Like a sauna, but with no refreshing lake to jump in

From Malaga, we headed to Sevilla, which was blisteringly hot. We arrived midday and did nothing until 6pm because it was too hot. (Over 40 degrees Celsius.) Luckily, our hostel was nice and we met some interesting people, who were also avoiding the heat. In the evening, Tiina and I took part in a free tour offered by our hostel. We saw some of the key sights and even learned a thing or two! Then we went and had paella at the hostel. Paella is a quintessential Spanish dish consisting of rice and more or less whatever else you have on hand. The one we ate had seafood and chicken, I think...

A pool in the palace garden, there to remind you how much you wish you could cool off.

After eating, we met our friend Jüri who was visiting his sister and cousin, Marja and Tormi, in Sevilla. We hung out with them and some of their friends and had a great time! Marja´s apartment is near the oldest church in Sevilla. We spent the next day with them as well. Jüri and I went to see the palaces and then met Marja to check out the cathedral. It is the 3rd largest cathedral in Europe, 5th in the world. We climbed the 97m high giralda (tower), which was originally part of the mosque that the cathedral replaced. The tower was once the tallest building in the world, and gives a great view of the rooftop swimming pools nearby. Looking at swimming pools when its 45 degrees or more is.. hard... Originally, the tower was used to call people to prayer before being converted into a bell tower, so instead of stairs, there is a ramp running up the tower because the man would take a horse up so as not to lose his breath. I went for an absolutely lovely dinner with them, which unfortunately Tiina missed because of heat stroke.

Mosque? Or cathedral?

Our next stop was Cordoba, where we arrived at 3pm, or in the middle of siesta. Absolutely everything in southern Spain is closed from about 2pm until 5pm for siesta because it is way too hot to do anything. So we arrived and had to brave the blow drier like wind because we weren't staying overnight and therefore had no hostel to escape to. The main reason we went to Cordoba was to see the cathedral/mosque, and luckily it was open and cold! It was a beautiful building with these archways that made it feel like a forest. The mosque was built on the site of an old church, but was later taken over by the Catholic church and turned into a cathedral.

These signs were everywhere in Spain, they not only tell you how hot it is, but also show the time (above). Siesta is taken very seriously in Cordoba (below).

There happened to also be a flamenco festival while we were there and our bus wasn't until midnight, giving us a chance to enjoy the music at the beginning of the festival. There were events scheduled to start until 5am!! It's what you do when you can't go out during the day.

A dirty city and pretty little town

Ok so it's been a while... Tiina and I have been so busy we haven't had time to sit down to update, but now we're in Estonia so things are a bit more relaxed.

So from Granada, Tiina and I headed to Malaga, which is a huge resort town, gateway to the Costa del Sol (a huge resort area). Malaga isn't anything too exciting, and the beach in the city is pretty dirty to be honest. (You can see the shipping port.) We went to the beach anyway to relax for a day. I got a really awful sunburn on my legs because I totally forgot to put sunscreen on them.. Big mistake - bus rides and sunburned thighs don´t mix well...

To escape Malaga, we took a day trip to Ronda, a really pretty small town spanning a ravine and overlooking farmland below. It was stunning. To cross the river in the ravine, three bridges had been built at various times in history. (Everything here is just so old compared to anything we have in North America. They don't blink their eyes at something 150 years old unless its particularly pretty.) The other main attraction in Ronda is a bullfighting ring, which every city/town in Spain has. We did not go to any bullfights during our trip - they are supposed to be absolutely brutal.

"Hey, its the hottest part of the day, let´s go climb something big!"

Tiina having fun in the park (above)
The towers we climbed in the middle of the day (below)

Since we got our bus passes working (although every time we buy a ticket there still seems to be a lot of problems..) we were able to hop on a bus to Valencia. We picked Valencia as a place to break up our trip between Barcelona and Granada and were surprised to find how much we enojyed it. We walked from the bus station to the old town through a beautiful park that wraps around part of the old town. We entered the old town through old city gates, which for some reason we decided to climb in the blazing heat. Luckily the view was worth the effort! Our 11 hours in Valencia were spent wandering around the old town and checking out the market.

The entrance to the market

We also ventured into the new part of the city looking for a phone card or computer where Tiina could pay her tuition deposit. Of course this was during siesta when EVERYTHING is closed (for at least 3 hours). We then treated ourselves to a glass of horchata (a cold drink made from tiger nuts) and sat back to watch a huge pillow fight in one of the main squares and prepare for our overnight bus to Granada.

Pillow fight!

After a very long, uncomfortable night (where Tiina slept for 8 hours, and Maarika...well, a little less...) we finally made it to Granada. While waiting for our room we lounged on a cafe patio. Maarika couldn´t really muster up the energy for anything until she had a siesta, not to mention everything was closed because it was a Sunday. However, we still managed to pass the day away by exploring the pretty city. This included hiking up some very steep streets during the hottest part of the day to check out the old Moorish quarter, Albaicin. We were rewarded with a magnificent view of the Alhambra - the Moorish palaces and fortresses overlooking Granada.

The next day, we found ourselves on the other side of the valley, looking back at where we had walked the day before. We toured the Alhmabra, with it´s beautifully detailed tile- and woodwork. The buildings were really impressive, especially considering a lot of it was built before Canada was discovered by Europeans.

Barcelona: Where mullets are more common than street signs

So Tiina (my sister) and I are now in Spain! Woo! We both have travel blogs, so most of the posts will be the same. But we flew separately so here´s my bit before Tiina met me in Barcelona.

I flew via Tallinn (and Helsinki and Riga) to Barcelona. There was a man on my flight to Estonia who hadn´t been back in 63 years! He was pretty excited. Walking around in Tallinn was strange, since I haven´t been in 5 years, so a fair bit has changed, but it´s still the same.

Arriving in Barcelona, I wandered around the Gothic quarter (old town) by our hostel for a while. I spent an hour looking for a supermarket, before I found one in the basement of the department store in front of which the airport bus had dropped me off originally.

0.65 Euros = about $1 (from a fruit market, not the department store)

[Now our joint bit]

Lost? Or maybe something else is under renovations...

Why was Maarika lost? Because streets are really poorly marked in Barcelona (and so far the rest of Spain too, but we´re getting used to it). Also, in the Gothic Quarter, there is no grid system, at all.. so you think you´re going one direction but you´re going in totally the opposite. Anyway, we eventually made our way to the bus station where we spent an hour trying to get bus passes. This was very hard because the forms were in Spanish, which we do not speak, and no one spoke English. Of course, we had forgotten our dictionary (and map). Anyway, it eventually worked out (although we had to return the next morning to fix our passes).

Standard Gaudi, Casa Batllo window

On Friday, we saw the Arc Triomph and Eixample, the area with lots of modernista architecture, such as the famous Gaudi buildings. There were so many tourists! Also, a lot of things were under construction, for example, the Sagrada Familia cathedral. But it was still neat! We also wandered around the Gothic Quarter and Las Ramblas, then down to the port where we walked along the boardwalk. Tiina told Maarika she saw a man riding a bike naked, which Maarika did not believe until she turned around and saw him herself. Tiina often sees unusual things that Maarika has a hard time believing. (We also saw tons of mullets. Apparently, they´re really cool...?) Tiina was in charge of navigating on Friday, and we didn´t get nearly as lost. Ironically, Maarika is usually the navigator while, for the most part, Tiina lacks all sense of direction (in her own words).

Arc de Triomph

Here we go again!

In 1 month, pretty much exactly 2 years after my last major trip ended, I'll be off to feed my travel bug and reduce the itch... for the time being... The plan is to fly to Barcelona, Spain and then spend 2 and a half weeks travelling around, starting in the south. I might also take a day trip to Morocco. (So pretty much my parents' honeymoon...) Then, to Estonia to participate in laulupidu, the huge song festival that takes place every 5 years. I took part in the last one and it was mind blowing. Between laulupidu, volunteering at a camp (Tähemetsa suurlaager) and going to the Viljandi Folk Music Festival, I also plan to spend some time with family and friends before returning to Canada at the end of July. I put links to the festivals in the sidebar, both sites can be viewed in English. (Tiina's blog is there, too!)


I'd be happy to hear from anyone with suggestions about where to go in Spain or if you know anyone who could show me around or who I might be able to stay with for a night or two!

The End. (And pictures to go with my last post.)

Wow! I'm home. I cannot believe how quickly it's gone! And how much I have to do now that I'm back in reality. I've spent the last 2 months worrying about which bus to catch and which hostel to sleep in. I don't have any idea what's been going on in the world or at home. Everyone else has gone on with their normal lives, and it's strange to just step back into mine after such a break. Not to say I haven't grown or learned or changed, because I certainly fell like I have. Now I have to start planning my next trip. And encouraging Tiina to go to New Zealand to buy me more Vegemite before I run out!

After my last post, I spent a couple of days in Auckland, running around getting last minute gifts. Then I headed off to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. The flight wasn't very good, but that's okay, because the beach was! The flight was from 10pm to about 4am. (Only 4 hours, with a 22 hour time change, across the dateline.) I wanted to sleep, but they served dinner and the lights were on the whole time! The ice cream they served was tasty, though. I spent the first day on the beach, reading. The next day, I rented a bike and rode around the island, a whole 32km, stopping in town and at a few beaches. The next day, I spent by the pool, reading. The next, I spent on the beach, reading. I had a really good time. I felt like I walked into one of those Corona commercials with the perfect beach, minus the beer. The sand was white, the coconuts were fresh and yummy, the ocean was warmer than the pool and the sun was shining (most of the time). The one thing was that the food was expensive, especially fresh food, since most of it is imported from New Zealand. I did eat a huge, local pawpaw (papaya) that cost less than $1 Canadian, and the coconuts were free. There was a really cute cat that lived at the hostel named Marmalade. She would chase the lizards and bugs on the wall. A bunch of people were there doing scuba certification courses or just diving. One guy had been in the Cook Islands for 31 days, which is how long you can stay as a tourist. I have definitely changed my opinion of sand in my toes for the better!

I left Rarotonga for LA and was again lucky with my flight. It wasn't as good as the flight to Auckland, but I had a row of 2 to myself. I got a bit of sleep. At one point, I slept for about 2 hours with my feet up on the handrest. When I woke up, one of my legs was totally asleep. I couldn't stand up and was anticipating excuriating pins and needles, which, luckily, never materialised.

In LA, everyone had to claim their bags and go through security again! The security guard I went through was quite rude to the people before and after me, who seemed to have limited understanding of English. She was pretty much yelling at them to take their shoes off and put them through the x-ray machine. I had no problems though, until I started looking for lunch. In New Zealand, it was really easy to find cheap, healthy food. But not in LA! I ended up settling for a veggie burger from Burger King, which, after a few complications, including a chicken burger, I received after about 10 minutes. I spent a couple of relaxing days of jet lag with Onu Aarne's family in Vancouver before heading home.


Pictures from the Tongariro Crossing:

View from the bus.

Me in front of "Mt. Doom" after climbing the Devil's staircase.

The Red Crater.

The Emerald Lakes.

The view when descending.

From Rotorua:

Maori meeting house at Te Puia.

Above, a hot pool. Below, geysers.

A fence around a new hot spring in a city park.

Back North

After leaving Christchurch, I headed north along the coast to Kaikoura. It's a pretty little town where the primary tourist activities are whale watching and dolphin swimming. However, I did neither. I just walked along the beach and enjoyed the veiw. I still saw seals jumping around. And I've seen dolphins almost everytime I've been on a boat here.

The next morning, it was off to the ferry from Picton to Wellington. The road continued to follow the coast and was just beutiful. Beside the road, there was a whole ton of seals just lying around on some rocks. Pretty cool. The ferry ride was fine, the weather was good. Mom's cousin Geoff met me at the ferry terminal and took me to their place in Seatoun, a suburb of Wellington. Their house is part of a housing development quite unlike those in North America. The houses were all different and interesting looking, although still in the same modernist style. I arrived Saturday evening, but in time for a yummy home cooked dinner. Anna, Geoff's wife, kept apologizing that it was so casual, but it was much nicer than anything I had eaten for a while, or at least that I had cooked. It's hard being creative with cooking when you have no spices and have to carry everything around! On Sunday, I went to the fundraising fair at the local kindergarten, which one of their sons attends. Mmmm... The baked goods in NZ are good! I collected a few more recipes from Anna... We went for a walk near their house, which is right at the entrance to Wellington harbour, so that was nice. On Monday, I went into Wellington and figured out what I was doing on the North Island. I also checked out the Harbour Museum and some shops, although I haven't bought myself anything yet, since I don't want to carry it all around. In the evening, I met up with Caroline, Rein and Hazel's daughter, for a little while. She wasn't feeling well unfortunately, so it was a short visit. (Rein and Hazel flew out the day I arrived, heading for Estonia.)

Tuesday I spent on a bus from Wellington to Turangi, near Tongariro National Park. Turangi wasn't too exciting. I made my bookings for the next day. I made dinner, and breakfast, lunch and dinner for Wednesday as well. I went to bed at 8pm in my freezing cold room. I didn't fall asleep until about 9:30 though. And a siren went off at 1:30am, which was quite strange. But it wasn't all bad, because I had paid very little and got a twin room to myself. In the morning, I got picked up at 7am and was off to do the Tongariro Crossing!

The Tongariro Crossing is supposed to be one of the best day hikes in the world, and I cannot argue with that. I was expecting it to be more challenging, from what everyone says. Also, because the first climb is called The Devil's Staircase. Including stops, it took me just over six and a half hours to do the whole hike. The landscape and views were breathtaking! It was like Mars, the Moon or Middle Earth, which is appropriate, since I got great views of "Mt. Doom" (Mt Ngauruhoe). Parts of it smelled slightly sulphurous, since it is an active volcanic area. I really don't know how to describe it except spectacular, amazing, out of this world... And the weather was great! Leaving Toronto, it was one thing EVERYBODY (I literally mean everyone who has ever been in NZ) told me I just had to do. It was also the one thing I really didn't think I would be able to. The walk goes up to a fairly high elevation, and many areas are very exposed, so after the beginning of April, it can become quite dangerous because of rapidly changing conditions and snow. I thought for sure it would require spikes for my boots, ice axes and probably guide to do it, in the freezing cold, so I was going to pass. Also because they recommend you don't do it with alpine experience. Does skiing count...? Anyway, a few days earlier, I went to the Deptartment of Conservation (DOC) office in Wellington, looking for info about other walks I could do. The guy there said of course I could still do it! Lucky me! The weather turned out to be quite warm, with a very slight breeze and hardly a cloud in the sky (except below in the valley when I started). So, I'll add myself to the list of people and say, do the Tongariro Crossing!!!

Immediately after getting back to Turangi, I changed and headed over to the info centre to wait for my bus to Rotorua. A couple of hours later, I was sitting in a hot, spa pool at my hostel there. Rotorua definitly smells like an active geothermal area. The next day, I went to Te Puia, for a Maori cultural show, tour and to see the geothermal park there. It was very cool. I was expecting very little, especially of the Maori part, because I usually find those sorts of cultural shows cheesy and very touristy. But the show was quite interesting and the guide was very informative. He told us about the significance of the carvings in the meeting house and about some Maori history and trdaitions. He showed us how they used flax for all sorts of things. And he was funny. The geysers were neat too, as were the bubbling mud pools, hot pools and steaming vents. I took a lot of pictures in Rotorua... Also, they had a kiwi house, so I saw a kiwi's bum, as it was trying to burrow. Te Puia is also a Maori arts and crafts centre/school, so you can actually watch people making traditional carvings and weavings. Later on, I walked around one of the city parks that had all sorts of mud pools and hot springs. I have to say, I have never seen a park where they fence off areas with that orange plastic fencing because the hot pools have expanded.

The next day, I headed for the Waitomo Caves, famous for the glow worms that live in them. I did blackwater rafting, which is tubing in a cave. It was really cold! Luckily, we had wet suits. It was cool. The glow worms look like little LEDs strung across the ceiling. With a light on, they are just little maggots that eventually turn into flies. The tubing was fun, although the word rafting is definitly misleading, it was pretty relaxed. I enjoyed it. From there, I headed to Auckland. There, I went to Susan's house for the night and am now at Piha once again. There was a power outage for 3 hours last night, which meant we had no running water. But we had planty of candles, so it was actually quite nice. This afternoon, we're going back to Auckland. In a couple of days, it's off to Rarotonga and warm, sandy beaches! And then home via Vancouver! I only have 10 days left. It's going by really quickly!

(Pictures to follow...soon)