Category: Travel

Hi all. Happy New Year for 2004.

I am currently in Prague in the Czech Republic and loving it. All of the intricate buildings and find art work around the place is certainly a feast for the eyes.

It is -5 (celcius) during the day here and snowing. Very cold indeed. The city has more of a country town atmosphere than a city, but the crowds of tourists that swarm around remind you otherwise.

I have camped out in a dilapidated old building with some lovely people who met me at the train station. It is very near the middle of town too. I kind of like this place because it is probably closer to the real Czech experience than a normal hostel or hotel. Oh, and this is the weekend after New Years which means the city is still very very busy with people from all over Europe that are here to celebrate.

Tomorrow at 2pm I train to Frankfurt for an overnight stop, then fly out to Helsinki. My trip through Europe has been very whirlwind and hectic with little time to enjoy each place I have gone but enough time in most cases to see it. It will be wonderful to stop in Helsinki for a solid 10days soon.

So for my travel through Europe, I have been able to see Spain (Madrid, Barcelona), Italy (Rome, Florence, Venice), Austria (Vienna, Mistelbach), Czech (Prague), and a night of Germany (Frankfurt). It is certainly not the trip I thought I could do, but it has been wonderful to meet so many amazing people on my way through.

As for when you will get an update on each place, I do not know, but my diary is current so it will be forthcoming when I can find the time.

Hi again. As you know, I am in New York. My time here has been a moment of dropping my bundle. I have hardly done any tourist things at all… and yet there seems to have been a lot done anyway. I met up with a friend of a friend, Becky, who is a radical Christian just like me. Together we have had heaps of fun tearing up the town and doing lots of cool stuff.

What I Did In NY
Some of this stuff included the normal: Times Square, Broadway, Wall St, World Trade Centre, Waldorf Astoria Hotel (very expensive), St Bartholomew’s Church (St. Barts), Central Park, and wandering around. This was fun. But even more fun was when we headed over the Brooklyn Bridge. It was amazing to journey over the top of this incredibly busy bridge, with the massive suspension wires holding it up and the city buildings in the background. Becky and I were pretty stoked about it all… yelling and jumping around the place. It was during this moment, little understood by those passing us, that the unthinkable happened, and Becky’s beloved hat went flying off her head down into the heavy traffic. It provided a little entertainment for a while as drivers swerved to miss the unknown black object on the road, but we were soon back on track crossing this remarkable bridge.

On the other side, after countless stops in the freezing cold wind for me to take a photo or six, we headed down to the waterside. This was a remote park in Brooklyn that had a fantastic view of the city skyscrapers through the suspended arches of the bridge we had just crossed. Excited at the photo opportunities here I did a little dance and then set up shop. Just on the waterfront was some park benches which I decided would be better filled with someone to add interest to my photo. Becky provided just the person I needed. With a burst of energy she ran down and leaps over the benches, planting herself on the seat in one go. Except there was ice on the seat. It didn’t work like that. Instead she continues on across and down the seat, straight onto the ground. Sorer and wiser, she returns to the seat and generously remains there as my model.

Empire State Building
We also climbed up the Empire State Building. Twice. Well, climb is not actually the right word, but at the top of 86 floors the view is pretty fantastic. The trouble with our first journey to the top ended up being the snow in the air. Our views were restricted to only the buildings below us. It was an exciting view but New York looked so much smaller because of it. The second ride to the top, after a debacle over having my tripod confiscated during the security inspection, yielded magnificent views of dusk forming into evening over the city and surrounding areas. We could see right through to the ends of the city in all directions. It was a fantastic sight.
Continue reading “Brief Update – New York”

China is a fascinating place. I absolutely loved my 32hrs there. Such a short time but an incredible place that has left a lasting impression upon me which will not fade for a long time.

The Slow Boat to China
As I mentioned in my last email I was going to take the slow boat to China. Well I did, but it was not very slow. Being a hydrofoil boat we cruised at a very fast speed to reach my destination within two hours. I was very excited to leave the boat and step onto Chinese soil.

I was here. Well, at least I thought I was. A taxi driver standing at the customs exit asked if I wanted a taxi. “No” I said, “I’m taking a bus”, and walked over to the large line-up of buses. The only thing I recognised on them was numbers. 6, 23, 15, 9. What did they mean, and where did these buses go? I could not even work out how much they cost. If I caught the wrong bus I could end up back in Hong Kong.

Just then a motorcycle rider approached me. I had seen lots of these motorcycles around and wondered what they were at first but this had been answered for me when I saw a family of three climb aboard one bike and the rider take off out the gate. They were some sort of taxi. Probably cheaper. It sounded like fun. I asked the rider to take me to my destination, the Garden Hotel. He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. No idea.
Continue reading “The Trip – China”

After visiting China for my 32hrs I had one night back in Hong Kong. Since I had been almost falling asleep due to lack of sleep over the last few nights I thought it would be wise to find an early bed for the night.

While still in China, I booked my accommodation at a hostel in Causeway Bay in Hong Kong using my trusty worldwide roaming mobile phone (which I later found out does not roam in Korea). Once I found the subway in Kowloon I was set and with a swipe of my prized Octopus Card I was on my way.

Accommmodation
Reaching my accommodation on the third floor of a highrise, I discover no one can speak English. To solve this problem the staff call a number and speak to a mystery man. Through heavily accented English we work out a room for me and the staff kindly take me there.

In the lift and up 8 levels reaches my floor. Here we enter another guest house, which obviously sublets to the hostel I booked through. I am eagerly shown the “plush” private room with shower and toilet and TV. It is very nice actually if you discount the fact that the shower and toilet share the same cubicle. I ended up sitting on the toilet to shower since the room was only the size of the toilet bowl anyway. Fortunately the whole floor of the place was designed as a shower basin. A really bizarre setup, but it worked.

Leaving Home
Sleep came easily being as tired as I was, and my alarm sounded far too soon. I pack and find my way down to the street where I wander in search of a subway entrance. As I find an entrance, I look around wistfully for the last time at this amazing city that managed to endear itself to me during my stay, almost feeling like home if that were possible.

Reflections
There are so many amazing things about Hong Kong. The subways that are so easy to navigate. The incredible strength of so many skyscrapers in such a small space and the amazing spectacle of human achievement that this displays. The incredible mix of different cultures and languages. The ability to find anything you want or need within a few blocks of wherever you may be. The wonderful Chinese people that make up most of Hong Kong.

Yes, it is an amazing place. Not beautiful. Not peaceful. Not restful. But amazing it is. I will always remember these things about this place. It is an adventure to be there.

But now, I am off to South Korea to see Won.

Hi all, I am now in Venice, the city of canals. It is a very interesting place to visit and wander around the narrow streets and interesting little shops, and the Piazza San Marco is a huge place with lots of Gondolas waiting by the side.

I always thought Venice was built over water, but have since discovered that it is built on 117 small islands, which is why there are so many canals. I even found a park with trees. Travelling is good for dispelling ignorance.

Today at 1pm I am heading off to Wien (Vienna) where I will be celebrating the New Year Austrian style. So it is goodbye to Italy and all of the wonderful people here.

Now, I wonder how much German I remember from school. If only I had listened more in class…