KRANK'S WORLD TOUR 2005-2006

The Thank You List

2006-07-03T06:52:00.000-07:00

KRANK’S WORLD TOUR 2005-2006
Featuring (in order of appearance):

Alex & Dan, Herly, Don, Mom & Dad, Sis, Mam’ Maynard, Christine, Olive & Sophie, Philippe & Liz, The People of Gare du Nord, Charat-San, Anoushka, Reine-Claude, Saori, Charles, Babe & Ceals, The Kennedys, the Weights, Tom & Si, Ronald, Chris-the-butterfly-Man, Darryl, Bronwyn, Jana, Jus & Andrea, Simon, Andy, Nobru & Moeata, the Coulons, Rodolphe & Christelle, Peter & Malcolm, Laura & Shar, Steve, Dean & Ray, Simon & Lynn, Marc, Tracey, Claire, Emma & Meghan, Nigel & Yumi, the Smiths, Marcelo, David, Liz, AJ, Daka, Stephen, Jess, Tony, Ivana & Carlos, Kelsen, Toby, Andy, Neil, Zack, the Beech Family, Veronica, Philiz, Christine, Joe, Mom & Dad & Sis, and last but not least: the Coca-Cola Company… If for some reason, I forgot you, add your name here: _________________________________________________ THANK YOU.

Full Circle: The End

2006-06-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's it this time! I spent 3 days in Paris hanging out with a bunch of friends: philiz, my cousin and Joe (who scored an awesome apartment in Montparnasse: with a pool on the 29th floor!) I was gonna go back to the Gare du Nord to see if I could lose something but I forgot... I had a great time in Paris; great weather, good food, good wine, good fun. The last night, Joe, Isabelle, and I went out and suddenly all Hell broke loose in the streets: people were yelling, beeping their horn, standing or jumping on cars, one guy even mooned us... I thought it was another riot! Nope, it was just the soccer craze, France had just won that night's game... It's always good to see how raffin�s your fellow citizens could be sometimes... Anyhoo, I jumped on the TGV the next day and got to Toulouse 5 hours and 11 minutes later. My parents picked me up and we were back in Castres at the end of the day. Now what am I gonna do??

London Calling

2006-06-25T03:11:00.000-07:00

What can I say? I love London... It's been short but intense. It always is with Veronica: she signed me up for a Yoga class the first day then took me on a bike trip through the streets of London the next day (I survived) and tons more... Fantastic! I'm just about to catch my plane to Paris where I'll be for another 3 days before going back home for good... Catch you guys later.

Cymru

2006-06-16T04:53:00.000-07:00

All right! Wales is awesome. The weather is gorgeous still. Si and I went places ( Swansea, Cardiff, Caerleon, Gower...) We checked out Roman Remains, some Castles and we climbed Worm's Head. Yey! Lots of sheeps. Welsh beer good, Welsh pollen bad. I've just caught up with your comments you guys... Hee hee...

Monsoon Be-Gone

2006-06-12T03:01:00.000-07:00

Dydd Da! After the torrential rain of Guangzhou and Hong Kong (and 12 hours on a plane...), here I am in sunny Wales... I kid you not. I'll be hanging out in Newport, South Wales, with my friend Simon and his family for a little week before returning to London. I told you it wasn't over... It should though 'cuz I've just found out that I am officially broke. Time to try my luck with my non-existent guitar skills and go busking somewhere. With a little bit of chance, people will give me change so that I stop playing and trying to sing... In the meantime, please send your generous contribution to www.KrankBrokenFund.com (tax-deductible) God Bless you.

Countdown

2006-06-05T23:16:00.000-07:00

MIA again... Recap: Lhasa and the Nam-Tso Lake for about a week (splendid) then we decided to go to Chengdu in the Sichuan Province for a couple of days. We climbed Emei Shan, a Middle Kingdom's Buddhist Mountain dotted with monasteries and temples... We actually stayed in a monasteries called Venerable Trees Terrace (1120 meters). I was hoping to wake up to Monks' chants but it didn't happen; just the birds and the sun piercing through the mountains. You can't have it all. I loved itWe had to climb back down (and dodge the fierce monkeys) the next day and rush to Chengdu Airport. I got back to Guangzhou a couple of days ago and I'm chilling with Ivana and Carlos for a little while. I'll have to go back to Hong Kong eventually to catch my flight to London. It's over but it's not over... Stay tuned!

Tashi Delek!

2006-05-27T05:53:00.000-07:00

Voir Lhasa et mourir... What can I say? A dream come true. I'm staring in awe at the Potala Palace everyday and I still can't believe it... The weather is gorgeous, the altitude of 3700 meters did not affect us as we thought it would (although I find myself short of breath here and there...) We visited the Potala and the Jokhang Temple so far (and we wandered around all the little streets). We skipped the Norbulingka since everybody agrees to say it's a rip-off... The food is fantastic, the people are friendly and have a great sense of humor I find. I need permits left and right to travel within Tibet but I can go to Nam-Tso Lake without one tomorrow... We'll see what I can do later. Now, if you'll excuse me, the Potala is waiting.

One Step Closer...

2006-05-23T07:10:00.000-07:00

... To the Roof of the World! We'll be in Lhasa tomorrow!!!! I am Jack's Uncontrollable State of Bliss... Let me recap a bit though: Jess and I left Kunming to go to Lijiang (Northern Yunnan). After the "hard seat" train, we decided to kick it up a notch with the "sleeper bus..." Picture a regular coach with bunk beds instead of seats; it's jam-packed, there's even less space to walk in the aisles, no room to put your bags, and you can imagine the sweet odor of male feet in the air... Add the ubiquitous second-hand smoking and the de rigueur clearing-the-throat-spitting-on-the-floor pattern for a complete local touch. To top it all off, an intoxicated gentleman regurgitated his whole dinner on the floor, left it there, proceeded to fall asleep and snored like there was no tomorrow. OK, that was the ultimate Chinese travel experience (the "hard seat" train is a joke...) Anyhoo, Lijiang was a blast: it is a cute little town nestled in the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain area. It's all tiny streets with cobblestones, traditional old buildings, and little rivers running through it. The town got destroyed by an earthquake in 1996 but the Chinese Government poured so much money in its reconstruction that the UNESCO gave it the World Heritage Label. Very picturesque place even though a little too touristy... We climbed the Jade Dragon Snow Moutain in fact. We got to its highest point: something like 4680 meters... The lack of oxygen is such already that you walk in a slow motion and you have to take a break every 5 minutes to catch your breath. A good preparation for Tibet. It was snowing at some point so you can imagine how cold it was in comparison to the Kunming's 30 degrees Celsius. We didn't miss the opportunity to slide in the snow though... All right Folks, I'm off to Heaven. Peace out.

Jeez, I Did It Again!

2006-05-16T00:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, I taught again! I can't help it... I'm currently couchsurfing wwith my friend Neil in Kunming; he's teaching English at the University so he asked me to class today for a little improvised skit: I showed up to class as if I was their new teacher and started speaking french and writing stuff onm the board. The kids freaked out until Neil showed up. It was hilarious. I then introduced myself and we had them work in groups before having a Q/A session. It was fun. I think I like the idea of being an itinerant teacher (and no lesson plans or grades or any crap like that...) Anyhoo, I'm hanging out with Neil, meeting the locals, still enjoying the (spicy) food and having fun. I should have gotten out of here last week already but this place is awesome. I'm also waiting for Jessica to get here (tomorrow) and we'll head North Yunnan before going to Lhasa (Westerners need a permit to go Tibet...) I can't wait to get there! Hey, I'm gonna try to attach a picture here! Fingers crossed...

Yunnan!

2006-05-11T18:20:00.000-07:00

I've just got to Kunming in the Yunnan Province (Southwest). It's just a big city but it's still differently amazing. I can't wait to get to Dali and lijiang and cover the countryside 'cuz Yunnan is said to be the most alluring destination in China. Kunming is quite a laid-back city. The elevation here is already 1890m... The good thing is that it's hot (30 degres C yesterday) but not humid at all like in Guangxi. I'm couchsurfing with a really cool Canadian dude called Neil. We're hanging out, he's taking me to local restaurants and bars where you're not likely to find the Westies. I'm trying the beautiful local food and the local beer... I think it's even cheaper here than in the South. It's still a challenge to get around: I get on buses, I have no clue where I am, I just show my destination which some good samaritan wrote in Chinese for me and eventually I get there... People still stare; some smile; some say hello... I saw a bunch of traditional bands performing in a park yesterday. Singers take turn and people in traditional costume (or not) dance. It's great. I'm still amazed at those little street markets and those cyclists carrying oversized loads (did I tell you I saw a dude on a pick-up bike carrying a mattress and a spring box the other day?) The streets offer a constant spectacle of everyday life: I saw someone brush his teeth in public, somebody else was clipping his toenails... Oh and yeah: women do spit too... Mm'K.

Guangxi Province

2006-05-09T05:20:00.000-07:00

Yangshuo: awesome. Guilin: very cool. I'm off to Kunming in the Yunnan Povince tomorrow. Gotta runnnn...

More Single-Serving Friends!

2006-05-05T21:56:00.000-07:00

You guys, the train ride turned out to be an absolute blast. Never a dull moment... What they called a "hard seat" isn't bad actually. It gets uncomfortable after 6 hours of sitting straight but it's actually kinda soft. Of course, someone was sitting in my seat when I got there. The thing is, if there's no seat available anymore, you can get a cheap ticket and stand... So there were people standing all over the place dodging food and drink trays, bracelets vendors, map/newspaper vendors, socks and crappy toy vendors, cops, you name it. Then, you watch people eat whatever and everything else goes down to the floor: sunflower seed shells, apple core, bottles, paper, wrappers... Then of course, they spit on the floor too (they have the decency to wipe it off with their shoe though...) What a trip. And then out of the blue, one young student came up to me and chatted, then another guy, then everybody else around was looking at me like I was the new attraction (what's whitey doing on a hard seat train?!) Another nice guy who spoke good English said he would tell me when we had to get off (he was going to Guilin too). Yes, because it is not easy to know where you are: the train stops in the middle of nowhere, the light goes off for 5 seconds, it stops for about 15 minutes in each station and you can't see any sign ou there (nor could you read it anyway) and it's not like they're gonna announce it... Anyhoo, that dude took care of me, not only to get off but he and his girlfriend walked me all the way to the YHA... Nice! Once in Guilin, I hung out with other backpackers and we went on a sight-seeing mission. Lots of parks, lakes, peaks, huge pagodas and temples within walking distance. The weather's not too good but it's allright. And last night, as I was aimlesslly walkind down some street, I got accosted by a young fellow. No, he's not a cop. He's a primary school teacher! He decided he was gonna be my guide-on-the-spot and he told me everything that I should see in Guilin, starting with a traditional Chinese show called "the Dragon's Nationality" in which Chinese minorities were represented through songs, dances, acrobatics and so on. He got me a ticket and said he would meeet me at the end of the show (he had seen it the night before). It was a mind-blowing experience. My jaw is still on the floor... absolutely spectacular. I can't describe it (and I didn't take pix 'cuz it's forbidden:( ) After the show, we went to a traditional restaurant in a very typical street; then, we went to a Tea House where I got to try 3 different teas: some herbal tea, dragon tea, and pu'er tea (which is stored for years - the more you leave it to age the better. It's like wine and cheddar). Awesome. Then, guess what: Guilin is the Chinese capital of foot massage (or so Andy said...) So we went for a foot massage; it lasts over an hour. Same for a whole massage that Andy talked me into... We left the place at 1:00am and Andy gave me a little tour of Guilin by night on his scooter before dropping me off at the YHA... I slept like a baby that night. I am Jack's Total Bliss.

Police Story

2006-05-02T22:45:00.000-07:00

Still struggling with the Mandarin language (I'm getting few words right I guess 'cuz people understood me when I asked for a phone card...) It's such a hard language because of the different tones... Anyway, I made a single-serving friend yesterday: A cop! He first accosted me to help me with directions, then he wanted to speak French (he's currently learning it). So we hung out when his shift was over. He helped me get a train ticket to Guilin, a phone card (yes, I'm a little obsessed with those...) and bought me a drink. I taught him a little bit of French, he taught me a little bit of Mandarin (the sounds are crazy!) Then he had to go back to work; he left me his 3 phone numbers...

Other than that, it's just pure hallucination to walk down the streets of Guangzhou. There are street vendors everywhere on sidewalks selling Allah knows what, and yes they do spit everywhere... You'd think they are used to seeing Westerners by now (especially in Guangzhou with its annual international business fair - which was happening when I got there), but I can tell you: everybody's staring at me! It's weird.

So I'm off to Guilin tonight. I'll be travelling in the "Sleeper," the night train. Like I said, it's the Golden Week (Mayday Holiday) so everyone's travelling... It's gonna be jam-packed and all I could get was a"hard seat..." Prepare to embrace Pain.

WOW!

2006-04-30T02:13:00.000-07:00

That's it: I crossed the border. I've been in mainland China for the past 3
days and I'm totally blown away. It's a different planet. I don't know where
to start. IT ROCKS!!! Guangzhou is the 3rd biggest Chinese city and it's not
supposed to be exciting but man, it's just amazing. I can't wait to get to
go inland... I'm kinda stuck right now 'cuz it's Mayday and it's a huge
thing here; it's a one-week national holiday: everybody travel to go home so
it's apparently impossible to catch any train, bus or plane. I'll take off
on the 2nd or 3rd I when it slowns down a bit. Nothing worked when I got
here: couldn't find any ATM or payphone in the train station. When I finally
found an ATM somewhere else, it didn't work. Same for the payphone: not
coin-operated and my phonecard wouldn't work... Aaaarrrgh! I was saved by
those random people on the street who have a couple of phones on a table for
you to use. I called my friend Ivana who dictated him her address; he wrote
it in on a piece of paper (remember it's chinese characters...) When I
showed it to taxi cabs later, none of the 10 drivers I asked in a row would
take me! Double aaarrrgh!! Luckily, some dude in uniform was nearby and told
me to get a cab. I explained the situation and he smiled; he got me in a cab
in no time. Sweet. But wait, it's not over; the driver is trying to tell me
something (in chinese of course) while he's driving like a maniac. He wanted
to drop me at some intersection. No way! After a million gestures, I
understood that it was a one way street and that it was gonna be a big loop
to get there... Anyway, he resumed his insane driving, asked for directions,
and stopped me in front of Ivana's apartment complex. Phew! Got in the
complex, ask the security guy who gestured to the left and back (I think)
and I proceeded to a building (miraculously, among the chinese character on
my piece of paper there's a number 25 (I assumed it was the apt #). Bingo!
The only thing is that I was in the wrong building... A dude who spoke
english (Allelujah!) redirected me. 2 minutes later, I was safe, sound and
pooped in Carlos and Ivana's apartment. It's so good to see them again.
They're awesome. We hung out for a couple of days before they flew to
Vietnam. I went all over the place, exploring Guangzhou, getting lost and
going to some very dodgy places but it's just amazing. It's hard to
describe, there's stuff going on everywhere, it's overwhelming. I love it!

Hong Freakin' Kong!

2006-04-24T21:07:00.000-07:00

Yey! Hong Kong rocks, you guys. I didn't like it at first but it's totally wild. I must be staying in the seediest hostel in the seediest building in the seediest part of town but that's what makes it unique and it's $8 a night; you can't go wrong... I've been meeting cool people non-stop (locals and internationals), going places, going out, taking Tea classes, I'm thinking about taking a Tai Chi class tomorrow morning (it's all free stuff!) There's tons to see: crazy outdoor markets (flower market, bird market, flea market...), Buddhist temples, little islands with traditional fishing villages and people living on makeshift boats... It's still Spring here but it's brutally hot and humid (think Amherst in August and double the humidity rate). Fun Fun Fun!!! I wasn't gonna stay long here but since I'm having such a blast, why rush? I have to wait for my Chinese visa anyway. I think I'll head to mainland China Thursday or Friday. First stop in China will be Ghangzhou (just North of HK) then I'm thinking about going through Yunnan and work my way up to Tibet... We'll see how it goes. Comrades! Take May Day off, don't forget.

An Awful Lot Of Sand...

2006-04-18T03:36:00.000-07:00

... Between Your Toes, and your teeth... And in your ears, your eyes, and
your underwear... Well everywhere: I went back to the mad sand dunes!!! But
this time with a proper sand board. Steep sand hills to climb and toboggan
down like a maniac! Some Aussie dude talked me into going to the big-ass
dunes where nobody was... I am Jack's Undescribable Elation. Anyhow, it all
took place in Cape Reinga, the most northern point in the North Island
(there's a lighthouse up there). Cape Reinga is the dramatic meeting place
of the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean. In Maori belief, it also is the
departing place of the Spirits of the recently deceased. I know this because
Tyler knows this. After Cape Rienga, we hopped back on the bus and drive
down the Nine Mile Beach... Magic! It poured rian the whole day but who
cares. Best fun ever! Back to Keri Keri tomorrow for tramping and then
Auckland Thursday and then I'm gone!

Sun-A-Plenty

2006-04-13T16:15:00.000-07:00

Yep. I left the Bay of Plenty the other day to chill out in the Coromandel. Kiwis would tell you that there is "fuck all" up there... Very remote and very few people living there, which translates into "beautifully pristine." Gorgeous Bays and beaches and whatnot. I went to "Hot Pool Beach": you dig a little hole in the sand, just a couple of feet from the sea, and if the water in the single-serving pool you made yourself is not boiling hot, you can lie in there and enjoy a personal hot bath... I kid you not. Then you can go wrestle with the cold waves for a refreshing punch in the face. Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh! I'm off to the Northland today: the Northern tip of NZ called Bay of Islands. That should be as warm, remote and fun as the Coromandel. Maybe even more... That would be the apotheosis for the end is near: I'm off to Hong-Kong in less than a week... In the meantime, go to your cave and trust your power animal.

Sulfur City

2006-04-07T00:31:00.000-07:00

Rotorua is absolutely great. It feels like walking on a big volcano here: there's steam coming out of everywhere in the park and sulfur's in the air almost 24/7. I went to a Maori village (not a real one - a local Plymouth Plantation if you will) and it was fabulous. I spent half a day there, the weather was gorgeous. I got to see geysers, bubbling mud pools, thermal springs, a "cooking pool" (a crater with boiling water in it), bubbling lakes, etc... I also got to see Maori traditions: wood carving, weaving, welcoming ceremonies, performances (songs, dances, hakas...) The whole deal. Awesome. Then I went in the woods for an afternoon hike; I caught the sunset then went back to town for a glorious night. I had beer coupons my hosts gave me (something wrong with booking so they made me move and compensated me with free beer...) I met that dude at the pub who was a bass player. So we chatted and drink a lot of beer... I didn't spend a single dollar though (between my coupons and that guy who kept paying his rounds...) Jeez, I even danced again... Something's definitely wrong with me.

Bays Galore

2006-04-03T21:48:00.000-07:00

Yes! After the arty deco-y Napier in Hawke's Bay, I couchsurfed with a
friend of a friend in Gisborne in Poverty Bay... When Cook (you can't escape
the guy, can you?) got there for fresh water and food supply, the Maori told
him to go get stuffed hence the name... Anyhoo, party time in Gisborne with
my new friend Keryn; there's not much to do there really so it was cool to
drink, drink more and go to a local show. I also saw this insane Aussie band
called The Goons od Doom. They were hilarious. I also saw two cops run after
a kid in the street. That was fun... On to the next Bay: Bay of Plenty
(guess what Cook found there?) The town is called Whakatane (prononce:
fah-ka-tah-nee) Absolutely great: perfect weather; I did a 16km hike around
the Bay and scenic reserves yesterday; and today I got on another roller
coaster of a ferry ride to get to White Island to check out one of the few
NZ's marine volcanoes. It was fantastic to see (and hear) steam coming out
of nowhere, streams of sulphuric water (it's almost boiling hot!) It kinda
feels like you're on the moon or something and since we're talking about
that, I can tell you that White Island sulphur smells like some exotic moldy
cheese to a french nose... Sweet! Off to Rotorua tomorrow. Catch ya'll
later.

Contract Fullfilled

2006-03-30T23:01:00.000-08:00

Today is the last day of March and it is my 180th day on the road. That's
the exact amount of days I work in a year... How cool is that? Even though
I'm contractually done, I'll do overtime (just 'cuz I'm studious and
dedicated). Anyhoo, I'm in Napier, the Art-Deco capital of NZ. It's really
nice here. I left the Fall to go back to the Spring. I took a long walk on
the beach this morning, it was beautiful... Now, if you'll excuse me, I have
to soak up more sun... Ciao.

Home And Hosed

2006-03-27T14:29:00.000-08:00

That's Kiwi English for "safe and sound..." I'm still in Wellington having a good time; not doing much: still going to the movies, going to shows, drinking gallons of tea and playing a lot of guitar. Laura's been teaching me a bunch of songs; I'm struggling but you'll be happy to know that the Martin you guys got me is being used daily... OK, I gotta go book a bus ticket... Love.

Newlands High

2006-03-22T18:08:00.000-08:00

You guys, I went to work yesterday! I kid you not. My friend Laura is a"relief" teacher (Kiwi for substitute teacher) and I went to her school for the whole day. I was supposed to observe and maybe speak French to the kids but I ended up teaching (more or less) 3 classes and I attended 2 other classes where I gave a little presentation and stuff. It felt pretty odd to be in front of a class again but it was fun. I found the school to be pretty similar to an American school in the way it fonctions: morning announcements, sports, kids/teachers rapport, pedagogy, etc... The only striking thing is that kids all wear a school uniform. It's pretty freaky really... I had a great day, I'm glad I went there. I was pooped when I got home though: I had forgotten how exhausting it could be to be around teenagers for an entire day. The rain is back big time... I'm heading North next week: back to the beach. Yea.

Full Cirlce - part II

2006-03-20T16:29:00.000-08:00

Back in Wellington... I got back there on St Patrick's Day. I'm staying with my friend Laura who's sharing an awesome house with her housemate Shar (+ 2 cats and a dog). We've been going around Lyall Bay, Newtown and all the cool spots in the capital. There's a lot of stuff going on right now: notably the Art Festival; I went to a World Music show at the Te Papa Museum , a "Concert in the Park" featuring a great local band called Fat Freddy Drop. Laura is performing later this week, as well as a friend of hers and Bouncing Souls will play the next day... Speaking of music, I saw "Walk the Line" yesterday: awesome movie (I'm assuming you guys saw it months ago... It just came out here). Wellington has a great caf� culture so we went to a bunch of really cool places (I became a total tea addict after traveling in the South Island with Laura by the way...) We also went for a jog on the beach and we even played tennis (my whole body is sore after six months of nothing)! The weather's pretty good these days: 20-25 degrees C I guess... Cool Bananas!

Chuffed

2006-03-16T13:00:00.000-08:00

Slowly working and couchsurfing my way up North... Got to Nelson a couple of days ago. I was staying with a lovely couple; guest room, fresh linen and towels, beautiful food, keys, maps, tips... Better than a hotel. The weather is gorgeous up here. I walked around town and went on a little hike to get to the "Center of New Zealand," then proceeded to the beach... Sweet!!

Hoki Poki

2006-03-13T16:20:00.000-08:00

Hoki is fun! The weather's been gorgeous the whole time and the town was absolutely wild due to the mass of young tourists who show up for the annual "Wildfood Festival." Apparently, you can eat crazy s**t like worms, bugs and wild animals. A vegetarian treat! Anyhoo, I came to Hokitika to visit my friend Dean who played a couple of gigs with his friends over the week end. It was really cool. What's not cool is that some punk stole my AK Press hoodie: the only warm piece of clothing that I had (and nights are cold around here.) I didn't freeze my ass off when going home though: a nice barmaid told me to grab a coat that had been there forever. I did grab it: it's a pretty neat leather jacket that totally fits me. Score! No woofing for me in the area so I'm gonna go back to Wellington soon.

Full Circle - Part I

2006-03-10T19:25:00.000-08:00

All right, all right... Ended the Bottom Bus trip in Dunedin and made it to Christchurch the next day. I unofficially couchsurfed with family members of the cool people I stayed with in Dunedin the first time. Guest room and a car, mind you... Choice! Christchurch is actually pretty cool, I enjoyed it. I also went to Akaroa, which was a French settlement at first but as they left to get more people from Francia, the sneaky British came around and flew the Union Jack, beating the French to it by 4 days apparently... But the funny thing is that a lot of streets and establishments are still in French, like "Rue Jolie," and "Le cafe Cirque," and "C'est la vie!," and "Han Han Han." You don't care, do you? Anyhoo, I got back to Hokitika today. I was there about a month ago with Laura and I'm gonna stay with my friend Dean, who - did I tell you guys? - I share the same birthday with (same day and same year! How crazy is that?) Ok, you don't care either... You probably wouldn't care if I told you that I saw Hector's dolphins, more yellow-eyed penguins, more fur seals, and more spectacular bays in Akaroa? I know, It bores me too... The plan is to woof around here for maybe 2 weeks before going up North. BTW, I changed my plane ticket: I'm staying in NZ until the 20th of April. Bloody choice!

Lord Of The Wrings

2006-03-06T01:02:00.000-08:00

OK, it's been a while since I got in front of a computer (there was no internet access at the hostel in Curio Bay, and the next morning no water and no electricity for about an hour - back to the cave! I loved it...) Let's see, here's a recap: went through the Catlins and saw dolphins (way far in the distance...), ONE yellow-eyed penguins (quite far in the distance - endangered species), and a bunch of sea lions (extremely close) that were catching rays in the rain and arguing in a very nonchalant way. "Choice!" As they say here. Then I experienced chickpea-sized hail in Curio Bay before embarking on a ferry ride from Hell en route to Stewart Island (a full-on roller-coaster ride in fact - I managed not to get sick like a couple of people barfing in those convenient single-serving white bags...) Gallons of rain in Stewart Island but I had my funny-looking poncho with me and I hiked no matter what. Then off to the beautiful Te Anau Lake surrounded by awesome mountains. The Milford Sound Cruise was next, in the middle of the Fiordland. Spectacular. I also got to go to an underwater observatory (how cool is that?) The "Bottom Bus' then took us through the "Lord of the Rings" area blah blah. I'm in Queenstown right now. I "tramped" (kiwi for hiking) like a maniac today. Back on the bus tomorrow to see more breath-taking landscape I predict. I'll be in Dunedin again tomorrow night and I gotta be in Christchurch the next day. Cheers!

One Step Closer To Antarctica

2006-02-27T18:34:00.000-08:00

Jeez! It's still Summer and still beautiful but there's a little breeze that
reminds me that I'm closer to the South Pole than I thought (and than I'll
probably ever be...) I'm still in Dunedin, which is an awesome city. I'm
gonna embark on a little Southern loop tomorrow that will take me to the
Catlins ("NZ's best-kept secret") where I'm gonna be chillin' with the
Penguins. Then I'll go to Steward Island through Invercargill, then up to Te
Anau, on to the Milford Sound Cruise, Queenstown and back to Dunedin. Then
I'll head for Christchurch. No schedule, no rush (my bus ticket is valid for
an entire year...)
BTY, My sweet hosts took me to their "Crib" [Kiwi English for "Cottage"] on
Sunday and we got to see tons of seals on the beach. At some point we were 5
meters away from them, I kid you not. Awesome!

Chilly South

2006-02-23T03:37:00.000-08:00

I don't know enough adjectives to describe exactly what I'm seeing here on a daily basis, you guys. I have to say that NZ ranks #1 so far. Absolutely spectacular landscape. You got it all: pristine beaches, breathtaking bays, magnificent mountains, awesome coastal walks, translucent lakes [and icing on a cake], turquoise blue rivers... And yes, of course, tons of cute sheeps. The weather was gorgeous in the Abel Tasman National Park where we camped, and hiked (and swam too). It was a little more rainy on the West Coast but we saw great places (the Hokitika Gorge among other things). We're now more South in a little historical town called Arrowtown (very nice). It snowed on the mountain tops last night so it was a little chilly this morning but we had a great day hiking and stuff. We'll be in Dunedin tomorrow. The road to get there is apparently fantastic with tons of good things to do... Yey!

Kiwiland

2006-02-13T01:35:00.000-08:00

Everything's been working as planned: I got picked up at the airport by a fellow couchsurfer with whom I get to stay during my 3 days in Auckland). Sweet! Auckland at a glance: 1.3 million people [New Zealand: 4.1 million]; a nice cosmopolitan city but nothing super exciting (yet). A good cultural shock though after 5 weeks in francophone New Caledonia. I can't speak English anymore... The weather is quite nice (20-25�C). There are some cool islands and beaches around Auckland but I won't have time to do all that. The best is yet to come in the South Island anyway. I'm gonna jump on the night bus Tuesday to get to Wellington. I'm gonna stay with my friend Laura who's gonna be my personal guide in the South Island for 2 weeks. That's the plan so far. Inch'Allah.

NC2NZ

2006-02-09T17:11:00.000-08:00

It's my last day here in New Caledonia. The Sun has finally come out after a week of rain... I guess I'll go to the beach this afternoon. I'll be in Auckland tomorrow night, couchsurfing again. I'm getting picked up at the airport too... Couchsurfing rules!

AWOL

2006-02-04T23:49:00.000-08:00

I'm back form my peregrinations in the NC bush... I rented a car and pretty much went around the whole island. I drove on the tiniest roads (only one car can go...), scariest dirt roads and I camped... In the rain. But I saw magnificent things. The East Coast is gorgeous, more tropical then the West. I also went inland and could very well see why James Cook called it New Caledonia (OK Folks, where's the land formerly known as "Caledonia," and who the hell was James Cook? [Come on Chris, go google!]) Anyhoo, I only have one week left in Nouméa before going to New Zealand (seriously: where's the land formerly known as "Zealand?")I want more Bougna, more kava, and more... Sun. Cheers.

MIA

2006-01-26T21:56:00.000-08:00

Sorry guys, I was incommunicado for so long... I've switched to the real South Pacific Mode... I've been looking for a cheap internet café for the past two weeks: it doesn't exist. Life is pretty expensive here in New Caledonia in general. Great place though. I'm staying with my friend Bruno and his girlfriend Moeata. I'm exploring Noumea (it's kinda like France in the Tropics: same brands, same stores, same street names, same cars, etc... But with coconut trees, lagoons, and cool people (the Natives, not the Froggies...) I already went to the Isle of Pines a.k.a. the "Jewel of the Pacific." I can't say really, it was raining the whole time... Gorgeous still of course. My tropical fruit diet is still going strong: pineapple, papaya, mango, poingo bananas... I tried the traditional Kanak dish called the "Bougna." It's made of yam, sweet potatoes, taro, poingo bananas and coconut milk (add chicken for the meatatarians...) Delicious. My friend Bruno also introduced me to a traditional drink called "kava." It's some root from Vanuatu that they grind, soak in water and press many times. You have to go to a special café called a "Nakamal" to drink it. It's a social thing. It's really cool. Kava hasn't the most pleasant taste really but it has "soothing and calming" properties they say... You know.
I'm off to Bourail further North this week end, I'll be going around the "Grande Terre" next week and then possibly to the Lifou Island after that; so no blog for a while. Sorry. You have to shovel snow anyway...

Day 100!

2006-01-12T05:47:00.000-08:00

That's right, it's January 10th and it's my 100th day on the road... I survived the sharks, the crocs, the redbacks, the stingers, and the Aussie sun. I'm at the airport waiting for my flight; I'll be in Noumea in a couple of hours. I'm gonna have to switch back to French (or some sort of derivative)... I'm ready for another culture shock... And more tropical sun. Ah ah!

Full Circle

2006-01-08T18:17:00.000-08:00

Back to Sydney for another 2 days before I fly off to Noumea, New Caledonia... I couchsurfed [go back to "Shark Biscuit" for more info on that...]my way around Sydney (and also sneaking in Backpackers... Bad Frank!) It was good to see Babe and Ceals. I don't have much time left though, just wrapping it up and getting my act together. Everything's been great in Australia. I'm quite sad to leave so soon... I'll be back! Cheers, Mates!

HNY

2006-01-01T20:03:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year From Melbourne! After a brutally hot day on the 31st, it
rained on New Year's Day. We were all happy about that. Mellow day,
everything was closed and quiet. Back to normal today: reasonably hot with a
nice breeze. Good party on NYE: BBQ in true Aussie fashion and we ended up
in a really cool bar called "The Comfy Chair" until 5:00am. We played random
soccer in the street on our way home... How's your hangover?

"Shark Biscuit"

2005-12-28T18:07:00.000-08:00

Australian for "inexperienced surfer..." That's my official title as of today. Only I don't surf waves but couches... That's right, I'm a happy "couchsurfer": I crash at people's place for free. It's a great way to meet cool people. You guys should check it out: www.couchsurfing.com
Awesome!

Lord of the Fries

2005-12-27T16:45:00.000-08:00

Merde! Froggies are everywhere... So far I've been surrounded by the unescapable Teutons but Melbourne seems to attract the Francophoners for some reason (they're even in my dorm!) Sacrebleu! Now for the Double Entendre in the title(it's also a snack place in Melbourne): did I tell you guys how much I do abhor flies and that I'd be ready to give up 10 years of good Karma and annihilate half a million of them at once? You gotta experience it to understand what I'm talking about: they're everywhere and won't let go of you. They're in your face non-stop (as if you were a cow) and try to get into any facial orifice when they get the chance (one got into my nose the other day; I almost choked). Was that random? Anyhoo, Melbourne rocks. I hung out with my friend Darryl (a wwoofer from Batchelor) and his friend Shannon last night. Incredible nightlife in Fitzroy (although it was a Tuesday night). New Year's Eve should be a blast. Still 35ºC this week...

Melbourne, Victoria

2005-12-26T18:31:00.000-08:00

Just got here this morning after a 12 hour ride on the Express night bus from Sydney. The city looks great so far; the temperature is still 35��C, thank you very much. I'll get back to you in a couple of days...

A Little Bit Of Sand Between Your Teeth

2005-12-20T23:47:00.000-08:00

Yep. That's what happens when you roll down sand dunes like a 9 year old... It's so much fun though; actually better than sand boarding (especially when you don't have an appropriate sandboard but a home-made/self-cut masonite board...) I've been AWOL for a week now and everything is absolutely fantastic: the coast from Brisbane to Sydney is phenomenal. I can't get enough of the beaches, the lookouts, the rainforest, the summits, everything... We camp out by the beach (near BBQ and facilities) pretty much every night. There's nothing like having dinner while watching the sunset and waking up with the sound of the waves... Today, we went on a quad bike ride in the dunes: Wild! Stockton Beach stretches for miles and miles, as far as the eye can see. So you have the beach on one side and the Sahara-like dunes on the other... Amazing! I didn't wanna get off that quad bike. On top of that, we got an hour free since the guy was 30 minutes late. Yeah! Speaking of luck, you guys: did I mention that I keep finding money in the street or in the sand? It amounts to $42.20 so far. Not bad, eh? I rule.

Coasty Coast

2005-12-14T16:15:00.000-08:00

Different ride, different trip but still on the road... I left Brisbane on Tuesday morning with my chauffeuse Jana (from Dresden). We got to Surfer's Paradise an hour or so later: went for a swim (the beach is huge!) and checked out the town. Jana bumped into 2 friends of her (you'll never guess: they're from Dresden too!) Anyway, they decided to join us in our peregrinations. We're camping all over the place, it's free and beautiful. We climbed Mount Warning yesterday and that was intense. We were in Nimbin an hour later (Nimbin is this crazy Amsterdam-like hippie community in the middle of nowhere - you're being accosted every five minutes for pot or magic cookies, I kid you not...) We're in Byron Bay today; haven't had a chance to check it out yet but we will... I guess lazing around on the beach is on the agenda. Yeah.

Brisbie

2005-12-10T23:39:00.000-08:00

All right!! 4 days, 3416km, and AU$150 later, I'm back in Queensland... Got to Brisbane last night. It was a long but fantastic ride in the Outback. Bronwyn and I shared the driving and the gas bill. We stayed mainly in caravan parks camping, saw the great landscape, and checked out country towns. It's pretty wild to drive for miles and miles on end without seeing any car, people, or even trees sometimes: nothing! Sadly, we saw a lot of dead kangaroos on the road... Anyhoo, despite an overheating disposition (causing the engine to not start again whenever we stopped for gas), the car survived and we made it to Brisbie safe. I'm just gonna check the city out for as couple of days but the plan is to get to Byron Bay soon (with a possible bivouac in Surfer's Paradise), then go through Sydney real quick before getting to Melbourne... Stay tuned for the next change of plan...

On The Road Again...

2005-12-06T04:34:00.000-08:00

After 2 weeks of fantastic wwoofing at the Batchelor Butterfly Farm, I'm ready to hit the road again. Change of plans though: I'm going East again; Alice will have to wait. I've been on the lookout for rides which is fairly common here: you share gas expenses with people on wheels. Sounds pretty cool, 'ey? I've hooked up with an Aussie girl who's going back to Brisbane via Mount Isa. I'm thinking about doing the original loop the other way around: Brisbane/Byron Bay/Airlie Beach/the Whitsundays/Melbourne/Tasmania?/Adelaide?/Perth?... We'll see. I may just get off in Mount Isa and go down to Alice Springs, who knows. In any case, life is good. Let the adventure continue... I may be AWOB for a little while... Peace out.

Crikey!

2005-12-01T21:34:00.000-08:00

Did I tell you guys that I was driving a station wagon and a truck (left side of the road/steering wheel on the right side of the car)? Freaky!! I had no choice since I'm the only wwoofer with a driver's license... Did I also tell you that I saw a cassowary (very rare)? And cane toads? And cuckatoos? And did I tell you that I almost died because I was close to headbutt a snake? I'm so stressed out I have to chill out at the pool... Ah ah.

Batchelor Butterfly Farm

2005-11-29T01:08:00.000-08:00

That's where I've been wwoofing for the past week... Batchelor is a little town about an hour and a half South of Darwin. The Butterfly Farm is also a restaurant and has budget accomodation too. I do tons of things with the other wwoofers (we're 4 total) even though it's quiet since it's Wet Season (c'mon, I told you that already...) but roughly I do: dishwashing, cooking, moping, blowing leaves, cleaning the swimming pool, gardening, doing laundry, feeding the birds, picking up fruit, and also working on a beat-up bus (sanding, body filling, etc...) that's gonna become a wwoofing bedroom. Go check out the BF website: www.butterflyfarm.net You can see pictures and all... The place is run by Chris, aka the Butterfly Man. One of the most truculent human being I've ever met. He's a great guy and basically makes you feel like you're family the second you get there. There's a lot to do but the pace is decent; you work, you chill out, you work some more, you chill out, you chill out. Repeat. I'm probably gonna stay until the end of the week and then head to Alice Springs (hopefully sharing a ride...) We'll see how it goes.

Do You Kakadu?

2005-11-21T20:33:00.000-08:00

Howdy! I'm back from a 3 day 4WD Safari in Kakadu National Park.I've done too many things to tell you in details here... I was with 8 europeans
(England, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland...) and a crazy Aussie guide named
John. He was barely looking at the road while driving (either talking to us,
changing tapes or looking for wildlife by the side of the road - which
caused him to brake and make insane U-Turns to catch up with lizards, snakes
or wallaroos...) He took us on top of a mountain once (after some serious
rock climbing) to check out the sunset. It was spectacular... But seeing the
sunset on top of the mountain means you have to go back down in the dark ah
ah... And since it was John's first time there, we got lost. It probably
took us an extra hour to find the path after some more rock climbing and
bushwalking. Later on, we set up our little camp, made a fire and cooked
there; we realized the next day that we were 30 meters away from a
crocodile-infested billabong... No worries according to John. OK. What else
did he do? He got us stuck in the mud on our way back to Darwin, he offered
non-vegetarian people green ants and their larvae to eat and had a bunch of
us hold a baby croc... Other than that, we swam in safe billabongs (said
John...), did some canoeing, bushwalked in the brutal heat, saw some
Aboriginal rock Art, saw birds and wallaroos and lizards and snakes and bugs
and crocs! We went on a little crocodile cruise on Adelaide River the last
day. It's quite impressive to see a big-ass crocodile rush out of the bushes
and mud-slide its way down to the river in your direction I can tell you.
John was feeding them so we saw a couple of them really close. That's it for
now. Next is Wwoofing for a couple of days in a Batchelor organic farm (near
Litchfield National Park) and heading South to Alice Springs and Ayers Rock
on Friday with a Canadian couple if all goes acording to plan. Catch you
guys later...

Survival Of The Fattest

2005-11-15T23:04:00.000-08:00

Yes: Darwin, Northern Territory. You thought Cairns was tropical, well Darwin's worse... It's insanely hot and muggy (80% humidity apparently). Not that I'm complaining. I left my European buddies Thomas and Simon in Mission Beach where we had another couple of days of beach and rainforest fun (couldn't spot any crocs though). One night, pretty much all of the backpackers from the hostel hung out on the beach: we brought beer and made a fire; a hippy chick had her guitar and also performed her poi routine. Really cool. No skinny dipping because of the stingers of course. We also learned that a mother crocodile and her injured baby were hanging out on that beach. Yikes! Anyhoo, here's the plan for the Darwin area: Kakadu National Park and Wwoofing around Katherine among other things. Peace out.

Tropical Hell

2005-11-10T20:57:00.000-08:00

Cairns, Queensland. Tropical craziness: hot and humid as hell but fantastic. Many opportunities to die here: you can go to some crocodile-infested beaches for a thrill, or swim amongst the deadly marine jellyfish, or play with the big-ass spiders in the rainforest... And you can also feed the sharks I guess... Other than that, Cairns is Party Central; I haven't stopped partying since I got here. That's what you get when you hang out with German and British guys... Still, we managed to go white-water rafting on the Tully River for an entire day (after 2 hours of sleep), we snorkelled on the Great Barrier Reef a bunch of times in the Port Douglas area, we did sea kayaking and bush-walking in the rainforest in Cape Tribulation... Hmmm, what else? More swimming in super warm waters and pools (all the youth hostels have one). Next on the agenda is skydiving possibly and mountain biking in Daintree. Oh, and yeah, scuba diving most likely. Wicked awesome! I haven't been able to wipe that smile off my face yet... My skin has never been this dark and it's only the beginning... Cheers!

Blog Blog

2005-11-02T16:56:00.000-08:00

Sorry you guys, I've been reading your comments... I know I'm slacking off on the blog job but I'd rather be outside... I'm in the process of getting pix online though. I'm putting everything on a photo album but it takes an awful lot of time to download... I'll keep you posted when it's done...So be patient and go shovel your driveway in the meantime... Cheers! I'm off to Cairns.

No Worries

2005-10-31T17:44:00.000-08:00

Itinerary for the next couple of weeks: Cairns (November 3rd) and Darwin (November 15th). Stay tuned...

Balgowlah

2005-10-30T16:34:00.000-08:00

Still in Sydney... Everything's great... I should head up North really soon... Cairns then Darwin... I'll keep you guys posted. Cheers!

A Little Bit Of Sand Between The Toes...

2005-10-27T17:19:00.000-07:00

The sun has fully come out (it rained a bit the first week). So what else can I do but stroll down the gorgeous Manly Scenic Walk every morning to get to the beach. There are built-in swimming pools on the beaches! What am I supposed to do? When you're tired of getting beat up by the vicious waves, you can always do a lap (or ten) in the quiet pool. Fantastic. Then you can take a ferry to the City later and explore some more before you meet with Babe, Ceals and Marie-Catherine (aka Marie-Cat - she's Ceals' guest from Quebec) for dinner and go out... Eventually you're really gonna have to sit down and plan your trip up North... Take it from me guys: life is tough.

Terra Australia

2005-10-23T19:08:00.000-07:00

Oops! Internet problems obviously... I can't remember what I wrote but anyway that was just to say that I'm in Sydney. I'm staying with Anna (aka Babe) and Celia (aka Ceals) in their awesome apartment in Balgowlah (don't ask me to pronounce it...) Beaches everywhere, tons of things to do, gorgeous weather, no schedule. Wicked awesome!

Comments

2005-10-16T18:33:00.000-07:00

You guys, I'm slowly catching up... I've read all your comments for the first time today! (I actually don't spend time on my blog - I send everything from my email). It's wicked awesome! Keep'em coming, it's fun.
We have a winner: Chris got all 3 bands. I think he cheated but that's OK... More contests on the way (maybe). Only tougher. Have fun.

The Earth Is Quaking!

2005-10-16T17:59:00.000-07:00

That's right! My first earthquake in Tokyo! It was a little one (it must have lasted 20 seconds). It's a good thing my friend Celine told me or I wouldn't have noticed that the glasses and cups in the cupboard were going wild... Everyone under the table! It was over before I could say:"I don't even fit under those freaking japanese tables!" Phew!
Better get out of here soon... I'm off to Sydney tonight (I'll be there tomorrow morning actually). I'm ready for a new adventure although I'm kinda sad to leave already. It's been so much fun.
OK, I promise I'll devote an entire day at some point to deal with the picture thing...

No More Song Titles As Subject Lines...

2005-10-15T16:43:00.000-07:00

In the meantime, FREE GIFT to whoever can name the bands who originally
performed the 3 aforementioned songs (that's the 3 previous entries I
think...) No purchase necessary. Contest ends on December 31st, 2005.

It's Raining Again

2005-10-15T16:38:00.000-07:00

You got it, I'm back in Tokyo... I was supposed to experience the Tokyoite
all-nighter: you go out and party until 5:30am (that's approximately when
the first metro starts). Well, it didn't work out due to a minor
miscommunication. I was at a birthday party in some hip bar in Shibuya. The
people I was hanging out with had stayed up the night before and didn't feel
like 2 all-nighters in a row. And since my friend Celine hadn't showed up
yet, I decided to catch the last metro with everyone. This time, it worked
all the way. No random stop before my final destination. I was happy about
that. I didn't quite feel like walking in the rain for an hour and a half
again...

No Punks In K-Town

2005-10-14T16:23:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I didn't see any hillarious punker in Kyoto... Unlike in Tokyo where I
got accosted by one kid who spotted my Ramones T-shirt. He yelled:"Oh,
Rrramones!" I approached his gang and asked if they spoke English, they all
said no. I still said something in English because they usually say no but
they do speak a little or at least understand (none of the above for these
kids apparently). So, unable to communicate more, the kid said:"Rrramones!"
and then - holding his coke bottle up in the air - "Coca-Cola!" That's when
it hit home...

KYOTO NOW!

2005-10-13T17:39:00.000-07:00

Temples Temples Temples! Shrines Shrines Shrines! That's Kyoto for you. It's gorgeous. It's a good break from the craziness of Tokyo. It's like being in the country when you visit a temple: ponds, bamboo woods, tiny paths, gardens... Plus: the sun finally came out!!

The youth hostel is awesome: traditional; you have to take off your shoes when you come in and the bathroom is a sento. I'm seriously addicted to that now...

Anyway, it's a walkathon everyday, checking out all those historical sites and those tiny little streets.

The shinkansen: the high-speed train. 2 hours and 30 minutes from Tokyo to Kyoto (or else it's 9 hours on the regular train... It's so expensive though; it murdered my budget already... Anyway, Some WOOFING is planned in Australia and NZ, I'll catch up.

Back in Tokyo tomorrow, last week end there and I'm off to Sydney on Monday night. Peace out.

Life In Japan

2005-10-09T22:26:00.000-07:00

OK, observations, culture, things I like, funny stuff, etc.
I live in a traditional apartment: it's all wood and it has a tatami floor
(tatami is a sort of straw carpet if you will) and sliding doors. It's
really cute and it smells good (the tatami is brand new). The only thing is
that doors are very low so I bump my head a lot (I should be used to it by
the time I leave). Even when I get in the train, I have to duck... Yes, I'm
a mighty giant!
The toilets! It has a little sink above so that you you can wash your hands
after you flush. How brilliant is that! I'll take a picture and you'll see
what I mean. Toilets in restaurant are equipped with music, seat heater,
fake flushing sound, and a "spray" for when you're done... I'm sure you guys
heard about that. Well, it's real...
Escalator traffic: you stand on the left, you walk on the right. It's the
same for stairs unless you see arrows telling you what to do.
They drive on the left too and the steering wheel is on the right; I didn't
know that.
Cab drivers wear gloves and the rear door opens automatically to let you
out...
If you wanna blow your nose: go to the bathroom! It is considered rude and
dirty to do that in public. On the other hand, spitting in the street seems
to be acceptable... Go figure.
Oh, and no shoes on tatamis whatsoever (that includes slippers you wear
anywhere else in the house). If you go to someone's or in a traditional
restaurant, you'll have to take your shoes off (slippers are generally
provided). In a restaurant, you walk on a wooden floor in your socks and you
take wooden slippers to go to the bathroom for example... Wear clean socks!
OK, that's it for now. Kyoto's next...

Onsen

2005-10-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

Did I tell you guys I went to a sento (japanese baths) the other day? Well,
I went to an onsen today. It's even crazier: it's more like a spa kinda
thing and it has everything. You just show up and they provide towels,
yukatas (cotton kimonos), shower gel, shaving foam, toothbrush, shampoo,
conditioner.... You name it. I tried all the baths inside and outside and I
even went into the sauna. Fantastic! At first, you feel a little stoned and
then you feel totally great after all this. My friends and I walked around
in our yukatas afterwards. There's a food court with a little podium for
entertainment out there. We managed to catch a J-pop band. It's hysterical
(it gets unbearable after 3 songs though...) Anyway, another great day in
Tokyo (even if I still haven't seen the sun). I'm off to Kyoto tomorrow.
Stay tuned.

Pain on my Rarade

2005-10-08T08:18:00.000-07:00

Oh, Jeez, I can't remember where I left off but I had a crazy night last
night: I first met with Charles (Joe's friend) at the biggest subway station
I've ever seen (it took me 30 minutes to find and get the right exit...)
then we met Saori (Daka's friend) and her friend (I think her name is
Chigazu; can't remember). They took us to a great restaurant called Tofuro
(awesome food) then we went to a pub afterwards with Charles; I met a bunch
of his friends, we had a couple of beers and then we had to go to catch the
last metro. It was the most surreal thing to be caught in a human tide
rushing in all directions to get tickets and catch the right train... I
didn't know what was going on but I managed to get on the right train.
Bummer: it stopped before my stop... Plan B: different transfer. Same deal:
stopped before my stop. Everybody go out, no more trains. I'm screwed: don't
know where I am, don't speak or read japanese, don't have enough money for
the cab (out of the question anyway, too expensive...) OK. I asked the metro
dude showing my atlas (yes, it's gotta be an atlas, Tokyo is too big a city
to fit on a regular map apparently). He sends me to the Koban (a police
booth outside the metro station). The police officer speaks english! Or
close enough... He sends me on my way. I forgot to mention: it's raining
cats and dogs and I'm contemplating a 2 hour walk to get home... And how am
I gonna figure out where to go at night when I can't even find my way during
the day? Well, amazingly enough, it turned out to be an easier task. I got
home after an hour and a half; it didn't stopped raining but I had an
umbrella (I also had water and what I originally thought were japanese
biscuits...) It sounds horrendous but it was really fun. Great experience.
Anyway, I'm off to Kyoto next week. I gotta go dry my clothes... Peace out.

Yep!

2005-10-06T07:57:00.000-07:00

CASIO EXILIM
EX-Z57
5.0 Mega Pixels
5mc Pentax Zoom Lens/Optical 3x
5.8mm - 17.4mm
Extra Large 2.7" LCD
Super Life Battery
Black.

Kita-ku

2005-10-04T08:51:00.000-07:00

Second day in Tokyo... Slept a lot. I walked around Kita-ku which is
Celine's neighborhood. You better have a sharp sense of orientation because
streets have no names here (except for the major ones). I kid you not. I'm
scared. Anyway, went out for dinner later with Celine's friends and we went
to a sento afterwards: a spa type a thing. I felt like an idiot: I didn't
know what the etiquette was. You go in there buttnaked and you have to
shower on a bucket before you go in the pool. All the guys were looking at
me weird... It feels great. It's very very relaxing; you're totally beat
when you get out. Then you have to go to sleep. Nighty night...

Tokyo!

2005-10-03T06:05:00.000-07:00

Yey! Here I am in Tokyo. It's been a looong day... It took me 2 hours to get from Narita Airport to downtown Tokyo. I'm pooped. What I managed to see so far looks great. I walked around a bit with my friend Celine who showed me her neighborhood. She's got a really cool apartment. "Good night" in japanese is supposedly "Oyasum... ZZZZZZZZZ...

Brilliant!

2005-10-02T07:03:00.000-07:00

How to ruin your trip 2 (two) days before departure - Tip #1:

Leave your carry-on bag behind in Gare du Nord in Paris; make sure it contains all your tickets, travellers checks and money plus a bunch of essential things... Walk away to get your train; wait for a little while; don't freak out; walk casually back to where you came from (with still no knowledge of what's missing). Look weird at the person who's taking you by the arm to retrieve the bag; You can now freak out; don't forget non-stop offerings and a life-long worshipping to the Goddess of Travel...