Montag, 15. Juni 2015

On the way to Egypt

In the outback there are of course other animals like the Wombad, cockatoos, emus, lizards, parakeets, butterflies, and in the rivers and billabongs (water holes) large crocodiles. But a true feast for the eyes are the huge about 3 meter high termite mounds and of course the famous bush fires that erupt at regular intervals.
One of the next stops is the famous Kakadu National Park with a friend from Ferry Dublin Liverpool schedule on the east coast of Australia to the Great Barrier Reef. Also Brian was snorkeling announced here. This national park is owned by the Aborigines. And as befits a real globetrotter, we have tried here local food, which was very chaotic for us. As a specialty, there were, among others, alligator stew, potato peelers, hotdog and beating meat and emu meat. Here in Kakadu National Park you can meet the different types of kangaroos, and of course the cute koalas that one but do not run the same on the road. Also, they have to look in the trees you only.
It was important, of course, that we have seen in Australia, the Olgas, a rock formation, rock paintings and of course the famous Ayers Rock, the sacred mountain of the Aborigines. It is a true feast for the eyes, if you evenings gathered in front of the mountain and admired the sunset with a picnic and a glass of champagne. It is really true that the sun turns the mountain into a whopping chocolate brown color. We had the opportunity to climb Ayers Rock and walked to the next morning at sunrise going on.
Later, it would have been almost impossible, because the heat then would have been too large. On a chain it was the mountain in about 1 1/2 hours up similar to our last Ferry Dublin Holyhead discountholiday, quickly entered into the register book and again on the chain due to time constraints in about 1 /2 hours down. Although this climb was incredibly stressful, it is one of the many highlights Australia. With the van we went a few hours about 300 km and finally we arrived in the blistering heat at Kings Canyon in Watarrka National Park. Although we already had a mighty sore muscles, we did not want to miss this experience.
We had now seen very much, but still it was open much. And so it went to the Blue Mountains, a huge forest with eucalyptus trees and unimaginable jungle giants. By the exhalations of the eucalyptus trees is a bluish glow above the woods - hence the name.
By air, it then went to Cairns and a small train passing waterfalls we went to the cable car. We wanted to enjoy the rainforest yet. But unfortunately us was the weather that day did not hold, it has poured and not a bird or other animals has shown us.
And now actually were only Melbourne and Sydney in front of us and then our trip was after about 4 weeks, go back to the end. Melbourne is a beautiful city of art and culture and well worth a visit. But even Sydney was fast approaching and here we wanted to climb the Harbour Bridge. Unfortunately, this was not possible due to the rain. But we have the beautiful world famous sandy beach, the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Tower and the Queen Victoria Building and Sydney looked Monorail used as a means of transport.




Dienstag, 9. Juni 2015

Our Trans-Siberian trip

It started well. With prickly step I approached the counter selected by me , the lady sitting there looking at me , no, she looked at me rather head to foot. In the same order , not vice versa. When I introduced myself to smiling and she just breathed to put this sale to purchase a ticket , she barked at me that I flinched before their sound alone I looked around and found no customers masses that had to be numerically called to order here. The lady just looked at me Falkland equal to, was obviously at least prior to a client who had to be just as called to order , and I gave her authority and backed away. She showed me the prospect Ferry Rosslare Cherbourg.
After a short search I found the waiting number -drawing machines, so I knew to date only from citizens and other agencies. What is the intention behind it to put right next to a ticket vending machine, opened up to me immediately, however, brought me to an idea. After another minute, I left this hospitable place with a ticket. The waiting number I had , however, drawn anyway, and it gave me a mischievous delight me imagine the consequences of my actions on the prospect Færge Frederikshavn Oslo.
The travel centre in Kassel- height would be put in fear , when they discovered that there a waiting number was drawn , which would never be used. I had been away too long , so what does rebellious. Outside received me a loud laughing peer. "Your ICE to Frankfurt is 130 minutes delay!.
" We 've been over this. How was the Trans-Siberian Railway , which broke in time to 5500 kilometers and five and a half day journey to the minute in Ulan Bator ? Let das. I said goodbye to mountain Holter and pressed peer. We were also on the trip back and was disconnected again, but now a lump in the throat sat at parting. "We see New Year's Eve " did speak well, then I got on the train to Baseland looked at the good Ferry Newcastle Amsterdam .
And then when I was sitting in this crowded thing, I was wistfully. The hallways were adjusted to luggage , because the design did not allow for overhead bins that are large enough to accommodate luggage. Where no luggage stand, stood , sat or lay people. No problem, I still knew of Thai trains. And in which there was neither a heater like this. But that did not matter because I still had a jacket there.
But eventually everything does not matter , the masses, the squeeze in the bistro , are friendly, and it shares the fate talks thereby nice. Then the train runs in Frankfurt , sister and nephew pick me up and it's time. I am with my family. All of a sudden. I'm home. After 15 months. All are there, all are healthy. Everything else is unimportant.
Time passed and it was Friday in Berlin. Having already wanted to sting Wednesday in Lake, but had done it just once in the next bay, we felt gradually a certain time pressure and hinted that it was time to weigh anchor. Although the weather was not very stable, we set sail on Friday.




Dienstag, 26. Mai 2015

The Institute in Russia

At least sometimes. Also seem to establish itself in men Mr handbag with great success. Whether old whether young, whether poor if rich - here everyone can find the right model. By sporty dynamic to simple and elegant to classic timeless (so from imitation leather), you can see it in every design in the streetscape.
In Russia, the future of the global food supply is threatened. By luxury apartments. The oldest gene bank in the world has already cost lives in its nearly century-old history and saved lives. Now, it should go away because it is inefficient. Fire font of a desperate biologists. In the Ferry Liverpool Belfast rating I heard in June about it.
Vision is an important feature. He distinguishes us from lower animals and great statesmen of greedy despots. The vision is there according to NDR, the adults is different from children. It's separating rationality from irrationality. Two characteristics that are good in hindsight. When everything is done, when the damage occurred. If the child in the fountain. Who then do not know what would have been better? But who knows that in the first place? Who has the vision, which is to anticipate and to act accordingly where others have the indulgence, and only react?
I don't know if I can say that of myself. But I know who had vision, and who apparently has it. We all know the man who apparently doesn't have him. His name is Medvedev, his job is President of the Russian Federation. A job that actually requires vision.
But, according to Anna he is from the Ferry Liverpool Dublin address only an interim President, perhaps this is not true. His predecessor can soon take over the job, he had to take a respite from a parliamentary term, the Russian Constitution does not allow more than two successive reigns of the same President. By the start of recovery after a break, nothing stands in the Constitution. The role as a fill-in is ungrateful, might it clouds Medvedev's vision.
Maybe Putin speaks a power Word, if he only has select again. In this case, I hereby apologize formally. I am neither a President nor a head of Government, neither politicians nor soldiers, and I'm not KGB agent. I'm only biologist. I am interested in plants and animals. As the other man I referred to, who had foresight, Yes, you can say, which was visionary.



Montag, 20. April 2015

With the car in Mongolia

I'm in late plane from Beijing to Ürumqi, the capital of Xinjiang province in the extreme Norwest China, where is next to the Han Chinese, especially Uyghur, Kazakh and Mongolian. After the view from the window just mountains and mountains and mountains and desert has shown it is quite fast green and then we end up in Ürumqi. I get quite fast my bike and screw it ready for use and then it goes to the heart of the city and Ferry Dublin Holyhead.
A good 30 kilometers are through the rush hour traffic and I still have no idea which area I should look for a hostel. So I buy a map and then search in the vicinity of the railway station, the hotel is too shabby, too expensive and another the next two full, but then I find what I need is a room for 18 € with shower, the wheel remains in the corridor and cost Ferry Cairnryan Belfast.
Directly opposite is a gigantic night - one kilometre after another, a state, a confection after another. Barbecue stalls with meat and fish, stews and small clay dominate bounce between Uyghur with baskets of melons and fresh fruit. This night market here is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen, and besides me there is not one long nose far and wide.
The next day, I prefer I go at 9 clock off, the exit from the city is hard to find, as well as the branch in the mountains. But I meet some local riders who just returned from a mountain tour and we get immediately into conversations about cycling in China.
Then I finally got the right street and again it goes to the dry steppe landscape, from time to time there is a Uyghur village, sparse agriculture or a poplar grove. About midday dip on the horizon the first outlines of the mountains, thin blue lines, covered with snow. I slowly come closer to the mountains and then it's already strong uphill pedaling my butt is no longer used or the new saddle and I have a sore spot quite quickly on my butt, on the right side. These two weeks I will be the following function also no longer have to go on the right cheek continue on the new cost Ferry Cairnryan Larne.
In the afternoon, late afternoon, I went to the first side valleys, there are pine forests and green meadows and the road rises properly, the asphalt is poor, but the scenery beautiful and grandiose. This morning I started Ürumqi at 850 meters above sea level, now shows my GPS back in 2000, then I come to a small plateau and then emerge a few chimneys, coal power plant and cement shack spit dirty haze, but it is is the only place with accommodation in the environment. A hotel is not just a run-down, a kind of hostel with water and toilet on the corridor, the rooms are barely tolerable, but horrible gear and toilet, as well as the laundry room like in Prague.
The next morning I start early and move my breakfast, which was a mistake, because in the narrow valley, there is nothing but the raging river below the right and the cliff top left, thanks to a landslide even more truck traffic, which came to the constriction to a standstill, only I could wear over my bike. After 30 kilometers, then listen to the asphalt and the valley opens up a bit, then finally a Kazakh yurt camp and a good plov is quickly warmed up and then has to be enough for the rest of the day and is exhausting.




Montag, 13. April 2015

On the way to Kumkapi

That there is a risk to cross with a vintage Europe from south to north was always clear to us. That it really would be a premature end - because we never believed. A normal and probably also necessary adjustment, if one wants to achieve his dreams. The technical defect in the bus, who had accompanied us the whole trip, is getting worse. The last required spare parts are all consumed, replenishment is very difficult to get.
We are still a bit to France, then it's over. The Bulli can not start again and it's time to sober and objective to take stock. A detailed failure diagnosis is not on the way to get a repair very difficult, we are the many mishaps far behind schedule, concern for the vehicle pushes more and more to the forefront and becomes the dominant factor of the trip. Increasingly, there is also a race against the time of year - we do not want to risk the far north of Norway late in the year to achieve.
My fingers tremble a little when I enter the numbers in my phone to make the dreaded phone call and everything be decided by the automobile club. All of a sudden I realize the entire scope - Abort - no onward journey - we will not reach the North Cape this year. This means that no new photo film documentary, no lecture tour and no revenue. Occupational hazard.
Success and failure for collaborative approaches, the extraordinary, the projects are. At that thought, but it becomes clear very quickly how much these two terms are in the eye of the beholder. We have not reached our goal, but we have won are the many wonderful impressions and experiences of the past few weeks. This will forever belong to us and be a part of our family history and fast Ferry Holyhead Dublin.
And... the journey will continue. Under new conditions, probably next year. Because one thing has not changed in our minds - Dreams are there to realize it... At the break on the Metz Mountain Bilbo and Gandalf are tied with a long rope to two trees.“Everything that grows on the ground, they may eat", Armin Schneider had declared. In the panniers of bread, cheese and sausage waiting as a tonic to the walkers.
After lunch, the trail leads downhill. The donkey is progressing briskly, the muddy ground seems to matter to them. On the outskirts of Tawern they are always slower, stay and eat every two meters are. They ignore the pulling on the leash, behave exactly as you would expect from two stubborn donkeys and fast Ferry Harwich Hook of Holland.
The walkers are frozen solid, the stable is already in sight. They try to persuade the donkey to go on with dandelion, but the grass at the roadside lights so much greener. Finally, they give the insistence of the human companions after that. Five-thirty, the quartet returned to the stable. Six hours for twelve kilometers - the deceleration worked.
A Turkish friend gave me the tip, be sure to view the Kumkapi district on the Sea of Marmara in Istanbul. There we were given a wonderful insight into the lives of people. Fischer, who took little nutshells out to sea, tea and coffee seller on the boardwalk, families picnicking with a small grill on the lawn, adolescents who shot for a few lira to shotguns to bottles and in the middle my son and me.





Freitag, 10. April 2015

Ferry trip to China

I must have dozed off, because suddenly nudges me peer at the shoulder and mumbles something like this that we are " there" are. I overslept brabbele "Trinidad ? " What is lapidary "almost" dismissed with. And again reveals a detail of the Venezuelan people traffic. The Carritos only drive certain routes, you can not drive across the country with a Carrito. Still on the journey, our driver asked where his passengers have to go, so there is a short communication between the drivers and a flying change in the new vehicle on arrival in Carupano. I then looked at Ferry Belfast Cairnryan discount prospects.
But then it goes on, a new Carrito, this time a Buick, again this bubbling sound of a big block under the eternally long bonnet and around us the slowly sinking in the dark forest. Moment. Dark ? There was something ? This does not look good. While the driver seems to sense our haste and sweeping through the land as if he wanted to take us to Trinidad today, but nothing helps. Until six, when the sun has already gone down, we arrive at Güiria. The driver sets us up at the ferry company office, wishes us a happy farewell and five minutes later, we learn that the whole agitation was not necessary anyway. The switch has only up to five, we have to day it will come back to buy tickets.
But after all, we recommend the clerk, who remained still in office accommodation. And then shocked us to follow up with the information that we can not pay the card in Bolivar. The Venezuelan money would lose its value faster than you can spend it, we should rather pay in dollars or euros. Credit card is not a problem. Where we are now with our hair small remaining Bolivar counted the value of $ 240 like a good Ferry Belfast Liverpool trip, the nice staff can not tell us of course. Venezuelan Bolivar because you do not get exchanged abroad. And even then only at the official rate of one in four. Well clean.
So we check into the hotel and go for a shower on the lookout for ways to get rid of our money. How ironic ! Shaking his head, we go through the deserted streets of this small town and feed us how we were together for fourteen months the money while we were surrounded by a thousand temptations. Now we want to spend money, so it must be almost, and everything has to. No, not today Arepas roadside barbecue stands are too low. No, please no pizza, it should be indigenous, fish would be nice wine would be awesome.
After an hour we pass on. There is nothing to be done. There are no restaurants in Güiria, attired in the evening. Except one. The son of our hotel owner describes us the way. This, too, is not without irony. There is an Asian restaurant. So we spend the last night in Venezuela with shrimp, calamari, beer and halfway chinese -looking interior design, fall ball around in the beds and still have too much money. But, we think, from Christmas is coming, at least we will find souvenirs here.
So hastily got up and went with a cheerful song on their lips the next morning to the ferry. We immediately get our tickets, get way and formalities explained and at the end but then again shocked.



Freitag, 13. März 2015

From Burma to China

Because since the end of 2011, the Burmese - Chinese border is closed, we have our tour something must change. The Chinese part is omitted, but are more in the land of smiles on the way and also the trip to the“golden coast" with accepted into the program. This tour is my favorite tour of the tours of“China By Bike“ in Southeast Asia, because the route is not only breath robbing landscapes, passing through tiny fascinating sights and dreamy Burmese town. I take also a look at the cost Ferry Dover Calais.
The special feature of this tour for me, in addition to the impressive list of cultural monuments, which we will cycle along, especially the meetings with the Burmese. Tanaka yellow in the face, as a sunscreen and makeup and always a frank smile, the Burmese are for me the friendliest people in the world. The deep religiosity of the people and the ever-present in the form of temples, pagodas and Buddhist monks also make this trip a spiritual experience and cost Ferry Dover Dunkirkl.
The northern Burma is mainly inhabited by ethnic minorities, and thai we cycle to the first stupa, Buddhist shrines past that bear witness to hundreds of thousands across the country findenund of Theravada Buddhism. We stay in two small towns and can discover what everyday Chinese life, with dancing and sports in the early morning and in the evening and eat in small restaurants and local specialties. Here in Yunnan including wild yak wild mushrooms and smoked ham or beef, but Yunnan is also the region with the best potato pancakes outside of Germany !
According to BBC 90 percent of Burmese are practicing Buddhists, every man and many women have graduated from a time in a monastery as a monk or nun and Buddhism determines every aspect of life. It brings great spiritual merits to make a pilgrimage to the temple or even to donate a stupa and so there are left and right of the road countless of them. That this has always been so in the history of the country, witnessed by the gigantic Stupafelder of Bagan and on Inlee Lake. Dry prairie grass, goats and earth Stupa, also as far as the eye reaches, large and small, dilapidated and magnificently gilded systems, we will visit one day here.
Previously, we have cycling through the north of the country, learn the simple, yet peaceful life of the Burmese know and love the Tannaka with painted faces of women, children and men. Would you prefer to no longer put away the camera and the Burmese like to be photographed and give it a smile that you will not soon forget on my next Newcastle Amsterdam trip.
In Shan state, we make a detour to the boat and hike to a forest temple across fields with blooming sesame and past pineapple plantations. Fresh aromatic fruits make life for us here at a gourmet trip, everywhere on the road coconuts, pineapple and papaya are offered.
In addition to the Mandalay city with many historical monuments, we get to know the capital Yangon. Here the seething traffic and here is also the center of Buddhism in this country. Together with thousands of Burmese we experience a sunset on the Shwedagon Pagoda, where nightly monks, pilgrims and tourists gather.