10 latest experiences http://www.hereorthere.com/members/camburg en-us It's amazing to think that two of my favourite places are on the opposite side of the world yet have the same name. I should be thanking the Commonwealth, the great Horatio Nelson, but I'm a Napoleon sympathiser, an Australian republican, so I'll just think it's random coincidence that the towns have the same name. We'll start in Nelson, Canada. The town is most famous for the fact the Steve Martin film 'Roxanne' was filmed here. But there's much more than that. The streets creep up the side of a pretty steep mountain and the houses are mostly attractive late 19th century structures of wood. It also has in my opinion, the best ski hill in North America, if not the world. In summer, there's the Kootenay Lake and the mountains, and all year round an eclectic group of residents and transients. The art community is strong and there are quite a few people living alternative lifestyles. There's a couple of nice pubs, including Mike's Place, and a garlic-devoted restaurant called The Out... Nelson, Canada camburg Wed, 01 Aug 2007 10:36:36 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/camburg/experience/622 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/622 I love travelling. I love lugging around a backpack and arriving in a new place where I know nobody and don't know how anything works or where anything is. It's then, far removed from my comfort zone and dumped into the unknown, that I feel really alive, and that the possibilities of life really open up to me. The world is a big place and there is much to see and do. And I would rather be staring confounded at a bus map in the pouring rain than thumbing through the TV guide on my sofa. Most of my travelling I have done on my own, without much preparation or planning. Never used a guidebook, hitchhiked most of the time, and tried hard not to be reserving hostels weeks in advance. I gobbled up inspiring travel literature and always had a guitar with me. It was great and I often get a bit misty-eyed thinking of those (mis)adventures. My approach and attitude to travelling changed in the late 90s, and I haven't really been the same since. Now in my thirties, nostalgia has me pining fo... Westport, New Zealand camburg Wed, 01 Aug 2007 10:15:13 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/camburg/experience/621 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/621 While hitchhiking through New Hampshire nearly ten years ago, I fell over laughing when I saw the state motto written on car number plates: 'Live free or die'. Up until then, the undisputed winner of state slogans and mottos had been Nebraska's 'The good life' (which has since changed to 'Possibilities...Endless'). New Hampshire is a nice state, and when I was there, hiking the White Mountains and trying to climb Mount Washington wearing exactly the wrong clothing, I was determined to live free or die trying. Conway is an enjoyable place and it has a great hostel. There used to be the Old Man of the Mountain, a rock formation, but it fell off in 2003. Wasn't living free enough, I guess. But back to state slogans and mottos, and there are some pearlers. Like Maryland: 'Seize the Day Off' (it was 'America in Miniature'. Love that!) Arkansas, 'The Natural State', which I guess means you can go nude everywhere; isn't Bill Clinton the former governor? Cailfornia, 'Find Yourself Here'... Conway, United States camburg Tue, 31 Jul 2007 12:41:10 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/camburg/experience/611 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/611 The Ruined Castle hike was listed as eight hours, which is a prettty long day hike. But I was okay with it; if it said eight hours then I’d do it in six. It’s always like that. I had a solid breakfast and walked down to the trail head by mid-morning. Because it’s a long hike, there was no one on the trail, and I liked that. There was only the sounds of the wind, the animals, and my big feet. The cliffs and rock formations were of stunning reds, yellows, and oranges, and the blue mist of eucalyptus trees was dense, the aroma strong. The Blue Mountains really are one of Australia's most beautiful places. I stuck to the trail, enjoying the peace and solitude, and trying not to walk too fast. After not seeing a soul for several hours, when I got to Ruined Castle, there were people everywhere. Most camped up there, and there was a crazy artist running around with no pants on. Ruined Castle is a group of rocks on a small peak that resembles, strangely enough, a ruined castle. T... Katoomba, Australia camburg Tue, 31 Jul 2007 11:20:01 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/camburg/experience/610 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/610 I must confess, I'm in love. The object of my desires is fruity, cheeky, bubbly and unpredictable. Other people can't understand why I'm smitten, especially those who have had a sample. For me, it wasn't love at first sight, for her appearance is rather unsightly and far too cold to touch. But I quickly warmed to her, and it wasn't long that I began to fully appreciated that having her cold was the only way to have her. Parma has to be one of the culinary capitals of the world, only because it has given the world Parmagiano (Parmesan cheese) and Prosciutto di Parma (Parma ham). I'm a big fan of the cheese and the ham, while the town itself has a pleasantly pungent aroma. But I am neither in love with cheese nor the town of its origin. It's the Lambrusco that has captured my heart. How this happened, I do not know. I like Italian wine very much, especially Chianti, and I could never have expected that a fizzy, sweet, cold red wine would light up my life so much. On my first tri... Parma, Italy camburg Tue, 31 Jul 2007 10:56:25 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/camburg/experience/607 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/607 It should be a place of romance, where couples come to pledge lifelong devotion to each other. Perhaps even the strapping young man gets down on one knee and asks his beloved to join him in holy matrimony. At the very least, there should be more than a bit of romantic quoting. Ah, but there is none, and romantic lines come only from felt pens. Verona, Shakespeare's setting for Romeo and Juliet, is a beautiful city in Italy's north. However, because of its claim to fame, it gets a lot of visitors hell bent on capturing a bit of that romance. They gravitate towards the House of Capulet (not really the house but it makes a good tourist drawcard; the House of Montague not so much) and to Juliet's balcony. In fact, you might be excused for thinking the balcony is the only thing tourists see in Verona, which is a real shame because the town has a fantastic Roman Arena, a few sprawling piazzas and an old town that this Romeo could spend a lifetime exploring. But it might explain why the ... Verona, Italy camburg Tue, 31 Jul 2007 10:13:15 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/camburg/experience/605 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/605 I hitchhiked down from Napier. It was a hot summer's day and I was emanating a pungent highway stink. I thought it was New Zealand's sheep but it really was me. I was close to Wellington, my goal, but it had already been a long day and I didn't think I would make it before dark. The last car dropped me in Paekakariki and I stood there for about an hour before giving up and walking into town. I was all for sleeping on the beach but was surprised to find signs leading to a youth hostel. The house was on the top of a hill and I lugged all my stuff up to the top (I was 21 then and able to carry a backpack that flirted dangerously with the 20 kilo mark). The door was open but there was no one around, though I could hear voices. I walked through the small house, eyed the comfortable lounge room and big kitchen, and found everybody (being about half a dozen people) sitting at the back of the house. They were all facing west and watching the sun set over the Tasman Sea. I said hello and ... Paekakariki, new zealand, New Zealand camburg Mon, 30 Jul 2007 11:51:35 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/camburg/experience/591 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/591 There are a few hostels that could win this award for me (which is why it's in two parts because there is a joint winner) and many hundreds that could easily win the worst hostel award. The ratio when traveling is completely wrong; for every fantastic hostel that makes me want to spend the rest of my life travelling, I have to stay in about a thousand flea-ridden, urine-stinking, pub-crawling, saliva-soaked joints which make me want to burn my backpack and buy a house in the country. Still, those few gems make it all worth while. Remember, this is purely my opinion and what is a gem for me might be a night in hell for others. Also, the hostel experience often depends on who is staying there at the time, but I have learned that good hostels attract good travellers, while evil hostels.... The suspense is building, isn't it? Where is this place and what makes it special? Let me first say that there isn't much to do in Nannup, and to the day, I'm still not sure why a hostel opened the... Nannup, Australia camburg Mon, 30 Jul 2007 11:17:16 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/camburg/experience/589 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/589 The stories are the stuff of Hollywood, and even standing inside the castle, looking at the tunnels the prisoners dug with spoons and the glider made of mattress covers and wooden shutters, you can't help think back to movies like 'The Great Escape'. The prisoners made uniforms to disguise themselves as German officers and tried to walk out the front gate. One ambitious tunnel started from the top of the clock tower and ran under the chapel, 44 metres long and just short of the wall when it was discovered. With fake stamps, false passports, a hand-made sewing machine, the imprisoned officers went to incredible lengths to escape. Why? Because Oflag IV C, a WWII Officers' POW Camp, was trumped as an impenetrable fortress, from where no one could ever escape. The location for the camp was Castle Colditz, a brooding structure high above the River Mulde in Saxony, about an hour from Leipzig. Built in 1046, the castle was for many years a lunatic asylum, and then after the war, a senio... Colditz, Germany camburg Mon, 30 Jul 2007 10:32:39 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/camburg/experience/588 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/588 Croatia is currently my favourite country to travel to, especially the Dalmatian Coast and the islands of Hvar and Korcula. The scenery is breathtaking and the beaches, rocky ones that I prefer to sand, are mostly empty and the water is the cleanest I've swum in. But when planning a trip to Croatia, or when travelling around there, finding good, cheap accommodation is a challenge. I remember in Opatjia walking all over town looking for a room or apartment. There were places everywhere but they were just not that nice. I ended up walking to nearby Volosko where again I walked around for about two hours until finally finding a nice apartment. I've done the same walk in numerous other towns and villages throughout the country, having some success but often just giving up and taking the next thing I found. You see, hotels are pretty expensive (although more hostels are cropping up) and you should be very wary of going with someone who comes up to you at the airport, bus station or fe... Hvar, Croatia camburg Mon, 30 Jul 2007 09:50:32 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/camburg/experience/585 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/585