Reis van de Nautilidae What you give is yours. What you retain is lost forever...... tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-06-16:/blog/?domain=estebaan 2009-01-05T13:46:55Z Estebaan img/travel-blog-feed.png "With Twins Make Baby?" tag:travellerspoint.com,2009-01-05:/blog/?domain=estebaan&thisblog_entryid=40&entryid=144191 2009-01-05T13:46:55Z 2009-01-05T13:46:55Z the three young Filipino girls had been waiting in vain for the boys to show them some attention. They had been idly hanging around outside on the beach in front of our guesthouse looking with admiration up at the boys who were busy doing their best to ignore them as they played another game of pool. The girls could not have been any older than 14 and I was quite surprised when one looked up at Lute and I when ... the three young Filipino girls had been waiting in vain for the boys to show them some attention. They had been idly hanging around outside on the beach in front of our guesthouse looking with admiration up at the boys who were busy doing their best to ignore them as they played another game of pool. The girls could not have been any older than 14 and I was quite surprised when one looked up at Lute and I when we passed and asked with a coy smile "with twins make baby"? With some humour I replied, "I think you will have to go up and play a game of pool with them first!" and we continued on our way. Retrospectively my flippancy was somewhat naive as it appears that many Filipino girls and boys on Palawan have their first child in their early teenage years.

We left Palawan today and are temporarily holed up in Cebu whilst we wait for a transfer flight to IloIlo. Our destination is the Baras Resort http://baras.willig-web.com/index_en.htm which we hope will be the holiday paradise that we didn't find on Palawan. I'm not saying Palawan wasn't good, but it does appear that you really have to shell out the big bucks and step off onto one of the expensive island resorts to escape compromise. Alternatively, bring everything with you and get castawayed by a boat taxi. We did try this with three French girls and spent New New Years Eve tucked up under a mozzie net on a beautiful island just outside of Elnido. Unfortunately I didnt gauge the high tide mark very well and at about 60minutes into 2009 Lute and I were woken up by a big splash of cold salt water falling over our legs.

The rude awakening had alot to do with the larger than normal waves that developed while we were on Palawan, a response to a would be typhoon that bloomed and died north of the Philippines. The strong NE winds from this storm made the inter-island ferry trips we took quite rough, especially the trip from Port Barton to ElNido. I was not surprised to hear after we had finished this trip that a ferry on the previous day had experienced difficulties and had taken 12hrs to complete the same trip which took us 5hrs. Apparently their engine broke down and they were taking on water, which must have caused some consternation to the tourists on board. These "ferries" or "Bangkas"(as they are called here) are really just big open canoes with outriggers to stabilise them and are not really suited to rough conditions. We were all soaked from seaspray when we arrived in Corong Corong Bay (just outside ElNido) and I do suspect the lure of the tourist dollar sometimes inspires the local boatman to embark in conditions they would normally wait out. I would recommend anyone contemplating this trip to watch the weather and if possible choose one of the larger 12 person bangkas. We took the one operated by the Greenview Resort which appeared well maintained.

"With Twins Make Baby?" remains copyright of the author Estebaan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> http://estebaan.travellerspoint.com/40/ Malarial Fears tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-12-21:/blog/?domain=estebaan&thisblog_entryid=39&entryid=142330 2008-12-22T00:35:40Z 2008-12-22T00:35:40Z Max looked up from his prone position in the sun on the sand. He looked terrible with sand all over his face, droopy eyes and a deep lethargy. He had a fever starting and I was a little worried. We had just been paddled through 1.5km of subterranean river caves and I he didn't think he was going to be able to complete the 7km walk back through the jungle to our beach cottages at Sabang. Fortunately I was ... Max looked up from his prone position in the sun on the sand. He looked terrible with sand all over his face, droopy eyes and a deep lethargy. He had a fever starting and I was a little worried. We had just been paddled through 1.5km of subterranean river caves and I he didn't think he was going to be able to complete the 7km walk back through the jungle to our beach cottages at Sabang. Fortunately I was able to book two places on a boat from a tour group and we were wisked back to Sabang over a choppy sea. That night Max's fever reached 38.5c, he developed chills, a headache and lost his appetite. My concern for his health deepened when I awoke at midnight and read the phamplet that came with the anti-malarial drug we are taking (Larium).

The symptoms all seemed to fit and the words "life threatening" in the literature got me wired. Over the past few days we had been reasonably diligent in protecting ourselves against mosquitoes but we had all been bitten once or twice when we had taken the canoe on the amazing mangrove tour, which I would recommend to everybody who visits Sabang. At that moment I made the decision then to cancel our early morning departure on a boat to Cacnip Island and instead we rerouted ourselves back to Puerto Princessa on the first bus. By the time I had Max in front of a doctor at the Adventist hospital his fever had subsided but the doctor agreed with my concerns and took a blood sample....2hrs later we were back in reception at the hospital and I was very relieved to hear the nurse read out that he didn't have Malaria, just an influenza....Phew!

I have purchased two large bottles of insect repellant and we are now going to reignite our plans to get to Cacnip where I have booked a family bungalow at the Coconut Island Resort.

Malarial Fears remains copyright of the author Estebaan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> http://estebaan.travellerspoint.com/39/ Fresh Ripe Mango tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-12-18:/blog/?domain=estebaan&thisblog_entryid=38&entryid=141968 2008-12-18T13:55:29Z 2008-12-18T13:55:29Z Our China Southern Airline tickets had been the cheapest I could find on the net and I was pleasantly surprised, perhaps a little shocked, to find us boarding a splinter new Boeing at Kathmandu for our 1130pm red eye flight. Unfortunately we were not prepared for Gangzhou airport (our stopover), which was also splinter new and sporting huge cavernous glass walled terminals. We were advised as we landed that the ambient outside temperature was 10C and it felt as if ... Our China Southern Airline tickets had been the cheapest I could find on the net and I was pleasantly surprised, perhaps a little shocked, to find us boarding a splinter new Boeing at Kathmandu for our 1130pm red eye flight. Unfortunately we were not prepared for Gangzhou airport (our stopover), which was also splinter new and sporting huge cavernous glass walled terminals. We were advised as we landed that the ambient outside temperature was 10C and it felt as if somebody had turned the terminals climate control system onto "fresh air intake only" - it was freeeeezing. After two hours the sun came up and after scouting around we found a few southern facing windows at a gate right up at the very end of the terminal where we could rest on a piece of sun drenched carpeted floor.

The first thing I noticed about Manila was the colourful long wheelbase Jeepney taxis plying the roads outside the airport. The next thing I noticed was that it was quiet in the clogged traffic. Yes, in the Philippines people actually only use their horns if it is absolutely necessary. Pure relief! I had really never gotten used to the noisy chaos on the roads and pavements of Nepal.

Come on, really, how long has it been since you have eaten real fresh ripe mango? I didn't realise what I had been missing out on until I was gently picking my way through the fruit salad I had ordered for breakfast at our guesthouse in Manila. This was no Delhaize Mango that had half ripened in a cushioned wrapper whilst sitting in a box as it travelled a few thousand km to Antwerp. No, this was the real thing, and I realised then as another slippery taste sensation found my palate, that this was one of the important reasons why we had come to the Philippines.

Following everybodies suggestions we were in and out of Manila within 24hrs. I managed to snag some tickets to Puerto Princesa on the Palawan Islands and we landed here yesterday. Puerto has a nice calm and friendly vibe, slightly enhanced by pre-christmas festivities which are being actively celebrated the good catholic locals. Influenced by the festive ambience I yielded to some tin can drum beating youngsters who were attempting to serenade us with christmas carols through the door of the vegetarian restaurant we were dining at tonight. I had Victor give them 5 Pesos and was relieved when they promptly disappeared. Unfortunately they must have gone around the corner and told every other kid in the neighbourhood that there was a soft touch at the restaurant and we subsequently had at least 10 more drum beating serenades before we had finished our meal. Lesson learned - never hand out cash when you are unable to relocate!

On the advice of a taxitricycle driver (Jun) we met yesterday we hired one of those long speedy (and very noisy) boats with bamboo outriggers on either side and went on a tour of three tropical islands in Honda Bay today. At the first island (Starfish Island) our skipper and his mate cooked up our fresh fish, veges and seaweed we had purchased (with Juns help) early at the local markets in Puerto . We dined on their efforts at 10am on the sand under a bamboo and thatched palmleaf roofed shelter overlooking the bay. Sweet.....

The snorkling visibility in the bathtub warm waters around all the islands was not great but the diversity and colour of the fish made up for it. Maybe I did notice that some of the coral was dead (not being an expert it's hard to tell) but the coral gardens certainly aren't as fabulous as those we swam around off Aqaba in the Red Sea. The boys stayed in the water all day and Lute also spent a good slab of time snorkling. Unfortunately we weren't diligent enough with the sunscreen resulting in us having to spend some time in Puerto this evening shopping for Aloe Vera gel to soothe the pink skin on Victors back and thighs.

Tomorrow we are heading to Sabang on the western side of the island and then we will probably drift northwards in search of a "tropical paradise" to nestle into for the christmas/new year period. There are not too many tourists floating around this end of the woods and some of the guesthouse owners are saying that they are slower than they were this time last year. This is actually good news for us and our no-prebook spontaneous wanderings.

I suspect that this will be the last entry for a few weeks so I would like to extend seasons greeting to all my friends, family and fellow bloggers.

Fresh Ripe Mango remains copyright of the author Estebaan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> http://estebaan.travellerspoint.com/38/ Arghh the bells! tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-12-14:/blog/?domain=estebaan&thisblog_entryid=37&entryid=141572 2008-12-15T04:59:33Z 2008-12-15T04:59:33Z The bells started ringing again at 4am this morning. We had prepared ourselves as best as possible by turning in at 8am (along with most of the populace) but we hadn't counted on that damn black and white dog which lives under some huge overturned wheels in the corner of the square. At 2am, when all was quiet, this mangy mongrel leader decided it was time to gather together a few of his his local brethren into the middle of ... The bells started ringing again at 4am this morning. We had prepared ourselves as best as possible by turning in at 8am (along with most of the populace) but we hadn't counted on that damn black and white dog which lives under some huge overturned wheels in the corner of the square. At 2am, when all was quiet, this mangy mongrel leader decided it was time to gather together a few of his his local brethren into the middle of the square (well out of reach of my water bombs) and begin a barking competition with some other mongrels in a nearby district....he didn't stop until 630am and I vote, he won.

After 3 days sleeping in the nerve centre of Bhaktapur we are ready to fly to Manila Vanilla. Our "best room" in the Sunny Guesthouse has such a paucity of sound insulation that you can virtually hear somebody scratching themselves on the street two stories below.

Bhaktapur however has been a great diversion from Kathmandu, the medieval architectural heritage is still in reasonable shape and the people here take their daily religious prayer and offerings seriously. It reminds me of how Kathmandu felt 20 year ago.

Arghh the bells! remains copyright of the author Estebaan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> http://estebaan.travellerspoint.com/37/ Chitwan to Bhaktapur and onwards tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-12-12:/blog/?domain=estebaan&thisblog_entryid=36&entryid=141224 2008-12-12T14:20:02Z 2008-12-12T14:20:02Z From Pokhara we took a two day rafting trip on the lower Seti River which was pleasant. The most interesting event was watching the locals dynamite fishing the river not far from the launch point at Damauli (I thought I was going to have to wait for the Philippines to experience this). We paddled past quite a few stunned and dead fish which had escaped the eager nets and hands of the locals at the rocky race immediately downstream. After ... From Pokhara we took a two day rafting trip on the lower Seti River which was pleasant. The most interesting event was watching the locals dynamite fishing the river not far from the launch point at Damauli (I thought I was going to have to wait for the Philippines to experience this). We paddled past quite a few stunned and dead fish which had escaped the eager nets and hands of the locals at the rocky race immediately downstream. After this, we didnt see our rescue support kayak guy until after we had beached ourselves at the river campsite at dusk - the lure of easy fishing was too tempting for him.

Reading of our "Rough Guide to Nepal" suggested we should avoid the tourist fleshpot of Sauraha so after the rafting finsihed we took a series of buses and walked into the quiet villiage of Ghatgain, which sits on the northern banks of the Rapti River just opposite the Royal Chitwan National Park. The flat countryside was full of rice paddies and small mud walled thatched houses, it was very scenic. The next day we left early with a French couple and their guide and stomped through a thick mist for 3.5hrs to watch a game of elephant polo at Meghauli. Watching these huge beasts being riden around in pursuit of a tiny white ball was a crazy almost surreal scene.

The next two days saw us hire our own guide to hike 20km through the jungle in search of wildlife and I must admit having an undercurrent of anxiety for the whole duration. I just couldn't shake the thought that somewhere out there behind that wall of green foliage there were real tigers and even with his big stick I didn't hold much hope that our 5ft 5" guide was going to be able to adequately fend off one of these ferocious maneaters. As it turned out we only caught glimpses of spotted deer, monkeys, wild boar and maybe a sloth bear. We did however see many footprints and even a tiger turd...

After the jungle walk we decided that we really couldn't leave without riding an oliphant - so we took a late afternoon ride on two females housed at the nearby luxury safari resort. Ambling across the river on these huge animals was awesome and their ability to push their way through the 8m high elephant grass gave us access to areas you can never see from hiking along the ground. Perched astride our sitting platform felt grand and the heightened vantage reminded me of how I used to feel when I climbed up into my old VW Kombi. After our trip was about half way thru we turned back towards the river and I was giving up hope of seeing anything when a large wild boar sprang out from the grass in front of the elephant Max and I were atop. Our excited rider quickly turned around and with a big smile barked "loook Deer!", which was an absolute crack-up. After this, we ended up seeing a couple of wild Rhinos and Victor was over the moon. Although the price was steep (2000NR or AU$40ea) I would thoroughly recommend any visitor to Chitwan to take an elephant ride - its not like riding a horse at all, which never really thrilled me.

We have spent the last two days in Kathmandu doing a little bit of shopping. The boys picked up some silver rings they had had made (embedded with gemstones we spent two days finding during our previous stay in Katty) and I got myself a set of brass singing bowls. After getting skinned a few times over the last six weeks I finally feel a little more skilled when bargaining with the locals and I have learnt to relax into the process.

Today we moved out to Bhaktapur where we have all nestled ourselves in the best and largest room offered at the Sunny Guesthouse which directly overlooks a square filled with temples and statues. Its our last three days in Nepal and I am already thinking about how I can get back again...umm

Chitwan to Bhaktapur and onwards remains copyright of the author Estebaan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> http://estebaan.travellerspoint.com/36/ Parked in Pokhara tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-12-02:/blog/?domain=estebaan&thisblog_entryid=35&entryid=139932 2008-12-03T03:17:07Z 2008-12-03T03:17:07Z It's been hard keeping this blog going in Nepal. Our planned two week trek in Eastern Nepal turned into a 21day epic and upon return to Katty we scurried up to Pokhara to recover. This is easy to do in this lakeside tourist town nestled in the foothills of the Annapurnas, which in comparison to Katty is a relaxed haven. I wouldn't say its pretty anymore but there is a plethora of hotels, restaurants, shops and activities catering to western ... It's been hard keeping this blog going in Nepal. Our planned two week trek in Eastern Nepal turned into a 21day epic and upon return to Katty we scurried up to Pokhara to recover. This is easy to do in this lakeside tourist town nestled in the foothills of the Annapurnas, which in comparison to Katty is a relaxed haven. I wouldn't say its pretty anymore but there is a plethora of hotels, restaurants, shops and activities catering to western tastes making it easy to park and put on a bit of subcutanious fat. In this regard I lost 7kg on our trek and am back to my schoolboy weight of 66kg, which actually feels great. Lute and the boys didn't have any love handles to start with so they don't look much different, but I am sure they are also a kilo or two lighter.

I am busy writing up a summary of our trek to the East but my diary is so heavy with entries it might be a few weeks before I get around to publishing it online. Needless to say we survived, but it did push everybody to their limits at one stage or another, the result being that I was recently unable to convince the rest of the family that a short 6day trek from Pokhara up to Poon Hill to view the mountains would be worthwhile. We also decided that the tailend of our journey should be easy and pleasurable, so the concept of visiting India was shelved in favour of searching for a tropical paradise in the Philippines...considering the subsequent developments in Mumbai this looks like being a good decision.

"Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground."
Jelaluddin Rumi

Parked in Pokhara remains copyright of the author Estebaan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> http://estebaan.travellerspoint.com/35/ Heading East tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-10-27:/blog/?domain=estebaan&thisblog_entryid=33&entryid=134836 2008-10-27T14:15:03Z 2008-10-27T14:15:03Z We are on a plane to Tumlingtar tomorrow morning. If all goes well I won't be logging another entry for another three weeks, during which time we will be hiking up the Arun River valley. Its a remote region that sees few trekkers and supposeldy has a fairly pristine environment. We have a guide and a porter from the original company we talked to (Shiva Outdoors) after they shaved $700 off the price. Our guide comes from the area where ... We are on a plane to Tumlingtar tomorrow morning. If all goes well I won't be logging another entry for another three weeks, during which time we will be hiking up the Arun River valley. Its a remote region that sees few trekkers and supposeldy has a fairly pristine environment. We have a guide and a porter from the original company we talked to (Shiva Outdoors) after they shaved $700 off the price. Our guide comes from the area where we are going which I hope will ensure everything goes smoothly.

Today Nepal was busy and all the dogs had garlands of flowers around their necks. This turns out to be only one of the many activites that are occuring in the five days of celebration going on here. Right now I can hear fireworks going off everywhere.

Heading East remains copyright of the author Estebaan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> http://estebaan.travellerspoint.com/33/ Stinky Katty tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-10-25:/blog/?domain=estebaan&thisblog_entryid=32&entryid=134482 2008-10-25T16:16:37Z 2008-10-25T16:16:37Z Day 1 - as we stepped off the plane one of the first things that caught my eye was that the soldiers at Kathmandu airport carry rifles that look like they're from WW2, a sharp contrast to the splinter new light weight automatics on routine display throughout Amman. Following a time consuming visa acquisition process we headed into town and I soon saw that the last twenty years hasn't been kind to this city. Choked with cars, motorbikes, rickshaws, bikes ... Day 1 - as we stepped off the plane one of the first things that caught my eye was that the soldiers at Kathmandu airport carry rifles that look like they're from WW2, a sharp contrast to the splinter new light weight automatics on routine display throughout Amman.

Following a time consuming visa acquisition process we headed into town and I soon saw that the last twenty years hasn't been kind to this city. Choked with cars, motorbikes, rickshaws, bikes and pedestrians the chaos reaches an almighty stinking, ear piercing crescendo in Thamel and thats were we now find ourselves based. The pollution is excacerbated by the regular power blackouts which necessitate many of the shops turning on and running generators. Its such a pity that nobody has grasped traffic managment by the horn and pedestrianised vast slabs of Thamel, because I like whats on offer.

We are now in the process of sorting out guides, porters and a trekking itinery and have liaised with a couple of companies. I am finding this process challenging, partly because of the almost overwhelming compulsion i have to get out into some clean air.. This compulsion caused some conflict with Lute and me today after I gave the go ahead to a trekking agent who she thought was too expensive, the fact the she didn't say so until we came back to our hotel annoyed me. Anyway I ended up agreed with her and quickly went back and put things on hold.

Day 3 - We still haven't decided on a trekking agency but Thamel is too much and I have voted out. Today we took a taxi, which wasn't nearly as challenging as in Amman and had a squizz at Patan, which is about 5km South of Kathmandu centre. With our trusty guidebook in my hand we proceeded to walk from the backdoor of Patan into its heart and it really is much less scarred than Thamel. The first guidebook recommended place in the low/med budget range was full and after reviewing a couple of scruffy places we found the calm oasis of the upmarket Summit hotel hidden near the Norwegian and Dutch embassies. I drank the relative sweetness of the clean air and wandered past the grassy poolside stewn with relaxed people reading books in the sun in their swimmers! Shit I thought, they're having a real holiday! I checked out the prices and was about to walk away when Lute noticed that they offered some budget rooms (20Euro/double), which turned out to be very simple (no TV, no Aircon etc) and very clean with hot water - Purrfect. Our room was reserved within 5min and we are moving over in the morning.

Both the boys and Lute said tonight that today had been heavy for them. We saw a dead dog lying on the side of the road, some dead rats and beggars were commonplace including one young boy with only one leg and no hands. The fetid stench of rotten things and raw sewerage wafted past us regularly and the smell that engulfed us as we crossed the Bagmati River has cemented my newfound no fish/no meat diet.

I learnt today that 500 people/day fly in and hike up towards Everest basecamp and there is no way we want to be on such a treadmill. We have purchased some maps for Eastern Nepal and are talking about a 16 day trek in the remote restricted region between Makalu and Kanchenjunga. I am getting excited!

Stinky Katty remains copyright of the author Estebaan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> http://estebaan.travellerspoint.com/32/ "Life is a big school!" tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-10-21:/blog/?domain=estebaan&thisblog_entryid=31&entryid=133973 2008-10-21T14:55:43Z 2008-10-21T09:05:08Z "Life is a big school", said Akran the taxi driver as he ferried me from Qatar Airways office back to the Cameo Hotel (which I wouldn't recommend). He didn’t realise how pertinent his statement was, but with the series of unfortunate events that have occurred to us over the last few days, it resonated. My trip to Qatar Airways offices was the highlight of these events following the airline canceling our "confirmed reservation" to Kathmandu. This occurred due to a ... "Life is a big school", said Akran the taxi driver as he ferried me from Qatar Airways office back to the Cameo Hotel (which I wouldn't recommend). He didn’t realise how pertinent his statement was, but with the series of unfortunate events that have occurred to us over the last few days, it resonated. My trip to Qatar Airways offices was the highlight of these events following the airline canceling our "confirmed reservation" to Kathmandu. This occurred due to a critical condition not explained on my internet booking response. The condition was that I had to go to their offices in Amman to pay a minor validation surcharge (due to a reservation change I made months ago) at least 72hrs before the flight. I went all the way up to the area manager and maybe they are going to upgrade what is an apparent weakness in their booking system, but we are now have three unexpected days in Amman before we can get on another flight.

Overall I must say that Jordan has sometimes been a difficult place to travel as an independent tourist. Accommodation in the RSCN "camps" (which are not really campsites at all but expensive hotels with tents) is geared towards tour groups which book out the accommodation weeks in advance at this time of year. Fortunately we have our camping gear with us and have been able to stay in some great offroad locations for free. We have had no hassles from the locals doing this and I think it is very much an accepted practice, no doubt remnants of the Bedouin culture. I think the hire car company wouldn’t have been too happy if they saw where I took their Citroen C5....

Some advice for other travellers is as follows:

• If you go to Petra, don’t bother with the Petra by night tour, it's a dud. It is too busy to appreciate the music or the talk (I estimate 400 people did it on the night we were there) and the Treasury is not lit up very well.
• Don’t expect to go to the Dana nature reserve and find maps and books on the reserve available at the information centre. You also are required to engage a guide to walk the route to the camp, which you need to book in advance. Also, don’t get convinced to use a local non RSCN guide, unless you pay much less than the 35JD we shelled out for a "guided" walk from the village to the local springs.
• If you stay in the Dana Hotel (which is OK) make sure you put some fresh insecticide pads in the anti-mosquito devices and check the toilets and showers work properly.
• Most taxi drivers in Amman (where they agree to use a meter!) have tried to increase the charges for us in some way or another. They are quite inventive in their excuses and it gets tiring arguing with them.
• Get on an overnight camping tour in the mountainous desert region around Wadi Rum - we hired our own guide and vehicle thru Jordan Tracks for two days for 240JD. We got to drive through and scramble around some of the most amazing scenery and our guide (Sarle) compensated for his rudimentary English by entertaining us at night with arabic songs whilst strumming his inlayed Egyptian Lute.
• Don't believe anybody if they tell you there are no mosquitoes in the desert.

I was surprised to find that Jordan still uses cans with ringpulls and leaded petrol.....and those damn black plastic bags are everywhere. I propose that the Jordan Government makes the sale of biodegrdable plastic bags mandatory.

"Life is a big school!" remains copyright of the author Estebaan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> http://estebaan.travellerspoint.com/31/ Stop - there's a girl in a bikini! tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-10-14:/blog/?domain=estebaan&thisblog_entryid=30&entryid=133133 2008-10-14T17:53:43Z 2008-10-14T17:53:43Z massive petrol guzzling GMC rod hogs slide up and down the coastal road which leads to the Saudi border. Crossing the road is a necessity to get from our budget hotel to the public beach where fully clad Muslim women wade into the water next to ogled bikini clad foreigners. I observed in amusement today as the traffic slowed and stopped twice to let some scantily clad women cross the road to the hotel. The difficulty of swimming ... massive petrol guzzling GMC rod hogs slide up and down the coastal road which leads to the Saudi border. Crossing the road is a necessity to get from our budget hotel to the public beach where fully clad Muslim women wade into the water next to ogled bikini clad foreigners. I observed in amusement today as the traffic slowed and stopped twice to let some scantily clad women cross the road to the hotel.

The difficulty of swimming in a robed outfit makes me ponder how many of the local women from Aqaba have ever actually had the chance to see the reefs - alas it's just one of the many restrictions placed on them in this culture.

Our hotel (the Bedouin Village) is costing us 50 dinar (about 50 euro)/night for two double rooms with bathrooms - which is bout 1/4 of the midrange hotel up the road. I dont begrudge the price as it has allowed us to enjoy the finest snorkeling I have ever undertaken - yes, I dare say its better than the Great Barrier Reef, and a hell of alot easier to access.

Jordan is more relaxed and advanced than Syria but littering is a common habit that turns the beaches, streets and carparks into rubbish tips. Although there is a rubbish collection team working the beaches the shear volume of rubbish sometimes left behind and the strong winds invariably mean that there are regular plastic jellyfish and other trash floating round the reefs. I remember being similarly dismayed 20years go when I first saw the same attitude in Tunisia.

Off into the desert tomorrow!

Stop - there's a girl in a bikini! remains copyright of the author Estebaan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> http://estebaan.travellerspoint.com/30/ Dead, Red and Floating tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-10-12:/blog/?domain=estebaan&thisblog_entryid=29&entryid=132750 2008-10-12T10:02:01Z 2008-10-12T10:00:02Z we floated high in the oily salt sturated water as the sun set orange over Israel. Unfortunately we spent too long frolicking in the Ded Sea and ended up having to pitch our tents on a dark, dusty hill next to an abandoned police checkpoint. Today we have been enjoying the colourful splendour of the coral and fish in the Red Sea near Aqaba and we are relaxing by the poolside of our budget hotel which overlooks the Sea. ... we floated high in the oily salt sturated water as the sun set orange over Israel. Unfortunately we spent too long frolicking in the Ded Sea and ended up having to pitch our tents on a dark, dusty hill next to an abandoned police checkpoint. Today we have been enjoying the colourful splendour of the coral and fish in the Red Sea near Aqaba and we are relaxing by the poolside of our budget hotel which overlooks the Sea. Time to stop and rest.

Dead, Red and Floating remains copyright of the author Estebaan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> http://estebaan.travellerspoint.com/29/ Immodium in the chaos of Allepo tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-10-07:/blog/?domain=estebaan&thisblog_entryid=28&entryid=132190 2008-10-07T16:39:21Z 2008-10-07T16:39:21Z the boys are enjoying their birthday wish and are sitting nearby at separate computers working together to haul out some treasures from an electronic battlefield within a Runescape world. Victor has taken an Immodium to plug up the gastro that began last night and Lute will take one tomorrow morning if things don't improve. We suspect the trigger was some hot cheese sandwiches we ate in the Souk but the orogins could lie in many places in this hygiene lax ... the boys are enjoying their birthday wish and are sitting nearby at separate computers working together to haul out some treasures from an electronic battlefield within a Runescape world.

Victor has taken an Immodium to plug up the gastro that began last night and Lute will take one tomorrow morning if things don't improve. We suspect the trigger was some hot cheese sandwiches we ate in the Souk but the orogins could lie in many places in this hygiene lax chaos. Yes I'm afraid a health and safety audit would fail Allepo in the first couple of milliseconds.

The Allepo Souk is amazing, a vibrant middle eastern market of ancient heritage that the locals still use. We wandered through it until we had all had our senses battered into numbness by the onslaught of colour, spices, enthusiastic stall owners and endless people who like staring at the boys.

Today we found the blacksmith quarter of the city and I was welcomed into a smithy by an old wirey Syrian who proudly showed me a huge chopping knife he had forged from a piece of automobile leaf spring over a tiny fire on a square anvil no heavier than 15kg - Amazing! . I will try to upload a photo sometime soon.

Off to Jordan tomorrow.

Immodium in the chaos of Allepo remains copyright of the author Estebaan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> http://estebaan.travellerspoint.com/28/ DEAR TRAVELAR...hope you happy stay tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-10-05:/blog/?domain=estebaan&thisblog_entryid=27&entryid=131875 2008-10-05T19:18:32Z 2008-10-05T19:18:32Z that's the greeting that sits on a large plastic sign high on the wall in the passport control office on the Syrian Border 40km outside of Allepo. I had the misfortune to have to use the grim keyhole toilet located outside the office and the book I'm reading called "What Went Wrong" by Bernard Russell (which is an overview of the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of the West) seemed to be so relevant. We are really ... that's the greeting that sits on a large plastic sign high on the wall in the passport control office on the Syrian Border 40km outside of Allepo. I had the misfortune to have to use the grim keyhole toilet located outside the office and the book I'm reading called "What Went Wrong" by Bernard Russell (which is an overview of the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of the West) seemed to be so relevant.

We are really really tired today thanks to a slack travel agent in Istanbul who stuffed up our bus booking resulting in our arrival at a bus station in Hattai in Southern Turkey at 2am in the morning with no follow-on transfer. I also have a filthy headcold but fortunately my headlice seem to have been exterminated by the poisonous shampoo purchased in Dubrovnic.

Since my last entry weve covered some ground, the vast bulk on overnight trains. We took the Balkan Express from Belgrade to Istanbul which was a 24hr haul over the mountains through Bulgaria and we had a 6 berth couchette all to ourselves, in fact we had the whole couchette carriage to ourselves. We also took the Anadolu Express from Istanbul to Ankara which was only 10hrs, but also pleasant (once the Turks next door stopped smoking). The rhythmic patter of the train is a very pleasant bedfellow and having now done a few long bus distance bus hauls, we now know what we prefer.

We are now moving thru the transition zone from West to East. Istanbul is the vibrant crossroad and we enjoyed wandering its streets and taking in some of its historical sights. In Istanbul I became nauseous from inhaling too much mint tobacco from a large exotic waterpipe whilst battling Victor and Max in backgammon on mother of pearl inlaid boards. We were lucky enough to see a live Sufi "whirling dervish" performance in a large room at Istanbul train station and I was elevated and taken away with the music. The performance was somewhat let down by the venue, but it was an insight into the religion that Rumi began so long ago. I think the boys found it a bit boring but perhaps one day they will appreciate it.

Books have become very important on our journey and the boys are now busy chewing on the first two books of Lord of the Rings. Max is a bit like me (somewhat obsessive) and once he gets into a book there is no stopping him. Unfortunately for him this means he is living though floods and droughts as our journey is not regularly intersecting English bookstores. Victor is busy devouring all the maps we are gathering, he loves to get them and adjust them with pens and highlighters creating new imaginary lands.

DEAR TRAVELAR...hope you happy stay remains copyright of the author Estebaan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> http://estebaan.travellerspoint.com/27/ sick in Mostar tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-09-27:/blog/?domain=estebaan&thisblog_entryid=26&entryid=130682 2008-09-27T16:25:53Z 2008-09-27T12:42:25Z it took some time for me to accept that Lute could go no further. She had managed to get off the bus from Dubrovnic but Max had to repeat that "she would be sick" before I finally "got it" that she was not going to make it another 10hrs to Belgrade. Bloody hell I can be so one track sometimes. Anyway, there we were, late on a Friday night in a bleak, cold almost deserted bus station in Mostar, Bosnia ... it took some time for me to accept that Lute could go no further. She had managed to get off the bus from Dubrovnic but Max had to repeat that "she would be sick" before I finally "got it" that she was not going to make it another 10hrs to Belgrade. Bloody hell I can be so one track sometimes. Anyway, there we were, late on a Friday night in a bleak, cold almost deserted bus station in Mostar, Bosnia with no information at hand. I felt quite alone as I left Lute with the boys and walked out of the waiting room to find some money and accomidation.

All turned out fine, as it nearly always does. I found the bus station manager behind a closed window and once he understood the situation he rallied to the cause. 30min later we were in a private apartment run by Dino and his mum Tania. Tania brewed Lute a pot of herbal tea to help her out and she was asleep not long after. Today we have spent wandering this war torn town and sitting in cafes whilst the boys waded through their first english grammer exercise in the books we bought for them in Dubrovnic. Lute is feeling better and we are planning to catch the bus tonight.

I am presently treating myself for some uninvited hitchhikers. Yep, somewhere in the last few weeks some headlice jumped on board. The assistant at the pharmacy in Dubronik offered me two products (hair retention and anti dandruff) until I changed from sign language and drew my best picture of a louse.

sick in Mostar remains copyright of the author Estebaan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> http://estebaan.travellerspoint.com/26/ Dubrovnik tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-09-20:/blog/?domain=estebaan&thisblog_entryid=25&entryid=129831 2008-09-27T12:12:08Z 2008-09-21T06:43:47Z We jumped off the bus and surged past the throng of people trying to convince us to take private accomidation. A short walk towards the church saw us at the information office where I soon learn't that we would need to take private accomidation to stick to our vague budget. I went and had a chat to one of the women standing on a street corner in her long synthetic black patterned dress. I was soon wisked away by Nevzeta's ... We jumped off the bus and surged past the throng of people trying to convince us to take private accomidation. A short walk towards the church saw us at the information office where I soon learn't that we would need to take private accomidation to stick to our vague budget. I went and had a chat to one of the women standing on a street corner in her long synthetic black patterned dress. I was soon wisked away by Nevzeta's husband in his 26 year old banger. The apartment was fine and I negotiated 350Kruna (50Euro) for all of us for one night (only this morning did I realise that they had vacated their bedrooms for us and slept in their living room).

If you are coming to Dubrovnic and want to stay somewhere close to the port in a clean room with a view call Nevzeta Custovic (020) 418 547. Her warmth and hospitality will remind you why you travel.

Last night we saw Dubrovnic by night. It was chilly, windy and beautiful. We are going to slow down now and hope to spend at least four days camping and exploring Mjlet Island.

Dubrovnik remains copyright of the author Estebaan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> http://estebaan.travellerspoint.com/25/ Budapest tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-09-14:/blog/?domain=estebaan&thisblog_entryid=24&entryid=128684 2008-09-14T20:24:11Z 2008-09-14T20:24:11Z yep, in the city that has always intrigued me. The name alone is inspirational. Last night we arrived at Keleti station and I was swayed by the guy at an information booth to have a look at an apartment that his firm had an association with. Half an hour later I rejected the smelly place and we ended up back at the station. We finally found a hostel smack bang in the centre of the tourist district and when we ... yep, in the city that has always intrigued me. The name alone is inspirational.

Interaail_954.jpg

Last night we arrived at Keleti station and I was swayed by the guy at an information booth to have a look at an apartment that his firm had an association with. Half an hour later I rejected the smelly place and we ended up back at the station. We finally found a hostel smack bang in the centre of the tourist district and when we got upstairs the room wasnt cleaned nor could they find any sheets for us. The guy at the counter was very apologetic and offered a discount. I couldnt be bothered moving again so we took it and slept ontop of some doona covers.

Today we took a tour in a big opentop redbus and got a feel for the city. I like it, perhaps even more than Prague and wow you should see the wrought iron scattered around, so ornate. I have been on a photo frenzy, snapping up one doorgrill after another.

Interaail_939.jpg

After the bus tour we found a great vege restaurant and gorged ourselves on greens and legumes...

Our gear jettisoning has slowed but Lute did leave her watch in the shower at a camp ground in Slovakia. One hour later she realised, but it was gone like the wind. So thats the second item lost, my rough guide to Czech/Slovakia dissapeared at a hostel in Olomouc, which was damn annoying. Since then we have been using the Lonely Planet website shop which allows purchase and downloading of chapters from most of their books.

Its interesting, every time we move into a new country there is an initial sense of vulnerabilty that slowly fades with familiarity. Jumping out of the train here in BudaPest I felt it acutely, especially as my initial accomidation plans had fallen through at the last minute.

Travelling without a computer in the backwaters of Eastern Europe makes it difficult to keep a blog going and to effectively plan ahead. Of the few places I found with internet most were only open during business hours and that is not where one wants to be when the sun is shining. So we have been flyin a little blind which is sometimes frustrating when you miss convenient bus or train connections. Because time online has been so limited I have not even responded to the comments that have been made to my blog....sorry to you all. I have been reading them and will attempt to reply over the next few days as we do a bit of housekeeping and wash some very smelly clothes.

Budapest remains copyright of the author Estebaan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> http://estebaan.travellerspoint.com/24/ Cravings for a good salad in Levoca, Slovakia tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-09-11:/blog/?domain=estebaan&thisblog_entryid=23&entryid=128205 2008-09-11T11:58:39Z 2008-09-11T11:58:39Z The czechs and the slovaks ARE BIG on cheese and meat and we have hit overload. The last week has seen us hiking in the Mala Fatra Natrional Park in the western Tatra mountains and in the last few days in the eastern Tatras. I think we have all been a bit dissapointed with the Slovenski Raj Ńational Park in the East. This park appears to be a mishmash of pristine areas and logging coups and most of the hiking ... The czechs and the slovaks ARE BIG on cheese and meat and we have hit overload.

The last week has seen us hiking in the Mala Fatra Natrional Park in the western Tatra mountains and in the last few days in the eastern Tatras. I think we have all been a bit dissapointed with the Slovenski Raj Ńational Park in the East. This park appears to be a mishmash of pristine areas and logging coups and most of the hiking yesterday was on logging trails. The Mala Fatra NP on the other hand was well worth while, the highlight for us was stumbling upon fields full of fruiting alpine blueberry on the last hike from the top of the chata vratna chairlift.

We shed 5kg of gear in the Czech Republic and our packs are somewhat more mangeable. Due to poor public transport access we hired a small Skoda in Kosice and are now touring on four wheels. Its much easier to get around to the campsites and I am happy with the decision. So far, we are roughly travelling on about AU$100-day which is what I had planned.

The scars of socialism are clearly evident in the towns, with concrete apartmentblocks commonplace. The older people seem somewhat stern and watchful and poverty is hard to ignore.

Cravings for a good salad in Levoca, Slovakia remains copyright of the author Estebaan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> http://estebaan.travellerspoint.com/23/ Helfstyn - Hefaiston tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-09-01:/blog/?domain=estebaan&thisblog_entryid=22&entryid=126561 2008-09-01T12:01:38Z 2008-09-01T12:01:38Z tears coursed down my face for the fourth time yesterday. I could not and did not want to hold them back for somewhere deep inside me I knew they were part of the healing I needed to part with my family and blacksmith brothers and sister. The festival closed zesterday and we are all suffering from a lack of sleep. I had anticipated that after everybody had left the campground it would get quieter but I hadnt counted on ... tears coursed down my face for the fourth time yesterday. I could not and did not want to hold them back for somewhere deep inside me I knew they were part of the healing I needed to part with my family and blacksmith brothers and sister.

The festival closed zesterday and we are all suffering from a lack of sleep. I had anticipated that after everybody had left the campground it would get quieter but I hadnt counted on the French trumpet player whose beer fueled blasts cut the cool quiet night air way into the morning. On the positive side, it kept me awake long enough to get me out of my tent and have one last drink with the Belgian smiths. What a fine group of men they are and we all have parted on the mutual understanding that we are all going to meet again. To all of you who read this blog I thank you from my heart, for it was the generosity of your spirits that has made this one year sojourn in Europe so special. And Patrick, you know.......bedankt voor alles.

So what was the festival like.....umm, well I have forged some new friendships and strengthened some old ones. the quaility of the steelworks exhibited and created within the castle walls were astounding and I have been enormously enriched and inspired. There were too many damn people to enjoy the festival during the midday hours and I estimate thousands rocked up to see the blacksmiths in action and see the works created.

The boys and Lut are now sitting in the middle of the square in Lipnik n. Becvou as we wait for a bus to take us deeper into East Czech. The plan is to reach Roznov tonight and have a look at Czechs largest open air museum of wooden architecture. Our packs are still too damn heavy but some jettisoning has begun.

We are all feeling a little exposed and uncertain.

Helfstyn - Hefaiston remains copyright of the author Estebaan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> http://estebaan.travellerspoint.com/22/ On the way tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-08-28:/blog/?domain=estebaan&thisblog_entryid=21&entryid=126095 2008-08-28T17:04:59Z 2008-08-28T17:04:59Z A quick entry. We arrived in Olomouc zesterday and everzthing is going relatively smoothly except that my pack is too damn heavy and I havent been able to find fuel for the fancy multi-fuel stove. These damn kezboards are a little bit different and buggered if I can understand a word of Czech. Tomorrow we head to the blacksmith festival at Helfstyn castle and then eastwards into Slovakia where I am looking forward to unpacking the tent and breathing in ... A quick entry. We arrived in Olomouc zesterday and everzthing is going relatively smoothly except that my pack is too damn heavy and I havent been able to find fuel for the fancy multi-fuel stove. These damn kezboards are a little bit different and buggered if I can understand a word of Czech. Tomorrow we head to the blacksmith festival at Helfstyn castle and then eastwards into Slovakia where I am looking forward to unpacking the tent and breathing in some fresh mountain air.

On the way remains copyright of the author Estebaan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> http://estebaan.travellerspoint.com/21/ Departure tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-08-24:/blog/?domain=estebaan&thisblog_entryid=20&entryid=125394 2008-08-24T07:37:09Z 2008-08-24T07:37:09Z what a blur! We are almost away. In seven more hours we leave the comforts of Belgium and take a big silver bird to Prague. I am soooo ready to get movin. I weighed in our fully loaded haversacks last night and the results are as follows: Steve: 23Kg Lute: 17Kg Max/Victor:~13Kg I reckon they are too heavy but theres not too many luxuries. Most of the weight comes from the essentials required to hike and camp (tents, stoves etc) and I am ... what a blur! We are almost away. In seven more hours we leave the comforts of Belgium and take a big silver bird to Prague. I am soooo ready to get movin. I weighed in our fully loaded haversacks last night and the results are as follows:

Steve: 23Kg
Lute: 17Kg
Max/Victor:~13Kg

I reckon they are too heavy but theres not too many luxuries. Most of the weight comes from the essentials required to hike and camp (tents, stoves etc) and I am uncertain how much of this is actually going to occur. I have now read that they dont allow free camping in the remaining wilderness areas in Croatia (i think this has someting to do with remnant landmines). Well if jettisoning is required it will be done.

The highlights of the last few days are as follows:

- Replacing my 20yr old Trangia metho burner with a fancy new multifuel model. I havent had time to use it yet but its a nicely designed bit of kit. Unforturtunately they dont recommend you burn unleaded fuel in it due to all the additives.
- Last drinks at the Witzli Poetzli. I hired Dirk, a busker that I met on the local shopping strip to serenade us with his violin and the regular flow of Belgian beers/wine put the 20 or so people who turned up into a merry state.
- Watching our 700kg shipping crate almost fall off the rear of the hired moving van. The hydraulic hoist of the van really wasnt strong enough and sagged as the pallet trolly rolled onto it. This was one of those "oh fuck" moments that fortunately didnt end in disaster thanks to the warehouse fork lift driver.
- Flowing tears and strong emotions as we said final goodbyes to Lutes mum and dad last night. Jos doesnt think this trip is responsible and his final words to me as he walked out the door were "make sure you look after Lute and the boys Steve".

OK gotta move. Our final breakfast in Belgium is about to begin, god I am going to miss the Belgian bakeries which must be the finest in the world.

Departure remains copyright of the author Estebaan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> http://estebaan.travellerspoint.com/20/ Hectic........ tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-08-18:/blog/?domain=estebaan&thisblog_entryid=19&entryid=124746 2008-08-19T10:48:14Z 2008-08-19T05:17:22Z I knew I was starting to lose it when I realised I had packed nails into one of the cardboard boxes that had already been carefully stacked inside the shipping crate. So, with no other way to nail the crate shut, out came the boxes. Bloody hell, if I had known that it was going to be so much hassle and cost to ship personal goods back into Australia I would have given this away long before we started. ... I knew I was starting to lose it when I realised I had packed nails into one of the cardboard boxes that had already been carefully stacked inside the shipping crate. So, with no other way to nail the crate shut, out came the boxes. Bloody hell, if I had known that it was going to be so much hassle and cost to ship personal goods back into Australia I would have given this away long before we started. In total, it is going to cost us about $1600 to ship 1.4m3 of goods from Antwerp to Melbourne. Half of these costs are the shipping, the rest is the customs/quarantine and port costs in Melbourne. I reckon these costs are about triple what we paid 12 years ago to ship twice as much gear...

Lut has finished work and is tidying up her paperwork. The boys are just hanging out, though they did go to the scuba diving course again last night. The next few days will see me ferrying furniture and goods back to the family and friends who have so kindly lent them to us.

I am looking forward to getting out of the apartment and on the road and have bought a Kerouack, "the Dharma Bums", to fill in the spaces.

Hectic........ remains copyright of the author Estebaan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> http://estebaan.travellerspoint.com/19/ Packing, Pancakes and Fire Exhibitions tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-08-16:/blog/?domain=estebaan&thisblog_entryid=18&entryid=124266 2008-08-16T21:10:38Z 2008-08-16T13:19:47Z "Daaad, that doesn't smell good!" Max tried to broach tactfully as I was cooking the pancakes this morning. I ignored him, after all what would he know! We are emptying the kitchen cupboards and the pancake mix needed to be used. It wasn't until Lute yelled from upstairs "Steeeve, your not cooking them in butter are you?", that I realised that something may have been amiss. Arrgh...another sign that I am not to be the next naked chef. Anyway, the ... "Daaad, that doesn't smell good!" Max tried to broach tactfully as I was cooking the pancakes this morning. I ignored him, after all what would he know! We are emptying the kitchen cupboards and the pancake mix needed to be used. It wasn't until Lute yelled from upstairs "Steeeve, your not cooking them in butter are you?", that I realised that something may have been amiss. Arrgh...another sign that I am not to be the next naked chef.

Anyway, the pallet box is half full and the apartment is almost empty. Our haversacks are sitting in a corner of the spare room and they are almost complete. I have bought a good map of Czech Republic/Slovakia and Croatia and ordered the Lonely Planet Nepalese phrasebook. All of our important travel documents have been scanned and I have put copies of them onto skydrive, which is a free 5GB data storage facility that is offered by MSN (damn it!) and linked with my hotmail accounts. We have decided we wont travel with a mobile phone. The convenience was tempting but the global SIM cards on offer don't work in half the countries we are planning on visiting and I had the feeling that it would compromise the escapist feeling of the trip.

Last night Lute and I rode our bikes to the Museum in the Middleheim park in Antwerp and saw an exhibition by a Belgian artist called Leo Copers. In this exhibition he had quite a few works that used fire as a primary medium and I was very impressed by some of these. What was really good about some of the works was that you could get really close to them, something that the Australian safety Nazis would never allow. My favourite work used a small square pond that had LPG bubbling up from under water which then randomly ignited from a pilot flame near the surface. If you are into sculpture and installation art in a beautiful outdoor setting then the museum is for you. Check it out at http://www.middelheimmuseum.be/

Family training has fallen over. I must get them out tonight.

8 days to Go!

Packing, Pancakes and Fire Exhibitions remains copyright of the author Estebaan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> http://estebaan.travellerspoint.com/18/ A last Hoorah for Lut, Steve Max & Vic at the Witzli Poetzli tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-08-14:/blog/?domain=estebaan&thisblog_entryid=17&entryid=124143 2008-08-14T10:09:30Z 2008-08-14T09:28:29Z Well its now one year since we landed in Antwerp and true to our original plan we will be heading off for the big 5 month journey back to Australia in 10 days. This blog entry is another invitation to all you Belgians and other odd European connections to have a drink and one last hoorah with us. WHERE: Witzli Poetsli (Right next to the northern side of Antwerp's Cathedral) WHEN: Friday 22 August TIME: 8pm Come on ... IMG_7535.jpg

Well its now one year since we landed in Antwerp and true to our original plan we will be heading off for the big 5 month journey back to Australia in 10 days. This blog entry is another invitation to all you Belgians and other odd European connections to have a drink and one last hoorah with us.

WHERE: Witzli Poetsli (Right next to the northern side of Antwerp's Cathedral)
WHEN: Friday 22 August
TIME: 8pm

Come on and sit with us under the trees on the cobblestones next to the cathedral and be a Duvel with us one more time! The Witzli Poetzli has arguably one of the best settings of all the cafes around Antwerp, if it doesn't rain! If it rains and we relocate somewhere else, we will leave a message at the bar.

A last Hoorah for Lut, Steve Max & Vic at the Witzli Poetzli remains copyright of the author Estebaan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> http://estebaan.travellerspoint.com/17/ A final doobie In Orval tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-08-12:/blog/?domain=estebaan&thisblog_entryid=16&entryid=123930 2008-08-13T06:33:55Z 2008-08-12T22:03:42Z We stood in the forest and listened to the silence...then we blew a big doobie and it got even quieter. Jan, Ward and Rafaella squatted around me and I am sure they all felt something similar. There was a rich finality to the moment, one rooted in travels and events that had occurred 13years ago when I was living on the Moby Dick in Antwerp. Somehow time has cemented these friendships whilst so many others have weathered and washed away. ... We stood in the forest and listened to the silence...then we blew a big doobie and it got even quieter. Jan, Ward and Rafaella squatted around me and I am sure they all felt something similar. There was a rich finality to the moment, one rooted in travels and events that had occurred 13years ago when I was living on the Moby Dick in Antwerp. Somehow time has cemented these friendships whilst so many others have weathered and washed away. Sometimes I wish I understood better what it takes to hold onto friendships, for my past seems to be littered with so many valued losses - but then again, perhaps this process is inevitable and to try and retain what should be released can only limit growth.

Jan had driven us all from Brussels to the Abbey in Orval, where they make a renowned beer of the same name. It was a joyful escape from the city and our travel preparations. The Abbey sits at the base of a valley right near the French/Belgium border and is surrounded by forest..after a quick poke around we wandered along an 8.5km route through the forest which was well worthwhile.

IMG_1649.jpg

Prior to the trip I dropped in our passports at the Syrian embassy in Brussels where the ever so efficient clerk noticed that my identity permit had expired. I explained the situation, but the clerks command of Dutch was non-existant and her English was basic. The situation resolved when I proffered my alternative, a British Passport. She then explained that Brits (apparently not so popular in Syria) need to pay 85Euro instead of 25Euro, then after a brief period of contemplation quietly took my Australian passport and said if I paid 112 Euro I could pick up all the visas next week. Sweet!

I Measured all our weights tonight, which might provide an interesting comparison as the trip progresses:

Steve: 68kg
Lute: 51kg
Victor: 39kg
Max: 38kg

Training has withered somewhat due to family protests. I hope to get everybody out tomorrow night.

12 days to blastoff

A final doobie In Orval remains copyright of the author Estebaan, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> http://estebaan.travellerspoint.com/16/ Exposed tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-08-08:/blog/?domain=estebaan&thisblog_entryid=15&entryid=123204 2008-08-12T21:09:42Z 2008-08-08T07:45:55Z "Dad, I dont want to stay here and do cooking", said Victor yesterday morning as we stood inside Antwerps central youth centre and deliberated over the surprise timetable change. It didn't take long to make a decision, "sorry mate, you guys are not staying at home today!". The resulting long faces caused a twinge of guilt and uncertainty but as I suspected they met some nice kids had a great time. Of note over the last two days: [*] My ... "Dad, I dont want to stay here and do cooking", said Victor yesterday morning as we stood inside Antwerps central youth centre and deliberated over the surprise timetable change. It didn't take long to make a decision, "sorry mate, you guys are not staying at home today!". The resulting long faces caused a twinge of guilt and uncertainty but as I suspected they met some nice kids had a great time. Of note over the last two days:

[*] My gear freaking tendency was exposed by an experienced salesrep at K2, arguably Antwerps best camping store http://k2.firstserved.net/Home/tabid/251/Default.aspx . Due to the lack of a day pack in our present baggage list I had been deliberating if I should replace my 20 yr old Berghaus backpack with a travelpack with inbuilt daypack. The girl on staff talked herself out of a good sale and convinced me that hanging a small daypack from the front would be a better solution. I really get a positive lift by such integrity and must ensure I mention her excellent service to her boss.

[*] I relented on the evening exercise last night to allow Lute, Isa and myself a visual indulgence by seeing "Transylvannia" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transylvania_%28film%29 at the free open air cinema that runs in summer at the old wharf sheds on the Schelde River. It was a good flick and our second Tony Gatlif film which once again confronted and drew me into the raw world of the Gypsies in Eastern Europe. As my good buddies will know, there is something in the music and the lifestyle that that touches my soul.

[*] I picked up a custom made pallet box that will be strong enough to ship back the 500kg of blacksmithing equipment I have gathered and our other gear.

[*] Sold enough AECOM shares to keep us on the road for a while. It was difficult to go through the process of selling when the market is so low but it had to be done and I have still made a decent profit.

[*] The night hikes through the city with the additional daypack strapped to my front made me realise the downside of having flab instead of stomach muscles; I am not strong enough to hold myself straight and be aware of my surroundings. Not Good! I have therefore started building up my core body strength with some morning yoga routines.

16 days until Blastoff...............

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