TravelStream™ news feed for member 101travel08 on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/101travel08 en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:56:30 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/101travel08/1/1227277800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/101travel08/1/1227277800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/101travel08/1/1227277800/tpod.html Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:56:30 -0500 Kevin and Lauren's 101 Days of Travel - South East Asia, New Zealand, South America, Panama

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Panama, Panama

In comparison to the rest of our trip, Panama seemed like a sort of nothing layover. It's been anything but that. The Central American vibe, I should say Panamanian vibe, is noticeable from the second you get off the plane. The air is more humid, and the landscape is jungle. The Panama City skyline is right along the pacific coast and en route from the airport I counted over 25 different high-rise apartments/office buildings currently being built. This place is in the age of expansion.

The culture here is distinctively Central American/Caribbean. The colors are brighter, the salsa pumps from the bars into the streets, and the neighborhoods are classic! On our first day, we took a walk around Casco Viejo, which is where the roots of the city lie. The surrounding neighborhood is definitely impoverished and right on you when you get off the bus, but the charm is still there. Food stands around every corner perched right on the street, clothes hanging out to dry from the colonial-style balconies, and the graffiti-painted busses that line up in droves at each unmarked bus stop.

We had a nice lunch in town, and walked through the market areas. We were warned more than once to be careful, and when I broke out the video camera to catch some shots the policeman told me that it was an invitation to be robbed and recommended I not use it. For the most part, we just stuck to main streets.

In the evening, we went to see the Panama Canal. This was actually really impressive. We timed it to see the bigger ships coming through. The main one we saw was an enormous cargo ship, as big as they get I'm sure. The space between the boat and the canal was less than 10 feet on each side. From our view it looked like less than 5. They pass the boats through in stages (locks). The ship enters from the ocean, is put into a lock, the water is then raised, with the ship to the height of the manmade lake that is on the other side of the lock. After the ships pass through this lake, the locks reverse the process to lower the boat to the sea. This is done to allow the passage of ships in a controlloed waterway not at mercy with the tides. We saw a few ships, and then headed out to see the nightlife.

Nightlife is happening in Panama City. We went to a main drag, had an awesome seafood dinner (our last one of the trip!), and then searched for some live music. We ended the night having some drinks at a huka bar, and reflecting back on all the things we've done over the last 100 days. It's pretty incredible that we're STILL travelling. We're still on the same trip we started back in early August. When we left, Michael Phelps was in the middle of his Olympic run, and Barack Obama had just clinched the Democratic Nominee. He's now the president-elect. Crazy.

We have our last day today, and will be heading back to L.A. tonight to reunite with our family and friends. I know none of you are reading this today, but are you ready to party? We have much to celebrate. Our amazing trip, seeing you all finally, but most importantly, we're getting married!!! I sincerely can't wait to celebrate in person. This trip, in all it's amazing forms and circumstances, will forever be remembered and reflected upon. Shared through video and pics. And cherished through the years to come. But you know, I'm excited to get back to home. The world will not dissappoint if you give it a chance, and for those seeking peace or adventure, it's out there. But in the end, there really is no place like home. And no matter where you go, or for how long, somehow it always brings you back. That in itself is another trip.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/101travel08/1/1227017460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/101travel08/1/1227017460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/101travel08/1/1227017460/tpod.html Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:29:50 -0500 Kevin and Lauren's 101 Days of Travel - South East Asia, New Zealand, South America, Panama

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Vina del Mar, Chile

So, the week we spent in Santiago was awesome!!! It was definitely a nice transition into thinking about being home again. We hung with old friends from home, and the new Chilean friends/family we met. Haley's wedding was unbelievable. The ceremony was gorgeous, everything ran perfectly. The reception was a total party, and lasted until 6am!!!

The next day, we all woked up late, but decided to rent a sweet mini-van and head for the coast. Valparaiso was the original destination. We got there around 11pm on a Sunday. It was dead. Valparaiso is a huge port town, and the residences sit on multiple hills in a manner similar to San Francisco. Endless hills hugged against a huge bay on the coast. Around midnight, we decided to head to Vina del Mar, the beachtown that's just north.

This was a good call, we woke up to an overcast beach, and spent the morning driving up and down the coast. Searching for surf and a fun beach to chill on, we decided on Renaca. We brought beers and a guitar to the beach and threw a mini-party for the day. I asked some local if I could rent his board and suit from him, he let me. The surf was just a little beach break that seemed to be working pretty well for that day. It served as an awesome day session. Sunny and water in the same temp as California, I felt at home.

Speaking of home, the Chilean coastline, specifically central Chile, is just like the California coast. Just driving from Valparaiso north, there were spots that totally looked like Malibu, La Jolla, North Santa Barbara, etc. Pretty cool.

We mad some friends, found the ultimate beachhouse to stay in our last night. Woke up to the waves with an ocean view. Perfect.

All in all the road trip was classic. With friends, at the beach, searching for fun. A perfect way to bring our Chile trip to an end.


Chile overall is a great country. Our friends that live there definitely seem to have an amazing lifestyle. Supermarkets, restaurants, and retail stores are as well-kept and modern as in the States, and the city infrastructure seems to be current and as functional as anywhere. I was impressed with how nice the Chilean lifestyle was for our friends, and stoked to know they're doing as well as they are.

Our last stop is Panama, our trip is coming to a close. We reflected a bit on the plane, and geared up for a rendezvous in Panama.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/101travel08/1/1226590920/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/101travel08/1/1226590920/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/101travel08/1/1226590920/tpod.html Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:00:01 -0500 Kevin and Lauren's 101 Days of Travel - South East Asia, New Zealand, South America, Panama

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Santiago, Chile

The drive from Mendoza to Santiago was...eventful. We had heard from a ton of people how beautifuil the drive was, and it did NOT disappoint! Leaving Mendoza, you drive through most of the wine vineyards heading straight into the Andes. Obviously stunning. This lasts until you are actually climbing the mountains. Toward the center of the summit (the border) you catch a solid glimpse of Aconcagua, which is the highest point in the Andes, as well as South America, and someone said it's higher than Denali but I'm not sure. It's around 20,000 ft. A huge river cuts it's way through the valley as you climb the Andes as well, which creates huge plateaus, really cool. Upon arrival to the Chilean border, we were passing big rigs and transport trucks that were parked along the road, and backed up for over a mile. We sat in line for a while, a long while, and then got out to check what was going on. The Chilean "aduana" or immigration office was on strike that day, and therefore no cars could leave Argentina or Chile the whole day. Awesome. What it came down to, was we had to wait until the employees showed up. The bummer and ironic thing was that this whole protest wasn't at all publicized before this day, so nobody knew that the border would be locked and the line to cross just kept growing as the day went on.

After a 5 hour wait, 1 person showed up and so we inched our way to crossing the border. 7 hours in total, but we were finally, at sunset, en route to Santiago and officially in Chile.

That aside, the entrance into Chile is stunning as well. You enter at the top of El Portillo, which is their famous ski resort. An incredible descent, with 20 switchbacks down the face of this steep snow-capped mountain. The village at the bottom is really picturesque as well, cowboys are riding their horses up to their front doors, old hanging wooden bridges cross the river, and dogs are chasing the horses down the countryside. Pretty killer.

All in all, we arrived fine, although late. And were welcomed by our great friends from home. The occasion for the week is Haley and Fena's wedding, and the constant arrival of more and more friends provides for an amazing time. This is only day 3, and we're loving it!!!

Here we go...
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Mendoza, Argentina

Argentina has a wine industry that is exploding in popularity. Since 2003, the availability of high-quality wines at such a low price made Argentine wines super competitive on the international market. Mendoza, which is at the base of the Andes in the center of the country, is the hub of all wine production, specializing in Malbecs. What this all meant for us, is that upon arrival to Mendoza, we were spoiled for choice, and constantly partying. Perfect.

Mendoza is actually set right in the middle of the desert. Fortunately the irrigation infrastructure includes government-regulated doses of water straight from the Andes. So the vineyards-a-plenty as well as the whole city has a plentiful supply. Down EVERY street in the city, there are mini irrigation canals and huge trees with branches that reach out over the street. Makes for picturesque walks around the entire district. The plazas were spaced out so that you run into one nearly everytime you feel lost, and at the edge of the city, you meet a gigantic park with a lookout point over the whole place. I think overall Mendoza is one of the most beautiful cosmopolitan cities that we'd seeen in Argentina.

The 2nd day after our arrival, we decided to go wine-tasting. We had met 3 friends on the bus ride from Bariloche. Together we caught a public bus to Maipu, the region where most of the famous Malbecs are made. Once there, we rented bikes, got a map of the "bodegas", and were off to explore. It made for AMAZING wine-tasting. 2 or 3 of the wineries were free, 1 of which was a museum of wine, that offered a tour of ancient materials and machines. We noticed right away that the tastings were not the typical mini-shot of wine like in California, but a full wine glass. At each spot we would have around 2 or 3 glasses, and while biking through wineries along the way to the next one, it provided for an eventful, fun-packed day. This is the way to do it!

The wineries were hugged right against the Andes, so as if the rows of vines weren't pretty enough, the backdrop was snow-capped mountains. We stayed until the last winery was closed.

The last day we were in Mendoza, we did a trekking, rapelling, hot springs combo. This is the first time either of us had been rapelling. The last cliff was over 150 ft! It was pretty sketch at times, no safety line, and nobody along the line with you, but hey, we're alive! After, the natural hot springs we visited, was basically a waterpark. A perfect way to relax after a day of outdoors activity, and then a dinner with a supreme Malbec! Nice.

We were pretty bummed to be leaving Argentina. This country has so much to see, and the differences between the activities are so drastic. From mountain-biking through Bariloche and city-strolling Buenos Aires, to photo-shooting in Patagonia and gawking at Iguazu Falls; Argentina has provided numerous unforgettable memories.

We are now off to Santiago, Chile. There we have our friends from home and a wedding to celebrate. Definitely looking forward to it, can't wait to see the Chilean coast! And away we go!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/101travel08/1/1225231920/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/101travel08/1/1225231920/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/101travel08/1/1225231920/tpod.html Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:20:54 -0500 Kevin and Lauren's 101 Days of Travel - South East Asia, New Zealand, South America, Panama

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Rosario, Argentina

Rosario, Argentina´s 3rd largest city, is a perfect grid of blocks with a river that cuts right along the side of it. The day we arrived we scored perfect weather, skies don´t get any more blue, and launched ourselves into the backpacking tradition of walking all over the place - stopping only to eat, check the map, or snap more photos...

Rosario actually isn´t a HUGE tourist destination, so it was a nice change for us. Since it was the weekend, we just spent the days as if we were locals. Shopping a bit, spending days at the park, and walking off all the ridiculous addictive ice cream we scarfed.

We saw a really good Jazz Saxophonist perform at a theater on the river for one night. And instead of hitting this over-crowded and young scene of a disco, we ate dinner and drank wine at a great italian restaurant until 2am for our Saturday Night. Also, in Rosario, grabbing a drink at sunset along the river is

Che´s got a cool statue and small plaza dedicated to him, as he was born in Rosario. The artist collected keys from advocates of the monument all over the world. He then erected the largest Bronze statue in the world by melting these keys together, some of which you can see embedded in the sculpture. It´s pretty cool, although located a bit away from the city´s central.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/101travel08/1/1223788080/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/101travel08/1/1223788080/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/101travel08/1/1223788080/tpod.html Sat, 01 Nov 2008 16:09:01 -0400 Kevin and Lauren's 101 Days of Travel - South East Asia, New Zealand, South America, Panama

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Buenos Aires, Capital Federal District, Argentina

Buenos Aires is just an incredible city. In fact, we liked it so much, we came back. The first trip, 5 nights, were a whirlwind of getting adjusted to the cultural differences in time schedule (especially from New Zealand) and trying to get in as much activity as possible. Around every corner, and into every event, BA just got better and better. We love it here...

Palermo Soho:
This is the neighborhood of backpackers in BA (1 of many). It´s a hip sort of place, parties at the bars don´t start till around 1 or 2am, and last until the wee hours of the morning (friends of ours were at afterparties starting at 10am)! There are tons of live music places, and the artesan center, Plaza Serrano, was a cool place to just browse around and have a beer and tapas in the sun. Right away, we knew Argentina was gonna be a lot of walking. It is, especially for a tourist.

Recoleta:
On the weekends, a vast park in this place turns into a "feria", literally fair, where artists, vendors, backpackers, and families alike come out to get their fill of whatever´s out there. Tons of mini bands were setting up their instruments in random places, and starting a full jam and dance scene. Guys had ropes tied to trees and were performing tight-rope walking stunts. It was a really cool scene, we spent the day there, and ended it with a guitar festival performance. Over 30 different musicians came up for 1 song each, and strummed their best in latin roots.

Microcentro:
Downtown is fun. You take subways to get there, and walk out into a street of massive long blocks and plazas symmetrically placed at the streets´ end. We kept having flashbacks to Spain, and although there are obvious and huge differences visually, the Spanish-influenced architecture downtown presents a recurring resemblance to Madrid. We got lost in the streets and stopped off in cafes here and there. Just vagabonding our way through the streets of BA. Perfect way to get acquainted.
The steaks in Argentina are notorious worlwide for their naturally incredible taste, and for good reason - they are amazing!!! Their wine is also on the up and up, reds especially, so to go out for dinner, I´m happy at almost any restaurant. We´ve had some amazing finds out here. In Palermo, we went to a recommended place and for less than 25 dollars we each had full meals (my steak was one of the best I´ve ever had), and a bottle of wine. This became the normal price. After dinner (around midnight) we had to try the helado (ice cream), and although we had not heard of it before, it is just as impressive as the steaks or wine. Probably more impressive. Argentina has a huge Italian influence in both their cuisine and gelato. This stuff is what dreams are made of. We´ve got some everyday since.

There´s too much to say about this city. All in all we had just under a week, and after Iguazu Falls and Rosario, decided to get some more in. Buenos Aires is just too much fun...
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Buenos Aire, Argentina

We liked it so much, we gave it round 2...
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/101travel08/1/1225569900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/101travel08/1/1225569900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/101travel08/1/1225569900/tpod.html Sat, 01 Nov 2008 16:06:54 -0400 Kevin and Lauren's 101 Days of Travel - South East Asia, New Zealand, South America, Panama

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Bariloche, Argentina

Just arrived yesterday, Bariloche is famous for its chocolate and beautiful hikes. We´ve grinded on the chocolate, now for some outdoors...
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Iguazu Falls, Argentina

OK, I´m not gonna count out all the spectacular things we´ve done on this trip. But for me, and this is strictly Kevin not Lauren, I´d say that Iguazu Falls is the most impressive place we´ve ever been to. It´s so hard to compare, and in fact pointless, but this place was just unreal. The pictures are pretty pathetic in comparison, in fact sort of disappointing, but the experience there was unforgettable.

Basically, you arrive to a standard national park with booths of info and ticket stands, one entrance. We got there on the 2nd bus that even left town, and behind us I counted 11 tour busses filled with foreigners, local students, local vendors, backpackers, whatever. Not as crowded as Machu Picchu was, but there were definitely cameras a plenty. Fortunately for us, we had arrived so soon, and saved the coolest part for the last, that we got virtually all the falls to ourselves and about 12 others for the first 4 hours. It pays to be patient I guess. Just check the pics, there´s no use in explaining, I just had no idea how BIG these waterfalls were, and how many there were. Sure, there are bigger waterfalls, but nowhere on earth, and I mean NOWHERE is there that much moving water pouring down all around you in such a picture perfect way. It´s a joke. As far as natural wonders, I´ve seen nothing with that much energy...

We hiked all over the place, and were having a blast, visiting some viewpoints twice. We met some cool people. At the end we visited the garganta del diablo. You can just google it, this topped the whole thing off. It´s a gigantic U, and water is pouring down from all sides of it into the same channel that must be 400 or 500 ft straight down. The view we had (the Argentine side) was on top of it. As cheesy and cliche as it sounds, it really does take your breath away when you first take it all in. Lauren got dizzy.

We had 2 nights there, so the 3rd day, we decided to go back to Iguazu and take a boat ride into the falls. This is just nuts. You get in a high powered zodiac, and drive INTO the waterfalls. Not the garganta, I don´t think you´d make it out, but into the 2nd biggest one, which is enough. We were soaked and stoked. So fun, just laughing and charging up the rivers. It was great.

For me, this was what I had anticipated as far as Argentina. I had really just thought about Buenos Aires and Iguazu. I hit a total peace after this trip. Heading to Rosario (our nex stop) I was just relaxed and in a mode, not to see everything anymore, but to just enjoy being away for a while. Iguazu, I truly love this place, and hope to return sometime. Maybe we´ll come back for a family trip to S. America. Hmmm...
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/101travel08/1/1222892760/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/101travel08/1/1222892760/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/101travel08/1/1222892760/tpod.html Sat, 01 Nov 2008 15:31:33 -0400 Kevin and Lauren's 101 Days of Travel - South East Asia, New Zealand, South America, Panama

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Auckland, New Zealand

New Zealand was a perfect middle half to this trip. We arrived October 1st, and had 10 days to do whatever, wherever. We spent our first night in Auckland, and rented a car the next day to take a little road trip.
Some highlights:


Auckland:
We stayed at what we thought was a bed n´ breakfast, it turned out to be just another "backpacker", or hostel. It was 56 NZ Dollars a night, so immediately we were aware things were definitely not going to be cheap as in the last 2 months. It was in Parnell, a cool, sort of upper-class neighborhood, right near the harbor. At night, it seemed to be the place (of few bars) where the nearby college students would come to grab a few drinks wearing something nice. The sophisticated side of town, I guess. Needless to say, Lauren and I in our hiking shoes and cargo pants fit right in, it was perfect.

Raglan (2 Oct):
I had my surfboard that I bought in Bali, so once we had the rental car, I wanted to surf. Raglan is a legendary left, and really the only surf spot I knew about before we were there. The drive from Auckland is beautiful. Very similar to the drives North of Santa Barbara in Cali, but as green as Ireland (or Oregon). Raglan is also a very charming town (that word will be abused describing the small towns we saw along the road). At first, it looks like just a huge lagoon that separates the beach from the town, but once you drive a bit north, you find all the surf spots. The setup of this place is probably one of the coolest I´ve ever seen for a beach break. It´s actually 3 different setups, and when the swell direction and size is right, they all connect. It seriously probably is the longest left-hander in the world. It has to be one of them. Although I think the full setup is a bit elusive.

Needless to say, when I was there, I got 1 of the 3 bays holding up it´s wall enough to put together the 3rd longest I´ve ever surfed (1st Impossibles, Bali, 2nd Lobitos, Peru). Unfortunately conditions were terrible, wind was howling and the swell dying. But I still had a blast, you always do when it´s new and that long of a wave...

The rest of the day we just chilled in a few cafes, stuff closes really early in the rural parts of New Zealand, we soon found out. We parked the truck at Whale Bay (2nd of the 3 bays), and got ready for the next day.

Napier and Gisbourne (3 Oct):
The East Coast definitely trumps the west of New Zealand for beautiful drives in my novice opinion. Raglan is beautiful, but once we got north of Napier and into Gisbourne, things got more secluded, more wet and stormy, but just more magnificent. The mountains seem to separate everything there, and deep forests quickly turn into rolling hills of sheep and cows, into flat farms on the beach.

Napier´s a weekend vacation for anyone outside of it pretty much. Not a hustle-bustle type place, just a mellow city on the water, a long stretch of sand, and tons of boutique shops. We spent a few hours there, rolling around, and getting lost, ended up spending the night as well. It was perfect.

Gisbourne holds the East Coast´s best surf, Wainui Beach. This was heart-breaking, because while Raglan had swell and terrible conditions, this place was sunny, blowing perfectly offshore, but there was absolutely no swell to be found. Definitely nothing to get me up on my 6´6´´. Wainui´s a perfect setup, the mountains come right up to the sand (big mountains like in north Ventura County, but really green) and the road drives right down along the beach, a cliff point separates two different bays.

Whittianga (5 Oct):
We had half a tank and were driving to the most rural parts of the North Island. We were being adventurous on our route, but assumed that gas stations would be at least once an hour. Well, we weren´t exactly wrong, but the ones that were setup once ever 45 minutes or so, closed at around 3pm for some odd reason. At first it was comical, and then it got sort of unnerving. We knew we could sleep in our little camper van, but we were out of food at this point, and just wanted to have a settled place. At one town, another without a station open, we stopped at the police station, to ask where we could go. At 5pm the police station closes! What sort of town was this? Well a small one. We had been driving with our Empty light showing red for over an hour, putting it in neutral to cruise down the mountains we steadily made up. At what was surely the last hope possible, we were saved in Whittianga, the 1st big town north of the East Cape. After typing, I realized how boring that story was, but at the time my friends, I was crying. Hard. Real hard.

Coromandel (7 Oct):
If you´re in New Zealand and fly into Auckland but have say, 3 days. I´d say if you´re not into surfing, go to Coromandel. This place, just the drives around and the layout of the different bays, is totally stunning. Everything´s green, there are tons of mini islands offshore (similar to my description of Halong Bay, Vietnam), and the layout of the coastline is so erratic it makes for unpredictable views, and a very fun road trip.

Waiheke Island (8 Oct):
When we were in Halong Bay, in Vietnam, we met 2 Kiwis: Sam and Ferg. Within just the 2 nights on that cruise, we became pretty good friends, so when we were in NZ, we looked them up. Waiheke Island is located about 35 minutes by speed ferry off the coast of Auckland. Sam lived there. In fact, Sam had, or has, a clifftop, oceanfront cottage with views of the entire bay of which it lies, but also across to the Coromandel Peninsula, and even to Great Barrier Reef, both a good 20 miles across the giant Firth of Thames. So basically, unreal views.

Sam also worked on a wine vineyard on the island, definitely the most beautiful vineyard I´ve ever seen, set in it´s own private bay, Cable Bay Vineyards, and makes a ridiculous Chardonnay, and Sauv Blanc. We spent our 24 hour trip with a start wine-tasting at his vineyard via private tour. Later that night, his neighbors came over, had a little dinner party, endless supply of wine.

The next morning, we took a hike across the bay to the small town of Oneroa. I vowed that if I ever became wealthy enough to afford turning one of those properties into a little studio, that would be my number 1 choice. It´s seriously perfect.

The great thing was, we met Sam in Vietnam, and only knew the guy for 2 nights. Here we were, 6 weeks later, and he´s driving us around, serving up bottles of wine, and giving us tours of his own vineyard. It was amazing how travelling puts you in these situations. Definitely a friend we will have for a while, I know he´ll come our way soon, and by then hopefully we have something comparable to show him. If not, a night at Shannon´s will just have to do...

Auckland (9 Oct):
Our last day and night, we ran all our errands, last minute gifts, and sending a 15 kilo package home with everything we picked up and/or dont need in South America.

Ferg lives in Ponsonby (Auckland) and works downtown. He put us up for the last night, as our flight was the next evening. This turned into a party like were at home. His two "flatmates" had a sort of social club that goes out on Thursday Nights. Full Throttle Thursdays. By the time we got situated, showered, and had our first 3 beers, these Kiwi girls were speaking at full volume, and I was blaring Iglu and Hartly for them (just for you Buch). The night turned typical. We went out in the heavy college circuit of bars there in Ponsonby. One in particular had an acoustic guy strumming it out. Of course I did. I played for like a half hour, and our mini crew of girls definitely made it look like I was a local star. It was the wine, but it was awesome. The night just went from there, better, and better. For a while there, I felt like I was at another bar back home. But then you go to cross the street and a taxi almost takes you out. Oh yeah, look to the right first before you cross, that´s right, we´re in New Zealand...

So, I woke up very hungover, and with a 13 hour flight to Buenos Aires ahead of me. Ferg ended up buying my surfboard off of me, so all in all the trip rounded out perfectly.

Our favorite things about New Zealand:
Their public bathrooms are nicer than any of my friends´at home. Seriously. Thank God for that, because we slept in the camper van 6 of 8 nights, and it saved us.
The people on any part of the land are instantly friendly, and I´d say 3 out of 4 that you meed have travelled for a year or more. Consistently.
Coffee. I hate coffee, I loved New Zealand´s coffee, maybe cause I woke up in a van half the time, but it´s still real good.
The friends. You guys hooked us up, you know who you are, and we´re endlessly thankful. You´re welcome anytime to Cali. I´ll show you the Queen Mary and In n´Out. You will then owe me.

10 days, short but fun, if I go back I hope to score more surf and better weather, but you just can´t have it all. And there we were, off to Argentina...
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