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Jaipur's Amber Fort

2012-03-11T10:05:00.001-07:00

The Amber (or Amer) Fort is the highlight of a visit to Jaipur and it's not hard to see why. It was built in 1592 by king Raja Jai Singh and is situated perfectly to pick up a cool breeze throughout. It was quite astounding to stand in the Amber Fort's courtyard, watching the hoards of tourists being escorted in the Sun Gate by means of elephant, each beautifully decorated. Like many palaces Christy and I had visited throughout Rajasthan (most notably Udaipur's City Palace), the Amber Fort was full of intricate and colorful marble work. I absolutely loved some of the golden (amber?) arches- especially the ones that seemed to be outlined in black. Everything is so picturesque and somehow unlike anything you've seen before. While Jaipur's city center left a little something to be desired, the Amber Fort feels completely removed from the city and was truly an enjoyable and remarkable experience.

Jaipur: Bollywood Movies and Dress-Up

2012-03-11T07:55:00.001-07:00

Jaipur is one of the largest cities in Rajasthan, so after a week or so of visiting smaller cities such as Ranakpur, Jojawar etc, it was quite a shock to hit a bit city again. Jaipur is called the "Pink City" because all of the buildings in the city center are made up of a very pink terracotta. While the buildings are beautiful to look at, I have to be honest and say that Jaipur was not my favorite destination in India. Christy and I had a chance to walk around the city, by the shops and such...and it was just madness! It's pretty much impossible to even look at a shop (for inexperienced hagglers such as ourselves). If you even glance at a shop's items, they harass you endlessly to come inside- even if you don't look at their items, shopkeepers will stand in your way, almost forcing you to go inside. And forget about window shopping or browsing, once inside a shop, it's almost impossible to leave without buying something as they won't take 'no' for an answer. I barely scraped by without purchasing something once, but it wasn't an altogether pleasant experience as I'm sure the guy felt insulted- but what can you do? Even the rickshaw drivers pester you to get into their rickshaw, pretty much following you, not taking 'no' for an answer.

But Jaipur does have some great architecture, and good times were had. One of my more pleasurable experiences in Jaipur was going to Jaipur's famous cinema hall, Raj Mandir. The movie of the night was a romantic comedy (Bollywood!), Tere Naal Love Go Haya. It was particularly hilarious because there were no subtitles, so many dialogue sequences were left to the imagination (luckily for us, our guide Aparna was handy for answering anything we might have been confused about after the movie.) Seeing a Bollywood movie in India is just as awesome of an experience as I was hoping it would be! The audience is completely different than Western audiences. People hoot and holler at witty dialogue, actors they like, or pretty much any emotion-worthy moment. They also use their "outside" voices when answering their phones (inside the theater)...quite a rowdy crowd, but it all adds to the experience! So much fun!

^ Hawa Mahal, or Wind Palace- a masterpiece on the main street of Jaipur.

Another great Bollywood moment for our group actually took place in Agra, a few days later. We had the opportunity to go to a family's house, get dressed up in saris, jewelry and makeup (turbans and men's outfits for the boys) and have a traditional Indian meal. We had a chance to talk with the family members, look at wedding photo albums and practice some Bollywood dance moves (which turned into an all-out Bollywood party! So much fun!) The night ended with a little pre-Holi fun (I'll make a post about Holi soon!), rubbing pink powder on each other.

^ Our host and a few of our tour mates.

^ Steve and Rob in their turbans and traditional men's outfits!

^ All our Rajasathan Adventure buddies all dressed up, with nowhere to go.

^ Christy and I and our pre-Holi pink faces. More Bollywood dance parties, please!

Pushkar Sunset

2012-03-11T06:10:00.001-07:00

What better way to experience a sunset in Pushkar than to take a camel safari into the desert? It's like the whole "riding into the sunset" thing (I always think of the third Indiana Jones!), only slower and on a larger animal... This was my very first time on a camel, so it was a very exciting experience! Christy and I picked the tamest-looking of the two camels left when we arrived (we rode the same camel)- Satosi Ganesh. That was his name...Ganesh was his Hindi-given name, and Satoshi- the name Christy and I gave him before learning his real name. He was a quite nice camel while we were riding him, but once we got off, to admire the sunset for a bit, he didn't like us coming near him (he must have known we're trouble makers!). I have to say, it was SO scary being on the camel for the first 5 minutes or so, but once you settle into the camel's movements, it was not bad at all- in fact, I loved it! Satoshi treated us well (I can't say so much for some of our fellow travelers- some camels wandered off or started trotting..). Riding a camel isn't so bad- its the fear of getting off! (they jerk forward and backward as they sit/get up!). But, seriously, is there a better time to take a camel safari than when in the Indian Desert!

^ Satoshi Ganesh, our curmudgeon of a camel....

Jojawar - Tucked Away in Rajasthan

2012-03-11T01:21:00.001-08:00

Perhaps one of the more special moments spent in Rajasthan was our visit to Jojawar. Similar to Ranakpur in that it is set apart from the major tourist attractions, Jojawar is a tiny little village that we were able to walk around in 15 minutes or so. It's impossible to walk down the street without being bombarded by about 10 children, all asking your name and your country. (Many will try to ask for money, chocolate or pens- but as a fellow tour member found out... It is unwise to give to one, as all will want the same. Plus, as we've noted throughout India, it's more meaningful to give to a child who is actually doing something -we saw a magician,etc- than to give to a child who is just begging.) I loved seeing all the colors of the buildings, the different shops, the women in saris- it was great to wander around a small, less crowded village like Jojawar. And our hotel (more like heritage hotel and once-fort for the royals), Rawla Jojawar was a beautiful property and luxurious stay, complete with refreshing drinks and showering with flower petals upon arrival. My stay here was short, but a great one!

^My favorite little kid in all of India! All smiles, repeating "hello!" What a cutie!

Gem of India - Udaipur City Palace

2012-03-10T08:27:00.001-08:00

Oh, the Udaipur City (or winter) Palace! This complex of palaces was so spectacular and amazing! I thought Florence had some insanely intricate, colorful and over-the-top ceilings (and it does!), But Florence ceilings and architecture pale in comparison to Udaipur. Every color of the rainbow, colored glass, mirror, gold, etc etc etc are present in the Udaipur palace. As I'm sure you know, India is not shy in paring the oddest colors together- reds, greens, golds, blues, oranges, yellows...all in the same palate. Gotta love it! This palace complex was built by Maharana Udai Singh in 1559 and is considered the largest of its type in Rajasthan, fusing the Rajasthani and Mughal styles (quite well, at that). The Udaipur Palace is a shock to the senses- its a lot of stunning architectural and stylized details to take in. After an hour and a half or so, it seems almost impossible to absorb any more. I absolutely loved Udaipur and its palaces, and if given the choice of staying longer in India, I think I would choose to spend that time in Udaipur.

A Day in Udaipur

2012-03-10T07:48:00.001-08:00

Oh, what to write about Udaipur... Possibly one of my favorite spots in India. I found Udaipur very refreshing with the huge lake and its surrounding palaces; the shopping and sightseeing was very accessible- many things within walking distance. I just really liked the atmosphere of Udaipur and had some great experiences here! Not to mention our palace of a hotel! On our first night here, we got to go to a beautiful cultural dance performance. There were all kinds of dancing, beautiful outfits and even a lady piling about 12 pots onto her head! Talk about skill!

Another.... Interesting experience was the Jagdish Temple (which we actually visited after Udaipur's winter palace- which I'll talk about in my next post. What made the Jagdish Temple so interesting was the fact that we (and tourists) were hassled the entire time. Guys following you, trying to be a "guide" -expecting payment, people begging around the temple and all forms of people trying to get money out of you. Can you imagine that, at a religious place? I mean, there were four of us visiting this temple, and we didn't have 10 seconds of silence the entire time. It's really unfortunate as well because some people are legitimately interested in where ou come from and just want to shake your hand, but with sooo many people trying to scam you or trick you into buying something, it forces you to keep your guard up. I've found that its pretty hard to have real conversations with people here without wondering what they're going to try to sell you. So many people, especially in the touristy areas try to get you to book a different hotel or taxi ("you can't possibly FLY to Varanasi!"), but when you do come across a genuine person like our awesome G Adventures "CEO" Aparna, it makes the experience all the more special.

Later in the day, around sunset- a beautiful experience is taking the cable car to the top of this hill for a glorious view of all of Udaipur. It's so peaceful up there (besides the hoards of people trying to sell you ice cream..). We stayed until just after sunset so that we had time to head out on the town for a nice dinner overlooking the lake and summer and winter palaces. We spent at least an hour and a half up there though- a perfect getaway from the noisy city!

Kumbhalgarh Fort

2012-03-09T09:22:00.001-08:00

Just outside of Udaipur, is the amazingly expansive and massive Kumbhalgarh Fort. It's situated 110 meters above sea level and is an insanely steep walk to the top of the fort. It was incredible just how much of surrounding Rajasthan you could see! This fort was built during the 15th century and was occupied until the 19th century- it was also the birthplace of the great king of Mewar, Maharana Pratap. Perhaps just as amazing as this beautiful fort and view was witnessing two of our traveling buddies being interviewed for Indian TV, pretty much just saying what the newscasters wanted them to say. Future Bollywood stars in our midst...

Ranakpur Village Hike

2012-03-08T04:10:00.001-08:00

While staying in Ranakpur, aka the middle of nowhere, we had the opportunity to take a hike in the surrounding hills to visit some of the villages. These villages were a lot more far removed than I had originally thought, which made it all the better! We got to visit one family's home and try out some of their daily chores like grinding grain and churning milk. These people were incredibly kind and generous and the kids were some of the cutest, sweetest kids I've ever seen! It was so incredibly to see these people's houses and imagine living in a place such as this- it's such a departure from everything that we know as Westerners. Getting away from touristy India and seeing the way of life for many Indians was definitely a highlight for me- seeing the waving, smiling faces of the children, the brightly colored saris of the women (out in the middle of nowhere) and their lives was completely fascinating and something that was incredibly beautiful to experience and be a part of.

Ranakpur Jain Temples

2012-03-06T22:44:00.001-08:00

On our way to Ranakpur, we stopped by the Ranakpur Jain Temples. Jainism is an Indian religion that pretty much teaches non-violence and strives for the soul to achieve divine consciousness and liberation, free from inner enemies. The main temple is a huge structure comprised of 1444 intricately carved pillars, built around a large tree at the center of the temple. The architecture of the outside of this temple very much reminded me of some of the temples Christy and I will hopefully soon be seeing in Cambodia. The temple experiencinks quite interesting in India...you still can't get away from people, even "priests" following you - trying to explain the history of the temple, "pray" for you or give you a blessing in exchange for a large tip. Some of our fellow travelers had been pressured into giving tips to these "priests" who are already well paid, and I have to say- it was hilarious to see our fearless tour leader storm into the temple to give the "priest" a piece of her mind. A brawl was about to break out in the middle of this temple, but after it all, we realized just how much our guide Aparna was looking after us, making sure our experience of India was a spectacular one!

Chandur Palace

2012-03-05T06:25:00.001-08:00

On our way to Ranakpur from Jodhpur, we stopped at Chandur Palace in the middle of a tiny village- a place where they rarely see foreigners. It was a little amusing to see the looks our group ( a bunch of white Brits/Americans/Canadians) got. Locals would stare curiously, while most children would smile and wave. The children were the cutest- running outside of their houses or running to get their friends to get a glimpse of the group of foreigners. We walked through part of this tiny village to reach the palace where we would be able to explore and have a bit a lunch. We had quite the welcome too- being showered with flower petals from above as we entered inside the palace, receiving a bindi (red dot blessing on the forehead) and flower necklace. The people here were incredibly friendly and welcoming, inviting us into their home! Yes, we met some of the people that now reside here and it was especially interesting to talk to one of the women who married into this lifestyle. This was a unique and fun experience- outside of the typical tourist activities.

Overnight train to Jodhpur

2012-03-03T20:55:00.001-08:00

Taking the overnight train to Jodhpur wasn't as scary as I first imagined. While the journey was long (12 hour) and the beds were hard and only private due to a curtain, the ride was very quiet (that is, after we crazy Brits/Americans finally went to bed!) and it was quiet a smooth ride. In fact, I'd take 12 hour train ride over a 12 hour plane ride any day. And the toilets! I had feared them so, but they were completely fine - not exactly the cleanest, but not the dirtiest I've seen either! Anyway, I slept most of the way to Jodhpur, though still not completely ready to tackle the day once I got there.

Our hotel was located in the outskirts of Jodhpur, but it was only a short drive to the center of town and then to Mehrangarh Fort. Jodhpur is know as the Blue City because of the number of houses that are painted this color. It's quite beautiful, especially when seen from Mehrangarh Fort - an amazingly beautiful structure with some of the most gorgeous architecture I have seen. Inside, You will find seven gates, built by Maharaja Man Singh to commemorate his victories over Jaipur and Bikaner armies. There are many palace rooms, a variety of palanquins, swords and other artifacts here as well. Being the first palace/fort/grand structure I had seen of this trip, it was a completely amazing experience, I was just so awestruck to find myself here, seeing the things and the history that I was seeing! Jodhpur remains one of my favorite places I visited in India.

Jama Masjid and Humayun's Tomb

2012-03-02T04:47:00.001-08:00

My first full day of exploration in New Delhi was quite productive. Christy and I met up with our G Adventures group and set out into the city, ready to take on the New Delhi metro. While the metro is quite crowded, with every local staring at you, the metro was quite as difficult to overcome as I first had thought. There is a separate compartment for the ladies and the subway comes frequently. During rush hour though, it was very hard to find space to even get on the subway, let alone trying to squeeze through the crowds to try to get out! But, our group was successful and we walked many small alleyways and residential areas with our guide, getting a small taste of what India is all about. Our first major attraction was Jama Masjid, a mosque with amazingly beautiful architecture! It's required for the ladies to wear these floral overcoat type dresses, which made exploring even more fun. I was awestruck, finding myself actually in India- it still doesn't feel quite real!

After Jama Masjid, we had a small lunch before being unleashed on our own, to explore anything we wished. At first it seemed it bit nerve-wracking: How do I find the metro again? How do I know where to go? But our guide, Aparna, was amazing and is always full of great ideas and tips to help us along the way. On this particular day, Christy and I decided to pal around with fellow group members Miriam and Steve. It was quite the experience- haggling the price of a tuk tuk, our first tuk tuk ride at that!, navigating through the crazy traffic of New Delhi and then finding ourselves at our destination: Humayun's Tomb. It was so peaceful here and such a departure from the madness of New Delhi's city centre. Once again, the architecture and coloring of this building was absolutely amazing! It was a great first solo venture into the wild city, a city that we will return to upon ending our tour. It's still completely surreal that I have found myself here in India, and that I really am enjoying it! It can be such a challenge with all the people, the traffic, the pollution...and it's not exactly as easy as running into Target to pick up tissues, toothpaste, food, etc. But something about India makes up for all those inconveniences. There are moments and people that remind you of the beauty of this place.

New Delhi, India...Wait, How Did I Get Here?

2012-02-24T09:29:00.001-08:00

So, I really can't believe I'm in India right now. It's everything I imagined, but somehow different at the same time. My first impression of India was that it had all the good things I had heard and imagined about India and less of the bad. While the streets are insane, they're not quite as bad as I had thought. That's not to say they aren't bad at all (I'll have to make a post specifically about India's insane traffic!), but crossing the street is...manageable and you really don't see cows hanging out in the middle of the street (in New Delhi anyway). While this is an insanely chaotic, crowded and kind of...~~dirty~~ littered country (there is a serious lack of rubbish bins here), this is an incredibly beautiful, colorful and moving country as well. ( Perhaps you'll see more evidence of this in upcoming posts!) India is not a place that is easily described or summed up, I still don't know how to accurately portray this country, or even New Delhi. This is definitely a country that needs to be experienced to appreciate.

Travel Update: February

2012-02-15T22:00:00.000-08:00

The time has come (the walrus said...) - pretty much all the planning is done. Shots have been taken, clothes have been bought, insurance has been obtained.....this trip is finally upon Christy and I. I'm not sure if I'm quite ready...I wish that I had taken better advantage of the time I had before leaving (although I did accomplish a lot..), but fear of the unknown is so prevalent right now. But this will be an awesome experience, once Christy and I just get going (oh, there will be tears at the airport!), we'll get into the swing of things again. I've just gotten so comfortable again, and I don't want things to change - but this is an extraordinary opportunity that I am excited for. This is something we can conquer and make something amazing out of. The next time I write will be from India! (Still doesn't seem real...). See you from the other side of the world!

Auckland: Farewell, Down Under

2012-02-15T17:38:00.000-08:00

So, Auckland was a bit different than Christy and I had anticipated. We didn't dislike it, but maybe the fact that we went from the refreshingly green Rotorua, to the big-city of Auckland contributed to our less-than-enthused mood. Tie that with the emotion of having to leave an amazing country and our moods just weren't up to par. However, we did push ourselves to walk around the city a bit (in search of food, if nothing else...).

So, the problems of a foreign big city: All the cheap food doesn't look all that great and all the food that looks decent is way too expensive. So searching for cheap, edible food is not always easy, but Christy and I finally settled on this little bar, noticing that they served nachos which sounded kind of tasty. I now realize that it is very, very difficult to find good Mexican food outside of the Americas...our "nachos" ended up being doritos with chili and sour cream. But, we were hungry, so we ate it...and it's definitely one of those stories you laugh at later.

Infamous "nachos" incident

So, what does one do when still hungry from unsatisfying nachos and not in the mood to walk around the city any longer? Why, eat chips and chocolate in the hotel room, of course! Seriously....what a bunch of bums, but definitely something we look back on fondly! This....is how we spent our last night down under(er).

Boarding the plane the next day.... Our eighth flight in a one-month span

Alas, our trip had to come to an end, but we both really fell in love with both Australia and New Zealand. This trip gave us an opportunity to try a more independent style of touring, which we successfully accomplished (albeit, with some irritation..). But, we did good. Every time we travel, we find ourselves never wanting to leave...and Australia and New Zealand were no different. We wanted to keep traveling from here...but it wasn't meant to be for this trip. But, I definitely left a bit of my heart here and hope to return someday.....

Rotorua to Waitomo Glow Worm Caves

2012-02-15T17:18:00.000-08:00

Sadly, Christy and I had to eventually leave Rotorua and make our way towards Auckland in preparation for flying back to California. But we still had a day of adventur-ing left. On our last day in New Zealand, we took a beautiful (albeit rainy) drive through New Zealand's North Island - full of rolling, bright green hills. Once again, I felt like I was in Ireland (always a nice mindset to be in...). On our way to Auckland, we got to stop by the Waitomo Glow Worm caves, something I had been very much looking forward to! We took a tour down into the depths of these caves full of stalagmites and stalactites (yes, I do know the difference!), often in complete darkness. It almost feels claustrophobic to be underground like that, but peaceful at the same time. Towards the end of our tour, we got in a boat that the guide steered by pulling on a rope - leading us, gradually, out of the cave. As we were instructed to keep quiet, this was an awesome experience, dripping of water the only sound we could hear. We saw many glow worms scattered along the ceiling of the cave, like blue, starry night sky. It was quite breath-taking and an excursion I'm glad we took part in!

Leaving Rotorua

Kiwi fruit trees

Me and Christy

As no photos were allowed inside the Waitomo caves, this is the site upon exiting the cave

Mitai Cultural Show

2012-02-15T14:12:00.000-08:00

After the Te Puia Thermal Reserve, the Agrodome and Rainbow Springs, visiting the Mitai Cultural Centre was a perfect end to one of my favorite days of our Australian/New Zealand (Koala/Kiwi) adventure. Christy and I had to opportunity to meet people from all over the world, learn about Maori/Mitai traditions and see some of the dances and songs that were used centuries ago. As I've mentioned before, I found the Mitai people so friendly and welcoming, it really felt like we were a part of the fun and celebration. We met a lot of Maori's who were Christians, but who still held on to their culture and the beautiful aspects of where they've come from. I found this touching, and I just wish we could have spent longer here, learning more about them.

Uncovering our feast before heading to the Mitai show

"Maori chief" and our chosen "chief"

One of the more intimidating dances, whose purpose was to warn strangers, pretty much, not to mess with them:

One of the more fascinating things we learned about was the purpose and meaning behind the Maori tattoos. Obviously, the ones the men wore in the show were fake, but they were examples of tattoos that were actually worn by Maoris in the past. The men wear 4 designs that represent birds on their face: a bat on the forehead representing wisdom, parrot beak on the nose representing skill and speech making, owl on the chin representing protection and the kiwi on the sides of the face representing protection of mother earth. Other tattoos on the body include ocean waves on the legs for power and speed, and spiral on the backside for energy patterns in wind and water.

Maori "chief"'s tattoo, or moko

One of the prettier, less intimidating, Maori songs:

After the Mitai performance, all of the visitors had the chance to take part in the traditional Maori feast. We had all kinds of delicious food including lamb, chicken, potatoes, etc - all cooked underground as it was traditionally. Afterwards, we had the opportunity to take a little trek into the "woods" surrounding the cultural centre (nothing more fun than venturing into nature with about a hundred other tourists - in the dark, armed with flashlights that we could use sparingly!). The purpose of our little walk? Seeing an awesome display of glow worms (the only ones in Rotorua) in their natural setting. With our flashlights off, they lit up gloriously, like a bunch of crystals glittering in the sun!

Waiting for the lights to go out, to see Rotorua's glow worms

Christy and I practicing our Maori war face in the hotel.....

Rainbow Springs Nature Park

2012-02-15T13:37:00.000-08:00

Just outside the city centre of Rotorua, you can find Rainbow Springs Nature Park which has an excellent display of flora and fauna found throughout the North Island of New Zealand. Here, Christy and I saw some of the most interesting kinds of birds, rainbow trout (who come and go into the nature park from the nearby river), and silver ferns. Being an animal lover, this was a fun excursion - especially with the opportunity to see some kiwi birds inside the nocturnal house. Kiwi birds are so odd-looking, but fascinating! As you are unlikely to see a kiwi bird in the wild, seeing them in a place such as Rainbow Springs is a great alternative!

Rainbow Trout

This bird was very jumpy, only by pure luck did I manage to catch a photo. Very pretty!

Rotorua's Agrodome

2012-02-15T13:30:00.000-08:00

Christy and I joked long before we arrived in New Zealand, about the Agrodome and how touristy it seemed. We also suspected, knowing us, that we would love such a nutty experience - full of sheep, tourists and a few Kiwi farmers. And...yes! The Agrodome was definitely a fun experience that I'm glad we didn't miss! For sheep lovers such as Christy and I, this was like a dream come true! We got to pet the sheepie, learn about them from our hilarious New Zealand host and got to see other such squishable creatures - lambies, ducks, cows and dogs. Sure, it was still a bit touristy, but good fun nonetheless!

Up close with a sheepie at the Agrodome

Various kinds of sheep that we learned about

Christy and a sheepie

Our host, showing off this guy's mohawk

Sheep shearing demonstration

Lambies! Their wagging tails were so cute!

Dog herding demonstration

Me and one of the softest sheep ever

Some of the stars of the show...it looks like they're chewing bubble gum, right?

Te Puia Termal Reserve

2012-02-14T22:42:00.000-08:00

The Te Puia Thermal Reserve was a perfect start to an amazing day. It was a rainy day, but a great one to explore the bubbling mud pools and geysers situated on this land owned by the Maoris. We had an awesome Maori guide who taught us about various Maori stories and carvings depicting these stories. As opposed to the Aborginals in Australia, I felt that the Maoris were very accessible, welcoming and willing to share their traditions and culture.

Te Puia Maori cultural centre

Our guide and one of the longest words I've ever seen

Bubbling mud pools!

Christy in front of Te Puia's geyser

Me and Te Puia's geyser

A hand-carved waka, or canoe

It was fascinating to watch these guys carve

Te Puia's geyser in action:

Rotorua: Feel the Spirit

2012-02-14T19:50:00.000-08:00

Before arriving in Rotorua, New Zealand, I had heard that it has a very distinct smell. I was told that because of all the sulfur, an overwhelming smell of rotten eggs would hit me as soon as I got off the airplane. I'm pleased to say that this was not the case. I don't recall having a cold at the time, but for whatever reason, I could not smell the sulfur in the air (that is, until I visited the Te Puia Thermal Reserve the next day...). I really enjoyed the city of Rotorua as it was small, cute and rich in Maori culture and tradition. I guess I never realized how relevant Maori culture still is; Christy and I frequently saw news channels with sections broadcasted in the Maori language. This was quite fascinating and just an introduction to this beautiful culture we would soon learn more about. Our first day in Rotorua was spent walk along the water, eating ice cream and swimming in the hotel's thermal pools (which, also smelled a bit like rotten eggs..).

View from the plane leaving Queenstown and heading to Rotorua

Christy and I had a running joke with this street name as it was just so much fun to say

Gelati, our favorite past time! Mmmm.....gelaaaaati!

Milford Sound

2012-02-13T11:13:00.000-08:00

Milford Sound - what a gorgeous place to visit in New Zealand! Christy and I visited on a cloudy, rain-threatening day, which wasn't so great for visibility. However, it was still amazing and almost mysterious with all the fog as I couldn't quite see the cliffs that were ahead, instead they would appear as we approached them closer. We saw many waterfalls (even getting close enough to one to feel the mist!), seals and dolphins as well. Milford Sound was a beautiful end to our amazing time in New Zealand, a country I have no added to the places I would love to live, if given the chance - along with Israel and Ireland.

Milford Sound

Me, in awe of New Zealand's beauty

Me and Christy

A little treat we encountered - dolphins swimming alongside our ship!

A short video of dolphins swimming next to our ship:

One of my favorite, silly clips of Christy and I....

Journey to Milford Sound

2012-02-13T11:02:00.000-08:00

Just like the drive to Mt Cook, the journey to Milford Sound full of differing landscapes (most of which you can imagine being in Lord of the Rings.) For anyone that is moved or amazed by nature, you (like me) could probably stay in New Zealand forever, happily. The landscape is so refreshing and breath-taking and it feels like you could spend years just exploring a section of this country. On mine and Christy's last day in Queenstown, we journeyed out to Milford Sound, stopping by some beautiful area along the way. The first of which were the Mirror Lakes. You can see why it is called that in the photo below - certainly a gorgeous view!

Mirror Lakes

Another hour or so's drive, and Christy and I found ourselves in Mordor! No, really - that's what it looked like with the dangerous, jagged mountains encircling you. It was a gloomy, powerful and daunting landscape whose roads twisted and turned between and through these mountains. The mist and fog we were greeted with was a perfect addition to the mood of the area.

A trail an hour outside of Milford Sound. I seriously felt like I was in Jurassic Park. The foliage was

very pre-historic looking, indeed!

Mt. Cook

2012-02-13T10:46:00.000-08:00

Mt Cook is a few hours' drive outside of Queenstown and well worth the journey. New Zealand has such varying landscapes and throughout this drive, you can see rocky mountains, mountains with brown shrubbery, forest-like area and then there's Mt Cook - covered in beautiful, white snow. Christy and I had the opportunity to walk one of the trails leading up to the base of Mt. Cook, which was really neat as it was so peaceful - it was like we had the whole area to ourselves! There is also a lodge here where you can eat lunch or learn about Sir Edmund Hilary, one of New Zealand's most famous mountaineers.

Mt Cook

So, Shrek the sheep. Where to start on this amazing story? Pretty much, this sheep got lost from his home and lived in the mountains for 6 years. He eventually was found and given a new home - but Shrek had not been shorn for 6 years, resulting in an accumulation of 60 lbs of wool! He became a national icon of New Zealand....seriously hilarious and amazing.

Statue of Sir Edmund Hilary

Queenstown, NZ!

2012-02-13T02:23:00.000-08:00

After a bump in the road (in the form of a no-show airport transfer at 5am), Christy and I finally arrived in Queenstown, New Zealand! Oh, my goodness! I completely fell in love with this country before our plane even landed! Outside the plane window, all I could see were mountains for miles. I thought there was no way an airport could be nearby - let alone civilization...but sure enough, the one-terminal airport was nestled between the mountains. Not to make New Zealand sound stereo-typical, but it really felt like we were plopped in the middle of a Lord of the Rings movie. Honestly, I've never seen more gorgeous scenery in my life! The air/atmosphere feels fresh and healthy...it's crisp, captivating and enchanting!

Fiery sunrise over Queenstown

The day of our arrival in Queenstown was a laid-back one. We were able to walk around the small city center make our way up the Skyline Gondola for a marvelous view of Queenstown and the surrounding area. Christy and I went for the luge ride (a kind of go-cart, sled-on-wheels) around the twisting turns of the mountain. At times, our speed and the height made it seem like we were going to fly right off the cliff down onto the city center below. What made it even more fun was the fact that it started sprinkling....seriously, what's more fun than a luge ride in the rain?

Luge track

And, pretty much, my list of places to go

And in typical Jade and Christy style, we stopped by the cemetery on our way off the mountain and back into the city center. This was actually a really neat experience, what with some of the old headstones. Again, the continued rain added to it all.

So, how to end a perfect day (besides the Melbourne airport transfer issue...)? Well, by sharing a Fergburger, of course! We had heard a few suggestions from various Kiwis (that is, New Zealanders) that this was the place to go - and they weren't kidding! Yummy and creative burgers and (when the rain stops..) near some fun shops to look around.

Melbourne's Remembrance Shrine

2012-02-13T02:03:00.000-08:00

Our last day in Melbourne was spent south of the Yarra River, exploring the Botanic Gardens. Here, you can find the Remembrance Shrine. Christy and I stumbled upon this unknowingly, and it ended up being a beautiful tribute to the Australian men and women who have served their country. The strikingly red flowers contrasted against the grey building is what first caught my interest and persuaded me to explore further and what with the rows and rows of medals, artifacts from the wars and beautiful memorials - this was a highlight from my stay in Melbourne.

Overlooking central Melbourne from the Remembrance Shrine

Having just come from the Outback, this photo set against an urban background, was quite striking

Inside the Remembrance Shrine

4,000 medals - each one representing 100 men who served and 6 who died

"Drivers and Wipers" representing those who lost their lives at the Battle of Ypres in WWI

Great Ocean Road

2012-02-12T20:17:00.000-08:00

Before Christy and I left for Australia, one of our great dilemmas was: do we spend our free day in Melbourne venturing out to Phillip Island to see the ferry penguins, or taking a day-long drive alond Melbourne's coastline - The Great Ocean Road. As the title might have suggested, we ultimately decided on the Great Ocean Road, and it was an unbelievably beautiful experience - blessed with gorgeous weather. You could definitely spend longer than a day exploring this famous stretch of coastline, perhaps camping along the way. We, however, experienced it in a day and had a blast. We visited such locations as Bell's Beach, Patton's Lookout, Loch Ard Gorge etc. There is an abundance of absolutely breath-taking views to behold, and if given the chance - I would definitely recommend this adventure!

Port Campbell Lookout

Me, feeding a bird near Kinnet River

Christy getting to feed a bird as well Koala - in the wild!

Loch Ard Gorge

The Loch Ard Gorge is the location where the ship 'Loch Ard' sank and only 2 passengers survived. Tom - the apprentice - was one of them, and Eva, daughter of Irish immigrants, was another. Tom washed ashore, and upon waking, heard screams from the gorge and struggled for an hour to bring her ashore - reviving her and saving her life. Sadly, they were going to be married, but she killed herself as loss of her family came to be too much for her.

The Razorback

The Twelve Apostles - world famous rock formations

Video of the London Bridge rock formation:

I Heart Melbourne

2012-02-11T10:22:00.000-08:00

At this point in our Australian adventure, Christy and I really started to get into the swing of things. There seems to be a certain point in every trip where you become more confident and relaxed about the uncertainties that come with travel. Melbourne was an awesome city that both Christy and I fell in love with. It's a hip, artsy city - and one that I felt like I could really spend a good chunk of time in. Melbourne felt like someplace where you could find your own place and fit in to the lifestyle. It was that big city feel, without being too big, but it also has a beautiful area (south of the main city) with the Yarra River and refreshing greenery. Our first day in Melbourne was spent walking along the Yarra River, strolling past various shops and restaurants. We eventually made our way to Flinders Street Station and Federation Square in the early evening (a perfect time to be there, what with all the lights!). It was fun just people watching out on the square, with the huge tv playing Mythbusters in the background. I couldn't have asked for a better first night in Melbourne.

Flinders Street Station at night

Yarra River and the heart of Melbourne

Christy sitting out on Federation Square

Federation Square

Me, joyous in Melbourne

Kangaroo Island: The Scenery

2012-02-09T11:18:00.000-08:00

Australians have a funny way of naming their landmarks: Great Barrier Reef, Great Dividing Range, Great Ocean Road, Remarkable Rocks...Not very creative, but very true. The Remarkable Rocks on Kangaroo Island were indeed very remarkable and the setting couldn't have been more perfect on a tiny peninsula of the island, overlooking the storm-threatening blue-grey sea. One thing I loved about the Remarkable Rocks was the fact that the rocks were such abstract shapes. Having a love for photography, this is a great opportunity to set up all kinds of interesting shots, finding different shapes in the rocks depending on where you stand. It's a lot like cloud watching, and discovering shapes in the clouds (a favorite childhood activity of mine.) I loved the peaceful atmosphere here as well, and how it felt like my own little world. Just sitting on a remarkable rock, pondering life and looking out to sea. Does it get any better?

Edge of the Remarkable Rocks. I loved the layer of red dust that covered this area

Sometimes you just have to take an upside down picture of the best friend

Admiral's Arch

Me and Christy and the Admiral's Arch

Seriously. You will!

Kangaroo Island: The Animals

2012-02-08T23:13:00.000-08:00

Kangaroo Island is a few hours and a ferry ride away from Adelaide, and the trek is definitely worth it! I absolutely loved Kangaroo Island - a tiny little island off the coast, with a small population and quaint atmosphere. The whole island practically feels like a National Park, and our first stop of the day was at the beach - to get up close and (not too) personal with the seals! Oh my goodness, I so wanted to squish the baby seals - so cute! Obviously, we had to keep a certain distance because the seals can get quite aggressive towards intruders. But Christy and I had a grande time observing the seals in their natural habitat.

Me on the Seal Beach

Our next stop of the day was at a Birds of Prey demonstration. This was actually quite interesting, and the staff was a lot of fun as well! We got to see all kinds of amazingly beautiful birds and even got the opportunity to hold a couple of kookaburras. This definitely was a highlight for me, as I have always loved animals - and to get up close, and to be able to touch them was really neat!

Christy and the Kookaburra

One of my favorites, the Wedgetail Eagle

A clip of the Wedgetail Eagle in action:

Another amazing experience was the spontaneous opportunity to go visit some wild kangaroos in an area where they frequently gather on the island. Here we got to see some wild koalas as well! We had so many opportunities to see kangaroos (and koalas, for that matter) during this trip (to and from places, and at specific petting locations). It was quite amazing...and I so wanted to take one home, but something tells me that Customs wouldn't appreciate that very much...

Koala (in the wild!!)

Adelaide

2012-02-08T22:57:00.000-08:00

It was quite a weird experience to head back to "civilization" after spending time in the Daintree Rainforest and the Outback, but Adelaide was a nice change of pace. While our time was short in Adelaide, it was a lot of fun! We were staying outside the city centre, but the local transportation was free and easy to use (yay!). Unfortunately, pretty much all the shops were closed (this was, like a Friday evening as well!), but we had fun anyway, searching for any open restaurant we could find (we did find one, by the way), playing random street pianos and acting like a bunch of goofballs (that's what we do best after all!)

Journey to Adelaide

View of the Outback as we flew out of Alice Springs

Our deserted, but fun evening in Adelaide

Me and Christy...and couple of crazies...

Why, yes, I think I will...

Christy playing a little Aussie piano:

Alice Springs.....

2012-02-07T15:04:00.000-08:00

Now, I'm sure Alice Springs is a great place...but the timing of Alice Springs perhaps came at a bad time. We, perhaps had a mini-meltdown that left us a bit frustrated - especially since this trip was pretty much on our own and things have a way of not working out the way you imagine. But, our next day in Alice Springs proved to be a lot better. Instead of our original plans, and after many phone calls, we had an opportunity to visit the Desert Park (right when it opened, so we were the only ones there.) This was actually an awesome, rejuvenating and beautiful experience.

Christy and I were able to explore different kinds of environments found in the outback, and got to walk around a huge pen full of kangaroos. Being surrounded by quite a few buff-looking kangaroos is actually very intimidating! Christy and I joked about how we might not make it out of Alice Springs alive. Needless to say, we were fine - but then again, we used our better judgement and didn't approach the kangaroos to closely. I mean, these guys were practically as tall as we are!

This guy's got some major muscle going on

A photo from a Birds of Prey show...it struck us funny somehow

Spinifex pigeon

That's for darn sure...

5 Hours Through the Outback

2012-02-06T13:42:00.000-08:00

To get from the center of the Outback (where you will find Kata Tjuta and Uluru ) to Alice Springs, the best mode of transportation is by bus (or car). You really can't imagine just how void of civilization this 5 hour (or so) ride is. As far as you can see, there is only red dirt and green grass. It's a beautiful journey, but not one I would make by myself or without reliable transportation. It's incredible to just walk around in this vast desert, sinking your fingers into the red sand.

Mt. Connor, on the way to Alice Springs

Me, taking a nap and trying to keep the flies away from my face

Christy, taking some red sand as a souvenir

My shoes matched the outback!

Uluru: Around the Base

2012-02-06T10:18:00.000-08:00

For Christy and I, our last day in the Outback was spent wandering Uluru's base. We had an awesome guide we took us around to various locations around Uluru, explaining some of the Aboriginal stories and beliefs (the little she knew, as they most of their beliefs private.) It was incredibly peaceful and you could somehow feel that this area held a religious significance, even if it differed from your own. It was interesting to learn of certain areas that held specific importance and which even Aboriginal women weren't supposed to even look at. I wish I could've had a more personal experience with the Aborigines, learning about them and their cultures, but our guide did an awesome job filling us in on what she could.

Mick Jagger?

It was completely fascinating to learn about some of the Aborigine stories, which they took from the markings and formation of the Uluru, explaining its' creation. For example, a long vertical crack down the mountain is from the gash and blood from the dead Liru's (venomous snake) head, who was killed by the aunt of the snake boy he killed. Quite fascinating, I love learning about cultural stories, traditions, etc.

Aborigine rock paintings

Some wild dogs we came across

Uluru: Sunrise, Sunset

2012-02-05T22:27:00.000-08:00

One of the more beautiful and inspiring moments spent in Australia was experiencing the sunset in the Outback. It was so peaceful out here, in the middle of nowhere - and the display of oranges, reds and purples as the sun set over Uluru was artistically inspiring and deeply moving. One of the simplest things in life - a sunset; I feel like we don't take enough time out to just sit and be still, appreciating God's handiwork and how beautiful simple things like this really are. I'll never forget walking around after dark and being blown away by just how many stars you can see in the sky when there's hardly a man-made light around. It's gorgeous - something I can't get enough of!

Sunset over Uluru

Sunset over the Olgas, or Kata Tjuta

The next morning's sunrise over Uluru

Kata Tjuta

2012-02-04T16:41:00.000-08:00

The day after our exploration of the Daintree Rainforest, we headed to the dead center of Australia - the "red center" - the Outback! It was really neat arriving here by plane because all you can see is the red dirt...and then, out of nowhere, you can see the enormous Kata Tjuta and Uluru rock formations. Whereas the rainforest was completely green - everywhere you looked, the outback on the other hand was completely red! Surprisingly, there was a lot more green in the outback than I originally anticipated as well. It was incredibly refreshing to be out in the middle of the desert, surrounded only by nature. While there was a tiny community of hotels and restaurants, that was about all there was for as far as the eye could see.

Kata Tjuta's Walpa Gorge

Upon arriving in the outback, our first adventure was a walk around the amazingly beautiful Kata Tjuta. I believe this rock formation is still sacred to the Aborigines, but during the day we were able to explore the area. It was really nice when Christy and I were there in March - the weather was a lot cooler than normal, making the experience a lot more pleasant. The flies were a bit crazy though - don't let your mouth gape open, in astonishment at these world wonders as you're bound to swallow one.....I did, and it 'twas not fun! Of course, you could always buy one of those mosquito net hats! Seriously though, this was an amazing experience and a great start to our time in the Outback.

"Trying" to fit all of Kata Tjuta into my shot

Christy and the reflection of Kata Tjuta

Short clip of Kata Tjuta:

Daintree Rainforest

2012-02-04T10:37:00.000-08:00

Another of my favorite days spent in Australia - the Daintree Rainforest! If ever you make it out to Cairns, you have to take a day exploring the Daintree Rainforest, Port Douglas, etc - we went with Down Under Tours and had the most amazing time! We had the most hilarious guide, Shane, who picked us up from our hotel is the most amazing track truck/transformers/80's style vehicle! (pictures below when you keep reading.) We spent the first part of our day driving into the Daintree Rainforest to the "Discovery Centre" (sounds like a kids' play area, right?), where we had a cuppa scalding hot Daintree Tea (delicious!) and got to walk around - high above - the rainforest floor. It was so vast, green and beautiful - and here, you will see all kinds of bug life, plants and, maybe, animals.

Our awesome bus for the day!

A field where they grow Daintree Tea

Our next stop for the day was at Cape Tribulation - where 2 World Heritage sites meet: The Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. Christy and I spent the better part of the afternoon dodging the sun, looking for any patch of shade that we could find due to our intense sun burns from the Reef. But, nevertheless, we did take a little walk along the beach and into the rainforest, spotting dangerous looking bugs along the way.

Christy and a really big Daintree...fly? moth? I loved seeing vines growing every which way

We also had the opportunity to take a Daintree River Cruise, where we got in a tiny little boat, searching for crocodiles, frog, snakes...pretty much any animal we wouldn't get near if it weren't for the boat...

Baby Croc (middle of the photo, on the tree branch) we saw

Cute little tree frog

Aaaand, Shane. One of the best Australian guides we had

Lastly, at the end of our long day out in the Rainforest, we made a stop at Mossman Gorge on the way home. It was very quiet here, like you had the place to yourself, and the skies that threatened rain added to the eerie feeling of the place. Here, we saw some wild turkeys, learned about how trees' roots are close to the surface because of the lack of rain (they want to be sure to grab any bit that falls), all the while listening to Shane's hilarious (but also helpful and informative!) commentary.

An awful quality clip, but some of Shane's commentary nonetheless:

The Great Barrier Reef

2012-02-04T00:37:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness, the Great Barrier Reef! One of my very favorite days spent in Australia! Mid-March was a perfect time to visit the Reef as it was very clear and the weather wasn't too hot. Christy and I ventured outside of Cairns with Reef Magic Tours - they were a bunch of fun, nice people who really cared about us having a fun experience. Once out on the Reef, we were able to take a semi-submersible boat around the coral,which was really amazing as we were surrounding by all different kinds of coral and sea life. Soon afterwards, we spent the better part of an afternoon snorkeling around. I'm not sure how it's possible to spend 4-5 hours just snorkeling, but this is the Great Barrier Reef! I knew I was experiencing something that people spend their whole lives wanting to do and I wanted to soak in every last moment.

It was so amazing to be swimming inches from the coral, with fish of many colors darting all around you! One thing to keep in mind, if you have the money to spare, rent/buy one of the silly-looking body suits available to save yourself from the teeny, miniscule jellyfish stings you will experience around March. Christy and I went without, which was fine, but we did experience minor stings on our exposed skin which lasted about 5 minutes or so. I did have one sting that lasted the day though, but with a little help from some A&D ointment, it went away the next day.

Reef Magic's platform for their water activities

So, umm....I shouldn't have to say this - but I can't stress enough the importance of the continual appliance of sunscreen! Christy and I forgot to keep applying it throughout the day (although we did apply in initially!) and....yeah, on our journey back to Cairns, we realized just HOW RED we had become! We both got more burnt than I think we have in our entire lives! Like, "don't touch me, it burns!" bad..like, "dodging sunlight for the next week" bad. We went through an entire bottle of Aloe Vera spray throughout our stay in Australia. You'd think we hadn't seen the sun before or something...

The moment we realized we might have gotten a little burnt...Little did we know...

Cairns

2012-02-02T16:54:00.000-08:00

The weather in Cairns (located in the top right of Australia) was a lot more pleasant than in Sydney. While it was quite a bit hotter and we did experience a teeny bit of rain, Cairns really felt like Hawaii! Maybe Maui, if I had to specify an island. The weather was warm and beautiful, it was incredibly green, and just the layout of the land very much reminded me of Hawaii. Our first day in Cairns was spent relaxing, walking in the city center and making "friends" at the Promenade (gotta love conversations with 6 year olds about animals, etc).

View of Cairns from our hotel

Some amazingness we came across on the tv

The Promenade, where we met our little friends

Rattle & Hum, or Huttle & Rum as we came to call it

Blue Mountains...Or, The Day of Mist

2012-02-02T09:49:00.000-08:00

Ah, yes....our afternoon spent driving three hours outside of Sydney to see the beautiful Blue Mountains and the famous Three Sisters formation... Of all days, this had to be the rainiest and foggiest. Our time spent at the Featherdale Wildlife Park was great, but needless to say, it was a little pointless continuing our journey to the Mountains. But, since we were there, we at least walked around a little bit (as we could see what was directly in front of our faces as opposed to the beautiful valley we knew must be before our eyes.

So, this is what we should have seen.....

And this is what we saw...

But this is me and Christy, we can have fun anyway and laugh about this later. Instead, we took one of the steepest railways in the world down to the valley floor to walk around some of the trees and such (we might as well, right?) It was still a fun afternoon - we had some fun talking with a few travelers and just....being in Australia.

Featherdale Park and the Plethora of Adorable Animals!

2012-02-01T13:36:00.000-08:00

A few days into our stay in Sydney, we took off for a pre-booked day tour of Sydney's surrounding area. We had the opportunity to visit the Featherdale Wildlife Park and the Blue Mountains. The weather was just awful this particular day, but thankfully the rain held off while Christy and I visited all the squishable animals. Featherdale Wildlife Park was a really, really cool experience; we got to see all kinds of animals native to Australia, and had the opportunity to get up close to many of them!

Cockatoo at the Featherdale Wildlife Park

One of the most colorful birds I've ever seen! Every color of the rainbow!

What I really loved about the Featherdale Wildlife Park was the fact the instead of seeing all of these animals through cages, we got to go inside a huge pen full of kangaroos and emus! Kangaroos were bounding every which way, and while trying to feed one, an emu came behind us and started pecking at our heads. It was hilarious! You can cuddle the kangaroos all you want here - I love it!

An Australian park isn't complete without seeing some koalas

My favorite Australian bird, the cassowary

Christy and the wombat! Kookaburra flying around the kangaroo pen

Manly Beach and Beyond

2012-01-27T10:22:00.000-08:00

The day spent exploring some of Sydney's beautiful beaches and coastline was full of gloom and rain. While it's a bit hard to completely enjoy a famous beach, such as Bondi beach, when being soaked - Christy and I didn't let that stop us. We had to dip our feet into the "other side" of the Pacific Ocean. Throughout the day, we explored the suburbs of Sydney, some beautiful vantage points and beaches - all just outside of Sydney's main tourist hub. Later in the afternoon, by the time we reached Manly Beach, the skies had cleared - making for a very enjoyable afternoon.

Beautiful architecture at Manly beaches shopping area

Christy, gazing out to sea

Gloomy Bondi beach, earlier in the day

Here's a random video that corresponds to the picture above. Yeahhh...this is the kind of stuff Christy and I take pictures/video of:

Sydney: Harbor and Opera House

2012-01-24T13:01:00.000-08:00

Now, come on. You can't go to Sydney and not go to the Sydney Opera House. This is an national icon and an amazingly beautiful piece of architecture. Christy and I visited the Opera House on our very first (albeit, very tiring - because of the flight) day. We had the chance to go inside some of the various theaters - some very big, some fairly tiny. I loved walking around the Opera House, with its royal purple carpets, huge harbour-facing windows and the interesting architecture within. We learned all about the architect, Jorn Utzon and his journey of building this beautiful place, taking way longer to build and costing way over what he originally intended.

If you get the chance (and we did, because we had to take a later tour), sit outside of the Opera House, by the harbour for a while. This is one of those simple, but beautiful moments that I enjoyed on our first day. What with the whirlwind of the flight and finding ourselves in a completely new place - alone, the fact that we were in Sydney just would not sink in. So, those quiet moments where you can just sit and take in your surroundings (whether they seem like reality or not) are one of my favorite things about visiting new places.

Thankfully, we had many more opportunities to see the Opera House - whether it was a quick glance as we drove some place, or a photo opportunity on the other side of the harbour. Seeing it so often confirmed this reality, that we were actually here.

Me and the Opera House, on one of our many rainy days

Me and Christy's favorite wall, next to the Opera House (yup, we're dorks..)

Christy pondering Australian life?

Detail of the Opera House exterior. Looks like shells!

So, now, I present one (of many) awkward, silly, Jade and Christy moments:

Sydney: the CBD

2012-01-23T12:50:00.000-08:00

We now find ourselves at my last adventure from the past. In 2011, Christy and I made our way down under (and down underER) to Australia and New Zealand. This was a step outside of our comfort zones because it wasn't a typical tour like we've always been on. This was pretty much an independent, but customized tour. We picked different day tours and combined them all together to create the trip. While this was through a company, Brendan Vacations, they were more like the organizer. We didn't see the same people every day - we were pretty much on our own, only with transfers, day tours and flights already booked.

So, why Australia and New Zealand? Well, it's one of those places we've always wanted to visit, and after visiting Israel, something was ignited inside of me. Whereas before I never really thought I would seriously ever visit Australia, after Israel I really thought "why the heck not?" So, Christy and I made it happen. We researched for months and did it. Oh, and as for New Zealand? Well, if you're going to make the 12-hour flight to Australia, come on! I had heard New Zealand is one of the prettiest places in the world!

The Harbour Bridge, looking towards Sydney's CBP, or central business district

So, in March of 2011 - Christy and I made our journey west from LA (first time doing that, usually we fly towards Europe). I have to say the flight wasn't entirely awful either - Qantas was so roomy and comfy, and for whatever reason, the flight was nowhere near full. So Christy and I got a row to ourselves! woo -hoo! But, word of caution, if you're planning on saving your snacks to enjoy once you land on Aussie soil, forget about it! Christy and I learned the hard way that no food is allowed into the country (in your carry-on anyway, they are a little more lenient for packaged food in checked baggage.) So Christy and I shoved as many chocolates, chips, pretzels, etc as we could fit in our mouths in the 20 minutes before landing! So - word of warning.

Christy, left, and I - after 12 hours of flying

I have to say, Sydney, from the start, was kind of working against us. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved Sydney - it was a hip, fun city...similar to New York, only it felt way safer. But maybe it's just us, but we kept getting hit with so many unexpected issues - none of which were that big of a deal, but the trip just started out...different than we expected. Maybe it was the change from dependent touring to independent that made these changes more noticeable. Anyway, having to figure things out on our own helped prepare us (maybe? slightly?) for our future, completely independent traveling.

I loved the contrast between new and old, displayed beautifully in Sydney

Me and Christy have a bad track record with "HOHO" buses (Hop On Hop Off), dating back to 2008 in London, but I'm proud to say we actually caught the HOHO bus in Sydney! (Only after an hour of waiting at a stop the bus never went to, and asking helpful people along the way...) But, we were productive! After a 12-hr flight, starting at 10pm and arriving at 7:30am local time (with only an hour or so sleep), we resisted the urge to sleep the day away in our hotel and saw the sights. (What, are we learning from our mistakes or something? Like sleeping our first day away in Tel Aviv..) Needless to say, we were dependent on our delirious giddiness to keep us awake and functioning!

First day, and I already knew this would be our mantra

Sydney's Queen Victoria Building Detail of St. Mary's Cathedral

St. Mary's Cathedral

Our first day in Sydney was definitely a success. While we were still getting into the groove of this trip's pace, I think we both fell in love with Australia and her people instantly. The people are friendly, funny and....cheeky! The term someone gave Christy and I as well - "cheeky." I love it because it's so true! Christy and I are always laughing about something - finding humor in everyday life and keeping the spirit alive! That's what we do! Every since Australia, we've dubbed ourselves the "cheeky girls ("gi'ls", if you say it with an Aussie accent..)

I was excited to see this Ibis, till I found out they're

pretty much common

Looking over Darling Harbour

Beautiful Victorian houses in Paddington

The fountain I had been so excited to see - El Alamein fountain. Pretty!

Travel Update: January

2012-01-22T11:15:00.000-08:00

I must say, December and January were a lot more productive than November. If you've checked out my list that I made back in September, you will have noticed that everything has been checked off....err, except for the "go" part. But Christy and I have a departure date set for one month from now (yikes!!). Time has just flown by, and while I am excited to go, I am a little scared at the same time. I am in no way prepared for what's about to happen (like I ever would be...), and I know that once I leave home - even if and when I come back, things will never be the same. That's probably what scares me the most - knowing that when I leave, I can never come back to my home the way I've always known it. This is going to change me so much - my life will be radically different. But while you're young, you have to take risks, go after a dream and worthwhile life...I just hope I can keep up with it and not experience too much "burnout", that is, exhausted from travel.

But on the bright side, this is the start of something new. This is the beginning of a discovery and exploration of the world and myself. Possibilities are endless! Maybe I'll start working with kids in some country that I fall madly in love with. Maybe I'll get involved in art somewhere, or teach English. I have no idea where my journey through Asia will take me, which is scary but exciting as well! I want to do something meaningful, fulfilling and worthwhile. I have all these dreams in my head of possible dreams I could follow - it's hard to predict where my life will take me in the next 6 months.

But here's what's been happening. Christy and I have done pretty much everything we need to do for our trip in the last month and a half. We've purchased plane tickets, tours, hotels, visas, travel insurance ( World Nomads seemed like a great choice!) and have gotten immunizations. We're almost set for our adventure starting in India - we'll be there for one month before heading to Singapore. After that, the sky's the limit...although we're planning on making our way through Southeast Asia and towards Japan. For now, last minute shopping, figuring out our phone situation and working on TEFL is on the agenda. That's right! I started taking a class to get my certificate in teaching English to foreign learners. I don't know if I'll end up teaching, but I like having my options open! In the meantime, I'll be pumping out posts about my Australia/New Zealand adventure from 2011.....and after that......the unknown!

7 Things to See in Israel

2012-01-20T17:24:00.000-08:00

2 weeks in Israel is not nearly enough time to visit and see everything you want. I only scratched the surface when I was there, but what I did experience was life-changing and remarkable - something I wouldn't change for the world. Just about every location in Israel holds a special meaning and will move you in some form or another, the follow seven places represent the sites that I fell in love with the most. They are in no particular order - I'm not sure if I could even decide which of these was most remarkable if my life depended on it!

1. Western Wall, Jerusalem

The Western Wall is such a beautiful are on the Temple Mount as the emotion tied to this site is incomprehensible. The Jews are so dedicated to this spot, and to the hopes of a 3rd temple, that it's hard to to be emotionally moved just from being here. It almost feels weird, as a tourist, visiting a place where such raw emotion and passion is being displayed. But it's beautiful and eye-opening.

2. Mt. of Olives

The Mt of Olives is incredibly stunning, situated on a mountain within view of old Jerusalem with gorgeous scenery and churches scattered on its slope. This site has multiple biblical significances, including being the site of the Garden of Gethsemane. It really does feel surreal to be walking down the Mount of Olives, or anywhere in Israel for that matter, when you realize the history and significance of this little country.

3. Dead Sea

While there is mention of the Dead Sea in the Bible, the Dead Sea is a must see simply because of the amount of fun you will have! What's better than floating like a cork in the saltiest water in the lowest place on earth? Perhaps smearing mud all over your body, resulting in a resemblance to the creature from the black lagoon - which also is a highlight of the Dead Sea! Seriously, it doesn't get better than playing around like a kid in another country.

4. Masada

I loved Masada simply because of how different it was from anything else I had seen in Israel (or anywhere for that matter.) Exploring a fortress out in the middle of the Judean desert was an exciting experience and to learn the history at the same time was awesome. The views from the top of Masada were completely breathtaking - civilization nowhere in sight. Imagine was it must have been like in Herod the Great's time.

5. Sea of Galilee

The place that pulls at my heart strings more than any other. The Sea of Galilee, the place I would move in a heartbeat if I could (and if I was ready to actually settle down.) The Sea of Galilee is so far removed from the big cities and is so tranquil and beautiful - it's hard not to fall in love with Israel here. Galilee is surrounded by gorgeous, green hills (in February, at least..) and is so laid back - it would be a perfect place to run away from it all! If you ever find yourself here, you have to take a boat out onto the Sea of Galilee to truly appreciate the beauty of the region.

6. Tel Meggido

Tel Meggido was a fascinating place to visit not only because of what has taken place there in the past, but also because of what will happen there in the future. This is the place where it is said the last battle will take place (we get the word 'Armageddon' from 'Tel Meggido'). It was amazing to experience this place as it is now - quiet and beautiful, in light of what it will become soon enough.

7. Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv is an awesome city because you get the Israeli atmosphere, without all the conflict. Whereas there is tension and sometimes, worry in Jerusalem - Tel Aviv is laid back and anything goes. I, for one, loved Tel Aviv because of the "beach city" aspect. It felt like a big city on the map, but a quaint, friendly city once you walk the streets. There are interesting shops, flea markets and such and this seems like the kind of place you could live and still be exploring years later. Tel Aviv is cool, artistic and not-so-serious, but beautiful and historic at the same time.

Shalom, Israel

2012-01-17T17:16:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a whirlwind of a trip Israel was! I loved Israel so much more than I imagined I would. I expected that I would find this country interesting and be glad for the experience, but I did not expect to fall completely in love! This was the first time I traveled anywhere and seriously did not want to return home. In the past, I've always loved traveling, but was more than ready to return home at the end of the month. This was different. I could imagine myself living here....I developed a passion for the culture and for the people. I would miss the incredible friends I made here, the pastors that became friends, our shepherd Tsuriel, the refreshingly tasty and healthy food, the passionate Jews AND Muslims, playing in the Dead Sea, singing Hebrew songs...among countless other things.

Before leaving for Israel, I kept hearing how this trip would change my life. It's not that I didn't believe these people, but after all - that's a term that's thrown around a lot - "change your life." I don't think I realized that it had changed my life immediately after the trip...but months later, I could tell my view on the world, life and devotion to the Lord had changed significantly. This trip also opened my eyes to the places I could travel to in the future! No longer was my heart only set on Europe, but I realized my passion for wanting to see other cultures. I developed a confidence that ignited a (then potential, but in 2012 at time of writing - definite) journey through Asia. I'm excited to go explore other places, but I know that no other country will ever top this one, no matter how many countries I travel to. This one held special significance and was an unexpected treasure that I never thought I would have discovered.

Graffiti in Ben Yehuda

We spent our last few hours in Jerusalem spending time together, in our small group. We walked along a mall just outside the walls of the Temple Mount area - which was quite interesting! I've, obviously, never been to an Israeli mall! We also had a chance to walk around the famous street of Ben Yehuda and along Jaffa Gate. I enjoyed spending time with everyone before our departure back to the States...knowing that some of these people we might never see again. While we've held many reunions since the conclusion of our trip, there are still some great friends that I have not seen since this trip (which took place in Feb/March 2010.) But our bonds are stronger than those of mere acquaintances and I know I will see them again, soon enough.

Me and Rick in front of the Dung Gate

Pastor Sam taking a few last photos

Rick and Nick in Ben Yehuda

Rick, Christy and I just outside of the Temple Mount area

Love these guys! Our driver, Ben Hass, Rick, Pastor Sam and Tsuriel

Again, love them! Rick, Nick, Amber, Christy and I

Cheeky girls, me and Christy - saying goodbye to Israel and looking forward to our next adventure!