TravelStream™ news feed for member lishinlondon on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/lishinlondon en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:11:43 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1251727699/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1251727699/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1251727699/tpod.html Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:11:43 -0400 From little old Waitoki to London and beyond!

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Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland

Hey Guys,Yup its only been 2 weeks since my last update...thats got to be a record for me but I have just gotten back from Zurich, Swizerland. Ive been here before but it has been seven years since my last visit so I got one heck of a shock to see how different things are.The last time I came here it was winter and now its summer so the atmosphere is just completely different. This place is simply beautiful. Everywhere I go it looks like a postcard. Wooden houses with flower boxes oozing with colour. Hills dotted with little chalets and stacks of firewood eveywhere. Everybody is just so friendly as well, as you walk down the street you are greeted by every single person that passes. Its such a nice feeling. I spent most of my trip visiting with family who live just 20mins away from the city yet already it is just little villages with a village atmosphere. Its just incredible and couldnt be any more different from the hussle and bustle of London.It feels like Switzerland is in a world of its own and trends of the western world mean nothing. Its ok to wear white trousers here and socks and sandles? no problem...and for the record that goes for women too wearing stockings in sandles. I love it. The rules just seem to be so relaxed or non existant here. Its brilliant.This trip wasnt so much to sightsee but more to see the family who I havent seen in years. My Godmother or Gotti picked me up from the airport when I arrived. It was so nice to have a friendly face waiting for me in the arrivals hall ready to hug me. Its something that living in London I miss so much. Normally I arrive back into Heathrow airport and sneak past all the expectant families waiting the return of loved ones but just this once the expectant family was waiting for me and gosh it felt good. I miss having family nearby. 24 hours is a long way away.Gotti cooked an incredible meal that night for us which I devoured like an animal...i know thats not a very elegant thing to say but if you knew how good my Gotti cooked you would understand why. I fell fast asleep that night in a home that although I hadnt been in in 7 years felt as much as home to me as my own bedroom.The following day I caught a train out to a place called Schlieren to visit some family friends. This trip has been good as its forced me to try out my long ago studied German. That morning as I tried to board the bus I had rehearsed my speech to buy my ticket that I was all prepared I had even sussed out what possible replies the driver would have for me. What I wasnt expecting was the driver not to to gve me the ticket but to offer me about 10 alternatives. None of these 10 options being the answer I had thought the driver would reply to me with. I was very embarrassed but also very thankful when a lovely elderly gentleman came to my rescue and translated. I guess my German was a bit rustier than I had thought but hey at least I tried.After my bus and train ride I made it to Schelieren to visit the Isenschmid family. It was great to catch up and I was treated to a meal at a gorgeous restaurant overlooking a valley with the most incredible view of Zurich. They also took me to visit their daughters farm. Anyone who knows me knows I am not a farm kind of girl but this was different. I had a ball. The farm buildings were about 200 years old and with the horses and sun shining and shutters on the windows with flower boxes it was just magic.I returned to Winterthur that evening to meet Gotti for a spot of shopping. It was a vey odd feeling as 7 years ago I would walk those same streets after school. Some things had changed but others were exactly the same and it was a wonderful sensation.On Friday after a spot of shopping my godfather, Goetti came back Germany where he had been working. Gotti had managed to get a half afternoon off work so the two of them very kindly took to Appenzell a Swiss village to have a look. I said before that all of Switzerland is like a postcard but Appenzell is the real meal deal. Wooden buildings hundreds of years old, each handpainted with designs and pictures telling  the history of it. Settled amongst the bills with housese dotted in between it was just so picturesque. Ive been there before but you have no idea how excited and thankful I was to go back.Saturday saw the end of my stay with my Godparents. Gotti took me to visit my Grandmother. I cant begin to describe how nervous I was going to see her. I know she is my grandmother but I havent seen her in so long, and with speaking different languages I was really worried. I recognised her in an instant and it was nice to see her still active and able to empty a dishwasher. It was a bittersweet moment to see her. Fantastic ti see her after so long but with Dimentia setting in she didnt know who I was. After Gotti kindly translating and explaining that I was Renes daugther from New Zealand she understood but it was still hard.After a teary goodbye to both my grandmother and Gotti my cousin Delia picked me up and drove me to Bern to see my other cousin, her sister Romy and son Leon. It was fantastic to see Delia, but as I had seen her only a few months ago I had more of a shock to see Romy. Last tme I saw her she was 14 had red hair and was a typical teenager. Now shes blonde, all grown up, a mum and living in a gorgeous house. Her son is absolutely gorgeous and fell asleep in my arms as I fed him. She really has done well for herself.That night we hit the town, Delia had something special instore for me and took me to a Museum. It looked more like a castle than a museum and in the courtyard a giant bar had been set up with disco lights and dance music. It was incredible to be under the open skies listening to music in such incredible place. It reminded me of the open air dance I went to in Barcelona but compared to this that doesnt compare.Delia and her friends took me to Niederdorfstrasse aftwerwords to go to the Doerflifest. Its kind of like a town celebration ann the streets were packed with people and vendors selling food and alcohol. There was a smell in the air of beer and cheese a smell which I associate with Oktoberfest but it was just so lovely. Raclette, Cervelat and Fondue floated through the air and made my mouth water despite having only eaten a short while ago.We danced in the streets to the music while people packed around us it was just so much fun. And as we happened to be stopped outside one of Zurichs most well known Gay bars I got to see a small insight to the fun and atmospheric Gay scene.From the doerflifest we headed to what is supposedly one of the best clubs in Zurich. It was awesome, played my kind of music but as Delia and her friends chose an open platform to dance on I was a bit reluctant to dance. Im not exactly a good dancer so the thought of dancing sober on a platform with people I dont know scared the crap out of me. Despite this I had a ball all the samee and we finally arrived home at about 5 in the morning.After some much needed recovery and a sleepin we headed out to the Zoo. It was the perfect day for it with 33 degrees. The zoo was awesome but even more than that I enjoyed the place we went next. Delia took me to a museum on the top of a hill which had a platform looking out over the city. The view was just amazing and with the sun shining and the mountains in the background it was just so picturesque.My final day in Switzerland was spent doing a bit of much needed shopping and exploring the hillside near where Delia lives. It was the perfect way to end my trip just sitting on the top of the hill watching the world go by surrounded by rows of cornfields.Its hard to believe my week is over already and that tomorrow I go back to work but I had a ball all the same and it just makes me want to come back even sooner.I just want to take the chance to say thank you again to my wonderful family, Gotti, Goetti and Delia for making this trip so special.This is my last trip for a while but the minute I jet off again Ill send you all an update.Miss Youxxx
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1250358486/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1250358486/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1250358486/tpod.html Sun, 16 Aug 2009 07:58:26 -0400 From little old Waitoki to London and beyond!

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Port El Kantaoui, Tunisia

Hey Guys,I cant believe its been so long since my last entry. It seems so odd that last year I had a trip away every month yet this year Im lucky if I can manage one every three. But I guess it's not the quantity its the quality thats counts and so far this year Im pretty pleased with my adventures.My most recent trip was to Port El Kantaoui in Tunisia for a bit of r and r with Laurent. Now I know Tunisia probably isnt up there topping the list of must do's when you come to London but having now been there I would reccommend it to everyone. Originally we were looking for a cheap and cheerful package holiday to either Portugal or the Greek Islands but after checking out the budget we found we could go to these places but it would be a maximum of a 2 star hotel that was self catering. When we saw we could go to Tunisia for the same price in a 4 star hotel all inclusive we knew thats where we would be heading. We made it to the airport all in once peice after having set out from Milton Keynes at 2 in the morning. When we finally arrived into Monastir airport in Tunisia it was like stepping into a heatwave. We had gone from wet miserable and grey weather in London to clear blue skies and a temperature between 35 and 40 degrees. It was exactly what the doctor had ordered.On our transfer to our hotel we got a feel for the real Tunisia, there were hundreds of work sites that had been started and left to decay...very sad and very depressing to look at but I guess if you dont have the finances u cant continue building. I also thought it was rather amusing when our guide told us how the country was great for woman as of mid last year they had banished polygamy....joy...yay for us.I almost had a heart attack when I arrived at our hotel. I had resigned myself to the fact that a Tunisian 4 Star hotel was probably the equivalent of a UK 2 star but man was I thankfully wrong. The hotel was to die for and was possibly flasher than some 5 stars ive stayed in before. The pool was exactly like the pictures had shown and with its own private beach covered in idyllic beach umbrellas I was in heaven.The first 2 days were pretty much just spent relaxing at the beach and the pool but on day three we decided to try see a little bit more of the country. We had been very kean to hire a car to explore but after being warned against it from reps and seeing how manic people drive we decided to do a coach trip. Just for the record when I say the drivers are manic....they really are. There appear to be no road rules, no lane markers, no use of indicators and the only thing they do seem to advocate is the use of the horn. Suprisingly this system seems to work well....just honk and keep driving and screw anyone who dares cross your path....nope I was definately happy to take the bus.Our trip took us to Tunis, the country's capital where we visited the most famous Mosaic museum in Africa which was definately impressive and also out to Carthage to see the Roman ruins. You have no idea how thankful I was we had decided to do this day trip, as much as doing nothing by a pool was brilliant it was ths trip that was the highlight of my holiday. The views we saw were nothing short of amazing.The following day we did another day trip to visit three cities. Our first stop was El Kairouan a place of significant importance to Muslims. For muslims it is said that once in your lifetime you must make the pilgramage to Mecca....but in the event you cant do that you can still make 7 trips to the mosque at El Kairouan and acheieve enlightenment. The mosque itself was unlike anything I had ever seen before it stood so magnificantly in the midst of this small village.From El Kairouan we ambled out way to El Djem which is the home of the worlds best preserved Roman colloseum. It was still 75 percent intact and because of this it was actually used as the set for the movie Gladiator. Turns out Tunisia is quite well used for movies as its also the back drop for the majority of the Star Wars films.Our third city for the day was Monastir for a bit of shopping. As we were on day 4 of our trip we had already gotten quite used to the countries shopping practices where u have to barter for everything as there is something ridiculous like an 80 percent mark up on anything. I was so sick of having people pounce on me trying to sell me stuff that I was about an inch away from turning around and screaming at someone. Theres only so many times you can handle hearing 'Where u from? New Zealand...ah rugby rugby very niiice' and in Laurents case 'Belgium? pommes frites mayonnaise'...i figure hearing that 30 times a day was my limit. Some where along the way Laurent came from Germany and Hungary and I became Portugese, Spanish, Australian and eventually Tunisian. I clicked though that when people thought I was Tunisian they left us alone. I just kept my mouth shut and let Laurent do all the talking in French.At one point I wanted to buy a Tangine and knowing the markup I did my best to barter. I knew what I was prepared to pay and was ready to walk away when the shop keeper then turned to Laurent and said 'As her husband we make a deal'....he then proceeded to offer Laurent the same price I had just offered him. Apprently because Im a woman though I dont count and cant be trusted to speak for myself. I have to admit I was really shocked by this. So much for Tunisia supposedly having equal rights for women. But hey I got my Tangine in the end even if my 'husband' had to buy it for me.I must admit though I did have to turn around and eat my words about the shopping practises. I found out that the maids at the hotel got paid the equivalent of 20 pence (or 60 NZ cents) an hour.I figure if I was earning those kind of wages I would be doing all I could to make a sale too, especially if that meant trying to take advantage of the foreigners. When you have a family to feed you do what ever it takes dont you?The next day was just spent chilling at the hotel. By this point though we sick of eating at the same buffet restaurant so ventured out to the local port for a nice meal. The food itself was nice but I was quite amused to watch Laurent drink a whole bottle of Corked wine out of principle because we had paid for it....needless to say the next day when the hangover arrived he vowed he wouldnt be doing that again in a hurry.Day 5 we ventured to the local town of Sousse to do a last bit of shopping. We started with such enthusiasm but once the first street vender started trying to lead us into his shop to buy 'genuine designer fake goods' (quite a popular trade in Tunisia I found) the enthusiasm started to wear off. I think we lasted all of an hour before retreating back to the haven that was our hotel where we remained for the rest of our trip.I know it sounds like I whinged a lot about the place but truthfully I absolutely loved it. I had a ball and despite being desperate to make a sale the locals were all really lovely and always friendly. Ive come to the conclusion that after having been to Tunisia, Jordan, Israel and Turkey I really like the Arabic and Muslim culture. There is nothing quite in the world like experiencing the peace that comes when the Morning prayers ring out across the land from the mosques. The warm weather, blue skies, and laid back culture were exactly what I was hoping for from this holiday and as I got all three I was well chuffed. So Tunisia may not be the top place to visit in all the guidebooks but for me the place was perfect and I would go back any day.Ok guys, thats it for today but Ill write again soon as Im off to Zurich in three weeks! Chococlate, Cheese and Cuckoo Clocks here I come!Miss yaxx
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1241468760/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1241468760/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1241468760/tpod.html Tue, 12 May 2009 16:49:13 -0400 From little old Waitoki to London and beyond!

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Paris, Île-de-France, France

Hello again, Sorry this entry has been so late in the coming but for some reason I have found it so much more difficult to write than the others. I'm not sure whether it is because I enjoyed my trip to Paris so much that its hard to put those feelings into words or whether it was the fact that although it was one of my best trips I didn't do much just relaxed and absorbed the atmosphere...something that as fantastic as it was doesn't make for good reading. But here I am trying to put pen to paper so to speak so I apologise in advance if this entry isn't quite up to scratch. Organising this trip was a nightmare.  The plan was to go over in honour of my friend, Cori's birthday. I met her on my trip to Israel and Jordan and the plan was that 8 of us from that trip would have a mini reunion to help her celebrate growing a year older. Sonia's boyfriend also planned a surprise trip to Paris for her birthday which coincidently happened to be the same weekend I was going. What resulted was a whole load of  lies trying to throw her off the track so that she didn't know she was going away let alone that I was going away as well with her cousin in tow. For the record Sonia didn't make it easy, every second she was asking questions to try catch me out so my lies became more complicated and elaborate and we all know how useless I am at lying. Packing for a week away was the hardest as Sonia was always just there. I had to tell her I was going to stay at the boyfriends house just so I could pack but even then she was questioning 'why are you packing so much for one night?'. Even after having arrived in Paris she made it difficult....she text me to say 'Guess what? I'm in Paris!!!!! i forgot to top my phone up can u do it for me?' I could hardly text her back saying 'Um no I'm out of the country too' now could I?. But it worked out ok I managed to throw her off once again. My first day in Paris was just spent relaxing and shopping. The sun was shining and after a week of rainy London weather I felt like I had come home. I wrote last time I went to Paris about there just being some kind of magic in the air and my opinion is just the same as before  if not stronger. I love everything about that city from the incredible food, to the gorgeous buildings and to the laid back atmosphere. Plain and simple I am in love with Paris. I spent most of my trip with Liz who just doesn't share the same passion about the place as I do. Don't get me wrong she likes the city but she doesn't seem to feel the magic that I do. She just couldn't understand why its considered the city of love whereas to me it just seemed so obvious. To me it was evident in the couples walking along the river holding hands,  In the elderly man who fell asleep on a park bench while holding his wife's hands and in the couples so swept away in the moment that they kissed like it was the last chance they would ever get to do so. I envy the passion the Parisians have and have no doubt that it really is the city of love. After all, what's the point of being in love if ur too shy to scream from the rooftops that you have fallen so deeply head over heels for someone? That evening I headed off to Moulin Rouge which is  something I have always wanted to do. It cost an arm and a leg...more than the cost of my return tickets to Paris but was worth every penny of it. So maybe I was the only person under 70 there and the only person on my own...but however embarrassing it may have been I had a ball. There were costumes to die for, singing, a comedian, a juggler, live snakes, donkeys, a ventriloquist dog doing a Ricky Martin number and even now I still do not understand how it is possible to make a clown look sexy. The following day was spent mooching around the lovely Paris.Liz and I left Cori at home as she had been sick all night and needed a bit of time to recover.  I was quite content spending my day just sitting at a little cafe sipping a beer (yes a beer) in the sun. We had a call from Cori saying she needed to go to the hospital. Once we got back to her house I had never seen someone deteriorate so badly in 4 hours. She was pure white and couldn't stop vomiting and had a severe case of dysentery. She was screaming in pain and her stomach had swollen to make her look like she was at least a few months pregnant. We taxied to the hospital where on arrival she was promptly fitted with a respiratory mask and isolated. I know it sounds terrible but when she first came out with the mask the words Swine Flu came to mind. She had to be admitted and put on a drip and although we don't know for sure we are pretty certain that  she had picked up a bug from her trip to India and Nepal which she had just returned from two days prior. Liz and I left Cori at the hospital and headed for Notre Dame where we met up with Pete to surprise Sonia who looked like she'd seen a ghost when she spotted us. I'm glad her surprise worked out so well. The four of us headed out to a French restaurant and spent the evening just enjoying the French cuisine. Day three was probably my favourite...it consisted of a picnic and 5 hours just chilling with friends under the Eiffel Tower. Good food, Cheap wine (EUR1.25 a bottle), and even better company...what more could a girl ask for? Liz and I even found time for a photo shoot where we paraded around in black and white stripy tops, berets and moustaches....much to the amusements of the locals. After a day of doing nothing but eating we headed to a restaurant for tea, brilliant. I finally got to try Frogs legs which surprise surprise taste like chicken. I actually quite liked them but they are just fiddley to eat as the bones are so tiny. The only thing that put me off them were the tiny little 'toes'. Day 4 consisted of more mooching and a visit to the very eerie catacombs...they were definately cool but i was much more interested in where we were having lunch...somehow the focus of my trip turned to the food pretty much the minute i arrived.....bread, pastries, fondues, pastas....god it was good. I swear I came back to the UK a kilo heavier. So that brings me to my last day. I left my hotel at 5 in the morning to catch a train out to Rennes. My plan was to leave my baggage in a locker for the day and pick it up again before heading back to the UK. Unfortunately  the luggage lockers weren't open that early in the morning so I had to lug it with me. 2 and half hours later I made it the town of Rennes where I then caught a bus which took another 2 hours before arriving at the tidal island of Mt Saint Michel. It rose out of nowhere....massive mud planes stretched for miles and then all of a sudden it appeared. It was everything and more than I imagined it would be. I had 2 hours to climb the mountain and view the abbey (with my weeks worth of luggage might I add) before jumping back on the  bus to begin my 4 and half hour journey back to Paris. I was knackered by the time I got back and even more so by the time I caught my train back to London but after years of dreaming about Mt St Michel I finally made it and can now tick it off the ever growing list of mine. So that brings me to the end of this entry but I will just leave with u a quick story. On arriving into Paris I was getting over a cold and unfortunately got a cold sore. It meant a trip to the chemist was in order and after a lot of miming and attempts in my broken French and  the pharmacists broken English we established that the French word for coldsore is Herpes....joy.They use the same word for both coldsores and the STD. I had the pleasure of having him announce loudly to a shop full of people ...including English tourists that I had Herpes. I had never been so mortified in my life. I could handle the French thinking i had a coldsore but not the English tourists thinking I have Herpes....i left the chemist utterly embarrassed but at least safe in the knowledge that i would never have to see this pharmacist again. That was until the next day. My friend needed a prescription so off I went to back to the chemist....I queued in amongst a load of people desperately hoping I wouldn't see the same pharmacist.....I was doing quite well until he spotted me and pulled me from the queue to help. So much for my plan. He started filling the prescription which was all fine and dandy but he kept looking at me questioningly  and saying 'You sure u want this?'. I didn't quite understand why he was looking at me so strangely till I got back to my friends place and discovered he had given her medication to ease the pain of her 'Delhi Belly' which was supposed to be in the form of pills in the form of vaginal pessaries instead. Turns out when I went back with my friends prescription he thought I had Herpes in more place than one.... So not only did he announce to a full shop I have Herpes he now actually thinks I have the STD and  It would have been fine if maybe this pharmacist was over the age of 70 but worse than that he looked about my age and was really good looking! Its all quite amusing now and my friends thought it was hilarious at the time but my poor friend never ended up with the right medication and all I know is that I will never go back to that pharmacy in my life time. Gotta love the language barrier! So until next time!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1238537580/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1238537580/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1238537580/tpod.html Tue, 31 Mar 2009 19:13:43 -0400 From little old Waitoki to London and beyond!

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Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

.Hey Guys,   Just thought I'd give u an update on my latest weekend away to Dublin with the girls. This year has gone by so quickly  that it seems hard to believe its already been almost 4 months since my adventure to Jordan, needless to say I was itching to get away.Sonia, Donna and I headed off in the wee hours of the morning for Stansted airport. We thought that driving would be faster than catching a train but in reality what we expected to be a 45 minute drive turned into a 2 hour trip due to road blocks. We ended up on a scenic detour through Epping Forrest which unfortunately is not as picturesque as the name suggests and is well known for body dumping. All I can say is thank god for Sat Nav's.Luckily we made it to the airport in time but unfortunately didnt have time for the McDonalds Sausage and Egg McMuffin I had been dreaming about since the night before. As an alternative we settled for a cooked breaky at a cafe which unfortunately left both Sonia and I with a crook stomach for the rest of the day. Yet again I had issues in customs. Im beginning to get a complex about my surname....do I really look like a terrorist? Apparently the airport staff think I do. So much so that they inspected my deodorant with a fine tooth comb scanning it through the machine twice in addition to removing my underwear from my bag and inspecting it for all the world to see. They may not have thought so but I can assure you I had no intentions of bombing the plane with my purple lacy knickers.We made it to Dublin in one peice which was a miracle in itself and after dropping luggage at our hostel it was straight to the Guiness Brewery. Before I went there I was amazed at how a brewery could top the list as a cities biggest attraction but after seeing how many pubs there were I soon came to realise how much drinking is a part of the Irish culture.I have to say I was impressed with the Brewery. As far as attractions go it was really well done and aside from, trying the brew the highlight was the view from from the top of the building. It looked out over the entire city and luckily for us the sun came out just long enough for us to get a few good snaps of the city from above. I tried my first pint of Guiness but as nice as it was I was only able to down about a third of it. On the plus side I did attempt it unlike Sonia who drank coke but still managed to pose with my beer for a photo! From the brewery we slowly strolled back into town checking out a few of the cities interesting buildings including the lovely Christchurch Cathedral...it was a spectacular old building but what it didnt have on the old CHC cathedral back home was the wizard.Our stroll lead us to a few souvenir shops  where the girls pretty much brought them out of stock. I kinda felt bad as they were so generous when buying gifts for other people and then theres me who just refuses to buy souvenirs point blank apart from an embroidered patch for my bag. I just kind of figure that if I brought souvenirs from every place i visit id be poor. So to all of you who read my blog its not that I dont love u enough to bring u souvenirs....its just Im broke! We concluded our stroll with a trip to the infamous Temple Bar which is the cultural heart of Dublin. After visiting the area i have no doubt as to why the area was dubbed this. There was just such an atmosphere in the area and although slightly touristy it was just amazing. You couldnt walk past a door without hearing live music escaping from within. By this time the sun had set and having not eaten since the dodgy breakfast it was time to find some tea. The remainder of our first day in Dublin was spent relxing in a typical Irish Pub eating the local fodder which in my case happened to be pasta and garlic bread (suprise suprise there)Day 2 began by checking out of our not to shabby hostel. Donna was a hostel virgin so was getting used to the whole jandals in shower idea but I have to say she handled it pretty well.We spent the day wandering around the sites we had mostly passed by the day before and explored all the secrets the city had to offer. For me the highlight of the day was visiting an old carmelite church to see where St Valentine is buried. Those who know me know that my favourite day of the year is Valentines Day and that im the first to give u a speech about the meaning of the day when anyone harps on about it being over commercialised.We visited one of the local parks before heading out to Kilmainham Gaol which was slightly out of the city. We managed to get ourselves a tad lost on the way but thanks to friendly locals we were put back on the right track. Although similar to many old prisons I have visited there was something very eerie about the place. Maybe it was the dark, or the chill in the air or maybe it was just sad knowing that people were imprisoned there for acts such as stealing an apple from a market during the famine....even children as young as 8 were sent to do hard labour for doing nothing more than trying to live.Running late it was time for us to head off to the airport but not before stopping to buy an extra bag to fit all the shopping in we had accumulated. We made it to the airport on time for a change and in fact had three hours to kill before heading back home.My overall impression of the city was a good one, its a city full of culture and ambience but also one that has a strong history and u can tell the people are proud of their heritage. If I have the chance to go back there again I definately would. I can only imagine how the city comes alive on St Patricks day and would reccomend the city to anyone wanting to experience something just that little bit different.I may not have meet Paddy on this trip but I definately felt like I got to know my old pal Murphy a bit better.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1234045560/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1234045560/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1234045560/tpod.html Tue, 17 Feb 2009 09:47:51 -0500 From little old Waitoki to London and beyond!

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London, England, United Kingdom

Hey Guys,Well its been over a year since I first arrived here in the UK and after having spent the weekend celebrating all things Kiwi in honour of Waitangi Day I thought what better time than now to reflect on my time here.It still feels like only yesterday i was sorting through my two suitcases humming and harring over what I was going to need on my big expedition overseas. I am pleased to report that I did manage to use every itiem I brought over with me...even if I was cursing my luggage every second of the way from Heathrow airport to my house.I am also pleased to announce that I still use the 6 kg duvet everybody mocked me about bringing overseas but with the freezing cold temperatures it was well worth it!So I guess the big question is what have I achieved in my last year? Ive gone from being unemployed and homeless in a foreign country to having held down a job for a year now and living in a three bedroom house. Ive gone from knowing no one but the lovely Sonia to having meet a bunch of crazy, adventurous, outgoing and great people. Ive watched friends come and go from back home and Ive also had to say goodbye to one of the most amazing people I have ever meet, Kim. Kim if you are reading this my time here would not have been the same without you. Some of my best memories here were spent with you, whether it was being squashed along with 38998 other people while being pelted with tomatoes, going cheeserolling, speed sightseeing while eating Currywurst through Berlin or hunting for robin hood in Nottingham.I definately love it over here and nothing compares to the livliness or energy that London has to offer but I can feel little old NZ starting to call me home. Ive still got another 9 months before its time for me to leave and I still have a lot of exploring to do. Last year was focused on travel but this year although I have few trips planned is all about living the London lifestyle.I guess one of the big things i have found hard to adjust to is food. The are some things the Brits got very right...like mushy peas! Yup I admitted it i am proud to say i am a big fan of the green smush and also Pimms...although technically alcohol and not food definately agrees with me. Now on my list of 'what were they thinking?' the top item is baked beans.....urgh. You cant escape them in this country they come with everything, well that and fries....but seriously....baked beans? they even serve it at KFC instead of potato and gravy! You read right NO potato and gravy....also on the topic of KFC they dont season the chips here....god what I would give to dunk a seasoned fry into the miracle that is potato and gravy.Another thing the Brits got right is public transport, despite it being the top item to be complained about over here I cant fault it one little bit, to me its the best thing since sliced...actually make it the best thing invented since KFC potato and gravy. It may break down alot, it may have delays and as much as being crowded on a train at peak hour with some stranger dry humping you urks me, I love the tube. I can be in the other side of the city in no time and compared to NZ where you cant get by without a car its a godsend. No traffic jams, no warrants, no speeding tickets and no massive petrol bills.On the downside tho I still havent got used to doing grocery shopping without a car, I used to drive up to pak n save once a month spend three hours there, load up the car and go home. Now i toddle up to the shops with my sexy nanny bag....im one purple rinse away from becoming a retiree.I guess the one thing I wasnt expecting to find over here was home. Dont get me wrong I love this city but since I came over here it has made me appreciate the Kiwi way of life so much more. I guess its reaffirmed my beliefs of how lucky I am to come from a country as wonderful as NZ. Ive meet so many people over here that have seen more of the country than I have so my aim when I go back home is to explore my own backyard.Now my favourite day of the year since I moved here is Waitangi day, and since i first experienced it London style Ive been planning ever since for the next years event. You see its the one day of the year where Kiwis gather here to show the pride we feel for our country and to share our culture with the world. Oddly enough this is done in the shape of pub crawl starting at 10 am and concluding at 4 in Parliament square where all the men rip off their shirts and perform one all mighty haka. I know it sounds wierd but it tops my list as best event of the year, and I still stand by that even after having been to La Tomatina and Oktoberfest.Twenty thousand Kiwis come together as one to celebrate and it is the one day of the year people are allowd to gather at parliament square...people are dressed up and singing tunes from back home and the sense of pride just swells inside u. I have never felt so proud to be a Kiwi as I did on Waitangi Day this year...Back home Waitangi Day is nothing special....just a free day off work really but here it is just unlike anything I have ever been apart of before. My only gripe is that it took me travelling halfway around the world to realise where home is and to realise how much my culture means to me. I only wish the festivities that are celebrated here could be shared with eveyone back home. I know you couldnt all be here to celebrate with me but without further ado may I present Waitangi Day Pub Crawl 09....the video!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1188277620/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1188277620/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1188277620/tpod.html Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:29:50 -0500 From little old Waitoki to London and beyond!

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Los Angeles, California, United States

Hey,Well im not exactly in London as yet but I am well on my way. After a very stressful and emotional goodbye I made it onto the flight as far as Los Angeles. It must have been my lucky day as I got to sit with Sonia and May. Four movies and several attempts at sleep later I arrived into Los Angeles on an absolutely gorgeous  and stinking hot day. I managed to navigate my way through customs and through to check in in 20 minutes which was quite lucky. I arrived at the check in counter with plenty of time ready to take my flight to London but alas it was not meant to be. The check in girl sent me off to a hotel ....it took me half an hour to find the hotel transfer but i made it with all 46kgs worth of luggage in tow.I met this Kiwi bloke on the transfer bus who was from Hamilton...funnily enough he wasnt off my flight but off a Lufthansa one. The two of us just laughed the whole way as this crazy female taxi driver ranted and raved on about silly americans (she was american herself)   and literally poured a bag of potatoe chips down her throat while maintaining a serious case of road rage....definately an unusual character who had mastered the art of multitasking. I have to say I was pretty fond of her as she abused the crap out of the hotel porter who refused to help me with my luggage despite that being in his job desciption...I was mighty thankful for the assistance in transporting my necessaties. Im staying at the Sheraton Four Points which is really lovely. Its this huge building on a road lined with the typical tall trees that you see in every American movie.Unfortunately I dont have enough time to explore the city before I go tomorrow but it seems really lovely.....there isnt the thick layer of smog above the city that so many people have told me about.Although I may not be in London im still enjoying it here....i can now say that I have officially been to the United States.....even if it was only for one night.Well I am off to bed now to try and catch a few ZZZZZZ's. Take Care!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1229784240/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1229784240/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1229784240/tpod.html Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:24:45 -0500 From little old Waitoki to London and beyond!

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Amman, Jordan

Jordan.,...not exactly most peoples top holiday spot for Christmas. But for me it was the prefect choice. Ive been dreaming of going there ever since I watched a short documentary on the place a few years ago. So when Liz mentioned she'd been wanting to go there in a conversation at the beginning of the year i jumped at the opportunity to go.So after months of humming and harring we were finally at Heathrow getting ready to fly out to the Middle East. I must say it was a nice start to the trip. We were being charmed by the Baileys guy at the duty free shop who kept giving us cocktails...it may have been 11 in the morning but hey we were on holiday!After a pretty non eventful flight we arrived into Amman all excited about our big trip. Little did we know our transfer to our hotel had failed to show up and we would still be at the airport four and a half hours later.....I have to say we handled it pretty well, there was no panicking or swearing (my usual style) but just a lot of laughing. We had kinda picked something was bound to go wrong on the holiday so we were glad to have it over and done with before the trip had even begun. Unfortunately the emergency contact numbers we had been given for our tour representatives in Jordan didn't work. Had we of known what hotel we were staying at we could have just caught a cab but alas no that would have been too simple. After finally having someone in NZ manage to get through to our tour company it turned out they had no idea where we were suppose to be staying. They gave us a name of a hotel to book into for the night and then they would send someone to come find us in the morning.We arrived at the hotel thankfully to find we were actually supposed to be staying there but the down side being that they had put us in separate rooms with other people and expected us to go wake them up to let us is in the rooms. At 2 in the morning that definately made us popular.The following morning though we woke up to start our tour and meet the others. We were a small group of only 9 and fortunately we all gelled quite well. Our guide was extremely apologetic about forgetting us the night before and with that we were on our way. We started day one with a tour of the city, we visited the citadel, the old part of the city as well as the new and to a local museum which held a small part of the original dead sea scrolls. A drive past the US embassy proved to be interesting as I have never seen anything so heavily guarded in all my life. The sight of Jeeps with massive machine guns bolted to the tops were everywhere as well as soldiers fully armed is not something I will forget in a hurry.After our tour of the city we drove to the ancient city of Jerash to see Hadrian's Arch. It was just incredible to see how advanced civilisation was. It was also the first chance we had time to do a bit of shopping and for me to try my hand at bargaining. I must admit I was pretty useless at this, I probably got completely ripped off but it still felt good having haggled the price down slightly. That night the Assistant manager and a colleague took Elizabeth and I out for dinner to apologise for the antics the night before. The meal was to die for and to be honest the four and half hour wait at the airport was worth it just to have such a fantastic meal. I have to say it was amusing to see their reactions once they realised I am a travel agent and Liz is a journalist. They practically fell over backwards trying to impress us. Somehow I think Topdeck, our tour company had given them a right earful about leaving us as everywhere we went for the rest of the tour transfer drivers kept asking for us two only making sure they never left us behind.PHOTO_ID_R=mount-nebo.jpg] The following day we started our trek towards Petra. Our first stop was a town called Madaba which is the main Christian city in Jordan. From Madaba we drove to Mount Nebo to see spectacular views of the country side. It was here that Moses claimed to see the promised land and it is believed that he is buried somewhere in this area. After Mount Nebo we stopped at Mujeb Valley-The Grand Canyon of Jordan. It was definately impressive but unfortunately the fog meant it didn't lend itself to the best photos.On arriving at the hotel a couple of the girls and I decided to have a Turkish bath. Man it felt like heaven. After my experience in Turkey I've quite taken to Turkish baths...not a fan of the Sauna bit as sweating like a pig just doesn't appeal but the massage and full body scrub are awesome. It was an early retreat to bed that night in preparation for the next day.We set off early the following morning geared up tp go to Petra. For most of us Petra was the major attraction in going to Jordan. You arrive at the site to have a horse ride for a km before walking another 2 km into the valley. The horse ride was challenging and as I'm sure most of u know I'm not much of an animal person. The last time I was on a horse I was 12 and was bucked off Sandy Lund's horse legs astride over an electric fence....until Petra I had never even considered getting on a horse again.The last two km into the valley everyone was getting snap happy at all the different rock formations, it wasn't until we reached the actual entrance to Petra and saw the beginning of the ancient city I realised there were far better things to be taking pictures of. The first glimpse of the Treasury through the rocks was unbelievable.  Out of no where this massive building looms overhead and the details just stopped me dead in my tracks. It was everything and more than I could have hoped for. There were so many buildings and excavations to see and what amazed me is that there are still Bedouins living in the caves at Petra. If I thought the horse ride was bad it was nothing compared to the donkey ride that I took up to go see the Monastery. I have to admit I feared for my life as my little donkey raced up the hill with rocks falling off the cliff edge. As sad as it sounds the whole time all I could think about was that death by donkey was not my planned exit strategy for leaving this world. It was worth it though. The view from the Monastery was to die for and aptly named view from the top of the world it was exactly how I felt sitting on that cliff watching out over the desert. The following day was Christmas and although it may not have felt like Christmas waking up first thing in the morning my opinion soon changed later in the day.We stopped at little Petra and then went off roading in a jeep at a desert at Wadi Rum. It was absolutely amazing. All you could see for miles was red red sand and the occasional camel traipsing across the desert. The sky was blue with not a cloud in the sky and for the first time since beginning the trip the sun came out to warm us. After off roading we headed to the Jabal Rum camp. A small bedouin camp in... the middle of no where really. It was incredible. We climbed up a cliff to sit and watched the sun set over the desert. We sat on that cliff singing Christmas Carols at the top of our lungs and laughing and I can honestly say it was one of the best Christmases I have ever had. We had a traditional Jordanian meal for dinner which just soooo delictable.....it was pretty much a giant Hangi except for it didnt taste like dirt. God it was good. The evening was spent playing secret Santa and learning to dance traditional Jordanian dances. I had an absolute ball and even though I froze my ass off in the tent that night it just didn't matter. Early the following morning we hit the road again while defrosting from the night before. We arrived at the dead sea to dive into the crystal clear water. As gorgeous as it was it absolutely stung like hell from the concentration of salt. I stung where I have not stung before and for some odd reason unbeknownst to me my ankles swelled up. After living in fricking cold london though merely being able to put on togs and loll about in the water and sun was something I had almost forgotten the feeling of.From the Dead Sea it was off to Israel. I got yellow carded at the border....Im guessing its my surname that did it but do I really look like a terrorist? Gees Louise. Israel was something else. I was expecting it to be a really uplifting experiencing, as an atheist I thought being in such a holy place with so many religions living together as one in might renew my faith. I couldn't have been any wronger if I tried. I hate to say this about a place but its the first place I can truly say I didn't like and I left the country having reaffirmed my beliefs of why I am an atheist.We visited amazing sights in Jerusalem like the Mount of Olives, the garden of Gethsamene, and the Western Wailing Wall. We even visited via dolorosa where Jesus walked with the cross. I was in the alter which holds his tomb with two older woman who were so moved by being there they were just crying. At the time I can remember thinking how wonderful it must be to have so much faith in something that it can move you so and those thoughts were dashed about half an hour later.We were crossing through the city and just went through one quarter into the Jewish quarter when an irate woman started screaming at our tour guide about how the Arabs had destroyed Shabbath glass decorations outside the Jewish houses. Our guide an Arab calmly asked her if she saw the person doing it. When she replied no, then he told her that she has no right to accuse an entire race of people of a crime she never saw committed. It broke out into an all out screaming match between this woman and her family and our guide and a girl on our tour. It was awful. I just couldn't believe it. She just kept screaming about there only being two types of people in Israel- The Jews and the Arabs. I thought that of all the people out there the Jewish who have been discriminated against for centuries would be the last people to turn around and do the same to others. It completely affirmed my belief that if religion is all about persecuting those who have varying beliefs than your own then I want nothing to do with it.Later we travelled to Bethlehem a city not even 12 km away. The were huge border crossings as it is technically in the West Bank Gaza Strip. There were huge signs banning the Israelis from entering and our guide told us a sad story about how his son fell in love with girl from Bethlehem and how they are prevented from living with one another despite being married because they live across the border. The Muslims and anyone of Arab decent seem to be treated like absolute crap over there. On coming back we were waived through the border but our poor guide was taken off our bus strip searched for over an hour all because of his nationality. And the Jews were complaining over one smashed glass ornament? Where's the justice in that?Bethlehem was nice but the damage had been done for me and the magic of being in such a holy place was stripped. We saw where Jesus was born and although I far preferred Bethlehem to Jerusalem a hand painted mural on the West Bank Side of the separation wall summed things up for me.....It said Five fingers of the Same hand......it had god in the palm and then the fingers represented different religions. Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists. If the Muslims can live in peace and accept that different people believe in different things and still get along....why cant the rest of the world? I can honestly say I will never go back to Israel. I know that a few people don't represent a whole country or a whole nation of people but I was so disappointed with my visit.That night we had a long drive back to Amman where we flew back home to London at ridiculous o'clock in the morning. I was sad to leave as my trip had definately left one hell of an impression on me but it was time to go.My overall impression of Jordan was fantastic. It may not be your typical western country but I was absolutely moved by the people. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. Everyone genuinely cares about how are you are and were so hospitable. It certainly made a change from walking down oxford street in London where you are bowled over by people with their handbags and who don't stop to say sorry.I would go back to Jordan in a heartbeat but unfortunately that one woman in the streets of Jerusalem has tarnished my views of Israel forever.  
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1226699220/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1226699220/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1226699220/tpod.html Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:10:00 -0500 From little old Waitoki to London and beyond!

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Berlin, Germany

My latest expedition was a quick trip to Berlin. As with the majority of my trips it all started with Kim saying "ooo look Ryanair sale....where shall we go now?".....20 quid for a weekend away is just too good to refuse. The plan was to fly out Friday night after work and come back Sunday night but unfortunately a schedule change left us having to return at ridiculous o'clock on Sunday morning leaving us with only one full day to cram in everything there is to see in Berlin.  We stayed at what was supposed to be one of Europe's best backpackers but after having stayed at the gorgeous Meninger in Vienna it just didn't quite compare. After our flight landed on Fri night and by the time we settled in it was only a couple of hours until we had to get up and start our speed tour of Berlin.  Now it wouldn't be right  if I didn't mention food in this blog so I guess Ill start with brekkie....all I can say is ....oh the bread and cured meat....I was in heaven...I love the Germans and their love of meat especially before 8 in the morning.  I think Kim is starting to think im meat fiend as every where we go...Spain, Germany and Austria all i do is eat. Somehow even after a year living in the UK I have not become accustomed to the English palate....there is just no flavour.  Kim and I headed off on foot to visit some of the infamous monuments that Berlin has to offer. We saw the Brandenburger Tor, the Reichstag, Checkpoint Charlie, and the Topography of Terror as well as a whole load of men carrying women's purses. We came to the conclusion it must be a German thing but the sight of a big burly German bloke carrying an Audrey Hepburn bag still startles me.  We were lucky enough to stumble across some Christmas markets which were awesome. I love Christmas markets at the best of times but actually being able to go to xmas markets in Germany is something else. After the markets we headed to the East Side Gallery to see the last remaining 1 kilometre stretch of the famous Berlin Wall that divided the east from the west. The artwork is incredible and some of it also very powerful.  It was time for a quick Currywurst (yum yum) after viewing the wall and then it was time to drop off shopping we had accumulated for the day before heading off to a Mexican restaurant to meet a friend of Mums named Sarah. We had a nice dinner and thanks to Sarahs fantastic English it all went nice and smoothly. A few mojitos later we headed off to retire for the night. Several hours later full of snoring (not mine for a change) it was morning and time for us to make a dash to the train station in time to meet our flight. Unfortunately we read the timetable wrong which left us in a bit of a fluster. At least we still had enough time to get to the airport unlike a load of other people who panicking had to leave the station in search of alternative transport not an easy feat at 7 am.  By the time we arrived back into London I was absolutely knackered. One day in Berlin just didn't do the city justice. Kim and I managed to get 95 percent of what was on our list done it would have been nice to have a bit more time to explore. If I have the opportunity to go back to Berlin I would but even if I don't I feel like I managed to see enough of the city to get a feel for it. Berlin was definitely in my list of top places to visit.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1222372680/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1222372680/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1222372680/tpod.html Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:25:56 -0400 From little old Waitoki to London and beyond!

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Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Hey Guys,This afternoon I arrived back from my latest adventure to Munich for Oktoberfest. Man was it crazy! It was busy with people everywhere and so many sights and sounds going on around. I had an awesome time and now that i am back home all i can think about is that I want to go back....5 days just wasnt enough. I went to Munich as part of a tour group but was still extremely nervous as I wasnt going with anyone  I knew. Unfortunately most of the people I know went for opening weekend which I just couldnt get the time off work for. Turns out I neednt have worried as I met a bunch of really nice people.We took a coach from London to Munich which was supposed to be an 18 hour journey. It stretched to a full 22 hours as our toilet broke about 2 hours into the trip. Needless to say this was bit of nightmare with about 60 people drinking booze on the coach. In desperation the guys had to pee into bottles which promptly got thrown outside the bus window.It was definately an amusing sight to see bottle after bottle flying out into the French and Belgium Country side. Eventually the whole toilet door had to be removed and reattached as some bright spark managed to lock it from the outside.After many RTD's and lots of random acts of entertainment (such as one guy ripping his underwear right out from underneath him and then proceeding to try eat it) we made it to our campsite at Thalkirchen in Munich. On arriving it was just like a giant sea of tents unlike anything Ive seen before.There was time for a quick change into my Drindl and then it was off to the Oktoberfest grounds. On arriving I was just blown away. The grounds were about three times bigger than I was expecting. There was a roller coaster and Ferris wheel. The beer tents I had heard about werent tents/marquees at all, they were large permanent structures that housed thousands of people.James, my bus buddy and I headed to the Lowenbrau tent for our first taste of Oktoberfest. It was absolutely packed but oddly felt so familiar. Maybe it was the live music or smell of Wurst in the air but somehow it just reminded me of all the German/Swiss events I had been to through my Dad. I could so picture him up there on the stage with his band.  I could even sing along with some of the songs which I thought was pretty kewl. Unfortunately we couldnt get a seat as it was so full so it was off to the Hofbrau we went to try again. We had to queue for two hours to get it but once we did man was it worth it. I spent the rest of the night in this tent. I had my first Stein which scarily enough went down quite easily....all litres worth. I wasnt a beer drinker before but after this past week I can no longer claim that.We ended up sharing a table with a bunch of about 6 Dutch guys and one from Perth chucked in for good measure. Unfortunately for me being the only female in the bunch it meant I suddenly found myself trying to keep up drink wise with the boys. Also meant I got picked up...literally.... an awful lot. One drink was followed by another until suddenly Id had three Steins on my own, by the end of the night Id shared another three with James.James got a bit plastered and the last I saw of him that night he was wearing a womens Drindl top hed found somewhere along the line. Apparently the next day he couldnt remember the next few hours after that and luckily found a nice taxi driver who drove him round every camp ground in Munich until he recognised the one we were staying at. I just hope he tipped her well.As for me? I ended staying in the Hofbrau tent with the Dutch boys drinking, dancing and singing "Ein Prost" every 5 minutes.  Absolutely awesome night. I had a ball. I eventually left the hall and went for a walk to take a few photos of the grounds by night and then caught the shuttle bus back to the campground....best night out I have had in forever and I was still tucked up fast asleep in my tent by 10.30 at night. Not bad at all.The next morning I woke up after having frozen my ass off all night, and some of our tour group headed out for a tour of the Dachau  concentration camp. Well thats the people that didnt go straight back to the beerhalls and the ones who hadnt just got out of jail. Yup you read right, one guy got into a bit of a fight with some guy who tried to knick his wallet and found himself in jail for the night trying to scrape together 400 euros for bail. In the morning he had one hell of a black eye, a bust lip and what looked like cuts going around his neck.After the festivities of the Beerfest the day before, Dachau was a very sobering experience. It was so sad to see the conditions that so many thousands had been forced to live in. I remember at one point being in a bunker looking down  a hall seeing hundreds of small doors leading off to tiny rooms. So concrete and sparse, I was thinking how awful it would have been to live in them when I realised that what I was looking at were the officers rooms and that the barracks the prisoners were in were just masses of hard wood beds stacked 5 high. With about 10 people crammed into the space the size of those first tiny rooms I saw.I saw the gas chamber, and the crematorium and it was terrible. They showed photos of the medical experiments that were carried out on the prisoners. Horrible horrible image that I dont think I will ever forget. After our visit to Dachau we went to Andechs which is a monastry where they brew their own beer. Its set high on a hill which has awesome views looking over the local village. We sat trying the local brew and having a meal which for me a was a peice of Fleischkase with Potato Salad and the biggest Pork Knuckle I have seen in life. It took three of us to devour these two meals.After a tour of the monastery itself it was back into the beer halls for what is supposedly the busiest day of Oktoberfest. It was absolutely packed and im possible to get into the beer gardens let alone into the halls. James managed to sneak Libby (my tent mate) himself and me through a side entrance to get us into a beer garden where we spent the rest of the night. We just sat having a few drinks getting to know the people we shared our table. People came and went but in our short time at the table we managed to meet investment bankers from New York, a bunch of Swiss Girls and some Canadians.Libby and I lost James some where along the line so we decided to go try a few of the rides. We took the Ferris wheel with some guys from Zurich and got some of the most incredible view of the grounds with all the night lights.The following morning our whole tour group bar me went back to the halls to have one last drinking session before heading back on the bus to London that night. Me? I decided to be a tourist that day so I set off with my guidebook and spent the day going from one site to another.I visited the famous Marienplatz to see the Glockenspiel play, I saw heaps of old churches and the Rathaus and some pretty amazing buildings. I toured the Englischer Gardens and the Residenz before heading out to the site of the 1972 Olympic games.I went up the Olympic tower to try get some views of the city however it was bit foggy so the views werent exactly the best. However in saying that it let me have an incredible view of the BMW factory which honestly was the size of a large village. No wonder that and the Man factory are the cities biggest employers.I spent the rest of the day just wandering around the park before I headed back to the campsite to catch my bus. I was quite proud that I had managed to navigate the city on my own with my dodgy German. I managed to order food in a cafe, ask for directions and take both a bus and the Ubahn by reading signs.  My German may be crap but it was enough to get me where I needed to go.On finishing my sightseeing tour and being one of the few people to catch the bus from the campsite we picked the others up from the beer halls before departing. All I can is it was one heck of a long bus ride back to London. I felt awfully sober next to everyone else who were giggling and singing and might I add still chundering from the days efforts. It sucked not feeling as merry as everyone else seemed to be but Im still pleased I went sightseeing as at least I can now say I have seen Munich and can cross it off my list.Two books later we had arrived in London  The trip although 5 days had so much travel time that I feel like I didnt have enough time to experience the Oktoberfest. But what time I did have there was awesome and if the opportunity came up to go back I definitely would. I was right in my element good food, good company, good music. What more could I ask for?So until my next trip...(Berlin in November) take care, Miss you all!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1219673700/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1219673700/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lishinlondon/the_big_oe/1219673700/tpod.html Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:26:32 -0400 From little old Waitoki to London and beyond!

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London, England, United Kingdom

     
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