural gems dotted throughout Barcelona are one of the things that make this city so magical!

Having caught a good dose of Gaudi fever, we visited Casa Batllo and La Pedrera, two residential buildings in the centre of Barcelona designed by Gaudi around the end of the 18th century. The rooftop terrace of the aquatic inspired La Pedrera was spectacular with its funky sandstone chimneys and stunning views across the hazy city.

We also visitied Gaudi's Park Guell, famous for its mosaic lizard (Mum - I have posted a pic for you below) and two bizarre houses inspired by the Gingerbread House in the fairytale, Hanzel and Gretel.

We visited Park Guell and spent the remainder of the day lunching by and strolling along Barcelona's heaving beaches with Gemma - a Catalan friend of Nat's who she met when she lived in LA who lives and works in Barcelona. So great to see you again Gemma!

2006-06-27T08:19:00.000-07:00

Barcelona has some fantastic street art. Our favourites included:

1) The 'gat', a sculpture of a giant cat which we renamed "The Big Pussy" in the Aussie fashion

2) This gem of a poster entitled "One hell of a leader"...

3) Although not technically street art, we thought this sign was also worthy of a mention.

2006-06-27T07:22:00.000-07:00

Staying in Barcelona has been a treat.

We reunited with Gay & Steve, who had organised the most wonderful apartment for us in the Born district overlooking a quaint square called Placa des Olles where local musicians entertained cafe goers. The only problem we had in the apartment was when Jack managed to fall straight through the middle of his bed. Luckily both Jack and the bed survived.

We spent our first day exploring the city. This included the obligatory walk up La Rambla and a visit to the old cathedral in the Gothic quarter.

We also explored the multicultural streets of the Raval where we were surprised to stumble across Barcelona's concerntrated red light district (a single street patrolled by more than 100 hookers) which seemed rather busy despite the early hour of the afternoon!

2006-06-21T00:27:00.000-07:00

Holland has been great. Staying with locals always makes it special and Leiden has been absolutely beautiful. Its canals rival anywhere else in Europe (although filthy - think male football fans relieving themselves after the game), and are incredibly picturesque - whether on the water, or having a coffee beside it.

We also made a day trip to Amsterdam to visit the Van Gogh Museum and check out the scene. While the Dutch often don't like what is really a massive version of Kings Cross, it's got a vibe like nowhere else and is filled with mushroom vendors, sneaker shops, women in windows and american tourists! Despite this, once we got off the beaten path the combination of architecture and funky little design/food/homeware shops makes it one of our favourite cities.

The best thing has been to hang out with Maarten and Ruth, eat 'yummy' food and drink wine... all while watching endless world cup matches. Thanks guys - we will miss you!

2006-06-19T05:14:00.000-07:00

We are currently in the Netherlands - home of clogs, canals and the infamous coffeeshop. We are visiting Maarten (van Straaten) and Ruth, old friends of Jack's from his days studying in Korea, who live in Leiden.

2006-06-16T04:38:00.000-07:00

Austria also provided the opportunity for some outdoor action. Christian took us hiking and white water rafting - both of which showed off the natural assets of the surrounding area. Nat even managed to make it to the top of the moutain this time. The level 4 rafting, apparently the most difficult level allowed in Europe, was lots of fun with a big group - but Nat enjoyed the apple cider + schnitzel lunch break in the sun more than anything.

Thanks Christian - we had an amazing time! We'll be back for Carcassone soon.

2006-06-12T04:02:00.000-07:00

We took the train south from Leipzig over the German border to Innsbruck, a city in the Tirol region of Austria, to visit Christian (aka Dr Stadler), a friend Jack made when he was living in Paris.

Innsbruck has been a real surprise for me (Nat). Just imagine a picture perfect city with cobbled stone streets surrounded by snow capped mountains and a jade coloured river running through it. Add a couple of cows with bells and you feel just like you are in a Milka ad!

Below Christian and Jack are pictured in front of Innsbruck's most famous landmark - the golden roof. Jack never fails to tease Christian about its tiny proportions.

2006-06-10T02:54:00.000-07:00

Thanks Mum and Dad (Steve and Gay) for the very comfortable apartment in Leipzig (above) and to Uncle Michael for keeping the accounts in true German fashion.

2006-06-10T02:34:00.000-07:00

Black is back.

A few things around Leipzig reminded us that we were in the former East Germany such as the decaying buildings and the lack of English. However, none more than the fact that the gothic fashion scene appeared to be alive and kicking here in Leipzig. Gothic brides, gothic families, gothic midgets, you name it, we saw it! There was even an old man dressed as an elf for good measure.

We could never figure out if the Gothic and Erotic festival was what brought them, or if this was just your average weekend in Leipzig.

2006-06-10T02:25:00.000-07:00

Lunch in Leipzig consisted of a bratwürst purchased from one of numerous street vendors around the city for the bargain basement cost of 1 euro. Catch cries common around lunchtime included 'the würst is yet to come' and 'prepare for the würst'...

2006-06-10T01:50:00.000-07:00

Bach and beer in Leipzig.

We spent last week in Leipzig, Germany attending various concerts as part of the annual Bach festival (Bach spent a large period of his life working here).

Hightlights included visiting an old church where we were treated to a concert on 'Schreiber's organ' built some time in the 1600s and a trip to a brewery where we filled our bellies with free flowing beer and lard and blood sausage sandwiches whilst we listened to an awesome barber shop quintet sing numbers from Mozart to Billy Joel.

We also visited the old Stasi HQ, now a museum, where we saw examples of spy gear used by the secret police in East Germany during a time when no one was free from suspicion. This included pre-packed disguise kits like the construction worker alias which contained essential items such as a fake nose, wig and hard hat.

2006-05-29T10:18:00.000-07:00

Today I head to Germany to meet Jack and the Fitz fam. Hard to believe 3 weeks have flown by so quickly. A huge thanks to Andrew and Bec for sponsoring my stay in London for almost a whole month! Below are some pics from the last few days.

Kel and I on an Islington bar crawl where we were joined by Lawrence and Nikki for mojitos and nachos at Desperados (!):

Feasting on lamb kebabs at the Borough Markets in Southwark, a foodies' paradise:

Kel and I visiting an antique market in Angel:

Andrew crushed our hopes of bowling glory at the Bayswater bowling alley:

Spending the afternoon with the newly engaged (yay!!!) Nic and Danny, along with Tammi, Jared, Kel and Lawrence, sipping on strawberry Belgian beer at the Traflagar pub on the Kings Road:

2006-05-27T05:55:00.000-07:00

The cruise is over and we are in Athens. It's less chaotic than I expected and has been a fun city to walk. We visited the Acropolis this morning (the above photo is the flag flying from its fort) and went our separate ways this afternoon. I came across Bin Laden's cafe and immediately knew it qualified for the blog...

2006-05-26T01:29:00.000-07:00

A trip to the West End.

Andrew, Bec and I set out on the town on Wednesday night. Our destination was the Duke of York's Theatre in the West End where we were to see a play called "Embers". The play is set in Europe in the 1940's. Henrik awaits the arrival of an old childhood friend who he has not seen for a very long time due to his sudden disappearance may years ago. The undeniable drawcard of this play is Jeremy Irons who has returned to the West End stage after 20 years to star in Embers.

A couple of Londonisms at the theatre worth mentioning were being allowed to take your drink into the theatre with you and the rumble of the tube every few minutes throughout the performance! We ended the night with a Chinese feast including peking duck and crab at Mr Kong's in nearby China Town (thanks Andrew!!!).

2006-05-24T01:41:00.000-07:00

Em, Delphi and I spent our last afternoon together visiting Oxford, the oldest university in the English-speaking world which oozes with old school charm and exclusivity. Unfortunately Em's father who is the Chichele Professor of War History at All Souls College wasn't in town so we didn't get to visit a college. Instead we spent the afternoon strolling through the pretty Oxford streets.

2006-05-23T03:02:00.000-07:00

Mr and Mrs Macs.

My time in England has largely been spent catching up with friends and family. I spent 4 days last week staying with Em, her husband Guy and their daughter Delphi in Oxfordshire.

I met Em 9 years ago when we worked together in Scotland. After a few cold and crazy months up north, I decided to move to London. About a week after arriving in London I received a phone call from Em tellng me to get on the next plane to the Greek Islands. I left London 2 days later for sunny Kefalonia where I lived for the next 3 months.

A big thanks to Mr, Mrs and baby Mac for a wonderful stay.

2006-05-23T02:12:00.000-07:00

I have to start by saying that Mum did a superb job picking this particular cruise. Not only is it quality onboard (a fact that has been consistently confirmed by other long time cruisers who, unlike us, have the ability to compare) but the ports are all fascinating and in parts of the world I wasn't expecting to see. Note that I didn't pay much attention to the itinerary prior to departure.

We've been to Dubrovnick (Croatia), Corfu (Greece), Alexandria (Egypt), Istanbul (Turkey), Kusadasi (Turkey), and today I'm sitting in Odessa (Ukraine). Tomorrow our final port is Varna (Bulgaria) before we arrive in Athens.

The only drama was that the authorities wouldn't let us disembark at Constanta (Romania) because we didn't have the necessary Visas (which we were told we didn't need at home).

My favourite was Alexandria (below). The cruise guide described it as a 'demented ant hill' before we arrived so we had prepared ourselves for the worst. However, we found an excellent driver, Mohammed (above), who took as around for the day. People, in general, were incredibly friendly and passersby regularly said 'welcome to Alexandria!' We stopped for a beer mid-morning and the owner asked me (out the back, not in front of Mum) if I would like to smoke Hash... I reluctantly declined due to the time of day and proximity of family.

Onboard Mum and Michael were invited to meet the captain last night. Mum went line dancing the night before in the night club, and Michael went (out of curiosity) to the friend's of Bill W meeting which takes place everyday. Unknown to us that is code for an AA meeting... no comment.

12 people caught a bug in Cairo and have been isolated - cruiseships are so paranoid about bugs - these people will never be seen again. We've been to shows every night and I've been in the cinema (Geisha, North Country) a few times.

But really, if I could only make one comment it is about the food. It never ends. We tend to go to the formal dining room for breakfast, lunch, dinner and while I held back for the first 3 days (for health and figure purposes) I have now embraced glutony.

2006-05-17T01:40:00.000-07:00

London tourist.

Ben and I decided to set out on an ambitious day of sightseeing. After meeting at Buckingham Palace, we made our way through Green Park and Westminister and on to the Tate gallery, where I was disappointed to find that all their Mark Rothko paintings had been moved to the Tate Modern (mental note for next time)! We then made our way to corporate Canary Wharf where I was feeling a bit out of place (but rather comfy) in my jeans and flatties, before heading back to Oxford Circus to do a spot of shopping.

2006-05-15T15:40:00.000-07:00

A Mallesons reunion!

London seems to be the hot place right now for ex-Mallesons employees. Kelly B organised dinner with some of the old crew for Mr Adamo's fleeting visit in town. Those who were able to leave work at a decent hour met at The Eagle (pub) for a bevy or two and a bite to eat. Not surprisingly, a few invitees were unable to make it as they were stuck at the office!

2006-05-15T04:56:00.000-07:00

My first day in London ended with a delicious meal at The Greyhound - a smart gastropub in Battersea owned by Mark Van Der Goot, an old friend of Andrew's from school. We were treated like kings (and queens) and got to sample a few beautiful wines from the bosses' cellar. Yum!

2006-05-15T02:42:00.000-07:00

On day 4 we boarded the Holland America Ms Rotterndam and departed Venice (pictured above). Wow! The ship is everything we expected and more. The food is overwhelming and I had to spend 20 minutes on the treadmill this morning just to allow myself to continue.

This photo is of us on our first night drinking very expensive French champagne (thank you Colin and Jan) and drinking a toast to all the family! If only you all were here.

Bars, restaurants, theatres, casinos, libraries, internet, tennis, pools, volleyball, basketball, stand up comedy, caberet, mahjong, 24 room service (included), nightclubs, art galleries (with genuine Picasso, Miro etc), wine tastings, gym, spa - oh, and did I mention that most people are over 50?

The guests are largely americans. Large americans. At dinner last night (which was 5 course a la carte) they actually encouraged us to have 2 mains. "Try the steak and the salmon sir". When I declined and went for pork with apple sauce (you'd love it dad) they actually brought me a second full plate when I had finished the first. I was almost in shock as I politely refused.

One key question has finally been answered. Alcohol can be brought onboard and drunk in the room. We only brought 2 bottles of wine, a bottle of scotch and a bottle of Vodka.

Today we are in Dubrovnik, Croatia. It is stunning...

2006-05-15T02:26:00.000-07:00

OK... this is the point at which Nat and I go our seperate ways, and new guest stars are introduced. I picked up mum in London and we flew to Venice where Uncle Michael was waiting (literally at the ferry stop). Unfortunately from a blogging point of view Mum and Michael are not very good at taking photos so they are either of them, or me, but rarely all of us together!

Venice I have to say was mixed. Obviously the setting is out of this world, but the sheer number of tourists meant it felt a little like a floating italian themed disney land. There are only 55,000 venetians living on the main island and 15,000 tourists a day. The numbers of locals are dropping due to high costs and the pain of tourists so one day it could just be tourists, and locals who work in the tourist industry!

The gelato went some way to making up for it, and the more we walked (and I went my own way for 1 of our 4 days) and saw empty streets the better it got. I went to a very good modern art exhibition at the Palazzo Grassi (www.palassograssi.it) and this again helped to remove me from the ubiquitous tourists.

2006-05-15T01:40:00.000-07:00

The 11 hour flight from Cape Town to London was a breeze as we slept most of the way. Andrew (Nat's brother) picked us up from the airport in his zippy turbo Mini - the Kalfus reunion was complete.

After a yummy alfresco brunch in Nottinghill and a quick tour of Andrew's flat in SW10 which Nat will call home for the next 3 weeks, it was time to farewell Jack at Paddington train station as we part company for a few weeks.

2006-05-14T04:32:00.000-07:00

We spent our last day in South Africa in gaol 12 kilometres from Cape Town...

For nearly 400 years, Robben Island was a place of banishment, exile, isolation and imprisonment for criminals, social outcasts, activists and the unwanted.

During the apartheid years, Robben Island's reputation for its institutional brutality was widely recognised. Numerous freedom fighters including Robben Island's most famous resident, Nelson Mandela, were forced to serve out long sentences in the most basic of conditions or their beliefs (see a picture of the high security cell in section B which Mandela called home for 18 years). Many of the political prisoners, initially incarcerated alongside common criminals and then later moved to the maximum security prison while the criminals stayed in a medium security prison, were subjected to hard manual labour in an attempt to suppress opposition to apartheid by crushing their morale.

Eugene (pictured below), our informative and charismatic guide, was arrested at 16 for organising a student demonstration against apartheid policies in the 1980s and spent 10 years as a political prisoner on Robben Island. He told us how apartheid's regulations even extended to life in prison, as "coloured" prisoners were given better food, clothing and working conditions than those prisoners classified as "bantu" (black), until the ICRC intervened sometime in the 1980s. The ridiculous methods for determining whether someone was coloured or bantu included an examination of the shape of their shoulders and the "pencil test" where classification was determined based on whether or not a pencil placed in a person's hair fell out when they shook their head.

2006-05-12T02:13:00.000-07:00

Taming the lion.

With 2 hours remaining till we had to return our hire car after our trip to Cape Point, we headed over to Lion's Head, a rocky peak to the west of Table Mountain, and set out on a not so leisurely hike to the summit which involved climbing some rather frightful ladders at great heights.

Nat almost overcame her fear of heights but after 2 teary episodes she decided to wait while Jack climbed the remaining 30 metres to the top. A beautiful summit with 360 degree views of Cape Town which we recommend to all future visitors (see below).

2006-05-12T01:14:00.000-07:00

One for the foodies.

We sniffed out some great eateries around our neighbourhood in Cape Town. This included the Cafe de Sud, a funky retro Cuban inspired establishment with fabulous moody lighting, cool tunes and the most delicious mojitos.

We also enjoyed nibbles to the soothing sounds birds chirping (played over the stereo) at Birds, a fab simple little gem of a cafe which is a haven for the chic designer set, and smoking mango tobacco as we reclined on cushions at the Baghdad Cafe.

Vide e Caffe on Kloof Street, a small cafe where the local urban junkies get their caffeine hit, also gets our vote. In addition to having some of the best coffee in Cape Town and a great buzzy vibe, it has a spectacular view of Table Mountain from the front bench. Not a bad way to start your day!

2006-05-08T10:22:00.000-07:00

Road trip - Cape Point.

As we still has the car until 12pm on Monday we decided to set out on an ambitious day of sightseeing.

Following a 6am wake up call we piled into the car (which thankfully had not been broken into over night) and headed due South to Cape Point to watch the sun rise. Cape Point is the most south westerly point of Africa where the Indian and Atlantic Ocean are said to meet.

Unfortunately the funicular which takes you to the actual point did not open until 9.30am (2 hours after we arrived) and we were on a tight schedule. We, however, immensely enjoyed the scenic drive down the coast and the amazing road trip back via Chapman's Peak - a windy coastal road around the edge of a mountain range worthy of the early wake up call.

2006-05-08T10:13:00.000-07:00

The Cape wine route.

You really need a car to get good feel for Cape Town. So we decided to hire a car for a day and do some exploring. Our first stop was the Cape wine route around Stellenbosch/Franschhoek, about a 30 minute drive outside Cape Town's city centre.

South Africa's best known indigenous red wine is the pinotage, a blend of pinot noir and hermitage varietals. We sampled pinotage at its birth place, a small vineyard on the outskirts of Stellenbosch.
We also enjoyed the garden paradise, including the historic camphor trees, squirrels and peacocks, at the Vergelegen Estate, a property (and now vineyard) with a long history.

2006-05-08T10:09:00.000-07:00

Checking out the neighbourhood.

We spent our first few days in Cape Town exploring our new surrounds on foot to get to know central Cape Town and some of its more colourful inhabitants a little better.

We visited the Pan African markets and Green Market Square where, after much bargaining, we bought the obligatory wooden and bone handicrafts from the local stall holders (Jack's time in China proving handy). Let's hope we make it through customs!

We also visited the V&A Waterfont (a bit like Darling Harbour), the museum and art gallery where we went to the first exhibition of the influence of African art on Picasso's work ever shown in South Africa, and the colourful street of Bo-Kaap, home of the Cape Malays and delicious samosas!

2006-05-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

No cobwebs at this daddy long legs!

We had a very colouful stay at the hip Daddy Long Legs Boutique Hotel in Cape Town. Situated on vibrant Long Street in the heart of the city, the hotel has 15 or so rooms, each of which has been uniquely decorated by a local artist, photographer, poet or musician.

Part of the fun of the hotel is staying in a different room each night, although Jack was not too pleased about having to pack and unpack so many times.

First we enjoyed the very elegant Protea Room (see above) inspired by South Africa's national flora, the protea. Then it as onto the Photo Booth (see below), which has 100s of small photos stuck to the walls to create large portrait of the artist's parents. Our final stop was in a room called "Please Do Not Disturb" which features a fully functional kareoke machine, microphones hanging from the ceiling and astroturf for carpet.

2006-05-04T13:05:00.000-07:00

We spent the last three days driving the Cape's famous Garden Route - allthough to be honest nether of us had heard of it before we arrived in SA. The Garden Route is approximately 400km of spectacular mountainous, forest-lined and coastal road between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.

We hired a car in Port Elizabeth and set out on our way, enjoying the spontaneity and freedom of our road trip and the breath taking scenery. We spent the first night at Mossel Bay, a coastal town overlooking the Indian ocean, before making our way to the picturesque town of Knaysa where we feasted on salad - a treat given the reserve's staple meat and cheese diet. On our way back to PE we visited the Tsitsikamma National Park annd the "Big Tree", an 800 year old tree not unlike the Big Pineapple.

Next stop, Cape Town...

2006-05-04T12:55:00.000-07:00

On our last full day at the reserve we decided to visit the nearby Addo Elephant National Park, home to over 450 elephants.

Seeing and experiencing a national park was an interesting comparison to Amakhala, particularly given the stories we had heard about how parks such as Kruger have become overrun with tourists and aggresive rangers who do not respect the bush. The main dfferences include the fact that the roads are mostly tar and that the public take their own cars into the park which means that if there is a sighting cars line up to get a look. This takes away from the magic of finding yourself face to face with an animal in the wild.

The highlight of the day was getting caught in a traffic jam of sorts behing three huge elephants who had decided to take an evening stroll in the middle of the road.

2006-05-04T12:47:00.000-07:00

Goodbye Amakhala!

After much deliberation we decided that the time had come for us to leave Amakhala a few days earlier than planned. Living in someone else's home for so long had taken its toll. The family we were working for were dysfunctional in a number of ways - very badly behaved kids, non-existant communication and very intimidating personalities.

Our last days included a BBQ (Braai) at the lodge at which the staff sang and danced up a storm to some traditional xhosa drum beats.