While I was in Dahab, in Egypt, I booked a Bedouin trip into the local mountains. There was a BBQ (BEST mountain food I’d ever eaten, hands down), and we climbed the peaks and watched the stars. And we rode in on Camels.

Now, let me tell you that every rumor that you have heard about camels being grumpy is true. They are like grumpy, horrible old men that smell bad and want to be somewhere else. Anywhere else.

They don’t like being patted. They don’t like carrying people. They don’t like being told where to go, and definitely don’t like being told that they have to stop eating that garbage to walk up a hill with me on it’s back. Otherwise they were perfectly darling. Except that it was uncomfortable. Not like riding a horse at all. Their gait was strange, and watching them unfold as they stood up made them seem like Mother Nature’s transformers.

Still, I did. Consider 118 Done!

So, it’s coming to the end of 2011 and I thought that as blogging + I are on the outs at the moment (I’m just not feeling it, you know?) that I’d do one last post for the year and square everything away.

Egypt
I went. And it was delightful. There was windsurfing, and kitesurfing and paddleboarding and snorkeling. I got a tan, and spent an awful lot of time being warm. I ate an awful lot of Egyptian Food, and drank well too much Egyptian Vodka. I spent a lot of time with my cousin Morfee, and he’s brilliant to hang with. I (surprisingly) miss him now that he’s not around so much. We hung out with the Neilson crew, I spent a lot of time sunning myself in front of a bar that sat on a lagoon. I fed a ridiculous amount of stray kittens, and napped and I rode a camel.

We also did a day trip out to Cairo, where we so the pyramids, learned to say “la shukran” to all the people trying to sell me stuff. We even (though not advised by any embassy that I could find) went to Tahrir Square. It was the one place we went to where we were the only tourists. We saw a tiny part of a revolution, and it was pretty amazing. Tense, but amazing.

Whitewater Rafting
I did it. On London’s Olympic Course months and months ago now, with The Third + Fourth Quarters, with J, and with a Bunny. We got wet. We capsized. We paddled our little hearts out. There was a lot of water in the face, a lot of trying to sync our paddling with the person in front and not get caught up with the paddle of the person behind us. It was a lot of mad grinning and bumping into other rafts and I generally had an absolutely brilliant time. Apparently the park opens back up again in January, so if you are London based and get the opportunity, you should go!

Culture++; and other fun things I did
I have seen a bunch of shows in the last little while. Les Miserables, which I enjoyed quite a lot. The Phantom of the Opera, which I enjoyed less. The Phantom was quite creepy and very insecure. Sibling
graduated from university, I’m super proud of her! I’m also well annoyed that I couldn’t be there, and the other side of the world seems too far away. There was a usability conference, Liz + Rob came and stayed (and we visited Byron Burger, honestly, best mac+cheese I’d had in a long time!), there has been a bunch of design work (windsurfing brand redesigns, bio oil conversion site, b+b’s, a possible forrrst for photos) so yes, been busy.

The Dating Files of 2011
I had loads of posts for this. Loads of little moments I wanted to remember, and things I wanted to better understand. But I managed to discard the draft in which I’d stored all these moments. Fail. In the interest of keeping it short + sweet there were two Jimmy’s that I haven’t mentioned yet. One I spent a good six months trying not to fall for before his visa ran out (and was mostly successful) and the other, well, let’s just say that sleeping with that super cute Windsurfing Instructor in Egypt was probably not the cleverest idea I’ve ever had.

Anyway, as it’s the end of 2011 I’m retiring this series. Also, I’m avoiding boys and gettin into anything anyway, so it would be a pretty boring series going into 2012.

The List
I have done a bunch of things (#112 – See 10 invaders pieces in person, #118 Ride a camel) and crossed off parts of a few other ones. I’m glad that I still have The List, and that I’m still crossing things off. I feel like these deserve their own posts, and so will have them.

The Blog
While I’ll still blog about The List, I’m not really feeling blogging in general. So while I’ll still be around, and still comment and read all your blogs, I probably won’t update here is much. Maybe when inspiration strikes, but not much more. Call it a new phase?

Hope your holidays are brilliant, Merry Christmas!

elly x

I’m in Egypt, in Dahab. As I type this, I’m set up in a bar by a lagoon. I’m in a bikini, still slightly wet, having just come off the water and out of a windsurfing lesson. I’ve been here a week, and oh oh oh, it’s been glorious! It’s been warm, deliciously deliciously warm. I’m tanned, and quite happy with my lot at the moment.

The people are brilliant, from the Neilson crew (who, very conveniently, my travelling buddy Morfee is part of, thanks to his seasons in Greece), the other guests, the Datchet crew, the guy behind the bar – Naggy, who flirts outrageously with all the girls here.

It is a gorgeous place to be. This afternoon I’ma go back on the water and hopefully learn how to beachstart. There’s a dregs party with the Datchet crew, and then the Neilson BBQ. There will be Camel riding out into the desert with a Bendouin BBQ. There is a bunch of kitesurfing to be had, cocktails to be drunk, and partying to be danced.

I’d planned to write a bunch of posts so you wouldn’t notice my absence, but while I’m here? Writing is the last thing I want to do. Sooo, I will let you know when I’m back in a week or two.

Till then, this is the view I’ve got. Hope your view is just as pretty x

I was in Split two days. Two gloriously wonderful days. Split is gorgeous. We camped on a peninsula, with these big great mountains on one side, and a super cute little harbour on the other. I was happiest here, I think. The weather was gorgeous, it was often too hot for clothes and I spent as much time as I could in the water, the gorgeous turquoise coloured water. It was clear, and warm, and amazing. Or sunbathing on the jetty. I enjoy nothing more than being gloriously warm, lying in the sun with not much to do.

I remember going for a swim as soon as camp was set up. Diving in off the jetty, marvelling in what it was like to swim in the sea again. It’s been a while, almost ridiculously long. The water wasn’t quite cold, but wasn’t far off. I remember swimming with Jimmy, and being wary to move away everytime he disappeared under the water, least my feet or legs get pinched.

I remember delving into the book I’d borrowed, well aware that I’d have to give it back soon. I got caught up in it’s plot. There was a lot of action and a battle was coming. I was sad when I finished it, anxious to pick up the next one. I was also delighted that I was able to sit in the sun and read. I used to sit in the garden back home, and I’d forgotten how very wonderful it was to pass the time that way.

I remember playing Circle of Death, and I got my first Fourth King. I don’t remember what we were drinking. Liquors, I think. I want to say it was some kind of berry schnappes. Needless to say it put me on my behind rather quickly.

I remember sneaking off into the dark with Jimmy. We argued, and laughed, and talked. We got told off for being too loud. We watched fish jump out of the estuary. We went on a bit of a mission, and I climbed over a fence in jandals and skirt. I somehow managed to mangle my ankle. I don’t quite know how, whether it was the climbing over the fence, or the climbing over the rocks to get to the fence, but I hurt it. I also had one of those ‘aha’ moments. Except that it came like a slap in the face, and I was upset and angsted. Still, it was an aha moment, even if it was painful one.

I remember waking up at 4 in the morning, the geometric pattern of the tent hurting my poor, still drunk eyes, and my brain working overtime on that ‘aha’ moment. I stole the sleeping bag and headed to the jetty. It was cold, and calm. Super quiet. At about 6 people started moving. A rowing team paddled back and forth past me, people went for early morning swims, and cars started down the motorway. A while past then, the sun came up over the mountains. And it was a glorious glorious sight. The rocks all turning pink and orange, the heat as the light hit me, how the whole sky brightened.

I remember that after a while I came to terms with that wretched ‘aha’ moment. I stretched, and lay out in the sun, having claimed the jetty. After a while Jimmy appeared, and we sat, and snoozed. There was book reading, and comfortable silence. He disappeared, and returned later with a hot chocolate and coffee. We went swimming. I swam in my underwear, because changing would have meant leaving the jetty and I didn’t want to. It was glorious, the swimming. Being in the water. I remember thinking that there wasn’t enough time here, that I wanted to spend more time in the sun, being warm and doing nothing. I soaked up as much of it as I could, hoarding it, revelling in it. I remember watching Jimmy jump from the conveniently supplied diving boards, laughing at his form. I remember watching the sprats swim in the warm waters nearest the rocks, and crabs scuttling from side to side.

I remember that when it got colder, when the wind picked up (cheers, convection) and we moved to the bar for pizza + drinks. Sitting in the sun, still wet from the swimming. After we wandered into Split.

Split is gorgeous, parts of the old palace (of the Roman Empire Dicletian) is still there, with it’s super worn (and slippery) cobblestones, gorgeous archways and awkwardly tiny little back alleys. The St. Duje Cathedral is still there too, with it’s old pillars and pretty bell tower. Mostly I remember eating gelato, because it was awfully warm that night.

We wandered down markets, and brought a silly amount of postcards. We wandered through the allyways hand in hand, getting lost in the old part of the city, coming across high st stores in impossibly small places. I remember sitting on the waterfront, with a foot in the water, a Jimmy at my back, talking of I don’t even remember what. We watched big giant boats all lit up with little lights leave the harbour. I remember walking by groups of elders, wanting to listen as they sang old Croatian songs. Past the jetty with all their little boats and nets and bouys awaiting the next day. Sitting at a high table with a drink, writing a bunch of postcards. It was a pretty lovely night. I was sad when it ended, and we went back to the campsite.

I left the next morning, bright + early. I was not happy about leaving, I really didn’t want to go. I felt that I hadn’t had enough time soaking up the sun, enough time swimming, or appreciating being so very close to the ocean. Needless to say I enjoyed Split most, I think. And I’ve got a soft spot for it. I’m going to go back, I think. Spend more time swimming, and sunbathing.

Still, I felt lucky to have been given a week to see a new part of the world. To see places and people and cultures I hadn’t seen before.

I will go back, though. One day, anyway.

We drove from Ljubljana in Slovenia, to Plitvice, in Croatia. It was a bit of a ridiculous trip, and we had issues crossing the border. I shan’t say more than that because it’s not really my story to tell. There was much waiting, and a little bit of stressing, but we eventually got through okay. It was a bit of an eye opener, though. Still, I think we were all very glad to get moving. There was a load of mountains between the border + Plitvice. We watched lightening strike the other side of the ranges as we wound our way through, which was bizarre. I think we were all glad to finally get to the bungalows that night.

That second day the boys disappeared for the day and me + S hung out. It was raining, which was unexpected and was a bit of a downer. We spent our time getting lost, watching movies, and hanging out at the restaurant. After lunch we freaked ourselves out by having lightening strike quite near us. There was a blinding flash that startled me, followed by the loudest crash of thunder of I’ve ever heard, it made my heart beat a million times a minute, scared the living shit out me, and made me run like a headless chicken away from where we were. We laughed hysterically, with fear. It was bizzarre, and neither of us could settle afterwards, the adrenline running through our veins was ridiculous. It meant that when the boys did get back, we were all very relieved. I think we were all very glad to back to a happy foursome, and we all hung out together, watching tv + napping. Had dinner.

After Jimmy + I went to Bosnia for dessert. A little town 40k away, across the border. It was novel, crossing the border for drinks. There was wandering around the centre of the tiny town we’d visited. It was bizarre that every bar we passed was blasting american pop songs as loud as they could. We had gelato, and picked a random bar and drank some ridiculous Croatian/Slovenian alcohol. We stayed for ages. Long enough for several rounds of whatever took our fancy. Rounds of chocolates + espressos. Vodka + Orange’s. Bosnian beer. Something that tasted like herbal jager. We made friends with the barmen, one of who spoke English, another who didn’t. I remember the currency being pretty random. We paid in Euros, and got Konvertibilna Marks back. I was amused no end, it’s one of the perks of travelling, I think, the many different currencies, the different weights and images and dimensions. I got a kick out of it, anyway.

The next day we hit up Plitvice Lakes. It’s a giant world heritage site, and is gorgeous. There are a dozen or so lakes that cascade one into the other, with very pretty waterfalls between each. The lakes are gorgeous, and are all super clear (you could see the bottom of each quite clearly, including the fish that lived in them) and were gorgeous colours. Turquoise, azure, green. It was all kinds of phenomenal. The lakes were surrounded by a pretty lush rainforest, clearly there was some kind of rich ecosystem goodness going on there.

When we went it was raining, and cold. I’d also done my ankle in, so the four hour hike was all kinds of fun for me. I used Jimmy as a crutch more often than not, which was fun for us both. We didn’t buy one of the maps, but the signs were easy enough to follow. There was a ferry ride (which was gorgeous, and freezing) and towards the end, a bus ride back to the information centre where we started. By this point I was positively shivering, and was glad to headed back to the campsite. Still, it was a gorgeous experience. I’ve never seen anything so pretty.

We left the next morning, and headed towards Split. I was all bundled up, and was wearing as many layers as I could. It was pretty brilliant driving down the mountains. The closer we got the coast, the warmer it was. I discarded layers as we descended, it was pretty random. I adored the heat, though. I love being warm. It was pretty interesting to see how the terrain changed the lower we got. The lush rainforest switched out with dusty scrub. It was bizzare watching the socio-economic level change, too. In Plitvice there were loads of well kept buildings. Out here in the scrub buildings were abandoned, and falling apart. There were giant holes in roofs, missing doors or fallen down walls.

Worse was getting pulled over by the policija. We hadn’t been going very fast (it was a 3 tonne red van, not exactly the speediest of vehicles) but we’d going well under what TomTom had told us what the speed limit was. Sadly, the policija said that the limit had changed, and we were well going over it.

We pulled over, as requested. It was hot, we were on the side of a completely deserted dusty road in the middle of nowhere. Not suss at all. Jimmy went over to talk (which, as they spoke little english, was mostly sign language, I think) to them, and came back, sure enough, to ask us how much cash we had on us. In Euros, not Croatian Kuna. We pooled what we had, and he went back, paid the fine, and off we went. Later he told us how ‘the paper’ cost €150, and ‘no paper’ cost €100. We’d effectively bribed the policija. Apparently this is not uncommon at all.

Soon after we hit the coast. The view was gorgeous, and there were all these little viewing platforms from which to admire them. The buildings looked fancier, and things in general looked like a civilisation I recognized. By this time it was well too hot to wear clothes, and I was well glad to be warm again. It seemed mind boggling to have started that morning fairly frozen and then to be standing a few hours later in a tropical climate.

I was glad to have left Plitvice, and looking at the gorgeous ocean views, I was very very glad to be in Split.

I flew into Slovenia mid afternoon. I was still under the (misguided) assumption that my ride wouldn’t show + I’d have to hitch down to Split to get my flight back to London. So when I walked out of the arrivals gate to find no one there, I wasn’t especially surprised. I sat down in the (gloriously warm) sun and had a wine to figure out what to do. Apparently waiting was a brilliant idea, because not five minutes later a big red van pulled up out front, ready for me to climb into.

It was awkward, at first. I wasn’t sure where I stood with the Jimmy who came to pick me up. But Jimmy was polite, and he was tanned (I was well jealous) and was full of stories about the adventures he’d been on since I last saw him. We picked up a few supplies, and I spent my first afternoon outside of London baking the sun. I think its important to mention the gorgeous, amazing phenomenon that is being warm in the sun. London doesn’t have that. London is predominantly grey + dreary. You wear layers at every opportunity. So, that I could be in shorts + a singlet AND warm? No jumper required? Colour me gobsmacked.

I don’t remember much of that first night, to be honest. I know I got well plastered on some ridiculous 40% Slovenian vodka. I know that I drank at least 1/2 of it myself, and I know that the bathroom of that poor little campsite bar is not going to be the same. How I made it into the tent, I don’t know. I do know that I felt horrid the next morning. That the pattern of the tent really did my head in. But the rest of the day? Phenomenally better.

We explored the river near the campsite. There was sun, and it was gorgeous. Little tiny fish (and slightly bigger fish) swam in the warm shallows. The river was pretty wide, and there was swift current moving through the middle of it. We went swimming, which was ridiculous, because the water was as good as frozen. Still, there’s something brilliant about standing mid-river with a human heater. Everything is quiet and amazing. I couldn’t believe I was there, really. Gorgeous open water, warm enough to be standing in bikini in a river. My mind was completely blown after the dreary greyness that was London.

I spent some time building little rock towers on the shore, and then we moved away and threw rocks at them, trying to bring them down. Jimmy tried to teach me to skip rocks, and was mildly successful (I got two skips). We built little rafts, and watched them drown. We walked down a track used by horses and men walking their dogs, and down an even smaller track where people had funny little garden allotments.

That night we hit up Ljubljana. Ljubljana is gorgeous, it’s filled with all this amazing art. Both sculptural masterpieces, and graffiti type pieces too. There’s the Triple Bridge (basically three bridges all connected together) which Jimmy took quite an interest in. We walked across all three. Mostly I enjoyed wandering about. There’s a canal which runs down the middle, and large willow trees hanging over the side. There were gorgeous little markets, and buskers and restaurants and cafes that sprawled out over the sidewalks.

There were bridges with locks of love and so many cute little sculptures everywhere. It was a really gorgeous town, and was filled with brilliant textures and buildings that had a ridiculous amount of character. Often the window sills would hold flower baskets with red and yellow flowers pouring over the sides. There were random pillars, and gorgeous paved walkways.

We climbed up to the Castle, which is this old medieval giant which sits on a hill above the town. It’s large, and fairly gorgeous. The ride up and way into the main square is not at all medieval, but this gorgeous carefully designed mix of industrial piping + tension ropes and old wood + gardens. There were these gorgeous grape vines heavy with fruit, and an abundance of fig, pear and apple trees. The view from the wall was gorgeous, and there were at least three weddings happening in the main square.

We had dinner later at one of the many little cafe’s spilling out onto the backstreets. Chicken Stew + Goulash. It got cold enough to wear a cardigan, but nothing more than that. I was impressed, and adored the heat. A few quiet drinks. Mostly we wandered throughout the town. Down little alleyways, past buskers on bridges and old, impressive buildings. Ljubljana was definitely one of the prettier places I’ve been.

On the way out the next morning, we packed up camp (slow, we took our sweet time. It’s what you do on holiday) and we hit up the Škocjan Caves. It’s one of the largest underground canyons in the world, apparently. There’s a river that flows through, the Reka River. It was pretty phenomenal, it was maybe a two hour walk through the caves. You start at a ridge + go down, low enough to see the river + then you start the hike back up again. It was filled with some amazing stalagmites (the ones that start from the floor) + stalactites (the ones that start from the ceiling). There were giant underground caverns, there were terraces, and there were bats.

Then there was a bit of a walk back to the carpark, through this super lush cavern where the ceiling had fallen in. Nature had taken it back, and it was pretty lush. It was a pretty pleasant way to to spend an afternoon, actually.

Soon after we were back in the van, headed towards Croatia. Another post to come!

Before I went to Croatia I spent a weekend in Basel (Switzerland) with my friend Bunny, and his Grussi. It was amazing. We flew into Basel on the Friday afternoon (which is lucky, because EasyJet, that great airline of shortcuts for budgetary reasons oversold the flight. I took the very last seat), and the interesting thing about Basel airport, is that it sits on the border and serves both France and Switzerland! When you come up to the customs desk, there are signs all over the place. This way way for France, this way for switzerland. In French, and English, and Swiss German.

It was a weekend of eating, and oh! All the things we ate! I can’t even name most of them. But there was chocolate. And there was wine. And there was hot chocolates from cute little plastic tubes, and there was afternoon naps and playing rummy cub. There was listening to children chatter away, switching easily between languages. We wandered around a super cute market (where Bunny brought a horn, appropriate for his trip to Burning Man) and we walked down a river in the gorgeously hot sun (it was brilliant, there were many interesting things, like random graffiti under bridges that have alternate versions in art galleries, and a little geckos that warm themselves on the path, but scuttle when you appear which makes the path look like a wriggling mass).

There was a fork in this river, and it’s this point that the boundary was. We stood on the Switzerland side, and on the far bank was France, and on the other bank was Germany. It was pretty mind blowing, considering that in New Zealand we’re so very isolated. It was pretty amazing. What was less amazing was losing all but handful of photos because I’m super clever. Still, I’ll remember what I do from that weekend, and I’ll remember it fondly.

Have any of you been to Switzerland before?

I didn’t want to come back. The thought of London heading into winter made my skin crawl, and I ached for warmth, and endless blue skies, and warm turquoise waters. I don’t know what I’m doing in London, clearly I’m meant to be near a beach, in togs, with an average temprature of too-hot.

I had a brilliant time, I really did. And I have photos and stories (all sorts of stories. Of bribing policemen, and of trips across borders for drinks and desserts) and I have all sorts of good things to tell you. I do. And I’ll get it to. I will. But not now.

Now I’m wallowing in those post holiday blues. I’m horribly upset to have to be in London, to be sitting at a desk in an office instead of galovanting across countries in a red van. To not be soaking in the warmth on a jetty overlooking a gorgeous harbour. Every inch of me is screaming to be somewhere else. Anywhere else, and that’s not a state I like being in.

So, until I’ve got my feet back on the ground, and my head out of the clouds I’ma be a bit absent from the blogging world. I’ll still be around, reading your blogs, and getting my angst out on twitter, but rarg will be a quiet for a bit.

Until I’m back, this is where my head is. There is where I was. This is where I want to be.