I'll upload photos of Auckland from yesterday, then photos from Christchurch this afternoon. Flying between the two cities is quiet easy and cheap. I've booked the train through the mountains to Greymouth tomorrow and am looking forward to spectacular photos. *cross fingers* HOURS later....can you tell that was the text from a person trying to just upload photos from an internet cafe? I haven't had any time to reflect and type on this thing, which I suppose is a good sign that I'm having fun. Jet lag has faded and I'm sleeping 6 to 7 hours in the correct timeslot. I'm the early bird happy to throw on track pants and join the walkers pre-dawn. Amazing light that elevates trees to 'larger than life' status makes every bush seem energized. When the birds wake up to ... read more

Wow! I made it! Long flight. It feels like September in terms of temperature. Everyone is wearing black winter jackets and clothes. The whimps. ha ha Its a sunny day and Auckland looks so beautiful. I arrived before 5 a. m. and got to cheap hotel by 6. Slept four hours, got up, showered and took bus downtown. Travel tip when landing at airport: buy food before you get on shuttle bus to hotel. There is a cafe with packaged tikka veg curry for $8 NZ which I think is $6 Can. My airport hotel has restaurant that isn't open in morning or during the day. A curry, no matter how cold, is satisfying with a cup of hotel-room tea. I've left my mark in Auckland...literally. At the bus stop outside of hotel, when an older ... read more

First day of summer trek, and I am in Vancouver. Impressions so far: a) Canada is too damn wide and 8 hours + in a plane (stop over Edmonton) is too long; b) too hot here...I thought heat waves were in central and eastern Canada; c) I didn't pack well. Its a skill, to shrink your entire life to a couple pieces of luggage that have to function well in and out of public transport and hotels. I'll need a few more days to shuffle things around, discard items too heavy and buy all purpose hairclips and sweaters and shoes. My body has to toughen up, my mind has to adjust to time differences. Homebody has to go back to gypsy mode. So far the journey has been uneventful. Vancouver airport (domestic) has terrific people in ... read more

Maybe it is ironic that I am back in Edinburgh now, after I wrote the warning to fellow travelers who read these blogs to avoid this city while they are ripping up the roads to put in a tram system. Yup, I'm back and they have Princess Street closed while construction goes on. And the Tattoo and Fringe Festival has filled the streets to overflowing with tourists. I am allowed. Its my birthday and this is a great place to celebrate. The entire city is buzzing.... read more

Well, I am near Bangor, in Tregarth. Actually at this moment I am sitting in the Star Cafe in Bethesda. I started hiking up hill behind Tregarth, with instructions how to come down the other side and find pub in Pentir. Great views of sea and mountains up there. Got lost several times and was given directions from friendly locals. I didn't expect such a long trek (longer when lost and have to repeat going up that hill through tiny forest). I got to this pub by one thirty, starving, only to find it closed Monday and Tuesday. Damn! Thank goodness for the blackberries I was munching along the way. I had no clue where I was, because I expected to get directions from people in the pub, how to return to Tregarth. Nobody was around, ... read more