Koh Muk SunsetSunday, March 29, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Thailand
My welcome to Thailand was indeed a warm one, although it wasn't that way because of how well I was treated in customs or how friendly the cab drivers are but quite literally because it is the hottest, most humid climate I have ever experienced. Thailand is really close to the equator and very crowded and when you mix the two, the air becomes a force to be reckond with.
Bangkok is an interesting city of developmental dichotomy. One part of it is enshrined in tradition, and another, more recent aspect is that it is a big metropolis dying to be accepted. Buddhist monks stroll by tourists and sites of old palaces. However, there is major smog. The city doesn't seem to make sense, and unfortunately my senses feel as though it is really one big Chinatown ( those of you of you who have walked West of Bowery will know exactly what I mean). The Thailand islands are amazing though. Perfect white sand beaches and clear blue waters allow a most tranquile holiday to be had.
I was able to experience the beach communtiy of Krabi as well as the Phi Phi Islands and several other smaller islands within the chain. I was also able to make the journey to the "perfect" Maya Bay, made famous by the movie "The Beach" starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
Unfortunately, there were no waves to be had, and so on that note, I must move west, my friends, to the Maldives and the island atolls...
Bangkok is an interesting city of developmental dichotomy. One part of it is enshrined in tradition, and another, more recent aspect is that it is a big metropolis dying to be accepted. Buddhist monks stroll by tourists and sites of old palaces. However, there is major smog. The city doesn't seem to make sense, and unfortunately my senses feel as though it is really one big Chinatown ( those of you of you who have walked West of Bowery will know exactly what I mean). The Thailand islands are amazing though. Perfect white sand beaches and clear blue waters allow a most tranquile holiday to be had.
I was able to experience the beach communtiy of Krabi as well as the Phi Phi Islands and several other smaller islands within the chain. I was also able to make the journey to the "perfect" Maya Bay, made famous by the movie "The Beach" starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
Unfortunately, there were no waves to be had, and so on that note, I must move west, my friends, to the Maldives and the island atolls...
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Australia
Welcome to the land down under, where women glow and men plunder..When searching for a greeting I was plagued by the ultra obvious, G'day Mate, instead I opted for something you 80's music lovers would appreciate much more.
Anyway, my journey started off in Sydney. A trip wouldn't be complete without a pilgrimage to the Sydney Opera House, so I bit the frugal bullet and attended a performance of The Magic Flute. Outside, the house which architecturally has got to be one of the most recognizable buildings in the world, is so grand and magnificent. Once inside though it feels oddly unimpressive. In a way I appreciate its unpretentious minimalistic style, but it just doesn't seem to match the wildly pretentious and conceded outside. Rarely will a picture be taken of Sydney without the Sydney Opera House somewhere in the photo and yet the inside seems to want to just fit in. Maybe that was the idea behind it but I think I've just delve into the psyche of a theatre a bit much.....
My east coast trip also took me to the beach communities of Bondi, Surfer's Paradise and Coolangatta. Each one extremely different in style, attendees, and wave production. Choosing a favorite would be too difficult to determine being that they are all so brilliant and unique. In terms of just taking the waves into account though, Coolangatta and the Gold Coast is the finest stretch of beach in the world..
Australia was just so incredible. From wild parakeets and parrots around every corner to Didgeridoo virtuosos on every street, everything about the country and continent are simply sublime....
Next up is Thailand and her mystical islands...
Anyway, my journey started off in Sydney. A trip wouldn't be complete without a pilgrimage to the Sydney Opera House, so I bit the frugal bullet and attended a performance of The Magic Flute. Outside, the house which architecturally has got to be one of the most recognizable buildings in the world, is so grand and magnificent. Once inside though it feels oddly unimpressive. In a way I appreciate its unpretentious minimalistic style, but it just doesn't seem to match the wildly pretentious and conceded outside. Rarely will a picture be taken of Sydney without the Sydney Opera House somewhere in the photo and yet the inside seems to want to just fit in. Maybe that was the idea behind it but I think I've just delve into the psyche of a theatre a bit much.....
My east coast trip also took me to the beach communities of Bondi, Surfer's Paradise and Coolangatta. Each one extremely different in style, attendees, and wave production. Choosing a favorite would be too difficult to determine being that they are all so brilliant and unique. In terms of just taking the waves into account though, Coolangatta and the Gold Coast is the finest stretch of beach in the world..
Australia was just so incredible. From wild parakeets and parrots around every corner to Didgeridoo virtuosos on every street, everything about the country and continent are simply sublime....
Next up is Thailand and her mystical islands...
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
New Zealand
As I move west from the Cook Islands to Auckland, New Zealand, I am struck in awe as the current day has seemed to vanish. Crossing the international date line leaves me in the very first spot for starting the day on earth. It's really fascinating that two places which are fairly close together on the global map such as the Cook Islands and New Zealand, are worlds apart on the celestial map. It also makes calling home a little more tricky as I am now 18 hours ahead of EST...
Auckland is a great city to start my journey. I start out at the focal point for the city's sky line, the Sky Tower, which is the tallest building in the southern hemisphere. From there I get a taste of all the sites and local flavor which make the city so grand.
Next, I move on to the sleepy surf community of Raglan. It is everything I imagined it would be. The town itself is well located amidst lush farmland and mountains, which meet to reveal perfect point breaks and fabulous black sand beaches.
It's a little unfortunate that I'm attempting to jam pack so many places in so little time as a country like New Zealand has so much to offer. One could easily spend months navigating the land in its entirety...
On that note it is time to move on to the land of Oz...
Auckland is a great city to start my journey. I start out at the focal point for the city's sky line, the Sky Tower, which is the tallest building in the southern hemisphere. From there I get a taste of all the sites and local flavor which make the city so grand.
Next, I move on to the sleepy surf community of Raglan. It is everything I imagined it would be. The town itself is well located amidst lush farmland and mountains, which meet to reveal perfect point breaks and fabulous black sand beaches.
It's a little unfortunate that I'm attempting to jam pack so many places in so little time as a country like New Zealand has so much to offer. One could easily spend months navigating the land in its entirety...
On that note it is time to move on to the land of Oz...
Friday, March 6, 2009
Cook Islands
From the moment I stepped off the propeller driven plane (another first for me), I noticed something very grand about the Cook Islanders. Although unofficially the last place on Earth to start the day, they are not intent on catching up to the rest of the world. Island time isn't so much measured in minutes and hours as in sunrises, sunsets and every moment in between. The island of Rarotonga is absolutely amazing. The largest and "most" populated of the Cook Islands, it holds a special tie to New Zealand, which allows the most delightful and completely English speaking population to be found. Also, unlike Tahiti, the island is not overrun by traffic and noise pollution. I think I love the island more than anything else I've experienced on the trip thus far. Another cool aspect of the island is the fact that, with the exception of New Zealand, it is as far as you can get from the states. I experienced amazing white sand beaches and enjoyed snorkeling amongst a million exotic fish and reef life. All the waves around the island break over razor sharp reef which form perfectly tapered waves, with major error repercussions. I'm not sure my travel insurance plan covers getting eaten alive by reef so I opt out of surfing....
Next stop for me is the exotic land of the kiwi.....
Next stop for me is the exotic land of the kiwi.....
Monday, March 2, 2009
Tahiti
Well, we certainly are not in Kansas any more. Being in Tahiti, which is part of French Polynesia, I found myself able to test out my high school french skills. Now, I can pronounce parlez vous anglais with the best of them. The country is really beautiful, rustic and oh so tropical. The heat and humidity hit me, as for the first time on this trip I have arrived in a land which is in summer. This is also my first time in the southern hemisphere which of course I validated upon my first trip to the restroom. By the way the toilets do in fact flow counterclockwise ...
Getting to the place I'll be staying at offers such a great tour of the island. I'm staying at a pension in Teahupoo which requires about an hours drive and a 15 minute boat ride. Of course, I don't mind this because I know full well that very rarely is paradise close to the airport. The pension is actually a family's home which I find most impressive. I receive a weird glance when they ask what I would like for dinner, for which I reply "anything but meat" . I guess they're no vegetarians in Tahiti. The place is great with the exception of the mosquito population.
I'm off to the Cook Islands next which I'm told is like Tahiti except they speak english, a relief washes over me in an awesome wave.....
Getting to the place I'll be staying at offers such a great tour of the island. I'm staying at a pension in Teahupoo which requires about an hours drive and a 15 minute boat ride. Of course, I don't mind this because I know full well that very rarely is paradise close to the airport. The pension is actually a family's home which I find most impressive. I receive a weird glance when they ask what I would like for dinner, for which I reply "anything but meat" . I guess they're no vegetarians in Tahiti. The place is great with the exception of the mosquito population.
I'm off to the Cook Islands next which I'm told is like Tahiti except they speak english, a relief washes over me in an awesome wave.....
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