There’s something magical for me about getting on a train for a long journey. You get to see how the landscape gradually changes around you, you can walk around and the sound of a train on the tracks is one I have always found comforting. I feel like flying is sometimes too fast and airports are hectic in a way that train stations aren’t for me. Long journeys have a...
Twenty four hours in Greymouth
It was the TranzAlpine that brought me to Greymouth. Well, not literally. I was planning to take the TranzAlpine from Greymouth to Christchurch. But given that the train only runs once a day and my risk-averse nature, I decided to stay a night in Greymouth in case the bus was delayed. The bus wasn’t delayed....
A day in Franz Josef
After Wanaka it got cold. Those who know me know that I don’t like snow nor being cold, so it’s unusual for me to choose a destination where it’s pretty much a certainty that it’s going to be chilly, even in early spring. But I’ve heard that you can’t come to New Zealand without seeing at least one glacier....
Short walks in and around Wanaka
The bus stopped just in front of the lake. I was still too sleepy to appreciate the view. It hadn’t been a long ride – just under two hours – but it had been an early start. Tea was definitely required before I could start trying to locate my accommodation....
Planning a trip to New Zealand without a car
When I was planning my trip to New Zealand last year, I was told the only way to see it was by car. Not having driven since I passed my driving test many years ago, I didn’t feel that a solo trip to New Zealand was the best time to start. After doing some research, I concluded that it was feasible to visit many of the places I wanted to...
Thoughts on dancing tango in Buenos Aires
I bought my first pair of tango shoes in Buenos Aires, black and silver with the smallest heels they had at Flabella on Suipacha street. I danced my first tango in my new shoes on my last night at Maldita Milonga in the dimly lit Buenos Ayres Club on Peru street. Earlier that day, I had seen El Afronte playing at the San Telmo Market and when I bought their...