Backpackingmatt

September Update & Links

Posts similar to this one are a rarity on Backpackingmatt. I don’t typically feel inclined to bring updates about my personal life to this blog, however I do feel an update of some sort is in order – and we’ll focus on the positives. I know it’s cliche, but it’s shocking how time flies – it really is hard to believe the last time I posted an update was the 28th of May.

At that point I was still in Queenstown, the Adventure Capital of the World, looking to get somewhat settled by finding employment and accommodation. The phantom job at one of Queesntown’s ski fields never came around. While this frustrated me for some time, I ultimately stumbled into a pretty sweet job. For the past two months or so,

I’ve been running a website called NZbyBike.com.

NZbyBike is the industry aggregating website for a government promoted series of Great Rides which are in development throughout New Zealand. NZbyBike contains a wealth of information about these Great Rides and other mountain bike rides, maps, and a directory of operators throughout New Zealand involved in cycle tourism. I’ve been writing content for the website, doing research, and reaching out to businesses and encouraging them to list on NZbyBike.

It’s an exciting project to be a part of and I work with a bloody cool team. I’m employed by @Xebidy, a web-design company. Believe it or not, I managed to land the job with the help of some Twitter networking. How cool is that?

Did I also mention I work with a Lonely Planet author? Needless to say, it’s a pretty sweet place to work.

I’m also the newest blogger over at Flightster.com.

A couple weeks back, Flightster ran a contest where they were looking to hire a new paid blogger for their website. To enter the competition, you had to write a post on your own blog mentioning your interest in joining the Flightster team. I wrote the well-received 7 Reasons You Should Write a Travel Blog post and was selected as a finalist. Thanks to everyone who responded to my tweets and voted for me, as I was one of two bloggers selected.

They just published my first post, 5 Ways to Meet Fellow Travelers on the Road. Check it out and add Flightster to your Google Reader, follow them on Twitter, and sign up for their newsletter. They have some pretty exciting things planned in the coming weeks.

As for me, I’m not entirely what I have planned in the coming weeks or months. Some things have happened recently that have more or less flipped my life upside down. Dealing with life’s blows are never easy when you’re miles away from friends, family, and familiarity and this past month has been a challenge. My deepest thanks to those of you who have sent your thoughts my way.

Today is the first day of Spring in New Zealand and it’s slowly getting warmer. Queenstown is a beautiful place, yet I’m getting itchy feet and would like to get out of town – if only for a long weekend. Short term, I’m going paragliding which should be sweet as – look forward to a post on the experience. Longer term, I’m looking for a cheap flight across the ditch to Australia or maybe the other way to a Pacific island. Who knows?

What about you? Do you have any trips planned in the coming weeks? Share them in the comments section below.

Photo Credit: Prabhu B

Technorati Tags: NZbyBike, Queenstown, Update

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A Local’s Perspective: Vancouver, British Columbia

Thanks to Nancy from Nancy Under the Stars (@nancyunderstars) for providing today’s guest post and latest installment in the “A Local’s Perspective” series.

Vancouver, British Columbia, a city that hardly sleeps, where you can get take away sushi 24-hours a day and has a forest on the edge of downtown. She is fun, outgoing and romantic, a perfect city to take on a date. Whether traveling alone or with a partner, Vancouver is memorable and satisfying. I recommend a minimum three-day date, allowing time to play in Whistler, the hip mountain village.

Everything starts with Coffee

There are no shortage of coffee shops and cafes in Vancouver. There is a Starbucks, Blenz or Waves on just about every corner. Although no stranger to those shops, in my opinion, the best coffee comes from local baristas. Take a walk down Davie and stop in Melriches for an Americano and a breakfast croissant. The squeaky whale will entertain you while waiting for your food.

Walks, Cycles & Sites

Put on your walking shoes or rent a bike and hit the seawall. The seawall is a pathway along the water from Kits Beach, around Granville Island and Stanley Park to Coal Harbour. En route, you’ll pass five beaches surrounding English Bay.

Stanley Park, named after Lord Stanley in 1888, is a 1,000-acre urban park surrounded by the seawall and is filled with fir, cedar, hemlock and spruce trees. There are several walking trails to take you to the Vancouver Aquarium, Totem Poles and the Malkin Bowl outdoor theatre. In winter, take in a rugby game at Brockton Oval. Or, if you prefer, take it easy and meander through the park via horse-drawn tour.

The Vancouver Aquarium is Canada’s largest aquarium. The aquarium is home to more than 70,000 species of marine life and animals. Walk through the various exhibits, sit down and take in a show or participate in an animal encounter. The aquarium will fill a couple hours of the day.

Granville Island, although not an island at all, is a public market with the city’s freshest meats and seafood, handmade pastas and colourful produce. Handmade wares sold by the vendors cannot be found anywhere else. The market is not only a feast for the eyes, but a bouquet of fragrance and an abundance of flavours. Take the seawall to access Granville Island or catch an Aqua Bus from Yaletown, Science World or Hornby Street and get a tour of False Creek at the same time.

Nightlife

If you like a pub atmosphere and want to mix with the locals, Doolin’s, the Railway Club or the Malone’s are your watering holes.

Live music is abundant in Vancity. Check out the local free papers for the latest announcements. If a favourite band is playing at the Commodore Ballroom, you must go. This venue is a House of Blues facility and has been stage to the likes of U2, The Police, Franz Ferdinand, Metric and the Tragically Hip. The Commodore is found on Granville between Robson and Smithe.

The Yale is Vancouver’s Rhythm & Blues Bar. Located on Granville at Drake and open seven days a week. Cover ranges in price depending on the performer for the evening. The Sunday night house band, Brickhouse, is fantastic.

If you’re into clubbing or lounges, take a stroll down Granville Street, as there are many. During the summer months, the city closes off Granville to vehicle traffic allowing pedestrians to take over and bounce from club to club. The lounges found on the cobble strips of Yaletown are higher end, with chic bartenders producing mixology masterpieces to some of the city’s premier residents and visitors like Roberto Luongo, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. You’ll find the Yaletown lounges on Hamilton or Mainland between Nelson and Drake.

Whistler

You can’t have a love affair with Vancouver without a play date with Whistler. Just under two hours up the beautiful Sea to Sky Highway, Whistler is a playground 365 days a year. Home to some of the world’s finest skiing; Whistler is also a summer haven for mountain bike fanatics. If the activities are not in your budget, grab a seat on the patio, enjoy an afternoon beer and take in the wondrous views of Whistler/Blackcomb. Over a weekend, end your nights at Buffalo Bills, Longhorns and Tommy Africa’s.

Winter or summer, Vancouver is an attractive, fun city. She leaves you wanting more. After your three-day date, I guarantee you will fall in love. I did!

Have you been to Vancouver? Add your travel tips in the comments section below.

Are you interested in guest posting on Backpackingmatt? Email me at matt [at] backpackingmatt [dot] com for more details.

Technorati Tags: A Locals Perspective, Canada, Vancouver Travel Tips

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5 Best Drives in New Zealand

New Zealand is a country that begs to be explored via road trips. It’s small, has well maintained roads, and cars or campervans are cheap to rent or even easy to buy. Most importantly, New Zealand is home to some of the world’s most beautiful natural scenery – all in an extremely compact area. Drive for three hours and you’ll pass white sand beaches, thick rainforest, glaciers, and towering snow-capped peaks.

While New Zealand isn’t a cheap place to travel to, a road trip is by all standards a pretty budget friendly activity. The views are free and will defiantly last a lifetime. If you’re backpacking or traveling around New Zealand, these are five of the best drives that I don’t think you can miss.

1) The Rugged West Coast from Westport to Greymouth

The SH6 skirts the rugged and wind-swept West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island and along the way passes some of the greatest scenery in New Zealand. If coastal drives are your thing, then you definitely won’t be disappointed after driving from Westport to Greymouth.

Along the way you’ll have the mighty Tasman Sea pounding the coast on your right and the majestic snow-capped Southern Alps on your left. Aim for a sunny day, yet be flexible and realize that this is the one of the wettest areas of New Zealand. If you’re keen to wait for the sun (and you should), break up the journey and spend the day in Punakaiki where you can check out the fascinating Pancake Rocks which (as the name suggests) appear to be layered pancakes.

When you get to Greymouth, you can continue on the SH6 down to the Franz Josef Glacier or hop on the Trans Scenic Railway which crosses the Southern Alps on the way to Christchurch.

2) Te Anau to Milford Sound Highway

This is often described as one of the greatest drives in the world. After driving the two hours from Te Anau to Milford Sound, you’ll understand why. The road cuts through thick rainforest, passes mirror lakes and towering, moss-covered mountains, and runs along sheer cliff faces. They measure rain in meters in this area of New Zealand, so don’t be surprised if it rains for a week. The drive is equally impressive after a rain as from the heights of the mountains come some truly amazing waterfalls.

One of the most impressive parts of the drive is the section right before you enter the 1200 meter long Homer Tunnel. As you sit at what must be the world’s most remote traffic light, you realize you’re in a massive glacier carved amphitheater with towering, sheer rock cliffs on either side of you.

3) Wanaka to Queenstown via the Cardrona Pass

This drive is in the Southern Lakes region of the South Island – it’s New Zealand’s playground with skiing, white-water rafting, bungy jumping, and other adventure sports all on offer. The drive from Wanaka to Queenstown over the Cardrona Pass is one of the South Island’s best.

Leaving Wanaka, the road slowly climbs before passing through picturesque Cardrona which is home to the most photographed pub in New Zealand. The Cardrona Hotel is featured on a Speights advert with dozens of sheep outside the front door. As you leave Cardrona the road becomes steeper, twists and turns and soon you’re granted a stunning view with Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu, and The Remarkables mountain range in the distance.

Take some pictures before conquering the road which seems to drop off the side of the mountain. And go slow if you sampled a Speights at the Cardrona Hotel.

4) Christchurch to Marlborough Wine Country

The drive from Christchurch to Marlborough isn’t one that would probably get picked by most as one of the best drives in New Zealand, yet I’m convinced it should be. Leaving the “Garden City” of Christchurch, you’ll pass through flat Canturbury countryside with some great views of the Southern Alps which split the South Island in half. The road eventually makes its way to the Pacific Ocean and skirts the coast into Kaikoura. Pull over a have a look around the rocks and you stand a great chance of seeing some New Zealand fur seals.

Stay the night in Kaikoura before going on a whale watching tour where you’re almost guaranteed to see gigantic Sperm Whales. Continue on then along the coast before entering the arid and Napa Valley like region of Marlborough where you can sample some of the world’s best Souvignon Blancs.

5) Thames to Coromandel Road

The only North Island drive on this list is an excellent one that should be part of your New Zealand travel plans. The Coromandel Region of New Zealand is a chilled-out, relaxed place with mountains, sandy beaches, green rolling hills, and picturesque bays. The drive from the small town of Thames to the smaller village of Coromandel is an epic one.

The narrow roads twists and turns along the coastline of the Hauraki Gulf – an inlet off the Pacific. This drive is most impressive either at sunset or in December when the pohutukawas (New Zealand Christmas tree) are in full bloom. This road eventually climbs and you’re granted some superb views of the island-dotted Coromandel Harbor.

With such amazing scenery tucked into a country so small, New Zealand is ideal for a driving based visit. Rent a car or a campervan and set off to explore New Zealand’s many hidden treasures.

Have you driven around NZ? Leave your favorite New Zealand drive in the comments section below.

Technorati Tags: Backpacking New Zealand, Best Drives, Travel Tips

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Reaching 25 Countries by the Age of 25: Experiences Along the Way (Part 5)

I’m excited to present the final installment in a five-part series of guest posts by a good friend, Cat Gaa. When Cat was 19, she set a deeply personal goal of reaching 25 countries before her 25th birthday – August 15th, 2010. In this series of posts, Cat reflects on the experiences she had along the way – the people she met, the places she saw, and the things she learned both about herself and this world we live in.

If you’re new to Backpackingmatt, check out Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 in this series before reading Cat’s finishing post.

5) Dating anyone not from your demographic category

When I told my grandmother I’d be moving to Spain, she gave me two pieces of advice: Don’t start smoking, and don’t date anyone. Fifty-percent is considered a passing grade in Spain, and the only damage he’s doing to my health is feeding me pig parts, so it’s ok, right?

While dating someone six years older than you from another place and in another language certainly makes things trying, I’ve been with Kike for three years. Many say Sevilla is hard to break into socially, but I’ve had the golden ticket. Apart from improving my Spanish, I have been fortunate to be welcomed into a Spanish family.

Even if it’s casual or short or even chaotic, dating someone whose nationality is different really does give you added perspective. Pase lo que pase, I’ve had tremendous opportunities from dating him and am thankful to have met someone who has provided me needed support away from my family.

4) Working with children

Mrs. Stracka, my first grade teacher, asked everyone what they wanted to be when they grew up. “A ballet teacher,” I remember replying confidently. I had never studied ballet, and to this day haven’t, but this is the one time that I could see myself as a teacher. Much to my mother’s dismay, I instead chose to study journalism, Spanish and international studies. What did it get me? A gig teaching English in Southern Spain, and what was an eight-month stint into a new career move. I love teaching. I love kids. I love that teaching kids gives me so much satisfaction. And it’s fun, to boot!

Working with Spaniards has certainly given me some inside perception about a country still clinging to socialism, one that is losing its firm grip on child-bearing and traditional norms and one trying to pay homage to the past while moving forward in the present. It’s certainly a country of contrasts, as Michener or Lorca would tell you, but I see it in the children I have had the pleasure to teach. Their experiences seem to illuminate my understanding of this country.

3) Traveling with an unexpected partner

My mother is not good at keeping secrets, so I knew that my much beloved grandfather’s second wife, a woman much his junior, would be attending my graduation before I’d even registered my cap and gown. We took her directly to my favorite bar, where my close friends and I drank beer and said our goodbyes together. Midway through the night, Helen invited me to be her tour guide around Spain before starting my job. She’d pay my way around Iberia as long as I translated.

To say we shared an adventure would be and understatement – marriage proposals, a debit card swallowed by an ATM and days scraping together cash, football games, bullfights and a monkey attack. We’d traveled to France together before, she acting as a buffer for my grandfather and I, but this time was really special. She understood my profound love for Spain, and I hers for my grandfather. We ate one evening at a hole-in-the-wall vegetarian restaurant in Chueca. What began as a meal full of laughs remembering his peculiarities soon turned into crying together over his death. I’ve given her the moniker, “Abuelita” – an affectionate term for grandmother in Spanish.

2) Traveling alone

Likewise, traveling alone is equally as rewarding. My trip to Croatia ended up being solo at the last minute, and I’ve done parts of Spain, Ireland and Italy alone. The feat requires relying on one’s self much more – you don’t always have someone to help you with directions, recommendations or your ever-daunting backpack. I’ve always considered myself a social person, so being by myself forces me to be even more outgoing to look for company.

On the same token, I like going at my rhythm and taking my time to reflect. I couchsurfed just last week in Santander, Spain and wanted just a day to myself, spending the morning in the nearby modernist theme park of Comillas before laying out my towel on Playa del Sardinero. When it came time to have dinner, I chose a more-upscale seafood restaurant to have a nice meal. When I asked for a table for just me, the waiter asked, “Just you? No one else is coming?” and I could confidently respond, “No, just me.”

My parents sent me a package for my 25th birthday, replete with my favorite American provisions, and enough peanut butter to last until Christmas. The birthday card read, “Your independence makes you who you are. Here’s to another 25 years of adventures.”

1) Moving abroad

None of this would have been possible without my settling down in another country. Many thought I was taking a leap of faith. In reality, I was just making a natural progression. While I don’t feel completely feel detached from the US, I definitely no longer feel rooted there.

In Spanish, there exist two tenses to speak about what you’re doing at this very moment: the present continuous, as well as the present simple. Saying, “Qué haces?” though in the present simple, is the same as asking, “What are you doing?” Present simple over present continuous. I’ve recently switched from claiming I’m living in Spain to, “Vivo en España.” I sometimes get the feeling that I should move on and try something different, but moving back to America has yet to cross my mind.

This article has been very retrospective, the reflection of a far-fetched wish brought to life. But, like any desire, it takes perseverance and a lot of personal pushing. I’ve been robbed, ended up on the wrong mode of transportation (or missed it all together), have suffered loneliness, heartbreak and desperation, have dealt with lack of identity, strong personalities and the sense of failure. But, man, has it been worth it.

Thank you Cat for sharing your journey with us. All the best in your future travels.

Follow Cat’s adventures on her travel blog, Olivares Bound.

Technorati Tags: Guest Post, Travel Goals

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Reaching 25 Countries By the Age of 25: Experiences Along The Way (Part 4)

Below is the fourth installment of a five-part series of guest posts by my friend and fellow world traveler, Cat Gaa. At 22, Cat set a goal of experiencing 25 countries by the time she turned 25. This series of posts documents her most memorable experiences along the way. Cat outlines how basing herself in Spain and exploring the world has benefited her.

If you’re new to Backpackingmatt, first check out Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 in the series.

10) Starting a business

In my 22 years, I hadn’t really thought of a lot of long-term goals. I was beginning to figure out who I was and what I wanted. Finding a volunteer position seemed a good way to fill up my free time, but the agency I had planned to ask offered me a job as a public relations assistant for a travel agency catered to study abroad students. Although I worked with the company a few months, the owner, my dear friend David introduces me as, “One of my originals. Without her, we’d be nowhere.” Makes you feel pretty cool to have said you had a hand in starting a business at a young age.

9) Learning the local tongue

Know the difference between echar un polvo and hecho polvo? You’d better before you head to Spain, or else you’ll be telling your hostel owner you’d like to engage in relations with him instead of how poorly you slept.

Integrating into a culture can be tough without speaking the language, but it’s also more fun if you do.

8 ) Getting to know your own country

I’m currently staying with a friend in the northern port of La Coruña in the Galician region of Spain. Her father asked me about my plans for the next week and I replied by rattling off four more cities that I’ll see before heading back home to Sevilla. “Madre mía!” he exclaimed, “You’ve seen more of Spain than I have!” True, I answered him, but little of my own country, which I deeply regret.

Like a Spaniard, I’m completely enamored with my home of Chicago (not my town, but the big city) and am happy to stay put while I’m there. But into my wish list of destinations, Boston, New York City, Yellowstone and Texas always pop up. I’ve seen many fascinating places. Knowing my own country, I think, will help me get a better sense of place. As the wise Calvin told Hobbes, “It’s a big world, buddy ol’ Hobbes. Let’s go exploring!” Maybe I just have to start in my own backyard.

7) Starting a blog

Writing to me seems as normal as breathing. I studied journalism; carrying around a pen and paper in my bag is as necessary as my wallet. I started a blog just to jot down my thoughts on moving abroad at 22 and keep my friends and in family in the loop. Three years and 150 posts gone, I read back at my personal progress and my ruminations on life in Spain and where I fit in.

Starting a blog, even if just for yourself, allows you to step away and analyze what’s going on around you. I realized that life in Spain continues with me and without me. And life in America does too. Besides, you have those memories recorded for eternity, especially when you can’t grasp the word to describe that perfect meal in Puerto de Mogán or the bus number you dutifully took to work each morning.

6) Following a sporting event while in the home country

The first question my students asked me when I introduced myself was, “Are you of Sevilla or Betis?” The truth is, I didn’t care about soccer and was lamenting missing the college football season. But after three years, yet to pick a team, I love watching Spaniards get worked up about soccer.

Victories are celebrated with city-wide parties, losses with swear words. Being here watching Spain’s Furia Roja make history has been nothing short of hard on my body. I was nervous, biting my fingers, rearranging classes and plans to watch matches. I screamed “YO SOY ESPAÑOL” along with the Coruñenses at the top of my lungs watching Iker Casillas hoist the trophy above his head. Proud is an understatement, for sure.

Read about Cat’s travels and her life teaching English in Spain on her blog, Olivares Bound. Check back next week fifth and final installment in this series.

If you’re interested in guest posting for Backpackingmatt, I’m accepting ideas for destination specific posts. Contact me for more details.

All photos not listed Creative Commons are credited to the author.

Technorati Tags: Guest Post, Travel Goals

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Reaching 25 Countries By the Age of 25: Experiences Along The Way (Part 3)

This is the third part in a five part series of guest posts by my good friend and fellow traveler, Cat Gaa. At the age of 19, Cat set a goal of reaching 25 countries by the time she turned 25. In this series, Cat looks back on her 25 most memorable experiences along the road she took to reach this deeply personal goal. If you’re new to Backpackingmatt, first check out Part 1 and Part 2 of this series.

Here is Part 3 in the series, Reaching 25 Countries By the Age of 25: Experiences Along the Way.

15) Haggling in markets from Portugal to Portobello Road

Some of my greatest treasures have come from digging through local markets. El Rastro bustles with a posh crowd and the sheiks in Marrakesh with a delightful charm, while Beijing’s Pearl Market echoes the seven circles of Hell (just with giant calculators). These bazaars really seem to give you an idea of the soul of a place – rubbing elbows with locals, watching artisans at work.

My grandma and I spent a day in Toledo, Spain and wandered by a jeweler’s shop just before siesta time. It was modest, just down the street from the El Greco museum. He unlocked the door and let us inside, not pushing a sale. Instead, he sat down and showed us how he carved birds and fans into coal, then filled them with gold and fired them. We came back later in the afternoon and he had made me a pair of earrings with golden quails, insisting I keep them as a gift.

14) Testing your patience with bureaucracy, students and looooong lines

There aren’t really any constants in my life – my friends come and go, the weather this year has been out of control. But the one thing I can always count on in Europe is the ever-present line. Ten people in front of me at the bank before it opens is normal, as is a three-hour wait at the foreigner’s office, only to be told to come back another day. My friend even smoked half a pack of Marlboro lights before we were able to get through the line at the Anne Frank House.

Traveling will test your patience, as anyone who tried to travel when Eyjafjallajökull erupted can tell you. But these seemingly lost hours often result in new friends, amusing memories or a much-needed rest.

13) Crashing on a local’s couch

Aviva had a bag covered in patches from all the countries she’d visited, many sewn overlapping. We met for beers in Sevilla’s outdoor watering hole, Plaza Salvador, so I could give her a debriefing on our English teaching gig. We ended up talking ceaselessly about travel, and she convinced me that the only way to go was by staying with locals.

I had heard of couchsurfing, but wasn’t keen on having to ask a stranger to stay with them. But it’s been nothing short of eye-opening to wake up to The Duomo just as the sun hits, see your first bullfight or discover the perfect falafel in Gracia with a local host. It reminds me of just how interconnected we all are and that travel is the most common thread we have between one another.

12) Spending an evening with tunos

Spontaneity is not my strong suit. So when our afternoon trip to the Alcázar of Seville was sidetracked by tunic-clad minstrels, I wasn’t too pleased. What followed was an afternoon of beers, an invitation to be serenaded outside my house, a ticket for noise disturbance and a reprimanding from a coworker who told me, “Those tunos are trouble. Just a bunch of drunk skirt-chasers.” I secretly smiled to myself, happy to have let life take it course for once. And I could totally claim clueless foreigner on this one!

11) Riding a donkey up to the Berber mountains

“You come to my shop pretty girls! So beautiful things!” My dear high school friend Becky had warned me that the Moroccans were overly friendly, but to accept any offers that seemed genuine. Nourdeem invited us to mint tea that first night, a tanjine of rabbit meat and olives the second, and finally to visit his cousin in the foothills of the Berber mountains. My Spanish-speaking donkey, Assergut, faithfully trotted up the hill, giving us glimpses of the tiny villages composed of boxy houses straight out of A Wrinkle in Time’s Planet Camazotz. The steep alleyways separating the houses in the village were full of sheep and chickens chased by dirt-covered children with sticks.

After a meal of goat meat omelettes and ensalate marroquí, we took the long way down by foot. Winding through the small clusters of houses, children covered in dirt and asking, “Madmoiselle, il-y-a des bomboms?” reminded me of the vast differences between myself and any other person on this planet. Sometimes you have to get to the nitty-gritty to see things in a new light.

Read about Cat’s travels and her life in Spain on her blog, Olivares Bound – and check back next week for Part 2 in this series.

All photos not listed Creative Commons are credited to the author.

Technorati Tags: Guest Post, Travel Goals

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