Prague, Praha, prag, praga, the original and true sin city. Anything and everything imaginable is available at your finger tips. The streets are old and beautiful. Every building is an architects delight every corner a spire. Every window an old European look and feel. The streets are paved but more often than not they are cobble stone. Restaurants, shops, bars, and clubs are everywhere and often right next to each other lining the streets. The streets are full of people going in every direction dodging traffic. Every now and then there is a square with a festival and vendors selling mulled wine and food. Then, into the more modern city every block is a Starbucks or a KFC or a McDonalds. So many different nationalities are present the streets are full of cultures in competition for ... read more

I am in Fiji. Last night was pretty incredible. Blame it on the 3-250ml bottles of NZ wine I had on the plane (I love Air NZ), but I make friends very quickly and easily. As soon as I got off the plane I sat on a bench by the door, waiting for the shuttle to the hostel. A large black woman sitting next to me asked me what was in my travel trunk (I've been dragging around a large plastic "tough box" as my luggage). So, I told her. Clothes, Johnny Walker, etc... She asked how much I wanted for the bottle of Johnny Walker (black label). Having absolutely no idea what the going rate is for JW Black in Fiji, and figuring that I wasn’t going to be able to drink the 2 bottles ... read more

My time is slipping away. I realized I only have a week left. I stayed in Christchurch for a night but I cant say what I did there. I was just passing through really. I've decided that this trip is about seeing things, not doing things. The doing is me driving from place to place seeing. For me, just the experience of being here is enough. All the white water rafting, canoeing, and kayaking can wait until my next trip. I am still considering going bungee jumping though. I drove from Christchurch to Havelock then to Wellington yesterday. I stayed in the BHA hostel in Wellington, not far from the port. I was actually quite pleased. My room has a TV and a sink! And I only have to share a bathroom with one person and ... read more

I had a great time with Janice. We stayed in a nice hostel in Havelock. A beautiful area. Last night I ate a pot of the local, bright-green shell Mussels for dinner and each of us drank about 8 beers. We spent most of yesterday driving down to ‘Kaihkura’ to see the whales. Janice had already booked tickets (she’s good like that) so I just bummed along on her already scheduled trip and purchased tickets/booked rooms where she did. We had a great time! The weather was beautiful and I really appreciated having some company for a few days. Today we part ways. She headed North and I’m continuing my trek South. The rain has been pretty consistent today. I really like all of these little towns along the way. There are always people (quite sociable) ... read more

Wow. What an amazing thing. I arrived in New Zealand two days ago. I spent the first tow days staying at the 4-star Sky Hotel and Casino. I somehow ended up in the Executive Suite Rm 505. I was not disappointed. But, staying at a hotel like that, while comforting, gave me no sense of freedom or adventure. Today, I rented a car and struck out on my own. Driving on the opposite side of the road, I drove six hours (lost twice) to a small town called "Wanganui" (not how it is pronounced by the locals). At first, I was a little trepidatious. The old guy running the BP gas station was borderline creepy. But, I took a chance and followed his advice into what appears to be a charming old down town district. I ... read more