Back to normal....

Hallo!

I am back to Europe, back to "normal", back to daily business.
It always hits me shockingly, that my "normal life" is really a kind of strange parallel world to my "travel life" ..or vice versa ?!
There are totally different priorities, different routines, tasks, problems, challenges, different people...everything is different and I need to adapt and rethink, change my approach and thoughts.

Some of you, I have already met since I am back. And I am looking forward to meeting the rest of you soon!

Take care and enjoy life!!!

Be conscious of how good our life actually is and how much we have, get and are able to enjoy freely and fully.
Don't forget how well we are off and how precious our freedom, health and our home is!
Even having a good job is a privilege you should not underestimate. ;)

Be content and super happy!!! :)

Kisses and hugs!
Renate

My days in Taiwan...

Hallo!

I have spent the last 10 days in Taipei and at parts of the northern coast of Taiwan.

Taipei is very nice. It is chinese... but then again, it is not. I personally think Taiwan is very different from mainland China. The people are different, their habits, their smile and hospitality, their organisation of life and daily business... Taipei and Taiwan appear very friendly, very international and open-minded. Most of the people speak a little bit of english, some of them really good, so communication was easy. Although outside the city, I, sometimes, employed what remained of my Mandarin. I still remembered asking for the way, buying bus and train tickets etc.. so it was fun and...yes, maybe it would not have been strictly necessary, but I just wanted to try :)

I did not have a lot of time here, thus just only got a glimpse of Taiwan, but I enjoyed the time.
Here some pictures.

In a few days I will meet Rainer in Beijing for the last 14 days of the trip...no blogs in China... so...

See you again soon!
Kisses, Renate

The Mountains and Kazakhs in the Far West of Mongolia

Hallo!

The last week I spent travelling in the western region of Mongolia, partly within reach of the Chinese border. The area is mountainous, rough, cold and wild. Autumn is already present there, winter approaching. The nomads prepare to leave the summer gers for their winter quarters. Accordingly, it is pretty cold even if the sun is shining. Nights were freezing and I wore and covered me with everything I had in the tent to stay warm.

The people were very friendly and welcoming and the landscape was simply amazing... Even in bad weather. Light, colour, clouds and sky always looked like a painting...incredibly beautiful. Fotos can never do it justice, I am afraid, but I tried my best. :)
It was really wonderful!

Next station for me will be Taiwan.

Sending you my best regards, kisses and hugs!
Renate

From Mörön to Ulaanbataar

Hallo,

I made my way back from the very north of Mongolia to Ulaanbataar again. I passed several cities and towns on my way and even managed a few side trips. It was partially hard work to arrange everything, find the right place to get a ride, discuss price and destination with hand and feet, wait for hours for the transport to arrive/ leave or stop in the middle of nowhere for one or the other reason.

How much you have to trust and depend on people if you have no idea what they are telling you.... Most of the time I just nodded or shook my head and smiled and said 'I don't understand'.

The towns and cities for me were really fascinating in its appearance and daily life. People looked at me strangely, taking pictures of their daily things, which for me were interesingly enough...

I am glad, I managed to arrive back in Ulaanbaatar safe and sound, where I now spend a few days before I fly to the very far West of Mongolia for my last week here in the country.

Here are the pictures of my "roadtrip". I hope you enjoy.

Take care! I am thinking of you!
Kisses, Renate

Going North ... (Mongolia)

Hallo!

I have spent the last week at the Khövsgöl Nuur National Park. It is at the northern border to Russia. It's a huge area with a very large, clear, blue lake. Hiking is wonderful and I was lucky with the weather.

What you get: beautiful views, amazing nature, solitude and silence, soothing sounds and smells, time to contemplate, enjoy and relax, ...

What you have to forget about is: hotel rooms, comfort, warm showers, electricity, food choices, dry and waterproof gers, coffee, laundry, telephone, modern communication in general, flushing toilets, public transport. ..

Here are some pictures.

I am now heading back to Ulaanbaatar and will ptovide you also with some pictures of the towns and cities on my way.
I am sending you all the best!

KISSES, Renate

Going West....Mongolia

Hallo!

I have been travelling the last weeks to a part west of Ulaanbaatar. I have spent 7 days on hoseback and the others in the car.

We slept in tents and traditional gers and met nomadic families. The landscape is wast and huge, to say the least. It was amazing. The weather changes rapidly many times a day and we had sun, heat, rain, cold, fog...you really must not be sensible and have a high tolerance of discomfort to travel in this country. ;)
It was great, though I was happy to be able to have a flushing toilet and to finally shower again, when I came back to Ulaanbaatar yesterday.;)
Food, quickly described, consisted of all possible varieties on mutton.
Take a look at the pictures of the journey in the jeep, the horseback riding and one of my petsonal highlights: the Yak Festival!

Best regards, Renate

Arriving in Mongolia ... with a smile :)

Hallo to all of you!

I arrived in Mongolia, in Ulaanbaatar, and cannot stop smiling, looking and being fascinated. Everything is so different...to where I have been in the last weeks and months.

At first glance, Ulaanbaatar appears a bit neglected, but you learn that what a building looks from outside has nothing to do with what it looks inside or what you find inside. There are fancy restaurants, bars and coffee shops. All food I encountered so far was pretty good. The people are friendly and welcoming and speak better English than in South Korea (who would have thought that, really??)
The last two days I spent being fascinated by the Naadam Festival. Nearly everything is closed and everybody is out there, proudly wearing their best suits as well as watching the happenings: wrestling, horses racing and archery. I personally liked the archery best.
Take a look at the pictures. :)

Unfortunately my tablet broke and thus it is pretty hard for me to upload the pictures and write a post. And I managed only some (they are not - ulimately - the best, as I could not be too picky on that matter due to technical restraints :) ) But I hope you enjoy them nonetheless.

Tomorrow I will travel out of the city to the wide and open countryside and wilderness. I will return to Ulaanbaatar in about 2 weeks and will, hopefully, be able to post again then.

I hope you are all fine and enjoying summer!
Kisses and hugs!!!
Renate

Heading North again to Seoul

Hallo,

Here are the pictures of our last days in South Korea. We visited Suncheon, Jeunju und Sewon before arriving in Seoul again.

We had some rain, but it was fun nevertheless.
We spent the last days enjoying the city life of Seoul and unfortunately Rainer had to head home today.
I will continue to Mongolia on the 9.7. Let's see how it will be going there.

We are sending you regards and wish you fun with the pictures.

Kisses, Renate

The south of Korea: Busan & Southern Islands

Hallo!

The second biggest city in South Korea, Busan, has serveral beaches and is very agreable. Although it is lacking opportunities to drink a nice bottle of beer looking at the ocean. Somehow, it seems, the Koreans are not in favor of outdoor bars or comfortable terraces where you can sit and drink or eat. Although there are millions of indoor restaurants. But not many of them have any menus in english und thus we find it difficult to find some decent food...of which we know what it is, before we order it. Some days we are adventorous and order something without exactly knowing what we order, but some times, especially if those adventures were rather a failure the day before, we would prefer to know what we get. And some food here is really, really strange. Only a few days ago our neighbours in the restaurant ate somethin that was white and slimy and still lived and moved.... :-O
Thus the daily "food-part" is nearly the most difficult one. :)

But, despite of the language and signage prolem, we managed to master the public transport system..more or less. ;)
Due to old and modern means (looking nervously out of the window, holding maps and guide books under the nose of people, translation Apps, Google Maps, GPS etc.) we are able to get off the local busses at the correct spot most of the time. But, on the other hand, the language problem also caused us to purchase wrong tickets and enter wrong buses due to misunderstandings at the bus terminal booths and we ended up in places, which names were "nearly" the same of the one we actually wanted to go to. :)

However we still survive and make our way through the country. :)
We are in the southern part now. Unfortunately the weather is worse and there is more rain and clouds, which you will see, if you look at the pictures :)
So our trip to the "romantic island" turned into a rainy and wet event. :)

We are sending you our best regards and hope you are well!

Renate

World Heritage Sites, World Heritage Sites and more World Heritage Sites...

Hallo!

The last week we travelled in a southern direction in Korea and tried to stop at the most important World Heritages Sites only :)
This country is scattered with old temples, traditional houses, tombs and more of the same. We soon discovered, that if we would stop at each and every one of those, as beautiful and impressing as every single one would be, we would not get very far. :)
So we try to get to the most impressing and most important ones and have to pass many, many others. Although many of the temples look alike, the feeling and athmosphere of the temples and palaces, houses and villages vary very much, depending on the  outly, surroundings, number of tourists roaming around and your own feelings on the specific day.

Take a look at the pictures of our last days.

We are sending you best regards!

Renate

Old and new in one city...inhomogeneous and surprising Seoul

Hallo,

Seoul is a city of contradicions: old and new, modern and old-fashioned, shiny and dirty, young and old, quiet and hectic.

When wandering through the city you will find a stressfull, hectic athmosphere, but as soon as you enter a temple or a palast, everything slows down and feels peaceful. You will marvel at the glittering skysrapers and turning round a corner, wondering about the old-fashined small houses snugged into the city corners. Starbucks can be found next to tradional tea houses, young people concentrating on their smart phones and very old people looking worried and worn, friendly people and people looking at you with contempt, most of them not speaking one word of english. ;)

Seoul is everything but boring :) You can spend many days exploring all kinds of corners and areas and there is still more to see.

Here are the pictures for you! :)

I wish you all a good day and week and would love to hear from you!

Best regards, Renate

Crazy City Tokyo

Hallo :)

I spent the last days in Tokyo as a stop-over and enjoyed the city very much.

The following words come to my mind to describe it:

• crazy
• colourful
• glamourous
• full of lights and sounds
• incredibly crowded
• crazy
• lively
• trendy
• young
• weird
• friendly
• safe
• gentle
• clean
• crazy
• polite
• strange
• unique....
• GREAT! :)

Look at the pictures. I love this city!!!!

Best regards, Renate

Kauai - The green island of Hawaii

Hallo to all! :)

The island of Kauai of Hawaii is really beautiful like a paradise.
There is not one area of the island which can be classified as "not beautiful". Incredible.

But they do have a chicken and rooster problem :) If Colombia has a problem with wild dogs roaming around, here they really have a problem with free-running, wild chicken and rooster. They declare themselves "Rooster-Country" :)

The reason for all the green colours is - of course -  a lot of rain. Somewhere on the island it always rains. The trick is to find out which part is currently sunny and be there for as long as it lasts :) And if the rain catches you.... stay calm and just keep lying on your towel "in the sun" until the rain has passed and sun comes out again. Your things will be dry within a few minutes, so why worry. ;)

Have a look at the pictures.

Next station for me is Tokio. Hear you.... :)

Kisses, Renate

All about lava...

Hallo to all!

I spent the last week on "Big Island" with lovely friends of mine.
Big Island is always fascinating with all the new and young lava around. Last year there was a big outbreak and a big part of the island got a new "coat" of shiny black lava. Fortunately (for me), lava is still flowing in tiny amounts. You can see it flowing in the the sea and also on the surface. So I spent some time viewing the lava and the surreal landscape generated by it.

I think it is really great!
Here are the pictures. :-)

I hope you are all fine and I heard summer finally arrived in Europe :)
I am sending you best regards!

XXX, Renate

La Amazonia - one of the most wonderful places in the world

Here is my entry for the Amazon region: IT WAS INCREDIBLE! The landscape, the jungle, the colours, all the water, the silence, the sunsets, the sunrises, the sounds, the noise, the athmosphere, the anmials, the peace.. the beauty of that place just kept me breathless!!..for days.

I spent about 12 days in the area. During that time I did a 4 days/3 nights Kayak trip through the jungle. We camped every night somewhere in the middle of the jungle, where my guide errected a camp for the night. The next morning we left again, paddled through the jungle and rivers, looking for the next place to camp the next evening.
Everything was hot, sweaty, humid, wet, sunny, drizzling rain, torrential rain, dirt, basic and full of moskitos. But is was wonderful!!!!!
I am so happy I did this trip. I think these were the best days of my journey so far! I tried to take pictures, but I think that nothing is really able to capture how it felt to experience the jungle this way.
My guides were marvelous, it is a miracle for me how they found their way through the multiple waterways in the jungle and how well they know everything about the jungle. We saw many animals and they had a solution for everything, just using things we found in the jungle.

I am still fascinated when I look at the picture, or close my eyes, thinking back!

I hope you enjoy the pictures!
Here are also pictures from Puerto Narino, a small town in the area.

On Sunday I will leave Columbia and will fly to Hawaii where I will spend about 2,5 weeks. Hear you soon!

Wishing you all the best, and I hope you are well!

Besos!
Renate

How Renate visited statues, Popayan and the coffee farm

Hallo,

after some time I am back online. The last two weeks I was in the Amazon region, where Internet is not available and if, very weak. So I was not able to upload anything or enter a post.

Before the Amazon, I visited San Agustín and Popayan. In San Agustín I drank my first red wine since... a long time, with some girls from San Agustin and we had a lot of fun ...and a hangover the next day :) However it was a perfect time, despite the rain.

I also encounterd the best coffee I have had so far in Columbia at the Café of Juan and Miledy. They invited me to visit the coffee farm of their parents with them to learn about the coffee plantation and the roasting and preparation. Needess to say I loved to do that. I spent a night at their finca and we visited the coffee plantation. It was an amazing experience with Juan and his family.

I was very reluctant to leave San Agustin, as I actually have now a lot of very good friends there and started to enjoy my stay very much. It was like staying with family. I was really sad to leave, that my time was running out. No change of plans possible any more. Why didn't I meet all of them earlier...however this is what happens whilst traveling... unforseen encounters. These peolpe enriched my traveling so much and I am very grateful I met them. I hope to meet them again some day! Thanks to all of you for making my stay so much better and for the amazing memories I take with me.

Here are the pictures for you.

Best Regards,
Renate

The desert with rain and other rainy parts of columbia :)

Hallo,

Somehow it seems, currently, that I cannot escape the rain for long. I deliberately chose a region now, which calls itself "Desert", thinking that at least there the precipitation should be true to its name, and thus nonexistant, but, even there I got caught in heavy rain. Fortunately I also had some hours of sun in between to wander around, but not many :)

El desierto de Tatacoa was really nice, a wonderful landscape and, as I slept at a hostel direclty in the desert, it was really very quiet during the day as well as night! So nice and peaceful, I enjoyed this very much after the loud and hectic city life of the last days.
After that I continued to "Tierradentro", an important archeological site of Columbia, with underground tumbs full of colourful paintings. It lies really remote and it was pretty straining to get there and then even more difficult to leave again. Probably due to this fact, I was the only tourist there, and also the only one wanting some food. ;) There was only one restaurant and they were more than surprised that I came along hungry. At least you can always count on "chicken" somehow. But the choices of food are very limited most of the time and sometimes I am happy to find anything at all.... ;)

I now continued to San Agustín and Popayan. I will keep you posted.

Meanwhile take a look at the pictures, if you like.

Best regards, Renate

Guatapé and Jardín

Hallo Dears,

the last week I spent travelling around Medellín. The weather was not so good, and I caught some rain.
Also due to heavy rains and landslides further south around Manizales, I had to change my plans and will see where I will head next.

Both towns, Guatapé as well as Jardín were rather small, quiet townships where most of the life took place on the main plaza. The main activity there is sitting, chatting, drining coffee or beer in the evening. Just as I felt a little bit strange, sitting there every day, I saw that also the locals were always the same people sitting there...every day. A few days more and we all would have know each other, at least by sight.
The square starts to fill at 7:30am and is filled with people enjoying their time, regardless of rain or sunshine till late in the evening. So there is always something to watch. The coffee in Jardin was really good, as all the surroundings are coffee plantations.

Here are my pictures. :)

I am sending you best regards!

Renate

Medellíń - City of eternal spring...

Hallo,

I am posting again, as I think that the city Medellín deserves an extra post.
This city is amazing!! It is huge and is sprinkled over the whole valley, the red brick buildings contrasting the green surroundings of the valley.

The temperature is all-year-round moderate and very nice, therefore it is called the city of "enternal spring".

Medellín  has a ruther rugged history, being the former home of Pablo Escobar, who ruled the drug traffic during a long time in Columbia. Therefore the city has seen a lot of violence and bad times until very recently. It is not so long ago, that all finally started to turn upwards to a more peaceful athmosphere. It was therefore very intersting to wander through the neighbourhoods & barrios which all have many stories to tell.
I loved the city! It had such a friendly, peaceful and open athmosphere, which is really amazing considering its former history, and shows, how much the people strive for a finally peaceful and happy time.
I enjoyed my stay here very, very much.

Look at the pictures, and I think you will agree.

Sending you best regards from Medellín and wishing you all "Happy Easter" :)

Besos!
Renate

Last days of heat and sea

Hola a todos!

Coming "back" to a really touristy area, Cartagena, I really could experience the difference to the places I have been the last weeks:

• millions (!) of tourists (groups with bracelets and similar hats and guide :) )
• expensive restaurants (double to triple the price of other places)
• very good (but equally expensive) coffee shops
• nice places to sit in the evening sun, watching the people or the sunset with a cocktail or a beer in hand
• all types of supermarkets and all kind of things to buy
• abundant food at all times
• electricity 24h a day
• air conditioning
• running water 24h/ day
• laundries (therefore frish washed clothes ! Juchuu! :) )

For a few days this was really enjoyable, although I am happy now to have left the tourist hot spot again. I now continued to Medllin, which is inland again, leaving the carribean coast. Here the weather is different. Cooler and much more rain. Let's see how it will continue. :)

Here are the pictures for you. Enjoy!

I hope you are all fine and am looking forward to hearing from you.

Saludos & Besos! Renate

Still on the carribean coast...

Hallo,

I am well and travelling on the carribean coast. It is hot and humid and, as I am not the 100% beach-type, I have had enough of sun, palm trees and sandy beaches by now. Also I saw so many tourists in the last days, as I am currently on the "Tourist Trail", that I wish I was no tourist myself ;)

Here are my pictures: Riohacha, Palomino & Parque Nacional de Tayrona.

I am right now in Minca, which is a little bit higher up the mountains and will stay here a few days before continuing to Catagena.
After days in a hammock and no water to really wash me or my dirty T-shirts, I am happy to be back to a normal bed again.
Internet and phone coverage is still sparse and I think I will have to wait for a really good coffee till I reach Cartagena.

I am sending you my regards,

Renate

At the northernmost end of America Latina: Punta Gallinas

Hallo,

I am finally back after some days way out in the desert and at the carribean coast. I have managed to reach to northernmost point of Columbia and also of Southern America: "Punta Gallinas".

It was really a hassle and adventure of several days, first to reach Cabo de Vela and then to finally get to Punto Gallinas, but it was well worth it. It is stunningly beautiful!
But you do have to make sacrifices in terms of commodity, electricity, sweet water to wash yourself, food availability, availability of actually nearly anything (phone reception I don't even mention). :)

The downside of this part of Columbia is, that the people, who actually live there are really poor and have to live really basic, which obviously is directly connected to a negligence of collecting/storing/properly getting rid of rubbish, which leads to the fact, that really a lot of rubbish flies, lies, sticks, rolls, spreads over ... and finally litters the landscape around every home. Which makes me really sad.

However I enjoyed the trip very much, although I spent many backbreaking hours in means of transport: buses, jeeps, boats and motorcycles.
By the way...my backpack is still too heavy! :(

Take a look at the pictures and you might agree that it was worth it. :)

I hope you are all doing well and wish you a nice sping-time. :)

Abrazos, Renate

Flying in San Gil

Hallo!

Before I move on, I am quickly adding another post for you: San Gil

I liked it very, very much here, because it is very relaxed, you can do a lot of things here and it is so nice and warm. :)

The most important attraction here is the Canyon in the "Parque Nacional de Chicamocha". One way to see it, is by "paragliding", which I dared to do. As a tandem-flight of course. ;)
The flight was sooooo cool, till shortly before the very end, when Andres, my flight-guide, decided to go down doing 7 fast and small pirouettes downwards. I think you cannot really imagine, how this feels. Surely some - what is is called - "G-forces" are applying in that case and my screaming was probably heard in the whole canyon :) ... and afterwards it took me about 3 hours to recover from sickness.
But it was worth it. :)

I also did some walks and visited some nearby villages.

I am really hesitant to move on tomorrow, as I like it very much here. But there is still more to come. So I keep moving. :)

Have fun with the pictures! I even managed, with the good internet I am having here, to upload a short film I did during my flight. :) :)

Un abrazo muy fuerte!

Renate

Heading slowly north - Villa de Leyva & Lago de Tota

Hallo to all of you!

I hope you are already waiting for my next post. :)

I am currently in San Gil, which is about one third up north between Bogotá and the carribean coast.

The last days I spent in Villa de Leyva and in Sogamosa near the Lago de Tota. I genuinely started to worry about my bad physical shape wandering around the villages and the near mountains, until I found out that both towns lie at 2.100m and 2.500m. Suddenly my short breath made sense. :)

I did some trecking from 2.900m up to the top of a mountain at 4.000m in the Páramo de Ocetá, which was really wonderful.

Also the lake Tota was nice and peaceful. As I walked through the town, people started talking to me and walking together with me, curios why I would be alone, as normally all, that looks like a tourist, comes at least as a package of two, if not more.
My standard answer was, that being alone sometimes has its good sides as well, and then they always laughed and wholeheartedly agreed. (Especially the women...What does this tell us?)
They also asked me interested about:

1. the agriculture and climate in Austria and 
2. why there are so many Germans to be found everywhere (Which is true...both... that they really asked me that and that you meet Germans traveling everywhere! :) :) )

I was welcomed warmly everywhere, which was really nice and comforting. Everybody greets you and smiles at you...this is something unheard of in Europe. ;)

Here the link to the pictures of Villa de Leyva and Lago de Tota.

I hope you are well and am sending you all the best!!!!

I could need some sun, by the way...but I guess you have none to spare ;)

And... enjoy your hot shower every day (!!!), because here a "hot water shower" means, that the water is not "freezing cold", but only cold. That said, I notice, that I am getting old, as - already after 2 weeks - I would give a lot for a good hot shower. (Especially consindering the fact, that up at that height, the tempatures during the nights called for themal underwear....)

XXXX
Renate

Starting in Bogotá

Hola! :)

For all of you who already asked themselves, if I am already on my way...yes, I am. :)
I spent my first days in Bogotá trying to find my way and the respective sights.

Here are my first experiences:

• I am still fighting with the order of things in my backpack.. can't find anything. I don't remember where I put what and I am constantly arranging and rearraning things, with a - each time - supposedly - better method. But I keep ransacking my whole backpack to find a new pair of socks. :( 

• The weather in Bogotá is not very comfortable. It ranges from rainy and dark, pretty cold and unfriedly to sunny and hot and I kept putting on and off clothes in a 10minutes frequence :)

• Bogota has some of the best museums I have ever seen. Very nice and interesting!

• The public transport system in Bogota is a real challenge. And I am not sure whether speaking spanish and being able to ask for the way or the right bus really helped, as I got - in a genuine attempt to help me -  multiple different answers and information from each person I asked for the same way. This did not make it easier. ;) Just hopping on any bus (with about millions of other columbians) was finally the best way to find out where they went. It was important though, that you decided to get out early enough, as leaving the bus presented its own challenge with the mass of people. Interestingly enough, the columbians laughed when I told them that I found they public transport system "a bit confusing" and did not really agree. :)

• I could live of fruits, fruit juices and empanadas alone well enough. Let's see when I will tire of them ;)

• I am not yet in full "traveling mood"... still trying the optimised approach to all things, which actually would not be necessary, as I have enough time :)

• People in Columbia are, so far, the friendliest people!!
  (Except the taxi drivers, who always cheat me on my return change and think I don't realise it, as I am not used to the bills and coins. But - hey - I am really not to argue about a few cents in my holiday...not yet. And as long as nothing more serious happens, I am ok with that. ;)

If you like to see pictures, click here.

Meanwhile I continued in a northerly direction and am currently in Villa de Leyva. I will keep you posted. It is super nice here....

Wish you all the best! Take care!

Besos!

Renate