blog fans

I have a fan in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania - home of penn state athletics.

France vs. Uganda

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/45589
Stable government leads to lack of passion and getting any.

Year of travel will not stop to rest

If anyone thinks that I am going to stop at 4 continents per year, they are wrong!

Did I mention I am leaving for Kenya in 13 days?

You working the night shift?

First thing pronounced by my office mate when he walked in this morning. No, I was not wearing my PJs, sleeping at my desk or getting paid extra. I just hadn't turned on the fluorescent overhead lights.

Avian Flu - In my mailbox on Monday

Une petite documentation gratuite offerte par la CIV - "une association loi 1901 dont la principale mission est de contribuer à une meilleure connaissance des viandes et de leurs filières." La CIV en fait représente les industrie de la viande.

Je ne sais pas si la CIV lit les journaux, les informations scientifiques, etc... mais on ne dirait pas. Lisez les "informations" de la doc (toutes citées) - elles sont ILLUSOIRES, TROMPEUSES ET MALHONNETES DE LA PART DES INDUSTRIELS ET FAVORISENT LES CHANCES DE LA PROPAGATION DU VIRUS :
- en France, chez les volailles, il n'y a à ce jour aucun cas de grippe aviaire.
- la consommation de viandes de volailles en France ne présente pas de risque de contamination de l'Homme par le virus de la grippe aviaire.
- Le virus de la grippe aviaire ne pet se transmettre à l'Homme que de manière très exceptionnelle, principalement par voie respiratoire à la suite d'un contact direct en milieu confiné avec des oiseaux malades fortement excréteurs du virus.

ça continue...
- Non, il n'y a pas de risque de contamination de l'Homme par le virus H5N1 asiatique en consommant de la viande de volaille.

Mieux vaut lire le site de l'Organisation Mondiale de la Santé (bcp + fiable) :

- La persistance très répandue du virus H5N1 chez les populations de volailles constitue un double risque pour la santé humaine. [...] une infection directe en provoquant une pathologie très grave [et...] la transformation du virus [qui...] pourrait constituer le point de départ d’une flambée mondiale (une pandémie).

- L’infection humaine résulte principalement d’un contact direct avec des volailles infectées ou des surfaces et des objets contaminés par leurs déjections. On considère que l’exposition intervient surtout lors de l’abattage, du plumage, du dépeçage et de la préparation des volailles avant la cuisson.

- Aux températures où s'effectue normalement la cuisson (70 oC), le virus sera détruit. Il faudra s'assurer que toutes les parties sont bien cuites (la chair ne doit plus être rose) et que les jaunes d'œufs ne doivent pas être liquides.

- On n’a pas encore compris pourquoi certaines personnes sont infectées et pas d’autres alors que les conditions d’exposition semblent similaires.

S'essuyer c'est bien, se laver c'est mieux!

tagline for "award-winning" toilet paper plus unknown liquid dispensing machine in office bathroom.

South Island, NZ landscapes

The South Island has some magnificient landscapes. The best bit is that they change drastically over short distances.

Here's a map of the road trip with main stops (orange stars are sleeping points):


Driving tour map

My favourites photos:


West coast


Cape Foulwind1


Cape Foulwind2


Blenheim Region


Blenheim Region2

La fin...

So somehow a three-week holiday becomes an 18-day moment.

Great big thanks to all my hosts in New Zealand and Australia!


View from the Manly ferry

Days 17 and 18 Back to Sydney

I spent my last full day in Sydney in the North Harbour on the national park walk between Manly and the Spit. I did the first bit of the beachside/bush walk to the Spit (about 1.5 hours) in 35+ heat and full sun. Cooled off at Reef Beach (I later found out this is a known nudist beach).

I walked around the Opera House before taking the Manly ferry and noticed that it is not in great condition. Apparently there is a controversy in Sydney as to how to reduce the costly maintenance of the building.
Sydney opera house

In terms of "wildlife" in Australia, I saw hundreds of washed-up Blue Bottle jelly fish at One Mile Beach (Anna Bay), otherwise known in the rest of the world as Portuguese man of war. Chose to not swim. Saw some wallabies (roadkill) on the way back to Sydney from Hunter Valley. Nearly stepped on a very large iguana-like animals on the path (at least 60 cm long and 20 cm tall) - we stared at each other for 15 seconds until it joined its friend in the bushes. In Sydney proper, I saw loads of herons and sulphur-crested cockatoos.


native cockatoos

Oz specialities

Road sign


beetroot


refreshingly delicious


Chinatown, Sydney


Bondi surfer boys


He didn't choose me cuz I'm cute - he chose me cuz of my yute! (real bumper stick)

Days 14-16 Shoal Bay (Nelson Bay/Port Stephens)

This beach resort is about a 2.5 hour drive north of Sydney. Note - the drive takes longer with kids! We went to several beaches with great names including Zenith and Wreck Beaches . Jason tried to teach me the difference between dumping and non-dumping waves and how to body surf. Not sure I really got it – all the waves looked similar to me.

Even though this is not the Great Barrier Reef, the beaches were beautiful, the waves were plentiful and tall (making some beaches too dangerous to swim) and we had the best weather - not a cloud in the sky! I even got Dylan - a.k.a. Rudie Nudie - who doesn't like the seaside water to jump baby waves with me (I'll spare you the fotos of me in a bathing suit).


Wreck Beach


Zenith Beach1


Zenith Beach2


Birubi Point & Stockton Beach sand dunes


Rudie Nudie

Jason lent me his car (not a yute unfortunately), so I stayed an extra day in Nelson Bay. Slept in a tent at this great backpackers place in hopes of seeing a koala in the trees. I didn't. :(

Woke up with heavy downpour and decided to leave town to hit the Hunter Valley vineyards. Very sad to not spend the morning swimming at the beach.


Hunter Valley - Bimbadgen Estates

A few vineyards and back roads later, I headed back to Sydney to have dinner in Darlinghurst with Hanish and Jane. Driving on the left side on the Pacific Highway (busy, curvy road in north Sydney) during rush hour was no easy feat!

Day 11 to 13 - Sydney

I made it to Sydney

After a long weekend in Wellington for Jo Style's wedding to Darrin Cornes (she kept her name...), I continued my journey alone to Sydney where I met up with my friends Sara and Jason and their two kids Dylan (3.5) and Sam (8 months). I haven't seen them since before they had children and they haven't changed a bit. They live in a beautiful old ranch-style home in a western suburb of downtown Sydney.

The weather has been crap for the first three days of my stay and finally cleared up on my last day in Sydney (day 13) before our departure towards Shoal Bay. On Day 11, I wandered around the downtown in a permanent drizzle reminiscent of London. I am puzzled by Sydney. I don't know what I was expecting, but I am surprised by the large number of skyscrapers.


Flying foxes (a.k.a. bats) in the middle of downtown Sydney

On Day 13, I toured the eastern suburbs from Bronte and Bondi beaches to Paddington and Darlinghurst. A lot of walking. The views on the beach were great (path from Bronte to Bondi) and I really love the terrace homes in the bourgeois suburbs. They remind me of a neighborhood in downtown Houston (fuzzy child memory) or perhaps it’s just like the French quarter in New Orleans.I have a much more favourable opinion of Sydney now, especially since it was 26 today and sunny. Another bonus: beaches are free, clean and well guarded and they are easily accessible by relatively inexpensive public transportation.


Terrace homes in Paddington

1.5 hours left...

...until the end of Australia Day on the east coast.


dressing up your boat

I was in NZ...

Une finale franco-belge!

Bonne chance Amélie!

Wife - husband: 1-0

Husband thought that by spending time with two infants I would increase my interest in having children from 0 to 1 (on a scale of 100). No such luck. They are very cute and loveable, but they are also not mine!

Day 7 cont. - Alpine flowers and a big bug

Alpine flower with a small coin


about 20 cm long


Edelweiss?


macro photo

Day 7 - Arthur's Pass

I hiked the Temple Basin path. Most tramps (hikes in Kiwi language) are several days long and take you to wondeful glaciers and such. I only had three hours to play as we were passing through this town and my friends were waiting for me. The path was all steep uphill on stone and gravel - not so easy on the knees coming down. Beautiful view at the top near ski lodges of the Arthur’s Pass valley. Meet an Australian family with three kids from Cairns doing the hike. I went up to the Temple Basin (1774m, beginning at 920m) but you can go further another hour or so wlak minimum up a steeper bit with rope to guide you and see the valley behind. The views I had were on Avalanche Peak (1833m), Mount Lancelot (2112m) and Mount Rolleston (2275m) which all had some snow coverage. I'll put up my panoramic photos when I get my cable back for my camera (left it in Wellie and getting it back in Sydney soon).


View from Temple Basin (1774m)


After a fast hike up...


Leaving Arthur's pass

Day 6 - Franz Joseph and Fox Glaciers

View of Fox Glacier from a helicopter

Cloudy day so never managed to see Mount Cook. Too bad - the glaciers were spectacular though.


Close up of Franz Joseph - about the size of a football field...