Our Travelling Experience

Paris July 2008

2008-08-03T20:03:00.004+05:30

Starting our journey to Paris in a TGV.

TGV is the high speeds trains in France. The TGV's are operated by SNCF -the french national rail operator.
TGV's speed up to 320 kmph (200 mph) in commercial use. A specially modified TGV reached speeds of over 550 kmph on test runs.
We reached Paris from Stuttgart in just over 3 hours covering a distance of over 600 kilometers.

We stayed here during our visit to Paris. Thanks to Susan and family for hosting us.

Paris s the capital of France and the country's largest city. It is situated on the River Seine, in northern France.

Europa Park, Germany

2008-06-25T23:56:00.005+05:30

Europapark is the largest ThemePark in Germany and one of the biggest in Europe.
The park is divided into different sections named after European countries.
f.e Germany, England, Scotland, Russia, France, Italy, Scandinavia etc.
Rides in the park are spread across these sections/countries.
Each country is modeled out of houses, market place and other attractions in the country.

Feema with Steffi and Karsten

This is the most awesome roller coaster ride in the park known as the SilverStar.
Its the biggest and highest roller coaster in Europe, the Silver Star

A ride on the Silver Star is pure thrill: with a height of 73 metres, a high speed of up to 130 km/h and enormous centrifugal forces of up to 4 g, the ride offers a great combination of speed and weightlessness.

It is just fantastic, how slowly the train moves over the highest point – enough time to increase the body tension. Hardly recovered from the first steep fall, the train rides with much airtime over the next hill to start on further drops. Towards the end of the ride it enters the “horse shoe”: the train rises up like a rocket, takes a turn, rocks to the side and throws itself into a 120 degree bend with breakneck speed. After a length of 1,620 metres, the train finally enters the entrance and exit area, which is integrated into the Mercedes-Benz-Hall.

Silverstar is maintained by a team from Mercedes Benz.

Taroby in Exhibitions

2008-06-25T23:04:00.004+05:30

Taroby, a product developed by Advanced Millennium Technologies, was showcased at various expos around the world during the month of May amd June 2008.
Taroby was exhibited at

The Great Indian Developer Summit held at IISc , Bangalore between 19 - 23 May 2008.
Startupcity - held at NIMHANS convention center, Bangalore on 24 May 2008.
International Ecommerce Congress - Wiesbaden, Germany at 19 - 2

In a conversation with Jesse James Garret founder of AJAX and Blog.

Tobias giving a presentation @ the International Ecommerce forum in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Backwater Kerala - An unique experience

2007-12-03T17:05:00.000+05:30

Alappuzha (Malayalam ), also known as Alleppey - for non mallus, is a town in Alappuzha District of Kerala state of southern India. A town with picturesque canals, backwaters, beaches, and lagoons, also known as Venice of the East.
Kuttanad, the rice bowl of Kerala with the unending stretch of paddy fields, small streams and canals with lush green coconut palms , was well known even from the early centuries. History says Alappuzha had trade relations with ancient Greece and Rome in B.C and in the Middle Ages, as well as with other parts of India.

Beautiful Backwaters... ;)

House boats in Alleppy - Kerala.
Its truly a unique experience to stay in the house boat.
These boats are generally well maintained and cleanly kept.
This is my friends Boat !!!!!! :) Voila.. If you need to rent it mail me .. :)
From the Deck...
The kitchen
Air Conditioned Bed room.
The corridor.
Its from this place called "Finishing Point" all the boats start their journey daily.

This is the public transport Boat run by State Government. It ferry people across various islands.

Roads in Kerala - Gods Own Country

2007-10-11T09:42:00.001+05:30

Road in Dubai..

In Oman ..

In Germany.. Autobahns..

In Riyadh.. In Singapore...
:) Gods Own Country - Kerala..
Fishing in Roads.. :) a Reality. Latest Tourist Attraction..

India Australia One Day International Bangalore 29 September 2007

2007-09-30T08:12:00.001+05:30

It was our first experience in watching a cricket match LIVE.
Venue : Chinnaswamy Stadium - Bangalore.
Date : 29 th September 2007
The match was played between Australia and India.
The Crowds..

Beginning of second half.
At last rains came..
Result Match abandoned .. :)

Dubai - Abu Dhabi

2007-08-19T17:48:00.000+05:30

Its the pace where east meets west.
Birth place of extremely beautiful people..
Extremely rich. One of the few places where you can see The Lamborghini's ,The Bentleys, The Hummers, The Mercs The Audis etc parked side by side.
The Arabs are too crazy about cars. Those who stays there, swears to have seen the giant Land Cruisers been driven on 2 wheels.

The Largest building - Burg Dubai. It is already the world's tallest structure and is expected to be taller by several hundred feet, once construction is complete

Worlds largest FLAG -in Abu Dhabi

What a sight .. Hummer Limousine

Feemas sister Femi and her husband Sunil.

On a desert safari trip.. By far the best driver i have come across.

Wheeeww.. ..breath taking..The e ase at which they drive these vehicles in the desert is something amazing.

Burg Al Arab .. One of the finest hotels.. Next time I visit Dubai I plan to stay there .. :)

Old friends.. when we meet after 7 years.

The leaning tower of pisa

2007-08-19T14:38:00.000+05:30

Rome..

2007-08-19T12:52:00.000+05:30

Rome is the capital city of Italy,in the banks of River Tiber.

St Peters Square and St Peters basilica.
Inside St Peters basilica you can see the tomb of St Peter in the center.

Gold plated walls of St Peters Basilica..
The Tomb of St Peter.
The Vatican guards.
At St Peters Square
The Vatican

The Famous Spanish Steps..in Rome.

One of the symbols of Rome is the Colosseum (70-80), the largest amphitheatre ever built in the Roman Empire. Originally capable of seating 50,000 spectators, it was used for gladiatorial combat

Assisi

2007-07-25T03:09:00.000+05:30

This was by far the best place which we liked in Italy. Very peaceful and calm.
It is the birthplace of St. Francis Assisi, who founded the Franciscan religious order in the town in 1208, and St. Clare (Chiara d'Offreducci), the founder of the Poor Clares. Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows of the 19th century was also born in Assisi.

An ancient tile displayed in the church.

The town of Assisi.
The streets in Assisi.

Window gardens.

The Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi (St Francis), the mother church of the Franciscan Order, is a World Heritage Site in Assisi, Italy.
Its a 13 th century church.
The tomb of St Francis Assisi is here in this church.
On September 26, 1997 Assisi was struck by an earthquake. The Basilica was badly damaged (part of the vault collapsed, killing four people inside the church), and was closed for two years for restoration.

Basilica of Santa Chiara (St Clare)

Florence

2007-07-25T02:29:00.000+05:30

Florence (Italian: Firenze) is the capital city of the region of Tuscany, Italy.
We arrived in this historical city in the evening of 15 th July 2007 - sunday.

One of the main attraction in this city is the Florence Cathedral (Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore). It was build during 13 th century. The basilica is notable for its dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi its exterior facing of polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white.

This cathedral was, the largest in Europe when completed, with room for 30,000 people. It is now only exceeded in size by Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City, Saint Paul's Cathedral in London, the Seville Cathedral, and the Milan Cathedral.

The dome of the church -

Piazza della Signoria an L-shaped square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy. It was named after the Palazzo della Signoria, also called Palazzo Vecchio.

It is the focal point of the origin and of the history of the Florentine Republic and still maintains its reputation as the political hub of the city.It is the meeting place of Florentines as well as the numerous tourists.

Benvenuto Cellini's statue Perseus With the Head of Medusa in The Loggia dei Lanzi gallery on the edge of the Piazza della Signoria.

The Arno river, which cuts through the old part of the city, is as much a character in Florentine history as many of the men who lived there. Historically, the locals have had a love-hate relationship with the Arno — which alternated from nourishing the city with commerce, and destroying it by flood.
In the background you can see a bridge which cuts across River Arno.

This bridge in particular stands out as being unique — The Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge), whose most striking feature is the multitude of shops built upon its edges, held up by stilts.
This bridge has a lot of gold shops on both side..
Warning for men: Dont bring your wifes or credit card near this place.

We said good bye to Florence with a lovely (surprise) Indian dinner at the Fiesole hills. The restaurant "India" was excellent and the dishes delicious.

Venice.. The city of canals.

2007-07-24T02:29:00.000+05:30

Venice (Italian: Venezia, ) is a city in northern Italy, the capital of region Veneto, and has a population of 271,251. Venice's nicknames include "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Bridges", and "The City of Light".

The city stretches across numerous small islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy. The saltwater lagoon stretches along the shoreline between the mouths of the Po (south) and the Piave (north) Rivers.

This city doesnt have roads or vehicles.
All you see is boats and canals.

We can reach Venice only by boat from the main land.
this was our first glimpse of the land which we had heard the a lot from the Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice.

Piazza San Marco, often known in English as St Mark's Square, is the principal square of Venice, Italy. Its very famous for its pegions. Visitors often feed them and they are obliged by posing for a photo shoot.

A crowded bridge in Venice.

The grand Canal in venice, something similar to a national highway on Indian roads. :)

The Rialto Bridge is a bridge spanning the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. It is the oldest bridge across the canal and probably the most famous in the city.

A busy Venintian Market.
The classical Venetian boat is the gondola, although it is now mostly used for tourists, or for weddings, funerals, or other ceremonies. Most Venetians now travel by motorized boats.

St Mark's Basilica (Italian: Basilica di San Marco a Venezia), the cathedral of Venice, is the most famous of the city's churches and one of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture. It lies on St Mark's Square and is a 9 th century beauty.

paintings on the walls of the cathedral.

Small canals in Venice.

Camping in Venice

2007-07-24T02:11:00.000+05:30

We arrived in Venice on 13 th August 2007. Before visiting Venice we decided to go camping in Venice for 2 nights. Staying in downtown Venice is really expensive. so camping was a good alternative. We choose Union Lido camping ground.
It was our first camping experience and it was unique.
Its not really easy to confine urself to a small tent for couple of days.
Changing cloths was a challenge.

Compared to other tents in the ground ours was a mini version.
For 2 nights I think it should be okey.
People stay in camping grounds for 2 - 3 weeks.

Many Europeans prefer to have holidays like this.
This was our room for the next couple of days.Girls busy cleaning the dishes.. :)

Gardens..
Pirates of the carrebian . .

My new vehicle..
Feema loved playing mini golf.

At the beech.

Miran --

2007-07-21T15:02:00.000+05:30

Garda Lake Italy.

2007-07-21T15:01:00.000+05:30

At Garda Lake in North italy.

Stuttgart - Wiesbaden

2007-07-12T14:44:00.000+05:30

At the international E-Commerce Conference at Wiesbaden.

Near Frankfurt the museum of Airplanes you can see the Air France Concord and few other flights displayed.

At the Rhine river in Wiesbaden, Germany.
At over 1000 kilometres in length, the Rhine is the longest river primarily within Germany.
It originates in Swiss Alps and runs through germany falling into the north sea.

Fire work in Stuttgart.

Feema home.

2007-03-09T12:15:00.000+05:30

Sri Lanka - Colombo

2007-03-09T12:13:00.000+05:30

In Colombo ..
A budhist temple in colombo

Germany.. Feb 2007

2007-02-05T00:09:00.000+05:30

End - Germany 2007.

Ending our stay in germany with a Jazz night 24 Feb 2007.

The beauties with the "technician"
Feema happy with her new umberla in Zurich. 20 - Feb 2007

Tobi and Margit @ Zurich .

Its a beautiful city..

Beautiful Zürich in Switzerland.

Zürich . an illegal entry and exit.
Carnival Walk .

Munich Carnival.

Our Lady Church in Munich.

Inside.. the church.
Carnival in Munich

an American Angel from heaven :) . it was her english that saved us in Nunberg.
Carnival @ Nunberg.

St Lorenz Kirche (Church)

@ Nünberg

The German ICE travels as fast as 350 kmph.

Alps in Austria.
"The Globe Trotters"

the food @ mountain taste's too good.. :)

On top of the world.
Inside an Iglu. Its really hot inside there.. . .

In an Iglu
Beautiful mountains..The Alps.

First Snow encounter. ..
On the way to ZugSpitze the highest mountain in German alps..

Polar bears

Penguins in Sttutguart zoo

Margits Family.

Competing with German Muscles. !!!!
Feema with Margit and Melanie.

At the IHK conference at Esslingen

Vroom....My first 250 KMPH on road in a bike. .. Thanks to Mane..

The Man ..

The Machine..

Lunch .. at Margits house with her parents.

We are fortunate to stay in this beautiful house.
Backyard..

A warm welcome to the guests !!!!

Arriving in Frankfurt - 2 Feb 2007 - 7 AM after a looong flight from India.

Advanced Millennium Technologies - Kochi

2006-12-27T21:34:00.000+05:30

XMAS 2006

2006-12-27T21:09:00.000+05:30

Preparation for making XMAS tree and Crib
Making for the CRIB
Stars hanging on the roof top :)

Our Xmas Tree...

Xmas Crib - Remembering Christs Birth

Xmas tree with illuminated lights ..

Ooty Trip

2006-10-25T13:26:00.000+05:30

Our Trip to Ooty started on 21 saturday 2006 .

Ooty Botanical Garden

Map of ooty . we travelled from Ooty --> Coonoor --> Kothagiri --> Kodanadu View Point --> Ooty

In Botanical Garden

Picture of India created with cactus plants and flowers in Botanical Garden

Ooty Lake - while doing a pedal boat.

The "famous" train from ooty to metuppalayam. We couldnt get the tickets for the train. Have to be happy with the picture of the train en route to Coonoor.

Sims Park - coonnor

Tea Estates on the way to Kottagiri..

Beautiful View from Kodanadu View Point.

My Vancouver Trip

2006-10-25T13:23:00.000+05:30

Feema Driving.....

London Heathrow airport

Vancouver .. ..

"Jaala" the boat/house of Tim. .

Vancouver Downtown..

Tim Heather and Lukas.

Solistice. :)

Electric Bus in Vancouver..
Mamma hungry !!!!!!

An Inconvenient Truth

2006-09-21T08:23:00.000+05:30


The movie trailer for the most terrifying film you will ever see.

Driving in India

2006-08-24T11:37:00.000+05:30

For the benefit of every Tom, Dick and Harry visiting India and daring to drive on Indian roads, I am offering a few hints for survival. They are applicable to every place in India, except Bihar, where life outside a vehicle is only marginally safer.

Indian road rules broadly operate within the domain of Karma where you do your best, and leave the results to your insurance company. The hints are as follows:

Do we drive on the left, or right of the road ? The answer is 'both'. Basically you start on the left of the road, unless it is occupied. In that case, go to the right, unless that is also occupied. Then proceed by occupying the next available gap, as in chess. Just trust your instincts, ascertain the direction, and proceed. Adherence to road rules leads to much misery and occasional fatality. Most drivers don't drive, but just aim their vehicles in the generally intended direction.

Don't you get discouraged, or underestimate yourself except for a belief in reincarnation : The other drivers are not in any better position. Don't stop at pedestrian crossings just because some fool wants to cross the road. You may do so, only if you enjoy being bumped in the back.

Pedestrians have been strictly instructed to cross only when traffic is moving slowly, or has come to a dead stop because some minister is in town. Still some idiot may try to wade across, but then, let us not talk ill of the dead.

Blowing your horn is not a sign of protest, as in some countries. We horn to express joy, resentment, frustration, romance and bare lust (two brisk blasts),or just mobilize a dozing cow in the middle of the bazaar. Keep informative books in the glove compartment. You may read them during traffic jams, while awaiting the chief minister's motorcade, or waiting for the rainwater to recede when over ground traffic meets underground drainage.

Occasionally you might see what looks like a UFO with blinking colored lights and weird sounds emanating from within. This is an illuminated bus, full of happy pilgrims singing bhajans. These pilgrims go at break-neck speed, seeking contact with the Almighty, often meeting with success.

Auto Rickshaw (Baby Taxi):

The result of a 'marriage of convenience' between a rickshaw and an automobile, this three-wheeled vehicle works on an external combustion engine that runs on a mixture of kerosene oil and creosote. This triangular vehicle carries iron rods, gas cylinders or passengers three times its weight and dimension, at an unspecified fare. After careful geometric calculations, children are folded and packed into these auto rickshaws until some children in the periphery are not in contact with the vehicle at all. Then their school bags are pushed into the microscopic gaps all round so those minor collisions with other vehicles on the road cause no permanent damage. Of course, the peripheral children are charged half the fare and also get to learn Newton's laws of motion, en route to school. Auto-rickshaw drivers strictly follow the road-rules depicted in the chariot race of the film Ben Hur, and are licensed to irritate.

Mopeds:

The moped looks like an oil tin on wheels and makes noise like an electric shaver. It runs 30 miles on a teaspoon of petrol and travels at break-bottom speed. As the sides of the road are too rough for a ride, the moped drivers tend to drive in the middle of the road; they would rather drive under heavier vehicles instead of around them and are often "mopped" off the tarmac.

Leaning Towers of Passes:

Most bus passengers are given free/concessional passes - and during rush hours, there is absolute mayhem. There are passengers hanging off other passengers, who in turn hang off the railings and the overloaded bus leans dangerously, defying laws of gravity but obeying laws of surface tension. As drivers get paid for overload (so many Rupees per kg of passenger), no questions are ever asked. Steer clear of these buses by a width of three passengers.

One-way Street :

These boards are put up by traffic people to add jest in their otherwise drab lives. Don't stick to the literal meaning and proceed in one direction. In metaphysical terms, it means that you cannot proceed in two directions at once. So drive as you like, in reverse throughout, if you are the fussy type. Least I sound hypercritical, I must add a positive point also. Rash and fast driving in residential areas has been prevented by providing a 'speed breaker', two for each house. This mound, incidentally, covers the water and drainage pipes for that residence and is left untarred for easy identification by the corporation authorities, should they want to recover the pipe for year-end accounting.

Night driving on Indian roads can be an exhilarating experience for those with the mental make up of Genghis Khan. In a way, it is like playing Russian roulette, because you do not know who amongst the drivers is loaded. What looks like premature dawn on the horizon turns out to be a truck attempting a speed record. On encountering it, just pull partly into the field adjoining the road until the phenomenon passes.

Trivandrum'streets and roads do not have shoulders, but occasional boulders. Do not blink your lights expecting reciprocation. The only dim thing in the truck is the driver, and with the peg of illicit 'arrack' (alcohol) he has had at the last stop, his total cerebral functions add-up to just a little more than naught. Truck drivers are the James Bonds of India - and are licensed to kill. Often you may encounter a single powerful beam of light about six feet above the ground. This is not a super motorbike, but a truck approaching you with a single light on, usually the left one. It could be the right one, but never get too close to investigate. You may prove your point posthumously !'

Stolen Mobile Phone

2006-07-31T08:15:00.000+05:30

How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?

To check your Mobile phone’s serial number, key in the following digits on your phone:

*#06#

A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. when your phone get stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code.They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless.

You probably won’t get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can’t use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.

Comedy Now! Russell Peters LIVE

2006-07-30T21:28:00.000+05:30


Hillarious.... Watch it the best video you will ever get..

New Zealand Trip - 2006

2006-05-02T19:52:00.000+05:30

It was one of our most memorable trip. Its been over an year now. Thanks to Tobi and Margit for their blog www.kiwitraveller.info/blog/ :) We have infact copied the text and images from this blog. But we felt its worth doing it. :)

On 10th February Aby and Feema left and went back to India via Hong Kong and Singapore. Herewidth please find the activities at the end of our trip:

Enjoying the view of the dangerous bubbles in Rotorua Thermal area.

There are not "only" mud pools, but also colourful algae blooms in this acidic water.

We didn't stay long in Rotorua this time but headed towards Hamilton and then via Auckland back to Waiheke.

Of course not without giving our guests the opportunity to eat really good Dosa with Sambar and Chutney in one of the rare and authentic South Indian restaurants in New Zealand.

Nothing tastes better than South Indian food of course. Is it? What about Barbecue? Paella? :) It must come close when seeing these pictures taken on Waiheke where Barbecueing has become a real habit and Paella a real treat for Aby and Feema.

Having seen all the campers on the road, Aby was motivated to become a camper himself...

...but only with the help of the ladies and one experienced female scout - the tent could actually be built .-)

Saying good-bye to Waiheke while visiting our friends George and Judy.

All the best from the "Waiheke-Travellers", have a safe trip home and always know that you are welcome back!

New Zealand is well known for its excellent fishing possibilites. So today we got up early to show our guests trout fishing on Lake Taupo:

Watching a duck family taking a morning dip.

Enjoying the sunrise.

Being excited of the trip :)

Is this the place where we will catch that big fish?

One day I will drive a boat .-)

The fishing was great - but the catching was poor :))

Enjoying the lake just as it is - maybe because of NOT catching anything? :)

A sunday of leisure activities

It's sunday again - although some work had to be done (mainly answering emails) - as usual - we had time for some leisure activities:

Visiting the Huka Falls - close to Lake Taupo.

Watching the international womens tennis tournament.

Watching the boat race on the lake (and trying to keep the ears shut).

Some people used the crowds on the lake shore to get even more attention :)

A hungry swan...

...and ladies...

...waiting for the barbeque to be ready.

Learning the tricks of the trade .-)

From the Backcountry to the Lake

Starting in Palmerston North, we decided to take a different route up North to Lake Taupo mostly using unsealed roads to see more of the countryside of New Zealand. The timings were of course entirely different from what any map would normally suggest, but it was worth it:

Accidentally dropping by a local farming show where sheep and cattle is being auctioned.

Aby was keen to become a (B)Aby again when seeing this little train - but oh - what will the people think seein him in Kiwitraveller? - na ... just kidding :) but it was fun to watch the kids.

One the the views we can get when driving aside the normal roads - a little bit north of Palmerston North.

Everyone needs a small rest then and THERE...

...driving on!

Picnicing...

...makes...

...Aby...

...think! - what if we could stay in Nature always? - Especially seeing all these campers.

Driving through the volcanic plateau in Tongariro National Park...

...before reach our next destination:

Lake Taupo!

A crystal clear water...

...and some good swimmers as leading examples...

...will they make Feema and Aby swimmers, too?

- not this time. Here preferring the Indian bathing "dressing code" (while collecting what? STONES - of course!!)

"Feeeeeema - should we go camping here, tomorrow?"
"Ayyyyyyyyoooooooooo"
cu tomorrow :)

Picnic at the creek

Everyone has to eat - so we decided...

to go for picnic at the creek.

The weather was as good as the food!

Doing the dishes after the lunch.

Feema going after her favourite passion in New Zealand: "Collecting stones"! Aby is obviously very keen, carrying them home .-)

This small "Messenger-Bird" - yes that's its real name - whispered me to take a photo of Margit.

3 happy walkers...

...enjoying the nature...

...two of them planning to spice the walk up a little. Obviously there were no swimming skills required in this deeeeeeep water .-)

The cooks of the evening and their creations of the day.

First time ferry trip for Aby and Feema

Today was entirely dominated by going back to the North Island of New Zealand, thereby using the Interislander car and passenger ferry (a huge ship) again - a first time experience for Aby and Feema!

Just being surprised about the size of the ferry.

Welcome on board the "Kaitaki" or "Challenger".

Saying "good-bye" to Picton or better - the South Island.

After almost everyone on board had the Indian dish "Butter Chicken" (NZ style...), Feema and Aby became hungry as well... but the Indian kitchen is so popular in New Zealand, that unfortunately none of the chickens were left - so no homely feeling on the boat THIS time.

Instead Aby opted for the Children's Menu. We are all in the same boat anyway!

That water bottle is really something special, but HOW TO GET WATER OUT OF IT??

Welcome to the NZ capital city of Wellington!

...of course not without carefully observing how the cars are unloaded from the ship.

View down to Wellington from the cable car top station.

"Happy to be home again" - at least for some time - while being lucky getting served real indian food.

Welcome to Antarctica and -18° Celcius

Todays weather's motto was: Cold.
Why? At first visiting the International Antartic Center in Christchurch...

Thereby riding a "hägglund".

This vehicle even drives in 3m deep waters...

...which didn't help Aby and Feema much when encountering their first minus 18 degrees Celcius!

At least we all had a warming heartly feeling when meeting this real-life seals - used to live in the cold. They didn't seem to freeze a bit!

The lazy boys (or girls...?- we couldn't make out ;)) of the day. NOT us of course!!

Colourful lakes...

Today we had a long drive from Queenstown to Christchurch. Originally we planned to stay somewhere inbetween, but our work and internet connectivity forced us to go the full way up to Christchurch. Never mind - as we didn't miss some of the obvious beauties of the day:

First sight of Mt. Cook, New Zealands highest mountain, covered in snow - but not in clouds :)

Scenic view to Mt. Cook from Lake Pukaki. The special colour of the lake comes from the melting water of the glaciers beyond.

Stone climbing can be demanding :)

Each enjoying in its individual way...

...still marvelling about the colours!

This famous church in Lake Tekapo is called "Church of the good shepherd"...

...boosting truly miraculous views over the lake...

...and remaining Margit's and Tobi's favourite wedding place :)

A relaxing sunday!

This blog may read as if we are on a holiday all the time, but this is not the case. Mostly we will be in motels, writing the blog, answering emails related to one of our online businesses, phoning or meeting with business partners and clients. So we thought that once in a while we also deserve a relaxed sunday. Have a look:

Starting downtown Queenstown with a small stroll around the warf.

...until Aby and Feema spotted that beauty of a boat.

and - within minutes - they were on to it. For a 1 hour Jet-Boat ride in the Kawarau Jet.
We recommended to take some sun glasses and a spray west. By the way: There is not a rubbish bag sitting in the front row :) It is just Aby trying to figure out how to put the west on!

1-2-3 GO!

We couldn't help ourselves and did the wrong thing: Instead of sleeping like this little fellow, we answered what? E-Mails of course...

...until the visibly shaken (better to ask Aby for details of the word "shaken") but happy passengers came back from their trip.

In the afternoon we decided to go for a calm and nice walk through Queenstown Gardens...

...which we thoroughly enjoyed.

This rose with special greetings to all flower lovers!

"Being watched feeding the ducks": Whose face is happier? The kids or the ducklings one?

Couldn't resist to put that photo in here, too ;)

It has become a habit for Feema to collect "things". That can mean lots of "things". In this case it's not stones but pine seeds. Aby is interested of course - as usual!

Viewing the mountains from the gardens...

...until the lake catches our attention again, because two adventurous Indians...

...look back on what they did today already!

Saying Good-Bye to Queenstown Gardens...

...but welcoming a delicious evening in the Queenstown Gondola restaurant.

Observing every move the gondola makes very carefully!

Anyone for Bungee & Swing? Aby?

Never mind - may be next time ;) We were too hungry anyway :)

A worthy final for the relaxing day!

...ayooooooooooooo - of course not without the ride back to town :)

Good night Queenstown!

Queenstown - for little different adventures :)

Today we took the short but beautiful drive from Wanaka to Queenstown. Queenstown is well known for its adventurous activities like Bungee Jumping, Rafting and similar. Here are our adventures:

Watching the Kawarau River Gorge - and getting a first hand idea of what "Jet-Boating" in a river canyon means.

A couple on the edge: Bungee or Jet-Boating?

For Feema it was definitely Bungee!

Naaaa... not really .-) Shopping was more interesting...

...whereas Aby was stunned by the "automatic car washing machine".

- an adventure worth doing while in Queenstown :)

There is a lot of property development going on in Queenstown and apartments are being built all over the place. Lucky for us so we could get a good rate combined with a good view, too!

Cherries taste great! But the real fun doesn't come without the spi.....

Our first day in Queenstown saying good-bye.

Beautiful West Coast

We know we owe you a few stories and pictures - but frankly - down the west coast it was really difficult with internet connectivity. Even in cities like Queenstown and Wanaka - where highspeed internet should be easily available, we were proven wrong. So here we go, the best pictures and stories of the last 3 days:

Leaving the glaciers, we drove down the west coast. Our first stop: A salmon farm in the wild wild west where we took our lunch.

One of the beautiful lakes down the west coast.

Our "Gladiator" of the day. More explanation on request .-)

Stop at "Knights Point", one of the scenic views over to Australia :)

And here another one - more to the North.

Touching the sands and waves of a wild west coast beach...

...not without being bitten by sand flies of course!

"Where the river meets the sea"

Missing the beautiful scenery (again!) - but sleep is also important :))

...and two Kiwis waking them at the right time.

What to do when you first time stand on a trampoline?

Trying...

...learning...

...succeeding!

Today's final stop:

Lake...

Wanaka!

Gold strike!

Today we travelled down the beautiful west coast of New Zealand. The following pictures give some ideas of the things that we did:

At first a visit to a unique old gold mining town: Shantytown!

Left top you can see the historical Bank of New Zealand building, left bottom the church (which is realllllly cold - no heating!) and the big photo shows the Jail :) How nice .-))

In the town, there is a real steam train still operating. Of course we took the ride in that ancient "horse".

The railway goes directly through the west coast thick and native - but beautiful bush!

At the end of the track, looking back to where we came from...

...and Aby, the steam technician, carefully inspecting what makes that engine run!

After stopping in "nowhere" and getting off the train...

...proceding to the gold panning area - at last a strike would be exactly what we need to pay the debts of the trip :) - here watching the demonstration carefully!

Then watching out for the big strike!

"with a little help from the pros"...

...a rich gold vein was struck around 11:45 am -

- which even can be taken home in a glas :) - beaware of Indian customs though .-)

While driving down the west coast, there are a number of scenic and beautiful lakes, for example here Lake Ianthe.

It has become a custom to touch or wash in every pristine water we come across :)

Another impression from lake Ianthe...

...before coming to Franz-Josef-Glacier!

It's a long way to go to the glacier...

...but spirits were high and shoes were "great", so we went for it!

"Fire and ice" - first the gold strike - now an "ice strike".

Feema got a new design idea. It has to do with stones... which have to be carried to India. Aby sharing his 50% responsibility of carrying of course!

The glacier looked so inviting, that late in the evening, we decided to take another walk through the bush.

- that can be quite dark at that time!

But the rewarding view make up for it.

Another view - this time to the coast.

"Sun in the bush"

"Expecting" the next day to be like this :)

Posing on the final outlook of the walkway...

...to say a magical good night or good day to you from the Kiwitravellers!

Despite all bad weather forecasts for the Westcoast, we planned to make a crossing over the mountains from Christchurch through Arthurs Pass National Park to Greymouth.

It was a long but worthy journey - but see for yourself:

Starting in the Canterbury Plains...

...with some very tired passengers. The Jet-Lag still has some grip on them :)

Shortly before Arthur's Pass NP.

Margit enjoying the view.

Feema and Margit in front and a small "nature-miracles-contemplating Aby" in the background.

One of the beautiful sights before the National Park.

... and another one...

...and - another one!

There are a number of small walks in the Park, so I decided to take Aby and Feema for one to a waterfall. The wind was bit chilly, so Margit decided to stay in the nice and warm car this time.

That walk proved to be demanding for them!

Very steep on one side and slippery on the other side...

...but worth the view!

Some more impressions from the walk...

...until finally reaching the car park back over the bridge we came from. The circle mark Aby and Feema watching the waterfall by the way :)

Making our descent to the Westcoast.

...where we first had to take a small meal. As you can see - again McDonalds - but this time it was Premiere for Feema and Aby - so something really special.

The evening was young, so we made our way up to Punakaiki - the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes to see the sunset there.

"On top of the world!"

Good night from the Kiwitravellers!

Greetings from Banks Peninsula

Today started with a looooong sleep for our guests :)) After getting rid of the Jet-Lag we went to the city for an appointment while Aby and Feema had time to make their own way through Christchurch.

Aby studying the map of the inner city to go for a walk...

...but ending up in a boat paddling :)

Feema enjoying it, too!

Then we made our way to the Banks Peninsula, only a short drive from Christchurch. Here a picture of the summit with the "Sign of the Kiwi".

View from the summit down to Christchurch.

View from the summit down to Lyettelton harbour.

Enjoying the view...

...but not without some effort before!

On to the next challenge...

...which was definitely worth the view.

It looks easy, but believe us, the way was quite steep!

Finishing the trip on the beach.

We didn't do that. But we certainly liked to watch :)

Welcome to NZ - Aby and Feema :)

Today we picked up Aby and Feema who will join us on our tour around the South Island. For all relatives and friends or all who want to accompagny us, here come the first pictures:

The plane has landed...

...with two Jet-Lag-shaken passengers :) (or was the shaking from the plane...?)

Although visibly tired when arriving, both regained their strength quickly when visiting the Botanical Gardens.

Feema expanding her flower and gardening knowledge.

A typical flower arrangement in the gardens -

- Trees and Bush accompagning them.

Some boating on the Avon river was our plan - maybe tomorrow?

Flowers...

...more flowers...

...and a couple thoroughly enjoying them :)

After visiting the Cathedral Square with its big and beautiful church...

...where Feema managed to get a brochure in Dutch ;) - the first day of our common journey was over. Cu tomorrow .-)