Vlad Bronxi's Travel Blog

I guess you could say I’m a bit crazy 23.222 km on aircraft + 1026km by car for: Rammstein concert Three days of heli skiing (This is more than 1/2 time around the world - The circumference of Earth at the …

Went to “The Peak”. Been there before in 2008 – but this time there were soooo many people we didn’t take the famous “peak tram” but just an uber Nice views, again we tried and see the Laser-Show, but didn’t …

Off we are for destination HongKong! traveling in attendance of the crew as back in 2013 to Shanghai – which is very cool! Staying at Renaissance Hong Kong Harbour View Hotel http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/hkghv-renaissance-hong-kong-harbour-view-hotel/ Very nice location and hotel. Dinner with the …

So, after a few days of waiting we are going for our Summit Push tomorrow (11.05.2017). Don’t have an exact Summit day yet (maybe between 16th and 20th of May) as we need to check the weather in a few …

After finishing the rotation we spend one more day here at ABC (approx. 6380m). We are still waiting for a final schedule as the CTMA (China Tibet Mountain Association) is still discussing about who is fixing the ropes for the …

all ok Tent only broke “a little bit” during the strong winds during this night – one rod and a hole in the fore-tent. After the tent broke I actually slept better (what else could happen?) Didn’t really capture on …

4 hours and 58m – below the limit from Russel Brice from the series „Everest – Beyond the Limit“ – Yippi! It was a tough hike/climb. Not so much technically but very exhausting. One issue is, that I don’t have …

Yesterday and today we made our way to ABC (with one night at Intermediate Camp). I’ve done better videos than this one – but you should get an idea how it looks like. Garmin route to intermediate Camp (battery empty …

see how our dome is build… (uploading this with the internet connection of 5170m was not easy!!!) This is how Tibet Basecamp looks on 21.04 (now everyone should have arrived). Not too crowded at all!

Today we had our Puja. A Lama (priest) came to our camp and Sherpas and clients were receiving blessings. As anyone who knows me understands that I’m not that much into religion, this was actually a very nice ceremony! (And …

Today we arrived at Everest Base Camp (China). We are one of the first and it is quite empty so far. We arrived before our gear so we and our Sherpa’s had to wait a bit. Our Sherpas are so …

Traveling to Xigatse today… VERY slow… 8 hours for 250km… driver only going 40km/h – apparently as there is a speed limit enforced by section control. hard to believe as EVERYONE was passing us…. continuing our acclimatization

Today we finally arrived in Lhasa. Only approximately 19 hours later than scheduled – new record for me in regards to flight delays, hope this one stands forever. On the maps below you can see the distance between Lhasa and …

Visiting several sites including: Swayambhu (स्वयम्भू) aka Monkey Temple Boudha Stupa Garden of Dreams Kathmandu Durbar Square Budhanilkantha Temple nice day – but enough temples now    

25 degree C and the sun is shining !!!! I’m really feeling great about this group. Such experienced people around me –   makes me feel save. Also Andy Holzer is really inspirational: https://andyholzer.com/de/ https://andyholzer.com/everest2017/ Lukas (tour operator) is making …

  Training a lot on „Summit Trainer“: https://www.lifefitness.com/facility/products/integrity-series/summit-trainer Once had the opportunity to train on a stepmill (https://www.amazon.com/StairMaster-Stepmill-7000-PT/dp/B000NZKXNG) – really good! (500 floors) – unfortunately the gym near work „only“ has a summit trainer.   19 out of 28 days …

Day 1: technical training with Alex Bluemel (http://www.bergbluemel.at/Uber_mich.html) (fixed rope, crampons, ice screws, rock-tunnel, etc…)   Day 2: Wildspitze (3768m) via east-ridge (Jubilaeumsgrat). What a fantastic day! Really enjoyed it – Thanks to Alex – a really great guide!!!!

A relaxed place. Even though it is supposed to be the high season, there are not too many tourists here. I have a better feeling about this place here than Ambergris cay on Belize. Diving is ok, but not mind …

Brian invited me to join an MMA (mixed martial arts) event in Ocotal. We hired a van (15 persons) in Managua and took many of the fighters up to Ocotal. Also in our van: special guest two time world champion …

The first impression was really good. The climate is just so much better as Austria/Germany at the moment However, I soon discovered that many of the restaurants in the centre where made for tourism (especially for US). By far not …

What should I say. It was great again. Difficult to explain – just join me next time. Enjoy the video and the pics.

just WOW…. just watch the video. and NO – sharks are not the dangerous beasts everyone think they are, even though there are a few incidents with snorkelers and surfers who just seem like perfect food. And then it’s only …

What a fantastic week. Really feeling sad to leave Dubai as it blew all my expectations. Especially thanks to Youssef which showed us things other tourist are not able to see. It was a fully packed week with lots of …

Ok, getting up at 5:45am after the Stones Gig yesterday in Abu Dhabi was a bit difficult (back at the hotel at 2am) – but it was worth it. My driver picked me up at 6:30 and we drove to …

A relaxing afternoon at the beach. We had the beach, beer, the ocean, a shisha… The water was a bit cold though… Youssef  showed us a small little restaurant which is famous for seafood. Youssef knows the owner and this …

A relaxing day without too much on the agenda. Started with visiting the Dubai mall for some shopping (well for me: eating). We chose to go not for a “healthy, fat reduced burger chain” but instead went to “FAT BURGER”. …

Martin and I played a nice round of golf at the Emirates Golf Club. Really nice course and the skyscrapers in the background gave the course (layed out by Nick Faldo) a realyl nice touch. We both played a horrible …

We drove to Abu Dhabi as Youseff mentioned Friday (when we are there for the Stones gig) is not a good day to visit. We visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the Emirates Palace Nice buildings! I’m not so …

Nice walk through the Dubai Marina (a place we were staying nearly every night for the next week – best area in dubai!) and “The Walk”. Went to the Mall of Emirates to get a local SIM card and visit …

A Water town approx. 1.5 hours outside of Shanghai. Totally differnt world!

we had a great time …. Pictures? deleted….

It started off very well. I got upgraded to First Class on my flight to Shanghai and this was a very nice experience. Loads of Wine, caviar, fantastic food – and a bed. I slept really well! The captain was …

Quiet little town with even more churches – was nice and relaxing – especially as I decided not to stay in the hostel from the tour but in a nice hotel with banya (russian sauna) attached. Really relaxing!!!  

Now we are in Irkutsk or more precise in Listvyanka at lake baikal. Much more interesting than Ulan Ude. What a lake! Lake Baikal is the most voluminous freshwater lake in the world, containing roughly 20% of the world’s unfrozen …

was really nice! And it didn’t seem that there are too many tourists coming through and the camels are being used “normally” as well – and well taken care of.

On the first evening in UB we also went to a show/performance with music (traditional Mongolian throat singing) dance and  Contortionist (“Schlangenmensch”). Was really VERY interesting. With some of their music they could have a show on a heavy metal …

On our way to Mongolia we had one day in Hohhot – Inner Mongolia (still china!). Not much to see in the town (a few pictures show mosques and more temples and a park… etc.) – nothing special – so …

That has been the most impressive sight since a long time. Really impressive. And we went to the good part of the wall which is not crowded like the Octoberfest! (I have seen some pictures with so many chinese people …

Miyeon showing me Korea. Thanks so much. The food was so good – I will never forget that Korean BBQ – delicious and a lot of food! Then a good night out with beers and soju and after a “hangover …

After just having a beer and a Shisha the day I arrived (still hangover from Tokyo) today I went sightseeing in a quite efficient way: -Namchang Market – N Seoul Tower – Gyeongbokgung     Palace – Bukchon Umgebung – really …

I never imagined that Sumo ringers train that hard. Absolutely stunning. Check the Video! This one guy was going so far beyond his limit – I really thought he will die just now! I have much more respect of that …

Japans highest Mountain. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Fuji What a nice hike. The view was nearly a bit like Chimborazo as there is no other mountain near with similar hight (nr. 35 of mountains sorted by prominence http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_peaks_by_prominence) Got up at 3am in the …

Temples, Temples, Temples … was nice again – but seen enough temples now Has been a nice day (very hot again) – and the traditional clothes were interesting to see. But soooo many people … Apparently it was “Obon” where …

Hmmm… What’s there to see in Manila? Couldn’t find anything… just another big city… (but I needed some time to “really” do nothing again…)

While in Boracay I was thinking what other islands I should visit. Unfortunately I already decided that there isn’t enough time for “Palau” and “Chuuck” (diving) so I was deciding in between Palawan and Cebu… I chose Cebu for diving. …

Last day in HCMC/Saigon. Started of with sleeping in (didn’t sleep well the last 3 nights in Phu Quoc and Can Tho because of Waves/boat-noise) – Then a Shisha, then to the Saigon Skydeck on the 49th floor of the …

5.00am start!!!! How stupid am I? This is supposed to be vacation! But the reason was to see the sunrise on the Mekong and also the floating market which is much bigger than yesterday. We didn’t see a sunrise (or …

… views from Henry’s flat … nice … Henry showed me many places. Really cool. Great nightlife with many bars with live-music (the first one we went to featured a kind of Vietnamese Heavy Metal band – how cool is …

Henry was so kind to let me have his scooter for the day (and following days) – Thanks so much How much fun it is to drive through Saigon with a scooter – unbelievable. Initially it looks crazy – but …

Due to taking a plane instead of the bus I had one extra day in Siem Reap. As I had enough of temples I decided to visit a silk farm. The showed the whole process from the little worm to …

Interesting country/city with different architecture. I liked the houses like the palace and so. Did some sightseeing with Temples, Royal Palace, Wat Phnom, Prison S-21, Killing Fields an more. There are two main things I take from my visit: 1- …

Just 2 days Singapore – but that’s also sufficient. It’s a city in the end The first evening started with a really good food. My hotel was in the center of Chinatown and I had some really spicy but delicious …

Today Jeremy (the other divemaster candidate) and I hired a car + driver and covered A LOT of attractions of the Island: We first stopped at the water temple of Taman Ayun – where we where still discussing whether it …

On Bali now until the 5th of July for -EFR Course – Rescue Course – Divemaster Course relaxing – no tours – no pictures …   next update to expect in July   UPDATE: See Video! http://www.bronxi.de/blog/?page_id=2889  

On day 2 I went to different sites and also went to one of the “free ranger activities” where they explained even more about the land and the people. Again very interesting – which is a bit uncommon for me …

Not much to tell about – not a “must see attraction in Australia” (stayed there just one night to wait for the plane back to Darwin). The only noticeable thing: So far the UGLIEST lighthouse I have ever seen Ah, …

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purnululu_National_Park (Purnululu National Park National Park) Just… WOW… Really interesting mountain range. First the sunset with champaign and Didgeridoo (even I played and apparently not that bad for the first time!). Next day a bit of … well … hiking …

nice little boat ride … enjoy the pics… At that point I realized that the average age on that train is probably >60 … Met Karen though – which was a really nice company until late evening in Darwin Thanks …

Today combine biking with hiking. Went up Mount Gillen which was originally planned for the first day in Alice Springs – this time with perfect weather (compared to just rain on the day we arrived). Rented a bicycle again to …

A bit of cycling today (approx. 60km). Really nice and relaxing. Then some history on Alice Springs at Telegraph hill – very interesting!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kings_Canyon_%28Northern_Territory%29 6:00am hotel pick-up… but worth it! just enjoy the pics – can you spot the rabbit? Unfortunately again one of these things that can’t really be captured on a photograph. Impossible to capture the real feeling…

After a really cool night out the day before where Elena and I met some nice locals I gladly accepted the invitation from Tom to go to the MCG stadium for a game of AFL (Richmond vs. Melbourne). The stadium …

Another stroll through Sydney and a close-up of the Opera-House. Then Lunch at the 360 Restaurant at the Sydney Tower. Nice Views, right?  

Sydney… hmm. what’s there to add? Did the “Free Walking tour” – which I really like (did this couple of times now) – a good way to see the sights of a city… http://www.imfree.com.au/

Wine tasting tour through “Mount Tamborine” area… made it to 6 wineries! Tour in Google maps: View Larger Map

For the next 16 days I’m traveling with Elena – who I know from Buenos Aires (but she is American – was just in B.A. for a couple of months…) Today: Frasier Island with a 4×4 – that was fun …

http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/great-walks-whitsunday/ Ok, so Aussies are as slow as Kiwi’s with hiking — suggesting 3 days for a (flat) 30km walk… what are they going to do if they visit the Alps???? So I made it a bit more challenging and …

Airlie Beach… cute little town …

Magnetic Island by Bike. Many really nice beaches on a hot day. 44km… Can’t remember all the beaches/bays http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/200523734

Drove from Cairns to Port Douglas to meet up with Gary (from the diving). We went to the Daintree forest but then decided instead of going further into the forest we rather turn around and play golf on one of …

3 Days diving on the Great Barrier Reef. Can’t keep up with Galapagos – but the corals were really great! 9 dives in 3 days – with Dive No. 57 now. Second best dive experience so far The low altitude …

Similar to 3 days ago, I wanted to do nothing. Again it didn’t work out – the weather was just too good. I thought I might have trouble walking after the hike/run yesterday but as it wasn’t so bad I …

Rented the car today in order to do the Routeburn Track tomorrow. Just drove around without any plan – and found a beautiful lake… Really EVERYWHERE it’s beautiful ! I like this country…  

just a night here – haven’t seen that much. Wanted to see what the Earthquake did to the city, but wasn’t really able to (arrived late yesterday evening, and taking the bus at 9am today to Queenstown). One interesting story …

Hanmer Springs is famous for their hot-springs. But I said I need to earn the right for that first (including sauna). So I hiked up Mt Isobel. http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/canterbury/north-canterbury-and-arthurs-pass/hanmer-forest-park-tramping-tracks/ As I thought the proposed 5-6 hours are more like 3 for …

Well, quite nice. Mentioned in every tourist brochure of NZ. But not that special https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Te_Waikoropup%C5%AB_Springs

So now for some horseback riding on the beach. This time it was finally more what I wanted – it was more like 2 hours “lessons” on horseback riding compared to other tourist attractions where you just sit on the …

I did finally sleep a bit longer after quite a long drive yesterday and got into the I-Sight center to ask what I could do (like a “Fremdenverkehrsbüro” in Austria). The guy was really helpful – took I think an …

Well, the Wellington visit had to be cut short. I planned to stay there for 3 days, but after having such a great time with Trev I just stayed here for one night before catching the ferry to the south …

While Trev had to fly to a business meeting to Auckland his sister, her two daughters and I went on a tour around Napier. First we went up to Te Mata Peak – really nice views. Then just had a …

Today I was scheduled to drive down to Palmerston north to visit Trev (see earlier posts). But after reading that 9 hole green fee is only 15NZD (about 9.50EUR) I just had to get up early to play golf first …

http://www.tongarirocrossing.org.nz/ First hiking in NZ. Probably the most common hike on the north island. Also famous for Mt. Ngauruhoe = Mount DOOM!!! (LOTR) They claim it is 8 hours for the crossing (crossing was closed so you had to walk …

Ok, Yesterday I decided to leave Rotorua earlier as the forecast showed more rain, so I booked the Waitomo Caves (next blog entry) for 2pm. With a 2 hour drive I still had time to do some walking in the …

I was signed up to do some Kayaking (tandem) on a class V river. I was a not very happy in the morning as it was raining and quite cold. However when I arrived the sun came out and it …

Today Hobbiton – the original movie set of LOTR and “The Hobbit”. I did like the additional info the tour gave. For example that the actors actually drank BEER while filming! (only 1% alc. but still!) – apparently in order …

Today I picked up the camper-van and started my journey through NZ. Just the driving was such a great experience (2900km in total at the end!) – I absolutely loved it.

Well, actually that day didn’t exist for me due to crossing the international dateline! But the flight to Auckland was really cool (Business Class). A Kiwi sitting next to me (Trev) and I were chatting and drinking nearly the whole …

Visited Pearl Harbor with Lissy. I mean it is a must do in Hawaii, right? Was actually really interesting to get a bit history on my trip. The aviation museum was really interesting (well, I was more reminded of “Battlefield …

Today I finally went diving in Hawaii. 2 dives and 3 Wrecks, quite effective At some point there should be a video about it at the video section. Getting up at 7am… what a vacation…. After the dive I went …

what a nice (again private) golf course! One of the members: Clint Eastwood – so you might get an idea of how exclusive this one was… Giant jacuzzi and sauna (and of course many beers) afterwards. Life is sooooo good …

Hiking with Scott. Thanks for everything Then to the beach – then to the bar

After fishing – playing golf! Nice course. http://www.hiltonwaikoloavillage.com/resort_activities/kings_course.cfm After that a couple of Mai Thais at the Hilton…

Big Island!!! Yippi. So different. We took an early 8am flight to Kona. We met with Tim for a breakfast at “Taco del Mar” and then did a fantastic road trip. We drove by Mauna Kea to Hilo. There we …

Hiking with Ted and Ulf. A very hidden track around the ridge near his house. Not just did we have nice views but we were also the only ones as this is a track only locals know of. Thanks Ted …

Beer Cruise (or Booze Cruise) Going for the sunset on a catamaran – with “all you can drink” – what a fantastic idea

Ted invited us to play golf on the course he is member of (private). A bit difficult (holds the Sony Open in Hawaii) but what a fun day! My score wasn’t that great – but at least I had many …

Nice welcome at Ted’s house. What a great house… Jumped into the jacuzzi right away Thanks Ted! And some shopping the next day.  

It could have been a really nice day – but the guides of that tour just rushed everything. The normal canopy isn’t really dangerous, but they had a “special surprise” where you go down really steep and cannot break yourself. …