// August 7th, 2011 // 8 Comments » // customer-service, English, society, travel
If the first impression of a country is made by the facilities it provides in its national airport, Belgium has some room for improvement. Especially for those that combine their arrival with a train experience. The Thalys will soon make a stop here again, so we would like to welcome you and give you heads up for the experience that awaits you:
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// January 30th, 2011 // No Comments » // English, New Zealand, picture, travel
A day where we travel below the 46th parallel.
// January 22nd, 2011 // 1 Comment » // English, New Zealand, picture, travel
The day today started early. One can not leave Kaikoura without trying to see a whale up close. That is, unless the day is stormy and one is suffering from seasickness.
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// January 16th, 2011 // 3 Comments » // English, New Zealand, travel
The continued adventures of Koen and Vicky in New Zealand. Today featuring a dynamited dolphin, an extreme large tree and probably the worst hotel in this country!
(January 9,2011)
Today was a day of travel. We had to drive 600 kilometers to get from Russel to Waitomo. To make life a little more fun, we decided to drive via the east coast (the Pacific Ocean) and not via the west coast (Tasman Sea) to Auckland, being at 2/3rd of our trip today.
This route brought us to Opononi. Small town with beautiful dunes and a very sad history. (Een diepdroevig dierenverhaal): the dolphin Opo, whose mother died, was not shy at all to humans. It came to the village of Opononi, where it would swim with kids and perform tricks. Dynamite fishers killed the dolphin in 1956 (by accident?) and the dolphin was buried in full Maori style. The killing had national press coverage in New Zealand.
Some hours later, we arrived in Waipoua forest. In this forest, some great species of the Kauri tree can still be found. The tree on this picture, Tane Mahuta, is the largest known Kauri. He is 212 meters high. (we have been told…)
This day was a day that took us 600 kilometer south on the Northern Island of New Zealand. Expectations were high, but the surprise was a big one. The hotel our agency booked for Waitoma, was the Waitoma Caves Hotel. A first look at the outside made it clear that this hotel was not in the running for any first price or award, but the worst had to come…
While checking in, the lady at the counter told us to wait and fill in this paper, while she was waiting people in the restaurant. It turned out later that she was the only person working in the hotel that night. Ordering some water was impossible, the curtains were too short for the windows (and the sun rises here at 5 in the morning), there was corrosion in the bathroom, etc…. Fortunately the lady confirmed that this was the ordered room and that this was the best in the house. I’ve never ever given 1 star in a Tripadvisor tip, but there seem to be a first for everything.
mmmmm - fresh paint here
We slept a rather short night and enjoyed breakfast in this room where the paint was falling of the ceiling. We didn’t finish the coffee and drove of, looking for a café with some real food.
Pictures of the hotel can be found on koen’s website, our other pictures can be found on Flickr.
Stay tuned for more updates!
// January 13th, 2011 // No Comments » // English, New Zealand, picture, travel
Part 2 of the New Zealand adventures. We left Auckland on the 7th of January for the Bay of Islands. (more…)
// January 11th, 2011 // 2 Comments » // English, New Zealand, picture, travel
The last leg of our adventure to New Zealand started with nearly missing the flight in Hong Kong. But we made it and 60 hours after taking of in Brussels, we touched down to start a journey we had been planning for the last 12 months.
// January 2nd, 2011 // 2 Comments » // English, New Zealand
The first days of 2011: our countdown to a (well deserved!) long holiday in New Zealand. Kind of surreal, packing summer clothes while sneezing and recovering from a flue… (more…)
// September 12th, 2010 // 4 Comments » // English, New Zealand, picture, travel
Some of you have heard of our plans to take a long break next year. All arrangements have now been made, we are so ready to leave on our long awaited trip to New Zealand in a couple of months.
// September 8th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // English, picture, travel
When in Shanghai as a tourist (and being Caucasian, I can not hide that in China), you will be approached by types such as Jack here. Friendly person, that will explain you that he is an art student at the university, take you to a shop and try to sell you one of his works there for a ridiculous price (200RMB or more for example for the drawings in the picture). (more…)
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