Photo of the Day: Skipper's Canyon, New Zealand

Skipper's Canyon with Nomad Safaris on my recent trip to Queenstown, New Zealand. The trip makes a great half-day adventure through one of New Zealand's most scenic drives. You can catch a few Lord of the Rings film locations along the way too.

Photo of the Day: High With Pandas

A panda chills out up in the mountains at the Chengdu Panda Base, a breeding facility for the endangered animals in south-central China. The facility is a tourist attraction (as well as scientific conservation facility) and open to the public. Unfortunately a quarantine was in place so no panda-hugging or other mammal-fondling photo-ops were allowed while I was there. The Panda Base can be visited on a day-trip from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, China. Be sure to also read my posts from Tiger Leaping Gorge in nearby Yunnan Province, China.

Photo of the Day: Cable Car Ride to the Perfume Pagoda

With views and terrain like that, the choice between walking and taking the cable car (pictured at the left of the photo) to Vietnam's fabled Perfume Pagoda seems like a no-brainer to me. The Perfume Pagoda is located near Hanoi and makes a fun day-trip which includes a sleepy bus and magnificent boat ride.

Photo of the Day: Lake Wanaka, New Zealand

Lake Wanaka is located on New Zealand's southern island. It makes a picturesque stop on drives from the western coast to Queenstown.

Photo of the Day: Deer Penis Soup in Hanoi

Above is a quick photo from a soup stand I passed on the streets of Hanoi, Vietnam. There appear to be several kinds of penises hanging here, including deer and ox/bull penis... just hanging there, ready to be sliced and slid into some comrade's bowl. I did not partake as I find the practice a bit revolting, not to mention the fact that the deer is likely poached from wild stock. Like everything else creepy, crawly and spongey that well-to-do Vietnamese men (and male TV food & travel show hosts) like to eat together, they think eating some other creature's penis will improve their apparently deficient sexual form or function. More likely it will just give them worms or some other sort of parasite. Boner Appetit... I'd rather have bun cha myself.

Photo of the Day: Waterfall in Milford Sound, New Zealand

A glacial waterfall descending into Milford Sound, New Zealand. Popular boat tours based in Queenstown travel through the sound, located in Fiordland National Park on the southwestern tip of New Zealand's southern island. The sounds is home to seals, whales, dolphins, penguins and other amazing wildlife.  See more of my New Zealand posts here.

A Warning to ANZ Bank Customers in Asia

Update: 24.07.12 A local rep for ANZ contacted me recently, in response to my complaints online, and explained the process which created the charges and led to the missing funds, as described below. Namely, National Australia Bank (NAB) acted as an intermediary for ANZ, and initiated the currency exchanges, which resulted in the loss of funds. NAB was involved because ANZ and the sending bank are not on the same transfer system. As a gesture of good will, ANZ refunded about 50% of the charges. I appreciate the follow-up from ANZ and the gesture. Obviously more needs to be done so that transfers are not such a big mystery--even for the banks involved--and customers like me don't lose so much money, without at least first agreeing to charges. The money I lost is still six times greater than the flat fee that I was expecting to pay.


Banking locally is a common problem for expats and frequent travellers—made no easier when the given banks are located in a Communist and/or corrupt third-world country. Often foreigners flock to bank brands they know from home, however these local branches are bound by ridiculous local regulations, and for that matter may import some of their unfair practices from back home as well.

Thus my experience with ANZ Bank, which I feel led to warn other expats and travellers about.

Simply put: On 2 foreign transfers in British Pounds to a US Dollar account at the local ANZ Royal Bank in Cambodia, I have found more than $220 missing, without explanation. The sender paid all of the bank fees on their end themselves. The local ANZ Bank only charges a flat $10 fee on transfers. There was no reason for the $220 to be missing.

Equally curious was the fact that the funds did not arrive in British Pounds as sent, nor as US Dollars, as they would eventually be converted. Instead, the funds arrived in Australian Dollars. This raised some red flags.

I went to the head ANZ Bank office here in Cambodia and inquired. First it was denied. I was told such a thing wasn’t possible. After I presented documentation (including forms from the sending bank), ANZ in Cambodia blamed the missing funds and erroneous currency exchange on ANZ Australia, as the parent company and intermediary in all foreign transfers. I was told that if I wanted to pursue the matter, I must contact ANZ Australia.

So I both emailed and called ANZ Bank Australia but was told that they would neither provide any information on the transfer nor assist in any way. They told me to instead deal with ANZ in Cambodia. Back and forth, shifting blame; the funds have not been recovered.

I’ve shared my experience with other ANZ customers in Cambodia and Vietnam and some have told me they’ve had similar problems—and some lost far more money than I—but I’ll let them speak for themselves.

When someone handles your money and they take a large sum for themselves, and then conceal the loss with an erroneous transaction, what would you call that? 

If  you are looking for a local bank in Southeast Asia, I’d have to suggest that you do not use ANZ. If you are already an ANZ customer, here are some tips to detect whether you are a victim of something similar:

1.     ANZ lists the currency and amount of all inward transfers in online banking and statements. Did your transfer arrive in the currency sent?

2.     ANZ is supposed to list the fee collected by them with each transfer. In both Vietnam and Cambodia accounts, this is supposed to be a flat fee. Does it differ from what you expected?

3.     ANZ lists the final amount credited to you of inward transfers, after currency exchanges. You can check this amount in Google. Simply enter the following equation in the Google search bar: X CurrencyA to CurrencyB (example: “2 British Pounds to US Dollars”). Google will return the amount. It won't necessarily be exactly the same rate ANZ charges but it will give you a close ballpark. Does it differ from what you expect (minus known fees).

If you answer yes to any of these 3 questions, you might be a victim of ANZ. This isn’t to say you’ll be able to recover the funds… but at least you’ll know what happened…

Have you had similar problems with ANZ? I'd like to hear from you via comments below. Similarly, I invite a response from ANZ.

The Birds of Urban Kigali, Rwanda

In my visit to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, I was surprised by the many gatherings of large birds in the city center. This is something you really never see in Asia--at least not flying freely.

In one tree toward the back of town, dozens of wetlands birds were nesting in a tree.

A pair [of storks?] nesting.

I love crows and ravens. They are very intelligent creatures with lots of personality. In the US ours are solid black, so I was particularly attracted to these with white bands around their neck. I'm told that many Rwandans don't particularly like them. During the genocide, as pile of bodies lay in the street, swarms of these birds came to feed. So to many, they are a reminder of death.

Not far from the storks, a large gathering of birds of prey [hawks or eagles?] perched in trees and rooftops around a courtyard. They didn't appear to be nesting so I wondered if they were being fed.

A raptor perching in Kigali.

Vietnam's Official War on Google Begins

In the past week users across Vietnam have reported that they are no longer able to access the popular blogging websites of Blogger (owned by Google) and WordPress.

As previously reported, this month a new law goes into effect, requiring foreign internet businesses who serve Vietnamese customers to relocate their relavent servers within Vietnam, submit to state censorship, submit private user information to the government, and pay tax to Vietnam. The law was specifically targeted at Google and Facebook, as reported by state-controlled media, but could be used against any foreign company.

Reps from Google previous told me they were taking a wait and see approach and had no official opinions or particular plans to comply at the time.

Readers of my blog know that Fisheggtree.com has been blocked from time to time, as I don't shy away from restricted topics in the Communist country.

Vietnam began blocking Facebook in 2009 but the move was unofficial (it was orchestrated via a confidential government memo sent to heads of Vietnamese telecom companies). The new law would appear to now make such blocks on internet companies legal and official.

Vietnam has periodically blocked other websites, long before Facebook. Blogs covering political and religious topics as well as Google News, BBC, CNN and other sites have been periodically blocked.

Like the Facebook block, the new bans on Blogger and WordPress have been implemented in an inconsistent (and some might say incompetent) manner. Users report that they are unavailable via VNPT across the country, but some users have been able to access them via cell providers Viettel and MobiFone 3G. As in the past with Facebook, the blog sites may become increasingly difficult to access from within Vietnam, as the totalitarian government closes technical loopholes and various local ISPs comply with government orders.

Photo of the Day: Lake Kivu, Rwanda

Natural gas wells on Lake Kivu, Rwanda. The great lake is situated on the western border of Rwanda and The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Lake Kivu is connected to Lake Tanganyika in the south via the Rusizi River. I found that the best way to explore this beautiful lake, open to tourism, was via a late afternoon boat ride.

Photo of the Day: Mountain Gorilla Baby

I took this photo of a baby mountain gorilla, sitting just 2 feet away from me, during a previous trip to the Virunga National Park in Rwanda. Normally you aren't supposed to be so close but this guy crawled out of the brush and surprised me. A trek to see the gorillas is a highlight of any visit to Rwanda (or for that matter, Africa), though the tiny country also has chimpanzees and other endangered primates that are worthwhile to visit too.

While on the trip I used the Bradt Rwanda guidebook and highly recommend it. It was the work of Diane Fossey that first got me interested in the great apes. I fell in love with the romantic story of Diane Fossey and her mountain gorillas, as told in Woman in the Mists , by Farley Mowatt, and Gorillas in the Mist, written by Fossey herself. By the time I took my trip, I had already worked with chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans--everything but gorillas--so my visit to Rwanda to see the mountain gorillas was a way of coming full circle for me.

Are you planning a trip to Rwanda? I stayed at the Serena Hotel in Kigali and highly recommend it. For more, see my previous entries on Rwanda, and stay tuned for more of my photos from this beautiful African gem this week.

Photo of the Day: Stage Coach Cave Troll

This very cool bronze plaque of the 'Stage Coach Cave Troll' hangs on display in the top floor of the Embassy Theatre, a historical landmark in Wellington, New Zealand. The theatre is located at the east end of Courtenay Place, the popular nightlife spot in the capital. The plaque, featuring the head of the Cave Troll as seen in Fellowship of the Ring, was intended to thank several companies involved in the production fo the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which was filmed in New Zealand using local talent. The Embassy Theatre hosted the premier of the Return of the King, and will host the premier of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, on November 28 this year. The Embassy is an active theatre, open to the public, with a bar and cafe open late. Be sure to stop by and see a film on your next visit to Wellington.

Incidentally, trolls will again make an appearance in The Hobbit, although the ones that appear in the original Tolkien tale would seem to be a different breed, and have significant dialoge, unlike the poor fellow pictured here in the first film. For more, see my new story on CNNGo about visiting movie sets from The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings across New Zealand.

Photo of the Day: Cape Reinga Lighthouse

Cape Reinga Lighthouse, at a northern tip of Northland, New Zealand. To the right are rocky ledges, and to the left an expansive, sandy-white beach. The lighthouse is often visited as part of a tour to the ancient Kauri forest and a drive along Ninety Mile Beach and the sand dunes (often used as a film location for shows like Legend of the Seeker or Xena and Hercules).

Photo of the Day: Entering Mordor

The trail entering Tongariro National Park at the Alpine Crossing. The one-day walk is considered one of the finest walks in New Zealand--if the weather is good--but the challenging terrain is often understated. The park has been used by Peter Jackson for locations in Middle Earth, including the land of Mordor in The Lord of the Rings. For more information of Lord of the Rings Locations, see the popular guidebooks by Ian Brodie.

Photo of the Day: SobeRing Thought, Beer of Hobbits

SobeRing Thought, the official beer of Lord of the Rings, was drunk by the actors on set while filming. Peter Jackson wanted an authentic experience to inspire the actors so, I'm told, he bought a local Brewery and crafted a beer with something like 1% alcohol. When filming was over, so the story goes, he sold the brewery back to the owner. I'm told that Harrington's is a brand of Speight's. I tried a bottle myself (pictured here in front of the Misty Mountains or rather The Remarkables in Queenstown) and honestly it tasted pretty bad. It was a bit like club soda with a few teaspoons of beer added. SobeRing Thought is quite hard to find--I'm not even sure if it is still actively brewed--but I got my bottles at the Nomad Safari shop in Queenstown earlier this year. I haven't heard whether the beer is in use on the sets of The Hobbit, but it is quite possible.

Photo of the Day: Wellington Art & Architecture

One of the many city sculptures backed by beautiful architecture
 in Wellington, New Zealand.

Photo of the Day: Sky Tower, Auckland, New Zealand

The Sky Tower is an telecommunications observation tower open to the public in Auckland, New Zealand. The tower is the most recognizable architectural landmark in the city and located on the corner of Victoria and Federal streets. Part of the Sky City complex, it has adjoining restaurants, bars, hotels, a casino and a bus station. From the top of the tower, visitors can see incredible 360 degree views of the city, harbor and offshore islands.

What are you waiting for? Book your hotel and head to Auckland this weekend! Visit Tourism New Zealand’s website for more information too: www.newzealand.com.

Note: The Weta Cave outlet at the Sky Tower, which sold souvenirs from the Lord of the Rings movies, is now closed. Visit the cave in Wellington instead.

New Zealand Wildlife Photos (Part 2 of 2)

Below are a few more wildlife photos that I took on a recent trip to New Zealand. I tool the first 8 in Dunedin, a refuge for penguins, seals and the Royal Albatross. I saw all of these with Monarch Wildlife Cruises & Tours, and highly recommend them for your visit to Dunedin.

A crested Penguin in rehab at Penguin Place.

A New Zealand Fur Seal taking a nap.

A Yellow-eyed penguin baby taking a nap while it waits for its parents.

A yellow-eyed penguin waiting for mom & dad to return home with dinner.

An adorable Welcome swallow.

A young Yellow-eyed penguin up close.

New Zealand fur seals fighting over the best rock to sun on.

A Royal Albatross in flight.

A pair of Pukekos, a friendly and inquisitive native bird, in Rotorua.

A rare Tuatara at the Wellington Zoo. Tuatara are native to New Zealand and highly endangered. They are not a lizard. Rather, they are the sole living representative of a group of reptiles distinct from snakes, lizards, turtles and crocodilians. It actually has a third eye covered by a scale in the middle of it's head! The exact purpose of the third eye is not understood.

Shags nesting in a cliff-face.

For more on New Zealand wildlife, see A Field Guide to the Birds of New Zealand (Princeton Pocket Guides) or Hand Guide to the Birds of New Zealand or New Zealand Wildlife (Bradt Travel Guide). 

A learned a long time ago that zoos are a great way to see the local wildlife in any country. Many zoos (outside the US) specialize in local wildlife collections. Auckland Zoo has fantastic enclosures with local birdlife (including a walk-through Kiwi enclosure).

Need to book your New Zealand hotels? I recommend Agoda for the lowest hotel rates world-wide. In Dunedin I stayed at LivingSpace and LOVED it.

Visit Tourism New Zealand’s website for more information too: www.newzealand.com.

New Zealand Wildlife Photos (Part 1 of 2)

Below are some wildlife photos that I took on a recent trip to New Zealand. New Zealand has an amazing diversity of bird life. It has no native land mammals, other than introduced species (many of which are pests, such as the possum). However there are a few bats, as well as seals, dolphins and whales. New Zealand has few reptiles and amphibians, but the most notable is the extraordinary Tuatara. Stay tuned for Part 2!

A native skink (lizard) at the Wellington Zoo

A native parrot

 A native skink at the Wellington Zoo

Shags at the Royal Albatross Colony, Dunedin

Royal Albatross nesting, Dunedin

Mother and baby gull

Baby gulls waiting to be fed

Sleeping Seals in Milford Sound

Dolphins swimming

New Zealand Kia (alpine parrot), Milford Sound

For more on New Zealand wildlife, see A Field Guide to the Birds of New Zealand (Princeton Pocket Guides) or Hand Guide to the Birds of New Zealand or New Zealand Wildlife (Bradt Travel Guide). 

A learned a long time ago that zoos are a great way to see the local wildlife in any country. Many zoos (outside the US) specialize in local wildlife collections. Wellington Zoo has fantastic enclosures with local birdlife (including a walk-through Kiwi enclosure), Tuatara, native lizards and insects like the Weta. 

Need to book your New Zealand hotels? I recommend Agoda for the lowest hotel rates world-wide.

Visit Tourism New Zealand’s website for more information too: www.newzealand.com.

Stay tuned for more photos!