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Thursday 31st December
2004 : Oaxaca
Exactly 6 hours after leaving Mexico City we arrived
at the bus station. The journey was really beautiful, going across
mountains of pine trees and then cactus. Oaxaca is a cute town. This
town of 300 000 inhabitants is a popular tourist destination.
There’s a lot to do like chocolate tasting, a local speciality,
they grind a mixture of cocoa beans, sugar, cinnamon and almonds in
front of you in the old-fashioned machines. There are also traditional
markets where you can try local dishes such as enchiladas, quesadillas,
fajitas or even the molle negro which is really spicy.
There are churches, museums, and a cathedral and of
course a main square, the Zocalo, with restaurants under the arches.
I was fortunate enough to meet Eva who looked after
me. I stayed with her aunt Désirée who was really kind as
well. We went to restaurants, met her friends, and visited the town and
surrounding area...all this with blue skies.
There were more and more tourists in the brightly
coloured streets on Christmas Eve
I visited Mitla with Laura and also Monte Alban, which
is a town situated on a plateau on top of a mountain. The views of the
valley were magnificent.
My first go in a Mexican nightclub on the opening
night of the Van Gogh club. A good Techno evening just what I needed.
Eva’s Christmas present to me was a trip to a strip club, great
atmosphere, strobe lights and dancers, hot hot hot!
The Museum of Culture is very well thought out and
it’s fascinating to learn about Mexico’s history, religion,
art, music, crafts and culture.
I then visited the Matitlan distillery where they
produce Mezcal. The family running a stall on the roadside welcomed me
in their 3ha Aguave estate. The father was proud to hear his son
explaining how to grow Aguave in English. The Aguave is a sort of
cactus, grown 1000 plants per hectare, it is harvested all year round
and only the core of the plant is kept. This core is then boiled,
squashed by a concrete grinder which is towed by a mule. I had a go at
this step. After 3 days fermentation, it’s all put in a copper
still which is heated with wood. The distillation takes between 6 and 8
hours. La Punta is the best clear liquid which comes out of the still,
with an alcohol content of about 50 degrees. The other parts are re
distilled or mixed in with La Punta to reduce this percentage to 40%.
What a great day, loads of information and new tastes. Mezcal can also
be used as a base drink for liqueurs or other cocktails. Sometimes, to
improve the taste they add a Gusano de Maguey, roughly translated as an
Aguave worm. Even though I hated the taste of the dried worm, I really
liked the Mezcal which had aged in an oak case from the Mendocino
cooperage in California for 4 years.
Off again on Monday into the mountains for a breath of
fresh air. Went to Tatachinto Cabanas, at 2500 above sea-level, in the
middle of a pine forest great for lovely walks, mountain biking, play
area and BBQ. A really cool day.
COSTA RICA
My week in costa
rica was very nice. I found a hotel for backpackers called Nomadas, a
good adress as it's cheap and clean. Roberto, the owner, welcome me and
show me where I should go, what to do and where to stay...perfect. I
meet a group of young people from all over the world, travelling as
well. We share experiences around a delicious glass of old reserve
Cognac. Emily and Rosie were described me their round the world trip
and especially their stay in Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. Unbelievable,
I already know where I can go in Asia
Let's go to La Fortuna, 4 h of bus, to admire the Volcano Arenal, still
actif. But today, it's the wheather is not great, very cloudy.
...so I won't see anything. But the guide will tell us later that it's
usual, and most of the tourists come to enjoy a nice hike in the
rainforest, looking for monkeys, toucans, huge trees, tarentula and
still these green plants and ferns. I loved this 3h hike under the
rain.
The last big eruption was in 1968, which killed dozens of people and
thousands of animals, but years later, this area has now the most
fertile soil to benefit the growers.
Then we went to relax in one of these hotel with hot springs, the
perfect tourist trap.
Monteverde is my next stop, after 1h in a van, then 45 min crossing the
lac arenal, and another 2 h of durt road in the mountains. Nice ride
along with Avichag and Elia, 2 girls from Israel and France. In the
afternoon, it's time for the canopy tour, which means flying accros the
rainforest, attached on cables and hoping it won't break,
several meters high. Very exciting experience, under the rain, with
guides who know more or less what they are doing. The tarzan swing was
the best part, where
you jump from this platform, holding on this rope, and swinging in the
air...yeeeeeeeeee Hawwwwwwww
Then I was time to go to the beach, on the pacific coast and finally
swim after 1 month and half of travelling. Crystal clear water, warm,
nice waves, it's hot, palm trees, nice sand beaches...ok ok , you got
the idea...
Visit of the Park Manuel Antonio where I played with a dozen of white
face monkeys for an hour, who are obviously used to the tourists and
want only one thing, this nice cereal bare that this little girl is
holding in her right hand......Done, the monkey jumps and in one second
catch it and jumps away. We are all watching him slowly and gently
opening the bare, better than most of us.....I guess he is used to that
too.
Back to the beach where I can suntan and watch my new friend Willy
surfing the big waves in Costa Rica.
This week was short but great. The north coast was under water anyway
after loads of rains the week before, making impossible to visit. No
regrets.
They don't have wine here, only one " winery " buys grape juice from
California and make wine, or try. Well, they make a Cabernet or a
chardonnay at 6 % alcohol. I guess to compete against the locals beers
like Imperial.
Pura Vida
VENEZUELA
Welcome to
Venezuela where more than half of the population is under 18. It had THE
National Hero, Simon Bolivar, who stood out in the
nation's history back in the 19th century. Venezuela is also crazy for
baseball, sport number one in the country. Rhum is the national drink
but the Polar Ice beer is also popular, this dominant brand sold in
these small 220 mls bottles, no larger because the beer could get warm
before you finish it....well, not for me !! Another source of national
pride of the Venezuelains is the beauty of the women, who have won all
the major international beauty contests
including 5 miss world and 4 miss Universe...but guess what...the
industry of plastic surgery is also well developped...Venezuela offers
great landscapes like rainforests in the south, Cariddean coast and
beautiful beaches in the north, the world highest waterfall " Salto
Angel ", spilling from this unusual natural formation called Tepui, flat
topped mountains with moonlike landscapes.
So, this is for the good side. The sad part of this country is the oil
money, the corruption, the politics, the poor people making Caracas,
the capitale, a very unsafe place to live.
But when I arrived at the airport, I knew I would have a great time as
Sharon was here to welcome me and I felt in safe hands right away. We
drove to the Univesity to meet her sister Sheila, future dentist, and we
can enjoy a Brazilian group in the campus, dancing salsa and having
lots of fun.I spent the week in Caracas, with Sharon. We had a great
time cooking tuna fish cake, coq au vin and chocolate mousse, drinking
Pineau des Charentes and 1996 Cain Five. Movie, shopping, haircut (but I
still have some white hair ), baseball game. I even played
basketball one on one on this playground with this 12 years old kid. I
told him i was a ex-professional player in France. He was very
impressed. I wanted to tell him the truth but he was such in
admirationwatching me shooting 3 points shots that I didn't say
anything...
Then I left
for a long 24 h bus ride to the south of the country, Santa Elena de
Uairen. I booked a 6 days, 5 nights hike to the Roraima
Mountain. Here we call it TEPUI. It's one of the highest at 2800 m. We
are a group of 8 people, my age, from Irlande, Venezuela, Germany,
Sapin and France. All in this jeep for 2.30h, on this durt road, on the
way to the starting point. After a quick lunch, Marco, our 21
years old guide, said " Vamonos " An 8 miles hike under rain and
sunshine, not too hard for a first day. Here, weather can change in a
matter of minutes, with bright sunshine or heavy rain possible at any
time.
The next day was wonderful. Going through a river ( where you can drink
and get ourselves cleaned up ), rocks, mud to arrive at the base
of the Roraima. The camp is very muddy, it's raining. We are all wet.
But Marco is a good cook so we enjoy his pasta bolognaise and fresh
salad. Fernando is our food carrier and help for the cooking. We all
cary our own backpack.
The following day was the hardest but the greatest. Going up this 1000m
wall, through the wet jungle, under the waterfalls, walking on
very loose, so dangerous, rocks. The view is unbelievable, the ascent is
very steep and tough. I'm tired. But here we are, on top of this
flat mountain, where the scenery all around is a dreamscape evocative of
a science fiction movie. We jumped from rocks to rocks of amazing
shapes. We follow Marco on this vast plateau where it's easy to get lost
and finally arrive at " El Hotel ", a campground actually a patch
of sand large enough for the tent and partly protected by an overhanging
rock. Marco's soup was excellent for dinner.
Then we spent a full day on top, going for an 8 h wlak ( without backpack...yes ! )to the triple point which is the tripartite border
of Venezuela, Guyana and Bresil. Gorges, creeks, green plants,
waterfalls, crystall rivers and impressive blackened rocks make our
day another unforgetable experience.
I was happy to find a dry pair of socks and tee shirt as we were once
again wet on the way back. Susannah, Eimer, Goeffroy and I got back by
ourselves from this walk, just before dark, following the path in the
middle of this crazy scenery. We all were a little scared to get lost
but happy to make it. Good job team !!
I now feel like I could be part of the Survivor show, learning to live
with other people in very tough conditions. I love it.
Finally, we come back to the first camp in one day, going down the hill
and still enjoying the view when the weather clear up.
We can enjoy a nice cold beer when we get back to the starting point,
take one last group pictureand think about the next adventure. Some of
us will go to the beach to relax, some to the Carnaval to party in
Bresil. I plan on being in a bus for 24 h back to see Sharon in
Caracas, where my plane leaves to Lima, Peru, 4 days later.
It's Carnaval vacation in Venezuela and everybody goes to the beach.
That's our plan with Sharon to spend 3 days, relaxing, with a group of
15 friends. But we didn't know it would be that hard. Leaving at 3.00am
on sunday, we arrived at the village where a lancha is waiting
to take us 30 minutes away on another beach. We are carrying tents,
clothes, food, chairs, umbrella, lots of things for 15 people. But
It's all fun when we get to this isolated beach and when the boat driver
tells the boys that they have to swim to the shore becasue it's
too much weight otherwise. Big waves for my new surfer friends, we clean
up a spot, dig in the sand and barricade our new camp with big
wood logs floating in the ocean.
The next day is lovely, we get suntan, drink polar ice, swim and surf
until the rain comes at night and get evrything wet...again. I'm used
to it. Luckely, we finished the old reserve cognac around the camp
fire, before the rain hit us.
The next day was tough as it was rainning hard, we had to pack the tent
and wait for the lancha to bring us back.
But it was a great time that I really enjoyed sharing with Sharon, Gaby,
Pico, Jesus, Leo, Vanessa, Carol...etc...They were all great
with me. Thank you.
Back to Caracas where it's time to say goodbye, and to tell you the
truth, it was not that easy. Probably because I felt like home. Sharon
has been wonderful with me and I want to thank her for that. She made my
trip to Venezuela well worth it. Merci Sharon.
I arrived at the airport at 5.00 pm and the plane was delayed. I finally
get in at midnight and arrived in Lima at 3.30 am.
PERU
And there I was in Peru,
at Lima airport, 4 in the morning and the taxi driver who kept telling
me that noone was coming to get me. I coule have told him til blue in
the face that Roxanna was going to arrive at any moment, he wouldnt
believe me. Big mistake! Roxanna eventually turned up with a collegue as
the streets arent that safe earlyin the morning. We took a taxi back to
her apartment for a good nights sleep.
I spent 4 days in the capital visiting areas
such as Miraflores near the coast, Baranco, Surco, the pebble beaches,
lunch of ceviche mariscos or conchas negras in a local restaurant . I
tasted the Pisco, an alcohol from wine, a bitlike cognac but not as nice,
then some wine tasting where I informed the cellarman that a bottle of
red opened for 4 days was not going to do the job, but he didnt care sow
hat the hell. The wine was oxidated of course and so undrinkable. A
techno night with my idol Paul Van Dyk who was making his first
appearance in Peru. He's the second DJ in the world and rocks the house
all night.
Lima is a great town but
with almost 8 million inhabitant, 1/3 of the population of Peru, its
still quite a dangerous and overpopulated town.
Time to go to Cuzco, the
starting point for the famous Machu Picchu. The bus journey was awful.
It took all night going up and down mountains, left, right, impossible
to get any sleep with a driver who got his kicks out of driving fast
round the bends. But, once again,I arrived safe and sound at Cuzco, a
town with 350 000 inhabitants and more importantly at 3 400m altitude.
I wondered why I had such difficulty breathing,
but quickly worked it out. You need 2 days to aclimatise before feeling
well and not out of breath after going up 4 steps.Many people told me
Cuzco is a wonderful town and I was alone in saying just the
opposite...but I always gave my reasons.YES, I agree the town centre
with the plaza des armas and the two churches is wonderful, but only
from a distance...if you walk down the arcades of these places, you'll
find 250 travel agents seperated by 150 casa de cambio and other
restaurants for tourists. The centre of Cuzco is pretty, if you look
down on it. But try walking 250 m out of the town centre and you're
straight into a shanty town where poverty is everywhere, rubbish is
hanging around and its really not safe.
Off for some fresh air:Machu Picchu, one of the
most popular tourist attractions in South America. This «lost city » in
the middle of moutains and valleys owes its presence to the american
Hiran Bingham in 1911. Its now an amazing site full of mystery which
attracts thousands of tourists all year round.
You get to Machu Picchu
via the famous Inca Trai, a 4 hour walk or 3 hours on the train to Aguas
Calientes and then bus to the site itself. I chose the train, which
followed the Rio Urubamba which was overflowing due to the rain the week
before. The admission fee is 20 dollars to get into what the guide books
describe as a fabulous Inca site, an unbelievable show of perfectly
lined up stone. The town itself is magical, but the location is just
incredible at the top of the moutain with fantastic views of the valley,
just breathtaking.
I spent 4 hours pottering around the ruins,
taking photos, waiting for a break in the clouds with the fog. The
return journey was unforgettable. The train engine exploded. It took 6
hours instead of 3, hey that's adventure for you!
The very next morning I
left for Puno and the famous lake Titcaca. I booked a 2 day and 1 night
stay on the lake. The stay included a visit to the floating islands and
Amantani aswell as a night at a local's.
There were 20 of us in
the boat, far to small, which took us to the floating islands Los
Uros.These islands are made of rushes piled up on top of each other and
last between 8 to 10 years. Its uite impressive to think we were
floating on a lake at 3,900m above sea-level. The Lake Titcaca is the
highest navigable lake in the world, the air is pure and the water clear;
230 km long and 97 km wide, at almost 9000 km2 its the border between
Peru and Bolivia.
I stayed with Rebecca and
Ifraym's family with my french friends Daniel and Nathalie.We ate a
hearty soup, rice and potatoes, and even broad beans in a little
roomwhere the guinea pigs hid under the little fireplace in the corner.
Lucrèce, a baby of a few months, was contentedly in her moses
basket.There was a real family atmosphere that I'll never forget.
We walked to the top of
Amantani island to admire the sunset and listen to the guide tell us
about the history and ancient local traditions. Then we spent the
evening in a local bar with the locals, dancing local danses and
drinking Cusquna beer in 620 ml bottles
It was a really enjoyable
and educational trip. In Puno at night its carnival and everyone squirts
shaving foam all over each other. I had so much fun with thousands of
other people in the streets and especially two young teenagers, 12 years
old,who ended up white all over..like me strangely! I have video footage
to prove this! And the end of this moment of madness the family invited
me back for a meal:they were just so nice.
BOLIVIA
And as
though I hadnt done enough already, I left for La Paz in Bolivia the
very next morning. It wasnt initially on my itinerary but I met so many
people who said you had to visit this country with wonderful scenary and
beautiful places to visit that I oculdnt resist. La Paz, the capital is
located at 3700m above sea-level, in a valley between 2 moutains with a
population of 1.5 million.
You can do loads of things in La Paz. You can visit the town or go out
walking for the day. There was just one thing I wanted to do and that
was go down the most dangerous road in the world from la Cumbre to
Coroico on a mountain bike. This road which goes from La Paz tothe
Brazilian border is used by hundreds of lorries and buses all day long.
110 deaths in 8 months, mad! But then again I'm mad! So off we go into
the adventure. I booked the trip with the Chacaltaya agency with Sylvia
the secretary. There should have been 5 of us but 3 were ill. So, I
found myself with Barbara, a charming German girl, for an almost prvate
tour as wwe had two guides for ourselves.
It was really cold that morning at almost 4500m above sea-level, it was
raining, snowing, windy and to be honest not pleasant at all. I couldnt
breathe, had a sore throat and my bike had no brakes. Barbara didnt feel
too well either.We asked to go by minivan 20 km further down to the
start of this dirt road to alower altitude and a warmer
temperature.After a coca leaf tea everything felt better, the sun came
out, my mountain bike was better, great! We went past lorries, buses, we
went through waterfalls, we rode in the mud we were filthy,it was really
slippy but excellent! Another unforgettable day which ended in Croico
with a good hot shower and a good meal.
Next
morning I left for Uyuni, the famous salt lake. The journey which should
have taken 13h took a bit longer...only 10 hours more, and there we go
another 23 hour bus trip, but an unforgettable one.
A bus for
45 with 70 passengers...classic case. People on top of each other, in
the aisle, you couldnt move. I had two littlekids of 4 and 6 under my
seat. Every time I made the slightest move they thought I was going to
crush them. Of course sleep wa sout of the question, especially when the
bus stops at 2 in the morning in the middle of a river. Only 4 hours
later did we realise tat there were 5 buses in front and 5 behind in the
same predicament, stuck in the middle of the water in the mud. But at
daybreak, one of the drivers had had enough and decided to attempt to
cross the river. He made it! Our bus woke up and shouted « VAMOS », and
off we went..and yes we made it aswell! But that's not the end of the
story, that would be too easy!
Instead of continuing our route, the driver, out of solidarity for the
others, stopped every time one of his colleagues got stuck in the mud.
This resulted in our stopping a good 10 times to help the others. But
that's adventure foryou and I love it! Some people stood up for 23 hours
in that bus, day and night. They have all my admiration!
The next
day I forgot all my adventures when I saw the salt lake of Uyuni. This
must be one of the most wonderful places of my whole trip. Its situated
at more than 3 600 m above sea-level, 12 000 km2 surface area, its the
biggest salt lake in the world with at this time of year 20 -30 cm of
water which just adds to the beauty of the site. The water on this flat
salt desert makes reflections. Its just magical! Its like walking on
water which acts like a mirror, reflecting the clouds, the moutains and
yourself.
The next
day was just as magical with the Coloradas lagoons, verde, blanca,
l'arbol de piedra, the snowy capped moutains, pink flamingoes, geysers,
lamas, vacunas and natural hot water pools.
I
discovered this scenary with hatboy, Henke, Helen and Ed, who were all
really cool. After 3 incredible days I left for St Pedro de Atacama in
Chili. In the morning we were at 5 000m with minus 3 degrees, only to be
4 hours later at 2 500m with 33 degrees...now that's what I call a
change!
St Pedro
de Atacama is a little town with 3 000 inhabitants, cute with dirt
streets, so very dusty, and especially without a bank nor a bank
machine. I used my last travellers cheque but things are getting tight.
Soon I wont have anymore cash. I went sandboarding anyhow with Helen and
Ed which is as tiring as it is fun, then I watched the sun go down in
the Luna valley. Two days later I went swimming in the Cejar lagoon
which is so salty that you float without making an effort. A unique and
really bizarre sensation.I then decided to leave for Santiago; the
capital of Chili. The 23hours journey in comfortable bus were really
long, and my hotel which wasnt really comfortable left me with a day in
bed with a headache and aching all over.
Thanks
Sylvie, a french girl I met in Uyuni, who lent me 5000 pesos so I could
eat that night. That's traveller solidarity for you. We should met up in
Mendoza anyhow.
The weather is nice, I'm feeling better. Santiago is a very modern town,
with more than 11 million inhabitants, with pedestrian steets, markets,
galleries, a main square and underground, all very clean.
Cloe, a friend of mine from Bordeaux is an Oenologue here and works for
Almaviva, a cellar which produces veryfine Chilian wines. Friday
I'll be able to visit...so catch you later!
CHILI
After 3 incredible days I left for St Pedro de
Atacama in Chili. In
the morning we were at 5 000m with minus 3 degrees, only to be 4 hours
later at 2 500m with 33 degrees...now that's what I call a change!
St Pedro de Atacama is a little town with 3 000 inhabitants, cute with
dirt streets, so very dusty, and especially without a bank nor a bank
machine. I used my last travellers cheque but things are getting
tight. Soon I wont have anymore cash. I went sandboarding anyhow with
Helen and Ed which is as tiring as it is fun, then I watched the sun
go down in the Luna valley. Two days later I went swimming in the
Cejar lagoon which is so salty that you float without making an
effort. A unique and really bizarre sensation.
I then decided to leave for Santiago; the capital of Chile. The
23hours journey in comfortable bus were really long, and my hotel
which wasnt really comfortable left me with a day in bed with a
headache and aching all over.
Thanks Sylvie, a french girl I met in Uyuni, who lent me 5000 pesos so
I could eat that night. That's traveller solidarity for you. We should
met up in Mendoza anyhow.
The weather is nice, I'm feeling better. Santiago is a very modern
town, with more than 11 million inhabitants, with pedestrian steets,
markets, galleries, a main square and underground, all very clean.
Cloe, a friend of mine from Bordeaux is an Enologist here and works
for Almaviva, a cellar which produces very fine Chilian wine. Its the
merger of Rotschild in France and the biggest cellar in Chile Concha y
Toro, which I also visited that day. It was interesting to learn that
Cloe was going to start the harvest of Cabernet in 6 weeks and that
Concha y Toro, 20 minutes away were starting 2 days later. There are
really micro climates around here.
I spent a nice weekend in Valparaiso, which is a really important town
in Chile given its international port. I visited the town using the
old elevators still working today, which take you from one street
to the next. Then back to Santiago, with its main square and pedestrian
streets to have dinner with Marcela. She is very pretty and nice,
she's had enough of Chile and at 28 yrs old she decided to leave and
work in Barcelona in Spain. She's leaving in April and I really
encouraged her to do it, well done. I'll come back to Chile for the
harvest, so I decided to go and visit neighbouring Argentina where the
harvest has already begun.
A
ARGENTINA
7 hours on the bus across the Andes Cordillera. We
arrived at Mendoza
which is a really nice town to stay in for a few days. I met up with
Mariella, an Enologist friend who worked in California. She's now in
charge of the winemaking process for the Catena Zapata cellar. They
produce very high quality wines. She was really pleased to see me but
with it being the start of harvest, she didnt have much time. She had
to take care of her 30 or so employees, the night shift which started
at 6pm meant having a meeting where Mariella gave her instructions.
However, we tasted some fabulous Malbecs and also the pure assemblage
2004 of Cabernet/Malbec, delicious, spicy, toasty, good structure and
good lengh. The Argentian and Chilian cellars are very well equipped
with quality equipment. The 15 people working round this sorting
table, before and after the destemmer were proof of that.
Saw a little basketball game that evening, french regional level, just
to remind myself that Manu Ginobili, of the San Antonio Spurs, USA
NBA, is the number one star here in Argentina. A local guy was telling
me that Manu had helped the young people get more into basketball and
less into soccerl.
Then I had two days devoted to tourism. One visiting the Valentin
Bianchi cellar where they're trying to produce sparkling wine using
the traditional methode champenoise, then the Atuel valley where there
is a series of electricity power stations along the river at the
bottom of a canyon and some beautiful scenary along the way too.
The other day was spent visiting 2 cellars and an olive oil
production. The wines I tasted that day weren't the best. Not much
aromas, very green tanins and a poor body. These 2 cellars produce
enormous quantities with over 30 different labels. I'd have loved to
taste their old reserve which aged in french oak barrels for 10
years!! Shame.
During my stay in Mendoza I went out to this Irish Pub,called by the
same name, and made pals with the owner Noni. He's 28 and with his
brother owns 2 bars.He told me where to go clubbing ..but not before 3
or 4am. In Argentina clubs close at 9am and sometimes dont close at
all. So, young people go to bars until 3am and then go out. Hard
keeping with this rhythm!But there was a great atmosphere and some
beautiful creatures dancing on techno in a little dark room where
their angelic faces were only lit up by the strobe lights. You drink
Andes, Quilmes, Stella Artois beer here but also Vodka Speed which
keeps you dancing all night!
I then visited the La Rural cellar where I met Jennie, from Atlanta.
She was really pleased to learn about wine tasting; we tasted 3
different wines, fruity and well balanced.
I visited the Andes Coridellera with Jennie, Diego and José amongst
others. It was a great sunny day to discover the wonderful scenery,
glaciers, la Puente del Inca, Alta Montanas..
That evening I ate with Mariella and two of her friends.But she got a
call from the cellar at around midnight and had to leave. No worries
I'll come back to Argentina.
After this great busy week, I headed south for Bariloche,in Patagonia
20 hours on bus for 1600 kms.
The nights were cold. I stayed at the El Gaucho hotel for 15 pesos in
a dormitory. Had a great day rafting on the Rio Manso, under the rain,
with a really cool guide, Paulo. Lunch was exceptional; we had the
traditional dish of Parilla. Its like a mixed grill. They put the
little barbecue straight on the table. There was chorizo,beef,
lamb,porc, all washed down with red wine because we were really
thirsty on our table. We all got a bit drunk and the trip back on the
bus was not to be forgotton!
That evening, I went to the Wilkenny bar where I met Virginia and her
friends, there was a rock concert and the bar got so full we couldnt
move.
The town of Bariloche, with 120 000 inhabitants, is located in the
middle of the Patagonian mountains, on the banks of the the superb
lake Nahuel Huapi. Hundreds of tourists come here to buy chocolate or
go hikingg, camping or rafting. In winter its also the main ski resort
in Argentina.
The town centre is pretty with old stone and wood houses, a museum,
parks and artists. But the weather wasnt great, so I decided to leave
for Buenos Aires the capital.
Another 20hours on the bus and 1600km to discover this really nice
city, not too expensive and really dynamic.
The Argentians love french cars. You can see Renault 11,12,16,19 all
over the place and in good condition too. All the taxis are Peugeot
504 which made me laugh.
They like drinking mathe, eating good meat and drinking good wine.
Relaxing in the green grass in the parks.. Buenos Aires is the capital
of TANGO, with cabaret shows or even shows in the street where
tourists can have a go and look really stupid dancing with the
professionals.
With a population of 13 million (37 million in Argentina), Buesnos
Aires is a cool place to live, its divided into different quarters
like San Telmo, palermo, recoleta or la Boca which is famous for its
Caminito, the name of a local tango.
This quarter is visited by thousands of tourists who come to admire
the works of artists or local craftsmen, living in houses made of
colourful sheet metal. I met martha that day who made for me a
beautiful set of necklace, earings and bracelets in about one hour.
But la Boca is also famous for its local soccer team, Boca Juniors.
Any visit to the capital must include joining in the mad atmosphere of
a soccer game. The Argentinians are mad about soccer. I found myself
at a stadium on a Sunday afternoon with thousands of supporters. There
was a great atmosphere but much more than just that when everyone
jumps up at the same time and the highest stand, made in
cement,shudders and judders under your feet!
I continued my sport weekend with a local basketball game; also called
la Boca, equivalent level to ProB in France. In the hall which held
2000 people, there were armed guards with bullet proof vests to guard
the other team's hot-blooded supporters. It was of ocurse the
lastmatch of the season and la Boca had to win to qualify for the ¼
finals. After 3 hours of game, a power cut, a festival of fouls and
elbows flying, we won by 2 points 100 to 98. A really electric
atmosphere where the end of the game was full of suspense which
finished with the other teams supporters throwing water, ice or any
other available plastic bottle over us. I understood why the police
were there!!
I met Nieves through the internet site Hospitalityclub.org, but also
Simone from Germany, Mike from Poland and Maria from Finland. We drank
a good Malbec and ate delicious salmon raviolis in a local restaurant.
Thanks Nieves for your generosity and good humor.
After these 5 days in Buenos Aries, its time to leave for Puerto
Iguazu and discover what is described as the most beautiful waterfall
on the planet...
We'll see about that after 20 hours on a bus..ha ha.....
Here I am, at the " Parque National Iguazu ", 55000 hectares, a
natural wonder-land od subtropical rainforest, where you come to visit
the " Cataratas ". Even the most hardened of waterfall yawners will be
taken aback by the Iguazu Falls. I guess I was lucky again. I arrived
the day of the full moon, where you can visit part of the falls at
night. I had no idea, some people book 2 weeks in advance for that.
So, after 20 minutes of ride by bus to get to the entrance, another 20
minutes of train and trail to get to the edge of " Garganta del Diablo
", the Devil's Throat...walking under the moon light, via a system of
catwalks, it becomes louder and louder and suddenly, it's just
incredible.
I couldn't imagine a better scenery as it was so beautiful, so awsome,
so loud, so big, so romantic, so sexy...the power, the size and sheer
noise of the falls are truly spectacular. And to all this, add the
moonlight shinning and the refreshing fog caused by the water falling
100 meters high. There are 275 different waterfalls crashing into the
Rio Iguacu, creating a buzz of excitment all over the town of Puerto
Iguazu in Argentina and Foz do Iguacu in Bresil. That night, maybe for
the first time during my trip, I wouldn't mind to have someone to
share this experience with. It was just too romantic. I recommend it
to all the lovers who wnat to go to a honeymoon trip, simply the
best...I'll be back.
I was very excited to come back the next day to fully walk around the
entire site. And yes, it's also unreal during the day, magic. There is
no doubt it is spectacular. I also saw the falls from below, with this
thrilling speedboat trip taking you underneath the waterfalls, to get
completely wet. Try to take a shower with water falling from 100
meters high, a very impressive sensation where you actually can't open
your eyes or even hear anything as it's so loud. Amazing. Wowwww, what
a day !! I will remember that one for a long time.
The next day was more relaxed but interesting, learning about the
rainforest and rappelling down a vertical rock with waterfalls.
My trip to Argentina was complete. This country is biggest than Europe
and has everything to please everyone. Mountains, beaches, lacs,
falls, cities, good wines, good food, nightlife and very nice people.
It 's also cheap and very safe for any foreign travellers. Argentina
is the place to be.
BRESIL
Originaly, I was supposed to fly from Lima to Rio,
but I cancelled it
as I went to explore Bolivia. Obviously no regrets. But now, I am 21
hours from Rio and can't resist one minute to buy a bus ticket. And
once again, no regrets. Actually, it didn't start well. I went to the
Rio Hostel, supposed to be a great one pointed by my Lonely Planet
guide. Here is the story. First, it's hard to get there, meaning it's
up a narrow street where prostitutes are hanging out, it's very far
from the beach. 30 narrow steep steps to get to the office. When I
finaly reach the door, I knew right away I was not going to stay more
than one night here. WHY ? Expensive, no free internet access, 12 beds
in a room which should fit 6, and guess what, It's crowed of
travellers. I couldn't beleive it. The guy next to me slept with my
feet in his nose, But no worries, he survived !!!
Backpacks everywhere, towels, girls panties, men socks, it's hot, it
stinks...wowwww, get out of here. I did. The next morning. And I had
fun leaving. When she saw me waiting with my bags, the girl at the
office said " good morning, checking IN ? "I answer " No, checking OUT
". Surprised as we didn't meet last night, it was someone else to
welcome me. She starts by saying I wasn't a good customer as I stayed
only one night, didn't go on internet and didn't drink any
beer....what a mistake to tell me that. Even bigger mistake to ask me
why I am leaving. After 5 minutes of explaining that her hostel sucks
and that I found another one 2 blocks from Copacabana beach, more than
half the price, free internet and breakfast, she was stunned and
showed me her very cute little tongue for one second...hummmm. Some
travellers heard my little speech and one of them came to ask me where
was this hotel...ah ah ah, I guess I am not the only one then....
Anyway, I was happy at my new place called Newton's Roof Top, adress
that Mike from Poland gave me. Rio de Janeiro, 7 millions people,
famous for its carnaval, is a beautiful city, with famous beaches like
Copacabana and Ipanema. Different places like Lapa, Santa Theresa,
Leblon, Gavea, Cristo, Sugar Loaf, Botanical Garden, an incredible
nightlife where you can dance til dawn at sexy samba clubs, and of
course, one of the biggest soccer stadium, the Maracana, which had
once 180000 people.
Lucky again, there was the championship semifinal that night, where
the Flamingos were playing the Fluminences. 55000 people, dancing,
singing, jumping. For me, the show was not on the field, as the game
wasn't too good, but in the stands with these crazy fans having so
much fun. We won by 1 penalty, no problem then. Not like the final the
next sunday, where 80000 people shared the same passion for 3 hours.
But that day, I admit I got a little scared. I bought the cheapest
ticket in the street, ending down the lowest level, where you stand
only. 1.50 dollars to get in. We didn't win. Even worse, we lost big
time 4-1. No question that the other team was much better, but the
fans never agree with that kind of comments. There were 4 fights,
which made most of the people leaving the stadium 20 minutes before
the end of the game. Police officers and security guards jumping up
the rails and running after the fighters with there giant baseball
batt ; water bottles flying everywhere, loud firecrackers and all kind
of gesture to the other team's fans. I think I've had enough of soccer
experience in south america, a good show, but quite dangerous.
Then I went up the Pao de Acucar, Sugar Loaf, this big rock of 396
meters high, using a couple of cable cars. When you rich the summit,
you can then enjoy a great panoramic view of one of the most beautiful
city in the world. Same kind of trip to see the Cristo Redentor, at
710 meters high. This 30*30 meters world famous statue of the Christ,
standing on top of the çCorcovado Peak, is visible from all over the
city.
The beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana, with a nice boardwalk, avenida
Atlantica, where you can whatch the young crowd playing volleyball or
soccer, while the older ones enjoy a coktail or a fresh beer on the
beach, under the palm trees. I was part of the older crowd...several
times..!!
To finish about Rio, obviously, it's a great city for night life. Lapa
is the place for some samba and Copacabana has some good pubs and
clubs, but I won't go any further on that subject.
One week here is enough, otherwise, you get used to it and never
leave. I decided to go explore the Pantanal, the largest wetland on
the planet, covering 90000 sp miles, where the mosquitoes are truly
vicious and the estimated 25 millions alligators hang around. During
the rainny season, the water rise 3 meters, which limite the human
occupation of the area.
To explore this site, you use a travel agency and do a 4 days 3 nights
tour with a guide.
On my way from Rio to Campo Grande, I met a family in the bus, who
invited me to stay with them a couple nights. I enjoyed it so much,
living a typical local life. Elisa, the mom and the boss, had 15
people staying in her house, the all family was there, eating, hanging
out in the street, dancing, playing, drinking beer, listening to
techno and samba, lots of fun. They all loved me, especially Elisa,
who saw me as the perfect son in law with her 23 years old daughter,
herself mom of Ana 6 years old and Fernando 4....sorry, I don't
understand, I don't speak Portuguese !!! ah ah ah
I promessed I would come back after the safari. But before leaving, I
had to know if my niece was born. So I called our favorite webmaster
from the family house and we were all pleased to hear from Celine and
Aymeric that EMMA was very beautiful. Of course, with such a great
name, she can only be awsome. I am so proud. Thank you both of you,
and welcome to the world Emma.
After 4 h of bus and 5 h of jeep into the sabana, we arrived late at
the camp, got our hammoc, under a big tent made of wood and ferns,
only 10 meters away from the water. The walls replaced by a mosquitoes
net. Even using a repellent, you always wake up in the morning with
dozens of bites. Hard to sleep as it's hot and humide. In the morning,
we asked what was that noise in the water all night, like fish jumping
off the water. And our guide, Gabriel, smiling at us when he said it
was just some alligators...yeahh, very funny !!
We went for 2 walks that day seeing lots of birds like the one
representing the Pantanal call Tuyuyu, hurleur monkeys, killer bees,
racoons, alligators, waterpigs, tarentula and even one small anaconda.
After dinner, at night, we followed Gabriel, not knowing where we were
going.
Silence, we stop facing the lac, he flashes his light from one side of
the lac to the other, turn around and tells us " I saw 10 alligators
!!!" Really...Flashing again to show us the eyes of this great
predator. Amazing. They were everywhere. Even more incredible when he
walked into the water, slowly, quietly, flashlight in his left hand
and suddenly, very fast, drop his right hand in the water to bring
back up a 3 months old alligator, about 3 feet long. I held him for a
minute, it was great. He told us he usually catches one much bigger,
so we challenged him and he went back for more, bringing a 1 1/2 years
old, 6 feet long, heavier.
The next 2 days were also very interesting, with 3h of horseback
riding, where our special guide fell off his crazy horse, who ran
away...shame, but funny. !!
Also swimming with the alligators, laying in the sun, acting like
stars. We take photos as we pet them, they are so friendly because
they have been fed by Gabriel for 10 years as it used to be a camp
where they were. Then, it's time for Pirahnas fishing, hooking peaces
of meat to get them. Usually, a fisherman is quiet, Here it's the
opposite, make some noise, disturb the water, let them know you are
here, they are so hungry that they can eat a cow in 10 minutes. We
caught about 30 and had them for dinner....tasty !!
We actually had a swimm in the same river, with the guides around to
make sure they were not right next to us.
Back to Campo Grande where the family was happy to see me again. BBQ
and chocolate cake for the 25 years old birthday boy, Luciano. He is
the one who gave me a great haircut the next day. Elisa wants me to
stay longer but I have to keep going south. After kissing and hugging
everyone, I finaly catch a bus to Foz Do Iguacu, to see the falls from
the brasilian side. It offers the panoramic view, as the argentinian
side the closer look.
Foz is at 10 minutes from Ciudad del Este in Paraguay, so I went there
one morning, to look at some very cheap electronics, but didn't buy
anything. The most interesting Paraguay is to visit Itaipu Dam. Itaipu
is the largest hydroelectric power plant in the world. Suppling 80 %
of Paraguay's electricity and 25 % of Bresil's entire demand. This dam
is a massive human accomplishment. Incredible. An amazing structure of
concrete, iron and steel. The total volume of concrete used in Itaipu
would build 210 stadiums like Maracana. The construction iron and
steel used would build 380 Eiffel Towers.
Them I spent a couple days to Posadas in Argentina, had dinner with
Marisol, Nieves'sister, and then Buenos Aires to finaly end my South
American trip in Santiago de Chile where my flight to New Zeland
leaves on Wenesday April 20th.
See you on the other side of the ocean !!!!
New ZELAND
Welcome in New Zeland with his 4 millions people
and 40 millions
sheep. national Parks with native bird like the Kiwi, volcanoes,
glacier, lakes, the Maori culture, museums, many sports attractions
and also many vineyards to visit and wines to taste. Today, it's
impossible to spend a single day in NZ without hearing the words "
Lord of the rings ". Even if you don't encounter one of the thousands
of people who worked on Peter Jackson Trilogy, you'll inevetably hear
someone say : " my best friend's husband hairdresser played an orc,
you know ! ".
The Kiwis ( people from NZ ) took advantage of that and welcomed 2.5
millions visitors in 2003.
I arrived in Auckland airport, in the Northen part of the North
island. A little buit tired after 13 hours of flight and surprised to
see I didn't live Thursday April 21st 2005. Yes, NZ is situated at the
line of the changement of date. I left Chili Wenesday night ans
arrived Friday morning. I chat with Veronique from Paris, who was
supposed to meet 2 friends, Servane and Christele, but they never
showed up. One with passport trouble and the other for surgery in
Chili....What a start for Vero as it was her first day of a trip
around the world. So I helped her to book a hotel and we visited the
city together. We even started to visit the North Island using Magic
Bus. It's one of the easy way to visit NZ, booking an itinerary around
both islands, going in and out the bus at our conveniance. The driver
is also the guide helping us booking accomodations. So here we are
with Laurenne, our guide for the day. We stop at Hot spring water
beach where tourists dig a hole in the sand with a shavel to sit in,
only after finding the warm spot. It was so ridiculous that I found it
funny.
Then Cathedral Cove, a superb beach with rock formations due to
erosion. On the way to Coromandel, we have a ride on this miniature
train, made by this crazy genius in the mountain, to offer amazing
views of the valley and ocean.
In the evening, Vero and I try some Sauvignion Blanc and she is glad
to learn about wine tasting. We visit Waitomo Caves, known for the
millions of glowworms living inside. A spectacular show, being in the
dark, sitting in a small boat and respecting a perfect silence
whatching the ceiling of the cave lighted by these worms.
Moving on to Wai O Tapu Thermal Wonderland, several geysers, green and
yellow water, mud, craters, forests and a walk for 2 hours. Funny to
see this eruption at 10.30 am exactly, from this hole where the guide
is standing to explain that in 2 minutes, it will be boiling water
coming out 16 meters high. He helps the process by adding soap into it
and gloups, gloups...here it comes..show time !!!
But to be honest with you, I needed more action. So when Vero was
experimenting the Maori Culture, I went for a speedboat trip. I was a
windy afternoon, lots of waves. 2 big engines of 200 horsepower each,
fast....sorry...very fast...flying on the Lake Taupo. Before getting
in the boat, the driver asked if there was a mad man a little bit
crazy in the group. I raised my hand and had the right to go in the
front, meaning the most action. But also the most back and neck pain,
muscles spams and bruises. Facing 3 meters high waves, it took me 2
days to recover, but it was so much fun. I finally arrived in the
Capitale, Wellington. Vero stayed extra days in Taupo. TE PAPA museum
is one of the most impressive I've seen so fa, and free, even better.
A short stop in a cellar in town to get used to some labels, chat with
the person in charde and start organising my winery tour in the
Malbourough Valley.
Time to cross to the South Island, with this huge Ferry carrying
trains, cars and people. 3 hours later, it's the town of Picton where
I find a cool hostel backpacker. Right away, I go for an afternoon
winery tour and visit Saint Clair, Mud House, Dryland and the famous
Cloudy Bay. Good Sauvignon Blanc in general. sometimes too aromatic,
too much of a fruit sald caracter. People tend to like this style of
wine, but I prefer mine a little green and crisp, which I found in Mud
House. Some Pinot Noir quite elegant and let's not talk about their
Merlot or Cabernet, nothing exciting there, and they know it.
Chardonnay, sparkling wines, sweet desert wines are also made here. On
all the wineries I visited, I asked the question about " screw caps "
instead of " corks ". It's still a big debate internationaly, but I
have a better idea now and will chat longer with the people interested
on the subject. The vineyards are well maintained in the middle of an
amazing scenery.
After meeting Katrin from Germany and Guillaume from France, we all go
to a hiking day on the Queen Charlotte Walkway, along the mountain
with great views of the bay. The next day, I meet Anabelle who work
for Riverland Estate for an internship. We met in California when she
was working for Newton. She gave me a quick tour and was happy to see
I kept my promess, which was to come visit her in NZ. All these
wineries produce a lot, between 5000 and 27000 tons for Montana, the
biggest one. I'd rather visit smaller ones, and I will in the area
around Queenstown in the South.
Heading to Nelson where I meet Brigitte and Carolyn form Germany,
during a hike in the Abel Tasman PArk, we do a wine tasting session in
the evening and start to really enjoy giving some sort of wine tasting
notions for my friends travellers. The road from Nelson to Greymouth,
on the west coast is just stunning. Driving next to the ocean for
miles, simply breath taking. Evening visit of the local Brewery
Montheis, where you can go behing the counter to pour yourself your
choice of ant beer you enjoyed, that's my kind of tour...especially
when it includes an " all you can eat " saussages. One guy from London
holds the record with 25 in only 1 hour. I had six and it was enough.
Let's go to one of the most beautiful places in NZ, Franz Joseph. For
it's glacier but also for it's lake Mapourika. The girls and I decide
to go for an afternoon of Kayak until sunset. We then meet Emily, a
crazy " meaning smart " funny girl from London. Unbelievable time
again for me, being around beautiful girls and beautiful mountains
covered with snow. Forest and clear water from this 200 meters deep
lake. Too much fun. The next day was as wonderful, even if I am very
sad to learn I lost a great friend in California Steve ALLEN. He was
my coworker at Cain Winery and my neighbor as well. Hiking the Franz
Joseph Calcier that sunny day was full of emotions. My mind was mixed
between the beauty of this magic place made of pure ice, the physical
challenge of hiking through holes on the edge of a cliff and a
permanent thought for my friend Steve.
I had to share that with experience with him. So I took s rock from
the beginning of the hike and carrieditupwithme.Finally,Ileftbrthe rock
on a big block of ice, at the top and after a short moment of
silence and a big breath of fresh air, we started to walk back down.
We'll miss you Steve. Thank you for your help...
Next is Queenstown, but first, let's start to stress. Oh yes, I didn't
tell you but NZ is a great place to do crazy things....like jumping,
attached to an elastic, from a bridge or a hanging cabin. Ok, let's be
clear. AJ Hackett is a crazy guy who, back in 1987, jumped from the
Eiffel Tour. It was a big thing back than, but since, he became the
master of the BUNGY JUMPING. I signed for the Hackett Trilogy, meaning
3 jumps in a row. First one today, 43 meters from the Kawarau Bridge.
Caracteristic of this one, you touch the water from the river down
below. The Magic Bus was full and happy that day as we had a birthday
boy and a group of friends trying to get him drunk...Only 2 other
crazy guys like me ( out of 40 people in the bus ) david and Jay, will
jump in front of the crowd. After taking our weight to adjust tje
elastic tension, I am ready to go. A little scared but everything goes
so fast..5-4-3...Stop, no, Stop....Wait....2-1-GO....YEEEEEE HAWWWW,
no time to think, I jump, crazy feeling. Big sensations to see the
water getting closer, suddenly refreshing, and even better to bounce
back up and down again...a bit of a headache after 2 minutes upside
down, but everybody applaud, thank you.
The next day was the big one, Nevis High Wire, probably the hardest,
at 134 meters above the Nevis River. Between 2 mountains is floating a
world unique custom made cabin, hanging on cables...wowwww, just the
ride in the small cabin to get to the main one is worth coming.
Add to the adrenaline rush a little wind, helping the cabin to move in
the air. OHHH YES. Even more whatching the others jumping, screaming,
laughing and saying it's great. Until they call your name. juliette
was here so it was all good....Yeah Right...I'm scared... I'm set,
attached by professionals, to the longest elastic, on the edge
of.....nothing....just on tghe edge, ready for about 7 seconds free
fall and 3-2-1 GO..... AGAIN, no time for questions but lots of time
to enjoy the fall ...WOWWWWWWWW. It was amazing. Simply something to
do again. Guess what, the last one is above Queenstown, at night, the
Sledge Bungy, 47 meters. View of thecity and the lake, running 3 steps
making a Michael Jordan kind of jumop, legs and arms stretched with
tongue out. A big slam dunk in the air...
Ok, enough of action, I need a drink at Minus 5 degrees Bar, made of
ice. Warm coats, special shoes, gloves andVodka Coktail for everyone
in ice glasses that you can crash at the end..the best part.
The visit of the Milford Sound in the fog, cold and rain was not my
favorite day but iot was interesting to see the scenery, the harmony
between sea, mountains, rocks, waterfalls along the vertical walls.
Even the rain and the clouds gave a touch of paradise.
My last day in NZ was about visiting wineries and tasting wines with
Brigitte and Emily. Lots of fun with our driver Lance, who was happy
to have a french winemaker on board. Very nice Pinot Noir and small
wineries. the entire vineyards are covered with nets, to protect
against the birds...amazing.
Ok, That's it. 3 weelks in New Zeland, enough for my wallet. But I had
fun sharing good time with great people all over this beautiful
island.
Next is Australia.
Australia
My trip in Australia was supposed to last 2 months
and half but life
was so expensive in NZ and it's so cheap in South East Asia, that I
stayed only 3 weeks with the Kangaroos. I arrived in Melbourne, at
Hills of Plenty Winery, where Karen and Laurie welcome me in their
home. It's good to have my own room and shower. Karen and I worked at
Carn in 1998, she is a consultant winemaker , makes her own wine and
teach lab analysis at school. She also does custom presses. So here we
are pressings 7 tons of Shiraz for Kurabana Winery with Lee and
Richard, using Karen's little pneumatic press. Lee and I go get a
basket press at her neighbor, I take the time to fix a leaky barrel,
brand new from Quintescence. She was happy to see her simple full
barrel not leaking anymore and also surprised that I fixed it with a
toothpick.
Then we spent the night at Lauretta, one of Karen's client and also
good friend, making wine at Brown Magpie Winery. Thank you for the
lovely dinner and also the early Shiraz tasting in the kitchen.
We will spend the next 2 days doing tourism, driving on the Great
Ocean Road, Bells Beach for the surfers, Appolo Bay and also Treetop
Otway, where you use catwalks to be at 47 meters above ground, on top
of one of the highest trees in the world…very cool…other stops will
include the 12 Apostols, Bay of Islands and Loch Ard Gorge, al amazing
rock formations along the road.
After a quiet night in Victoira Valley, at the base of the Grampians
National Park. I see my first Kangaroos at Hallo Gap Town before a
short wlak to " the Balconies", for a panoramic view of the valley.
We are laughing when we see the sign " Kangaroo viewing area ".
exactly where they are not…Time for a little wine tasting at the
famous Langhi Ghiram Winery, Very good Shiraz.
Back home late in the evening, where Laurie cooked Lamb for us. Sunday
will be sports day as the Tigers take the Magpies at the big MCG
Stadium in Melbourne, for some Australian rules Football. Very
interesting, entertaining, family atmosphere, lots action and
definitely much nicer than Bresilian or argentinian football. Once a
month, Karen giv an interview at he local radio station talk about the
wine business ad what's going on in the wine world. I go with her
thinking I would listen to 1 hour and learn at the same time, but when
I was introduced to Marie, the radio lady, I became the special guest
from France. What a great experience it's been to chat for 1 hour
about cognac and winemaking on Plenty River Radio Station. When we
left, I told Karen it would have been great to tape the interview, and
after an afternoon of pressing at Longview Creek Winery with Bill,
Karen and Rolland, we had the pleasant surprise arriving home to find
a CD of our interview me by Marie, ..excellent.
It's been a full week with Karen tasting wine, visiting he pressing.
Thank you for your hospitality.
Time to go to Adelaide, by an overnight bus. I meet Mark and Nicole,
who just com back from their honey moon in Vietnam. Mark worked with
me at Cain in 2001 and met Nicole back then. She is the marketing
manager for Shaw and Smith Winery, famous for making quality wines in
the Adelaide Hills Appelation. I was honored to eat Mark's home made
past with a 1997 Opus One, which he kept for special occasion. Even
better to finish dinner with a 30 years old Reserve from Jean claude
SEGUIN, a bottle that Mark bought from me in 2001...hummmmm.
Next morning visiting Lake Breeze, Bleasdale and Bremerton wines by
bike, all around the village o Langhorm Creek Heading to a local
football game n the afternoon where we enjoy a steak sandwich and a
local beer. A nice show in the evening where the players change to
look like women, speak in front of a quite drunk jury and one get
voted Lady of the Night. Thanks again for welcoming me Mark, Nicole,
Duncan, Minouche, Cooper, the chickens and the ducks...did I forget
someone...???
I keep on going with my trip by visiting the famous Australian wine
appelation, the Barossa Valley. Some great wineries like Torbreck or
Rockford, making excellent Shiraz. Others much bigger like Wolf Blass
or Saltran, and finally some smaller like Vicking or Chateau Dorien
making mead wine. Between New Zeland and Australia, I tasted over 280
different wines in 5 weeks.
Time to fly to Perth, on the West Coast, where I stay with Genevieve,
who I met through the
couchsurfing.com
website. I enjoyed visiting the
city, the park, buying an Akubra hat and a pair of Blundstone shoes.
It was great to enjoy the night life with Genevieve and Dominie. Thank
you both.
I only stayed 3 days in Perth and now, I am very excited to fly Bali,
in Indonesia.
Talk to you then.
Bali
Bali is one of the 17000 islands of Indonesia
situated in South East
Asia. In October 2002, 2 bombs exploded in the heart of Kuta, killing
202 people. After that attack, the tourists were not showing up
anymore. But the beauty of the landscape, the various activities, the
kindness of the people and their determination attracted again the
travelers. My flight from Perth in Australia towards Denpensar,
Capital of Bali, takes place the day of the judgement of this 32 years
old Australian lady, judged for 20 years of prison because she had 4
Kgs of drug in her bag at the airport. This was the main news between
Australia and Indonesia, on all the TV chanels for several days. I
arrived at the airport and everyone has padlocks on their suitcase,
fearing that someone slips drug inside their luggage before passing at
the customs. I share the taxi with Carly, Kate and Sophie. 3
surfeurs, beginning their trip around the world. We arrive in Kuta,
known for its night life and its beaches. I take a walk in the evening
and non stop, someone proposes me massages, drug, taxi, transportation
on motorbike. ..it never stops! Here and everywhere in South East
Asia, the local see the tourists as bank notes on legs...
The beach is nice, clear and hot water, the ladies selling Bintang
Beer and small local dishes are just behind, in the shadow of the palm
trees. I buy a straw hat and an pineaple that this lady prepared in
3 minutes, majestically cut, delicious. I talk with one of them who
explains me the whole ritual of the hindous religion. Every
mornings, she prepares 50 offerings with flowers, rice, banana,
cookies and ensense, that she put in front of her door, in the street,
on the beach for good luck and to get ride of the bad spirits.
I rent a bike, 90 cc, 4 speeds for 2 dollars a day and leaves to go
around the island, for about ten days. First stop, Ubud. We drive on
the left side so whatch out !!
Here I come... Dangerous, especially when hundreds of motorbikes pass
you on the left or on the right. But I get used to it and ask my way
at every red lights. Very nice people. Even this beautiful girl
told me " follow me, I'm going to Ubud ". The light turns green and
she is already far away while I'm trying to get the first gear on.
I won't see her again. But then I meet Made who invites me in his
jewelry store.
I had a tour of the place. Some employees were making amazing rings
in the back, the store had a lot of beautiful necklaces, bracelets,
rings and other pendentifs. In the corner of the small temple, 4 young
women were preparing offerings and I helped them to fold the banana
leaves and attach them together with reeds. I arrived in Ubud, a
small city, very nice, with lots of art and balinaise danse shows.
Wayan, the owner of my hotel invites me at one of the show where he
sings tonight. More than 100 performers on stage, all local people,
with one who walks on fire.
I eat in the street typical dishes of rice, chicken, pork, tuna, all
wrapped in banana leaves. I become a millionaire for the 1st time of
my life. ..but with Rupiahs. I meet Mike who has the same explosion
of joy as he gets out the ATM machine. So we went to the bar for a
Bintang beer.
My breakfast, included in my 3 dollars room, is great. Pineaple,
banana, mango, toast, jam, tea...nothing missing. Wayan will be my
guide for the day to visit around Ubud. Through the rice fields and
the typical villages, not a tourist in sight. I help a lady to beat
the stack of rice that her husband had just cut by hand. I have fun
with some monkeys in the Monkey Forest , then a good massage by the
fabulous hands of Ima. Always with my motorbike, I cross the island
and visit Elephant Cave, the town of Pejeng, Gunnung Kawi with rice
fields in terraces very impressive. On the road heading to Lovina,
to the North, I cross towns with scultures on wood, on rocks, on
tiles, other villages with umbrella, bricks, jewelry or coffee.
Every town has its typicity . Driving on the left side is always very
athletic and dangerous, especially when the entire family ride on one
motorbike. I am not lying, 5 persons on the motorbike has been the
maximum I've seen so far in Bali. This couple of adult and the 3
children passing me fast, there is nothing worse. ..you always have to
be very careful. Personaly, I respect the rule, only 2 per
motorbike with Juliette who appreciate the ride.
A little bit further down the road, cloves and coffee are drying in
the sunshine, it smells so good. But even more interesting for me, I
see some vineyards. I stop in one of them and meet the owner and his
wife pulling of leaves while the children play under the small hut in
bamboo. One of the girls speaks a little English and explains to the
family my story. Everyone is happy, laughing, especially when I walk
under the rows, only a meter and half high. Trunks of trees used as
posts holding this cannevas of wires, themselves used to support the
multiples branches of vines. The grape is called ANGGUR and sells
itself as table grapes. Which surprised me as I tasted the grapes
later on at the hotel and I didn't find a lot of fruit character or
even sweetness. But I tasted the wine that certain winemakers
attempt to make and, in fact, the wine is terrible. I arrive in
Lovina where Ayu, the owner of Happy Beach Hotel cooks me pork the
balinaise way and welcome me as her own son.
Tony, a young guy becomes my friend and takes me in the early morning
on his boat with his little brother to see dolphins and do some
snorkelling. The sunrise was majestic, the dolphins were jumping
everywhere, and don't ask me if I found Nemo as they were too
many...the corals were also beautiful. I loved it. In the afternoon,
we went to see coq fighting. This is not the activity you find in
guide books, but Tony knows the person in charge and I end up in the
middle of hundreds of locals, under a bamboo hut, covered with a black
tarp, the heat, the dust and the loud noise of the gamblers shaking
their upright hand towards one of the rooster's owner. Unbelievable
show. The rooster has a steel blade very sharp attached to his leg,
the feathers dress up, they are ready to fight. The 2 roosters are
free and jump on each other. A fight lasts a maximum of 2 to 3
minutes. It's never a tie fight, one stay alive, one dies . Very
hard to see my white rooster on which I had bet 10000 rupiahs, having
his stomach open in less than 15 seconds. The feathers fly, the
blood spurts. They take him out of the arena and cut his 2 legs. An
horrible scene while others prefer playing dominos or cards in the
middle of this "raffut". The women are not admitted at this kind of
" sport ", or only to serve food and drinks for these accros of " coq
fighting ".
I continue my Tour de Bali, a little bit like the Tour de France,
where the people are seating on the side of the road looking at you
passing by as if I was the main attraction of the day. Sometimes, I
hear a " Hello, How are you ? Where you go? ". The stop at the
Gitgit Waterfall, where I used the rope to swing like Tarzan in that
cave, was refreshing. I arrive then at Tirta Gangga where I find a
room in the middle of the rice fields. I decide to go for a walk,
using the " carte au tresor !!! " that Nioman drew me. At first, it
was funny, I walk and keep my sense of orientation, but more I walk
and less I am able to go back on my steps. Then I meet a lady carrying
20 Kg of coconut on her head. She laughed at me and she told me to
follow her. I feel a little less lost. We arrive at her place, in
the middle of the banana field, with pigs, cows, chicken and dogs.
She told me to continue to walk this direction. Ok, thank you. After
20 minutes, I arrive on a paved road where I asked my way and
everyone seemed really surprised to see me here, very far from my
starting point. But the hour turns and I must return to the hotel.
Once again, I am lucky when this guy recognizes me from the day
before. I remembered him too, we talked 15 seconds at the red light.
He brought me back at the hotel, for free, as he was the priest of
the village. My God, I am soooo lucky. I arrive next at Padang Bay,
place to do snorkelling, on the Blue Lagoon Beach. A true happiness
to admire coral and these fish of all the colors in a clear and hot
water. ...ok ok, I stop. Next is Besakih, the biggest temple of
Bali. I meet Kadec and her friends that sell fruit and other BBQ
fish on sticks. They look inside my bag and find their happiness.
An unforgettable picture of all of them using my hair gel on their
long brown hair, with a big smile. Kadec even wants to buy it from
me and I have found that so touching that I offered her with pleasure.
I spend the night at the base of the Volcano Batur, 1717 m, at the
hotel " Under the Volcano ". In the morning, dozens of trucks, empty,
passing by and I find this strange. So I decide to follow the red
truck that has the techno very loud in the cabin. The road is really
bad, almost undrivable. The locals look at me like I am crazy to go
that way following these trucks with my motorbike. But what a
surprise to arrive in this place where more than 20 people wait the
arrival of the truck and wonder what I am doing behind. But
sometimes, a big smile changes all. I explain them that I wanted to
work and help them to fill the truck with sand. I don't know if they
understand, in any case, I don't hesitate to spit in my hands, take a
shavel and scoop the sand, with Ayu, this 23 years old girl who is not
afraid of hard work. An hour in the heat to fill the truck, barefeet
in the sand alongside this 50 meters vertical wall. A good time,
they were all laughing ; unforgettable for me, but also for all of
them who probably don't see a tourist every day. These trucks go
everywhere on the island to distribute this sand, that will serve
later to do cement. My Tour de Bali is almost finished. Back to
Kuta, I meet Surya who will be my private guide, of the South of the
Island called Dreamland, but also the Capital Denpensar. Thank you
Surya for welcoming me, showing me these beautiful beaches and tasting
typical balinaise dishes. My 15 days in Bali were really magic.
This is an island with great people, easy to visit, with sumptuous
landscapes and also inexpensive. It is time to fly to Thailande, and
its capital BANGKOK.
Thailand
My plane from Bali to Bangkok has one stop in Singapore airport. I am
happy to see that the COGNAC is in big display, where all the big
names are present, with some promotions for Martell and Henessy. The
sales girls follow a ftraining course and know what they are talking
about. I stay 1 hour with one of them, well satisfied to learn a
little more on the spirit and the cognac region.
Bangkok, 6 millions people, a noisy city, sometimes suffocating
because of the heat and especially the pollution. I stay in a rather
comfortable guesthouse very useful. I give them my passport to have
the visas of the Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Ko San Road is the
"rendez vous" for the backpackers to spend the night drinking Singha
Beer or any other coktails and eventually to pay one of the hundreds
of professionals girls, sometimes travestyte. They are called
Ladyboys. Impossible to see the difference, man or woman. To be
sure, it would be necessary to slowly slip your hand at the bottom of
the belt and feel... It's a true business here. The europeens and
americains come for that, and they are never desappointed.
Bangkok has a lot of temples. The most impressive one is the Wat Phra
Kaew, also calls the Temple of the Emeraude Buddha. It shines
everywhere, the orange and green roofs, the pillars with incrusted
mosaiques, marble, chapels and 3 hours of walking in this heat.
After a nice street lunch with BBQ fish and papaya sadad, I take a
boat on the Chao Phraya River, to the last stop and catch the Sky
Train, this impressive aerial metro, sometimes more than 30 meters
high. Time for fun in the Lumphini park where I play basketball with
some students but also, like everyday at 6.00 pm, hundreds of thai
people pratice aerobic. Water bottles and sports sports bags are
ligned up every 6 feet. The people make sure their spot is taken,
for a session of more than 2 hours following the leader on this small
stage, dancing and doing aerobic, to the rythm of the techno music.
Apres 45 minutes of exercise and lots of sweat, I give up. I prefere
to go towards the stadium where I can attend at 10 matches of Thai
Boxing.
As cruel as a rooster fight, the " Thai Boxing " allows using feet,
knees, elbows and hands to put KO your opponent before the end of the
5th round. The 1st one where they warm up, the 2nd one where they
start to hit strong and the 3 following ones where the fight is really
physical. The coachs give advises at every break while the boxer gets
a quick massage of the whole body. The gamblers begin to be excited
and shake their hands with fervor, when the left leg of the red short
balances, climbs, climbs to hit the head of the blue short and
BANG. ..ouch, it hurts..., K.O. The winner smile for the photo, while
the loser is taken in the emergency room with the doctor holding his
tongue, for him to not swallow it. I'm lucky to get a photo with the
winner even if I keep thinking of the other guy, probably still
unconcious at this time. But that's how it is, this is the national
sport. There is a ceremony with music before every game, necklaces
of flowers and you can see they are proud. I saw 6 years old kids
training, it's
scary !!
Bangkok hold the biggest Market in South East Asia. The Chatuchac
Market takes place every weekends and it is impressive. You can find
everything you can imagine. With more than 15000 vendors and close to
200000 visitors, it is easy to get lost. Everyone leave with full
bags and empty wallets. I bough a paire of Levis for tonight,
because I go out to the Narcissus Night Club with Katrin and Mieke,
to dance on techno with Paul Oakenfold. One of my favorite DJ and
among the 3 world-wide best ones. His annual venue in Bangkok attract
thousands of people. We had a great time, a little short as it closed
at 2.30 am only.!!
After one week in Bangkok, I take a bus towards the island of Ko
Phangan, to participate at the Full Moon Party. Once a month, each
full moon, the beach of Haad Rin Nock welcome 8 to 10000 travelers,
coming for only one thing, PARTY. Vodka, Whisky, Gin and other
alcohols mixed in a small beach bucket with coke, tonic or redbull.
The crowd is a true melting pot; hippies with piercings to the rich
Texan who came in his Yacht. Between the two, there is me, who
doesn't drink too much to take advantage of the show, to dance in the
sand and meet the people, to catch the thief of the Holly's handbag.
A real show that becomes quickly
disgusting when this guy piss in the water and this girl refresh her
face 3 feet away. Soon, I must avoid to walk on the bodies laying on
the sand, those who miscalculated their alcohol level. But hey, we
came for that. This was a good night, where I met some nice people.
We danced all night long on disco, reggae, rock or techno. One more
experience to do once in a life time.
I took the time to visit the island with my motorbike and it is true
that this place is a paradise.
Next is Phuket, where the Tsunami did thousands of victims on December
26th 2004. A lot of buildings are being restored while others are
already brand new. Paradise Beach used to have a restaurant about 20
metes from the beach. It did not remain anything. It has been
rebuilt 40 metres away. !!!
Thailand is the 1st latex producer and Mr Pue was able to explain me how
to extract the sap of this rubber tree...very interesting
Phuket is also a main tourists attraction, for singles (or not),
coming to take advantage of one of these young thai girls, picked in
one of the hundreds of Go Go Bars on Patong street. I am a little bit
disguted to see this as i wonder where are the " Non-professionals
ones ! ", but it's kind of fun to play cards and different other games
with them as we are having a drink. The good side of it is that they
are nice girls, and they don't bother you too much. The goal is to
have fun...if you want more...you pay more. As they say...NO MONEY,
NO HONEY !!!
I kept my money to go for a full day boat trip on Phi Phi Island,
where the movie " The Beach" with Leonardo Dicaprio has been produced.
Clear and hot water and again snorkelling to have fun with the
colourfull fish.
In the evenings, I went to the Phuket Fantasia Show. A Las Vegas
kind of show, with magic, special effects, acrobats, culture, dance
and about thirty elephants on stage. A very entertaining night.
My first Thai massage, with pedicure, will be done the following day
on the beach, by
this lady, very professional, for 2 hours. Nothing better than that,
it felt great.
Next is north of Thailand, Chang Mai, a nice city being the base for
departure to a 3 days trip into the local tribes and jungle. Nice to
walk in the middle of the mountains, rice fields and forests. Our
group is Sabina, Liam, Mikko, Karina, Sophie, Philip and Thomas.
Each of us appreciate the 3 hours passed on the back and neck of an
elephant
and then the morning down the river, standing on a bamboo raft. I
loved to meet the locals of the Karen tribe, this woman smoking the
pipe showing her black teeth, probably not only tobacco inside, as we
are in the middle of the opium fields.
Today is June 30th and this is the birthday of our favorite webmaster,
so Happy Birthday M'Ric.
Back to Chang Mai for a Thai cooking class, where I prepare several
dishes like yellow and green curry, stir fried pork, sticky rice and
mango or again papaya salad. I eat all day long every dish that I
made. Succulent.
My 3 weeks in Thailand have been very rich. Of course, not sufficient
to see all, but this is my way of travelling, I leave some things to
discover the next time.
Next is LAOS, in slow boat. 2 days on a boat to join Luang Prabang. ...
Laos
The Laos is certainly the slowest country but the most relaxed one of
all South East Asia. We leave Huay Xai for 2 days in a long "pirogue"
or " slow boat " on the Mekong River. A group of around fifty
tourists squizzed on small wood seats for 7 hours. Pretty landscape
along the river, set in the middle of the mountains with its
impressive vertical walls. After a stop in a town for the night, we
set off again in the early morning for again 7 hours of trip. There
are " speed boats" to do the trip in 1 day, but it's really
uncomfortable and noisy.
Luang Prabang is a city with a unique atmosphere, surrounded by
beautiful mountains, the Mekong River, its night market of hand made
clothes, some temples with the one called Phu Sy, up the hill
downtown. It is very pleasant to walk in the streets in the evening
and tasting some of the typical dishes like the Laap of Buffalo. But
the abundance of the tourists lead me towards my next destination,
Vang Vieng. I use, therefore, a local bus, carrying about 20000 eggs
on the roof. That's one reason we call them " Chicken Buses ". The
ride will be one of the most beautiful of my all trip. Through
several mountains, in the middle of dozen of villages with small
bamboo huts where the people rest after a long working day in the rice
fields. Hundreds of kids playing, cows, pigs, chickens in the middle
of the road. The guys selling cucumber in a curb, tell the driver to
stop. As all the locals of the bus, I buy my cucumber and peel it
with my swiss army knife that Fab the Fab gave me before leaving. The
driver is nice when he sees that I want to take a photo of the sunset.
He stops and we have a15 minutes break to enjoy, in silence, at the
top of this mountain, one of the most beautiful sunset of my trip.
Vang Vieng is known for its water activities, like tubing, kayaking
and caving. We go down the Mekong River on a tube or kayak, following
the current, with some stops to explore the caves. A little bit scary
to follow this rope, in the dark, with sometimes only 1 foot between
water and the ceiling of the cave... brrrrr...!!!. But it is lots of
fun to jump from 8 meters high from this bamboo tour, or to use the
swing and then jump, while the others are drinking a LaoBeer or Laolao
Whisky... A good day.
Next is Vientiane, capital of Laos, which has nothing really
exceptional. I meet Alice, Marleen and Sietske and we leave the next
day towards the South while crossing the cities of Savannaket and
Pakse. We arrive after 2 days and 2 nights, to Si Phon Don. Also
known under the name of the " Four Thousand Islands ". We arrive on
Don Det Island, I stay in a small bungalow, laying in my hamoc on the
deck with view of the Mekong. I walk in the middle of the rice fields
where the farmers turn the earth with a soc pulled by a buffalo. I
sit with a family where the grandfather smiles seeing me playing with
its 3 grandaughters and their turtle. The kids are so cute, always
with a smile and not one crying.
We are a group of 8 to rent a boat to go to the Cambodian border,
drinking Angkor Beer and enjoy the rare Irrawaddy Dolphins. After
a good bath in the dirty red water of the Mekong, we take our bicycles
towards the waterfall Somphanit. It's more like a succession of
rapids, with a very strong current. We notice with Adrian this fine
blue rope linking up the bank to this boulder, a rope that the
fishermen use sometimes to cross, and risk their life for one or two
extra fish. We stay one hour on the beach a little further down,
without swimming, as the current is really bad
In the evenings, we party at the local bar, we dance, we drinks the
BeerLao. I meet James, Canadian, known from everyone as he is such a
great and funny guy. He tells me about his kayak trip where he was
ejected from it and hit a rock...While listening to his story, I was
glad I didn't do that one as I didn't feel like it that morning.
But someone told me that every trip around the world has a moment of
big joy and also of big sadness. I had a lot of joy and certainly the
birth of Emma was the most beautiful…..for the sadness, when Steve
died, it was a special moment for me. But apparently, this was not
enough. This Thursday July 14th 2005 will be unforgettable. We
learn the death of James in the rapids that we visited the day before.
Unbelievable. .!!! Evan, his closest friend, goes to the news and
in fact, the body of James is laying on a bamboo bed. This is a long
story that I won't detail. James was a great guy energic, who always
wanted to prove something. It was a huge risk to cross these rapids
using this thin rope. He crossed one way but never came back as the
current was too strong. We followed the leadership of Evan and
stayed all night long close to James. Around fifteen local were also
here with the 8 of us, giving us shots of LaoLao Whisky and keeping
the candles continually lightened. If you want more details, a
website has been created by Adrian, at this address:
http://jamie-james-joseph.blogspot.com/
This story was shocking for each of us. The 8 travelers of Holland,
Irland, Australia and France have proved an enormous solidarity that
night. I am a little bit crazy sometimes and I do stupid things.
There are no doubts that what happened will have an effect on the rest
of my trip, and probably the rest of my life.
Rest in peace James.
It is time to leave Laos and go towards Cambodia. We book a flight
from Pakse to Siem Reap, to visit the temples of Angkor, world famous.
CAMBODIA
After almost 30 years of civil war,
Cambodia welcome the tourists coming to wlak trhough the majestic
angkor temples. I arrive in Siem Reap, where Mr Sepherra will be my
Tuk Tuk Driver for the 2 days of visits. I call him Smily as he
doen'st stop smiling. The 1st evening, we leave to see the sunset on
Angkor Wat, but I was not alone. A lot of tourists climb the Phnom
Bakheng. I smile when I arrive to the summit and see these hundreds
of persons, dying at this heat, sitt on the rocks of the temple, to
rest. But the funniest is when the majorite of the people leave
while the real sunset is just starting. We were a group of twenty,
with 2 professional photographers to enjoy the orange colors in the
clouds. Juliette, Smily and myself visit Angkor Wat, Bayon, Baphuon,
Ta Phrom, Ta Som and many others. ..Off all these temples, each with
of a different style, 3 get my attention. Of course, the main one,
Angkor Wat, the biggest temple in the world, spectacular,
unbelievable of beauty with its tours, its walls, its statues. The
temple Bayon is unforgettable as well, with its 216 faces, giving
the impression you are beeing whatched. But my favorite is Ta Phrom,
one of the most beautiful because of the dozen of roots, slowly
destroying the temple, acting like tentacules that covers the rocks.
This place has been used to make the movie Tomb Raider. Impressive.
The whole journey, many ladies call you to
join their restaurant or buy drinks, teeshirts and other souvenirs.
I prefere to have fun with the youngest, 6 to 12 years old, so cute
and very smart. They know how to count in 10 differents languages.
The nicest part is to play the game of the capitals. Without any
doubt, they know the europeennes capitals, so I teach them the one
from South America and we have a good time. I end up buying 2 grass
hopper, a flutte, postal cards, cigarettes, teeshirt. Juliette is
the superstar of Cambodia, the children love her and understand that
I can't give her away. I finaly visit the small landmines museum,
created by this former Kmer Rouge, Aki Ra, to show the people the
probleme. He still goes in the field to get ride of the mines, with
a simple bamboo stick, without protection. Hundreds of children are
handicaped because of these mines, always hiding in the ground. I
cant resist when I am at the restaurant, and I see this young girl,
10 years old, without arms, and only one leg to push her wheelchair
along the sidewalk. I give her 1 dollar, like the guy on the other
table, and she gives us a huge smile. We meet in the evenings with
the same band formed in Laos, to drink the Angkor Beer or Tiger Beer
at the bar " Angkor What?
I still travel with Marleen and Sietske,
who decide to take the bus towards the capital Phnom Penh, while I
take the boat through the floating villages, on the Tonle Sap river.
We meet at the hotel " Number 9 ", with deck on the river. I visit
the Russian market, once more a market where you find evrything and
nothing. The Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda but especially the
night life is a show on its own. I eat that night spiders, birds,
grasshopper and " cafards ". Very tasty. The ladies laugh when they
see me eating these bugs while doing the " guignol ". There is even
a ceremony the whole journey that attract hundreds of persons coming
to pray in this small temple along the river. Flowers in coconut,
ensens and free the birds is the ritual of each of them. It makes me
laugh to see the young boys catching the birds just free, with a
stick and glue. They sell them 500 Riels to the ladies, who sell
them 1000 to the people praying. What a business and what a show !!!
My last day in Cambodia will be about history, with the visit of the
prison S21 where 17000 men, women and children have been tortured
then exterminated in the " Killing Fileds of Choeung Ek ", between
1975 and 1978. Terrifying to see the cranes of 9000 of them stocked
in this glass tower, the Memorial Stupa.
It is times to leave to Vietnam, Saigon, by
bus, once again. The girls go towards the South of Cambodia, at the
beach of Sihanoukville.
VIETNAM
Magnificent landscapes with Halong Bay or
the rice fields on terraces in Sapa, the Vietnam is equally known
for his capital, Hanoi, for its conical hats, its puppets on water,
its noddles soup and especially his leader Ho Chi Minh, who died in
1969. The real Vietnam life itself is in the street. The Vietnamese
are in the streets to talk, eat, nap, go shopping or even to the
hairdresser!!! But the most unforgettable is surely the impressive
number of motorbikes. And yes, once more, this is the main
transportation used. And it is not rare to see some of them
transporting their pigs or 50 ducks head down, in the middle of this
traffic madness.
I arrive in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) where
I meet Philippine and Emilie, from Paris on vacation. We visit the
CuChi Tunnels. More than 130 miles of tunnels, under the town of
CuChi, used by the Vietcong, this army of warriors hiding
underground, who was able to resist the multiples American assaults
. Our guide, an Ex Army, is not really retired in his mind. He tells
us with energy, emotions and sometimes arrogance, the history of the
war between the Americans and his country. Accusing tourist guide
books of not saying the truth, he defends his country and assures
that the Vietnamese won the war and not these " big ass " of
Americans " that eat only hamburgers !!".You understood, this guide
was a little too expressive and aggressive to my taste and the taste
of our group of 40 people, that besides didn't leave any tip... Once
back in Saigon, I eat in the street, down my hotel, seashells and
snails, grilled with a sauce herbs and lemon ...seated on a small
red plastic stool, in the middle of the locals... once more,
everybody around was laughing.
I decide to visit Vietnam from South to
North while using an open ticket, pretty much the same as New
Zeland, you can stay as long as you want in each town. I go through
Muine, with its 10 miles of beach and its sanddune. But it's raining
so I go to Dalat, situated in the middle of the mountains, with
lakes, waterfalls and forets. But once again, it rains enormously
and even the owner of the hotel suggests me to et out of here. Then
I continue towards Nha Trang, by the ocean where I book a boat trip.
I see again Tamsine, who I met at the post office in Saigon. We has
a lot of fun, especially when our guides, cooks and pilots put on a
show by playing the guitar and drums, while improvising a rock
concert in the middle of water. Again more amusing to be in a tube,
tasting what they called Vietnamese wine (not good by the way) and
smoke a cigarette, grabbing to the floating bar held by our guide of
the day. Then this is Hoi An, a small but really beautiful town,
with its streets and its old neighborhood. The old houses are now
paint shops, restaurants or travel agencies. I prefer renting a
bicycle and ride to my next adventure. 5 miles on the beach where
some young ladies already there saling necklaces. I meet one of
them, Tung, and we laugh for 1 hour with the kids saling lottery
tickets. I win twice and gives them the money which represent 50
cents. Then I keep riding to a small village where a lot of kids say
Hello. The typical dishes are Cao Lay (Noddle pork), Wonton or Pink
White (rice paper with shrimp). Next is HUE with Christine, Maggie
and Annie, where we book a day on the " Pafume River ". Maggie is
Chinese and already told me where to go during my 3 weeks in China.
The boat does several stops for the visits of some Temples and
Pagodas then the Forbidden City.
I arrived then in Ningh Binh where I stay
at the hotel Xuan Hoa. The crazy owner is great. I brought a bottle
of wine and we drunk it that evening in his restaurant with all the
customers. He offers us his house rice wine ...hummmm. The towns of
Tam Coc and Read Hoa are surrounded by mountains and water. A kind
lady takes me in a small boat to visit. She rows with her feet. We
go through dark caves, under the mountain. It is nice out, this is a
magnificent landscape. There is a place called Bich Dong with a
pagoda inlaid in the rocky walls at the top of this mountain,
offering a panoramic view of the site. But places again more magic
are to come with Halong Bay. So I take a bus towards Haipong then a
boat towards the island of Cat Ba. The visit of the bay will be done
on a small sail boat with 2 Italian couples, Barbara, Marco, Orlette
and Julio. For once, I am the youngest of the group. Really nice
people. We experience the magnificent day visiting 3 caves, swimming
(sometimes under the rain) and admire the show that offers these
3000 islands floating in the middle of an emerald water. A lot of
people live here, on floating houses. They spend their day fishing.
Next destination, the craziest capital in the world, HANOI. " Noisy
" would be the word more adapted to describe this city. An
unbelievable number of motorbikes, fast and in all directions,
Crossing a street in Hanoi is a big issue . The goal of the game is
very simple, never stop once you start crossing, otherwise, there
will be an accident. They see you, anticipate and avoid you.. most
of the time!! Even the sidewalks overflow of motorbikes and you have
to walk on the road. But I played with it a lot and found it fun
after a while …like a life-size video game.
I stayed 3 days in Hanoi to visit the old
neighborhood, close to the lake Hoam Kiem, where is located the
temple Ngoc Son. Then a water puppet show, typical from vietnam.
I finish by a little bit of silence (that
exists in Hanoi) to the Lenin Park on Sunday afternoon, where the
families and the kids come to play and to relax of their noisy week.
The night train in sleeping dorm with 5
other persons, takes us towards Sapa, in the North West of the
country. Spectacular places of rice paddies on terraces, where
village tribes stillcarry their clothes color, done by hand, using
the marijuana stems for the fiber ( hemp ) and the Indigo plant for
the color. It rained a lot during my 4 days of hiking in mud, rice
fields, rivers and villages. The young local ladies follow us
everywhere and they ask continually if we want to buy something: "
You buy for me? "They are very nice but after a while, it is too
much. Oh well, this is Vietnam, you are never alone. Between the
motorbikes drive, these short ladies and the others who only want to
rip you off, I am impatient to cross the border and meet the Chinese.
I just don't like the way they apply
special pricdes for tourists, and to pay an entry fee to walk on a
beach. I hope that they will continue to have visitors. Personaly, I
liked it a lot but at the end, it was a little tiring to fight for
the price of a loaf of bread. I am not the only one to have this
reaction, a lot of other travelers share my opinion ...like we say
back home : " THAT's done !!!"
Welcome in China, in the Yunnan Province and
the city of Kunming. The trip in the night bus was unforgettable. 30
beds in length, on bunks, of about 5'7 only. The people wondered if
I was confortablein any case, That's what it sounded like because
here nobody speaks English. I did not choose the easiest country to
finish my trip, but I feel it's gonna be great. Here, the city is
clean, the motorbikes are electrical and it's not as noisy. ...but
Kunming might be the exception. ... Ahhh yes, I can see the
difference with Vietnam. Even when you ask for a Pepsi, they are 2
people for one minute searching at the far end of the ice box to
give you a fresh bottle, for 3 Yuan. In Vietnam, it would have been
a warm bottle for 10 Yuan.
The Chinese night life is also something to
experimente. A neighborhood with no less than 15 nightclubs, with free
entrance where some people offer you glasses of beer. Nice to see some
of them with the bottle of Cognac on the counter. All the tables have a
minimum of 25 beer can where everyone around the table with a small "
shot " glass and they drink all night long. ..very funny. The thing they
don't understand is that you should drink beer cold. ..but hey, we are
in china. ..who cares ?.
4 hours by bus towards the west is located the
city of Dali with great stone streets, trees and a small river in the
middle. Dali is located on the edge of a lake where a mutlitude of small
fishing villages live of tourism. Horseback riding with Morganne and
Anne Laure along the mountain, to arrive at a superb water falls. Then
this is the city of Lijian, even more touristic than Dali, but it's very
pretty. A dedale of long narrow streets with small arts and crafts shops.
Many Chinese people on vacation and few Europeens. But my goal of the
day is to find out if I can hike the " Tiger Leaping Gorge ". It seems
that a rain storm destroyed the road and that it 's impossible to go.
But after a day looking for fresh infos, I found THE guy who could give
me some good news. So I bought the last bus ticket for a departure very
early in the morning. When I arrive at Margo's, the owner of the hotel
at the base of the Gorge, she reassures me right away and she told me to
leave my big backpack here…like do most of the hikers. I begin the walk
with Fred, Marie and Nathy, 3 French people traveling the world as well,
but them, they chose to ride the horse, and I am quickly behind.
Then I go at my own speed, enjoy the views, and
I am lucky to find a group of Chinese girls, Yan, Zhang, Linen, Luther.
We spend a great journee along these gorge walking on the side of this
mountain with the river Yantsee down below. We stop at the Halfway
Guesthouse for the night. And the next morning, very early, the girls
wake me up because it's time to go…. aller Hop…. They make me laugh
holding their umbrellas for the sunshine, some of them wearing city
clothes with new tennis shoes…unreal, and all that in a good atmosphere
where they will never stop talking. We hike down to the edge of the
river …..Brrrrrr……!! Climbing back up by this vertical ladder rather
dangerous, but all went fine.. The way back to the hotel was also
impressive, on this road completely destroyed for 16 miles by several
landslides. We were c;imbuing on rocks, go under waterfalls and walk
more than 6 hours to finally arrive to the the tunel where a minibus
brrough us back to Margo's guesthouse. An unforgettable adventure, once
more, I had a magnificent time.
Next town is Shangrila where I meet Daisy, a
friend of Margo. She gives me a tour of the the city and in the
evenings, we dance a kind of Chinese Madison on the main place of the
old city for 2 hours, with hundreds of locals. I enjoyed dancing with
the older ladies wearing their indigo hemp dress. Then I go to the
Teibetaine side of China, making a stop at Xiangcheng. I didn't plan
that stop but once again, I understand that the road is cut so the bus
will stay here tonight . I started to freak out a little as I had only
one week left before my flight from Beijing to Paris, but I am patient
and I learned that there is no reason to be angry at anyone…just relax .
With Brian and Doris, we meet some locals and play pool in the middle of
the mushroom market, hoping the bus will drive us further the next day.
But this will not be the case. So we begin to worry , especially whenwe
can't understand a word of what they say. Nobody speaks English here.
Finally, we leave a couple days later around 11 am…ouffff, let's go. !!!
Surprised after 5 hours of trip, the driver ask us to take our luggage
and walk…In fact, the road was more than just cut, It was completely
destroyed 11 miles long. 4 hours of walk in the middle of the debris,
along the raging river which I don't even know the name and by the way,
I have no idea where I am…But it's all good, our small group of 30
people from the bus is taking care of " us ", the lost tourists. It was
a beautiful day with lots of stories…Another adventure, I loved it…
We finally reach the city of Chengdu where my
first goal was to book a train ticket to Beijing. This is only at 34
hours from here…but everything is full…the next available seat is next
week !!!….hummm, and the bus…same thing…ok , I got it, I have to fly.
BEIJING…Welcome to the next 2008 Olympic Games
and good luck too…It is the most polluted city I have seen so far in my
trip. Let's be honest, sometimes, I could see the sun and I was able to
whatch it without shades at 2pm…add to that the breathing problems….yes…I
had hard time to breath just walking in the street…Bouhhh, I leave in 4
days towards Rouffiac where the air is pure. Beijing, this is the
Forbidden City, the gardens, the Hutong streets..these narrow streets
forming villages in the middle of the big city buildings where live the
" poor " people.
But the best day was hiking a portion of the
GREAT WALL and THAT was great…worth to do. I met Marc from Atlanta and
for 4 hours, we walk on this wall, from Jinshanling to Simatai. The sky
is gray, always pollution, but the landscape is wonderful and very
impressive.
Well my friends, it's times to go back home.
Juliette is tired and is ready to come back too. After one year of I
finally arrived at midnight on Thursday September 1st in Angouleme where
Mum and Dad welcome me back but also, as a surprise, our webmaster M'Ric
was here. The next day was unforgetable for me as I meet for the first
time my little niece EMMA, also called Choup Choup, then in the evenings,
this is Elyna who arrives a little shy…Lots of emotion for " Tonton Nanu
"….
Let's just say I AM HAPPY at that moment ………
Hard to decrire this trip with few words.
Simply magnificent, rich in meeting people, in adventures and in
emotions. I am back without having lost my passport, or money, without
having missed a bus, airplane or train. Globally, everything went fine
and it was a true succes. Now, I plan on making photo albums and tell my
stories. I want to thank all the people who helped me directly or
indirectly with the realisation of this fabulous trip, but especially
those who welcomed me. Special thank to Julia who did some translations,
Sylvie for all the corrections of the French texts and especially
Aymeric for the realisation and the updates of the website. Thank-you to
Emma to be so beautiful and Elyna to give me Juliette for my next trip.
Thank you to my parents because without them, I wouldn't be here today.
Here finishes this beautiful adventure. See you
soon around a glass of wine, photo albums to answer eventual questions
on the intruction manual of a TRIP AROUND THE WORLD.
Thank you
Emmanuel and Juliette
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