GoBackpackingGoBackpackingJoin me on a solo trip around the world! I will write about the planning and saving process, logistics, and my personal hopes and fears. Once the trip begins, I'll be posting updates and photos from New Zealand to Brazil. Articles
Poll: How Long Should I Spend in Bali?
2008-01-07 09:06:00 Help me decide how long to spend in Bali , Indonesia ! I have to decide soon so I can book my onward travel. Factors to consider include the fact that I will have been on the road for 2 months, not having spent more than 5 nights in any one place. The first 3 countries I ... More About: Poll , Long
Top Song: Snow (Hey Oh) by RHCP
2008-01-06 09:38:00 Thanks to everyone for voting on which song was my most played after 3 weeks on the road. I was surprised to see Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” come from behind recently to list as #1 with 12 votes, thus overtaking “Free” by Phish. Of course neither came close to “Snow ” by the Red Hot Chili ... More About: New Zealand , Song
Rest and Recovery in Christchurch
2008-01-05 01:31:00 After a month of travel, and 3 weeks of trying to keep up with the STRAY backpacker bus schedule, I was ready to settle in Christchurch for the remaining 5 nights of my stay in New Zealand, and to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Christchurch is the second largest city in the country after Auckland, however with ... More About: Recovery , Rest
Fear Factor: Riding the World?s Highest Swing
2008-01-02 08:13:00 Date: Thursday, December 27, 2007 Mission: Shotover Canyon Swing Statistics: 360 feet high (109 meters), 200-foot freefall (60 meters), 650-foot arc (200 meters), 93 mph (150 kph) 6 am - Unintentionally awoken by departing dormmates 9:15 am - Evacuate bladder 9:18 am - Shower 9:50 am - Evacuate bowels 10 am - Eat light breakfast - toast ... More About: World , New Zealand , The World , Fear
Happy New Year
2008-01-01 08:08:00 The photo isn’t from my New Year ’s celebration (in Christchurch), however it fits the holiday well enough. I celebrated Stephanie’s birthday in Franz Joseph along with a bunch of other STRAY bus backpackers. Cheers to 2008! Sponsored By: World Nomads - Online travel insurance affiliated with Lonely Planet and BootsnAll. New Zealand , partyingShare This More About: Happy , Happy New Year
Scenic Views of Queenstown
2007-12-31 07:45:00 Life in Queenstown returned to normal the day after Christmas. Unlike probably any other town in the world, this meant a zillion tour operators began shuffling people to face their fears jumping the 130+ meter Nevis bungy (world’s 2nd highest), skydiving from 15,000 feet, riding the world’s highest swing (109 meters), and a variety ... More About: Views , New Zealand
The Southern Alps, Lake Wanaka, and A Movie
2007-12-31 02:19:00 Upon leaving Franz Joseph, we took in a scenic view of New Zealand’s Southern Alps from Lake Mattheson. On a good day, you’re suppose to be able to see a great reflection of the mountains (including Mt. Cook) because the lake is well protected. Unfortunately it was overcast when we were there. Another scenic ... More About: Movie
Heli-Hiking Franz Joseph Glacier
2007-12-29 08:05:00 Spending a full day (6 hours ice time) hiking on the Franz Joseph Glacier on the west coast of New Zealand ’s South Island was something I’d been looking forward to for months. It was fully my intent to do the full day hike, however… About 3 days after I had completed the Tongariro Crossing ... More About: Hiking
Sailing South and Bone Carving
2007-12-28 07:29:00 I paid for the good times in Wellington on my travel day to the South Island. I was up around 6am, took a 7am shuttle to the quay, and set sail aboard the 8:30am ferry to New Zealand’s South Island. The ferry ride was rather uneventful, and I spent a few minutes lounging in a ... More About: Sailing , Bone
6 Reasons To Pack Light
2007-12-27 07:56:00 It’s one thing to say you’ll pack light, and another to actually manage it once traveling. Just in case you need a few reminders why it pays to pack lighter…. 1. Ease of movement - less physical/mental stress when you’re on the move. 2. Less stuff means you’re better able to account for what you do have ... More About: Planning , Light , Reasons , Pack
Merry Christmas from Queenstown!
2007-12-25 02:40:00 I’m going to skip ahead for today so I can share some photos from my Christmas Eve in Queenstown . I spent it getting to know Nadia (Switz), Vivian (Holland), and Vanessa (Germany). For dinner, we picked Chico’s, an old, low key, candlelit restaurant. Plus a guy outside had offered us a coupon ... More About: Merry Christmas , Merry
Trivia Night Pays Off With Champagne and Beer
2007-12-24 08:13:00 I met up with Justin in the common room of the Wellywood hostel in Wellington. The night was already set for us - Trivia Night at a local bar. His team had placed first the week before, so I was just hoping to make a small contribution to their defending effort. First off, we ... More About: Champagne , Beer , Pays
Random Thoughts in Wellington
2007-12-23 08:06:00 2:38pm, December 17, 2007 Sitting outside Mac’s Brewery on a Monday afternoon enjoying a brew - watching the clouds quickly drift by - “Stand By Me” playing over the stereo - winds whipped up - I’m the luckiest son of a gun - feeling like I pulled off The Great Rock ‘n Roll Swindle (a la ... More About: New Zealand , Random Thoughts , Random , Thoughts , Wellington
Nerd Alert: Let?s Get Logistical
2007-12-21 08:05:00 Now that I’ve been gone about 3 weeks, I’m getting the hang of using the various Internet cafes and access points to keep my blog updated. Internet access in French Polynesia and New Zealand has been ubiquitous - every place I’ve stayed either had it, or had it within a short walk. The ... More About: Nerd , Alert , Logi , Logistic
What I?m Eating (Might Surprise You)
2007-12-21 07:56:00 My diet in New Zealand has been an odd combination of food. Most eaten items would have to include sausages, cheeseburgers, ham and cheese sandwiches, pizza, fresh muffins, Cadbury chocolate bars (soooo good), granola bars (specifically a brand called “Bumper Bars”), bananas, ice cream bars/pops, and biscuits (ie. cookies). Not too exciting! ... More About: Eating
Tramping the Tongariro Crossing
2007-12-18 13:18:00 I awoke from my slumber in Taupo to a chilly, cloudy, rainy morning. As I peered out the hostel window, I could barely see across the lake to the volcanoes I was hoping to climb. The Tongariro National Park is a World Heritage site, and home to New Zealand’s #1 day hike (tramp) - ... More About: Crossing
Video: Traditional Maori Haka Dance
2007-12-17 11:11:00 During our third night of the bus tour, we stopped in Maketu for a bit of traditional Maori culture. We were entertained by a family’s music/dance show, and then the guys were invited to learn the Haka dance, while the ladies learned another type of dance. The lack of shirts was mandatory and ... More About: Video , Dance , Traditional
Joining the Backpacker Bus Brigade
2007-12-16 05:22:00 After paying a hefty sum for a bus tour with the STRAY company (new kid on the block to The Kiwi Experience), I almost missed my first departure. Yes, myself and 2 others were waiting in the right spot outside the hostel when time slowly ticked away and after more than an hour, I ... More About: Backpacker
Hostel Life in Auckland
2007-12-14 07:12:00 Before I start to write about my adventures on the STRAY backpacker bus, I wanted to share a clip from my first few minutes at a hostel in Auckland . I’m sure all my fellow backpackers can relate! hostel, New Zealand, videoShare This More About: Life , Hostel , Klan
My Packing List Featured On Gadling.com
2007-12-13 21:04:00 Travel blog Gadling has featured my packing list! Check it out, if you haven’t already through this blog. So far, I’m quite pleased with the things I brought, and hope to share some feedback on what’s working especially well. Sponsored By: World Nomads - Online travel insurance affiliated with Lonely Planet and BootsnAll. gear, Planning Share This More About: List , Featured , Packing
Dare #1 - Completed - Nose Pick @ Sky Tower
2007-12-12 23:46:00 #1 - From Justin: I would come up with a sweet dare for you, except that, like you are soon to feel, my bank account has been poured into a not-too-narrow funnel. But if you pick your nose in front of the Sky Tower , I?ll buy you a beer. Reward: a tasty beer in New ... More About: New Zealand , Nose , Pick , Dare
Canyoning - Abseils, Jumps, and Chutes
2007-12-11 23:46:00 I’d wanted to go canyoning since I first learned about it in 2005 while planning a trip to Costa Rica. It consists of maneuvering down a river canyon by combination of hiking, sliding down natural rock chutes, jumping off cliffs and waterfalls, and abseiling (rappelling). The Rough Guide referenced canyons a 40-minute drive ...
Goodbye Tahiti, Hello New Zealand
2007-12-09 21:48:00 I spent my last night in Tahiti couchsurfing with Sam, though he actually gave me a spare bedroom to myself. With the open windows all the time, rather large roaches are not uncommon. Sam managed to squash two, and I surely injured a third before going to sleep. I didn’t sleep much though being that ... More About: New Zealand , Goodbye , Zealand
Driving a VW Down a Tahitian Mountain
2007-12-08 21:44:00 There are two things I tend to avoid during international travel - public phones and driving. I managed the public phones in Tahiti well enough (after that first mishap) and was surprised with a crazy drive on my last night. Sam picked me up about 2 hours after my ferry from Moorea landed. During ... More About: Driving , French Polynesia , Mountain
Dare #2 - Completed - Boy Meets Girl
2007-12-08 07:27:00 Dare # 2 - From RBL: I dare you to convince single women (aged 18-35) to have their photo taken with their hand on your shoulder. Reward: $5 per woman. No limit. __________________________________ It didn’t take long for me to complete my first dare (technically the second submitted). I met Christina and Alexandra on Moorea, and ... More About: Girl , French Polynesia , Dare , Dares
Moorea - Paradise Island
2007-12-07 21:25:00 As you saw from the previous photos, Moorea is a little bit of paradise in the South Pacific. It’s a short 20-minute ferry ride west of Tahiti. I want to try and catch you up now that I’m in New Zealand and internet access is cheap by comparison. I spent 3 nights on ... More About: Island , Paradise Island , Paradise
Better Pack Your Sense of Humor
2007-12-05 18:05:00 On my first day in Pape’ete, I managed to make some silly mistakes. Jetlag, culture shock, and oppressive heat make for a tough first day. I mostly took it easy, though Sam did give me some phone cards since he said it wouldn’t be worth it to buy my own just to call ... More About: Humor , Sense , Pack
Create Your Own Shade With Canopy Chairs
2007-12-05 00:26:00 The following is a sponsored post. A few years ago I attended the Virginia Gold Cup for the first time. It is a very popular series of horse races held in northern Virginia, drawing out women clad in big-brimmed hats and the gentleman who accompany them. To prepare, I bought my first collapsible travel ... More About: Chairs , Canopy , Create
Greetings from French Polynesia
2007-12-03 23:05:00 After a really challenging travel day from New York to Tahiti, I was wondering what I had signed up for. 15 hours of flying and all the airport waiting that goes along with it. Every part of my body was sore, and I arrived at 7:30am with a full day ahead of me. ... More About: French , French Polynesia , Polynesia
Last Paycheck and I?m Off
More articles from this author:2007-11-30 16:13:00 Just a quick note to share I received my last paycheck, including vacation time payout, this morning. I more than met my savings goals - I exceeded them. I know the figures can seem daunting, however many people go abroad with far less than me, and either work or volunteer, or stick to the cheaper ... More About: Planning , New York City 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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