Thursday Feb 10thOf all the things about me that could frighten you you worry about my driving UnknownWell actually over here one might worry about my driving. Driving on the left can be a little bit of a challenge. Having done it for a month two years ago I was pleasantly surprised how quickly it came back. There is a big Keep Left sticker on the dash of the rent a car so that hel

Brisbane is just like any other city around the world. It has no distinct features to make it stand out from the rest. Wasn't even a beach in walking distance. Spent more time in book shops than walking around the city. I did walk in the botanical gardens which was a nice walk but that was about it. It felt like a place where you can work and then go out and play in the evening but the drinks ar

Hanoi is in Northern Vietnam so the weather was somewhat cooler that the rest of our trip. Not cold by any means but more comfortable. We started our day at the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum. It is located in the center of Ba nh Square which is the place where Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence on September 2 1945 establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh wanted

Our last day in a NZ port starts with a gray day as we board the historic Taieri Gorge train right on the dock. After loading a full train of 12 cars with 400 plus cruise passengers we sip our champagne as the train proceeds along beautiful Otago Harbor across causeways to the Scottish heritage city of Dunedin Gaelic for Edinborough. Stopping briefly at the picturesque Victorian railway stati

Do you ever get that feeling first thing in the morning like youre completely lost and have no bearing on the world around you Mostly its dark but there seems to be a faint glow of green. A strange sound comes from outside probably what woke me up in the first place. Sounds like sounds like sounds like an orangutan laughing. Cant be where the heck am I Now there seems to be s

Saturday the 12thMaybe just once someone will call me 'Sir' without adding 'You're making a scene.' Homer SimpsonI had bought tickets for us to attend the Marlborough Wine Festival. It is held in Blenheim in a valley that more than doubles the size of Napa in CA and is wall to wall with vineyards.

Efter en lang nat i Sydney lufthavn og en knap saa lang flyvetur var vi nu i NZ. D Vi blev kun med noed og naeppe lukket gennem paskontrollen og havde ogsaa lidt problemer med at faa Melanies taske gennem security den kom igennem scanneren 5 gange foer vi fik lov til at gaa. Vi tog ind til Auckland City hvor vi fandt vores hostel ogsaa var der doemt afslapning. Vi blev dog alligevel sat for

Cathedral Gorge is located in a long narrow valley where erosion has carved dramatic and unique patterns in the soft bentonite clay. Trails abound for exploring the cavelike formations and cathedrallike spires. Miller Point a scenic overlook just north of the park entrance on U.S. 93 offers excellent views of the scenic canyon. Shaded picnic areas and a treeshaded campground area are open al

Den 4. Januar tog vi afsked med Pink house samt alle beboerne med undtagelse af en Hugo for han var saa heldig at skulle joine os paa vores sidste roadtrip i OZ. Han saa frem til en forrygende tur med 2 skoerre danskere. DVi fandt nemt ud af Sydney ret overraskende eftersom vi havde haft store kvaler med at finde ud af de mindre byer i omraadet. Vi drog mod nord og planen var at komme helt t

Nous voici donc attaquant la route avec notre Mazda prte tout cap sur lOUEST Objectif Abel Tasman National Park via Nelson une petite ville sur la route plaque locan. Distance 194 km. Lieu choisi pour le repos des guerriers Motueka. La premire grande trace au volant de la nouvelle voiture a t parfaite belle journe belles routes beaux paysages conduite agr

Earlier this year (2010), two guys from New Zealand set out on a hike. Okay, not unusual for “Kiwis”. They seem to like hiking. But, this trek is somewhat unique as it follows the path of the Templar Knights which is not your normal modern-day quest. They’ve had their ups and downs – but, the real question is – will they succeed?

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Moscow – Souvenirs by Sabrina Kammeier

I was met by two large security guards and asked to walk to the house.

I did some teaching at a mega rich Russian family a few weeks ago. A driver collected me and drove me to the house outside Moscow. After some forty minutes we arrived, I got out the Mercedes, was shown to a big metal front gate with security cameras on each side and I was led inside. I was met by two large security guards and asked to walk to the house. I made my way along a red winding brick path that cut through pine and silver birch trees through a silent landscaped garden. As I approached, I was met by a vast house rising out of the ground in between the trees. It was made of glass and wood and looked as if it was growing out of the raw forest ground. I went inside through the glass front doors and waited nervously on the marble steps. I was greeted by a maid who took my coat and gave me some slippers. She showed me to a seating area and I followed her silently across the marble floor to a sunken reception area that had three vast six-seater sofas and a white grand piano. I sat down on the soft royal cushions and waited to meet my young student. He arrived and shook my hand.

Teddy Bears

I was to teach a very confident seven year old boy, we went upstairs to his round play room and he told me he wanted to just read for half an hour and that we would then play. His playroom had more toys in it than a small toyshop. We read, then he led me down a big marble spiral staircase to his indoor football pitch. We played soft football, then ping-pong, then snooker, then darts. After an hour or so of games, he said he wanted to draw, so we went back up to his play room and drew pictures with dot-to-dot.

I felt like one of his many big teddy bears… A silent friend without an opinion.

He asked me if I was hungry, I said yes, (I am always hungry) so he phoned down to the kitchen and a maid quickly came to us with a big tray of freshly made cakes and fresh tea, we ate them in silence, while he drew more pictures. After eating, he coldly announced that he wanted to play Nintendo. So he played Nintendo, while I watched, he did not offer me a go, which annoyed me, I felt like one of his many big teddy bears sitting next to him on the bed, looking ahead without a word or a sound. A silent friend without an opinion.

After two hours, the time was over, I said goodbye and the driver took me back to the city. I was paid very well and it was an experience I will not forget. I enjoyed it. I have spoken about wealth before here in Moscow, Russia, but now I have seen it with my own eyes.

…it was an experience I will not forget.

The young boy I taught (if you can call it teaching) was very confident, in charge and very matter of fact about everything, he was years ahead of a seven year old boy in behavior and personality. I found it a bit disturbing. He had no smile and just seemed to function, perhaps a symptom of his situation. The house was beautiful, big and surrounded by Forest where the air was fresh, sweet and clean. It was good to breath in fresh air outside the city. The work was fun, easy and very well paid. Please can I have more English lessons like this!

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Love & Paella was “done birthed” by Sarah Gonski (her words) while she and her husband (The Mister) spent a summer traveling around Africa in 2008. After returning home, it did not take long to hatch a new travel plan – teaching the English language in Spain. The inclusion of food and humor add a great flavor to this site.

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In Granada the overnight temperature got down to about 1 degree and I was the coldest I've ever been My sleeping bag was super cheap and is not very warm. My toes were so cold and numb that I thought I had frost bite. So we headed to the coast where it is much warmer We're been in a small villiage called La Marina which is full of retired English and German's. On Friday we heard live music so we

Went to the ole Honolulu Hawaii to see Pearl harbour the USS Arizona Memorial and Waikiki Beach and had a blast.

Another perfect day in Australia Although the skies were cloudy we enjoyed viewing Canberra from the heights of first Mount Ainsley and then Black Mountain Tower. Canberra is beautifully laid out and the panoramic views revealed how it utilizes the land and water features of the area in its design. Then on the the Australian National Botanical Gardens where we wandered on wellgroomed pathways

Well today was our last day on US soil.Took the promised City tour of LA and while we got some nice shots it was more a case of filling in time than an enlightening experience. To make matters worse our driver guide named Wolf for Wolfgang I suspect was so obscure with his English language that he was barely understandable at least 50 of the time and not at all for the balance.At the end

12 November 2010 730 am and no rain. I looked out of our bedroom window towards the sea. Where yesterday there had hung heavy grey clouds today there hints of blue. However yesterday started this way and the last weather forecast we saw predicted more of the same for today.This made deciding what to do today difficult. There are two things in particular that we wanted to do firstly walk to th

Well I spent the last few days in Cape Tribulation with the Contiki Tour. It was pretty cool. We stayed in a resort in the Daintree Rainforest It was absolutely beautiful. We went on a few more hikes through the forest and saw lots of different wildlife and trees including a large bird called a Cassowary which is aparently pretty rare to see We also swam in some neat freshwater swimming holes

well we left the colourful mix of the Byron Bay culture and laidback village ambience behind and arrived in Coffs Harbour were we were picked up by the hostel and taken to this amazing look out over the bay mind you it blew the cob webs off Although we only stayed there for three nights we felt that was enough and managed to spot wild koalas on our walks and also sht ourselves when we came ac