Kylie and Maureen, our amazing hosts showed us a great time. Firstly, these girls have a fully functioning "pub" in their garage! They showed us around town and took us on road trips to lakes and beaches but the best part was when we went to "Hot and Cold". This is a magical place where two rivers, one naturally hot and one cold meet. You have to swim around to find the ideal temperature between the two rivers. It was very cool!...and hot. The best time to swim is at night, apparently as not to see the sliminess of the water. People bring candles which give this natural wonder a romantic touch. We loved it so much that we went there a second time!

Kylie, Maurine and us at L&P bottle, famous drink in NZ

We never made it to the Zorb but we did have one last chance to go white water rafting. We went down the Kaituna River and its class 5 rapids. The craziest part was when we went over Tutea Falls, the world's  highest commercially rafted waterfall, a whopping seven meters. It doesn't sound like much until you go over the edge!

Seven meter waterfall on Kaituna River

Considering Rotorua is Maori country, we had to get a little but of Maori culture in. We visited the Mitai Village  where we experienced a full night of Maori culture. We were greeted by Maori warriors who performed their various haka, a Maori traditional dance and yes, they use a lot of tongue.  We were provided with explanations of traditions, rituals and the meaning behind the tattoos. We then got to partake in a traditional hangi meal that is cooked in the ground. At the end of the night we saw our first glow worms in their natural habitat, although I probably wouldn't have noticed them if they weren't pointed out to me.

Maori Warriors performing haka

With one day left of our fantasy life, we hitched back to Auckland. That's it, January 11th we sat on the plane and made our way back to reality. We flew Auckland to Los Angeles to Las Vegas to Minneapolis and finally Winnipeg. The return was bitterweet. On one hand I was so sad that our travels were ending (and I was coming back to Winnipeg in the dead of winter). On the other hand, we get to start our real life and live out life's wondrous adventures. I have to admit, the tears were falling as the luggage  came off the carousel but as soon as I saw our friends and family greeting us, the biggest grin spread across my face.

It actually felt good to be back!

For anyone curious about anything to do with New Zealand, this is the place to visit. This museum covers everything from initial Maori settlement, the country’s involvement in the World Wars, and even massive freaky birds who wandered the land millions of years ago. There’s even a section about the volcano in the middle of Auckland Harbour, and what can be expected should it ever erupt. The simulation of being in a house in the volcano’s path is enough to knock your socks off, and anything else depending on how well you hold your nerves.

From Auckland we took a flight to Christchurch, our gateway to the Southern Island and ironically the center of Chabad Lubavitch in New Zealand. We rented a car there, being cheaper than taking the ferry, and quickly resumed on our way. Our first stop was in Dunedin, where we would see how chocolate is made at Cadburry World, and how beer is brewed at the Speight Brewery, both special commodities society simply cannot live without. Rebecca had the time of her life sampling beer at the brewery; she will never turn down a cold one. We also found out that Dunedin has the steepest street (Baldwin St.) in the world, not San Francisco.

Beer Sampling at Speight's Brewry

At the invitation of a phantom couch surfer we drove to Queenstown, where the most avid thrill seekers come to ride on the silver backed fern. While initially we thought we would go white water rafting, a new idea unique to Queenstown presented itself at the agency. Canyoning turned out to be an exiting activity where we would jump, slide, and climb, rappel and zip-line through gushing mountain rivers. First you’re dressed in a wetsuit, helmet, and marched up a never ending trail. When you figure the heat has become too much, that’s where the excitement begins. The inauguration isn’t exactly smooth; you’re specifically instructed step, not jump, from a height of 10 meters and land on your back, if you want to face another jump.

Canyoning in Queenstown

The next challenge would be one I’d have to face on my own, especially with my fear of heights. I had never considered doing bungee jumping before but when we made our way to Queenstown, New Zealand I thought, "When in Queenstown." I was apprehensive at first about jumping into the abyss, but then slowly I gathered my wits and made it to the edge. Then I took a deep breath, spread my wings, and with the help of a countdown I leaped to what I was told would be like flying. While the experience was undoubtedly exhilarating, I did not feel the promised flying sensation but rather a falling one, which coincidentally is exactly what I was doing. Now that this endeavour is off my list, it's time to pursue one not nearly as reckless, or perhaps one far worse...

With the thrill of Queenstown behind us, we looked to activities far more subtle, but none less breathtaking. In Wanaka we decided to check out Puzzling World, a place where every perception of reality is fooled by your own overactive imagination. You haven’t seen everything until you see people standing sideways, water flows upslope, and Gadi and I simply, “change sizes.” Further down the road, our journey consisted of many good hikes, and the vain search of the silver backed fern. One night even included sleeping in the car we rented, since poor planning and high demand resulted in all accommodation occupied for the remainder of our visit.

By this time I had only a few days left in New Zealand, and took as much warm weather as I could before I had to return to Calgary. We stopped in Golden Bay to see one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, but found it hard to appreciate it being pelted by sand. Gadi also got too close to a seal, unaware they are just as agile on land as they are in the water.

Beach in Golden Bay

Fed up with the lack of available accommodation, we returned to Christchurch and stayed with our gracious hosts Merryn and Michael for the next couple days. This warm and loving family spoiled us by taking us on a boating trip. It was the perfect end to an incredible trip to see the other side of the world, and where I would part ways with Rebecca and Gadi, for now. The only thing now to do is wonder where I will go next. See you all there!

Ariel, Merryn, Michael, Tom, Gadi and Rebecca

The reunion party was to be short-lived, as was my first visit to Sydney, because straight away it was off to Newcastle and the first stop on our way to the Great Barrier Reef. The view and ambiance of Newcastle driving in was unimpressive to say the least, especially with public urination in broad daylight. All hope was not lost, because the next day we continued north to the quaint town of Port Macquarie, home of the Koala hospital. While we were disappointed that we weren't allowed to hold the poor little devils, we were thrilled that they weren't asleep when we arrived.

Injured Koala

At the invitation of Rebecca's and Gadi's new-found close friends Nathan and Becca, we continued on the Brisbane where I was to have my first experience in a big Australian city. Like most big cities, Brisbane has a lot to offer locals and tourists with extensive resources, but for backpackers on a budget, we could always enjoy the healthy blend of older and modern architecture from the river cruise.

Brisbane City Center

From Brisbane it was off to Hervey Bay where we would embark on journey of excitement and discovery into the Australian wild, and plenty of 4x4 driving. We booked the self guided tour of Fraser Island where we were grouped with travelers like us from all corners of Europe. The trip included everything from the most crystal clear freshwater lakes, just like the pictures in the brochures and miles of gorgeous, yet shark infested coastlines. The trip was also one of great enlightenment, for instance we learned that Dingoes, for all their fierce reputation, are nothing more than a pack of pussies scavenging for people food. Our group was foolish enough to the leave the grease-covered grill overnight only to be covered with dingo prints the following morning.

We were also introduced by our Dutch counterparts to their peculiar concept and custom of swaffeling, something that has been known to cause international incidents. It basically involves hitting one's semi-erect penis against other persons, objects, and world-famous landmarks. No more details necessary.

However, by far the most memorable experience on the Fraser Island tour was the outcome of me drinking too much cask wine, locally known as "goon." There were already several achievements that I had done, such as displaying my aptitude for the butterfly swim, and speaking German (according to them) without an accent, something so far I've been unable to replicate in my own language. Nevertheless, my moment of applause came when a busload of tourists specifically stopped to witness me getting sick from the combination of excessive goon and 4x4 bouncing, I didn't feel like walking too far from the road. Nothing a swim in the crystal clear Lake McKenzie can't fix.

Crystal Clear Lake Mckenzie

The last destination in Australia, and the most North that we would come was Airle Beach, from where we would experience the edge of the Great Barrier Reef.  The sailing tour we booked involved snorkeling to see  exotic tropical fish and coral, visits to beaches of sand so pure it doesn't heat, reef sharks no larger than a cat, and some sailing. We thought that while snorkeling we had found Nemo and his parents, however upon verifying with the chart we were disappointed to find that they were only found his long-lost cousins.

I'm on a boat, mother f#@ker!

Link to the music video

Our Australian Outbackish experience was complete, and it was time to return to Sydney and civilization. In two days we drove more than two thousand kilometers, a feat admired by many locals. Though my time was limited, Sydney made a lasting impression on me which I hope to enjoy one day soon in the future. A visit with my army friend Josh resulted in a day of sailing on the harbour to see a race of the fastest sailing ships in the world. At night time we explored the vast variety of culinary treats, from world-famous Sydney meat pies to churros that rival the very same in Madrid.

Sydney Opera House

And so concluded our short yet very sweet tour of the land down under. I still never understood why the British sent their convicts to a land of Paradise. While there we compiled a list of our five favorite activities;

5. Learn to drive on the left and not confuse the turn signal with the wiper blade lever

4. Master the Aussie accent and language

3. Learn to pronounce local towns and cities

2. Spot live wildlife, including koalas and kangaroos

1. Try not to run them over

We landed in Sydney and were greeted by Matt and Marisol, friends we met back in Thailand. They were so nice to drive us around town and show us some of the major sites, including their favorite beach and the Olympic Complex.

Olympic Stadium, Sydney

After a couple of days of relaxing in Sydney we took off to Melbourne. I really loved this city. We stayed with a friend and former co-worker, Yuri. This guy knows how to party! The first night we went to the famous Queen Victoria night market and then out to a bar. The next night we started at one drinking-hole called Bimbo's before heading over to Crown Casino. I wasn't allowed into the night-club since I was eating flip-flops (the downside of having a limited wardrobe). Instead we sat in a bar where we drank two bottles of champagne. Then it was off to another disco to dance the night away. The evening ended around 5:30am with a night-cap back at Yuri's place.

Strange baby at Bimbo Bar

Yuri and champain

We did manage to do some site-seeing too. We rode the free tourist bus around town to see the Docklands, Shrine of Remembrance and the Botanical Gardens. An interesting museum is the Australian Center for the Moving Image, a fascinating gallery dedicated to film, TV and digital media. I re-lived my childhood by playing the original Nintendo!

Melbourne skyline

Melbourne is a city worth exploring. Just walk around the various neighborhoods, taking in all the sites and easy going culture.

Shrine of Remembrance

Our main goal was to visit Angkor Archeological Park. We spent one day checking out the sites of Siem Reap including Pub Street and the day market. We also went to the night market where I got a pedicure done by tiny little skin-eating fish. It tickled at first and I'm not gonna lie - I didn't notice much difference. Oh well, I've always wanted to try it.

Fish massage and pedicure

We wanted to see all the major sites of Angkor in one day so to get the most of it we joined a group tour. At $13 a person we had transportation in an air-conditioned bus, a guide and unlimited water which is much needed on a hot day. I would recommend this option as opposed to getting your own tuk-tuk. Firstly, it costs about the same. Second, drivers don't offer much information. Last, AIR-CONDITIONING!!

Angkor Wat

The temples did not disappoint! We checked out Bayon and Ta Prohm which is the famous "Lara Croft Tomb Raider" temple. Angkor Wat was saved for last where we watched the sunset over the magnificent temple.

Monks at Bayon

From Cambodia it was back to Bangkok. We took the opportunity to catch up on some shopping. MBK Mall is six solid floors of shopping goodness. You can buy anything and everything here. Of course, Koh San Road offers some great deals too. As a break, we went to the Royal Palace which was far more beautiful than expected. The temple is incredibly decorated with little mirrors that twinkle and dazzle in the sunlight.

Thai Royal Palace

That marked the end of the "Asia" portion of our trip. It was time to change gears and move on. Australia, here we come!

We arrived at the Laos border and were requested to pay US$2 per passport to stamp out. A little more than we would have liked to pay for the bribe but there wasn't much choice (although we did short change the guy and gave about US$3 for both of our passports).

We then enter Cambodia and are required to pass through a health inspection. To get our passports back we had to pay US$1 per passport. Again, we cheated and I slipped the guy only US$1 for both passports and walked away quickly.

Next to get our visa. Again, it is known that the Cambodian visa costs only US$20. On this border crossing they wanted US$23 per visa. We were a large group of people and we started to argue the price difference. The border officials then started bargaining with us and offered US$22! We laughed at them and the price was immediately raised back to US$23.

A few of us decided to stand our ground and pay only the official price. We were just ignored! In the end we had to cave-in and pay their "special" price. Gadi and I got away with paying US$45 for both passports so we saved an additional dollar. A small defeat.

You'd think that it was all over, but no. Once we got the visa we stood in another line-up to get the visa stamped. Guess what? They wanted another US$1 per passport! At this point I said I had no more money left. I whipped out my wallet and showed them the empty folds. They agreed to do it for free for me. Another small defeat and another US$2 saved.

Finally got our Cambodian visa

After the whole ordeal we boarded the bus again. We looked out the window at the health inspector just in time to catch him pocketing the cash. It is just infuriating!

In the end, the visa which should cost only US$20 turned out to cost much more. If you payed all the requested bribes the Cambodian visa costs US$27! Be prepared to have extra cash and it is best to bring US dollar bills.

I wish you all the strength and patience!

After our odyssey on the two day slow boat we arrived in the old Laotian capital, Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang is a town located where the Khan and Mekong Rivers meet and has the privilege of being part of the World Heritage of UNESCO. The presence of temples and specially monks is a common sight. We only stayed in town for a couple of day so we visited some of the main temples. To tell you the truth, I am a little templed out. You see one it's great, you see three it's pretty nice, you see fifty and I get the point. The only bad part of this town is that they charge you for every temple you see so this helped us out on selecting a minimum number of them to visit. The one we do recommend was the Phu Si (no I didn't make it up). You should get there for sunset because this temple is located on the top of the hill and you get a nice view of the city.

How many monks can you fit on the back of a trunk?

While walking through town we came upon a man selling a very strange looking concoction. There was a large glass jar containing all kinds of snakes, scorpions and giant centipedes. When we asked the man about it he said it was Lao Whiskey or better known as Cobra Whiskey. Honestly, it looked more like a witch's potion. Once again i had to prove my manhood and give the alcohol a try. After all, when in Lao we should do like Laotians do and I drank it. It really wasn't too bad!

Cobra Whiskey: Scorpions, snakes and other things

Our next stop in Laos was Vang Vieng. This town is known by travelers as a party town. We thought the place would be touristy but not to this extent. Here you will find a handful of restaurants playing back to back to back Friends and Family Guy episodes and a tour agency in every corner. The main reason people come here is for the infamous tubing experience.

We didn't know what to expect about tubing but let me say it, it was awesome. You start your day by renting the tube from one of the two shops in town. They take you on a tuk-tuk up the river and this is where the fun begins. Lined up on the river there are bar after bar. The music is pumping and the drinks are flowing. You get the chance to swing and slide from some questionable swings, ziplines and water slides but at that state you don't care too much about your well-being. Ah, you can't forget to stop for some mud wrestling and mud volleyball! One catch about the tube rental is that you have to be back by 6 pm if you want your full deposit back. Be careful not to get stuck in the bars because it takes a good amount of time to get back, I am speaking from experience.

Vang Viang and it's surroundings do have things to offer including some caves and not too far off some almost untouched villages. We rented scooters to explore. When we pulled over by a small village, all the children came out to meet us. They were excited and scared, as if they've never seen a white person before. One baby even burst into tears as I waved hello.

Village children

For our next destination we wanted to mix it up a bit with our transportation method. We opted to take a kayak tour to get to the city of Vientiane. It was very nice but I wish we were in the wet season so that the river would have more rapids.

Truthfully, Vientiane was my least favorite city in Laos. For a big city there was no night life. There is a curfew and everything closes at 11:30 at night, I think it got something to do with the communist regime.The highlight of our time there was when we visited the Buddha Park. This place as the name suggests is where a bunch of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures are laid out in a park. The sculptures are said to have been made by unskilled artists under the direction of the designer.

The famous leaning Buddha in Buddha Park

After hopping from place to place we were ready to relax in the 4000 islands. The tiny island of Don Det is very chill place. We got a tiny bungalow overlooking the river which contained a bed, mosquito net and two hammocks. There wasn't even electricity in our room but that didn't matter since electricity is only turned on between six and ten at night. We had some down time and caught up on our reading while swinging in our hammocks. It was paradise.

A Lao Sunset

Advice #1: book the full excursion from an agency in Chiang Mai because you get better value than if you were to try to do it on your own. We paid 1650 Baht which included a mini-van ride to the border, accommodations the first night, dinner, breakfast, a lunch box and the two day boat ride.

Here is how it goes:

Day one, we were picked up from our guesthouse and driven to the border town of Chiang Khong. Along the way we stopped to see some hot springs (which are great to soak your feet in) and in Chiang Rai to see the amazing White Temple (Wat Rong Khun). We made it to the border where we checked into the guesthouse and were given dinner (included).

Wat Rong Khun, the White Temple

Advice #2: use the guesthouse service to get your Thailand exit stamps. To avoid having to wake up early the next morning and cue up for customs, you can pay 100 baht and your guesthouse will do it for you. They also give you all the necessary paperwork to fill out to get your Laos visa.

Advice #3: go buy provisions for the long boat ride. Bring drinks and snacks because there is limited options on the boat and it is way more expensive.

Day two, we got breakfast and a take-away lunch box (included) for the boat. Our stamped passports were returned but not before being accused of carrying a fake Israeli passport! We were driven to the border and then got on a rickety long boat and crossed the river into Huay Xai, Laos. After a long wait we got our visas which cost $US42 for Canadians and only $US30 for other passport holders.

Advice #4: do not listen to any touts trying to convince you to upgrade to a bus! They will tell you of the horrors of the boat and how expensive the night to come is. Not true! Just stick with the boat, it is an experience. You won't regret it and plus, you've already paid for it.

We were driven to the slow boat and we were off down the Mekong River. There were some very comfortable and reclinable chairs and most benches had cushions. There was even enough floor space to have a great round of UNO. The boat ride was only 6 hours (the aforementioned touts claim it takes 10 hours).

How many white people can you fit in one boat?

Advice #5: make friends, it will make the time go by faster. Sit beside the guy with the guitar and join the sing along or bring cards/games. The slow boat can be lots of fun!

We arrived in Pak Beng and were whisked away to a great guesthouse. All the guesthouses cost 200 baht and we had the cheapest beer to date. Again, the same touts promised rooms no less than 400 and expensive food. The only down side is that electricity shuts off around 11pm so the whole town is dead. It is a good excuse to get an early night.

Day three, we got breakfast and some more food for the boat (the baguette sandwiches are cheap and taste great). Then it was back on the boat. The second boat was a tighter squeeze but we got the floor where we read, slept and played games. We were on the boat for 7.5 hours but with the beautiful scenery and great company the time went by fast. We arrived in Luang Prabang with high spirits.

Views of the Mekong River

In conclusion: slow boat = good times

Our exploratory visit started by getting some wheels. As the city's main attractions are quite spread out we decided that a scooter would be ideal as there is some big slopes that will take a lot of effort.

The first stop was the famous temple on top of the hill called Doi Suthep. I think this is a must-see temple. It is very nice inside with lots of people praying at the different Buddhas. We actually stopped at one of this rooms where a monk was doing some blessings. I did like the locals and got on my knees in front of him with my arm extended. He sprayed some "holy" water on me followed by some prayers and continued to tie a white bracelet on my wrist. I didn't understand what he said but he probably converted me into a rare combination of Buddhist-Jew.

I think I was just converted!

With the scooter we also visit the ancient city of Wang Kun Kan, believed to be the foundation of Chiang Mai. We also went to the town of Bo Sang, a handicraft area where they do wood carving and umbrella making.

A Thailand visit would not be complete if we didn't take a cooking class. We selected the Siam Rice Cooking School. We got to visit a local market and cooked seven different dishes of our choice. Yep, I got to prove myself that I am not a lost case in the kitchen!

Enjoying my creations

We felt adventurous so we signed up for a two day trek. The trek consisted of hiking through the jungle to get to some isolated hill tribes, elephant riding, bamboo rafting and water rafting. The only part of the tour that I was not thrilled about is when we went to visit the Karen "long neck" tribe. These people were waiting for us in a market style huts. They all wanted us to buy stuff from them. It sort of felt like a human zoo. We thought it would be more like them showing us their lifestyle but it was nothing like that.

Karen "Long neck" village

Our tour concluded on Halloween so what better way to finish our night than getting dressed up and making fools of ourselves. All the guys from our tour group dressed up as ladyboys and we made cat calls to all those cute guys passing by.

I love you long time.

It seems to happen a lot that we arrive in a town not knowing of the upcoming festivities. In this case we got to Chiang Mai for the Loi Krathong Festival. Here people lunch their lanterns in a hot balloon fashion. The sky is filled with these lanterns for 3 nights! It is quite the party.

Lantern getting ready for some air time

Following the Full Moon Party we visited Koh Samui and then flew to Phuket. The only thing in Phuket are prostitutes and lady-boys and sometimes it is hard to tell the difference. I learned two important expressions while there:
1) it's not a lady-boy unless you check and,
2) what happens on vacation stays on vacation except for STDs, those you take home with you

Just in case you were wondering, we never had to put either of those expressions to use.

Ladyboys...they look better than most girls!

To get away we went to the incredible island of Koh Phi Phi. We go to check into our hotel and when asked for our passports Gadi and I look at each other in horror. We forgot them in the safe of the last hotel in Phuket! Now we are forced to go back there.

Koh Phi Phi is paradise and it's hard to imagine that it was almost wiped out by the tsunami. We wanted to put our new certification to use so one day we went scuba diving. All I have to say is "wow"! We saw two kinds of shark, octopus, squid and not to mention all the amazing fish. On the second day we hiked to the top of the island (just follow the tsunami evacuation route signs) to catch the magnificent sun-set. Very romantic.

I love you!

We had a very last minute change of plans and we are now in Bali, Indonesia! Again, my dad was working in the area so we seized the opportunity to meet up with him. It's been lots of fun to hang out with Pa, and I love that he spoils us rotten.

To fly to Indonesia we had to make a stop over in Malaysia. The thing about these two countries is that they don't like Israel too much, that is, no Israelis are allowed in. This shouldn't be a problem considering we both hold Canadian passports. That doesn't change the fact that Gadi is a born Israeli and I have several sets of Israeli stamps in my passport. I didn't think we were going to have any problems but Gadi was frantic! As we were passing through customs in Malaysia, Gadi was just sweating bullets. We gave our best "Canadian smile" and no one gave us a second look. All I have to say is "I told you so".

We took an island tour of Bali where we saw some Balinese dancing, visited several beautiful temples, played with monkeys and ate lunch overlooking an active volcano. We also stopped at a coffee plantation where they make Kopi Luwak, the most expensive coffee in the world. This coffee is made by collecting "droppings" of an animal (the luwak) which contain the coffee seed after eating the most ripe coffee berries.

That's right, the coffee was eaten, digested and defecated and is considered the best coffee on the world. I had to try it. At $3 for a cup of coffee, no more expensive than Starbucks, it tasted just like coffee. Good? Yes, but I can't say it was the best I've ever tasted.

I can't believe people drink this stuff...

We got tired of Kuta beach so we rented scooters and made our way to Dreamland beach, south of the island. The beach was nice but there were huge waves. I got smacked down by one and face-planted into the sand and coral. I didn't realize what happened until I felt the blood dripping down my face. Beside the beach was an amazing restaurant that has the nicest infinity pool overlooking the sea. It was beautiful.

Me and two of my favourite boys in the pool

Bad to the bone!

As much as I've enjoyed my time I have to admit that I am all "beached out". I'm ready to move on and do something a little more cultural. Next stop is Chiang Mai in northern Thailand to visit the long neck girls.