Porto Alegre is great!

Hey friends

I am having 24/7 fun fun & more fun! got no time to write much but i just wanted to tell you all that there have been times that i felt really homesick... missing you all, my parents and my loved ones. but other then those moments, i am been taken care of and the people of Brazil are the most kind and hospitable in this trip .

I was in Sao Paulo. It is just-another -enormous city but there is nothing special about it. Whereas the southern city of Porto Alegre is nice! its cultural and also historical plus the night life here is buzzing all the week.

I am going to be here for the next few days.

Umer.

Brazillians! Country No.59

Guys!

It has been 3-4 days that i am here in Sao Paulo - Brazil's largest city with approx. 22 Million inhabitants.

Brazillians have been the most hospitable to me in this trip. They've made me feel at home. All of them want me to stay longer. They are genuinely nice bunch of people!

But i have just had enough of Sao Paulo and booked my ticket for flying to the lovely southern city of Porto Alegre close to the Uruguayan border tomorrow afternoon. I have taken some pics from Sao Paulo which i will soon put online.

Thanks to all these folks here to who make me feel special and go out of their way to help me.

I will write more next time!!!
Umer from Sao Paulo.

Bye Bye Ecuador!

- Plaza de la Independencia, Quito, ECUADOR
- Wall Art, Cuenca, ECUADOR.
- Cathedral of Cuenca, ECUADOR.
- Volcano Cayambe, around Quito, ECUADOR.
- Colonial style building in Cuenca, ECUADOR.

Ecuador:

Lets say I have to define in 3 words, I would say, clean, developing & friendly country, where you would feel welcomed by the hospitality of the locals. Language barrier might be there but if you have some patience to continue conversation then you will be surprised how quick Ecuadorians will become your friends.

Quito being the capital of this country deserve to be among the UNESCO world heritage cities. Moreover, it was the first city EVER to get such a high status! The surrounding volcanoes and lush green hills gives this long stretched city a very unique style which none of the other capitals of the world has got.

Cuenca the third largest city is among the mountains and it is compared with neighbouring Peru’s mountain city called ‘Cuzco’. But to bed honest I was disappointed a bit with Cuenca. First of all, it is Not-Really like Cuzco. Secondly I think there are better places in Ecuador to be visited before Cuenca but if u r here on a long trip (more than 2 weeks) then Cuenca is not a bad choice.

Tomorrow (23rd September 2006) will be my last day here as i will be flying tomorrow evening at 6pm/-5 hrs GMT to Sao Paulo, Brazil via Lima, Peru by TACA Peru Airline. This flight will be my 35 & 36th flight of this zear respectively InshAllah. I am absolutely looking forward to be in Brazil :-) I have already sorted out my accomodation problem for staying in Sao Paulo, where many people are ready to host me! First impression of Brazillians? GREAT!

Okay guys... i gotta hit the bed now... Thanks for your emails and comments. I will keep in touch.

Hugs,
Umer.

Hola! Bienvienido en South America :)

Hey friends!

Yes i made it to South America! It's the first time i am getting online from here from my Laptop. The WiFi Points here are rare and internet cafe are not ideal to go online with your notebook.

The Latest is the following:

Right now i am logged on from my laptop on Cuenca airport, ECUADOR! waiting for my Aerogal Flight 043 to Quito - The Capital of Ecuador.

Summery from the past 10 days

1. I took a long flight from Auckland, NZ across the pacific ocean to Santiago, Chile.
2. I had no Visa for Chile and they didn't allow me to go to Santiago city so i had to spend a day in Santiago airport because my next flight to Lima, Peru was next morning.
3. There was a bit of a drama to check-in for me flight to Lima because there was no check-in desk inside the transit area and i had no visa to go out and get myself checked-in for my flight but at the last moment, i got a seat in the plane :) (otherwise i would have lost 500+ USD & time!)
4. I stayed two nights in Lima to adjust myself to South America and get use to it. Travelling in South America is sooo much different than in Aus & NZ.
5. The more i got use to Peru, the more i enjoyed Peru! Finally i took a 21.5 hrs over night bus from Lima to Cuzco - which is historical capital of Peru.
6. I was also among many who get a severe headache as soon as they arrive in Cuzco coz of its altitude 3300 m! but then i had a Coca Tea - made of Cocaine leaves and it was soooooooo good! headache gone!
7. The next day i was suppose to go to Machu Picchu but there was another big drama waiting for me. In the end, i got my 100 USD back from the travel agency after some fight through the Tourist police and so on ;-) but i missed M-P!
8. I decided not to take the bus back to Lima instead i paid 88 USD and took a plane. From Lima, i took another plane to Piura, which is close to the Ecuadorian border in the north of Peru. After arriving in Piura, i took a bus to Loja, Ecuador - 8 hrs ride 7 USD!
9. Around mid-night i entered Ecuador, after crossing a small river full of mosquitoes of very small size. The welcome to Ecuador sign showed that Ecuador looked more properous than Peru ;-)
10. I took another bus (5 hrs) from Loja to 3rd largest city of Ecuador called 'Cuenca'. It is nice with its old colonial times architecture, cathedral and scenic beauty but i think Cuzco in Peru was better!
11. Now i am waiting for my flight out of Cuenca to Quito :-)

Bye Bye New Zealand...

Sorry guys... i know i have not been posting like the way i should from last few days. I was in Auckland, the first 3 days there was terrible weather but today and yesterday it was sunny and beautiful day.

Right now i am at the Auckland International airport, waiting for my 11.5 hrs flight to depart for Santiago, CHILE on the other side of the world!!! It'll hopefully will be my 56th country :-) I am right now having mixed feelings. To put them in words, very excited - a bit nervous - A little Sad but having my heart full of joy & happiness.

I am re-discovering myself. I didn't know that i could be such a guy who i am here on my trips! Now u guys would be wondering, in which type of a guy have i transformed into ;-) That u have to wait and see when i go out partying/clubbing with you. I am sure you will be surprised - Guaranteed!

In last few days in Auckland, i preffered to stay in a 25 NZ Dollar per night instead of free accomodation offered by a Couch Surfing guy. There were reasons as i was having much more fun with the american guys at the hostel and i didnt want to distance myself just because of 25NZ$/17 US$. Didnt i do the right thing ?

I have recently seen two movies both were opposite of each other - the first one a hollywood horror flick: Silent Hill - was shit - gross! and the second one which i saw last night was: The 3 Buriels of Tommy Lee Jones - was a classic. Just because of this movie and the message it conveyed, i couldn't stop my tears while discussing something with one of the American guy (Josh) i met in the hostel. You guys should see it! Its simple and beauty lies in simple things. Isn't it?

Okay friends... please keep in touch otherwise i will get home sick and fly home earlier or if u guys are missing me than i think u would like to me to fly earlier ;-)

Next Stop: SOUTH AMERICA!!!

Love you all...
Umer.

WELLINGTON: The Windy Welly

Wellington

The Capital City of New Zealand should not be underestimated and consider ‘just-another-boring-capital’ because it is also the Cultural Capital of the country. Though it might not look so dominating coz of its relatively small size but its calmness, serene environment and peace will impress you.

After the crazy party time, I came to Wellington. I think this break was needed and I felt good being here. The city center, and the city itself, is so compact that everything that you need will be on max. maximum 20 min walk from you. Usually the ‘happening’ areas are just 5 mins walk from one another. Though there is not much happening over the week but weekend bring the young lot out of their dungeons on the streets.

What I liked the most in Wellington was its wooden buildings! I have never seen so many wooden buildings in any other city of the world and they are so well designed and painted that you’ll end up taking shots of simple elegant houses all over the city but especially on the road called ‘The Terrace’.

Wellington’s surrounded by 2 small hills (Mt. Victoria & Mt. Cook) from North – North West and the cook strait/Pacific Ocean from the South & South-East. Cook straight is the only GAP separating North & South Islands of New Zealand. Easterly Winds (coming from East – Pacific Ocean), tend to pass through this Gap. Wellington lying just on the tip of the North Island, right at the cook strait, is known as ‘Windy Welly’ because of extreme high winds blowing all the year round.

My most favourite place in Wellington is doubtlessly ‘Cuba Street’ – where the carefree atmosphere takes you in and you will good being there. I wonder why it is called Cuba Street because I found neither Cubans, nor Cuban Connection with this street.

My all time favourite café here is ‘Midnight Expresso’ – oh you have to go there and have the Vegan Chocolate Cake or Cheese Cake. They give you a big portion, which itself is a stomach-filler (especially for Asians) for very reasonable price. The atmosphere in the café is very casual, or you may say alternative. ‘Spurlina’ is a juice cocktail here made of Sea Algae that gives it a unique Dark Sea Green colour – looks awful – but its tasty!!! Something new and very healthy to try!!!

A couple of days in Wellington is not a bad idea as the people and the city will welcome you here and you are bound to relax and soon make friends in this NZ Capital.

For Photos go here: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/2fec8/1cb415/

QUEENSTOWN - The Jewel of New Zealand!

Queenstown

If you wanna party, meet a lot of young girls and guys, go out and drink, play pool, have fun then Queenstown is the place for you in New Zealand.

I was there in first week of Spring of 2006, which officially starts from 1st September. The moment I arrived in Queenstown, I knew it that it’s a kind of a place which I like. I was staying in a hostel right in the city center called ‘Downtown Backpackers’ on Shotover Street which is bisecting the city into two. I stayed there for 3 nights in a dorm of 6 beds where usually 3 other guys were staying other than me. I met a lot of English speaking travelers from New Zealand, Ireland, UK, Australian and Scotland. There were also casual main land Europeans from France and Germany.

This small city is beautifully situated on the banks of zig zag – thunder bolt shaped lake Wakatipu. Queenstown is lovely – Queenstown is romantic – Queenstown is poet’s dream – Queenstown is Lover’s paradise! The more you’ll stay here, the more it’ll be difficult for you to go away from there. There are so many adventure activities for people of all ages, from Skydiving to Bungy jumping. You need to have some stacks of cash in your pocket or on your credit card to survive the vibe of this city. The city is designed in such a way that it is very difficult to control your expenses. You’ll end up exceeding your budget per day.

You can make Queenstown your base and explore south island. Go to Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Glenorchy, Wanaka or Te Anau. Explore the ski slopes or if you have never done skiing then there are beginners lessons for about 135 NZ$ per person with the professional instructor & all the equipment included – just bring yourself and your wallet ;-)

At night this town turns into an outdoor festival. There are over a hundred bars here. Countless restaurants offering food from all over the world from Mexican to Indian – There’s something for everyone’s taste. The only thing, which is found missing in Queenstown was a proper club – a dance club and not just a bar with a dance floor. So, if u r one of those people who r the ones to take initiative then here is an opportunity for you to start a club where you are bound to make profit! People – especially young backpackers come to Queenstown for Partying, Drinking & Dancing and I am very sure that a club here is a must!

Budget per day? Difficult question to answer because it finally depends on you and what you want to do but for me it was about 50 NZ$ per day incl. Bed, a couple of drinks, breakfast at hostel, one meal outside and the other either skiped or had fruits or chocolate.

In short, if are young, energetic and traveling because you want to have fun more than going to Museums & art galleries then you can’t miss Queenstown! You’ve to come to Queenstown and it won’t take long that you’ll use the word ‘crazy’ ;-)

For Photos Click here: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/2fec8/1cb43d/

Co-incidence ?

A funny thing happened today. I booked my ticket on internet paid 70$ for the bus from here to another city called Auckland. Then in the evening, a few hours back, i was coming back home so that i can get ready, pack my things and leave for the bus station to catch my bus and then i met a guy whom i was travelling with in the glacier. I could not believe it because he was suppose to be out of the country now. He told me how his passport got stolen and he has come here to get a new Canadian passport from his embassy. He was the one having the Campervan with the one room space in the middle where i spent one day in the south island (now i am on the north island!) He told me that he's driving tomorrow morning after getting passport back to Auckland and why dont i come with him. I said i have already booked my ticket and paid for it. He asked me to get the refund and come with him in the morning. It saves me 70 NZ$ and gives him company. I took our my ticket and read the terms and conditions where it said that if i refund min. 2 hrs before departure i am entitled to get 100% refund. I checked my watch, i had just 20 mins left. He once again said, come on Umer, you can get it done! i knew i could so we ran to the flat where i was staying, picked up the phone and called the reservation service of the bus company who returned back the money on my account and refunded my ticket 100% :-) Funny right - how the things change so quickly :-))))

Links to the latest Photos from New Zealand

Photos from Tranzalpine Express Train journey from Christchurch & Greymouth:
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/2fec8/1cbfce/

Photos from Te Anau:
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/2fec8/1cb5ef/

Photos from Milford Sound:
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/2fec8/22aaa0/

Photos from Queenstown:
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/2fec8/1cb43d/

Click on the photos and they'll open

Photos From Milford Sound

MILFORD SOUND - New Zealand at its best!

Sun, 3^rd September 2006: Queenstown to Milford Sound & back , New Zealand

It was an early start to the day at 6.18 am! Cedric & I got ready and reported at the bus terminal office, which informed us that the bus will be here in 20 mins – fuck! We could have slept a bit longer, but anyways we waited and the bus arrived. We soon fell asleep and woke up when our first stop Te Anau came. The lake, the blue sky and the bright sunshine – I felt as if I am still dreaming… Beautiful place! The lush green mountains having last winter snow on their tops made picturesque scenery. We stayed here for about 20 mins, had a coffee, bought some food and we were again on the road to Milford. We passed some more lakes, one of them was Mirror Lake, in which the mirror image of the mountain in front was stunning…. Then we stopped for a few more times for photos at scenic spots on waterfalls, glaciers, valleys, lakes & mountains. This road to Milford is one of the most beautiful I have ever been to and for sure NZ’s Most Scenic! (atleast till now!) The wilderness and the atmosphere here is something, which I never experienced ever before! May be a bit of touch of Pakistani mountains where it’s difficult to reach but this was absolutely stunning! A person can sit here at one of the scenic spots for hours without speaking a single words but he’ll be talking to himself and the nature.

Finally we arrived at Milford about 15 mins before out ferry was about to depart from the Quay. The first look at the Fjords was unbelievable. The ocean kissing the feet of the gigantic mountains wearing snowcaps and the clouds hugging them – beautiful!

The ferry was luxurious having 3 decks – 2 for the seating and the top one for viewing. The coffee and Tea was unlimited & complimentary. Thank God! Otherwise I would have for sure spent atleast 5 Dollars minimum here!

Soon the ferry left the quay and we opened started having our simple lunch. While the captain welcomed us on board this scenic tour of the Milford Sound & Tasman Sea – Yes Tasman sea that lies between Australia & New Zealand. We were heading towards their and our turning point was Tasman Sea. I immediately became excited. A few mins after leaving the quay a high waterfall on the right hand side was un-miss-able! Hundreds of liters of water falling down from the huge mountain looked more like milk to me. There were many small streams from the top coming down and forming a big waterfall. Oh God! What a beautiful world – were the words out of my mouth but there were more scenic places to come. As we sailed forward, we saw some more waterfalls, rainforest trees, different rock formations, the brilliant show of rain & clouds and sun over taking them from time to time. After 45 mins we reached the open waters of Tasman Sea where the big waves welcome us and the ferry was swinging like a pendulum on waves. I saw crewmember telling another members about the day after Tsunami came and how the huge the waves looked like on the horizon. For a moment I got a scared! It was definitely a hair-rising tale!

Our ferry made a 180° turn and we sailed along with the northern shore of the Fjords back towards Milford. The first and more noticeable thing shown to us were the Seals lying down the on the rock coming out of the ocean close to the shore. These seals were ‘sun bathing’ :- ) Looked so cute! This was the first time I saw seals in the open air ocean instead of the zoo ;-) But this was not the end of the show… now the most interesting moment of the day for me was to see the human-affinite Dolphins! They were 2 of them and as soon as they saw us coming, they started jumping close to our ferry in the open sea. I wish I could cuddle them :- ) After Dolphins we saw a couple of Penguins sitting in their nests. These were small yellow-eyed penguins – very special!

After 2 hrs ferry cruise in the Tasman Sea, we were back in Milford and were transferred back to Queenstown via Te Anau. The trip back was long but scenic as the sun was setting and the mountains shined in orange sunset light. It was a 12 hrs tour. But I must say that this tour to Milford was amazing! I paid 135 NZ$ (90 US$) instead of 180 NZ$, which was the price for a solo traveler, because I was traveling with the French guy – Cedric and we were 2. But I would recommend you all to go and see Milford Sound Fjord.

I was tried, but still I went online, uploaded my blogs from Franz Josef and went to bed around 11-ish. In the bed, I decided – I will leave tomorrow for Wellington :- ) Yes I will ;-) !!!

Tue, 30th August 2006: Franz Josef, New Zealand

I woke up and the first thing I did was to change my YHA hostel. I packed my stuff quickly as it was about to 10am – the check out time. I went straight ahead to the hostel infront, which was offering free internet with the same price. After checking in, I had a laid back day, did my breakfast, used internet for about 2 hrs, wrote my journal, while I waited for the weather to get better but it just got worse – never mind. I got up at lunchtime and went for a walk – a long walk. On my way, I went to the Helicopter service center and enquired about the Heli Services if they are operating nowadays and what are the deals. Then I went to a 10 KM walk for the FIRST time in my life. The walk was from Franz Josef to the Glacier. I enjoyed the walk, made photos and finally came back to the hostel and went online. Before going online, I saw the Internet bus (because the internet shop was in a bus) shopkeeper girl, playing cricket outside with two little guys. I played a bit with them. It was fun. It was a basically an easy day. I came back to the hostel and met a Canadian guy Matthias in the computer room. We talked about traveling and I told him about Couchsurfing and other website that I use. We soon became friends and had a long conversation about traveling. Then he went to bed after deciding that in the morning we’ll go hiking the same walk trail which I did today alone. He has got a ‘beetle’ which is like a small caravan. Unfortunately, he’s going up north and I wish I was going the same way then I would have not only saved money but also enjoyed his company…

Tue, 29th August 2006: Christchurch to Franz Josef via Greymouth, New Zealand

The day started while I was watching the Internet TV cricket match, which Pakistan won. Then I just didn’t sleep. I stayed up and in the morning I repacked my bags and took the first bus from Sumner to the Bus Exchange. I got to know there that I can continue with the same bus and I will be dropped closer to the train station so I did it.

Christchurch’s train station is really small and cute. I had to wait a little while there before I could board my Trans Alpine train to Greymouth. I didn’t sleep the whole night and I was so tired and feeling sleepy that as soon as boarded my train I slept for about an hour. Then I was awake when I saw the magnificent views of the Southern Alps. I firstly went to the Rail Restaurant and got a coffee and a muffin to wake up a bit and then I went to the open air carriage from where I took some really amazing photos of the Arthur’s Pass National Park and otira. The train arrived on time in Greymouth. I went straight ahead to the bus agent at the station who told me that there are two buses leaving today for Franz Josef Glacier at 13.30 & 15.30 and they arrive at 17.00 & 18.00 respectively.

My adventure spirit was telling me something else so I followed it. I went to the main highway of Greymouth and started hitching rides. I didn’t take me more than 5 mins in order to get my first ride. The driver was just going to the junction of roads going to Christchurch and Franz Josef Glacier. So, I was dropped there. I was a bit surprised to see that the traffic is very very low on this route and I was not sure how will I move on from here until the 4th Car – which pulled on the side of the road. He was a British guy Tony, who has become a New Zelander national well. We had a great conversation until the car got punctured and we had to change the wheel of 4w4. I helped him. In the end, he dropped me at Franz at 4pm. I got the hostel YHA here. It is my first time in this trip that I have decided to stay in a paid accommodation. This hostel is okay but all the people are just sitting in their groups and not mixing up. It seems to me that its only me who is passing comments, chatting up, trying to bring people together! How unsocial humans can be I wonder!!!

Then I decided to have a small orientation-al walk around and use Internet. On the way back I did some grocery shopping and finally came back to the hostel and prepared my meal. I met a Japanese girl who joined me for the dinner. The atmosphere became much better when more travelers started preparing dinner. I felt good. After the dinner, I watched an action movie in the common TV room with 2 lesbian-looking cute girls couple and the Japanese girl.
I went to my dorm and met the British born Pakistani guy who was on his way to Tonga via Wellington. We had a nice chitchat before a NZ guy with a French girl came to sleep in their beds in our 4-bed dorm. We had a bit of a laugh about the nice smart French girl – Dorthy who told us about a TV show on her name and the song related to it and that was the end of the day….

Mon, 28th August 2006: Christchurch, New Zealand

I woke up at 10 am. May be the reason is that my body is still working according to Australian time that is 2 hrs behind NZ time. First of all, I went online, updated my blog, VT and sent emails around. I finally left for the city center at around 2pm. Took photos all the way through. In the city center, my first stop was visitor’s center. It was pretty big with almost everything, which a tourist wants! In my opinion New Zealand is one of the easiest countries in the world to travel as a tourist because everything is made easy for tourists. You get lots of brochures and pamphlets from various companies offering more or less the same tour/offer. The dorm beds are available from 10 USD onwards per night per person. This is the cheapest price I have ever heard of in developed countries.

After the visitors center, from where I also bought my Tranzalpine ticket for tomorrow from Christchurch to Greymouth. It was 69 NZ$ where as the bus was just 30 NZ$, lets see tomorrow whether it was worth it. I went on aimlessly exploring Chch and doing on n off little souvenir & postcards shopping. Finally I sat down by the side of river Avon and wrote down cards to Papa & Akram uncle. After that I went online, met Andrew and had a good conversation with him over coffee about life in Christchurch. Then I had my dinner and went home but the whole night I spent online watching Pakistan’s first ever 20 Twenty international match against England, which Pakistan won.

I am feeling that it’s getting more and more difficult to write my journal. I don’t know how to motivate myself.