Santiago -against all odds
Despite all the great things I was waiting for this, arrival to Santiago. Tomorrow it all begins with orientation days and all. I feel like a freshman.. Just hope I get my apartment issues sorted out soon to really get started on the exchange studies part. Yep, might not feel like it but I will study. At the very least 3,5 months! Ok, there might be some other activity as well so stay tuned..
Anyway, last times in Peru were again interesting. I had planned to go to Puno, a city beside Lake Titicaca to get a look on their floating island and the lake itself. Everything was booked and looking good for my timely arrival to Lima just hours before the plane left. Then became the day of the trip. We started late (which is pretty much the norm) and stopped by at a tire shop to change a tire for the bus (but of course you do it with the passengers already on the bus!). At this point I was estimating that the visit to the Islas Flotantes might be shorter than expected, as I still had a bus to catch in Puno.
Then, some 30 kilometers up the highway in the Andes, in the altiplano with no living thing in sight, the radiator broke down and we stopped the bus close to a stream. However, we couldn´t get off the bus. There was no signal for the cell phone either, and I was starting to worry about the whole visit for the Islas. However, we continued what I estimated 1 hour late of schedule. Then something else broke down and we stood again for some 30 minutes, still remeining in the bus. People were getting quite pissed off.
The journey continued with a speed of 10-35 kilometers per hour depending on whether we were ascending or descending, and still nobody was let out even as we passed some small towns. When we got to a toll booth people were hanging out of the windows and screaming to the cop to pull us over. It was not like he had to make an effort, as the toll booth was in an ascent.. As we got out of the bus I am sure the driver was scared for his life -and actually it was good to have the police there at that point. As a cool, calculating Finn I was already worried that I'd miss the connection bus to Lima at that rate which would mean missing the flight as well. I went to talk to the driver and asked about his plan, and he said, all sweating, that "just up the hill and we cruise down to a bigger town" (Juliaca). That was enough. I had the map and I knew it was at least 150 kilometers away while he insists that we are "almost there" at 20 kilometers per hour. I used all the street skills from previous encounters with the Latin law, threatening him with the Finnish embassador who supposedly is a close personal friend and their army of lawyers who will have him fired in no time and.. as I was screaming for my rights as a paying customer and the overall lack of respect and service skills from their part, I got the rest of the foreigners to join (what a lawyer the world loses in me) and eventually the cop had to cool things down by stating the obvious that it would be best to keep on going until other buses pass/we get to some kind of a town and that the complaint will be taken to the police in Juliaca to sort things out. And so we did go on in the bus, at running speed. Eventually we got to a small town where all of us in a hurry chartered a small bus (at 1 USD per head) to drive us the remaining 100 kilometers to Juliaca.
By the time I arrived in Juliaca, I had missed the connection bus 2,5 hours ago in Puno (an hour away from Juliaca) and was desperate to get to the airport in Juliaca t get a flight to Lima or had that been impossible, a bus straight to the Chilean border as there would then be no means to make it to the flight to Santiago. Cathcing a taxi to the airport I saw a bus for Lima -the same company as I had reserved my seat from to the Puno-Lima connection! They had technical problems too, and I caught up with the bus and got to my nice royal class seat (they can be almost turned into beds..) and traveled happily to Lima. I never made it to Lake Titicaca and never got my 7 USD back for the shitty bus trip, but I got back on schedule just as miraculously as I slipped out of it. Lake Titicaca I will have to visit from the Bolivian side later.
Curiously, on the way to Lima they did not accept dollars in the mountains though they were good everywhere else. So I ended up living some 50 hours with 2,5 liters of Inka Kola, a local beverage that tastes like candy, and the few sandwiches served in the royal class bus. Coincidentally, I had not been to a MacDonald's yet in Peru and upon my visit to one in Lima I must have tasted the best MacBurger(s) ever.. On a separate note, they had home delivery (I thought that was supposed to happen in very few MacD's in the whole world?) and also a great and free salsa bar. BicMac was at 9,5 soles (2,18 euros) and a meal for 11,5 (2,64 euros).
And as this was not enough, 30 soles (about 9 USD) was stolen from my front pocket in the parking lot of Lima airport. Good thing I do not keep more money there at a time.. Maybe it was the bitter taxi driver from whom I bartered a cheap ride to the airport. I did not think about it much, I was just glad to have made it there on time.
So on a total, Peru offered memorable moments..
Best national beer tasted: Cuzqueña
Best national dish: Saltado de Alpaca
Best experience/sight: Machu Picchu seen from the Caretaker's hut. Wow.
Awe in the lost city
It was all I imagined and more. Getting there was a job itself and the train ride seemed neverending -even despite the awesome landscapes presented all over the place (below). The atmosphere in the train was expecting at the very least, everyone tried to marvel the sights and the other ruins along the way but all we really cared about at that point was getting to the damn lost city. The train made zigzag stops that took a total of about 40 minutes to navigate and it did not help at all the anxiousness of people.
Arriving to Machu Picchu (note the correct spelling) required the trip to the mountain itself and the options were to either hike or take a bus to the top. Having arrived with the later tourist train (thus the site being full of them already) and with a huge headache either from the Pisco sours (drink from grape brandy Pisco, national drink in Peru) the day before or too little sleep in the past few days, I took the bus. Walking down had to do for the experience part.
There was one more obstacle: the ticket to the site. The only functioning ATM in the Machu Picchu pueblo (known as Aguas Calientes) only gave out dollars and the ticket at the gate could only be bought in soles. "Luckily" there was a jewel store in the facilities that could go to the lenghts of exchanging the money -at 3 soles per dollar as the actual course was about 3,35. So I paid over 10 percent extra, cool. At this point, having paid some here and some there, I just started laughing. The scene from Lethal Weapon 2 creeped into mind where Joe Pesci goes: "They F*** you at the drive in, they F*** you at the.." Just hope that fat peruvian bureaucrate chokes on the entrecôte I just bought him.. At least I think I scared the lady in the jewel shop. Anyway, the price to pay was worth it easily. The sight that I had seen so many times in pictures was there! With no clouds, I could see the whole place in all its glory (see pic). Even the tourist masses did not bother me at that point. Probably the most impressive moment of the whole trip was there and I just laid back for a while. It is just out of this world, I can not describe it better. I was left in awe of the place. Though my stop in Peru was intended for nothing else than this, I suddenly did not care what else the country would have had to offer me.
First of all, the whole place is indeed carefully hidden. No wonder that even the greedy conquistadores didn't find it. It's difficult to imagine the Incas building the site up there, a few kilometers up a very steep wall from the river Urubamba valley. And around it there are similar mountains all around the place. I had trouble breathing just taking my time with the smaller steps.. The site itself is built on a small field between two peaks and it houses all kinds of wonders from the temple of the Sun to the ceremoneal baths. And it was all carefully planned to serve a purpose, the windows placed in a given manner, etc. The lamas wandering around just completed the picture of the great site.
For the future, the Inca Trail, probably the best known hike in the continent is a must. Now I had no time (3-4 days) or gear for it -and it was still closed for cleaning. I saw some unbelievable fotos of it in my hostel walls and that is definately something to see and experience. There are Inca ruins everywhere along the way and Machu Picchu is just the grande finale.
The day was nicely finished with the walk down the mountain. Arriving at the town the rain started falling, and it did not seem to have an end. Once again I had luck! After a filling menu del dia it was just another neverending train trip to Cuzco...
The Puma City
Having nothing to do with the sports wear company, that is how Cuzco is known. That is because one of their Inca emperors, by the name of Pachacutec (had to check that one), was a big visionnaire that among other things decided that the city of Cuzco should have the form of a Puma. In the picture below the zigzag figures are from some ruins 15 minutes outside Cuzco, and they are the teeth of the Puma. The actual tooth stones in the corners weigh over 300 tons so that you understand their size... Of course now the city has some 350 000 people and has outgrown the Puma figure long ago. Anyway, one of the many landmarks of the city is the statue of the same visionnaire. I will not bore you with pictures of churches, as almost everywhere here you have the plaza, then you have the church (however magnificent it may be) and some governmental organs. Just like Helsinki, no imagination!
Tomorrow I am going to Macchu Picchu -I got the last "cheap" 68 USD backpackers ticket! Usually the only last tickets I get are just to fill up the economy class so that the next person in the queue gets a free upgrade to business class.. Anyway, it will be a whole day experience with train of 4 hours, bus 30 mins and walking in the citadel grounds for some time -the train leaves at 6 am to arrive back at 8.30 pm. The place really is in the middle of nowhere and I am not that surprised that its rediscovery celebrates just its 95th year this year.
I couldn't resist the urge to take a photo with locals and llamas (actually, alpacas). Of course the lady could not see through the image screen of the camera so below you have the best of three pic.. Plus the alpacas would not stay still -in revenge I had me a big alpaca steak for lunch (quite good actually). The surpsiring thing is that quite many people still wear the traditional Inca clothes (with all the colours). Of course this might be partially because they just dress up for tourists. As the cultural (and former) capital of Peru, Cuzco has put all the imaginable colours in their city flag and it bears notable resemblance to the international gay pride banner.. But I was told early on not to make any remarks to that direction.
Peruvian peculiarities
To arrive to Cuzco was not as easy as it seems on the map. When I heard the travel time in bus I was a bit amazed: "What do you mean 600 kilometers in 21 hours?" But once in the bus I did realize that the Andes are still today quite difficult to go over. And in addition, no other mountains come even close to their beauty.. Well, that being the ones in Europe, the Appalachians, the Rocky Mountains and the Blue Mountains. My ears popped about 50 times in those 21 hours and arriving here at some 4000 meters I did have trouble breathing. Here is one of the views from the bus..
In the few days in Peru I have noted some peculiarities. First one being what I already mentioned, they try to rip me off more than anywhere else. Now I just answer straight up: "No, I am not a gringo; si, si hablo español and no, I do not want your help or service." I got fed up with their ruhtlessness so I decided to drop the mr. Nice guy act -and it helps! But that is not the only strange thing.. For example, in Lima there are no beaches though it is right on the coast. There is a 50-100 meter drop to a motorway that rus right next to the ocean. They seemingly do not like tourists, or what? And they go further with ads than I have seen even in America: their main road splitting the city is decorated with huge floral plantations that are atually company ads. First thing I see heading for downtown is an amount of roses the size of a house greeting me with Deloitte's logo. Also, this is the first place on my trip where I have noted that speaking to a cell phone is actually illegal while driving (for those that do not know, that is the case in Finland).
The lengthy busride to Cuzco was quite nice though there had to be the obligatory one screaming child that just would not shut up. They offered us food and beverages and topped it all off with a plastic bag, that was introduced as the emergency bag. At first it seemed funny but as we got up high in the mountains a couple people in the bus demonstrated what it was for. Once again I was lucky as I did not get any altitude sickness. Then, riding through the small pueblos in the mountains, the kids amused themselves and all passengers of the bus that had their window open (like me) by throwing water balloons at the bus. So I got quite a rude awakening and the Peruvians a good laugh. Later I saw young people throwing them in the streets at each other and once I finally asked about it in a grocery store the salesperson just said that it's very common in Februry (the carnaval month) to do that -and aimed one at me from behind the counter! Lucky again, I am not as old as I seem to be and was able to dodge it. I think I would prefer the carnaval habits in Rio, however..
So much for the peculiaritiues for now.. Cuzco is a quite nice mountain town: it is about 10 times prettier than Lima even with all the half-houses around. It hides a very long history, as there are still parts of the city that are built on Inca ruins (the one in the pic is a spanish church built on Inca ruins). The people here are more tolerant to tourists and have some respect whereas in Lima they are just plain rude -like bugs you can not just brush off. Overall, the Peruvians I have talked to eventually seem to be very polite, open and nice people. That is, once you have bought something from them.. Anyway, I am stuck in Cuzco (which is not actually all that bad) for an extra day thanks to a strike of the public transports yesterday. Stupid labor unions, what good ever came out of them? ;)
They love me for my big.. dolares
I arrived to Peru yesterday, after a short landing in Costa Rica (they did not let us out of the plane, so did not bother to call Sami, who is studying there). In the picture you can see what the most of Costa Rica seems from a plane.. Anyway, Lima does not seem all that dangerous as everybody has told me. Ok, there are safer places but still this has not yet given me the creeps. I am spending one day in Lima to see the sights before I head out to Cusco for a glimpse of Macchu Picchu and if there is time and timetables are as they should, I should be able to reach Lake Titicaca too. The thing here seems to be that as they see me looking like a gringo they want to steal mis dolares, if not by attacking me, by raising the prices. And the basis I use for bargaining being a year-old Lonely Planet Shoestringer book, it seems to me that even with bargaining I end up paying too much. The guys in my hostel told me that this is fortunately not the case as the prices are indeed higher than in the time the book was written (for example, a bus ride to Cusco was supposed to be 30 USD according to the book but ended up at 40). The style of bargaining changes totally, however, as I change from english to spanish and that is the best way to get even close to normal prices.
Anyway, I'm still a bit stunned by the awesome welcome they gave me in Mexicali. It was just unbelievable, I had such a great time there and the reception I got was just like I was a long lost brother - and this was not just the exchange family but everywhere! I promised to go back before 2010 (as it was 5 years since my last visit).. I must admit, the place has left its mark on me as even after all I already went through this stop was by far the most awesome -even though there was not that much new things to see. Below you can see some people from the last evening's carne asada (a BBQ party Mexican style, note that it is cold in the desert as we all have jackets on) and a sunset from the Rumorosa (the mountains that lie between Mexicali and Tijuana, here at 4000 ft.). I also made a video of the place where your car goes uphill when it is put on neutral gear, so that all you nonbelievers can see it when I get back home. :)
I forgot to add the Bic Mac index in the last post, as there are not that many McD's in Mexicali (why would they have with all that incredible food) we actually had to look for one. A burger was 31 pesos (equals 2,2 euros) and a meal 53 pesos (3,8 euros), and though it is probably one of the most pricey places to live in Mexico it is still cheap by Finnish standards. Concluding the great Mexico visit:
Best national beer tasted: Tecate (a huevo, compa)
Best(-ever) national dish: Tacos de carne asada con tortillas de arina
Best experience/sight: My friend Carlos singing and playing a guitar in a restarant (
y pisto gratis!)
Chingon
What you see as the headline is the word I would use to describe Mexicali and its people. Of course, this is a very subjective view as this is the place where I stayed in exchange seven years ago and some of my best friends live here. What the headline means is unfortunately somewhat hard to explain, but let us just say it is a masculine way to say that something is excellent.
Mexicali is a growing border city in the Northwesternmost part of Mexico, a couple of hours east from Tijuana. In the past seven years the number of people living here has doubled and the city is spreading across the desert quite fast. It is known for its supposedly unfriendly climate as it is in the middle of desert and in the summer it is one of worlds hottest places, in August of 1997 I got greeted with some +50 centigrades. However, it soon became clear to me why someone would stay in here: the people, the food, todo, is in a word, chingon. As I do know this place I have just spent my time meeting friends, eating what is likely to be worlds best foods and, of course, partying.
Due to its Chinese immigrants this place has excellent Chinese food, and to this date I have failed to find it as good anywhere else. And then there are the tacos.. That was a true story of love at first sight. There just are not this kind of tacos anywhere else, you will have to take my word for it. Even in Mexico it is just the Northwest that eats wheat tortillas (which are NOT like what you can buy in stores in Finland, I am told the difference is in the flour), and within these tortillas you should put meat (and NOT minced meat but good beef) to make tacos de carne asada con tortillas de arina. And to my American friends, forget about Taco HELL, they have no clue of what is going on.
Anyway, this being my third visit here, I am happy to see that my friends here are basically all doing great. Some are married and with kids and others are either studying (like my godson Luis, the accountant) or doing what they like to do for living. For example, one of my fellow exchange students, Olivier from France, lives here now as a teacher (so it is not just me that loves this place) and my good friend Carlos is making his way in singing and playing guitar. In the picture above you can see my comadre (that is how I call the mother of my godson) with her granddaughter and below I'm in a bar with my friends Fer and Carlos.
At this point I would like to thank everybody for the great reception I got, especially Carlos and his family and the family of my compadre Dr. Peraza.
Ya saben, en Finlandia tienen a su casa cuando les conviene.
Escape from LA
Asi es compas, I arrived in Mexicali, Mexico!
It is almost as coming back home after a month of travelling. Los Angeles had not changed, if possible the latin influence just grew as in places I would hear more Spanish than English. Lucky I can manage both, it was not just once or twice than some people were talking about me behind my back and were a bit amazed as I corrected thier suspicions in Spanish.
On a general level, the prices are a bit lower than in Finland. Bic Mac country sells its goods at 1,99 USD and in a combo at 3,65 USD -but that does not really tell the price level here as this is simply THE place for fast food. One thing that I had already forgotten and that actually annoys me a lot is the addition of VAT on the price. So that the above mentioned prices are actually 2,16 USD (1,81 euros) and 3,96 USD (3,35 euros). The people then.. well, I have been critisized of speaking harshly of the Americans -let me clarify that I have nothing personally against them, it is just the picture the majority of them gives out to me that is unfotunately somewhat negative. This trip to LA brought up some of the not-so good qualities, but also some better: I met some older men in a sandwich house queue and once they found out I was from Finland they just insisted on offering me a dinner in exchange of some stories about Finland and my RTW trip. On the other side of the coin Americans are quite open, friendly and immediate.
But, about LA.. This, like most of America, is not designed for people who do not have cars. The public transport system is a joke for a metropoly the size of LA. Or, better put, the system might be defined as merely faulty, but the information about the buses etc. is so non-existent that whoever is responsible should quit their jobs, make worldwide public apologies and get a nice job in something that has nothing to do with service to other people. It does not help at all that all the locals have cars and when questioned, they go: "Well, I think some buses pass from there but I have no idea where.." Luckily I was not in a hurry to get anywhere.
Where I actually got to was a hotel in Venice beach. I would at this point thank my friend Sami for recommending it, as despite the high price it was a great place to stay. Literally AT the beach! From there I went to see the sights at Santa Monica (but did not manage to catch any Baywatch babes) and Hollywood. In Hollywood I accidently stumbled upon the Governator's star on the walk of fame, and there you have it:
But the absolutely greatest thing about the time I spent in LA was in the Lakers game. Though it was all Lakers and no Jazz, the atmosphere was something else. That is something you can not get in Finland.. Well, anyway, Kobe was just playing around and stepped in only when the feeble other players of Lakers couldn't keep the gap (especially Kwame Brown was a total underacheiver). The game ended at some 94-86 but it really was all about Kobe and had he made the effort the numbers would have been very different. Luckily there were some awesome dunks (alley-oops!) and blocks to see. (The pic is 30 mins before game, at the game they actually had almost a full house..)
Ocean crusader departs for LAX
And the last moments in Fiji were something out of postcards. The last days of the tour were spent in the northern beaches of Fiji, namely Volivoli Beach and the before mentioned Nananu-I-Ra, where I stayed on my own. Three days of snorkelling, kayaking and chilling out on the beach and hammocks. 110% vacation feeling, I was really on Fiji time there.. I spent most of my beach vacation with three other guys from South Africa, UK and Australia (left to right in the pic below).
I am afraid that the desire to get the PADI (diving) cetificate is ever growing, and the snorkelling and intro dives on the coral reefs did not ease the itch at all.. probably that will not be on the agenda for this RTW trip or it would be cut short, but again, more stuff for the future there. To ease the longing I took a kayak for a tour around the Nananu-I-Ra island. Everything started out nice with dolfins and stingrays swimming next to the kayak, but about halfway home some thunder clouds came up suddenly and this overly confident ocean crusader had to paddle like a maniac -not the least to survive the west end of the island with its head-high waves... Luckily the kayak was good and I myself incredibly lucky and I got back to the hostel safe and just in time for dinner. The next day was spent in less adventurous surroundings..
The Feejee Experience trip concluded with a visit to the local mud pools. As all you see written here was the highlights of the trip, I'd say it was worth it. Had I known what I know now, I would've stuck more to the beaches. But then again, now I know stuff about the real Fiji that the beach could have never shown me (newsflash here: the last Fijian cannibal is said to have eaten all his enemies, keeping them alive to see themselves being devoured piece by piece, and as a mighty chief he rounded up a number of some 900+ eaten enemies..). Overall, Fiji is a great place and I highly recommend everyone flying over the Pacific to take the load off for a week or so in Fiji. It's simply incredible.
Now I will switch myself to the all-American attitude and get ready for some In&Out burgers, Lakers match and Venice beach.
Best national beer tasted: Fiji Bitter, the sportsman's beer
Best national dish: Kokoda (raw fish with lemon, onions and coconut milk)
Best experience/sight: Nananu-I-Ra survival ocean kayaking
Feejee Experience
Now I finally got to an internet cafe that has what it takes to update the blog with pics and all.. So, my time here is about to end and I will head back to the already-so-familiar LA and tierras Mexicanas, I can hardly wait for it.. I do not know why, but the left-hand driving system is driving me nuts, or I am getting used to it. Curse on Her Majesty's Kingdom for introducing that to so many parts of the world (that being for me the whole of this trip so far). Next I will be driven over as I look the wrong way crossing the street in the states. How sad would that be?
Anyway, here I did the so called Feejee Experience tour. It was a 4-day tour of the main island of Viti Levu and I stopped by at one of the beautiful islands next to Viti Levu (called Nananu-I-Ra) as I had an extra day to spend somewhere. And though I was a little scared by the price, in the end the tour was totally worth it. The first day took us to one of the top five beaches in the world (presumably), Natadola Beach. Midday there was not designed for Nordic meat so I kept in the shade for the most of the time not to redo the damage of Koh Chang.. From there we continued to Sigatoka sand dunes where we got to sandboard down one of the steepest dunes. The speed is not like in the snow, but quite enough still.. Between all the activity during the day we got loads of information on Fijians, their ways of living, history, culture, etc. and this kept on for the whole trip so I could say that I know more about Fiji now than an average Finn.
Second day of the trip was totally awesome. We headed to the mountainous rainforests for a three-hour walk, of which the last 40 mins were knee-deep in a stream! This led us to the upper parts of one of Fiji's rivers, so we chilled downstream on some tubes. And to top it all off, we went for a swim in a waterfall.. We had a chance to jump from the top of the waterfall to the pool below (anyone seen the movie The Beach?), a little under 7 meters drop -and as a sucker for dares I did it, of course. Not to worry, I swam in the pool first (another one for mom). The night we spent in the capital of the South Pacific, Suva partying with the Feejee Experience people (AKA the green bus family, see lower for why).
Third day was the time for our cultural stuff. We visited a village in the mountains for some MORE kava (that stuff is drunk apparently in every possible occasion) with the local chief (NHL shirt guy in the pic above preparing the great stuff). Also, we got to donate (what a great opportunity!) some stationary to school kids -no, seriously, it was impressing to see how things are done there in the middle of nowhere and helping them out with some pens, rulers and writing pads we got earlier from town was really no trouble at all. Especially as they later took us bamboo-rafting (known locally as bilibili-rafting) on the local river. One peculiar thing about the village was that everyone had to wear a skirt (or sarong or sulu) in the village. Here you see me pose with one on in front of our spectacularly ugly green bus.
How about Fiji?
Ok, I will try to post a few words of Fiji as weel, hopefully it works... So, arriving here the "Don't worry, you're on Fiji time now" -attitude met me at the airport in the form of four dudes playing guitars singing Pacific style tunes screaming Bula! to everyone (hello!). The hostel is great, the greatest I have ever seen for 4,50 euros, beating both Sydney and Auckland hostels by a mile though they had triple price. We have a pool, cheap restaurant and bar, lockers, beach, etc.
Coming to town (I thought the hostel was in town and did not make use of the first chance to get money from an ATM) took its time and toll. I walked 8 kilometers in over 40 degrees to become haunted by all sellers of any imaginable good. Eventually I folded and went with one to his store, but it was not as terrible as I thought. He introduced me and some other foreigners to Fiji culture and we drank the kava, a traditional drink made of the root of the kava plant. Tasted like some bad herbal liqueurs, and it is actually sold as and alcoholic version in the airport. But, after all his trouble I just could not leave the store without a purchase. So now I have a lucky charm (nay to anyone naughty and Irish at this point) which is a shark tooth necklace.. Actually it was for luck as seeing it around my neck cut the number of eager salesmen to half.
I think I must stop this now as the internet cafe is overrun by fanatic rugby fans. If I thought New Zealanders were crazy with rugby, then Fiji people are lunatics! There was a major tournament going on until yesterday and Fiji won the finals (after beating the famous NZ All Blacks in semifinals) and the noise and participation of the crowd was incredible. Now they are just watching replays.. Everyone from kids to elderly are into the game here. I must say, the game itself is somewhat more interesting than American football as there are not so many pauses. It also showes the Fijians as they are: very open and immediate and easy going. And talk about their hospitability, how many of you readers no matter where you are from would take a total stranger to your store and explain for over an hour your nation's ways with no guarantee of sales? That is what kind of people the Fijians are.
Oh, and before I forget, the Bic Mac index showed a 4,45 for the burger (2 euros) and 6,85 for the meal (3,1 euros). Price levels are ok, but still not even near thai prices...
Problems in paradise?
Ok, it must be evident to all of you who sometimes read my blog that there are problems. Luckily they are all due to shitty Internet cafes in Fidji that have windows 98, browsers not supporting this or whatever. I have thus far failed to find any place that allows the use of USB's so might be a while until real updates with pics. Also, I have tried to chill a bit as this constant travelling is taking its toll on me. Don't worry, everything is ok! (that one was for mom..) Tomorrow I will embark on a 5-day adventure tour around Viti Levu, main island of Fidji -so probably next time you will see activity here might be up to next sunday or monday.
But anyways, about New Zealand (the massive Fidji package is coming up later, hopefully with pics...): I spent the last full day in Rotorua, a city some four hours south of Auckland. The place looked like an American midwest small city that was dropped between beautiful mountains and a huge lake (Lake Rotorua). In this setting there are hiding some old Maori villages, which are right next to geothermal wonders like hot spots, mud pools, geysirs, etc. becuase the Maori believe that those are gifts from their gods. Due to shortage of time I picked the "one stop shop" there, Te Puia. There I saw the Maori habits, how they live and make their handicrafts -not to mention all the natural wonders among them, including Pohutu, a geysir that erupts some 30-40 minutes per day peaking at 40 meters of height. Later I spent time wondering in the town itself and noted that the people actually have hot spots right in their backyards, so the area is really active! And the dead are buried in sealed coffins above the ground as the earth's crust is too thin for safe digging.
My hostel in Auckland was some 3 kilometers from the center, so I had to walk through the hills (more like mountains) in a hurry in the morning to catch the bus to the airport. Upon arrival to the airport I walked straight into a bar, totally dehydrated and exhausted, just to be greeted with an unappreciating question: "You are one of the early birds, aren't you?" So what if I just really needed a cold one at 10.30 am? Luckily, customer is king in that country as well.
Concluding, New Zealand is a place with numerous activity opportunities (especially extreme sportsmen and -women and adventurers, head here...) ranging from skydiving to sailing and glacier hikes. This place has everything one could imagine nature having. The older parts have beautiful beaches and sand dunes whereas you have the young, big and snow-topped volcanic mountains right next to them. One would need a month the very least to say that has experienced this country. Have to get back here as well, some day when I am not too old for all the experiences.
Best national beer tasted: Steinlager
Best national dish: Lamb cutlet in sweet and sour garlic sauce
Best sight/experience: Te Puia trip
