Discovering Cultures Around the World

On our 18 hour layoverin Singapore, we knew we had to go out and explore this city. Actually a sovereign city-state, just like Vatican, Singapore is a former English colony that has fought fiercely to maintain its democratic ideals and independence from the Malaysian Communist rule. Obtaining full independence in the last couple of decades and building a strong democratic city-state, has put Singapore on the map in the world of trading and foreign investment, making it one of the most innovative and business-friendly states in the world. It is also an architect’s paradise as new modern buildings are erected constantly, but in a style that incorporates natural elements for a more cozy and relaxing feel. Standard of living here is high and the amenities for its residents and tourists are spectacular. 

The business district resembles cities like Hong Kong or Chicago with modern skyscrapers and impeccable streets. The Tajong Pagar Food Center, in the business district is a great place to stop for lunch as it has delicious and cheap food from cuisines from neighboring countries in an impeccable set-up. After we indulged at the market, we visited Chinatown, with its hassle and bustle, especially days before the Chinese New Year celebrations. We walked along the river, on the Promenade, that was weaved with welcoming restaurants and various cuisines. 

New Zealand’s raw natural beauty, self-sustainability and friendly locals make this place a magical one. We only had five days in this wonderful land and decided to spend them on the North Island, as we were flying in and out of Auckland, a town at the north tip of the North Island. After our road trip in Australia, we thought there was no better way to explore this place than by a camper-van. The high season and summer in New Zealand are from December through February so we had to call up a few companies before we found our 'Wicked' camper-van, a car renting company known among travelers for its wicked messages and graffiti on its cars, grabbing everyone's attention while on the road :)

Armed with our vehicle, we set forth in the heart of the North Island, to Taupo Lake. On our way, we were mesmerized and astounded by the pure and beautiful nature around us - perfect rolling hills, vibrantly colored pine forests, cattle and sheep roaming around everywhere, majestic mountains, set against most vivid skies. It was surreal. Against this magical background, out in the distance, the infinite lake Taupo was starting to unfold, imploding all its surroundings through its vastness. As we got to the edges of the lake, we parked our camper-van and prepared our dinner in the breeze of the lake and astonishing sunset.

New Zealand is a camper-van friendly country. They have designated parking areas for day and overnight camper-vans and motorhomes parking that are self-contained vehicles ( meaning with inside toilet and shower). If you ever get questioned by a police officer about the parking, can bring up the Freedom Parking Act, that allows these cars to park almost anywhere overnight, as long as they are no signs prohibiting it. Our camper-van was not self-contained and for that reason we often parked overnight in rest areas outside cities and on the side of the road, which is all too common. There are plenty of caravan campgrounds as well, but they are generally $30-50 a night, and not as adventurous :) At lake Taupo, we met another couple in a 'Wicked' campervan, with who we have continued our journey of hiking the Tongagriro Crossing, in Tongariro National Park, a few hours south lake Taupo. The fellowship of the 'Wicked' camper-vans proved to be quite strong :)

The Tongariro Crossing was a 19 km strenuous hike on the outskirts of the Mordor mountain, the devilish mountain in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The hike path was quite steep, however well worth exploring.  On the other side of the peak, a few topaz lakes have been unearthed to enchant the hikers. After about six hours of intense hiking, with our legs sore and unforgettable experiences, we said ‘goodbye’ to our 'wicked' friends and headed back north to Rotorua.

In the Rotorua area, lies the newest geothermal system in the world. From mud pools, to boiling lakes and rivers, the area has been reshaped by a turbulent volcano in the late 1800s. The colors, shapes and smells of this place are incredible. The National Parks right outside Rotorua, Waimangu Vulcanic Valley and Wai-o-Tapu Termal Wonderland, represent the best of this natural phenomenon. At the end of this tour, we decided we needed to relax our sore muscles in the hot pools at Waikite Hot Pools, 15 minutes’ drive from the parks. These hot pools draw their water from the natural hot springs in the vicinity that is then cooled at various temperatures for their 6 outdoor pools. The outdoor pools were set against the picturesque rural areas which made it the ideal relaxing place.

After a relaxing time at the hot pools, we set for our next destination, this time on the east coast of the North Island, starting with Tauaranga beach town. Driving north on the coast, more beach towns were unfolding on one side of the road while still being enveloped by lush vegetation, hills and mountains on the other side of the twisting roads. We made our way up to the Hot Water Beach, where on low tide you can dig a hole in the sand and create your own hot pool, thanks to the subterranean hot springs. We did not get to experience that since it was rainy and high tide, but definitely something to plan for. The next stop on the east coast,  was the Haiei Beach and the Cathedral Cove, a beautiful carved cove that connects two beaches. The hike to the cove was also spectacular as well.

Crossing the tip of the north east peninsula to Coromandel was another adventure. The 17 kilometer gravel road was narrowly sculpted into the mountains and its dense vegetation, as one of the most spectacular drives, which could be quite tiring for the driver (my hubby in this case) on this insanely winding road. The drive led us to Coromandel, a beautiful peninsular region, where we spent our last night before heading back to Auckland.

On the last day in New Zealand we explored  Auckland, a beautiful town on the waterfront, with a crowded marina of cruise boats, racing sailing boats and busy restaurants, as well as beautiful parks that offer a wonderful respite for its  people and exhausted travelers.

One of the most beautiful natural wonders of the world is the Great Barrier Reef that spans on the East coast of Australia from Cairns, down north of Brisbane and its Sunshine Coast. From Melbourne, we flew into Cairns to witness this wonderful show that mother nature is putting up for us.

Cairns (pronounced 'cans'), a coastal city surrounded by beautiful lush vegetation and mountains, it's a small touristic town which serves as a base for the reef tours. Visiting the town off season, had its perks - quieter and more affordable accommodation by the harbor (Break Free Hotel). The weekend markets were amazing, with colorful taverns selling many types of mangoes and other fruit and vegetables and the night market by our hotel offered great souvenirs and cheap Thai massages. We also took the public bus up to the north beaches, which were beautiful, yet deserted islands due to the stingrays and low season. But we did enjoy some swimming by the public lagoon, a man made beautiful swimming place right in the harbor.

Our barrier reef trip was beyond amazing. We made sure to book with a small group, no more than 30 people with Star Cruises that went to two places for snorkeling and diving, Hastings Reef and Michaelmas Cay Reef and we were pretty much the only boat out there. The tour offered snorkeling and also introductory diving, a challenge that I took. We stayed 1-2 hours in each place and that was plenty. The underwater show that was unfolding was beyond imagination: fish of all colors and sizes, corrals of various types, color and size, fish schools swimming around uninterrupted, huge sea clams...It was unbelievable, a whole universe under our eyes. Our tour guides were also very knowledgeable about the marine life and were supporting government's efforts to preserve the reef in all possible way, from eco-touring, to checking the reef for diseases and fish overpopulation, on their on time and effort - real fans of this natural wonder.

But our trip to Cairns was also another reason to see some great friends who we met in Vietnam and, who lived in this magical little tropical town. It was lovely to see them again and get some local knowledge on the area.

Arriving in Australia, after a month away from home in Southeast Asia, we couldn't help but feel like we were back in the US, and it was a great feeling. Moreover, at our first destination, Melbourne, we were happy to be staying with good old friends that made our stay more fun and enriching.

Melbourne is a beautiful town, which resembles, at least in our humble opinion, with Chicago due to its mischievous unpredictable weather and position on the Yara river, as well as with San Francisco due to its hilly streets and trams. While in Melbourne, we were lucky to experience the Australian Open, one of the grand slams in the world of tennis. We were at the Rod Laver arena for the quarter finals, day games and supported our rising Romanian star, Simona Halep in the first game, and have seen Maria Sharapova's determination in the second game. We watched Rafael Nadal alongside hundredths of Australians in the main city plaza in a great atmosphere. After such experiences we have been hooked and emotionally attached to this tennis tournament that we would follow along wherever we went.

( We have left Indonesia on 1/24, but we have very sparse internet access since we are roadtrip-ing in Australia :) more to come)

After weeks of hiking, walking, visiting and touring it was tine for some well-deserved rest and sun bathing. And Indonesia has no shortage of such destinations. As recommended by friends and fellow travelers, we found our way to Gili Islands, an hour away by speedboat from Bali. There are three Gili islands: Gili Trawangan, the party island, Gili Meno, the honeymooners's chest and finally Gili Ayer, somewhere between the two. As it was off-season, everyone recommended Trawangan and there we went.

Gili T, as locals call it, welcomed us with loud and obnoxious house music, lots of backpacking accomodations and locals selling magic mushrooms and all sorts of halucinogens. We proceeded to find accomodation, since we did not have anything arranged. The island is mainly populated on the west side, with the same dichtonomy between fancy resorts, locals' housing and backpackers' quarters. After some walking in the merciless heat, we found a cozy and nice bungalow at the Beach House. Even if the bungolow was hidden from the main street, the house parties were ever so loud invading our peaceful sleep and rest. Luckly they weren't every night and then we had the days to sleep on the beach.

While on the islands, there was plenty of resting, sun bathing and consuming cool beer and ice cream by the patios with the ocean view. One day we rented bikes and circled the island to find some snorkeling spots. The beaches are not very developed and are quite dirty. While talking with one of the resort owners, we understood that the community, both locals, government and investors were not very keen on these issues, although as of lately things have started improving, at a slower pace however.

A melting pot of hundreds of ethnic groups with diverse cultures and religious believes, this archipelago country of roughly 250 million people resembles its Asian sister country, Vietnam, when it comes to history, cultural and religious influences, colonialism and political manoeuvres. Trade in the early centuries with India and other Asian countries, had imported Hinduism and Buddhism, influences that are still seen today, however it was the Muslim traders later on that led the Islamization of most of the population, Indonesia being one of the countries with the largest muslim population in the world. The Dutch colonialization followed, Indonesia becoming the Dutch East Indies, and Japenese occupation with the WWII. The independence gave rise to communism, which was only abolished a couple of decades ago. The new democratic system helped jumpstart the dormant Indonesian economy only to be brought to a short halt by the Asian crisis. Just like Vietnam, this country’s tumultuous past gives it its unique and colorful identity.

With only six full days in Indonesia, it was hard to fully experience all this country had to offer. We had to narrow it down to two places. First destination that is probably on many bucket lists, was Bali. This well known island has many beautiful beaches, but since we were heading out to the Gili Islands after, we decided to go for the cultural aspect of Bali, which is proudly represented by Ubud. Located in the center of the island, amidst lush and vivid vegetation, Ubud seems a place removed from a sanctuary. The predominantly Hindu population in Bali, gives this place a unique feel. Beautifully embelished temples and live religious ceremonies at the temples we visited only accentuated the sacred feel of this place. To add to this, the landscapes are shaped by the surrounding mountains, lakes and rolling hills with a green so intense that it seems unreal. We have visited the Spring Water Temple, Elephant Temple, and most impressive and grandiouse, Pura Besakih Temple, where we witnesed live religious ceremonies.

Ubud, a quaint little town in the middle of the jungle, literally, is a marvelous oasis. We stayed at the Ubud Bangalows where the smell of incense transported us in a place of pace and relaxation, along with the abundant rain (it was the monsoon season) and lush vegetation. We have enjoyed great Balinese food, attended a local Balinese show with traditional dances and live folk music and visited the Monkey Sanctuary, a temple where the monkeys feel at home and are not bothered by needy tourits :)