A trip more or less once around the Mt. Everest.
My furthest travel location so far, and I'm very excited about going.
Returning to one of the best festivals in my reachable vicinity two years later was a good expierience, both to see what had changed, and what had stayed the same.
On the topic of changes, I didn't get a thing stolen this time (Yay!), the musical lineup was much more interesting (to me and others) this time, including what appears to be the best live (and overall) band and my big heroes, Kaizers Orchestra. They were the main reasons to go to Sziget again (though I had decided to go even before I knew this), and also the main (or maybe only) reason for Barbara to come too.
Two evenings of *heavy* rainfall and some peculiarities of the Hungarians with regard to giving directions to the Sziget Hostel also contributed to making those days interesting.
What stayed the same was the relaxed feel throughout the area I learned to appreciate the first time.
Dalmatia again, this time mostly stationary (staying at Nautilus Diving in Murter and going out for daily boat trips.)
It also was my first trip with freshling divers (just starting and gaining first freewater expierience) with me functioning as a underwater nanny for some of them. Which was good fun.
A much too short trip to Canada visiting my brother for the first time since he's been living in Guelph. Unfortunately no photos, the only camera I had was the one in my mobile phone, and those pics suck.
It was a great week though, meeting many of my brothers friends and collegues, Guelph nightlife, and of course a shopping spree and DIY lunch in Toronto. Did go to Burlington too, but Burlington is less than interesting...
A week of diving in Croatia along the Kornati islands.
I already did the same thing last year in June which was great fun except for the weather which was too cold.
More diving in the Red Sea...
I can say much about it as boat diving trips to Egypt mainly
consisted getting into the airplane, exitting at the airport, bus
to the ship, spend one week either under water or sleeping on deck,
bus to the airport, on the plane, done.
Seriously, if you are a diver, check out the Red Sea and Sinai. It really is one of the best diving areas around. ( -- not that I've seen that many... yet!)
Took a trip to the Rockies to with my mother visit my brother Klaus, who is living in Ontario, but being the mountain-loving guy he is insisted we travel to some sort of mountaineous region if we come visit him indstead of the boring flatness of most of the rest of Canada.
So plane to Calgiary it was; Klaus picked us up at the airport, and showed us a bit around in Calgiary. He had been there for a meeting, after driving thousands of kilometers all across the country from Tornto (see the picture link below tor photos from that trip). And then an one-hour drive up to Canmore just outside Banff National Park where we stayed at Banff Boundary Lodge in a nice little three-room lodge.
A week of great skiing followed, in Sunshine (near Banff), famous Lake Louse, and Kicking Horse, BC, which is one of the greatest back-country skiing places I have ever seen. If only they would build a decent lift system, the current one sucks.
Also Christmas, which we spent at a romantic lodge about an hour from Lake Louise. My first ever Christmas away from home too!
As soon as I get to uploading some pictures you will be able to fnid them at the usual place on this page. For the meantime let me refer to Klaus' page
The Sziget Festival is kind of an insider's tip for summer festivals in and around Austria. I heard about it from my firend Matthias in Vienna, and he's whom I went there with, together with his girlfriend Irene.
Located on an island in the river Danube in the center of Budapest
I found it to have a very relaxed and pieceful atmosphere, despite the
60 000 People attending. With about 20 Euros for a one day pass
including camping and 270 to 300 Forint (1.10-1.20 Euro) for a beer it
was a rather cheap affair too. The linep wasn't hilarious but I was
able to discover two to three bands I really liked and have bought a CD
by one of them already. I am sure to go there again next year if I have
the time.
Also, my brand new cell phone got stolen. From my
trousers pocket. Inside my tent. In which I was sleeping at the
time.
Irene has made a lot of pictures and published them on flickr.
I would really like to go to China one time. I have no plans as to where exactly, though Shanghai is somewhere near the top of the list. If you have any recomensations, write me an email! My current plan is along the lines of travelling the Transsiberian Railway to the end or almost to the end and then travel south - maybe with a motorcycle.