“de Mombacho”
NEW ZEALAND | Thursday, 11 January 2007 | Views [957]
… was our saying as we explored the big volcano islands of Nicaragua, the stunning Mombacho Volcano in particular. New Zealand was formed from hundreds of volcanoes. Today we hiked remains of dormant volcanoes. It was the first clear, sunny day we’ve experienced since we landed, and the vistas were amazing.
We’ve also decided today to develop what we’ll call the Dalama Index… the index of livability for places we visit, to help us decide where in the world we’d like to move and spend more time in the future. Features such as clean air, access to water and mountains, friendliness of locals, access to healthcare and education, and of course, important factors as the Purchasing Price Parity developed by the Economist which measures the price of Big Macs in each country- however we’ve decided to use the price of a Starbuck’s cup of coffee for kicks. One of the biggest things we notice when traveling is the level of car emission standards. We’ve become so used to the high standards we must pay to keep our cars at in California, and the price we pay for cleaner burning fuel… those prices keep our lungs and heads clear of the fumes we are oh so familiar with in other countries.
Another big lesson today… was stumbling across the real grocery store. The choices were amazing, far surpassing those in the US. The cultural variety from Malaysian, Indian, Thai, Chinese, Italian, Spanish… all freshly prepped in a ready to microwave package makes fast food take on a new level. The heap of prawns on ice was a magnificent site, and we were pleased to make such a discovery – as Auckland we are finding much more expensive city to dine out, compared to San Diego. We had experienced the South Island in 2000, and ate our way through our travels; the prices were extremely cheap for the quality and quantity you could buy. The woman serving wine samples in the grocery store told us South Island was clearly more affordable. So off to cook we go.
Tags: On the Road
