By Simon Woodhouse
As far as long haul flights are concerned, going from the UK to New Zealand is a big one. If the two countries were any further apart they'd start getting closer together again. It's eleven thousand three hundred and ninety miles from London, England to Auckland, New Zealand (as the crow flies). Unfortunately, commercial airliners can't fly quite as directly as crows are alleged to be able to do, but they can go a little bit faster.
When you're sat in the travel agent booking your flight to the other side of the world, the anticipation and the excitement seems to have some sort of affect on your rational judgement. You look at the flight details put in front of you, and the idea of being onboard a plane for twenty-four hours somehow doesn't seem too bad. This is certainly how I felt when I booked my first flight from the UK to New Zealand. I was swept along on a wave of excitement that dulled my senses, and turned me into the equivalent of a child on Christmas morning sat in front of a mountain of unopened presents. This state of euphoria lasted right up until I arrived at Heathrow Airport.
Airports can be summed up in one word - queues. There are queues everywhere. Every step of the checking in process involves a queue. Whether it's getting your boarding card and handing your cases over at the airline desk, going through passport control, or waiting to get on the plane itself, there's always a line of people in front of you. My tip for dealing with this - try not to look at the queue when you're standing in it. Or if waiting a little while means you join a shorter queue, do that.
After I'd done the flight from the UK to New Zealand a couple of times, I realised one of the keys to coping depends on my state of mind. As I'm boarding the aircraft, I take a deep breath and tell myself if I want to get where I'm going, I've got no choice but to be on this plane. I resign myself to the fact it's not going to be the most comfortable experience, but it's my choice to be here. So that's the psychology of it, what about practical ways to make it a bit easier?
First of all I try to pick an airline that has decent in flight entertainment, this makes a big difference. Having a wide choice of movies to watch, even if it is via the tiny screen in the back of the seat in front of you, is definitely better than one big screen showing stuff you have no control over. What you can and cannot take onboard depends on the journey you're making. If there are no restrictions, books, magazines, electronic games and something to listen to are all good. Variety helps to break up the boredom, so take whatever you think will help pass the time. If you're travelling alone, try to gauge what sort of person it is you're sat beside before you strike up a conversation. Being trapped next to someone who loves the sound of their own voice can make it feel as though time is standing still. As a rule, I let them speak first, and if they don't then I leave it at that.
As I'm not much of a drinker anyway, I usually don't have anything alcoholic whilst I'm flying. Getting drunk on a plane might help while the hours away, but if you're on a really long haul flight, do you want to be dealing with a hangover at thirty thousand feet? Not my idea of fun. But I do drink lots of water. This serves two purposes, first off it stops me dehydrating, and secondly it forces me to get up and use the bathroom. Whether deep vein thrombosis is caused by long haul flights or not, I don't know, but I don't really want to take the chance, so walking about the cabin has to be good.
If your flight is split up into more than one leg (as they all are from the UK to New Zealand), make sure you take full advantage of the transfer airport. Have a shower, have a massage, wonder around all the shops, get something decent to eat, even engage in idle conversation with fellow travellers (this is alright in the airport, because if they turn out to be the bore from hell you can get up and walk off). All international airports have a whole host of facilities, and I suggest you use them, because once you're back on the plane there'll be no such luxuries.
Another thing you need to bear in mind is just how grotty you're going to feel when you finally arrive at your destination. If possible, always arrange to have someone meet you. It's not a good idea to get behind the wheel of a hire car after you've had hardly any sleep for twenty-four hours (believe me, I've done it and it's terrible). Add to that the fact that you might be in a foreign country, have little idea of how to get to where your staying, and may even have to drive on the opposite side of the road to what you're used to. Don't kid yourself that you'll be able to handle it - you won't.
As someone who's dealt with all the 'pleasures' of long haul flight, I'm curious to see if the experience will change when the new generation of super-jumbos come into service, of which the Airbus A380 is the first. According to some of the planes specifications, it's going to offer more legroom to everyone, even the economy passengers. If this turns out to be true, and the ticket price doesn't go up accordingly, it'll be a real bonus for the traveller on a budget (like me). But somehow I can't see it happening. I think what you'll get is not more room around the seats, but more seats.
What's really needed is some sort of Star Trek style transporter system, which can zap you from one side of the planet to the other instantaneously. But there's about as much chance of that happening as me being able to travel first class, or even in business. So I'm just going to have to grit my teeth, sit in my seat, and take some of my own advice.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Monday, September 04, 2006
Travel to Kabul, Afghanistan: Yup, You Don't Have to Be Deployed with the Military to Visit
Shoving my way around sweaty Afghan men and making my way to the customs counter at Kabul International Airport, I wondered what the hell I was doing there. Yes, it was by choice that I was spending my 10-day vacation in Kabul.
As I write this, and even during my March 2006 trip, the U.S. State Department warns U.S. citizens against traveling to Afghanistan. They warn that U.S. citizens continue to be kidnapping and assassination targets.
During my visit, I experienced nothing but kindness and curiosity from the Afghan people. It was because I was welcomed as a guest rather than seen as a disrespectful occupier. As a woman, I respected the Afghan culture by wearing conservative clothing such as loose fitting pants, keeping the area between my waist and knees covered with a sweater or coat and covering my hair with a scarf. I learned, "salam," for "hello," and "ta-shar-koor," for "thank you."
Years of war and poverty drape the Kabul streets. Bombed out buildings and utility poles riddled with bullet holes can be seen at every turn. Beggars - women in dingy blue burquas, children wearing clothing a size too small and men injured by landmines - canvas the street. Open sewers run parallel to the streets and trash is tossed in roadways for children to pick through.
So why would anyone want to visit? Curiosity led me there. I was reading Khaled Hosseini’s novel, "The Kite Runner," when I heard about Global Exchange's Reality Tours (www.globalexchange.org). The organization is a California-based human rights group. The book is about a boy who lived in a pre-Soviet Kabul and who returns as a man during the Taliban occupation.
The purpose behind Global Exchange's tours is to provide education, fun and positively influence the international community through travel. This particular trip focused on women making change in a post-Taliban society. It included meeting with government and non-government agencies as well as touring Kabul's tourist sites. This was the perfect trip for me - structure but freedom to mingle with the locals and experience the culture.
The Taliban reigned in terror between 1996 and 2001. During that time, women were required to be hidden and could not work. Girls could not attend school. In public, women needed to wear a burqa, a full-length covering hiding the body’s shape and face. [Note: Women are no longer required to wear burqas, but many still do]. Men could not shave. Artwork depicting human faces or animals, including photographs, were prohibited.
Fast forward to March 2006, about five years following the U.S-led invasion into Afghanistan. Twelve curious minds participated on this trip to Kabul. Global Exchange has an Afghan-based native organizing and coordinating logistics there.
The trip included meetings with organizations such as the Ministry of Women's Affairs, Afghan Human Rights Organization, Afghan National Gallery and other government officials. We met with a group that provides services to street working children (ASCHIANA) and several groups working to empower women financially and emotionally. These include Afghans4Tomorrow, focusing on educating girls and young women through building schools; PARWAZ, providing opportunities to build micro businesses; and Women for Women International: giving women vocational training.
Between meetings were visits to some of the attractions. Yes, tourists are returning to Kabul. In fact, the Afghanistan government has an active Ministry of Information, Culture & Tourism that has been exhibiting at international tourism fairs. In 2005, Afghanistan’s Tourism Office estimated that 2,200 tourists visited the country.
The Organization for Mine Clearance and Afghan Rehabilitation (OMAR) Mine Museum was informative. On display were 51 different kinds of explosives made in more than 25 countries used in Afghanistan over the years. There was also an overview on what OMAR is doing to increase mine awareness among the Afghan people. Due to a high illiteracy rate, (the Ministry of Women's Affairs estimates an 86% illiteracy rate among Afghan women), the most effective education is training individuals to visit each village and educate as many people as possible. Also learned that all of the green flags I had seen in and around Kabul marked where civilians were killed in some violent way, such as by a suicide car bomb or knife.
The Afghan National Gallery re-opened in 2003 after it was closed during the Taliban. While in power, the Taliban destroyed anything with a human face or depicting animals. The gallery director, Sayed Abdul Fatah, realized precious artworks would be destroyed so he asked artists to paint landscape scenes in watercolor over the paintings, to save them. Those paintings not saved by the artists were destroyed, about 400 pieces. Today, the gallery contains a mix of artwork, primarily paintings, by Afghan artists and others donated by artists throughout the world. These are identified as "Foreigner" in the artist’s name field next to the painting's title.
The Kabul Museum is a historical museum comprised of statues and artifacts from pre-twentieth century Central Asia. Seventy percent of the original collection is gone, due to looting over the years and the rest destroyed by the Taliban. Following a two-year renovation, the museum is open and a few displays are available for viewing. Seeing the museum staff working on restoring pieces was interesting. On tables, chunks of the stone statues are pieced together and cemented. It's a long, tedious process, but these Museum caregivers are determined to restore what the Taliban smashed.
Across the street from the Kabul Museum is the Darulaman Palace. This magnificent mansion was probably glorious in its day. It was built in the 1920s by King Amanullah and royalty lived in it, then occupied by government agencies. But, like so many other buildings in Kabul, beginning in 1992, it fell victim to war. Today, it sits empty with bullet holes and bombed out sections. Pieces of the roof flap in the wind. A fence with loops of barbed wire circles the palace and photos can only be taken with permission of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) officials (which operates under the United Nations), who guard the facility.
Another must-see in Kabul is Babur Shah Gardens. Walking through the garden and seeing its lushness, it's difficult to believe this is in Kabul. The six-hectare, walled garden is a sanctuary. Rows of shrubs, trees and flowers were beginning to bloom. A tiny greenhouse was full of geraniums. The tomb of Babur Shah, king when the gardens were built in the 16th century, rests at the top of the hill. A small, white marble mosque, also built in the 16th century, sits below the tomb.
Not necessarily an attraction, but another must-do is visit the Kabul Beauty School and Oasis Salon. Following the incidents of September 11, 2001, Michigan hairdresser Debbie Rodriguez felt compelled to help with recovery efforts at Ground Zero. She worked alongside military personnel, who were later deployed to Afghanistan. She followed her newfound friends to Kabul, but they didn’t have use for a hairdresser. She did odd jobs to earn her keep but eventually, her friends realized she provided an invaluable service: a great haircut.
The Afghan hair salons were not familiar with cutting American hair, or that of other foreigners. Seeing a need, she and a few others put together the Kabul Beauty School. Women are trained a skill and upon graduation, receive a haircutting kit, all free.
Working in a beauty salon may seem frivolous, but consider this: the stylist receives cash tips so the husband, or other male figure in her life, does not know how much she brings home. She controls how much she gives her husband. Since Afghanistan is a male-dominated society, a woman cannot be controlled by a man when she has the financial upper-hand.
The stylists at the Oasis Salon are graduates of the Kabul Beauty School. Services available include haircutting, washing, pedicures and massages. Everyone is welcome except Afghan men. It’s believed that Afghan men gossip too much and they would ruin the reputation of the salon.
There is shopping in Kabul. A relaxed environment is the Women's Garden. Only women and children are permitted beyond these walls. Shops sell items from hand-made jewelry to dresses to undergarments. Some of the jewelry is made by women trying to gain financial independence through the non-profit called Women to Women International.
Women feel comfortable in the garden. Most of the burqa-wearing ladies shed them to show their smiling faces. This is where I met with many women and children wanting to practice English. They also wanted their photos taken. They didn't care that they didn't get to keep the photos, they wanted the honor of someone wanting their photos taken.
Another shopping area, and probably the most "touristy" is called Chicken Street. Everything can be found here: Afghan rugs, traditional dresses, beautiful jewelry and other trinkets. The bookseller of Kabul, the inspiration for the book of the same name, is in the vicinity of Chicken Street.
Be prepared for aggressive beggars. I had three "begging burqas" following me, repeating their limited English. One carried a baby with her. They took turns following me into different shops and at times, pulled and tugged at my sleeves.
There is a quiet shopping area by the Embassy of Iran (great wi-fi access, too). No beggars and the shopkeepers are patient. Fine garments created by high-end designer Sara Rahmani can be found at Sara Afghan. The average Afghan probably couldn’t afford one of her pieces, and neither could this American! Most are women's jackets and dresses made of fine silk.
Most signs are in English and merchants can speak enough English to get by. Always haggle with the shopkeeper and never accept the first offer. U.S. dollars are the preferred currency and are accepted in most restaurants, too.
There are a handful of restaurants in Kabul. I have to believe we ate at some of the finest ones: Shandiz-Kabol, Haji Baba, Marco Polo and Rose Restaurant. Meals were usually the same: lamb, rice, some cooked vegetables, yogurt and bottled water or canned soda. I stayed away from chicken products and non-cooked vegetables and ate only peeled fruit.
First-class hotels have made their way to Afghanistan. The Kabul Serena Hotel opened within the year, offering luxurious accommodations and services. There are multiple guesthouses fit for travelers, too. Our group stayed at a guesthouse managed by Afghans4Tomorrow, where breakfast and dinner were provided daily. Sleeping accommodations (and two bathrooms) were shared, yet comfortable. Bed linens and towels are provided, but I'd recommend bringing a sleeping bag and towel.
Electricity was shut off at night, which meant no hot water or heat. The upstairs bathroom was the warmest spot in the house, when the wood burning stove was lit. The stove provided hot water for creative bathing.
The guesthouse was fairly new, compared to the other houses in the neighborhood. Not far down the road, families lived in homes which were bombed out. Chickens ran around the mud floor of the living room. I woke up each morning to the Islamic call to prayer from the mosque down the road.
During the day, the streets of Kabul are crowded with overloaded cars and vans, honking horns at each other and disobeying the traffic cops. People randomly walked into traffic, hoping cars will stop for them. Sometimes the cars stopped, sometimes they didn't. With a high unemployment rate, I often wondered where people were going.
When night fell, the streets went quiet. It was rare to see another car on the road at 8 p.m. It seemed as though the only ones out were check-point officials.
Getting to Kabul was relatively easy. I flew on one of the two airlines servicing Kabul from Dubai, Ariana Afghan Airlines. Kam Air is the other carrier. Ariana is sometimes called, "Scari-ana," and the U.S. government prefers that their personnel do not fly the airline. I was a bit nervous at first, but Ariana safely delivered and returned me to Dubai and many contractors were on the flights. In fact, an international news crew were on the return flight.
It's a good idea to be up to date on Hepatitis A & B shots, along with Tetanus. It's also smart to take the doctor-prescribed antimalaria medicine and carry the antibiotic Cipro to ward off any diarrhea. I was careful with what I ate and kept hand sanitizer attached to my backpack. I didn't get sick.
The trip to Kabul was an informative, yet exhaustive one. I'm not sure if I would return to Afghanistan on my own, or if it's a smart thing to do for a solo, woman traveler. I usually felt safe during the time with my group and on my own. But the images and conversations with the Afghan people continue to haunt me. Somewhere down the road, I may be compelled to see how this country has changed.
-By JA Huber
As I write this, and even during my March 2006 trip, the U.S. State Department warns U.S. citizens against traveling to Afghanistan. They warn that U.S. citizens continue to be kidnapping and assassination targets.
During my visit, I experienced nothing but kindness and curiosity from the Afghan people. It was because I was welcomed as a guest rather than seen as a disrespectful occupier. As a woman, I respected the Afghan culture by wearing conservative clothing such as loose fitting pants, keeping the area between my waist and knees covered with a sweater or coat and covering my hair with a scarf. I learned, "salam," for "hello," and "ta-shar-koor," for "thank you."
Years of war and poverty drape the Kabul streets. Bombed out buildings and utility poles riddled with bullet holes can be seen at every turn. Beggars - women in dingy blue burquas, children wearing clothing a size too small and men injured by landmines - canvas the street. Open sewers run parallel to the streets and trash is tossed in roadways for children to pick through.
So why would anyone want to visit? Curiosity led me there. I was reading Khaled Hosseini’s novel, "The Kite Runner," when I heard about Global Exchange's Reality Tours (www.globalexchange.org). The organization is a California-based human rights group. The book is about a boy who lived in a pre-Soviet Kabul and who returns as a man during the Taliban occupation.
The purpose behind Global Exchange's tours is to provide education, fun and positively influence the international community through travel. This particular trip focused on women making change in a post-Taliban society. It included meeting with government and non-government agencies as well as touring Kabul's tourist sites. This was the perfect trip for me - structure but freedom to mingle with the locals and experience the culture.
The Taliban reigned in terror between 1996 and 2001. During that time, women were required to be hidden and could not work. Girls could not attend school. In public, women needed to wear a burqa, a full-length covering hiding the body’s shape and face. [Note: Women are no longer required to wear burqas, but many still do]. Men could not shave. Artwork depicting human faces or animals, including photographs, were prohibited.
Fast forward to March 2006, about five years following the U.S-led invasion into Afghanistan. Twelve curious minds participated on this trip to Kabul. Global Exchange has an Afghan-based native organizing and coordinating logistics there.
The trip included meetings with organizations such as the Ministry of Women's Affairs, Afghan Human Rights Organization, Afghan National Gallery and other government officials. We met with a group that provides services to street working children (ASCHIANA) and several groups working to empower women financially and emotionally. These include Afghans4Tomorrow, focusing on educating girls and young women through building schools; PARWAZ, providing opportunities to build micro businesses; and Women for Women International: giving women vocational training.
Between meetings were visits to some of the attractions. Yes, tourists are returning to Kabul. In fact, the Afghanistan government has an active Ministry of Information, Culture & Tourism that has been exhibiting at international tourism fairs. In 2005, Afghanistan’s Tourism Office estimated that 2,200 tourists visited the country.
The Organization for Mine Clearance and Afghan Rehabilitation (OMAR) Mine Museum was informative. On display were 51 different kinds of explosives made in more than 25 countries used in Afghanistan over the years. There was also an overview on what OMAR is doing to increase mine awareness among the Afghan people. Due to a high illiteracy rate, (the Ministry of Women's Affairs estimates an 86% illiteracy rate among Afghan women), the most effective education is training individuals to visit each village and educate as many people as possible. Also learned that all of the green flags I had seen in and around Kabul marked where civilians were killed in some violent way, such as by a suicide car bomb or knife.
The Afghan National Gallery re-opened in 2003 after it was closed during the Taliban. While in power, the Taliban destroyed anything with a human face or depicting animals. The gallery director, Sayed Abdul Fatah, realized precious artworks would be destroyed so he asked artists to paint landscape scenes in watercolor over the paintings, to save them. Those paintings not saved by the artists were destroyed, about 400 pieces. Today, the gallery contains a mix of artwork, primarily paintings, by Afghan artists and others donated by artists throughout the world. These are identified as "Foreigner" in the artist’s name field next to the painting's title.
The Kabul Museum is a historical museum comprised of statues and artifacts from pre-twentieth century Central Asia. Seventy percent of the original collection is gone, due to looting over the years and the rest destroyed by the Taliban. Following a two-year renovation, the museum is open and a few displays are available for viewing. Seeing the museum staff working on restoring pieces was interesting. On tables, chunks of the stone statues are pieced together and cemented. It's a long, tedious process, but these Museum caregivers are determined to restore what the Taliban smashed.
Across the street from the Kabul Museum is the Darulaman Palace. This magnificent mansion was probably glorious in its day. It was built in the 1920s by King Amanullah and royalty lived in it, then occupied by government agencies. But, like so many other buildings in Kabul, beginning in 1992, it fell victim to war. Today, it sits empty with bullet holes and bombed out sections. Pieces of the roof flap in the wind. A fence with loops of barbed wire circles the palace and photos can only be taken with permission of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) officials (which operates under the United Nations), who guard the facility.
Another must-see in Kabul is Babur Shah Gardens. Walking through the garden and seeing its lushness, it's difficult to believe this is in Kabul. The six-hectare, walled garden is a sanctuary. Rows of shrubs, trees and flowers were beginning to bloom. A tiny greenhouse was full of geraniums. The tomb of Babur Shah, king when the gardens were built in the 16th century, rests at the top of the hill. A small, white marble mosque, also built in the 16th century, sits below the tomb.
Not necessarily an attraction, but another must-do is visit the Kabul Beauty School and Oasis Salon. Following the incidents of September 11, 2001, Michigan hairdresser Debbie Rodriguez felt compelled to help with recovery efforts at Ground Zero. She worked alongside military personnel, who were later deployed to Afghanistan. She followed her newfound friends to Kabul, but they didn’t have use for a hairdresser. She did odd jobs to earn her keep but eventually, her friends realized she provided an invaluable service: a great haircut.
The Afghan hair salons were not familiar with cutting American hair, or that of other foreigners. Seeing a need, she and a few others put together the Kabul Beauty School. Women are trained a skill and upon graduation, receive a haircutting kit, all free.
Working in a beauty salon may seem frivolous, but consider this: the stylist receives cash tips so the husband, or other male figure in her life, does not know how much she brings home. She controls how much she gives her husband. Since Afghanistan is a male-dominated society, a woman cannot be controlled by a man when she has the financial upper-hand.
The stylists at the Oasis Salon are graduates of the Kabul Beauty School. Services available include haircutting, washing, pedicures and massages. Everyone is welcome except Afghan men. It’s believed that Afghan men gossip too much and they would ruin the reputation of the salon.
There is shopping in Kabul. A relaxed environment is the Women's Garden. Only women and children are permitted beyond these walls. Shops sell items from hand-made jewelry to dresses to undergarments. Some of the jewelry is made by women trying to gain financial independence through the non-profit called Women to Women International.
Women feel comfortable in the garden. Most of the burqa-wearing ladies shed them to show their smiling faces. This is where I met with many women and children wanting to practice English. They also wanted their photos taken. They didn't care that they didn't get to keep the photos, they wanted the honor of someone wanting their photos taken.
Another shopping area, and probably the most "touristy" is called Chicken Street. Everything can be found here: Afghan rugs, traditional dresses, beautiful jewelry and other trinkets. The bookseller of Kabul, the inspiration for the book of the same name, is in the vicinity of Chicken Street.
Be prepared for aggressive beggars. I had three "begging burqas" following me, repeating their limited English. One carried a baby with her. They took turns following me into different shops and at times, pulled and tugged at my sleeves.
There is a quiet shopping area by the Embassy of Iran (great wi-fi access, too). No beggars and the shopkeepers are patient. Fine garments created by high-end designer Sara Rahmani can be found at Sara Afghan. The average Afghan probably couldn’t afford one of her pieces, and neither could this American! Most are women's jackets and dresses made of fine silk.
Most signs are in English and merchants can speak enough English to get by. Always haggle with the shopkeeper and never accept the first offer. U.S. dollars are the preferred currency and are accepted in most restaurants, too.
There are a handful of restaurants in Kabul. I have to believe we ate at some of the finest ones: Shandiz-Kabol, Haji Baba, Marco Polo and Rose Restaurant. Meals were usually the same: lamb, rice, some cooked vegetables, yogurt and bottled water or canned soda. I stayed away from chicken products and non-cooked vegetables and ate only peeled fruit.
First-class hotels have made their way to Afghanistan. The Kabul Serena Hotel opened within the year, offering luxurious accommodations and services. There are multiple guesthouses fit for travelers, too. Our group stayed at a guesthouse managed by Afghans4Tomorrow, where breakfast and dinner were provided daily. Sleeping accommodations (and two bathrooms) were shared, yet comfortable. Bed linens and towels are provided, but I'd recommend bringing a sleeping bag and towel.
Electricity was shut off at night, which meant no hot water or heat. The upstairs bathroom was the warmest spot in the house, when the wood burning stove was lit. The stove provided hot water for creative bathing.
The guesthouse was fairly new, compared to the other houses in the neighborhood. Not far down the road, families lived in homes which were bombed out. Chickens ran around the mud floor of the living room. I woke up each morning to the Islamic call to prayer from the mosque down the road.
During the day, the streets of Kabul are crowded with overloaded cars and vans, honking horns at each other and disobeying the traffic cops. People randomly walked into traffic, hoping cars will stop for them. Sometimes the cars stopped, sometimes they didn't. With a high unemployment rate, I often wondered where people were going.
When night fell, the streets went quiet. It was rare to see another car on the road at 8 p.m. It seemed as though the only ones out were check-point officials.
Getting to Kabul was relatively easy. I flew on one of the two airlines servicing Kabul from Dubai, Ariana Afghan Airlines. Kam Air is the other carrier. Ariana is sometimes called, "Scari-ana," and the U.S. government prefers that their personnel do not fly the airline. I was a bit nervous at first, but Ariana safely delivered and returned me to Dubai and many contractors were on the flights. In fact, an international news crew were on the return flight.
It's a good idea to be up to date on Hepatitis A & B shots, along with Tetanus. It's also smart to take the doctor-prescribed antimalaria medicine and carry the antibiotic Cipro to ward off any diarrhea. I was careful with what I ate and kept hand sanitizer attached to my backpack. I didn't get sick.
The trip to Kabul was an informative, yet exhaustive one. I'm not sure if I would return to Afghanistan on my own, or if it's a smart thing to do for a solo, woman traveler. I usually felt safe during the time with my group and on my own. But the images and conversations with the Afghan people continue to haunt me. Somewhere down the road, I may be compelled to see how this country has changed.
-By JA Huber
The Traditional New Zealand Bach
By Simon Woodhouse
A bach, for those of you who don't know (and that included me before I moved to New Zealand) is a small, one or two bedroom holiday home. The word bach is a shortened version of bachelor. Back in the day, single men often used to go on prolonged hunting and fishing trips into the more rural parts of New Zealand. Whilst out in the bush they needed a retreat to return to each evening, something not too flash but enough to keep the rain off their heads, and thus the bach was born.
Over the years the role and location of the bach has changed. As the single man grew up, had a family, and spent less time out in the bush killing things for fun, he started to take the wife and the children to the bach for weekend breaks. As beach life is important to people in New Zealand, baches started to pop up all around the coast. Still built in the traditional fashion, which is typically a single-storey, wooden structure, with a large sun deck at the front and sliding doors to let in the sea air, the bach is perfectly suited to being right on the beach front. It's a place from where the children can spend hours doing whatever it is children do on beaches, and adults can kick back whilst making sure the offspring don't get up to anything they shouldn't.
The bach holiday is relatively cheap, convenient, and encourages the whole family to get out into the fresh air. And if Dad gets bored of sitting around doing nothing, he can always spend a couple of hours on little bits of DIY. This is where the real charm of the bach comes to the fore. Maintained by the owner, usually on a budget, baches have a homemade look about them. They're quaint, small, homely places filled with mismatching bits of furniture, second hand appliances, and anything that's too tatty to be kept at home but too good to throw away. But that just adds to the atmosphere. Baches aren't supposed to be five-star hotels. They're all about slowing down the pace of life, sitting on the deck, staring at the view, listening to the sound of the sea or the wind in the trees. Baches are best when they don't have a satellite dish, or a broadband Internet connection, or a home theatre system.
My first experience of life in New Zealand came in the form of a bach. I needed a cheap place to stay, but also somewhere within half an hours drive of Auckland (the largest city in NZ). At the same time I wanted to experience what I hoped would be a piece of New Zealand life off the beaten track. Before I left the UK I booked a bach in a small town called Stillwater, which is about thirty kilometres north of Auckland. The flight from England took approximately twenty-four hours, with a one-hour stopover in Hong Kong. When I arrived in New Zealand (bleary eyed from the flight) I hired a car at Auckland airport, and following directions provided by the owner of the bach, headed north.
Stillwater certainly turned out to be off the beaten track, with no shops and not even a public phone box. Access to the bach was via a driveway so steep I thought the hire car was going to give up. In typical, down to earth New Zealand fashion, I found the key to the front door hidden in the peg bag hanging from the washing line next to the carport. Exhausted after the flight, I went straight to bed and didn't really pay much attention to the bach or its surroundings. It wasn't until the next morning that I realised I'd made a good choice.
Stillwater sits at the mouth of the Weiti River, and it was a view of this waterway that greeted me as I stepped out onto the sun deck early next morning. After having been cramped up in a plane for twenty-four hours plus, looking down on the river and the yachts moored midstream seemed like gazing into paradise. A steep ridge on the other side of the water offered an unspoilt, tree-covered backdrop to the river. As I stood there, cup of tea in hand, I really didn't think there was a nicer place to be in the whole world. Since then I've been to quite a few of the small coastal towns around Auckland, and come to realise most baches offer an experience similar to what I encountered in Stillwater. It's all about the view, the tranquillity, the feeling of being far away from everything noisy and fast.
Since arriving in New Zealand I've not had a chance to take a proper holiday, but when I do, it'll be in a quiet, little bach somewhere well off the beaten track, and surrounded by trees and sand and sea and sunshine.
A bach, for those of you who don't know (and that included me before I moved to New Zealand) is a small, one or two bedroom holiday home. The word bach is a shortened version of bachelor. Back in the day, single men often used to go on prolonged hunting and fishing trips into the more rural parts of New Zealand. Whilst out in the bush they needed a retreat to return to each evening, something not too flash but enough to keep the rain off their heads, and thus the bach was born.
Over the years the role and location of the bach has changed. As the single man grew up, had a family, and spent less time out in the bush killing things for fun, he started to take the wife and the children to the bach for weekend breaks. As beach life is important to people in New Zealand, baches started to pop up all around the coast. Still built in the traditional fashion, which is typically a single-storey, wooden structure, with a large sun deck at the front and sliding doors to let in the sea air, the bach is perfectly suited to being right on the beach front. It's a place from where the children can spend hours doing whatever it is children do on beaches, and adults can kick back whilst making sure the offspring don't get up to anything they shouldn't.
The bach holiday is relatively cheap, convenient, and encourages the whole family to get out into the fresh air. And if Dad gets bored of sitting around doing nothing, he can always spend a couple of hours on little bits of DIY. This is where the real charm of the bach comes to the fore. Maintained by the owner, usually on a budget, baches have a homemade look about them. They're quaint, small, homely places filled with mismatching bits of furniture, second hand appliances, and anything that's too tatty to be kept at home but too good to throw away. But that just adds to the atmosphere. Baches aren't supposed to be five-star hotels. They're all about slowing down the pace of life, sitting on the deck, staring at the view, listening to the sound of the sea or the wind in the trees. Baches are best when they don't have a satellite dish, or a broadband Internet connection, or a home theatre system.
My first experience of life in New Zealand came in the form of a bach. I needed a cheap place to stay, but also somewhere within half an hours drive of Auckland (the largest city in NZ). At the same time I wanted to experience what I hoped would be a piece of New Zealand life off the beaten track. Before I left the UK I booked a bach in a small town called Stillwater, which is about thirty kilometres north of Auckland. The flight from England took approximately twenty-four hours, with a one-hour stopover in Hong Kong. When I arrived in New Zealand (bleary eyed from the flight) I hired a car at Auckland airport, and following directions provided by the owner of the bach, headed north.
Stillwater certainly turned out to be off the beaten track, with no shops and not even a public phone box. Access to the bach was via a driveway so steep I thought the hire car was going to give up. In typical, down to earth New Zealand fashion, I found the key to the front door hidden in the peg bag hanging from the washing line next to the carport. Exhausted after the flight, I went straight to bed and didn't really pay much attention to the bach or its surroundings. It wasn't until the next morning that I realised I'd made a good choice.
Stillwater sits at the mouth of the Weiti River, and it was a view of this waterway that greeted me as I stepped out onto the sun deck early next morning. After having been cramped up in a plane for twenty-four hours plus, looking down on the river and the yachts moored midstream seemed like gazing into paradise. A steep ridge on the other side of the water offered an unspoilt, tree-covered backdrop to the river. As I stood there, cup of tea in hand, I really didn't think there was a nicer place to be in the whole world. Since then I've been to quite a few of the small coastal towns around Auckland, and come to realise most baches offer an experience similar to what I encountered in Stillwater. It's all about the view, the tranquillity, the feeling of being far away from everything noisy and fast.
Since arriving in New Zealand I've not had a chance to take a proper holiday, but when I do, it'll be in a quiet, little bach somewhere well off the beaten track, and surrounded by trees and sand and sea and sunshine.
Friday, September 01, 2006
There's More To New Zealand Than Just The Scenery
By Simon Woodhouse
In recent years, New Zealand's profile as a holiday destination has definitely gone up a couple of notches. But when people think of NZ they usually picture mountain ranges, beautiful rolling countryside, and large swathes of unspoilt greenness. There certainly is that down here, and lots of it too, but there's also a modern metropolis in the form of Auckland.
Contemporary cityscapes might not have the grandiose atmosphere of places like London, Paris, and Rome, but nonetheless there is something appealing about a modern skyline. Auckland has this, but it also has something else breaking up the horizon - volcanic cones. These make excellent vantage points from which to view the city. Some of them, like One Tree Hill (name checked on U2's Joshua Tree album) and Mountain Eden are tourist attractions in their own right. For an even more spectacular view of Auckland and its surroundings, there's the observation deck on the Sky Tower. At three hundred and twenty eight metres, it's the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere and offers views of up to eighty kilometres in all directions. It's also good for bungy jumping (if you like that sort of thing).
Water plays a large part in the layout of Auckland, built as it is around the Waitemata Harbour. This deep-water port leads out to the Hauraki Gulf and another of Auckland's well-known landmarks. Rangitoto Island is the vent of a dormant volcano that only blew its top about six hundred years ago. Now covered by pohutukawa trees, the cone still has a very distinct volcanic shape and makes a really good photo opportunity at sunrise.
Beaches form a large part of life in Auckland, and there are twenty-eight dotted around the city. Mission Bay in the eastern suburbs is one of the most well known, from where you can look back over the harbour and watch the sun setting behind the distant Waitakere Ranges. Also on the eastern side of the city is the Auckland Domain, a large, well-tended park that houses the city's museum.
On the other side of the harbour, the North Shore offers a different perspective on the city. More volcanic cones dot the landscape here, and the one at North Head makes for a good spot to take in the harbour with the city skyline as a backdrop. The Harbour Bridge connects north and south (more bungy jumping here), but the water can also be crossed by ferry. Devonport, Takapuna, Brown's Bay, and Long Bay are just a few of the beaches on the North Shore. They're all gently sloping, sandy, and not a bad place to be at anytime of day.
Eating out in Auckland is nearly always an informal thing. The Viaduct Basin on the waterfront, and the suburb of Ponsonby further back inland, both have lots of street side cafes and restaurants. Going out for breakfast is a popular pastime in Auckland, and nearly all of the eateries cater for this time of day, as well as lunch and dinner. If shopping is important to you (can't see the appeal myself), then Queen Street in the city centre, or the district of Newmarket should keep you happy. But on the odd occasion when I feel inclined toward that sort of thing, I go to Victoria Park Market. Located in the shadow of the Sky Tower, but easy to spot by the forty-metre chimney that reaches up above it, the market is housed within what used to be a garbage-fuelled power station (don't worry, it stopped doing anything like that in 1981). Small knick-knack shops are the order of the day here, and it's a really good place to pick up souvenirs a lot cheaper than they are in Queen Street.
If you feel like getting out of the city, heading west is a good way to go. The Waitakere Ranges are a national park about thirty minutes drive from the Central Business District. The visitors centre here sits on a ridge that offers a view right the way back to the Sky Tower and Rangitoto. Relatively unspoilt, the ranges are covered by thick forest that leads all the way to the coast of the Tasman Sea. Surfing is big here. KareKare and Piha beaches provide big waves and spectacular scenery. The steep cliffs, big surf, and bracing wind make the west coast particularly appealing in the winter.
In a country known primarily for its natural scenery, it's easy to see Auckland as just an airport. Of course I might be a bit biased, after all I do live here, but I think the city has plenty to offer as a holiday destination in its own right, or failing that, it makes a great base from which to recover from a long haul flight, or prepare yourself for the trip home.
In recent years, New Zealand's profile as a holiday destination has definitely gone up a couple of notches. But when people think of NZ they usually picture mountain ranges, beautiful rolling countryside, and large swathes of unspoilt greenness. There certainly is that down here, and lots of it too, but there's also a modern metropolis in the form of Auckland.
Contemporary cityscapes might not have the grandiose atmosphere of places like London, Paris, and Rome, but nonetheless there is something appealing about a modern skyline. Auckland has this, but it also has something else breaking up the horizon - volcanic cones. These make excellent vantage points from which to view the city. Some of them, like One Tree Hill (name checked on U2's Joshua Tree album) and Mountain Eden are tourist attractions in their own right. For an even more spectacular view of Auckland and its surroundings, there's the observation deck on the Sky Tower. At three hundred and twenty eight metres, it's the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere and offers views of up to eighty kilometres in all directions. It's also good for bungy jumping (if you like that sort of thing).
Water plays a large part in the layout of Auckland, built as it is around the Waitemata Harbour. This deep-water port leads out to the Hauraki Gulf and another of Auckland's well-known landmarks. Rangitoto Island is the vent of a dormant volcano that only blew its top about six hundred years ago. Now covered by pohutukawa trees, the cone still has a very distinct volcanic shape and makes a really good photo opportunity at sunrise.
Beaches form a large part of life in Auckland, and there are twenty-eight dotted around the city. Mission Bay in the eastern suburbs is one of the most well known, from where you can look back over the harbour and watch the sun setting behind the distant Waitakere Ranges. Also on the eastern side of the city is the Auckland Domain, a large, well-tended park that houses the city's museum.
On the other side of the harbour, the North Shore offers a different perspective on the city. More volcanic cones dot the landscape here, and the one at North Head makes for a good spot to take in the harbour with the city skyline as a backdrop. The Harbour Bridge connects north and south (more bungy jumping here), but the water can also be crossed by ferry. Devonport, Takapuna, Brown's Bay, and Long Bay are just a few of the beaches on the North Shore. They're all gently sloping, sandy, and not a bad place to be at anytime of day.
Eating out in Auckland is nearly always an informal thing. The Viaduct Basin on the waterfront, and the suburb of Ponsonby further back inland, both have lots of street side cafes and restaurants. Going out for breakfast is a popular pastime in Auckland, and nearly all of the eateries cater for this time of day, as well as lunch and dinner. If shopping is important to you (can't see the appeal myself), then Queen Street in the city centre, or the district of Newmarket should keep you happy. But on the odd occasion when I feel inclined toward that sort of thing, I go to Victoria Park Market. Located in the shadow of the Sky Tower, but easy to spot by the forty-metre chimney that reaches up above it, the market is housed within what used to be a garbage-fuelled power station (don't worry, it stopped doing anything like that in 1981). Small knick-knack shops are the order of the day here, and it's a really good place to pick up souvenirs a lot cheaper than they are in Queen Street.
If you feel like getting out of the city, heading west is a good way to go. The Waitakere Ranges are a national park about thirty minutes drive from the Central Business District. The visitors centre here sits on a ridge that offers a view right the way back to the Sky Tower and Rangitoto. Relatively unspoilt, the ranges are covered by thick forest that leads all the way to the coast of the Tasman Sea. Surfing is big here. KareKare and Piha beaches provide big waves and spectacular scenery. The steep cliffs, big surf, and bracing wind make the west coast particularly appealing in the winter.
In a country known primarily for its natural scenery, it's easy to see Auckland as just an airport. Of course I might be a bit biased, after all I do live here, but I think the city has plenty to offer as a holiday destination in its own right, or failing that, it makes a great base from which to recover from a long haul flight, or prepare yourself for the trip home.
The St. Lawrence Seaway and the Thousand Islands (Part 2)
The Thousand Islands are a gem of a tourist district that is located between upstate New York and Southern Ontario, Canada. Formed many years ago floods after the ice age covered most of North America. The Thousand Islands are found in the heart of the St. Lawrence River and contain both small and larger islands that number over 1,000. The St Lawrence River at this point was so wide with so many islands, it was known as Lake of Thousand Islands many years ago when first discovered. These islands are found by visiting upstate New York or south eastern Ontario. Cities such as Kingston and Belleville in Ontario, Waddington and Massena, NY touch the St. Lawrence River and have boats tours available for everyone in order to view the islands in the river.
You can venture out on a one, one and a half, two and three hour tours to view the islands, it just depends on how much time and money you are willing to spend. Some tours will offer meals, some will not. These tours will show you such things as a tiny island with a cottage on it; the cottage that is in both the United States and Canada (found right in the middle of the dividing line between the two countries); Hart Island and Dark Island. These different tours are definitely worth the time and money.
Some tours will stop at Hart Island. This island is unique due to the castle that is built on it. Over six floors tall, complete with an indoor swimming pool and one hundred and twenty rooms, the castle was built by George Boldt for his bride, Louise. Work began on the castle in 1900 and much of the supplies to build the castle were brought over on the thick ice. Singer Castle is another must see. Located on Dark Island, the castle was built in 1905 by the Bourne Family and remained in their position until the late 1960s and though not as large as Boldt Castle, it is still something to see and experience. Both of these castles offer tours (for an extra fee) and the sightseeing boat tours will stop at them and allow you to get off for a time.
On the Canadian side of the Thousand Islands, boat tours can be accessed by through cities such as Gananoque, Belleville and Kingston. Gananoque is one of the major points of interest for the Thousand Islands and offers a lot to do and see. Along with boat tours, the town boasts many prime hotels and motels and if you are like me, SHOPPING! The town also offers a great charity casino that you can spend some time and perhaps some money at. Gananoque is also accessible from the United States via the Thousand Island Bridge.
Not only can you take boat tours, you can use your own boat. How about a day of fishing in and around the Thousand Islands? In the waters around the Islands you will find a wide variety of sports fish from large muskies to all sorts of panfish like crappies and perch. Marinas are positioned up and down the Canadian coastline in cities like Gananoque, Kingston and Belleville and offer ice, gas, charts and maps, groceries and anything else you will need for your boat trip. This area is also a great area to observe the large ships that may be carrying loads such as grain or iron ore that come through, making their way to ports east
Want to get away from the water for a day? Why not visit the train museum. The Smith Falls Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario is located in Smith Falls, Ontario and is just a short jaunt north of Gananoque. If you are visiting the Thousand Islands from the American side, you might also consider visiting the Stone Mills Agricultural Museum located in Stone Mills, NY
Located along the St. Lawrence is also a sky deck (in Kingston) that you can view the Islands from or spend a day visiting historic Fort Henry, a major fort during the War of 1812 or spend some time visiting the Hershey’s Visitor Centre and take home some tasty treats. Another treat you might consider is to visit the St. Lawrence Islands National Park. While the smallest of the Canadian national parks, it is definitely time well spent with its kayaking, canoeing and bike trails with in the park itself.
For something a little different, you might want to try a bike tour along the St. Lawrence River. These cities offer a 37 km trail that runs parallel to the 1000 Islands Parkway between Gananoque and Brockville and forms a section of the Waterfront Trail. This trail is free to ride and is enjoyed by many during the spring, summer and fall. Bike tours can be guided or self guided but a great way to see the country side.
No matter if you come for a day or a week, as the saying goes in and around the Thousand Islands is that there are always a thousand things to do while visiting the thousand islands!
You can venture out on a one, one and a half, two and three hour tours to view the islands, it just depends on how much time and money you are willing to spend. Some tours will offer meals, some will not. These tours will show you such things as a tiny island with a cottage on it; the cottage that is in both the United States and Canada (found right in the middle of the dividing line between the two countries); Hart Island and Dark Island. These different tours are definitely worth the time and money.
Some tours will stop at Hart Island. This island is unique due to the castle that is built on it. Over six floors tall, complete with an indoor swimming pool and one hundred and twenty rooms, the castle was built by George Boldt for his bride, Louise. Work began on the castle in 1900 and much of the supplies to build the castle were brought over on the thick ice. Singer Castle is another must see. Located on Dark Island, the castle was built in 1905 by the Bourne Family and remained in their position until the late 1960s and though not as large as Boldt Castle, it is still something to see and experience. Both of these castles offer tours (for an extra fee) and the sightseeing boat tours will stop at them and allow you to get off for a time.
On the Canadian side of the Thousand Islands, boat tours can be accessed by through cities such as Gananoque, Belleville and Kingston. Gananoque is one of the major points of interest for the Thousand Islands and offers a lot to do and see. Along with boat tours, the town boasts many prime hotels and motels and if you are like me, SHOPPING! The town also offers a great charity casino that you can spend some time and perhaps some money at. Gananoque is also accessible from the United States via the Thousand Island Bridge.
Not only can you take boat tours, you can use your own boat. How about a day of fishing in and around the Thousand Islands? In the waters around the Islands you will find a wide variety of sports fish from large muskies to all sorts of panfish like crappies and perch. Marinas are positioned up and down the Canadian coastline in cities like Gananoque, Kingston and Belleville and offer ice, gas, charts and maps, groceries and anything else you will need for your boat trip. This area is also a great area to observe the large ships that may be carrying loads such as grain or iron ore that come through, making their way to ports east
Want to get away from the water for a day? Why not visit the train museum. The Smith Falls Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario is located in Smith Falls, Ontario and is just a short jaunt north of Gananoque. If you are visiting the Thousand Islands from the American side, you might also consider visiting the Stone Mills Agricultural Museum located in Stone Mills, NY
Located along the St. Lawrence is also a sky deck (in Kingston) that you can view the Islands from or spend a day visiting historic Fort Henry, a major fort during the War of 1812 or spend some time visiting the Hershey’s Visitor Centre and take home some tasty treats. Another treat you might consider is to visit the St. Lawrence Islands National Park. While the smallest of the Canadian national parks, it is definitely time well spent with its kayaking, canoeing and bike trails with in the park itself.
For something a little different, you might want to try a bike tour along the St. Lawrence River. These cities offer a 37 km trail that runs parallel to the 1000 Islands Parkway between Gananoque and Brockville and forms a section of the Waterfront Trail. This trail is free to ride and is enjoyed by many during the spring, summer and fall. Bike tours can be guided or self guided but a great way to see the country side.
No matter if you come for a day or a week, as the saying goes in and around the Thousand Islands is that there are always a thousand things to do while visiting the thousand islands!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)