Esther's world trip

From Sydney I flew into Alice Springs, a remote town in the Australian Outback with a population of roughly 25,000. A rather bleak place, and incredibly hot with an average...

Sydney is great, it lifted my spirits. The city is huge, cosmopolitan and diverse in every respect. I absolutely loved it even though the weather was bad. However, in retrospect...

As you may have noticed, I've procrastinated about writing a conclusion of my impressions and experiences in NZ. I find it difficult, for the first time I don't really know what...

Christchurch is a most peculiar city. With a population of only 400.000 its urban area stretches over approx. 600 km² (in comparison, Cologne covers an area of 400 km² with a...

The past 17 days have been quite adventurous in various respects. I had hooked up with a Dutch girl, Anita, in order to reduce the costs of the rental car. We started in Nelson...

Being confined to the dormitory of Wellington's Youth Hostel due to bad weather, I unexpectedly have some spare time to write this article before I will go offline for the next...

It was not a very welcoming arrival when I landed in Auckland, I must say. First of all, I was betrayed of a whole day when I flew across the international date line, which felt...

When I first arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii, I must admit I was shocked. Coming from Mexico, I was used to the sight of impoverished regions/neighborhoods where people lived in...

When I had to depart from Mexico City 2 days ago, I was actually feeling sad to leave this country which has impressed me so unexpectedly and in such a positive way. I’ve...

After Mérida I traveled to Campeche, a pretty but rather unexciting town at the northwestern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. Due to several pirate attacks in the 17th century,...

I spent four nights at a great accomodation and was invited to home-made dinner by the family every time I stepped into the door. They were outstandingly hospitable, and I felt...

I had some trouble continuing my travels from Oaxaca because I would have had to spend 2-3 nights on long distance busses if I had chosen this option. However, I’m definitely...

Oaxaca is a pretty town located in the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca, a southern Mexican mountain range, at an altitude of 1500m. It is rich in pre-Columbian and colonial history, and...

I'm absolutely blown away by Mexico City! Although huge and incredibly crowded (almost 9 million inhabitants), furthermore loud, congested and air polluted, it exceeds my...

I’ve spent more than six weeks in Canada, and there are a few cultural features which have left a lasting impression on me and which I would like to point out to you. I must...

I only had one full day in Ottawa hence my portrayal of the city is far from being exhaustive. Although not as pretty as Montreal or Quebec City, it's definitely worth going...

Montreal is a truly cosmopolitan city, a conglomerate of all sorts of things: neighborhoods, (sub)cultures, languages, 19th century buildings and postmodern architecture, quiet...

Dating back to 1608, Quebec City is one of the oldest cities in North America and very European in its cityscape. I'm sure it's pretty and beautiful and nice and interesting and...

I'm finally back after having spent the past three weeks with a family near Bracebridge supporting them in their household chores. Unfortunately, they live so secluded that...

I feel truly blessed! I've met the Taylors, probably the most welcoming and affectionate family in Canada. They own 5 ha of woodland which they cultivate and sell as firewood....

My first lesson learned here: Canada is not for hitchhikers! My second lesson learned: Never judge a day till it's over! I went to see the Niagara Falls, and travelling on a...

On my first day in Toronto, I almost walked the entire city. Now my feet hurt really badly! These are some first impressions, yet there are more to come. So, check this out...

It's been almost three weeks that I first arrived in Reykjavík, and I'll leave in two days' time to continue my journey. Looking back at the time spent in Iceland, I must say...

I enjoyed a great day trip to the nearby Vestmannaeyjar archipelago, just off the South coast. The weather was cold and windy, but still beautiful. Just look at the special...

The "Golden Circle" is the most popular tourist route in southern Iceland covering approx. 300 km and offering a variety of nature highlights all around. Although the pictures...

I enjoyed a surprisingly pleasant afternoon after the morning had been rather frustrating and annoying. After the cow barn and the shit shoveling, we had to drive home the...

Maybe I was just damn lucky, or I was being unnecessarily paranoid. I don't know, I still can't really judge the situation properly. In fact, I've been cursing my naivety for...

Today I became one of those damn annoying and slightly embarrassing tourists that populate Iceland. It seems that there are two groups of tourists. In fact, most of them are...

Yesterday I borrowed the car to explore some secret nature highlights in the neighborhood. Gudny Halla was so kind as to give me directions on how to get there. My first stop...