To the Black Sea

Let it go
Sabine and I got up early today, skipped breakfast and headed for the ferries, to get on the boat along the Bosphorus. We had to be there early to score a seat with a view… However, we were a bit lost with all the ferries on offer, and all the guys trying to sell us their […] Read More

In the heart of Tel Aviv

Let it go
I finally booked my place in Tel Aviv. I was really late this time and a lot of apartments were gone or partially booked for my time there. But I found a nice, central place with Adi, and it’s close to the beach and the Yemenite Quarter, where I already stayed in 2012. I’m looking […] Read More

Just a dream

Let it go
One week ago I was strolling through Tokyo on my last day. Then I flew home and spent a couple of days there, seeing friends and family… and I had a feeling of familiarity, that kind of made the memory of the first trip vaguely bizarre… as if I had only dreamt it all up. Being […] Read More

Osaka

Let it go
These two weeks in Tokyo have passed way to fast. I do regret a bit that I did not stick with my initial plan to stay four full weeks in Tokyo. I had feared I would be lost in translation (and I am!) and be bored like in the movie… What a big error. There’s […] Read More

Train ride through Nippon

Let it go
Next week, I’ll get my Japan Rail pass. I ordered it in New Zealand, as you can only acquire it from abroad. Two weeks for 330 Euros, (nearly) all trains except some few super-mega-express Shinkansen trains. But most of the high speed Shinkansen trains are covered… You just can’t beat that. So I had to […] Read More

Rangitoto hike

Let it go
Finally got my act together and set the alarm clock to 9 am. So I would make the Rangitoto Ferry at 10.30. The weather looked ok, warm, with lots of clouds, maybe not the worst to hike up a volcano. The Ferry took half an hour and let us ashore at Ragitoto‘s Ferry Terminal. I […] Read More

Waiheke

Let it go
When I first heard about Waiheke Island I thought they were talking about Hawaii. Many names here, taken over from Māori, have a hawaiian ring to me. I only recently found out that they are indeed all related. Funnily, all those polynesian micro-islands in the pacific have been discovered and settled way before the two main […] Read More

RTW #2

Let it go
I booked my second RTW ticket. I’ve been on and off the phone and Skype with the Lufthansa Round-the-world desk in Frankfurt in the past couple of days. It took a bit longer this time, but they’ve been super helpful as ever. It took more time, especially deciding where I wanted to go in Asia, […] Read More

On the convict trail

Let it go
I drove out East this morning, my goal being the Port Arthur penal settlement, or the ruins that are left of it. It’s roughly 100 kilometers, if you don’t do any detours. But detours I had planned plenty. First stop: Richmond. A tiny cute little town, basically a couple of houses along the main street. […] Read More