www.youtube.com/watch?v=0o4E-Ie_j_k

You may have heard of a geysir before, but what you are about to see is the original Geysir.  Of course, that is not what you will see erupt.  These eruptions are from Geysir’s neighbor, Strokkur, and, in the geothermically active valley of Haukadalur, there is so much steam and scalding hot water, you won’t know what to do with yourself.

Side note -- Also featured is Litle Geysir.  Will this boiling pit of furry one day reclaim the big Geysir’s thrown and overthrow Strokkur as the king of Haukadalur Valley?!?! Only time will tell.  Until then, Strokkur explodes every few minutes.

Cantina Laredo in Covent Garden

Warning: This is not a typical Mexican Food Tour post.  After reading over my notes from our dinner and remembering our experience fondly, I did a little research and fact checking via good ole Google.  (I learned my lesson after the San Miguel fiasco!) While browsing, I stumbled across several reviews that I would say did not reflect my experience at all.  Was it timing, an off night, or were the bad reviews a direct result of not enough Tex-Mex experience by the writer?  Because of these new found theories and questions, I have separated this post into two parts.  The first part is my unbiased review before I discovered differing opinions-  simply how we felt about the food, service and experience.  The second part disects what made our reviews so different than the others, and, by figuring that out, if we can better understand how different cultures process food.

Part One: June 26, 2010

I had been looking forward to returning to London for the last six years.  Actually, the night after I returned home from my London study abroad semester, the dreams started.  I was constantly daydreaming of riding the tube, walking around gardens, shopping in markets and eating at Wagamama.  Yes, you read that right, Wagamama.  This chain restaurant that was all over the city was my favorite eatery in all of London.  Now, I know there are hundreds of fantastic, unique, award winning chefs creating delicious foods that destroy the age old saying that English food tastes poor, but, even knowing all of that, I still wanted to eat Wagamama (morning, noon and night).

So you can imagine the torture I mentally endured when searching out a Mexican restaurant for our Global Taco Hunt.  You all know I LOVE tacos, but was my love strong enough to miss out on one of the noodle creations from Wagamama? Ultimately, yes, it is stronger!

We were lucky enough to walk down a little street in Covent Garden and find Cantina Laredo.  The “gourmet” restaurant had only been open a week when I walked up to glass doors to see their hours and menu.  I was shocked- in the best way possible- to find that the prices were pretty reasonable. After studying the menu for a few seconds, my eyes spotted gold- queso dip gold to be exact! They had queso!  Done, we were sold. Seeming too good to be true,I even took a few looks around: “Were we still in London?” Yes. “Was someone hiding around a bush for a hidden camera show about dumb Americans and their Mexican food addiction?” No.  We decided to come back for dinner to check out what this cantina had to offer.

Right when we sat down they had two bowls of chips and two different types of salsa.  Both of the fresh salsas were pretty tasty and would have held us over fine, but we were only going to be satisfied with dipping our chips in the queso.  (We had thought about it all day; Bob even whispered queso in my ear as we were standing watching Mac Beth at the Globe.)

The food was pretty good- nothing amazing or untasted before, but a solid performance on everything that we ordered.  I ordered the shrimp tacos and the shrimp were cooked almost perfectly and seasoned really well, too.  I normally don’t eat rice with my tacos, but I felt that this rice complimented my shrimp very well. And really, once you dip a taco in queso, I think almost any filling would taste awesome!

Bob specifically remembers the meat in his tacos being very well seasoned and tender, while the guacamole had huge chunks of avocado and lime. The waitress mixed up the guacamole table side and talked about her first week working at the new restuarant.  When she was done, we had a big bowl of guac that was perfect once I mixed in a little of the hot salsa.

Rob had a margarita and Bob and I ordered beers.  Rob said his margarita was limey and strong enough to taste every little drop of alcohol, which he preferred over cheaper “sweet and sour mix” drinks.

We were having a really good time and pretty happy with our choice for dinner.  One of the managers came over and asked us how everything was and we raved, you could tell he was excited.  He brought over his two business partners, who informed us of their plans for the restaurant and how excited they were to finally   get it open. We didn’t know that it was American chain restaurant until we already met the owners, but wouldn’t have had a hard time guessing given the menu.

We were given the Mexican Apple Pie, courtsey of the house, and it too was really good.  Cantina Laredo was everything I would expect from a Tex Mex establishment with the shining star on their service.  We left the restaurant happy and with bellies full.

Part Two: August 26, 2010

After spending a little time on Google, I found a review from The Independent, a newspaper in the UK, and was shocked.  The food critic absolutely hated everything about the place.

I found myself re-reading it several times to make sure it was even the same place.  I checked the date the article was written, July 24, 2010, exactly one month after we had dined.  Could the food and service have gone down that much in such a short amount of time?

Some of what this critic wrote, I agreed with.  First off, it wasn’t really a gourmet restaurant, but being that it is a chain restaurant from America, I understood that the intention of the menu was to be more of an authentic-ish version of Mexican food instead of the real deal south of the border cuisine.  Secondly, The reviewer stated that the restaurant was located in a “border country patrolled by hungry travellers who have journeyed many miles by bridge and by tunnel in search of sustenance”.  Again, I’d have to agree with her.  Located in Covent Garden near Lichester Square, this area is tourist rich and perfect for pre- and post- theatre meals.  In fact, we were desperately in search of food when we first stumbled upon it- Wagamama’s opens for lunch at noon (it was only 11am) and, had it been open, we would have never come across Cantina Laredo.

On all other accounts, I’d have to disagree with The Independent’s review and many others that seemed to echo its sentiments.  We really enjoyed our food and margaritas, had excellent customer service and felt that the prices were pretty reasonable, comparatively (being that we were in London on vacation).

Hollow Legs, a 20-something UK food blogger, hated the place, too. After reading her review, I think one of her commenters brought up an interesting point.  He said “we shouldn’t expect too much from Mexican food in the UK because there aren’t enough Mexicans here”.

Was that it?  Had Londoners not been exposed to true Tex-Mex before?

Looking up responses to Cantina Loredo’s US restautants, I found the chain to be highly recommended and well reviewed. Which leads me to the question, is Tex-Mex a uniquely American taste?  What I like most of all isn’t traditional Mexican food, it’s a fusion of Mexican staples with a strong American influence.  The flavors are something close to country chili combined with the peppers and seasonings of Mexico.  Having traveled the world sampling tacos and burritos, I have tasted a wide range of mexican food creations, but rarely have I found it to be the exact flavor that I’m used to finding everywhere here in the US.  That’s not a bad thing either, it’s just different from American Tacos.

Now, by no means am I justifying bad food- it definitely exists (even bad Tex- Mex).  I’m just saying that maybe there is a palatte for that type of food that is an acquired taste.  It’s almost like the people who go to Italy and don’t like the pizza- it’s a TOTALLY different taste than any pizza anywhere else.

What do you think?  Have you been to Cantina Laredo (in London or the US)? Do you think there are different palattes for different parts of the world? Or, that I’m over thinking the whole taco debate ,and maybe their food and experience at Cantina Laredo was just that awful?

Now, like I mentioned, everyone we spoke to loved their time in Cinque Terre, but no one seemed to be able to describe how to actually do the hike through all five villages.  In fact, all the advice we could get was that there is indeed a trail that lead between all five villages, and no matter where you stay, you can do the hike.  We booked a room in Riomaggiore, so here we are going to outline our tips and trials so anyone else wanting to hike through all five villages can be prepared.

You will Need: Cinque Terre Card (park admission), Shoes & Socks, Sunscreen, Cash (for food), Water (can be purchased along the way)

Optional: Bug Spray, Bandages

Difficulty: 4

Now, there is a train through all five villages that runs on a regular basis, but by far the best way to see the Italian countryside is by hiking.  We suggest hiking the length of the trail, and then taking the inexpensive train back to which ever town you are staying in.

Note: There are only lockers in a few of the villages, so make sure you keep your valuables safe inside your hotel or hostel.

It’s a 4 to 5 hour hike from one end of Cinque Terre to the other (factoring in a lunch break), with each stretch having it’s own unique feel and challenges.  Before you enter the park, you will need a Cinque Terre Card, which can be purchased at a booth at the entrance to the hiking trail just outside of any of the towns.  This is just an admission ticket into the park (consider the 2 day pass as it is cheaper than two 1 days and allows for a second day of hiking – probably shorter).  You will need to pay in cash, so be prepared.  If you are not immediately stopped by a entrance shack, don’t worry, there will be a booth up ahead the way, and no one is trolling the paths looking for people without tickets (this isn’t the NYC subway).  With the ticket you will receive a map of the trail.  It is important to note that several trails veer off of the main trail.  While it is not too difficult to stay on the trail, remember to look for the Cinque Terre trail sign, a bar of red and white (pictured above).

We started in the most southern town, Riomaggiore.

Tip 1: Start Early

Riomaggiore to Manarolo: (20-30 mins) This section of the Cinque Terre hike is titled “The Lover’s Walk”.  It is an easy 30 minute walk on a consistently paved surface that wraps around the coast line.  All along the way there are walkways or rocks to climb for a dip in the Sea.  Both Riomaggiore and Manarolo have easy access to swimming, and if cooling off is in order, better do it here before you get up into the hills coming ahead. On this trail you will also see locks hung along the railings, posts, wire, and anywhere a lock can be locked.  These are symbols of love, and an easy way to score points if your wife/girlfriend/boyfriend/lover didn’t find this post.

Note: Though we would suggest starting early, this walk provides the best views for the Sunset, and is worth a late night stroll.

Tip 2: Apply Sunscreen

Manarolo to Corniglia: (1 – 1 1/2 hours) Again this is a pretty easy hike, their are some unpaved portions here, but the terrain is fairly level.  Besides the stunning views, a high point for me was the swigging bridge along this section of the path (fun!).  It’s not until the very end of this leg that the hike turns into a traversing staircase climbing high up onto the tops of the hill and to the town of Corniglia; this is a harbinger of the two legs ahead.

Note: If you are traveling with children (younger than 10), these two prior legs are by far the easiest and will be enjoyable to walk with them.  The following two legs are much more strenuous, and might be difficult for families.

Tip 3: Pace Yourself

Corniglia to Vernazza: (1 – 1 1/2 hours) This is where having shoes comes in handy.  The majority of this stretch is traversing the hills between the two towns and is well removed from the seaside.  Overall the walk is more tiring than strenuous with unpaved and uneven terrain. Coming down on the other side, Vernazza is located right on the seashore.  There is easy access to the water which makes this a great place to cool off before launching into the last leg of the trip, which is very similar to this portion only longer.  As you hike into Vernazza, looking off down the coast, you can see Monterosso on the shore.  This will be an indicator of exactly how much of this trip is going to be up and down hills because it doesn’t look that far away.

Note: The view is beautiful leaving Corniglia, passing by fields of grapes, but if you brought it, make sure you apply the bug spray; there were quite a number of bees when we were on these last two sections.

Tip 5: Stay Hydrated

Vernazza to Monterosso: (2 hours) The last leg of the trip is very similar to the stretch from Corniglia, a lot of unpaved surfaces going up and down hills.  Apply sunscreen, bug spray, and thank yourself for wearing shoes (not sandals like we did).

Tip 6: Save enough money for a Gelato

When you reach the end of your trip whether you went North and ended in Monterosso or South to Riomaggiore, the train station is not too difficult to find. (It’s at the head of the trail in Riomaggiore, and, in Monterosso, just continue around to the far part of the town) Trains run on a fairly regular schedule, roughly once an hour, and the trip back takes less than 30 minutes.

Note: Each town has its own wine.  You can get a glass of any of the wines in every village, but it might be fun to sample it along the way.

Last tip: We felt really safe the entire time we were in Cinque Terre but it should be noted that there are pick pockets around the train stations, specially around Monterosso. As with traveling to any new city, be mindful of your surroundings and people getting to close to your belongings.

Have you hiked Cinque Terre?  What was the most challenging section for you?

My immediate impression after trying the “famous hotdogs” from BAJARINS BESTU in Reykjavik, was that they were pretty good but short of extra-ordinary.  I mean, they were hot dogs- plain and simple.  Then suddenly weeks later and thousands of miles away, thoughts of the lamb, pork and beef dog snapping as I bit into layers of remoulade, ketchup, mustard, raw onions, and crispy fried onions made my mouth salivate.  That’s right, I was struck with a hot dog craving, an Icelandic hot dog craving.

This sudden craving came out of nowhere!  I’ve never had a hot dog craving before…I have TACO cravings!  We rushed out to the supermarket, intent on recreating this famous Icelandic delicacy as best we could, to satisfy my tongues wanderlust and get things back on the Mexican track.  Incase you’ve never been to Iceland before- or have and know exactly what I’m talking about- here’s how you too can experience the famous dog without leaving your town!

Ingredients:

• Pack of Hot Dogs (any type) and Buns
• Ketchup
• Mustard (We choose a sweet and spicy mix)
• Remoulade or Mayo
• 1 White Onion
• 1 bag of Funyuns or another type of fried onions

Cooking Instructions:

Cook the hot dogs.  (At BAJARINS BESTU, they boil their dogs.) Then, cut the onion into small sections and set aside as topping. Personally, I prefer my dogs and onions grilled so I used a frying pan.

While the hot dogs are cooking, open up buns and spread a small amount of remoulade on each side.  (If you don’t have remoulade sauce, the mayo works just fine.) When the dogs are done, place inside the buns. Finally, layer lines of ketchup, mustard, and grilled onions on the dog and sprinkle the top with Funyuns.

That’s it!

It’s really very easy and you probably already have most of the ingredients in your house.  Let me know if you make them, and more importantly, if you enjoy them!

So, when Bob and I were trying to decide on which Nashville Mexican place to try- Cinco de Mayo sounded perfect.  I mean, it had to be great! It’s Cinco de Mayo, the day that has led to some of the greatest moments – partying with my friends, tequila shots, dancing around sombreros… Luckily, Cinco de Mayo the restaurant did not disappoint.

Right as we walked through the door, I got goosebumps reading the sign: TONIGHT’S SPECIAL- SHRIMP AND FISH TACOS.  Um, clearly they knew I was coming!

We were seated in a small booth near the back and quickly ordered two “monster” margaritas and two super sized large draft beers.  Both are HUGE, but with the margarita costing around 14 bucks, the draft beer is definitely a steal at only $5.25; you could get almost three of the beers for the price of that margarita… not like you’d be able to drink three of them (or need to).

We also ordered the queso fundido with our drinks and within seconds had two baskets of chips, two medium sized jars of salsa and our queso dip, all of which impressed me.  The salsa wasn’t too hot or too mild, just tasty enough to get me coming back for more, and the queso was pretty good too, tasting similar to Moe’s queso dip,which is not a bad thing.  I love Moe’s.

Our food came out sizzling and crackling.  Bob’s parents food was set down first- the fajitas for two, which really could have been called “fajitas for a large family”.  Bob ordered his favorite #16- Pollo Enquesado- which is grilled chicken strips on a bed of rice and covered in cheese.  He was in cheese heaven as it looked as if they had double layered the queso.

I didn’t disappoint, as I ordered the (drum roll, please)- the extra special shrimp tacos! The tacos were on corn tortillas, which I must admit I’m not a huge fan of, but, luckily, the shrimp were good, and the creamy pico salsa was even better.  They gave me a huge bowl of the pico salsa, and, though at first I thought it was way too much, Honey, I was licking the bowl before we left for the night. (That may also be because of my draft beer- but who really knows?!)

Cinco de Mayo has four locations around the Nashville area and can definitely satisfy whatever taco cravings you might have.

Do you live in Nashville and have tried Cinco de Mayo?  Do you know a better taco place?- Let me know!

(this post is not sponsored by Cinco de Mayo.  If it is sponsored by anyone, it would be Bob’s parents for paying the tab!)

I’ve canoed down this river several times, and this is the first time I’ve had a stow-away.  So, if you’re afraid of dogs, you don’t have to worry about Reb scaring you, but do make sure you pack the sunscreen.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAfCRCgMQsg

This is part of our On-The-Go Travel Doc Series, where videos are shot, edited, and uploaded all from mobile devices.  Click to find out more.

I’ll admit it- I didn’t research Mexican joints for Japan.  I know, I know, I let myself down, too.  Our search had been going so well that I figured we could just wing it.  WORST. DECISION. EVER.

We waited until our last night in Tokyo to have mexican food (as a little treat, you could say).  Our options were plenty… apparently Tokyo loves mexican food.  There were almost ten different places we could choose from and after several pain staking hours at our hostel in Mt. Fuji (we are always thinking tacos), we had narrowed it down.  First we went with reviews.  Then we went with the websites.  Ultimately though, we narrowed it down based on which locations would be open on the third Tuesday of the month.  Strange little fact about Tokyo- some stores close on the third Tuesday of every month.  Why?  I still have no idea, but no one likes to serve food on that day.

In the end, we decided on the best reviewed mexican place that would be open and whose prices seemed reasonable.  That left us with one choice: Cantina la Fiesta near the Ginza District.

“Cantina La Fiesta serves first-rate Mexican food made purely from high quality ingredients and no manufactured flavorings. The restaurant’s mole poblano chocolate sauce boasts four kinds of nuts and seven kinds of spices. Simmered for three days and served with chicken, the spicy sauce is perfectly matched with Mexican rice.” -Time Out Tokyo

Walking through the doors, it felt like we stepped onto a movie set for “mexican restaurant”; it had paintings on the walls, sombreros hanging from the ceiling and a stain glass Mother Teresa window pane.  Luckily for us, the food didn’t taste like props and we had a good time trying the nachos, burritos and tacos.

They quickly brought a small basket of chips and salsa to which we ordered some premium adult beverages.  The margaritas were definitely more sweet and sour mix than tequila and lime but they were tasty enough.  The draft beer was served in wine glasses, which was, well- odd. It was super cold though, and that (kind of) makes up it.

We didn’t have too difficult of a time placing our order, as we had already memorized the me

nu before we arrived. We decided on the nachos, a burrito and then their samplier taco plate to share between the three of us.  The nachos arrived first.  I must admit- they were delicious, but the plate was the size of a side salad plate, which was a little strange.  The chips were unlike any chips I had ever experienced before.  They almost tasted like buttered popcorn, which sounds bizarre, but, paired with the restaurant’s salsa and guacamole, they was pure heaven for my taste buds.

The burrito and tacos were set down at the same time and we all immediately looked at each other and knew what we had to do- order more food.  They use taco shells for their burritos and even smaller “street taco” sized shells for their tacos so it was like a mini burritos and tacos!  Even thought the portions were very small, the meat was very well seasoned and tasted like it had been roasting for hours.  The cheese and spicy salsa tasted pretty authentic and what I’m familiar with in Southern California.

My only complaint (which I’m sure you have already guessed and I blame on American serving standards) is the portion sizes were so small that we were still hungry after we ate all our food.  That should NEVER happen with Mexican food.  All in all though, we found a great little cantina with reasonable prices that is open on the third tuesday of the month.  If you happen to be in Tokyo, and you love Mexican food like we do, you should check it out!

What do you think?  Live in Tokyo and know a better choice or even another choice open every day of the week?  Let us know!

Disclaimer: I am not a food critic.  I am a lover of mexican food, drinks and attitude and want to share my finds with other Mexican food lovers.  I have been to Mexico a few times, but mainly make my expertise from eating tacos, burritos and nachos all over Southern California.  If you feel there is a Mexican place I NEED to try- let me know about it!

At first, Jade and I were excited to figure our own way to the Wall, and then it was just me, and now I would have to say, I don’t recommend this option.  Don’t get me wrong, The Mutianyu Great Wall was everything I had hoped the Great Wall to be, and I am infinitely glad we made it.  However, the manner in which we took the trip was super stressful and ultimately, like any tour we would have taken, we were a slave to timetables.  In case you do want to try taking the bus to Mutianyu Great Wall, here is the way we figured it out and some tips we had to learn the hard way.

You Will Need: Cash, a map with Mutianyu Great Wall translated in Chinese and English, and to ask for help

Difficulty: 7

1. The 936 Bus leaves from the outside of Dong Zhi Men Station. To get to the bus you must walk outside the station, head East on Dongzhimen Waida Street and

then take a Left to head North on Dongzhimen Outer Byway; you won’t have to cross any street to make this walk, but you will be crossing over bus entrances and exits to the DingZhiMen Station. Continue down  Dongzhimen Outer Byway until the bus station comes up on your Left.  You will be able to tell it’s the bus station and not the bus park b

ecause there will probably be other plain clothed people lining up.  When we were there, there was a blue and white two-story building on one side of the bus park.

• Arrive Early
• Don’t listen to the people saying they’ll take you there.  If you’ve come this far then you don’t want their tour.

2. Make sure you’re on the right 936. The day we were there, it was the second 936 stanchion, but ask the bus driver and the attendant (blue shirts) to make sure.

• To ask, have a map or something similar with the place name written in English and Chinese.
• Prepare to be laughed at.
• If you are at all hesitant to ask for help, turn back now.

3. The bus leaves on the Hour Probably.  There will be many other 936 buses, but they won’t take you to Mutianyu.

• I also read that this bus only leaves at 0700, 0800, and 0900.  Luckily we didn’t have to find out if this was true, but better safe than sorry.

4. You will be buying your ticket on the bus, after the journey has started. One-way tickets are roughly 16 CYN, and they will probably give you two tickets for the one-way journey.

• Bring Cash, in less than 100 CYN notes.

5. Grab as comfortable a seat as possible.

• Aisle is better for long legs.
• there was AC on our bus- both on the way there and on the return.

6. The ride is almost 2 hours, and your stop isn’t on the map. You are going to pass Hong Luo Si (the last stop on the bus’ map), though the bus will be stopping for roughly five minutes for a driver change at Hong Luo Si.  You might think you’re on the wrong bus or that you missed your stop, but if you asked the driver and the attendant, then you are on the right bus.  Calm down, nearly there.

• It is no use looking out the window for the Great Wall, but it will be there at the end.
• If you are panicked, look out the window for signs that read Mutianyu or for a symbol that looks like a house with a F sticking sideways out its left side with it’s forks towards the sky.

7. The bus will start going up hill and stop at the top. YAY! You arrived!

• Though this is the less touristy part of the wall, there is still a street of vendors and a Subway Sandwich Shop (of ‘Jared’ and ‘$5 Footlong’ fame).

8. Buses leave to return to Beijing roughly on the hour, from the same drop off point.

• There was no 1300 (1 o’clock) bus when we were there
• Ask your driver when the bus will come back (he might understand you). Our driver stopped me and held up his fingers to tell me the bus return times (I had asked him if we were on the right bus many times, so he knew we had no idea what we were doing).
• Remember- The last bus leaves at 1600 or 1700 (I’m not sure).  Don’t miss it.

9. The Great Wall lives up to what I expected. Once we got there, everything was very well laid out and easy to follow.  There are a handful of ways up and down; including sky buckets, slides, stairs, and paths.  Just make sure you buy your Great Wall of China ticket before heading up.

10. On the way back, I would grab an aisle seat and let others squeeze past you to sit by the window. More than likely there will be traffic on the return, and it will be a long ride.  As you smell of sweat and sunscreen, amid a sea of commuters, know that you did it.  You made it through a system that didn’t want to help, with all the odds stacked against you, and saw one of man’s greatest achievements.

Again, I would not recommend this way, but if you do try it, please send me a note with your experience as well as any tips you feel others might need.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4gGJp767o4

 Experience: MUST DO!     Price: $ Level of Difficulty: Zero

An afternoon at the Parndana Wildlife Park will most likely be one of the best afternoons of your life.  Located slap dab in the middle of Kangaroo Island, you can’t miss this animal haven while driving around.  We arrived mid-afternoon, around 2pm, and, with the exception of the park caretakers, we were the only ones around; just the three of us with a ton of kangaroos, emus, koalas and birds all vying for our attention.  Bob snapped up some ‘Roo food ($1 AUD for a huge bag) and we headed into the park.  The best part about Parndana is how open and trusting they are of the visitors and the animals.  So with no one was watching us, our experience was totally up to the animals, and they were loving us!  Everything I had heard about dangerous kangaroos was thrown to the wayside after these soft and gentle animals cuddled up and grouped around us for food.  I’m pretty sure Bob could have spent the rest of the trip with them- he was in heaven!  Not only chock full of Kangaroos, I was psyched to find myself within reach of some Koalas.

Our experience was amazing, and, beyond our trip, I admire Parndana for the care they give to the Island’s wounded and unwanted animals.  Being open everyday of the year allows them to rescue and nuture animals full time.  They even say that they are “rarely without babies”, allowing visitors to nurse and hold the babies animals.  It’s no surprise that they have won many tourism and zoological awards.  Like I said, one of the best afternoons of your life.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNFllDenuEE

EXPERIENCE: MUST DO!     PRICE: $     DIFFICULTY: TWO

Flinders Chase National Park could be an all day bushwalking and wildlife adventure, even though we only spent about 2 hours there.

We started at the park information center, paying our way in ($23 AUD for all three of us) and getting a personalized map of all the hikes, lookouts, and direct routes to Remarkable Rocks and Admiral’s Arch.  After realizing there was so much to see and do, I wished we had planned closer accommodations.

It was late afternoon when we started down the road in search of some big rocks in the ocean, and it looked like a hurricane or torrential downpour was going to start any minute.  We drove as fast as our little car could take us and quickly made it to a beautiful lighthouse and Admiral’s Arch.  Well, at least what we thought was Admiral’s Arch. It started to rain and we freezing cold, and here’s where things get tricky…  We had all this camera equipment and wanted to take photos, but the wind was unlike anything I had ever experienced and the boardwalk was getting slippery and dangerous.

We looked ahead down the walkway, and seemed to just be taking us closer to the ocean to get a better view of this huge “arch- like” rock out in the ocean (which definitely wasn’t a typical arch, but who were we to tell these Aussies what was an arch and what wasn’t).  So, we just figured, “oh- that’s the arch”.  Needless to say, we didn’t continue down the boardwalk to discover the actual arch and to be honest with you, I am just discovering this now!  (We were just stupid!) Damn it!  I guess the good news about this is that I’ll just have to go back to Kangaroo Island… oh, shucks!

So, we have really, really great footage of this awesome rock off the coast of Kangaroo Island and of the lighthouse.  But, yeah, no Admiral’s Arch.  The cool thing about the weather being so awful though was that the surf and waves were huge; which we also have footage of, but still isn’t the Arch.

After the Arch fiasco, we drove over to the Remarkable Rocks… and boy, oh boy, they are remarkable! (I’m sure people say that awful joke a lot- sorry.) But honestly, they were really cool, huge pieces of granite that have been shaped after years of ocean spray hitting them.  As we walked up, they looked all sharp and dangerous but they were really smooth to the touch.  The most remarkable thing about these rocks to me though was how several of these massive rocks were rounded.

One of the best things about Kangaroo Island in general is how close visitors are able to get to everything.  So, we actually got to climb around on this major tourist attraction, which just so happens to be literally on the side of a cliff where people have fallen off before and died.  The great news is that there still isn’t a guard rail or fence blocking the view of the sheer drop, and you can play right up to the edge.  My only advice would be to parents with small children (or boyfriends who are clumsy) -- when it is raining, the rock’s surface is very slippery and you should stay far away from the sides.  Nothing will stop your fall- you will die! But besides potential death, really cool experience!