You might notice some differences visiting our page this time… We upgraded the layout and brought it up to speed with latest web technology *smiley cool*
Enjoy reading our site on your computer, mobile or any other type of device – the content, images and handling is now flexible to adapt to it!
Experience any issue? Please leave us a comment below…
Skaftafell, Iceland
Note: It has been quite a while…we are already back, left the tent behind and enjoy the memories. However for our dear followers we of course want to complete our Iceland adventure here *smiley smiling*
Leaving the Thankgil campsite behind, after a very nice and – thanks to the sun – warm breakfast, we made our way back to the ring road.
Our motor still protestet various times on the way, but we decided to worry about it, when it wouldn’t start at all anymore. If everything goes wrong, we just put up the tent next to the car and wait for “the guy” from the car rental to come and fix the issue *smiley winking*
Iris has seen some pictures on Pinterest when looking about destinations in Iceland, we want to visit – and the Fjadrargljufur canyon was one of them…
Simply an amazing piece of art – carved out by a river over thousands of years *smiley smiling*
And the best of it…
Vik, Iceland
Iceland has not too many summer months but it has plenty of water and beautiful waterfalls. Even such waterfalls you can walk behind. Which we did of course, but only with rain gear *smiley laughing* . It is amazing how much water is thundering down the cliffs…
Of course, lunch is always where you get hungry. And most of the times, there is a very nice scenery around, of course always in the “table at the window” – even if there is no window *smiley winking*
As a surprise I told Thorsten to turn right at a little track in the middle of nowhere…
Þórsmörk, Iceland
After arrival in the middle of the night at the Keflavik airport (which is in desperate need for process improvement…) we got our little 4wheel drive and made it to our B&B – in full daylight! The famous white nights are really bright – 2am could easily be like 4pm on a cloudy day back home…
We stocked up with the essentials in Reykjavik: food supply and a tent. The guys from the outdoor equipment shop where we rented the tent were very helpful. Since we both cannot remember when we have built up a tent the last time, we were quickly taken to a playground with some grass around and were shown how this works. Looked easy *smiley smiling*
Since most of the highland roads are still closed – “This was the strongest winter since 50 years and the worst spring since then – the snow is only melting now” – we unfortunately could not go to Landmannalaugar which was the original plan. Therefore we picked Þórsmörk. Of course, it did not take long after leaving the city to meet the first Icelandic ponies! To reach Þórsmörk however, only two smaller rivers to cross on the 4wheel drive road and then the last hop across the deep river with a special truck/bus. Those little two rivers where 6 and some were not so little as expected / hoped…
Continue reading South Iceland (part 1): River crossings and hiking in Þórsmörk
Just recently we released a brand new and totally re-written version of the th23 User Management plugin for WordPress!
This plugin allows all user management activities like login, user profile, register, lost password, etc. to be done via the themed frontend of your website. Access for user groups to unstyled admin area can be restricted and wp-login.php can be disabled. Users will only see the nicely styled side of your page *smiley smiling*
The plugin is in action for all user handling on this page – so you can see it in action in the sidebar…
Find all details, examples/ screenshots and the optional Professional extension on the plugin page
th23 Media Library Extension
While the WordPress Media Library out of the box already caters for all basic needs for managing media items (especially pictures) for your blog or website, there were some “gaps” I ran into when using it…out of this the th23 Media Library Extension plugin developed.
The th23 Media Library Extension plugin…
Bagan, Myanmar
Bagan temple fields are really a highlight – over 2000 temples and pagodas – built in only 250 years starting approx. 1000 years ago…
We have chosen to get spoilt and to stay in a very nice hotel (Blue Bird in New Bagan) and to take our time to explore the 40 km2 by bicycle (no Mountainbike, just a local bike without gears – repair stations on the way and definitely needed). Two challenging factors: the temperature (39 degrees in the shade) but with mercyless sun and the unpaved “paths” between the two main roads leading to the hidden gems…
The pagodas and temples used to be painted in white (or with golden tops) with fine decoration. The last couple of hundred years have washed away the outside decoration in most cases – whats left is the red brick stone which is now the dominating color.
Continue reading Bagan – Exploring thousands of Pagodas and temples with bicycle
Amarapura, Myanmar
Next day we made a tour to Sagain – with a sweaty climb up the Sagain Hill, Inwa – with a „Karren, der im Dreck steckenblieb“ and Amarapura – with an >160 years old and 1,2km long teak wood bridge…
Sagain Hill is spiked with pagodas and temples – countless. The way up (must be more than 1000 steps) was quite a workout – on the top we had a cup of tea in a questionable clean cup (no, there was no side effect) on a terrace with very nice view on shaky sticks… When checking out the temples we found a quite good artist up there as well and we supported the local art scene with a bit of extra revenue. Also quite interesting in the temple the big rabbit next to the Buddha – he used to be a rabbit in a former life!
Inwa used to be a capital of the kingdom, but now is a farmer village with some day tourism and not a lot of paved roads.
Kuthodaw Pagoda, Myanmar
99 Pagodas already on the way from the airport in Mandalay to the city center… wow…
After arrival we thought we walk to the first temple and/or pagoda but after half an hour we were so wet (even with rain gear) that we ended up in a café to think about plan B (other than walking or bicycle)…
Next day we got a car to make a not too wet pagoda / temple tour through Mandalay (plus some shopping: umbrella and gold leaf sheets)… We visited a monastery (Shwedandaw), a former part of the emperor palace. As King Mindon passed away in that wooden hall, his son placed it outside the palace walls and due to the bombs in WWII and the fire it is the only remaining piece of the royal palace. Old, dark teak wood with wonderful wood carvings, covered with gold leaves… Beautiful!
Close by the Kuthodaw Pagoda has the text of the Buddhist “bible” (the tipika) carved in > 700 stone plates – for each a little Pagoda built.
Continue reading Wet start in Mandalay / 99 Pagodas on the way to Mandalay
Cap Malheureux, Mauritius
Das Auge des Zyklons ist recht gut an uns vorbei gezogen (La Reunion ist auch zumindest einigermaßen glimpflich davon gekommen). Die Ausläufer haben uns aber ganz gut das Wetter vermasselt – und auch das Meer gut aufgewühlt, weshalb die Sicht sehr schlecht war und wir deswegen diesmal leider auf das Tauchen verzichtet haben (es wäre sowieso nur noch ein Tag möglich gewesen…). Immerhin kann man Bodysurfing machen, was nicht oft geht auf Mauritius, normalerweise ist die Lagune ganz ruhig… richtige Wellen direkt am Strand sind eher eine Seltenheit, so war die gesamte Dorfjugend am Strand – und Thorsten mit großem Eifer dabei und kaum mehr aus dem Wasser zu kriegen… Ich habe meinen Klumpfuß in den Schatten gelegt. Übrigens Vorsicht vor gelben Riesenwespen auf Mauritius, die sind alles andere als harmlos, die Locals können ein Lied davon singen… nach dem kleinen Missgeschick mit einer dieser Wespen an der Wade vom Neujahrstag, konnte ich immerhin am 5.1. wieder halbwegs ordentlich laufen (zum Glück kann man überall mit dem Roller hinfahren). Aber man kommt ganz gut ins Gespräch mit den Locals im Cafe und jeder hatte seine Wespen Erfahrungen beizutragen (Spannweite von Arm 5 Tage in ner Schlinge bis zu 10 Tage Krankenhaus, weil man gleich mehrfach erwischt wurde…).
Da das Tauchen also nichts wurde, taten wir uns mehr auf dem Land um (der Roller hatte nach der Woche 400km mehr auf dem Tacho).