What was once a leading Southern African nation known as Rhodesia has been driven into the ground for nearly thirty years by Robert Mugabe.
Zimbabwe, as it is now known, has suffered immensely under this man's iron grip. Currently the country has annual inflation rates of approximately 100,000%!!! Want to buy a newspaper? That'll cost a few MILLION!
This once beautiful nation used to be a tourist mecca of Southern Africa with many people visiting Victoria Falls and various game reserves every year. But years of internal strife have not been favourable to the country in general.
At last it seems that the tides maybe shifting and Mugabe's iron grip on the nation might be waning. Over 72 hours have passed since elections have taken place and results are still very slow to be declared. Opposition parties are warning Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party not to rig the results. From their own polls "the Movement of Democratic Change faction of Morgan Tsvangirai said he had won 50.3% of the presidential vote and Mr. Mugabe 43.8% according to its own tallies of results posted outside polling stations." (Quote from National Post Article)
Here's to hoping Mugabe will go quietly and allow this desperate nation another chance.
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
2.4.08
10.12.07
Sierra Leone :: Part 1 :: The Country
Sierra Leone is on the Western horn of Africa an area often referred to as the Rice Coast. The country is thoroughly marred by it passed as over a span of nearly 40 years the country so near constant political instability, coups, and civil war.
Sierra Leone was first known to Westerners through the slave trade. The island's illicit
activities were started in 1670 and the fortress became the largest slave passage on the West Coast of Africa up until it was shutdown by British Parliament in 1808. The slaves that came through Bunce were prized for their rice growing skills and techniques and were highly sought after for the southern coast of the United States. The 1997 movie Amistad is a story about slaves from Bunce Island.
In the late 1800's the capital of Freetown became a British Crown colony and the rest of the country a British Protectorate. At this time the country began to be re-settled by many former slaves, many from various tribes and areas. This melding of cultures, tribes, and languages has created a unique kaleidescope in Sierra Leone and helped to create the Creo (or Kreole) language that is spoken in the Freetown area.
In 1961 Sierra Leone gained its independance and became a full member of the British Commonwealth. Unfortunately since that time there has been few periods of peace and political stability. The country has been mired in coup after military coup, civil war, war, and more. The various instabilities got to their worst in the late 90's. Stories of child soldiers high on drugs and forced to slaughter thousands of innocent people are far to clear in recent history. Fortunately early in the 2000's a UN lead peace keeping force came to the country.
2002 saw the war officially announced to be over and May brought peaceful elections were the most recent president from before the war got to its' worst re-elected with a 70% majority. The years following that election saw much stability return to the region and in fact a second peaceful and democratic election was recently held, in September, and a new president, Ernest Bai Koroma, was elected on a platform of reigning in corruption.
Time will tell where Sierra Leone goes from here but there are several encouraging things to watch. A large electric plant is currently under construction and is anticipated to be completed in the near time. Foreign investment which for 2006 was approximately $5M USD is growing rapidly and there is news of a $500M beach & golf resort being built near Freetown! The stamping out of corruption will also be something that will have to be watched closely...
SL Update :: Part 2
Sierra Leone was first known to Westerners through the slave trade. The island's illicit
activities were started in 1670 and the fortress became the largest slave passage on the West Coast of Africa up until it was shutdown by British Parliament in 1808. The slaves that came through Bunce were prized for their rice growing skills and techniques and were highly sought after for the southern coast of the United States. The 1997 movie Amistad is a story about slaves from Bunce Island.In the late 1800's the capital of Freetown became a British Crown colony and the rest of the country a British Protectorate. At this time the country began to be re-settled by many former slaves, many from various tribes and areas. This melding of cultures, tribes, and languages has created a unique kaleidescope in Sierra Leone and helped to create the Creo (or Kreole) language that is spoken in the Freetown area.
In 1961 Sierra Leone gained its independance and became a full member of the British Commonwealth. Unfortunately since that time there has been few periods of peace and political stability. The country has been mired in coup after military coup, civil war, war, and more. The various instabilities got to their worst in the late 90's. Stories of child soldiers high on drugs and forced to slaughter thousands of innocent people are far to clear in recent history. Fortunately early in the 2000's a UN lead peace keeping force came to the country.
2002 saw the war officially announced to be over and May brought peaceful elections were the most recent president from before the war got to its' worst re-elected with a 70% majority. The years following that election saw much stability return to the region and in fact a second peaceful and democratic election was recently held, in September, and a new president, Ernest Bai Koroma, was elected on a platform of reigning in corruption.
Time will tell where Sierra Leone goes from here but there are several encouraging things to watch. A large electric plant is currently under construction and is anticipated to be completed in the near time. Foreign investment which for 2006 was approximately $5M USD is growing rapidly and there is news of a $500M beach & golf resort being built near Freetown! The stamping out of corruption will also be something that will have to be watched closely...SL Update :: Part 2
6.12.07
Ski Resorts and Vanishing Snow!
As I've blogged before... climate change is real. It's happening. We won't get into the causes, solutions, marketing opportunities, etc. One huge industry that's attempting to battle the brown bandit of climate change are Ski Resorts. What are they going to do if there isn't snow in 50 or 100 years?!
Well, many of them are working hard now to combat that potential likelihood and feverishly putting in extras and non-snow-sports options to not only entice the more sedentary among us and to increase their year-round popularity, but to also improve their no-snow survivability. Many resorts in the Swiss Alps that used to be mobbed for their winter revelry are now attempting to compete in the areas of pop culture, shopping, and spa'ing in addition to their lessening on-hill attractions.
In the meantime, get your snow-on and head up to the Whistler SlopeSide Retreat. They still have great snow in the winter and even more to do in the summer with several world-class golf courses, mountain biking tracks, hiking trails, and more!!!
Well, many of them are working hard now to combat that potential likelihood and feverishly putting in extras and non-snow-sports options to not only entice the more sedentary among us and to increase their year-round popularity, but to also improve their no-snow survivability. Many resorts in the Swiss Alps that used to be mobbed for their winter revelry are now attempting to compete in the areas of pop culture, shopping, and spa'ing in addition to their lessening on-hill attractions.
In the meantime, get your snow-on and head up to the Whistler SlopeSide Retreat. They still have great snow in the winter and even more to do in the summer with several world-class golf courses, mountain biking tracks, hiking trails, and more!!!
13.10.07
Saving for Retirement
Or maybe you're still putting the saving part off, but you do think about retirement ever so often despite being in the very early stages of your career. Retirement is one of those words that is bound to spark your imagination. Where's the daydream taking you? Has it kept you inside that 3 bedroom, 2 bath bungalow that you're going to raise your 2.5 kids and a dog in or have you been transported to an untouched white sand beach in the Caribbean? Well it's time to start researching and planning for that.
Many studies have shown that abruptly moving to a new retirement destination can be very hard on the retirees and I imagine on their families as well. So one must plan well in advance and ensure they thoroughly think about any and all retirement decisions.
With that in mind there are many attractive retirement destinations both within the United States and Canada and in more exotic locales. Within North America Atlanta, GA, Portland, OR and Victoria, BC have been noted as prime destinations, especially given their favourable tax climates and moderately priced real estate. EscapeArtist.com recently rated Ecuador as one of the top places to retire in the entire world. The country is quite favourable to ex-patriots, has reasonable real estate prices, no income tax, and a moderately warm climate.
Many studies have shown that abruptly moving to a new retirement destination can be very hard on the retirees and I imagine on their families as well. So one must plan well in advance and ensure they thoroughly think about any and all retirement decisions.
With that in mind there are many attractive retirement destinations both within the United States and Canada and in more exotic locales. Within North America Atlanta, GA, Portland, OR and Victoria, BC have been noted as prime destinations, especially given their favourable tax climates and moderately priced real estate. EscapeArtist.com recently rated Ecuador as one of the top places to retire in the entire world. The country is quite favourable to ex-patriots, has reasonable real estate prices, no income tax, and a moderately warm climate.
19.6.07
Pup Room? Good Food? Poodle Dog? So confused. Thumbs up Tacoma!!!!1!!!one!!!!9.5.07
Camping v. 1.0
At the end of our little vacation Trish & I decided that we should keep the adventures flowing this summer in a more cost effective manner, hence camping v. 1.0. After some intense brainstorming we determined that we didn't need a tent, trailer, or motorhome, but that we could use the Disco, hence Disco Camper v. 1.0. We attempted to have Camping v. 1.0 in Disco Camper v. 1.0 on the first weekend home. For some odd reason we have had interest, maybe a small obsession, with Whidbey Island, despite never being there or really knowing where it was other than West of Burlington, WA. We intended to cure our fascination and achieve our first camping in experience in some time.
NOTE: My previous camping experiences included Alberta 1985, TREK in 1998, and my grad present safari in 2001. Tricia's included several Garabaldi trips with the family friends growing up.
So last week we set about to build the appropriate camping apparatus in the Disco to create Disco Camper v. 1.0. Due to some poor planning and time management the 'camper' was not finished until midday on Saturday, but v. 1.0 was finished. We packed up everything we thought we'd need and headed down to Deception Pass State Park on Whidbey Island.
The border had some traffic so we took our usual Truck Crossing route with a quick stop in at the Duty Free Shop, which by the way has a great USD/CDN exchange rate. Once through we stopped in at the Cost Cutter which has ridiculously low prices to get our sustenance for the next 24 hours. Turns out it took us barely more than 1 hour to get to the park once we had crossed the border.
The pass & park were gorgeous. A bridge to a central small island and then another to Whidbey with rushing tidal water below greets you. I should remind everyone at this point that there climbing on bridge is prohibited. But driving over it is permitted. The state park takes up both sides of the bridge although the main park area, where we stayed, is on the Whidbey Island side. The park and island are very Pacific Rim National Park like including the drive there, as parts literally seem like a copy. I'm shocked more Vancouverites don't know about Whidbey Island as it's really so close and costs so little to get to as there aren't any ferries involved.
So other than a few minor tweaks to Disco Camper v. 1.0 needing to be carried out prior to the Camping 2.0 we had a great time. Although it didn't 'look' like rain as we set up camp we should have probably set up a tarp because come the next morning there was some light rain. Being relatively inexperienced campers this was an oversight. But no worries since we were in Disco Camper, we just packed up the few things we had left out and continued on in our exploration of the island.
We went through Oak Harbor (US town so US spelling) and then shortly after that turned around to start heading home. A wrong turn led us through Anacortes and right by a location of The Calico Cupboard. We were powerless to there cinnamon buns and had to stop in for one. After that we took the right turn and headed on back to Canada.
We'll definitely go back to Whidbey Island. One other item of note is that at Fort Ebey State Park there is apparently some surf, enough to ride. I will have to verify local rentals prior to our next WI trip.
NOTE: My previous camping experiences included Alberta 1985, TREK in 1998, and my grad present safari in 2001. Tricia's included several Garabaldi trips with the family friends growing up.
So last week we set about to build the appropriate camping apparatus in the Disco to create Disco Camper v. 1.0. Due to some poor planning and time management the 'camper' was not finished until midday on Saturday, but v. 1.0 was finished. We packed up everything we thought we'd need and headed down to Deception Pass State Park on Whidbey Island.
The border had some traffic so we took our usual Truck Crossing route with a quick stop in at the Duty Free Shop, which by the way has a great USD/CDN exchange rate. Once through we stopped in at the Cost Cutter which has ridiculously low prices to get our sustenance for the next 24 hours. Turns out it took us barely more than 1 hour to get to the park once we had crossed the border.
The pass & park were gorgeous. A bridge to a central small island and then another to Whidbey with rushing tidal water below greets you. I should remind everyone at this point that there climbing on bridge is prohibited. But driving over it is permitted. The state park takes up both sides of the bridge although the main park area, where we stayed, is on the Whidbey Island side. The park and island are very Pacific Rim National Park like including the drive there, as parts literally seem like a copy. I'm shocked more Vancouverites don't know about Whidbey Island as it's really so close and costs so little to get to as there aren't any ferries involved.
So other than a few minor tweaks to Disco Camper v. 1.0 needing to be carried out prior to the Camping 2.0 we had a great time. Although it didn't 'look' like rain as we set up camp we should have probably set up a tarp because come the next morning there was some light rain. Being relatively inexperienced campers this was an oversight. But no worries since we were in Disco Camper, we just packed up the few things we had left out and continued on in our exploration of the island.
We went through Oak Harbor (US town so US spelling) and then shortly after that turned around to start heading home. A wrong turn led us through Anacortes and right by a location of The Calico Cupboard. We were powerless to there cinnamon buns and had to stop in for one. After that we took the right turn and headed on back to Canada.
We'll definitely go back to Whidbey Island. One other item of note is that at Fort Ebey State Park there is apparently some surf, enough to ride. I will have to verify local rentals prior to our next WI trip.
8.5.07
Modern Architecture
I did snag a couple shots on our way to the aeropuerto. These two pictures are quiet typical of entrances in much of Acapulco. Because much of the city is built into the side of a mountain, buildings on the downside of a road are often barely visible. The only thing one will see is the entrance and from there the visitors will descend down into the actual building.
28.4.07
Survivor
That's right... I'm a survivor. During our getting ready this morning and packing up our things we got to experience to earthquakes, or maybe it was one earthquake and one aftershock.
It was a moderate earthquake with an epicenter about 50km NE of Acapulco. According the the US Geological Survey it was a 4.9 on the Richter scale.
Interesting way to cap off our time in Mexico.
It was a moderate earthquake with an epicenter about 50km NE of Acapulco. According the the US Geological Survey it was a 4.9 on the Richter scale.
Interesting way to cap off our time in Mexico.
27.4.07
Homecoming
I am a fall weekend of high school celebrations. "Trish, will you go to the dance with me?"
Our month away is quickly ending. Tomorrow morning we'll be taking a cab the the Acapulco Aeropeurto to board a flight that will eventually take us to Seattle, WA. In the interest of not shocking our system too much with going home all at once, and to facilitate a few purchases without duty we'll stay an extra night in Seattle. We've been trying Priceline out a bit lately, the service where you name the price you'll pay for a certain star level, but not having luck there we went with our other recent favourite travel website, Hotwire, to secure our nights lodging.
What's the best thing about leaving your home for a month? Well... nevermind the fact that we don't technically have a home right now... The best thing is just relaxing and rejuvenating yourself.
Our month away is quickly ending. Tomorrow morning we'll be taking a cab the the Acapulco Aeropeurto to board a flight that will eventually take us to Seattle, WA. In the interest of not shocking our system too much with going home all at once, and to facilitate a few purchases without duty we'll stay an extra night in Seattle. We've been trying Priceline out a bit lately, the service where you name the price you'll pay for a certain star level, but not having luck there we went with our other recent favourite travel website, Hotwire, to secure our nights lodging.
What's the best thing about leaving your home for a month? Well... nevermind the fact that we don't technically have a home right now... The best thing is just relaxing and rejuvenating yourself.
25.4.07
Acapulco Dreams
Some seem to think that Acapulco isn't safe, and granted, during high season, the main drag which is lined with night clubs (aka discotheques) could be a bit harry, but as with any major city if you keep to yourself and keep your street smarts about you there's nothing to worry about. Keep in mind that after dark, you should make sure to use a taxi when travelling off of the main streets.
Now on the the good stuff... Acapulco has some great history as it's fairly close to Mexico City and was heralded as a destination for the elite back in the 60's. We're staying at one such establishment, the Villa Vera. The Villa has hosted numerous stars and even been featured in an Elvis Presley movie!
What I have enjoyed most about Acapulco has been the modern architecture. I assume that given it's historic nature as a place to be, it's close proximity to Mexico City, the constant influx of American investment, and also the limited variation of weather has all contributed to the areas love of cutty edge design. I'll have to post more design related pictures later on my Flickr page... stay tuned.
Okay... the pool is calling. :)
Now on the the good stuff... Acapulco has some great history as it's fairly close to Mexico City and was heralded as a destination for the elite back in the 60's. We're staying at one such establishment, the Villa Vera. The Villa has hosted numerous stars and even been featured in an Elvis Presley movie!What I have enjoyed most about Acapulco has been the modern architecture. I assume that given it's historic nature as a place to be, it's close proximity to Mexico City, the constant influx of American investment, and also the limited variation of weather has all contributed to the areas love of cutty edge design. I'll have to post more design related pictures later on my Flickr page... stay tuned.Okay... the pool is calling. :)
16.4.07
Maui Uber Post
No educated editorial banter here, just a journal-style rambling of our activities of the last week.
We've taken it pretty easy but done a few specific things, I guess. Tuesday evening we went into the 'big' city of Kahului and did some shopping, picking up a few items needed for the condo and we got ourselves some inexpensive tennis rackets. Wednesday was pretty relaxed, don't think we really did anything specific other than our first tennis match.
Thursday was our first day sans-friends and we went out to the area I really like snorkeling at, Ahihi Bay, but this time we went past it into the Laparouse Bay lava fields that are now a nature reserve. We parked and then hiked about a half-mile down the road and then at 45 feet before the second to last telephone pole before the poles switch to the other side of the road we took a trail about a mile across the lava fields to a great little spot called 'fish bowl'. The 'fish bowl' was almost entirely protected from the ocean and had very little waves which made it great for Tricia especially. We saw a couple things we hadn't yet seen, like some pencil (sea) urchins, and a few crazy fish, names TBD.
Friday was our big surfing day. There was a $10 savings per person if we took the lesson 30 minutes away in Lahaina. Since Lahaina happens to be quite close to Ka'anapali, another nice resort area where we had spent our last night on our previous trip, we thought we'd take it there and make a day-trip out of it. We packed out lunches and drove up there right after the market close. We started with some souvenir shopping at the Whaler's Village for gifts and such, and then we walked along the beach for a little snorkel at Black Rock, sans flippers which makes it quite challenging. After our snorkel we sat on the beach for a bit, at our sandwiches, and enjoyed the view with our toes in the sand. Before we knew it it was time to motor on over to our Surfing lesson.
The surfing lesson was fun, our instructor Lucas was from Brazil and a real riot. Knowing that I had surfed a bit before he decided to make me go on the big waves, but his instruction helped a lot and he was able to point out what I was doing wrong, etc. Trish also did really well and it was a good intro to surfing. Our lesson seemed to start a bit late, maybe it was on island time, and potentially went a bit long as well. In light of that we didn't get back to our car until about 5:23pm and we had a reservation for dinner at 6:30pm.
Normally this wouldn't sound like a challenge, however we were approx. 45 minutes away from the condo, quite salty and sandy, and then another 10-15 minutes from our dinner reservation. Trish decided we could rise to the challenge and after 3 minute showers and lightning-quick ready-getting we made it to our reservation only a few minutes late. The mai-tai for two that the Humuhumunukunukuapua'a served seemed to do a great deal of calming. The lovely sunset, rushing waterfall in the background, and 40,000 gallon fish filled salt water lagoon probably also influence our calmness.
Saturday was another pretty relaxed day for us. We spent some time by the pool, some time in our place, and sometime at the beach. We BBQ'd some Ono (a white fish) for dinner and had a fairly chill evening.
On Sunday we again went back to Hope Chapel, our friend's church. We really enjoy the worship and the pastor's quite funny. If we were ever to be in Kihei on a more extended time frame we could certainly make that our home. After that we grabbed our day stuff and headed up to Pia'a on Maui's North Shore. We decided to have breakfast at Charley's a famous eatery that serves one of the most massive buttermilk pancakes I've ever seen. Once we were thoroughly stuffed we went over to Hokipa Beach to watch the windsurfers for a little while. Their speed and skill is quite amazing. We didn't see any kite-boarders this time, which is good, since there wouldn't be any thing visual to tempt us into it. It'll have to wait until SouthEast Asia. Since the North Shore is so windy we decided to just head back over to Kihei to hit the beach, especially since it was about 1pm and we like to try to stay out of the sun during the sun's hottest rays. After chillin' for a bit we grabbed some beach chairs and hit the beach to partake in the locals regular weekend activity... sitting on the beach. For dinner we BBQ'd a couple teriyaki chicken breasts and enjoyed some beverages but then I ate too much and felt sick. Boo.
As for what's on store this week... who knows? But the weather forecast has been getting better each day, so far so good. We'll have to see if our last couple of days turn out nice or not.
We've taken it pretty easy but done a few specific things, I guess. Tuesday evening we went into the 'big' city of Kahului and did some shopping, picking up a few items needed for the condo and we got ourselves some inexpensive tennis rackets. Wednesday was pretty relaxed, don't think we really did anything specific other than our first tennis match.
Thursday was our first day sans-friends and we went out to the area I really like snorkeling at, Ahihi Bay, but this time we went past it into the Laparouse Bay lava fields that are now a nature reserve. We parked and then hiked about a half-mile down the road and then at 45 feet before the second to last telephone pole before the poles switch to the other side of the road we took a trail about a mile across the lava fields to a great little spot called 'fish bowl'. The 'fish bowl' was almost entirely protected from the ocean and had very little waves which made it great for Tricia especially. We saw a couple things we hadn't yet seen, like some pencil (sea) urchins, and a few crazy fish, names TBD.Friday was our big surfing day. There was a $10 savings per person if we took the lesson 30 minutes away in Lahaina. Since Lahaina happens to be quite close to Ka'anapali, another nice resort area where we had spent our last night on our previous trip, we thought we'd take it there and make a day-trip out of it. We packed out lunches and drove up there right after the market close. We started with some souvenir shopping at the Whaler's Village for gifts and such, and then we walked along the beach for a little snorkel at Black Rock, sans flippers which makes it quite challenging. After our snorkel we sat on the beach for a bit, at our sandwiches, and enjoyed the view with our toes in the sand. Before we knew it it was time to motor on over to our Surfing lesson.The surfing lesson was fun, our instructor Lucas was from Brazil and a real riot. Knowing that I had surfed a bit before he decided to make me go on the big waves, but his instruction helped a lot and he was able to point out what I was doing wrong, etc. Trish also did really well and it was a good intro to surfing. Our lesson seemed to start a bit late, maybe it was on island time, and potentially went a bit long as well. In light of that we didn't get back to our car until about 5:23pm and we had a reservation for dinner at 6:30pm.
Normally this wouldn't sound like a challenge, however we were approx. 45 minutes away from the condo, quite salty and sandy, and then another 10-15 minutes from our dinner reservation. Trish decided we could rise to the challenge and after 3 minute showers and lightning-quick ready-getting we made it to our reservation only a few minutes late. The mai-tai for two that the Humuhumunukunukuapua'a served seemed to do a great deal of calming. The lovely sunset, rushing waterfall in the background, and 40,000 gallon fish filled salt water lagoon probably also influence our calmness.Saturday was another pretty relaxed day for us. We spent some time by the pool, some time in our place, and sometime at the beach. We BBQ'd some Ono (a white fish) for dinner and had a fairly chill evening.
On Sunday we again went back to Hope Chapel, our friend's church. We really enjoy the worship and the pastor's quite funny. If we were ever to be in Kihei on a more extended time frame we could certainly make that our home. After that we grabbed our day stuff and headed up to Pia'a on Maui's North Shore. We decided to have breakfast at Charley's a famous eatery that serves one of the most massive buttermilk pancakes I've ever seen. Once we were thoroughly stuffed we went over to Hokipa Beach to watch the windsurfers for a little while. Their speed and skill is quite amazing. We didn't see any kite-boarders this time, which is good, since there wouldn't be any thing visual to tempt us into it. It'll have to wait until SouthEast Asia. Since the North Shore is so windy we decided to just head back over to Kihei to hit the beach, especially since it was about 1pm and we like to try to stay out of the sun during the sun's hottest rays. After chillin' for a bit we grabbed some beach chairs and hit the beach to partake in the locals regular weekend activity... sitting on the beach. For dinner we BBQ'd a couple teriyaki chicken breasts and enjoyed some beverages but then I ate too much and felt sick. Boo.
As for what's on store this week... who knows? But the weather forecast has been getting better each day, so far so good. We'll have to see if our last couple of days turn out nice or not.
7.4.07
Maui Waui
Okay, I really don't have time to say much at this point. We're having fun with our friends from home enjoying the company, water, beaches, etc. So in the meantime check out Tricia's Blog and I'll try to also update my Flickr page soon too. :)
23.3.07
Update 2: Munich, London, Customs, etc.
Tricia's put another update on her blog. Sounds like she had a pretty interesting time. Her blog is here.
21.3.07
Munich
Munich is definately a great city. As with many cities the public transportation is incredible. The systems in Europe really put most of the North American ones to shame. Vancouver's no exception in that area. So, when we arrived we jumped on the S-Bahn directly to the main station, Hauptbanhof (or something like that). The train was easy... the purchase of the tickets through the non-English speaking/communicating machine was nearly impossible. Thankfully, after far too long we found a desk manned by real people that spoke English. English speakers sure are demanding, eh?!
The character of older European cities is hard to imagine and fully understand and appreciate coming from North America. The picture included here is of the glochenspiel (sp?) above the Rathaus (city hall) in the Marienplatz (city center square). The part housing the tower and clock is only about 250 years old. The rest of the building is 400-500 years old! And that's just in the Marienplatz, there are many, many, many other very old, historically significant buildings scattered throughout most of the city. The other interesting contrast is the German affinity for ultra-modern design. The contrast is very interesting and I'll have to upload some more photos to my Flickr account when I have a chance.
But the architecture and history is only part of the story. The passion of the German's for all things German (and some not) is quite something. It's not really a stereotype that Germans love their beer, at least not regarding Barvarians. There's a beer for every occasion, different beers in different seasons, and countless micro-breweries. There's even beer that's especially for breakfast! Weis beer (wheat beer) is eatin' with white sausages and pretzels, but it's only served before noon so you have to make sure you're up early.
The passion Germans have for sport is quite something. Their passion really makes Canadians' hockey passion quite pathetic. I didn't get a chance to attend a football (soccer) game at Allienz Arena to get the full affect, but I did attend a Muenchen playoff hockey game and it was great! Nearly half the fans had the home-teams jerseys on and many other's had scarfs representing the home team. The chanting and constant noise was electrifying and yet there were only 2300 people in attendance at the Olympic Zentrum. Every time the home team scored a giant flag, bigger than the infamous Canadian flags that have been smuggled into Olympic hockey games in years past, was passed over the crowd as chanting and screaming abound. Of course there was beer and wine at the game, the wine was called bluwine, or something, and was a warm, mulled wine.
More to come...
15.3.07
London Town
Trish & I had a great time in London. It's been our first trip together to Europe and we've had a great time together. Our hotel is near Paddington Station near the Northern border of Hyde Park. We took the Heathrow Express into Paddington and then found our hotel.
After checking in we crashed for a bit to try to regain at least a smidgen of energy. Before long our little crash turned into a bit of a medium crash. We finally wrestled ourselves out of bed and into the town. I think we strolled toward Hyde Park and along Regent Street before eventually using the Tricia Navigation System, known as TNS, to get us to Liecester Square to check on cheap show tickets for the evening. Wanting to see the Lion King we had to continue on to the Lyceum theatre to get tickets. We managed to score the VERY last row. It was still great and I'd see it again in a heartbeat, though maybe I'd try for the second last row.
On our next day we again strolled through Hyde Park, enjoyed coffee in our duplex and then went on to Camden Town to visit its' markets. We had lots of fun exploring them and seeing a new area of London. That afternoon we tried to go to the London Museum, but due to an extended nap and poor scheduling on my part we didn't make it there in time. Quickly coming up with an alternative plan, Tricia used her TNS to get us to Oxford Circus and then into SOHO where we decided to find some dinner. We found a nice little place, Aperatifo, which was fine but nothing too special, especially the service.
Read more about our adventures @ The Boulevard to Paris.
Cheers.
After checking in we crashed for a bit to try to regain at least a smidgen of energy. Before long our little crash turned into a bit of a medium crash. We finally wrestled ourselves out of bed and into the town. I think we strolled toward Hyde Park and along Regent Street before eventually using the Tricia Navigation System, known as TNS, to get us to Liecester Square to check on cheap show tickets for the evening. Wanting to see the Lion King we had to continue on to the Lyceum theatre to get tickets. We managed to score the VERY last row. It was still great and I'd see it again in a heartbeat, though maybe I'd try for the second last row.
On our next day we again strolled through Hyde Park, enjoyed coffee in our duplex and then went on to Camden Town to visit its' markets. We had lots of fun exploring them and seeing a new area of London. That afternoon we tried to go to the London Museum, but due to an extended nap and poor scheduling on my part we didn't make it there in time. Quickly coming up with an alternative plan, Tricia used her TNS to get us to Oxford Circus and then into SOHO where we decided to find some dinner. We found a nice little place, Aperatifo, which was fine but nothing too special, especially the service.
Read more about our adventures @ The Boulevard to Paris.
Cheers.
21.12.06
World Travels
Ever wanted to have a great big map that charted your world travels? It's definately something I've always wanted as I really enjoy travelling and it's always nice to know where you've been, especially when charting where you're going to go next.
Well, wait no longer, you don't even need to go out and make a big purchase. You can just use this great little mapping tool I found on the ol' interweb.
Here's the places I've now been, all 33 of them. It looks like I need to do quite a bit more travelling, especially in Eastern Europe & Asia, South America, Africa, and the South Pacific.
So, where to next?
Well, wait no longer, you don't even need to go out and make a big purchase. You can just use this great little mapping tool I found on the ol' interweb.
So, where to next?
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