Round & Round The World with Pakistaniguy

I have Moved!!!

2007-02-09T22:46:00.000+01:00

Hey Guys!!!
It is me again.... I just wanted to inform u guys that i won´t be using Blogger.com any more. Please check out my photos, travel plan, blogs, favourite music & everything about me on Multiply.com: here is the link ---> http://umerd.multiply.com
Anddddd do not forget to be generous in your comments and appreciation :)
A big kiss from Antwerp (say it quickly a few times and it sounds like Ant -Trap :P) - Belgium.
Umer.

Brussels calling...

2007-02-09T13:24:00.000+01:00

Hey guys

Yesterday i was about to miss my flight for the first time in my life but again it didnt happe but i am sure sooner or later it will ;)

Right now i am in Brussels, The Capital of BELGIUM. The flight with SWISS was cool. I paid 63 Euros incl. taxes for a return flight. They serve you drinks and a small sandwich. Plus! u get a little Swiss Chochlate before landing :) hmmmm i love it and i always get two, three instead of picking just one ;) hehe...

Brussels was a bit chilly but what do u expect in start of february. I went by train from the airport to my Maltese friends place. He was hospitable. His voice reminded me of another Maltese friend of mine who is a famous singer, 'Triton B'. I was so tried that i fell asleep early and in the morning i was told that i do snore(yuck!) :p hehe...

Now i am online, looking for a couch in Antwerpen tonight. I have never been to the famous Belgian cities like Antwerpen, Brugges, Ghent or Liege so this time i am going to shorten my stay here and check out more of Belgium. I have found a place to crash in Antwerpen. Plus! I have written to the guys n girls in Brugges and now i am waiting for their reply. If everything goes planned then this will be my travel plan inshAllah :)

09 Feb: Brussels to Antwerpen
10 Feb: Sightseeing in Antwerpen, back in Brussels for partying.
11 Feb: Brussels to Brugges. Sightseeing in Brugge.
12 Feb: Brugges to Ghent. Sightseeing in Ghent. Flying from Brussels airport back to Switzerland.

Any comments on my crazyyyyyyyyyyy trips are most welcome :) Photos? yes only the censored ones will be uploaded soon.

Love u guys!!!
Umer

Test

2007-02-06T12:03:00.000+01:00

Following Leonardo Da Vinci

2007-01-27T10:59:00.000+01:00

Florence is a city with feeling, with emotions, with culture and traditions. If you see spirits roaming around in this city at night - it would not surprise me as countless scholars, philosphers, poets and artist have born, lived and died here. Starting from Leonardo Da Vinci - who inspires me the most, but i have no less respect for Michaelangelo or Dante.

It was good to be back here. Though i was more into partying and socialising than going to Art Galleries and Museums. But i promise i will come back here and see the remarkable places in the next trip.

Love you Florence!!!
Umer
(on my way to Pisa and to Malta tonight...)

I crossed the 25 yrs barrier!!!! Hurray :-)))

2006-11-09T09:10:00.000+01:00

ThAnK YoU ALLAH!

Here are the photos from My 25th/Silver Jubilee Birthday Party

on 4th November 2006

at Lahore, Pakistan.

PaKiStAn... PAKISTAN! -My Green land-

2006-10-24T11:41:00.000+02:00

I have been back since a few days. It is good to be back here with my parents, my family and my friends, talk in my own language, hear the Pakistani songs and watch Pakistani TV AND play Cricket with my friends in the garden in the house. Just Priceless!

Today is the last day of the holy Islamic month of Ramadhan and tomorrow is the festival of 'Eid-ul'Fitr' that is like Christmas for Muslims. We give gifts and money to the younger and receive from the elders. So, me being the younger one is greatly looking forward to it :-)

The weather here is perfect - mid 20's - sunny, blue sky, little cool breeze. I am good. People say i look slimmer but when i stand on the weighing scale - it says as always 64 K's ! Aggggghhhhh!!!

My plans are to stay here in Pakistan around 10th November then fly to London for a week from 10th till 17th November and then resume my job from 20th November in Zürich and also start working on my book again.

Oh btw, i forgot to tell you guys a big news that Finally Thank GOD! i have started working on my book. I have written the outline of it. Now i have the basic structure and i just need to write the smaller modules to complete it but i still think that it will take another few months.

Okay---gotta go now!!!

LOVE FROM PAKISTAN :-)))

Yours,
Umer.

Time to travel again :-)

2006-10-18T13:05:00.001+02:00

67 hours break in Zürich seems to be enough for an addicted traveller like i am ;-) so now i can go back to travelling....

Tonight at 19.00 CET i have a German Inter City Express - ICE Train to the Southern German city of Stuttgart, famous for its Car making industry - Mercedes-Benz & BMW. I will be doing 'couch surfing' in Stuttgart just for a night before flying tomorrow morning with 'Turkish Airlines' via Istanbul to Karachi, PAKISTAN. I will be arriving at 1.45am on Friday, 20th Oct' 06 in Karachi and then i have another flight with Pakistan International Airline (PIA) from Karachi to Lahore - My Real Hometown!

Last time i was in Lahore in February this year but it already seems to be sometime. The longest i have ever stayed out of Lahore was 9 months and this time it was just 8 months so i think its really difficult for me to stay away from my real home. Home is where your heart and spirit resides, where your loved ones think about you often and miss you. It must not be a house or a palace, it can be anywhere, you would love to live, love & be loved..... Isn't it ?

So, my dear friends... i am going home InshAllah to spend the Islamic festival of 'Eid' which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan - on 24th Oct' 06 - this year. We celebrate Eid with as much zest and energy as Christians celebrate Christmas. As many other islamic fests, in Pakistan Eid is celebrated for 3 days :-) but hey, no drinking and no dancing okay ;-) It is an Islamic republic - what do u think! ;-)

This year 24th October is very important for me as it is also InshAllah my parents 26th Wedding anniversary so its a double Fest for me! and this is not the end... just after 10 days i have my 25th Birthday! Yeeeeeaaaahhhh - Time is running fast but don't you think that i have achieved or done more than what others do in their first 25 yrs ? So the question is, who is winning the race ? I or the Time ? :-)

Guys in Europe, who are still waiting to get hold of me somehow... good news for you is that i would not be staying long in Pakistan but would be coming back to Europe around 8th November 2006. I might stay for a week in London before coming back to Zürich. I will inform you guys here about the latest. Yesterday i called my boss and gave my dates for work in November, according to which i will be back in Zürich from 20th November for sure!!!

There is so much more packing left... okay buddies... gotta go now... Talk to you from Pakistan or may be a quick blog from Istanbul, Turkey :-) My one of the top 5 favourite cities around the world!!!

Remarkable Ri0 de JaNeIr0

2006-10-17T01:21:00.000+02:00

Having fun on COPACABANA with Moa & Jessica from Sweden!

- Rio @ Night!

- Doesn't look interesting? Oh come on i have had 6 breakfasts from this little cafe infront of my hostel.

- Rio's Grafetti!
- THE Beautiful Sunset at Rio's shores.
- Modern clean n safe underground train network was impressive!

Flashback: BrAZiL - Gramado to Rio de Janeiro!

2006-10-17T00:51:00.000+02:00

Staying with countless sweet Swedes in a Swedish Hostel in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro.

My hosts -The most loving Brazillian couple- Guilherme & Leticia, Florianopolis.
Watching Gramado Open's Final - Our Boy Won! Hurray :-)
The Witch, Otavio & I in Canela. - The Most Exotic Strawbery dip i ever had - Mmmmm Yummy - Canela.

....and here is The End! 28,000 Miles Round The World!

2006-10-16T23:37:00.000+02:00

Smells....
Tastes....
Photos....
Memories...
Used tickets...
Contact Numbers.... is all i am left with after the 70 Days... 'Round The World Trip'!

Here back home in Zürich... everything is like the way i left. I feels like a world has changed within me but outside it is still the same world i use to live in. Today was my first day here at home. A lot of things to do, meetings, appointments, phone calls, letters etc. etc. but every now n then when i got a chance to sit down a sudden smile spread over my lips because of one of those beautiful moments i lived during last 70 days....

Here again i would like to THANK EVERYONE of you! Whom i met, whom i asked any question, whom i asked the way, who gave me rides, who were my travel partners or my hosts or just new friends - You all have made a difference to me and my life and i really would love to see you again. Moreover, i give you my words, if i could ever help you in anything, do give me a chance, i hope not to disappoint you.

A big hug to you all...

Time to say Good-bye! Flying to London today...

2006-10-11T13:59:00.000+02:00

Finally after circumvagating the planet earth... 26,000+ miles, 8 countries, more than 20 cities now its time to go home.... Home? Which home ? First of all to my future home -> London, then to my current home -> Zurich and then my real home -> Lahore, Pakistan!

Its a beautiful clear blue sky here today in Rio de Janeiro.... Atlantic ocean is wide spread and the waves kissing the shore with a loud sound. But its time to say Good-Bye with the promise of coming back one day soon....

The most difficult thing is to leave the good people behind and hug them good-bye.... the people who have given me happiness, made my days bright by their charming personalities or kind behaviour, the people who have opened the homes and hearts... the people who taught me how to look at the world from different angles... yes! its time to say good bye to all these beautiful souls with a promise to see them once again in life - somewhere, sometime!

In the End, Thank You my dearest being ALLAH for giving me the chance to see your beautiful world and meet those amazing souls who are the reason for living in this world. THANK YOU!

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Yours,

Umer.

Rain & My Frustration.... in Rio de Janeiro!

2006-10-10T02:28:00.000+02:00

Goddd....

Day 1 in Rio:
Perfect weather... 28°C blue sky, warm day... loads of Cariocas (locals of Rio) on the Copacabana & Ipanema Beaches... and then the weather changes... dark clouds cover the sky and it starts drizziling and raining ... and again drizziling and again raining...

Day 2:
The bad weather continued and i got really frustrated... I felt homesick... i wished to run out of Rio somewhere i could take refuge with my friends or loved ones. So many ideas were in my mind... i was trying my best to keep my mood swings under control... i ended up spending 3 times more money than my daily budget to keep myself busy and not to change my ticket and fly out earlier :-)

Day 3:
Memories of good time in Porto Alegre started fading away and i felt better today though the sky was still cloudy and there were showers on n off but i went out and did sight seeing. I enjoyed exploring Rio though travelling alone as a foreigner in this city, you have to be conscious of the fact that you do not end up walking into FAVELAS which are colonies of poor people and usually they are near hills. Plus! this city is famous of petty crimes - people snatching things from you and running away or pick pocketing so it was not very comfortable to travel alone but i had fun.

Day 4:
Now it seems to be that my frustration is over and i had a good day out here in Rio. I went to Niteroi island and saw the famous Museum of Contemprary arts. The boat ride from Main city to Niteroi was worth it because i saw Rio´s skyline and made photos of the castle and the sunset at Suger loaf hill. Amazing! Indeed if not The Most Beautiful city of the world, than one of the most beautiful cities of the world!!! I just came back from an evening job and a drink at Copacabana Beach and decided to share my feelings with you all. Tomorrow is my last day in Rio because the next day is my flight to London via São Paulo.

The Road To Rio!

2006-10-07T18:18:00.000+02:00

Fuck... this keyboard is hurting my fingers.... its so hard....

but in short.....

YES I MADE IT TO WORLDS ONE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CITIES - RIO DE JANEIRO! Its undescribably stunning... sandy beaches, sun, countless beauties in bikinis and g-strings :P the rest of the public, chilling out while sipping caiprinha with ice n lemon Mmmmmmmmmm

Talk to u later... 4 more days to go before i fly back to london on Wednesday, 11th october 2006 with British Airays.

Love,
Umer.

Touched by Brazillian Hospitality

2006-10-05T16:55:00.000+02:00

Yesterday...

I picked my bags, started walking towards the Bus station of the small Lake side town of Lagoa de Conceicao to catch the bus to the main bus station. While, i was walking, i was making plans to go to Curitiba and stay the night there. I passed by a Super Mercado and felt the hungry raging in my stomach. I convinced myself that it is cheaper to get a sandwich from Super market then the restaurant so i walked inside. I went to the bakery section where a young tall average looking guy was wearing white bakery uniform of the super market. He asked me which type of Sandwich i want and i tried to explain him-anything except pork! we had a few friendly problems and at the end he asked me where am i from? i said in portugese that i am Pakistani. He couldnt believe it. He said that he would like to meet me after work for more conversation and we agreed to meet up at 4.30 pm.

Guilherme, 19yrs comes from Rio Grande do Sul province which is the southern most part of Brazil. Porto Alegre is its capital but he comes from a little village town on the west close to Argentina. Guilherme is married since 3 yrs!!! and his wife´s name is Leticia. She is 17 yrs old!!! now imagine when they were married how old were they :-) 16 & 14 :-)

Guilherme invited me to his house which was at the northern part of the Santa Catarina Island where i met him. We took a bus together to his house. He spoke as little English as my Portugese but i must say - We never had a conversation problem nor we got bored of explaining things or asking things from each other. Leticia was also happy to see me. Young girl with long dark golden hair, light brown eyes and a beautiful smile to complete the perfection. They asked me a what i like to eat. I said prefereably beef. We walked to the nearest super market close to their 2 rooms clean appartment on the upper floor of a house in a small village but we were unable to find Beef. I said any other meet like Chicken or Fish is also good. But Guilherme explained me in broken English that i like Beef so he will go to the village center to get beef while we should wait for him at home. Amazing!

We talked by using english-portugese-english dictionary. We cooked n ate, we sang, we danced. I had a few things with me from Pakistan like photos of my family and postcards. They were surprised by the wedding photos and the dresses of women. Their eyes told the story when the words were of great help.

I can´t write about every little thing they did to make my short stay comfortable because they did countless small things which matters the most....

I salute Brazillians for their genorisity and unconditional love....

Munto Obriegado Povo de Brasilerio!!!

When will this rain stop???

2006-10-03T15:00:00.000+02:00

Hello Friends

Last night i said good-bye to my dear friend & host Otavio in Porto Alegre and got onto the bus to Florianopolis. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities/metropolis of Brazil and South America.But i ask the you all? How would a paradise look like if its just raining all the time? so isthe case at the moment, my bus arrived here at 6.30 and and its raining since then. I am a bit confused and undecided what should i do!I have come on internet and seen the weather forecast which says that this rain should stop in the late afternoon and tomorrow it will be just partially cloudy. Where as in Curitiba, another Brazillian city around 400 Km north west in the hills, has good weather. But i was suppose to stay here for two days!!!

Let's see what i decide... anyways... here i am uploading a few shots from Sao Paulo from last week there.

Talk to you later - TTYL :-)

Bye,
Umer.

- At Praça de Republica, Saõ Paulo.

Me & My New Brazillian friends from Porto Alegre

2006-10-02T23:05:00.000+02:00

Left to Right: Mauricio, Gustavo, Otavio, Marcelo & Me!

cRaZy PeOpLe - Crazy Country!

2006-10-02T22:49:00.000+02:00

Jus t a few lines before i go to bed to take a nap before my long bus ride tonight to Florianopolis from Porto Alegre.

This city - the capital of the Rio Grande del Sul province - is not at all a major tourist destination to Brazil but i came here to see how is the life in South Brazil and especially of people with European descendence.

I made so many friends here in just 4 days. I have gone partying & clubbing out for 3 nights out of 4 nights here! last night i prefered to go to the Cinema instead of a club ;-)

The people here are very kind and hospitable. They are welcoming and socializing. As soon as i tell anyone that i am from Paquistao - The name of Pakistan in Portugese. They get surprised. Some of them do not believe me because i look like them or a bit European. But i have had real fun here. Some crazy incident cannot be shared :) but will be told to the people interested.

Tonight i will move on from this dearest city Porto Alegre to an island city of Florianopolis. All the people here tell me that i am going to like it a lot. Lets see!

The weather here in blue sky and sunny. I hope it stays like this coz sometimes it gets cloudy and chilly which is no fun!

I am already a bit sad that i have to leave porto alegre. I wish i could spend the rest of 10 days of my Brazillian trip here with these guys here in POA - Porto Alegre.

So, time to move on....

Hugs,
Umer.

My South American Route

2006-10-02T22:33:00.000+02:00

Porto Alegre is great!

2006-09-30T04:46:00.000+02:00

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

2006-09-27T19:56:00.000+02:00

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!

2006-09-23T08:56:00.000+02:00

- 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 :)

2006-09-21T20:36:00.000+02:00

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...

2006-09-13T05:53:00.000+02:00

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

2006-09-09T01:15:00.000+02:00

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!

2006-09-09T01:04:00.000+02:00

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 ?

2006-09-07T10:21:00.000+02:00

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

2006-09-07T02:35:00.000+02:00

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

2006-09-07T02:30:00.000+02:00

Photos From Milford Sound

2006-09-07T02:29:00.000+02:00

MILFORD SOUND - New Zealand at its best!

2006-09-06T00:04:00.000+02:00

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

2006-09-03T11:12:00.000+02:00

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

2006-09-03T11:10:00.000+02:00

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

2006-09-03T10:37:00.000+02:00

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.

Faces of Christchurch

2006-08-30T08:40:00.000+02:00

Sun, 27th August 2006: Sydney, Australia to Christchurch, New Zealand

2006-08-30T08:34:00.000+02:00

I woke up really early and at once when the alarm rang. But I guess I was already ready to wake up even in my dreams. I was staying at Brad’s place, which was reasonably close to the Airport. So, I decided to take the taxi from there instead of looking for buses (because I had to take two!)

Taxi was there on time. It was a Chilean man who was driving – who looked very much like a Pakistani. He was the first Chilean I ever met in my life. I arrived in-time for the flight to Christchurch (Chch is the shortform) Check-in was smooth then I went straight up to the POST Counter and sent my parcels to Europe and Pakistan and thanked God that I got rid of them before damaging them. I was tired of carrying them because of their odd size (larger than normal large :P)

Sydney airport is nothing special to talk about. Nice and Clean I would say…. Security clearance line was a bit longer than what I expected. Immigration out of Australia was easy. The female immigration officer was friendly. Qantas flight was on-time. Plane was Boeing 767 2-3-2 configuration. I was having a window seat with no one sitting next to me. It was the same music on board which I have been listening in last three Qantas flights so now I was bored of it :P There was no personal video screen but there were screens for every ten rows. I had a continental breakfast with cereal and coffee. The other option was impossible for me as it was Egg with Bacon : ( I took a short nap and then …
God! I am suddenly excited when I saw the travel route map on the screen in the aircraft that we will soon be flying over the south island of New Zealand. Wow! I am finally in a lovely country hidden far away from all the rest of the world. I saw some brilliant views of the Southern NZ Alps. Wow! Can’t wait to be down there among them! Weather looks beautiful on both western as well as eastern coast of South Island.

Christchurch airport is just-an-airport with minimum requirements fulfilled. Immigration officer – a young girl – was friendly but was asking me lots of questions and I gave detailed answers. Then quarantine check was easy (special customs control which is only in Australia & New Zealand to my knowledge) Then came another Immigration/Police check and she also asked me similar questions and a few were really interrogative – such as you must be having a good salary working with Swiss Railways that u managed to do this Round the World tour : ) anyways, I was happy and excited to talk to them and all went fine. I came out of the terminal and Sophie – My couch surfing host was waiting for me in the car. Greetings exchanged! Photos of the airport taken ;-) and we were soon on the highway to the beach because Sophie wanted to collect some stones/pebbles to be precise – to make a special gift for her sister on her birthday. The views from the beach towards the Antarctic Ocean were great and on the other side the green hills hugging the small lake were equally stunning. We soon left for Sumner – the suburbs of Christchurch where Sophie left but I was damn hungry so we made a short stopover in a Blue Duck café. The scenic route from there via Governors bay & Lyttelton to Sumner was lovely.

Sophie lives in a big house, which she shares with another 3 students. The house is big n clean and right 10-15 meters from the beach – The Great Pacific Ocean, which I am going to cross InshAllah on 13th September 2006. I had a little chat before I made my daypack ready to leave and explore the city center of Chch. She was kind enough to bring me back to the Bus terminal in Sumner. The bus ride was mere 20 mins and then I was right in the city Center of Chch.
It was a Sunday and 99% of the shops were closed. Moreover, it was late afternoon so the remaining few would have been off as well. I roamed around aimlessly before having my dinner at a lavish restaurant and let my daily budget get busted.

My Route Map

2006-08-28T02:40:00.000+02:00

Where have i travelled till now?
10.08.06: Singapore to Darwin, AUSTRALIA
13.08.06: Darwin to Alice Springs
14.08.06: Alice Springs to Ayer's Rock/Uluru and Back
15.08.06: Alice Springs to Melbourne
18.08.06: Melbourne to Great Ocean Road and Back
20.08.06: Melbourne to Sydney
27.08.06: Sydney to Christchurch, NEW ZEALAND

Sexy SYDNEY & Memories from Australian Adventure!

2006-08-28T01:37:00.000+02:00

Fawad & I having fun in the city center

Sydney Harbour Bridge - Lovely!

Sydney's Most Famous - The Opera

20th – 27th August 2006: Sydney, Australia

Sydney – The largest city of Australia where the Europeans landed on the Australian soil and made the first settlement.

Sydney is sexy, Sydney is strange, Sydney is submissive and Sydney is sublime. I would classify it as a very unique city. You can’t just put it among other big cities around the world like NYC, London, Paris or Istanbul.

The most beautiful which I saw in Sydney, which was also a ‘hair raiser’, was the twilight to night views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge & The Opera house. It is so enigmatic that it could be the soul reason of visiting Sydney. But that’s not it, the boat cruise between different places in the city, the beaches, the nightlife and last but not the least the people – They all are so nice that it makes a city altogether really a place to live.

I was for a week staying in Sydney with my Pakistani friend Fawad who’s living here since last 6 yrs. He was a real friend who made me feel at home all the time while I was his guest. He picked & dropped me to the airport, showed me around, went out partying with me, stood beside me & ALWAYS listened to me whenever I wanted to share my stupid emotional stories or theories J hehe… We had so much fun together that I didn’t get time to even write my journal. When I was with him, it was 24/7 Fun – Fun & more Fun! From the first sentence in the morning to the last yawn in the bed, our silly jokes (which most of the times only we understood J) were endless & senseless. The time passed so quickly as it always does when you are happy. But now I have hundred of little good moments sitting in my heart & mind. Thank you Fawad! You’re a great guy and I am glad we are friends!

At the moment I am in Qantas flight to Christchurch, New Zealand as I changed my travel route because of Fijian Visa problem and scrapped the plans of going there for a couple of days. By the way, they were so mean that without even applying for my Fijian visa they refused to give back my 100 Australian Dollars Visa fees! I am really disappointed by their behaviour but I guess I have already learnt something about Fiji so I do not have to really go there and make my experience :P

The good thing is that I am soon InshAllah going to land on New Zealand territory, which will become my 55th Sovereign country visited and I will be having enough time to explore it!

My Initial Travel Plan is following:
Christchurch – Hokitika – Fox Glacier – Franz Joseph – Milford Sound - Queenstown – Wellington – Lake Taupo – Hamilton – Auckland.

Time: 27th August till 13th September (17 Days – Same as in Australia & in Brazil!)

Summery of Australian Adventure

1. Best Place:
Northern Territory – NT, there is so much to see and explore that it fascinates me a lot and I would love to come back and see more.

2. Best View:
Sunset at Uluru, Ayer’s Rock, Northern Territory.
Sydney Opera & Harbour Bridge at night, New South Wales.
Sunset at Twelve Apostles, Great Ocean Road, Victoria.
Watching Penguin Parade at Phillip Island, Victoria.
Melbourne’s Skyline

3. Best People:
Victorians – especially from Melbourne

4. Best City:
Melbourne at day & Sydney at night :)

5. MustTry this in Australia:

Shark n Chips, Kangaroo or Crocodile Steak :)

Disappointing Fijian Administration!

2006-08-23T03:58:00.000+02:00

As i told you guys about my Fijian Visa issue and the latest is following:

I went there yesterday in person and explained everything to the highest available person in charge that this is totally uncomprehendable that whenever i call there is a new person in visa section and i am told new visa regulations and till now my case has not been sent through to Fiji and even more documents are required in order to send my case to Fiji for approval. So, i kindly requested him to give back my documents and i withdraw my case. He listened to me carefully and told me that the 'real' visa officer in-charge is not here today and neither will she be there tomorrow but he will call her tomorrow and ask her permission if she allows him to give me back my documents and the fees.

I just called him again and he told me that the Visa fees is NON-REFUNDABLE and i should better talk to her directly tomorrow when she's in the office herself.

I think i have already made my EXPERIENCE with Fijians and i am much better off leaving them alone and getting a new ticket directly to New Zealand and spend some more time there instead.

Its about Mid-day time here at the moment in Australia and soon i would go to first QANTAS office to try if anything else work with my Round the world ticket otherwise i would pay 250 AD/ 240 Swiss Francs/ 225 USD and buy a new ticket!

I will update you guys soon. Keep sending me your smiles, comments and emails. They motivate me to keep writing and updating this blog.

Love,
Umer.

Marvellous MELBOURNE!

2006-08-22T14:24:00.000+02:00

Melbourne – The Cultural Capital of Australia will surprise you in many ways. The more you explore it, the more you’re going to like it, the greater the chances are of your falling in love with this city! Its ‘balance’ touched me, nowadays when modern cities become so modern that in their commercial district they demolish all the old single storey buildings because they want to build –another- skyscraper but in Melbourne you will see a 40+ storey most modern skyscraper next to a little Victorian style café/bar/restaurant. I enjoyed the old in the city center a lot. This city can be photographer’s paradise with its lovely views over the ocean as well as across the Yarra river.

People of Melbourne are the very helpful and welcoming. Generosity and kindness is their virtue. At least 80%+ people I know were very good humans. They were warm hearted, courteous, down to earth & loving souls.

The city's transport system is not too bad except, that on Sunday's the transport resumes really late so if u r flying from Melbourne early morning, like i did, and you do not live at the walking distance from Southern Cross station, then you must get a min. 35 AU$ taxi to the airport which sucks :P

Right now i am in Sydney and i have come to the conclusion that Melbourne in DAY & Sydney at NIGHT are at their best !

Through this Blog, i would like to say special thanks to all the people from Melbourne who helped me in any way to make my trip better. My heart is full of the good memories from your city.

Photos from Melbourne & around

2006-08-22T14:01:00.000+02:00

- One of the most beautiful Sunset's View in the World at 'Twelve Apostle's' on TGOR.
- The stunning Loch Arch Gorge on The Great Ocean Road (TGOR)
- Entering famous & one of the most scenic place in Australia - 'The Great Ocean Road'
- The View of Melbourne's Docklands & Skyline

How to write a blog when u r angry ?

2006-08-22T05:55:00.000+02:00

Answer: Like i will be writing it now!

1st of all thank you guys for your email replies and comments. Yes i do check my emails everyday but unfortunately i do not have much time to reply to everyone. Reasons ? Many....

1. My WLan is not working so that i cannot upload my blogs which i often write on my laptop.
2. Busy sight seeing and hanging out in SYDNEY with my best friend Fawad from Lahore.
3. Internet is usually 5 A$ per hour ;-)

Latest about me is following:
I left Melbourne on the Sunday morning (20th August 2006) i took (very expensive) taxi from my good friend David's Mum's place. It was f**king 7.15 hrs but i was intime. Check-in was a 30 sec joke as i used the check-in machines and luckily i got a window seat - hurray! the flight was short and -just- ok (except that there was a big FAT actually to be precise -HUGE african women sitting on my left) My buddy Fawad picked my up from Sydney's Kingsford airport. I think i liked Melbourne's airport Terminal more. Then after coming to his place in North Sydney, we went out to the beach. It was nice warm and sunny. From beach we went for the lunch & picked another friend, went out partying and i came back home/his place the NEXT evening ;-) what happened in the middle ? ask me per email :P

Talk to you later guys as i am very angry on Fijian consulate here in Sydney and now i am going to fuck them up. I called them several times, they always tell me different visa requirements and i thought that they have already sent my case to Fiji for approval as it take 10 days to get the approval but it seems to be that they've not!!! so now i am going their to get my 100$ visa fees and docs back and will try to fly directly to New Zealand on this Sunday/Monday.

Comments about Melbourne ? YES :) they will follow next...

Kisses,
Umer.

13th August 2006: Darwin to Alice Springs, Australia

2006-08-19T13:55:00.000+02:00

Right now I am in my Qantas 725 from Darwin to Alice Springs. I woke up at 12 noon and got ready to leave. Koos was very kind to drop me at the airport. There was a f++king long Que at the check-in but Darwin airport is small so it was quick. The interesting thing is that in Australia you can come just an hour before your domestic flight and its OK! I met the same Irish girl who was in my tour group to Litchfield National Park in airport because she’s taking the same flight to Alice Springs with me. Now I have to switch off the PC as we are soon inshAllah landing in Alice Springs. I feel like the time is running quicker than I thought It will. I’m not only in Austrlia but a week or more has passed since I left Zürich! J Thank God its going better than I imagined. Thank you Allah – You are great! I love you.

My flight landed after a few minutes and I enjoyed the view of the Red Outback Australian territory very much. The airport of Alice Springs is much nicer than the one at Darwin. I was a little surprised to see that there were direct flights from Japan by JAL to Alice Springs! The airport is all carpeted and decorated with lovely aboriginal paintings hanging around. Me & Michelle were waiting for our back packs while someone appeared from my back calling me Umer. I said yes its me, he introduced himself as Pen. It was the guy from Hospitality Club whom I wrote to for free stay at his place. I was not expecting him to show up. It was a wonderful surprise for me. At that moment I didn’t wish anything else more than a free stay because I knew that I will be taking a very expensive tour to Uluru – Ayer’s Rock and I must save!

Pen is 6 ft. 2” tall and a very athletic built middle aged fit Australian bloke. He’s working from last 11 yrs in Alice Springs but he hails from South Australia – Adelaide. On the way to his place from the airport, I was impressed by the nice views of Outback. The quietness here reminds me of Iranian & Turkish dessert cities. I can finally feel that I am in the southern hemisphere because its mid of August and today It’s the first day that I feel the ‘winter’. Pen, who’s real name is John, took me on his round to show me some places before arriving at his place. He drove up to a hill in Alice where there is a War monument and great views of the whole city. Then he was kind enough to take me to the market from where I bought a Australian electricity converter. I was happy to get it because there were so many electric devices that needed charging.

Pen’s house is big flat house with a touch of coziness to it. He’s growing vegetable in his back yards along with orange trees. Oranges were really nice sweet & juicy! Pen allowed me to use Internet at his place. While I was busy there he prepared meal for us and booked my trip tomorrow with Emu Run Tours to Uluru for 199 A$ incl. 3 meals & park’s entrance fees. We had a nice conversation over there dinner before I went to bed at around 11 pm.

It was a nice simple relaxing day.

Q&A:

What did I learn today?
How to make a kirsch (spelling!) eggs, cheese, milk, flour, small cut vegetables, salt n spices, meat optional – put them in layers and bake them in oven!

What did I see today?
Alice Spring’s Airport, Flying Doctors place just from outside, The hill with the views of Alice Springs.

I was surprised by?
-The cameleers were brought to Australian in later 1800’s from western parts of Pakistan!
-There are international flights to Alice Springs!

The golden moment of the day?
While driven from Alice’s airport through the ‘Gap’ in the mountains to the city there was a typical Australian yellow sign showing Kangaroo to make the drivers aware that the Kangaroo’s can be crossing the road. It made me really excited! I felt that now I am really in the Outback!!! My dream come true M.A!

What did I teach today?
Muslims back home are getting modernized and more tolerant.

Did I help anyone?
Yes I washed the dishes after the meal at night.

Did I eat something new?
Kirch – but I am not sure may be I had a similar thing in Europe before.

What did I do for the first time in my life today?
--

To how many people I introduced Pakistan?
John (Aussie) Total= 1

Overall rating or the day?
Nice.

My 1st Day in AUSTRALIA

2006-08-17T17:40:00.000+02:00

Thu, 10th August 2006: Palmerston, Australia

The day started somewhere sometime when I was airborne my Qantas flight from Singapore to Darwin, Australia. It was the first time that I flew with Qantas. The experience was ok. Except that it was and international flight but the airhostesses were at least 35 yrs old. Moreover, there was no personal entertainment system. But I would still Qantas in my Top 10.

The flight arrived on-time in Darwin. Before landing I became excited when I looked out and saw the lights of the Darwin city center and the imagined the sleeping city. The touch down was memorable as I landed on the 5th Continent of this world and my 54th Country.

After landing the pilot announced that all passengers must carry their passports in their hands for immediate inspection but asap I came out of the plane, there was no check until the passport control which followed immediately after the tunnel. There were huge poster in that hall stating the forbidden items to bring into Australia and if u do so which penalties are put on you etc. etc. I bought some cashew nut sweets from Singapore (made in Malaysia) for my host Konrad in Darwin but now I was not sure if I should dispose them off or should I declare them and go to the Quarantine section of customs & immigration. Finally my turn came at the immigration. I was asked the regular questions, where am I coming from, how many days am I staying and were, whats the purpose of my visit etc. etc. as soon as I got off from this immigration officer another lady officer which seemed to be the head of these immigration officers came to me. She was white Australian wearing head scraf in Islamic way and also modest clothes underneath. She asked me in details the same questions but as I was use to answering them so it was not difficult to satisfy her. Then the big moment arrived, my face was bright and there was a huge smile on my face which entering Australia. As soon as I stepped on the Australian territory outside the sliding door of customs I couldn’t stop myself from expressing the sheer joy by jumping in air and say Yuhuuuu…. J there were some guys and a girl sitting right infront of the arrival door and they saw me so happy and the girl immediately wished me: welcome back home! I replied with thank you. Home? No… yes no! for a travelers like me… any country I go is my home so yes! These wishes apply to me too. Then I stopped for a moment and looked around as a sleepy head getting awake and getting more aware of the unknown surroundings. After a few minutes I saw Visitors Center so I went there for further information about Darwin. Then I repacked my bags and withdrew some cash – Australian dollars from the ATM. Hey! I must say that I like the Bills of Australian dollars. They are lovely! I was curious to explore a bit more as I had time because my friend Konrad was suppose to pick me up at 6am local time and I had a couple of hours up my sleeve so I went to Qantas country and left the broachers on the floor as I wanted to discuss about my Fiji ticket issue. The lady on the counter, Samantha Bennette was extremely helpful but when I turned around I found out that my broachers have been picked up by the clearners. I thought that I some country the must lay on the floor for atleast a day or two before they are picker but there these people are over efficitent about cleanliness. Anyways, I got them again before Konrad came to pick me up. He’s a nice guy and I am glad he accepted my offer to be his guest. He drove to the Darwin harbour and we watched my first sun rise in Australia Together – Absolutely stunning!

Then we went to the sleepy town of Darwin early morning around 8am for a coffee and a muffin. I learnt that It is not common to tip the waiters in Australia so I didn’t! The first impression of Darwin was a laid-back town where the life has its own pace. Its very relaxed and sunny with bright blue sky – lovely!

My friend – my host Konrad who is basically from Sydney but he has been living in Northern Territory for about 3 yrs. Actually he doesn’t live not in Darwin but in another small town 15 km in the south-east called Palmerston. He drove back there and showed me around places of interest before we arrived back home where his two flat mates were waiting for the car. The other two are originally from Darwin. I relaxed a bit and arranged my stuff before I laid down and took a little nap for about a couple of hours. Konrad woke me up as he was hungry so we drove to the Night Cliff region where I ate famous Barramundi fish for the first time in my life. It was tasty!

We came back home and I went outside by walking to explore Palmerston and use internet to arrange my issue with Fijian Trip (visa). I walked into the main shopping center and to the Flight Center shop where the travel agent girl, Sam was so helpful that she gave me a 20 A$ calling card for free so that I can call Sydney for free. Soooo nice and helpful cheerful people! Lovely!

On my way to the telephone booth I saw the library so I decided to the emails. Then I went to the Palmerston Bus station from where I made a suffessful phone call to Fijian High Commission and got Visa Information but they told me some basic requirements so in order to fulfill the requirements I went to the guy at the bus information counter who was very friendly and helpful. Then I went to National bank of Australia but asap I turned the corner I saw a few dirty old aboriginals. I was a bit scared as I wasn’t expecting them like that just right infront of me after the turn. Anyways, I got a few things done and came back home where Konrad cooked delicious fish which was caught by his house mates. His friend Mark, appeared to have a drink with us. We talked about Pakistan and Switzerland. Had a nice talk and now I am here on the laptop. I can’t imagine that I arrived today. God! The life is so slow here and this is what Konrad and his friends told me.

OK let me get some real night sleep. Bye… Umer.

Q&A:

1. What did I learn today?
Say 6 times Silk and then ask the person what does the cow drink ? He/She’ll say Milk!

2. What did I see today?
Darwin Airport, Darwin Harbour/Wharf, Nightcliff & its beach, Darwin City center, Saw the breathtaking sunrise from the Darwin harbour, WWII Australian memorial with a canon, Palmerston town center, Aboriginals – was so sorry to see the real Australians in such a terrible conditions like beggers in their own country.

3. I was surprised by?
How friendly and helpful are the people here! I wasn’t expecting them to be that friendly to be honest.

4. The golden moment of the day?
Coming out of the immigration & customs door and entering the main hall of Darwin airport – I jumped and said yuuuhuuu! J unforgettable !!! A dream come true !!!

5. What did I teach today?
The handfuls of bad Pakistanis are ruining the reputation of all 145 Million Pakistanis back home.

6. Did I help anyone?
I wanted to help Konrad cook the food.

7. Did I eat something new?
Famous fish from Darwin, ‘Barramundi’ – Delicious!!! Tried Australian version or Smirnoff, called Cruiser Ice J its better!

8. What did I do for the first time in my life today?
Landed on the 5th Continent of the world called Australia, entered 54th country Australia.

9. To how many people I introduced myself/my country?
Two Australian Immigration officer, one customs officer, one lady at the Qantas ticket desk, Konrad (Australian), his 2 house mates (Australian), Mark (Konrad’s friend - Australian), Sam (the flight center travel agent girl - Australian), Fijian Consulate Visa Officer (Fiji)
Total= 10

Overall rating or the day? Good !

The Story of Uluru & the lonely tree - Ayer's Rock, Australia

2006-08-15T00:29:00.000+02:00

Uluru, which was formly known as Ayer'c rock is a symbol we see every now and then on the guide books to Australia. It's known as World Largest SINGLE Stone/Rock. It is in the middle of no where so its not very easy to get there unless you opt to fly to Ayer's rock resort.

On Pakistan's 60th Independence day, 14th August 2006 - this pakistaniguy made it to Ayer's Rock. Initially i was a bit skeptical that if its worth going there but when i saw this giant - Huge - ENORMOUS piece of stone change its colour from muddy to orange and then to red before falling into the lap of darness - it was worth all the money and effort to come here in the Outback Australia! I LOVED IT!!! (more comments and photos to follow in a few days....)

I am sorry guys that i am unable to write longer here as i am experiencing problems to get online with my laptop. I am heading today/tomorrow to Melbourne and i hope i will get the problem fixed there. Till then please bear with me.

Till then stay tuned for more from this great country called Australia!

and hey... yes i saw the Kangroos running and jumping along side our road yesterday on the way to and back from Uluru :-)

Love,
Umer.

Singapore - The Shopping Mall Country

2006-08-09T12:27:00.000+02:00

Hello Friends!

Yes i have safely arrived in Singapore. At the moment i am in 'World's Best Airport of the year 2005 & 2006' Singapore' Changi Airport.

The first impression was this airport was WOW. Clean, airy, filled with green plants in every corner buty in short: i would define this airport more like a huge lavish shopping mall then anything else. But the good thing is that its not a typical airport where you feel that there are TOO many shops and you do not feel relaxed or comfortable but here its entirely here. The whole airport is carpeted, airconditioning is excellent, smell is good. Free internet everywhere, cafe's and bars for chilling out. Indeed its better than Dubai's airport and 90% or airports i have ever flown to/From.

My flight from London Heathrow to Changi, S'pore with British Airways was disappointing. Though the cabin crew was friendly, efficient and generous but the aircraft Boeing 747-400 with double deck was old and weary. I would say that PIA (Pakistan Intl. Airline's) same aircrafts are kept in a much better state. Starting from the outlook of the aircraft to the toilets and the seats, everything looked a bit weary and old fashioned. The paint outside the aircraft was no more white and the 'patch' work was clearly visible. The take and landing produced some scary jerks with noises but anyhow, it arrived punctually in Singapore.

I slept (or atleast tried to sleep!) most of the time (about 9hrs out of 12 hrs 30 mins). I got a seat in the middle row with 4 seats. On my right hnd side was an old man with indian origin and on his right was an middle aged italian man. On my left was a 20 yrs old singaporean girl, 'Shanti' with indian origin. She was the only relief for me in this long boring journey. She was coming from the US and was an interesting friendly being.

So, here i am in Singapore airport waiting for my next flight to Darwin, Australia. Now am going to explore this airport before i go to gate C16 for my flight to Darwin.

Hey, do not cruse me for my spelling errors :P and wish me good luck!!!

Cheers,
Umer.

United Kingdom - The Queens State

2006-08-08T14:45:00.000+02:00

God save the 'Queen' is something everyone is familier with. UK is one of the few countries in the world where there is Monarchy.

Its not my first time here in London so i won't add it to my 'countries visited list'. London is great! its its 24-hrs fun packed expensive life style, bars, cafes, restuarants, clubs, cinemas, theatres.... this is 'a place to be' for people like me. I am seriously considering to move to London from 2007.

My dearest Aunt Mrs.Hassan lives here with her family. She's much more than just-an-aunt to me. Her son, the only child she has, is more elder brother to me than anyone in the whole world. So, coming to London from Zurich was move kind of coming from one home to another or in other words, my last chance to re-think & repack before i am off for a few months on the road where i do not know good or bad people, moments, situations are waiting for me!

hey, btw, i had a very exciting(?), last day in Zurich - Full of happening things... I woke up fresh in the morning, saw my things ready to be packed in the bag - couldnt make the first move to really pack them so i asked Chris's help while in return i prepared breakfast for us. His organizational skills sometimes are really helpful so he packed my bags within an hours or so 'absolutely perfectly' - Thank you Chris! then after checking the regular mail boxes and managing last minute things in the rooms, i was a bit tired so i decided to take a nap in the afternoon. So the drama starts from here... i woke up 30 mins late which means i had just another 30 mins to get up, take a shower, shave and run to the Oerlikon Station in order to catch my train to the Zurich Main station from where my Intercity Train to Geneva Airport was departing at 18.04 hrs. I JUSTTTT made it! I was in the train and the doors got locked :) I said to myself - Hey Umer! good start to your world trip and virtually gave a pat on my back. If it continued like this then it'll be A lot of STRESS but a lot of Adventure - i hope i always catch my trains or planes :P hehe
.... but this was not end of the exciting day. My train arrived perfectly on-time as 99% of the Swiss train. I easily checked myself in at the Easy Jet check-in kiosk/Machine at Geneva airport. The airport was absolutely desserted! shops and airlines coounters shut, no sercurity guards or cleaners and to my utmost surprise, when i said good evening while opening my passport he didnt even bother to turn his head around or have a look even at my photo but he just nodded and thanks -merci-. So, that was easy but what was coming up was not at all easy. My flight was suppose to fly at 22.30 hrs and i was there around 21.45 hrs and guess when did it fly ? at 00.15 -f**k!!! because the plane arrived late so it flew late. I waited 2 1/2 hrs at the boring airport gate 42 for my flight. I was so tired that as soon as the plane was airbourne i fell asleep and only woke up when the two little naughty boys sitting next to me were making considerably loud noise :0 Finally, the plane landed at Stansted at 00.30 UK timei rushed through the long walk ways until the immgration and i couldnt stop myself from my eyes bulging out when i saw the LONGEST EVER Que at an airport terminal in Europe in my entire life - around 10 rows filled with minimum 20-25 people each with just 2 immgration counters operating !!! This was the last thing i expected especially at time!!! there was no other way out so i stood in the Que for 45 mins and .... YES! I finally arrived in Queen's State in the early wee hours of 6th August 2006.

Today is my first Intercontinental flight of this RTW trip (to Singapore) at 20.25 GMT arriving in Singapore on 9th Augusut at 17.40 Singapore Time (09.40 GMT) Then in Singapore i have approx. 4 hrs before flying to next continent - Yes i wrote CONTINENT instead of a country :) Austalia will InshAllah (= I.A) be my 5th continent after Asia, Africa, Europe & North America and i am very excited to go there!

So, that's all from UK & Europe for the moment. Now i am going to have m lunch, shower & shave <(no afternoon this time!!! ;)> before i leave for the airport.

Next Stop: SINGAPORE!!!

Bye bye all in Europe... Catch you guys in October I.A!!! xxx

Be happy - whatsoever!
Umer.

Last day at home before RTW Trip

2006-08-01T23:24:00.000+02:00

Hello Friends!

It is 00.29 hrs on August 2, 2006 - It is my last day back home before i am able to call anything 'home'.

31st of July was one hell of a day - It started with a bad news when i accidently checked latest Visa Regulations for Pakistani to enter FIJI and was shocked to see that i need a visa for Fiji. I called up the nearest High Commission in London and they confirmed this. Now i need to get my Fiji Visa from Australia before i can go there OR i have to find next flight out of Fiji to either Samoa or New Zealand. Then later that day i was looking at my passport and found out that my Brazillian visa expires on 24th September 2006 - exactly the day i am arriving in Brazil. I called up the Brazillian Consulate here in Zürich too clarify what does 90 Days period means (do they count by 3 months or day by day) because if they count by 3 months then i still have 2 more days to enter Brazil whereas if they count day by day then i need another (f**king) VISA! They confirmed that i need a new visa - Shitttt! so as i was leaving for work, i immediately sent my friend to go to them and get something done. Anysays, everything went well and hopefully i will be getting a new visa tomorrow morning. Third thing: I was happy that it is my last day at work but then my boss called me up and said that i must work tomorrow (1st August - Swiss National Day) and on my request he gave me just 4 hrs job to do. So, finally now i am free and doing my last remaning packing.

My packing is going fine. Yesterday i reorganised my room before i leave for 3 months or more. Packed my medical kit, Camera, Cash, Credit Cards, Address book, selected Clothes, Toiletteries Kit, Laptop and soon. Tomorrowi am planning to shortlist the items which i think i can leave because i want to make sure that my backpack is under 10 K so that i can easy wear it, travel with it and even carry it in my hand as a hand lugguge to the plane!!!

Btw, i do have a good news: I have been able to find FREE Accomodation both in DARWIN & ALICE SPRINGS, Australia (which are my first two stops where i am staying 3 days each!). Moreover, my host in Darwin (from Hospitality Club) is also ready to pick me from Darwin Airport at 3.30 am! I am absolutely delighted and looking forward to it...

Today in the day i have a long list of thigns to do starting from 9am till 9pm.

OK guys... i gotta hit the bed now... I'm uploading a couple of pics from my poor room's condition yesterday so that if any of you are planning to visit me should have expected this before ;-)

Bye bye Zürich - Next stop LONDON, UK!!!

G'nite...
Umer.

2006-07-28T23:53:00.000+02:00

6 days to go...

Hi all!

As the race between me and the time goes on, more and more friends of mine are giving me tips how to make most of my RTW (Round the world) trip. Some say that i should think about writing a travel book, some say i should conduct a survey of what people think about various issues around the world, the purpose of life, etc. etc. I say a bit of everything will be good ;-) (very diplomatic approach!)

I have started packing my back pack - I´ve selected one multi-pockets khaki summer pant, 1 full sleeves thick front sipper summer pullover, a pair of flip flops and so on. My tickets should be delievered tomorrow at my aunt´s address in London.

Btw, i am sick of my job and even yesterday i didnt show up work just because i didnt feel like. I dunno how to pass the next 3 days ;-)

The good news is that my Laptop is ready with the WLAN Card so that i can use internet all over the world and keep in touch with u all, upload the latest pics and share the most exciting uncensored stories - ahem ahem .... ;-)

Btw, i am really new to this website and i am still exploring to how upload pics here in the blog and so on so be patient and spare me sometime.

That's all from today...

Catch ya soon xxx
Umer.

PS: The photo is from this year's Berlin's LOVE Parade!

2006-07-26T21:16:00.000+02:00

Hello Everyone

I know you all have been contacting me to know what's new about my world trip. Oh God! i must tell you that it sounds easy to do but believe me its not! i didnt imagine that it will be so difficult to plan flights & accomodation and settle financial & administrative will be so difficult. Since my last post i have been going absolutley crazy. but now all the major problems are over as i have purchased my EXPENSIVE Round the world ticket with British Airways & Qantas Airways called - World Discovery.

Here are its further details:

-:August:-
--------
03: Zurich (by train to) Geneva (by EASYJET to) London
08: London (by BRITISH AIRWAYS to) Singapore
09: Singapore (by QANTAS to) Darwin
09-13th August in DARWIN
13: Darwin (by QANTAS to) Alice Spring
13-16th August in Alice Spring & Ayer's Rock(Uluru)
16: Alice Spring (by QANTAS to) Melbourne
16-20th August in MELBOURNE
22-29th August in SYDNEY
29: Sydney (by AIR PACIFIC to) Nadi, Fiji

-:September:-
-------------
02: Nadi (by AIR PACIFIC to) Auckland
-Exploring New Zealand-
11: Auckland (by AIR NEW ZEALAND to) Nelson and back to Auckland
13: Auckland (by LAN CHILE to) Santiago, Chile
14: Santiago (by TACA to) Lima, Peru
23: Quito, Ecuador (by TACA to) Sao Paulo

-October:-
----------
11: Rio de Janeiro (by BRITISH AIRWAYS to) London
15: London (by RYANAIR to) Friedrichshafen (by ferry to) Romanshorn (by car to) Zurich

2 Months & 12 days, 4 Continents, 11 Countries, Countless cities, 13 Flights, 28065 Miles - AROUND THE WORLD in One Big Trip!

The Significant difference between this and previous travel plan is that now i'll be going Eastwards instead of Westwards. Reasons? Due to high season in Europe, i couldn't find flights either from Madrid, Lisbon or London to South America in the first 10 days of August. So, i had to buy RTW (Round the world) Ticket instead of purchasing oneway-oneway tickets wherever i go... Guess how much would be this entire trip ? No... its more than what you think ;) - i paid 4700 Swiss Francs or £ 2000 :) and this was one of the toughest decision which i ever made in my life....

At the STA Travel in London, i was so nervous - like never before - the agent asked me if i am ready to purchase and buy the tickets and i asked him may i have a glass of water please? hehehe... i never bought anything so expensive ever before (did i ever had this much money before? ;) NO!) and i was certainly feeling the pressure.

Anyways, now i am in the packing stage... what to take, what to leave back home... another tough phase but i hope with support of Allah & all of you on Earth i believe that everything will be fine.

Btw, in August, i will be updating my blog atleast once in 3 days. So seeya soon here...

Cheers,
Umer.

PS: Any tips? Recommendations? References on Couch Surfing or Hospitality Club, or introducing me to your friends or relatives in the cities i am visiting will be highly appreciated. Thank you!

Dreams have no boundries and no horizons

2006-07-05T21:08:00.000+02:00

One of my wildest dream was to travel round the world like many other great travellers from Marco Polo from Italy to Ibn-e-Batoota from Morocco.

I, as a Pakistani need visas to travel to nearly all the countries of the world and it is not-so-easy to get them but as there is a saying 'where there is a will there is a way' so i didn't loose hope and started planning my dream trip - Round the world !

Today after planning for already a couple of months, i have got the biggest news that my Australian Visa has been authorized and i should send my passport to get it stamped in it. It was the last but one of the most important visas required for my trip and i am so glad to be able to get it and go on with my travel plans.

Talking of travel plans... i have been going crazy deciding which way to start my trip eastwards or westwards. Both have pluses and minuses but finally i decided to go westwards. Here are the approxmiate dates of my trip:

2nd Aug '06: Zürich, Switzerland to Madrid, Spain
3-7th Aug'06: Madrid, Spain to Quito, Ecuador (country #53)
14th Aug '06: Ecuador to Peru(country # 54)
21th Aug '06: Peru to Brazil (country # 55)
10th Sep '06: Brazil to Chile (country # 56) to New Zealand (country # 57)
25th Sep '06: New Zealand to Fiji (country # 58)
29th Sep '06: Fiji to Australia (country # 59)
20th Oct '06: Australia to Singapore (country # 60) to Pakistan
5th Nov '06: Pakistan to Switzerland

Today after getting my 2nd visa (1st one was Brazillian) of Peru, i sent my passport with the flight reservation to New Zealand's Consulate General in Geneva, Switzerland.

I still cannot believe that i will be going round the world and travelling for 3 months non-stop. When i think of it i get very excited but on the other hand, i feel under pressure because time is running fast and my preparation is nearly zero :) Especially about South America where people speak mostly Spanish or Portugese, i have not made friends and contacts and i do not know where will i stay and how will i manage things there with my English or German. But to calm myself down i keep on reminding myself that just relax and take things one-by-one :)

Dear friends!
I already feel like missing you on every interesting moment during this time. I'll try to keep in touch with all of you by writing you guys short emails and sending you postcards. Please email me your (latest) postal address and mobile numbers. You know i am not a rich guy but still if you would like to have anything special as a gift, i would like to either send it to you or bring it for you. Just pray that everything goes well and i happily complete this trip.

Cheers xxx
Umer - Zürich, Switzerland.