Lakes

> After the Toyota dealer we drove into some lovely lake country. In the back is the Terawera volcano that blew in the late 1800s.

Rotorua

This is the biggest tourist attraction on the North Island – a big crater lake surrounded by steaming hotsprings, geysers and theme park activities. We are in a cheap ($55 for two) backpackers’ hostel, which is borderline even by my minimal standards. Since we are also too cheap to pay $30 to see a geyser…

>Today’s hostel in Waitomo

> Here is the view from our window. I think the bus is from the company that does hop-on hop-off tours of the major attractions in the country. Backpackers get passes and stay as long as they want at each place on the route. I have to get used to taking a few representative and…

>Finally – Report from New Zealand

>We have left my brother's place just north of Auckland after 4 days visiting around there. New Zealand is a very civilized country – people speak English, the weather is pleasant, no volcanoes are expected to erupt in the next few weeks, and I am told there are no poisonous critters to be found. So,…

Prague hostels

People ask me about the hostels where I usually stay in my travels, thinking that they are full of bunks, backpackers and bedbugs. Rather, a “hostel” typically has some dorm rooms as well as other single or double rooms with/without private baths. The prices tend to be per person, no matter how many beds there…

Language adventures

Czech is a difficult language of very limited usefulness. Even so I feel a bit guilty about my lack of effort. I just take the role of accessory to my husband and have not made much attempt to learn it. This brings me to last night, standing in the cold crisp dark evening locked outside…