Hilo, the true Hawaii... Hilo is 2 hours drive on the other side from the Kona Coast. There is not a single top-resort, it rains here more than anywhere else in Hawaii, and most of the tourists are day-trippers from the Kona Coast. So why do we spend so many days here? Well, thanks to Marty, Chris and their two daughters, we are going to discover the true Hawaii. Marty is one of Ma'ri sisters, so this is also for me my first family visit. Guys you are great, we had an amazing time with you and hope to see you again very soon. Thanks for your warm welcome and to have make us discover your little corner of paradise. As I say Hilo is more rainy than Kona, but this also mean much greener. Over ... read more

Leslie has a week of holidays for Spring Break...which means a week to head somewhere for three of us. Won't mind it with all the stress of the past few weeks. So here we are in Shanghai, ready for our Japan Airline flights...first to Tokyo than on to Honolulu where we arrive the morning of the 21st....even before we left Shanghai. The last few months and years, when people asked me if I've been there or there...they always end up asking me if I've been to Hawaii...and the answer was always no. But Ma'ri gave me a very good excuse to say yes this time. This will come later. So we spent few miles to get us 3 tickets to Honolulu...I know, it's the crisis... Waikiki...not my dream, but as we were landing in Honolulu, ... read more

Milford Sound...a simple fact...the longer they haven't had any rain is 9 days in a row! This is the wettest place of New Zealand....a green country! Second fact...277 km from Queenstown by road...around 75km if you treck...well, once again...not an option with a 6 and 8 years old. From Te Anau, last big village with 1300 people living there....there is 120km to Milford Sound, and not a single petrol station...so be ready. But before all...if there is no rain, there are less waterfalls...and if there is rain, there are waterfalls! We had rain! One more fact, a Sound doesn't mean anything, it's a kiwi word...it should be call the Milford Fjord...know you know what we are speaking of. Made our way late afternoon from Queenstown after doing the luge. Stop in Te Anau to play ... read more

It's Chinese New Year one more time, one more opportunity to hit the road. But more important, it's now two wonderful years since Leslie has joined me in Shanghai. Seems like yesterday, but when I look at what we did... these are 2 pretty amazing years! And it's the year of the Ox...which is my year...if you tell me I'll have more this year than the last few months...well, no thanks, I don't need more, I've got what I want...just let's get over this damn economic crisis and life will be a lot better...not for me, but for the all planet! Here we are in the South Island, New Zealand. First question...how many entries should you post of a trip? I've seen some doing one entry for nearly everyday of their trip...as if they want ... read more

Happy New Year and all my Wishes to all of you. Let's hope 2009 will be as good as 2008! Welcome to 2009! What a better way to close 2008 than by a little dive trip. The challenge was not that easy this time...wanted a place where I could depart from Luxembourg between the 26th December and be back on the 2nd January. A place were I could dive, in a country I hadn't visited yet. My shortlist ended up with Djibouti, Cuba and Oman. Really want to see Cuba, but seems that at the only great reef, the boats are not equipped at all, and the food is very very...not there! For Djibouti, great place for whalesharks, but really not easy to reach. So here I am in Muscat, Oman. The last few days were ... read more