Taranaki's development as impressive as title

There was a moment in the ITM Cup Premiership final that had city slickers shaking their heads in disapproval and mainland New Zealand jumping for joy.

The infamous pitch invasion, after many years, had returned.

Despite any initial pessimism following the mad rush come full time, there was a realisation that this act - this act often thought of in modern day sport to be annoying and unnecessary - was in fact a symbol of what the win meant to smaller unions.

It was the first main division title won by a non-Super Rugby city since 1980, when Manawatu famously claimed the title. The significance of Taranaki's 36-32 win, then, has no need to be questioned. The 34-year-old wait for one of the younger provincial brothers to have another moment in the sun was over.

For local fans, the win had everything - a steady start, an element of coming from behind and the mental fortitude needed to close out the game.

Referee Glen Jackson controlled the game well and the match was played at a great tempo. But he was never going to control the fans of all ages who jumped from all corners to celebrate a win for the province.

It was brilliant to see how much coverage our national provincial championships receive in the provinces despite annual questions of its relevance. The front page of the local paper was splashed with buildup coverage for an entire week heading into the big dance, while city streets, shop owners and patrons were all dressed up in the city's famous amber and black colours on game day.

But not everyone was happy with the side's make-up. This year, according to one article in the local paper, there were three players in the starting XV who grew up in the Taranaki region. 

Yet despite the lack of home grown talent, there was a unity on the field - a team culture that reiterated the pride provincial New Zealand has of its local team.

It was there for everyone to see when Taranaki's Iopu Iopu-Aso came off some 18 minutes into the biggest match of his career. He sat on the bench in disarray. Then the medical assistant and a number of reserve players put their hands on his shoulders and head to console the dejected No.8.

Team culture was also a key factor in Tasman's revival over the last five years. It was summed up perfectly when they scored two late tries bring themselves back into contention for the first Championship-Premiership double in ITM Cup history.

The visitors should be proud of the way they played. The Makos forwards were superb and, led by inspirational captain Shane Christie, surprised a number of grandstand Taranaki fans when they shunted the hosts a number of times at the breakdown.

But it wasn't enough and the 22 Taranaki men, who were swallowed up by the thousands of pitch invaders as they hoisted the Premiership. 

In an almost fitting side note, the only people who weren't actively paying attention as James Marshall lifted the Premiership were the children. Young nippers ranging from four years old to 14 were kicking rugby balls, charging down the sideline and scoring tries while the pleasantries were taking place.

Short term imports creating long term local depth. It looks as if the hosts have found a proven model to silence the doubters.

Europe 2014 - The Soundtrack To My Trip

As the days tick on and get between myself and memories of my trip, I thought it would be appropriate to give you a different sort of insight into my Europe trip one week on.

You've seen photos, read the stories and cringed at some of the hashtags I've thrown out there, but there's still one more way that I think you can experience my trip.

Throughout my month-long sojourn I tried my best to find music that either came from a specific country or represented a specific moment on my trip.


There aren't many songs, to be fair. While I was over there I had my iPad filled with music as I explored Europe, so apologies for the small number of tunes. You'll also note that there are countries - Italy and Germany - where I don't offer any musical insights. I was probably too busy exploring or stressing about public transport to relax and soak in some music.

Regardless, here are some of my classic Europe trip hits.
 
1. Bailando - Enrique Iglesias feat. Descemer Bueno and Gente De Zona
'Bailando' is a song that I think pretty much summarises my entire trip. A fun reggaeton tune, I heard it for the first time in Mallorca and I've loved it since. Then, on my last night in Mallorca, I heard it in a reggaeton club where I was dancing with friends. It doesn't matter that it's in Spanish (There is an English version..), dancing with my friends to this tune was a magical combination that made me realise how lucky I was to be halfway across the world.

2. Naive - Axelle Red
I had never heard of Axelle Red, real name Fabienne Demal, before I arrived in Belgium, but by the time I left I became a big fan of the Belgian popstar. Ten albums over a 21-year career says it all I guess. I discovered her song Naive when I was searching for Axelle Rose on YouTube, after I'd seen there was a festival down the road where she was headlining. I heard the tune and immediately thought of cruising in the car to it. Saw her in concert and she was OK, but when I hear this song, I think of Belgium. Loving it.

3. Combination - Paulien Mathues
At the festival where Axelle Red was headlining, I bailed after about six songs to see what Paulien Mathues was like. I had heard a little of her stuff. She won the latest version of The Voice: Flanders and had a husky voice. It was beautiful. I went along to her performance and was spellbound. All of a sudden I became a fan and bought the album immediately. There aren't any videos on YouTube of my favourite song, Combination, but here's her first single from when she won The Voice.

4. Speak Life - TobyMac
Obviously not a European tune or anything like that, but this song will have a special place on my European trip because of the story moreso than the song. It was a cold summer night in the French city of Narbonne when I arrived after my trains had been delayed earlier in the day. With all of the hotels closed I had no choice but to spend the next five to six hours walking around the town and listening to one track - Speak Life. It's a Christian song that talks about the impact of speaking life and having integrity with what you say. I guess it was a chance for me to soak up that wisdom, all while roaming the streets of Narbonne for one cold evening ahead of my trip to Mallorca.

5. Am I Wrong - Nico and Vinz
This is one of the first tunes I heard in Mallorca. I met up with Barbora, Lucie, Tereza and Kamila and the first thing we did was head straight to the beach. En route to the beach, this tune came out. I sat in the front seat looking out over the barren, clay-laden landscape thinking of what a lucky man I was to be hanging out with four Czech girls. It was a beautiful time in my life.

6. La Vie En Rose - Edith Piaf
Obviously when in France, you should hear the occasional French song. That's exactly what happened on my last full day in France. I had headed out to the Pont des Artes, the wooden bridge full of 'love locks', when I saw a rough-looking man playing the accordion in the middle of the bridge. I didn't recognise any of the songs until late in the piece when he played what sounded like La Vie En Rose. It was another classic epiphany - I was in a place that I had wanted to go to since I was a young man. Here's a small cover from a decent Canadian guitarist:

7. Traditional Tune - Swiss Alphorn Quartet
On my last night in Switzerland I stayed in a hotel called Hotel Wannenhorn, a hotel in the small village of Bellwald that still has a number of Swiss traditions. My stay there coincided with the last night of the local Raclette festival, an indigenous Swiss tradition where they heat the raclette cheese and scrape it out of the rest of the cheese block. While I was eating my portion, a quartet of traditional Swiss alphorn players entertained the crowd with tunes like this.

8. Muzi v Nadeji, Mig 21 - Chci ti rict! (I Want To Say To You)
I asked a friend of mine for a song that would summarise Czech. She duly responded with this tune that is a mixture of fun and catchiness. The song itself is from a successful comedy and talks about how he wants to get her name tattooed! The trumpet in the song is a welcome addition. Riiiiicht!

Europe, je t'aime

The City of Love turned on the charm for my last three days despite patches of rain here and there.

Paris was a city I was 50-50 about. Friends of mine who had been there before had said they weren't too bothered by Paris, that the locals weren't interested in anything but cups of coffee and looking tres chic.

Buoyed by such positive news, I connected up with an old friend Chris and fellow mate April. Chris and April are both travelling Europe after working in a small English bar for a few months. Chris was one of the first friends I made in Auckland having arrived in the city some seven years ago.

The fact wasn't lost on I either of us. Seven years after rooming with each other in a hostel for a year, we were seen travelling throughout the French capital together.

Earlier in the day, I arrived at Beauvais Airport, an airport some 80km out from Paris. With he rain pouring I ran to the nearest bus, where people were queuing to get on board. I got on board and noticed something was up - I was the only person under the age of 30 and who wasn't wearing a suit.

As it turns out the bus I had hopped on to was one bound for the nearby Beauvais conference centre, where a large agriculture expo was taking place. Not an ideal start and a continuation of the silly situations I found myself in within this country I had high hopes for.

After persuading the driver, who was finishing her shift, to drive me back to the airport, I made it to Paris some 65 minutes later. A quick check of the hotel saw me arrive at the ibis hotel in Montmartre. The wrong ibis hotel in Montmartre.

More public transport confusion eventually led me to the ibis budget hotel, where I met up with April and Chris. A long day but a good day - I was in the city of love.

--

A new morning and a fresh start to my first full day in Paris. Chris, April and I set off on a sightseeing tour that included the Louvre, the Moulin Rouge and other extravagant buildings. What an amazing history Paris has, I thought. This, maybe even moreso than Prague, felt like what Europe should feel like.

C and A hopped off at the Louvre while I kicked on to the Eiffel Tower, an amazing structure that was built in 1887. I had seen so many pictures of the structure that I was prepared for some underwhelming thoughts.

I shouldn't have worried. As the clouds cleared and the crowds sifted through, I was left stunned by the whole area. The fountains, grass areas, the full complement. Superb.

The Notre Dame was amazing, too. Having grabbed a crepe from a side stall I was starting to get the idea that France was better than the incidents I had experienced prior. That France really was a romanticist's dream.

Walking along the Seine was nice, with all of the paintings, retro posters and French books all on sale only adding to the French mystique.

By night time we had decided to chill and grab some dinner down the road. One and a half days in and I was proper happy with Paris. But I had only just scratched the surface.

--

On Thursday I decided to chill solo as I let the realisation set in that I had one more night in Paris and indeed one more night in Europe. My trip was coming to an end, and in true Matiu fashion I set aside a an hour or so to let the reality of leaving another European destination sink in.

I rejoined Chris and April on the Pont des Artes, a wooden bridge that has so many love locks on it that parts of the wire netting had collapsed under the strain of the locks.

After a nice lunch, Chris, April and I bought locks. Chris and April are just friends and their padlock pointed to that - 'besties forever', it read.

I don't know why I bought one, looking back on it. Maybe it was because it was something to do, something for the bucket list. Nevertheless, I did.

I scribbled 'Matiu loves TBC' on mine before I threw two of the three keys into the Seine, the idea being that whenever I return with the love of my life I will find the lock, unlock it and then write her name on the lock and cross out TBC. That'd be awesome I reckon.

From there we hit the Sacre Coeur, which I would rate as one of my top three sites I have visited on the trip. Such a large scale and so beautifully ornate on the inside, the cathedral stood out. It also gave us a panoramic view of the city as the sun set.

I won't go too much further into my last night in Paris, but it'll be one that will stick with me for a while. Here's hoping it's the same for my two henchmen.

--

I checked out from the pad and headed out to the airport ready to head home. Sitting on the train and watching the Parisian skyline disappear was like waving away to my European journey.

People have asked me when I will be back on this beautiful continent. At first I was sceptical - the financials, logistics and stress were energy sapping and I wasn't sure if I could deal with it all again so soon. Twenty years, I thought, that's when I'll most likely return.

But now, after spending a month in Europe, I return to New Zealand knowing a thirst has been quenched, but one that will no doubt return soon. So to all my European mates who knows, I could be back before you know it!

But for now I sit content at Charles de Gaulle airport knowing I am on my way home soon. I've danced in a reggaeton club and relaxed on some of the best beaches in Mallorca, ordered all food in French within Paris and walked the Cinque Terre in Italy. I don't have a favourite moment, but those who read my Mallorca post may know one that could seal top spot.

And so to my friends and those I met on my travels. Thank you Libor, Lucie, Irena, Vladimir, Irka, Monika, Sara, Kristin, Sebastian, Sam, Kate, Maddie, Allie, Katie, Tommy, Baru, Karin, Tereza, Kamila, Chris and April. Thank you all for sharing your time with me and helping me to have a month long experience many in New Zealand dream of.

A poignant reminder

After a particularly successful stint in Italy I had pretty high hopes for my time in Mallorca. To get there, though, would require risk, tragedy and a bit of kiwi charm.

---

It started in Portovenere, where I ended my Italian sojourn. What should've been a relatively straightforward journey, though, started with an off course bus ride to the next town.

When I finally reached La Spezia, I had the small matter of where I would stay the night en route to Barcelona. I was to arrive in Barca on the Friday night and fly to Mallorca later that evening.

Nice was pleasant and a real beauty at night. The city was saturated with lights and sculptures that cemented the spot as one of the most beautiful in Southern France. I arrived not long after 10.30pm and checked in within the hour. Tres bien, so far.

I enjoyed my sleep in Nice so much that I slept in, perhaps my first real flaw in what should've been a relatively straightforward plan.

I found a new route and one would that would've comfortably got me to Barca in time for my 9.45pm flight. With confidence restored I took the tram to the train station and lined up to pay my reservation fee.

---

In breaking news a woman has fallen to her death on the train tracks between Marseille and Montpellier.

The incident is believed to have happened some time after 10, but police can't confirm any more details.

Passengers awaiting trains on the route can expect significant delays.

---

There wasn't a single moment of panic in the station as the news filtered through. Disappointment, yes. Anger, yes. Reflection, not a chance.

The suicide stalled everybody's plans. Delays of up to three hours were being predicted by the woman who served me as I waited to pay my reservation fee. Catching a train to Barcelona before the flight was no longer an option.

I was told that perhaps a bus would be the better option. I arrived at the Eurolines bus company only to find it was shut for the two hours in the middle of the day, something that is commonplace in France.

Upon the woman's return at 2pm I was told I couldn't make the 2.15pm bus as the departure station was at the airport, a 35-40minute drive away. Two options, both canned in the space of 20 minutes.

I was shattered. The chance to reconnect with somebody I truly adored was fading by the minute unless I was going to fork out for a new flight. Another unfortunate coincidence was the expiration of my Eurail pass was set to fall on the day I arrived in Barcelona. More expenses were set to come.

After a few hours of pithy pity and woe, I booked a new flight for the morning, told my dear friend of my new plans and went about finding accommodation for the night, something else I hadn't planned.

---

There is news coming through of a second fatal incident on the Marseille-Montpellier line.

A woman is believed to have fallen on the line at 6.30 this evening.

Earlier this morning, another woman fell onto the train lines at around 10.

---

This time the news didn't come through a ticket officer. It came while we were picking up passengers on said line.

A second suicide in the space of eight hours on the same train line. Not onto our train thankfully, but to one earlier on the line.

I was beyond any signs of sanity. Another significant delay, some 45-50 minutes, meant I missed the last connecting train to Barcelona for the night. The first incident meant I wouldn't be travelling to Mallorca; the second meant I wouldn't make it to Barcelona.

And yet within 30 minutes of this realisation came the sobering reality of why we were waiting. Suicides in France aren't uncommon, but for two incidents to occur on the same day - let alone in one's first day in France - was rather startling.

I spoke with a woman briefly about it all. My situation, the missed connections and such, and she was very compassionate. France is beautiful, she said, but these things happen sometimes.

It made me contemplate what sort of stage people get to, what level they reach before they make the mind-numbing decision to simply end it all. How bad it must be, I thought, that life for them is thought of as almost an unwinnable game. Player loses. No retrying.

I guess that was when I realised, probably for the eighth time on this trip, that I am super lucky. These sorts of experiences and travels can open you up to a world of unpredictability, and your characteristics can change fairly suddenly. I think I have. Hopefully for the good.

I arrived in Narbonne, the final stop on the Marseille line, at 11.13pm. Having discovered all available hotels ended check in at 10pm, I was stuck once more.

But instead of complaining and wishing the world would end for the remainder of the night, I grabbed my bag and slept in the train station for a couple of hours before it, too, closed for the night.

From there I picked up my gear and rather dejectedly walked around Narbonne Central looking like a man without a home. With the day that I had, it certainly felt like I didn't have a home. It was also the first time I missed home. New Zealand. My parents. My bed.

I returned to the station at 5am after a cold night and returned to my slumber there soon after. Another delay ensued before I reached Perpignan, Barcelona and then finally Mallorca.

While my rail pass had expired the night before I was able to convince the train conductors of the situation I had faced, and they kindly allowed me on board. Relief, I thought, my fortune was taking a turn for the better.

The long night meant I spent most of my time sleeping on the train and the plane to Mallorca and I felt ready for the penultimate European adventure.

Even I wasn't ready for this, though...

So Italy was awesome

Ahh Italy, a country where the sun never disappears and the gelato is almost as cheap as water, a welcome relief given water can often be quite expensive in Europe - choices are great!

Anyhow, this one will be a bit of a briefer blog outlining the highlights from the following cities. I've also been to Florence and Milan, which I've documented in earlier blog posts.

Rome
With only one night in this historic paradise, I was left with the excruciating decision to leave off a number of sites I'd wanted to visit. Places like the Vatican and the Trevi fountain will have to wait until next time.

But I've never been one to want to rush things. Packing everything into one day seems silly and exhausting. Combined with the fact that I had been sightseeing for some two and a half weeks prior and I was ready to take it slowly.

Besides, there was a reality tv show about choirs on and it looked interesting haha.

But boy was sacrificing a packed schedule worth it. Chopping out a number of places meant more time spent soaking in the other stuff, like the Colosseum. I walked down from my home stay and immediately reached down to pick up my jaw from the dusty ground. What a highlight, and then venturing inside and looking back up at where thousands would've sat so many centuries ago was quite the surreal feeling.

Given it was a Sunday, I also went to the Basilica di San Giovanni, where I prayed for a number of people on my heart. It's been an interesting time away from New Zealand but that never means New Zealand is far away for me.

From those two sites I left feeling sunburnt and satisfied - Rome was an outstanding success.

Florence
I will never forget the difficult journey that came courtesy of scrambling probably some of the easiest directions one would ever receive. Nevertheless, Simone - my host who waited for two and a half hours - was very accommodating and it was a particularly pleasant stay in Florence.

The main cathedral was another hat tipping moment. I was dead keen to venture inside and see what was on offer, but with a ring of people waiting to go inside I decided to be content with the exterior view.

The markets there were pretty amazing and lined with leather bags, wallets and all sorts. Given that most of the stuff is cow and calf hide, it left me wondering why I hadn't seen any of either in Italy so far. Then it clicked. I'd seen heaps, just in different forms.

Pisa
Pisa was beautiful and a night there was just what was needed. A nice walking city with some beautiful walkways, it was nice to just spend a morning relaxing and not having to worry about touristy stuff.

That had happened the afternoon of the day before, where I went to the leaning tower and was practically the only one not to try and hold up the structure. Seriously the silliest sight ever - "oh look, if it wasn't for me this tower would've crashed into the ground!" Well..

La Spezia
Stayed in a hostel with Australian Kate, in Biassa. Nestled below cinque terre, had a good chat with a Russian Kazakh called Yekrem. At least I hope that was his name.

It was nice just to look out over the valleys and relax. Not needing to ask people for directions or worrying about missing the last bus. This was peace and tranquility - one of the first times I had experienced this on the trip so far.

Portovenere
Having done the Cinque Terre I hiked up towards the top of Muzzerone to my next stay at Rifugio Muzzerone.

There were some stunning views and I was later drinking and eating with fellow traveller Maddie and American siblings Tommy, Katie and Ally. The beauty of bumping into English speakers in a non-English speaking country is there's almost an instant bond. A connection that almost puts people at ease. They are not alone in this different environment.

A rather eventful day followed, with a bus from Portovenere to Vezzano Ligure station before trains to La Spezia Centrale, Milan, Ventimiglia and Nice!

Milan and the joys of technology

Technology has advanced so much and while it has been questioned over potential surveillance and the likes, it ensured I had an amazing time in. Milan.

For instance, I'm on a high speed bullet train that will get me from Milan to Roma in under three hours. The standard train takes over eight hours to do the same journey, also that in itself some pretty choice.

But not as choice as my stay in Milan itself. The underground metro rail system was extremely user friendly and I found myself getting around Milan surprisingly quickly. One euro fifty got you from A to B and there were plenty of trains at all hours of the night.

But let's get back to the beginning of my Italian adventure.

--

I arrived in Milan after a relatively painful sleep at Hotel Wannenhorn in Bellwald (that's all I'll say on the matter apart from the bell tolls every minutes throughout the night!) and, having spent a good hour or so in beautiful Lugano, I was ready and excited for my trip to Italy.

Weather wise, Milan welcomed me with open arms. The sun was shining, there was hardly a cloud in the sky. To paraphrase a fellow Wellingtonian, conditions were perfect.

My host, an older woman named Luisa who wouldn't have been any higher than my shoulder, was your typical Italian: passionate, hand gestures aplenty - and couldn't speak a word of English.

We had one thing in common - we couldn't speak each others language. The only Italian I knew was from listening to hours of Andrea Bocelli - hardly sufficient for a hearty chat with a local.

Regardless, we got along perfectly fine thanks to Google Translate - a function on the search engine's site that allows you to seamlessly translate - well, relatively seamlessly - from your language to almost any language worldwide.

The method was very simple. While I could sort of understand some words thanks to her elaborate hand gestures (I must've seemed like such a baby!), there would come a time where neither of us knew what the other was saying.

Cue the furious hand-typing gesture. It was Google Translate time.

When I first arrived I had a 30-minute Google Translate chat with Luisa about my trip, what to do in Milan, where I'm off to next and what to do that night.

Many hugs, cheek kisses and even a couple of slaps from her, I retired to my room for a bit to freshen up before eventually hitting the central city on Friday night.

She had earlier advised me that it wasn't quite tourist season in Milan and as such, August was the month where residents would take their holidays. "They go to mountains, they go to rivers," reckoned Luisa. What an adventurous bunch.

By the time the clock struck 9.30pm I was back on the metro (nailed it, too) and headed out to see the Duomo for the first time. I've developed a habit where I tip my €3 hat to any buildings, monuments or what have you that I find inspiring. An homage to those that built it, if you like.

I was first instigated at the Duomo. What a beautiful building she is. In a fact the whole piazza was something else. I was in awe.

Being in awe for something for so long builds up an appetite. Naturally, when in Italy, it'd be rude to not do what the locals do - eat pizza and gelato. I found a wee pizzeria not far from the Duomo and grabbed one with spicy sausage. Add a Coke and say goodbye to €15.50. Now it's easy to see why spicy rhymes with pricy.

I boosted home shortly after midnight to Luisa furiously typing away on her typewriter (she uses her laptop for Google Translate obviously) and we discussed what I'd seen and not yet seen. I could sense another itinerary coming and I was more than happy to roll with Luisa's ideas.

Eight hours later I was back up and running and having eaten a croissant fresh from a packet (!) and a good pot of tea, I was ready to smash out some sightseeing once more. The Duomo in daylight was the first on the list, followed by a number of other historical monuments such as the Theatro Dela Scalla.

By 3.30pm I had returned to Luisa's house and was ready to move on of pump next destination. One final big hug later and I was on my merry way to Roma.

One of Luisa's parting pieces of advice was to ensure I had more than one night in Rome. "One day is not enough," she typed.

So I've decided to smash out Cinque Terre and then return to Rome for a day or so before heading out to Mallorca for the penultimate leg of my journey.

Sitting on this train, it's still hard to believe I'm even here. The days have flown by so quickly that I sometimes have to flick back to pictures of countries past just to assure myself I went there! Then, of course, the memories come flooding back.

Which brings me to my next piece of fascinating technology. Had we no cameras, how would we hold onto memories in 20 years time, when life has surpassed our hopes, ambitions and recollections of adventures past.

With around half an hour to go in the train ride I got talking to a retired Australian bloke. He is halfway through a 10-week trip to Europe and the United Kingdom. Joined the SKI (Spend the Kids' Inheritance) Club he reckons.

We got chatting about our trips and the last Bledisloe Cup game he went to, a 16-16 draw, before I told him of the 12-12 result from that morning. We were seconds away from dissecting the state of Australian rugby before he swiftly piped up about rugby league, at which point we wished each other well.

But here's to technology, something that has been my help when needed so far on my short Italian stint.

You're often a pain, but so far you've been a real blessing. I tip my hat to you.

Ciao,
Matiu

Switzerland - one of nature's real gifts

Hello and greetings from Bellwald, Switzerland!

I'm dining in a small restaurant that seats about 25 people, and it doubles as my hotel for tonight. I'm writing this blog from the small village that is 1560m above sea level, it's a beautiful place filled with ancient cottages sprinkled across a 400m area with a view back down over the sun-baked valley. It's truly remarkable.

Remarkable. It's a word we use quite regularly in English. Heck, we even have a mountain range with said name. But it's one of the only words I can use to describe a country that, while pricy, is certainly worth every dollar.

There's New Zealand beauty, you know - the mountainous landscapes with sheep that outweight the human population in Godzone. And then there's Switzerland. I have seen some incredible scenery and some fantastically friendly people that have made me forget about any issues I have had here. I recommend it to anyone, that's for sure. And if you live here, you are blessed - and long may those blessings continue.

--

Day One: Frankfurt-Grindelwald

I arrived in Switzerland fresh after a health sleep in Frankfurt courtesy of my first air bnb hosts, Jan and Jasmin.

Air BnB is a similar idea to couch surfing, only guests pay a certain rate and are given a shared room, private room or an entire house to themselves depending on the services on offer. I decided to use this service purely because it was reliable and both guests and hosts have to be verified to filter out the creeps. It's also very cheap in comparison to hotels, while hosts can offer insights not often distributed in hostels.

Anyway, back to Jan and Jasmin. The couple in their mid-20s are university students in Frankfurt and are both doing double degrees. Both are specialising in geography, which is how they met.

They've done a few trips together. Brazil, Spain, Portugal, countries with a lot of Latin American flavours, though Jasmin says it was purely as part of their studies. In New Zealand, we call this 'research'.

My first air bnb experience was great. They were warm, welcoming and exactly what social accommodation should be.

From there I had a railwayriffic day. I took trains from Marktplatz, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Zurich, Luzern and Interlaken before I arrived in Grindelwald at 8pm. It was a frantic day, but with the sun setting over the Alps, I knew it was time for me to relax and chill until the next morning.

--

 Day Two: Grindelwald-Bern

What started as a beautiful morning quickly turned sour in Grindlewald, and it was all over a small load of washing.

As a backpacker I understand one of the pre-requisites is that you have to endure smelly clothes and poor hygiene, but I still don't mind the occasional load of clean washing. So, having spent the previous night putting the clothes in the washing machine, I was hoping to have some clean clothes by the morning.

Instead, I came across a Siemens washing machine that wouldn't play ball. The lights flashed, the spin and rinse cycles wouldn't work, and even more frustrating was that, being a frontloader, you couldn't take your clothes out halfway through the cycle - especially when there's half a machine full of water playing with your clothes.

After five hours I gave in and contacted the host Melanie, who assured me she would sort it. Thankfully, she did and an hour before I left I had my new clothes. Gotta love that Aussie spirit.

But washing aside, Grindlewald was superb. The weather was amazing and the mist cleared around some of the tallest peaks in Europe. I took a train up to Kleine Scheidegg and was spellbound. The views en route to the stop were amazing and there was not one bad view the entire journey.

I had lunch tat a restaurant overlooking Grindlewald, when in Rome right, and it was pretty standard. Cream of vege soup and a ginger ale kept me going for some time - it was that or the two small Swiss chocolate bars I had bought earlier in the day.

I spent the best part of four hours up there taking photos, walking sround (aka not walking around) and generally enjoying being fairly high up and breathing in the fresh mountain air. There were also some nice spots to stand and look out over the valleys and reflect on what an amazing trip I've had so far.

Mote trains followed - this time from Grindlewald to Interlaken and then on to Bern. With no internet access, and the time creeping towards 9.30pm, I finally made contact with host Karin, who gave me such superb directions that I was at her house within 20 minutes.

After a good chat about Bern and my trip, I hit the hay exhausted but with a smile on my face. I had clean clothes to look forward to in the morning.

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Day Three: Bern-Sion

A good eight hours sleep and I was off. It was a little sad leaving Bern. I arrived at Karin's house around 9.50pm the previous night and was gone within 12 hours. Still, that's the way these things work. The host and her family have school to attend, money to make and their lives to attend to. I guess I haven't been used to this, having relaxed with friends in Prague, Berlin, Mechelen and Leuven, but it was ok. I just got on with it.

A quick two-hour cruise around Bern was nice, if not a little frustrating. Having been soaked taking photos of the Bear Enclosure looking towards the old city centre, I bought a tacky umbrella near the bridge. Within twenty minutes of buying the umbrella, the rain stopped for the rest of the day. Couldn't do anything but smile really.

And better still, the music inside this souvenir shop in the Swiss capital was Fat Freddy's Drop, the dub-reggae band from Wellington. The shop owner said she loved the radio station, and found it informative. She hadn't heard of Rwanda before the station, and now she knew it existed because of music from that country. Fascinating insight into Swiss sociology.

Anywho I jumped on to a train and boosted my way to Broc-Village, home of the famous Cailler chocolate factory. Again, a fascinating insight and a superb presentation that illustrated the history of chocolate and the origins of this superb product in Switzerland.

The taste testing part of the trip left me feeling a little chocolate-d out! But having realised you cannot get Cailler chocolate, I strolled down to the outlet shop (shame tourists who pay full price at the factory) and purchased a few bars for the trip home.

From Broc I spent an hour in Montreux, a superb town that overlooks the water and plays hosts to a few vineyards. There's also a large statue of none other than Queen frontman, the late Freddie Mercury. That's what someone told me anyway.

A quick hour then a trip to Sion, where I missed the final bus of the evening by five minutes. The result? A 65$ (NZD) taxi to my next destination. A hefty price to pay.

I arrived at my final AirBnB place a little down but was put at ease by Mathieu and Sarah. I took off my shoes and within an hour I was in bed regretting not looking at the bus timetable earlier in the day.

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Day Four: Sion-Bellwald

And so today, where the classic case of Matiu not checking the information reared its ugly head.

I took a train to Zermatt, a beautiful yet touristy ski village very similar in atmosphere to Queenstown. Expensive, but with beautiful views of the Matterhorn, I hadn't realised the train ride itself would set me back 70$. It turns out the trip isn't covered by my Eurail pass.

I was determined not to let this spoil my trip though, and upon getting to Zermatt I set my sights on taking as many pictures as possible to make up for tap second blowout in the space of a day.

The Matterhorn is 4478m above sea level and is one of the highest peaks in Europe. To put that into context, Jungfrau - considered the top of Europe near Grindelwald, is 4158m above sea level. The Matterhorn's unique pyramid-like peak is so popular it adorns the label, and is the shape of, a chocolate most of you will have tried. Toblerone!

I went from there through to a couple of smaller villages and then arrived in Bellwald via a gondola ride up the mountain. It was my first of the trip and despite enjoying the experience I'm not sure how often I could do that haha. Seems to be the popular way if getting around here.

Here in Bellwald there's a festival called Raclette (Melting of the Cheese), and alongside accordions and dishes of melting cheese was a quartet of long horn players. Superb musicians who are keeping a long held tradition going. I felt like I was back in time for a second!

And so to the present. I'm currently fermenting having enjoyed my first cheese fondue experience. If there was any one meal where I can point to being one that made me put on weight on this trip, it's this one. I've had so much cheese I feel like I could be tested by police and be over the legal limit.

And so I must let this cheese break down somehow before I prepare for my last day in Switzerland tomorrow. I head to Lugarno en route to Milan from Bellwald tomorrow and having looked at the map, it looks like it could be quite some adventure.

So goodbye from Switzerland, and we'll chat in Italia!

Matiu

Belgium Part 2 - Summer Leuven and Brugge

Belgium Part 2: Leuven and Bruges

I'm en route to Frankfurt having spent quite an amazing time in Belgium. You've already heard my time with two of my favourite Belgians - Sara and Kristin - and now he going to hear a bit more about one of my favourite cities.

I know I touched on it before, but I'm going to chat a bit more about Leuven. This is a city centre that is just 2km long but holds so much history. Belgium is a bizarre country with different regions and different governments etc that even the Belgians don't understand, but all you need to know is that Leuven is in the Flemish speaking quarter.

If he name Leuven sounds familiar, it's because the place is home to the brewery of one of the country's most famous exports, Stella Artois.

But I won't really remember it for that. In fact, I didn't have a single drop of beer or any type of alcohol while I was in Leuven. It was the perfect break from what had otherwise been a fairly hoppy holiday.

But on Friday night, I could very well have looked intoxicated judging from how spellbound I was one from a woman whose voice had me from the opening tune.

I went to Beleuvenissen, an annual festival spanning three weekends where the city hosts multiple stages of famous Belgian musicians. I had never heard of Axelle Red before Friday night, but now I'm hooked. It's what I like to call road trip music. 

Axelle Red played on Friday night, but after four songs I was curious to hear other artists. I walked along to the main square, and there she was. 

Paulien Mathues is someone who has had a bit of air time in Belgium, having won The Voice Flanders last year. Her smooth, crimson-sounding voice was at times heartbreakingly melancholic, but boy did it have my attention. 

I stayed for the remainder of her set then introduced myself and bought one of her CDs. I was rapt to have taken back a genuine piece of Belgium with me on my travels, and I'll let you know what tunes are the best to listen out for in the coming weeks.

Sorry Hayley Westenra. It's over.

The rest of my time in Belgium was split between the beautiful city of Brugge and Leuven. I wasn't expecting much of Brugge given my lack of knowledge, but it didn't take long for me to see just why so many tourists endeavour to make it there. A medieval township complete with a monastery from the 17th century, Brugge is a town that looks like it has come straight from a different era. The small shops dusted around the main area are littered with touristy trinkets and unnecessary things. Who would've thought a city could have so many types of magnets.

Brugge is a city where you can enjoy being lost. Everything is so naturally beautiful that you will eventually stumble on a monument or building that you never would've noticed had you stayed on the beaten track, but after 3.5 hours of walking I was ready to head back to Leuven.

I reunited with Sara, Kristin and my host Sam and we had dinner before heading back to Sam's house for a Bahai devotional night. Now I myself am  a Christian - there were other Christians in attendance too - but man it was so refreshing discussing faith and praying with people from other denominations. I reckon it's incredibly nutritious, and definitely helped me as I look to grow a bit ahead of my return back to New Zealand.

Right, better try and get some sleep on this train. Talk soon dear kiwis and don't be afraid to get in touch with me! 

Au revoir,

Matiu

Belgium Pt 1: Mechelen magic and Leuven La Vida Loca

Some parts if this trip have been dream like and I was again reminded of the benefits of making friends online during the second day of my time in Belgium. It was 2008 when I first chatted to Sara on a chat site, but some six years later I was finally able to meet her and her amazing friend Kristin in person.

Both girls had no clue I was coming until the morning of. They were incredible and, along with Kristin's boyfriend Sebastian, we travelled all around Mechelen discovering a lot about this beautiful city. All three changed their plans for me.

Earlier in the day it didn't look like it would turn out as well as it did. I was sliiiightly hungover from a non eventful day in Brussels (stupid move, I got super lost and drowned my sorrows haha) and as such I was tired, stressed and worried when I checked out of my youth hostel as required at 7.30am. 

But after a couple of hours worrying profusely, I got myself together and finally arranged to meet up with Sara, Kristin and Sebastian. The biggest obstacle of my time in Europe so far had been overcome.

Mechelen is a city steeped in history. While Brussels was always one of the most important cities in the Low Islands, Mechelen was the former capital of the Low Islands during the first half of the 16th century and so was once a hub of religious activity. The history is so deep that there are excavations near the town square where they're bringing up the remains of an old village. 

The cathedral there was typically amazing but for me the most striking point of the sightseeing was the large arrangements of flowers lining the streets and squares. It's known as one of the most botanically beautiful cities in Europe, and was the first to instigate such displays that are now common throughout the continent.

There were so many quick highlights from my one-day trip to Mechelen. But the most fascinating one for me was meeting two friends I have known for six years for the first time. 

I know, they're hard to come by. Genuine online friendships are pretty rare, and so they know that I treasure them both. The fact that we were able to talk so openly about spirituality, family and other poignant topics was the ultimate sign of respect from me to them because I'm not so open about that stuff with most people in New Zealand let alone on the other side of the world.

We hit up a toy museum, which was interesting to say the most, but all four of us had a fingernail painted black. No particular reason there, but I now have a permanent reminder of my amazing time in Mechelen and it will take some convincing for me to get rid of it.

In a trip already filled with so many lifelong memories, it's great to know that there is always time for substantial conversations. that to me is one of the greatest aspects of friendship and one that makes my connection with Sara and Kristin one I will forever cherish.

I then moved on to Leuven, a city of around 100,000 people that made my jaw drop. The incredible cathedrals in the town square made me stand in awe. According to Wikipedia the place was first mentioned in the 800s and towards the 11th and 14th centuries. Jaw dropping stuff.

The pictures will never do these places justice and neither will my descriptions. Photos are coming, be sure, but for now google images hold an idea of what beautiful scenes I get to witness every day here in Belgium. It's mighty expensive, but when else will you be eating in a cafe in a city over 1000 years old?

Onto Bruges tomorrow, which I'm amped about. A medieval village town with some beautiful monuments - this trip is more than living up to my hopes.

And just as awesome have been the people. From my Prague friends Libor, Lucie and Irena to Moni in Germany and now Sara, Kristin, Sebastian and Sam in Belgium - thank you all so much for helping me unleash my dreams, and long may our friendships continue.

Cologne - classic Matiu on display

If there's one thing Cologne (or Koln as it's written here in Deutschland) has taught me, it is to be humble with your map reading abilities.

If you'll recall, in my previous post on Berlin I had claimed with a confident fine that I had basically mastered the Berlin transport system.

Well today I came back down to earth and dined on three servings of humble pie.

Cologne is one of the biggest cities in Germany - fourth in fact. It boasts just over a million people and plays hosts to some beautiful buildings, but none more spectacular than the Cologne Cathedral, which is right next to the central station.

I arrived on time and made my merry way to the bus stop as per the train station info centre's directions. But when I got off at Mauritiusplatz I couldn't figure out how to get to my flippen hostel. Twenty minutes passed before I finally got some information our of a shopkeeper whose English was enough to help me find the place.

Then the second incident. I wanted to explore, given my short period of time in this aesthetically pleasing city. The customer service woman recommended I try checking out the Cologne Cathedral and the Love Lock bridge. Beautiful pictures, she said, before pointing out where on the map the best place would be to take a wee snap.

Armed with a newfound confidence stemming from a good chat with hostel roommate Florian, I strode out onto the Koln streets for a second time aiming to make good time. After fifteen minutes of holding out a map hoping for a miracle, it arrived. A German man looked at my map and told me it would be a simple 20min walk should I follow his instructions and just keep going straight.

Ten minutes passed. I was pretty confident.

Twenty minutes pass. No sign of the cathedral.

Forty minutes. Still nothing.

It was at the 2.5-hour mark that I finally waved the white flag and decided to catch a train home, though I wouldn't have had a clue on how to get home had it not been for a stranger who pointed me to the station.

As it turned out, instead of going East, I was going at a nice South South East, meaning I was almost at the end of the train line at the southern end of Koln.

I got off the bus relieved and started to plot my way home. It was at most a five minute walk back to the hostel. Well, it should've been. Twenty five minutes after getting out of a train station no more than 600m away from the station, I finally arrived at the flat.

From now on, I'm turning on google maps before I head out.

I'm off to Belgium tomorrow, and hopefully my friends are ready for another big adventure - if I make it there.

Matiu.

Berlin - Relaxation and Tourisdiction!

Ahh, Berlin. A city that was once divided and is instead filled with a diversity fairly hard to find anywhere else.

Before I begin my long descriptive blog on the city, I think it's worth noting how significant having friends in different countries is. It's interesting getting an insight into a city from a resident's point of view, but quite often it's their first time taking in the sights as well. It's great being able to discover other things with other people, not to mention lean on them when I'm flung a question from left field in an unfamiliar language.

One such person who practically made a world of difference to my trip was somebody I've known for almost 10 years. In 2005 I met Monika Eisenmann for the first time as an exchange student in sixth form at Taita College. Originally from a small town in the north of Germany, Monika has since moved two the grand city of Berlin, where she's finishing her Masters studies in mathematics.

When I say my friends are smart, I'm not kidding ;)

Anyway, back to Berlin. After an interesting and fun filled night in Prague I was gagging for some sleep on the four-hour trip from Prague to Berlin. Having bolted onto a coach specifically filled with reserved seats, myself and another sneaky person, Heidi, waited with baited breath down the line to see if we would have to move for the eventual seat holder to take their rightful place. They didn't arrive.

And so began a four hour trip that featured discussion on my reasons for visiting Europe at 25, why I had chosen the countries I had and what I was hoping to get out of my trip. That took all of 30 minutes before we also discussed her background. Heidi, probably in her mid sixties, has travelled to Asia three times and at one stage was the Europe director at one of Berlin's museums for around 20 years. She has also travelled around Europe, but only in her later years after working at a Berlin university for some 20 years. She got her first job at 28.

It must seem worlds away. She was fascinated at my decision to travel to Europe at such  a young age and gave me a few tips, ones that I would eventually pass on to Moni.

The timing of my arrival into Berlin couldn't have been any better. With a dead iPad and dead phone, I couldn't contact Monika - rather important given my train was delayed by an hour. Thankfully, however, she was there waiting and our first stop was the Berlin beer festival. Superb!

The 18th running of the event was a never-ending road filled with beer, food and semi-drunken debauchery. Groups wore costumes - lederhosen, matching t shirts, stormtrooper outfits - and it was all in good fun. There were at least 100 varieties of beer, but not one standard Kiwi brew! What made things worse was that Fosters, the Aussie stuff, was there probably representing Aus Zealand again. Good to see us dominating the CommGames too, might I add.

I got to my hostel, the Generator Hostel, at around midnight. It had been a cruisy first day, but it was also about to be my first insight into hostel life.

Three hours sleep later, I was back up and running for day two. Sightseeing aplenty in the morning - the Brandenburg Tor, the Reichstag, the TV Tower, it was all incredible. Having so many historical buildings in one particular area of town left my asking myself two questions - how long did they all take to erect, and more poignantly, how many more buildings would've been around had there not been such violent bombings.

Moni and I then cruised along to a site where locals and tourists sit on a grass embankment filled with deck chairs and watched the boats in the Schprit waddle on by with the Berlin HBf in the background. One of the most relaxing segments of the trip so far! We then went along to Arena Badeschiff and relaxed in a pool that sat over a lake. I'm not making this up!

But I think my favourite day was my third day in this colourful city. Lunch on the 20th floor of Monika's university that took in the Berlin skyline was excellent. First dig at pea soup, too. Not bad at all.

We then took a fast train to Potsdam where we took in the spectacular Neues Palais and Sans Souci Castle. The Palais was the first castle I had seen up close, and the audio tour was mega interesting. Can finally tick off seeing an actual castle. Yeow!

There was one moment which has easily been one of the strangest moments so far. Moni and I were walking through what seemed to be a homeless enclosure given the state of the grounds, the smell - and the homeless people. Suddenly we stumbled upon a building and a few people standing outside waiting to go in. Turns out it was a nightclub and those people were waiting to go back inside - at midday. The club was still going. Nutty really. Moni said they'd have to be on drugs to power through the night. I agreed.

Have tried a few German things here. Doner kebabs were brilliant, as was the Berliner (donut). Gave sauerkraut a miss unfortunately but did dive into some currywurst and a bretzel.

The transport system in Berlin initially looked like a three year old child's best scribbling effort, but after a day or two I finally figured it all out. Positive signs for future travellers!

As for the Berlin people, again I stress that my experience was completely different because I had someone there who I was friends with. But in the times I was by myself I didn't exactly find the service friendly. Maybe it was because I looked like a tourist or looked pretty sleep-deprived. Regardless, I would like to think the Berliners I encountered were, how you say - efficient.

That being said, it was hard to tell who actually was from Berlin and who wasn't. The international flavour of the city is as colourful as the wide varieties of hairstyles in display. Green Mohawks, brick red-coloured flowing hair and blue dos that would make any anime fan tip their hat. It certainly seems like a population liberated by the downing of the wall.

Potsdamer Platz is certainly a suburb to watch out for. Impressive high rise buildings and the superbly lit Sony Centre building left me feeling like I was leaving Berlin on a high note. And having presented a pounamu necklace and a final hug , I chugged back along the route I had practiced for the last three days. Alexanderplatz - Ostkreuz - Landsberger Allee.

Berlin isn't my only German stop. I'm en route to Cologne as we speak, where I'll spend a night. I'm also in Frankfurt for one night en route to Switzerland. I'll blog those two nights individually.

By the time most of you read this, I would've been travelling for just about a week. It's been one heck of a journey, and there's still plenty to discover.

Can't wait to share even more with you as the days unfold.

Auf wiedersein,
Matiu

ITINERARY: (all days are in local time)
August 5 - Cologne
August 6-9 - Belgium
August 10 - Frankfurt
August 11-15 - Switzerland
August 16-21 - Italy
August 22-25 - Mallorca
August 26-28 - Paris
August 29 - Auckland!

TRAVEL DIARY: Prague and Recreation

Apologies for the delay in my Prague post.nits been an interesting day today - dead battery and no plugs on the train etc, but here goes.

Prague is a town that everybody in the Czech Republic should be proud of. Churches and cathedrals that remain after 500 years, cheap beer and a warmth that goes beyond the meteorological, it is a city with a place in my heart. And long may it remain there. 

I first caught wind of Prague a few years ago, when a friend of mine and her school choir went to perform. I saw a couple of pictures, and that was enough for me to say, I'm going there one day.

Then the day arrived. It didn't quite get off to the best start, mind. A one hour flight delay in Hong Kong saw me miss my connection to Prague. I have a feeling it's not the first time this has happened - Cathay Pacific were awfully accommodating despite not really explaining why we were waiting.

But from there, I arrived in Prague to two people I know I will never forget. Lucie, a beautiful Czech girl I first met in the Cook Islands, was there with Libor, a character whose bubbly personality and guidance made me feel like I was at home.

While I've yet to see any other European city, it seems that Czech - and Prague in particular - is the quintessential European hub. Bathed in history, it can only be described as jaw dropping. 

Admittedly I hadn't seen many historical buildings prior. There's the historic DEKA sign in Huntly, but it cant compete with a building that is some 500 years old.

Aside from the amazingly ornate buildings, Czech Republic is  also known for something else. When people told me I'd be able to buy a beer in Czech for a cheeky dollar or two, I almost laughed at them. But now, having spent three and a half days in Prague, it's no joke. Half a litre of some of the best beer you will taste (Pilsner Urqwell is outstanding, Krusovice isn't far behind) is incredible.

But those aren't the most important parts for me. The opportunity to create and strengthen friendships with people halfway across the world is another reason why I think travelling and doing trips like these are so epically worthwhile.

I caught myself doing something a bit bizarre a couple of days ago, which was hard to describe to anybody let alone somebody whose English wasn't their first language.

While I was hanging with my friends Lucie, Libor and Irena at Naplavka, I shut my eyes and pictured myself back in Auckland, chilling at my flat and trying my best not to scowl at our fur-spraying cat.

Apart from thinking about Mojo, the reasons I think I am doing this is because it's like wan inverted day dream. Instead of closing my eyes and dreaming of these big, beautiful cities - here I am thinking of New Zealand!

Now it's absolutely nothing against Czech or any city I'll visit. But for me it's another way of expressing that all of this is a dream in itself. Hopefully you're still with me.

The fare in Prague is also delicious. I tried a traditional dish called svickova. which was almost like roast beef relaxing in gravy with jam and cream on top. Who ever thought that something so savoury and sweet could taste so good. I tried explaining the word 'hearty' to them. 

But back to some wee highlights. The cathedral at Prague Castle was honestly probably the most incredible building I have ever seen in my life. It will be definitely hard to top! Also, there is the Old Town Square which I thought was bursting with  atmosphere, and the beautiful Orloy church, where some interesting characters are involved at the change of hour in the watch tower.

Libor, his friend Vladimir and I hit the town fairly heavily on Friday night. Everything was great. The opportunity to have a bit of fun and see a different side to Prague was also a great point for me.

But I think the opportunity to showcase a bit of the Maori culture to them was emotionally poignant for me as much as it was for them. I did a Haka for them, gave them a hongi and presented them with special gifts from home. I almost cried as I discussed the historical significance of the gift, and I think they could see that :)

My train ride to Berlin was also interesting. I was talking with Heidi, an older Berliner who has spent time in Asia and was very fascinated by my decision to go travelling around Europe at 25.

I told her that for me this is a trip about self discovery, of finding out what I like and what I don't etc. She then hammered it home. She said if there would be a World War 4, given all the horrific actions taking place, there is a high chance more historic places could be lost. That's why you should never worry, she said. Take any chances to see things when the opportunity arises.

On reflection, there really can't be enough words to describe Prague. It really is one of the jewels in the European crown and reflecting on the photos (coming soon!) that I will forever recall with a smile on my face and a slight exhale filled with content

TRAVEL DIARY: First stop and first epiphany

It was a pretty easy start to my trip, but having arrived in Hong Kong the notion of my European adventure had only just kicked in.

I wrote a wee post yesterday about how the enormity of this trip had only just set in. One person responded by saying it would be a life-changing trip. It's taken me just nine hours into my trip to discover this is, in fact, the truth.

Check in at Auckland International Airport was relatively smooth, aided somewhat by a familiar face. Kristin Edge of the Northern Advocate is traveling to India with a friend to tuk tuk their way down India. A fascinating trip, but one would also assume it would be quite the bumpy road.

Their reasoning - a simple why not. Fair enough too, that's what I based my trip on some nine months ago. Some people plan babies in that sort of timeframe. This trip is my baby.

Cathay Pacific was OK if not slightly uninviting, but the luxury of having two seats to myself was something I must thank them for. It certainly helped the 11-hour journey go somewhat faster, at least in my mind. 

After watching Rio 2 and a whole first season of Only Fools and Horses, I sat and listened as the cabin crew said we were closing in on Hongkers. It was around then that I pulled up the window cover and looked out to something that made me realise how big this trip is for me.

In the distance was what looked like luminescent lava; cities bursting with orange lights that created what almost could pass for an eternal artificial dusk. The bustling Hong Kong boasts a population of over 7.15 million people, and it was upon seeing this dimly-lit haze hovering over one of the cities that I felt nervous.

But why nerves? Is it because there is so much unknown on this trip? That I've barely seen much of these cosmopolitan culture capitals and now they're becoming substantial parts of my next month? Who knows.

One final note. We were reminded ever so politely by our Cathay Pacific captain that it was 32 degrees at 9pm. For the second time in three years I've left a kiwi winter behind with absolutely zero regrets. The heat here, though, is a comfortable one.

Time to wait for my flight to London (Heathrow) at 12.35am, some two hours away. Until then I'll just continue to walk around this airport in amazement and awe, forever soaking up the notion that even at 10.30pm there's probably the population of Invercargill walking around this complex.