Arriving in Hervey Bay early in the morning, we were transported by Colin the typical friendly Aussie driver to Koalas Resort Hervey Bay. Koalas is renowned down the East Coast for providing nasty hostels (we discovered after booking our Whitsundays and Fraser Island with them) but this one was surprisingly ok with nice staff. We found this mainly because they upgraded us to a twin room at no extra cost which after months of dorm rooms was bliss.
After a kip we met our Fraser Island group at 3pm and had to sign lots of forms and go and buy supplies for the next three days. We also watched a DVD on the dangers of Fraser Island for those who are crazy enough to do self-hire safaris around the biggest sand dune island in the world. The next day at 6.45am we all met to load up the jeep with our meat, supplies, alcohol and camping equipment. Had a brief explanation on how to drive 4wd and then head off for the 10am barge to lead us onto the island. We had 3 Irish, 1 Canadian, 1 Scot (all of whom knew each other), 2 British girls and us. It looked like it would be fun. To start we saw Lake Birabeen, then drove up the big beach and found somewhere to camp being limited by the tides. After finding somewhere fine, Dave decided we should move somewhere else and in the process got in an argument with his best buddy Paddy and drove v fast through a wash out causing one of the back tyres to come off the rim and puncture. After a swift change of tyre and tension a little bit higher than before due to fear of losing the bonds we paid we finally camped back at the original place. Had some food, enjoyed the beautiful long beach and made some pasta dinner while having a few beers, the lads having considerably more than the rest of us being Irish and all.
The next day, some of us subdued, some of us hung over, we head off in the jeep again only to get a puncture in the only strip of beach where planes land. Apparently there are only 3 beaches in the world where planes can actually land and we broke down right in the middle of one of them. The Canadian and Paddy went off to find a new tyre, our spare already being in use, and we sat baking on the beach, unable to go into the sea because of jelly stingers and tiger shark breeding. 3.5 hours later, they reemerged having been unable to catch a lift back up the beach to us, we changed the tyre and head off up to India Head to admire the stunning scenery via a massive shipwreck on the beach. We arrived back at the campsite on the beach and the lads cooked up a massive bbq of the meat which was brilliant. Considerably happier we settled in for a night of socialising with the other groups also camped there and admiring first the amazing sunset and then the Southern Cross...
Next morning we head off to Lake Wabby where a massive sand dune runs into the water, then we went to get the tyres swapped back at the mechanic who'd fixed our 2nd damaged tyre and then we hit the beautiful Lake Mackenzie. This lake full of pale blue water and the whitest sand you've ever seen, was a beautiful fresh water place to swim. Really stunning and a great finale to the beautiful scenery we'd seen on the island. Sadly this meant time to catch the ferry back to Koalas, unpack the van and face the music with the Koalas mechanics. Fortunately, Dave, honorably stumped up for the tyre and we all got our bonds back. A chinese all you can eat dinner as a group completed the Fraser Island jeep safari.
Friday 14 December 2007
Saturday 8 December 2007
THE ISLANDS
The day after the dive course ended, after a lie-in till 10am (wow) we hit the shuttle bus up to Port Douglas, a pretty little sailing village with a lovely beach. After a chilled day here we returned to Cairns and got ready to head to Magnetic Island. After our first greyhound trip down we caught a ferry out to the island to our Base Backpackers right on the beach. After a stressful couple of hours sorting out our Whitsundays sailing trip and Fraser Island sand dune trip we went in the pool, cooked dinner and had a well earned wine and pool playing relaxation session, ha ha, kind of well earned anyway.
The next day we got the bus to Bungalow Bay, a resort where we shared a little thatched hut and went to the koala sanctuary next door where we got to hold a crocodile, lizard, koala and snake. Great photo opps had there. After another trip to the beach where there was no swimming allowed due to jelly fish stingers, we came back to the resort for some thai food. The next day we caught a bus, then a ferry, then a greyhound down to Airlie Beach. After arriving in Airlie Beach and waiting for an hour and a half before some bimbo from the backpackers came to pick us up (sorry to slate female kind but she didn't even apologise) we arrived at the hostel, cooked dinner, bumped into the Swedes again and then packed again.
The following morning we boarded The Card. Supposedly one of the fastest sailboats in the Whitsundays, it was big and impressive. 23 of us crammed into the boat in rather cosy bunks down below and got ready for a good 3 days sailing. The first day passed with lunch, some snorkelling, a trip to Whitehaven beach (a stunning white sanded spit of sand) and lookout, some dinner on the boat and some amazing southern hemisphere star gazing with a goon in hand (aussie word for wine in a cardboard box - we adapted it to call it our wine baby).
The second day we spent snorkelling and chilling out and doing some sailing, everyone chipped in, it was great to whip across the sea at a vast rate of knots. That evening we disembarked onto South Molle Island where we swam in their pool and spar with the help of a chocolate cocktail and then went for dinner and drinks in a bar/shack with 150 other passengers on other boats from the same company. It was great fun until a dutch girl from our group started drinking her own alcohol she had brought into the bar and our entire group got thrown out due to the license rules. Back on the boat we continued the party with some awesome on-deck dancing and then we did a night sail without any lights which was thrilling.
The next day, we snorkelled again, spent some time on another golden beach exploring the reef around it, had lunch and did some more sailing through an unexpected hail storm and then arrived back in Airlie Beach, tired but very satisfied about 5pm. This was just in time to shower, eat and say goodbye to our buds and catch the overnight Greyhound for Hervey Bay.
The next day we got the bus to Bungalow Bay, a resort where we shared a little thatched hut and went to the koala sanctuary next door where we got to hold a crocodile, lizard, koala and snake. Great photo opps had there. After another trip to the beach where there was no swimming allowed due to jelly fish stingers, we came back to the resort for some thai food. The next day we caught a bus, then a ferry, then a greyhound down to Airlie Beach. After arriving in Airlie Beach and waiting for an hour and a half before some bimbo from the backpackers came to pick us up (sorry to slate female kind but she didn't even apologise) we arrived at the hostel, cooked dinner, bumped into the Swedes again and then packed again.
The following morning we boarded The Card. Supposedly one of the fastest sailboats in the Whitsundays, it was big and impressive. 23 of us crammed into the boat in rather cosy bunks down below and got ready for a good 3 days sailing. The first day passed with lunch, some snorkelling, a trip to Whitehaven beach (a stunning white sanded spit of sand) and lookout, some dinner on the boat and some amazing southern hemisphere star gazing with a goon in hand (aussie word for wine in a cardboard box - we adapted it to call it our wine baby).
The second day we spent snorkelling and chilling out and doing some sailing, everyone chipped in, it was great to whip across the sea at a vast rate of knots. That evening we disembarked onto South Molle Island where we swam in their pool and spar with the help of a chocolate cocktail and then went for dinner and drinks in a bar/shack with 150 other passengers on other boats from the same company. It was great fun until a dutch girl from our group started drinking her own alcohol she had brought into the bar and our entire group got thrown out due to the license rules. Back on the boat we continued the party with some awesome on-deck dancing and then we did a night sail without any lights which was thrilling.
The next day, we snorkelled again, spent some time on another golden beach exploring the reef around it, had lunch and did some more sailing through an unexpected hail storm and then arrived back in Airlie Beach, tired but very satisfied about 5pm. This was just in time to shower, eat and say goodbye to our buds and catch the overnight Greyhound for Hervey Bay.
Monday 3 December 2007
THE REEF
Started our SSI open water dive course at Cairns Dive Centre. Transported to their classroom and pool centre on Day 1 and started the theory. Spent the day watching a couple of DVDs, learning about the equipment and how to set it up and then we went into the water. Having done a couple of fun dives before, it wasn't all completely new to me but it was great to go through it all thoroughly particularly as it's been 8 years since my last one! After practising taking out regulators and taking off masks underwater and a bit of buoyancy we ended the day. Met up with Sophie Tomlinson (another A&O lady)and her mate Kate for a big fat ice cream that evening after we had bumped into Sophie by yet another coincidence at the dive centre!
Day 2 more theory and swimming stuff, this time learning what it felt like to have run out of air as our instructor Ruth turned off the air supply. Thankfully we also learnt what to do if that happens. Em and I had great fun being each other's buddy and inventing our own set of hand signals in addition to the official ones. The second pool session ended with us practising our skills again and then a 50 question exam designed for 14yrs and above so not too hardcore.
That night Em and I bought new swimwear, much needed in this bikini clad land, and then headed off to Reef Teach for a 2 hr session and some chocolate TimTam biscuits to learn about all the fish on the Reef and what to touch and not to touch. Golden rule seemed to be if it is yellow, black and white: stay clear. Buzzing with new found marine biological knowledge we hit The Woolshed, a slightly cattle marketesque bar (delightful) with the 2 swedish lads we'd met in Uluru who had just arrived in Cairns and whom we had bumped into in the street. It's truly off the beaten track this East Coast lark. Ha.
Day 3 we arrived bright and early to get on our boat to take us out to the Great Barrier Reef. When we reached our boat we unpacked, lunched and then donned our stinger suits (major jelly fish season right now) and got in for our first snorkel and then dive. It was brilliant to see the reef for the first time, was quite a short dive as everyone was huffing away quickly on the air being first timers down there. The second dive was just as good and I got over-excited and decided to do the night dive as well that evening. The rest of the group doing it the next day on the 5 day course and Em's ears playing up, Ruth and I headed down into the dark depths.
Seeing the Reef by night felt even more like we were invading the underwater world. Red eyes gleam out at you and although the torches you carry are quite bright, I still jumped (or rather jiggled in the water) every time a fish swam past, it's quite creepy not being able to see all around you. Sadly we didn't get to see any Reef sharks, had hoped to but it was still ace nonetheless.
On Day 4, we were up bright and early for a 6am dive and then an 8am dive. The 6am dive went ok until 3 of us had just swam through a coral tunnel and the other 2 didn't appear behind us. One of them had got down to 20 bar on his air (i.e. practically none) and had shot up to the surface with his buddy too fast and without telling any of the rest of us. In the process of looking for Dustin (said airless one) we missed a shark swimming over our heads. He nearly failed the course, Ruth was not pleased, not surprisingly and we were gutted to miss the shark.
The 8am dive was brilliant however and was filmed for our certification dvd. We got to see a turtle and scratch its back, it likes it apparently because it scrapes the algae off its back on the coral so it feels the same as our fingers scratching. It was unbelievable anyway. After that Em and I hopped in for my 7th dive of the weekend and our first dive as certified divers. It was a little scary at first but amazing and we got to see a couple of giant clams which were enormous and stunningly purple.
Really pleased the course had gone so well and I'd found a new activity to love and explore for the future, we headed back to Cairns and for the after-course party with the dive instructors and all the other divers from the boats. Great end to a great course. Well pleased.
Day 2 more theory and swimming stuff, this time learning what it felt like to have run out of air as our instructor Ruth turned off the air supply. Thankfully we also learnt what to do if that happens. Em and I had great fun being each other's buddy and inventing our own set of hand signals in addition to the official ones. The second pool session ended with us practising our skills again and then a 50 question exam designed for 14yrs and above so not too hardcore.
That night Em and I bought new swimwear, much needed in this bikini clad land, and then headed off to Reef Teach for a 2 hr session and some chocolate TimTam biscuits to learn about all the fish on the Reef and what to touch and not to touch. Golden rule seemed to be if it is yellow, black and white: stay clear. Buzzing with new found marine biological knowledge we hit The Woolshed, a slightly cattle marketesque bar (delightful) with the 2 swedish lads we'd met in Uluru who had just arrived in Cairns and whom we had bumped into in the street. It's truly off the beaten track this East Coast lark. Ha.
Day 3 we arrived bright and early to get on our boat to take us out to the Great Barrier Reef. When we reached our boat we unpacked, lunched and then donned our stinger suits (major jelly fish season right now) and got in for our first snorkel and then dive. It was brilliant to see the reef for the first time, was quite a short dive as everyone was huffing away quickly on the air being first timers down there. The second dive was just as good and I got over-excited and decided to do the night dive as well that evening. The rest of the group doing it the next day on the 5 day course and Em's ears playing up, Ruth and I headed down into the dark depths.
Seeing the Reef by night felt even more like we were invading the underwater world. Red eyes gleam out at you and although the torches you carry are quite bright, I still jumped (or rather jiggled in the water) every time a fish swam past, it's quite creepy not being able to see all around you. Sadly we didn't get to see any Reef sharks, had hoped to but it was still ace nonetheless.
On Day 4, we were up bright and early for a 6am dive and then an 8am dive. The 6am dive went ok until 3 of us had just swam through a coral tunnel and the other 2 didn't appear behind us. One of them had got down to 20 bar on his air (i.e. practically none) and had shot up to the surface with his buddy too fast and without telling any of the rest of us. In the process of looking for Dustin (said airless one) we missed a shark swimming over our heads. He nearly failed the course, Ruth was not pleased, not surprisingly and we were gutted to miss the shark.
The 8am dive was brilliant however and was filmed for our certification dvd. We got to see a turtle and scratch its back, it likes it apparently because it scrapes the algae off its back on the coral so it feels the same as our fingers scratching. It was unbelievable anyway. After that Em and I hopped in for my 7th dive of the weekend and our first dive as certified divers. It was a little scary at first but amazing and we got to see a couple of giant clams which were enormous and stunningly purple.
Really pleased the course had gone so well and I'd found a new activity to love and explore for the future, we headed back to Cairns and for the after-course party with the dive instructors and all the other divers from the boats. Great end to a great course. Well pleased.
Tuesday 27 November 2007
THE ROCK
So, we left Melbourne at 6am on a flight via Sydney to Ayers Rock Resort. Here, after Quantas decided to lose my roll mat and thermarest, we arrived baking hot at the hostel rendez-vous point ready to meet our group. At midday, Dom our tour guide appeared, sporting a Mexican style moustache for 'Mouvember', prostate cancer awareness month, and we got on our jeep bus with the rest of the group.
We had great European representation travelling around the aboriginal outback, 3 French, 4 Italian, 2 German, 2 Swedes, 4 Brits (including us) and 2 Aussies. All good, great mixture of translations going on the whole time, loved it. The first day we had lunch and then headed to Uluru or as it should properly be known The Rock. We spent an hour in the cultural centre reading about Arangu culture and the thoughts and history behind the Rock and then we did an hour and a half tour where Dom explained different spiritual sites around the base. We decided not to walk up it because a) it's offensive to their aboriginal culture, b) it was shut off because of the 38 degrees temperature and winds and c) 35 people have died doing it and the sheer sandstone rock face either side of it with a feeble looking chain didn't appeal.
We settled for the 9km walk around the base which was stunning and then we headed off for dinner and sunset over The Rock. Beautiful, it didn't glow in quite the right way because it was cloudy but it was great nonetheless especially with a cold beer. We then headed to camp, had some more beers and got in our swags to sleep under the stars.
The next day at 4.30am we got up to catch the sunrish over the Rock after a hot night and fear of scorpions, dingos and other such nasties getting in my Swag. After The Rock we headed off to Kata Tjuta or the Olgas, another set of red sandstone rocks and did a 3 hour walk up and around them, really beautiful and really hot, this lesser known (at least for me) natural beauty was really awesome. That afternoon we looked for witchety grubs, had lunch in the bush, got some fire wood and then hit the pool at the next campsite. Here one of our Italian members of the group decided to start up a water gymnastic routine for our entire group, we didn't look stupid really in front of all the other happy campers. Hilarious. That night we cooked up some food on a big open fire, Em and I were in charge of Rice, washing up and generally making everyone else laugh as we squealed at the heat of the open fire. We hit the sack 4 hours before we were due to get up again after some more beers and a bit of guitar playing and campfire singing. Beautiful Mate.
The next day we walked Kings Canyon, a little bit like I imagine the Grand Canyon to be but an aussie version and probably smaller but great nonetheless. We had a good swim in a natural pool in the valley tucked into the canyon getting out promptly when we saw some unidentified animal swimming about under the water...
After lunch we had a long drive to Alice Springs where I visited the opticians due to 1.5 inflamed puffy eyes because of some mossie allergic reaction, looked like I'd been punched and then we headed out for a buffet dinner, pub quiz and yes some more beers particularly after our team won the quiz, get in. Great end to a great tour. We didn't actually didn't actually drink all that much beer though it sounds like it!
The next day we departed on the plane to Cairns and arrived in the evening at Gilligans hostel (not to be recommended, big monolithic, badly managed unfriendly resort). Sorted our stuff out and got ready for our open water dive course the next day...
We had great European representation travelling around the aboriginal outback, 3 French, 4 Italian, 2 German, 2 Swedes, 4 Brits (including us) and 2 Aussies. All good, great mixture of translations going on the whole time, loved it. The first day we had lunch and then headed to Uluru or as it should properly be known The Rock. We spent an hour in the cultural centre reading about Arangu culture and the thoughts and history behind the Rock and then we did an hour and a half tour where Dom explained different spiritual sites around the base. We decided not to walk up it because a) it's offensive to their aboriginal culture, b) it was shut off because of the 38 degrees temperature and winds and c) 35 people have died doing it and the sheer sandstone rock face either side of it with a feeble looking chain didn't appeal.
We settled for the 9km walk around the base which was stunning and then we headed off for dinner and sunset over The Rock. Beautiful, it didn't glow in quite the right way because it was cloudy but it was great nonetheless especially with a cold beer. We then headed to camp, had some more beers and got in our swags to sleep under the stars.
The next day at 4.30am we got up to catch the sunrish over the Rock after a hot night and fear of scorpions, dingos and other such nasties getting in my Swag. After The Rock we headed off to Kata Tjuta or the Olgas, another set of red sandstone rocks and did a 3 hour walk up and around them, really beautiful and really hot, this lesser known (at least for me) natural beauty was really awesome. That afternoon we looked for witchety grubs, had lunch in the bush, got some fire wood and then hit the pool at the next campsite. Here one of our Italian members of the group decided to start up a water gymnastic routine for our entire group, we didn't look stupid really in front of all the other happy campers. Hilarious. That night we cooked up some food on a big open fire, Em and I were in charge of Rice, washing up and generally making everyone else laugh as we squealed at the heat of the open fire. We hit the sack 4 hours before we were due to get up again after some more beers and a bit of guitar playing and campfire singing. Beautiful Mate.
The next day we walked Kings Canyon, a little bit like I imagine the Grand Canyon to be but an aussie version and probably smaller but great nonetheless. We had a good swim in a natural pool in the valley tucked into the canyon getting out promptly when we saw some unidentified animal swimming about under the water...
After lunch we had a long drive to Alice Springs where I visited the opticians due to 1.5 inflamed puffy eyes because of some mossie allergic reaction, looked like I'd been punched and then we headed out for a buffet dinner, pub quiz and yes some more beers particularly after our team won the quiz, get in. Great end to a great tour. We didn't actually didn't actually drink all that much beer though it sounds like it!
The next day we departed on the plane to Cairns and arrived in the evening at Gilligans hostel (not to be recommended, big monolithic, badly managed unfriendly resort). Sorted our stuff out and got ready for our open water dive course the next day...
Thursday 22 November 2007
That's When Good Neighbours Become Good Friends...
Day 1 in Melbourne consisted of arriving at Cooee Hostel and heading into the trendy wendy St Kilda for dinner and a couple of glasses of wine on the Esplanade, also scene of first neighbours celebrity spotting: Janae.
Day 2 we hit Fitzroy and Brunswick Street for some lunch, shopping and a needed haircut - been a while! We liked this part of town as it had lots of different boutiques and shops and lots of character which was great. It made me feel that Melbourne is a mix of London, Bristol, Brighton and maybe a US town like Chicago or San Francisco. It's a cool city anyway with a big buzz. That evening we ate in a veggie bar and then caught some live jazz in a bar nearby. Some very cool Sax, bass, keyboard and drums, Em and I were very happy, we've been missing hearing live music.
Day 3 was spent in the centre, visiting the Victoria market, shopping in the central Oxford Street style part and dinner in Chinatown. Typical city fare but we were loving it, it was our first big city since Santiago and we only got to spend a day there.
Then came Day 4: the Neighbours Tour. We got on a bus to Erinsborough High with a somewhat late and hung over bus driver. Then we stopped off at the backlot of the studios and saw Grease Monkeys and Carpenter's cars set for those of you hardcore fans (i.e. most of my friends). At this point the piece de resistance was a surprise visit from Jackie Woodburne aka SUSAN KENNEDY. Now everyone knows she is the best character in the soap and the whole tour group were beyond excited, so much so that one guy said: 'I love Susan, she has been a big part of my life for a long time.' Jackie was speechless. After this comedy moment, we went off to Ramsay Street, took obligatory photos by the House of Trouser and Harold's house and left, pretty well darn chuffed.
Right that's far too long a paragraph soley based on Neighbours so I shall move onto the afternoon spent in the National Gallery to try to redeem ourselves and then some good old Ozzie beers with Nick, James, Ben, Renee and Trumaine, mates and more of Ted, the Ringcrofter Jenna's boyfriend. Great night thanks to Ted, so was all good. Saturday was spent hanging out in St Kilda with Joleah who we met in Christchurch and generally enjoying the sunshine with an icecream and a glass of white on the beach. Really it's a hard life.
On that sickening note, I leave you xxxx
Day 2 we hit Fitzroy and Brunswick Street for some lunch, shopping and a needed haircut - been a while! We liked this part of town as it had lots of different boutiques and shops and lots of character which was great. It made me feel that Melbourne is a mix of London, Bristol, Brighton and maybe a US town like Chicago or San Francisco. It's a cool city anyway with a big buzz. That evening we ate in a veggie bar and then caught some live jazz in a bar nearby. Some very cool Sax, bass, keyboard and drums, Em and I were very happy, we've been missing hearing live music.
Day 3 was spent in the centre, visiting the Victoria market, shopping in the central Oxford Street style part and dinner in Chinatown. Typical city fare but we were loving it, it was our first big city since Santiago and we only got to spend a day there.
Then came Day 4: the Neighbours Tour. We got on a bus to Erinsborough High with a somewhat late and hung over bus driver. Then we stopped off at the backlot of the studios and saw Grease Monkeys and Carpenter's cars set for those of you hardcore fans (i.e. most of my friends). At this point the piece de resistance was a surprise visit from Jackie Woodburne aka SUSAN KENNEDY. Now everyone knows she is the best character in the soap and the whole tour group were beyond excited, so much so that one guy said: 'I love Susan, she has been a big part of my life for a long time.' Jackie was speechless. After this comedy moment, we went off to Ramsay Street, took obligatory photos by the House of Trouser and Harold's house and left, pretty well darn chuffed.
Right that's far too long a paragraph soley based on Neighbours so I shall move onto the afternoon spent in the National Gallery to try to redeem ourselves and then some good old Ozzie beers with Nick, James, Ben, Renee and Trumaine, mates and more of Ted, the Ringcrofter Jenna's boyfriend. Great night thanks to Ted, so was all good. Saturday was spent hanging out in St Kilda with Joleah who we met in Christchurch and generally enjoying the sunshine with an icecream and a glass of white on the beach. Really it's a hard life.
On that sickening note, I leave you xxxx
Sunday 11 November 2007
Good on ya!
So after the dolphins we drove up to Nelson back in the North. Explored the dinky town of Nelson the next day: the art gallery, the shops, the local art and sculpture galleries in the countryside all around and ended up on Rabbit Island. This was a long golden beach practically deserted and so we relaxed in the late afternoon sun. The following day we hopped into some sea kayaks, guided by the able Isaac and were led around the coastline of Able Tasman National Park. After a half day kayaking through turquoise waters we had some lunch, bumped into some Swedish buddies we'd met in Wellington on one of the beaches and then headed off for a stroll around the coastline/park. After an olympic sprint into the cold water of one beautiful beach we got the water taxi/jet boat back to the entrance Marahau.
After a Halloween drink in a very English style pub and minimal trick or treaters walking past us, we chilled out before the drive down to Franz Joseph glacier on the west coast the next day. After a long 9hr drive via the Pancake rocks and the longest rope bridge in New Zealand we arrived in Franz Joseph. The next day we set off on a 6hr hike up the glacier to the cleaner bits where there are shining light blue crevasses to walk through and lots of fun to be had with your snow crampons.
Glaciered out and wet at the end of the day we went back to the YHA for a v hot shower.
The next day after stopping off at Wanaka, also a pretty lakeside town for lunch and an ice cream, we arrived at Queenstown - my favourite place in New Zealand. The next day Giles and Emma hit the white water rafting and I decided to do a Lord of the Rings tour, film obssessive that I am and having already rafted in Peru. The scenery in this part of NZ is crazy beautiful and it was great to see where Isengard, Lothlorien and Ithilien were filmed to name but a few. That afternoon we mooched to the shops and gardens of the town and admired the lake which changes colour every time you look at it. Liking it so much we decided to stay for another day. Deciding to break the vegetable slop and pasta for dinner routine in this town may also have helped, thai food and a yummy pizza being far preferable. Spent the next day chilling out reading HP and enjoying the sun doing nothing for the first time in ages. This was mainly due to being woken up by Garry, an Irish dude, at 3am who forced me to get up and have a drink with him while his mate went to bed with a "lucky" lady he had met in our dorm. Hmmmm... Seeing that they wouldn't take no for an answer I surrendered and ended up being reluctantly kept awake and sadly not getting the beautiful, long anticipated lie in I'd been waiting for... poor dorm etiquette I must say. Ha.
Anyway, leaving Queenstown we headed across to Dunedin. Dunedin brought us such delights as the Speights Brewery for beer tasting and the Cadbury's Factory for copious chocolate tasting and finally the yellow eyed/headed penguin reserve for well, penguin watching...
After leaving the Hogwartz hostel (yes we did stay in a place with that name, tragic I know) we drove to Christchurch on Friday. After exploring the cathedral square and attending the famous evensong (mildly impressed with the singing!) we headed back to the hostel for yes, more vegetable slop. Saturday we ventured to an arts and crafts fair and the Antartica centre. A great place to teach you all about the Antartic gateway through Christchurch and the work that is done there. It also included a simulated snow storm and penguin feeding of little blue penguins who've had nasty things happen to them like fishhooks in eyes and being hit by boats etc...
Sunday, we hit the Christchurch art gallery which had some nice stuff in it and some other not so interesting stuff. Then had lunch in a big pub in the sun with all the other New Zealanders excited that summer is coming and then hit the botanical gardens before a fond farewell to Giles. Today has been spent returning the hire car and generally doing admin before we leave for Melbourne tomorrow and quite possibly a cheeky trip to the Neighbours set!!! I can hear the cries of G'day mate and put a shrimp on the barbie as I type...
After a Halloween drink in a very English style pub and minimal trick or treaters walking past us, we chilled out before the drive down to Franz Joseph glacier on the west coast the next day. After a long 9hr drive via the Pancake rocks and the longest rope bridge in New Zealand we arrived in Franz Joseph. The next day we set off on a 6hr hike up the glacier to the cleaner bits where there are shining light blue crevasses to walk through and lots of fun to be had with your snow crampons.
Glaciered out and wet at the end of the day we went back to the YHA for a v hot shower.
The next day after stopping off at Wanaka, also a pretty lakeside town for lunch and an ice cream, we arrived at Queenstown - my favourite place in New Zealand. The next day Giles and Emma hit the white water rafting and I decided to do a Lord of the Rings tour, film obssessive that I am and having already rafted in Peru. The scenery in this part of NZ is crazy beautiful and it was great to see where Isengard, Lothlorien and Ithilien were filmed to name but a few. That afternoon we mooched to the shops and gardens of the town and admired the lake which changes colour every time you look at it. Liking it so much we decided to stay for another day. Deciding to break the vegetable slop and pasta for dinner routine in this town may also have helped, thai food and a yummy pizza being far preferable. Spent the next day chilling out reading HP and enjoying the sun doing nothing for the first time in ages. This was mainly due to being woken up by Garry, an Irish dude, at 3am who forced me to get up and have a drink with him while his mate went to bed with a "lucky" lady he had met in our dorm. Hmmmm... Seeing that they wouldn't take no for an answer I surrendered and ended up being reluctantly kept awake and sadly not getting the beautiful, long anticipated lie in I'd been waiting for... poor dorm etiquette I must say. Ha.
Anyway, leaving Queenstown we headed across to Dunedin. Dunedin brought us such delights as the Speights Brewery for beer tasting and the Cadbury's Factory for copious chocolate tasting and finally the yellow eyed/headed penguin reserve for well, penguin watching...
After leaving the Hogwartz hostel (yes we did stay in a place with that name, tragic I know) we drove to Christchurch on Friday. After exploring the cathedral square and attending the famous evensong (mildly impressed with the singing!) we headed back to the hostel for yes, more vegetable slop. Saturday we ventured to an arts and crafts fair and the Antartica centre. A great place to teach you all about the Antartic gateway through Christchurch and the work that is done there. It also included a simulated snow storm and penguin feeding of little blue penguins who've had nasty things happen to them like fishhooks in eyes and being hit by boats etc...
Sunday, we hit the Christchurch art gallery which had some nice stuff in it and some other not so interesting stuff. Then had lunch in a big pub in the sun with all the other New Zealanders excited that summer is coming and then hit the botanical gardens before a fond farewell to Giles. Today has been spent returning the hire car and generally doing admin before we leave for Melbourne tomorrow and quite possibly a cheeky trip to the Neighbours set!!! I can hear the cries of G'day mate and put a shrimp on the barbie as I type...
Saturday 10 November 2007
Sweet As eh?
After sky diving and a poor performance in a backpacker's quiz where rather too much Tui beer was consumed (and far too many women got topless for a pint of beer) we hit the road again for Napier. Arriving in the Art Deco capital of the world, we wandered around and went to see the marvellous Atonement as we were too tired to do anything else. Stunning film for those who have not seen it, even with Keira Shitely hamster woman in it.
The next day we did an Art Deco walking tour of the city which was rebuilt entirely in 1931 over 2 years after a massive volcano eruption which meant the sea floor moved upwards adding loads of land to the city and destroying everything. In the afternoon we hastily jumped on the Grape Escape wine tour. On no lunch, 4 wineries with about 10 samples per winery, a cheese platter and extra samples of Viognier, Merlot and Port by a v welcoming vineyard owner called Dan, we arrived back to the hostel wasted and passed out before a well needed burger dinner. Thank goodness we didn't chose the 'bike and wine' option or I may not have been writing now.
The following day we left for Wellington also known as 'Windy Welly'. The buzzing capital had a lovely harbour and good nightlife explored by the core 3 and lovely Aussie Rohan who accompanied us. The next day we explored the city in the rain i.e. shopped and ate and had some dinner and a bottle that night before getting up at 5.30am to catch the interislander ferry to Picton.
Arrived to the South Island (after a seasick Virginia had slept all the way on the deck in the sun) through the beautiful Marlborough Sound. Drove off to Kaikoura along the east coast stopping off at a seal colony where the seals were chilling out on the rocks. Hung out in the sun and booked our dolphin swimming tour for the next morning. Wetsuited up the following day we jumped off our boat 4 times to catch some dolphins swimming around us, not quite Free Willy but awesome to see the pods all around us nonetheless.
The next day we did an Art Deco walking tour of the city which was rebuilt entirely in 1931 over 2 years after a massive volcano eruption which meant the sea floor moved upwards adding loads of land to the city and destroying everything. In the afternoon we hastily jumped on the Grape Escape wine tour. On no lunch, 4 wineries with about 10 samples per winery, a cheese platter and extra samples of Viognier, Merlot and Port by a v welcoming vineyard owner called Dan, we arrived back to the hostel wasted and passed out before a well needed burger dinner. Thank goodness we didn't chose the 'bike and wine' option or I may not have been writing now.
The following day we left for Wellington also known as 'Windy Welly'. The buzzing capital had a lovely harbour and good nightlife explored by the core 3 and lovely Aussie Rohan who accompanied us. The next day we explored the city in the rain i.e. shopped and ate and had some dinner and a bottle that night before getting up at 5.30am to catch the interislander ferry to Picton.
Arrived to the South Island (after a seasick Virginia had slept all the way on the deck in the sun) through the beautiful Marlborough Sound. Drove off to Kaikoura along the east coast stopping off at a seal colony where the seals were chilling out on the rocks. Hung out in the sun and booked our dolphin swimming tour for the next morning. Wetsuited up the following day we jumped off our boat 4 times to catch some dolphins swimming around us, not quite Free Willy but awesome to see the pods all around us nonetheless.
Thursday 8 November 2007
KIA ORA!
So.. we arrived in Auckland and headed to the Base Backpackers hostel and bumped into a girl from Fiji in our dorm room, crazy coincidence. Next day early 7.45am we rose to watch England's victory over France, get in. Particularly as there were some Welsh girls sat next to us supporting France, bloody Welsh (Sorry Welshies). Then came the arrival of Giles, Em's boyfriend bearing replacements of my stolen goodies so most welcome. The next couple of days we explored Auckland, went up the sky tower and had a drink, went to the Auckland art gallery to check out some traditional maori portraits and hit the Auckland museum where we had the haka (All Black's psyche out dance) warrior dance performed for us.
Tuesday, we got into our hire car and hit the road for Paihia and the Bay of Islands. This was where the first settlers came to NZ from Europe and settled in Russell and the Waitangi Treaty was signed bringing unity to NZ at the instance of a British representative there. Explored Russell across the bay and its pretty beach and Waitangi National Park where the House of said treaty was and some waterfalls/big Maori meeting house and war canoe stuff! Thursday we did a big boat trip around the Bay of Islands which has some stunning beaches and some rather happy holiday home owners living there. Friday, we headed to the northern tip of the North Island to Northland, where Cape Reinga can be found and a 90km beach which we walked around the next day and helped a kiwi family get their car out of the sand after an ambitious off the road project.
After this we spent a long day driving down to Rotorua, all hostels were booked up and we ended up staying in a Young Christians Women's Association hostel, bit quiet and grim but hosted us well and meant we could watch England's hideous defeat on the Sunday morning before heading to Rotorua. Rotorua for those who don't know is a big sulphur smelling town where there are hot geysers shooting up steam and thermal baths, obviously we visited both. Also bumped into some guys from law school there in our hostel, surreal and had a good drinking session with them. This was where I got to see the kiwi bird for the first time, in a darkened enclosed area in the Rotorua maori cultural centre but a kiwi bird nonetheless.
When we could stomach the sulphur no longer we headed to Taupo and what was to be the site of the long anticipated and feared Burgess skydive. The day we arrived we headed over to SkyDive Taupo and all 3 of us were wetting ourselves. I went rather pale and quiet apparently but chirped up big time when I got the blue overalls on and was harness to a rather nice Kiwi and got in the plane. It hit home I was doing it then and I decided to give it my all. 15,000 ft, 60 seconds of free fall and a groin wrenching parachute fall later, I landed, relieved and hyperactive on the ground. Great rush, thought my heart would explode when I fell out of the plane!
Tuesday, we got into our hire car and hit the road for Paihia and the Bay of Islands. This was where the first settlers came to NZ from Europe and settled in Russell and the Waitangi Treaty was signed bringing unity to NZ at the instance of a British representative there. Explored Russell across the bay and its pretty beach and Waitangi National Park where the House of said treaty was and some waterfalls/big Maori meeting house and war canoe stuff! Thursday we did a big boat trip around the Bay of Islands which has some stunning beaches and some rather happy holiday home owners living there. Friday, we headed to the northern tip of the North Island to Northland, where Cape Reinga can be found and a 90km beach which we walked around the next day and helped a kiwi family get their car out of the sand after an ambitious off the road project.
After this we spent a long day driving down to Rotorua, all hostels were booked up and we ended up staying in a Young Christians Women's Association hostel, bit quiet and grim but hosted us well and meant we could watch England's hideous defeat on the Sunday morning before heading to Rotorua. Rotorua for those who don't know is a big sulphur smelling town where there are hot geysers shooting up steam and thermal baths, obviously we visited both. Also bumped into some guys from law school there in our hostel, surreal and had a good drinking session with them. This was where I got to see the kiwi bird for the first time, in a darkened enclosed area in the Rotorua maori cultural centre but a kiwi bird nonetheless.
When we could stomach the sulphur no longer we headed to Taupo and what was to be the site of the long anticipated and feared Burgess skydive. The day we arrived we headed over to SkyDive Taupo and all 3 of us were wetting ourselves. I went rather pale and quiet apparently but chirped up big time when I got the blue overalls on and was harness to a rather nice Kiwi and got in the plane. It hit home I was doing it then and I decided to give it my all. 15,000 ft, 60 seconds of free fall and a groin wrenching parachute fall later, I landed, relieved and hyperactive on the ground. Great rush, thought my heart would explode when I fell out of the plane!
Wednesday 17 October 2007
BULA continued...
The next day in Bariloche we caught a bus to El Bolson, a beautiful looking mountainous town which had pink blossoming trees surrounding a big artesan craft fair (to die for Alfajores for those who've been to Argentina). Returned to Bariloche for dinner and drinks out with people from our hostel where we met a suspect couple of Argentinians hoping to open a hostel just for women called The Nunnery. Interesting. Needless to say we moved away from them pretty quickly.
The next day we moved on after the mountain luge to Mendoza on the overnight bus. After bingo on the bus (which Emma won without realising and missed out on the prize) and some crappy films we arrived early Sat morning to the wealthy wine region of Mendoza. Spent the day looking around and had a great wine tasting in the evening with Matias in a boutique winery where we got through 10 bottles of wine (swirling, sniffing, gargling, examining and pompously defining) and generally came out very happy.
Things took a bit of a downturn the next day when we had a great time at the San Felipe vineyard and returned to Mendoza city for lunch. Here, while having lunch on the side of a restaurant I had my bag with all my valuables in it stolen by a guy with a pistol. After much upset and cancelling of everything, we left Mendoza the next day on the night bus to Buenos Aires to get a new passport from the British Embassy. Met the consul and had a cup of tea and the Great British network handed me a new passport the same day. Caught an early flight to Santiago and spent the next day looking around before flying to Fiji via Auckland. Santiago was quite a European and buzzing place and quite chilled, liked it a lot.
After a 14hr flight and 8hrs hanging out in Auckland airport we boarded the plane to Nadi, the main town in Fiji, on the biggest island. Spent the night there by the seaside where there was amazing seafood and a fire twirling dance display. The next day we boarded the boat to Waya island and the Octopus resort. Octopus resort went even beyond the idyllic pacific island stereotype, it was stunning. We spent 5 days here relaxing, snorkelling, swimming, sunbathing, reading 4 Harry Potters (blush), handgliding, cocktailing and eating. Will stop now, that's enough.
After a couple of days back on the big island with yes more chilling we caught the flight back to Auckland laden up with Fijian wood goodies and worrying about customs...
The next day we moved on after the mountain luge to Mendoza on the overnight bus. After bingo on the bus (which Emma won without realising and missed out on the prize) and some crappy films we arrived early Sat morning to the wealthy wine region of Mendoza. Spent the day looking around and had a great wine tasting in the evening with Matias in a boutique winery where we got through 10 bottles of wine (swirling, sniffing, gargling, examining and pompously defining) and generally came out very happy.
Things took a bit of a downturn the next day when we had a great time at the San Felipe vineyard and returned to Mendoza city for lunch. Here, while having lunch on the side of a restaurant I had my bag with all my valuables in it stolen by a guy with a pistol. After much upset and cancelling of everything, we left Mendoza the next day on the night bus to Buenos Aires to get a new passport from the British Embassy. Met the consul and had a cup of tea and the Great British network handed me a new passport the same day. Caught an early flight to Santiago and spent the next day looking around before flying to Fiji via Auckland. Santiago was quite a European and buzzing place and quite chilled, liked it a lot.
After a 14hr flight and 8hrs hanging out in Auckland airport we boarded the plane to Nadi, the main town in Fiji, on the biggest island. Spent the night there by the seaside where there was amazing seafood and a fire twirling dance display. The next day we boarded the boat to Waya island and the Octopus resort. Octopus resort went even beyond the idyllic pacific island stereotype, it was stunning. We spent 5 days here relaxing, snorkelling, swimming, sunbathing, reading 4 Harry Potters (blush), handgliding, cocktailing and eating. Will stop now, that's enough.
After a couple of days back on the big island with yes more chilling we caught the flight back to Auckland laden up with Fijian wood goodies and worrying about customs...
Saturday 13 October 2007
BULA from Fiji!
Perito Moreno glacier was stunning and freezing. It was a beautiful blue colour and bits kept breaking off making thundrous noises. Having not seen a glacier before I was suitably impressed. We then got the bus from El calafate to Torres del Paine where we spent one day going around the whole park looking at Lake Grey and its glacier and 'Los Cuernos' and 'Las Torres' mountains which were imposing and covered in snow. Day 2 we did a 20k up to the Torres and back. Brilliant. Not having time to do the full 5 day hike we headed upwards to Puerto Montt, port town in Chile, not very exciting place and the hostel we stayed in was shabby to say the least!
In the morning we caught an 8hr bus to Bariloche where we were rewarded for the long travel by oodles of the most amazing chocolate. We raided the chocolate shop street and had a big feast while we went to the cinema there. Bariloche is a town which looks v much like an Alpine ski resort so mostly sells chocolate and ski wear. Its the big skiing/snow boarding resort and we celebrated that by doing a snow luge thing down the mountain. Great stuff. Running out of time in internet cafe so will continue later! xxx
In the morning we caught an 8hr bus to Bariloche where we were rewarded for the long travel by oodles of the most amazing chocolate. We raided the chocolate shop street and had a big feast while we went to the cinema there. Bariloche is a town which looks v much like an Alpine ski resort so mostly sells chocolate and ski wear. Its the big skiing/snow boarding resort and we celebrated that by doing a snow luge thing down the mountain. Great stuff. Running out of time in internet cafe so will continue later! xxx
Wednesday 19 September 2007
"In Patagonia" by Virginia Burgess
Met a slightly sickly Emma in Trelew and went to Gaiman to check out the centre of Welsh Patagonia and have some tea. God milky tea in a teapot plus tea cosy felt good! We went to the tea house belonging to the great granddaughter of the first Welsh settler in Patagonia who arrived in 1865. The tea house was like a swiss lodge full of Welsh memorabilia in cabinets and a big iron fire/grate thing which came across on that first ship to Patagonia, the Mimosa.
After stuffing our faces with inordinate amounts of dulce de leche cake we caught the bus back to Trelew and our kitch tumble down hostel. The next day we passed through Puerto Madryn and on to Puerto Piramides where we got on a boat to do some whale watching. Emma´s SLR camera went nuts at this point. There were big Right whales and their calves everywhere, enormous and beautiful animals with big carbuncles all over. After this I had a big lamb lunch a la parilla (big fat bbq) in a lighthouse estancia on the Peninsula Valdes. Em, still not feeling great had soup, a few guilt feelings on my part. That afternoon, we went onto the beach below to see elephant seals. Whopping creatures making bit flatulent snoring noises, awesome.
Saturday and Sunday were spent chilling while Emma recovered and the elections took place meaning everything was shut. Much time listening to "estas viendo Warner Channel" on tv. Sunday afternoon we flew down to Ushuaia.
Ushuaia is the town which claims to be at the end of the world. It´s not really but it is the biggest southern town apparently. It´s like an Austrian or Swiss ski resort. We are staying in a wood pannelled hostel, feels very European and much more wealthy than concrete jungle Welsh Patagonia. It does feel good and quite strange to be the furthest South I have been in my life.
Since being here we have done a boat trip down the Beagle Channel and seen sea lions and massive cormorants that look like penguins if you squint. Yesterday we took a bus to the National Park, Tierra del Fuego, and strolled around the park which is stunning. Looks a bit like the Lake District in the UK but more extreme. Today we are off dog sledding up in the snow should be hilarious, am thinking Canadian Mountie style but we shall see. Tomorrow morning we plan to go up a glacier before flying to El Calafate to see the mother of glaciers and the best apparently, El Perito Moreno. Em and I are hugely excited about this and Torres del Paine, the best National Park in South America apparently, our next destination after that....
That´s all for now, if you´ve read this far, thanks for your persistence and interest! xx
After stuffing our faces with inordinate amounts of dulce de leche cake we caught the bus back to Trelew and our kitch tumble down hostel. The next day we passed through Puerto Madryn and on to Puerto Piramides where we got on a boat to do some whale watching. Emma´s SLR camera went nuts at this point. There were big Right whales and their calves everywhere, enormous and beautiful animals with big carbuncles all over. After this I had a big lamb lunch a la parilla (big fat bbq) in a lighthouse estancia on the Peninsula Valdes. Em, still not feeling great had soup, a few guilt feelings on my part. That afternoon, we went onto the beach below to see elephant seals. Whopping creatures making bit flatulent snoring noises, awesome.
Saturday and Sunday were spent chilling while Emma recovered and the elections took place meaning everything was shut. Much time listening to "estas viendo Warner Channel" on tv. Sunday afternoon we flew down to Ushuaia.
Ushuaia is the town which claims to be at the end of the world. It´s not really but it is the biggest southern town apparently. It´s like an Austrian or Swiss ski resort. We are staying in a wood pannelled hostel, feels very European and much more wealthy than concrete jungle Welsh Patagonia. It does feel good and quite strange to be the furthest South I have been in my life.
Since being here we have done a boat trip down the Beagle Channel and seen sea lions and massive cormorants that look like penguins if you squint. Yesterday we took a bus to the National Park, Tierra del Fuego, and strolled around the park which is stunning. Looks a bit like the Lake District in the UK but more extreme. Today we are off dog sledding up in the snow should be hilarious, am thinking Canadian Mountie style but we shall see. Tomorrow morning we plan to go up a glacier before flying to El Calafate to see the mother of glaciers and the best apparently, El Perito Moreno. Em and I are hugely excited about this and Torres del Paine, the best National Park in South America apparently, our next destination after that....
That´s all for now, if you´ve read this far, thanks for your persistence and interest! xx
Cross Continental Crazyness
Much has happened since I was in Lake Titicaca (incidentally the biggest mass of water at that altitude not the highest as in my last entry whoops). The Uros islands were intriguing. There is the possibility that the Bolivian government pay the population to be there as its such a major tourist attraction but its still pretty amazing. We visited a couple of islands and floated about on a reed boat. It would be crazy to live there all the time but I´ve thought this many a time on my travels.
On the island tour I met a couple of Kiwis, Alice and Tim from Christchurch who then got the bus to La Paz with me where we also met a Dane and a Brit and the 5 of us got a hostel together in La Paz. This was particularly good for me as a girl travelling alone as we got into La Paz at 11pm and a tourist policeman got on the bus and told us not to get off where we were planning to because we´d be robbed. We forced the bus driver to take us to the bus station. Novel idea I know.
La Paz was a crazy working city. A mass of roads and squares. No major central focal point except for maybe the Plaza San Francisco with a pretty cathedral, little streets behind selling textiles and llama foetuses and a witches market up one end. All this gave La Paz a really interesting feel, I liked it a lot. There was also a big 2 day demonstration going on by the cocaleros who are feeling hard done by by Evo Morales government.
After a couple of days exploring and a cheeky trip to see The Willis in Die Hard 4, I caught an overnight bus (after rushing to the toll booths to wait for it as I thought I´d missed it) to Uyuni where the salt flats are. We would have got there at 7am in time for a 10am tour but the bus got 2 major punctures and we arrived at 2pm. After a night of amazing MinuteMan pizza and alcohol with the members of my bus I headed off the next day on tour. The Salt flats were unbelievable and enormous. Think Pirates of the Carribean 3 (Johnny Depp´s Worlds End). Cue lots of stupid photos. We also had fun travelling about in a jeep seeing a volcano and flamingos and a hell of a lot of cacti.
On the Friday at 5.30 am after a false start where my bus drove straight past me, I headed south to the Argentine border. This involved stopping and changing buses at Atocha and Tupiza little Bolivian market towns and arriving at Villazon at the border at about 5pm. I then crossed into Argentina, had some chicken and chips with a couple from Sheffield and caught a bus to Salta. Arriving at 4.00 am I decided to keep going and went straight to the airport to catch a flight to Buenos Aires.
Arrived at our Moulin Rouge style hostel in Buenos Aires at 10.30am where Emma was waiting for me. We spent the day catching up big time and exploring the San Telmo district, a beautiful old style antiques section of B.A. then went to Florida to the shopping zone and then saw the Bourne Ultimatum before dinner back in San Telmo. A great but exhausting day after 30hours travelling.
Sunday I visited the Recoleta where there is a big cemetery and Evita´s body and a great market. Caught some tango dancing in a bar in the evening. Monday I met up with Stephanie!! Was lovely to see her and her mother in their stunning BA flat. We headed to Palermo for some steak lunch (GOD the steak is good here) and then wandered around a bit while she did the dentist and I did incredible Argentine ice cream (Freddo for those in the know) and travel arrangements.
That evening I jumped on a 16 hour bus (turned out to be 18hr) over night to Puerto Iguacu to see the waterfalls. They were as beautiful as Niagara only much more tropical and much more scope to explore around jungle style trails. Here I bumped into the Kiwis again who´d been in Rio in the interim! I love those coincidences. After getting trigger finger from so many photos I flew back to BA and went out for dinner in Puerto Madero which reminded me a lot of the docklands in Bristol and the South Bank in London. Emma in this time was taking a trip to Uruguay as she´d done Iguacu already.
Thursday morning I took a flight to Trelew to begin the Patagonian stage....
On the island tour I met a couple of Kiwis, Alice and Tim from Christchurch who then got the bus to La Paz with me where we also met a Dane and a Brit and the 5 of us got a hostel together in La Paz. This was particularly good for me as a girl travelling alone as we got into La Paz at 11pm and a tourist policeman got on the bus and told us not to get off where we were planning to because we´d be robbed. We forced the bus driver to take us to the bus station. Novel idea I know.
La Paz was a crazy working city. A mass of roads and squares. No major central focal point except for maybe the Plaza San Francisco with a pretty cathedral, little streets behind selling textiles and llama foetuses and a witches market up one end. All this gave La Paz a really interesting feel, I liked it a lot. There was also a big 2 day demonstration going on by the cocaleros who are feeling hard done by by Evo Morales government.
After a couple of days exploring and a cheeky trip to see The Willis in Die Hard 4, I caught an overnight bus (after rushing to the toll booths to wait for it as I thought I´d missed it) to Uyuni where the salt flats are. We would have got there at 7am in time for a 10am tour but the bus got 2 major punctures and we arrived at 2pm. After a night of amazing MinuteMan pizza and alcohol with the members of my bus I headed off the next day on tour. The Salt flats were unbelievable and enormous. Think Pirates of the Carribean 3 (Johnny Depp´s Worlds End). Cue lots of stupid photos. We also had fun travelling about in a jeep seeing a volcano and flamingos and a hell of a lot of cacti.
On the Friday at 5.30 am after a false start where my bus drove straight past me, I headed south to the Argentine border. This involved stopping and changing buses at Atocha and Tupiza little Bolivian market towns and arriving at Villazon at the border at about 5pm. I then crossed into Argentina, had some chicken and chips with a couple from Sheffield and caught a bus to Salta. Arriving at 4.00 am I decided to keep going and went straight to the airport to catch a flight to Buenos Aires.
Arrived at our Moulin Rouge style hostel in Buenos Aires at 10.30am where Emma was waiting for me. We spent the day catching up big time and exploring the San Telmo district, a beautiful old style antiques section of B.A. then went to Florida to the shopping zone and then saw the Bourne Ultimatum before dinner back in San Telmo. A great but exhausting day after 30hours travelling.
Sunday I visited the Recoleta where there is a big cemetery and Evita´s body and a great market. Caught some tango dancing in a bar in the evening. Monday I met up with Stephanie!! Was lovely to see her and her mother in their stunning BA flat. We headed to Palermo for some steak lunch (GOD the steak is good here) and then wandered around a bit while she did the dentist and I did incredible Argentine ice cream (Freddo for those in the know) and travel arrangements.
That evening I jumped on a 16 hour bus (turned out to be 18hr) over night to Puerto Iguacu to see the waterfalls. They were as beautiful as Niagara only much more tropical and much more scope to explore around jungle style trails. Here I bumped into the Kiwis again who´d been in Rio in the interim! I love those coincidences. After getting trigger finger from so many photos I flew back to BA and went out for dinner in Puerto Madero which reminded me a lot of the docklands in Bristol and the South Bank in London. Emma in this time was taking a trip to Uruguay as she´d done Iguacu already.
Thursday morning I took a flight to Trelew to begin the Patagonian stage....
Saturday 1 September 2007
Buenos Aires here I come!
So my last day with my group involved White Water Rafting... I loved the rafting, the bit where our guide decided to topple as many of us as possible into the river right in the middle of a rapid, not so much. Picture 4 of us flying down the river with the currents shouting backwards for someone to get us back in the raft, elegant we weren´t, pretty funny it was.
The others left for Lima on Weds and I took a day for a bit of a breather, to regain energy and get rid of some more tummy fun, I´m lucky like that. I flew to Arequipa on the Thurs and spent all of Fri looking around. It´s bigger than Cusco, with a beautiful backdrop of the El Misti volcano towering behind it. It´s all made of white sillar stone and has many religious buildings, including the most important in Peru, the Monasterio Santa Catalina. Spent some good hours wandering around this colourful and serene citadel, v impressive. I had forgotten that Arequipa is the home of Mario Vargas Llosa, one of my favourite S.American authors, whose latest book I have signed by him. He is quite a guy, having stood to be president of Peru, he got beaten sadly by the murderous dictator Fujimori but there we go.
The other highlight of Arequipa was seeing Juanita. She was a body discovered at the top of one of the nearby mountains, frozen in the glacier. She is important because she was one of 4 bodies found which show that the Incas used to smack young pure noble girls over the head with a 5 pronged mace and bury them along with offerings to the Mountain gods called Apus. These girls had also marched for days from Cusco to these mountains in a big festival and had voluntarily given their lives, it was a great honour.
Juanita was a bit freaky really, she still had her hair and teeth. It´s going to take me a while to shake off her image but she was fascinating nonetheless. Have grown quite fond of these Incas in the last 6 weeks. They were amazingly advanced and had an interesting set of beliefs, worshipping PachaMama (Mother Earth) and the God Inti Sol (the Sun God) and the Apu mountain gods too. The ruins left behind are incredible and it makes me sad to think how much the Spaniards destroyed...
Am currently, after a 6 hour bus trip, in Puno which is the town by the side of Lake Titicaca the highest lake in the world. Tomorrow am doing a trip to see the Uros islands made of Tortora reeds. The locals make the island they live on and each time it rots away they replace the reeds. Am intrigued to see them before I take another long bus trip to La Paz and my first steps into Bolivia.
The others left for Lima on Weds and I took a day for a bit of a breather, to regain energy and get rid of some more tummy fun, I´m lucky like that. I flew to Arequipa on the Thurs and spent all of Fri looking around. It´s bigger than Cusco, with a beautiful backdrop of the El Misti volcano towering behind it. It´s all made of white sillar stone and has many religious buildings, including the most important in Peru, the Monasterio Santa Catalina. Spent some good hours wandering around this colourful and serene citadel, v impressive. I had forgotten that Arequipa is the home of Mario Vargas Llosa, one of my favourite S.American authors, whose latest book I have signed by him. He is quite a guy, having stood to be president of Peru, he got beaten sadly by the murderous dictator Fujimori but there we go.
The other highlight of Arequipa was seeing Juanita. She was a body discovered at the top of one of the nearby mountains, frozen in the glacier. She is important because she was one of 4 bodies found which show that the Incas used to smack young pure noble girls over the head with a 5 pronged mace and bury them along with offerings to the Mountain gods called Apus. These girls had also marched for days from Cusco to these mountains in a big festival and had voluntarily given their lives, it was a great honour.
Juanita was a bit freaky really, she still had her hair and teeth. It´s going to take me a while to shake off her image but she was fascinating nonetheless. Have grown quite fond of these Incas in the last 6 weeks. They were amazingly advanced and had an interesting set of beliefs, worshipping PachaMama (Mother Earth) and the God Inti Sol (the Sun God) and the Apu mountain gods too. The ruins left behind are incredible and it makes me sad to think how much the Spaniards destroyed...
Am currently, after a 6 hour bus trip, in Puno which is the town by the side of Lake Titicaca the highest lake in the world. Tomorrow am doing a trip to see the Uros islands made of Tortora reeds. The locals make the island they live on and each time it rots away they replace the reeds. Am intrigued to see them before I take another long bus trip to La Paz and my first steps into Bolivia.
Monday 27 August 2007
Overwhelmed by Machu Picchu
I´m very happy to say that I have finally been able to see Machu Picchu and it only took 3 years or more of waiting...
Thankfully it didn´t disappoint. Particularly as we had to do a 9 day trek to get there which apparently was 4x harder than the Inca trail and one of the hardest treks in Peru (quite glad I didn´t know this before I set off). The first few days involved trekking up to and away from Choquequirao another mountain-top set of ruins set in beautiful surroundings. Day 4 after this was the worst, a 14hour hike 10 hours of which were uphill to 4,600m, starting at 5.30am and getting to the next site to camp at 8pm... Hardcore is indeed my middle name. Seriously, I loved the trek and am glad I did it, it was really hard but the scenery was some of the most beautiful I´ve seen in my life. The only slight downside was on the eve of day 8, 6 girls out of our 8 person group got really ill and puked out of their tents all night (I like to be graphic). So instead of hiking on Day 8 we had to rush by bus then train to the doctor in Aguas Calientes right by Machu Picchu where much interpreting of symptoms was needed! On Saturday, we went to Machu Picchu at the break of dawn and I was completely blown away. It´s a shame it will be taken over by tourists quite soon but I can see why it was voted a wonder of the world, it was beautiful. I only wished I could have seen it when it was full of Incas but I gave it my best shot at imagining it...
After a day of recovery in Cusco we have just been horse riding around the sacred valley courtesy of a random guy called Cesar who gave us a taxi ride a month ago and also owns a farm of horses, fortunately it all turned out well and wasn´t at all dodgy! Tomorrow we go white water rafting before I head off alone to the south of Peru and towards Bolivia on Wednesday while the others head to Lima. Am sad that the Peru stage is almost over but the rest of the continent awaits... as one great house mate suggested, I will try not to shake the rest of the world by my travels, one earthquake and plane crash is probably enough.
Over and out, xxxx
Thankfully it didn´t disappoint. Particularly as we had to do a 9 day trek to get there which apparently was 4x harder than the Inca trail and one of the hardest treks in Peru (quite glad I didn´t know this before I set off). The first few days involved trekking up to and away from Choquequirao another mountain-top set of ruins set in beautiful surroundings. Day 4 after this was the worst, a 14hour hike 10 hours of which were uphill to 4,600m, starting at 5.30am and getting to the next site to camp at 8pm... Hardcore is indeed my middle name. Seriously, I loved the trek and am glad I did it, it was really hard but the scenery was some of the most beautiful I´ve seen in my life. The only slight downside was on the eve of day 8, 6 girls out of our 8 person group got really ill and puked out of their tents all night (I like to be graphic). So instead of hiking on Day 8 we had to rush by bus then train to the doctor in Aguas Calientes right by Machu Picchu where much interpreting of symptoms was needed! On Saturday, we went to Machu Picchu at the break of dawn and I was completely blown away. It´s a shame it will be taken over by tourists quite soon but I can see why it was voted a wonder of the world, it was beautiful. I only wished I could have seen it when it was full of Incas but I gave it my best shot at imagining it...
After a day of recovery in Cusco we have just been horse riding around the sacred valley courtesy of a random guy called Cesar who gave us a taxi ride a month ago and also owns a farm of horses, fortunately it all turned out well and wasn´t at all dodgy! Tomorrow we go white water rafting before I head off alone to the south of Peru and towards Bolivia on Wednesday while the others head to Lima. Am sad that the Peru stage is almost over but the rest of the continent awaits... as one great house mate suggested, I will try not to shake the rest of the world by my travels, one earthquake and plane crash is probably enough.
Over and out, xxxx
Thursday 16 August 2007
Wednesday 15 August 2007
La vida cusquena
Time has passed scarily fast. The two weeks in Cusco were brilliant, living with Lourdes and Darwin and their lovely Peruvian family in a suburb called La Florida. The middle weekend of the 2 week language course gave us the chance to head off into the Sacred valley to visit Ollayantambo and its ruins and then a beautiful colonial church in Chinchero, an old greenhouse style Inca ruin in Moray and some beautiful salt pans cut into the side of a hill in Salinas. After this we headed to Pisac a cool market town to see yes more ruins on the Sunday and to hit a massive Peruvian market: ponchos and crazy alpaca hats galore.
The weekdays consisted of going on a ´real city tour´, seeing more of the real Cusco, seeing the Inca museum and art galleries, enjoying the cuisine and nightlife and many markets and generally getting to feel really at home in Cusco, a stunning town surrounded by the Andes. Quechua was challenging but fun. I had a little Incan lady called Lourdes as a teacher, who was also an Andean medical practitioner, a really interesting lady. For the second weekend we saw the ruins just up on the hill on the side of Cusco and got to have some awesome trout. At the nearest ruin, Sacsaywaman (SEXY WOMAAAAN in slight Jamaican accent) the locals have a big festival there called Inti Raymi in June where they sacrifice a llama and eat its blood and hope to forecast the coming year.
After this all took a turn for the worse as I ended up after a night out rather ill (yes both ends) with salmonella and once I was hospitalised, it also turned out I had a urinary infection and a parasite. While the rest of the group headed off into the mountains I recovered with a drip. Last Wednesday I took a 12 hour journey (4hrs of which were walking uphill) to the community of Cuncani. There we helped build a big salon comunal. I got to practice Quechua and we got to have a big party at the end to celebrate the end of the project. We also squeezed in some teaching of the local kids (lots of gesturing and fun games) and hiking up to the beautiful lakes nearby where wild chinchilla style rabbits run around. The mountain experience was topped off by a trip to some natural hot thermal baths. Now we are back in Cusco and recuperating ready for the 9 day pilgrimage to Choequequirao and Machu Picchu at the end... the climax of the Peru trip before I head off across the continent to join Em in Buenos Aires...
All for now, much love xx
The weekdays consisted of going on a ´real city tour´, seeing more of the real Cusco, seeing the Inca museum and art galleries, enjoying the cuisine and nightlife and many markets and generally getting to feel really at home in Cusco, a stunning town surrounded by the Andes. Quechua was challenging but fun. I had a little Incan lady called Lourdes as a teacher, who was also an Andean medical practitioner, a really interesting lady. For the second weekend we saw the ruins just up on the hill on the side of Cusco and got to have some awesome trout. At the nearest ruin, Sacsaywaman (SEXY WOMAAAAN in slight Jamaican accent) the locals have a big festival there called Inti Raymi in June where they sacrifice a llama and eat its blood and hope to forecast the coming year.
After this all took a turn for the worse as I ended up after a night out rather ill (yes both ends) with salmonella and once I was hospitalised, it also turned out I had a urinary infection and a parasite. While the rest of the group headed off into the mountains I recovered with a drip. Last Wednesday I took a 12 hour journey (4hrs of which were walking uphill) to the community of Cuncani. There we helped build a big salon comunal. I got to practice Quechua and we got to have a big party at the end to celebrate the end of the project. We also squeezed in some teaching of the local kids (lots of gesturing and fun games) and hiking up to the beautiful lakes nearby where wild chinchilla style rabbits run around. The mountain experience was topped off by a trip to some natural hot thermal baths. Now we are back in Cusco and recuperating ready for the 9 day pilgrimage to Choequequirao and Machu Picchu at the end... the climax of the Peru trip before I head off across the continent to join Em in Buenos Aires...
All for now, much love xx
Sunday 22 July 2007
Ciao a Brasil!
So lots has happened since my last entry. I have been to the famous Cristo Redentor (the biggest art decor sculpture in the world) to see the views of Rio and been up on a v dodgy old school tram up to Santa Teresa, a beautiful old colonial part of Rio. That day was topped off by sunset at the Pao de Azucar (sugar loaf mountain) to see more breathtaking views. Oh and made even better by an all you can eat Brazilian tapas with hostel buddies, led by Haroldo who works at the hostel.
Other highlights include hanging out on Ipanema beach with the locals, going hang gliding onto one of the bays (great fun, felt like a bird, don´t think I was nearly so graceful though sadly), going on a favela tour and to Lapa to a samba club which was a brilliant night out. The favela was really interesting and despite fears of it being voyeuristic was really worth seeing, we saw Rocinha the biggest favela in Latin America run by a 24 year old drug baron who earns 1.25million a month (I think?) but can never leave the favela as he will be arrested or shot.. he probably won´t live to beyond 35 at the most..
On a more cheerful note, Jax and I went to a big samba display to get a taste of carnival last Saturday and then headed to Ihla Grande on the Sunday, a beautiful island with one of the 4 most beautiful beaches in the world on it called Lopes Mendes. The weather wasn´t brilliant but we had an awesome time regardless. Back to Rio after and shopping, museum/churches in the centre and a trip to see Brasil´s female football team somewhat thrash the Canadian team (sadly) at Brasil´s main Maracana football stadium for the Pan American Games being held in Rio at the moment, the atmosphere was awesome, those Brazilians certainly know how to support a team.
Feeling really sad to leave, flew to Sao Paolo (only slightly nervously after the devastating plane crash which killed 186 there on Tuesday), arrived in Lima Saturday for a little bit of exhausted exploration and am now in Cusco with my VentureCo group of 6 Brit girls. I meet the Peruvian family I am staying with tomorrow and start my Quechua lessons... v exciting if not surreal. Cusco is brilliant and beautiful with the Andes surrounding it - am just adapting to the altitude which is having a crazy effect on everyone.
Adios for now and mucho amor for one and all. xxx
Other highlights include hanging out on Ipanema beach with the locals, going hang gliding onto one of the bays (great fun, felt like a bird, don´t think I was nearly so graceful though sadly), going on a favela tour and to Lapa to a samba club which was a brilliant night out. The favela was really interesting and despite fears of it being voyeuristic was really worth seeing, we saw Rocinha the biggest favela in Latin America run by a 24 year old drug baron who earns 1.25million a month (I think?) but can never leave the favela as he will be arrested or shot.. he probably won´t live to beyond 35 at the most..
On a more cheerful note, Jax and I went to a big samba display to get a taste of carnival last Saturday and then headed to Ihla Grande on the Sunday, a beautiful island with one of the 4 most beautiful beaches in the world on it called Lopes Mendes. The weather wasn´t brilliant but we had an awesome time regardless. Back to Rio after and shopping, museum/churches in the centre and a trip to see Brasil´s female football team somewhat thrash the Canadian team (sadly) at Brasil´s main Maracana football stadium for the Pan American Games being held in Rio at the moment, the atmosphere was awesome, those Brazilians certainly know how to support a team.
Feeling really sad to leave, flew to Sao Paolo (only slightly nervously after the devastating plane crash which killed 186 there on Tuesday), arrived in Lima Saturday for a little bit of exhausted exploration and am now in Cusco with my VentureCo group of 6 Brit girls. I meet the Peruvian family I am staying with tomorrow and start my Quechua lessons... v exciting if not surreal. Cusco is brilliant and beautiful with the Andes surrounding it - am just adapting to the altitude which is having a crazy effect on everyone.
Adios for now and mucho amor for one and all. xxx
Monday 9 July 2007
BRASIL UM PAIS TROPICAO!
So Jax and I finished off our week in Washington. After the fireworks and bbq of 4th July I spent the next day with Wing (some of you have met her when she came to the UK - my roommate from the conference in Washington in 2000). We ate an all american breakfast in a diner (I'd forgotten how much the yanks eat - huge everywhere) and a trip to Washington zoo to see the pandas - never saw these in China kind of weird to see them there! They're v cute though! Then we munched through some traditional southern cooking of stuffed cabbage (was delicious despite its description) made by Wing's boyfriend's mum visiting from Oklahoma!
Friday was spent packing and flying to Miami to arrive in Rio Sat am (and buying video camera batteries M&D!). Jax was supposed to be on the same flight but she wasnt able to get her flight as the first one was delayed so we met at the Lighthouse hostel in Ipanema, tired & just in time for the LiveEarth concert with Macy Gray, some cool Brazilians and Lenny Kravitz headlining on Copacabana beach - how kind of them to put that on for us! Since then we've been the girls from Ipanema on the beach and walked around the lake and the botanical gardens (got some photos for your portfolio Mum!) and got v drunk on Caiprinhas (cachasa is vicious) with the people from our alley of hostels. We had 15 nationalities drinking together around one table. We won as the British obviously.
Tomorrow we are going up to see the big famous Christ. We havent started a course in Portuguese and am not sure we will now, I seem to be mangling my Spanish with a few portuguese words - its working fine! 2 more weeks in Rio and the surrounding beautiful country and then on to Peru for the project.
Com amor, buena noite x
So Jax and I finished off our week in Washington. After the fireworks and bbq of 4th July I spent the next day with Wing (some of you have met her when she came to the UK - my roommate from the conference in Washington in 2000). We ate an all american breakfast in a diner (I'd forgotten how much the yanks eat - huge everywhere) and a trip to Washington zoo to see the pandas - never saw these in China kind of weird to see them there! They're v cute though! Then we munched through some traditional southern cooking of stuffed cabbage (was delicious despite its description) made by Wing's boyfriend's mum visiting from Oklahoma!
Friday was spent packing and flying to Miami to arrive in Rio Sat am (and buying video camera batteries M&D!). Jax was supposed to be on the same flight but she wasnt able to get her flight as the first one was delayed so we met at the Lighthouse hostel in Ipanema, tired & just in time for the LiveEarth concert with Macy Gray, some cool Brazilians and Lenny Kravitz headlining on Copacabana beach - how kind of them to put that on for us! Since then we've been the girls from Ipanema on the beach and walked around the lake and the botanical gardens (got some photos for your portfolio Mum!) and got v drunk on Caiprinhas (cachasa is vicious) with the people from our alley of hostels. We had 15 nationalities drinking together around one table. We won as the British obviously.
Tomorrow we are going up to see the big famous Christ. We havent started a course in Portuguese and am not sure we will now, I seem to be mangling my Spanish with a few portuguese words - its working fine! 2 more weeks in Rio and the surrounding beautiful country and then on to Peru for the project.
Com amor, buena noite x
Wednesday 4 July 2007
Dude I'm in DC!
So I finally arrived in DC after a somewhat troublesome start. BA wouldn't let me on my flight as it was overbooked (all airlines do it don't you know, like I care) did get upgraded to WorldTraveller/clubish class though so wasn't too bad. However, wasn't best pleased at being in a US immigration queue (or should I say line, am down with the lingo) for nearly 3 hours till 3am (8am in my head) when the computers went down.
Anyway since being here, have caught up with friends, been to Georgetown, the National Portrait and Art Gallery, the Natural History Museum (think Titanic heart of the ocean = Hope Diamond meets Night at the Museum with the T-Rexes), all the many memorials and one monument and been out and about with the horrifically patriotic today for the 4th July. The people in their red, white and blue made me quite glad we handed over their independence quite frankly (yes handed over hmm). We got to have a bbq with Jax's boyfriend and his mates and watch the fireworks so all in all a v good day. Particularly after quite a heavy night drinking lots of liquor with said boyfriend and friends at the Wonderland Ballroom. Wonderland it was.
Just a couple more days of sightseeing before the long flight to Rio on Friday!
Hope y'all are just swell. (Get me out of here)
Ta ra for now xx
Anyway since being here, have caught up with friends, been to Georgetown, the National Portrait and Art Gallery, the Natural History Museum (think Titanic heart of the ocean = Hope Diamond meets Night at the Museum with the T-Rexes), all the many memorials and one monument and been out and about with the horrifically patriotic today for the 4th July. The people in their red, white and blue made me quite glad we handed over their independence quite frankly (yes handed over hmm). We got to have a bbq with Jax's boyfriend and his mates and watch the fireworks so all in all a v good day. Particularly after quite a heavy night drinking lots of liquor with said boyfriend and friends at the Wonderland Ballroom. Wonderland it was.
Just a couple more days of sightseeing before the long flight to Rio on Friday!
Hope y'all are just swell. (Get me out of here)
Ta ra for now xx
Wednesday 20 June 2007
Welcome and itinerary
Hello everybody!
This will be my communication forum for the next 7 months.
Just thought I'd set down a rough itinerary so you know where I am at different points of the year!
Any tips, recommendations, hellos, titbits from UK life would be much appreciated!
29th June leave the UK
1 week in Washington DC with Jax and Wing
7th - 20th July in Rio
21st July - 30th August in Peru
30th August - 6th Sept crossing Peru, Bolivia, N.Argentina to Buenos Aires
7th Sept - 3rd Oct Argentina and Chile
5th Oct - 1 week in Fiji
13 Oct - 13 Nov in New Zealand
13 Nov - 2nd Jan in Australia
2nd Jan - 6th Feb in India
Come join at any point if you feel the need!
Lots of love to everyone have a great 7 months.
Virginia xx
This will be my communication forum for the next 7 months.
Just thought I'd set down a rough itinerary so you know where I am at different points of the year!
Any tips, recommendations, hellos, titbits from UK life would be much appreciated!
29th June leave the UK
1 week in Washington DC with Jax and Wing
7th - 20th July in Rio
21st July - 30th August in Peru
30th August - 6th Sept crossing Peru, Bolivia, N.Argentina to Buenos Aires
7th Sept - 3rd Oct Argentina and Chile
5th Oct - 1 week in Fiji
13 Oct - 13 Nov in New Zealand
13 Nov - 2nd Jan in Australia
2nd Jan - 6th Feb in India
Come join at any point if you feel the need!
Lots of love to everyone have a great 7 months.
Virginia xx
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