And so this journey comes to an end. Man, this feels weird! It hasn't really got to me yet.. If it weren't for my damn budget, I'd just keep on travelling.. But I guess it's just time for me to go home now. I'm sorry that I've kind of neglected you guys by not keeping my blog updated these last few weeks. I'm still yet to tell you all about stunning New Zealand and all my adventures here in Vietnam. I haven't even uploaded the rest of the photos I've taken in Australia yet! Damnit Flo... But I just wanted to cherish all the last moments of this incredible journey. When will I do this again after all? Somewhere in the future, that's for sure. Maybe in three years, maybe after I've retired.
Ok, let's not say that.
Anyway, these were five pretty damn incredible months. I'm very proud to say that I've gained a lot more life experience. My backpack has grown to an abnormal size by the way, I look ridiculous carrying it around. Ha.. I'm really just staring at the screen, not sure how to end this post. In the meantime I'm waiting for the girls at the reception to wake up so I can check out, get a cab to the airport and head back to Bangkok.
For all the people in the Netherlands: see you soon!
And for all the other people: well, see you soon too :).
Love from Saigon,
Florencia
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Friday, April 13, 2012
Apologies..
I know I told you all I would post something very soon, but I haven't had the time to do that! There is just so much to see here and so many things to do and I've got so little time damnit! In Queenstown now, just arrived a couple of hours ago and I think I'm going to like this city. The ride from Christchurch down to Queenstown took about 7-8 hours but it was absolutely stunning. I'm enjoying every busride here in New Zealand, they're amazing!
Anyway, I don't know when I'll be posting anything new but I'll definitely see what I can do! Haven't had any coffee for a couple of days now either... Feel so disorientated haha.
Loving New Zealand, running out of money but extremely happy yaaay!
Florencia
Anyway, I don't know when I'll be posting anything new but I'll definitely see what I can do! Haven't had any coffee for a couple of days now either... Feel so disorientated haha.
Loving New Zealand, running out of money but extremely happy yaaay!
Florencia
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
More photos of Australia
Almost forgot this.. If you haven't noticed yet, my photos of Sydney (and the Blue Mountains), Hervey Bay and Fraser Island are on Picasa now!
Love love,
Florencia
Love love,
Florencia
Haere mai ki Aotearoa
I still can't believe it: my Australian adventure has come to an end. I'm very sad ofcourse, but I can look back at a truly amazing month here in Australia.
After paradise I headed further north to Airlie Beach, where I was planning to take a trip to the Whitsundays. I had eventually chosen for a two day trip on the Siska (back in the old days prince Charles had been on the same boat, yoohoo..) and I am glad that I had made that decision because the trip was fantastic, the crew was very enthusiastic and the whole group was just great! During the whole trip we were allowed to assist the crew members with the sailing and every now and then you were also allowed to take over the wheel (''I've got the power!''). While we were heading to our first destination (Whitehaven Beach) I saw my first dolphins! That was so exciting! And I absolutely loved sailing the ocean. The colour of the water changed each time the lighting changed, which made it look alive really: from darkish blue to turquoise to green and so forth. Beautiful. And with so much life underneath that surface you could actually call it alive. The Great Barrier Reef is a living creature, growing everyday. You can even see it from outer space (interesting fact haha)! And it's so gorgeous. We snorkeled the second day and man.. I loved it (I think I love about everything here in Australia, but ah well). It was so magical to see a whole other world under those clear, beautifully coloured waters. Entering the world of Nemo (I have found Nemo('s)!) you get to see coral in all kinds of shapes and sizes, hard and soft, some seemed to lit up like neon, others were purple and then you had these amazing fishes, some brightly coloured and they were swimming so close! Some were huge too, like ''Elvis'' haha and his five girlfriends. Yeah, that was awesome.
Anyway, our first destination - like I said - was Whitehaven Beach. Ha.. I thought I had seen paradise already, but appearantly more mesmerizing places were awaiting me. This was just another beach that could've come straight out of a dream. It's one of the world's best beaches and made of 99,89% Silica (fine Quartz) so I took the advantage to scrub my whole body and you could also wash your jewelries with that sand haha. And we practically had the whole beach to ourselves! It looked like a white desert, except it was surrounded by a clear blue, turquoise (sometimes green lined) ocean with islands in the background and little fishes swimming in the shallow parts of the waters. The world is so damn beautiful. When the sun was starting to set we anchored near Cook Island and when the night fell the stars were so incredibly bright I couldn't stop looking. I have never seen so many stars.. They seemed to multiply. So some of us slept on the deck, which was really cosy too haha. After a couple of hours it started pouring though, but sleeping inside wasn't too bad, felt like I was cradled in a baby crib.. After the trip we were extremely happy that we could take normal showers again (instead of thirty-second showers) and we had a nice afterparty and after-afterparty afterwards haha.
My next big destination was Cairns, but I first had a quick stopover at Mission Beach, where I stayed for a couple of nights. Very green and a large density of cassowaries in that area (unfortunately I hadn't spotted any). You could do some nice walks in Mission Beach, so I had taken strolls along the beaches and I did a very nice rainforest walk, but one of my faithful companions (Havaianas) did not survive the walk. I guess it was about time for them to let me go. Just glad it happened at the end of the walk and not in the middle of the rainforest! It was a great walk though; I did have reception up in the rainforest (I didn't have any signal in the hostel) which I found unusual since it felt like I was in a Jurassic Park scene trying to spot cassowaries. I didn't see any, but I think I heard one? I did see some big, beautiful butterflies, an iguana, lots of lizards and a big toad, haha. Great views too! After the rainforest I went to town and searched for new Havaianas like a tramp without shoes. I have black ones now, instead of white ones. Don't know why I'm actually mentioning this since you guys are probably not interested in my footwear whatsoever.
Anyway... While my feet were getting used to their new friends I strolled along one of the beaches. It must be beautiful and tropical-looking there on a bright, sunny day, but unfortunately it was raining a bit. The days always started off with sunshine though, so the next morning I went to the Wongaling Beach with its golden coloured sand.
So Cairns! Haha.. I found it pretty ironic that all the number plates up there said ''Queensland - Sunshine State''. Yeah right.. It was raining cats and dogs and there was a cyclone coming up! People on the radio saying that you should get under a table or get into your basement once it had come... Great. But I wasn't going to let this get me down; planned to go to the Daintree rainforest and Cape Tribulation and I was going to take my first dive in the Great Barrier Reef!
On our way up to the Alexandra lookout point we were stopped several times because some huge rocks had fallen on the road (some trees as well). Ha, if one of those things would land on your car.. On our left we had lots of waterfalls and we had seen some great ones from a distance too (the wet season does provide us beautiful things after all, not only major floodings) and on our right you had the ocean. I enjoyed the busride, watching the cloudstripping scenario on those massive mountains; the trees seemed to drag the clouds towards the mountains. White fluffy pieces of the larger clouds above were resting on the green sponges like soft cotton. May sound weird, but it was a beautiful scenario and I don't know how else to describe it haha.
The oldest rainforest in the world.. The Daintree rainforest. Impressive how great the biodiversity is in that area. Some trees had another nine plant species growing on them. And all the shapes of those leaves, the sounds of all the life in the rainforest, the largeness of some of those plants.. Wow. ''Now doesn't that look real Jurassic Park to you?!'' the tourguide said. Oh heck yeah.. It did. It was even more Jurassic Park than the one I had visited in Mission Beach. We went on to the Daintree river where we spotted some baby crocs (the parents were hiding though), a few snakes and a freshwater dragon. And then Cape Tribulation Beach: ''where the rainforest meets the reef'' all the pamflets say. It wasn't as spectacular as it was supposed to be, but that was because of the weather conditions. No worries though, still enjoyed it since I love watching the ocean.
Oh and I went diving in the Great Barrier Reef (twice)! Isn't life just freaking amazing?! All that life under water is just so incredible.. I loved it, I absolutely loved it. Did a bit of snorkeling again too, although the current was quite strong.. It was so worth it though. I've seen my first turtle! And some squids and lots of other stuff. Held a sea cucumber which was quite funny haha. Man.. Can't believe I've done that. I cannot believe that I have been to the Great Barrier Reef.
And after those great experiences up in Cairns it was time for me to leave; when I left the skies were actually blue, what's up with that?! It's ok Cairns, I'll visit you again some day. I went back to the city I love the most: Melbourne. Oh how I adore that city.. For so many reasons.
So I'm in New Zealand now! Just arrived yesterday, thought I was going to miss my flight, since the flight from Melbourne to Sydney got delayed and after I had arrived in Sydney I was standing in this very long line to check in my bags and then... I found out that I was at the domestic airport (kadoink), so with twenty minutes left before the check-in counter would close I quickly got in a cab (with the most cranky driver ever) and finally arrived at the international airport. Made my way to the check-in counter and then ofcourse.. I needed an itinerary to show when exactly I would be leaving New Zealand, but I hadn't printed out my Vietnamese itinerary yet! So with only ten minutes left, loads of stress and a huge, heavy backpack that I wasn't allowed to leave at the counter (''I'm so sorry... I know it's heavy...'' yeah right sir, whatever) I searched for a post office to get on the internet and print out that stupid itinerary. But folks, I made it: I'm good, all is good.
Honestly, I cannot remember being this happy. Ever.
''Haere mai ki Aotearoa!'' Welcome to New Zealand little Flo!
After paradise I headed further north to Airlie Beach, where I was planning to take a trip to the Whitsundays. I had eventually chosen for a two day trip on the Siska (back in the old days prince Charles had been on the same boat, yoohoo..) and I am glad that I had made that decision because the trip was fantastic, the crew was very enthusiastic and the whole group was just great! During the whole trip we were allowed to assist the crew members with the sailing and every now and then you were also allowed to take over the wheel (''I've got the power!''). While we were heading to our first destination (Whitehaven Beach) I saw my first dolphins! That was so exciting! And I absolutely loved sailing the ocean. The colour of the water changed each time the lighting changed, which made it look alive really: from darkish blue to turquoise to green and so forth. Beautiful. And with so much life underneath that surface you could actually call it alive. The Great Barrier Reef is a living creature, growing everyday. You can even see it from outer space (interesting fact haha)! And it's so gorgeous. We snorkeled the second day and man.. I loved it (I think I love about everything here in Australia, but ah well). It was so magical to see a whole other world under those clear, beautifully coloured waters. Entering the world of Nemo (I have found Nemo('s)!) you get to see coral in all kinds of shapes and sizes, hard and soft, some seemed to lit up like neon, others were purple and then you had these amazing fishes, some brightly coloured and they were swimming so close! Some were huge too, like ''Elvis'' haha and his five girlfriends. Yeah, that was awesome.
Anyway, our first destination - like I said - was Whitehaven Beach. Ha.. I thought I had seen paradise already, but appearantly more mesmerizing places were awaiting me. This was just another beach that could've come straight out of a dream. It's one of the world's best beaches and made of 99,89% Silica (fine Quartz) so I took the advantage to scrub my whole body and you could also wash your jewelries with that sand haha. And we practically had the whole beach to ourselves! It looked like a white desert, except it was surrounded by a clear blue, turquoise (sometimes green lined) ocean with islands in the background and little fishes swimming in the shallow parts of the waters. The world is so damn beautiful. When the sun was starting to set we anchored near Cook Island and when the night fell the stars were so incredibly bright I couldn't stop looking. I have never seen so many stars.. They seemed to multiply. So some of us slept on the deck, which was really cosy too haha. After a couple of hours it started pouring though, but sleeping inside wasn't too bad, felt like I was cradled in a baby crib.. After the trip we were extremely happy that we could take normal showers again (instead of thirty-second showers) and we had a nice afterparty and after-afterparty afterwards haha.
My next big destination was Cairns, but I first had a quick stopover at Mission Beach, where I stayed for a couple of nights. Very green and a large density of cassowaries in that area (unfortunately I hadn't spotted any). You could do some nice walks in Mission Beach, so I had taken strolls along the beaches and I did a very nice rainforest walk, but one of my faithful companions (Havaianas) did not survive the walk. I guess it was about time for them to let me go. Just glad it happened at the end of the walk and not in the middle of the rainforest! It was a great walk though; I did have reception up in the rainforest (I didn't have any signal in the hostel) which I found unusual since it felt like I was in a Jurassic Park scene trying to spot cassowaries. I didn't see any, but I think I heard one? I did see some big, beautiful butterflies, an iguana, lots of lizards and a big toad, haha. Great views too! After the rainforest I went to town and searched for new Havaianas like a tramp without shoes. I have black ones now, instead of white ones. Don't know why I'm actually mentioning this since you guys are probably not interested in my footwear whatsoever.
Anyway... While my feet were getting used to their new friends I strolled along one of the beaches. It must be beautiful and tropical-looking there on a bright, sunny day, but unfortunately it was raining a bit. The days always started off with sunshine though, so the next morning I went to the Wongaling Beach with its golden coloured sand.
So Cairns! Haha.. I found it pretty ironic that all the number plates up there said ''Queensland - Sunshine State''. Yeah right.. It was raining cats and dogs and there was a cyclone coming up! People on the radio saying that you should get under a table or get into your basement once it had come... Great. But I wasn't going to let this get me down; planned to go to the Daintree rainforest and Cape Tribulation and I was going to take my first dive in the Great Barrier Reef!
On our way up to the Alexandra lookout point we were stopped several times because some huge rocks had fallen on the road (some trees as well). Ha, if one of those things would land on your car.. On our left we had lots of waterfalls and we had seen some great ones from a distance too (the wet season does provide us beautiful things after all, not only major floodings) and on our right you had the ocean. I enjoyed the busride, watching the cloudstripping scenario on those massive mountains; the trees seemed to drag the clouds towards the mountains. White fluffy pieces of the larger clouds above were resting on the green sponges like soft cotton. May sound weird, but it was a beautiful scenario and I don't know how else to describe it haha.
The oldest rainforest in the world.. The Daintree rainforest. Impressive how great the biodiversity is in that area. Some trees had another nine plant species growing on them. And all the shapes of those leaves, the sounds of all the life in the rainforest, the largeness of some of those plants.. Wow. ''Now doesn't that look real Jurassic Park to you?!'' the tourguide said. Oh heck yeah.. It did. It was even more Jurassic Park than the one I had visited in Mission Beach. We went on to the Daintree river where we spotted some baby crocs (the parents were hiding though), a few snakes and a freshwater dragon. And then Cape Tribulation Beach: ''where the rainforest meets the reef'' all the pamflets say. It wasn't as spectacular as it was supposed to be, but that was because of the weather conditions. No worries though, still enjoyed it since I love watching the ocean.
Oh and I went diving in the Great Barrier Reef (twice)! Isn't life just freaking amazing?! All that life under water is just so incredible.. I loved it, I absolutely loved it. Did a bit of snorkeling again too, although the current was quite strong.. It was so worth it though. I've seen my first turtle! And some squids and lots of other stuff. Held a sea cucumber which was quite funny haha. Man.. Can't believe I've done that. I cannot believe that I have been to the Great Barrier Reef.
And after those great experiences up in Cairns it was time for me to leave; when I left the skies were actually blue, what's up with that?! It's ok Cairns, I'll visit you again some day. I went back to the city I love the most: Melbourne. Oh how I adore that city.. For so many reasons.
So I'm in New Zealand now! Just arrived yesterday, thought I was going to miss my flight, since the flight from Melbourne to Sydney got delayed and after I had arrived in Sydney I was standing in this very long line to check in my bags and then... I found out that I was at the domestic airport (kadoink), so with twenty minutes left before the check-in counter would close I quickly got in a cab (with the most cranky driver ever) and finally arrived at the international airport. Made my way to the check-in counter and then ofcourse.. I needed an itinerary to show when exactly I would be leaving New Zealand, but I hadn't printed out my Vietnamese itinerary yet! So with only ten minutes left, loads of stress and a huge, heavy backpack that I wasn't allowed to leave at the counter (''I'm so sorry... I know it's heavy...'' yeah right sir, whatever) I searched for a post office to get on the internet and print out that stupid itinerary. But folks, I made it: I'm good, all is good.
Honestly, I cannot remember being this happy. Ever.
''Haere mai ki Aotearoa!'' Welcome to New Zealand little Flo!
Friday, March 16, 2012
First pictures of Australia are on Picasa!
Enjoy the pictures of Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road :)!
Lots of love,
Florencia
PS. Uploading photos takes a lot of energy..
Lots of love,
Florencia
PS. Uploading photos takes a lot of energy..
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Note
Sounds cliché, it actually really is, it really really is, but you should probably also know that I've fallen for someone here in Australia.
Yeah ha.. Haven't told you guys yet, but I just wanted to share that with you all.
Love,
Florencia
Yeah ha.. Haven't told you guys yet, but I just wanted to share that with you all.
Love,
Florencia
K'gari
I really need to tell you all about Fraser Island.. Pure magic.
So I'm back in Hervey Bay now, I came back from the island yesterday evening and man oh man.. That island is quite special. I've never seen anything as beautiful as the wonders of Fraser Island, that's for sure.
I arrived in Hervey Bay a couple of nights ago and went exploring the day after I'd arrived. I walked on the Great Sandy Strait, where you can watch the whales from July to November (too bad it's March, haha), birds were singing beautiful, peaceful melodies in the background. I love walking on this beach. And the sky.. Can't stop saying it, but oh how I love the sky here in Australia. I watched the sunset from one of the piers here the other day and that was truly magical. You had these long streams of clouds absorbing the beams of the sun, the ocean was reflecting the warm colours and the waves became stronger. The sky was slowly turning red and once it became dark, swarms of bats flew over me.
The next day my Fraser Island adventure was about to begin. We started off at Lake Mckenzie: unbelievable. The fresh water was so beautiful and so extremely clear that I had the feeling I was swimming in liquid glass. Picturesque surroundings with white sand and trees. I couldn't believe my eyes.
After that swim we headed to the Central Station, to Pile Valley, where we got the time to stroll in the rainforest (1.8 kilometres), the island's first national park, along the Wanggoolba creek with giant trees, ferns and other subtropical plants to be seen and lizards walking around us. The freshwater creek is a paradox really, because it was again crystal-clear, so the water was actually filtered through the sand! I can tell you that that takes quite some time.
After lunch we went to lake Wabby; we had to walk up a path that led to the lake which took about 45 minutes, but once you got there the dip in that cold water was more than rewarding. The lake was totally different from lake Mckenzie, but beautiful in its own way with its emerald-green water and small fishes and catfish (!) swimming around you. Then we went back to the resort and I slept like a baby.
The next morning I got up really early because I wanted to see the sunrise. But it was so worth it. Different layers of colour in the horizon, the sound of the ocean, above me still a few stars and behind me the moon was watching the sunrise as well. And then she came up, slowly rising above the ocean and then above that thin layer of clouds before she showed her powerful sunbeams. A few dingo footprints were to be seen, the warmth of the sun increased and the moon slowly started fading away.
We started the day off at Eli Creek, again a freshwater creek (you could drink the water!) and it was extremely refreshing again. And beautiful. On our way to the creek, while we were driving on the 75-mile Beach again, we spotted our first dingoes! Man, that was great, I had only seen their footprints so far, haha. And then, after our dip in the creek we saw even more! Snapped some photos and then saw them rush away, up the dunes. We went on to the Maheno shipwreck, which was truly impressive. The Maheno sank in 1935 and then stranded on the shore of Fraser Island. It made me think of Pirates of the Carribean really, haha. History on a beach. Awesome. When we just arrived the shipwreck, our fantastic tourguide Warren spotted a crocodile near the shipwreck! But it disappeared back into the ocean before anyone else got to see it. Too bad.. Ah well.
I actually thought that the Champagne Pools wasn't part of our tour, but we headed to the pools after Maheno. So I was glad to hear that, because it was a nice opportunity to swim in the ocean. At least a safe, secluded part of the ocean, since the waves are actually too strong and would probably drag you to the middle of the ocean and then you would drown before you get eaten by the sharks. Yeah..
The Champagne Pools were wonderful: each time the waves hit the rocks (which surrounded the pools), the water got in and the pool became all fizzy haha, which made it look like.. Well, champagne I guess. That was absolutely lovely.
Indian Head was next, the most easterly point on Fraser Island: the place is called Indian Head, because when Captain Cook got there in 1770 he saw coloured people standing on the top of the rocks and believed that they were Indians (while they really were the Aboriginal people). We had to climb some rocks, I was wearing my Havaianas again though, but they really rock! And then we walked up to the top of the headland, where we had this amazing view over the ocean and the beaches. Too bad we didn't get to see any sharks though, I would've loved that! But I guess you can't have everything ha..
We had lunch on the beach and I enjoyed watching the ocean. Shoot, five minutes left on my account. We went to The Pinnacles Coloured Sands after lunch, thousands of years old. Fantastic. We felt a little sticky though, after swimming in the Champagne Pools. But our lovely guide brought us back to Eli Creek again to wash all the salt off our bodies. Nice.. Floating down the stream of that refreshing creek was oh.. Goood.
We paid a second visit to Maheno, since it was on our way back and it looked even more impressive. Man, this whole trip to the island was impressive. And in the evening we left Fraser Island from Kingfisher Bay. I will never forget K'gari (paradise). I've seen paradise.
(Seen a couple of kangaroos from the bus back to the hostel by the way!)
Love from Australia,
Florencia
So I'm back in Hervey Bay now, I came back from the island yesterday evening and man oh man.. That island is quite special. I've never seen anything as beautiful as the wonders of Fraser Island, that's for sure.
I arrived in Hervey Bay a couple of nights ago and went exploring the day after I'd arrived. I walked on the Great Sandy Strait, where you can watch the whales from July to November (too bad it's March, haha), birds were singing beautiful, peaceful melodies in the background. I love walking on this beach. And the sky.. Can't stop saying it, but oh how I love the sky here in Australia. I watched the sunset from one of the piers here the other day and that was truly magical. You had these long streams of clouds absorbing the beams of the sun, the ocean was reflecting the warm colours and the waves became stronger. The sky was slowly turning red and once it became dark, swarms of bats flew over me.
The next day my Fraser Island adventure was about to begin. We started off at Lake Mckenzie: unbelievable. The fresh water was so beautiful and so extremely clear that I had the feeling I was swimming in liquid glass. Picturesque surroundings with white sand and trees. I couldn't believe my eyes.
After that swim we headed to the Central Station, to Pile Valley, where we got the time to stroll in the rainforest (1.8 kilometres), the island's first national park, along the Wanggoolba creek with giant trees, ferns and other subtropical plants to be seen and lizards walking around us. The freshwater creek is a paradox really, because it was again crystal-clear, so the water was actually filtered through the sand! I can tell you that that takes quite some time.
After lunch we went to lake Wabby; we had to walk up a path that led to the lake which took about 45 minutes, but once you got there the dip in that cold water was more than rewarding. The lake was totally different from lake Mckenzie, but beautiful in its own way with its emerald-green water and small fishes and catfish (!) swimming around you. Then we went back to the resort and I slept like a baby.
The next morning I got up really early because I wanted to see the sunrise. But it was so worth it. Different layers of colour in the horizon, the sound of the ocean, above me still a few stars and behind me the moon was watching the sunrise as well. And then she came up, slowly rising above the ocean and then above that thin layer of clouds before she showed her powerful sunbeams. A few dingo footprints were to be seen, the warmth of the sun increased and the moon slowly started fading away.
We started the day off at Eli Creek, again a freshwater creek (you could drink the water!) and it was extremely refreshing again. And beautiful. On our way to the creek, while we were driving on the 75-mile Beach again, we spotted our first dingoes! Man, that was great, I had only seen their footprints so far, haha. And then, after our dip in the creek we saw even more! Snapped some photos and then saw them rush away, up the dunes. We went on to the Maheno shipwreck, which was truly impressive. The Maheno sank in 1935 and then stranded on the shore of Fraser Island. It made me think of Pirates of the Carribean really, haha. History on a beach. Awesome. When we just arrived the shipwreck, our fantastic tourguide Warren spotted a crocodile near the shipwreck! But it disappeared back into the ocean before anyone else got to see it. Too bad.. Ah well.
I actually thought that the Champagne Pools wasn't part of our tour, but we headed to the pools after Maheno. So I was glad to hear that, because it was a nice opportunity to swim in the ocean. At least a safe, secluded part of the ocean, since the waves are actually too strong and would probably drag you to the middle of the ocean and then you would drown before you get eaten by the sharks. Yeah..
The Champagne Pools were wonderful: each time the waves hit the rocks (which surrounded the pools), the water got in and the pool became all fizzy haha, which made it look like.. Well, champagne I guess. That was absolutely lovely.
Indian Head was next, the most easterly point on Fraser Island: the place is called Indian Head, because when Captain Cook got there in 1770 he saw coloured people standing on the top of the rocks and believed that they were Indians (while they really were the Aboriginal people). We had to climb some rocks, I was wearing my Havaianas again though, but they really rock! And then we walked up to the top of the headland, where we had this amazing view over the ocean and the beaches. Too bad we didn't get to see any sharks though, I would've loved that! But I guess you can't have everything ha..
We had lunch on the beach and I enjoyed watching the ocean. Shoot, five minutes left on my account. We went to The Pinnacles Coloured Sands after lunch, thousands of years old. Fantastic. We felt a little sticky though, after swimming in the Champagne Pools. But our lovely guide brought us back to Eli Creek again to wash all the salt off our bodies. Nice.. Floating down the stream of that refreshing creek was oh.. Goood.
We paid a second visit to Maheno, since it was on our way back and it looked even more impressive. Man, this whole trip to the island was impressive. And in the evening we left Fraser Island from Kingfisher Bay. I will never forget K'gari (paradise). I've seen paradise.
(Seen a couple of kangaroos from the bus back to the hostel by the way!)
Love from Australia,
Florencia
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
G'day everyone!
Ok, so I figured that if I'm not going to post anything this very second, it's not going to happen any time soon. So here we go then, a very short update of what I've been through so far! Not everything is going to be mentioned though, because then I would run out of internet balance and this computer will automatically log out and then I would be seriously frustrated. So...
Man, so much has happened. Where to start? This is going to be a really messed up post haha, I'm so confused and I'm actually keeping a journal, but I left it upstairs. Yeah, I'm talking bull now. Let's get to business!
I'm in Sydney at the moment, everything is awesome! The city is huge, to get around you really have to take a bus. I didn't though, because I'm really trying to save some money. Took the bus once, to the beach! Yeah, if would have walked that distance, people would have to scrape me off the floor with a shovel. Went to the Congee beach.. Man, so beautiful. Packed with people (just as packed as Bondi was), but slightly less crowded. Loved it.. The water was so beautifully coloured, the sand so white, the weather was perfect and the seagulls were at their best behaviour haha. That was truly relaxing. So glad that the weather cleared up; it was pouring in the city for a couple of days.. Not really a warm welcome! But Sydney has made it up with me for sure. I've seen the Opera House ofcourse, which was great. Couldn't believe that I actually saw the Opera House, I even touched it, yoohoo! Really, everything around me feels so surreal. I'm seeing such beautiful things and am experiencing the most wonderful things. Australia really is such an amazing country. I mean I've expected great things to happen, but this is beyond. I don't want to go back guys..
Today I went to the Blue Mountains, which was absolutely awesome. The Three Sisters were astonishing, the Katoomba Falls and the Wenthworth Falls were spectacular and everything around it was just.. So nice.
I've touched a koala bear! Haha, and I've fed and pet some kangaroos and wallabies. Adorable. I love this sleepy stoned look these koala bears have.. Makes me want to take one home to snuggle with all day.
At the end of the day we went on a cruise across the Parramatta river: you could see the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge from the boat and it was even more spectacular in the warm light of the setting sun.
And Melbourne.. Ha, Melbourne oh Melbourne. My journey has taken some unexpected turns, that's for sure. I absolutely loved Melbourne and I think the city liked me too. The vibe hanging in the air was wonderful. Enjoying ''short macs'' in the mornings at Queen Victoria Market, chatting with amazing people, meeting amazing people, simply wondering around the streets, seeing fantastic graffiti in the alleys.. Melbourne was extremely charming and had so much character. Not that Sydney doesn't have character though, it's just that Melbourne.. Ah well, I'm starting to mumble again. I just loved it.
So I've also done the Great Ocean Road during my stay in Melbourne.. Man! No words can describe what I've seen. The Twelve Apostles.. Oh heavenly goodness! That was truly mesmerizing haha. I've taken a helicopter flight over those damn Apostles and that was just.. Damn.
Oh yeah, Bali! I promised to tell you all about Bali! Shoot, running out of time I see. So I've fallen in love with Bali too haha. I really envy the culture those beautiful people have. Praying with flowers, their clothes, this language of their own.. FIVE MINUTES! Ok, I'm going to have to do this some other time. Bali was great, sunset was magical, so were the people and everything on the island.
I love you all,
Florencia
Man, so much has happened. Where to start? This is going to be a really messed up post haha, I'm so confused and I'm actually keeping a journal, but I left it upstairs. Yeah, I'm talking bull now. Let's get to business!
I'm in Sydney at the moment, everything is awesome! The city is huge, to get around you really have to take a bus. I didn't though, because I'm really trying to save some money. Took the bus once, to the beach! Yeah, if would have walked that distance, people would have to scrape me off the floor with a shovel. Went to the Congee beach.. Man, so beautiful. Packed with people (just as packed as Bondi was), but slightly less crowded. Loved it.. The water was so beautifully coloured, the sand so white, the weather was perfect and the seagulls were at their best behaviour haha. That was truly relaxing. So glad that the weather cleared up; it was pouring in the city for a couple of days.. Not really a warm welcome! But Sydney has made it up with me for sure. I've seen the Opera House ofcourse, which was great. Couldn't believe that I actually saw the Opera House, I even touched it, yoohoo! Really, everything around me feels so surreal. I'm seeing such beautiful things and am experiencing the most wonderful things. Australia really is such an amazing country. I mean I've expected great things to happen, but this is beyond. I don't want to go back guys..
Today I went to the Blue Mountains, which was absolutely awesome. The Three Sisters were astonishing, the Katoomba Falls and the Wenthworth Falls were spectacular and everything around it was just.. So nice.
I've touched a koala bear! Haha, and I've fed and pet some kangaroos and wallabies. Adorable. I love this sleepy stoned look these koala bears have.. Makes me want to take one home to snuggle with all day.
At the end of the day we went on a cruise across the Parramatta river: you could see the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge from the boat and it was even more spectacular in the warm light of the setting sun.
And Melbourne.. Ha, Melbourne oh Melbourne. My journey has taken some unexpected turns, that's for sure. I absolutely loved Melbourne and I think the city liked me too. The vibe hanging in the air was wonderful. Enjoying ''short macs'' in the mornings at Queen Victoria Market, chatting with amazing people, meeting amazing people, simply wondering around the streets, seeing fantastic graffiti in the alleys.. Melbourne was extremely charming and had so much character. Not that Sydney doesn't have character though, it's just that Melbourne.. Ah well, I'm starting to mumble again. I just loved it.
So I've also done the Great Ocean Road during my stay in Melbourne.. Man! No words can describe what I've seen. The Twelve Apostles.. Oh heavenly goodness! That was truly mesmerizing haha. I've taken a helicopter flight over those damn Apostles and that was just.. Damn.
Oh yeah, Bali! I promised to tell you all about Bali! Shoot, running out of time I see. So I've fallen in love with Bali too haha. I really envy the culture those beautiful people have. Praying with flowers, their clothes, this language of their own.. FIVE MINUTES! Ok, I'm going to have to do this some other time. Bali was great, sunset was magical, so were the people and everything on the island.
I love you all,
Florencia
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
It's been a while...
I apologize dear people, for it has been quite a while since I've posted anything on my blog. You should know though, that I'm a very happy girl at the moment. Very happy. So yeah.. Things are still going great haha. I'll tell you all about Bali pretty soon, left the island with pain in my heart really, but also with excitement, since the next stop would be Australia! And well, here I am.. In Melbourne. Oh how I am enjoying Melbourne. Absolutely love the coffee, that's for sure! Haven't had coffee this excellent in a longg time. I've met some amazing people too.. Yeah, I'm quite happy.
I've also uploaded a selection of my photos in Bali, so if you're interested.. Check my Picasa webalbum!
Lots of Love from Melbourne,
Florencia
I've also uploaded a selection of my photos in Bali, so if you're interested.. Check my Picasa webalbum!
Lots of Love from Melbourne,
Florencia
Monday, February 13, 2012
Sunday, February 5, 2012
No worries: alive and well!
Indonesia is nothing but remarkable and extraordinary. Oh how I love the food, how I enjoy the beautiful nature and how I admire the ever hardworking people on the streets. It's amazing how once we get stuck in traffic - either on the highway or in town - or when we're standing still at the traffic lights people always seem to suddenly show up selling food, drinks, newspapers or whatever.. Trying to wash your car, children trying to wash the many motorcycles, young people playing the guitar (or other instruments), blind or sick people begging for money, etc. Every now and then you get to see insane people walking the streets, sometimes entirely naked (looking like bushmen). Truly remarkable, there always seems to be something going on in this country.
Anyhow... Once again a quick update! I've been through a lot and I've seen so many things. I won't be able to post everything on this blog, hope you all will be able to understand, haha.
The 23rd of January I've celebrated ''Tahun Baru Imlek'' (Chinese new year or ''sincia'') for the first time. My grandmother's tradition is being continued by the newer generations. We didn't celebrate it entirely the same like she used to, but I enjoyed it a lot afterall. Malls and other larger buildings were decorated with dragons and Chinese lanterns, on the streets there were banners shouting ''Gong xi fa cai!'', Chinese Indonesians were dressed in red (so were we), visiting familymembers to tell them ''kiong hi'' and receiving lots of ''angpao'' (they say that giving the younger generations money brings them good luck). And just to give this all a subtle Dutch twist my mother made ''oliebollen'' haha. I had to miss them on New Year's Eve. Made the day perfect.
When we were driving towards Bogor a couple of weeks ago we passed Cibodas' Kebun Raya and took a quick look around: wonderful area, lots of trees and lots of nature. We also drove through the Puncak Pass. Puncak.. Beautiful with its huge tea plantations, mysteriously covered with thick fog, now and then made visible by the strong blowing wind. It's so refreshingly cool there, wonderful. And in the night I was blown away by the oh so many lights on the giant hills, looking like stars, brightly shining.
It is truly an amazing experience to be here in Indonesia. I get to see in which area my father was brought up (an artistic village described as Indonesia's center of pottery and ceramic manufacturers; maybe that's where he got his creativity from), where my mother used to live and work; I get to hear stories about them I've never heard before and for a moment I join them in my mind, travelling back in time.
Last week I've once again soaked myself in another hotspring. This time we went to Ciater. And oh goodness me.. So extremely delightful and CLEAN! So much better than the last time. Total relaxation... I felt reborn, haha.
We didn't go to Ujung Genteng anymore, since there seem to be a lot of drugsdealers and other criminal activities going on there at the moment, so it's quite dangerous, which is why we went to Pangandaran instead to enjoy the beach. It was so quiet, since it's not ''liburan'': children aren't free from school, so we practically were the only ones (apart from the fishermen and the locals). Got ourselves a very nice bungalow with two bedrooms with airconditioning, two bathrooms with hot and cold water, a living room with tv and a kitchen, a nice looking garden and chickens walking around. Large enough for five people; cost us about 25 euros a night. Sweet!
Pangandaran was hit hard by a tsunami in 2006. You can still see the scars of the incident, buildings ruined by the incredible strength of the waves, some houses miraculously enough remained untouched. We got to hear an old man's story and how his family ''alhamdulillah'' got spared.
We visited Batu Hiu: a beach with beautiful rocks and palmtrees and somewhere in the middle of the sea a rock that is shaped as a shark (''batu hiu'' means shark's rock). And when the day came to an end, I enjoyed the warm waves while looking at the beautiful evening twilight.
The next morning I woke up early, because I wanted to see the morning break with my own eyes. So I got up at five, showered, climbed over the fence (since the bungalow complex was still closed) and walked towards the beach. My oh my.. What did I see there? Going to the beach in the early morning pays off for sure, haha. I saw deer! On the beach! Where did they come from? Unfortunately I wasn't able to snap them with my camera, since the fishermen chased them away, probably afraid that they would damage their boats. But I took mental pictures. Oh man.. How beautiful it was to see them elegantly rush away along the shore. I walked around and continued enjoying the sound of the waves and the breaking of the early morning before returning to the bungalow.
These days in Indonesia have all been about relaxing, not having to worry about looking for a place to lay my head down or where to get some food. My days here have been about enjoying the lovely warmth of my welcoming family, getting to know more about my parents' histories and getting to learn more about this beautiful country and the habits of the people. I've gained so much experience and I'm oh so thankful. Next stop will be Bali!
You are still on my mind,
Florencia
Anyhow... Once again a quick update! I've been through a lot and I've seen so many things. I won't be able to post everything on this blog, hope you all will be able to understand, haha.
The 23rd of January I've celebrated ''Tahun Baru Imlek'' (Chinese new year or ''sincia'') for the first time. My grandmother's tradition is being continued by the newer generations. We didn't celebrate it entirely the same like she used to, but I enjoyed it a lot afterall. Malls and other larger buildings were decorated with dragons and Chinese lanterns, on the streets there were banners shouting ''Gong xi fa cai!'', Chinese Indonesians were dressed in red (so were we), visiting familymembers to tell them ''kiong hi'' and receiving lots of ''angpao'' (they say that giving the younger generations money brings them good luck). And just to give this all a subtle Dutch twist my mother made ''oliebollen'' haha. I had to miss them on New Year's Eve. Made the day perfect.
When we were driving towards Bogor a couple of weeks ago we passed Cibodas' Kebun Raya and took a quick look around: wonderful area, lots of trees and lots of nature. We also drove through the Puncak Pass. Puncak.. Beautiful with its huge tea plantations, mysteriously covered with thick fog, now and then made visible by the strong blowing wind. It's so refreshingly cool there, wonderful. And in the night I was blown away by the oh so many lights on the giant hills, looking like stars, brightly shining.
It is truly an amazing experience to be here in Indonesia. I get to see in which area my father was brought up (an artistic village described as Indonesia's center of pottery and ceramic manufacturers; maybe that's where he got his creativity from), where my mother used to live and work; I get to hear stories about them I've never heard before and for a moment I join them in my mind, travelling back in time.
Last week I've once again soaked myself in another hotspring. This time we went to Ciater. And oh goodness me.. So extremely delightful and CLEAN! So much better than the last time. Total relaxation... I felt reborn, haha.
We didn't go to Ujung Genteng anymore, since there seem to be a lot of drugsdealers and other criminal activities going on there at the moment, so it's quite dangerous, which is why we went to Pangandaran instead to enjoy the beach. It was so quiet, since it's not ''liburan'': children aren't free from school, so we practically were the only ones (apart from the fishermen and the locals). Got ourselves a very nice bungalow with two bedrooms with airconditioning, two bathrooms with hot and cold water, a living room with tv and a kitchen, a nice looking garden and chickens walking around. Large enough for five people; cost us about 25 euros a night. Sweet!
Pangandaran was hit hard by a tsunami in 2006. You can still see the scars of the incident, buildings ruined by the incredible strength of the waves, some houses miraculously enough remained untouched. We got to hear an old man's story and how his family ''alhamdulillah'' got spared.
We visited Batu Hiu: a beach with beautiful rocks and palmtrees and somewhere in the middle of the sea a rock that is shaped as a shark (''batu hiu'' means shark's rock). And when the day came to an end, I enjoyed the warm waves while looking at the beautiful evening twilight.
The next morning I woke up early, because I wanted to see the morning break with my own eyes. So I got up at five, showered, climbed over the fence (since the bungalow complex was still closed) and walked towards the beach. My oh my.. What did I see there? Going to the beach in the early morning pays off for sure, haha. I saw deer! On the beach! Where did they come from? Unfortunately I wasn't able to snap them with my camera, since the fishermen chased them away, probably afraid that they would damage their boats. But I took mental pictures. Oh man.. How beautiful it was to see them elegantly rush away along the shore. I walked around and continued enjoying the sound of the waves and the breaking of the early morning before returning to the bungalow.
These days in Indonesia have all been about relaxing, not having to worry about looking for a place to lay my head down or where to get some food. My days here have been about enjoying the lovely warmth of my welcoming family, getting to know more about my parents' histories and getting to learn more about this beautiful country and the habits of the people. I've gained so much experience and I'm oh so thankful. Next stop will be Bali!
You are still on my mind,
Florencia
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Photos
Just figured that I had only posted photos on facebook, haha. Well here you go, the first pictures of my journey for everyone to be seen. Enjoy!
Florencia
PS. New post is coming soon..
Florencia
PS. New post is coming soon..
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Pampered
Sorry it took me so long! Maar elke seconde hier is mij meer dan goud waard: ik kan me maar al te goed herinneren hoe zwaar het drie jaar geleden voor mij was om afscheid te nemen van mijn familie. Ik geniet van elk moment en ben zo ongelooflijk gelukkig. Mams is inmiddels ook aangekomen en nu lekker samen genieten. Niks liever dan mooie momenten delen met mensen die je meer dan dierbaar zijn.
Laat ik jullie dan maar even snel updaten! De 24ste van december kwam ik in de avond aan in Jakarta, moe van het wachten (heel frustrerend als je zo uitkijkt naar je aankomst en dan te horen krijgt dat er sprake is van een uur vertraging), maar zo blij dat de bestemming eindelijk bereikt was. Zodra ik uit de terminal liep, zag ik mijn tante en nicht staan. Mijn nicht gelijk huilen van blijdschap en zwaaien, maar mijn tante herkende me niet meteen en dacht dat mijn nicht naar een vriendin aan het zwaaien was. Tot ik dichterbij kwam. ''Oh Florence! Kamu jadi hitam sekali! Aduuhh, kamu jadi kurus! Nanti di gemukin ya??''
Volgens mijn tante was ik zwart geworden. En mager. Evenals drie jaar geleden heeft de aanpak om kleine Florencia aan te laten komen hier de hoogste prioriteit. Ik had het mis. DIT is het land waar ik aan zal komen. Elke ochtend wordt er heerlijk voor ons gekookt (gratis kookcursus, elke dag haha) en haast elke avond gaan we uit eten.
Je kan hier al fantastisch uit eten voor nog geen tientje per ZEVEN personen! En mijn familie weet natuurlijk waar je hier moet zijn om de lekkerste nasi goreng te halen, waar je de beste mie baso kan vinden, waar je van uitstekende seafood kan genieten, et cetera, et cetera. Afgelopen week bijvoorbeeld helemaal naar Sumedang gereden om - uiteraard - tahu sumedang te eten met lontong en onderweg nog heerlijk zoete durian weten te scoren. Ook naar Karawang geweest om in een ''panggung'' met de zee onder onze voeten te genieten van verse gebraden vis en gebakken garnalen, in de verte de horizon en vissers die terugkeren met de laatste vangst van de dag.
Vanuit de auto geniet ik met volle teugen telkens weer van een uitstekende panorama. Want wat is Indonesië een prachtig land: zo ongelooflijk vruchtbaar en zo ongelooflijk rijk aan natuur. Overal om ons heen bergen en wolken die ze lijken te aaien. Van de bladeren van de ene boom kan je hier gezonde thee trekken, terwijl andere bomen tropische vruchten voortbrengen en van bepaalde planten kan weer biologische pudding gemaakt worden. Zo ontzettend vruchtbaar, bijna bizar! Het is triest om te zien hoe een groot deel van de bevolking ondanks de rijkdom van dit land toch zo arm is; men weet hier niet hoe om te gaan met een land als Indonesië, wat zorgt voor vervuiling en armoede. We reden laatst langs een enorme vuilnishoop waar een bordje met de boodschap ''dilarang buang sampah di sini'' (verboden hier vuil te storten) in verdrinkt. Ironisch niet? Toen ik me vorige week liet weken in een heetwaterbron in Ciwidey ook kinderen gespot met cup noodles in het zwembad. Hmm... Zonde.
Maar dat neemt de pure schoonheid van het land nog lang niet weg en er zijn nog genoeg plekken waar deze schoonheid nog uitstekend te zien is. Binnenkort gaan we naar Ujung Genteng, dat belooft veel moois. Het is wel zo'n zes uur rijden met de auto, maar dat wordt voor mij wederom genieten van het uitzicht!
Oh en ik kan ook zo genieten van de manier waarop de zon zich in Azië gedraagt: hoe zij 's ochtends de hemel lijkt open te breken en in de namiddag de wolken lijkt te doen smelten. Zo mooi...
O ja! Tickets naar Bali zijn geboekt en ik heb besloten na Australië toch nog even langs Nieuw-Zeeland te gaan. Ik heb daar een tante wonen die mij wil ontmoeten. Binnenkort maar eens gauw kijken voor een enkeltje richting Auckland!
Lieve mensen, ik hoop dat ik jullie voor nu genoeg op de hoogte heb weten te brengen en weet dat als ik een tijdje niks van me laat horen ik toch nog leef (sterker nog: door familie in de watten gelegd word), zielsgelukkig ben en aan jullie denk.
Veel liefs vanuit Bandung,
Florencia
Florencia
Laat ik jullie dan maar even snel updaten! De 24ste van december kwam ik in de avond aan in Jakarta, moe van het wachten (heel frustrerend als je zo uitkijkt naar je aankomst en dan te horen krijgt dat er sprake is van een uur vertraging), maar zo blij dat de bestemming eindelijk bereikt was. Zodra ik uit de terminal liep, zag ik mijn tante en nicht staan. Mijn nicht gelijk huilen van blijdschap en zwaaien, maar mijn tante herkende me niet meteen en dacht dat mijn nicht naar een vriendin aan het zwaaien was. Tot ik dichterbij kwam. ''Oh Florence! Kamu jadi hitam sekali! Aduuhh, kamu jadi kurus! Nanti di gemukin ya??''
Volgens mijn tante was ik zwart geworden. En mager. Evenals drie jaar geleden heeft de aanpak om kleine Florencia aan te laten komen hier de hoogste prioriteit. Ik had het mis. DIT is het land waar ik aan zal komen. Elke ochtend wordt er heerlijk voor ons gekookt (gratis kookcursus, elke dag haha) en haast elke avond gaan we uit eten.
Je kan hier al fantastisch uit eten voor nog geen tientje per ZEVEN personen! En mijn familie weet natuurlijk waar je hier moet zijn om de lekkerste nasi goreng te halen, waar je de beste mie baso kan vinden, waar je van uitstekende seafood kan genieten, et cetera, et cetera. Afgelopen week bijvoorbeeld helemaal naar Sumedang gereden om - uiteraard - tahu sumedang te eten met lontong en onderweg nog heerlijk zoete durian weten te scoren. Ook naar Karawang geweest om in een ''panggung'' met de zee onder onze voeten te genieten van verse gebraden vis en gebakken garnalen, in de verte de horizon en vissers die terugkeren met de laatste vangst van de dag.
Vanuit de auto geniet ik met volle teugen telkens weer van een uitstekende panorama. Want wat is Indonesië een prachtig land: zo ongelooflijk vruchtbaar en zo ongelooflijk rijk aan natuur. Overal om ons heen bergen en wolken die ze lijken te aaien. Van de bladeren van de ene boom kan je hier gezonde thee trekken, terwijl andere bomen tropische vruchten voortbrengen en van bepaalde planten kan weer biologische pudding gemaakt worden. Zo ontzettend vruchtbaar, bijna bizar! Het is triest om te zien hoe een groot deel van de bevolking ondanks de rijkdom van dit land toch zo arm is; men weet hier niet hoe om te gaan met een land als Indonesië, wat zorgt voor vervuiling en armoede. We reden laatst langs een enorme vuilnishoop waar een bordje met de boodschap ''dilarang buang sampah di sini'' (verboden hier vuil te storten) in verdrinkt. Ironisch niet? Toen ik me vorige week liet weken in een heetwaterbron in Ciwidey ook kinderen gespot met cup noodles in het zwembad. Hmm... Zonde.
Maar dat neemt de pure schoonheid van het land nog lang niet weg en er zijn nog genoeg plekken waar deze schoonheid nog uitstekend te zien is. Binnenkort gaan we naar Ujung Genteng, dat belooft veel moois. Het is wel zo'n zes uur rijden met de auto, maar dat wordt voor mij wederom genieten van het uitzicht!
Oh en ik kan ook zo genieten van de manier waarop de zon zich in Azië gedraagt: hoe zij 's ochtends de hemel lijkt open te breken en in de namiddag de wolken lijkt te doen smelten. Zo mooi...
O ja! Tickets naar Bali zijn geboekt en ik heb besloten na Australië toch nog even langs Nieuw-Zeeland te gaan. Ik heb daar een tante wonen die mij wil ontmoeten. Binnenkort maar eens gauw kijken voor een enkeltje richting Auckland!
Lieve mensen, ik hoop dat ik jullie voor nu genoeg op de hoogte heb weten te brengen en weet dat als ik een tijdje niks van me laat horen ik toch nog leef (sterker nog: door familie in de watten gelegd word), zielsgelukkig ben en aan jullie denk.
Veel liefs vanuit Bandung,
Florencia
Florencia
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