One week in Santiago de Chile, a change of scenery!

I couldn't contain the excitement of me landing to South America...it must have been for the similarity with the culture with mine, for the long lasting love for tango, for my favourite movie and book "The house of Spirits"...and for all the other Isabel Allende's stories...but I was really happy to land in South America. First stop, Santiago de Chile.

Photo by Maria Teresa Salvati

I wasn't planning to do too much in a week, because New Zealand had literally sucked all the energy, so I was more looking forward to learn something about the history, get myself into cultural activities and sip great red wine while eating superb meat!
Most of the experience in Chile met the expectations...however, the change of scenery with the previous Thailand, Australia and New Zealand was clear, especially in terms of security...or the sensation of it, at least!

The first night arrived in Santiago, I went for a walk in the very central Plaza de Armas with a guy met at the (very central) hostel; in only 5 minutes I saw a couple of tourists being mugged, a homeless man laying on the floor bleeding and surrounded by people trying to call an ambulance, which didn't arrive even after half an hour and two guys fighting with a big metal chain.
Bear in mind that Santiago is considered the safest city in South America!

I met Joe (an English teacher from London) in a restaurant the day after I arrived!
In Plaza de Armas, again, I was having something resembling to a pizza and a guy at the next table was approached by a homeless man that started talking to him. Joe didn't get a word of what he was saying so didn't reply. All of a sudden, the man stole his burger and left! Joe looked around, clearly to share that moment of "incredulity"...and that's how he found my eyes looking at him with the same feeling! What do you do in these cases?? You laugh!!
So, we started to talk and share our brief South American stories. He's in Chile for one year teaching English in a private school, just moved in Santiago 2 days before we met.
Both hadn't seen anything of the city, so it seemed nice to go around and discover the city together, at least I could look after his meal and him of my camera! ;)

We went to Sant Cristobal mount with the funicular, where you can see al the city from the top! It's a very religious place, where silence and "meditation" reign! We had a bit of laugh, admired the city and took some pictures.
We went, by chance to the barrio Bellavista - well, he wanted to go but didn't know how and we arrived to the right place anyway...a lovely neighbourhood with coloured houses, painted walls with Gregory Isaac, Bob Marley and other inspiring people's faces.
Stopped to a very stylish place, had something to eat and tried the Pisco Sour...a local drink very strong, made with something stronger than vodka, lime and sugar! Well, at 4pm we were a bit, let's say, tipsy ;)

Photo by Maria Teresa Salvati

So, we continued exploring the city moving to barrio Brazil...met two Americans travelling and volunteering in Santiago that gave us some good tips of what to do in the city...had a strong and creative coffee and moved to the next place: "la vaca ingorda", a restaurant recommended by Lonely Planet as the best place to eat a perfect meat steak. It was absolutely perfect! I remember saying "Oh My God" at every bite, accompained by an absolutely superb Chilenian wine.
That's what I was after, landing to South America!

The following days, in the hostel I met Gabriella, a dentist from Texas trying to move to Santiago for her big passion for the South American culture, meat, wine and especially salsa!
I met 2 lovely Uruguanian cousins, Martin and Fabian, they were in Santiago because Paola, Martin's sister, a very famous house music dj, was going to perform at a party for the end of the most famous festival in South America, the Vina del Mar festival.
Ah, and one of the biggest celebrities here is Paolo Meneguzzi, an Italian singer. I saw ladies, young and not pulling their hair off for him, crying and screaming...mah!!!

It was also pretty refreshing to discover that Uruguanians are more proud of their Nation than me. Now, if you see me abroud I sound like someone hired from the Italian Government to promote the Nation abroad hearing how patriotic I am! Uruguanians compete very well! According to them, they have the best meat, the best douce de leche, the best playas and the tango has been invented (or has bourne) in Montevideo...why? Because tango borns with Gardel, which is from Uruguay, but moved to Buenos Aires as it was a richer city. Now, tango, really borns in France, earlier than Gardel, but Fabian didn't want to hear that! In the end, it's nice to live with your own convictions! I also, strongly believe that Italy is the most beautiful country in the world and I don't accept any proof of the contrary! :)

The weekend, Martin, Fabian, Gabrielle and I went to a stylish club/bar where Paola was going to perform, in Santiago...it was a very fun night...the mojtos were so strong that after the third one, I was completely knocked out and asked Fabian to put me in a taxi and send me to the hostel...
I remember meeting Antonio, Paola's manager and a lot of other men...at a certain point I was surrounded by so many men and I was looking for friendly faces to rescue me! But, no panic! They were all gay!! In the end, that bar was too cool.

Had a great week in Santiago...didn't do too much, but saw many museums, explored the city, had great meat and wine (other than these two meal, the rest of the food sucks), met great people and made myself ready to Buenos Aires.

Makarora and Queenstown with a jump in the sky

Left Franz Joseph, we moved south towards Makarora, passing by Mt Cook and other absolutely stunning sightseeings...

Photo by Maria Teresa Salvati

Mt Cook was named this way after Captain James Cook arrived and it's one of the highest mountains in New Zealand with its 3,764 metres. It's surrounded by an amazing National Park and if the day it's clear, you can see the reflection of the mount in the lake...it's pretty spectacular, though we weren't that lucky! It was slightly breezy and the reflection wasn't as the ones you see in the postcards, but hey...look at the pictures! :)

And the surprises never end in New Zealand...when you feel you've seen a stunning place, ready to digest it and maybe write some emotions on a paper, there you are invaded by another storm of sensations!

Photo by Maria Teresa Salvati

In fact, Beggins told us that if we wanted, just with a 30 minutes walk, we could see happy water falls! Well, is not the Iguazu Falls, but it was really cool...around the Thunder Creek Falls there was an absolute tourqoise water where the bravest of us jumped and had a quick swim, before heading back to the next stop!

Steve and I were finally brought to the place where to jump with a 45 seconds free fall, before the parachutes opens! Skydive, yeah!!!
Eugene, my master kept saying that he had learned just the day before how to jump, so he hoped all went well! He was a fun guy, with half Italian blood!
What can I say?? If I had more money left I'd definitely do it again!! It was definitely the highlight of my trip in terms of emotions...pure adrenaline!! Nothing to be scared about...except that (apparently) a few months before a guy that was jumping with his master got in a bit of troubles...the master had a heart attack and the guy, when realised what was going on, managed to unlock the emergency parashute...and, while he was safe, the master died! I have to say that they didn't explain us what to do in case of emergency!!! Ouch...
Apart this isolated episode, if you can, jump!! It's worth it!

And then we arrived in Queenstown where we had a big night in the Base bar and most of us was ready for some activity!!
Queenstown is the "adventure capital of the world" where you can do every type of activities you can imagine! I'd say, 80% of our bus signed in for the bungy jumping!! Here there is one of the highest point to jump in the world...if I remember well, it was around 240 metres high...I only saw pictures and videos and I had headache only at seeing them!! Not for me, for sure!! For some reason I feel bungy is the too scary for me!!

Christchurch was the last destination...a quick city wondering around with Carston, some great pictures at the botanic garden and in the streets...

Photo by Maria Teresa Salvati

....and I was ready to leave New Zealand for South America!

Hiking on the Franz Joseph glacier

Continuing the trip in the South Island of NZ, we passed by the amazing Franz Joseph glacier! One of those things you have to do in life (or at least when you travel the world) is hiking a glacier, apparently!



Franz Joseph is unique in the fact that it descends from the Southern Alps to less than 300 metres above sea level amidst the greenery and lushness of a temperate rainforest, and it is also one of only three glaciers to come so close to a coastline - the other two being Fox glacier southern than this and the Perito Moreno in the South of Argentina.

Steve and I managed to upset a really cool and laid back Beggins ;)
As we were too keen to do the skydive, and we were going to stay in Franz Joseph for only one day, we booked for half day hiking and the skidive for the rest of the day...except that when we went to the tour operator for the hiking, we paid and booked the full day (8 hours of walking on the ice) and didn´t cancel the skidive! Well...Beggins was pissed off because he had booked for us the skidive! For some reason we thought we could extend the day of a few hours! ;)

All good what ends well! The hiking was quite a unique experience...lots of fun with the small group too, including Annelie, Victor, some Irish girls and boy, Carston and the guide, Andy...a blond new zealander that helped us creating a path all the way to the (almost) top of the glacier!

I got stacked between two walls of ice at the hight of the chest (let´s say chest)!! What can I do?? I got some help, but it was embarassing and fun at the same time!!
By the end of the 8 hours we could barely move muscles, including the face ones for smiling! I still remember Steve´s face ;)

A piece of New Zealand with Scratch

Continuing my adventure in New Zealand with a Stray bus, this time, the next 5 days in the South of Auckland were with a new driver, Scratch!
Why Scratch? Because he scratched a few buses in his carrer! Of course, never his fault ;)

New tour, new pople, some of the same people met in the previous tour in the North of Auckland, such as Sabin!



One of the nicest things about Stray is that when a new trip starts everyone has to introduce himself and say something about the trip, hobbies and whatever they want people to know. I liked immediately Annelie, which, travelling with Victor, said that they were only travelling together, NOT as a couple! I understood her immediately and remembered the time when I was travelling with Darren, back in Thailand that, as soon as people see you with a man, they think you are a couple and can't be bothered to approach you and talk to you...not sure why! But it's a bit annoying!

Scratch, passing by anecdotes and Maori stories, took us to the first destination: Hahei, in the Coromandel penisula! Really great place. It took an hours or so of walking through the natural park, and we ended up at the Cathedral Cove!
The walk was pretty long and tiring but arrived there it felt so worth it!!...walking with Annelie, Victor, Sabin, Lennie and other people met in the bus...we also bumped into a really lovely couple from Ireland met in the previous trip at the north of Auckland! Padrig and Mary!

(Little parethesis: talking with Padrig one night in the Auckland, he said that they got engaged before going travelling because it was the only way he could take her with him! Of course, they are in love! But it shocked me that these days families are so strict in name of a religion! Yes, he said that her family is very religious - Catholics - so wouldn't allow her to go travelling the world with her boyfriend - so, I guess without any control of their daughter's body - unless he was going to marry her, in the name of God!! :)
Well, I recommended him a book to give to his in-laws, "God is not great", Hitchens!)

Anyway, back to the Cathedral Cove!! Amazing, fun and really breathtaking!

On the way back at the hostel, Scratch suggested a BBQ...and, again, because backpackers only do cheap food, I - at least - took control of cooking it! It was really good, though! Fun being the only Italian with them and funny seeing and touching the stereotypes when you go travelling! So, Italians really understand food, so if an Italian is putting the meat on the fire and back in the plate, that meat is great, regardless! :)
I guess I can live with that!

Scratch, as previously said, was such a character! In every story and anecdote there was a 80% of words like "it's all good" (even to describe a disaster) and "sweet as.." to conclude any sentence...(though I took days before I realised that it was "sweet as" and not "sweet ass"...apparently, it stands for "sweet as pie" so, it's all good! I remember him saying that this has put him in troubles in the past for the same reason! Imagine Scratch saying "sweet as" to a girl next to his jealous and not English speaker boyfriend! :)

After dinner, Scratch suggested a night at the Hot Water Beach! We were pretty stuffed and tired, but we went anyway! What is it? Is a beach on a volcano area, where you digg holes in the sand and seat in the hot water at the light of moon and stars!! I think it's self-explanatory of the magnificity of the place...if you add wine and good company...even better!

The day after we moved into Reglan, the surfers paradise! If I hadn't plan to meet Steve 5 days after I would have stayed more days there, because the hostel was absolutely fantastic! In the middle of a bush, on the top of a little mountain, where practising yoga at he sunset and sunrise...lovely people, great rooms, clean...everything I needed after a few days of backpacking! But no! I had promised and I actually didn't want to leave my new travelling friends!
At Reglan we met Philip, a German nice and cute guy...we had a very good time together...with an interesting peak of weirdness when I laughed about a story about he being arrested instead of his brother by mistake, years ago! He thought it wasn't funny...while I did! But, I guess it was another moment of cultural difference! One has sense of humor, the other one doesn't!...you figure out which one has it! :)

New day, new place! Passing by the Waitomo Caves for admiring the glowworm! It seemed like to be in a fairy tale, but they are milions of insects that at the larva stage emit light to attract food! It was really impressive!

We then stopped for a quick dip in a lake, moving towards Maketu at the Uncle Boy's place!
This is a place (looks like a farm house, not pretentious) where Stray takes you to meet Maori people, talk to them, see their dances, learn their songs and spend a night with them! It was really good and fun at the same time, especially when we had to learn songs and dances!
Uncle boy is a big and old man, half English half Maori...interesting, because I asked what he didn't like of the English culture or what the English have brought in New Zealand. His answer was really diplomatic! "I can't say that English have done all wrong, because I have 50% of my blood that is English. So, depending who you speak to, the story changes"!!!!

After a night on the beach trying to light a fire with little wood sticks found, and an amazing fool moon looking at us, we left for Rotorua!
Rotorua...here another story!
"Roto" means lake and "rua" means two, and there is a famous Maori love story associated to this place...
Hinemoa was a beutiful young woman, daughter of an influential tribe chief. Because of this, she was considered special to marry anyone so, according to her family, no one was good enough!
Totanekai, of course was too low for her, but as every respected love story, they fell in love...
Totanekai, despite Hinemoa's family opposition, didn't give up and spent one whole night playing love songs on Mokoia island for Hinemoa, with his flute!
She decided to swim the lake as all the canoas were hidden by her family...and it took all night to reach the other side of the lake! The couple persistence convinced their tribes that they were ment to be together and they lived happily ever after!
Yuppie!! :)
...many more stories related to Rotorua...for example, as being this a geothermal area, the sulphur makes it a pretty smelly ambient, something like rotten eggs! Scratch said that some people say "have you done a 'rotorua'?" to ask if someone has farted! :)

...and the stories continue...but I'd stop here!

Finally, after 5 days we arrived in Wellington, passing by Taupo (sorry no crossing as the weather wasn't good) and we finally met Steve! We had a mad night at the Base hostel...and got ready to start the trip at the South Island!
Ah, I forgot, 2 days after would have been my birthday and Annelie and Victor (spontaneusly :)) agreed to proceed with Steve and I to be there and sing the song for me! How nice!!! :)

Sailing at the Whitsundays it's amazing!

I arrived at the hostel in Hervey bay from Fraser Island at 6pm and at 8.30pm I had the night bus for Airlie Beach where I would have started my sailing trip at the Whitsundays! I was excited but, as easily imaginable, destroyed!



The sailing trip required everyone to take their own drinks...and as much as I wanted to take beers, I couldn't be bothered to carry cans from the hostel to the Marina, so I decided to go without beers...At the Marina, I met the other 20 sailors :)
While we were waiting for everyone to arrive, I heard two guys asking the staff where they could buy drinks, so I immediately introduced myself and said that I needed to buy beers too...and that's how I met Franz and Christoph: two Austrian guys travelling in Australia...
At the same time, Emilie and Kim, hearing us talking about going to buy drinks asked for some more...you know how much Swedish drink!! Yes, Emilie and Kim are Swedish and with them there were other two girls from the same land: Beatrice and Johanna. Next to them I looked the adopted sister :)

This impromptu request meant that the staff and the other passengers had to wait for us, which we had to call the taxi and go to the nearest shop in town...but hey, we couldn't leave without beers! :)

Arrived at the boat we started to socialise with the other people: Hugh and Bronwyn, two cousins from Melbourne; 4 English girls from Essex, two of which (we could bet) had the boobs job done :); 4 fun and lovely Brazilian boys; Mark and Shelley from California and a quiet couple from England and Sydney (yes, love at distance)!

Martina took care of our food, Andi - the first German with (too much) sense of humor - and Nigel were our dive instructors...

The first night was more about socialising and getting to know each others, but I went to sleep pretty early, especially when I heard that the alarm in the moring was at 7am...Jeez, it seems a survival tour, more than travelling with all these early mornings!

Anyway, the sleep was needed, so without saying anything I went to bed...

The day after we went to the famous and amazing Whitehaven beach...unfortunately it was cloudy and the picture don't make justice, but it was really stunning!
Still unfortunately, it's blue bottle (or deadly jelly fish) season so we had to wear the wet suit every time we wanted to bath, but still...it was fun!
Additionally, as you can see in the picture, there were many stingrays (those ones that killed the famous Australian Irwin a few years ago), so we had to be really carefully...and, yes I need to add something more: there were so many huge flayers, that seemed like they could eat us alive...which disturbed our paradise sensation, but put on a balance all these warnings and, on the other side, people, a crazy man wearing a bear suit, the stunning view, the amazing white sand and the heat...it was a winning situation!

The best way we found to socialise was to sing on the boat deck the National anthems of each of our countries...or, simply singing O Sole Mio, Imagine and other classics...and Emilie, for some reasons introduced the trip sound: WIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!

That night we had such a great fun playing "I've never ever...", which, as everyone that has played it before knows that it's a way to get intrusive in other people's lives about their sexual story/habits! It was pure fun and the litres of beers soon helped to open up! :)

Other than the lovely and truly fun crowd of boys and girls I was surrounded by, it was a real pleasure having met Mark, a charming 50 years old, business consultant from California...he's into environment and alternative energies industries and we got into so many interesting conversations that we decided to start collaborating about some ideas he and I have had for a while! This is actually pretty exciting as he gave me the right dose of inspiration to start writing down a business plan that has been stacked in my mind for at least one year!

The following day we did snorkeling: A M A Z I N G!!! When I did it back in Thailand, it was great, but here the coral is still alive and so colorful that looking at it in so many colours, it's as exciting as seeing fish! I saw rainbow fish and so many more, which I checked on the list but I forgot the names...just trust me! All amazingly colorful and playful!
Same day, reached the Great Barrier Reef, we could take advantage of a dive introduction...I really wanted to do it, but I was literally petrified! In fact, I asked Andi if he could take my hand while we were under the water! He took me seriously, so once under that water, I realised I looked silly, in a group of 4 people being the only one hand in hand with the instructor, so when I pointed to Andi that I felt OK and he could leave me alone, he refused! After, he explained me that when he tried to leave me, I went up so it was easy to hold me rather than keep pulling me down! Reasons? First I bicycle rather than slowly move the fins, second maybe I need more weight :)

It was really great (unfortunately I didn't see turtle - and most of the others did)...but I saw the Shrek fish: a big green/blue fish with big lips and big eyes which kept getting close to us and it seemed like he looked us with an attitude, almost like he was saying: I couldn't be bothered!!

This is wet season at the Tropics, so I knew that the weather was going to be a gamble, but I guess we'd been really lucky....no rain, except for one night (the Australia day, to allocate it properly) when the water was so rough and wavy that a few people were sea sick...and those that weren't sick, needed to lie down (preferably) on the deck outside...I was one of those!

Apart this (expected) moment, the sailing at Whitsundays win the price for the best and funniest experience on the East Coast of Australia!! The people, I guess contributed to win the nomination! Nice to meet you all :)

A flashpacker camping at Fraser Island :)

As part of the standard East Coast Australian places to see and tours to take part of, you have to do the Fraser Island safari, which involves camping and self driving (usually in a group of 8 people) a 4X4 Jeep car!

I have to say, that the agency didn't think very well about sharing the groups being thoughtful about how many women/men and drivers/non-drivers in each group! There were 3 groups...and we were 7 women and 1 man (not really) :)
And most of these women were from Europe where we drive on the right side...not that matters so much on a island that only has space for one way drive...but still!



Anyway, the adventure started and at the beginning, Frances was the only driver "willing" to give a go! The first 5 minutes on the island, we got stacked in a huge hole on the road...very scary!!! We thought we were going to loose the car all the passengers!

Panic over, thanks to some men on the other groups, we moved to the first spot recommended: the Wobby Lake...It was literally stunning! I've never seen something like that before: endless dunes of sand with a green lake where to swim and refresh! Absolutely amazing! Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me, so no visual memories of this place until I get the pictures from my companions of adventure!

Speaking of which, in my group there were: Suzana, Valeria, Frances, Trine, Helen, Anne and the guy (kind of :))...I don't even remember his name!

The most remarkable things at Fraser Island are: Dingoe's...pure stray dogs that apparently attack people - mainly kids - to get their food! Unfortunately for someone, we didn't see any...but we always accompanied each others to the public toilets :) ...mh...open toilets, sand toilets with free ocean view! You can't swim in the ocean as there are sharks!

Food: I was mainly travelling with young backpackers, meaning that food for them is just a way to fill in the body and don't starve...so, I had to shut up and go with the flow and buy the cheapest meat and ingredients in the supermarket! The only thing I managed to do was to take over and cook the BBQ and the pasta the day after! At least...

Prohibit signs: everything is prohibited at Fraser Island...unbelievable...there are signs everywhere about not using water, using water only for drinking or washing, not smoking, not diving, not swimming, not touching...I was surprised that I hadn't seen a sign that prohibits to breath! :)

I guess this is the big difference between Australia and Thailand: here in Australia every place is protected and treated with the best respect (nature becomes priority to human acts), while in Thailand money wins on everything, and nature is forgotten, with the consequence of pollution, died coral, ruined beaches, etc...

Fraser Island is great and it was a real adventure, but we all had the sensation that 3 days were enough...especially after the last night when it rained and, having the tents a few holes, we got all wet and pissed off!

It was good fun, though...also meeting and chatting with other people in the other 2 groups: 4 really fun Irish boys and 4 really German, German girls :)

The most amazing 24 hours in Nimbin

When you say "Nimbin" everyone just thinks about the hippie place where you can freely smoke recreational herbs!
Well, I won't to deny that, but there is much more and actually more interesting things happening in Nimbin!

Nimbin is a tiny village, two hours away from Byron bay, in land...a place where, in the 60's the hippie community moved in because the lands where very cheap to buy, and they were free to cultivate marijuana! Bear in mind that selling (and cultivating) marijuana is now prohibited in Nimbin, but it's still very easy to find it! And I guess they cultivate it too, unless they import it from somewhere else! Though, apparently you have to be careful!



Two hours are more than enough to see it all and I was lucky enough that the day I arrived there was the Nimbin Market with live music and other local attractions! :)
When I say local attractions, I mean it! I saw a stand with a old-ish lady that red tarots (not that I need to know anything about my future, but I was curious) so I decided to go ahead and try to get some hints about a couple of questions! :)
I wish I had recorded the 20 minutes with Lisa - Spanish origin!
She held my hands and closed her eyes...and said something like: "you come from nothing and now you are love...I can feel the power, the power of the universe!...ah ah ah ah..." imagine the laugh of a witch...loud and a bit scary! :)
God...nothing revealed!
There was a queue of people waiting to interrogate the cards...
When I left, she gave me an angel's reading that said: "Allow your heart to guide you"
I guess, I can follow the recommendation! :)

And let's get to the real highlight of Nimbin: Nimbin Rox! It's a hostel situated at the top of a hill out of town, with a really great view, teepee's, hammocks, pool table, swimming pool, fire place work in progress to oversee the great green land...just all immerse in the nature! Great people...I met Paula from Wales, Raul from Switzerland, Roger from Canada (a 46 years old man that sold everything and went travelling...I think he was one of those hurt men, probably from a not worked marriage, with 2 kids...a few days after, one of his children was going to meet him to do some travels together!)...Roger told me that the day before I arrived, he saw a snake eating a kangaroo! I didn't want to believe it until I saw the pictures: he had been photographing more than one hour until all the kangaroo was in the snake's belly...you could even see the shape of the eaten animal inside the snake! Shocking!
An this was another highlight of my 24 hours in Nimbin: the wild life! I don't think I've ever seen so many rats, spiders and any kinds of birds!

Now, whoever knows me, knows that if I'm phobic of something, these are rats and mice!! They scare the hell out of me and I was already imagining myself screaming in the middle of the night in the most peaceful place in Australia! So, I kindly asked Raul to sleep in my big bed, I suppose to rescue me from the rats attack! :)

That night arrived a weird couple: Zoom from Botswana and Tina from Iran...they were both stunning and very high...Tina thought me how to play backgammon...really funny if you imagine that she was really high, having god knows what, with her boyfriend and I was kind of tasting the local herbs!! It was really fun...they had a clear posh background, but they also decided to steal the duvet the morning after they left!

Another hostel guest was Zac, 47 years old from New Zealand...another interesting character: never married, with a 26 years old child...a copper and gold miner that didn't trust women at all...so, you can imagine the long conversations we had about love and trust! It was fun...I actually bumped into him when I was in Airlie beach 10days after!

I loooooooooved Nimbin and I would have stayed at least a week in that great hostel, but unfortunately I had to leave as I had booked the Fraser Island and Whitsundays trip! Clearly I haven't learned that I should only book last minute accomodations and trips! :)

Highly recommended if you pass by: Nimbin Rox (it rocks!)...