Van Gough Museum was a real highlight, the amount of work whiah showed the diveristy of talent that had and the amount of beautiful unknow works were impressive.

Rode bikes all around amsterdam, Wilemine gave me a great old bike to ride- white devil... we pulled the vines off of and pumped up the tyres so that it was Mobile again. The streets are made for cycling and there is cycling traffic everywhere- most people ride and some decorated their bikes with flowers and tiger stripes. I loved the bright pink bike with flower decorations the best.

Marelina was also there and we spent a lovely time eating dinner and catching up again on each others lives. Spending time in a home is a real treat again, the apartments in Amsterdam are tiny and there is a lot of sharing of space. Most bathrooms dont have a sink in them and the shower and toilet spaces are tiny. But there is a great sense of design and style within the closed spaces which makes the apartments that I visited a real reflection of the people living there.

Shopping is also amazing in Amsterdam, you can buy almost anything at the markets that are in the plaza's and streets. They sell all sorts from the trashy to the practicle. My favoutrites were the bakeries, marterial shops and food stalls!

Amsterdam has great parks and lots of time can be spent out in the parks, relaxing with someone playing music nearby. Leisure time seems highly valued here and most people have a fit appearance due to riding bikes as a main means of transport.

On my final day in Amsterdam I was lucky enough to go on a private canal ride. Wilimine organised a ribber dingy and we explored and toured the canals for the afternoon. I was then dropped off at the train station out of the dingy in the canal! Best arrival to date!

Amsterdam the liveable city!

written by  aweasel on September 11, 2009 from Amsterdam, Netherlands
from the travel blog: Amsterdam
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Art is not constricted to museums in Berlin it is in the streetscapes that you cycle by on. The array of graphiti is surprising and it is more than just tagging as seen everywhere is other cities it is wall art.

Learning about the Berlin wall and the strtuggles that peole on both sides faced so soon after the end of World War 2, and as part of the Cold War was new for me. There were parts of the wall still intact which were fascinating, Graphitti art covered most sections which were still standing. The installation art monument whjich is dedicated to the Jewish people murdered in World War 2 is hauntingly beautiful.

Bike travel in the city is a big part of daily life and young kids ride on seats everywhere, young ones too! The parks are full at sundown with children everywhere and parents catching up on the sidlines. These areas had a great community feel about them.

Underground tran systems were great for ease of getting about as are bikes that are readily available for rent. Clothes and great shopping opportunities were everywhere, with there being lots of little boutique style stores,

Berlin a city to visit! Put it on your list!

written by  aweasel on September 9, 2009 from Berlin, Germany
from the travel blog: Berlin Bandit
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Arriving on the Saturday morning and finding a sea of boats waiting to take on the Croatian waters I scanned them all for mine. I was so surprised to find that it was the beautiful Eos.. perfectly sized with 3 decks, wooden railings and floors, areas for relaxation, deck chairs and dinning room. It was more luxurious than I had expected, that is for sure, and I felt a little out of place in my Dunlop Volley s.

We sailed the Croatian coast from Split to Dubrovnik over 8 days, with 40 people on board and 6 crew members. There were people from all over the world including Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, England, France and Italy. There were people of different ages and backgrounds and in different places in their lives but it wasn t long before we all were getting along, sharing a card game or discussing our lives. Unexpectantly we became one great big family and this made the trip even more enjoyable.

Over the 8 days we stopped in at Makarska, Mljet National Park, Hvar, Korcula, Dubrovnic, Bol and Split. We saw a great deal of the coastline which changed from small rolling hills to rigged mountains over the week. The vegetation went from sparse, dry shrubs to dense small forests. We enjoyed the sights of bustling cities, small harbours and quiet beaches having to explore these stops along the way.

Days would begin with the boat pulling out of the harbour where we would spend the night, I would often go up to do some yoga on the top deck and really salute the sun! This would be interrupted by the breakfast bell that would sound from the second deck, and sleepy people would appear to enjoy a spread of juice, cereal, bread, tea and coffee... on special days we would have eggs of some sort as well. Mid morning we would pull into a cove and swim off of the boat, I enjoyed jumping from the decks railing early in the week that progressed to diving from the second deck by the end of the week.

It would be then time to relax and read your book or play some cards, which would often be interrupted again by the dinner bell, which included a 3 course meal. Afternoons would be spent once again swimming off of the boat, sometimes to the nearest beach to explore the local towns. Following another relaxation session we would dock at the harbour for the night and leave to boat to explore the town or city that we had arrived in. Enjoying a dinner off of the boat before re boarding to bunk down in my private room!

Sounds terrible doesn t it! Well I can officially say that the worst part of the trip was getting sunburnt on the Li Lo! I have never felt more relaxed in my life!

Peter, an aussie guy, organised a Surf Carnival or Olympics one swimming stop which was a real highlight. Teams were organised and prises were given for various events such as Li Lo racing, swimming around the boat and the Chug a Lug in which the boys had to down a beer out in the water and then race back to the boat. My favourite was the dive from the second deck which I competed in. This was a great event and watched with envy from other boats anchored nearby.

Korcula and Dubrovnik were the highlights for me as I loved the old town feel that they had- which included narrow cobbled streets, green shutters, vines hanging down from walls, people sitting in the streets enjoying a coffee and cigarette and children playing together. The Croatian way of life is fantastic and people are very relaxed and social appearing to know each other in small towns and often gather to share seafood catches. An integral part of their lifestyle is the ocean, I loved this about this country. If you are looking to relax, enjoy a swim and watch a sunset then Croatia is the place to go!

The city of Ljubljana (yes it is spelt correctly), is a very happening place which had a artsy feel to it. It had the old style of churches, squares, castles and cobblestone streets mixed with the young vibe of the new and fresh. There is a large square where 3 rivers meet and has become a great spot to see buskers and meet friends to have a drink with.

The town of Bled, which is about an hour north from Ljubljana, is a very popular place with reason. It is nestled in amoungst the mountains, has a lake at it centre that is about 6Km in circumference. Surrounding the lake is forest and in the centre of the lake is a tiny island with a church on top. The legend tells that the church was built by a nun who lost her lover to the lake and she rings the bell outside the church eternally for his return, people today ring it to make thier wish. Atop one of the mountains is castle snuggled into the cliffedge. So all in all you have mountains, lake, island with ancient church and a castle on the hill to top it off... what is not to like! One downfall is the popularity of this beatuiful place that has seen it turn into a busy hotel town. I stayed in the old town part of Bled and that has none of the towering hotels, I had a beautiful view of the mountains from my hostel window.

I also visited down southern Slovenia on a small group tour. We headed to Predjana Castle, Skocjan Caves, Lipica and Piran all in one day. Predjana castle is literally built into the side of a cliff and it was one of the most amazing castles that I have seen on my travels just due to the difficulty of building in such a precarious spot. Skocjan Caves are UNESCO protected and head deep underground for about 6kms... not for the claustrophobic. They are a beautiful sight though, full of narrow passage ways opening up to caverns up to 30 metres wide and tall, full of stalagmites and stalagtites of various shapes and sizes. It is particularly unique due to the river that joins the caves and runs about 45 meters underfoot as you navigate along a bridge.... I didnt really like this part and had to run accross! Man made bridges.... not my thing! A magical place... bats included.

Another day was spent walking Lake Bohinj which is in Triglov National Park, the largest and only national park in Slovenia. It was a real highlight for me with its clear blue waters, streams and forests surrounded by amazing mountains.

written by  aweasel on September 3, 2009 from Ljubljana, Slovenia
from the travel blog: Slovenia
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Mixed in plastic... the way to go!

Well i had been prepared for a week of canoeing Czech Republic style.... well thought I was prepared. It turned out to be much much more!

LIttle bit of this and that!

Mixed in plastic... the way to go!

The Bear (Vita) and I!

Nights were spent camping and enjoying some fresh Pivo around the campfire. Yoscer would pull out his guitar and play amazing tunes whilst I sat and listened to strange lullabies from a different world. It was quite relaxing to be able to tune out of all conversations not understanding and not really caring, just being in the moment. Different for me being in a crowd and not talking!

Sarah Bear

So when heading on a Czech canoe trip go armed with lots of alcohol to share, a strong stomache for fried food (a staple at the pubs you stop at along the way), a relaxed vibe and.... be prepared to drift with the river rather than paddle! No exertion required!

written by  aweasel on August 25, 2009 from Prim, Czech Republic
from the travel blog: Czech Republic
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Well the sights and sounds of Tokyo are a plenty, and I did well as much as we could in the wild weekend. Saturday saw us heading to browse through the four story outdoor store- minimising my purchases to essentials! I showed some restraint! Mandy then introduced me to the 100 Yen store and I was hooked! You can buy absolutely anything there.. well just about, well maybe not a dead rhinoceros! You can buy material, lollies, costumes, fireworks, house decorations, tools- all dirt cheap! I loved the photo booths, in which Mandy and I played in till... we noticed the line up for the machine outside! You can take photos and then do all the crazy additions to them- so cool!

Common to see gardens out the front of buildings

Mandy took me to an Isakaya, where you eat from a tapas style menu, featuring Japanese food, accompanied by beer and saki- it was delicious! After wetting our whistles Mandy headed downtown for some good old Karaoke- Japanese style! You pay for your own room in which you have a catalogue of songs to choose from- but no don't get excited by the film clips – the songs are accompanied by images of America, Brooklyn I think, a real classic! Kicking off the night with some Madonna and hitting a high note with Bon Jovi, we ordered beer and pizza over the intercom and received a few phonecalls to say that they would be closing in 10 minutes. Oh, how the time flies when your being a superstar!

The slow Sunday morning was kicked off with a Mexican breakfast, Mandy style! I braved the supermarkets which is not recommended in a less than chipper mood as there are rows of advertisements that begin to sing Japanese songs at you as they sense you walk past- so not cool after a long hard night at Karaoke!

Wishes hung at the Temple

Tuna- cut and labeled for inspection

Common to see gardens out the front of buildings

After exploring Sarah's home town of Litomerice, we took a road trip to Cesky Krumlov, it lies about 270kms from home, and was a place out of a fairytale. I really couldn't believe that such places existed, away from a Hollywood set that is.

Nestled in the loop bend of a river there were rows of orange roofed buildings. Overlooking the town was the castle which sat on the hillside, from which you can see towers on buildings, spires and chimneys.

View from the castle

Favourite raft of the day!

Buildings throughout Cesky Krumlov were a real highlight, in particular the castle. I had my first tour and was glad to sneak a peek into the worlds of times gone by. Buildings surrounding the castle were also highly decorated in a variety of period architecture (protected under the World Heritage Act), and were truly spectacular.

This place felt so old, a feeling that I just hadn't felt in Australia- feeling old..... this was taking it to a whole new level.

written by  aweasel on August 11, 2009 from Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic
from the travel blog: Czech Republic
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Day One- Asahikawa Airport to Camp- 20km

Well after arrinving to a smiling face in Tokyo Mandy and I headed to Hokkkaido to begin our cycle tour.

Day Two- Asahikawa to Sounkyo- 70 km – Bit of rain

Big day of riding started out early - after changing a tube that had snapped off at the join (never heard of that before) stopping at a 7-11 for breakfast (which was a staple diet for us during the trip). I know Alicia eating from a 7-11 so not her! But hey Im a tight arse this trip!

Lunch!

Wet as bro!

After the big day I was feelin the pain and was in granny gear just to keep the legs moving- how heavy my load had grown over the day- or was I just tired? Well I was desperate for my first Onsen so after setting up camp we rode on to the nearest hotel area to get one but halfway there I struggled to make it and stopped declaring thats it im done- no more riding today for me- so what else to do but hitch a ride for the last 4km (sorry mum) and relax in my first onsen.

Well for those who have not had the pleasure to experience an onsen you are truly missing out on what I consider to be one of the most wonderful things in the world- You enter to strip off in a mass change room leaving your clothes in a basket pigeonhole- after that you také your onsen towel into the main bath area. You cant wear swimmers so everyone is naked and it felt really natural (guess I'm a nudest at heart) you find a little spot to sit and begin the cleansing process. On your little stool you sit and infront of you is a tap with a moveable shower head, there is soap and shampoo for you to wash yourself with and Japanese women také great time to cleanse their bodies. After scrubbing yourself you rinse and then move to the hot baths. Different onsens have different things to offer and some have a variety of baths with different temperatures- but they are all bloody hot! There is normally a sauna and a spa for you if you choose- I really enjoyed having a spa then relaxing in the hot baths- my favourite ones were outside in the cool night air. I found that I had to get in and out of the baths to not get too hot and not move around!

Day Three- Sounkyo to Taisetsu Dam – 23kms – Rain and bit of sunshine

Flowers lining the road

Bear warning signs- we found these along the way the night after we camped out amoungst them!

Day 4 – Taisetsu Dam to Lake Shikaribetsuko – 66 km – Sunshine Baby!

Well I woke early to do some repairs on my bike and after Mandy rising we were off again for another big day.

Downhill ride!

OMG no more hills Mandy!

Day 5- Lake Shikaribetsuko to Kanno- 26 km- Cloudy then pouring rain!

We had an early start to circumnavigate the largest and only natural lake in the area, I was feeling the pain of the previous challenge and was in granny gear much earlier in the day than I would have liked. We were headed for a town 40 km away but as we took a wrong turn into a dead end road we were faced with a choice- camp at the end of the road which offered a campsite in the forest with a natural hot spring and hardly any food but crackers and pasta with no sauce and no feul for the stove or ride back the 16 km we had come to then ride another 40 km to the next destination. I was feeling the pain and voted for the first option.

After setting up camp I crawled into bed and slept for 4 and a half hours- I guess I was a little tired! I woke to rain and decided to head down to the springs for a dip! Well that proved an interesting experience.... in Japan it is common practice for men and women to bath in hot springs together naked- but I really didn't know this and arrived at the hot spring alone to see Mandy jumping in with other men- well I thought well how badly do I want this warm hot bath, it was raining and cold and I was bike sore so I decided to brave it and join her! It was fine and eyes were kept away – personal space is respected and eyes are kept averted. I was glad for the experience and my muscles were even more so!

The food issue proved not to be an issue when happy Japanese people came to join us and drink sake with us under the shelter- they had gone fishing for the day and cooked fish over the coal fire bucket for Mandy to enjoy- we also got fuel from the camp owner to cook our pasta and a kind Japanese lady gave us some soup after she realised that we had no food and I didn't eat meat. Japanese campers intermingle a lot and often visit others tents with sake and food to share and chat about the world- I loved this aspect of Japan. The Japanese thought I was a real novelty not understanding a thing that they were laughing about and as they became more happy on sake they more they tried to talk to me! Luckily Mandy and another guy who spoke quite good english helped me out!

Day 6 – Kanno to Nakafurano – 44km - Rain and more rain! Not cats and dogs but hippos and elephants!

Oh the rain! There was plenty of it too!

We woke to rain and I mean hard rain- packing up the tent we set off- the campers waved us off thinking that we were crazy as coconuts! We set off for Furano in the teaming rain- playing games along the way to keep our spirits high sich as thinking of as many songs as we could that mentioned the word rain! We also sung as many songs as we could think of along the way at the top of our lungs.

Mafia ousted!

Day 7- Nakufurano to Kamiferano – 20km – Sunshine- thank god!

We woke early to ship out of there before getting caught- but that was not the case and we were sprung.... they took it quite well and we quickly packed up and took off to Kamiferano to see the flower fields.

Flowers at Farm Tomita

Flowers at Farm Tomita

We then rode to a art museum of Goto Sumio whose work is spectacular and world renown. This was a particluar highlight for me on the trip. We then stayed in a luxury campsite and enjoyed a quiet night of cards!

Day 8 – Kamiferano to Mt Tokachidake- Rain again- no riding for me!

Mandy tackled the big hill leading to the mountain spa region of Mt Tokachidake whilst I jumped aboard a bus for a more lazy approach. We arrived simutaneosly to enjoy the alpine area- hot springs were a feature and really big mountains in which we could enjoy the view. The afternoon was spent in the onsen and playing cards as the weather had closed in again.

Day 9 – Mt Tokachidake to Biei – 45km – Clouds and little it of sunshine!

We woke to another rainy cloudy day so we hot footed it off the mountain to enoy some sights in Biei. We cruised the hilly sourrounds that looked like parts of Europe with rolling hills and fields. We enjoyed a slice of cheesecake at the most gorgeous cafe that had the cutest homemade toys, bags and dresses.

Day 10 – Biei to Ashikawa – 74 km – Sunshine baby!

Well we were off on our final day of the tour, to enjoy the sights of Ashikawa. We visited a couple of cultural places and enjoyed our final day together on our bike journey. We headed to the airport to ensure that we had little riding to do before our flight the following day. Camping in another shelter (we had made a theme of this as camp sites were rarely where we needed them- normally about 10 km from the towns)

Small temple

Day 11- Back to Tokyo- 1km – Sunshine

Well we headed back to Tokyo today back to Ryokan Mandy. It was nice to wash the stench off and relax on a couch. But what a trip to remember! I managed to get a cycling tan, even in all that rain and gained strength that I had lost in the past two months of illness. I was feeling ready to go!

written by  aweasel on August 25, 2008 from Asahikawa, Japan
from the travel blog: Cycle Tour Hokkaido
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