New Challenges

It should come as no surprise that I like to challenge myself. Earlier this year I got my open water certification for scuba. Beth and I have been out a few times since then. We are getting our advanced open water certification next month.

One of my dives includes the drift dive, I recently did down the Waikato River in Taupo. This involved riding the rivers currents from Cherry Island to shortly before the Huka Falls. Unfortunately Beth couldn't come as she had a sinus infection. So I carpooled with Amanda and Jerome, friends of Helen. Who is a friend I made during the Open Water course. We ended up going out to the Prawn Farm on Sunday and fished for prawns. I ended up catching 6 of them.

Now I'm back to training for races. I'll be doing the Huka Challenge. Which is an 85km mountain bike race. Beth and I are looking at doing a marathon in December. Originally we wanted to do the inaugural Queenstown marathon, but it filled up very quickly. These events will be good training for my large event for the year, St James Mountain Man. It comprises of a 2km lake swim, a 103km mtb ride, and a 48km trail run. I may even do the K2 again as it will be good to do the climbs, even though I haven't been riding hard as of yet.

Santiago Recap

I figured I would break down our trip into different posts as to separate the travel and exploring from the experience of the games. First up would be recap of our days in Santiago and our renewed hatred of being trapped because of snow. Something of which we went out of our way to see and probably wont do again in the near future. If you watch the any of my World Cup videos, turn your volume off. You have been warned. There is a high pitch frequency that will make your ears bleed. 

 We boarded our direct flight (13 hours) from Auckland to Santiago, Chile knowing that getting into Brazil might be an issue. We were alerted by the check-in counter that we needed a visa to enter the country. There will be no blame in this over site of entry requirements, but its a lesson that we need to double check each other. After arriving in Santiago, we grabbed one of the abundant airport cabs to take us to the apartment we rented for our time in Santiago. On the drive into town, we were able to catch glimpses of the Andes Mountain through the fog that gripped the city for most of the time we were there.

 We had 5 days to wander around the city. Beth also got to test our her leg post surgery with a lot of walking around the city and taking ample breaks. I got to sample lots of different foods, including what I can only assume is the national dish: hotdogs. The hotdog shops out numbered everything else and they had their own take on the toppings. Many of the places served from a simple bar where people bellied up and slammed down a couple dogs and a drink for next to nothing. We also found people selling one of our favorite treats, churros, out of vans and carts. These were dusted with cinnamon and sugar and filled with caramel. Very tasty.

 I used foursquare, which I don't use often enough, to locate some cool places to eat, including Galindo for Chilean dishes and Emporia La Rosa for wicked awesome gelato. Galindo was so good that we made an extra effort to get back during our 12 hour layover. The first night, I had razor claims with cheese as an appetizer and then ribs with spicy mashed potatoes. Beth had Pollo Asada both times. The 2nd time, I had a gigantic bowl of Cazuela de Pollo. The neighborhood that this place is in reminded us of Uptown, but it included a zoo. Which I guess could be like Uptown after the bars close. I highly recommend the dulce de leche gelato from Emporia La Rosa.

Beth found a cute place, from Bella Artes, in a high rise (not a hotel) that was within walking distance of the Central Market, Metro stations, parks, and the under construction Catedral de Santiago. I include this last one as they hung a giant picture of the cathedral in front of the construction. Beth and I found this cool little park that had an elevator to take you up about halfway. Even more surprising was that the elevator was manned for 9 hours a day. This strapping statue marked the staircase into the park. The park is on a hill that was heavily fortified including the remains of cannons and several towers. We were treated to some cool views of the area for the top of the hill.

The weather in Santiago felt like a fall day in MN, so I wore either my fleece or soft-shell and that was plenty. It was funny to see how bundled up the locals were. Then again when we took our Turistik tour to Farellones they donned even more warm clothes. We did opt for some cheap winter boots as mesh running shoes in about 8 inches of snow isn't too much fun. We were picked up from the apartment at 8 am for what was originally planned as a 4 hour trip up into the Andes. However, the night before we received an email in Spanish saying something along the lines that because of the bad weather, they were lengthening the excursion to 8 hours. We were ferried off to a central location where everyone disembarked the current bus and hopped on the one corresponding to the tour you were supposed to be on. Our bus for the day was below. It took us up the 40 switchbacks to Farellones. We stopped twice on the way up, once to put on chains and the other time was when we had difficulty going around a corner.

It was here that I was extremely nervous. All the guys were asked to take off their seat belts and move to the back of the bus. Once there, we were instructed to jump up an down while the driver tried to gun it around the corner. This resulted us slipping backwards. At least there were guard rails behind us. We did this for probably 20 minutes until we were able to successfully navigate around the corner.


The first stop, also was the first time several of the people on the tour had seen snow. They quickly

Gelato time

jumped in and made snow angels and probably the funniest thing I have ever seen. Several made snow balls and tossed them up in the air and watched them fall back and crash into their own face. They were shocked at how gravity worked. Beth and I looked around at the landscape not really paying attention to the snow. Once we got to the resort town of Farellones, which hadn't fully opened yet, we walked around for a spell before returning to the Hotel Farellones for a quick meal. The tour was ready to leave, but there was an accident on the road which resulted in a several hour delay while we had to stay on the bus. 13 hours after we left, we stumbled back into the apartment. We didn't stay long as we had to get something to eat. We wandered over to the Central Market for empanadas and other local treats.

Knowing we had to get a visa to get into Brazil, we looked online for where and how to do it. My search resulted in conflicting information from various blogs. Each listed that you needed to bring; a bunch of photocopies of travel documents, passport photos, means of payment (even though you have to go to the bank to pay), and 7-10 days while you wait for the visa to be approved. However, the where to go was up for debate. It also didn't help that my Spanish is what I can recall from Senora Blanco's class back in '97 and I don't know any Portuguese. Maybe I should have allowed my co-worker, who is from Portugal, to come with.

I could get a job delivering stuff by bike.

The first place we read to go was conveniently located a few blocks from where we were staying. We decided to check it out after hours to ensure that the next morning we would be going to the correct location. It was a good thing we did as upon entering the building and asking which floor for the consulate, we were handed a piece of paper saying to go the other location. This would be a 40 minute train ride and a 10 minute walk. From reading the various blogs and travel sites, we got there early as possible as only 10 visa applications were supposed to be able to be lodged a day. We met a really nice guy that helped us out greatly. Its a shame we didn't catch his name. He was born in Argentina, raised in Boston, and now living in Chile. He was looking to get a permit to drive into Brazil for the World Cup. He helped out with translation and even paid for our metro tickets. Thanks to the guy we lodged our application with as he was laying down speech that applications take 7-10 days to process, until we pulled out our tickets and said we had to get in in order to see our matches. I do understand the lack of planning on my side doesn't constitute an emergency on his. Once he saw our tickets, he wrote a note saying come back tomorrow at noon to retrieve our visas. We also did not have to pay for the visas as it was part of a deal FIFA made with Brazil or it would have been another couple hundred of dollars for each of us.

This store is very similar to my email address.

Beth and I really liked Santiago. City wise they have separated bike lanes including their own traffic lights. For food, they have delicious meats, empanadas, churros, and dulce de leche. The people were really friendly and may have thought I should have spoken Spanish better than I did. It is also one of the few towns we have seen more than once while traveling. Who knows, when we live in South America, we may be heading back. Either way, I think I need to practice my foreign language skills more. Nihongo to supeingo o benkyou shimasu.

To Chile and beyond

We started our South American tour and we are ready to watch the games. We are in Chile for a few days where we can get our Brazilian tourist visas sorted. We booked a bus out to the Andes mountains on Saturday and I hear they make some awesome mints out there as well.

We head to Brazil on Sunday and plan on doing some diving and having a go at finding out if Fogo is the real deal.

Action Packed Weekends

Sand Dunes

Over Easter weekend we got in the car and drove up to Northland. It was my first time going up to the Northern most point of New Zealand. We hit some horrible traffic out of town and it took us 3 hrs to drive 60km. We stayed at the base of 90 Mile Beach on Friday night. We stayed at a local holiday park. We made it just in time as the sky opened up and it poured like you wouldn't believe. The next morning we walked along part of 90 Mile Beach. Then we drove to Cape Reinga and ran the Sand Dunes. You had the option to rent sleds and rocket down the dunes, but running was plenty fast as it was.

Saturday we went to Paihia and got on The Rock, a converted vehicle ferry boat for a sampling of water activities. We met Renee a student teacher from Ohio and Victoria a vet from Germany who we happened to bunk with. Our first activity was to shoot at a duck decoy being pulled behind the boat with a paintball gun. It was girls against guys and who ever hit the duck the most got a free drink or chocolate bar. You would have thought since I played a fair amount that I could have hit the duck. I put all 3 balls (the amount each person got to shoot) within inches of the dancing duck.

The next activity was fishing for snapper. I was unable to snag anything, but others on the trip were pulling mad numbers of fish. Unfortunately none were big enough to keep. So our dinner was BBQ steaks, sausages, and a bunch of salads. Renee and I shot pool while we waited for the food to be cooked. You can't imagine how difficult it is to shoot straight when the boat is rocking at anchor.

After dinner we went out for a night kayak. We were treated to a cloudless sky before the moon rose and were able to see the Southern Cross as well as lot of glowing algae. Afterwards several people jumped into the Bay of Islands for a swim. Renee and I opted to roast marshmallows in the fire. We got to talking about how Kiwis don't know about smores and proceeded to eat 2 packages before being cut off. The marshmallows don't taste like back home. Afterwards we drank tea and talked until we decided it was time to retire to the bunks. Some people had a trouble sleeping on the boat, but not me. It reminded me of being out sailing.

The next morning I was up to see the sunrise. We had a quick breakfast of porridge and cereal before jumping in the water for a quick snorkel. We went under the water to retrieve sea urchins. Afterwards, we made our way to Robinson Island where we hiked to the top and learned more about the tragic history of the island. It was a place of much confusion between the locals and early settlers. It led to a hanging of a 17 year old. On our ride back to Paihia we caught a fish and had some awesome sashimi and uni for those who wanted to try it. If you happen to be in the Bay of Islands, stop by for a trip and the crew will take care of you.

We debated on staying up North, but Beth had homework and we predicted the holiday traffic would have been horrible on Monday, so we headed back to Auckland on Sunday evening. We said by to our roommates and had some Movenpick before hitting the road. That was how we spent part of our Easter vacation.

Just me in the car

The following week the country gave remembrance of ANZAC Day. We saw our first rugby game. We purchased a groupon that got us tickets to the game, a bus ride, a roast meal, and a drink. We saw the Blues beat down the Waratahs, 21-13. Beth was super excited to receive a Blues flag when we walk in to Eden Park. The next morning, I loaded up our car with both my mountain and road bike. I first headed to Taupo to ride with the Thames crew. We road around into Taupo and then back out to the Huka Falls, and Craters of the Moon. It was pretty awesome, but some of the hills were brutal. There was the very aptly name 'Incline' trail and the Grinder.

After riding for about 4 hrs, we parted ways and I drove to Tauranga and crashed at Martin's. The game plan for Sunday was to ride the Sundee Hundee. This is a weekly ride leaving from Red Bikes in Mount Maunganui that exceeds a 100 km. We started off with a group of 14, but ended with 3. My legs went bust about 2/3rds of the way through the ride. It wasn't unexpected as I haven't been doing large rides. I ended up taking a short cut at the end of Welcome Bay Road as a few riders went the little bit further around the blokart track. The ride was capped off with a date pinwheel from Cafe Blend and it was oh so tasty.

This weekend we have Rotorua Marathon. Beth and I are battling injuries. She took a hard spill running and twisted her ankle. I'm having the lower back issue again. I've got a chiropractor appointment tomorrow to make an adjustment that will hopefully set it straight. She is thinking of dropping down to the half. I will probably be boneheaded and do the whole thing. I haven't made up my mind.

Then the following weekend we are going up North again. We are going with Performance Diver up to Tutukaka for a diving adventure. We'll be doing 2 dives. From the various photos I've found of the dive sites, we'll be in for quite the experience. Beth and I are talking about getting additional certifications so we can go deeper and do different things.

Then next month we head to Brazil!

Quick update

We are moving to a different place on the North Shore. It will be quieter and smoke-free. It's about the same distance to work but the ocean is just down the street and we have a view of Rangitoto. Will post photos later as well as what we have been up to.

Just kidding. Evidently being vetted by property management company and having the 'ok' from the owner that we would be acceptable candidates. We paid the bond as requested prior to signing the lease. When we went to sign the lease, the owner said he wanted to think it over. He also mentioned something about looks during this conversation. Damn me for not being whiter.

Latest adventures

Our group

After two weeks in Malaysia, Beth and I took off to Waitomo for another glow worm experience. We had hit up Lake Karapiro with my dad to see them on kayaks. This time we hit up a guided event with Cave World because of a grabone.co.nz deal. Beth booked the trip but they set us up on a guided night walk of the cave instead of the black water rafting that we purchased. So we ended up doing the rafting the next day.

The guided night experience was very good. We got to see the cave they excavated and all the bones that they uncovered. We were able to see the glow worms up close and learned a lot. I would recommend this for any one that doesn't want to get cold and in the water. Of course I was excited to get in the water and go rafting and by rafting I mean sitting in a tube. It was like being in a dark lazy river that was lit by the chemical reaction of a larvae.

We came back the next morning and got put into a group with a bunch of University of Waikato students. We were handed wet suits, booties, and a helmet and we jumped into a van for a short ride to the cave property. Then it was a short walk across a paddock, which was hot in the wet suit, but we were soon going to be cooling off as we descended into the darkness. Prior to entering the dark cave we were handed a black inner tube that would be our raft for the laid back meander down the stream. We opted to go through a small tunnel  where we had to crawl through to see the hidden water fall (the picture above).
There were a couple places were we were able to jump down into a lower level of the cave and they even brought in a slide.

We grabbed each others feet to form a train of tubes and stared at the cave ceiling

After the trip to Waitomo, I've been busy with getting certified to go scuba diving. It was 2 weekends in the water, both pool and lake, and 2 long nights in the class. It was a lot of fun and I'm thinking it will be something I could really get into. With the cost of the certification, the entire class gets a free hire so we are planning to go out as a group to  Goat Island. If we are lucky we'll catch some cray fish and do a beach BBQ. What is the next adventure?  I don't know, but the past 2 years have flown by.

Off to KL again

KLIA Concorde

Work sent me to Kuala Lumpur again for, but this time it was for 2 weeks. I got a 1 and half days off to get into the city proper. I got to wander around instead of just hanging within a 10 km radius of the airport. Otherwise it was 10-14 hours spent inside the control room at the under construction KLIA2 terminal.

Not a great day, but not the worst.

KL is experiencing a major drought and while I was there a forest and peat soil fueled fire that basically destroyed the air quality. Most days it was just a thick haze and we questioned if they could land a plane. I'm pretty sure visibility was less than 500 meters at some points. There was a couple downpours while we were there and it allowed me to have a nice Saturday in the city.

Massive park just outside of KL Sentral

I took the express train into the city, which took about 30 minutes and cost $35 for a one-way trip. The train gave you some cool views of the surrounding area moving from farm to city. Off in the distance were large hills. Before you knew it you were at the main station. KL didn't seem the most friendly city to walk in. It took me a while to find my way out from KL Sentral. I ended up walking like a local down the side of the street past a cabbie who pulled over for a bathroom break on the side of the road. Glad I was wearing my shoes as I was walking in the "water" in the street. Who knows what else lurks on the street. Most of my afternoon was spent wandering the parks, museums, and area around KL Sentral.

Planetarium recreations

A short walk away you'll find Lake Gardens, KL Bird Park, The National Planetarium, and National Museum of Malaysia. There is also a bike trail going through the park. The park had a sign for my arch-nemesis, the monkey. There was also a section of a zoo where you could see roosters and deer. Well those were the ones that I could see on my brief walk through the section. I also wandered through several museums and learned a lot about the area and the people.


Saturday night, my coworkers and I went into KL for dinner. We went to a section of town that reminded me of New Orleans. It was nothing but bars offering happy hours and people trying to get you in to drink. Once we sat down at one of the bars, the waitress tried to keep pushing the drinks on us. The street was lined by tourists looking to get loaded and watch either soccer or rugby. We ventured across the street to the Black Forest, where we had an very good meal. On our way back to the car, a woman whose affections were available for purchase wouldn't let one of the older gentlemen out of her site. She was like a dog with a bone, but he wasn't having any of it. We made it back to our car and our night just got a lot longer.

Tasted like Squirt

I don't recommend getting into a fender bender in a foreign country. We were hit on the highway by a young lady who tried to merge onto the highway and then cross 2 lanes. She smacked our front passenger tire and then we pulled over. Waited on the side of the road until her brother dropped another young lady off before driving to the police station to report the accident. We had to type our own incident report on the computer. Then we were given guff for not having an international license nor our passport on us. We had to go back to show the passport and then had another meeting scheduled to take photos of the damage. The photo meeting was canceled and the girl was found at fault.

Sunday, I went back into KL and wandered even more. I was in search of finding street food. I got off at KL Sentral again and made my way to the big pointy things in the sky. I found a market and ate with a bunch of locals. It was tasty fried chicken, coconut milk and artichoke hearts over rice, and hard boiled eggs and egg plant covered in chili pepper paste. After lunch, I was checking out more of the sites and I was approached by a guy who didn't speak english, but gave the international sign of take a photo. I assumed he wanted me to take a photo of him. Nope, he wanted to pose for a picture with me. I took off my sunglasses and he gave me a big hug as he snapped the photo. Afterward he gave me a big 2-tooth grin. I continued on my way and made it to the Petronas Towers, which I was shocked to find a large mall in the bottom several floors. I then happened upon a ramen shop a little way from there. Would a 95 degree day with tons of humidity stop me from indulging in a hot, spicy bowl? Nope.