Germany Trip - Bastie Bridge

With our Tropical Islands adventure behind us, we had to drive to Butzbach to meet up with Roslyn's family. To break up the drive, we decided to detour to the Bastie Bridge near Dresden. Its about a 2 hour drive south of Tropical Islands. When trying to get there, you can either drive and park right at the bridge or park at a Park and Ride lot about 45 minutes walk away, or a 5 minute bus ride. Both parking and the bus fare were relatively inexpensive at the Park and Ride lot, so I recommend leaving your vehicle there.

After having the bus drop us off we stated walking towards the bridge. There was also an option to take a horse drawn carriage, but we opted out of it. Part way there a path beside the road breaks off and heads north to a look out onto the valley before the bridge.

View from the Lookout Point

After stopping at the lookout and taking in the view we continued onward. We had some wonderful music playing in the background as a man tended to some type of street organ or a similar instrument. Approaching the Bastie Bridge area, there are a few restaurants and souvenir shops before getting to the bridge proper, with most of it being built into the  original fortification.

The buildings here were amazing!

After walking through the shop area, we arrive at the lookout that gives a view of the bridge and surrounding area.

View from the lookout by the Cafe

View from the lookout by the Cafe, take 2

Everyone taking pictures from the lookout

After taking in the view we took a quick trip out onto the bridge. We could only spend about 30 more minutes looking around, so we headed out to try and look at as much as we could. The first few hundred meters are along a path that winds down the side of the valley before heading out onto the bridge.

It was really cool to see how all the path ways and the bridge itself were integrated into the surrounding rock formations. The path way is carve right out of the cliff side, and the supports and small look outs are places along the tops of the rock formations, taking full advantage of what was already there.

Side view of the bridge

View out over the valley to the north

The path heads through the gap in the rock

Panorama of the valley

Looking south towards the river

At about the 20 minute mark we came across one more lookout point before needing to turn around and go back. The climb up to the top of the lookout was wide enough for one person, but required two way traffic. By the time we were at the top if was too packed and people couldn't even get down. I ended up hopping over the handrail to make room and tell people on the stairs to go back down until the lookout could empty a bit.

View from the lookout by the Cafe

Back at the bridge we took a couple group pictures before getting all the way back up to the cafe where we left Omi.

Candace, Jamie, and Roslyn

Roslyn and Connor

Both Roslyn and I would have loved to do the hike all the way down to the valley floor, but we needed to get driving to Butzbach. Once we arrived we went to Roslyn's relatives and hungout for about an hour before Roslyn's great uncle Erich showed us to our apartment, which was about a 5 minute walk away.

We had the upstairs apartment in the pink building

Fully stocked fridge, thanks Erich!

Erich and family stocked the fridge for us, which was awesome since we hadn't had time to go out and buy anything for breakfast. Thanks again guys!

In Roslyn's Words:

Bastie is one of the places I would love to go back to in Germany. We were only able to spend a about two hours here but man, I easily could have spent the whole day (or more). The rock formations are other worldly and the stone bridge looks to be out of a Lord of the Rings movie. There are walking trails up and down the mountain and around the rest of the park which include some cool sights and lots of stairs. Access to the park/trails and the bridge is free, which is awesome, and the only fees you would come across are parking/bus fares and an optional fee of a couple euro that will gain you access to old castle ruins. The area also has some souvenir shops and restaurants if you so desire.

There were some notable differences driving across Germany when comparing to Canada, all for the better too. The construction zones are done much better in Germany, with solid lane division and good utilization of available road space. You can also go faster in general, with a common highway speed limit of 130 kph or no speed limit at all (that was fun). The last thing that I found most interesting was the use of vegetation and trees to separate cloverleaf lanes to give it the feeling of a small road, not a large highway.

This is Manitoba - The Autumn Experience

I am going to throw in a few posts about how autumn has been going in Manitoba so far, because its been all over the place with the weather we've been experiencing. Earlier in the month we went on a hike on the Tamarack trail, which we're pretty sure is now officially closed as its not maintained at all. While I won't go over the trail in detail, here's some of the pictures we took on the Tamarack and around Winnipeg in the last week of September and first week of October.

Tree outside out apartment building, it decided

it was done with its leaves

 Frost covered leaves on the Tamarack Trail

 Flower covered in frost

 Poplar trees lining our trail

 Snow on some leaves

 Gorgeous sunlight through the trees

 A field of fall colours

 A surprisingly purple plant 

 Berries in the snow

The following weekend we headed out to Russell, Manitoba to spend thanksgiving with my mom. Roslyn and I went on a walk around Russell with her and her dog to soak in the fall colours.

 Leave on the pathway

 The path is the only snow free area!

 Weeds are much prettier covered in frost

There's two more post about Autumn in Manitoba coming up! One is about our hike at McGillvary Fall in Whiteshell Provincial Park. The other is about our trip to the 'Lights of the North' lantern festival. 

Quick Update

I just wanted to post a quick update. Our youtube channel is up, and you can access it from the link at the side.

Unfortunately, that's all I have to post today, but there will be a post like normal next Tuesday.

Nimowin Trail, Birds Hill Park

Date: August 19, 2018
Length: 2 km
Elevation: 25 m
Time: 25 minutes

Map of Nimowin Trail

Nimowin trail is a nice short loop in Birds Hill Park that we did on our way back after a road trip. We had been expecting a 6 km loop, but we apparently read the map wring and it only ended up being 2 km. The trail is level and wide enough for 3 people to walk side by side. You end up walking either on dirt or grass depending on where you are in the trail, but there was no gravel or paving.

While not the most exciting of trails, it would be a nice one to spend 45 minutes to an hour walking with people who are not fit enough to do longer distance to enjoy some time out in nature with them.

In Roslyn's words:

Another walk in Bird’s hill park. We actually thought the trail was 3X longer than it was and so we were in and out in about a half hour when we expected about an hour and a half. Considering that we were coming back from a road trip, a shorter walk may have been a good outcome.

Germany Trip - Tropical Islands, Logistics

Tropical Islands was a really fun time, and both Roslyn and I are super glad we went. It was exciting at times, relaxing at times, and romantic when we spent time with just the two of us later in the evening. There's one thing that we would do differently if we went again, and some pointers we'd like to give others.

What We Would Do Differently - Get an Adventure Lodge instead of a Tent

The tent was an experience. It was a thick, heavy canvas tent, with no breathability if you wanted it closed for privacy. There were two single mattresses in it with heave linen sheets. The entire area around the tent was 6 inch deep sand. And it was about 30 degrees celsius and very humid. All in all, the tent was a pretty uncomfortable sleeping experience.

The alternatives to the tent are the Adventure Lodge and the Comfort Rooms. The Adventure Lodges had full double beds, air conditioning, tables and chairs. The Adventure Lodges did not have a bathroom or shower though, they were essentially just a full bedroom. This would still have been preferable as the air conditioning would have made sleeping possible. The Adventure Lodge costs 20 euro more a night which would have definitely been worth it.

The other alternative, the Comfort Room, was basically a full hotel suite. These came in different levels (Comfort, Premium, and Designer) which are basically just upgrades of each other. These came with a a bedroom and full bathroom. The downside is that they are 45 euro more per night than the tents were.

If we were to go again, we would get an Adventure Lodge

Pointer #1- Overnight Stays Get 2 Full Day Access Passes

We did not take advantage of this on our second day because we had to get going, but if you stay overnight you get access from 6 am the day you check in until midnight the day after. This is a massive window, so take advantage of it by staying until after supper on day 2.

Pointer #2 - The Change Rooms and Sauna/Spa are Coed

The public change rooms are coed. The locker areas are for everyone and there are private stalls to actually change in, but there's people of both sexes there. Also, Candace went to the sauna/spa and the saunas are also coed, which means you need to be comfortable around nude people of the opposite sex. This is probably just a problem for North Americans.

Pointer #3 - There's a Large Outdoor Area Too!

While the main theme of the area is a giant indoor rainforest and swimming pool, there is a large outdoor area, with a pool, loungers, volley ball, and picnic tables. If its a nice day out, its probably easier to find a lounging chair outside than inside.

I hope that helps if you plan on going!

Devil's Punch Bowl, Sprucewoods Provincial Park

Date: August 18, 2018
Length: 9.4 km
Elevation: 122 m
Time: 3 hours, 9 minutes

Map of the Devil's Punch Bowl

Roslyn and I were out at a cabin for the weekend with some friends and we decided it would be a good opportunity to get up early and complete the Devil's Punch Bowl trail. The trail starts out quite pleasantly as it weaves through rolling hills dotted with pine trees. the trail is about 40% sand sections, which were a bit harder to walk on, but the trail is overall fairly easy.

Walking through rolling hills...

... and up sandy ones

About a quarter of the way into the trail it turns into a bit of a forest walk with a lush green canopy and undergrowth. Roslyn also found a few flowers to take pictures of.

View of the sun rise through the smoke haze

First set of flowers Roslyn found

Purple set of flowers, quite pretty

At almost the halfway point, the trail splits. One direction goes to the shelter, outhouse, and halfway stop and the other goes to a look out, access to the river, and a boardwalk across a pond. You can get to the Devil's Punch Bowl by going either way, but if stairs are a problem for you I recommend going to the halfway area and avoiding them.

View from the river look out. The river is pretty low

Walking on a pond

The boardwalk across the pond

Once across the pond, its only another 100 m or so down to the water level of the Punch Bowl. The first 80 m is on a boardwalk, but after that it's all walking up and down hill on sand.

Flowers at the Punch Bowl

View from the Devil's Punch Bowl lookout

After seeing the Punch Bowl, Roslyn and I stopped at the halfway mark for a quick bite to eat and some water. The rest area is pleasant, with a sheltered picnic area and an outhouse. After our break we headed out along the return loop and had a bit of rain fall on us. Not nearly enough to dampen our fun though!

About a third of the way back we came across our first sand dune up close. We could see them further away earlier on the trail, but seeing one crawling across the trail trhough the forest was pretty amazing.

Sand dunes creeping through the forest

A little ways after out first encounter, we came upon a trail that led up to the top of the dune. Not wanting to say we passed up an opportunity for adventure, we climbed to the top of it. The front of the dune was pretty steep, but the sand made it easy to get a good grip on it, even if it did fill our boots up. 

View from the top of the dune

One of the dozens of daisies on the dunes

After getting down from the dune and emptying our boots, the last few kilometers back was an easy jaunt and happily rain free.

In Roslyn's words:

This was a bit of a special weekend hike for us as it was our 1 year wedding anniversary and so us and our friends (also their 2 year wedding anniversary) rented a cabin near Spruce Woods provincial park for the weekend. They were not interested in a big early morning hike so it was just me and Connor which was a nice little touch. We woke up early trying to beat the sunrise and did get on trail before the sun actually came up. Sadly, the haze in the air from the summer wildfires made for not a super pictures sunrise, but Im glad we went early nonetheless. It was really quite beautiful in Spruce Woods, and it is so interesting that we have these sand dunes here in manitoba and how different the area is from the Whiteshell. It just goes to show how diverse this province is and how much there is to explore. We are now looking forward to going back and hiking the spirit sands trails.

Germany Trip - A Fun Filled day at Tropical Islands

After our Berlin adventure, we headed out on Day 4 to Tropical Islands Resort, which is an indoor rain forest water park located about an hour south of Berlin. To start our day off we packed up the apartment, walked to the vehicle and then headed off through Berlin until we hit the autobahn which took us the rest of the way to the resort.

The drive to Tropical Islands ended with a left turn off of a road through a forest, which opened up to a view of the hangar used to house the resort. The building is an old blimp hangar which was no longer is use, and then converted into the world's largest indoor rain forest.

Parking and checking into the resort was quick and easy. They do not allow outside food or drinks into the resort and they have security at the front entrance going through bags, so don't bother trying. One group was caught and refused entrance until they returned the drinks to their vehicle. It may sound time consuming, but the search process was quick and efficient and delayed us for no more than a minute or two.

Once you check in, you need to wait until 4 pm to get your room key, but every person has a locker reserved for them large enough to store most small sized suitcases and backpacks. You are also given a wrist back which acts as a key fob for the locker, your room if you reserved one, and as a swipe card for purchases so you do not need to carry money around, it just gets charged to your account.

One thing that took a bit of getting used to was the sheer scale of the building. There were two hot air balloons, one which could hold up to 4 people while the other had a seat for two under it, that were pulled around by guys to give people an aerial view of the resort. There are also quite a few two and three story buildings inside and some giant water slides.

Hot air balloon being towed around

Water slides from about half way across the resort

Other than the scale, the inside of the resort had quite a bit else that was simply amazing. The rain forest in it is well laid out and fairly large, taking us about a half hour to walk through. There's a pond inside the area as well with flamingos, turtles, and giant coy fish. You also get to watch plenty of colorful birds strut around the place. There were also dozens of remarkable plants.

Plantain Tree

Pretty white flower

Not sure what these are either, but Roslyn enjoyed them

Sea Urchin Flower?

View from the top of the rain forest

Aside from walking around, we also hit up the water slides, the giant indoor pool, and the not-so-lazy river that started indoors but ended outside. All of the water attractions were really fun to enjoy, but difficult to get pictures of because we tried to leave our phones in our lockers so we didn't have to worry about them.

View of the pool and the island in it

All three water slides up closer

As the day wound down we became more sedate and ended up going to a more sedate pool, and then going to have a night cap at the last bar that was open (there are 3-4 places to drink in the resort). With that done around 1 am we headed to our acoomodations.

The tents we slept in

Because we were used to sleeping in tents, and because they are cheap, we slept in tents! Now these were thick heavy tents, without windows and they had to be zipped shut to lock them. This would have been okay, except that it was about 30 to 32 degrees celsius and really humid. Needless to say our sleep was not the best given the environment. There are other sleeping, the Adventure Lodge and the Comfort Room, which Candace and Omi took advantage of. I will talk about those more in our logistics post.

The next morning we were up early to eat breakfast and then on the road again, happy to have stayed at Tropical Islands Resort.

In Roslyn's words:

You may have seen videos of this place on facebook, that is where I found out about it. The world's largest indoor waterpark and rain forest. It was one of our must see items on our list and I am very glad we went to check it out. The pools themselves were very neat, with interesting features like waterfalls, cave tunnels, whirlpools and fountains and were open 24/7 (there is a cleaning schedule that will close a pool a night). The waterslides inside were lots of fun but my favorite was actually the water rapids “slide” outside in their Amazonia area. It was a little rough but still my favorite. Be prepared for a co-ed locker room, open public showers (gender separated), and nude co-ed saunas (according to my sister).

The way they do nightly accommodations is definitely different. They charge per person per night, not by room, so there is not such thing as splitting the cost of a hotel room. Getting 4 hotel rooms is the same cost as 4 people sharing 1 room. Because of this, everyone in our group selected what level of accommodation they wanted. Connor and I went with the tent which is a cool novelty, but man was it hot and sticky. If we were to ever go back, I would have upgraded to an adventure lodge (where my one sister stayed) that had AC.

It was a little busy, especially for a Wednesday, but you really only noticed when trying to find a lounger or were waiting for a waterslide. It was also, in general, very pricey. They did have a cool way of keeping a tab though. You receive a wrist token that you tap for purchases and then pay at the end. We did pre-purchase a meal voucher which was really not worth it. It could have been cheaper to just pay for supper there. Even though it was expensive, and for us, and uncomfortable sleep, I am still glad we had the experience at Tropical Islands.