😠 Je viens de passer 30mn a retranscrire mon carnet de voyage et ...plus rien tout a coup. Alors je recommence.
1ier, 2, 3 novembre 2005.
J'ai quitte une Suisse aux couleurs et aux parfums de l'automne, orange, or, brun, humus et feu de bois pour un vol de plusieurs heures avec des escales a Francfort, Singapour Darwin et pour finir par arrivee a Cairns.
Les controles se sont succeder de d plus en plus serieux. A Francfort j'ai quasi eu lle droit a la afouille corporelle et a Singapour mon coupe ongle n'est cette fois ci pas passe.
Pour finir c'est a Cairns qu'a eu lieu le dernier controle, une fois mon bagage recupere, le passage de douane est une affaire tres serieuse qu'il ne faut pas prendre a la legere, ils chassent tout ce qui peut etre d'origine animale ou vegetale en provenance d'ailleurs. Pas de produits laitiers ou carnes, pas de fruits legumes fleur fruits plantes seche ou autre, pas de deco de noel avec des pommes de pins par exemple.
Une fois dans le hall d'arrive mon controle effectue je me lance a la recherche d'un telephone pour appeler grace a un numero gratuit le backpackers que j'ai reserve pour qu'ils viennent me chercher. Ma hantise etait que dans l'etat de fatigue avance dans le quel je serais je n'arrive pas avec mon pauvre anglais, ame faire comprendre.
Ca a marche, c'est Marc qui est venu me prendre a l'aeroport.
Dehors il fait chaud humide, c'est pas vraiment le genre de temperature dont jue raffole.
Je profite du trajet pour avoir un premier appercu de Cairns. Je suis un peu deconcerte par le fait que je suis a ma place habituelle en voiture mais que cette fois ci je n'ai pas le volant😕.
Arrive au backpacker le Traveller's oasis sur Scott street, je consacre ma fin de matinee a me reposer un peu . C'est grande3ment necessaire, de toute maniere, le sol ondule sous mes pieds et j'ai l'impression tres desagreable que je vais m'effondrer a chaque instant.
3nov. debut d'apres midi.
A peine plus fraiche je me decide apres une douche a ller me promener un peu, et puis il faut que je fasse une ou deux courses.
Le traveller's et situe de l'autre cote de la gare par rapport au front de mer.
Je dois donc passer les voix ferres (2)puis traverser un gigantesque centre commerciale avant de deboucher sur une avenue qui va me mene au front de mer.
De chaque cote de cette avenue il y a de nombreuses boutiques.
Au centre un terre plein, a certains endroits il y a des figuetrees gigantesques qui ont pousses et qui procure un peu d'ombre. Ils sont habites par de nombreux volatiles dont je n'appercois pas le plumage mais dont j'entend le ramage. Pas un son de connu. Tres different du piaf habituel.
Au bout de l'avenue je suis sur l'esplanade, il ya la un parc et un front de mer bien amenage, il y a un lagon d'eau de mer amenage pour la baignade.
Car bien que la mer soit a 20 m quand elle est haute, la zone n'est pas propice a la baignade. Ne pas oublier de toutes facon que la periode des meduses a boite a commence. Elles sont mortelles. Ca dissuade de se baigner, de savoir ca, meme sur les plages les plus belles.
Dans la marina il ya des bateaux enormes qui n'ont rien a envier aux yachts que l'on peut voir sur la cote d'azur. Depuis le port j'ai un peu de recule sur la ville et je peut donc voir qu'elle est entoure de montagnes boisees.
De l'autre cote du detroit j'apercois meme la mangrove d'un vert legerement plus clair. Le sol continue a onduler sous mes pieds.
Apres 3h de deambulations, je m'engouffre dans un grand magazin et j'essae de faire quelque course pour le repas de ce soir et le petit dejeuner de demain.
19h c'est l'heure maximale que j'ai pu atteindre maintenant il faut que j'aille me coucher.
Vendredi 4 novembre 25 deg
6h deja reveillee, petit dej tranquille au bord de la piscine, les fetard d'hier soir on laisse quelques cadavres, dont un d'humain, j'espere que que ce ne'est pas tout le temps comme ca . J'ai bien fait de prendre mon stock de boule quies.
Je me decide pour la visite du jardin botanique. Je prend le bus 7 au city center, je paye 2, 90$ pour le trajet jusqu'au botanic garden, avec en prime un coup de klaxone de la part du chauffeur, qui me signale que je part dans le mauvais sens.
Il y a deux parties, le jardin en lui meme, paradis des arbres, palmiers en tout genre, fougeres geantes et fleurs multiples et une partie parc, plus sauvage, avec des promenades en bois pour se deplacer dans la mangrove ou dans des partie de la rainforest. On peut a certains endroit y voir les nids impressionant des bush turkeys.
Il ya aussi du cote des lakes, un ecosysteme d'eau douce et un d'eau sale.
J'ai du passe 2h dans le jardin lui meme, et apres un pose sandwich j'ai passe deux autres heures dans le coin le plus sauvage a guetter le bruit de deplacement des dindes sauvages.
Fin d'apres midi apres quelques courses au calme.
Petit dej au meme endroit qu'hier, j'ecoute le tapage que font les oiseaux, a mon avis vu qu'ici c'est le printemps c'est aussi le temps des amours.
Hier j'ai reserve un tour, depart a 7h30 en bus depuis la gare, j'en suis a deux minutes a pied et c'est deux mn parce qu'il faut que j'arrive a passer entre les voitures.
Un bus m'emmene au depart du skyrail, pour une fois je vais prendre un telecabine sans avoir les skis aux pieds.
7, 5kms audessus de la canopee de la rainforrest. Comme j'ai pris un des premiers departs je peut monte seule dans ma bulle, vite avant l'arrivee d'un groupe de japonnais.
Em prenant de l'altitude j'ai une vue magnifique sur la baie sur Cairns et sur les montagnes autour.
C'est halucinant de froler la cimes des arbres comme cela.
J'effectue un preier troncon, puis je descend faire un petit tour, environ
500m de passerelles avec des petits panneaux explicatifs, sur les differentes strate de vegetation et la course a la lumiere de toutes ces plantes.
Je reprend une tele cabine et poursuit mon parcourt aerien, quelques bancs de nnuages s'ccroche aux cimes, jeux d'ombre et de lumiere.
2ieme etape arret Barron gorge, apres un parcourt sur un nouveau side walk je debouche sur un e plate forme d'ou je peut observer les magnifiques chute de la Barron river. De l'autre cote de la gorge j'appercois l'arret du train que je prendrais au retour.
Nouvel gondole et arrivee a Kuranda, but de ma visite. A Kuranda elle meme rien de transcendant, le but etais de faire le trajet en telecabine. Je visite quand meme la maison des koalas, et autres marsupiaux. Dans la maison des serpents j'ai hesite a entrer car un python etait entrain tranquillement de se promener sur la rambarde qui normalement le separe du public.
Dans la monde des oiseaux, il suffit d'avoir quelques graines a offrir et vousd voila entoure par une multitudes d'oiseaux de toutes les couleurs, et si vous n'avez pas de graines vous profite quand meme du spectacle. Si vous avez des perles dans les cheveux, il ya des chance pour que vous essuyez un ou deux coup de becs, on sait jamais des fois que ca serais commestible.
Monde des papillons, multiples couleurs vire voltante autour de vous, le magnifique papillon Ulysse aux ailes bleues.
Un burger geant pris au Banjo cafe, quelques boutiques pour faire passer le temps et puis c'est l'heure de mon train le Kuranda scenic railway. Ponts, tunels points de vue sublimes sur les chutte de la Barron riviere, passage pres de stoney creek falls tout aussi sublime et c'est la descente en plein, la voie passe a travers la foret puis les champs de cannes a sucre, avant de faire un premier arret a la gare de FreshWater.
Terminus Cairns.
Dimanche 6 novembre Cairns Cap tribulation
Depart a 7h30, Sidney est le guide pour la journee.
Je ne comprend que quelques mots par ci part la des differents commentaires, domage.
Premier arret a Port Douglas au rainforrest wildlife sanctuary. Interessant. Les casoards sont impressionnant, ils me rappellent, c'est oiseaux dinosaures dans jurassic park. C'est vrai qu'ils ont un look prehistorique, je voudrais pas les rencontrer seule au coin d'un bois.
Notre deuxieme arret est pour les Mossman gorges. Visite commente de ce bout de rainforrest. Baignade pour certains dans la riviere.
Arret a Mossman, beau bled perdu sur la route de Cap trib, surtout un dimanche, pour un arret burger au Daintree cafe.
Debut d'apres midi descente en bateau sur la riviere Daintree a la recherche de salties, croco d'eau salee. Nous en verrons deux. En remontant vers Cap Trib la route longe la cote, j'appercois quelques plages magnifiques une cote escarpeepar moment, et la foret partout autour, liane, fougeres geantes, palmiers et tous les autres dont je ne connais pas le nom.
En tout de fin d'apres midi j'arrive a l'hotel Ferntree, moi je suis dans la categorie Backpackers et donc j'ai le droit a la chambre dortoir, mais certainement la seule qui n'a pas d'air conditionne. 31 degres humidite d'enfer, je n'arrive meme pas a me secher au sortir de la douche.
Lumiere rasante a travers des bancs de nuages sur la montagne en face, fin dapres midi sur la veranda de la chambre bungalo. Vert, ici tout est vert vif.
Pres de la piscine du Casowarri restaurant il y a un arbre ou il ya un fort chahut, des rousettes, chauve souris fructivore se reveillent et attendent l'heure de leur envol nocturne en quete de nouriture.
C'est quand meme impressionnant de regagner sa chambre une fois la nuit tombe, car l'hotel est quand meme en plein foret, et j;entend plein de bruits etranges dans le sous bois.
J'avais herite du dernier lit de la chambre et don c je me trouvais a l'etage du lit superpose, je n'ai pas suporte, j'ai donc pris les couvre lit que personne n'utilisait, vu que nous n'avions pas la clim, et je me suis etendue dessus a meme le sol. Un peu dur quand meme surtout le matin venu.
6h30 petit dej, un peu cher le breakfast a 16, 50$ il n'avait rien d'exceptionnel.
Je vais au bureau de l'hotel et retient une visite guidee nocturene de la forret poour ce soir et une promenade a cheval pour demain.
Et puis avec un plan je pars en direction de la la plage de Myall beach, pour cela dans un premier temps je dois suivre des chemins a travers la rainforrest. Attention ne pas oublier qu'ici je suis dans un parc nationnal je dois donc rester sur les sentiers.
Une petite affiche annonce qu'il reste seulement 1200 casoards sauvages dans tout le parc, qui est gigantesque et que l'on peut rencontrer des casoards et qu'il faut faire attention car ils peuvent etre accompagnes de petits.
Autant dire que le fait d'ern rencontrer est exceptionnel. Et bien je devrais peut etre commencer a jouer au casino, la chamce des debutants.
A environ 300m de mon point de depart, je me fais charge par un casoard.
Deja tout etonnee d'en rencontre un je n'ai pas vue dans un premier temps qu'ils etaient deux adultes et deux chicks, comme y dise ici, donc de bonne raison d'etre agressif, j'avais l'impression d'etre dans un remake de jurassic park, pousse d'adrenaline, c'est que la bestiole est grosse comme un emeu et qu'elle a des pattes enormes pourvues d'ongles de griffes ou de serres, je ne sais comment ca se nomme, mais qui sont capable de vous eventrer un homme a plus forte raison une femme.
J'ai eu du ma;l a mettre de la distance entre nous, mais j'ai quand meme pris deux trois photos.
Je poursuit mon chemin encore tremblante de cette rencontre, et je debouche sur la plage, a ma droite la plage infinie bordee de foret, a ma gauche la meme chose mais l'horizon est barre par le fameux Cap Tribulation ou si je ne me tropmpe pas, Cook s'y echouat.
Bon vous etes capable tout seul d'imagine une plage tropicale, les cliches vous les avez en tete, vous avez pas besoin de mon aide.
Je rajouterais juste, les nuages noire de pluie du plus bel effet, la chaleur humide difficilement supportable et les fameux panneaux australiens, attention meduses mortelles, attention crocodiles, des fois que vous seriez tente par un petit plongeon.
Apres midi au calme, repas rapide et en route pour la viree nocturne en foret.
Chaussures fermees, pantalon, tshirt manche longues et en route, la nuit est vraiment tres noires, brrr, je suis folles me balader en forret a la recherches de bebetes nocturenes que je n'ai aucune envie de rencontree, araignees, serpants, insectes en tout genre.
Les consignes sont claires, en files indiennes ne pas quitter le chemin, ne pas laisser d'ecart, ne rien toucher, ne pas secouer les lianes...
Parcourt sante dans la foret humide et chaude. Stridulation des insectes, bruissement furtifs.
2h30 de ballade a la lueur de lampes. Observe, des araignees, des lezards dragons, un serpent arboricole, idem pour une grenouille d'un beau vert. Un goana, un rat, un oiseau endormi sur sa branche, une souris mangeant des fruits, et l'halucinant spectable de la vegetation eclairee par nos lampes. Pour finir sur la route de retour a l'hotel le mini bus c'est arreter pour laisser passer un jeune python sur la piste.
mardi 8 novembre 6h30 28deg.
Je n'ai pas couche parterre j'ai pris un des lits du bas qui c'est libere.
8h apres le petit dej en route pour une promenade a cheval.
Il y a beaucoup de debutants, et comme souvent ils n'ont pas lu les consignes d'habillement ad hoc, j'hallucine y en a un qui est en short et torse nu et une autre sa copine en fait est en sandalettes. Elle trouvera a l'ecurie une paire de vielles baskettes. Promenade tranquille jusqu'a la plage, heureusement, les guides ont partiellement scinde le groupe ce qui fait que je peut effectuer quelques beau galops.
La aussi on a le droit a quelques explications sur la faune et la flore locale, a force je finis par comprendre quand meme pas mal de trucs.
Apres midi tranquille au bord de la piscine, en attendant le bus de ce soir pour le retour sur Cairns.
La suite a bientot.
Zabinouk je suis ton voyage avec passion et j'espère bien que tu me donneras des idées pour un peut être futur voyage en Australie parce que ce pays à l'air splendide et sauvage et tu sais comme j'apprécie la rainforest. Bon attention aux méduses comme même
bise Emilie😎
Je me suis bien régalée de cette première approche sauvage ...Casoards (hâte de voir les tofs) ... Méduses, crocos, serpents et autres bêbête à poils, plumes ... Le tout dans un décor d'une nature luxuriante de jour, comme de nuit. Voilà ta boite mentale, déjà bien chargée en images 😊
Entre burger, couleurs multiples du ciel, nuit à même le sol, forte chaleur ... Ca nous promet une suite bien haletante.
Les meduses, j'en ai pas vu, sauf sur les panneaux d'avertissement, a cote des bouteilles de vinaigre, que l'on est sence appliquer en cas de piqure.
Pour les photos, si je ne les effaces pas comme ca m'est arrive en les tranferrant sur la Xdrive. Dire qu'il y en a qui m'ont dit que c'etait un jeu d'enfants cette bete la🤪 Enfin si j'ai des probleme j'appelerais au secour.
La suite arrive
J'en etait restee, au retour sur Cairns depuis Cap Tribulation.
Depart du Cap a 16h40 je suis la derniere a etre ramassee par le bus sur le chemin du retour.
Ca demarre fort, le chauffeur a l'air presse, ca m'arrange parce que je crois que le burreau du BP ferme a 19h30 et que je n'ai pas la cle de ma chambre pour ce soir. M'enfin comme j'ai pris soin de faire telephoner pour avertir il semblerais que je trouve la cle sous le paillasson, si j'ai bien compris.
En route je revois c'est drole de panneau de signalisation jaune qui montre un casoard debout (before) et un casoard couche (after) la vitesse est limitee, normalement.
Entre les branches d'arbres j'appercois quelques fugaces images d'ocean et de plages de reves totalement desertes.
Le bus arrive a la riviere Daintree et si a l/aller nous avions fait un tour en bateau, nous prenons cette fois si tout simplement le bac. Une fois de l'autre cote la course reprend a vive allure.
On depose quequ'un a Port Douglas, pour le peut que j'en est vu station balneaire sans grand interret, on y trouve les memes propositions d'excurtion qu'au depart de Cairns.
Il nous aurrat fallut moins de trois heures pour gagner Cairns.
Je trouve effectivement la cle sous le paillasson, je m'instale dans ma chambre, pour le moment je peut encore me payer une chambre seule😛
Je vais me rechauffer une boite... de spaghetti, ben oui il a fallut que je pense au souper de ce soir, et a Cap trib je me voyais mal acheter de la nourriture perrissable. Je m'instale seule dans un coin comme une sauvage que je peut etre de temps en temps, et vite fait je m'enfile les spaghetti sauce tomate, c'est que demain je pars aux aurores.
Une bonne douche peu raffraichissante, vue la chaleur ambiante et puis en route pour refaire un sac allege, je m'embarque pour deux jours une nuit.
9 et 10 novembre 2005
J'ai bien dormi, faut dire qu'hier soir dans le bus j'ai lutte contre de severes attaques de paupieres.
Petit dej au bord de la piscine, chamailleries des oiseaux, je boucle mon sac pour deux jours cadenasse celui que laisse en depot au BP et Mark m'emmene jusqu'au port.
J'ai rendez vous pour 8h Marlin jetee pier D pour embarquer sur le Vagabond un voilier de 19m, je pars pour deux jours et une nuit, faire du snorkelling sur la grande barriere.
Le skipper c'est aussi un Mark, il y a aussi David le moniteur de plonge et Kate la cuisiniere. Nous sommes 11 a embarquer, donc petit groupe, loin des gros bateaux debordant de touristes qui vont gagner le large et les pontons amenages. Je pense que le prix est correcte pour deux jours une nuit j'ai paye 230 $, il me reste juste a paye la location de la combi 5$ par jour et la taxe de je ne sais plus quoi 7, 5$ par jour. Et bien sur mes consomations si j'en prend, mais l'eau le cafe ou le the sont a volonte.
Il y a abord un couple de francais en lune de miel Alex et Regis, des anglais en voyage au topur du monde depuis 2 ans, des hollandais, une coreene, et une neo zelandaise.
Apres un cafe de bienvenue, nous quittons le port et gagnons le couloir de navigation a la suite des autres bateaux, nous sommes parfois depasser par des speed boat, beaucoup de bruit pour rien a mon avis. Pas besoin d'aller a toute allure, il vault mieux p-0rendre le temps de regarder le paysage, car il vaut le coup d'oeil.
Depuis la mer on voit vraiment que Cairns est entouree de montagnes, de foret et de mangrove.
L'ombre des nuages se promenent sur la foret, la lumiere du soleil est filtree c'est magnifique. Au loin je distingue nettement la tour de l'aeroport de Cairns emergeant de la mangrove.
Quand on y regarde de pres, quand la mer se retire on voit apparaitre des branches de paletuviers, la "sauvage nature" est vraiment aux portes de la ville.
Nous logeons un moment la cote une fois sortit du canal de navigation et pres de la cote boisee, la mer devient turqoise, puis au large de Fitzroi islande elle devient bleue fonce.
Je fixe mon regard au loin essaye de me proteger de l'ardeur des rayons du soleil, essaye de trouve un endroit bien ventile, effectivement mon petit estomac, n'a pas l'air d'apprecier les mouvements du bateau.
Cette sensation ne depassera jamais l'etape du malaise, et s'accentue quand j'entre dans un espace clos, c'est pour ca que je reste un max sur le pont.
Pendant le trajet jusqu'aux reefs, environ 3h30, David donne diverses instructions, concernant le snorkeling et la plongee.
Vers midi, nous mouillons a une bouee a environ 20m de moore reef.
Je m'equipe d'un vieux calecon de ski et d'un tshirt (que j'avais pris car je n'etais pas sure de trouver une combi a ma taille), pas sexi pour un sou mais tres efficace contre les coups de soleil. Je trouve quand meme une combi short a ma taille et l'enfile avec difficulte, mais c'est vrai que c'est quand meme necessaire, car au bout d'un moment on finit par avoir froid dans l'eau. Masdque tuba, palmes et oups a l'eau.
D'abord le premier contact est frais quelques seconde apres on est juste bien, sous l'eau le grand bleu, une multitude de particules brillent dans les rayons obliques du soleil. Je palme tranquillement en direction de la couleur brune que j'appercois quand je releve la tete, il est ou le recif?
Enfin sous l'eau aparrait une masse sombre qui s'eclaircie peut a peut. Et....
Difficile de decrire tout ce que je vois et tout ce que je ressent. Je me suis approchee, je flotte tranquillement a quelques cinquantes cm au dessus du recif de corail, il est ocre, rose, orange parfois mauve, parfois beu.
Il est dentelle, il est massif, table, cerveau, il est magnifique, est tres vivant, ca grouille de monde la dessous.
Un banc de poissons rayes noir et blanc semble m'observer tout comme je les observes, je semble etre entoure de minuscule poissons qui luisent dans les rayons du soleil qui est maintenant a la verticale du recif.
Il y a des apics qui me semble vertigineux et d'un bleu profond, il ya des fosses on sont tapis je nje siais quelques dangers, soudain j'appercois une ombre, frayeur quelques secondes, mais ce sont les plongeurs qui eux explore plus profondement le recif.
Il ya de chatoyant poissons perroquets, des petits poissons clowns qui se frottent dans les anemone de mer, il y a des petits poissons qui font la toilette a d'autres plus grands. Il y a des gros bivalves qui se referment quand certains poissons les frollent de trop pret.
C'est magique, j'ai l'impression de voler au dessus d'un jardin merveilleux.
J'entend meme les poissons perroquets quand ils grignotent le corail.
45mn sont passees quand retentit un coup de sifflet a regret je retourne a bord, c'est l'heure du repas.
Sur les deux jours je ferais 5 excurtions de 45mn a plus d'une heure sur differents recifs, a chaque fois la meme magie se renouvelle. La facination est toujours au rendez vous essayez de capturer du regard un petit moment de la vie d'autres etres vivants, c'est comme en safari, la meme sensation, le plaisir de la decouverte.
Mon meilleur souvenir, la plonge de 6h30 le 10nov avant meme de prendrer le petit dej, les plongeus ont plonge, les autres etaient encore couches, j'y suis allee, dire que d'habitude je ne peut rien faire avant de prendre mon cafe, et bien la pas de probleme.
Nous sommes rentres a Cairns le 10 vers 16h30, c'etait vraiment un sortie magnifique.
Bon sang, ce matin le sol continu de tanguer sous mes pas, oh lala, c'est pas drole comme sensation, et je ne vais pas ameliorer les choses, car au lieu de me reposer je pars en excurtion a cheval, ca va m'achever.
7h25 John s'arrete me prendre devant le BP, je suis la premiere a monter dans le bus, il doit faire ensuite la tournee de different BP et hotels pour ramasser ses clients et puis nous allons gagner Springmount a 1h30 de Cairns.
Nous gravissons la route sinueuse que j'avais appercu quand j'avais pris la telelcabine pour Kuranda, nous passerons a seulement un km de Kuranda.
Passe La region de KUrand a la vegetation a commence a change d'aspect, moins tropicale, plus seche, ca me rappel un peu le sud de la France, les Maures ou l'Esterelle, je ne sais pas trop pourquoi.
Le coin me plais beaucoup, plus d'ailleurs que la rainforrest il fait chaud mais plus sec, je supporte mieux. Et puis j'ai moins l'impression d'etre enferme, je crois, mon regard se porte plus loin.
Ca commence un peu a ressembler a ce que j'imaginais de l'outback australien.
La station aussi ressemble a se que j'avais imagine, des eucalyuptus embaume l'air, des hangars eparpilles, des corrals aux barrieres de bois des machines agricoles plus ou moins abandonnees, des epaves de voitures de ci de la, la maison avec un large veranda, les mur et le toit en tole ondulee.
On est acceullit par la femme de John qui nous recommande de bien boire et de manger les scones qu'elle a prepare car le BBQ n'est pas pour tout de suite
Une 50 de chevaux sont rassembles dans un corral, mais une quizaine seulement sont selles.
Je me vois attribuer Tyson, qui n'a pas l'air d'etre un foudre de guerre. Ca ce confirmera par la suite, il doit meme somnoler pendant qu'il marche, car il trebuche a plusieurs reprises, je doitn donc m'epuiser a mettre des jambes comme on dit pour le reveiller un peu. Par la suit equipe d'une baguette il sera plus alerte, il n'y a d'ailleurs meme pas besois de l'utiliser, je la lui est pose une fois sur l'epaule, il la sentit, il s'est reveille.
Nous sommes partis, pour deux heures de promenades, j'ai entendu pour la premiere fois le rire du Kookabura, la region sent l'eucalyptus, j'entend le bruit des insectes, on se croirais vraiment dans le midi.
Au retour le BBQ nous attend accompagne de salades.
Au moment du cafe une averse imprevue s'abat sur la region. Il faut voir la joie de James, 2 ans, petit fils de John qui voit probablement la pluie pour la premiere fois de sa vie, il court partout sous l'averse, saute et patauge dans les flaques d'eau, c'est un quasi miracle pour cette region seche.
Les odeurs en sont exhacerbees, terre humide, fleurs, eucalyptus. La promenade a cheval sera un vrai plaisir, meme si il ne fait pas vraiment plus frais.
Nous serons accompagnes un moment par le vol et les cris de cacatoes noirs a queue rouge.
Apres le the de l'apres midi John nous ramenerat sur Cairns en chantant a tue tete Waltzing Mathilda, version Australienne et version anglaise, domage que je n'ai pas compris, mais vu les rire de mes compagnons la version anglaise a l'air un tantinet loufoque, en plus John prenais differentes voies pour l'interpreter de l'aigu au grave.
Samedi 12 novembre
Journee lessive, c'etait temps, journne envoi de message c'etait temps aussi.
Dimanche 13 novembre.
Ce soir je prend l'avion pour Darwin, j'ai une fois de plus boucle les bagages, mais je ne comprend pas ils sont de plus en plus lourd.
Je les laissent en garde dans le bureau du BP et m'en vais faire un tour.
Cairns un dimanche matin, et bien c'est comme partout un dimanche matin, plutot calme.
Ca s'annime dans le coin de l'esplanade, il y a deja beaucoup de petits enfants qui se baigne dans le lagon.
Ils sont tous tshirt et chapeau pour se baigner.
Le long de la promenade qui longe le front de mer, les barbecue sont deja en activite, quelques personnes court ou font du velo.
Des panneaux en bordure de qui indique la possible presence de crocos et de la presence de meduses.
La maree decouvre la "plage" de boue, dans laquel se promenent spatules et pelicans.
Une air de jeux est deja bien anime, il y a de multiples endroit avec des jeux d'eaux ou les enfants sont invites a pousser, pomper, tourner des robinets pour jouer avec l'eau, ce qu'ils ne se privent pas de faire.
En fin de matinee je prend un copieux breakfast en guis e de dejeuner et j'ai la surprise d'etre servie par une francaise.
Dans deux je part pour l'aeroport, Ce soir je dors a Darwin, demain je suis a Bathurst Island.
Il parait qu'il fait plus de 40 deg, et que le taux d'humidite est tres eleve, la sason des pluies serait en avance .
Ton voyage a l'air de se dérouler magnifiquement. Attention, tu dois tenir 5 mois...à ce rythme là, tu vas nous revenir sur les rotules.
Je me délecte de ton carnet ..un grand merci de penser à nous, pauvres voyageurs en attente de voyages .. tu nous fait voyager loin si loin...que du bonheur
Gros bisou
Ben alors la X'Drive te fait des misères?Tu as pourtant fait des essais avant de partir, non?
Aller, garde le moral et continue ton carnet, nous avons vraiment l'impression d'être avec toi 😉
bonjour en janvier je vais habiter en thailande et jamais je n'ai visiter l'australie et je veux m'y rendre plus de 60 pays visiter et 8 habiter donc de thailande ce n'est pas loin.as-tu visiter sydney et brisbane.
Darwin le 18 novembre je crois, 17h.
En reponse a: Chinook, aujourd'hui je suis sur les rotules, en plus andouille que je suis etant en ville j'ai oublie de prendre ma bouteille d'eau et donc de boire, resultat gros coup de fatigue en pleine promenade alors que j'etais loin de tout debit de boisson.
Vilcanota: decidement je ne suis pas douee, donc aujourd'hui j'ai fait graver 2 CD que j'ai envoye at home.
Parvat et Smokey, merci du soutient
Simba, LOL! Hier soir c'etait bel et bien le verre de biere qui faisait tout bouger, moi qui ne boit pas d'alcool d'habitude, j'ai bien faillit voir mes congeneres roses.
Masulsha, desolee Sydney c'est pour janvier et Brisbane pour mars donc pas de renseignement pour le moment.
A tous vraiment desole pour les fautes, je n'ai pas pris le temps de me relire.
Coup de gueule ou pas coup de gueule?
Allez ca va me soulager alors je me laisse aller, j'en ai marre, deja, des dortoirs de backpackers, franchement y a de quoi s'ennerver, je suis quelqu'un de bordelique je le reconnais, mais quand mon bordel risque de gener les autres par exemple au boulot je fais tres attention a ne pas me laisser aller, alors vous comprendrais mon enervement quand arrivant a plus de 20h dans la chambre commune je dois zigzaguer ou enjamber des monceaux d'affaires repandues partout dans la chambre pour arriver jusqu'a mon lit.😠😠
Bon c'est fait je passe a autre chose.
dimanche 13 novembre fin d'apres midi.
J'ai passe le reste de l'apres midi tranquillement en train de lire un bouquin au bord de la piscine en attendant de prendre un taxi pour l'aeroport. J'ai partage le taxi avec 2 danoises qui elles prenaient l'avion pour Sydney.
Vol sans histoire entre Cairns et Darwin, je recupere mon sac et sort de l'aeroport et la, c'est la baffe gigantesque.
C'est comme si je venais d'entrer dans un hamam geant, beurk je deteste ca, pas le hamam en temps normal, car quand j'en ai assez je sort, tandit que la j'y suis pour 8 jours, je me met directement a ruisseler comme fontaine. Vite je me depeche de prendre la shuttle climatiser qui va me deposer devant mon nouveau BP, l'Elkes.
Avec une autre arrivante tardive je deniche le gardien de nuit qui nous donne une clef, et des draps et je debarque dans la chambre 1, dortoir 4 lits ou justement on dirait qu'il y a une dizaine de personnes qui ce sont eparpillees la.
Je prepare un sac pour la journee de demain, une douche et dodo, apres avoir regle le reveil, il a fallut que je recule l'heure, il y a une difference de 35mn entre Cairns et Darwin, etrange.
Lundi 14 novembre
Incroyable j'ai eu froid cette nuit a cause de la clim.
Debout 6h, douche petit dej sur le pouce, ici le cafe, lait, beure et toast sont a disposition gratuitement.
Je suis un peu en soucis car je n'ai pu confirmer ma reservation pour cette journne et je n'ai donc pas l'heure de rendez vous exact, je fais donc comme si les indications premieres etaient valables.
Je prends un taxi pour me rendre a l'aerodrome, je doit prendre un vol pour Bathurst island.
Arrivee au comptoir de la Ngukkurr Air, je me fais enregistrer, apparement tout est OK.
Mon sac pour la journee est pese, 6kgs🤪(6kgs pour une journee, vous imaginez je pars 150 jours, 150 jours x6... non mon sac principale ne fait pas 900kgs) et puis a ma grande surprise on me demande de monter a mon tour sur la balance😕 Nan je vous dirais rien meme sous la torture😛.
8h15 on nous appel, l'avion n'embarque que 17 passagers, pas gros, le zinc.
35mn de vol au dessus du canal de Beagle, vision a l'arrivee de lagons turquoises, de plages de sable blanc de forets, de pistes rouges. Survol de l'ile Melville pour virer sur l'aile gauche et l'avion repasse le chenal entre Bathurst et Melville pour se presenter face a la piste d'atterrissage. Pose sans histoire.
Me voila donc sur Bathurst island, pour une visite guidee aupres de cette comunaute aborigene. Fred est le guide blanc australien et John et le guide aborigene, l'un et l'autre ce complete et nous donnent les informations.
Notre visite commence par une visite du musee locale, nous apprenons quelques histoires sur la creation du monde, la ce que je n'ai pas saisie, c'est si l'histoire concernait toute l'australie ou seulement les iles Bathurst et Melville. Differents objets sculptes et peints sont exposes la. Il y a aussi une salle qui parle de l'evangelisation de l'ile, c'est un alsacien qui a apporte " la bonne parole" ici.
Apres le musee, visite d'une premiere fabrique d'artisanat, puis c'est l'heure du the ou on en profite pour nous expliquer l'utilisation des differentes racines ou pierres pour obtenir les couleurs qui ornent les differents objets.
Visite d'une deuxieme fabrique d'art, puis visite de l'eglise locale.
Ensuite en route pour un petit billabong a l'interieur de l'ile ou nous en profiterons pour piquer une tete dans une eau tiede et raffraichissante avant le pique nique.
A la place d'une sieste qui serais pourtant la bien venue, on nous entraine sur un sentier pour nous expliquer l'utilisation des differentes plantes qui poussent dans le coin.
On peut voir les marques d'un incendie, ici comme partout ailleurs les aborigenes boutent le feu a la vegetation pour favoriser la repousse et nettoyer le terrain, certaines graines ne peuvent eclorent qu'apres avoir subit une temperature tres elevee uniquement produit par un incendie.
Reprise de la piste pour aller se bruler les pieds sur le sable d'une de ces magnifiques plages tropicales, une de celles que vous avez a l'esprit en reve dans les froides journees d'hiver vous savez bien, sable blanc, palmiers, eaux turquoises, et bien la aussi le paradis est a porte de la main, mais reste seulement a porte de la main il est inaccessible, a moins de vouloir risquer sa vie une fois de plus, ici aussi presence des crocos d'estuaire et des jellyfish mortelles, alors la magnifique plage de sable blanc est deserte.
Notre tour nous emmene sur un promontoir, en foret, ou l'on decouvre apres une breve marche, un site funeraire compose de cinq poteaux sculptes et peints.
Par la suite nous sommes racompagnes a l'aerodrome apres un rapide rafraichissement, nous retraversons le village de la communaute Tiwi.
J'en garde une image un peu triste, c'est le meme genre d'experience que j'avais vecu au Quebec, il y a presque vingt ans quand j'avais visite un village d'indien au coeur de la foret.
Des detrituts de la civilisation un peu partout, sacs plastiques, carcasses de voitures, de frigo..., decrepitude des habitats. habitants qui me semblent amorphes devant leur maison.
J'ai faillit faire deux lapsus de suite, finallement c'est peut etre ca la realite que j'ai percue, j'ai faillit ecrire parc d'indien a la place de village, et j'ai faillit ecrire decrepitude des habitants a la place de decrepitude des habitats. Je vous laisse juge.
L'orage gronde, tonerre, eclairs, c'est le debut de la Wet, la wet season, tant attendue.
A l'aerodrome il y a beaucoup d'aborigenes qui attendent, des petits avions se posent et les enfants grimpent sur la barriere pour les voir se poser.
Assise sur banc, une femme blanche qui a raccompagne quelqu'un attend son depart en nourrissant 3 bebe wallabis et un opossum. Les wallabis sont dans une triple poches en tissus elle leur sort la tete l'un apres l'autre pour les nourrir au biberon. Pour le possum elle le sort d'une poche cache sous son chemisier et lui verse ce qui ressemble a du lait dans le couvercle d'un flacon, il n'a pour l'instant aucun poil.
Ca y est la pluie se met a tomber drue. Notre avion a ete retearde par l'orage il se pose enfin, et le ceremonial de la pesee recommence avant l'embarquement sous une pluie battante.
Une fois encore vol sans histoire, et a mon grand etonement on a pas ete secoue.
Au BP deux messages fixes sur la porte de ma chambre m'indique que mon tour dans Kakadu prevu pour le 16 est avance d'une journee, donc est avance a demain, il faut donc que je prepare mes affaires ce soir.
Un petit sac avec mes affaires pour trois jours et deux nuits en camping et le gros bagage restera en consigne au BP.
Je telephone pour confirmer l'heure a laquelle on doit venir me prendre, 6h30, oups c'est tot. Je met donc le reveil pour 5h45.
Ben dis donc le rythme est toujours aussi soutenu! Et après de rudes journées de découverte, bien remplie ...même poooo possible d'aller faire dodo tranquilous! 😛
Aurais bien aimée être là pour rencontrer les aborigènes et la nourisse des wallabis et de l'opossum.
Belle suite ...Fatiguée, mais veinarde quand même!
Petite reflexion pour commencer: pas facile d'etre vieux ici ou handicape, parce que pour traverser les routes je ne sais pas comment ils font, mais moi en marchant de mon pas normal, je n'ai jamais le temps de traverser la rue dans le temps impartit.
Pour les personnes non voyante accompagnees d'un chien (je n'en ai pas vu) ils ne doivent pas avoir le traditionnel labrador mais un levrier de course a mon avis😕. Deja y a trois signal sonore different, et c'est pas evident de comprendre si on peut traverser ou pas, est ce c'est quand il fait tap...tap.....tap.... ou bien tacatacatac comme une raffale de mitraillette, je n'ai toujours pas elucide le mystere.
Bon la suite arrive trois jours dans Kakadu Nationnale park, plein d'animaux pour Simba .
Comme prevu, j'emborque a bord du 4x4 a 6h30 passee de quelques minutes.
A bord il y a deja bien du monde mais il ne manque plus qu'une personne et nous sommes complet. 10 participants plus la guide Nerida.
C'est une australienne de Sydney qui en a eu marre du stress de la vie citadine et d'un job dans le markettiing et qui c'est reconvertie en guide.
Mais autres compagnons sont suedois, coreen, anglais, americain, c'est une equipe bien sympathique.
Nous quittons Darwin par la Stuart hwy, je vois un panneau qui indique Alice Spring 1470 kms, voila ce qui m'attend dans quelques jours.
Nous bifurquons au bout d'une trentaine de kms vers l'est sur l'Arnehm hwy direction le parc de Kakadu.
Juste avant le passage d'un pont sur l'Adelaide river je vois mon premier wallabi sauvage, qui s'enfuit en bons gracieux. Nerida ralentit sur le pont et nous avons la chance de pouvoir un premier croco, c'est de bon augure pour la suite, car nous sommes en route pour une promenade sur un billabong dependant de la zone de la Mary river.
Nous quittons la route goudronee pour une piste de laterite rouge sang, de chaque cote s'eleve des eucalyptus de differentes sortes, paperback tree gommiers au magnifique tronc blanc et des pandanus.
L'impression et quand meme bizarre car comme je l'ai dit precedement, les aborigenes mettent le feu une fois par an pour favoriser la repousse et nettoyer. Ce n'est pas tres jolis tout ces troncs noirci.
Coroboree billabong, si j;ai bien retenu le nom.Nous embarquons a bord d'une embarcation a fond plat et partons a la decouverte de ce merveilleux ecosystheme.
Des champs de fleur de lotus, boutons roses, fermes ou a peine entrouvert, fleur a leur appogee, larges feuilles flottantes, sur la rive eucalyptus et pandanus c'est de toute beaute . Profusion d'oiseau, spatules, jabirus juveniles ou adultes, snakebird, perche sur des branches mortes et qui ecartent les ailes comme pour les faire secher, ils ressemblent aux cormorans. Jacanas en equilibre sur les feuillesde lotus flottantes, oie, vol de cacatoes blancs, aigles pecheurs, Kookaburra, vol des dragonflyes(libellules), et puis soudain entre les feuilles flottantes apparait un oeil jaune et puis un peu plus les narrines de notre premier croco.
C'est un crocodile d'estuaire ou saltie, il ya aussi dans le coin des crocos d'eau douce moins agressifs que le saltie, mais nous n'en verrons point.
Il a plonge et reparait un peu plus loin avec poisson enorme dans la gueule, probablement un baramundi, il n'a pas fait de bruit et ne semble pas affamer car il n;est pas presser de le manger, il nous observe.
Notre sortie durera un peu plus d'une heure, beaucoup trop court, nous verrons deux trois autres crocos, et nous gouterons aussi aux fruits du lotus .
De retour sur la terre ferme nous poursuivons notre route en direction de Jabiru, une flopee de wallabis detale sur les bas cotes a notre passage, nuage de poussiere rouge derriere nous, giclee de boue aux passages de flaques d'eau, residus de la derniere averse.
C'est le debut de la Wet et certaines parties du parc ne sont deja plus accessibles.
Pique nique sous des gomiers, ou les piafs de service font entendre leur roucoulade, ce n'est pas le petit moineau impudent des terrasses suisses ou parisiennes, mais de splendides cacatoes blancs.
En debut d'apres midi nous atteignons Ubirr rock, un site d'art parietale aborigene. Si j'ai compris les explications, les plus anciennes peintures ont plus de 20000 ans et les plus recentes moins de 40 ans.
Toujours si j'ai bien compris les explications, ces peintures servent a enseigner la loi de la tribu aux jeunes, ou leur servent de planches d'anatomie des animaux pour la chasse ou pour des rituels d'initiations.
Il y en des magnifiques tres bien conservees, qui representent des goanas, des baramundis, des wallabis, des mimis (esprits) celle la franchement je ne sait comment ils ont fait pour la peindre sous ce surplomb.
Et comme c'est ou c'etait encore recement un art vivant, il y a un etrange personnage blanc, qui se promene tel un charlot indolent les mains dans les poches, comme les aborigenes n'avait pas de vetements, c'est probablement un des premiers blancs qui est represente la.
Je ne sais ce qui m'emouvois le plus des diferentes representations tant humaines qu'animales ou bien cette image toute simple d'une main.
Nous voyons differents sites et puis nous commencons a grimper sur des rocs, ce n'est pas un endroit sacre comme Uluru, donc nous pouvons sans autre prendre de l'altitude pour avoir un appercu de toute cette region. Vision a 360 degre sur la region de crocodile Dundee, car il parait qu'une des scenes du film a ete tournee a cet endroit precis.
Crocodile Dundee ou pas je m'en moque je m'en met plein la vue.
A l'ouest les plaines inondables, au nord des forets, al'est une chaine montagneuse qui est la frontiere naturelle avec la terre d'Arnehm, elle se prolonge en direction du sud.
La roche est rouge sous l'effet de la lumiere rasante du soleil filtree par les nuages de l'orage qui approche.
Nous entamons d'ailleur rapidement la descente au moment de la premiere averse.
Par la suite nous prenons le chemin de notre camp pour la nuit, en court de route nous ramassons du bois pour le feu de camp, arret douche en chemin puis alors que la nuit est pratiquement tombee, le chemin devient de plus en plus tortueux et deffonce, nous arrivons enfin au Sandy billabong.
Un sanitaire pour tout le camps c'est tout.
Nous montons les tentes sous les eucalyptus, la aussi la consigne est de ne pas s'approcher de la berge, car comme le signal les panneaux a peine visibles il y a des crocos dans le coin.
La lune est pleine cette nuit et je devine un endroit magnifique, que je decouvrirais le lendemain matin.
Feu de bois, pour ce soir le repas ce compose de tortillas.
22h enfin couchee dans la tente, juste composee d'une moustiquaire, pas besoin de double toit pour ce soir, la lune me fait de l'oeil. Est ce que je risque d'attraper un coup de lune?
Le camp n'est pas calme car les oiseaux sont perturbes par la clarte, et se mettent a chanter.
Des nuages d'altitude voilent un peu les etoiles... et la suite a demain matin.
J'ouvre un oeil, pff! Trop tot, oui mais...
Oui mais le jour se leve et je ne peut resister a aller voir de plus pres le billabong se reveiller, donc je me leve.
Evidement je suis la seule cinglee debout.
Ne depassant pas les panneaux d'avertissement, je regarde de tous mes sens, les yeux bien sur mais l'ouie et l'odorat sont aussi en eveil.
Odeur d'humidite, odeur d'eucalyptus toujours omnipresente.
Pour les sons, c'est le cris de corbeaus ce chamaillant des bon matin, c'est le froissement de l'air au passage des oies, c'est leur appel, c'est le chants de multiples oiseaux que je ne connais malheureusement pas.
Mes pieds chausses de sandales s'enfoncent un peu deans le sol fait de sable, et se mouillent au contact de la rosee qui humidifie l'herbe.
Les noirs silhouettes des arbre sur la berge en face se dessinent sur ciel de plus en plus clair a chaque instant, u peu de gris un peu de jaune pale un peu de rose, sur ma droite entre les troncs des paperbacks trees j'appercois un autre coin du billabong enveloppe de brume.
4 snakebirds sont perches sur les branches d'un arbre mort leur ailes a moitie deployees, dans l'attente de l'apparition du soleil.
Il se montera en fin vers 6h du matin.
Derriere moi le camp se reveille. Reprise du feu, pot noir de suie sur le grill pour le the-cafe matinale, l'odeur de la fumee vient se joindre a celle de la nature . Quel beau debut de matinee.
Le camp est plie, nous nous dirigeons vers une autre partie Du Sandybillabong, jolie crique ombragee, belle plage de sable blanc fin, c'est ici qu'un drame c'est joue il y a 3ans de cela, une allemande c'est fait devorer par un croco, probablement trop tente par le charme du coin par une chaude apres midi, elle n'a pas tenue compte des panneaux d'avertissement et pourtant il y en a partout, tous les 100m environ, et probablement a voulue profiter d'une belle baignade.
Ce matin nous allons sur un autre site d'art parietale Noungarlie rock. Nous voyons la, les vestiges d'un ancien campement, des tables de pierres sont marquees par le travail des humains. La aussi tres belles peintures.
Par la suite nous visitons aussi le centre culturel, avec une tres belle exposition.
Apres le pique nique a la mi-journne nous gagnons Garnamar campground par une piste de terre, nous montons les tentes en debut d'apres midi, laissons aussi la remorque du 4x4 et par une piste completement defonce ou il faut parfois manoeuvrer pour passer les virages, nous gagnons le chemein de depart pour Jim JIm falls.
Dans le sac a dos 2l d'eau le maillot de bain et la creme solaire. On nous promet une belle baignade.
La chute est a 1km, Nerida a dit 45mn de marche, ou est le piege?
C'est qu'il faut la meriter la baignade, chemin heureusement en grande partie ombragee, mais tres difficile, racines troncs d'arbres, rocs a grimper descendre, sauter, en plus il vient d'y avoir une averse il faut donc redoubler de prudence pour ne pas glisser sur les feuilles mortes ou sur la pierre glissante, je m'aide de mes mains de mes genous et de mes fesses pour passer les obstacles, je m'arrete pour boire, je transpire un maximum dans ce sauna geant. a un moment le chemin longe la riviere, mais nous continuons.
Enfin la recompense au fond d'un cirque les Jim JIm falls apparaissent, elles sont plutot riquiquis ces chutes, mais cest seulement le debut de la wet et le debit n'est pas tres fort.
Qu'importe le cadre est magnifique et le fait de pouvoir ce baigner la est tellement incroyable pour moi que je ne regrette aucunement mes efforts.
Je me met a l'eau, elle est tiede, 25, 27 degres je pense, quand je plonge la tete sous l'eau elle est d'un beua vert sombre, incroyable.
en compagnie de Nerida et de Matt j'entreprend la traversee jusqu'a la chute, environ 300m je pense, je m'assoie un moment sous la cascade et je me fait masser les epaules.
Ensuite je me remet a l'eau sur le dos et la je flotte regardant les 203m de chute se detachant sur la falaise ocre et noir parsemee de quelques feuillages bien vert, le ciel bleu et quelques cumulus blancs en toile de fond.
Je souris aux anges, je suis tellement bien. Je revois en pensee la localisation de la chute sur la carte au milieu de nul part et j'y suis .
Apres m'etre sechee au soleil, il a bien fallut entamer le chemin du retour malheureusement sans la promesse d'une belle baignade a l'arrivee. Ma chemise et mon short que j'avais expose au soleil avait seche, je vais pouvoir les retremper sur le chemein du retour. Je dois faire plus attention car je sens la fatigue et je sais que j'ai un facheux penchant pour les chutes dans ce genre de situation.
De retour a la voiture je finis mon deuxieme litre d'eau. Le temps d'un fruit puis nous reprenons la piste, cette fois pour aller sur un sit ou l'on aura un magnifique point de vue pour le coucher du soleil.
10mn de voiture, petite marche sous les eucalyptus beaucoup plus facile sauf les derniers cent metres ou l'on finira meme par grimper sur une echelle avant de grimper sur les rocs.
Le soleil fait la course avec les nuages d'orage.
L'amas rocheux sur lequel je suis perchee jaillit de la foret j'ai une paroie en surplomb dans mon dos et face a moi j'ai plus de 180degres de vision. A quelques distance de la, a l'Est, jaillissent de la foret des falaises rocheuses aux tons ocres oranges, pas de ciel bleu mais un magnifique ciel gris fonce.
Au sud sud ouest, les rideaux de pluies avancent. La nature commence son show, eclires et tonerre. Un arc en ciel timide apparait, bel fin d'apres midi, mais ne nous attardons pas il faut regagner la voiture et le camp si possible avant la pluie. De toute mainiere le couche de soleil est interrompu par la venue des nuages, il lutte bien encore pour essayer de garder encore la premiere place mais les nuages aide du vent sont les plus fort.
Arrivee au camp, nous redressons quelques tentes malmenes par l'orage, et faisons partir le feu de camp pour le BBQ de ce soir.
Nerida a obtenue je ne sais comment le fonctionnement du bloque sanitaire, donc apres avoir derange quelques araignes et quelques milliers de fourmis je peut prendre une douche.
Tient a propos de fourmis, j'ai goutter a celles qui ont un corp vert, petit gout acide sur la langue, rafraichissant.
Au menu de BBQ saucisse, buffalo burger et entrecote geante, accopagner de pomme vapeur et de butterpumkin.
Nous nous refugierons en court de repas entre les duex parties du bloc sanitaire, ce soir spectacle sons et lumieres, le grand jeu de la nature, l'orage est bien la et si plus tot le lecteur CD de la voiture jouait It's raining men, la c'est belle et bien de la pluie qui tombe du ciel.
Heureusement nous pourrons nous coucher sans probleme, mais ce soir les tentes ont le double toit.
5h45, j'ouvre un oeil, non ce matin pas de photos, je reste encore couche jusqu'a ce qu'on m'appel.
6h15 debout, horreur c'est bien ce que j'avais entendu une nuee de mouche m'attende de l'autre cote de la moustiquaire.
Je plis tout le materiel, swag, duvet, je range mon sac et puis je sort et affronte la horde, a croire qu'elles n'attendais que moi pour leur petit dejeuner, je sais que je pue, mais je ne suis pas la seule.
Alors voila comment j'ai pris le voile.
J'ai un vieux foulard en voile de coton, que je trimbale depuis 18 ans de part le monde, il a connu l'Alaska, le Maroc, les USA, la Mongolie, il a fait avec moi des randos en en kayak de mer ou a cheval, il a servit d'echarpe de chapeau, de moyen de contention, ou de moyen de rtaffraichir une bouteille d'eau, il a du vecu.
Et la je me suis refugiee dessous avec mon bol de cereale pour pouvoir esperer manger en paix . Juste une mouche de temps en temps, mais ca joue.
Nous ne trainons pas pour demonter le camps dans ces conditions.
Ce matin en route la Baramundi gorge ou nous attend une petite baignade.
Piste rouge de tonle ondulee, tout vibre dans la voiture, arret aupres de termitieres geantes qui poussent dans la region.
Piste encore plus etroite et puis le parking, chaussures de marche a la place des sandales, donc marche difficle.
Nous partons sur un sentier dans une foret qui me rappel un peu la rain forest de Cap Tribulation, sidewalk en bois, piste de sable flaque d'eau a contourner, beau point de vue sur la riviere Baramundi, pour l'instant le chemin est aise, apres avoir passer une premiere plaque rocheuse, nous quittons l'ittineraire fleche qui lui prenais l'autre rive et c'est la que ca se corse.
On grimpe dans des eboulis rocheux, entre les racines des arbres, je pense avec inquietude a la redescente.
On emerge en zone decouverte en plein soleil, il est 11h et il tape dur, le sentier se poursuit en surplomb etroit au dessus de la riviere qui forme maintenant un petit lac environ 100m plus bas, enfin on touche au but. Quelques personne en maillot de bain a l'abri d'une toile, des cris des splashs et j'appercois la gorge etroite ou je vais me baigner, c'est une nouvelle fois grandiose.
Cet endoit est situe au sommet de la cascade, c'est une succession de spas naturels.
Sur 15m environ un derniere descente dans une crevasse rocheuse, un saut pour passer sur les rochers a peu pres plats qui serviront a deposer nos affaires, maillots de bain et a l'eau avec precaution car les rochers sont extrement glissants. La aussi l'eau est chaude.
Des jeunes s'amuse a sauter d'une dizaine de metres, moi je remonte un peu la gorge et vais essayer de me tenir un moment sous la petite cascade. J'en ai aussi profite pour rince ma chemise, je ne pouvais plus me sentir.
Encore un endroit a meriter, mais cavalais le coup, de nouveau.
Retour par le meme chemin, voiture, 45mn de route, pique nique, voiture 15mn puis un chemin particulierement defonce, maillot de bain, mais la on peut garder les sandales seulement 100m de marche, et de nouveau un petit paradis, totalement desert.
Niche dans la foret, il est completement different des autres point d'eau. Bassin d'environ 50m de long, l'eau est la plus fraiche, jolie cascade, mais la mon ardeur a vouloir aller me mettre en dessous est stoppee nette quand j'appercois les monstrueuses toiles d'araignees qu'il y a audessus. Tant pis.
Seulement un bref arret. Et puis la route jusqu'a Pine creek, 5 de mes compagnons prolonge par Katherine et Lichfield, moi je remontes avec les autres sur Darwin.
Gros orage au moment de nous separer, brefs adieux donc.
230 kms de route Jusqu'a Darwin, du bush rien que du bush, pas de ville, pas de village, un routier de temps en temps, on croise peut de vehicules, quelques road trains, c'est vite monotone.
Magnifique couche de soleil.
Arrivee a Darwin chaleur et humidite ecrasante plus difficile a supporte en ville.
Je retrouverais mes compagnons un peu plus tard pour aller manger, on nous a donne un coupons pour un repas gratuit.
Bruit, musique a fond, jeu pour essayer de gagner 50$ de boissons gratuites🤪 voila mon retour a la civilisation, j'ecourte la soiree apres une biere, deja que j'ai du mal comprendre quand on me parle au calme mais la c'est devenue mission impossible.
Vendredi 18 samedi 19 novembre
Decouverte de Darwin a un rythme de tortue, j'ai decouvert le fonctionnement des lignes de bus, et le bien fait des climatiseurs dans les cafes internet ou le musee.
Petite visite ce matin au marche de Parap, celui de Mandil est ferme pendant la Wet.
J'avais bien aime Cairns, j'aime moins Darwin.
Je pars demain dimanche pour Alice Spring, via Litchfiel, Katherine, Tenant Creek, 3jour et demi de route.
Gloups, un massage sous la chute d'eau... Merci Zabinouk, je vois que Ganesh prend bien soin de toi 😉
Pendant un moment, plus de brouillard à couper au couteau avec 4°c, mais l'Outback australien... Mmmmh...
Enjoy, mate! 😎
On en prend une nouvelle fois plein les yeux (avec toutes ces descriptions) 🙂 Dis donc, le rythme ne ralentit point ...Il s'accélère même! (Déjà que pour traverser les rues ... 😕)
Ca pululle en crocos ... oiseaux ...mouches (vive les bons vieux "doudous" des grands! pour sortir de cette impasse!)
Rien de tel que la baignade avec le cadre visuel et le massage naturel!
Take care et bonne suite de trip, mon grand néléphant.
Ps : dis tu me fait griller un petit pic de brochette de fourmis vertes! 😛
Pour les feux et les passages pour piétons, ils ont à Amsterdam un système assez semblable pour les non-voyants: le tap - tap - tap correspond au vert, et le tacatacatac correspond au rouge. Pratique aussi pour les distraits comme moi qui oublient parfois de regarder les feux...😛
A moins que là-bas en Australie, avec la tête en bas, ils inversent tout aussi, et que le tap - tap lent signifie "te presses pas, t'as le temps avant de traverser..." et que le tacatac rapide signifie "magnes-toi, t'as trois secondes pour traverser! Top chrono!" 😛😎
😕Ganesh a pris un coup de vieux, il a mal supporte le bain sur la grande barriere de corail, pourtant c'etait grandiose.
La toute de suite maintenant il se demande si il va avoir le courage de regagner le backpackers a pied ou en taxi, car aujourd'hui il fait 41 deg a l'ombre a Alice. Mais c'est une autre histoire.
Et une brochette de kangourou, tu prefere pas ? Ou alors du barramundi grille ?😛 Mais je suis qu'une belle lionne comme toi prefere, une belle entrecote de boeuf.
Zabinouk, j'aurai peut-être le plaisir de te voir dans le Alice Srpings News que je lis chaque semaine ! Je ne sais pas, trouve un truc, par exemple : reporter privilégié pour VF 😉 ! Et puis si tu vois une fleur (même sèche -je sais, il fait très chaud) pense à mon bouquet.. Merci beaucoup 🙂 et bon voyage...
Je commence a bien aimer ce pays, notemment les panneaux sur le bord de la route qui disent : " please, arive, alive"
J'aime bien se pays qui offre un cafe gratuit au conducteur de chaque vehicule qui s'arrete juste pour faire une pose dans un trajet long et interminable.
20, 21, 22, , 23 novembre
Dimanche 20 reveillee a 5h du mat, je m'octroie 45mn de rab, ben non rate, y a comme un wagonnet de mine qui deboule dans ma chambre a 5h15 et qui remet ca deux minute plus tard avec les pleins phares.
Il y a un gros orage sur Darwin ce matin, pfff ca va encore faire montee le taux d'humidite.
7h j'attend le bus, 7h15 j'attend toujours, mais bon il doit charger d'autres personnes avant moi... 7h30 je decide de voir la receptionniste du BP, No worries, elle passe quand un coup de fil et effectivement elle me dit que le bus a du retard.
7h40 je vois passer mon bus a toute allure devant le BP je me precipite, non il ne fait pas demi tour, je retourne a la reception, elle telephone de nouveau, NO worries lady, y fait demi tour.
ET vlan voila mon bus qui repasse a toute berzingue dans l'autre sens sans s'arreter, NO worries, no worries, moi je veux bien mais a force y vont finir par me laisser en rade. Enfin de compte il s'est arrete a l'autre entree du bacpackers.
On est seulement 7 plus Nathan le chauffeur guide, qui faisont la traversee Darwin Alice spring.1500kms en trois jours et demi enfin je ne compte pas les detours.
Premier arret dans LItchfield nat. park pour observer des termitieres.
Il y a deux types de termitiers a cet endroit. Des grandes dans les tons ocres rouge, disseminees parmis les arbres et arbuste, elles ont la formes de tours, elle mesure en moyenne 2 a 3m de haut. Et puis il y a celles dites magnetiques, qui sont dans un espace decouvert, comme un alignement de menhirs, elles sont plates et toutes orientees Nord Sud, presentant ainsi le maximum de leur surface a l'Est et a l"ouest pour emagasiner un max de chaleur solaire.
Nous poursuivront dans le parc a la recherche de notre premier lieu de baignade, Florence fall.
Descente par un chemin bien a amenage, une demi huere de baignade, la difficile de se tenir sous les deux chutes cat il n'y a pas de prise pour les mains ou les pieds et la force de ces deux chutes est assez concecantes.
A l'abord de la chute il y a un panneau explicatif, pour expliquer ou se trouve les rochers et les courants et une superbe bouee de secoure
Pour le retour au parking nous suivons unautre chemin, environ une demi heure de ballade, le long d'un ruisseau, je retrouve la moiteur tropicale du nord Queensland, la vegetation est faite de fougeres palmiers divers, tres vert. Sur un panneau explicatif il y a un thermometre et un hygrometre, l'un indique 32 deg, l'autre 95% d'humidite, hamam geant, d'habitude j'aime bien le hamam, sauf que la il faut bouger en plus. PFFF🤪
Bon ca c'etait sur comme on a descendu pas mal de marche pour arriver au pied de la cascade, et bien maintenant faut remonter, on a peut etre gagne 100, 200m d'altitude, mais la vegetation et la temperature change et deviennent plus sec, temperature 35 deg, humidite plus que 60 %.
Enfin le parking le bus, vive l'air conditionne, enfin pas trop quand meme, c'est pas le moment de se choper un chaud et froid.
Pique nique, ya pas pour dire c'est varie, je change pourtant de compagnie, mais je retrouve le mem pain de mie, les memes crudites (salade, concombre, tomates), la meme boite de thon et la meme mayo sucree, je me rejouis😕
Le temps est de plus en plus lourd on a meme un peu de pluie, pas raffraichissante du tout, elle est tiede.
Dans l'apres midi nous visiterons Wangi Falls, et puis auront un beau point de vue sur les gorges de Tolmer creek, et nous finirons par une baignade dans les spas naturels de Buley rockhole.
Retour sur la Stuart hwy, notre arret suivant est dans le celebre pub d'Adelaide river ou est empaille Charlie un buffalo, celebre parce qu'il a tourne dans Crocodile Dundee.
Nuit en camping a Hayes creek au bord de la stuart hwy, cest un de ces routiers que l'on depasse regulierement sur la route, il y a un camping adjacent. Se soir au repas fish and chips, le fish c'est du Barramundi, pas mauvais du tout.
L'ambiance du routier et meme de tous les routiers dans lesquels je me suis arretee, c'est celle que vous pouvez imaginer sans mal, version un petit peu plus moderne des saloons vu dans les westerns americains. Moustachus ou barbus, jeans crados et marcel, la clope au bec, partie de billard, bierre absobee directement au goulot, et quand y cause, je comprend pas un seul mot.
Lundi 21,
Leve 6h depart 7h.
Fantomes gris dans le petit matin des troupeaux qui paissent entre les troncs des eucalyptus.
Phalanges, doigts, mini cathedrales, mini forteresses, mini tours du MOrdor Baradur ou Orthanc, tel ce dressent les termitieres par "champs" entier. Puis plus rien pendant des kms .
Rien pendant des kms, la route ondule tel un serpent noir en direction du Sud et il n' y a rien a voir, le regard se heurte a la vegetation de buissons, d'eucalyptus de plus en plus petits, mais aucune echappee pour la vue hormis la route droit devant . Pas une voiture, pas rod train pendant des dizaines de minutes. Rien.
Alors bien malgres moi, mes paupieres se ferment et quand je les ouvrent rien a change.
9h arret d'une heure a Katherine. Courses, cafe. Les aborigenes sont nombreux dans la ville, assis sous les arbres du terre plein centrale de la Hwy qui traverse la ville. Que font ils la, assis, aqui faire a attendre quoi?
10h nous repartons pour les gorges de Katherine, Nitmiluk en langue abo.
A l'arrivee au bord de la riviere ou l'on doit embarquer pour deux heures de croisiere, il y a un tournage, on nous demande de ne pas faire de bruit. No Worries.
En ateau nous allons parcourrir la premiere gorges puis apres un accostage marcher pendant 10mn pour passer un rapide et prendre le bateau suivant. Au passage bref coup d'oeil sur une peinture rupestre presque effacee.
La deuxieme gorge est magnifique, Peter Jackson aurait pu y tourner la descente de l'Anduin.
Nous y verrons deux crocodiles freshwaters, moins agressifs que les salties. puis c'est le parcourt en sens inverse.
Pour le pique nique a midi, Nathan a prepare un BBQ. La place de pique nique est equipe d'un BBQ au gaz, a libre disposition. MMM c'est bon ca change des sandwichs froids.😛
A cote de nous dans un buisson un oiseau assez terne (de plumage) a construit un tunel de branchage, dans lequel il passe a plusieurs reprise pour aller redisposer convenablement a un bout ou a l'autre la decoration qu'il a depose a chaque entree. Pierre, bouchon plastique, verre colore, tout est bon .
L'apres midi nous reprenons la route pour Mataranka, intalation sur la pelouse d'un camping, des paons parcourt la dite pelouse, puis nous reprenons la route pour une dizaine de kms, dirrection les thermales springs.
Nous entrons dans une epaisse foret de type tropicales, les arbres supportes d'etranges guirlandes nires, qui tout d'un coup se mettent a vibrer et hurler, ce sont des milliers de red flyingfox, autrement dit des chauve souris geantes, les roussettes qui sont suspendues la, la tete en bas. De temps en temps on a droit a un envol bruyant, et le temps d'un eclaire le soleil eclaire les ailes diaphanes de ses etranges mamiferes.
Quand aux bassins d'eau thermale, un petit paradis a 34 deg. Niches au coeur de la vegetation l'eau s'ecoule incroyablement crystaline, sur un fond sabloneux. C;est juste une partie des exterieur qui ont ete amenage pour permettre l'acces dans l'eau, juste quelques marches, en face c'est la nature a l'etat brut. MMM quel pied😏
Au camping, quelques frayeurs dues aux enormes crapauds tapis dans les toilettes😕 ou encore qui deboulent dans vos pieds quand on s'y rend.
Mardi 22
Pu...😠 de paons, des "leon" sporadiquement toutes la nuit et le concert ce matin, c'est le bouquet.
Aujourd'hui route, route, route, vers le sud, arret toutes les deux heures, le chauffeur reclame des volontaire pour lui parler pendant qu'il conduit.
Il pleut quand nous partons. Premier arret le pub de Daily creek un ancien relais telegraphique. Le creek est en cru, il a fallut faire un detour pour passer sur une etroite passerelle.
Devant le pub une vieille baignoire remplie d'eau, deux grenouilles d'un beau vert copulent. Le petit male scotche sur la femelle plus grosse, elle libere c'est oeufs tout en le baladant d'un bout al'autre de la baignoire.
Dans le pub, si vous voulez laisser un souvenir de votre passage, c'est possible, tout est permis apparement, billets(banal) photos, tshirt, soutient gorge, string, calecon, une question me vient a l'esprit, ont ils ete lave, avant de finir acroche audessus du comptoir?
Et la route continue, imuable.
C'est en milieu d'apres midi que l'on commence a percevoir le changement de climat, grace a la vegetation plus clairsemee, plus typique des zones desertiques.
Chemins de terre rouge se perdant entre une vegetation grisatre, a gauche ou a droite de la route.
Arret au camping de Wauchope vers 17h, plus que 380 kms jusqu'a Alice Spring.
Ce soir nous assistons a un magnifique couche de soleil sur les Devils marble suivit d'un pique nique sous les etoiles naissantes. Seules c'est put... de mouches viennent gacher le plaisir d'etre la, mais bon avec la moustiquaire sur la tete...😉
23 novembre
Les derniers 380kms seront avales en 4h30mn avec un arret pub d'une demi heure et un arret au passage du tropique du capricorne a 28 kms au nord d'Alice.
Alice Spring est cernee par les MacDonnell ranges. Rouge est la couleur de la terre ici.
Alice est situee sur la Todd river, actuellement a sec, ce qui a l'air d'etre souvent le cas.
En septembre ils organisent pourtant une course de bateaux sur la Todd, de bateaux sans fond bien sur pour que les petites jambes des participants, fasse avancer les embarcations.
Les seules fois ou la course est annulee😛c'est quand il y a de l'eau dans la riviere.
😕Ganesh a pris un coup de vieux, il a mal supporte le bain sur la grande barriere de corail, pourtant c'etait grandiose.
La toute de suite maintenant il se demande si il va avoir le courage de regagner le backpackers a pied ou en taxi, car aujourd'hui il fait 41 deg a l'ombre a Alice. Mais c'est une autre histoire.
Salut Isabelle 😉😉
J'avais besoin de me réchauffer alors je suis venue te lire avec tes 41°C!!!🤪🤪🤪
Tes écrits nous enchantent et de plus ils enluminent mon écran😄😄
a bientot pour d'autres aventures🤪🤪
Ici Saint Denis à vous Alice😏
😉 Et non je n'ai pas fait la news des journeaux a Alice.
Des fleurs, oui j'y pense il y en a des milliers ici malgres la secheresse c'est quand meme le printemps ici, je photographie des fleurs bien sur, mais je ne sais pas ce que cela donne ra elle bouge beaucoup, il y a toujours du vent.
Mais ce qui me facine le plus au niveau vegetation, ici c'est les river gum tree, des eucalyptus avec parfois des troncs enormes d'une jolie couleur allant de l'argente au rouge ou au veret oui je sia c'est difficile d'imaginer ca, mais j'adore.
On m'a vire du cyber cafe a Alice donc je n'ai pu finir.
A Alice j'ai visite le jardin botanique, pays arride oblige la vegetation n'est pas exubrente comme sous les tropiques mais elle est otu de meme tres interessantes a decouvrir, et puis a lirer les Arthur Upfield, je voulais connaitre les muglas, coolibah gum tree et autre bloodwood, alors y a pas, rien ne vaut une viree au jardin botanique, depuis il y a une colline du haut de la quelle j'ai ete toute seule pour admirer la vue sur La ville et sur les MacDonnell ranges.
Le vendredi matin j'ai loue un velo a mon BP, et je suis partie pour desert park d'Alice Spring> 2km et demi qu'il disait le LOnely, mon oeil, mes fesses elles elles disent 10kms aller et autant pour le retour, avec un 41 deg a lheure du retour.
Enfin ca vallait le deplacement.
Le samedi 26 novembre 6h du mat, je suis asdsise dans le jardin du BP le soleil n'a pas encore passer le toit de la maison je suis donc au frais pour boire mon cafer, ici le petit dej est gratuit.
La radio est eteint, chouette, juste le bruit de la nature, les cigales et les cris d'un vol de cacatoes, les balncs prennent unde couleur doree dans les rayons du soleil levant et les gris a ventre rose voit leur ventre rose vire presque a l'orange. Magique.
7h je suis devant le Alice Lodge et j'attend mon bus. No worries pour de vrai cette fois ci.
Je suis partie pour descendre en 8 jours de Alice Spring a Adelaide, en court de route arret et rando a Kings Canyon, la premiere montee est raide mais ca vaut la peine, le jardin d'eden porte bien son nom c'est un ecrin de verdure niche entre les paroi rouge du canyon, accessible seulement apres avoir grimper sur les rives du canyon et apres les avoir suivi jusqu'au fon, apres c'est echelles et passerelles. Que du plaisir pour les muscles des fesses et des cuisses.
La rainbow valley vaut elle aussi le coup d'oeil, c'est effectivement un arc en ciel de rouge, rose, ocre, blanc.
Uluru, c'etait encore mieux que ce que j'en attendais, je me suis devissee le cou a le suivre du regard chaque fois que je le pouvais. Bien sur le coucher du soleil etait grandiose, mais a n'importe quel moment cet endroit est magique, bon sur les milliers de touristes qui boivent le champagne en grignotant des petit four c'est pas ma cup of tea, mais bon, mentalement j'ai reussit a m'isoler et finalement il etait rien que pour moi.
Par contre 100% de bonheur et presque personne pour le leve du soleil sur Kat Tjuta le lendemain matin, bien sur ils etaeint tous a Uluru. A la rando de 4 h dans la valley of the wind, est garantie avec du vent et prend encore trois bonnes heures, que du bonheur pour les yeux, meme si mes guiboles ne sont pas d'accord avec moi.
Mal aux jambes? Nous allons finir par t'appeler "jambes de laine" 😛 Elles devraient être musclées avec tout ce que tu leur fais endurer.
Bon courage à toi .
Je suis également suisse et je vais me rendre dans un mois en australie pour étudier.
Pouvez vous s.v.p. me renseigner concernant les assurances, étant inscrit dans une école je bénécifie déjà de l assurance de base OSHC, est elle suffisante?
Est qu à l arrivée en Australie on vous a demandé de montrer comme quoi vous êtes bien assuré?
Votre réponse me serai de grande utilité.
En vous remerciant d avance.
Desolee, question assurances j'y connais rien, mais on ne rien demander, question assurance a la frontiere. La seule chose sur laquelle ils sont strict, c'est l'improtation de fruits legumes, viande et autres produits laitier. C'est strictement interdit, et la, la fouille est serieuse.
Olalaaa... Pauvre petit Ganesh... A-t-il survécu??? How are ya, mate?
Olalaaa l'Australie... Merci tout plein chère Zabinouk, de cet autre petit voyage dans ce magnifique pays...
Tha !
G'day mate!🙂
G'day mate! Dis-moi, tu te nourris d'Australie a donf!
Je te souhaite plein de bonnes choses pour la suite de ton voyage.
Je suis censee etre rentree en France depuis 10 jours, mais j'ai reporte de deux mois.... a condition que la prolongation du visa fonctionne... c'est une histoire en cours...
Je suis malade a l'idee de repartir, mais dans un premier temps je n'ai pas trop le choix. Enfin bon, on verra...
A fond, afond et encore plus que ca. PLus le temps passe et moins je comprend d'anglais ...
Hier soir je suis aller voir Harry Potter, j'ai compris la premiere phrase "bloody kids" mais apres cela plus rien🤪, non je plaisante, mais c'est sacrement dur.
J'ai mon dernier circuit qui commence lundi, pour dix jour et puis ensuite a moi de me debrouiller toute seule comme une grande avec ma voiture.
Je me rejouis.
Ca fait deja, plus de deux mois que t'y etais? C'est vrai t'es partie avant moi, j'espere que tu auras ta prolongation de visa. Bonne chance.
Ganesh survit, il avait passe la frontiere sans probleme. Pour l'instant il n'est plus au tour de mon cou car le cordon de cuir a lache, mais ouf je ne l'ai pas perdu.
Je suis desolee j'ai du retard dans mon recit, car je suis maintenant rendu a Perth, mais il faut dire que je passe plus de temps sur la route que dans les cyber cafes. Donc patiente
Bon comme y a encore des courageux qui me lisent je vais continuer, ca va etre un peu moins precis dans les dates et les noms de lieux car j'ai finit mon premier carnet de voyage et je l'ai envoye chez mes parents ce matin par la poste.
Apres la vallee du vent a Kata tjuta(Mont Olga) on est rentree au camping pour le lunch et on avait 3h de liberte avant de repartir en rando, j'en ai profite pour aller me cramer la couenne en essayant de croquer Uluru, et en plus j'aime pas ce que j'ai fais🙁
Je l'ai probablement deja dit, mais j'ai passe 2 heures a marche autour de ce monolythe, en me devissant la tete pour ne pas en perdre une miette.
Re couche de soleil, cette fois j'ai reussi a mieux m'isole je me suis mis le Retour du roi a fond dans les ecouteurs de mon MP3, y a pas ca la fait!!!!
C'est cette derniere nuit a Uluru que j'ai entendu les dingos hurler.
Une fois de plus levee de bonne heure on a un paquet de kms a faire pour gagner Coober Peddy, et une fois de plus je profite d'un dernier regard sur Uluru, alors que le reste du groupe a deja rejoint les bras de Morphee a l'arriere du bus. Pas de sante ces jeunots quand y faut se lever de bonheur😛
Des kms et des kms de routes ou on ne croise parfois qu'un vehicule par demi heure, terrain sec arride parfois plat par fois ondule, la silhouette des desert oak trees se dresse parfois en noir sur font rouge.
Et puis vers la fin dapres midi on voit surgir d'etrange monticules tres regulier dans leur forme, il y a aussi des panneaux d'avertissements, Dange Explosifs, Danger Risque de chute. On approche de Coober Peddy cite miniere ou l'on cherche des opales.
Honnetement c'est a voir si on doit passer dans le coin, mais ca ne merite quand meme pas un detour a moins d'avoir a acheter une opale et d'en profiter pour voir le coin.
Nuit en dugout, le dortoir de l'hotel est creuse dans une coline, il y a pas mal d'habitation de ce genre dans le coin car la temperature exterieur peu avoisiner les 50 deg. avec ces habitations troglodytes la temperature reste temperee hiver comme ete.
Dans le coin il y a avoir, la mine musee quasi en centre ville. Une des nombreuses eglises creusee dans la roche, on peut y voir quelques eclats d'opales, on peut aller faire un tour jusqu'a la fence dog, la barriere anti dingo, longue de quelques 5600kms et qui protegent les troupeaux de moutons du Queensland et du victoria(la je suis plus sur) de l'attaque des dingos. Et pendant qu'on est la on peut pousser jusqu'au breakaway point pour voir les deux dingos le rouge et le blanc qui sont en fait des sites sacres aborigenes. Debauche de couleur ocres rouge, jaune, rose, blanc.
Et puis dans l'apres midi en route pour Williams Creek.
Williams Creek, je vais abrege en WC, c'est 8 a 12 habitants, y en a tellement peu qui sont meme pas sur du nombre. WC et son pub, son golf, sa cabine telephonique son feu tricolore et son parcmetre.
Vous voulez peut etre des details?
Le pub, la biere y est fraiche, il typique de ce genre d'endroit, Tshirt, calecon, soutient gorge souvenirs, accroches un peu partout.
Son golf, c'est un golf 9 trous, mais je ne peut pas m'avancer sur l'etat du green dans cette region desertique.
La cabine telephonique, c'est celle qui a couter le plus cher a installer, un million et demi de dollards aus., a mon avis ca doit couter bonbon d'y faire un grafiti.
Le pacmetre, vous avez tout interret a y mettre des pieces, c'est une tirlire pour la collecte de fond qui revient au Royale Flying Doctor Service, on sait jamais quand on peut avoir besoin d'un medecin, et le RFDS se finance essentiellement par des fonds prives de ce types.
Le feu tricolore dans un endroit ou il y a un pub et un camping plus un ou deux batiment d'origine peu clair? Tout simple quand je vous aurez en plus dit que en venant de Coober Peddy a l'entree de WC il y a deux road signals un disant de faire attention aux enfants qui peuvent traverser la piste et juste en dessous l'autre qui avise qu'il faut faire attention aux avions. Vous voyez le lien avec le feu tricolore?
Et oui, la piste sert aussi de piste d'atterissage d'ou la necessite d'un feu pour bloquer la circulation, mais je ne sais si c'est la circulation routiere ou aerienne qu'il faut bloquer.
Petite parenthese, a WC il y a un super camping, super bien equipe avec douche chaude et toilette niquel, BBQ a gaz et electricite quand elle est branchee. La aussi on a dormit dans un swag et la aussi comme du cote de Kings canyon on a du se replier a l'abri en pleine nuit pour fuir l'orage.
La aussi des le leve du jour les mouches sont presente et essayent a tout pris de visiter tout vos orifices, nez, bouches yeux, oreilles et quand 2 ou3 mouches essayent d'entree en meme temps dans vos oreilles c'est tres desagreable. Bloody flies.
Et puis ce matin la on a eu la sarabande des cacatoes blancs et des galahs (rose et gris).
Apres WC on etait sur l'Oodnatta track, en route pour le sud, on a longe le lake Eyre, j'ai vu un chien geant devant une road house, mais vraiment geant, dans les 7 8 m, plus loin il y avait aussi une marguerite geante et deux avions plantes dans le sol le nez regardant le ciel, c'est de l'art. Je ne me souvient pas du nom de l'endroit.
Dans l'apres midi on a rencontre ALf le sculpteur, TALCART c'est le nom de son art, ne sont a acheter que les pieces ou un prix est indique. Il a reconvertit le drapeau australien, ca me plait bien, garder la crois du sud mais changer l'union Jack britanique par le drapeau des aborigenes Et puis comme Alf avait tenu a nous serre individuellement la main et a connaitre nos prenom et notre lieu d'origine, j'ai eu le droit la premiere a une explication detaillee du symbolisme de mon prenom, ben... j'ai pas tout pige, plutot farfelue le gars😕.
Cette journee c'est achevee dans les montagnes a Angorichina ou les vrais gens sont les bienvenue mais pas les yuppis. Et la on a retrouve la vrai fraicheur, un petit 14 deg dans le dortoir au matin. J'ai oublie de dire que l'on a atteind les Flinders Ranges.
Petite promenade le long de des gorges de Barmann, et puis en route pour Wilpena pounds.
Magnifique camping sous les eucalyptus red river gum, visite des kangourous peu farouche, et superbes ballades. J'en ai choisi une de 3h aller-retour Waranga lookpoint, juste les derniers 600m qui tuent les jambes une fois de plus, mais quel panorama sur le pound. Difficile d'expliquer, je vais reprendre une image que j'ai vue tire de la mythologie aborigene. C'est comme si une meteorite etait tombee du ciel, donc cratere, mais en plus elle a continue de rouler, donc ca forme un cercle prolonge d'une vallee le tout entoure de montagnes, c'est tout vert avec des prairies jaunes, mais de mon point de vue avec le vent qui souffle en raffale il fait pas tres chaud.
Apres la nuit a Wilpena, 10 deg dans la tente au matin, et dire que le vendeur ma assure que mon sac de couchage etait optimale a une temperature entre 8 et 12 degres, mon c.. il fait 10 et je me gele; on a continue la descente sur Adelaide, le paysage est plus riche a present, les moissons battent leur plein, il y a des fleurs partout geranium, capucines, roses, surtout dans la Clare valley ou l'on fait un arret dans une cave viticole pour deguster du vin, bof, j'ai goute un risling, mais bof, bof pas terrible. Et puis c'est Adelaide et le retour au bruit et a l'agitation.
Bon la aujourd'hui les jambes elles sont quasi out, je vais juste avoir le courage de me trainer jusqu'a mon lit tout a l'heure.
Je suppose que le WC exotique dont il est question, tel que je te connais, c'est l'abreviation de William Creek, ce qui te plais c'est son pub et sa biere fraiche je suppose.
Parce que si non j'ai utilise un tout autre WC exotique a Coodlie Park et la pas de biere fraiche😛
Salut Isa,
Et les photos, tu les as expédiées aussi ou sont elles encore dans le X'Drive? Tu les graves de temps en temps? Faut sauvegarder pour être certaine de ne pas les pommer, enfin c'est juste un conseil et surtout, tu ne vides pas le X'Drive.
Bon si toi tu as 50°, ici on se caille, il géle quasi tous les jours, profites en bien 😉.
T'inquiete pas apres en avoir perdues quelques unes, notement le jardin botanique de Cairns, je fais graver des CD regulierement en plus de decharger sur la X drive et j'envoie a la maison.
Mais ce qui me met en rogne c'est que je viens de passer une heure a retranscrire Adelaide et Kangaroo Islande et pff, plus rien. Alors ca va encore prendre du retard, parce que la il est 22h30 et que demain debout 6h, et vu que les zozos au BP vont encore faire du bruit jusqu'a plus de minuit comme tous les soirs, la nuit va etre courte, d'autant que le soleil se levant a 4h30 du amt. c'est les zoizos qui vont commencer leur ramdam.
Et les corbeaux australiens crois moi c'est quelque chose, vivement la pleine nature.
Allez courage dans les froideurs de l'hiver, le gel ca a du bon tu peut toujours mettre des bierres a rafraichir dehors😛
Coucou, jai bien lu le récit du début de cette aventure que tu vis et je t'envie; ce que tu décris semble magique et unqiue en effet je pars en australie au mois d'avril pour une durée d'un mois et j'aurais voulu savoir si tu pouvais me donner un ordre de prix des tours que tu as fait . Merci d'avance,
a bientot et bonne route
Il y a erreur sur la personne ... Il s'agit de Zabinouk! 🙂 (pourtant j'avoue que cela ne m'aurait pas déplu d'être au pays des kangourous!)
Elle est encore en voyage, contactes là en mp.
I’m sharing a little recap of this new 4-week trip to China—nothing fancy, just my experience.
We’re taking advantage of the extended visa exemption to return to China for the 4th time. I loved last summer’s trip so much that I’m a bit worried about being disappointed this year. Plus, I’ve had a few hiccups before this departure: my WeChat account got blocked, and I couldn’t recover it (luckily, Alipay still works fine); I couldn’t verify my 12306 account for weeks; Trip.com failed to book our second train; and I’ve got an injury that’ll slow me down during the trip... Ugh, I hate starting a trip with these kinds of issues. Then, oh surprise! Just before leaving, my 12306 account got verified! Super easy to use from that point on—I could book a few train tickets without fees.
We’re sticking with Free’s e-SIMs, which work great in China.
August 2–3
Anyway, on the morning of August 2nd, we took the RER to CDG. As usual, we couldn’t check in online. It’s always a bit frustrating, especially since we didn’t have any checked luggage. We flew with Air China. We arrived at the check-in counter at 9:50 AM, 2 hours and 40 minutes before the flight. The line for our check-in stretched 300 meters across the airport in both directions. What a joke!! We spent 1 hour and 45 minutes in that line just to reach the counter and get our boarding passes. By then, it was 11:35 AM, and boarding had already started at 11:20 AM. The screens showed a 25-minute walk to our gate—on the other side of the airport, of course—plus we had to go through passport control and security... Long story short, the plane didn’t leave without us 🙂 We boarded among the last passengers, and we took off at 12:30 PM. We’d flown Air China four times before, but this time, it felt *really* low-cost. The check-in chaos, the cramped seats (12 seats per row), no music by artists known outside China, mediocre food, and a boarding area at Beijing Airport with only 10 seats—worthy of Ryanair or EasyJet. And yet, the price was sky-high. Again, D.’s vacation requests were denied outside of July and August, so we’re traveling from August 2nd to 30th. We couldn’t have picked a worse time for inflated prices, and with the situation in Iran, we got hit with a 390 € fuel surcharge. I’ve never paid so much for flights—I felt like I’d bought business class, but nope, far from it!!
We landed in Beijing around 4:15 AM. It was 28°C with thick fog. We drove and drove and drove for 20 minutes, as usual in Beijing. Then we went through a first check, a second check, a third check, and waited for our connecting flight at 6:40 AM. A small Airbus A320, but way more space than in the Boeing 777 from the first flight. We landed in Kunming, Yunnan, around 10:15 AM in the rain.
We headed to the subway. You can’t pay at the machines with Alipay here either, so we set up the transport QR code directly in Alipay to scan at the subway gates. The process is a bit long the first time if you haven’t entered your info before, but once it’s done, it’s *so* much easier! We took Line 6 to the terminus for 6 yuan each.
We’d booked a hotel nearby, on the 16th floor. It’s actually studios on different floors of a huge residential building. The view’s pretty nice from here. We settled in quickly—back to those wooden beds, or rather, mattresses as hard as wood, which we *hadn’t* missed...
Then we went out for our first bowl of noodles of the trip and wandered through the shopping streets of the old town.
It was crowded, and the weather was cool—around 19–20°C. We tried a local specialty: milk skin, thick, dried, then grilled with rose jam. Yeah... we won’t be having that again. The taste and texture of the milk skin... no thanks.
We saw a lot of wild mushroom hotpot too. It’s on our list for later. We also passed through the Jinma and Biji gates, where I played with reflections in puddles. I *love* doing that 🙂
At the end of the day, we headed to a temple advertised as open 24/7 on Amap. Of course, when we got there, it was closed. We’ll go back tomorrow. That was the first of many disappointments with Amap this trip—I hadn’t had that issue on previous visits.
We were exhausted after that sleepless flight. Night was falling, and we decided to grab a quick bite without much appetite. We shared a delicious vegetable fried rice for 12 yuan—we even left half of it. The portions are *huge*.
After a couple of small purchases, we headed back at 9 PM, wiped out, after walking 17 km between the airports and these first steps in Kunming. I expected to see quite a few Western travelers here, but we didn’t spot a single one. Instead, we met lots of curious Chinese people, many of them super friendly and helpful—almost *too* eager, like when they’d run to serve us as fast as possible. It’s a bit much, but it’s great to be back!
For those planning a trip to Kerala, here’s a quick, practical summary.
For the most part: the stunning landscapes, the natural kindness of the locals, their cuisine, and their culture—you’ll get to enjoy all of that once you’re there...
Flight (arrival and departure to/from Cochin)
Avoid Air India and opt for flights via the Middle East: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, etc.
Price: between 500 € and 600 €
Accommodations
Average price: 20 € per night for a couple (max: 40 €, min: 10 €, often including breakfast), via the usual booking sites.
Homestays (staying in the owner’s house) are of a higher standard.
Only 2 nights were spent in questionable cleanliness. The rest were good, even very good, or even *very* very good.
Car with Driver
All-inclusive daily price: tolls, fuel, driver’s lodging and meals... and of course, we often shared our meals with our driver too.
Toyota sedan (e.g., Corolla) for 4 travelers (1 in front, 3 in the back): 50 € / day,
Toyota SUV (e.g., Innova) for up to 6 travelers: 60 € / day
DM me if you’d like more details.
Overall budget (excluding flights and shopping)
Around 1500 € for 1 couple for the 3 weeks... in "2-couple mode"!
(i.e., sharing the driver’s cost).
Itinerary
Night 1: Arrival in Cochin in the morning, departure for Attirappily
Beautiful waterfalls
Night 2: Thrissur
Via Vallachira, not much tourist interest, a stop to ease into the trip and shorten the journey to Wayanad
Nights 3, 4, 5: Wayanad, staying in Sultan Battery
Coffee and tea plantations, dam lake, URAVU (bamboo craft workshop), ...
Night 6: Ooty
Botanical garden, then a really fun tourist train the next afternoon to Metupalaiyam
Night 7: Toward Coimbatore
Nights 8, 9, 10: Munnar
City visit, stunning tea plantations
Nights 11, 12: Thekkady/Kumilly
Amazing tea plantations, sightseeing, Jeep ride, not-so-interesting boat tour on Periyar Lake, trekking options
Night 13: Marari Beach (near Alleppey)
4-hour backwaters tour, then beach (swimming, dinner)
Nights 14, 15, 16: Munroe Island
Super chill, walks around the island (small coir rope factory), sunrise by boat or canoe, sunset
Night 17: Varkala
Gorgeous beaches, shopping
Night 18: Trivandrum
City center visit, then train back to Cochin the next day in 3 hours.
Night 19: Cochin
Fort Kochi is a lovely way to wrap up the trip
Have a great trip in this incredible region, so unique in India!
Here we go with this second travel journal dedicated to the American West! It’s a must when you love it! 😊
We had left off in the charming town of Bisbee, which once thrived thanks to its copper mines. Today, mining is a thing of the past, and the town seems a bit sleepy.
Unfortunately, I didn’t dig deep enough on-site to answer all the questions my observations raised. Guess I’ll have to *dig* into the subject a bit more... no pun intended! 😊
Let’s hop back in the car and head a little further south to check out the esplanade that offers a view—if you can call it that—of the impressive open-pit mine.
Then, it’s off to the Lowell neighborhood.
Preserved almost exactly as it was, this area must’ve been bustling in its heyday. The vintage cars are still around, storefronts and signs look like they’re straight out of another era, and the whole place has a pretty amazing vibe. You’d almost think you were on Route 66!
Here, we’re not just discovering an old neighborhood—it’s a little slice of American history. And, a detail that’s great for my physical health: the area isn’t too spread out.
Lucky me! 😊
I won’t post too many photos here since I think I can turn them into a future photo exhibit. Between these and some shots from Route 66, I should have more than enough material! So, let’s keep a few under wraps... to preserve the surprise. 😊
"So, my little wanderers, back at the decks? What’s this mystery destination you’ve got in store for us at the start of the year?"
Yes, the schoolyard bell’s ringing again! We’re hitting the road... or rather, the skies! At first glance, our destination might surprise more than a few. First off, simply because I was here exactly twenty years ago, and I don’t usually like retracing my own footsteps. Secondly, because the name of this place screams mass tourism—basically the opposite of what Flo and I look for.
Despite that, in this land of backsheesh, I’d promised myself I’d come back one day to experience it my way. And since Flo told me, during our wanderer chats, that this destination straddling Africa and the Middle East was in her top 2 travel dreams, the stars aligned for this roots-style trip to quickly make it onto our pharaonic festivities program! Unless you’re totally clueless in general knowledge, you’ve probably guessed by now—we’re off to Egypt! Of course, a few classics will be on our itinerary, but above all, we want to soak up a culture that can’t be appreciated in four-star resorts or on a Nile cruise boat. And let’s be clear, these next two weeks won’t be a walk in the park—neither for our two daughters who are joining us, nor for our bodies!
And that’s clear from the get-go: after our first flight, eight hours of trying (and failing) to sleep on Milan airport’s metal seats, our second flight, landing, passport stamps, our Uber ride, and our first Cairo kilometers, we finally drop our exhaustion at the little guesthouse we booked in Giza. Doesn’t all that energy deserve a little reward?
Oh, absolutely! And here it is: a full-on slap in the face for everyone! But just look at this view from our hotel terrace? For 20 € a night for four, even with this incredible view, I figured the room must be pretty shabby, right? Nope... Is the staff rude, then? Nope... Okay, so what’s the catch? You’re gonna tell me breakfast is included too? Well, yes! Honestly, this Egypt trip is off to a great start.
And the rest of the afternoon, spent rubbing shoulders with locals, only confirmed this vibe. After digesting our pyramid view, we dove into the hustle and bustle of our neighborhood with the goal of exchanging money, eating at street stalls, and testing the hospitality of the locals. Ten out of ten!
Eight little sun breads with baba ganoush and falafel? 80 pounds, or 1.5 €. A dozen Middle Eastern pastries? Same! 80 pounds! Two hawawshis, those little pita breads stuffed with meat and spices? 10 pounds each, or about twenty cents! Not to mention all those smiles and free "welcomes" left and right!!!
What a welcome! We end this first day with a sunset over the three sisters of Giza—where we’ll obviously be gawking tomorrow...
I love islands. So it’s no surprise that the Azores have been catching my eye for a few years now. The first time I suggested them to my dear partner back in 2021, he preferred the Lofoten Islands—an excellent choice, as it turned out, since we got to visit them with hardly any crowds. But for various reasons, the opportunity didn’t come up again in the following years. Until last year, that is. But by then, we’d left it too late—too late for the Azores, I mean—and the choice of accommodations on Flores and São Jorge was extremely limited. We decided to skip it without even looking at car rentals. So this year, we booked our flights, lodgings, and cars well in advance (between December of last year and early this year).
The Azores consist of nine islands, so you have to make choices. I quickly ruled out São Miguel, which deserves a week all to itself: from reading various blogs, some travelers seemed disappointed after visiting the other islands, even feeling it lacked the charm unique to the Azores. True or not, that was reason enough to leave it out.
In the end, we wanted to go to Flores for its lush nature (and because it’s reputed to be the most breathtaking), to São Jorge for its rural/nature vibe, and to Terceira for its cultural side and its *impérios* (more on that later). With the time we had, we could add another island without rushing. We like to take our time and wander a bit. Generally, whether it’s a viewpoint or a hike, we always spend more time than everyone else. Pico won out over Faial thanks to its wine culture. And of course, there’s Corvo, which is usually visited as a day trip from Flores. I thought it’d be nice to spend the night there to experience the atmosphere once most tourists had left. I hesitated between one or two nights and ultimately went with two (so we wouldn’t be rushed by the boat schedule). It was an excellent decision.
Here’s how it all panned out:
August 25: departure for Terceira via Lisbon at 7:40 AM;
August 25–29: Terceira;
August 29: flight to Corvo. It was supposed to take half a day, and we were meant to arrive in the early afternoon, but between schedule changes and delays, it ended up taking almost the whole day;
August 29–31: Corvo;
August 31: boat to Flores around 8:30 AM;
August 31–September 5: Flores;
September 5: flight to Faial in the early afternoon (originally scheduled for the morning, but the times changed)—visit to Horta;
September 6: boat to São Jorge around 9:00 AM;
September 6–11: São Jorge;
September 11: boat to Pico at 11:15 AM;
September 11–16: Pico;
September 16: flight to Paris via Lisbon from Pico around 10:30 AM.
We had to juggle a bit to optimize the prices of our flight tickets from Paris and the inter-island travel.
And we still haven’t seen everything!
Before setting off for new horizons at the end of this year, it’s time for me to share my trip to Cape Verde this summer 2025.
I particularly love these spontaneous trips, and our stay in Cape Verde is one of those because it was only at the beginning of April that we decided on this getaway, which had been catching our eye for a while, given our love for the mountains.
As always—well, when it’s open—I turned to VF, and I want to immediately thank Marie, aka ptitortue, who helped me a lot in planning this trip through her travel journals and our exchanges!
Because Cape Verde is both small and vast! We decided not to rush from one airport to another, to enjoy the places and the people, but also to relax, since the work backlog from being stuck in May (see my previous travel journal 😅) had to be caught up on in June.
So, 4 islands will be our winners from 06/28 to 07/19:
Santiago first for logistical reasons, as round-trip flights from the capital Praia were the cheapest (650 €/person from Lyon via Lisbon with TAP, still!)
São Vicente, because it’s the gateway to the next one but ultimately more than that...
Santo Antão, pretty much the main goal of the trip since Marie (and the photos) had really sold it to me.
And finally, Sal Island, for some rest—a non-negotiable condition for my other half—and we’ll see that I should’ve listened to Marie...
That said, what a chatterbox I am—buckle up, flight attendants at the doors, off we go on new beautiful escapes! (Thanks to Sophie for the easy loan)
Last note for my eager fan club 😏: yes, there will be alcohol—how could there not be in the land of grogue!
Hi everyone, I’m Patrick, 67 years old, a seasoned traveler (already 22 trips outside Europe).
In autumn 2025, I took my first 3-week trip to Japan, with stops in Tokyo, Kamakura, Matsumoto, Kamikochi, Takayama, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Koyasan, Tokyo again, and Nikko.
I wanted to go back in May 2026 and explore some lesser-known places to complement my first trip.
Last year, there were four of us traveling together to discover Japan (a fairly classic itinerary). This time, I’ll be traveling solo for part of the trip and with a couple of French friends for the rest.
The weather was gorgeous in May, averaging around 25°C, with two very hot days in Kyoto and only two rainy days.
As usual, I organized everything myself, gathering plenty of information from various sites, including this one.
Transportation:
An ICOCA card is essential.
I got a 5-day Kansai-Hiroshima pass because I took the shinkansen between Hiroshima and Osaka three times, and it paid for itself quickly.
Accommodations:
Mostly through Booking. No issues at all. Average cost was 46 € per night.
Meals:
For breakfast, I alternated between buying food at a konbini to eat in my room or on the train and grabbing something at local cafés.
For lunch and dinner, I tried to vary my meals as much as possible—lots of sashimi, sushi, and ramen.
Okonomiyaki in Osaka and Hiroshima.
Oysters in every form (raw, grilled, fried) in Onomichi and Hiroshima.
A variety of seafood (shrimp, shellfish) in Hiroshima and Matsumoto.
Fish whose names often escaped me, but notably mackerel and eel (unagi).
Tempura and gyoza.
Chicken skewers (yakitori) and one teppanyaki meal.
One omakase meal (9 different dishes).
In the end, not much meat aside from a few yakitori skewers. No splurges on super expensive wagyu or Kobe beef.
Average dinner cost: 4,800 yen, drinks included.
The Itinerary:
Day 1: Departure from Brussels
Day 2: Arrival in Osaka
Day 3: To Himeji, then Kurashiki
Day 4: To Fukuyama, then Tomo no Ura, then Onomichi
Day 5: Cycling the Shimanami Kaido
Day 6: To Takahara, then Hiroshima
Day 7: To Kyoto to attend the Aoi Matsuri parade
Day 8: To Miyajima
Day 9: Hiroshima, then Kyoto
Day 10: Southern Kyoto
Day 11: Northern Kyoto
Day 12: Final day in Kyoto, then to Nagatsugawa
Day 13: Start of the Nakasendo Trail (Magome to Tsumago)
Day 14: Second day of the trail (Kiso Fukushima)
Day 15: Third day of the trail (Narai), then Matsumoto
Day 16: To Mt. Fuji (Kawaguchiko)
Day 17: To Tokyo
Day 18: Excursion to Enoshima and Kamakura
Day 19: Flight home, with a 10-hour layover in Hong Kong
Day 20: Arrival in Brussels
Alright, this year, we're heading back to South America!
The initial plan was to retrace the route we imagined in the summer of 2020: a trip to northern Argentina starting from Córdoba.
Unfortunately, the flight to Córdoba no longer exists, and airfares to Javier Milei’s country are both outrageously priced and involve multiple layovers.
So, I tweaked Google Flights every which way and finally found a flight within my budget—departing from Clermont-Ferrand!
Not to Argentina, though...
Our transatlantic flight will cross the snow-capped Andes, landing in Santiago, Chile, with a return from Lima!
In between, two domestic flights and a big road trip loop starting from the coastal city of Arica to explore the treasures of northern Chile.
Our mode of transport: a pseudo 4x4 that won’t take us through sand dunes or devilish tracks but will let us tackle the entire secondary network, including unpaved main roads, while still being insured.
Is the suitcase packed with all-season clothes?
Are the driver’s license and passport ready?
Bank cards and a few euros too?
Off we go for just over 3 weeks of southern wanderings!
--/--
To keep all my esteemed readers on track, here are a few maps outlining the Arica-Arica loop!
1- From Arica to San Pedro de Atacama via Pica and the Salar de Huasco
2- Around San Pedro
3- From San Pedro to Cariquima
4- From Cariquima to Putre
5 - From Putre to Arica
Gas stations in this part of Chile are located in Arica, Iquique, Pozo Almonte, Pica, Calama, and San Pedro de Atacama.
It was winter, a winter with beautiful weather,
A season that only exists in the southwest of America,
I remember very well what I told you that morning
A month ago... A century ago, an eternity ago...
We’ll go... wherever you want, whenever you want...
Well, yeah, back from our adventure in our enchanting American West just a month ago, we’re already taking a bite out of one of its lesser-known competitors. "Flo, if you had to pick just one reason to justify your love for the U.S., what would it be?" The greasy, dripping burgers? No, I don’t think I’m going out on a limb by saying it’d be the wide-open spaces... And that’s exactly what our new quest is taking us to—a land on the other side of the globe where the horizon also seems endless, where silence tastes like salty wind and sand, where freedom is measured in kilometers of desert tracks, where the GPS is mostly there to confirm you’re lost in the middle of nowhere... Add to that magic formula the fact that you’ll see more zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, and elephants than people per square kilometer, and you can imagine us setting foot in Southern Africa for the first time, more precisely at the small airport in Windhoek, capital of... of...? Brush up on your geography, damn it! We’re landing in Namibia!!!
To be honest, Namibian landscapes have been flirting with me for ages. So how did I resist this island of temptation for so long? First, the budget. Let’s just say that for the same amount of effort (and kidneys), the bank lets you choose two other adventures almost anywhere else on the planet. Then there were my girls. Yeah, back then, they were too little to dose up on Malarone, the only malaria remedy at the time... Long story short, ten years later, all the planets have aligned. First, I won the Euromillions! Well, almost... Let’s just say my girls are now old enough... not to take Malarone, but to stop following me on all my adventures! Jackpot! "Flo, how about a little two-person caprice, just the two of us, tackling the Namibian tracks?"
As we landed on the runway, first wow effect: The horizon is immense. It’s flat as can be, incredibly flat... So much flat space! Did I mention it was flat?... Looking into the distance, it feels like your gaze could circle the Earth without hitting a single obstacle—until you end up staring at your own backside. "Oh, what a nice view!" Well, it’s the first time I’ve seen my butt from this angle! Touching moment... Sorry, I’m rambling—must be the exhaustion from the three-flight marathon we just powered through via Ethiopia and South Africa... And yet, no time to philosophize about my anatomy. As usual, we want to rack up our first kilometers to be front and center at dawn tomorrow. After wrapping up the tedious Namibian immigration formalities and meeting the 4x4 that’ll be our companion day and night for the next fifteen days, we’re off! We’re not exactly fresh, but we’re ready to tackle the next five hundred kilometers in night mode, cruise control set due south! Just outside Windhoek, the local wildlife—a jackal—welcomes us with a smile: "Welcome to Namibia!" That’s what it said! Honest... Okay, first endless straight road, first flaming sunset, first corrugated dirt track, first Milky Way with zero light pollution... You get it—it’s definitely the day of firsts... First night camping, too, in the big trunk of our Toyota Fortuner parked by the side of the track... The real adventure, the kind that smells under the arms, can finally begin...
I’m reposting here a travel journal originally published on the Routard forum in 2022 during VoyageForum’s hiatus. Without altering its content, I’ll try to streamline it. The few comments on the political situation reflect my feelings at the time and don’t account for events since then! I’d rather avoid debates on the topic. The photos are nothing fancy—just illustrative.
The context: we’re coming out of COVID. We’re looking for a not-too-distant destination, and Jordan has been catching our eye for a while. After some thought, we wonder if we shouldn’t take advantage of the geography to hop over to Israel. After all, Jerusalem is less than 100 km from Amman. Plus, Transavia lets you combine both destinations.
To plan our trip (February 19 to March 4, 2022), we contacted three French-speaking agencies in Amman. Their itinerary proposals were pretty similar, but the prices varied significantly. Given the many positive reviews we read on travel forums and a very attractive rate compared to competitors, we quickly settled on Ahmad Ababseh’s agency. Still, deep down, we had a slight worry—so many glowing reviews seemed a bit over the top, but we took the chance.
During the preparation, which happened in a very short timeframe (less than 10 days), Ahmad didn’t provide detailed roadbooks, and we made do with brief email or phone exchanges. Few details were shared either. We discussed hotels, with Ahmad preferring the ones he knew. We picked our hotel for our arrival in Amman, but before agreeing, Ahmad insisted on inspecting the rooms.
For payment, Ahmad only asked for a 500 € deposit and trusted our word for the balance, which we paid upon arrival. He also committed in writing to refund the full deposit if our trip was canceled due to COVID.
Finally, for the Israeli part, Ahmad contacted an agency in Jerusalem to handle the logistics. He didn’t take a commission.
Off to Southern Africa again! This time, the trip wasn’t just about wildlife—it was also about the local cultures and the breathtaking landscapes Mother Nature has to offer. It was an emotional rollercoaster in every way, as you’ll see.
We visited two countries: Zambia, known for its reserves, and Malawi, which is less well-known but absolutely worth a visit. Our flight landed in Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital, where our vehicle was waiting—though with a 3-hour delay. It was a 4x4 without the rooftop tent this time, since we stayed in lodges (prices are very reasonable in Malawi). Just a heads-up: don’t exchange money at the airport or banks—the official rate was 1,750 Malawian kwacha to $1. On the black market, the rate was between 3,000 and 3,500 kwacha, making the cost of living much cheaper.
With that out of the way, our first stop was South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. The first hiccup came at the Malawi-Zambia border: we were missing a document the rental company had forgotten. After some back-and-forth, they sent it via WhatsApp ($20 to get it validated by the police). But things got worse—the car’s chassis number was off by one digit from the registered one. I thought our trip was over before it even started! After what felt like forever, we got through with a "tip" of $200. Total border crossing time: 3 hours, costing nearly $400. We arrived in South Luangwa after dark.
Thankfully, the next day made up for it with an incredible day in the park (check out the photos).
We spent two full days in South Luangwa before heading to Katete for the Kulamba ceremony.
Kulamba is an annual event held at the end of August, celebrating the Chewa people, who live across Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique. The Chewa king attends, and representatives from neighboring nations bring offerings. Thousands gather for dances, speeches, and a massive market. There are few tourists, making it a truly authentic experience.
After a few days in Zambia, we returned to Malawi (the border crossing this time was smooth—just 45 minutes). Next stop: Lake Malawi.
Lake Malawi covers over 20% of the country and stretches 580 km. It’s home to a family of fish called cichlids, some of which are endemic to the lake. I recommend taking a day trip from Cape Maclear for snorkeling and to watch the fishing eagles swoop down to catch fish.
We hit the road again to visit Liwonde Reserve, where we had a few surprises. The lodge was on the other side of the river that borders the park, and the elephants didn’t seem to care. On the way from reception to our rooms, elephants blocked our path, and one even charged just before the stairs leading to our treehouse-style rooms.
To top it off, monkeys ransacked our rooms, tearing through plastic bags for food. A mixed experience, but no real harm done.
Next up: the mountains, specifically the Mulanje Massif. This is where Malawi’s tea is grown, and it’s also a great spot for day hikes or multi-day treks. The scenery is stunning, though sometimes the mist rolls in and hides it.
After the mountains, we visited another reserve: Majete. The park is growing and now has more wildlife. We saw lions and even caught a fleeting glimpse of a leopard. And of course, the elephants got involved again—this time giving us a real scare.
During the morning game drive with a guide, we stopped to watch a herd of elephants feeding. Everything was fine until, for some reason, a female got spooked—probably for her calf—and positioned herself in front of us on the track. After a few minutes, we thought the elephants would move on, but then a young one started provoking us. The problem? We had females and calves in front of us, but also two large adult males—one behind us and one to the side.
We were trapped, and even our guide looked nervous. After what felt like an eternity (though it was only a few minutes), the herd finally moved on, freeing the track. That afternoon, we did a self-drive safari and—you guessed it—we had zero interest in running into elephants again.
The next day, we headed back to Lilongwe for our flight home. It was a fantastic, varied trip with some intense moments (sometimes *too* intense). Malawi offers amazing opportunities for those who want more than just wildlife reserves.
Preamble:
Africa was calling to me, so a year ago, with our usual travel companions, we decided to return to the continent we love so much.
Where to go?
Uganda quickly caught our attention—wildlife we’re used to seeing, plus gorillas and the shoebill we missed in Zambia.
We got in touch with Paul, who’s been mentioned several times on the forum back in September, booked our flight tickets, secured the gorilla permits, and by early October, the most important things were done.
We still had plenty of time to hold our "prep meetings" for the final itinerary.
Three days before departure, I sprained my ankle (my weak spot, as you’ll recall from our Colombia trip).
I wasn’t in great spirits, but after a year of waiting, nothing was going to stop me.
We’d see how it goes!
Off we went for our new adventures
After as many weeks as I have fingers on my right hand, we're hitting the road again, fully recovered from our pharaonic adventure. Back in France to drop off our daughters (sorry, girls!), this time it's just the two of us, ready to be welcomed by a new destination. They say it offers one of the richest cultural heritages in the world for those willing to put in the effort. It's the land of the ancient Silk Road, where we'll follow a journey steeped in history and discoveries straight out of *One Thousand and One Nights*. A former Soviet bloc region independent only since 1991, we'll be walking in the footsteps of Genghis Khan, Tamerlane, Alexander the Great, Marco Polo...
Another fun fact about this country: it's strictly forbidden to import porn on your phone. True story. The same goes for painkillers! Unless it's about sodomy—though the two don’t seem connected, that’s just how it is. Don’t ask me why! Anyway, I’m getting off track. Here’s the big question: Where do you think we’ve just landed?... To give you a hint, the locals are known for being incredibly welcoming. No sooner said than done—our first taxi driver, proud to transport French travelers, refused to let us pay for the ride. Great vibes for these two weeks ahead. So, any guesses?
Uzbekistan!!!
So, a new year has begun. It’s time to reconnect with the VF buddies and wish you all my best for 2026—a year I hope is obviously full of travel, since, as I just made up:
"If travel’s good, everything’s good" 😄.
To celebrate, I’m inviting you into my new "travel journal," the one from our latest trip in November 2025, a little two-week adventure.
This time, we headed to The Gambia, a tiny country tucked right in the middle of Senegal, before making our way to Casamance.
The Gambia is English-speaking, Senegal is French-speaking, but the locals? They couldn’t care less—because in this part of the world, they mostly speak Wolof, Fula, Jola, or Mandinka.
Hence the title: Senegambia 😉.
As usual, I’m sharing the live updates I sent to friends and family—super casual, of course.
I know this isn’t the kind of destination that draws crowds, but if you love adventure, laughter, and emotion, it might just be your thing 😊.
I hope this travel journal might interest some people, but since we were completely self-sufficient (tent, sleeping bag, pot, cooking over a wood fire…) almost every day, I don’t have many hotel addresses or great restaurant tips to share! Sorry!
We used the Maio map at 1:50,000 scale. It’s part of the Boa Vista/Sal/Maio map. Bought on Amazon, but currently unavailable as of the latest news.
The people of Maio are extremely welcoming and warm, and we were always more than well received in the villages where we pitched our tent!
We’re usually big hikers, but since Maio is a beach island (gorgeous ones, at that!), we alternated a few hours of walking in the morning with some relaxation in the afternoon: beach, reading, fishing, resting…
1 euro = 110 escudos
Day 1 (Friday) Transfers by plane: Fogo-Praia-Maio
We opted for the plane to save some time on transfers, as the boat connections between Fogo and Praia take a while, and those between Praia and Maio are almost nonexistent.
You should budget around 40-50 euros per flight per person.
There are 2 flights per week between Praia and Maio—on Tuesdays and Fridays when we were there (January 2016), but currently on Mondays and Fridays.
A bit of a delay leaving Praia, but we arrived on Maio without any problems around 4 PM.
We took an *aluguer* (shared transport, 200 escudos per person) to the center of Vila do Maio, but it’s totally doable on foot with a backpack.
Since it was already a bit late, for this first night, we dropped our bags at Big Game Maio. A standard European-style hotel run by a very nice Italian family. It’s a bit pricey for us (5500 escudos for 2 people with breakfast), but after our 2 weeks in a tent on Fogo, we were happy to find a little comfort. And the breakfast is ultra-generous, with fresh products (cured ham, fruit, cheese, bread) and top quality. The hotel restaurant offers dishes that are a clever mix of Italian and Cape Verdean cuisine. Excellent!
Little tip: We didn’t try it, but Big Game Maio offers big-game fishing trips, diving, and quad rentals.
The hotel is 2 minutes from Vila’s beautiful beach, and we went for a dip at sunset and took a stroll around town. They’re redeveloping the waterfront with pretty sidewalks and light stone walls.
Vila beach
Sunset behind Santiago
Day 2 (Saturday): rest day + fishing
After 2 weeks of hiking and since Vila is such a peaceful place where it’s nice to take your time, we decided to spend an extra day there. We took the path heading south along the coast to reach Ponta Preta beach in 20 minutes. The path isn’t very pretty because there’s quite a bit of construction going on, which prevents you from really walking along the shore. Lots of real estate agencies, especially Italian ones, have taken over the land. But Ponta Preta beach is a stunning black-sand beach where we had the whole place to ourselves. We decided to go fishing from the rocks.
At 1 PM, the sun was blazing, so we headed back to Vila and dried the fish for the following days.
At 6 PM, we went fishing again, but this time at night from the rocks at the end of Vila beach.
8:30 PM: back to shower and eat at the restaurant.
The rocks and sea at Ponta Preta
Day 3 (Sunday): from Vila do Maio to Calheta de Baixo, via Monte Batalha (path 101) Hiking time: 5h
Since there aren’t many “summits” on Maio, we decided to head to Calheta de Baixo but via Monte Batalha. We left at 8:20 AM and somehow made it to Monte Batalha by 11 AM (2h40 of hiking). But the path is really hard to find in the middle of the dry grass and acacia trees. We kind of cut through randomly, aiming for the summit. Even though it’s not very high (around 300 m), the view is amazing—you can see all of Maio at 360°!
Short 30-minute break. The descent through the “forest” of acacias is even worse for finding your way. We oriented ourselves a bit by the sun to find the road connecting Vila to Calheta. We arrived around 1:30 PM at Calheta de Baixo. A very pretty little seaside village with colorful houses. An idyllic beach, a newly renovated square, and super-friendly people. We pitched our tent facing the sea on the terrace of an abandoned house (after asking the locals for permission).
We cooked some of the dried fish we’d caught the day before, along with fresh beans we’d brought from Fogo (and were still carrying!).
At the summit of Monte Batalha
Calheta
Calheta de Baixo
Day 4 (Monday): From Calheta de Baixo to Morrinho on foot. Hiking time: 3h. Then hitching a bus to Cascabulho, and a car to Pedro Vaz.
We left around 9:30 AM heading north (path 201), following the coastline where the beaches just keep coming—each one wilder and more beautiful than the last: Praia de Soca, Calheta Braca, Ponta de Pau Seco, Calhetina. We reached the dunes of Baia de Santana. There’s no real path, so you have to follow the coast, then go around the dunes, and when you spot the 3 coconut trees, head east toward them to find the track leading to Morrinho. Again, we discovered a village with a Wild West vibe, with colorful houses lined up on either side of a paved road. Just enough time to accept a drink offered by a local before jumping onto the passing school bus that took us to Cascabulho. There, we waited for a ride. A political delegation of 10 cars drove right past us without stopping. Luckily, one of the cars had a flat tire and came by 30 minutes later—and that one, thankfully, gave us a lift! They were heading to the inauguration of a water pump in Pedro Vaz. So that’s where we stopped too. After getting permission from the school principal, we pitched our tent in front of the village school… and became the attraction for all the kids who kept us company until nightfall! A woman gave us 2 jugs of water, but with all that company, it was tough to take a peaceful shower!!
Dinner: pasta with beans.
We were woken up by rain during the night and had to rush to bring all our stuff inside the tent!
The beaches just keep coming...
The dunes
The 3 coconut trees, a landmark to find the track
Day 5 (Tuesday): Rest day and fishing at Boca da Ribeira beach
We packed up at 8 AM because the kids had school. We filled the 2 water jugs that the woman lent us and headed down to camp at Boca da Ribeira beach, which is a bit further east of Pedro Vaz. It took less than an hour to get there. This time, we really were alone in the world! We pitched the tent and spent the day fishing, reading, playing, and swimming regularly because the sun was beating down hard!!! We caught a nice fish that we grilled over the fire in the evening. With the crabs and shellfish we gathered, we made a seafood rice! Yum! What a feast!
That night, once the tent was zipped up, we felt something like rain on the tent fabric. I decided to go out and gather our things, and then—shock!!! It wasn’t raindrops we were feeling and hearing, but bugs attracted by the light!! Not just a few bugs—a huge swarm of them!!! Thousands of bugs covering the whole tent, the ropes, slipping into the seams and hems! Everywhere! The blue tent had turned green!!! After that, it was a real struggle to get back inside without letting any in! A real challenge, and there were always 3 or 4 that managed to sneak in anyway. Total war!!!
Boca da Ribeira beach
Day 6 (Wednesday): From Boca da Ribeira to Ribeira Dom João. Hiking time: 3h30
We woke up leisurely and waited for the sun to dry our things, damp from the dew. A man passed by, and we gave him the water jugs we’d borrowed, which saved us a trip back to Pedro Vaz to return them to the woman.
We left around 10 AM. We followed the sea to Alcatraz, then headed toward Pilão Cão. The path runs alongside the small hills on our right, and we passed above Lagoa Cimidor. The terrain is arid, and the path is hard to find among the many goat tracks.
After 3h30 of hiking, we reached Ribeira Dom João with 2 young people we’d met along the way.
Since it was a public holiday in Cape Verde, the kids didn’t have school, and with the principal’s permission, we pitched our tent in the kindergarten. She even kindly opened the school toilets for us. The neighbor gave us the water we needed to wash up and cook. We cooked beef steaks on charcoal. A nice change from fish!! Charcoal is a widespread artisanal product on the island. People almost never cook directly over wood but always with these big chunks of charcoal.
The hills on our right
Ribeira Dom João
Day 7 (Thursday): From Ribeira Dom João to Vila do Maio. Hiking time: 3h30
We woke up at 6:30 AM to clear out of the school by 8 AM. The neighbor made us coffee to save time. It took us 2 hours to reach Barreiro, another Wild West-style town! Since we didn’t want to walk on the road, we took the old track and reached Vila do Maio in 1h30.
Last night before taking the plane back to Praia the next day.
Barreiro
The old track
The church in Vila do Maio
That’s where this trip ends!
Maio is truly a magical island! A remote, isolated place with incredible, wild beaches and villages with a Wild West feel—colorful houses on either side of well-paved, well-maintained, and decorated streets. And the locals are so warm and welcoming.
Even for hikers like us, it was a great discovery, and we were able to alternate hiking and relaxation with great pleasure! Too bad the area around Vila do Maio is being overrun by real estate construction—ongoing, unfinished, abandoned…
Hi everyone, we're back from a DIY USA road trip we organized from July 31, 2026, to August 26, 2026.
The destination: The Southwest USA, including Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. Roughly 7,000 kilometers covered.
The car: A Chevrolet Equinox for two, rented through BSP Auto and Avis. Inside, we had 2 suitcases, a travel bag, two carry-on bags, a Walmart cooler, photo gear, and water bottles (a 40-pack).
The route: Dallas DFW, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Alpine, El Paso, Tucson, Sedona, Albuquerque, Amarillo, and back to Dallas to finish with a departure from DFW.
The travelers: Two seniors well advanced in years (73 and 75) but still active (nothing too physically demanding—to stay alive and fund our trips), fully independent physically, though a bit less so mentally. Big USA fans, a country where anything is possible. More walkers than hikers, preferring 3-star hotels over roadside motels, Italian restaurants over US food, frequent stops for photos, museums over nothing, naps over forced marches. Not too whiny, just enough to stay French in the land of the "great Satan," as they say.
Not great with languages—street English (but handy), and my Spanish is non-existent except for: "Hola! Una cerveza por favor!" That’s about it. My wife understands everything but refuses to speak.
The cost of the road trip: Around 12,000 €, including AF flights, the car, gas, gifts, visits, and everything else. Well managed, since we’d budgeted 13,500 € initially.
The positive side: A delight, with those endless open roads. Museums to discover. The realization of the Hispanic presence and its important history in this part of America. Lovely locals. Tourists who were more or less friendly. A terrible Texan accent that was hard to understand. Gas stations that were like real stores, with prepared food, alcohol sold in Arizona and New Mexico, and employees who were always up for a laugh!
The negative side: The heat throughout the trip... 43°C in Dallas at the end. Impossible to walk the streets. Lots of homeless people in downtown Dallas. Hotel breakfasts that were always the same. You get used to it.
So, it was positive overall, but the concept is starting to wear us out. We might rethink the DIY road trip model for next time. If the man upstairs grants us more time.
Next up, we’ll wait for the first batch of sorted photos to go through the wringer.
Traveling with just one spare pair of underwear, considering a hot shower a miracle, never staying in the same place too long by sleeping wherever night catches us, taking whatever local, improbable, and rickety transport we can find—this is the DNA of us wanderers. Except this time, the script for our movie is going to be a whole different genre. On paper, the destination doesn’t exactly scream epic adventure: Réunion! And what’s more... we won’t be two, or four, or even ten. We’ll be a solid thirty. All from the same family. Yes, thirty. At this point, it’s not just a trip—it’s a summer camp on the move! Why inflict this on such a peaceful island? Because my brother decided to get married there with his lovely bride. A great idea, you might say... especially when it involves relocating the equivalent of a small Ardennes village 10,000 kilometers from home for three weeks! So who’s stepping up to be the guide and wave the little flag?
So, for an exceptional trip, exceptional stories! Don’t worry, the debates at the supermarket over whether to choose plain chips or roast chicken chips, the beach picnics washed down with ti’ punch, and other rougail sausages to digest by the pool will only make it into the family archives. Here, I’ll stick to the tales of our beautiful escapes, the ones where we explore the wild corners of this little volcanic rock planted in the middle of the Indian Ocean. So where exactly are we headed?
For the first week—the subject of this first installment—we’re taking it easy. We’ll start by rediscovering the coastline, from the Souffleur in Saint-Leu to the Hermitage lagoon, before a little trip to the Cirque de Cilaos and its legendary road with 400 turns, just to get our legs warmed up.
"How about a Christmas market this year, huh? A little romantic weekend getaway...
- Yes! That’d be cool! Strasbourg? Colmar?
- Feels a bit déjà vu, doesn’t it? Plus, slim chance of snow there... And I’d love something a bit more exotic with a touch of originality..."
"Okay, Google, give me the list of the five most beautiful Christmas markets in Europe.
- In fifth place, the Christmas market in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.
- Save your breath! Lithuania, here we come!"
We wanted cold, and cold is exactly what we got the moment we set foot in this new, unknown land. As for landscapes, forests and lakes stretch as far as the eye can see across this vast plain, its vegetation scorched by the frost of a winter that’s clearly already well underway here.
Lakes, in fact, set the scene for our first visit to Trakai Castle, whose brick-red towers and walls rise proudly against the azure sky of our first day. Lakes, because this castle was built on an island and is only accessible on foot via a series of walkways spanning half-frozen lake offshoots. I couldn’t have picked a better spot to build my castle! Translation: We’re totally sold! Proof is we spend two hours hiking around the area, alternating between forests, reeds, and cozy houses tastefully decorated for Christmas.
With my girlfriend Christelle, we’ve chosen South Africa for our first trip to Southern Africa, focusing on safaris—after a long debate with a Cape Town/Kruger combo.
But that would’ve meant cutting out St Lucia, which would’ve been harder to fit into another trip.
And St Lucia—thanks to Michel and all those travel journals—we really wanted to go there.
So our 11-night itinerary ended up like this, mostly shaped by school holidays:
- 3 nights in St Lucia
- 1 night in Hluhluwe
- 1 night at Mkhaya Game Reserve (Eswatini)
- 1 night at Hlane Royal National Park (Eswatini)
- 3 nights in Kruger (Berg en Dal / Satara / Tamboti)
- 1 night at Shindzela Tented Camp in the Timbavati private reserve
- 1 final night in Kruger at Lower Sabie
All of this in the off-season and rainy season, just a month after catastrophic floods that killed over 150 people and seriously damaged Kruger’s infrastructure.
I’ll jump straight to St Lucia and skip the loooong journey to get there (with a layover in Frankfurt, landing in Johannesburg, a domestic flight to Durban, and the rest by rental SUV—First Car Rental, perfect, no complaints).
To motivate readers—especially some familiar faces here—I’ll drop in a first photo.
This travel journal is therefore intended solely for my photos, to present a consistent style.
All the shots were taken with a simple Samsung Galaxy smartphone and with whatever was at hand.
All stays combined, I’ve spent the equivalent of three years at most in Thailand, and I’m not a big expert on the country.
However, after many trips, lots of reading on VoyageForum and other sites, and conversations with many locals as well as expats, my view of the country is becoming clearer, though it’s constantly evolving. You never stop discovering and learning.
I guess I wanted to piece together a puzzle, mainly for those who want to get an idea of the country here and for those who miss it.
I don’t know if this minimalist sharing will interest anyone, but it’ll do me good to put it together. After so many months without traveling and then these other long months with VF closed, there’s plenty of material available.
There’ll be a mix of places, periods, and subjects, but it might well be intentional.
I suspect many Thais have dogs because they make excellent guards for the home. Nothing better to deter burglars or to signal the presence of a snake. You’ll often see Thais tapping the top of their dog’s head, but don’t be fooled: it’s a sign of affection from them. Judging by the dogs’ reactions, they’re used to it.
Thailand is one of the countries on the planet where rabies is still present, so keep that in mind. It’s not just bites that can be dangerous, so don’t let just any dog lick you. Especially on a wound, of course.
Even though dogs often fear humans—this dangerous and unpredictable predator—we still need to stay cautious.
Be careful when walking into alleys because the dog will defend its master’s big property, be careful at night, and be careful when they’re in packs.
It sometimes crosses our minds that Thailand isn’t really made for walking around, and dogs are one of the reasons.
That said, it’s not uncommon to see them chasing bikes or scooters. Cars, though, are much rarer—they’re too big.
It seems Thais prefer to give their dogs freedom by not locking them behind gates. Though sometimes the gate is closed, the little side door is wide open. Oh, and sometimes there’s no gate in front of the property, or it’s been broken for years.
You’ll often see dogs sleeping on the side of the road, sometimes right on the road. When you arrive, they move aside nonchalantly—or not at all. It’s less funny when they suddenly appear from thick vegetation, which reminds visitors not to drive too fast. As a result, you’ll notice that dogs with injuries or missing legs aren’t that rare.
Since they believe in reincarnation and respect for all forms of life, they don’t chase dog packs away too much, and they don’t sterilize them enough. Seeing a small pack roaming freely in the countryside, you might think it’s best not to cross paths with them at the edge of a field.
A darker side of this is that euthanasia isn’t often practiced. Twice, we saw dogs at temples on the brink of death, enduring terrible suffering. No one did anything about it. The image (and the smell) of one of them, dying and emitting the stench of death, still comes back to me sometimes.
Some of you may have seen the YouTube vlog of a French woman living in Phuket who was given a little pig by her Thai friends. The well-fed animal quickly became a happy, enormous beast with its own garden. Yet, it didn’t take long for it to fall seriously ill and become incurable. In her video, the French woman described how difficult it was to find a vet willing to perform euthanasia.
You’ll often see bowls by the side of the road. Thais leave food and water in them for stray cats and dogs. Overall, they have a big heart for animals.
If you ever pop into a shopping mall, you might see people pushing their small dogs in strollers. It’s not a gimmick—it’s just that these strollers are provided for customers to put their pets in, otherwise you can’t bring them inside. It looks a bit odd when you expect to see a baby.
When we started looking for a summer destination a few months ago, our first criterion was to avoid extreme heat and heatwaves. We had already been to Norway two years ago and are considering going back in the future for other occasions. So, we had some fun asking ChatGPT which destinations enjoyed a mild climate during the summer without going too far. Among the list provided by the AI were the Canary Islands... The idea of a place we wouldn’t have thought of first, both not too far away and exotic enough, appealed to us: “Hmm, why not?”
This destination had never really attracted me, though Magali was a bit more interested. Five years earlier, COVID had caused a short break in my professional activity, and I had planned a trip because the flight price was attractive, and I was looking for a destination different from what usually appeals to me, more than out of deep interest. From a distance and with a social judgment I acknowledge (it’s not great, but it’s not completely wrong), I had the image of a destination for party-goers enjoying the sun without the slightest interest in local culture, with concrete coastlines and denatured landscapes—everything I detest the most. Still, I had done some quick research on the different islands and spotted Lanzarote for its beautiful volcanic landscapes, hiking trails, beaches, and the impression of a good balance between activity and fewer crowds than Tenerife or Gran Canaria. Then I dropped the idea of going, without ever reconsidering traveling to the Canaries...
Until now! Because we started researching the different islands of the archipelago to see which ones might appeal to us the most. It was La Gomera, the third smallest island of the archipelago, more praised for its hiking trails and preserved nature than for its beaches, away from mass tourism (fifty times fewer tourists than Tenerife) but still a bit more developed than its wild neighbor El Hierro, that caught our attention. Contrary to what might be suggested later, I’m not at all addicted to AI, but I use it from time to time to synthesize quick research or simply for experimentation. Since ChatGPT had started anticipating my tastes lately as if it had become my buddy (often successfully, sometimes off the mark), I asked which Canary Island would suit me best for a trip with my family. The tool answered first with... La Gomera. So, I tested it and teased it a bit to see if this suggestion was well-founded, as the method sometimes makes it contradict itself. But no luck: “You’d appreciate the wild nature of El Hierro, but with family, you’ll find little activity for the kids. You won’t like the touristy vibe of the big islands like Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura. You could consider La Palma, but it’s really La Gomera that will suit you best, based on your interests and the criteria given.” So, we dug deeper into our research and were convinced without a shadow of a doubt that this island was the one waiting for us.
Without knowing it, we had Canarians in our circle who revealed their origins when they heard about our travel plans. One from Tenerife insisted we’d be better off choosing Tenerife (obviously...) because it also has preserved spots and that La Gomera, “you can explore it in two or three days, you’ll get bored quickly...” The other, a colleague from Gran Canaria who had never visited La Gomera, still recommended it without hesitation because it turned out her parents had just gone there on vacation: they loved it and had encountered few tourists. She also tended to think this destination was usually the subject of short stays, but according to what her parents told her, taking your time there was also a great idea. However, in our research, the idea that La Gomera is an island you can explore in three or four days max kept coming up. So, we considered combining its visit with La Palma or El Hierro, the other two that caught our eye. But hopping between islands by ferry represents a significant budget for non-Canarians, even more so for a family of four. Then, scrutinizing Google Maps, it seemed obvious that two weeks were too short to discover two islands as they deserve, and that there seemed to be plenty to see in La Gomera, given its very unique culture. After all, we read that some people spend several months a year there, others never even leave... Finally, these landscapes and this atmosphere, which seemed to us a mix of Europe, North Africa, and Latin America, tempted us. So, it would be two weeks in La Gomera, deal!
La Gomera is therefore the second... well, the third smallest island of the Canaries since La Graciosa was recently recognized as a fully inhabited island. It has the shape of a rough circle about 20 to 25 kilometers in diameter and has just over 20,000 inhabitants, half of them in its capital, San Sebastián de la Gomera, the only real town. Like its Canarian sisters, La Gomera is a volcanic formation that rose about 10 million years ago. The island is very mountainous and rugged, covered with red and black rocky landscapes. Geological activity has shaped, between the sprawling massifs that end in steep cliffs in the ocean, six coastal valleys with tropical vegetation that have favored human settlement. They divide the island like slices of a cake; from the north clockwise: the agricultural Vallehermoso, the rustic Agulo, the green, humid, and fertile Hermigua, the sunny capital San Sebastián de la Gomera, the southern and isolated Alajeró-Santiago, and the seaside Valle Gran Rey. They constitute the six municipalities (more like cantons to our French understanding) of the territory.
The large solidified magma massifs that shape the heart of the island have created a large depression more protected from the sun at its center, allowing the growth of a vast laurel forest, today grouped within the Garajonay National Park, La Gomera’s green lung, which has earned it the status of a World Biosphere Reserve. Its completely European appearance contrasts sharply with the rocky and tropical landscapes of the rest of the island. Thus, the climate varies greatly from one point to another on the island: in summer, you can quickly go from a dry and sunny valley at 35°C to a humid forest area at altitude at 18°C.
La Gomera was populated late. As with the rest of the Canaries, human presence is thought to have begun about 2,000 years ago. Groups of animist Berbers, probably fleeing persecution, gradually populated the archipelago, especially the western islands and La Gomera, becoming its small aboriginal population: the Guanches (or later Gomeros). The animist and pastoral civilization of the Guanches thrived until the Spanish takeover in the 15th century, which, after a short period of harmony and mixing with the indigenous people, suddenly ended in bloodshed... La Gomera later became the “Columbus Island” after Christopher Columbus’s stopover, increasing the blending of populations. In the 20th century, many Gomeros emigrated to Cuba and other Latin American countries in search of a better life, bringing back a mix of cultures and traits quite palpable in today’s Gomeran culture. It is, however, in La Gomera that the vestiges of Guanche culture seem to have left the most traces, in the language, gastronomy, social practices... Moreover, most Gomeros, especially in remote villages, have a particular identifiable type and proudly claim their ancestral roots, even making La Gomera a bit exotic in the eyes of other Canarians.
Perhaps that’s why it has never really wanted to develop its tourist infrastructure too much. If we set aside the tourists who visit for the day by bus or boat from Tenerife on a marked itinerary (and whom we ultimately rarely encounter), La Gomera has remained a hidden gem, a destination focused on nature discovery that attracts hikers, nature-loving divers, and scientists for its fauna and flora, and to a lesser extent, beachgoers who don’t seek overly developed coastlines. Tourist activity is therefore limited. Roughly speaking, you’ll find a majority of Spaniards, including a substantial number of residents from other Canary Islands, many Germans who have a particular fondness for La Gomera and spend long stays there or own second homes, to the point that the German cultural footprint is clearly noticeable in some places (it’s said to be Angela Merkel’s favorite holiday spot), and still quite a few French. The presence of other nationalities seemed negligible to us. Most travelers come mainly for hiking, but it’s also a prime spot for whale watching. Additionally, the seaside resorts of La Gomera—San Sebastián, Santiago, and especially Valle Gran Rey—are well-known destinations for hippies, especially German ones, ranging from chic boho hippies to old-school hippies who’ve been there for decades, quite similar to those you’d meet in India in Goa, Rishikesh, or Paharganj. Thus, practices like naturism, vegetarianism, and local organic production are quite well established in some areas.
Some practical info:
- The round-trip flight from Paris to Tenerife cost us 365 € per person (outbound with Transavia, return with EasyJet), including checked luggage and three seats reserved side by side.
- We chose two bases to explore the island: one week in Valle Gran Rey, reputed to be the most pleasant of the three seaside resorts, and one week in Hermigua, more mountainous and close to the natural park. We booked two houses with balconies and views: the first at 120 € per night, the second at 99 €.
- The round-trip ferry between Tenerife and La Gomera cost us 270 € with the company Baleària Canarias, including discounts for children aged 4 and 12, but I don’t have the exact details. It was a bit cheaper than with the other company, Fred Olsen.
- Finally, we rented a car through the agency Cicar for 360 € for 16 days, which comes to 22.50 € per day.
- Apart from that, we didn’t plan anything and decided the day before or even the morning of what we wanted to do. We didn’t invest in any paper guide on the Canaries, as information on La Gomera was scarce, but we used the very comprehensive site La Gomera Travel, a travel guide published by the Canary Islands Tourism Council, a real goldmine of almost exhaustive information on the island.
Alright, off we go for 16 days of adventure discovering La Gomera!
If I close my eyes and think of the Sultanate of Oman, I first smell a light scent of incense, feel the warmth of a sunbeam on my skin, before sand slips through my fingers. I taste the sweetness of a date, a real candy, then the flavor of coffee with a hint of cardamom and rosewater... I hear the desert wind whistling in my ears, the distant call of a muezzin, then the murmur of water. I open my eyes to see smiles, welcoming gestures, a turquoise sea, rocks ranging from ochre to purple, deep wadis where torrents burst forth, orange dunes, white sandy beaches where tiny crabs scurry at full speed. I see incredible oases emerging between arid mountains. I see abandoned villages that I’d dream were full of life, imposing fortresses overlooking valleys, and lively souks where offers are delicate and negotiation is a mutual courtesy.
All that, and so much more.
This is what I tried to capture in my illustrated travel journal, which I’ll fill in here and there with photos.
I drew this journal “cold,” after my return (actually, I made it this summer, while our trip was last winter). It’s a pretty special format—I bought it in Japan without really knowing what I’d do with it. Well, it found its purpose! Below is a photo of this accordion-style journal: here, it’s only partially open, because when fully unfolded, it’s 5 meters long!
For drawing enthusiasts: The accordion format is both a constraint (each sheet is 9 cm x 27 cm) and a freedom (you can create a fresco). The paper is also a bit special: it doesn’t allow for fine lines, but it takes ink well (liner pen). However, everything has to be done almost in one go (with a very light pencil sketch) because it erases poorly. It absorbs too much water for coloring with markers or watercolors (unless you avoid soaking it), but it works well with oil pastels and their use with a brush and solvent. Since it’s yellowish, it allowed me to create contrasts even with white pastel.
On the right, the "welcome marker"—those dates offered everywhere as a sign of hospitality. On the left, a tribute to those stunning doors worn by time, admired all over the old quarters, including the abandoned ones.
Oman is one of the world’s largest producers of frankincense resin. Incense burners are everywhere, from the simplest clay ones to the most precious handcrafted silver ones...
Hospitality will often lead you to accept a small coffee, an "Omani coffee," very light, subtly flavored with cardamom, maybe a touch of saffron, and occasionally rosewater.
Here, I’ve depicted a man in the common everyday attire of Omanis: the dishdasha, mostly white (during the week and daytime; colors are more common in the evening or on Fridays and Saturdays). While you’ll see some men dressed in Western clothes, they’re very few. The white dishdasha is truly the shared attire of all men. The dishdasha, which has no hood, is distinguished by a small pom-pom attached to the collar, the furakha, which is soaked in perfume. And believe me, Omanis go overboard with it! "It smells like the pom-pom" is an expression that’s now part of our shared language, my husband and I.
Another must of men’s attire is the kuma, a small round head covering, usually white with brightly colored patterns. The keffiyeh is also worn (but without the cord called an agal in Arab countries), and it’s mostly worn by those with roots in the desert, from what I understood.
And what about the women, you might ask? Some are veiled, some in full black (but not a burka—more like a chador + abaya), due to the influence of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, whereas the traditional outfit used to be a layering of very colorful dresses. Most of the women we saw wore neutral clothing, a plain veil over their hair, but with their faces uncovered. We also saw many saris and colorful veils—don’t forget that 40% of the population consists of Indian, Nepalese, and Bangladeshi immigrants, who work a lot in tourism, hospitality, restaurants, services, and construction.
Just to clarify, as a tourist, there’s no pressure to wear a veil, and never any disapproving looks. Of course, you’ll save the mini shorts, plunging necklines, bare shoulders, and midriffs for the hotel terrace—but I’d say that’s the same for men and women, and with the sun being strong, it’s better for your skin too.
Here’s the introduction! In the next post, I’ll tell you about my itinerary, and we can dive in!
My buddy Christian and I (Patrick) are off for 28 days in Argentina in March.
We’ve already shared several trips as a duo (Bolivia Peru, Namibia, Laos, Costa Rica).
Since we’re starting from the idea that at our age (65) we won’t be coming back here—there are just too many other corners of the world to discover—we did the "grand tour" of Argentina, with 6 domestic flights to make the most of our 28 days.
Here are our stops:
1) Departure from Brussels to Buenos Aires via Madrid
2) Arrival and first contact with Buenos Aires
3) Early morning flight to Ushuaia. Boat trip on the Beagle Channel
4) Ushuaia: hikes in Tierra del Fuego National Park
5) Ushuaia: last hike and flight to El Calafate
6) El Calafate to El Chaltén by bus. First hike
7) El Chaltén: hike
8) El Chaltén: hike
9) El Chaltén: hike and bus back to El Calafate
10) El Calafate: Perito Moreno Glacier
11) Flight to Bariloche. Car rental and surrounding areas
12) Seven Lakes Region
13) Nahuel Huapi National Park region
14) Flight to Salta. Car rental
15) To Tilcara
16) To Humahuaca
17) To Purmamarca
18) To Jujuy via the salt flats
19) To Cafayate
20) Around Cafayate
21) To Cachi
22) Back to Salta
23) Flight to Iguazu
24) Waterfalls on the Argentine side
25) Waterfalls on the Brazilian side and flight to Buenos Aires
26) Buenos Aires
27) Return flight
28) Morning arrival
Happy reading!..
We landed in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, and headed straight to Kasane in Botswana to pick up our car.
Our vehicle is a 4x4 because in Zambia, it's practically impossible to use anything else, especially in the national parks. I’ve already had the pleasure of visiting South Luangwa National Park—it’s one of the reasons for this trip, the main one being to travel in Africa with one of my sons.
First stop: Livingstone on the banks of the Zambezi River. Along the way, we discovered a lovely restaurant at Socrates with a super-friendly owner (we’ll actually stop there again on our way back). We spent our first night in the rooftop tent after a stunning sunset, accompanied by the grunting of hippos in the river.
The next day, we set off early, heading to Kafue NP. In fact, we’ll always leave early—waking up between 5:00 and 5:30 AM and hitting the road an hour later. Kafue is a lesser-known park, mostly forested, and the animals are skittish because they’re not used to human presence. We crossed the park from south to north and came across various antelopes. Near Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, there are plains where wildlife is easier to spot.
After Kafue, we headed to South Luangwa. This journey requires stops in Mumbwa and Petauke. Two pleasant stops where we found lodges (a nice change from the rooftop tent) at affordable prices and met welcoming people.
For me, South Luangwa is Zambia’s most beautiful park—the river is stunning, the landscapes are gorgeous, and there’s a wide variety of wildlife, including, of course, big cats. A tip for those, like us, who aren’t with a guide: if you’re staying near the park for several days, don’t hesitate to do a "game drive" to scout out where the animals are so you can return the next day with your own vehicle. Of course, in the dry season, you’ll want to focus on waterholes to see the animals—and you’ll need a bit of luck too. The elephant population is growing, and we were lucky enough to see around sixty elephants crossing the Luangwa at dawn, spread across several groups. South Luangwa is the westernmost point of our trip, and we’re now heading east to Lower Zambezi.
Lower Zambezi is Zambia’s side of Mana Pools on the Zimbabwe side. We took a boat ride on the Zambezi to see elephants, hippos, crocodiles, and a multitude of birds living along the water and on the river’s islands. The sunset there is also magnificent.
To explore the park, we followed the waterways parallel to the Zambezi, mostly on the western side (see our route). Lower Zambezi is the last park we visit, and the final leg of our trip will be Victoria Falls.
Victoria Falls—or Mosi-Oa-Tunya ("The Smoke That Thunders")—are truly impressive, even during the dry season. We saw the falls from both countries: in Zambia for the overall view and the bridge that serves as the border, and in Zimbabwe to get as close as possible to the most spectacular parts of the falls.
This marks the end of our trip, which, despite a blown tire on the road, went off without any major issues. Zambia is a beautiful country that immerses you in wild, still-preserved nature.
The latest travel journal about Turkmenistan dates back to 2019. Here’s a quick update on this vast desert country, which is now a bit easier to visit than before.
This is my first travel journal. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. The country is slowly opening up, but it’s still possible to visit sites where you’ll be completely alone. In five days, I saw two Hongkongers, a few Germans, and a Chilean at the crater, ten Chinese people in a capital bazaar, and that’s it!
It’s possible to visit Turkmenistan from Uzbekistan. The easiest and most economical way is to take a taxi to the border from Bukhara. The trip takes a little over an hour.
Crossing the border takes quite a while because many Turkmen bring back items bought in Uzbekistan to resell in Turkmenistan. For example, diapers, baby products, or beauty products.
It took me over 2.5 hours to cross the border. To visit Turkmenistan, it’s mandatory to have a guide and go through a travel agency. British agencies often offer three-, five-, or seven-day trips for over 1,500 or 2,000 €.
But if your budget is more limited, you can contact a few Turkmen agencies directly by email, and they’ll make you an offer between 700 and 1,300 € for three to seven days. I took a five-day trip from Turkmenabat in the northeast of the country to Dashoguz in the north. The goal was to visit the main UNESCO-listed sites, including Merv, and archaeological sites like Nisa or Gonur Tepe.
Your guide will also be your driver. They’ll pick you up at the border. The formalities are very long because customs officers have to stamp multiple documents, and obtaining the visa you previously requested from your travel agency requires several checks. But the process goes relatively smoothly, even if each step takes a while.
Once on the other side, the first surprise is the brand-new highway all the way to Turkmenabat. A very long line of trucks stretches for several kilometers on the Turkmen side to cross the border into Uzbekistan. According to my guide, Turkmen trucks transport gas and cotton (though not this season, since the harvest is in September), but they mainly fill up their tanks because fuel is much cheaper in Turkmenistan. A full tank for a car costs about 3 €, which is unbeatable.
From the Farap border post, the goal is to reach the city of Mary, which is home to the UNESCO-listed site of Merv in its suburbs, about thirty kilometers away. This city is known as a foundation by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC under the name Alexandria of Margiana. Several fortresses are visible.
After more than three hours on the road, we have lunch at a Turkish restaurant called Aladdin. Several quotes from the president are visible along the highway, but the road is in good condition, and we move along easily. This will be by far the best road in the country—things will get much worse later.
Roundabouts are particularly interesting because they feature emblems of Turkmen culture, like the dog, a carpet, the Ahal Teke horse, or Muslim symbols, even though the presence of Islamic artifacts is quite limited.
This time, I landed in Monastir on a direct flight from Nice, again with Tunisair. We left about ten minutes late, and the flight lasted around 1 hour 30 minutes. A meal was served on board (cucumber salad with Edam-like cheese, carrots, and two small portions of dishes I couldn’t identify—semolina with peppers, olives, and parsley, two small rolls, a square of processed cheese, and a chocolate cake). It’s worth noting because it’s not common on flights this short.
In February, France and Tunisia were in the same time zone, but now Tunisia is one hour behind. This time difference and the flight duration work perfectly for a short 15-day trip since it takes me a few days to adjust to jet lag.
Luckily, I’d asked my hotel about the taxi fare from the airport because the drivers (there were several around me) didn’t hesitate to quote outrageous prices. The actual fare is 20 dinars, but one asked for 120 dinars. I refused, and another offered 60 dinars. I replied, "That’s too expensive—I’ll take the metro!" (Having tried the Tunis metro, I had no desire to repeat the experience in Monastir with a suitcase!). I started walking toward the metro, and one of the drivers caught up with me, saying, "20 dinars is fine!" I’ll skip the details, but the negotiation took a little while.
When I arrived at the hotel, I told the receptionist someone had asked for 120 dinars. He put his hands to his head and said, "They’re awful!" He remembered our phone call two days earlier when I’d booked (he’s the one who told me I could take the metro).
The Mezri Hotel isn’t expensive. I got a sea-view room for 75 dinars (22 €). (I’d booked a balcony room for 90 dinars but wouldn’t have had time to enjoy it.) It’s well-located but noisy because there’s no double glazing.
The receptionist is a very kind older gentleman. He called a friend whose wife is from Tozeur to find out if I should take a bus or a *louage* tomorrow and what time.
I arrived at the hotel around 7:00 PM and had time to stroll along the corniche to the ribat. Despite some run-down buildings, the seaside seemed livelier and cheerier than Sousse’s.
Monastir is the hometown of former president Bourguiba. I passed his mausoleum by taxi. There are Tunisian flags along the avenue by the sea because every year on April 6—the anniversary of Habib Bourguiba’s death—the president of the Republic visits the Bourguiba Mausoleum in Monastir to pay respects.
The taxi driver mentioned other Tunisian presidents. He complained about rising prices and insecurity, blaming President Kaïs Saïed (I’d already heard that security was better under Ben Ali).
At the end of my stay, I’ll take time to explore Monastir, but tomorrow morning, I’m off to Tozeur—a long bus ride awaits me.
Here we go!!!
I left home at 4 AM on October 31st and headed to Barcelona. Driving through Barcelona on the ring road stresses me out a bit, but at 6 AM the traffic is smooth, and I arrive at the airport without any issues. I call the valet, who quickly comes to pick up my car. He takes photos of it from all angles before letting me go.
Baggage check-in hasn’t started yet, and there are already several of us waiting.
Once free, everything happens very quickly. The flight to Abu Dhabi is on time and goes smoothly. I’ve never had any problems with this airline, which I’ve been using for several years.
The flight to Bangkok arrives at 7 AM as scheduled. This is my first time in Thailand and Bangkok. I’m used to traveling in India, and I notice that everything here is well organized—the customs process is quick, and the luggage is already on the carousel.
I booked a taxi on Booking. All I have to do is find the right exit and door based on the agency’s instructions. A large sign with the names of people who booked is posted on a wall. A hostess greets me and calls the taxi, which arrives 5 minutes later. I booked one night at the Lost Inn BKK hotel in the Phra Nakhon district, and we arrive at 9 AM. The welcome isn’t warm, and I have to wait until noon, sitting on a chair, before I can check into my room. I’m exhausted, and sleeping sitting up isn’t ideal. Noon finally arrives—the room is small but clean, which is fine for one night. I quickly take a shower to wake up because I plan to spend the afternoon visiting the Grand Palace. First, I need to exchange some money, and the banks are all close together on the same street, which is very convenient. When I enter one, a hostess gives me a ticket and invites me to sit down. There are about twenty counters, and I wait quietly until my number is called. The exchange is quick, so I can head out to find the Royal Palace. It’s actually very easy, and the walk is pleasant.
Entry to the Royal Palace (500 baht).
It’s magnificent and grand, and there are quite a few of us visiting. The sky is gray, it’s very humid, and a shower interrupts the visit. It’s a vast complex of temples and palaces. The buildings are colorful and sparkling, with a great sense of serenity (without the tourists, of course). I quietly enjoy the place and try to take photos without tourists, which isn’t easy.
Very close to the Grand Palace is Wat Pho, one of the oldest Buddhist temples in the capital.
It’s very famous for its 46-meter-long reclining Buddha statue.
Walking around the temple, you can see different representations of Buddha, all covered in gold leaf.
Inside the temple, on one side, monks recite their prayers, while the other side is reserved for tourists who come to meditate in silence.
Before returning to the hotel, I have dinner at an Indian restaurant. I go to bed early because tomorrow’s wake-up call will be very early again.
Saturday, November 2nd
Wake-up at 4 AM, departure from the hotel at 4:30 AM. The taxi I booked via Booking is waiting for me and takes me to the airport. The trip is fairly quick—he takes small roads, and at this hour, there’s no traffic.
The flight to Phnom Penh is on time. Before boarding, I realize I left my fleece jacket on the carousel, but it’s too late to go back for it.
The flight goes well, and customs is quick.
At the exit, I take a tuk-tuk to Julieka’s GH near the museum. The welcome is friendly. I won’t be able to check into my room until noon, so I take the opportunity to exchange some euros on the market street. The street is lined with restaurants, and I’ll have my first meal there.
The museum is right across the street, so I don’t waste any time visiting it.
The representations of Hindu deities are very different from those in India, and I don’t recognize them. Many beautiful Buddhas are on display.
The museum is very pleasant, and there aren’t too many people, which is a plus.
At the exit, I return to the GH, settle into my room—which is decent and clean.
The Royal Palace is 1 km away. I walk along a garden, and at the end of the street is the Tonlé Sap, but I turn right. I arrive at a large esplanade and see the buildings with tiered roofs and glazed tiles. The entrance to the palace is a little further away.
At the entrance, I notice there isn’t the same crowd as at the one in BKK.
Khmer architecture is magnificent. The complex consists of gardens, palaces, pagodas with golden roofs, and slender spires.
The Silver Pagoda houses the small Emerald Buddha, which is actually made of jade. The silver flooring is covered with carpets. Photos are not allowed.
The walls surrounding the pagoda are covered with frescoes depicting scenes from the Ramayana.
My partner and I traveled from Sunday, July 5, 2026, to Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
We spent a long time debating whether to rent a car or use public transportation. In the end, after reading so many posts about travelers getting scammed by police or rental companies—even those recommended by blogs and reviews—we decided to stick with public transport. It worked out really well. Sure, we had a little less freedom to go where we wanted, but it was way less stressful for us.
Sunday, July 5:
Arrived at Cancun Airport. Withdrew cash from the ATM in the terminal just before exiting. The ADO bus counter (they pronounce it "A-Jee-O") is right behind you when you're facing the ATM. Bus to downtown Cancun cost 145 pesos per person.
Stayed at "Rose 5," booked on Booking. The studio was super clean and perfect for one night. The owner’s instructions for accessing the place were very precise, with photos included. Check-in was self-service with a code. The ADO bus terminal isn’t far, and there are shops and restaurants nearby. We really appreciated that the AC was already on when we arrived. By the way, I’d recommend always booking places with AC—it’s *really* hot in Mexico.
Monday, July 6:
Bought a SIM card with data from a TELCEL store. My partner, who’s on Free Mobile, was able to use her regular plan. Just so you know, I found the network pretty unstable. As soon as we left the cities, neither of us—me with TELCEL or her with Free—had any signal.
Another thing to watch out for: roaming charges. I had to turn my SIM back on for less than 30 seconds to get a bank SMS code, and my phone apparently connected to the internet—resulting in an 8-euro roaming fee.
Left on an ADO bus to Chiquila for 278 pesos per person. During our trip, ADO buses were always on time, comfortable, and clean. The AC is *cranked* though, so bring something to cover up with—it gets cold. Some routes were fully booked even in the low season, so try to reserve 1 or 2 days in advance either via the app (when it works) or at the counter.
When we arrived at the ADO terminal in Chiquila, the ferry company counters were right next to it. Ferries leave every 30 minutes, alternating between companies, so no need to book ahead. Just take whichever one is leaving next (330 pesos per person).
When we got to Holbox (pronounced "Hol-bosh"), we’d booked a place via Booking called "Casa de Nana." It was a huge studio with a fridge, cooking plate, and utensils. The best part? The *location*. It was 100 meters from the beach and 200 meters from a Chedraui supermarket. They provided bath towels and beach towels, and the AC worked perfectly. There’s a key box so you can leave your keys inside when you go out. The only downside was that no one was there to let us in when we arrived, so we had to wait a while. The Wi-Fi was good, which was lucky because during our 4-day stay in Holbox, the phone network *never* worked. According to locals, that’s pretty common in Holbox, along with water outages.
Luckily, I’d had the good idea to download an offline map, which helped us find our way back to the place more easily. You can walk there from the dock.
The restaurant next to our place (La Barracuda) was great if you like seafood—I’d recommend their octopus dishes.
Tuesday, July 7:
We did a kayak tour in Holbox’s mangroves at 6 AM. We were looking for a sunrise kayak tour with a French-speaking guide. That’s exactly what we got with "Kayaking Holbox," where Diego, the owner, speaks English and French. He was joined by Gustavo, another guide.
We’d booked for a group tour, but we were the only ones. Diego still went ahead with it instead of canceling due to lack of participants, so we got a private tour at the group rate—really professional of him. They showed us this amazing ecosystem for over 3 hours. We saw all kinds of birds: pink flamingos, pelicans, egrets, frigatebirds... rays, a horseshoe crab, and a little crocodile that was *so* well hidden. Diego and Gustavo have a real eye for spotting animals—I could’ve passed by the crocodile 100 times and never seen it, it blended in so well. Their explanations about the flora and fauna were super interesting. We also got a little break where we tasted mangoes and bananas that taste *nothing* like the ones in France. A real treat—those little Mexican yellow mangoes! I’d definitely recommend Diego and his agency for a French-language kayak tour (1000 pesos per person).
In the evening, we walked to Punta Coco to see the bioluminescence. No need for a guided tour—if you really don’t want to walk, you can take a taxi. At Punta Coco, you have to pass the beach bar/restaurant and then go left into a kind of inlet that forms a lagoon. You have to wiggle your feet or move your hands in the water to create movement, which makes the light appear. Just don’t expect the kind of photos you’ve seen online—they’re all edited! It’s fun to see, but you won’t be dazzled by the light...
Wednesday, July 8:
Whale shark tour with "My Holbox Tours." Why recommend this agency over others for swimming with whale sharks? Simply because Valérie surrounds herself with top professionals to make your experience unforgettable. We were with Captain Fernando, who does everything to position the boat perfectly and make your swim easier. In the water, we were with Humberto, who also goes above and beyond to make sure you have an incredible time. He doesn’t just "supervise" like some guides from other companies who leave you on your own. No, Humberto reads the whale shark’s trajectory and guides you—all you have to do is follow him. He really puts in the effort, even holding your hand to guide you through this quick but intense encounter. Humberto also films the moment and will offer to show you the videos and sell them to you. His footage is really high quality.
Fernando and Humberto also prepared food for us. Special mention for their guacamole! Valérie is there to make sure everything goes smoothly on the boat and to answer your questions in French, English, or Spanish about these animals. If you choose My Holbox Tours, you can be sure you’ll get a top-notch experience.
About the tour itself: before you go, you should know that the sharks can be *really* far away. The day we went, it took 3.5 hours by boat to reach them. The boats are small, and let me tell you—on the way there, when we weren’t going with the waves, it was *rough*. Out of 9 passengers, 4 got seasick. But once you’re face-to-face with the shark, you forget all about that. Even if swimming with a whale shark isn’t exactly a walk in the park—they swim pretty fast, so you need some endurance to keep up. You’ll usually get 2 turns. Our first swim lasted a little over 4 minutes, and the second about 2 minutes because the shark was moving fast and we were still tired from the first swim. It might seem short, but when you’re swimming, it feels *long*. Either way, it’s an experience you *have* to do—but choose your company wisely. On the way back, there’s a stop at Cabo Catoche. Honestly, the snorkeling is pretty disappointing if you’ve done it elsewhere in the world. But the lunch stop at Cabo Catoche is really nice for relaxing (white sand and hammocks).
Thursday, July 9:
Short morning walk to Punta Mosquito at 6 AM. Really nice.
Ferry to Chiquila (330 pesos per person) + ADO bus to Valladolid (300 pesos per person).
In Valladolid, we booked "Casa Lucia" via Booking. The hotel is gorgeous, with a colonial style, and very close to the ADO bus terminal and downtown. It’s super quiet and clean. There’s a shared kitchen you can use with a fridge, microwave, and water dispenser, plus a big table by the pool and a nice indoor terrace. Breakfast was simple but included. The only small downsides were the tiny room and bathroom, no mirror in the room, and a noisy fan.
Friday, July 10:
Not far from the ADO bus terminal is the colectivo station for Chichen Itza. They offer a round-trip to Chichen Itza with an option to stop at Ik Kil cenote on the way back and then drop you off in Valladolid for 370 pesos per person (Ik Kil entrance included).
For the Chichen Itza visit, we’d booked a tour with a guide often mentioned in groups—his name is Juan Pat. He’s a Maya who lives near the site and speaks excellent French. He reserves spots in advance for you and queues up to be the first on-site. It cost 500 pesos per person + entrance fees. His tour lasts 2 hours and focuses mainly on the main pyramid and the ball court. He’s passionate and fascinating, even if some of his claims, as a Maya, might be a little biased. I think it’s *really* important to have a guide—otherwise, you’ll miss so much. You can contact Juan Pat on WhatsApp at +52 985 121 2381.
Afterward, we went to Ik Kil cenote (showers and life jackets mandatory, lockers available). It’s *very* crowded, but still really beautiful with its lush vegetation.
Saturday, July 11:
Since we didn’t have a car but still wanted to visit other cenotes that seemed hard to reach by public transport, we decided to book a taxi for the day. We agreed on 1200 pesos to take us to 3 different cenotes and wait for us at each one. (To find taxis, just look where they park near the ADO bus station.)
He picked us up at Zaci cenote, which we’d walked to. We got there at opening time and were the first ones there—had the place to ourselves for a while! 150 pesos per person. A pretty cenote in the city center with lush vegetation. It’s a bit like Ik Kil but without the deep cylindrical effect.
Cenote Xcanahaltun: the most beautiful cenote we visited. Entry 250 pesos per person. It’s a closed cenote with a hole that lets light in—a cave-like setting. You can kayak inside. There are little fish at the edge that nibble dead skin off your feet. Since it’s closed, the water is *freezing*!
Cenote Palomitas: entry 250 pesos per person. Another stunning closed cenote, even more enclosed than Xcanahaltun. The hole in the ceiling is smaller, so it was pretty dark when we arrived—kind of an eerie vibe. But when the staff turned on the lights, it looked like a "Gothic cathedral" full of bright stalactites.
Cenote Sac Aua: entry 290 pesos per person. The ticket includes a guided cave tour (tip-based). This cenote is really unique with its central island and way less crowded than Suytun. Just so you know, the water is *really* cold in cenotes. In these three, in July, we had the place to ourselves for a while and never saw more than 2 families at once—so peaceful!
Sunday, July 12:
ADO bus to Bacalar (536 pesos per person).
In Bacalar, we stayed via Airbnb with a host named Luli, who offers several rooms with shared bathroom and kitchen.
The room is nicely decorated in a pleasant setting. It’s ideally located near the lagoon and downtown. The shared kitchen is handy. The mosquito net over the bed is useful because there are *a lot* of mosquitoes in Bacalar. Luli provides a water jug, which is really nice. The only big downside is the lack of water pressure in the shower—we had to rinse off by filling a bucket. Also, there’s no real door separating the room from the bathroom. We never met Luli in person, but she was very responsive via messages. The terrace in the middle of the vegetation is lovely.
From the ADO terminal to the place, we took a taxi for 40 pesos. Since this driver was honest about the price (we’d checked beforehand), we decided to use him every time we needed a taxi in Bacalar. Here’s his WhatsApp: +52 983 184 3585.
Monday, July 13:
We did a boat tour on the lagoon with "Bacalar Francophone Activities." Since we were just the two of us, it cost 3500 pesos. If we’d managed to be 4 people, it would’ve been 1000 pesos per person.
We had a private 4-hour tour on the lagoon with Steeve and his very comfortable boat. He’s from Quebec, so his French is perfect. During those 4 hours, Steeve showed us the lagoon’s iconic spots *and* places other boats don’t go. He told us about the lagoon’s history and gave great tips on where to go and where to eat. As a little bonus, he gave us a video taken with his drone during our swimming break.
Tuesday, July 14:
We went to Los Rapidos by taxi (400 pesos round trip) and entry was 225 pesos per person. It’s *very* touristy but really beautiful. You can eat there (expensive), relax, and go down the "rapids" as many times as you want. It’s worth it if you spend a few hours there. You can’t bring in food or drinks—you leave them at the entrance and pick them up on the way out.
Wednesday, July 15:
On Wednesdays, navigation is banned on Bacalar Lagoon, so we’d planned another excursion.
Visit to Calakmul from Bacalar with ABCtours (WhatsApp +52 983 319 8359).
This agency organized a trip from Bacalar to Calakmul with a French-speaking guide. Communication beforehand via WhatsApp was smooth. Mr. Checo, the driver, and Fernando, the guide (who spoke great French), picked us up on the day. Mr. Checo drove very carefully on the long road and always made sure we were comfortable. Fernando is passionate about flora and fauna—he’s a biologist with a degree in ornithology, so he knows *everything* about animals. The slightest sound or song, and he knows what it is. He’s got an eye for spotting them, from the biggest to the smallest.
During the trip, we stopped at km 27 for a short forest walk, then went to see the two main pyramids on the site. On the way back, we stopped at the bat cave for the magical spectacle of millions of bats flying out at dusk. In the end, we saw or glimpsed (some briefly) spider monkeys, howler monkeys, a toucan, 2 tapirs, turkeys, 2 deer, and lots of birds. If, like us, you’re more into flora and fauna than archaeology, I’d *highly* recommend this agency and tour with Fernando.
It’s not cheap, but the road between Bacalar and the site is *long* (3.5 hours). Price: 3900 pesos per person for 2 (3500 for 3, 3200 for 4).
Thursday, July 16:
ADO bus to Playa del Carmen (614 pesos per person).
In Playa del Carmen, we stayed in an Airbnb. The building is on the town hall square, next to the casino.
The best thing about this place is the *location*—super close to Fifth Avenue (La Quinta). The kitchen is pretty basic, but the fridge works well. There are supermarkets nearby. The rooftop pool is really nice. The two big downsides, though, are the soundproofing (you can *hear* the neighbor’s alarm and all the events on the square) and the *total* lack of water pressure in the shower. We had to fill a trash can with water to pour over ourselves. When we told the owner, he said it wasn’t normal and someone would come fix it, but we never heard back. Based on previous reviews, this seems to be a known issue that never gets resolved.
Playa del Carmen is *very* touristy on Fifth Avenue, but in a fun, musical vibe—we never felt unsafe. There are *tons* of little souvenir shops for tourists on this street. There’s a beautiful monumental sculpture on the beach (the two figures meeting in the air), next to which you can see the Voladores show (men climbing a pole, tying themselves with ropes, and descending headfirst while "flying" around the pole). The show is tip-based and happens several times a day. In our opinion, Calle 38 is prettier than Fifth Avenue—it’s lush, green, and quieter, with the sea at the end. Great for an early evening stroll. We had really good meals at great prices at "El Tio Noy" tacos, just a few meters from Fifth Avenue in a side street.
For souvenirs, we’d recommend going to Walmart instead of Fifth Avenue—you’ll find skulls, tequila, mezcal, keychains, mugs, glasses... at good, fixed prices.
Friday, July 17:
We did the excursion to Isla Contoy. Isla Contoy is an uninhabited, highly protected island. Only 200 people are allowed to land per day on a rotating basis, so only a few companies have permission to dock there. Most agencies subcontract the day to a third-party company.
We booked through VRM (Viviendo Riviera Maya), but it was Ocean Tours Mexico that handled the tour. Contoy is a little paradise. We were accompanied by multilingual guides, including French speakers, throughout the day. Steffy gave us info about the island during a short walk on the marked trails, and Leño Tlatemoa kept the mood up on the boat rides with music and dancing. Isla Contoy is *truly* stunning, and the lunch was delicious: grilled fish and chicken, guacamole and tortilla chips, rice, fruit, drinks (everything is brought and taken back by the guides). The snorkeling part was pretty disappointing if you’ve done it in Cozumel, though. The stop at Isla Mujeres isn’t very interesting either—it’s too short to explore, and the island is *extremely* touristy. Still, the excursion was very well organized, and we had a great day (2970 pesos per person).
Saturday, July 18:
We wanted to go snorkeling in Cozumel but thought the prices from French-speaking agencies were too high. Plus, for snorkeling, we figured we didn’t *need* a French-speaking guide.
So we found a much cheaper solution by taking the ferry from Playa del Carmen ourselves and choosing an agency in Playa. The round-trip ferry cost 663.50 pesos per person. Then we took a taxi to the snorkeling boat (100 pesos). The agency we chose is called Mystic Snorkel—they don’t have a physical office. The tour cost 1400 pesos per person. It was a small boat, but that day we were the only ones, so we got a private tour at the group rate. We stopped at 4 different sites, all very different and beautiful. We saw all kinds of fish, corals, a nurse shark, and turtles. El Cielo, with its huge starfish, is *exceptional*. If you’re going snorkeling in the Yucatan Peninsula, this is *the* tour to do—the other sites are pretty "poor" in comparison.
Sunday, July 19:
Morning dive with Triton Diving. I chose the Cozumel dive option. Great experience.
Booking via WhatsApp was easy. On the day of the dive, Selene, who speaks French, was our guide. She’s *very* attentive to the group’s safety. The briefings are clear and precise. In Cozumel, we did 2 very different sites: the first was a drift dive with lots of life—beautiful corals and fish. The second was a wreck, the C53, a 56-meter boat you can enter. Not much marine life, but a beautiful wreck intentionally sunk for divers—still in great condition. An unforgettable moment. Selene even took videos during the dive, which the club sends you for free afterward. I’d *highly* recommend this club.
Just so you know, in Playa del Carmen, the beaches were full of sargassum during our stay, despite barriers and daily cleanup. Locals told us the problem is getting worse and the sargassum is arriving earlier in the season. Tourism has taken a *big* hit this summer, and they’re wondering if tourism can even survive the sargassum season anymore. A lot of tourists are heading to the islands—Isla Mujeres and Cozumel—to enjoy the beaches, as the west side of those islands is sargassum-free.
Monday, July 20:
Colectivo to Puerto Morelos. First, a colectivo toward Cancun that drops you off between Puerto Morelos town and Puerto Morelos beach (40 pesos per person), then another from that junction to the beach (10 pesos per person).
In Puerto Morelos, we’d booked a room via Airbnb at "Piedra del Caribe." *Best* place we stayed in Mexico. It’s an aparthotel. Our room was ready before check-in, so they let us in early. The place matched the description—spacious, with a comfortable king-size bed. The shower had *great* pressure, which isn’t a given in Mexico. The staff was super friendly and welcoming. They let us use the pool, restrooms, and rooftop shower after check-out while we waited for our ride to Cancun Airport. They even kept our luggage. I *highly* recommend this place.
In Puerto Morelos, there was *way* less sargassum than in Playa del Carmen—it was actually swimmable.
We did the snorkeling tour with the fishermen’s cooperative for 450 pesos per person for 2 hours. The reef is close to the beach (you’re not allowed to swim there), so the boat ride is short. It’s not as pretty as Cozumel, but it’s nice and affordable. On Puerto Morelos’s page, you can also access a small, not-very-well-preserved reef. There’s also a cenote in the sea where fresh water mixes with saltwater—the water is murky there. We had a great dinner and excellent cocktails at "La Choza del Puerto."
Tuesday, July 21:
Wandered around Puerto Morelos (check out the church and read everything—it’s entertaining!), relaxed by the hotel pool, and left for Cancun Airport by taxi (400 pesos) booked via InDrive to head back to France.
Our highlights:
- Holbox
- The whale shark tour
- The cenotes
- The local flora and fauna (so present!)
- Isla Contoy
- Cabo Catoche (except for the snorkeling)
What we liked least:
- The bioluminescence (barely visible despite good conditions)
- The food—we found it not very diverse in taquerias
- The constant tipping
- The lack of water pressure in showers (fixed, wall-mounted, no hose or showerhead)
Don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions while it’s still fresh in our minds.
Here we go—finally, the big day has arrived! A trip the whole family (my two kids, my husband, and me) had been looking forward to for so long.
To keep it short, we left from Nice, arrived in Namibia on June 25, 2025, and left again on the 21st—four weeks later.
We used an agency for all the camping reservations, activities, and the car rental. At least that side of things was taken care of. Michaël was our contact throughout the planning and the trip itself.
We spent our first night at Londiningi BB. A bit out of the city center but very quiet. The rooms were spacious and clean, and we could eat on-site that evening. Perfect for recovering from the flight.
This travel journal is our second on VoyageForum, following last year’s where we recounted our four weeks in Vietnam.
The goal remains the same: since some members on this site share tips, experiences, and great deals that help us prepare for our trips, we do the same after returning—both to give back a little and in the hope that our experiences might be useful to others in some way.
Our route was as follows: Bangkok, Siem Reap, Krabi, Suratthani, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao, Chumphon, Bang Saphan, Prachuab Khiri Khan, Sam Roi Yod, Hua Hin, Phetchaburi, Bangkok.
Beyond rediscovering Bangkok, our objectives were the long-held dream of seeing Angkor and exploring southern Thailand, much of which isn’t overly touristy.
A quick big thank-you to Barbot, who took the time to answer several of our questions.
12/07/2013
The cheapest flight we found earlier this year was a Paris-Bangkok route with a layover in Moscow for 1440 €, total for two people.
So, this time we tried Aeroflot. Airbus A318 for the first leg, A330 for the second. Nothing particularly annoying to report—the passengers were very calm, the cabin temperature was comfortable, and we had enough legroom.
That said, the quality of the meal trays was pretty mediocre, and the flight attendants weren’t exactly comedians.
We’d like to remind everyone that it’s best to exchange as little money as possible at the airport upon arrival, since the rate is about 5% worse than at city banks.
Of course, we made sure to take the airport exit where you can catch official taxis to avoid getting scammed. So, we queued up, a little lady gave us the ticket, and off we went with the driver.
Generally, this system works well because these drivers are registered, know their duties, and the risks they face if they break the rules. Except that day, right off the bat, we got the scammer of the day. His first move was to snatch the ticket from my wife’s hands—the one you’re supposed to keep in case of a complaint. My husband saw it, but after a full day of travel, we were a bit out of it, and honestly, there was no reason to be suspicious. But once we started driving, the guy refused to turn on the meter. We insisted more and more firmly, but nothing. So, I used the famous method of opening the door and starting to step out of the car. At 40 km/h, that scares the driver more than the passenger. He finally turned on the meter, but that didn’t calm him down—quite the opposite. For the next half-hour, he ruined the ride by demanding extra fees here and there. Having dealt with several scam attempts last year in Vietnam, this wasn’t exactly new, and we were proud of ourselves for staying pretty zen. Still, this guy was a little scary—he was completely wired and aggressive. Honestly, it was hard not to think he was on something. He’d be perfect for a *Scarface* remake. When we finally arrived at the hotel, he followed us to the entrance. We paid the two tolls (25 and 45 baht), gave him the usual 100 baht extra for the ride, and stayed polite but firm. So, meter: 245 baht + 100 baht + 25 and 45 baht for tolls—we paid the exact amount, no way we were tipping this guy. He left furious, but he was already like that before picking us up... Anyway, avoid Mr. Chartree Chidchen, number 089 826 7308, car E2663!
We were so relieved to finally settle in at Feung Nakorn Balcony hotel in the temple district. 42 € per night, great reception, all the staff is friendly. The AC works fine, the bed seemed hard at first but turned out to be comfortable. The hotel is quiet, away from the nightlife, but at this time of year, many places are less crowded than in high season. Even with a nice fish pond and outdoor breakfast area, it’s a decent hotel, though we felt we could’ve found something better.
After a night on the plane, the first afternoon is always a bit of a slog. We napped for a few hours, and when we woke up—guess what—we were starving. We visited a temple across from the hotel (nothing special) and then decided to take the Chao Phraya Express, the river shuttle that serves many piers along the river. It was a really enjoyable experience. The steel gangway wobbles when you board and disembark, the boat sits low in the water, and sometimes you get splashed. During peak times, you’re packed in like sardines, but most of all, there’s that exotic urban landscape passing by, especially the temple rooftops.
At that exact moment, the boat was packed. We didn’t see a ticket booth at the pier, and we tried in vain to pay the few baht for the ride. The cashier on the boat was too busy, and another employee we called didn’t have time to help us. Oh well, we weren’t going to force the issue. Still, this mode of transport is super practical for avoiding traffic, and at the piers, the lines with station names are clearly marked, with colors matching the flags on the boats. Combined with a map like the *Routard* guide, it’s easy to navigate.
We easily made it to the restaurant *Harmonique*, located near one of these piers. It’s a unanimous favorite on this forum, and let us tell you—it’s well-deserved. What a wonderful experience that evening! We only saw the outdoor gazebo because there was no way we were dining inside. It’s not flashy, so those looking for a luxurious setting should look elsewhere.
That night, the staff was a bit slow, and we had to track them down several times to move things along. But oh, my friends—what a feast on the plate! Start with the appetizer platter for two at 250 baht, featuring four specialties, each more tempting than the last, followed by their famous crab curry for 200 baht. There’s *so much* crab in there! The dish is so delicious and rich that when you finish, you feel—how to put it—like it was almost *too* good, to the point where you’re almost put off eating for days. And also, oh yes, we *will* be back. Their satay chicken is just as amazing, and it would be a crime not to mention their generous dessert with ice cream, warm banana, and chocolate, plus their *excellent* almond milkshake.
Later, we took a taxi to Kao San Road, mainly to book a Ko Tao-Chumphon trip for 600 baht per person at the Lomprayah counter. In hindsight, we should’ve booked all three of our trips there right away.
Kao San Road is *ultra*-touristy—better for younger crowds, but it’s still worth seeing. There’s rock ‘n’ roll, hippies, and crowds everywhere.
We walked back to the hotel, and when we got a little lost near a canal, a really nice older Thai man spontaneously appeared out of the night to kindly point us in the right direction.
Finally, a real long night of sleep ahead—we cranked up the AC. Sweet, the vacation has begun!
2- Around San Pedro
We were trapped, and even our guide looked nervous. After what felt like an eternity (though it was only a few minutes), the herd finally moved on, freeing the track. That afternoon, we did a self-drive safari and—you guessed it—we had zero interest in running into elephants again.
The next day, we headed back to Lilongwe for our flight home. It was a fantastic, varied trip with some intense moments (sometimes *too* intense). Malawi offers amazing opportunities for those who want more than just wildlife reserves.
Vila beach
Sunset behind Santiago
The rocks and sea at Ponta Preta
At the summit of Monte Batalha
Calheta
Calheta de Baixo
The beaches just keep coming...
The dunes
The 3 coconut trees, a landmark to find the track
Boca da Ribeira beach
The hills on our right
Ribeira Dom João
Barreiro
The old track
The church in Vila do Maio
The large solidified magma massifs that shape the heart of the island have created a large depression more protected from the sun at its center, allowing the growth of a vast laurel forest, today grouped within the Garajonay National Park, La Gomera’s green lung, which has earned it the status of a World Biosphere Reserve. Its completely European appearance contrasts sharply with the rocky and tropical landscapes of the rest of the island. Thus, the climate varies greatly from one point to another on the island: in summer, you can quickly go from a dry and sunny valley at 35°C to a humid forest area at altitude at 18°C.
On the right, the "welcome marker"—those dates offered everywhere as a sign of hospitality. On the left, a tribute to those stunning doors worn by time, admired all over the old quarters, including the abandoned ones.
Hospitality will often lead you to accept a small coffee, an "Omani coffee," very light, subtly flavored with cardamom, maybe a touch of saffron, and occasionally rosewater.
Here, I’ve depicted a man in the common everyday attire of Omanis: the dishdasha, mostly white (during the week and daytime; colors are more common in the evening or on Fridays and Saturdays). While you’ll see some men dressed in Western clothes, they’re very few. The white dishdasha is truly the shared attire of all men. The dishdasha, which has no hood, is distinguished by a small pom-pom attached to the collar, the furakha, which is soaked in perfume. And believe me, Omanis go overboard with it! "It smells like the pom-pom" is an expression that’s now part of our shared language, my husband and I.
Another must of men’s attire is the kuma, a small round head covering, usually white with brightly colored patterns. The keffiyeh is also worn (but without the cord called an agal in Arab countries), and it’s mostly worn by those with roots in the desert, from what I understood.
And what about the women, you might ask? Some are veiled, some in full black (but not a burka—more like a chador + abaya), due to the influence of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, whereas the traditional outfit used to be a layering of very colorful dresses. Most of the women we saw wore neutral clothing, a plain veil over their hair, but with their faces uncovered. We also saw many saris and colorful veils—don’t forget that 40% of the population consists of Indian, Nepalese, and Bangladeshi immigrants, who work a lot in tourism, hospitality, restaurants, services, and construction.
Just to clarify, as a tourist, there’s no pressure to wear a veil, and never any disapproving looks. Of course, you’ll save the mini shorts, plunging necklines, bare shoulders, and midriffs for the hotel terrace—but I’d say that’s the same for men and women, and with the sun being strong, it’s better for your skin too.
Here’s the introduction! In the next post, I’ll tell you about my itinerary, and we can dive in!
Roundabouts are particularly interesting because they feature emblems of Turkmen culture, like the dog, a carpet, the Ahal Teke horse, or Muslim symbols, even though the presence of Islamic artifacts is quite limited.
