For the weekend in Hungary, I arranged to visit my kiting students from Austria and have a customize whirlwind tour of Vienna at the same time. I rented a motorbike (something I just really wanted to do, screw the expense) and cruised the 240kms across the boarder. The drive was uninspiring, but the bike was a lot of run. Max speed 210kph, but it was the acceleration and manoeuvrability that was really enjoyable.
In Vienna, Melanie and Harry were embarrassingly welcoming hosts: as I don’t speak German, they took advantage to make the excuse to prevent my paying my fair share. I actually had to insist before they let me contribute some!
The first and last night we chose the same restaurant – a great brew pub with exceptional beers and traditional dishes. I was quite please to visit the second time around, and even pigged out on two meals as I couldn’t do just the one!
One Saturday, we did all the worthwhile tourist things: all kinds of buildings in the historical district, traditional cheese sausage, and of course beers. But also there were locals-only tips, like eating at the town hall market stands, and chilling at a beach bar alongside the Danube. Then we capped off by visiting the in-town amusement park, replete with all kinds of rollercosters and rides, but with the special distinction of not requiring an entry ticket: you just paid for the rides you wanted. These accomplished, we sat for dinner where I tried another traditional plate of meat, meat, and meat!
For Sunday, we slept in before searching the ‘net for options. We settled on the local cable-park, where you get towed around a circuit on a wakeboard on a flat lake. This spot was awesome: lots of hot girls watching from a bar restaurant, where a mix of hilarious novices and impressive local pros rode (or tried to at least).
While Harry chose to sit on the sidelines and play cameraman while quaffing plenty of beers, Melanie and I had a go for an hour. While she struggled to get to grips with this new variation on wakeboarding, I was successful at launching from the stand-up launch station (the one used by the pros), but found getting all the way around to be quite a challenge. Eventually I was doing it and even trying so little tricks, but it was a little different to kiting. So I was quite content once my hour of riding, and swimming, was over. I could feel in my legs the amount of walking I’d been doing for the past few days, and this sport compounded it. I had earned my beers, so we chilled before returning for a shower, picked up their flatmate (another kite student from Portugal) for a good night out. Just a great time. I look forward to returning the hospitality when they visit NZ sometime in the future…
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Side-trip to Budapest
Seeing a very poor forecast at the end of July, I decided to look at cheap tickets somewhere else in Europe. The cheapest were for England, which has the advantage of catching up with my cousins and their new families. However I decided that could wait for a modified return journey at the end of my stay. This time I wanted something more exotic. I’d had a notion to visit Egypt during my stay, but that option was too expensive. I started focusing on the likes of Munich, Prague, Vienna, Budapest or Istanbul.
Budapest come up a winner, so I book tickets from Lisbon. This had two extra advantages: Pedro could use the van for some promoting which was good for him and for me as I didn’t need to park it. Also, I would be in Lisbon to join him for Ocean Spirit, a multi-discipline surf contest (kite, paddle, kayak, etc) after my return.
So after 2 hours of sleep, I boarded a morning flight to Budapest, Hungary. I was asleep before the seatbelt sign turned off!
The first thing I noticed upon arrival was the skies, the weather. It has been years since I’d been so far inland and you could see and feel the difference. The forecast was for a little cooler than Portugal, but other than a couple of thunderstorm downpours (which I fortunately avoided) it was actually baking hot – so nice!
I picked up a great discount card that provided 3 days of public transport, 2 free walking tours, and lots of other discount options for just 4500 Florents - 27 euros. Yes, changing money into the local currency made me a Hungarian millionaire (almost) with approx 290HuFs = 1 euro.
And things were comparably cheaper: one beer was 350HuFs, about one euro. This was the same as Portugal, except the glass was twice as big. And the hostels were less than 10 euro/day. I could finally afford to eat out every meal!
So anyway, I got right to exploring this dual-identify city. I learned the area was settled in 896AD by the Huns (hence the derived name of the country – the local language is actually Magyar in their tongue, not Hungarian, but it translates to the same). There are 3 regions to the city – mainly Buda on the west in the hills, and Pest on the east on the plains, with Obuda to the north – separated by the Danube running on a tectonic line that causes the different landscape.
Having 2 cities in one provided so many more activities to enjoy: on the Buda side was the old historic buildings housing the library and art gallery, and terraces providing beautiful panoramas. The castle hill is built on a limestone hill riddled with caves that have been utilized for past purposes of a wartime hospital and bunker, and recently a post-modern thought-provoking Labyrinth with funky sounds and statues without. One section also pokes a bit of fun by suggesting they had to stop excavation after discovery of unidentified fossil marks which are actually clay imprints of modern items: a shoe, a cellphone, and a computer keyboard for examples. Then just as I completed the circuit to be confronted with a gate preventing completion of the mapped route, I turned back to find they’d turned out the lights. Later explorers had been provided with lanterns, adding even more to the challenge and atmosphere of the place. A very cool exhibit.
I discovered a lot of other cool things to keep me busy for 5 full days, but the best was a full-on spelunking trip into a cave system. I suffer slightly from claustrophobia, so my stress level went up for the first 10 minutes, but after that you pass the point of no return and just go with it. We were on our bellies, crawling through gaps barely large enough to pass our helmets. These would then open to massive caverns where you could barely discern you entry point from all the other opportunities. It could be so easy to get lost. And some of the paths were pretty much one-way only (without a LOT of struggle) as you slipped and slid down narrow passages – sometimes headfirst. We all really enjoyed it and did so well the guide gave us some extra challenges – one was so tight it almost dislocated my shoulder, while a few of us were cursing as we tried to squeeze through one tight gap. Despite the cool subterranean air, we were panting and sweating under our provided overalls. What an adventure! The beers at the end were well deserved. And for only 15 euros, it rates as one of the all-time best tourist activities I’ve ever done.
The night-time was no less active. This is where Pest reigns. I quickly got in with a group at my hostel – including a few of the locals that worked their – and had a quite a few really late nights, partying it up. Though that didn’t stop me getting up with the sun the next day. I honestly don’t know how I did it for so many days, but it was all worth it.
Budapest come up a winner, so I book tickets from Lisbon. This had two extra advantages: Pedro could use the van for some promoting which was good for him and for me as I didn’t need to park it. Also, I would be in Lisbon to join him for Ocean Spirit, a multi-discipline surf contest (kite, paddle, kayak, etc) after my return.
So after 2 hours of sleep, I boarded a morning flight to Budapest, Hungary. I was asleep before the seatbelt sign turned off!
The first thing I noticed upon arrival was the skies, the weather. It has been years since I’d been so far inland and you could see and feel the difference. The forecast was for a little cooler than Portugal, but other than a couple of thunderstorm downpours (which I fortunately avoided) it was actually baking hot – so nice!
I picked up a great discount card that provided 3 days of public transport, 2 free walking tours, and lots of other discount options for just 4500 Florents - 27 euros. Yes, changing money into the local currency made me a Hungarian millionaire (almost) with approx 290HuFs = 1 euro.
And things were comparably cheaper: one beer was 350HuFs, about one euro. This was the same as Portugal, except the glass was twice as big. And the hostels were less than 10 euro/day. I could finally afford to eat out every meal!
So anyway, I got right to exploring this dual-identify city. I learned the area was settled in 896AD by the Huns (hence the derived name of the country – the local language is actually Magyar in their tongue, not Hungarian, but it translates to the same). There are 3 regions to the city – mainly Buda on the west in the hills, and Pest on the east on the plains, with Obuda to the north – separated by the Danube running on a tectonic line that causes the different landscape.
Having 2 cities in one provided so many more activities to enjoy: on the Buda side was the old historic buildings housing the library and art gallery, and terraces providing beautiful panoramas. The castle hill is built on a limestone hill riddled with caves that have been utilized for past purposes of a wartime hospital and bunker, and recently a post-modern thought-provoking Labyrinth with funky sounds and statues without. One section also pokes a bit of fun by suggesting they had to stop excavation after discovery of unidentified fossil marks which are actually clay imprints of modern items: a shoe, a cellphone, and a computer keyboard for examples. Then just as I completed the circuit to be confronted with a gate preventing completion of the mapped route, I turned back to find they’d turned out the lights. Later explorers had been provided with lanterns, adding even more to the challenge and atmosphere of the place. A very cool exhibit.
I discovered a lot of other cool things to keep me busy for 5 full days, but the best was a full-on spelunking trip into a cave system. I suffer slightly from claustrophobia, so my stress level went up for the first 10 minutes, but after that you pass the point of no return and just go with it. We were on our bellies, crawling through gaps barely large enough to pass our helmets. These would then open to massive caverns where you could barely discern you entry point from all the other opportunities. It could be so easy to get lost. And some of the paths were pretty much one-way only (without a LOT of struggle) as you slipped and slid down narrow passages – sometimes headfirst. We all really enjoyed it and did so well the guide gave us some extra challenges – one was so tight it almost dislocated my shoulder, while a few of us were cursing as we tried to squeeze through one tight gap. Despite the cool subterranean air, we were panting and sweating under our provided overalls. What an adventure! The beers at the end were well deserved. And for only 15 euros, it rates as one of the all-time best tourist activities I’ve ever done.
The night-time was no less active. This is where Pest reigns. I quickly got in with a group at my hostel – including a few of the locals that worked their – and had a quite a few really late nights, partying it up. Though that didn’t stop me getting up with the sun the next day. I honestly don’t know how I did it for so many days, but it was all worth it.
Construction
Just a quick comment on the state of affairs here. Although there is currently a recession, you wouldn’t believe the amount of building here. True, not all of it is active: in some cases you will find just a shell of a concrete structure, all derelict and covered in graffiti; in slight less abandoned projects, you find a crane as a permanent fixture but which is never active – in fact it is hard to scan the horizon of a city without spotting at least one crane somewhere. However, plenty of projects are active; they may not be the most efficient of operations but throw enough people at a problem and they actually get completed pretty quickly. Two underground parking garages have been constructed in Lagos since I arrived. And the guy running the hostel in Portimao stated it is the city of roundabouts and shopping malls when I commented on the proliferation of construction.
Everything is the same: concrete edifices, whitewashed and either flat topped or covered in red corrugated tile. But the homogeneity is contrasted with the somewhat ‘higgledy-piggeldy’ architecture of some of these concrete blobs, delivering a definite Portuguese style of architecture.
Everything is the same: concrete edifices, whitewashed and either flat topped or covered in red corrugated tile. But the homogeneity is contrasted with the somewhat ‘higgledy-piggeldy’ architecture of some of these concrete blobs, delivering a definite Portuguese style of architecture.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Yoga
When I’m not busy, or on days where I can squeeze it in, I’ve rediscovered yoga in the form of a new studio that just opened. In fact I met the lead yogi, Igor, as he was passing out flyers in my favourite bookstore. I joined up without hesitation when I learned a monthly unlimited pass was just 36 euros. A casual visit is 9 euros so I only had to make it once a week to break even. But in fact I’m one of a small group of very regular practioners – almost exclusively girls, of course – who are blessed with two of the best yoga instructors I’ve ever met. In fact a couple of the girls that attend are yoga instructors themselves.
Perhaps it is there instruction, my relaxed lifestyle, or some other mystic quality, but I’m finding the inspiration of the practices to have a more positive influence than ever, affecting not just my tight, poor abused body, but my very response to life. The challenge of course will be to maintain this once I return home.
The Kite House has joined a partnership with the studio also, so I regularly try to recruit residents to come to the sessions. So far no luck, but I’m doing what I can to support this worthy, fledgling enterprise TheLightRoom.com. Personally I go about 5 times a week, though sometimes that is twice a day!
Perhaps it is there instruction, my relaxed lifestyle, or some other mystic quality, but I’m finding the inspiration of the practices to have a more positive influence than ever, affecting not just my tight, poor abused body, but my very response to life. The challenge of course will be to maintain this once I return home.
The Kite House has joined a partnership with the studio also, so I regularly try to recruit residents to come to the sessions. So far no luck, but I’m doing what I can to support this worthy, fledgling enterprise TheLightRoom.com. Personally I go about 5 times a week, though sometimes that is twice a day!
The Owl Story Bookstore
When I’m not working or going to yoga classes, one of my favourite places is the local English bookstore in Lagos. I’ve mentioned the slightly crazy Scottish guy, Ian, who runs it, in past blog entries; well the more time I spend with him, the more I realize is the best friend I have here. An unlikely combination: he’s 15 or so years older than me, has a very opinionated, harsh Scottish demeanour borne from past military service. However it is front, for he’s a really stand-up fellow who’s just not scared to speak his mind. He’s not afraid to torment or insult his customers. In fact, the one’s that have a backbone and take it in stride are his favourites (I believe I must have passed that test somewhere along the lines, but being me, I didn’t even notice).
He has some great stories to tell about all his past exploits in the restaurant game – he should write a book, as he certainly doesn’t read them!
But he does well enough, and enjoys the human interaction. He’s as gentle as could be to the younger, less ‘worldly’ of his clientele. But we certainly enjoy some light-hearted word-play with those who can play the game.
And he sound rather sound – if questionable – business practices, which are all about pleasing himself. If a customer says something he doesn’t like, he let’s them know. Or kicks them out. Rudely. His thinking is that leaves more books for those he wants to have buy them. And anyone that person tells about their bad experience will either be more undesirables, or will be just intrigued enough to check out this peculiar bookstore!.
In fact he recently shared an email discussion with one such malcontent that ended with Ian telling him to ‘piss off – goodbye’. However he then declared the guys wouldn’t dare write back. I bet him lunch that the guy would write back (if he didn’t, it would just even the score anyway, as Ian had shouted me a lunch earlier that week…while he just drank beers). For two days I was fielding cocky comments about his impending payback until I got the text that admits the guy couldn’t resist biting back with one more retort.
So last Saturday I was in the store near his closing hour (early on a Saturday, conveniently), and he sent me around the corner for beers. So here we were, kicking back in a friendly little bookstore putting away a couple of pints. And then come closing time, he surprised me further by rolling a spliff before heading over to café for a delicious burger – yum!
I think that cemented it, as we had a couple of beers in the store again today, and I’m taking his wife into Portimao to do some shopping tomorrow morning (they don’t drive). And I believe I’ve mentioned he’s insisted I’m no longer allowed to buy any books at the store anymore – I just take what I want!
He has some great stories to tell about all his past exploits in the restaurant game – he should write a book, as he certainly doesn’t read them!
But he does well enough, and enjoys the human interaction. He’s as gentle as could be to the younger, less ‘worldly’ of his clientele. But we certainly enjoy some light-hearted word-play with those who can play the game.
And he sound rather sound – if questionable – business practices, which are all about pleasing himself. If a customer says something he doesn’t like, he let’s them know. Or kicks them out. Rudely. His thinking is that leaves more books for those he wants to have buy them. And anyone that person tells about their bad experience will either be more undesirables, or will be just intrigued enough to check out this peculiar bookstore!.
In fact he recently shared an email discussion with one such malcontent that ended with Ian telling him to ‘piss off – goodbye’. However he then declared the guys wouldn’t dare write back. I bet him lunch that the guy would write back (if he didn’t, it would just even the score anyway, as Ian had shouted me a lunch earlier that week…while he just drank beers). For two days I was fielding cocky comments about his impending payback until I got the text that admits the guy couldn’t resist biting back with one more retort.
So last Saturday I was in the store near his closing hour (early on a Saturday, conveniently), and he sent me around the corner for beers. So here we were, kicking back in a friendly little bookstore putting away a couple of pints. And then come closing time, he surprised me further by rolling a spliff before heading over to café for a delicious burger – yum!
I think that cemented it, as we had a couple of beers in the store again today, and I’m taking his wife into Portimao to do some shopping tomorrow morning (they don’t drive). And I believe I’ve mentioned he’s insisted I’m no longer allowed to buy any books at the store anymore – I just take what I want!
Working for the competition
A couple of weeks ago, Daniel the owner of Algarve WaterSport, contacted GustyKite about taking a group of clients as he was overbooked. This opened up the discussion that led to being their 3rd instructor on days when they were overbooked. This has been happening on quite a regular basis, I’m happy to report, so although I’m not making half the money as with Pedro and GustyKite, I’m busy working. And sometimes we are each taking more than our legitimate 4 students/2 kites limit. Top that off with crazy winds, extreme tides, the occasional gear malfunction, and even some double shifts and it adds up to some tiring days.
The teaching situation isn’t ideal, as they are pushing as many students through for as many dollars as they can collect in their short season. On days when there’s no wind, I don’t work, but they keep going, offering surfing or wakeboarding as alternatives. So I really have it good as far as some work but some free time: my new instructor friends Borat (a fitting nickname) and Martin work basically 7 days a week through their busy season, and have the extra duties of driving clients and cleaning gear from which I’m exempt.
Of course I try to chip in as much as I can, which has won me a place of respect and favour with the whole team, to the point I feel like I’m part of the crew. It is a fittingly humbling experience to be the junior member of the team, but I’m learning quickly how to accommodate their level of business. I still probably put in an excess of energy and effort, trying to move (sometimes in deep water) between the groups of clients to ensure they get the best instruction and experience possible.
I feel, for better or worse, a strong attachment to each group of students, so it is difficult when they cycle out, just to be replaced by another fabulous group of guys and girls. When I hang around the Kite House for a well deserved shower, and to use the internet at night, I’ve been invited to share home-cooked meals and to hit the town partying with the crew. It’s been great fun! And I’m pretty sure I’ve just about accomplished one of the primary objectives of this trip: gaining enough teach experience to upgrade my status to Level 2 instructor. Though I’d be surprised if I ever make it to Borat’s status of Level 2 Senior, which requires something like 120 students and 2000 hours teaching!
The teaching situation isn’t ideal, as they are pushing as many students through for as many dollars as they can collect in their short season. On days when there’s no wind, I don’t work, but they keep going, offering surfing or wakeboarding as alternatives. So I really have it good as far as some work but some free time: my new instructor friends Borat (a fitting nickname) and Martin work basically 7 days a week through their busy season, and have the extra duties of driving clients and cleaning gear from which I’m exempt.
Of course I try to chip in as much as I can, which has won me a place of respect and favour with the whole team, to the point I feel like I’m part of the crew. It is a fittingly humbling experience to be the junior member of the team, but I’m learning quickly how to accommodate their level of business. I still probably put in an excess of energy and effort, trying to move (sometimes in deep water) between the groups of clients to ensure they get the best instruction and experience possible.
I feel, for better or worse, a strong attachment to each group of students, so it is difficult when they cycle out, just to be replaced by another fabulous group of guys and girls. When I hang around the Kite House for a well deserved shower, and to use the internet at night, I’ve been invited to share home-cooked meals and to hit the town partying with the crew. It’s been great fun! And I’m pretty sure I’ve just about accomplished one of the primary objectives of this trip: gaining enough teach experience to upgrade my status to Level 2 instructor. Though I’d be surprised if I ever make it to Borat’s status of Level 2 Senior, which requires something like 120 students and 2000 hours teaching!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Excursion to the south of Spain – Part 5: Sevilla
On my way back to ‘work’, I took my Dad’s other piece of advice and made time to stop in Sevilla. I has honestly thinking ‘oh great, another big European city’, yet I really enjoyed it. I was fortunate to approach from the south up a huge, very scenic boulevard, passed many large, impressive mansions, state buildings and university structures, before arriving at the requisite dense, windy old town quarter. Forced by the ever-present one-way road system into a circuit of the old town, I quickly saw all the sites that I eventually determined were the tourist photo opportunities.
When I did park and explore on foot, the first major edifice I encountered was the grand cathedral. Truly massive, yet inspiringly airy and skyscraping from withing, it was astonishing to witness the detail that went into all the carvings everywhere. And there was even a pipe organ fired up with accompanying choir when I arrived, to add aural ambiance to the visual.
I decided not to get sucked into doing a tourist train circuit but instead visited Starbucks (where I could be guaranteed of a long-missed BIG cup of coffee) and settled on an hour of people watching.
Later I took a stroll next to, and over the river from one bridge to the next, and ended up in some beautifully adorned gardens, before quitting the city and its 36 degree heat for the slightly more temperate climate of the Portuguese coast.
When I did park and explore on foot, the first major edifice I encountered was the grand cathedral. Truly massive, yet inspiringly airy and skyscraping from withing, it was astonishing to witness the detail that went into all the carvings everywhere. And there was even a pipe organ fired up with accompanying choir when I arrived, to add aural ambiance to the visual.
I decided not to get sucked into doing a tourist train circuit but instead visited Starbucks (where I could be guaranteed of a long-missed BIG cup of coffee) and settled on an hour of people watching.
Later I took a stroll next to, and over the river from one bridge to the next, and ended up in some beautifully adorned gardens, before quitting the city and its 36 degree heat for the slightly more temperate climate of the Portuguese coast.
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