First of all: what is a car anyway? Is it a vehicle to get yourself from A to B, along with other people perhaps and some stuff too heavy to carry otherwise? I guess that’s not the whole story. Not for a lot of people anyway. Having lived in Germany most of my life soContinue reading “What are cars for?”
Category Archives: General
Sydney 1 – Auckland 0
The good news first: Auckland has construction workers, yay! The biggest deficit I experienced in New Caledonia during those five weeks of my stay there was the almost complete absence of women and men in security gear operating heavy machinery in the streets. Or controlling the traffic. And you know how I have a softContinue reading “Sydney 1 – Auckland 0”
Kia ora!
I’m ready for the next chapter! So much yet to be written about my previous destinations, though. I wonder how I’m gonna cope with that… My hostel in downtown Auckland may look like the least glamorous abode from the outside, but it’s really nice inside. Plus, I have a great view from my window! TheContinue reading “Kia ora!”
Do they know it´s Christmas?
They sure do! There is simply no escape from Christmas. Not that that had been my intention when I set off to far-off destinations six weeks ago. Of course I was prepared to see Christmas celebrated in the south Pacific too. But the sheer scale of it certainly exceeds my expectations… First some impressions fromContinue reading “Do they know it´s Christmas?”
Part the waters. Or take the Betico 2
I wanted to travel to Lifou to spend some time on that island. There are basically two ways to get there from Grande Terre (if we leave aside for a second the biblical option), one being the airplane, the other the large catamaran „Betico 2“. I chose to take the latter. The disadvantages are theContinue reading “Part the waters. Or take the Betico 2”
The hammock
I need a hammock. That’s basically all there is to say. I need a hammock. It’s not about me wanting one, no. It’s essential. A MUST, as they say in French (and I hope you’re getting the pronunciation right here). And don’t get me wrong: I don’t demand palm trees. Or 30 degrees Celsius inContinue reading “The hammock”
Let there be landscape!
Having spent the last ten days or so in New Caledonia, I have managed to travel a bit and to see some corners of the main island, Grande Terre. I guess it’s time to share some classic, old-school landscape shots with you, okay maybe with one or two exceptions. They aren’t in any particular order,Continue reading “Let there be landscape!”
A change of scenery
After a week in the hills of Sarraméa and Farino, I felt like going to the seaside. So I packed my bags and drove northward along the west coast of Grande Terre. I am at Poé plage now, which belongs to the little town of Bourail. It is still part of the Southern Province ofContinue reading “A change of scenery”
Okay, but why New Caledonia?
Why on earth then did you travel to the other side of the planet, of all places? I hear you ask. Well, I’m glad you asked that question. I admit that it is not entirely without justification, and I have had some time to prepare my answer. Let me start off by telling you thatContinue reading “Okay, but why New Caledonia?”
Bonjour, Nouvelle-Calédonie!
No, don’t worry, I will not continue writing in French… I don’t have much to write yet anyway, having arrived less than 24 hours ago at Tontouta airport. All I can say is that things have been going smoothly so far. And I am looking forward to a first rendezvous this afternoon: the local ornithologistsContinue reading “Bonjour, Nouvelle-Calédonie!”
Hong Kong at dusk, part II
It feels weird (and probably is) to write about the beauty of Hong Kong, while the present of that wonderful city is overshadowed by violent conflicts, and its future not looking very bright either… But not to praise its attractions and to refrain from sharing with you the wonderful experiences I had during the shortContinue reading “Hong Kong at dusk, part II”
Hong Kong at dusk, part I
Every photographer will tell you that one of the best times of the day for taking pictures is the hour before and especially after sunset. From my own experience I can totally confirm this basic rule and I try to make use of these favourable light conditions whenever I can. Normally I am somewhere outdoorsContinue reading “Hong Kong at dusk, part I”
Sydney, the usual suspects
I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. Period. But okay, let’s assume for a minute that you didn’t believe me that I am really in Australia right now. The snapshot I posted from the airport a couple of hours ago could have been just a boring, meaningless pic downloaded from the internet. Now let’sContinue reading “Sydney, the usual suspects”
High-speed tram
Few people know that Hong Kong boasts the fastest tramway in the whole world. That is really surprising, since the legendary ‘Ding Ding’ is such a famous tourist attraction. I had heard rumours about the breathtaking speed of these vehicles which otherwise come across as, umm, rather traditional. And don’t you be fooled by theContinue reading “High-speed tram”
Tree trunks and tower blocks
Today, during my third day in Hong Kong, a thought crossed my mind. It’s something I hadn’t noticed before here, or at least not consciously. I am talking about the omnipresence of visual structures in this city. Of course there is more to HK than structures – there’s monkeys, butterflies, birds, and even poisonous snakesContinue reading “Tree trunks and tower blocks”
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