Kea

If you want to see the only alpine parrot in the world, you have to head to the South Island of New Zealand. What you probably will realize when you meet one, is that the Kea in the end is very irritating. The Kea is extremely curious and hacks it beak into anything on the ground. That include backpacks, boots and cars. It can fly, but prefers to be on the ground. That is the reason why every trekker has to hang up their stinky boots. If not, the boots are probably ruined the next morning. You wouldn't think so, but the Kea is also very intelligent. It can solve logical puzzles, especially if food is the reward.

The Kea is considered threatened after it used to be hunted for by New Zealand's big sheep farming community, but the population has been on the rise in the last decades since it received full protection in 1986. If you meet one you would probably understand why the Kea is nicknamed "Mountain Monkey" or "Mountain Clown"!

A Kea showing off on the Mackinnon pass on the Milford Track

Philippine Tarsier

When I visited the Philippine island of Bohol, I decided one day to rent a scooter, mainly to see the famous Chocolate Hills. But one worthy detour brought me (after a lot misguided directional advices) to the Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella, where the near threatened Philippine Tarsier lives in a naturally habitat. The Philippine Tarsier Foundation runs this sanctuary, and has the Tarsier in focus. That is quite different from the Loboc Tarsier Conservation (and other places along the Loboc river), which are unethical for-profit Tarsier viewing area that subjects Tarsiers to conditions very harmful to their health. Do not support those places!

The Philippine Tarsier is about 8-16 centimeters short and the only entirely carnivorous primate left (they eat mostly insects). The disproportionately large eyes are fixed in the skull, so the Tarsier can instead turn their head 180 degrees. As you may understand the Tarsier is nocturnal and have very good eyesight. And they are cute as hell..

100 Rupee Monk

In 2005, I trekked around and into the Annapurna Mountain Range in Nepal for some weeks. It still stands as the best trek ever. On the way to the Thorung La pass most people stay one day or two extra in Manang to get acclimatized. One of those days I went up to a Tsam Kang, which is a small hut/grass hut/cave intended for a single practitioner of meditation. In this Tsam Kang lived a lama which has been nicknamed the "100 Rupee Monk" by trekkers. You got to visit him for a donation of 100 Rupee while he waved his arms and murmured his blessings for you not get sick on your way over the 5416 meters high pass. He ends the ceremony with giving you a colorful thread necklace.

On the day I visited, his wife (?) was around and found the whole thing quite amusing (as you can see in the picture). As far as I know the monk is still around, but I doubt he still does the ceremonies because of declining health and age (some says he is almost 100 years old). And did the ceremony and necklace help? Well, I don't know, but I have never been more fit and acclimatized on any other pass..

In contrast to many other people I didn't donate any "selfie" to the monk

The Many Faces of Kids II: Usambara Mountain Range (Tanzania)

After doing the standard things like hiking up Kilimanjaro and Safari in Serengeti/Ngorongoro, I decided to do something a little bit more unusual in Tanzania. I went to what once was known as Wilhelmstal during the (bloody) German colonial period (1890 - 1918). To escape the heat in Dar es Salaam they longed for the cooling air of the Usambara Mountain Range. The town is now known as Lushoto, and it was there I hired a guide to take me around the rural countryside for a couple of days.

Apart from staying overnight in Rangwi Mission, what I really remember from this trip are all those happy kids running to get a glimpse of the "mzungu" (white person in Swahili). I could hear the chant of mzungu from a long distance away with barefoot running accompanying the vocal output. Some of them even tried using their English skills, but something says me that they usually had female teachers. "Good morning, madam" was usually the way they greeted me. I also remember a young girl taking care of her baby sister. The baby sister started to cry when she saw me. I consider myself neither very frightening nor feminine.



The visual highlight though was the small town of Mtae perched on the mountain cliff stretching out like an arm with the lowlands a long way below on three sides. It was there I shot what I personally consider one of my better pictures:

"The Gang of Mtae"

Diarios de Motocicleta (The Motorcycle Diaries)

2 years after I first visited South America, Diarios de Motocicleta (The Motorcycle Diaries) popped up on cinema everywhere to near universal acclaim, and some controversy. The movie is based on Ernesto Guevara' travelogue of same title. In 1952, the 23 years old medical student Ernesto "Fuser" Guevara and his friend Albert Granada decides to leave Buenos Aires behind, and go on a trip around South America on a motorcycle. Wonderful directed by Walter Salles and well acted by especially Gael García Bernal, the movie tells a story about friendship and hardship in a beautiful scenery. It also shows situations that would form Guevara for rest of his life. As some may understand this young medical student would end up as the world most famous revolutionary, but the movie tries not to focus on that at all.

Some bash the movie because they in the end realize they have been cheated into watching a movie about "the evil" Che Guevara. This is just as stupid as all those people walking around with a t-shirt with the iconic Che Guevara picture without knowing anything more about his ideas, beliefs and reasons. In my opinion, this movie is mostly about two young people discovering the world around them for the first time. As a traveler 60 years on you still experience the same things like impoverished indigenous peasants, and huge difference between social classes.

Gustavo Santaolalla playing short snippets on his charango gives a very Latin feeling to the movie, but it was the main song of the movie "Al Otro Lado del Rio" (On the other side of the river) by Jorge Drexler (from Uruguay) which was nominated to an Oscar for best original song. It won that category, but because Jorge Drexler (then) was not very well known, the producers would not let him play his own song on the show. They decided Antonio Banderas should sing instead, and let Carlos Santana play the guitar. One can only guess the (stupid) reason behind that decision. Anyway, Jorge Drexler accepted the award by singing some lines a cappella, and then said goodbye.

Just as Jorge Drexler, this movie deserves a much better fate, and I would recommend anyone to give it a shot.

Airbnb

You probably can't do much better than Henrietta's apartment in Madrid

My first encounter with Airbnb was in 2012 when I looked for a place to stay in Paris. More precisely I wanted to stay in Marais this time around, and found the price of the hotels rather expensive compared to what you got. Somehow, I stumbled upon Airbnb which (then) was pretty much unknown in Norway and found a chic and big apartment smack in the middle of Marais, and the price was very favorable compared to a hotel.

After that success I decided to give this modern concept of B&B some more shots on the next "round the world" trip. Homestays was booked in Singapore, Sydney, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Madrid and London. Overall, I got excellent value for the money everywhere, and the most interesting places were where I rented a room in someone's house/flat. That way I got to know so much more about the place, and met some genuinely interesting and open-minded people.

If you look around internet I'm sure you can find some bad stories about Airbnb (just as every other hotel/hostel), but if you use common sense I'm sure you usually will be pleasantly surprised. What I'm looking for when I'm booking is this:

1. (Many) Good reviews
2. Newly listed places may be very good value. If it is put some effort into tidying up the flat, and some/many (high quality) nice-looking pictures, you are probably safe. For example, I was the first visitor both in Sydney and in San Francisco, and both places were awesome (as they say in Australia).
3. Avoid someone who rents out a multitude of places. I had no option but doing that in South Beach, Miami. The location was excellent. The apartment so-so, but no way bad.

Lisa & Joe's place in Venice Beach, L.A. left a much better impression than the rest of the city.

When I got back home, I decided to even put up my house for rent if someone (for some unknown reason) wanted to visit my hometown. I haven't exactly been run down by customers, but more than 2500 dollars in less than half a year isn't too bad in my opinion. Of course Airbnb has to earn money some way, and takes some % both from the renter and the host, but I think it is only fair for creating this excellent new opportunity for travelling.

So, if Airbnb sounds interesting for any future trip I would really recommend giving it a shot. If you make an account through this link, you will get 25 dollars towards your first booking (I get 25 as well)

Christal's apartment in Sydney had exceptional views to the opera and the rest of Sydney.

Muchachito Bombo Infierno

I would rather not count on how much money I've "wasted" on CDs. On the other hand, I have at least supported most of the artists I'm listening to. So, why not write a little bit about some of them?

Going to Spain I could probably written a lot about the voice of Marcos Cao in the pop/rock group of "La Sonrisa de Julia" (Julia's Smile), but the most infectious band I have fallen in love with must be "Muchachito Bombo Infierno". This big group of musicians (including a groovy brass line-up) are from Barcelona, and is fronted by Muchachito (aka Jairo Perera). I have no way of describing the musical style of this band, but maybe funky rumbarock'n'roll could be it? I really don't know. However, I wish I could have attended one of their concerts sometime before they are retiring. During the concerts they are joined by a painter who is making a different painting each time.

They are now three albums into their career, and as any other band they are starting to push the limit of the style they are playing, But so far it has been a joyride. Below you can listen to the song "Será Mejor" taken from a live DVD they released on their website some years ago

Cloud Atlas

First time I heard of "Cloud Atlas" by the British author David Mitchell was in 2005 when I met Shaz from London in laidback Nungwi (on the northern tip of Zanzibar, Tanzania). He was engrossed in the story, and when I later picked up a copy as well I have to say the same happened to me as well. Even though Mitchell' English in this book isn't too easy to understand when it isn't your native language...

Without giving too much away, the book (released in 2004) contains 6 nested but interweaving stories spanning from year 1850 to a post-apocalyptic future. The locations are as different as The Pacific, Belgium, California, Britian, Korea and Hawaii. The book is built in a surprising way, where the 5 five first stories are told chronological until a key moment where it is cut off. The sixth story is told entirely before the five first stories are finished in reversed chronological order. I was blown away by the (varied) storytelling even though I'm not very fond of science-fiction stories (like especially story #5). After finishing the book I dug into David Mitchell earlier works like number9dream and Ghostwritten while I really wished that Cloud Atlas could be transferred to the screen (but couldn't see how that would be possible)

Happily I learnt a few years later that the directors behind "Matrix" was insane enough to begin that project. The movie was released in 2012 and pretty much polarized the critics. Not too surprising the directors had to ditch the style of the book (=telling the stories in reversed order). Every story is now even more interwoven into each other and are all told at the same time (without changing the book too much). It is surely an interesting idea to let the actors acting up to 6 different roles. Mostly that is working surprisingly well and shows the diversity of the actors, but sometimes it looks plain stupid when they act another gender than they are. This is for sure a movie where you have to be wide-awake to watch (and may be the reason why some didn't like the movie), and if you haven't read the book before I'm sure a second viewing will be rewarding to pick up more details.

I can heartily recommend both the book and movie, but if you haven't read the book, you should do that first. And after you have done both you can dug deep into the Cloud Atlas Wiki.

  

The Many Faces of Kids

"The Gang of Mtae". Usambara Mountain Range, Tanzania 

It was easier some years ago when a digital camera was not very well known to kids. Kids were mostly rather reluctant to be taken picture of, but when they saw themselves seconds later at the display they were all in for another picture (and many more). Usually the second and third photo turned out best, and you could delete the first you shot. This way I got some lively pictures from Tanzania and Philippines, while they for example were more doubtful looking in the Annapurna mountain range in Nepal.

Some of the kids asked for bribes like money, candy or whatever, but usually they were just genuinely interested in a shabby backpacker with a small pocket-camera (and bad soccer-skills). I have never paid for a picture but if you really want to give something, it should be something useful for their education. Candy is the last thing you should give, because the dental health service is not like back home.

Maybe this will be an ongoing feature of this blog, so here are a few more pictures of mine to kick things off:

Malapascua Island, Philippines

Livingston, Guatemala

Ausangate Mountain Range, Peru

Annapurna Mountain Range, Nepal

Annapurna Mountain Range, Nepal

Death in Paradise

The very english DI Poole and more Caribbean styled Camille Bordey

If you want to watch a light-weight crime comedy-drama set in the Caribbean, you have no better option than tune into BBC's Death in Paradise. The first episode shows DI Richard Poole arriving from London with a cultural crash to the fictional island of Saint-Marie. He is assigned to solve the murder of the former English DI.

In true Agatha Christie style he summons all the suspects at the end of the first (and every other) episode and solves the mystery. Because of the success he has to stay on the island, and the series rolls on in the same fashion like:

* Many visiting and resident British people which are surprisingly notoriously criminal

* A very high crime rate on such a small island (but not as high as Midsomer Murders)

* Poole struggles with the heat and generally the not-so-english way of living

* His non-existent understanding of female interest. 

Death in Paradise is right now into its third series, this time with DI Goodman as the new "boss".
If you during the series want to visit Saint-Marie, you have to go to the French islands of Guadeloupe instead. Probably it would be much safer there than in "Death in Paradise"!

DI Goodman has replaced DI Poole in Series 3

Caye Caulker, Belize

Sunset, Caye Caulker

A common question I get goes something like this: What is the best place or country you have been to? It is impossible to answer. Often I answer Nepal because it is very different culturally from Norway, and the scenery in the mountains and old buildings in the Kathmandu valley are plainly amazing. Really, every country has its own share of highlights. However, maybe the correct answer for me is Belize. Reason? I have visited the country on three out four longer trips I have done. And it is nowhere more relaxing than Caye Caulker.

Belize is not very well known at all in Europe. Probably people would guess that the country is somewhere in Africa. Americans on the other hand probably knows that Belize is the country south of the tourist hotspots of Cancún, Playa del Carmen and Cozumel in Mexico. In other words, Belize is situated on the Yucatán Peninsula along the Caribbean coast and the second biggest reef in the world.

People who have lived for some time may remember a country named British Honduras. When that country got independent in 1973, it changed its name to Belize. The population in this small country is an interesting mix of Hispanic, Mayas, Garifunas, Mennonites and Creole people with a touch of Expats. As a former British colony, English is the official language, but Creole is spoken among the inhabitants. As you get closer to the Guatemalan border more and more Spanish is spoken.

Anyway, Caye Caulker is small limestone coral island, which for the last decades has drawn many backpackers (and more regular sun seekers) to its laidback atmosphere. You would expect a sand island to boast some beaches, but you can forget that. They do not “cheat” either as in upmarket San Pedro where they bring sand from the leeward lagoon to please tourist in front of their hotels. This is part of Caye Caulker's charm in my opinion.

I first visited Caye Caulker very briefly in 2006 before I went on a stunning sailing trip with Ragamuffin Tours south along the reef to Placencia. I ate breakfast with delicious cinnamon rolls at "Glenda’s" and a superb fish-dinner at laidback reggae-cook Maurice Moore's "Wish Willy". I HAD to return in 2008 and 2012 for weeklong craves for those places and the only beer in the world I drink; Belikin Stout.

If you are an early riser, you get some really nice sunrises at the windward side of the island (the wind is blowing refreshingly all the time). In the afternoon, you get to watch even nicer sunsets 300 meters away on the leeward side of the islands. The nicest place for this spectacle be is right south of party point of The Split (or jokingly known as “The Spliff” because you get some illegal offers about that there).



Caye Caulker has not changed much during the years, and is still pretty low-key compared to many other Caribbean tourist places. After some days, you start recognizing other tourists which walks around the sand-streets only populated by golf-cars. The use of those cars has on the other hand exploded in the last 5 years, Really, this island is so small that it is a healthy exercise to use your legs instead. The other thing that is slowly changing is the switch from wood board cabins to concrete ones. I can understand why, but a small part of the old-style charm fades that way.



If you want go on some excursions, it is all about water. Of course, you could go on day trips to interesting Maya-ruins, but that is a rushed and long day-trip. Instead diving, snorkeling and fishing are good substitutes for plain relaxation. The reef here can boast some very good diving if you can stand a few hours boat trip (into open water), and snorkeling at the reef right outside Caye Caulker is not bad either. Generally, it is as always best to go places where not too many other tourists go. Looking for Manatees is also an option, but that has become a victim of its popularity.

If any of this sounds tempting, the hardest part is probably to work out how to get to Belize. It could be tempting getting a cheap airfare to Cancun, but you waste too much time travelling on ground that way (there is only one daily flight from Cancun to Belize City, and it is very risky counting on the connecting flight there to Caye Caulker). The easiest way is probably is to get a flight to Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport about 30 minutes outside Belize City. From there you have two options:

1. Let Tropic Air fly you surprisingly cheap to Caye Caulker in a really small plane.
2. Hire a taxi to Belize City (agree on the price beforehand = 25 dollar), and get a ticket on one of the many speedy water taxis to Caye Caulker

And after that follow the motto of Caye Caulker: Go Slow!

Maui's 94x

If you ever go to Maui (one of the Hawaiian Islands) you probably will (fondly) remember some different things, like:

1. Beautiful Sunsets.

2. Amazing snorkeling trips right off the shore with lots of fishes and turtles, and if you are lucky: whale song.

3. Freezing your ass off while waiting for the sunrise on Haleakalā, a 3000 meters above sea level dormant/dead volcano (I would rather recommend going there during the day).

4. There are many waterfalls on the twisting road to Hana because it is raining a lot on the eastern side of the Island. The tourist area on the other hand receives almost no rain.

5. You get hooked on listening to Maui’s 94X which is the self-proclaimed funky “Ol Skool R&B Music Station”. So, when you get back home you are hunting high and low for a stream. I have saved you the trouble. Just double-click on the logo below:

Mariage Frères

If you're going to Paris and have an obsession for Tea you have no option but heading to the (gay) district of Marais and the Mariage Frères store. For some reason I imagine that the Harry Potter producers must have been there and got some ideas for the stores in Diagon Alley. All sorts of teas are stored in big jars lined up along the wall. They weigh the loose leaf on old style weights, and in the end you pay for your catch to an old style booth. It’s even an (overpriced) café and a tea museum upstairs. Many of teas are not sold as loose leaf, so if you are into Mariage Frères teas you may end up with a too big collection of nice canisters.



It’s hard to do give any recommendations because you can’t really go wrong. Mariage Frères have been around since 1854, so they should know their trade by now. The most popular and deservedly famous scented tea is the “Marco Polo”, which you can get in a black, green, red and white version. You have to fork over 20 Euros for 100 grams of white "Marco Polo", but in the end it is cheaper and 10 times better than any generic white tea you can get in your grocery store. This Christmas I bought the black “Paris-Ginza” which smells delightfully of strawberry. I can’t recommend that one enough.

If your into green tea you should at least smell "Sur le Nil" and "De-Stress" to see if those suit your taste. But in the end part of the fun is to discover teas for yourself without any recommendations. The clerks are always happy to help if you are looking for something special. And if you for some reason can’t find what you are looking for you can just head a little bit “up” rue Vieille du Temple to “Palais du Thés”…

Cordillera Huayhuash, Peru

Yerupajá, 6634 meters, in the background

Cordillera Huayhuash in Peru is probably best known for climbing. Part of the fame can be linked to Joe Simpson and Simon Yates' successful but disastrous and nearly fatal climb of Siula Grande in 1985. A book named "Touching the void" was published in 1988, and a documentary followed in 2003.

Cordillera Huayhuash was also one of the strongholds of "Sendero Luminoso" (Shining Path), a Maoist guerrilla insurgent organization in Peru. It was a few hostage situations until the party was broken down in 1992. The safety deteriorated between 2002 and 2004 with a few killings, but the area has now been considered safe for a long time.

Close to Rondoy

So, when did I go to Huayhuash? 2001! Not for climbing, but trekking around this stunningly beautiful mountain range. It is said to be 2-week trek. I did it in 8 days. Solo, in a rather bad locally bough tent. In my opinion the trekking was way better than the much more popular Santa Cruz trek closer to Huaraz. Since most of the trekking is above 4000 meters, you should be properly acclimatized before you go on this trek, but most of the passes are not too hard to get over.

I saw some traces of road construction in 2001 so I don't know if the area has been "destroyed" since then. However, for me this ranks as the best hike in Peru, followed by Ausangate and a rather demanding trek from Choquequirao to Machu Picchu. Maybe I will tell you more about those treks later on?