tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43262975289597267962024-02-06T21:28:02.024-08:00Not the quickest way to SydneyDecided it was time for a change, so managed to set up a secondment to Sydney via 4 months off to travel first. So here is what I've been up to.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310195264520718153noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4326297528959726796.post-82127529310553786892010-05-09T02:34:00.000-07:002010-05-15T03:04:44.440-07:00Stuck in a desert...because of rainAfter getting back from UK/Laos/Thailand/Singapore it was unfortunately time to do some work. Apparently that’s what EY brought me here to do…they should have said. But after 4 months or so of work it was time to hit the road again and spend a couple of weeks catching up with some relatives before checking out what the outback had to offer.<br /><br />So after getting up at 6am to watch England unfortunately but not surprisingly get stuffed by the Aussies at Rugby League I caught a flight to Adelaide. Back in the day - sometime in the sixties - one of my Mum’s sisters emigrated to Australia as a £10 pom. Outrageous really, the Aussies should be paying for the privilege of having us. But anyway…<br /><br />They met me at the airport and despite not having seen me for 15 years or more, they spotted me straight away. That being said I have been this tall since I was about 12 so I don’t think I’m too difficult to spot. So spent the rest of the day chatting to them which was nice.<br /><br />Next day I wandered around some of the coast near where they lived, namely Glenelg and Henley. Glenelg was supposed to have a shark museum but unfortunately they’d moved it somewhere else so I couldn’t go. Next day I wandered around central Adelaide and also failed to do the things I’d planned on doing there.<br /><br />Due to a big concert at the cricket ground I couldn’t visit the Don Bradman exhibition as it was all shut off, and plan B of going to the Coopers brewery also fell through as the bus that I waited half an hour for wasn’t due for another hour and a half so I missed the tour. Doh. Must plan better next time. Visited a couple of museums and had a sleep in the Botanic Gardens instead.<br /><br />Adelaide was nice enough but a day in the centre is enough. It’s a fairly small place compared to Sydney, and if the ads on TV are anything to go by, a few years behind. They are all looked like at best they’d been done in powerpoint, or at worst with coloured paper, scissors and glue. Sydney is hardly the leader of the western world either and in fairness to Adelaide it doesn’t seem to have the same mullet problem that parts of Sydney do. But the various stages of development or lack of in Australia is a conversation for another time.<br /><br />So on the Wednesday morning I joined a backpacker bus tour which went from Adelaide to Alice Springs over 8 days via some of the outback. There were only 4 of us on the tour but they were a nice bunch - me, an English chap called Geoff and a Swiss couple, Olivia and Claudio plus Chris the driver and guide.<br /><br />We immediately headed out of Adelaide through the Clare Valley wine region and stopped for lunch in Hawker , a small town on the edge of the Flinders Ranges. The great thing about Aussie towns is that it doesn’t matter how big they are, they will have at least one pub. Hawker didn’t seem especially big and it had two, one of which we duly tested out.<br /><br />Adelaide was over 40 degrees that day but it was getting hotter where we were going. There was also a dust storm going on in Hawker. When one happened in Sydney a few weeks before, you could be forgiven for thinking the world was ending, with the news telling people to stay indoors etc. Its pretty normal in the outback apparently and people just get on with things. Man up Sydney!<br /><br />We stopped off in a few places that afternoon to see what wildlife was around but other than some emus and kangaroos hiding from the sun under trees the only thing we found was flies…thousands of them…trying to get in your eyes, ears, mouth, nose. And apparently they were supposed to get worse as you go north. As the tour guide said “the flies make everything that much more enjoyable.”<br /><br />That night we stayed in Wilpena Pound, a picturesque place in the Flinders Ranges. We slept under the stars in swags, which are like sleeping bags but are made of canvas so are waterproof and contain a foam mattress type thing. Very comfortable. Morning came when the flies reappeared.<br /><a href="http://swag.com.au/">http://swag.com.au/</a><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0H-EMW-W0Qy56y-98oj8hwEvlAZ8EsVLLaoDf0wvL4_BKTRUvsK_UcRWas_nKRlGfDxPVaZfsE4s7dNH86hih6KH2R0i4vsAH01GGgiUnTQHQICuKxMvzLGN-ugxL5L7UWiNaaEyDiAML/s1600/IMG_6192.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469944532215677602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0H-EMW-W0Qy56y-98oj8hwEvlAZ8EsVLLaoDf0wvL4_BKTRUvsK_UcRWas_nKRlGfDxPVaZfsE4s7dNH86hih6KH2R0i4vsAH01GGgiUnTQHQICuKxMvzLGN-ugxL5L7UWiNaaEyDiAML/s320/IMG_6192.JPG" /></a></p><p>We went for a walk although we couldn’t get the best views because that walk was closed due to fire risk. It wasn’t actually on fire, but everywhere was so dry and it was so hot that a if a fire went through you’d have a bit of a problem if you were stuck on the high ground.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PJxwZtFXWixN_uLzOBCAwCrmvoBHvshpKLUAspNXMSPBGvWMWTruNbap9bnm1NXkHuEFnvEZho88KBnO-m0HG8fpklRPiIkP1m4GLaZ9y3SZE34-ynqlVqi-zspT8_LvOLNjXOpDox5R/s1600/IMG_6204.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 179px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469944440958296978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PJxwZtFXWixN_uLzOBCAwCrmvoBHvshpKLUAspNXMSPBGvWMWTruNbap9bnm1NXkHuEFnvEZho88KBnO-m0HG8fpklRPiIkP1m4GLaZ9y3SZE34-ynqlVqi-zspT8_LvOLNjXOpDox5R/s320/IMG_6204.JPG" /></a><br />After sharing lunch with a kangaroo we moved out. Again we stopped to try to find some wildlife, and we saw some rock wallabies. We then stopped in Blinman which is an old copper mining town. In this sort of heat its obviously important to stay hydrated so we went to the pub, the Blinman Hotel. A point that this blog entry will come back to is that outback pubs are the best in the world because they are so friendly. The ‘locals’ probably live somewhere within a 100km radius (i.e. just over the back fence) so the landlords seem pretty happy to see anyone. So we relieved our thirst and chatted about nothing in particular with the landlord.<br /></p><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRs5HVL7VauL7QbCBPNL6UGfxMzbZcI1n_96PYH4xBvSsSavf_v2oH-Y0NHJrAo_9zGtdcRO2wPOhGt3YzUzeiQ6ok5wfq4KRAgXmJZaGsEgBuuYoqWgmC0hWMp64Vy22OZzmPGQvwVRE/s1600/IMG_6196.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469944488058882626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRs5HVL7VauL7QbCBPNL6UGfxMzbZcI1n_96PYH4xBvSsSavf_v2oH-Y0NHJrAo_9zGtdcRO2wPOhGt3YzUzeiQ6ok5wfq4KRAgXmJZaGsEgBuuYoqWgmC0hWMp64Vy22OZzmPGQvwVRE/s320/IMG_6196.JPG" /></a> <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAL34MpPdKJVv4ventkHXeIZUsz2uEKAjzyrPZ-aRKmbS-7N8K6dnNso8NF_VuBLfPgCsnSw4fzWk8Q_Dlqs57xfYYsy8x5zQw7fq1mdD9mqdMvmhMCvGYFQwYlGAdqn_4hnjt9Mskbck/s1600/IMG_6226.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469944386695869506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAL34MpPdKJVv4ventkHXeIZUsz2uEKAjzyrPZ-aRKmbS-7N8K6dnNso8NF_VuBLfPgCsnSw4fzWk8Q_Dlqs57xfYYsy8x5zQw7fq1mdD9mqdMvmhMCvGYFQwYlGAdqn_4hnjt9Mskbck/s320/IMG_6226.JPG" /></a></div><div></div><div>That night we stayed in Angorichina. We had a barbeque and the kangaroo was some of the best meat I’ve ever eaten, very tender and tasty. We were in bunkhouse accommodation at the place that was the local shop, petrol station, and hotel. Dave the chap who run the place was also the mayor, postman, fire warden and provided a transport service to local towns. In these small towns, a certain amount of multi-tasking is required!<br /><br />One of the many things that Dave sells is fly nets and he was trying to sell me one. Of course he was doing me a favour as they get more expensive the further you go north where you need them more, and you can catch just about every disease from flies too…apparently. His sales pitch was quite impressive but I decided that I would just deal with the flies. It was clear that flies neither understand being asked nicely to go away nor do they understand swearing, so the best bet is to just not them get to you. If you let them get to you, you would go insane, as evidenced by some scouser (yep, they’re everywhere) in Wilpena Pound who was shouting and waving his arms around. The flies didn’t care, although perhaps they just couldn’t understand his accent.<br /><br />Next morning we hired some bikes from Dave (yep, he does that too) and cycled a picturesque and almost exclusively downhill route through Parachilna gorge. From there we abandoned the bikes - Dave would drive to collect them later - and headed on to Leigh Creek via the Prairie Hotel which has been used for lots of films. More crucially though it sold "Bloody Hot Ring Burner" flavoured jerky, so it would have been rude not to invest in a packet. In Leigh Creek we visited Talc Alf, a chap who does sculptures using talc. He wasn’t in but you can still look at all his art.<br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNCpTkSrQnwRHDSeSVMPhZ_4d6y3hXi_a5Dp8d8ybBjClLNRlbMR6ajf0-cVVOiuGZsCqASOJzgAPZefvJ5Gh0n0i-OZocEz7__W9z7F9ifMpEanr1RNK-12gr-yxxo-7Z-NVzRg8EnZSz/s1600/IMG_6244.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469944341070960626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNCpTkSrQnwRHDSeSVMPhZ_4d6y3hXi_a5Dp8d8ybBjClLNRlbMR6ajf0-cVVOiuGZsCqASOJzgAPZefvJ5Gh0n0i-OZocEz7__W9z7F9ifMpEanr1RNK-12gr-yxxo-7Z-NVzRg8EnZSz/s320/IMG_6244.JPG" /></a></div><div></div><div>After this we went off road on the Oodnadatta track. Back in the day the Ghan railway which connected Adelaide and Darwin ran here and this track serviced the towns that serviced the railway line. The railway was later moved 200km or so west and the last train was in 1980 (so still more on time than British Rail) but the towns are still there albeit with fewer people. So we had lunch in Maree where there are various relics of the railway.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXCH2tD4e431vtYvB_lv25m8yEDpo7dshRCp2aQC-IUUBft169djgtc2vheWr-tDVgMEDrY5RcqeIFCxs80gm-qA9QJ__Bla1ZdnM-d78o-W0yqI4r8p7RoZRvd9qsHpz5XxgVaZgqPJRV/s1600/IMG_6269.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469944290722603058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXCH2tD4e431vtYvB_lv25m8yEDpo7dshRCp2aQC-IUUBft169djgtc2vheWr-tDVgMEDrY5RcqeIFCxs80gm-qA9QJ__Bla1ZdnM-d78o-W0yqI4r8p7RoZRvd9qsHpz5XxgVaZgqPJRV/s320/IMG_6269.JPG" /></a></div><div></div><div>In the afternoon we headed on dirt roads on to William Creek, where the flies were supposed to be pretty bad. On route there was a big sculpture park stuck in the middle of nowhere with various things made of mostly scrap metal. Very outback apparently to just have stuff like this randomly.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCp7UqxzqccBlx5oPpzpAjh97ZrURfJF39-cdp0VZXyAwT-BAJGG3n-q-Wp279ZuS_jH3l9M7zwwdoWBw7LoDHTx0e6Q6u4cKSU9HLXP5dc7smWTS1uYFW05PXEuegHfHcsGlxOeXY13y/s1600/IMG_6272.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469944243447990210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCp7UqxzqccBlx5oPpzpAjh97ZrURfJF39-cdp0VZXyAwT-BAJGG3n-q-Wp279ZuS_jH3l9M7zwwdoWBw7LoDHTx0e6Q6u4cKSU9HLXP5dc7smWTS1uYFW05PXEuegHfHcsGlxOeXY13y/s320/IMG_6272.JPG" /></a></div><div></div><div>We stayed at William Creek that night which is 200km from…err…anywhere. It has 3 people living there and is South Australia‘s smallest town. Of course it has a pub - where after all is the one person who doesn’t work in the pub going to drink? - so we didn’t go thirsty that night. We slept in outdoors in swags again that night, albeit under a roof in the camp site. Lucky too because it hammered down with rain all night. It was great fun going to the toilet (i.e. the nearest hedge) in the middle of night and getting soaked.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTzNYZuD1B3OnUyt7X3JlCwJP1F_UyoMtfKh1MRXp_h6gI96UVUGIcdHYVA8t5O3nOWQHHQaHcTKgEOkEV-bD10qRV1rR6mb-Ef4uB7HkAbWqA78_gSHseN29SiGxghwluy73czyzg2v58/s1600/IMG_6297.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469944077806860834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTzNYZuD1B3OnUyt7X3JlCwJP1F_UyoMtfKh1MRXp_h6gI96UVUGIcdHYVA8t5O3nOWQHHQaHcTKgEOkEV-bD10qRV1rR6mb-Ef4uB7HkAbWqA78_gSHseN29SiGxghwluy73czyzg2v58/s320/IMG_6297.JPG" /></a> </div><div></div><div>Next morning it was still raining and because we were travelling on dirt tracks which obviously turn to mud when it rains, we were going nowhere even though we should have been leaving - getting a bus and trailer through wasn’t going to happen. </div><div></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs6NlnuDxLK6icQ9m_vzhJhXzDeFzP1_ZbckwRDZ4E-74GDXRaAD4PGGXrr9psD6TMceuVhoFTxaKdeykCLFzgJEAIZqwdfSluMjctp_Z2F7l_JukXMbnYElMvx149VwNw8qISDFzdCxkq/s1600/IMG_6291.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469944126670625346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs6NlnuDxLK6icQ9m_vzhJhXzDeFzP1_ZbckwRDZ4E-74GDXRaAD4PGGXrr9psD6TMceuVhoFTxaKdeykCLFzgJEAIZqwdfSluMjctp_Z2F7l_JukXMbnYElMvx149VwNw8qISDFzdCxkq/s320/IMG_6291.JPG" /></a></div><div></div><div></div><div>When it rains South Oz transport close the roads as if anybody drives on dirt roads when they’re wet, it costs a small fortune to grade them. Anyone caught driving on them is fined $2,000...per tyre…including spares so there is a big incentive not to. Road closures are controlled by electronic boards although they take a while to update. Roads go from open to open to 4WD drives only to closed, and soon after lunch they were all closed, so we were properly stuck. There was us, some bogans (chavs) who were on their way back from the Pearl Jam concert, and to quote Bruce the pub landlord “some weirdo from Kalgoorlie.”<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCks72uLjGfYGd2V-lIswwN9LHfjUt_oXyCDShYBWmAnI-7_-dq4_QsBir18rXvVNR_vL7xuCCSBE0znEsNacusuIKzx1SlZ-CUgF3AQ-9JvmxRHwPO0xz47OCcBoUGF2J7BR-eA43J92j/s1600/IMG_6412.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469943388089455618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCks72uLjGfYGd2V-lIswwN9LHfjUt_oXyCDShYBWmAnI-7_-dq4_QsBir18rXvVNR_vL7xuCCSBE0znEsNacusuIKzx1SlZ-CUgF3AQ-9JvmxRHwPO0xz47OCcBoUGF2J7BR-eA43J92j/s320/IMG_6412.JPG" /></a><br />There wasn’t much to do but go for walks in no particular direction and back, and of course drink. Luckily the pub was well stocked!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_OsFn1pKt9Wvw5zGnBIgz6oT0o6cc_UK8RZWCQQ5wT_P_HDLMw0f7sijelPC59ChmKIy499zJNm_FNDbHOZvlGQYvLvHSims8KqTuizo6Pr1mciAN69xuamaEl2BwvDd1yu7Z_6JAFju/s1600/IMG_6303.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469943950148039682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_OsFn1pKt9Wvw5zGnBIgz6oT0o6cc_UK8RZWCQQ5wT_P_HDLMw0f7sijelPC59ChmKIy499zJNm_FNDbHOZvlGQYvLvHSims8KqTuizo6Pr1mciAN69xuamaEl2BwvDd1yu7Z_6JAFju/s320/IMG_6303.JPG" /></a><br />The rain stopped occasionally but rarely for long. It was easy to forget that we were actually in a desert, and it wouldn’t be unusual for there to be no rain in a year round here. There are figures ranging from 10mm to 100mm on the internet for annual rainfall in William Creek but in less than 24 hours 40mm came down, and this was big news. The guy who doesn’t run the pub runs a scenic flights company and Channel 7, a national TV station, had radioed asking for pictures and videos of the rain. So we would have been on TV (kind of) had the storm not caused the generator to short out (there is no mains power). Mercifully the pub generator was ok so the beers stayed cold.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYwCcB3XQ3Xb07639W_2vtdjrHn9Ymfnumtj96pBKXtSlzEbj_Dhm61MAPXT8alhY76Ckv9KslOf7arcnAxDONAWn6z6iEV5C9EPw5Ve0qbMUgPmEx6VhHEpv4MhzQGpPIwDZqxUcv_Hn/s1600/IMG_6310.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469943899783856722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYwCcB3XQ3Xb07639W_2vtdjrHn9Ymfnumtj96pBKXtSlzEbj_Dhm61MAPXT8alhY76Ckv9KslOf7arcnAxDONAWn6z6iEV5C9EPw5Ve0qbMUgPmEx6VhHEpv4MhzQGpPIwDZqxUcv_Hn/s320/IMG_6310.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDuiN6UbUfpJuZ5fMjLIqIr0GOGm2mfqzJmkKwG8CInZqG1fREZwTYlkYDd9h9vaig2U7TvZ84p6hKzIGhhl_52t7XKokpw6ekKPHldwWHR4jtSVrEmRtBo_BPINom2ngeRc8rXWymWkJ8/s1600/IMG_6318.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469943852918272690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDuiN6UbUfpJuZ5fMjLIqIr0GOGm2mfqzJmkKwG8CInZqG1fREZwTYlkYDd9h9vaig2U7TvZ84p6hKzIGhhl_52t7XKokpw6ekKPHldwWHR4jtSVrEmRtBo_BPINom2ngeRc8rXWymWkJ8/s320/IMG_6318.JPG" /></a><br />Early evening after a big storm, the sky suddenly cleared and we were left with a pretty spectacular sunset. That night Bruce the pub landlord took pity on us and gave us rooms to sleep in which was better than sleeping in a big puddle. He was making a small fortune from the amount we were spending at the bar though so we were all doing ok.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBgppiIjo50RApN0s_xwQtPm_VH46bNSzvfLqgggouQPZRZ-Y7kUZk9MMFPV_57lo-J8zMK5NqgFNNRpaCVJDD0djddJzo4qjsi3Ea8pAGdrD8R_WHk5ovsai6KElVEEts1D8fKeKJ3nE/s1600/IMG_6324.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469943803878597570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBgppiIjo50RApN0s_xwQtPm_VH46bNSzvfLqgggouQPZRZ-Y7kUZk9MMFPV_57lo-J8zMK5NqgFNNRpaCVJDD0djddJzo4qjsi3Ea8pAGdrD8R_WHk5ovsai6KElVEEts1D8fKeKJ3nE/s320/IMG_6324.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ZpL-JSyBYq8YV3WmtFPAN1xRftohEXASYHOVYFQoWXY_XUewTrr1AYVvAHoM8xU7PunGZSbOl10_EhQ2xfjH4kwVz2E36PDzD7iJ9VRtZjGIGlb7jysqCwADK15nvs2_3t6nzIQ-C8V0/s1600/IMG_6327.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469943750099497474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ZpL-JSyBYq8YV3WmtFPAN1xRftohEXASYHOVYFQoWXY_XUewTrr1AYVvAHoM8xU7PunGZSbOl10_EhQ2xfjH4kwVz2E36PDzD7iJ9VRtZjGIGlb7jysqCwADK15nvs2_3t6nzIQ-C8V0/s320/IMG_6327.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzs8Fv7qJw-uxPVvGoFyDCm8GgxxBvn0vNnFSpRdkKl3bI_Nx0Dz7YIu3zKVVIbtkc0pVUU1-ff_DzHmzISm3YAawPfSIcciklujrsjiYsq94rtsE-wqCouBH2S8j3aa3NAZw3iBP_0k3Q/s1600/IMG_6338.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469943710818162226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzs8Fv7qJw-uxPVvGoFyDCm8GgxxBvn0vNnFSpRdkKl3bI_Nx0Dz7YIu3zKVVIbtkc0pVUU1-ff_DzHmzISm3YAawPfSIcciklujrsjiYsq94rtsE-wqCouBH2S8j3aa3NAZw3iBP_0k3Q/s320/IMG_6338.JPG" /></a><br />Next day the roads were still closed and it wasn’t looking too good for getting back on the road. Somewhat rudely rainwater has no respect for roads, so creeks, while dry for almost all the year do run across roads, and Breakfast Time creek a few hundred yards down the road was pretty full, and we weren’t getting through anything like that. The signs remained closed and most of the day was spent wandering in different directions to the previous day, and hanging out in the pub.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaIrWFAzzG3mrBrkOBlOlxcYQzNzJ21g0010jJcPJGyvUi2Yp4UN8f-OJ61ERV8n92FoVV-twZWd8y0-o7h2CUHJq9czp1uEBhqyXv0yHOXD7vZZ_e03ui2Z0eEvQb6SME30ECVKfm3Znw/s1600/IMG_6346.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469943626690360658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaIrWFAzzG3mrBrkOBlOlxcYQzNzJ21g0010jJcPJGyvUi2Yp4UN8f-OJ61ERV8n92FoVV-twZWd8y0-o7h2CUHJq9czp1uEBhqyXv0yHOXD7vZZ_e03ui2Z0eEvQb6SME30ECVKfm3Znw/s320/IMG_6346.JPG" /></a><br />We did however make it onto national radio after the aborted attempt to get on TV the previous day. The pilot was interviewed on ABC Radio, the Aussie equivalent of the BBC. Scroll to bottom of link!</div><div><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/22/2749758.htm">http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/22/2749758.htm</a><br /><br />The runway the scenic flights take off from had dried out enough to get a plane up and with ground transport not possible, various people were asking the pilot to see how things looked. So in the afternoon we did a scenic flight which we were supposed to do the previous day. We flew over Lake Eyre which is the largest salt plain in the world and it was pretty impressive. It was also pretty rare to see it with so much water in it.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWZ0BRwlMT4lEBy3ZTNA1xZdgVJDVDoU0fXnF359KfCDYISNpgyf3IGpSJLLtmmq92A2hOZ8EqjFB9z30GK24W1xNmOOcHx-EjjJnbuTh8D15FkQVaEpFwDN3dyHS4Tf0rzqQblne7p3G/s1600/IMG_6374.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469943576659794706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWZ0BRwlMT4lEBy3ZTNA1xZdgVJDVDoU0fXnF359KfCDYISNpgyf3IGpSJLLtmmq92A2hOZ8EqjFB9z30GK24W1xNmOOcHx-EjjJnbuTh8D15FkQVaEpFwDN3dyHS4Tf0rzqQblne7p3G/s320/IMG_6374.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwpRd9q5YBpLHp2nbbdvCmDWoxfJ5RBc85yPel8YESxdSz4uuV6SuQicnakB238-FMYqhzacFUhqvwp0EJtRR5XIf2p11qyxZoTon8l0t8fe9oQBui4hTBcW9sQBGCKr6nnJw3a0ivaJqt/s1600/IMG_6382.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469943532081094690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwpRd9q5YBpLHp2nbbdvCmDWoxfJ5RBc85yPel8YESxdSz4uuV6SuQicnakB238-FMYqhzacFUhqvwp0EJtRR5XIf2p11qyxZoTon8l0t8fe9oQBui4hTBcW9sQBGCKr6nnJw3a0ivaJqt/s320/IMG_6382.JPG" /></a><br />The flight was extended to go look for some drillers. BHP Billiton had a load of people out drilling somewhere and they wanted to know what the chances were of getting them out, otherwise they’d send a chopper. So we had to go find them, then assess the roads. We found them and like us, they weren’t going anywhere in a hurry.<br /><br />That night we thought we‘d go to the pub for a change and after a while some new people turned up. William Creek is pretty much surrounded by Anna Creek cattle station, which is the biggest Cattle station in the world - it’s the size of Belgium! Anyway, the chap who runs it, Bobby, and one of the guys who works with him came. The house they lived in was only 8km up the road.<br /><br />Bobby quite liked my evolution of man t-shirt and we ended up swapping so I now have an Anna Creek shirt. How he managed to drive home given the state he was in is anyone’s guess but there was zero chance of meeting any other traffic or police!<br /><br />Still no change the next day - roads still closed - but after some sun and wind the previous day and no more rain we were optimistic. Did some more wandering around that morning but around lunchtime all the roads had suddenly re-opened, so we loaded the stuff and in minutes we were on our way.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkYC1T5hGRas4MqQetv_IL7QIUf1F9H8ttG33yo8RAXkP2P1yvZbL14sXMa8WyuX8s85dBPJnAaGmOaW0FgrwyTukLPKl8YuYslYG2Ss39XkSHZGU7rxGUz5k6D1v9ot-6lJDPNOAdfSA/s1600/IMG_6425.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469943333218761218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkYC1T5hGRas4MqQetv_IL7QIUf1F9H8ttG33yo8RAXkP2P1yvZbL14sXMa8WyuX8s85dBPJnAaGmOaW0FgrwyTukLPKl8YuYslYG2Ss39XkSHZGU7rxGUz5k6D1v9ot-6lJDPNOAdfSA/s320/IMG_6425.JPG" /></a><br />It was a really fun few days and actually quite exciting. Its not every day you are stuck in a desert because of rain! And to be stuck in a town with a population of 3 that has a pub made it all the more bizarre. We were lucky though as when we arrived we had almost headed an hour up the road to camp by a lake. If we had got stuck there we wouldn’t have died or anything but it would have been pretty uncomfortable and we would almost certainly have ran out of the beers we had in the bus.<br /><br />The experience also achieved a personal ambition for me to be on first name terms with a pub landlord and be able to run a tab! Bruce - by the way shouldn’t it be the law that all Australian barmen are called Bruce? - and his helper Edwina were a really good laugh, great hosts and very generous giving us rooms for free. So if you’re ever in the area, make sure you drop in!<br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN_hxxkY1J86hRZOGBpzlmvHyYN55oiITfKzKeI1ESRczFjCaCEbXnDOG7xiSU4BLEiIt4Ast4Sj0bgA_Vt9Di5bl1sNXcifPJbXLycsmpyHHN1eVUIGw1akBT0MrpOoGSQGKSmPWUyWFE/s1600/IMG_6411.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469943431907828386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN_hxxkY1J86hRZOGBpzlmvHyYN55oiITfKzKeI1ESRczFjCaCEbXnDOG7xiSU4BLEiIt4Ast4Sj0bgA_Vt9Di5bl1sNXcifPJbXLycsmpyHHN1eVUIGw1akBT0MrpOoGSQGKSmPWUyWFE/s320/IMG_6411.JPG" /></a><br />But two and a half days after we were supposed to leave we did. There was the odd puddle and the road was a bit soggy but it was ok…for 120km. Then we hit a bit of road that wasn’t there any more. The creek still running through it had washed it away. We stopped to inspect the problem but with a few minutes with some shovels patching up the road, we thought it was passable, and with a run up and everyone out the van it was. And off we went again.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigjqzd9Lygg8TYmPBKA2ka412DRl08JubWndVLagzMumBX2Fhs8v8-kGvLjl-AqM9cW5YOAqgLp35VVcxew2ue2cAw-aPwVMQQp-mH7s3XPx2o6QWEDuxK7WyOYgKcM8jwIpGzFdCvk3t6/s1600/IMG_6428.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469943276333400962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigjqzd9Lygg8TYmPBKA2ka412DRl08JubWndVLagzMumBX2Fhs8v8-kGvLjl-AqM9cW5YOAqgLp35VVcxew2ue2cAw-aPwVMQQp-mH7s3XPx2o6QWEDuxK7WyOYgKcM8jwIpGzFdCvk3t6/s320/IMG_6428.JPG" /></a><br /><div><div>But soon we came across another wash out. We were able to walk through it and we got the bus through but there was a trail of broken plastic and some fluid leaking out from the engine - we’d broke the radiator and had no way of cooling the engine. We had plenty of water and we rigged up a funnel to pour water into the engine from the cab, but we still had to stop every few minutes for the engine to cool down. We made it another 10km before we gave up.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469943227968745650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUeSoHeJCw-4m6NvjYhmTBRoW6F_K3qoWXbOJnHM2qOw-EF4SSBMla2k6jrjbV6gIeIDD73SvJeO37MwWJwltKBrmQbA_ngC8e1p981jDSsU1fMJUnAMIavounc2sK682UjHuxKmvQj1G/s320/IMG_6433.JPG" /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469943176192684802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXb-HsPFXm4LDhin6UPJPrk8nBTDHo_UWtoFdDqhh580LxGv6rYF48Ms2BpAIxr8tvG-lHdMa23L1KiVhPAvx1wSdS-DLltybZQBaSRPb-BnNbBxuW7pgGFchNsWQiKcvsLiJFgJXUu8MF/s320/IMG_6435.JPG" /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbFcNkGsM_eJIAGmj1WGDJluxDDpMoXIFsv8gXZ85yKHSirTmf42qymX7iGqqt3BjMti519yVXarh2P8uBLL0KuFP9J8OBMVAyvDylRxYQShYp-50YQxRnN81E8AsMCAe60IbaSH7amG8t/s1600/IMG_6436.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469943119395766466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbFcNkGsM_eJIAGmj1WGDJluxDDpMoXIFsv8gXZ85yKHSirTmf42qymX7iGqqt3BjMti519yVXarh2P8uBLL0KuFP9J8OBMVAyvDylRxYQShYp-50YQxRnN81E8AsMCAe60IbaSH7amG8t/s320/IMG_6436.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGB-K6n2LTG_9WShS2KJRo2u0XHlGdjfpu3_-BzhpXzz2BFpsM120RfDyT-Zm9txtuFDNzeX7kirpdUehwjLEz7Bp1qyDKN9In-5elkGk_UgEdTLpIxdXFyq3aqllOTIccurXoYmisaFkd/s1600/IMG_6437.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469943076374586050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGB-K6n2LTG_9WShS2KJRo2u0XHlGdjfpu3_-BzhpXzz2BFpsM120RfDyT-Zm9txtuFDNzeX7kirpdUehwjLEz7Bp1qyDKN9In-5elkGk_UgEdTLpIxdXFyq3aqllOTIccurXoYmisaFkd/s320/IMG_6437.JPG" /></a><br />So we were now properly stuck in the desert…and there was no pub this time. We were 70km from the nearest town, Cooper Pedy, there was no mobile phone reception, and we’d used most of the water cooling the engine. But all this doesn’t matter when you have a satellite phone! So Chris called base and they arranged for someone to pick us up and a breakdown truck to fetch the bus. The bus would be mended overnight and we’d be on our way next morning.<br /><br /><div>So there was nothing for us to do but get some beers from the eski (Australian for coolbox) and relax and wait for the rescue party to arrive. A few beers and a couple of hours later, Nick the Greek (I kid you not) who runs the pizza shop in Cooper Pedy arrived in his 4WD and we were on our way again.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469943013098299762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBKNNX4BSlctvfHtEE1XlpM8mqM_GVw9-UH0jPNv_obLez4gqUcfLUCNg4mjokdjWvaCfCh9iyiO-2XgDE0Rf6BMsxSB74mQKpA2-v2FGHx0aeMLssPttqKlPX0KEBOm5DV6Co_2bTLcB/s320/IMG_6439.JPG" /><br />It became pretty clear that the roads must have reopened in error - a technical fault with the signs, who knows - because the roads were not passable for normal vehicles and barely for 4WD’s in places. We hit numerous wash outs and we would never have got the bus through. All the road signs read “Closed” when we got to Coober Pedy too. So while we had lost the bus, we were lucky to make it out of William Creek as we obviously should have been stuck there longer.<br /><br />The police wouldn’t let the breakdown truck through to get the bus, so we’d lost that. Nick would have driven on the roads when they were closed, but as he’s a local he would have assumed the signs didn’t apply to him. So we were without transport as luck had it the tour company had another tour going through Coober Pedy that was doing the same route as us from this point, and they had room for us so we’d join them.<br /><br />Amid all this excitement Coober Pedy was back on the tour itinerary. It is a major opal mining town and does very little else. So we did the mine tour although we didn’t have time to ‘noodle’ for opals ourselves. We also went to someone’s house who looks after baby kangaroos who’s mum’s have been hit by cars and killed - the joeys often survive and people rescue them from the pouches. And of course we had a pizza at Nick the Greek’s place.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUADxYh8UGrxWtNwfP05m-rhyWQneBPaELLjt2rSXQkCFhd0SICKZ0avfYhLCzptjgSGx7PZDTQKWaA9_59g5yOS8Cw-AUboSfukwcj3PtyqXTkT5jqSVRpET1qzNfU2cCDooLp4NcVI7/s1600/IMG_6450.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469942820218351394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUADxYh8UGrxWtNwfP05m-rhyWQneBPaELLjt2rSXQkCFhd0SICKZ0avfYhLCzptjgSGx7PZDTQKWaA9_59g5yOS8Cw-AUboSfukwcj3PtyqXTkT5jqSVRpET1qzNfU2cCDooLp4NcVI7/s320/IMG_6450.JPG" /></a><br />There are lots of disused opal mines there but they are put to good use as people live convert them into houses and live in them. We stayed underground and the pub we went to was underground too. Why not! Especially when its cool down there and often 40 plus degrees outside.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidshGOJv_WMvydHb4UUZfHJV-uhRzyITbLkXqCO5xbdPdNJKmb7IguKiyK82GeCKYNIOE-E0-gYjdASFwDn-63x9zQ2NsRY7ovCIfXc6E4v4JCfiyIVG6wc8EbQBlwcMk1BDytYXB90pJk/s1600/IMG_6459.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469942747454234146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidshGOJv_WMvydHb4UUZfHJV-uhRzyITbLkXqCO5xbdPdNJKmb7IguKiyK82GeCKYNIOE-E0-gYjdASFwDn-63x9zQ2NsRY7ovCIfXc6E4v4JCfiyIVG6wc8EbQBlwcMk1BDytYXB90pJk/s320/IMG_6459.JPG" /></a><br />So we were a couple of days behind and we’d lost the bus, but we were still going and from now on it was tarmac roads so there was a limit to what could go wrong. Boo, boring! And it actually was a bit. We had a full day on the bus on tarmac roads and after the excitement of being stuck and not knowing when we’d get out it was something of an anticlimax.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-umuA-SXu3iTnzhrPjwKkI_gIO96AkrGU9YQ_x1T3Ah-AOqQeDOutKwVbmKybaw_DNaR87S_pwWcvadacDNj5U9_BkFLHG1iBCu8Y4jmqUSHRf0jZr_sXA5dov37WqnO8UDbnYN361l8/s1600/IMG_6478.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469942692578684658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-umuA-SXu3iTnzhrPjwKkI_gIO96AkrGU9YQ_x1T3Ah-AOqQeDOutKwVbmKybaw_DNaR87S_pwWcvadacDNj5U9_BkFLHG1iBCu8Y4jmqUSHRf0jZr_sXA5dov37WqnO8UDbnYN361l8/s320/IMG_6478.JPG" /></a><br />We were heading to Ayres Rock and in the morning we stopped in Marla which is where the northernmost bit of the Oodnadatta track starts. I had a quick wander to check the road signs and sure enough all main tracks were closed. The only one that was open didn’t really go anywhere. We should still have been drinking in the William Creek hotel!<br /><br />On the way we saw the dog fence, a fence stretching across the country to stop dingo’s coming south and upsetting the farmers. When we arrived we watched the sunset at Ayres Rock.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQp9uZeCyXjl1jp81ntfEMvSYsFLshN2AkWiB0UV3nQ2wBqZDYW51Car2PB1dRNZS8hcmsVbZ0vFXFUxZnTMThw0v62SoTPQRF64c-L_yMzdvh95SBqnAP766amFQ0ByGJBB_yB1pOBxZ2/s1600/IMG_6518.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469942643115994834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQp9uZeCyXjl1jp81ntfEMvSYsFLshN2AkWiB0UV3nQ2wBqZDYW51Car2PB1dRNZS8hcmsVbZ0vFXFUxZnTMThw0v62SoTPQRF64c-L_yMzdvh95SBqnAP766amFQ0ByGJBB_yB1pOBxZ2/s320/IMG_6518.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg452fplqpn-LBOJhigSk14g_B8MHeN6Rw-NnDaOoftxc88Juwkl4UIjgfDk16KsTLVNAYGx5X-h7KElL2_KoG0uGn5r4J2MJLV28-pQnZKcim4jCXfXWBK9sqm3laBFWyzYH9kNwM3-zmz/s1600/IMG_6523.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469942598240192082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg452fplqpn-LBOJhigSk14g_B8MHeN6Rw-NnDaOoftxc88Juwkl4UIjgfDk16KsTLVNAYGx5X-h7KElL2_KoG0uGn5r4J2MJLV28-pQnZKcim4jCXfXWBK9sqm3laBFWyzYH9kNwM3-zmz/s320/IMG_6523.JPG" /></a><br />There were lots of tours at Ayres Rock and word had got around about our little adventure and Chris was a minor celebrity. Pretty much every tour guide wanted something like that to happen to them. They do the same routes constantly so something a bit different happening must be quite exciting. But it also makes you realise that you have witnessed something that not many people do and that many would like to witness. Seeing a desert under water is rare although its difficult to appreciate when you’ve never seen it without water<br /><br />After having a go on a didgeridoo around the camp fire (I was rubbish) we slept in swags and almost froze as it dropped down pretty chilly. Next day we watched the sunrise and walked around Ayres Rock, and went to the Olgas, some other rock formations near Ayres Rock. Ayres Rock was ok, and looks pretty impressive when you approach as it is a huge rock just sticking out of otherwise flat ground, but ultimately it was just a big rock and once you’ve seen it the novelty soon wears off.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPC0_xgOXcv0Gy61Dsy9dSx6p36bWkjqOQGJmqDF44QoSO20Zj66E9dLYwVWV6Dgajpn91MN-jF3UfAmUpUn3rz27so1QzZEEVfsoA2qJQi5fXAomjrEhTu0bXKI90l-aeATXL1OmJ6bQ8/s1600/IMG_6581.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 179px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469942547086165474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPC0_xgOXcv0Gy61Dsy9dSx6p36bWkjqOQGJmqDF44QoSO20Zj66E9dLYwVWV6Dgajpn91MN-jF3UfAmUpUn3rz27so1QzZEEVfsoA2qJQi5fXAomjrEhTu0bXKI90l-aeATXL1OmJ6bQ8/s320/IMG_6581.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18wbaipWqhk2zT7y-kQL_dyosA6UUjOkz88DPoubdS339Q7BfiY4TysXOebY1Bq0dnE_jUZqcljDLp4W_ihpMpvq2MiPVjTYRfA_-bRqql7uvOfQqPBSkNg4v0QVIr2VDIjRyeB4EMGEs/s1600/IMG_6600.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469942487748564594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18wbaipWqhk2zT7y-kQL_dyosA6UUjOkz88DPoubdS339Q7BfiY4TysXOebY1Bq0dnE_jUZqcljDLp4W_ihpMpvq2MiPVjTYRfA_-bRqql7uvOfQqPBSkNg4v0QVIr2VDIjRyeB4EMGEs/s320/IMG_6600.JPG" /></a><br />Had we not fallen behind schedule we would have spent two days here which would have been overkill so things were working out nicely, although we did lose Claudio and Olivia as they had to get to Alice Springs for their flight.<br /><br />That night we were in swags again, this time near Kings Canyon. Saw a dingo too as it wandered through our camp site. Next day we went for a walk through Kings Canyon, which was pretty spectacular. After that we hit the road and headed for Alice Springs, our final destination, where we arrived early evening. We had lost the bus, half the tour group and were a day late, but we had made it to the end and hadn’t really missed out on doing anything.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAarbZJwrRMOWErIFSsUNjHv_JnPl0zYj6hJH7Tx4DbJMuA0HZMSUZGCghef_pAvz3a2YZaRIS0EUMXbh_M7D7Lf_evcW6eFtYHiKArnsuEbwMll24rrfSlQ143FprikxS8DLPBNtFrl9z/s1600/IMG_6644.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469942370961736466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAarbZJwrRMOWErIFSsUNjHv_JnPl0zYj6hJH7Tx4DbJMuA0HZMSUZGCghef_pAvz3a2YZaRIS0EUMXbh_M7D7Lf_evcW6eFtYHiKArnsuEbwMll24rrfSlQ143FprikxS8DLPBNtFrl9z/s320/IMG_6644.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-HF9RvfDaGiObrJgVWqmx-PTk5Ale1JuHjRNYTwltNaF2k_JzBaeQfKLEwmI3WGxi-pFhYbJ9ccZD5zU2btBZdGYaK8tFhsviGc5qGrPnt5qAVMcYvi5ZZXIIWZNivUCHHkZhZ5GBFrd/s1600/IMG_6646.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469942321441448898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-HF9RvfDaGiObrJgVWqmx-PTk5Ale1JuHjRNYTwltNaF2k_JzBaeQfKLEwmI3WGxi-pFhYbJ9ccZD5zU2btBZdGYaK8tFhsviGc5qGrPnt5qAVMcYvi5ZZXIIWZNivUCHHkZhZ5GBFrd/s320/IMG_6646.JPG" /></a><br />It was a good trip anyway but what happened unexpectedly made it even better. There are lots of similar trips that go from Adelaide to Alice via the Stuart Highway (tarmac), but its definitely more interesting going via the dirt roads. More interesting towns and lots of interesting people too.<br /><br />One of the things you notice is the sense of community. Even though people’s neighbours are several kilometres away, there is more of a sense of community than in cities where your neighbours front door is just a few feet away. By way of example when the roads became unpassable, Bruce was on the phone to the pubs in the nearest towns that night to see who was heading for William Creek, because if anyone was, they didn’t make it! The Police were duly informed.<br /><br />I had a couple of days in Alice Springs before I had to head home, so visited some of the sites. Went to the School of the Air, where school lessons are broadcast to kids who live in the middle of nowhere and can’t get to schools. Then walked to the old telegraph station which vital for communications from outside Australia back in the day. Then walked back to town along the river; Alice Springs has an annual boat race, but if there is water in the river it is cancelled! The river is dry most of the time and the boats have no bottoms as people run with them! Also went to the Royal Flying Doctors Service and a reptile centre.<br /><br />Next day I was up at 3.30 to go for a hot air balloon ride. It has to be that early as otherwise it gets too windy. They see which way the wind is blowing and work out where take off and landing spots are on that line. Was really good. We were up there for the sunrise, and you could see kangaroos hopping around below.</div><div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BzO45CXjRhj1k7JyrzHyKmQyAncssPSqq3WQjOmUe9eE8xP18FPteEo_2ZQQzCPpDbiF58JiJxpPTXjKAMRWIqGjPI7fD4r_i2I8StP0KhwzHRvSila6hNvNw6tQ4eb6zIiJZZdIhsOz/s1600/IMG_6727.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469942263554533378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BzO45CXjRhj1k7JyrzHyKmQyAncssPSqq3WQjOmUe9eE8xP18FPteEo_2ZQQzCPpDbiF58JiJxpPTXjKAMRWIqGjPI7fD4r_i2I8StP0KhwzHRvSila6hNvNw6tQ4eb6zIiJZZdIhsOz/s320/IMG_6727.JPG" /></a> <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9NFq-vZRilkeqTa8H0W6NJ_pLmaK04Lw2b4u8rAVdfd_Oz3IAt-_iNDKUrceBdTOm33lmMqchoyUcWy4VMuDp2ve7ymugf7TxgzE7wEvYvJNhpVHKvTj4Zu1MSSsUCS75FC1dEIpOA7UA/s1600/IMG_6728.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469942211474526866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9NFq-vZRilkeqTa8H0W6NJ_pLmaK04Lw2b4u8rAVdfd_Oz3IAt-_iNDKUrceBdTOm33lmMqchoyUcWy4VMuDp2ve7ymugf7TxgzE7wEvYvJNhpVHKvTj4Zu1MSSsUCS75FC1dEIpOA7UA/s320/IMG_6728.JPG" /></a> <div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469942160185511970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5JxU1UblDlkf2wJkslqbHRq_wAVuqqF8sDcQ2PTIEz3wFsOkXYm30x455TnJBA4B_QOSrRM4yiwsvX4ojVp5axayq9X2EMJhxadqirgaeLiEG4jF0uDLq1QUHW39l7uT-bLz_zUa_nlR_/s320/IMG_6755.JPG" /> <div></div><div>Coming in to land, it felt like we were close to power lines but it was all under control. All the pilot can do is control the height - there is no steering - so you just hope the wind doesn’t take you too far off the planned course. But it didn’t and we landed as planned. We bounced along a bit because of momentum and then we had to jump out in case it took off again! Was fun.</div><div></div><div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469942109749436626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAdR9l2jyQMQyH1yhxLnd56tQHSFqa9CqMP_64zci_uBAt9A_IqOX0K-SUi2pT2-BJtIl-DsDulb4Zu1KKFcDhOY6u7j6jTbOLVOUU2zzMNCE8i5V0_ZuFBgJNJgkir_nJz4oHNPxtoYBX/s320/IMG_6768.JPG" /></div><div></div><div>And that was it. It could have been a couple of weeks longer too, as the roads didn’t re-open to all vehicles until a week and a half after we got out! So whatever the reason for the roads re-opening allowing us to leave, we got lucky. While it was fun being stuck there for a couple of days, I think cabin fever would have set in if we were stuck for the thick end of two weeks, although in reality we probably would have flown out to Coober Pedy long before then. A good couple of weeks holiday and an unexpected adventure.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LgMM22CfbnIlZheJhdFRlVEj9yO4n4dQ58sJNO1o2sJhTOtcUUO8vXnY8d1azS3bWKCyksSEBfvP5jriu-a9VknM8OoyRzl107bCKoPvZEKSqVnxZoC60EKBgkx5v7UwYgITk4HerYTU/s1600/IMG_6621.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469942419816925522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LgMM22CfbnIlZheJhdFRlVEj9yO4n4dQ58sJNO1o2sJhTOtcUUO8vXnY8d1azS3bWKCyksSEBfvP5jriu-a9VknM8OoyRzl107bCKoPvZEKSqVnxZoC60EKBgkx5v7UwYgITk4HerYTU/s320/IMG_6621.JPG" /></a>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310195264520718153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4326297528959726796.post-4936863171518452162010-02-05T16:01:00.001-08:002010-02-17T14:03:16.871-08:00“We don’t get many people from out of town in here”…and dodgy GPS<div><div><div><div><div>When I’ve been in Australia before I’ve driven from Melbourne to Sydney but only via the non-scenic inland route, so one weekend me and Al hired a car to drive round the scenic coastal route. Having booked a smallish car we were upgraded for free to some giant Holden V6 or something like that. Felt like driving a bus compared to the size of anything I’ve driven before.<br /><br />We headed out on Friday evening after work and went to Jervis Bay. We arrived about 9.30, which was helpful given all motels close around 8 so there is nobody to give you a room. So we asked in the local pub and they had one room. The Lonely Planet said this place has “decent rooms”, however this was published back in 2007 and the rooms had the most disgustingly dirty carpet I’ve seen in a hostel, but beggars can’t be choosers.<br /><br />We then went for a drink in the pub, and were instantly befriended by some locals who’d seen us and worked out that we weren’t from round there - as they said “we don‘t get many people from out of town in here.” The reason we probably stood out was that we didn’t have mullets, rats tails or horrendous fashion sense (although I would just like to point out I am not claiming to have good fashion sense).<br /><br />Just as an aside, when you go to places like Croydon, Milton Keynes and Basildon (I’ve not been to Basildon but Jamie is from there) the difference between these places and London is noticeable. When you leave Sydney you don’t have to travel far or for very long to notice a massive difference, way bigger than back home. In some places like Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, based on the people in the pub, you genuinely were the odd one out if you didn’t have a mullet!<br /><br />But back to the pub in Jervis Bay, the locals were really friendly and several chatted to us, and it was a fun evening, and it was the only game in town and it was pretty lively to say the least. The pub was also allegedly haunted but disappointingly I didn’t see any ghosts that night.<br /><br />Next day we had a wander round Jervis Bay and it is a far cry from the carnage of the pub as it is quite a picturesque placid place by day. Its not quite like on From Dusk Til Dawn where everyone turns to vampires at night, but you can see the similarities!<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/From_Dusk_till_Dawn">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/From_Dusk_till_Dawn</a> </div><div> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439335687478815986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV65bfiIcOd-b3K825UXkBVLvWcvD2v2rJMWpcfIZTwalSbQlPZTM6Js_SqjvE_9tFwSSnTiIVnVc79m7rfhxu1110W5lbCqx90YxxnTTfVKZWbjpBeT5oCCXOIn_IRdtkmfb1Xrrr2uqF/s320/IMG_6108.JPG" border="0" /><br />We hit the road and went to Pebbly Beach and said hello to some Kangaroos. While wandering around heard some rustling in the bushes, and turned round to see some giant dragon thing. You certainly do get some interesting wildlife in this country. </div><div> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439335613998501794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT7m17UQN18xqFdP4Inab9d_OaTt7RLsO-WZOGF7D4bhcTxi4MbJMGw0aKznfm1Sxbk1HlWeaMMr78zIvymO0vs0_ccg3drb7ksYhvt1e_-A_IEEaVX_2RD9m8A9ATlhtVbNJ5C0eKLJy4/s320/IMG_6115.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439335539875145394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKc5GF-ddQi5Obku2X3LHycvsyF6lGY5b_FI7tPJ7D5pWFvTvhl3A3K_Zj_eJJcgf6KTePqG_7LHyMy9PLU40kGteJJRLEmPO2lOzfIm0jHvEaGMpOL743n-0voUw1PIcDwUjhSraEY1pB/s320/IMG_6117.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439335352641733202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1oMoGNZqPvF_HF_bBaXUT2jtV4_H-1CTAttM99RS52xBH3iev8n_JqDqbqvrpX2TuUk28T9VZIiYzszaZQ8e72x0oKLOp0M4hgOdIqh8jHZjER6YHeVKSGeLl4kpL-63fIs4eEpxFHu7/s320/IMG_6126.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439335247187753186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqnX_R_spJHeI7wPKCKs92y5oLFUpqTGROPvlhjCxEEDF9QgbMGJIW2qizqj7TOYETw2WKQxY7xyfLZI_Ry7-Du0gtsJJbO6zAJXrLCwVoBmATfChaD2OMhYQPZUdyWm4wmSkE0kb9BKn/s320/IMG_6133.JPG" border="0" /><br />We stopped in some fishing town for a seafood lunch, then went to Eden and had a look round the Killer Whale Museum, before stopping for Saturday night in Lakes Entrance. Satellite TV was the key requirement of accommodation so we could watch English football. Course, nobody cares about the EPL (English Premier League) as its called over here so I slept through most of this and managed to wake up about 3.15am to watch the Forest Newcastle game.<br /><br />Its good to see that Forest have learnt to play football now I’m on the other side of the world and can’t watch them hardly at all. Forest won 1-0, and it was nice to show a pretend big club like Newcastle what a proper big club looks like (and for that matter what a proper ground looks like too). Our glory days might have been 30 years ago but at least they happened - Newcastle’s plastic fans bang on like they’re some fallen giant when in actual fact they’ve never won anything. We’ve won the European Cup. Twice. Back to Back.<br /><br />Next day after a quick walk on Ninety Mile Beach we pressed on with the aim of getting to Walhalla, a former mining town that sounded pretty interesting in the guide book. The route from Lakes Entrance to Walhalla wasn’t exactly in a straight line, but luckily Al had GPS on his iPhone and that came up with a far more direct route. So we followed this route and although we were soon on dirt roads they were pretty flat and we were making good time. But gradually the roads became narrower and bumpier and a big V6 without a lot of ground clearance wasn’t the ideal vehicle to be travelling in. If we’d met anything coming the other way or the road condition got worse things would be interesting.<br /><br />And sure enough the road condition did change - it wasn’t there any more. There was a river and there was a bridge over it, but the bridge had seen better days but not any time recently. It was fenced off and the only way for us to go was back the way we came. According to the GPS, the road still existed, but as we found out from someone later when we actually got to Walhalla that bridge hadn’t been in action for 100 years or thereabouts. So the moral of the story is don’t trust everything the GPS says, especially when it suggests going off road. Next time we’ll take the longer route! <div> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439335109660951842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjioBnMR5IhYaIAx3sfOKYh9fn52hyGo0THgZbI9c4QTsJiSz3LYC6NBSRHDfLhjyrCYekBd_gbJUCvikKjNU2ZfAjyPDGTED2wgf9-W1PHDy6849YcPURmiFqDSWvO0rU7CHFHzLGwbBnN/s320/IMG_6151.JPG" border="0" /><br />We made it to Walhalla in the end and probably only an hour later then we’d planned. We went into the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine which was pretty interesting, then did a 4WD tour round some of the surrounding area where the miners used to live. Was pretty impressive some of the steep hills we got up and drove through a flowing river too.<br /><br />After that we had to head to Melbourne to fly home. We decided against trying to take any shortcuts. </div></div></div></div>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310195264520718153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4326297528959726796.post-50749936495529486142009-12-28T04:31:00.000-08:002010-02-17T13:57:19.297-08:00Two week world tour 3: Kris’s wedding…and going to the ATM<div><div><div><div><div><div><div>Pretty much as soon as we arrived in Singapore we went out with Kris for the pre-wedding meal....of Dallas chicken! Memories of placement year in Tooting where for a period of several weeks Kris ate there every night! One opened recently round the corner from Woody’s new flat, although he reckons this had nothing to do with his decision to move there. Good job though given he's banned from Maccas following the stag do.<br /><br />After this fine meal we went to an Irish pub until about 1.30am, drinking quite a lot of Guinness just to get free gifts (also just like the old days!). Luggage tags, a shoe bag and a sporty bag! It was suggested much earlier that we should go home but Kris wanted to watch the Lions game and insisted we stay. I didn't even argue because in my experience if the groom is insistent on staying out, there is nothing you can do (at least until he goes face first into the floor in a nightclub).<br /><br />Was a good drinking effort, but we had to be up early so alarms were set for 7am as we had to leave at 7.45 to get to Perrie's. At least that’s what woody said, but he got a call at 7 saying the car was outside and where were we? We had to be at Perrie’s at 7.45, not leave then. Good work Kris! But we were all showered and changed in 20 minutes although none of us felt that great. On arrival at Perrie's, just to get let in, Kris had to hand out several red packets with money in, and eat various things including durian, a fruit which smells horrible. In our fragile states, it may have got messy if we'd had to eat more than a token mouthful. </div><div> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439333237836678738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_qGbbqTRW3C0bxlb0CiRYPC5ravU6B5PCzdeSYPWO9cwQdRZEXBzNBdhWdPiCQx3w5UO1ROXKw4BEWTi8-zlbxxUM6j7T08mJpg4XLcb4tdG8K96pSVu1fWTis7A7cqOoffNu7htiYZ8P/s320/IMG_7929.JPG" border="0" /><br />Finally Kris secured us entry to Perrie's flat, but he than had to come up with a load of flattering sentences involving a pre-determined words beginning with each of A-Z before he could actually see Perrie. Highly amusing and not as flattering as they could have been either! Various tea serving ceremonies involving Perrie's family then ensued before it was off back to Woody's where there were further tea ceremonies involving Woody's folks this time. <div> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439332889078830418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRNZEPuTPcwgc9gn820Z18WJj-sCabSkZ1EE-G-u2jbD2whCRMnH3pbWT2KrjyOg4GL7qNBnSBmqvbjMaB66tEdTS-ghIa1Oi3S92JuxAHXv32pvQeuG91YSjrqru5MaswmIE6hJGGAR3w/s320/IMG_7972.JPG" border="0" /><br />After that it was back to Perrie's for lunch. Me, al and Nathan who Kris works with were the 'brothers' for the day and on the way we said to our driver, Perrie's uncle (I think) that we needed to go to an ATM, but this was just an elaborate ploy to go to McDonalds as by this point we were desperate for greasy food to relieve our hangovers. Sorted us out nicely too, and we were just in time before they stopped serving breakfast! Don't think we've ever eaten a McMuffin as quick before. Perrie's uncle, who was parked round the corner suspected something but we just about pulled it off! Kris wasn't happy because he was absolutely desperate for some McFood too! If only we'd caught the moment we told him on camera. Going to the ATM is now the euphemism for going to Macca's! </div><div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439333027209979474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSgjtz_bT2YbDwGhe0Hw1Znv9yp_pn4XyrD5rILDdWCMhctlMPG3YEHfq_hoZN6aY2kcE8lpJYBRwL0JDKIoFlUW2BZsBs7MJw7PS7m3ryvveNTVw-Nuye4gxj6gXNUYLV3nUEJuhfKskR/s320/IMG_7960.JPG" border="0" /><br />After lunch we had a few hours off and Al had the cracking idea that we had to uphold at least one English wedding tradition...so we went and bought a Toaster as a wedding present!<br /><br />The evening kicked off with the formal wedding ceremony...at least it did when the solemniser turned up as he forgot about it to start with so was almost an hour late. <div> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439332708561690770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWk91Wprgnl536Biwmg3TlUHzAfe5GlXJTDh1vANzyxLPl15TwqcoXrNcE0yMDUSc4zn0bF5eQc24nu9jtS-HQ-43wpy4tytfILr5K1p0KELRRbwe6nYW1rdqaA8QCM7SSPax50_UdwSc/s320/IMG_8007.JPG" border="0" /><br />The 9 course mostly fish meal then started and there was a photo montage including plenty of embarrassing photos of Kris when he was young. I was on MC’ing duty. On the crib sheet it said that pronouncing names right is vital as it can cause great offence - oh dear. As was pointed out, my very presence was probably causing enough offence, so this wasn‘t good. I had to pronounce Leong Tak Seng, but there were no gasps so I think I did ok. <div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439332783823560786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpdwPoeAjMH6UaUssHqggDMl8jBxnvvT8_1h8H3W2ZtQ9zbOAkMFneAMtM12T7wsQyQv8x9JvaGfvVW7RqSk6Dx643RUda2byAepWOIxwiHvU0CKz08FD4JbFstlGaz4SFErYXUlpy89X/s320/IMG_8006.JPG" border="0" /><br />During the meal there were various loud toasts where you say "yam sing" or something like that. This involves shouting "yam" for a long time, then "sing" very quickly at the end. Statto would be able to explain as we called him later and did one.<br /><br />Some of Perrie's friends and family marvelled at how much the western folk were drinking, hardly surprising given that during the meal me and Al had both red wine and beer on the go, both of which were constantly being topped up! In fact pretty much any time our glasses weren't full someone came and topped them up so thanks to Kris for having the waiters so well drilled. <div> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439332469611188018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZoR2GF_gENDxIiI0v_UMrd7k8zTqenH1CiJ4QdphyphenhyphenGU8dkYEkuQOi69toXAXSmBEJlOjQYiP726fzOLEPSsrbS2bmbCblVnviCWefHRoQK1SYaMMmqo8cCpVGBYLYNvbkVU4mEkKj_pfk/s320/IMG_8020.JPG" border="0" /><br />After the meal we headed off to some bar and danced like idiots. I think me and Al only left in the end because we'd ran out of money. Getting back to Woody’s, Al passed out on Woody’s sofa (again) but luckily I had the presence of mind (again) to get photos. <div> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439332578404179698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFuDtnUkD28n4W9gCcGLY9GcybEiXeyFoA-QqO-03X7_Iw0I_L5FyzMZcSjjMcJHxU_4ppIGSTlaVk0vZfU_XsXAMRdMhy16ahWGb0nrJZHjawYNX7c7sX3ScEEwuGl5B6vcwCivLR17l9/s320/IMG_8028.JPG" border="0" /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439332336848411154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5V-q5g0fcJthv2NubXmaVPvVdwgT_-481PWPCWJoOKCeiUIbbBW99AR0jTfLa9RPRF_ODlfwzOX2Fg9mP7xZc-OS6uuUoO3wzeAvh9WJ3a8nBvUzk3lrm_xeViFTVNxYWUfzUH-mVxh8C/s320/IMG_8031.JPG" border="0" /><br />And that was pretty much it. Was an absolutely top day and me and Al thoroughly enjoyed it, so cheers Kris and thanks for the honour of being brother, brother.<br /><br /><div></div><div>Like with Ninja's wedding, Jamie said I should get a photo of me pointing at the happy couple, but apparently pointing in considered offensive in Chinese culture. How rude Jamie. Bet you suggested I do that deliberately. Will have to make do with this. </div><div> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439333120997223298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlU4hX0_rEWtD9l0oAKsh1jgTKJ-84K8bVPz2ZKD7b_6du8S1FqAxEbgD6DN-WEMJGrvOGrZKUNDuXRMfGlm4v0Iq3sj3hLqqHW45sJL6fJeCTeLZ1PbYgiirU0yH5qkkeWT3I97P_qua/s320/IMG_7956.JPG" border="0" /><br />Next day we just chilled out around Singapore - at least as much as you can chill when it’s 35 degrees and humid - before flying back to Sydney that night. Arrived in Sydney early morning and went straight to work pretty knackered - needed a holiday to recover.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310195264520718153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4326297528959726796.post-38807330050663165002009-12-27T17:15:00.000-08:002010-01-17T23:43:59.057-08:00Two week world tour 2: Flashpacking around Laos and a spot of cookeryWhen we arrived into Vientiane, the capital of Laos, there wasn’t time to do much but find somewhere to stay and head out for some fried rice and a couple of Beer Lao’s. There isn’t too much to see in Vientiane so we hailed a Tuk-Tuk first thing the next morning and went to the bus station and jumped on a bus to Luang Prabang, which took all day arriving early evening. Wasn’t the most comfortable bus either even though it was being advertised as the executive service, or something like that.<br /><br />Luang Prabang is a chilled out little town on the Mekong River, and next day we ‘chartered’ a long-tail boat and headed to the Pak Ou caves. Chartering basically entails hanging around at the side of the river for no more than 30 seconds before someone asks you if you want to get a boat to the caves. After a small amount of negotiation resulting in us almost certainly being ripped off, a down payment was made, the bloke disappeared on a motorbike and 20 minutes later someone turns up and loads us into a boat.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427976811826581810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yk739niKdRTYzRs_hlas7ht6w83ScjbD04nJfEyaNNP4l0dSp5HhraXiaFHAWs9gavkuipAYdPIf6goI8e5pyfDFi80OfIdJRIRJ6xCX93iAgH5KHwEOnt29gXV-1QAln2TvMkAGaG_u/s320/IMG_7723.JPG" border="0" /><br />The Pak Ou caves are pretty small and are full of literally hundreds of Buddha statues. On the way back there was the mandatory stop at Bang Xang Hai, which is better known as the Whiskey Village. Here the local moonshine - Lao Lao - is produced in significant quantities, so after brief demonstration on how it is made, we were introduced to the business end of the trip, the shop. We purchased a couple of bottles of something, although not sure what, as it was as cheap as chips.<br /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427976923162993650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0-oaAMrO_VgSt5PHCY14ABLCP2Ihyphenhyphen2PO3sGbfxz7JAGpNNmNO_bJtKxKs9ipfcHYjbNSFw2SDmIiGPlFRsijGy0z2mp4j1tkGSUj7VGv4-WZ3ljlun4jN3wCBBIA1fl2H_zg_FSQFXz5/s320/IMG_7742.JPG" border="0" /><br />That evening we climbed up Phu Si, a hill with various gardens and temples up it, as it’s quite a good spot to watch the sunset. On the way up Al had to disappear to lets just say use the bathroom. He wasn’t seen then for well over an hour but reappeared just in time for the sunset looking considerably better. </p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427977185451600002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtoiOWClv4HUbxtdJOYRIQBfparwxncyxfEYHw5ossHXN7DMF5-tGqiGI_UrJQcV40vxQvzn6Sf8qZj6npAGEgOdHjI1aAV0fHmS0_TOWyu2P6oI6MSpNSQGyljf58j3fnAl5-5OhDdvH/s320/IMG_7767.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427977056561407410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjGkWTHThAB0xc2bMOt6aoz6Y25zsfTcB4wLuGPXRwVbKmZezlqJQXU3YIFT6lAm58578BzRsbJ2lxxLY4_OE1r2vkn1ExSxivrfzGw7oLvaYq8XVcarNdWerNzGxPgUgIy3CpC7mdMgTa/s320/IMG_7761.JPG" border="0" /><br />Next stop after Luang Prabang was Luang Nam Tha where we were going to do trek for a couple of days. If we had got public transport it would have taken all day so to get there , and meant we were spending too much time travelling having spent a full day on a bus in Laos already. So we did some more ‘chartering’ this time someone with a mini van. This basically entails going into a random tour office, telling them what you want, they suck in through their teeth as if its not possible, but then suggests it could be done for a price of around US$100. He then gets on the phone to someone, has a long conversation in a language you don’t understand (probably about something completely unrelated), hangs up, then explains that it can’t be done for less than US$130. Done…I think we probably had been.<br /><br />This is the “ok I getcha” way of travelling, i.e. if something can’t be done, throwing a bit of money at the problem and greasing the wheels will suddenly make it possible.<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_tVlMprhKM">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_tVlMprhKM</a><br /><br />But at least we got to spend an extra morning in Luang Prabang rather than on a bus, so we visited the Royal Palace Museum and just hung out really. We then caught our minivan and headed for Luang Nam Tha. I was in the front to get some extra leg room and this was a pretty scary trip, because in the towns en route, people and animals just hang out in the middle of the road. The people get out the way pretty easily, but the animals tend to leave it until the last second, and the amount of times I thought we were going to hit something… And of course the driver was never going to slow down. But somehow we managed to not kill anything.<br /><br />We also picked up some locals en route. We were flagged down in a small town and asked if we minded if three local guys hitched a lift. It felt a bit tight to say no as hitching was probably their only way of getting there and there was space, so we agreed, although they dutifully crammed onto one row of seats leaving us with plenty of room to spread out still. The driver collected further monies from them, and even though we’d paid for a two person trip he wasn’t about to share with us. All we got was a free energy drink. Oh well…<br /><br />When we arrived in Luang Nam Tha we were just told we’d arrived, at least that’s what I assume we were told as it wasn’t in English and we were being ushered out of the van. It took some time to work out where we were exactly and needed the help of some other tourists as any locals we asked to point to the map of the town didn’t recognise it!<br /><br />Next morning we headed off on a two day trek. It was an organised trip and we were in a group of 5 people. The trek was neither short nor over easy terrain and we were walking pretty much 9-5 or so. For at least the first 10 minutes we tried to keep our feet dry, but it soon became obvious that this would be a futile task. I slipped on a log and drenched one foot after not long at all so after that there was no point bothering, and wet our feet stayed for two days. </p><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427977555609622530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-yMU-OuEv-QRC9zoyDjd-hBw84AOEo0J6pBUG00x_xm81B0qFDTIAVuVGdLs2WbEOd3coql1ZB9N686FYABNsKZrG6XkVh64gL_ucMqznknNCotoBoJypWO_UE8wXxudIdX1wJAWdLqQ/s320/IMG_7808.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427978227109310946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnxmWJCDTSlry1pf8bDXMo08iXHnVQEPgZDRZ5kUw3VKvwhZv07Pa0OHTwONxGSZVHnvYPTMpmtcAUvU6KMtYwYzie6koxwAja25v3HVg2Ix0TYe4c1t8BtMqiZ9kDaZjdPm_aiWARWW7A/s320/IMG_7846.JPG" border="0" /><br />Leeches were the other problem. If you stopped - or sometimes even if you didn’t - leeches would attach themselves to anything they could in the hope of getting to your skin to suck some blood, so you periodically had to de-leech yourself. I found one in my sock at the end of the day, so it probably had a good time. It won’t be doing it again though. </p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427978376270041618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQuH9sK8i3qlj2vKanCznUNsT12p08chLpkHGglgSg7qbghNCkUuYmkTLS6yv07neaQ1KBcQhJy-q0X-4EO_lrqiR5VcQ_R4qvY168yEUhs-RRPjxEvxWA36Olol2FYKtCO6_Xkh6HSlPL/s320/IMG_7851.JPG" border="0" /><br />The food on the trek was pretty impressive. Lunch was pre-prepared in banana leaves, and we each got a big lump of sticky rice and there was a big selection of meat and stuff with it, as well as something ridiculously spicy that the guides wolfed down without a second thought. </p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427977361870836082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPp-mKQ0qxrXWUsAunVCQthozp8MJwl5ErDZ0yrDMw2XePllgOs9DectWx5iWSApE-wDYTh_c9ndStoQnVkb_bQCU2f0ra9g3eMsDUc95SYJ1yebtvhZTVmAgXtT9sho-4n6ardfZaQ1A1/s320/IMG_7803.JPG" border="0" /><br />That night we stayed in a local village. Another feast was cooked up by one of the locals and he even managed to rustle up some bottles of Beer Lao (for a fee obviously). After dinner a load of local girls aged from probably 10 to 16 marched into our hut and we were told it was massage time. Our first reaction to this was “errrrrrrrrr” thinking it was some sort of sting operation where the police would burst in and arrest us, but the guides said it was all legit and the girls practice how to do massages on tourists. Nobody explained why all the girls in the village needed to be fully qualified masseuses. </p><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427977916227222114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7iGO6ATnEU3D_raRkWj7IUuDUsbuAvUA9_Ai35GoDJE4Vw8DOdmHcRTV8nlckEKO5oin05n4bAVUwTG2Qg4iPQFJQCAZO8hsPxBBRStbDv6wOky5u78H3slQ8Xze7gLWmLTWzInoEkUl/s320/IMG_7818.JPG" border="0" /><br />At this point I would just like to state for legal reasons that the girl giving me a massage was one of the ones over 16, no money changed hands, and that the massage stopped just above the knee. All the massage was was a bit of prodding and poking of the arms and legs and trying to pull fingers out the sockets, and probably didn’t do a lot to alleviate any aching from the days hiking.<br /><br />Next day we set off for another full day of hiking. We filled our water bottles with some brown liquid you couldn’t see through which we were told was boiled water. It tasted horrendous but it was all were going to get so off we went.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427978023482806578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZFWmDw6ocEbCusPf63ezuWJId0_QTTvHoGrTqMEgS6VpjLwZpIXZt5-bh5rR9a_BsltxGn3Hi_DkA55QAcbhziPeRmPTwCS9ndf_hJzK-8iXG0pIESXP8zd1dvV7XCS5INOjN17cTIBbs/s320/IMG_7835.JPG" border="0" /><br />On the trek there were lots of logs over small rivers and streams. Logs being logs they were round and they weren’t the easiest things to balance on and on several occasions both me and Al almost came to grief. It didn’t help that sometimes when one of us had got over, the other would get the camera out and set it to video to try and catch the fall on video!<br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427977787614285938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhytoPgJMsV0lsR2W8Kt4-CUUD5-lxkseinVN6ggP8jdAvtTjZ2iGKf0jg5X2_72DbxT44GRN-Vwr4bjQ-q9EOPbsAM_Fik-SKCfncM6lWWkbC-CmvhpeehHud7Vmq8hUukFE958_2ygwJk/s320/IMG_7815.JPG" border="0" /><br />When we got back to Luang Nam Tha we were still on a tight schedule and getting the public bus to the Thai border would have wasted half the next day as it was a 3 hour drive. So in much the same way as last time, we waved some US dollars around and secured a minivan to Huay Xai which is on the Laos-Thailand border. The guy we it organised through came along too because the driver didn’t know where he was going and needed a navigator. It was pretty clear he didn’t have much clue on how to drive either, but we made it in one piece and found some lodgings that night before heading to Thailand the next day.<br /><br />The border crossing was pretty straight forward. You get stamped out of Laos, jump on a long motor boat type thing, get taken across the Mekong, and get stamped into Thailand. Then some bloke with a motorbike puts you on the back, your luggage on the front in front of him and takes you to some hotel where we’d arranged to be picked up to get a bus down to Chiang Mai.<br /><br />One of the big things to do in Chiang Mai is a Thai cookery course, so we signed ourselves up for the next day. That night though we managed to stay up long enough to watch the England world cup qualifier against Andorra on the TV (just like we watched the Kazakhstan game in a pub in Luang Probing - its great experiencing local culture!). Had a fair few Chang Beers too which are pretty strong at around 6%, and didn’t get to bed until 4am and was up four hours later for the cooking.<br /><br />Didn’t feel too bad early in the day (probably because I was still drunk) and we were taken to the market to buy various ingredients. We then headed out of town to where the place was we’d do the cooking, and it was on this journey in the back of a minivan that I started feeling a bit queasy. We were shown how to cook dish number one which was Thai yellow curry and through this I was sweating profusely, and not because I was slaving over a hot stove. Once I’d cooked it I was in a whole world of trouble and had to sneak off to the bathroom for a tactical chunder. Unfortunately I managed to pick the cubicle where the flush was broken, so I couldn’t get rid of the evidence. But on the plus side I felt a whole heap better and was able to eat the food I’d cooked. Have to say I wasn’t expecting to be sick before eating the food I’d cooked - after I wouldn’t have been surprised. </p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427978600010661266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXkizC4hng1bhXJpXf14Snci3_ekdTz5vhShTr2XYM9RSC0XhUNSSWrzHLBEdrvYW22-k9g-8k3p-6CDrUIRczrvcJMFlcIIAf-TJs6P_vcSN4MiiYF8b37dQp1EPo4i-S_Nke6veryMNH/s320/IMG_7861.JPG" border="0" /><br />Recovered after that and we cooked six dishes in the end. Weren’t any major disasters either and most tasted pretty good, although whether the yellow curry was actually yellow is debatable…it was more brown. </p><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427978776879968530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhey1Szn0pir6CCjr4mx0FLrFGdwWp9ljy6OE6ScgBJLMpiTs2FqB-_YRoCVP4LciDXPjEiC6fSI3p-v-XnCNFxmEuV1WFuQdkRfaCxxyVg1QMKC1qGSCgOZBoOyDTyWOKjPS84_upvTOGV/s320/IMG_7863.JPG" border="0" /><br />That evening we went to a Muay Thai boxing event. This was blatantly put on for the benefit of tourists and every night they seemed to have some westerner on the bill. We saw some English guy, but on other nights there were Canadians, French etc. It was fun enough and the highlight was definitely when they blindfolded three guys and let them just swing around at each other. The ref pushed them in the right direction, and occasionally got hit himself, but when that happened he just hit them back. </p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427978888739096802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrlucrYieLtQZ1aX7kRXfJ3Kht7XiWzXxiXQGBf9HTGsH1NIrG1c5ovtjeZwixS2a6HuIKq9o5KMvrPSHrfV4jWGnlM5VrWw55IOwgKyyKKMmf0CeUECsRdwlY5LGmZeBkzqzhRkLd2O1y/s320/IMG_7874.JPG" border="0" /><br />Next day we got a tuk-tuk to the Ping River and did a trip up the river. Our tuk-tuk driver more or less insisted on waiting for us and taking us on a tour afterwards. She swapped the tuk-tuk for a car, and took us out of town to a snake sanctuary and tiger sanctuary. We watched a snake show where some snake handlers parade some snakes around to silly music and commentary. At one point it looked like they were trying to fish a snake out of a box with their snake stick, but then threw it into the crowd right in my direction. The snake was of course a piece of rope, but obviously this was a cloth touching moment. Everyone else found it highly amusing. </p><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427978983221657282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcbfZIt2TprsZcpSl1qhokpyzLfsffhZjwB_ov0r70Wg-De5BUhP6nucYw7mjBJJhrijxY1zhIz6mqZisV2kVFEfdHY8vmKV7Z2xerfByat2kZ8H0PZ43guWTL6Jrfti9bQm5dGRwTgGR/s320/IMG_7902.JPG" border="0" /><br />Then we went to the tiger sanctuary. The sell here is that you can go in their cages, obviously with guides. This was ok although it was a bit much when the guides pretty much insist on you hugging them. Photos of this hugging will not see the light of day.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427979095649137074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvHeCulsHfxIDqDcCLsy3rhckAWq8GfFrk97UXTbf0ZX3XnOJFQKQ0E_cmtZBgbcVlV05Ld94MEarNXIlnjBkODPvtSnYjTKA3pL7N3IJSmd1iRg_1I4Vg5LtaL4Tz18EEowkxIN22xDLo/s320/IMG_7909.JPG" border="0" /><br />After this we flew from Chiang Mai to Bangkok where we had one night. We’d heard that table tennis was pretty big in Bangkok so we went to a ping pong show. You can obviously imagine our horror when ping pong turned out not to be table tennis…although ping pong balls were involved…as were candles, straws, darts, balloons, cigarettes, bananas…you get the picture. Course, some things are funny wherever you’re from in the world, and one of those things is some bald guy who’d amazingly managed to fall asleep through this getting hit on the head with a ping pong ball. And with only her second shot. There truly is some real talent on display. Anyway…<br /><br />Next morning unfortunately all the knocked off DVD shops hadn’t opened and we had to get a flight to Singapore for Kris’s wedding, so we left empty handed - annoying because this was half the purpose of the trip.<br /><br />Was a good week or so’s holiday although probably slightly too rushed. We didn’t really miss anything we really wanted to do but it was a lot of rushing around, so an extra couple of days would have been good. But when you have two weeks holiday and two weddings to get to…Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310195264520718153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4326297528959726796.post-51453105716076498832009-12-13T03:53:00.000-08:002010-01-17T23:45:19.109-08:00Two week world tour 1: Ninja and Jo’s wedding and Kris’s stag do<div>Back in May Ninja and Jo got married and me and Al decided to go back to the UK for the occasion. Worked out nice too as Kris was getting married in Singapore two weeks later so we could do both in the same trip, as well as give Kris a kind of stag do, see family and have a week or so’s holiday in Asia, all in about two and a half weeks!<br /><br />So we set off on Thursday night straight from work to the airport, and 3 flights via Melbourne and Hong Kong and 28 hours later we were at Heathrow. After what felt like another 28 hours, but was closer to an hour and a half we’d made it to central London (Heathrow hasn’t changed). Friday night was our one night in London and managed to catch up with a fair few people which was really good. Barely felt like I’d been away seeing everyone again.<br /><br />Next day we were up bright and early to get the train to Cheltenham for the wedding. Again was great to see everyone there. I was one of the witnesses for the marriage, and Ninja congratulated me in the groom speech for successfully managing to sign my own name. After all, it is a task I have been known to fail!<br /><br />I did my best (although I think I could have done ‘better’) in trying to uphold the tradition of someone wearing a loud awful tie for a mates wedding. It was Jamie who started this tradition at Statto’s wedding by wearing a tie he wears anyway but thinks its tasteful. Ninja bought one especially for Jamie’s wedding, and Al would do it for Kris’s.<br /><br />Due to the prevalence of pointing photos in my blog, Jamie insisted I had one of me pointing at the happy couple, so here we are.<br /><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415044361284948226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEL6QfxDFkrDMzOqWwLwzbFEoiT-RHGBkXKhpcgPMwmFkXFdLDKGmpA1Uz22DTfw_s9fLX7m3ekQQMmFrMiPv6Bf_7VIy2fwUBSUDTUJZYtzVWCS_Qv-OVt0sSuaN6VeMpQ1iMPEMFOaO/s320/IMG_7707.JPG" border="0" /><br />Jet lag was occasionally causing a bit of an issue during the day but managed to successfully drink through it. Was a really good day and really enjoyed it, but after breakfast and a walk the next day, I had to go as it was time for the ‘see the parents’ leg of the trip. Course, as soon as I met my folks I hit the wall and slept most of the way home in the car. Must have been because I stopped drinking.<br /><br />Only had a couple of days back home but had a nice day out with the folks and Richard and Dawn, and again was good to see family as it had been 9 months. But having arrived in the UK on Friday lunchtime, by Tuesday lunch it was time to get a train back to London to get a flight to Singapore. Still managed a couple of cheeky pints with some more people in London before heading to the airport though. So it was then onwards to Singapore for a kind of stag do for Kris. It was only me, Al and Kris and it wasn’t Kris’s official stag do but we had to take Kris out and get him smashed on behalf of the UK crowd. Thanks to Al for the following guest blogging<br /><br />Well, I’d like to tell you what we did on the stag do, but frankly most of its very hazy. I can remember 2 things in particular. The first was at a bar where all the seats were wheelchairs. The drink came via drips, via the mouth before you ask. By this stage we were already well on our way and took great amusement in trying to race and bounce into each other. The staff found this less amusing. About the last thing I remember was seeing some stacked wine glasses and a fountain of some spirit cocktail being lit. Thanks for that Woody and I hope you enjoyed the one we subsequently got you. Seemingly there were 2 bars afterwards, but this was only confirmed the next day after Pete found some bar receipts in his wallet.<br /><br />Anyway, we stumbled home, ordered home delivery McDonalds and instantly fell asleep before it arrived. Pete and I passed out sitting on the sofa upright, Woody flat on the floor. Pete later woke up and took great pleasure in taking photos of me and Woody asleep. Bizarrely, Pete then decided to go to sleep. On the floor. Later I woke up, confused to see both Woody and Pete sleeping on the floor (not together - PB). But not confused enough to realise that meant there were 2 beds going spare. Rising the next morning we took much pleasure in the thought that Woody was now blacklisted by McDonalds, following the 6 missed calls during the night.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427976618405903298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiHl1L-lIGGywXPv0UiWp6yY8CYOtc5VxYaT3cK6aF94KnGJLdLy9rSW_bHWKKoMEw0Va3lY3pEn-VvvbtOVOGMXC_b4Wb49ZK9dxO0FDWeWeKDfxpVm5E1AVJoMEPUsnijp7rs4W6k2EK/s320/IMG_7713.JPG" border="0" /><br />Anyway, there were several bars, minimal food and we managed to spend a lot of money. Well, precisely all the money the UK people gave us for Woody’s wedding present….ok, we did replace it all later.<br /><br />The stag do was a cracking night - I’m assuming this by the fact we can’t remember it all and felt like death the next day. Luckily me and Al had decided not to get the early flight to Laos the next day (we probably wouldn’t have made it). We were still up fairly early to get to Woody’s new flat (aka the new marital home) as he was getting new furniture delivered. More time was spent lying on the floor feeling ill, although this time there was no furniture to lie on so we didn’t even have a choice. We had a macca’s breakfast to try and recover, although obviously this was not delivered.<br /><br />Then it was off to the airport to fly to Laos.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310195264520718153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4326297528959726796.post-25997631473144856642009-06-28T01:44:00.000-07:002009-07-12T01:27:33.877-07:00Fiji: Sea, sunshine, tropical islands….and a military coupAs Easter is a long weekend, decided to make the most of it and go somewhere, so me and Al went to Fiji. You can’t do that at Easter back home! Flew into a place called NadI, which is a 4 hour flight and two hours ahead, so by the time we arrived there wasn’t time to do much so we sat on the grey beach, had a few beers and enjoyed the afternoon rainstorm.<br /><br />Next day we got a boat out to Mana Island. Fiji is made up of lots of small islands, many of which aren’t much more than some beaches, trees and a few places to stay. Pretty nice. Went kayaking in the afternoon and much like when I did it in Sydney, my inability to paddle consistently resulted in me going round in circles and ultimately the toys coming out of the pram again. Really must learn to kayak properly sometime. But as usual, the main objective was to try and splash as much water into Al’s kayak as possible.<br /><br />There was one slightly hairy moment. A plane was coming in to land and we assumed it was just going to the airstrip on the island, but it seemed to be coming in a bit low. As it got closer realised it was a sea plane and it was heading straight for our bit of water. With my kayaking (lack of) ability there was no way I was going to get out of its way so it was a case of hoping it wouldn’t land near us. It obviously didn’t land near us as I probably wouldn’t be writing this, but it was looking interesting for a bit!<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352298624987925090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5sLuSbL-INodPOkXvuftReXHmyeWM_tTxtrovpRhVnXMyuuEZHCEcBKptbwxFlotebFLpIQct-iAL5vWVdFInqDfprxSWkOGGhdlCBD9L7tFRG7qSKinhd9Bs3Kw1xoTEJB6Xgck5GfH/s320/IMG_7642.JPG" border="0" /><br />The hostel we were staying in was right on the beach so it was nice in the evening having some food and drink and generally just chilling out. The hostel put on a bit of a show where we got to watch various Polynesian Island dances and some bloke juggling fire,and we chatted to some of the other people in the hostel there were two Scandinavian looking girls. The conversation went something to the lines of “So where are you from?” “Norway.” “And what do you do in Norway?” “We’ve just finished high school.”<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352297919571695586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqCt-gIJe3nFj1eeqTzT5cQbOhjMkpng5b8XsVZkgsRaG4x8kXavB7vY2ApwN5cK6xEwmvcHjB3EGKO0KtYxuYuEw_r4NNNO1U74jR7M2npS0i1ub-EdHjgKVdkSIgbsFa0NM5uNyr82b/s320/IMG_7631.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352298619515340066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwv1oiYisUFZg-FvWkHhJpByULjKiyIH6s5r0NRvLU2imDMlW_mQg6MLsb_SZJQMfOzChiqo2YA5AVVdQHAUokw8Q02mzOK0SJaZkIH37RaAFiJYt1pHph6d0_YJiRS9HeQlp3rwRheyme/s320/IMG_7639.JPG" border="0" /><br />Next morning we went out with the hostel’s dive boat to a reef and while others dived we snorkelled. Saw a few sharks which was pretty cool. Were slightly worried for a bit as the boat disappeared and there are stories of snorkellers and divers just getting abandoned in the middle of the ocean.<br /><br />After snorkelling for a while I started feeling a bit queasy, and this got progressively worse until I ended up treading water while being sick. Lovely. Still, I’m sure some fish would have ended up eating it. Probably would have made a nice change from normal plankton.<br /><br />Felt much better but on the motor boat back to the island started feeling a bit iffy again, so ended up having round 2 hanging out the side. Anyone who has ever done this will know that it sprays upwards so I was hanging out as far as I could without falling out to avoid spraying it all over one of the aforementioned Norwegian girls. I managed this just, and amazingly according to Al nobody in the boat seemed to know what I was doing!<br /><br />The moral to this story is obviously don't go snorkelling at 9 in the morning, nothing to do with alcohol consumption the night before.<br /><br />We decided to head for another island after one night on Mana. Annoyingly because everyone wants you to go on their boats nobody tells you anything else, so we got a boat back to the mainland, then found another boat to take us to Bounty Island, but on the way stopped off at Mana Island about 100 yards down the beach from our hostel, so we ended up wasting 4 hours or so. But never mind.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352298628357550498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CE_ybPGs7FkdamN3Ae37nr1q902NMzt4TBlBQDzRhFHGXwqipWsDsroggjRAPxDTX6SsobhMTG93HJRkMK17-mUZc96fCCays9f_vy2q4x6RrF9E4q0tRU5d7sOGeJoywcU_zLqAdvQ7/s320/IMG_7675.JPG" border="0" /><br />Bounty Island was similar to Mana - small and not much there, but nice. The water was warm and clear, so did some swimming and snorkelling (where I managed to avoid being ill).<br />That’s pretty much all we had time to do though as we had to head back to the airport. Did have time though to buy some awful Hawaiian style shirts. They seem to be the only thing Fijian blokes wear, so it only seemed right to buy a couple. I’ve only worn one out in public once, but do wear them round the flat a bit, much to Nadia’s disgust!<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352299993894860994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXRMLSaMASNRUSXhNcd7FO3286GKfNp30GCQVkcJWA9hlaM42rMhktxLu_JFOVgA5pymDZbsripJtXd5e_l-E0Zht_RcidqcBRnlvtXcaNCT7inV59G7afvueMXD2OK6ggRcqarQT5yWIn/s320/IMG_8036%5B1%5D.JPG" border="0" /><br />At the airport, we saw the headlines on some of the newspapers and it turns out that the day we arrived there was a military coup of sorts. What happened was something like...a couple of years ago there was an actual military coup, and some General had been Prime Minister ever since, but the day we arrived the Judiciary had deemed it illegal and said he should no longer be in charge. The President’s response to this was to re-instate the General, sack the Judiciary, dissolve the Constitution, censor the press, and cancel any elections until 2014. Australia and New Zealand were threatening sanctions and calling for Fiji to be booted out of the Commonwealth. So Fiji was in political turmoil and we were completely oblivious the whole time we were there! Tourism just seem to carry on as normal.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310195264520718153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4326297528959726796.post-75437023883507713502009-05-13T05:29:00.000-07:002009-12-07T01:41:08.638-08:00The first couple of months down underFour days after I arrived in Oz I started work, which <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">wasn</span>’t anywhere near as much of a culture shock as I was expecting. I also <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>’t have too many problems staying awake which was my main concern having spent most of the previous 5 months not getting much sleep because when you’re travelling and not needing to use your brain much you don’t need as much sleep. I could still just about remember how to use Excel too - once you’re sad you never lose it!<br /><br />Spent about a week and a half sleeping on Al’s kitchen floor albeit on a sofa bed, but after that moved into an apartment in the middle of the city for 2 weeks paid for by work as part of the secondment package. I had the choice of several apartments including one in a big block right next to work, but opted for one 15 minutes walk away as I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>’t fancy being able to see my desk from the window of the apartment. Its bad enough being able to see the building I work in from almost anywhere in the city given the monstrosity that is the E&Y building, so certainly <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>’t want it to be the first thing I saw in the morning.<br /><br />The apartment itself was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">ok</span>. It was like living in a hotel room that <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>’t get cleaned! It only had four working <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">tv</span> channels, two of which were porn channels, and not particularly good ones either … <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">errr</span> … not that I watched them obviously.<br /><br />Despite not really getting properly lost in over 4 months travelling, I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>’t waste any time here. Walked to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Woolloomooloo</span> for drinks one night and it took 15 minutes. But it was light and someone else was in charge of directions. When I came back it was dark and I was on my own, and it took me quite a lot longer than that to find my way back When I found a big stretch of water between myself and the Opera House which was near where I was staying, I knew I’d gone wrong! The worst bit though was that by the time I did get back, Hungry Jacks (Burger King) had stopped serving just seconds before. Devastated…had to go to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Macca</span>’s. As one bloke in the same position said “Hungry Jacks has let us down…well f*** them.” Here here.<br /><br />Anyway, started to look for somewhere to live that week. Looked in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bondi</span> which along with Manly is where most Brits live, but that <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">wasn</span>’t the reason. It is by the beach which is different to London, it is a decent journey to work, and I know a few people around there. Was looking for a flat share as thought it would be a good way to meet new people.<br /><br />As usual meeting randoms can be interesting! One ad I looked at said<br /><br /><em>“I’<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">ve</span> got to go away to work for 3 months so you’d be living with my girlfriend. Will post some photos later”<br /></em><br />Was tempted to ask if that was photos of the flat or the girlfriend. Turned out it was the former. Another ad posted pictures of themselves rather than the flat, and you could see why as they were two not unattractive girls! Ended up looking at seven places in the end, and only one of those had any Aussies living there, and even then they were from out of town - people from Sydney really don’t live in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bondi</span>.<br /><br />One place I looked at, the girl was looking for someone who <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>’t drink! And I noticed when I went to look round that she <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>’t have a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">tv</span>. Think that one <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">wasn</span>’t meant to be! Ended up living with an English girl - Nadia - in the nicest of the flats I looked at. Less than 5 minutes walk to the beach, sea views from the balcony, even a view of the harbour (just) from my bedroom window.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335438116008625794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fzpPrezfw40kyqTxqY6HceAUVry76-hjop3r3WV7MniV7axPy15WDTBpor51FimpCykbHHA6tO-XvFgQHqaZrTdDtzbUzQ6JXUuwwYJonBc_vrDhXBolhNLrXTwvQb2l011sefzxdyii/s320/IMG_7576.jpg" /><br />The day I moved in Nadia invited me to the beach to a one year old’s birthday party (said one year old belonged to one of her friends). Walking back along the beach carrying a plastic lorry for toddlers to ride on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">wasn</span>’t exactly what I thought I’d be doing when I moved to Sydney! Did have to explain a couple of times though that I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">wouldn</span>’t under any circumstances be doing any baby sitting!<br /><br />Top tip though for when you move in with someone you don’t know - don’t refer to them as a “random” in front of them! Oops<br /><br />Have also done a lot of watching sport, and some playing. Successfully proved that there is definitely an optimal amount of beer to drink when playing pool. Playing doubles with Al’s flatmate Brad, we wiped the floor with various hapless Aussies in some pub in town, playing progressively better as we had more to drink. This never lasts though as you pass the ‘optimal’ and things started to deteriorate. We still won, we just had to rely on dumb luck!<br /><br />Managed to play football once too, or soccer as they like to incorrectly call it over here. I thought I’d kept reasonably fit on my travels but this said otherwise. An hour and half running around in the midday heat and I could barely move the rest of the day. Or the next day.<br /><br />So it probably <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">wasn</span>’t the cleverest thing to do to go kayaking in the harbour the next day as sitting in the thing <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">wasn</span>’t the most comfortable. Add to that my inability to paddle consistently, and I ended up going round in circles half the time, and the toys came out the pram (or kayak) on more than one occasion. I even fell out of the kayak once (through incompetence though, not temper).<br /><br />We paddled from Rose Bay to some nearby beaches, and then we were going to across to Shark Island, a small island in the harbour, but as we set off a regatta seemed to appear from nowhere, and we were surrounded by huge yachts flying by. They would have quite happily driven straight through us too. At one point it was “err, there seems to be a yacht coming straight for me”. Luckily it turned and missed me, but decided I‘d been lucky, so Shark Island was abandoned as too dangerous.<br /><br />On the subject of sharks, there were quite a lot of shark attacks when I first arrived. They seemed to be happening everywhere including at surfing beaches like <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bondi</span>. But nevertheless agreed to go surfing…and what was the top news story while sitting eating breakfast before going … a shark attack that had happened that morning. Still went though and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>’t get eaten … but my surfing ability is still non-existent.<br /><br />Also managed to play tennis once on the roof of someone’s apartment building in the middle of the city. Very surreal. We amazingly <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>’t lose any balls over the side into the road seven storeys below!<br /><br />Watched a decent amount of sport too. Disappointingly saw the Aussies beat the Kiwis at cricket in a one <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" class="blsp-spelling-error">dayer</span> and in a 20/20. Went to Super 14 rugby union - New South Wales <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_27" class="blsp-spelling-error">Waratahs</span> v Queensland Reds. Despite it being a local derby grudge match, it was fairly dull like most union games I seem to see. Went to rugby league too, seeing the Sydney Roosters, the team I have foolishly decided to support, lose heavily to the South Sydney <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_28" class="blsp-spelling-error">Rabbitohs</span>. Not sure what a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_29" class="blsp-spelling-error">rabbitoh</span> actually is - I think its just a rabbit, but Australians have to add o to the end of everything. I thoroughly expect to be nicknamed <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_30" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bezzo</span> very soon.<br /><br />Also made it over to Melbourne for the Formula One Grand <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_31" class="blsp-spelling-error">Prix</span>. Was a fun weekend. The cars were amazingly noisy and it is impressive how fast they go and equally how fast they can brake - you don‘t really appreciate this on the telly. We were two or three corners before the finish straight. While it was good, without a big screen it was difficult to know what was going on in terms of positions (there is commentary but you can’t hear it half the time). You know what is going on for the first few laps but as soon as pits stops start and people spin off etc it gets difficult.<br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335439149430157842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhwPqNkfaaw5kJ5o1UH36fa9ryvCrqLlu9AkrfRFHpXdUU9KGjzwzqDut1CEDjEusHU8G3CvZHfK4TgZoykdVh6thsBfmyCBpoAcNH3hpg5JXwuJ4ggQqKvLQlJaMffykaOSAPTBQPX1u/s320/IMG_7598.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335439275550430466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBuGBtduMAAYUtn_yddkwfkByg2l3XGv2kxtNgVoIoxW6BxlUK55VN3hOihC_2Irj-zgiyvxnYvu6scIHaqCZKfpUlWu2z7yfso4voAiy9RyxqpuGEh8Lf8dXy7EQVNDLS9ws3j9km8b1/s320/IMG_7599.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335439401943044226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtoDqYiVvlVKjfxcnOvVL05norGIVYmJviLpaCGsJPOBXczFA2GaNdrJXGYz9fCa7Pz10Vk1FvXVoyxFQ7TEnMFd-DlFeyPDUHuPoY-Sw2aIZbXVv7wd60a45OsNYb2R-ICaguC3-hF31/s320/IMG_7601.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335439560444098242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNFiG_gq6FNLqQRmNJMuG3WxpaCE5xz3QR8esBEBYU7qQ1kLMKM9IjqunnA7LbKNkvk9RcLlVSAwzt31uP6tQdeOE2iCyLbshVY-NFX7oZB_w12zmkushqPmKQ293Qc9n8yxxBCef2B6c/s320/IMG_7607.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335439757463975234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtpCcsup9Dt3o-dQpZ_2HICaUXlHUO8LLYH2h9VK4JJJ5By1NJm0Cxpcc-0bi5R2YvKxfB4eKayDGfTu8saQQmWZUqp0vNhppX48g-_GxvqWNWed16l_cKawe-LUQcLwxh-K_9CjqZbXLT/s320/IMG_7608.JPG" /><br />Went to Aussie Rules at the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_32" class="blsp-spelling-error">MCG</span> the day before the grand <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_33" class="blsp-spelling-error">prix</span> for <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_34" class="blsp-spelling-error">Collingwood</span> v Adelaide. The atmosphere was pretty good even though the 90,000 stadium was less than half full. Adelaide triumphed 90-86 so quite close and exciting. When I came to Oz in 2004 I adopted the West Coast Eagles as my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_35" class="blsp-spelling-error">AFL</span> team, but was thinking of changing to someone closer to home as Perth is a good couple of time zones away, but having found out that the Sydney Swans hate the West Coast, decided I’d stick with them as it would be better banter! Subsequently found out that the whole of Australia hates the West Coast, so definitely sticking with them!<br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335438366741415746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ3TXeXWfcqUN80kjlyN9vfArIjem1FuLH_DcLUAySiiQ-PJuUMLxuvzn8Wz0SdhJc9hyphenhyphenzQrXWYU5j8NIqc5ctyOlEnRG-MbrK857ipE46lcZsgTB-fZ_MHx1IJpLp-jm4L3-lrcqePX78/s320/IMG_7580.JPG" /><br />Since the last time I was in Melbourne a couple of years back, they've got themselves a new viewing tower - the Eureka Tower - so we went up it. (Its pretty much mandatory to go up a viewing tower if there is one). The big gimmick is standing in this pod thing that then slides out the side of the building and the floor suddenly goes transparent and you can see however many storeys down to the street. Lame. But not bad for $12!<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335438577141148626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkJUYz7rz6unOEPBJGAsyH9bDvXO8Nr02XF_ek7PX9PgBrR65kMnyIYrsdZP6P3clQmFwg6yAv7miBtNrtRLVX96E8Ot6QS826Sor1k4NaDOa-EjqNRIWbfSB_l2MRVCxsEA6lV19nRxf/s320/IMG_7586.JPG" /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335438977028338866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVHRwl2QDbFFWLJgZ6RJoMgTd88RAogJBIMcbYR5PFOysmToJEBtYYdoOpZCwg022rknR9T9JXoErzSUfiKSY1BvbMt53VU2kFJ2XsCgj_-lq0QbFG0aGbci2vl-SnuzQi1YJWF5QGHS5C/s320/IMG_7592.JPG" /><br /><br />Had a few drinks with Russ, another English guy we know, the Sunday night in Melbourne, and what was going to be a couple of quiet ones got a bit out of hand, and we were still in the pub after midnight despite needing to be up soon after 4 to get our flight back. Went straight to work from the airport and suffice to say it was not an easy day. The moral of the story is never go out drinking with people who don’t need to be in work the next day. This is a lesson we should have learnt a couple of weeks earlier, as we ended being bullied by Nadia into staying out until about 2.30am, and on a school night too. She had the day off after too.<br /><br />Only seen one soccer/football match (delete as appropriate) here as its off season and that was a world cup qualifier at the Olympic Stadium between Australia (the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_36" class="blsp-spelling-error">socceroos</span>) and Uzbekistan. Now I want the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_37" class="blsp-spelling-error">footballeroos</span> to be at the world cup for the banter if nothing else, but was still struggling to want them to win just on general principle. They won 2-0 in the end and are as good as qualified. Although they will almost certainly beat England if they play them (which they will - World Cup draws like most football draws are fixed - you heard it here first!), they are rubbish. The standard was pretty much what I became accustomed to watching Forest in League One.<br /><br />Watching English sport is a bit trickier. Six Nations involved going to bed, then getting up at 2am, watching the match and going back to bed. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_38" class="blsp-spelling-error">EPL</span> - English Premier League - is on any time from midnight till about 6am. Intend to do the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_39" class="blsp-spelling-error">EPL</span> all <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_40" class="blsp-spelling-error">nighter</span> at some point as I failed when here two years or so ago, but may have to wait for next season. Champions League is do-able as games kicked off about 6.45am before the clocks changed, but now its 4.45 so a bit tougher. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_41" class="blsp-spelling-error">Doesn</span>’t exactly set you up for the day! Did that for England v Ukraine though and it <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_42" class="blsp-spelling-error">wasn</span>’t too bad.<br /><br />Have also met up with some people I met travelling. Had a few beers with Jason in Melbourne who I’d met in Canada. Kate who I met in Rosario in Argentina and hung out with in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_43" class="blsp-spelling-error">Buenos</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_44" class="blsp-spelling-error">Aires</span> at Christmas is here too to work, and is living in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_45" class="blsp-spelling-error">Coogee</span> just round the coast. And <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_46" class="blsp-spelling-error">Antje</span> from my Patagonia tour came over.<br /><br />Apparently I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_47" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>’t mention <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_48" class="blsp-spelling-error">Antje</span>’s nationality in an earlier blog so have been asked to point out that she is German (although has a Dutch name). She has lived in Sydney before so was pretty much showing me around rather than the other way round, so went to places such as the Fish Market (had a massive mixed platter), Watson’s Bay and the Botanical Gardens. Was a nice weekend.<br /><br />So that’s pretty much the first couple of months in Oz.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310195264520718153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4326297528959726796.post-32882549408292588342009-03-09T00:20:00.000-07:002009-04-02T03:24:24.739-07:00The sad, geeky stats summary bitCome on, you knew it was coming, after all Microsoft Excel geek is my job title! So since last September when I left the UK (which seems a very long time ago now) I have travelled over 31,000 miles through 9 countries over three continents not including the start and end points, England and Australia. Ok so two of those countries – Brazil and Uruguay - were only day trips but still got the passport stamps! It would be ten countries if you count the fact I was in US waters at one point, but that is pushing it! I have now visited a total of 34 countries - 35 if you count the US...and 36 if you count the People's Republic of Tooting! See map for full route<br /><a href="http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2646051">http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2646051</a><br /><br />I was away for almost four and a half months, which was 19 weeks or 135 days. By Andy McBean’s calculations (see earlier blog entry) in that time I would have spent over 40 hours going to the toilet! And you probably don't want to know this, so apologies, but three of those were in one session in a hotel room in Cuba, something that could be verified by Wim, my Belgian roommate, who could hear the whole episode through the wall. Poor guy is probably still mentally scarred.<br /><br />I took a total of 14 flights, quite an impressive carbon footprint, and countless bus rides. The longest bus ride was only 23 hours which is pretty lame really compared to some of the rides that can be done in South America. Its bizarre, in the UK there is pretty much no way I’d even contemplate travelling by coach under normal circumstances, yet double figure hours duration journeys became the norm. The buses are better certainly in Argentina and Chile though.<br /><br />Bolivia was my favourite place – did some enjoyable things you can’t really do anywhere else and met some good people. Chile was probably my second favourite place as really enjoyed San Pedro de Atacama, Torres Del Paine and Pucon. But there wasn’t anywhere I actually disliked.<br /><br />I wouldn’t pick any one moment as being the best, but highlights would probably be<br /><br />- Canada – the wapiti having a wander round our bus - Cuba – the whole time was just great fun with a great group<br /><br />- Costa Rica – carrying the baby turtle to the water, and getting variously attacked by monkeys and racoons was pretty funny<br /><br />- Ecuador – getting to the top of Cotopaxi, riding on the roof of the train in Riobamba, and the first day in Galapagos seeing so much stuff<br /><br />- Bolivia – the slat flats trip was amazing scenery all the way and the mine in Potosi while scary was not something I’ll ever forget<br /><br />- Argentina – the atmosphere at the Boca game, and in town when they won the title and the spectacular view when you first see Iguazu (although that was from Brazil!)<br /><br />- Chile – sandboarding in San Pedro, the scenery in Torres del Paine, and Pucon generally from the people who were there to sliding down the mountain to the relief of finishing the hydrospeeding.<br /><br />And travelling on my own was brilliant too. Won’t deny I wasn’t a little bit anxious about it before I went away, but ended up meeting so many people; barely spent any time without someone to talk to. Staying in hostels it’s pretty impossible not to meet people if you want to, although you do end up drinking too much because you inevitably end up drinking with whoever you meet! It was just really good meeting and talking to so many different people all the time. There are disadvantages to travelling alone but these were vastly outweighed by the good stuff.<br /><br />Was also a bit anxious about not speaking any Spanish when I left beyond yes, no, please and thank you, but getting round was also much easier than I thought. I probably had get-by Spanish by the end in that I could always sort out what I wanted – food, accommodation, bus tickets….haircuts – without any major problems. English was spoken by some but I tried to have a go in Spanish in the first instance when I could. And at no point did I have to shout loudly in English about three inches from someone’s face to get them to understand me, a tactic that has been known to work in Europe (because everyone understands English if its spoken at the right volume) but with limited success in Latin America!<br /><br />Now I just need to get used to not travelling, i.e. it's no longer ok to wear the same clothes for several days. On a couple of occasions when I was getting laundry done having not done any for a couple of weeks,<em> </em>I would have seven or so t-shirts that needed washing, yet could only find two pairs of boxer<em> </em>shorts that needed washing. Oops!<br /><br />So the whole thing was great and really enjoyed it (and is much better than work!) Will have to start thinking about where to go next now!Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310195264520718153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4326297528959726796.post-67643125453899091682009-03-03T18:32:00.000-08:002009-12-07T01:38:25.812-08:00One last attempt to hurt myself so I don't have to go back to workNot happy with having escaped death doing <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">hydrospeeding</span>, I decided one last attempt to hurt myself was appropriate; work was after all just over a week away and I had to try something to get out of it! I did canyoning in Costa Rica, and wasn't very good at it for no good reason really, so decided to give it another go. The tour agency had two trips on offer, one was river trekking and the other was rappelling down waterfalls, so signed up to the second one.<br /><br />Turned up the next day only for the agency to realise that they'd booked me on the wrong one, and the one I wanted had left an hour ago. So had to postpone until the next day. Caught the bus to the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Parque</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Nacional</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Huerquehue</span> instead and walked around there. Was quite picturesque with forests and several lakes. Walked about 17km in 5 hours.<br /><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309447799940182162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKxgzicZYVt28Su-v7eIrvFn1CaQICAt8OhWHrsYw0_xh50aK5w76bvvgfe9kuYalz4NgF89dLScDrPIjZr5gjFH92lNci9McPzP7DbZ8cJ2YwbeR9ReIUJAukeV8NTfnKXV-dmBITn8c/s320/IMG_7500.JPG" /><br />Next day did manage to do the canyoning though. The guide explained that we would rappel down three waterfalls, one 7m high, one 10m high and the other 85m high! Yikes. We were given wet suits, helmets and gloves and off we went. The 7m high one was a bit tricky because it was so slippery and did lose my footing and swing into the rocks once. The 10m one was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">ok</span>, but <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">el</span> Puma was saved until the end. The first few steps were quite tricky as you had to put your feet in pretty exact spots, but after the first 10m you couldn't touch the rocks and was I just lowering myself down a rope with a really spectacular view. Pretty cool - I even dared look down a few times! Was great fun and glad I did it, and was in properly in control of my descent mostly, so a big improvement from Costa Rica. </p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309448557417113986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAIoAdcTYMySS42WEUssxYhyphenhyphen_KJVe74M9lpG3C6zc0-FkkRCSu2kKXx5zgIovhkVMyApczUm-JBckk-tdp-4VYeTdx0t9n-Iw9V8K4ywr_GKZDhPpLneNzV9BLzLRMNiUh5PsTQ4Jkml_t/s320/IMG_8783.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309448469709983586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRewITU2lwW6Oip6NIDpGVYCmcXn2iyEiKAvyUaiBFtCMfYxouCHU5yMgd_hsVy0G5hX_ODdqa1l5a-mei1y6U5LucUhCIGO5uZRL24mOAtMxpBtLGuL3RiRXE4WF84_tbgrT6XuonFhCv/s320/IMG_8803.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309448356101272450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2N3Fi-BS1IS1SEbDq3jBQPwZfC8ljh7L7lQvZ4MHV09whRWcKN4v8wSPWxGqcTsotx8f1pnlSiWl8BgIoIcI2msZcyePGW2xboZKoER4RyYB-5rfkMbueBWjnKPCj-P58xKFNs1tmV0D/s320/IMG_8855.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309448226728140898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHhnJaEGejPmVYZn_3J7MSqhX8EkQLP1Tpr2VPK0E5Ba2I9sMHlRg7uSMLQT82r2FExBh_EEf1k5Hp2XQd4HLIXW-bqusemebm2iSKyap0fNAJGnv-VcgrOSNvJOQsqP3AbvLtExbLj2c/s320/IMG_8865.JPG" /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309448100331243266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigi6UIlY9fRvPcr-Q13oc6d39NtP8_XF1yBzoz4De2MIsvs7OSBjgLuYy3yHHzVY7lhq009ica1ZDPQCovAWiJQoN7Fpl1OyMHXKhW3Uh4ZnxRVYy2tE2bCZ8D6z6ei2ldwmjHGhwmW2zo/s320/IMG_8872.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309447945758964322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuq5FHycHylTUeiZbi8Sn7PyiA-MFVCCShXqPHA_rWf4El6m285Q_J8ftYYJRoSlisScPiKbLiJLtLIDOqpQzbK4g1Dc-4Zuotdg9oo3BzwT7sLEFUDkd7JJZGQ76IzoxcS1lSXJwRtVs-/s320/IMG_8876.JPG" /><br />Chilled on the beach for a couple of hours after the canyoning. While I was on the beach there was an aerobatics display by what I assume was the Chilean equivalent of the Red Arrows which was pretty good, especially when it looked like one of the planes was just falling out the sky towards the beach before the pilot the took control again. A big military helicopter also flew by a few times.<br /><br />That night I left <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pucon</span> on an overnight bus back to Santiago. Would have loved to have stayed longer as this was one of the most fun hostels I stayed in on my whole trip. The people in my dorm were really good fun too. Sarah and Damien were kind of like two characters from Father Ted (description courtesy of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Wikipedia</span>): "'John and Mary <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">O'Leary</span>', a married couple who own a hardware shop on Craggy Island. The pair utterly hate each other and are constantly insulting and devising ways to maim and kill each other, yet they behave like a happily married couple to Ted." Brilliant. Charlotte was French but spoke in the best English accent any of us had ever heard (and one which we had never heard an English person talk in!) There were two English girls, Nicki and Susie, who were a good laugh too.<br /><br />One night, Damien got asked to leave the room because he was snoring so loud so had to find a sofa. Next morning, there was an inquest as there was a crescendo of snoring going on apparently. Susie pleaded guilty and asked for two counts of talking in her sleep to also be taken into consideration, but outrageously I got accused too, allegations I strongly deny! And it was never proven! It was a really good laugh. I was sad to leave <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pucon</span> because it was a nice town, there was loads of good stuff to do and met some great people.<br /><br />Got the overnight bus back to Santiago and generally just spent a couple of days wandering around. Did the walking tour suggested by the guide book which takes you via some of the main sites, then went up <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Cerro</span> Santa Lucia, a small park in the middle of the city that gives pretty decent views over the city. The view from <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Cerro</span> San Cristobal was even better though, as I got the funicular railway then a cable car to the top. Did an open top bus tour the next day to get a bit of history and see some of the more suburban parts of Santiago. Got off at the Museum of Fine Arts but <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>’t really last long in there! Spent the rest of the day chilling on the roof terrace of the hostel before going to the airport to get my flight to Sydney.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309447710741372626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSY_lWoJkElg-xV264svhVmw6OFdL9l1AeJLEwoIS3xJd_naYBL_0QMlzEEvI2cxDE78kXCcwaZADPif00M1KFA6N4gU_OA7DSLoeHC_L4gpihG8V1e-H5PpIxRKd2liHn9_dbzgiu4KF/s320/IMG_7534.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309447428628991042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKy3yzDOWP5_vssQaICghcOIAv5Kb5R6j1NpXO5lb9I9cGutnqJF-MzOJxU6YVUi_-Z9cwQZI3tJAcrymzovRu0leFoJEwupHmWq8iHQJdA5Q0x83i5WZSpdS2H8eBP9ZA-B8uPz2x31J/s320/IMG_7559.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309447558213052034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhln5x8lBkEnCHCJft7uMVlTZt-UMj2BwA0CeB76_ntlaUmruG2WiRPj4ekNLNVwFSNd-Z7L6i2zxNSh-nI5crZmjZOgpbgN9mpUqx6RC2vm63-oHmYZiyEERbai4AQnlj3cn7uJRvQkk6E/s320/IMG_7546.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309447260922446946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrUw7vsFzrx1Kc1nD3F7AEM-f1jZclwLb8sKJOshJlbw1JElYa2lGa3P-3zWH-U-y0e5m8GU1FVYK4YvE6ODb3rSM5e0C1bmHdwCoB70pVT6CiTQ17WcSxb6EvObvC79lVkz8ftEovIZB/s320/IMG_7564.JPG" /><br />Check in was slightly hairy. I was travelling on a dodgy student ticket as this saved me about a grand and a half, but that <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">wasn</span>’t the problem. For some reason the ticket <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">wasn</span>’t electronic so I’d been carrying around a paper ticket for my whole trip. It was still in tact, but apparently <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">wasn</span>’t actually a ticket; arguably I should have noticed this by the words “void for travel” plastered all over it. The check-in woman seemed to also be concerned by the lack of visa in my passport for Australia. If there was a problem with the visa work had organised, then I would have tried to organise an electronic tourist visa which tragically would have prevented me from working. But in the end she seemed happy that I had a visa and not bothered by my lack of proper ticket (although not sure why this <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">wasn</span>’t a problem), so I got through.<br /><br />The plane was disappointing to say the least as it was the worst entertainment system ever (short of it being broken). 18 hours of flight and a choice of six films according to the brochure, but in reality one <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">wasn</span>’t anywhere to be found and four <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">weren</span>’t even remotely watchable. The airline was LAN who I flew with to Easter Island - what happened to the choice of 44 films they had on those planes? I’d almost planned what I was going to watch too. Luckily I managed more sleep than I normally do on flights.<br /><br />We landed at Auckland at about 3am and were kicked off the plane. After a brief moment of panic when I got stuck in a toilet cubicle with an electronic lock – it took several attempts to get out – I was on the way to Sydney. Arrived at 7am, and I got through customs in no time, surprising considering I had ticked “yes” to five out of 11 boxes on the customs declaration form. But they <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">weren</span>’t concerned about my wooden <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">moai</span> from Easter Island, the mud on my shoes, the fact I’d come from South America, or anything else and pretty much waved me through.<br /><br />It was nice to arrive at an airport and not have to size up the chances of the taxi driver robbing you, as my employers had laid on a car (there is probably less risk of that in Australia than the places I’d been the last few months). The driver was a bit late, and proceeded to tell me he was up late the night before. He <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>’t say if he was drinking or not, but decided it best not to ask! Got dropped at an <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">internet</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" class="blsp-spelling-error">café</span> where I could leave my bag while I went to purchase some work clothes, as due to various cock ups, my stuff that was being shipped over would arrive almost three weeks after me. Was pretty much sorted by lunchtime though, possibly my most successful shopping trip ever! I did though say "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" class="blsp-spelling-error">si</span>" and "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" class="blsp-spelling-error">gracias</span>" a few times - being in an English speaking country for the first time in 4 months will take a bit of getting used to again!<br /><br />It was really hot when I arrived, so after meeting up with Al went for swim at Bronte, then had an $8 steak at the pub, the first of many hopefully. Over the next few days, went for a couple more swims, watched some English sport in the middle of the night, and went to the one day cricket game between Australia and New Zealand at the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" class="blsp-spelling-error">SCG</span>. Unfortunately Australia won but it was a good game. I might be here for two years but I have no intention of supporting Australia at sport, at least not most of the time, and definitely not at cricket.<br /><br />The cricket was the day before my first day back at work and had it been a typical day at the cricket in England, I might not have created the best first impression next day. There have been times where I was struggling to even talk the next day after a full day session at the cricket. But aside from the fact I deliberately took it easy, this is Australia, where all they serve at cricket is mid strength beer, so all that happens is you go to the toilet a lot and run out money. The likelihood of getting drunk is slim. This was a big problem when I was over here in 2006/07 watching England take a 5-0 thumping in the Ashes – you need full strength alcohol and plenty of it to watch England play cricket. But in this case it was nice to enjoy the game and actually remember it.<br /><br />And that was that, back to work!</p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310195264520718153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4326297528959726796.post-39896972154632989202009-02-21T17:11:00.000-08:002009-12-07T01:36:46.053-08:00Easily the stupidest thing I've ever done!On arrival back in Santiago, I left straight away. I would be back for a day or two before flying to Sydney, so wanted to head south to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pucon</span>, so I got another overnight bus, this time for 11 hours. By the time the bus arrived I could barely move my legs; Chilean buses are <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">ok</span> but not as good as Argentinian ones.<br /><br />Headed straight for my hostel but although I was in the right place, I couldn't find the entrance, so had to carry my stuff back to the main street to go on the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">internet</span> to get directions. This was a pain as it was already pretty hot even at 9am and certainly too hot to be carrying big backpacks around. And sure enough when I found the entrance I had walked straight past it earlier. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Muppetry</span> strikes again.<br /><br />Didn't do too much the rest of the day except organise a couple of trips, have an afternoon sleep and chill around the hostel. The hostel was great, it was more like a posh house than a hostel. Big garden with pool, big rooms, proper mattresses, and the plushest bathroom I've ever seen in a hostel, very good.<br /><br />Next day I was up before 6 to climb up <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Villarica</span>, an active volcano near <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pucon</span>. We had crampons but never needed to use them as the climbing boots we were given gripped the snow fine. Took about 4 hours to get to the top, and it was a pretty gentle climb with very few steep bits unlike Cotopaxi. And the altitude wasn't a problem as it was only 2,840m high.<br /><br />Had lunch at the top and wandered around the volcano crater. There was a steady plume of smoke coming out which when you stood in the wrong place you could really smell the sulphur, which made my throat sting a bit. We were lucky it was a clear day though as the views were really good; <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pucon</span> is in the Chilean lake district and you could see lots of mountains and lakes.<br /><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309079832605352146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibArbhK7_qKVameASXfOev7DNodwR-UB465PTQJaRVt3duQP46HeNHJ6h4zYJD1UrWWMmY_r5VbSx2ZkI8YM5joScW81IosUtztbIGWyFYaLAoKdT3OqcCJ1GkuWLpaDDeZvzzu97vV9fy/s320/IMG_7438.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309080366695921042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBfg0_aKCjCtLJpWBX-Rw5GIxUj7C2oINRTEAd8OQpyQMp3SmhXyd_VXhoPQLEZJ5OPdAmvB-kVz42zp0LxeHbORjv3Ri9k6lvnYnC210EF-wa48Nukdr9_7iFum2kFo6swGr1jtzNooi7/s320/IMG_7441.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309079707021395890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipv6xTRx15_02D1gU3LJ6JGV-xS-n49WHf5gFqPD3Iebzl8RXWdPwMRjdAkZgCnrkIl_BlLIElVWKiKfewK58MQhvOht_w0XNUWj54npW9huTrfwVMMpgqHtW2yhOxlJ5PenRw8t6iqLYR/s320/IMG_7443.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309079566358536706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOIuM6nSkcFgtjLdmALJALdpVUT9qUwfdGI2uZsQlEFqapvch55fgAf2ocs8Y9xH_cjoHuixLuGQHCj1kjuwK8ogasa-ylFvXCz1-Lezzhp1vCFbojXSUjKg7eozt315a-tlpFQhFn4QgT/s320/IMG_7463.JPG" /><br />By far the best bit was getting down though, because you slide down on your bum! We wore these bizarre things round our bums and also had a plastic tray type thing for some runs. There were lots of grooves in the snow already kind of like mini toboggan runs where people had already slid down. But as with driving a car I had two big problems: steering and braking! <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309079322477960786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZSsz4aGy2jozNRLyr7Ds2VhOkTYBPpkjRcxbMFWw8Ks4IbSm3txAcYj8T5TWKUJ9hvw4SYCdkB41FqMUgKpSN-Z7OGv_-PNRcjFx2egbabbtLidY5LN7ZX7DyWfS9X7CyKEfZUcKGwbk/s320/IMG_7447.JPG" /><br />Admittedly braking was no fun, much better to go fast, but steering and staying in the grooves was harder, possibly due to lack of braking. I managed to perform an audacious overtaking manoeuvre on the first run, going 'off piste', overtaking and then back on, and all complete luck! On other runs whenever I came to a bend I tended to end up going straight on despite my best efforts to turn. While this was fun, a couple of times I needed to roll onto my front and adopt the emergency stop position using the ice axe. It also hurts when you fly over a bump, get some air then land. But great fun.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311082208301421570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsFOFPoJ68-zpYJMKVkusQ7mE-DZgKntTvcoQAXjYTef7beFHxAYBXpAN2EtTM0k1u4_xzQGdTKe-zKYNjR_JNTtRKMcsY0uX1qVUUb39oO-ANc0_u2PWm6spYTV2p_ADadeWnPbKvgSgF/s320/IMG_7477.jpg" /><br />When we were almost back at the bottom, we looked back up and there was loads of smoke coming out the volcano, way more than when we were at the top. Not a real eruption, but it was a few moments of excitement nonetheless!<br /><br />Met up with Nikki, my Patagonia tour leader, that evening for a drink or two, which was good. The full tour was Santiago to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ushuaia</span> and back again, doing six back to back in the season, and the northbound tour that had started when we finished in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ushuaia</span> happened to be in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pucon</span> at the same time I was.<br /><br />Although I could possibly have waited until Oz, that would be no fun, so decided to risk another haircut – you never know, something could get lost in lack of translation and it all get shaved off. Not $1.50 like Quito, but 3,000 Chilean peso's is about 3 pounds 50 so still wasn't bad. But nothing went wrong, and Edith did a fine job, and I had another smart <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">numero</span> dos.<br /><br />What I did later that day easily ranks as one of the dumbest things I've ever done. I had seen adverts and the odd picture for <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">hydrospeeding</span> in some of the tour agencies, and not ever having heard of it much less done it I thought that was reason enough to do it - always up for trying new activities after all. It was clear from the pictures that you're in the water with some kind of polystyrene float, but that was all I knew. The true stupidity of this only became clear when it was almost too late.<br /><br />As I'm standing there putting on a set of knee pads, three (yes three) wet suits, a wet suit jacket, a crash helmet and some flippers, the penny dropped (something that should have happened much earlier, like before I booked it for example): we were going to go face first down a white water rafting course. I don't mind rafting, but I'm not its biggest fan and can take it or leave it. Getting stuck under water (a la Kris's near death experience in New Zealand) didn't appeal much, nor did the idea of falling out and getting bashed into rocks, but here I was about to go down a rafting course without the raft and with little more than a few layers of wet suit between me and pain. I wasn't filled with confidence either by the fact that there were lots of tears in the wet suits. I wasn't about to ask what caused this, but was guessing rocks. The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">guide's</span> wet suits were so torn it looked like he'd been in a fight...and lost. I was seriously starting to think that I'd definitely gone and done it this time.<br /><br />Something else that emphasises how insane this is, it completely contradicts the logic of what you do when you fall out of a raft: you lie on your back and go down feet first in case you find rocks. With <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">hydrospeeding</span> you go down on your front face first. Clever.<br /><br />We had a quick demo in some still shallow water, where we were shown how to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">unflip</span> if we turned over. This was difficult enough in water that wasn't moving, so decided I was properly screwed if I tipped in rapids. It would definitely be the end. Decided I would really have to not tip. Was bricking it by this point.<br /><br />When we set off it didn't take long to whack some rocks pretty hard with my legs, and land on a rock with my balls, which for the avoidance of doubt, hurt. A lot. And this was before the proper rapids. The guide soon announced that the rapids were about to start, and they were grade 3! I have only ever rafted on grade 3/4! Significant steering would be required to avoid hitting big rocks and going through the dangerous bits of the rapids, and this was pretty hard work with just flippers against grade 3 rapids; your arms are inside the polystyrene thing and are used just for balance mostly. Course, to know which way to steer required seeing the guide up front pointing which direction to go, not easy when you have loads of water crashing into your face constantly.<br /><br />Having successfully negotiated a couple of these, we were then told we needed to kick hard as there was a small hole we could get sucked down. I didn't quite catch what we should do if we did get sucked down, or how far it went, but decided the best plan was to kick hard and not end up in it.<br /><br />Somehow though I managed to get down the full course which was 13km long with nothing but minor cuts and bruises. Of the five of us who started, only three of us made it to the end. Its not that they weren't seen again, but they didn't fancy it and rode the rest of the way in the rafts that were going down the same course with us. At times it felt like I was being dragged along the river bed as it was quite shallow in parts, but it was quite fun when I wasn't crashing into rocks, and getting thrown up in the air by the rapids was pretty exciting. Rafting is definitely for wusses!<br /><br />So believe it or not I would recommend doing this! Just like crawling through the mine in Bolivia, there is nothing quite like scaring yourself half to death! I did vow afterwards to never do it again, but that would be grossly underestimating my own stupidity, so I think it is more a Steve Redgrave style "never", so if anyone ever sees me go near a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">hydrospeeding</span> foam thing, you have my permission to shoot me.<br /><br />That night in the hostel a few of us chipped to buy some meat etc and had a really good barbecue, and drank in the garden until late. Welcome relaxation after the excitement of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">hydrospeeding</span>. </p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310195264520718153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4326297528959726796.post-16917464774398853272009-02-21T16:47:00.001-08:002009-12-07T01:35:18.891-08:00Rapa NuiHaving worked out that I would have about two weeks in Chile after visiting Mendoza, I read the guide book to see where was worth going. A lot of stuff sounded good, but also sounded like a lot of the stuff I'd already done on my trip. Easter Island though sounded pretty unique, so decided to head there. The flights were pretty pricey, but thought it would be worth it, and I may not be back in this part of the world so should go while I'm here.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br />It took almost five hours to fly there, but you had your own entertainment system, so for the first time in months I'd be able to watch films, so I decided to take full advantage. After watching some random action movie, there were a number of high brow offerings to choose from, but it was a no <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">brainer</span>, and I opted for The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Simpsons</span> Movie. Unfortunately though due to a technical malfunction I would have to wait until the flight home to see the last half hour and whether Homer could save Springfield. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Doh</span>! The suspense!<br /><br /></div><div></div>Easter Island - which is apparently in Oceania and not South America - is known locally as <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Rapa</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Nui</span>. Its airport was little more than a small building and a big piece of tarmac. Someone from the hostel was there to meet me and immediately I had a big garland of flowers around my neck! I was actually staying at a camp site but it had a few dorms, so I was in there. It was a really nice location right by the sea. After an afternoon sleep, I went for a wander around the 'town' of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Hanga</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Roa</span>. It was the only town on the island and was more of a street with a few shops and restaurants on rather than a town, so was very <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">uncommercial</span> and very pleasant. The annual festival started a week later, so we were able to watch the rehearsals of the traditional dancing that evening, which was pretty good.<br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309078865926820866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkl937rjY0g2dXhYQuP51UcBM3Kz5XKCdfgraFQhTxJC-be-JlmSoaNz3tpsbs4ekyKzrIV_lCSTjqQvQm0wiNPW-drPeRQtP_qx4AcYblsRtG6aegv1SxNKXcnjTfyC7qqOUHKpvntIt_/s320/IMG_7216.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309078729091100098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8TW_0Y4GrJc4BhTu2wi_bYCriNFqsNy7dgDz3IJ4ubBdU1iuFHTZxkRchYIPtjX1nsOxAQ8Qr5PbAyV_lz6aFOeUBncn9_mTKGRDhur9SXJhIG9-aEoqAkCTsEotNiD_spmsb_Jx6P1g/s320/IMG_7219.JPG" /><br /></div><div></div>Just chilled around the campsite that night, although accidentally drank half a bottle of vodka. Andy, an English guy from my dorm (who actually dislikes <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">scousers</span> more than me!), had what I thought was just the end of a bottle of vodka (stored in a plastic bottle to avoid the attention of customs), but I found out the next day it was a full bottle of cheap, nasty vodka. Oops. <div></div><br />Still, was up at a decent time the next day for a day of culture, a full guided tour of the island to get all the history. The main attraction of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Rapa</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Nui</span> are the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">moai</span>, giant stone statues of people. There are numerous <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">ahu's</span> on the island which are the stands on which the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">moai</span> stand, and lots of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">moai's</span> strewn around the island. Some were just sitting there as if in transit and many were face down and pretty eroded. Some years ago there were no standing <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">moai</span> at all, as they had all been tipped for some reason, but some sites have been restored and seeing all these huge statues was pretty spectacular. It was an interesting day.<br /><div><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309078481227148114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_b1sHthyphenhyphenYtGSdmuk7EEEVR7Np3f29kRqS3c7FziwpZjmxgLf2t2QT9pqT8ai43vsq_uSc6GWmA9V7Zt6mmSnWHrhhToZxPhk3HPgnDwSUrq2GvyFPWuCg89oix34pKFuMMNfGh48ghqi/s320/IMG_7248.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309078337086580242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtO_uTTzwgJJ7pAZVrQts59KEyshkx9PT8k1HK7YXrpAci1sLldTwpfKi8RrJkllA6QLh6bTXY4-woVPpz_97tzu6flmLyUVansW2bwHC6OmZqCfeqaowENVJ-Oy_3v1ZW2SrdZE8k5AYN/s320/IMG_7260.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309078162614938626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fiN75TGDY1z8upfwjBCgA5OLli0mAVNy8AugWAga5D94u5YYwBvPa6SHJk1Fwifu5NZjV_KKyN85TK2tmpg6hF9laOOsZ_MwdEr01KWc5FTaxAheWYbaooJtX9SidglJWfTDbqgkHQWl/s320/IMG_7309.JPG" /><br /><div></div>Historians and archaeologists aren't agreed on how the huge stone statues were transported from the quarry and eventually stood up, as they weighed anything up to forty odd tonnes, but the guide said it definitely wasn't aliens. Not sure how he know though, because personally I saw absolutely no evidence to suggest it wasn't aliens. It seems like the only rational explanation.<br /><div><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309078015283350418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_JQ-fNqrn_FzqCOMwXvk4COOoN_0-DVQRErlGyf-Jwb8ldl4sRX1ophyphenhyphenKLK4VyeQDgZPvXKBILsgRuZTEe_ytNFzwn3IQufBmAFQBARDYTpSCZzsui4uCbVAgsvPJfJ0EYKqqwQZDieo/s320/IMG_7325.JPG" /><br /><div></div>Watched some more of the dance rehearsals that evening, and after getting some food we headed to try and find some open air concert we'd heard about. Unfortunately, we got soaked before we found it. Easter Island can certainly generate a proper rainstorm! After having to shelter for ages, and failing to flag down a taxi back, the rain stopped long enough to get back to the campsite. There were discussions of going out later, but given the weather, we took a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">raincheck</span> (excuse the pun). Decided to have a brief kip instead and reassess the situation later, but inevitably trying to have a short sleep at 10.30pm ends one way: waking up 4 or more hours later! That put paid to going out.<br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309077885814835682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtB3f2hlU5KHUHRfyUlu7Mob5Hk9uWLwORBhFVb7hDZi6iLO1sMHG7lswssy__9YUWqRRu8xT8VDRTHCJqsOZXTTqTHt5IEA4VHOvO4pwVeelJAM8l7e8iSs04HVWd9qgpXHbdboWiN7Gf/s320/IMG_7355.JPG" /><br /></div><div></div>That day I was barely capable of walking though. I think my feet had reacted badly to all the hiking in Patagonia as when I wore my flip flops in Mendoza, I got loads of blisters on the bottom of my feet, and they seemed to be getting worse. I thought it was just the odd blister, but there were loads on both feet. Perhaps there was some sort of religious significance, but one of the disadvantages of travelling alone is that there is nobody to check whether there are images of Jesus on the soles of your feet.<br /><br /><div></div>Had a surfing lesson the next day. I had a surf lesson in Sydney a couple of years ago, and I have definitely got worse since. Completely failed to get anywhere near standing up. There were some pretty big waves and all I really succeeded in doing was getting hit in the head by my board, getting hit in the head by someone <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">elses</span> board and getting <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">sunburnt</span>. I had been given some t-shirt to wear that was at least two sizes too small and it kept riding up; I had to keep pulling it down just to avoid nipple chafe, but lying face down on a surf board (on the rare occasions I hadn't fell off it) meant my back got pretty badly burnt.<br /><div><br /></div><div></div><div>Went to a show that evening with Andy which was traditional music and dance. Was really good as they were all in costume too. The bloke's costume was little more than body paint and an ill-fitting pair of swimming trunks, although fellas, I think everyone would appreciate if you did your bikini lines a bit better next time...<br /><br /></div><div></div><div>Hired a mountain bike the next day and cycled round the island. Its probably only 30k all the way round so very do-able in a day. Stopped at one of the beaches for lunch and a nap, but within minutes it started raining, putting a dampener on that (another pun I hope you'll excuse). Not the first time on my trip I've arrived at a beach and its started raining. It didn't get a lot better either as it rained pretty heavily for two hours so in the end I was completely soaked. My cheap digital watch from Costa Rica, which it is worth pointing out is 30m water resistant, died as water got in it, although it did recover a day or two later. The watch I started my trip with was 50m water resistant, and it died in the rain too!<br /><br /></div><div></div>Went into 'town' that night to a couple of night clubs and its a pretty lively night out for such a small island. Was out until the early hours, but still made it to church on Sunday morning! It is one of the main attractions of the island apparently. Could only stand outside as it was full, but was quite interesting anyway. Went to the museum after then walked up volcano <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">Rano</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kao</span>, now extinct, to the ancient <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">Orongo</span> village, now uninhabited.<br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309077706625308082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJIrOqzH7DhcBKGyOBREq4sKs_u9okWVTeI-JT1Hn6H9A3SwrcAf6LUMwuO9rZhZ-DEEo0b2BZqVoQoqDfN4wL8Bpnft1LcvI-Mfd8UaFriNuUleQecJlHCcyUU3wZ-vd5w5cMOga1gyg/s320/IMG_7363.JPG" /><br />Sunday was football day, so watched two of the local teams in a six-a-side match. For all I know they were maybe the only two teams on the island. The standard can best be described as shocking! I've never seen such an insistence on playing high long balls in a six a side match. It might have been more successful had anyone been able to trap a ball. But what it lacked in quality it made up for in entertainment value. I felt sorry for the horse though because it normally lives on the football pitch but had to be moved to the side.<br /><br /></div><div></div>My last full day on the island I went horse riding, as this seemed to be the best (i.e. least strenuous) way of seeing the northern part of the island. I had precisely zero control over this horse as it refused to respond to any of my instructions. I think it must have skipped breakfast too as it just kept stopping to eat grass. I tried pulling the reins but it was having none of it. When I did hold them so it couldn't pull its head down, it just sat on its front legs almost throwing me off over its head in the process! And it would only respond to noises made by the guide so I was pretty helpless.<br /><div><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309077576330771890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi3bqc1vPjwx5jSOddI6XTt-VWE1PP9QSmKn-CnblO_5F6kcEdmns2zZQ30Vo-brzZrIY0diZK0jtmpnPH_-msN0UP2k0tpB8dfjiDrbhXJXsWuENjl15HaJMk7Z4WRWJM1h3UZoodFnX6/s320/IMG_7403.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309077427534998210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyjpARkV-BiYdk9mO696bDFSwsnV-M6W93AgFmyPLGx2QuSEZgBdOPIBpAcnXE9Vy_hRz1CnFcTdSWIiU3kmU_DoTg7Blr5gm5yiP3G6uhSQ0JkZCNs2yx3Py4482PYWput8zUChRNzN9/s320/IMG_7411.JPG" /><br /><div></div>When we got to the volcano - <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">Maunga</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" class="blsp-spelling-error">Teravaka</span>, the highest point on the island - we got off the horses, but I kind of fell off. The ground wasn't where I was expecting so ended up lying there with one foot still in one of the stirrups. I'd love to say I got dragged for several hundred yards at speed before hauling myself back on the horse, but it just stood there eating grass generally uninterested in my clowning around.<br /><div><br /></div><div></div>When we got back I fared little better trying to get off as when I tried to move my leg over the horses back I got cramp, so had to climb off the horse onto a fence! Was good though and the horse actually properly ran, which was good as it is really smooth. When it galloped I was bouncing around loads, so speed was good. Pity I had no control over it though as at times when I was bouncing around I was pleading with it to go faster but to no avail.<br /><br /><div></div><div>Went <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" class="blsp-spelling-error">snorkelling</span> later around a tiny island just next door called <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" class="blsp-spelling-error">Motu</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" class="blsp-spelling-error">Nui</span>. Not an abundance of marine life but the water was crystal clear, and the contrast in colour when the reef finishes and there is nothing but water (you can't even see the bottom) it looks really spectacular. And with the sun shining down into the water and the silence, it was almost like you were hallucinating, although Mum, if you're reading, I am only guessing because I have never taken hallucinogenic drugs.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309077218551506962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9f4rK2KT_zH7fq8U0fMBPoeG8AsCn11KuGPvNKVIaZdz708kHSktRFcFT7Lpa-QKvex-L5Khe_v8rLUE7vU100k6zY52LMgKuEVihSUe3yu9ewPPFrHV1ZXA1c6CzfMqyGCq3wECvaiKJ/s320/IMG_7371.JPG" /><br />And that was pretty much it, as flew back to mainland Chile the next day. Would have been nice to have walked to the airport, just to say you've walked to an airport but it was far too hot, so rode there in the back of the hostel pick up truck. It might have been pricey, but Easter Island was really good and was well worth the visit.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309077037097017602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQzuggSog28S84VYpFvpR4TyyPut4Xh86Df8IudZE0c0-4HYyT3tAUcWCWCFYIkG6JVbhAQV-CD5ANAiiV4ma6Jo7Lht012NahxGvHww1kMEyi9ay1oz83sbZf01V1TwAs3JpOfYJJ-Gx/s320/IMG_7427.JPG" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310195264520718153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4326297528959726796.post-30492391165789817252009-02-05T21:44:00.000-08:002009-12-07T01:33:34.723-08:00Several hundred feet off the ground, the man strapped to my back who has my life completely in his hands says "do you like acrobatics?"For reasons I'm not quite sure of – although smart money is on the fact I'm a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">muppet</span> – despite knowing for months that I'd be in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ushuaia</span> on this date, I hadn't done a lot about working out how I was going to get out of there. My next destination was Mendoza, pretty much directly north but a good two or more days away on buses. Decided I didn't really have this time to spare so ended up flying back to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Buenos</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Aires</span> - changing time zone - then jumping on an overnight bus as soon as I got there (and changing time zones back when I arrived). A roundabout route, but reasonably quick as I got to the bus station a bit before 7.30pm and was on a bus by 8pm...and was playing bingo within the hour! One of the bus staff handed out a load of cards and starts pulling numbers from a bag! Most surreal, but quite good entertainment for a bit. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Andesmar</span> was the company for future reference.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><br />I'm sure it said when I booked it that my flight to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Buenos</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Aires</span> stopped off in the Falklands, which would have been quite cool, but it stopped somewhere else in the end.<br /><br />Got to Mendoza early the next morning and signed up straight away on a Mountain Bike tour of some wineries. At that point I didn't have any accommodation sorted as everywhere was full but thought I'd worry about that later. Mendoza is a wine region so it would be rude not to, although how good an idea it is drinking wines while cycling is debatable. In the end we (disappointingly) didn't spend that much time on the bikes. It was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">ok</span> though as we visited three wineries, an olive oil factory and what we were told was a chocolate factory but was in actual fact someones house who made chocolate there. And jams. And sauces. And <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">grappa</span>. And absinthe. We sampled some of the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">grappa</span> and I also tried the hot <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">chilli</span> sauce which had a pleasant kick without blowing your socks off.<br /><br />Luckily a bed became available at the first hostel I had gone to so didn't have to spend the evening looking for somewhere to sleep. The hostel did a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">barbeque</span> so went to that.<br /><br />Was planning on doing a trekking/<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">rapelling</span>/rafting tour the next day but it was sold out, so after chilling in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Parque</span> General San Martin for a bit I went paragliding. I had done this in Lima in 2007 and it was fun. There I did it over the sea so we were never that high, but this was from up a big mountain, and was decidedly scarier just standing looking over the surrounding area.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309076381264370978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGaZYuqAdpuVb9T7s4RDB5fl0RpQzDkjjB9ohlOlJuSRk2tU1aOdFOBpWqiWvYlVuW5aVKvnpwuaK71qv-6VsgDo5Nh2lWJTE3hot8hnJhjyKQ4cSnoO3nvCnRm327zTdxAPZGTOKEsUp/s320/IMG_7096.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309076067950137218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6-riAtGZWbSuDmXz8KlXto4iBTeh3GJR4WUluDUBH4P9uZSfqbLi38OqHU48tXnWWpk57YhypfLNFAol-1lGXHLQz4Ud32GCr9Ram0vX6L4PkY-c-Va53-Q1HQx7O3_yPecGhxESmY9s/s320/IMG_7101.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309076215486764738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XJqOWV6gbtD1qq2zsmNJiAZI1R1SzGIMWXuSE43BIZ8SuQzCwkf0euazTGjTtbSm9C_cxoOluS-iA4QZ3OWM0jRHyqe8AbktLusytBg9Q5hclNoED8KjXhCIuiDPlQvCqIR-mP46hh_o/s320/IMG_7097.JPG" /><br />After waiting for the wind to get up, we were ready to take off, and just like Peru I was told to just run that way and don't stop...and sure enough we took off.It felt like we were just hanging there motionless until occasional gusts of wind come along. After floating pleasantly for 15 or 20 minutes, the landing zone was in sight, and the person strapped to my back, who its worth pointing out had my life entirely in his hands, says "do you like acrobatics?" This isn't the easiest question to answer when you're several hundred feet off the ground - it kind of depends if you're going to live through it or not - but I decisively responded "maybe", to which he replied "hang on". The next few seconds, feeling more like a few minutes were spent with me seeing ground and sky <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">interchangably</span>. At one point I could see ground and parachute together which can't have been a good thing. But when we finally stopped said acrobatics we were considerably closer to the ground. Watching someone else later they just spiral down to lose altitude quickly. Was good but I did feel a touch queasy afterwards!<br /><br />Then he - stupidly - let me take the controls kind of. After a minute or two though he said something that had clearly been lost in translation as in English it made no sense. I subsequently worked out that it meant give me back the controls as he wrestled them back off me in the end as we needed to land. He should have said! Enjoyed it again although if anyone ever does it, leave plenty of time between having lunch and doing acrobatics!<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309075901066468002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKHPM9FO27t-n6xTB51Akao_x1cBGR59p4-hXAZqp8ZXQ3Ix2an73yz02FT-JbovLZ83oFEEmfLF9YpELJsztopsYo0U6TWhQ09Kpqy4JqmHWOjibjhEjbEiYTT0QYjlsqUxLwCfVLUJx0/s320/IMG_7111.JPG" /><br />Went out that evening with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Gerd</span>, a German guy from my dorm, and two Americans he had met. These Americans were the good kind, not the fat loud old ones who have been mentioned on these pages previously. We went to a restaurant where I had one of the best steaks I have had yet, a 600g <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bife</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">de</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">Chorizo</span>, perfectly cooked to medium rare. My plate was a bloodbath at the end. Delicious!<br /><br />Next day I did a bus trip to the base of Aconcagua, which at 6,962m high is South Americas highest mountain. Tours to climb up it generally take 14-21 days. The view we had wasn't especially spectacular but we stopped off at a few places en route including <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">Puenta</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">del</span> Inca which was quite pretty, so it was a nice way to spend a day.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309075544714998130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYc8wVpM7UQKeuMlT0FhX2J0SNT4dkmBMDqQAaC7_tqxvAXrqzwplYTATJblTH9RyFdqsBUjnh7Cdl8-XLiDOIJLfyLqKP8u4trHnzaKoN0-cjuqfXPS36VMu5sUa7p1aqVSs2aOyJdDRg/s320/IMG_7159.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309075731584186162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLyfFjzejxbYsv4C12KFDyPfWRFbhOuYqvLmA-ocrvmCMPSN_0VLdAa_NNbiW3H7sWQnKYIamtULRVWHPe24nbfqLUU1dMHtaAtLJKkuWnwwQj7uz5nDstgH-TJ7wUs1MdevOFirfDeUah/s320/IMG_7144.JPG" /><br />That evening before getting another overnight bus into Chile I just chilled out in Mendoza's main square. It was really nice as there were lots of people out including lots of families, and there was lots going on such as tango shows, a drumming group, artists who use nothing but spray paint (producing some amazing pictures) and other performances. I was even willing to tolerate the person who paints himself silver then stands perfectly still - I've never seen the point so when I see one of these in London I want to kick the guy square in the...you get picture. The square was really nice anyway with fountains and plenty of places to sit and people watch, and all these shows made it even nicer. Its a shame you don't get this back home - instead we get <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">chavs</span> making the place look untidy.<br /><br />So onwards to Chile. Just as I was about to fall asleep on a very uncomfortable overnight bus, we arrived at the border. It became clear that we weren't going through any time soon on account of the queue of traffic, so went back to sleep only to be awoken a short time later by the conductor checking I had my passport. In the end we got through at 4am, three hours after we got to the border, but it has been known to take six apparently.<br /><br />Argentina was good and there is some great stuff to do, but did find the people a bit frosty. The Lonely Planet has some Argentinian jokes, and all revolve around how arrogant Argentinians are. The steak there was good though, and I managed to have steak the vast majority of days I was there! Although it was good, and better than any steak you generally get in the UK without paying a fortune, it wasn't quite as good as I was expecting although maybe my expectations were too high due to reputation. A few times it came out overdone, and I thought that was pretty much treason in this part of the world.<br /><br />One thing I wasn't going to miss about Argentina though was having to tip absolutely everything. I arrived at a bus station in a taxi and some guy opens the cab before I have even got out and without being asked to takes my bag out, then expects to be paid. Thanks but I'll do it myself. When you get your bag out of the luggage hold off the bus, the bloke doesn't give you it until you've crossed his palm with silver. Not a big fan of tipping for nothing. I blame the Americans.<br /><br />I´d bought a ticket to Valparaiso but was going to spend that night in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">Viña</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" class="blsp-spelling-error">del</span> Mar to meet up with Andy from my Patagonia tour. Had I done my research properly (as usual) I would have realised they were so close so it would be easier to go straight to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" class="blsp-spelling-error">Viña</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" class="blsp-spelling-error">del</span> Mar (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" class="blsp-spelling-error">VdM</span>), dump my stuff and just get public transport to Valparaiso. But when I got off the bus thinking it was Valparaiso but was actually <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_27" class="blsp-spelling-error">VdM</span>, I stayed off so it worked out <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_28" class="blsp-spelling-error">ok</span>.<br /><br />Got the tube to Valparaiso, and the Northern Line it is not - it was clean, spacious and efficient. Valparaiso is a very pretty town and I spent a few hours generally wandering round and riding the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_29" class="blsp-spelling-error">ascensors</span>, which are antiquated lifts that take people quickly up some of the many steep hills. There are about 20 of them but I only rode a few. At the top of one Coca Cola were filming a commercial. I was debating whether I was going to try and appear in it, but having suffered from overexposure in the media before - being interviewed for Brazilian radio at the World Cup in Germany, and accidentally walking in front of a camera outside Scotland Yard and subsequently appearing on Sky News - I decided not to bother.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309075437514790418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2o2fbOyRrX1UC8BT1QHG7qLZodPTJMrSkAOOovhJzgZnMMOgTiPjROFVXCBH-K3upBNZHMIVbeOXzh5di1NKo-Tu8CT9YabzELACO-WU7BUJDY7klpgTY0jI5hwCTWTz9_4OTF0245Efq/s320/IMG_7186.JPG" /><br />Then I headed back to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_30" class="blsp-spelling-error">VdM</span>. This is a seaside resort and quite a nice one, considerably less tacky than Mar <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_31" class="blsp-spelling-error">del</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_32" class="blsp-spelling-error">Plata</span>, the Argentinian beach town I visited. Although neither can truly call themselves proper seaside towns for the simple reason that neither has any crazy golf courses. Disgraceful. That evening I met up with Andy from my Patagonia tour. He is a keen Poker player, and his reason for being in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_33" class="blsp-spelling-error">VdM</span> was because the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_34" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pokerstars</span>.net Latin American Poker Tour was in town and he was going to enter the tournament. So having paid his US$300 entry fee, the game began. Unfortunately for him though it ended five minutes later. He was quite unlucky though, as he lost with pretty good hands and didn't do a whole lot wrong. We stayed and had a few beers and ended up watching the Poker until 3am; it was really interesting. The only food we could find on the way home though shamefully was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_35" class="blsp-spelling-error">McDonalds</span>.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309075271000452690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiihKzcpPqlUbnJUfyDNT4tat9-zlbK1yujjxdYiRGty3JGydntSMBIvpxDCDDrKmmEtw0Sfjbd-ynLkmNIFfrKtxHUWjzpeHhHIongPB8t2-VNqH6FOAlWxltgd_NXHL2ZsPL0dm-5GxE/s320/IMG_7208.JPG" /><br />Next day we just had a wander around <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_36" class="blsp-spelling-error">VdM</span>, chilling on the beach and visiting the main tourists attraction, which is a flower bed that is <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_37" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">also</span> a working clock! After this I bid farewell to Andy; <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_38" class="blsp-spelling-error">VdM</span> was pretty nice and would have been good to spend a bit more time there, but I had to head to Santiago as I was flying to Easter Island early the next morning.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309075160471209170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xD9oiokjdtFamOUOcS_fy9hDXWOVAC8lCA6pTRFJ66vR4lJqCyXOu4SaKKi1pWUrPYEm-6tPwGwuXQno_FVSHlSsG1lTqARXrtK0yVTC9aiGcP0VpisvyHgfZQgO-4nZ0SXiSl7IPRvp/s320/IMG_7210.JPG" /> </div></div></div></div></div></div>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310195264520718153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4326297528959726796.post-51022772623493220482009-01-29T12:02:00.000-08:002009-12-07T01:32:22.264-08:00From glaciers to the end of the world<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRqHDbjZLrU3r18hfPO0zFb2oGVL3L3TkmQtfOqRE7KEmIDTBJAOKFwsHj1Z_v1U84Hdc_veuoUMPtgDfxfygeux7EdmtaeS2o2DQaLjyljl7QPpgMu1WIaLpNv25fHnczoxnKApnT5TFq/s1600-h/IMG_6235.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309149427284958642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRqHDbjZLrU3r18hfPO0zFb2oGVL3L3TkmQtfOqRE7KEmIDTBJAOKFwsHj1Z_v1U84Hdc_veuoUMPtgDfxfygeux7EdmtaeS2o2DQaLjyljl7QPpgMu1WIaLpNv25fHnczoxnKApnT5TFq/s320/IMG_6235.JPG" /></a><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>From El <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Chalten</span> we did a full day hike past the Fitzroy glacier. The glacier was pretty impressive as was the rest of the scenery as the walk was through forests and by lakes and mountains. Even better, we were allowed a post-lunch snooze, very nice! Just out of interest what is the difference between a walk, a hike and a trek?<br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309149230651717282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjmUc_WH5P267jKqE9EOUzIJ4T65RFPnqe-_tb5H0vTzoDlsx0tWrTwaUBvS7DEWRyYuFlWG-oDLnSBfrYn85FearEfYdS6dq4joPe5B4yrItmU1bhfVnHdsY29cqAvg-kVJxTuspuSBQ/s320/IMG_6265.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309149035619743650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXxFdV_f1Wu7T1VGjs9Y_r-wMqIOTqCoDRk7NTbuPlRdgA1CiYfx8doeY5u_l8Kxwrh23Wt15_5-c11D4qe5JoAw06-i1cfX7OS8PhY4haMjD6mrc7VbzILkUMRkbjhFYzKoI2TU9G0CO/s320/IMG_6277.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309148835263506946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcwyR0iRaBxDHDSVwsneQIHnsxA5YGPIPn7fPTpZ4labcoG31GgJrQnYkQr3xugWa8j1cW58ZEZeEbfAMeb0Rwr8u_va3MDKft5fKnENJp8cRvUGTVMw0QZ_HLYccGaOy9xMqDAGIgJPO/s320/IMG_6310.JPG" /><br />Next day we were off to the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Viedma</span> glacier. We had the choice between ice trekking and ice climbing. While I was sure ice trekking would have been fun, there was only really one choice to be made. Although the last time I did anything vague like climbing, probably when I was around 12, I was rubbish at it, so hopefully this would be an improvement. Only myself and Andy of our group had taken the climbing option, and it was a classic case of spot the English people. Andy had initially turned up in shorts which was not allowed, and had no gloves, while I had the wrong type of shoes on: "are these shoes <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">ok</span>", "do you have any others", "no", "well they'll have to do then wont they", "excellent." Don´t let anyone tell you you cant strap crampons to a pair of trainers.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309148632438076130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigYgNnMLwo_t0AiAXLtXm_ma8uEGgz0UKuhV6CuPKtGA05v3t9T2pydUze1R7szn_7uHWQ4cWdA9z6PgRr0hK3ov1bP7f5Fk2Vh_LWCCGwNMvTnHal4CM6LWsRmyU7Tb3V6OW4-S1qhtGH/s320/IMG_6340.JPG" /> So we trudged off across the ice to find a wall of ice to climb. Our guides found one about 15-20m high and started secured the ropes. It was really good fun and I was actually <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">ok</span> at it surprisingly. I managed to make it up reasonably quickly and while the crampons slipped a couple of times I never needed the rope to stop me falling. And surprisingly you don't need to sink the ice picks as as far as you can as just a gentle swing was sufficient to catch. Once you get to the top you just walk backwards down, kind of like abseiling. You just have to lean back, which even though you know you are attached to a rope and won't fall, it is still quite difficult. In the end I went up three times and I really enjoyed it.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309148346223428066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBtyJCGc8grX9cjsocpYLzb8Ymz9TSW8yrsv68hdNBPOTF9xcDbQhWF5jcS6drwtlOrEtgEcx2qhEEpe1EXxQPi-hooyXlZ-2-mHh6D20_wzNl4lga4Uf4288q56vGeA9u4UKnee0LfIk/s320/IMG_6342.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309148124545632482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-IexxwibuQceQl5a6SLLHSa_XzNUCq3bbeDZt4r4qHxsbabrDt0kLhnYpsFp8DEsQ1zsdb3wR3HnfLA9dtpzhyPjG78s-eRpc-MHQ5fkfvtzZ10s-pqur7yEAg0uNv7EXbCvg4IEPjPo/s320/IMG_6361.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309147944698939506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEX4QiTnjHu3UOLrJ82x0dJyMp_kqOtTyZweqyzahyphenhyphent-GcIgJbOCJDbVHKrIutop12EFe1q2cW3wEWxX2JX5Fg0orPaUsvzpURcPykxhi0BgbFsnte8J7KiKs5_X7kChyphenhypheno02zNrjF_sWC/s320/IMG_6364.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309147722847218626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj41JCxeRLmV5pYkZuZBcqsqedCMB9OdViP2LVdXdZfViUQtWMxYyRn6K40amRTNKhl1dgI8IBcWh84RcOlI6s-ZbKbqiUZCt26nUufurewY0IBOkV_VUBbB9RRxRfWAVXwInzrQS8m8PZb/s320/IMG_6367.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309147532690164098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimeraLatleB8VS1KL-1B1CCnbq4htk0noFuNks-BvejUXZoUvP0xOuTBMqo9M7whDBvndRZg-yClkijHrFgB9dfJOojbHZoJkliVQmUC5BgFRqYtwuvRK3CUScFdZEHSw2kNYaqTAM6id4/s320/IMG_6368.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309147359374000242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghr1cR43n-COqSsVOn5WLhfPy2CAB0ldBxWPZjf0AU6g3U0MpIeJutD9hJhHq6ljcCsb_vPt_a22vJcxKrj5E0rgaunovOO9VV81IQ4AvwUlVNdCZvuun9RymLgmcOVBxmbwgYDru1rDqy/s320/IMG_6410.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309147160988223714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAiBw6iQHhMQTSGtah5G0lIixy7tXexkYAlP1tcO1tJV1uAo-RPHjYi-HEKnMyntjiI_jSDobUlCQtmyJ7_JXIvwP2oQCU4oULEPen0oChFoSlvrXN_Du9JJjqBmGopth4Y4ky2p0RkbxL/s320/IMG_6416.JPG" /><br />After the ice climbing, the guides produced a bottle of Baileys, used their ice picks to get some several hundred year old ice into some glasses and we saw off the bottle. Not a prolific drinker of Bailey's (although it is known to be rather nice when mixed with a pint of Fosters...or Guinness!) but having it with such pure ice probably can't be bettered, so no real point drinking it again (except with Fosters....or Guinness!). <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309446638456661490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi3Xf4rb86RhPl_lGf_LGDxv-cLoIQieaAMNHZumgO3-lKqvs2_XaeD3deXeb9-OkRQoaVWPlMQ0XpeGMfIYmENY7V-whY-WGjvDGFJQ64fnMROpQ1TQ_hTeOesMghidVdSuCR5QWTTqEx/s320/IMG_6422.JPG" /><br />After this we drove to El <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Calafate</span> where nine more new people joined the group. From El <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Calafate</span> we did a day trip to see the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Perito</span> Moreno glacier which is huge. We viewed it from various walkways and then from a boat. You can hear thunder-like noises and occasionally bits break off.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309146644346413474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidgYK8RCBUdVg-TmWUcWlEqwkMjZyvFSNx_jtQ5yz9Yx2GxgimWQHiCScNrxmfUoRuCAUJtJFTlmKc6T-xdgIjxYjAdqFc_xfL1xK_idiPbLiEMyea5_sxGkqf5OGFEnmOg6YQcAGdRvJ/s320/IMG_6466.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309146504990561458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC8Sq2Ph84fnmny9DtX95teNOHsFaKnvkfOROIgvSAgiaNGJCO_OG43iW5O6P8SvhVZWjjYLz3BxuHBP6-QlrGpfu6doxdge576GmaswrMKQaT17Ray7pvT5MmoFM01Iy0gnvY7LuPGoWq/s320/IMG_6474.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309146296126544578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWQdDebuP4s45M8EYllLli-V2u0-HuU9aggJpopm4dVO2cT92aXvFoMamyAFOpM2mmHpB4HYdDVCmVYJY-qS7MFKPpzVJOwrI0bxod4ggPXYqLILOnWPC2Gtlg3_0kN_BOs2US8pPW-0nS/s320/IMG_6493.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309146852854567474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtzFY_ONkGzjEaxfgs2OutZMDC2l77XwPFNpGEAhT_1rXyxb-0_6vgp9-iqqwJBEQ6Kq94tU5gLN_siWSBMfpaQSYTc5kpy0-tJI1LhWyhMlmM2y-cocBGR0TkUdXfeuazSJ9eUqX2-CZt/s320/IMG_6460.JPG" /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320054517134355378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpX_cpvy4uY2lSXesmU-HZLS9nTH0noWcqtWw9TiGofD8vgC_k3Ag7p0ONiVk32LqS8_etZ0lkZsgopAmm_bOJneLOdeZ_MAsNy1VGwKum6_gjuWlL2brT6KA648bpUKl9Vzd2BKZ0ubz/s320/IMG_6458.JPG" />Next day was another bus day as we headed towards Torres Del Paine National Park in Chile. We stopped overnight in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Puerto</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Natales</span> before heading into the park the next morning. Crab was a local speciality here so had a big plate of King Crab for dinner - when in Rome and all that. This was really nice, but not the best idea when my family had a bit of previous of not agreeing with crab, and all before three days trekking. You have to try the local dishes - no guts no glory (no pun intended)! Survived without any major incidents though!<br /><br />When we arrived in Torres early next morning, we did the Torres walk, a full day trek/hike/walk (delete as appropriate) where we walked through valleys and forests before scrambling up some rocks to get to a place where there are really good views of the giant granite pillars, which overlook a lake too. A few people turned back fairly early as there was a snowstorm in the distance but most of us pushed on and well worth it was too. The weather was fine and the views were great.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309146107288776546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Bfic91nrQKNBNjiiJFdvt0fu7HrGaDTWGEROOpRU2lwd2HgqlGcZUa41-YJM7ATmU0wtxLnNyeHBA9SIWhYLksHJFFvCAFnLAiaQuLX0ZhZ_EeyWNSG5jCeij42p1PB_FcicR45rq1-0/s320/IMG_6533.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309145968990412834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnggBKRNMKY3YbfW0MoBZ8aH0l77iGxdYBoNjFH-IgsbKQqu1kUxvJmI5Z0gR4vsNLFK-mj653DZ77dxS_3EppFCpQ7qCQ2YSaOnjJebCiRNDwYblj0Uy-rvHNWxVKBJvQJdXD7vn6SFP5/s320/IMG_6535.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309145806035697202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFC8CmuMlPl1Yy1WgL7El6KvYrpiHulReN-9ozm91uG-adau6n1Efg7n3EQfeNyEKHzZcXle1FhLKTRQnS7VJKnGmUcOdtknBQa4cHWELVsXCWVgJC0CpZ7K-y5-QShTfmVKD6Tw8QiucN/s320/IMG_6557.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309145630960579890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHQ_iXsbCSxgV0FlJJdkOUtgt6La9vwDLAxLU0rDC5DCu78Vg8_PFkaCn8byJvqG2ga8IKAoACOQAw-ARWdr4qggJTId5i8KiqQZaEacMIg7D7dWRWyQKVaK1wcwzB15rdd5eO2gDi8WQS/s320/IMG_6569.JPG" /><br />To get to the start of the trail we had to get a bus over a very narrow bridge. You have to be worried though when the driver asks everyone to move over to one side! On the way back we got off and there was only a couple of inches spare on each side, so the drivers did well not to prang it. If only I'd know the Spanish for "come on mate, you can get a bus there."<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309145472026899762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGyzzBbyCzJ2usV_4mvmEup_bgRrYS13L8FK4WZ-GE9gdeJKdDbQTPWOe4aV5_2GlfHc1KJx-cOJ7kBA3-SezRHOv1ijtjQ1TVLbI0ecz6DTFMWGfm3W-d4wiMAAuJKkgVItlomYuLQUmE/s320/IMG_6595.JPG" /><br />That night and the next two we were camping, so obviously we had to plan ahead and make sure we had liquid refreshment for the evenings. Well we <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">wouldn</span>´t want to be thirsty! Next morning we were driven round in the bus for a bit wildlife spotting - condors, rheas (small ostriches) and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Guanacos</span> (like <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">llamas</span>) - before doing a shorter walk.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309145307717331698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0akKrREf6A6j_B2Kb8ysQdetT2AFc4VWo46zRE-P1zb7lQsZZECwFbTVbycSJruB0xs2AdNDk3JZnAGEnvQca-_creGlBUkXv2yG1f5LVYCXjJOGgNJHNd6CQa4J1ibvld-_PRqB3sUiQ/s320/IMG_6645.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309145142864169330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHtKpJJKQcfVxofDruLkSxDctFbcFjVrjmEJ1wKb21sXzoS5jUfIB8ag1z-S6ZWFsRDENCl0ZprKKFvFctXTScAKsHidKT2MvkJaXrmCRWlwUvXt0HpW2CkBP41BkibJOZHRMtJWTlh8B/s320/IMG_6652.JPG" /><br />In the afternoon, much against my better judgement given my animal experiences so far this trip, decided to go horse riding. They did actually have one big enough for me, although I did have quite a bit of sympathy for it having me stuck on its back for two hours or so. I managed to get on it without any major incidents, and it just kind of stood there while we waited for everyone else to get saddled up. While we waited, Catherine's horse did its business (not for the last time that afternoon!). But having made a mess on the grass, luckily there was a dog who came to clean it up...by eating it. Nice.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309144962505643122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYLA0BrIIqvhNoI0-x2zTTvoY2jV59YrccoQDWL3Evc_0LHdH1y8nwTBafc0EhVRAkijgqM0Z5Zi82Q8sFJfFbnLDKig79WT8mJxoi4ChyphenhyphenoN7ruD-3wV8qgrYtBFqBgW3Naice21ZW0QyX/s320/IMG_6682.JPG" /><br />After a couple of false alarms, where I may or may not have been heard saying "help, its moving", we moved off properly, and the horse was surprisingly well behaved. It just kind of followed the others and stopped when they did, meaning I had to do minimal driving, or whatever its called. I decided after a bit I wanted to go faster, and was told you need to dig your heel into its ribs a bit. I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>´t know how hard though, and the first time it almost took off without me! I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>´t scream but I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">wasn</span>´t far off! In case anyone from the animal rights brigade is reading, it wasn't even a kick, but clearly a gentle nudge is sufficient.<br /><br />It was a fun afternoon though and we went by lakes and through forests, and even rode through water, where I was convinced I'd be thrown off but even that <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>´t happen. My lack of control over it was quite amusing though, and it clearly knew it had some tall bloke on its back as it decided to go under the lowest branches where it could so I almost had to lean off the side Indiana Jones style. Enjoyed it but was glad to get off as sitting on one of those things for two hours or so <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">isn</span>´t the most comfortable thing you could do. When it galloped I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">couldn</span>´t get the hang of the bending your legs thing you have to do to compensate for the bumps, so I just ended up bouncing up and down loads! My horse was called <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">Cholo</span>.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309144766981424786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3r05hzFX8OfqPfwjJ2Ji7HuY838_KzHGqSkB9h84jCBxyaMleoxRlM294ZyOqNmzp_Of9HAr6uX1oAToUHU0JegQw8Jy8jooL8heNiBBtA2bjv1hb09slXo_tjem1RhpL02_74h4QdzIf/s320/IMG_6699.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309144587971379810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfi-cqZWD7QZ8KjCb_sL7_yhpY-jRC6g2jYb6ija4fIhFsq6mClmvl2HEZz6C7h2QCukLpLvVEyF4nsnpPGK3uadvheFlc6hLfxPSEzzjtsqYq7DvtbUz2o1K1uQC99B80ZXN1c51G97Pc/s320/IMG_6709.JPG" /><br />Afterwards me and Andy had a brief pun session. I said "I had a mare today" (do you see what I've done?) to which he replied "I had the trots." After a couple of other such witty remarks, we decided to stop horsing around.<br /><br />Next day we got a catamaran to go over to do a full days trekking in the Frances Valley. There was a lookout point at the end with great views apparently which I was keen to get to but the map said it was five hours there and back and we only had a bit over 8 hours. Then when the first catamaran was full and we had to wait for the next one I had only seven hours, but gave it a shot anyway. It was a bit of a mission but I made it to the end in two hours 45 minutes and the mad charge was worth it as the view at the end was spectacular. Ate my lunch up there are chatted to an English girl called Roz for a while before charging back to make sure I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>´t miss the last catamaran home. If I did I would have been stranded. The total distance I trekked apparently was 30km, although the last section was less than the 2km the map suggested so don't know if this was right.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309144427720049778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlzRHVcg9CeiisB8J2TC4LdTECKQeQ5iXwsculJ3G0xYPLvs7P5VF5NZTlPyEiR4weqdh54WqEnXIPnvohi7XWJxW_4aqvj1G8nJY7lN7uBO_eNLdJj8FpgayUK5ZYKAYhkbinZADo3qS/s320/IMG_6718.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309143985532760226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXVSZX8RuPr_o15693igpZn-FCWmKquLlcH1s6YqodQBQO8Soownhp2aPmxE9NbAOt6OWlehwAtZk9YqjGTu-pSmAhyphenhyphen0ZBecAEKN0K-iGzjCZeTXi-1DzX-juyn3C7T2k7AFZ6SrArwIP/s320/IMG_6768.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309144265141008050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ZjGsYyK2NL7dKsk1h96Xr1q9HuGC8YTfxcy2K24WqmNPCsIKmJhAzeSuWoCd86nKGMz9qgByfRcMbf3govlM2-TlqrzQr-iGQvrsukVAVh91ereHS-PQeJ3hIA2lVDvv5Mjgo70nFfuI/s320/IMG_6722.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309144120906699474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCTYQOAFNSbFRsV41CAnEo0fOGNDvQ-R8GGc8v9Q9M-5rfgl6exJTyUibdDglyjZ-8gAX2PsoXx0Mv4ULWosGp7RyNTtDqjh7C7Ef_i_28ZErFUsyDp9-clf54wkfBCFwCWipFyniZduv/s320/IMG_6755.JPG" /><br />That evening at camp we did a wine tasting of some Chilean wines. As expected after a while I could no longer taste much but this <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>´t stop several of us pushing on into the wee small hours knocking back red wine.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309143556779603858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcKUwR_uvRP93qdQt8h08b9bocveMKlhqfwwG5BqCgNFhRcmlRbQY-xcsJHWdDZpBTyBH1QoJWNFgCBVMr7jJr9lss-0laBfQsPwNcveG-y7dlBTkaw2N_kpyH8ZT4KpTh0LohjD3Pyq5/s320/IMG_6783.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309143735683501442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBHdRVRP1XJPXpl7oO969u2T2O1SN8qjSItr4S0bEYrUomDSwz9N9NXGXYY3XKH0Q20u3VCHGTJ5uAs_n0IF3jn6L9913uBgJxV8lWljJlUEwaVwXGbngySc-DjJhkKj7h4jXA4UbK_c2L/s320/IMG_6789.JPG" /><br />Having crawled off to the tent, I later had to get up around 4am to use the toilet. I was scared half to death when I got there to find Andy in there too - I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">wasn</span>´t expecting anyone else to be in there at that time...and clearly neither was he as he explained because he was sitting there taking a number two with the cubicle door wide open. Seeing this though was actually an honour because Andy is a published author on none other than going to the toilet! The book is called "A Year on the Bog".<br /><a href="http://www.southbankpublishing.com/9781904915195/index.php?title_isbn=9781904915195" target="_blank">http://www.<wbr><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">southbankpublishing</span>.com/<wbr>9781904915195/index.<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" class="blsp-spelling-error">php</span>?title_<wbr><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" class="blsp-spelling-error">isbn</span>=9781904915195</a><br /><br />For a whole year he meticulously documented and timed every visit and had this memoir published! Apparently we each spend the equivalent of over 4 days on the pan during the year, although from personal experience if you go to Peru it will be at least five days. The book is not available from all good bookshops because the remaining 2,000 copies that were not sold (out of 4,000) are being pulped, but you can still buy it from both Amazon and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ebay</span>. If you´re undecided take a look at the self made promotional video on YouTube.<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q39xcJ9Owvk&feature=PlayList&p=AD2186A5AA27DBCF&index=0&playnext=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr>v=Q39<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" class="blsp-spelling-error">xcJ</span>9<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_27" class="blsp-spelling-error">Owvk</span>&feature=<wbr><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_28" class="blsp-spelling-error">PlayList</span>&p=AD2186A5AA27<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_29" class="blsp-spelling-error">DBCF</span>&<wbr>index=0&<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_30" class="blsp-spelling-error">playnext</span>=1</a><br /><br />Camping was good fun and it was a really beautiful location right beside <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_31" class="blsp-spelling-error">Lago</span> (lake) <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_32" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pehoe</span> and surrounded by <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_33" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">mountains</span>, but it was back on the bus the next day. As we left Torres Del Paine its fair to say that I´<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_34" class="blsp-spelling-error">ve</span> felt better. I had ´the thirst´, a type of hangover many of you will be familiar with where it <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_35" class="blsp-spelling-error">doesn</span>´t matter how much liquid you drink or what said liquid is, you will always feel thirsty and as if a small rodent is living in your mouth. Obviously I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_36" class="blsp-spelling-error">wasn</span>´t about to take responsibility for my own actions, so I blamed my hangover on Sarah and Linda, two Irish girls (it usually is <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_37" class="blsp-spelling-error">isn</span>´t it) who were encouraging my drinking the night before. They <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_38" class="blsp-spelling-error">weren</span>´t letting me go to bed as every time I announced I was going to bed Linda would say "Pete, don´t be a bore." Peer pressure is a terrible thing, especially when you´re weak. Despite being <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_39" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">exhausted</span> I failed to sleep on the bus - if I was at home I would definitely have been bedridden the whole day. Fortunately the day was broken up by a visit to see the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_40" class="blsp-spelling-error">Magellane</span> Penguin Colony.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309143128128143426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtiws0iVFD-HVAor3p8XRQfWe3ufWL3tu95rl5xc3GW89TAOMmfVgLBFQs5tIEa9fQAgxcEDwHe_hW9uba091PHj_XmGW4xHQ_0zjOuEvJ8Sgtcia10EL1n41o9mRbriSuUYUOq-G25Pft/s320/IMG_6832.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309143319628680930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj579w-9yJ6rKpgF3cwJ4A9Z8l71XkVoMQrvbYgCu_0BKhhyxM7twMwf093QS5zX1vC2fRyg3YegFKxOHz8E-CbvX7mZLFRHTTisT0PH44fSYRfLmPLxVaowtIt2sSnCmWweb1C4F0dGYXu/s320/IMG_6835.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309143008288807506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGz5oGztWcCgfDNSd6WH0lu7qXOGIx84GpKzCDeui5V41Gpg_det056-4hJfA8sv95sgafxHOABL0ePQ7txKLrqeK57QpUsorofYV6iHxNK0mkn3dTItSCYbumsw9lYi7Kx5ZovWCSgDF/s320/IMG_6822.JPG" /><br />The night was spent in the relatively non-descript town of Punta Arenas, where we shamefully tracked down the English pub, although not sure exactly what was English about it. We continued south the next day, visiting a now disused sheep estancia still full of bags of wool, before getting a boat across the Strait of Magellan. We were on deck trying to spot some white dolphins that live in the channel, but all we succeeded in doing for the first half of the trip ws get soaked as huge waves crashed against the boat. But once you´re wet you might as well stay there and we did in the end see a load of these dolphins.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309142805640170386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8VLIj9_ZWXbPJss8R9e3Z82VX7gHstz3J9kSudE7JJm-i2WosLtxgQ0IPQPgUGsuNVRcMVNrqeigR04xqqcTU24-1v236BUm5JbJAYd-9Atr3oyzeT_MdKiUBwcyNpYcByCh9zkRYqqM/s320/IMG_6877.JPG" /><br />We crossed the border into Argentina in the afternoon, and I got my fourth Argentina entry stamp of my trip. We spent the night in Rio Grande, which used as an Air Base during the Falklands War and now has a lot of Memorial type stuff. Nothing much else there though and we moved on first thing next day and arrived in Ushuaia at lunchtime, which bills itself as the end of the world, as it is the southernmost city in the world. Puerto Williams, part of Chile is further south, but its not a city so Ushuaia can continue its tourist gimmick. It was the end of the world as we know it but I felt fine.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309142629578551954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1NAq4n5ESbtYWV-TT4gY9R9YvAnPbVLDZb2sKj3mmd0pou0oJZ8HXiPHw-Dc3C16CzdR6tbyedFjaYlfDIr6Qqwz2miskd8qQU1YGfE9mFgJuUx32xucWgS45QgYztFWtGVeGbRvd0_rH/s320/IMG_6894.JPG" /><br />After sneaking into a cafe to watch the first half of Man U v Chelsea (we had a hour to kill and it is almost the first English football I've seen of my trip) we went on a boat trip in the Beagle Channel and say lots of Cormorants and some sea lions. Some of the sea lions were huge. We didn't see any penguins but it wasn't the end of the world...oh hang on...<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309142200049708402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikHxqoMTJvluaDlHvHisKW3cE1c01eWkd3WbA8CmofBnmbt_F41v_BClZlZZddiiRKHF-4v43t4tISislKNFhAw-w3bxKdHxvxOhnUFRp45KRTj3TfSRIOwxNNC9Pvj8dGuZewbGqj53lP/s320/IMG_6936.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311081512225948642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgidhPSAsG3Z4QtugzKvhuYK3BtrHSpI2JCmlo9PJkdZBt5p_LyaUoQC5P1H6UYq_nXeeEG1HccQhEovDPN_GubBPYXcetKc5F82ggRjkdqsyDbp0nC-HMJXh0bW3jDVlJj3wtGN8qyv5sJ/s320/IMG_6961.jpg" /><br />That night like pretty much every night I was going to have an early night, but ended up out late drinking. Naturally it was all instigated by the Irish girls. We went to one of the two Irish Pubs in town (the third had closed). At this point I've been asked to point out that Sarah and Linda do not go to Irish pubs when they're on holiday...apart from every town they are in that has Irish pubs, as on this trip wherever there was one (albeit only Ushuaia) they went in it!</div><div></div><br /><div>At some point on the tour, I almost put my foot in it with Catherine, another Irish girl who joined the trip in El Calafate. As with a number of Canadians I met, I was demanding an apology from Patrick for Celine Dion, when Catherine said how much she loved her. I better shut up then!<br /><br />Next day was a full days walking in the Tierra del Fuego National Park. Not as spectacular as Torres del Paine but pleasant all the same. Some of our group saw beavers there later in the day but I didn't unfortunately. That night we had a party back at the hotel - our room had a kind of living room area - and we polished off some of the leftover wine from the wine tasting.<br /><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309141667517160562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnMWvIgPDElliceAtAW-RS3hcqIoRUj8Xv9de97b9efhP6jixHz_mszCPRcU7tWhA5E1L0teX6E65dFms7igciLxfcdfAFVcWWuzCpXQfmVFHhSoBP89KcuTKccu8QRFca0m5q_Tpkdlk/s320/IMG_6980.JPG" /><br />Headed up the Martial Glacier with Andy the next day. We walked up as far as we could go - about 850m - without needing crampons. The top was 1,000m. We were getting strange looks as it was quite cold and we were both in shirts sleeves and everyone else was in big coats. We explained that this classed as hot in England.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309141475377889762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMPyTQjZjr3GfDGFZNhO2uBIcIw6IM8VV8EWq0MMZ6Us80XVdElGZr554OECq6cBj0emtLBXC8F25YIBQ1-CWvTYS2GLkVAhhknS1fACk4H4dNCG1-oPHtCqOCIIcTF08YZ2oIwKHWTsC/s320/IMG_7006.JPG" /><br />Was a nice view over the harbour. At the top we met a couple of Argentinian teenagers and chatted football. All Argentinians I had met so far when asking me who I supported said after I had said "Nottingham Forest" "ah yes, Tottenham" which is completely overstepping the mark. So I had decided that the next time it happened words would be exchanged. But not only had they heard of us - as they should as we have won the European twice back to back - but they also know we're now rubbish! Outrageous! Still, it's better than being mistaken for Spurs.<br /><br />That night was the final group meal followed by some more drinking in Irish pubs. We finally got back to the hotel at 4am to find it locked and there was no door bell. Great we thought, we're gonna freeze to death. But luckily someone heard us and came and let us in.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309141289216868274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSBCQ1-gqktsqcsy1f7P6GsKCLQvAk8zWpgtj2TjIcGN42Ps7E18a_iV8mf5a7yuaQc3LGcuQGXHZ5Rh1EwsXp7nMx6L6Hds7Pl2kWEkMLm9GRvZtA0ZcmWDrlfs8Sl2re9rDja-AvB7T/s320/IMG_7043.JPG" /><br />All these late nights were tiring!<br /><br /><div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311095923934432114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmVYX0Bdu3LqDsE0J0-ndlJRAHGnwv4NqX9ghoz6bqiR8wf5NYZbNE2eC4gCrVwpe_QrjinCnVc0x4C8TCQTPIxgoFYMItFpIVl0fDcY6D82blYFekGHnMgjh2xIt1shK0dZWRaG0inUa/s320/IMG_5584.JPG" /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>People started to leave the next day, although I wasn't leaving until the following day. I visited the Jail/Military Prison and the Maritime museum but generally just had a relaxing day. Noel from the tour was off on a cruise round Antarctica so some of us went to wave him off. Security wouldn't let us out to the jetty, and I was about to get my wallet out to suggest a small bribe but thought better of it. Linda offered her handbag as collateral but that was no good either. I later suggested Linda should have offered herself as collateral but that wasn't especially well received.<br />And that was pretty much my Patagonia trip. We saw some really nice places and some stunning scenery, and just like Cuba, the trip was made even better by a really good, fun group of people.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309141160151894178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZU1tHIVkpOVaZQgGzSJaoJLMDYS5zS08Y6f5JffqYSa40t0o2RY3Wu4g2a818uF9xlIeIuIGfiwpvQ9NIntlIZvVnZ6ZtiEUoyRSdwr9DZPlzG7hniwL2kF0HJUG_9BEAIXXJ5jrENwU/s320/IMG_6915.JPG" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310195264520718153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4326297528959726796.post-81272989874537676992009-01-23T08:55:00.000-08:002009-12-07T01:25:44.015-08:00New year with a random local family in the middle of nowhereEven though it was official day 1 of the tour, I wasn't due to meet the tour people until the evening so still had the day to myself. Went up a cable car to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Cerro</span> Otto where you get good views over the lake. Had a walk round too but couldn't really get far, so decided to head to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Cerro</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Catedral</span>, which is about 2,500m high. Unfortunately I didn't make it to the top though - to buy a ticket for the chairlift was taking forever with some inefficient system I never did work out and there were giant armies of noisy students (the worst kind) already in the queue for the lift, so by the time I'd got up I would have had to come back.<br /><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307365768093526818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_7lpwXq2aDoXoiwKIidMuBS_edOTzLI4wa9i8OFlgE51-HI2BG2Br_Dk0FefwEXJw6pLDTYze65MbWdU1DnojBhc30LqG8MKrsNUuubv5L1c-jKnMXm0uV1D5r4lTYgKcuyBc-EedndZ0/s320/IMG_6130.JPG" /><br />All wasn't lost from the day though as I managed to get a photo (without getting caught) of two <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bariloche</span> policewomen. Their uniform includes a reasonably short skirt and black high-heeled knee high leather boots. Not that practical for chasing criminals in but who cares about that!<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307365944837977666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMeEatQortv36g4iRnB4Jl1x8BWatbM6itCRpXTsCyrVUE3FwxPRIbsh0pLQY5d5jfKLSyok8nJXRNSMp_POETVsFapWKqWMTohxW6Kvdu1KIKSMMfDY7cD3K01nkUxMmnNqlszPRegAvB/s320/IMG_6120.JPG" /><br />Went to meet my tour people in the evening. The omens were good when I met my roommate for the trip not in the room but in the hotel bar! We waited an hour for everyone else but then decided to head to the pub and wait there. When we left a note at the hotel to say where we were, the receptionist tells us the group were delayed - the tour started in Santiago and picks others up in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bariloche</span> - and won't arrive for another 4 hours. Might have been useful to tell us this earlier maybe, but never mind. So had a couple of beers and then an absolutely enormous steak. The tour people finally turned up at 11.30pm so we went for another drink with them. Apparently they were delayed getting across the border and even bribery didn't work!<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307366037013371218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2tKsyPrbD9DhS5CSguux4cdIV73vkO7BGjW66vtU2Y3moc87PEkfEzx4a56aKw4uwk3ziPHQfEymK-dx5UC_vzLFJ4GOMqRgOsHYPcGZ6L8P-tkjhexvo234V4tWZR14Yw01scylf1G2d/s320/IMG_6139.JPG" /><br />The other people who joined the tour in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Barlioche</span> were Gary and Denise, an Australian couple. As they had spent twenty something hours flying, they hadn't heard the cricket score so I took great pleasure announcing that Australia had <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">haemorrhaged</span> another winning position and lost the Boxing Day test to South Africa...and the series!<br /><br />Next day was a free day in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bariloche</span>. Most of the group headed towards the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Circuito</span> Chico that I'd already been to so I decided to have another go at getting to the top of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Cerro</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Catedral</span>. The buses are every hour and a half and having just missed one I think I was at the wrong bus stop for the next one (even though it was the same stop as I'd used the previous day) but eventually did get on a bus. At the chairlift there was an even bigger queue of students there - I never did find out why...or why they were all wearing matching anoraks - but there was a cable car running as well so got up on that. Was well worth it too as I could see for miles over several lakes and valleys. Was pretty spectacular.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307366185387925106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYqQ1wH7y09lba_OION81qo8Cbn5DrX6uvrX13Uiltw1at0AZDIrlddH8PzxX-Wqx0ruJcoEJHUi981q1p6FW8qofZXyF4ajdSBps1rWwXOqZzMrApTYpNL36IJkT1EPV9lLk7YsB71HJT/s320/IMG_6155.JPG" /><br />I knew I'd miss the last cable car back down so walked down. It is difficult to see which path you need going down so ended up having to 'off-road' down some bits but following the chairlift path. Was quite fun though and managed not to fall over and break anything. </p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307366292170566146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihR4tZVxe_b-npbM2lXdaRM2wVFH0OtGvYE1BCZaQJ1p37L0N6iVfJHuCI_32eI2EfcqYmoRBhVEfKAS3O_jFU9E_MagffvyWYz2HNU1wz_g_R-hnr-5PgMf-AzgDFMBQZdu1vianHQ89O/s320/IMG_6159.JPG" /> Group meal that evening, so the end of day 2 of the tour and I actually got to meet the tour group properly.<br /><br />Next day was spent entirely on the bus pretty much. It was new years eve and our stopover that night was to be <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Perito</span> Moreno, a tiny town (nowhere near the glacier of the same name) which if you found it on a map you will notice it is precisely in the middle of nowhere. The tour company had real trouble booking both a hotel and a restaurant that would open for us. They did in the end, but we were concerned about whether we'd be able to buy booze for new years drinking. So when we stopped for petrol in the similarly small town of Rio Mayo we found the supermarket and grabbed some beers...but they refused to serve us because the only way you can buy new beers is to bring empty bottles back. We even offered to pay more but they weren't interested. It's no wonder Argentina's economy is in trouble with capitalism like that! It also begs the question how kids can take up drinking when you need to start with empties, although I'm sure they find a way. So we were still without alcohol. Not good.<br /><br />But luckily the off license in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Perito</span> Moreno was still open when we arrived so we stocked up. Once we had the beer though there was an issue with how to keep it cool as we had no fridge to keep it in, and you wouldn't want a warm beer! So myself and Patrick managed to fill a carrier bag with cold water, put the beers in and stand it in the bath without it all spilling. The carrier bag did not have holes in it so small children could suffocate, but the most important thing is you can keep your beers cool!</p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309603411049000178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghIm5gek4tL-PCn3N3obvNnBd6MtVA1WtbtB8S5hCWWQ-bn6_al8xsvvHEhBzq_3gl-Kzl8BeMXki0lgL5rr3KBQo5FGbVz2I7JHt0HYYYEesump1yXtKG4RDzeT-HbDtx42nZ8L729zVo/s320/IMG_6177.JPG" /><br /><p>We were the only ones in the restaurant so it was looking for a while like we might see the new year in with beers on the tour bus. But then approaching midnight seemingly the whole family of the restaurant owners piled in and a big family knees up ensued! So we stayed and it was good fun. There was music and beer and we all danced with various elderly family members. Two blond Dutch girls also turned up at 11.59pm obviously realising this was the only party in town, metaphorically and literally probably! So new year was fun for its randomness really!<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307366512314721186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0oe1X8Ic9eu2n4Ntd8dJ00omzW_Ql5BtgEqlvOTsYkcX3RTB70HAaHNhOeMyNJfz_T-FB0q7VF8JM2QNx6UBUBMc73nsBMcm7cxegRfbMNFIuKQboV4rvoxndIxLj3q17H-WMOm37Pth/s320/IMG_6182.JPG" /> We did then head onto the tour bus for some more drink and some cards. At one point, Nikki, the tour leader and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Antje</span> started pole dancing! With their clothes on its worth pointing out, but what must their poor mothers have thought...Nikki's folks were actually on the tour so they probably did find out!<br /><br />Next day was another full day on the bus, but was pretty subdued due to the previous night's exploits. Destination was El <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Chalten</span>, a tourist town near the Fitzroy glacier and some good trekking. That night I went for a wander round, but managed to get lost trying to find the hotel, my lack of navigational skills coming to the fore again. Cleverly I couldn't remember what the hotel was called or an address! But when I was wandering round a Japanese girl asked me for directions, so I had to sheepishly explain I was lost too! I did shortly find my hotel though so I went back to find her as I then knew where we were on the map.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307366646141997362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREG6DfecdkyGh4jcH0xDdEsCuIX-LZsh17Mqq28mpJYMCmYRr4ZKIMfLs04Ek66YsouPo_CIeosfDLL5vmx1_GAZxC7Yd7LtEyoL8gxeD-TFRelFdONKxVVecRr9Jf6q2ae0OLx9YPNTz/s320/IMG_6205.JPG" /></p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310195264520718153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4326297528959726796.post-46270900176959157542009-01-17T16:20:00.000-08:002009-12-07T01:24:03.268-08:00I love the smell of bacon on Christmas morning!<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Feliz</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">navidad</span>!<br /><br />Although lets ignore the fact Christmas was 3 weeks ago. Christmas <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">isn</span>´t the same when you´re away from home and it it is a bit of a non-day as everything is closed and there is nothing really to do - it was an orphan´s Christmas as someone in the hostel put it - but it turned out nice. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Buenos</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Aires</span> is a pretty mad city and its always seems to be busy, both traffic and people, but from lunchtime on Christmas Eve everything started to shut down, and it took on an almost surreal calm. There is what is basically a 20 lane road going through the middle of the city which is normally rammed with traffic and this was near deserted. Apart from the main shopping street, everything was quiet. It was quite good to be walking down a busy shopping street the day before Christmas and not be the one doing the last minute shopping!<br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307298954786806210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjek6JaDtqAujR0r_BqPRyRUhGTFokidXYW36wyPY9in7wzhxpP2V0wDFzBHWvCJFka3i7VqDxiEHDsrRGvylhw5FE41-yKZTknGDgcUM4szQn1z0BlIskIdlh6CuJfmJTOwNWcJ-Y_XuQN/s320/IMG_6053.JPG" /><br />Everyone at the hostel agreed that alcohol was the best way to get through Christmas, but if we were going to drink through until Christmas morning, pacing was necessary, at least for lightweights like myself. So after an early evening kip, started drinking at 9. Restaurants were closing too so bought some steak and cooked it myself but managed to over cook it. It was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">ok</span> though. The hostel had a good roof terrace so we piled onto there with our beers, and at midnight, the hostel provided some champagne, so we had a Christmas toast.<br /><br />At 3.15am the bus we´d paid for turned up to take us to Club 69 in Palermo. As expected it was a dump, but it passed a few hours and obviously sold booze. We rolled out at 7am, and not surprisingly at this time on Christmas Day, taxis were a bit sparse. So we got the doorman to point us in the right direction of town several <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">kilometres</span> away and started walking. Had we tried to go the whole way on foot we´d still have been walking now but fortunately we did manage to get a taxi after not too long....and got back just in time for breakfast!<br /><br />Amazingly we did find a cafe open at that time and it served bacon and eggs which was a really good result for Christmas day - it was the first bacon I´d had since the Irish Hostel in La <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Paz</span>! It was also the most expensive bacon and eggs in the world, costing over 8 quid, but worth every penny. So finally made it to bed at 8.30am and managed a full 3 hours sleep.<br /><br />With an almost psychic accuracy, I correctly predicted the number of presents I´d have to open on Christmas Day - zero! But <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">coincidentally</span> this was also the exact same number I sent. The closest I got to presents was two books I´d bought the previous day. I´d been lugging some books around in the hope of finding a book exchange but to no avail, so I ended up trawling book shops in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Buenos</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Aires</span> on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Chrismas</span> eve for English books.<br /><br />The rest of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Christmas</span> day was spent eating, sleeping and generally not doing very much, although did manage to have a game of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Upwords</span> with Kate and Nicola. They had brought a travel set along especially for Christmas Day! It was a good day, and was very hot too as was 30 something degrees. Unfortunately though I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">couldn</span>´t have my traditional Christmas meal from when I was in Australia over Christmas a couple of years ago as Burger King was closed. I even hunted around for one that was open!<br /><br />On boxing day had a last wander round and visited the Bank museum where you can see all the different bank notes from down the years from the seemingly regular economic strife that Argentina experienced. Then after lunch I got on another 20 something hour bus, this time to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bariloche</span> in the Lake District. I was pretty indifferent to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">Buenos</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">Aires</span> to start with but it did grow on me, and Christmas there was fun.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307299144579918290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8021QrTL3wnI7PtD4EDEsxM1ruNeUZMVfuT3yNkSMrhK_F-EmmeoA2we1iEDNX3SuQH5brwAAboMnT5o1FBwCJxgi4ZJNArbOtoKhZad8ZdL4J43i-D_DuzxPINx46NdxpStp-wDpvHS/s320/IMG_6070.JPG" /><br />The bus to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bariloche</span> was a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">cama</span> bus with nice big wide comfortable seats that recline a decent way...so comfortable that even I could sleep on them. But word of advice number one: when listening to your <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">iPod</span> on buses, just because you can´t hear yourself let one go, other people can. Oops. Word of advice number two: if this happens, act like it <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">wasn</span>´t you!<br /><br />The last couple of hours of the drive into <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bariloche</span> was very pretty with lots of lakes and mountains. That afternoon I got the local bus out to Km 18 (luckily they have km markers so you know where you are) and hired a mountain bike to go round the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" class="blsp-spelling-error">Circuito</span> Chico. After <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">previous</span> efforts hiring bikes on this trip I made sure I had fully functioning gears, brakes etc! It was quite a nice ride of about 25km or so where you get some good views of lakes etc, although it was quite hard work as it was pretty undulating. Also unfortunately got to watch some firemen cut someone out of a car as there was an accident on this road.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307299355165702898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFuw9jv9R5VFS2P8c5UsK7AnFvw4SFR1y39iImVJMqIFLLb1S1qetafjrFKVvbfD2qoI3lfiaBlYrRhC3VwCaV-7NJw8mK4P1uPCZwK1tP-Or-p58h-83_g2QyDclr0BFZwhkcOTchhsC/s320/IMG_6095.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307299494981874674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM4trMYx6CQ4Rj5eZyVXqu8SpnI3dVjufPFMZUAsoAUpvTAjBVFM0CVf4Qsr_8pTPUjXBziwhqeXnR05h1HHsAdvQOtrJuX4-TH1neK5lnoogEEl4lX8HYaaOiujrs0IKZ_5d4gFeOkAQS/s320/IMG_6102.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307299656296119186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLpMXvr6knHcYmsq1Wd2VUNijfUMViInvtApdjHlee8xIN0Bv3JJmFeL3y0CqyaTIGQZ4y-NYNHDSEXRVoDOd7j-u_bD5rpzwfpvBzdmJMUry1tIzcle8KfA4XO0asM4XniBLYAX9qrg5V/s320/IMG_6103.JPG" /><br />That night met some Irish people in the hostel and much against my better judgement as I had to be up in the morning to go kayaking, ended up drinking with them until gone 3am in, yes, an Irish pub (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" class="blsp-spelling-error">Wilkenny</span>´s, number five of the holiday). Was a good night though.<br /><br />Made it up in time for Kayaking the next morning though. It was on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" class="blsp-spelling-error">Lago</span> Gutierrez, which luckily for me had water so clean you could drink it, and I was a bit dehydrated from the night before. Think I must have drank half of it! The guide who was also in the kayak was less than impressed when I almost tipped us over when I leaned over for a drink. I really needed a big straw! Enjoyed the kayaking though and there were some very nice views from on the lake.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307299781860589730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf6PgRqV9MfIhwCFVdC8MIGbkQbNe1t0xMs2kv-wjdcIRHF_4r7aD-GPNWj-33VdfqnaagNQw4fqRA-rfFO_mhPEfY505vQMtuXHZ_ByMgR9Gu5qZiF5YWnn21kz99JdWwMRh9woF1DMQ1/s320/IMG_6112.JPG" />Afternoon snooze when I got back, although <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_27" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>´t drink that night as the Irish people had headed back to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_28" class="blsp-spelling-error">Buenos</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_29" class="blsp-spelling-error">Aires</span>. Almost won a bottle of wine in a Killer pool tournament though as I made it to the last two, but just missed out.<br /><br />Sad news today though. My Euro 96 t-shirt which I´d had since 1996 and was still (just about) wearable went missing from my hostel. Agreed I should probably buy some new t-shirts but this was no way to end it!<br /><br />The next day I was to meet up with my tour group as I´d booked on a two week tour from <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_30" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bariloche</span> to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_31" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ushuaia</span>, which is the most southern city in the world. Was quite looking forward to being on a tour and not having to organise stuff myself. Costa Rica, Ecuador and Bolivia suited me well because it was off season so I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_32" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>´t book hardly anything up front, I just turned up everywhere and sorted accommodation etc when I arrived, but it was coming into high season in Argentina and everything seemed to require booking ahead, so it was nice not to have to be organised.</p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310195264520718153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4326297528959726796.post-31621214541508195002008-12-30T14:25:00.001-08:002009-12-07T01:21:32.603-08:00Crazy football fans, waterfalls and orange bicycles21 hours on a bus from <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Salta</span> to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Buenos</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Aires</span> wasn't too bad. I even managed to sleep. My main concern was making sure I knew how long we had when the bus stopped and we got off as missing it and getting stuck at some roadhouse in the middle of nowhere would not have been clever. I was the only gringo on the bus and I didn't know what food was included at the stops, so resorted to the tried and trusted option of following everyone else.<br /><br />Arrived in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Buenos</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Aires</span> at 7pm to find that the accommodation I'd booked had helpfully been cancelled, but I sorted out a football ticket - the most important thing - and then somewhere to stay. Taxi charged me 30 pesos but have <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">subsequently</span> learnt it should have been half that, so obviously got driven the long way. Also got given a fake 20 peso note in my change, again which I only realised later when I tried to buy a drink. It was a pretty bad bad fake too when you looked at it - no magnetic strip or watermark, grainy printing and felt different. Never mind, not worth much, and makes a good souvenir! Did manage to get some drinks in the hostel with some real money, although resisted the hostel-run trip to a giant club on the edge of town to see that famous, ahem, Argentinian DJ Dave Clark!<br /><br />Next morning wandered round the famous San <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Telmo</span> antiques market for a couple of hours. Looked more like a car boot sale to me but then what do I know. Then to the football. Going to a football match is supposed to be one of the highlights of any visit to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Buenos</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Aires</span> due to the passion and atmosphere in the ground. I had planned to go to the traditional Boxing Day fixture, but on checking the fixtures a couple of weeks earlier this is seemingly only a tradition in England, as in Argentina the season finishes in mid-December.<br /><br />The game was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Boca</span> Juniors versus Colon Santa Fe. The game was important because <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Boca</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Tigre</span> and San Lorenzo started the day on equal points at the top and if things finished level there would be extra play off matches.<br /><br />We paid 250 pesos for the ticket - about 50 quid - and on the bus we were given a piece of paper explaining that (apparently) the club only sell pairs of tickets so to get tickets for big tour groups, various wheels need to greased and lots of middlemen are involved, hence the high cost. I can see why they felt the need to explain this as the ticket had a face value of 24 pesos, so we paid ten times more!<br /><br />We got to the ground - la <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bonbonera</span> - 3 hours early and waited outside. Even at this time the streets were packed with fans singing and shouting. When we got in it was clear by the smell of the stairwell that there were no formal toilet facilities in the stand. While not as big as the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Charing</span> Cross Station underpass, widely regarded to be the biggest urinal in the world, it certainly rivalled it on smell.<br /><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307295670220022242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6a9IHLwvojRVnsdOZtTZN8A-SUHPvnDVTYIPxKN_X3S6tAzCUL3VtvdLXCYxeTfNEbswtxaRsSuBZqm5W-8TlraduxT_FNxaFO9-2apQVenGJB7OLjV6bI1HVJXbNwIB_81qf8wRoT1LW/s320/IMG_5997.JPG" /></p><p>We took our places on the terraces two hours before kick off and soon we were packed in pretty much unable to move anywhere. The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Boca</span> fans sang all the way up to kick off and throughout the game, it was a pretty amazing atmosphere, certainly not like matches at home. There is never that much noise, you're not so packed in and pretty much everyone in the stand started simultaneously setting off firecrackers with five minutes to go, enveloping the whole place in smoke. It was really good. Although when everyone jumped up and down at the same time you could feel the stand move, and this was the second tier of a massive concrete structure!<br /><br />The game was pretty good. There was some exciting attacking play but neither team had a clue how to defend. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Boca</span> raced into a 3-0 lead after half an hour but Colon pulled it <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">back</span> to 3-2 soon after half time which was how it finished. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">Tigre</span> and San Lorenzo both won so there would be play offs. I was interested to know what would have happened had Colon equalised denying <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">Boca</span> a shot at the title - full scale riot would be my guess! Probably a good thing they didn't. After the game we saw a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">Boca</span> fan wandering round carrying a sword!<br /><br />That evening in the hostel met two Leeds fans, so we had a good long chat about what its like to support big clubs that have <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">fallen</span> from grace! Obviously we´re bigger than them though because we´<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">ve</span> won the European Cup. Twice. Back to back. Come the wee small hours I still <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">hadn</span>´t eaten, so headed out to find food. Recommended was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ugi</span>´s pizza - two quid for a 12 inch pizza - or Pancho´s hot dogs. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ugi</span>´s was closed so had a Super Pancho, a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" class="blsp-spelling-error">footlong</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" class="blsp-spelling-error">hotdog</span> (for about 60p) of grim processed meat. So good I had two!<br /><br />Next day I left <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_27" class="blsp-spelling-error">Buenos</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_28" class="blsp-spelling-error">Aires</span> and flew north to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_29" class="blsp-spelling-error">Iguazu</span>. I'd be back for Christmas but the footy was an unscheduled stop. Flying was more expensive than the bus but did save about 18 hours. In Argentina there is an annoying two tier pricing system which basically means tourists pay double what locals pay. On the airline website, I went to look what the locals price was and was greeted by a message in English saying something to the lines of "oi, gringo, get off this web site and onto the UK one where you pay your own prices, these prices are for locals. now jog on."<br /><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_30" class="blsp-spelling-error">Iguazu</span> is famous for some seriously big <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_31" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">spectacular</span> waterfalls. It is on the border with Brazil so you can see the falls from both sides. So next day I headed to Brazil, where I got really good panoramic views of the falls. The trip was about five hours of which barely two were spent looking at the falls as there is a lot of faffing at customs, but it was well worth it for the views, and two hours was enough time to see everything. And I had four more passport stamps. </p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307290961907060530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenAHgg28GRfxX5n1dzXqkilGFoQmk81yB6RFD4xFCxluesRy3rGBzh3tPx2wZjyuvsndO9u12W6G18aC7kW8brpMY5ePmtzgO3wFz1KNLee0aXkB56V3DK7UPn0m6ckpcArywwoBb26Gr/s320/IMG_5710.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307291105734419618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL07g0C3YT9-Z5aXOhyphenhyphengvS0R1ZBZDchE8Fgw4YXOhnnoKb-wD_omShgo7TdzlruNGNntoueTuKinv0bQ8hZZdpwQeAzJOztlUneNxrKHk0JDT6z7NZwgAbkCgXCAAn-25qyEvEA6gcO2pd/s320/IMG_5733.JPG" /> <p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307291220167912498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-Wo_g5eq2ls9q5CnzF1WtSUmjq6_Ul8mQrKGhxnd5x4bZVn15N5zwoNFDydnXaezy6TKbDCrTJc4mC7Oq2KUHeiIOccnK8aqowAF2l-ttv_R5syYFFZKIRz3IUvPItDiNtctZMZvcpC0/s320/IMG_5763.JPG" /> </p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307291369085879714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOxYfynDtRDI3O4p2U9tmgam6Z7h0aOw-0JthLKAD2HGGUuSYX3zZ4XEtdO8eCrh1K6tA4XlkIPK_nj2hzRpzEDEtoHc-Z4MeGOxfaIFFS-wxLix4OW0yY85fgci4n6WR2D9IxI4H82WvA/s320/IMG_5771.JPG" /><br />The Argentinian side is good too. You get much closer to the falls and its a bigger area to wander around. Did a speedboat ride where they take you to the bottom of some of the falls and practically drive the boat in. You get very wet with spray just hitting you in the face. Good fun. </p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307291519901966834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4G8pyxv_cwWOrD9kjdQpSx25Qx38rqH24yR5TkVDj8jS6x4a6DdFo0E8lLeA5VOshNW-pltiRnJlZHF51DW0k_ZTOGYh8mMce8ilEnkaP2A35RASDFDYrdOeCqIquytUnM_p8Lwq4K1gH/s320/IMG_5785.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307291662510320930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIyDU4yu902a1AgUH-YoymlumOprjisH2evIQveDM3XY4vcZdPiqRPqfftUXPKxMGwuqeZDqkDzPidPTKXe0eslJQx5Vn3GcVWJcKO0p30Md1r2TzS3yUksTy9g0CKAt8fUVm0FeCZyUdW/s320/IMG_5830.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307291990665419298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW6KqP4z4Dgp8mM53oNKCfMnt_Hms_N5ThH4f4DGjkYcOtWvPdWAd6290bgRDflrEnRjHTgchoy7mzx4tZeBUtj_DCTSpLzryBFs7FN1SCWHG2M-xmZ5Pq4G3OOH6eeWjyT1xz-dmHoLAy/s320/IMG_5869.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307292115127203218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDO5mu45A5Um7fexN4KkdqnMRlxMWrtNFdvAWz_TbEb3WI1ksGh6-UXTVaN-VjbvgHhaRMix63yT1k0naTS4uINmE_R_p5r6T9Bc8CQlyAKFoCPAn1yt0lomUW3K44u6H2u1K3pLiIuk4a/s320/IMG_5925.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307292284943133746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPcn9R5n2CXUV58apQ4Vgio0sVddPe72amGUZoC-KWsWWh8i9mqnVAvw2Uo1q9T_JFgdzPgfuAJD1nucnRrPE0dm6GHCYHN3tfDp-5Tg2kLuBY33Q4_bqy7ujcssbQC-8QmK6B67s47cr/s320/IMG_5932.JPG" /><br />There is a little train you get at <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_32" class="blsp-spelling-error">Iguazu</span> to get out to the viewing area of the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_33" class="blsp-spelling-error">Garganta</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_34" class="blsp-spelling-error">del</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_35" class="blsp-spelling-error">Diablo</span>, the biggest fall, but I think the health and safety policy in South America is a bit reckless! </p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309600855883105010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidek4cdOyYrzYVifbMWSZ9qsj5VxA78eHkTA8Y6TWNAPKhsrxV1FaWzzrf01FTdSege-MWsik3al0dsmZtkSEX_IGkA1XUKAp04nDEsZhNu7KpGdoymccB5RYZ-vI9zi12Sx9KoQdlvlcH/s320/IMG_5857.JPG" /></p>Other things worth mentioning from <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_36" class="blsp-spelling-error">Iguazu</span> are that I met one of the producers of Celebrity Love Island, and saw a snake too, which luckily didn't seem to mind when I let my camera flash off in its face.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311084362124060642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5z2lKhMF3Djv9JTyHgcEKF42K-W4MxPzC7olNMtOCRYHIEq-FaP7yok0uK21y_Rj3ZPB4u2trHi0uwSw2j3owJcMFK40uPNV4T_tdFX1WVlvzgBk_V_fkpiC-YGq0IOXbtG2STFWx-0X/s320/IMG_5837.jpg" /><br /><p>The "hospitality" at the hostel left something to be desired. Having the staff be rude to you was an achievement because it meant they weren't ignoring you. I got a look of absolute disgust for asking what time the buses were to the falls - yes, I agree its a stupid question, why would I possibly want to know that. I almost felt the need to apologise for existing.<br /><br />An early observation of Argentina has been that rudeness does seem to be a bit of a problem. If you're in a queue, locals jump ahead of you, and if you're the only one in the queue, you get ignored for a bit by the person behind the counter. Have had this occasionally in other parts of South America, but it´s way worse here. There is <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_37" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">definitely</span> a gap in the market for teaching some manners. Anyway...<br /><br />After a few days in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_38" class="blsp-spelling-error">Iguazu</span>, I headed south again to Rosario. Another overnight bus, but then with the distances in this country most buses incorporate night at some point. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_39" class="blsp-spelling-error">Weren</span>´t really allowed off this bus this time as all food was served on the bus so pretty much spent 20 hours unable to straighten my legs, which hurt a bit the next day. Also had my passport checked twice by the Police in the first couple of hours of the journey. I was asleep for one of them too and was woken up by being tapped on the shoulder. How rude!<br /><br />Rosario is on the Rio Parana and has a nice waterfront, so generally just wandered around that. There is also an observation tower commemorating the person who invented the Argentinian flag so went up that too. In the evening had a meal with everyone from the hostel, the now usual assortment of undefined red meat. After this we all headed to see an Argentinian jazz/ska band who were pretty good.<br /><br />Rosario has river islands which have beaches, so headed to one of these on the boat the next day. Tried to walk around it but was sinking a bit too far into the sand. It <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_40" class="blsp-spelling-error">wasn</span>´t sinking sand, but decided it was best not to push my luck. Bumped into Nicola and Kate on the beach who I´d met at the meal the previous night. </p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307294334200065154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCx75fl6AEJOZWupy7UhuirZKvBJuVUd7rrQ23k2osaGDdAkLoPjgqBXYrWrK2Kc71EzrBpSBQ1qdf6wiD5v9hFwVH-HmKvb16z-ezavlVuHaxdIt6_nvfByAGgeA5NDuML4odN6mZBM6/s320/IMG_5952.JPG" /><br />Not much else to do in Rosario so headed (overnight again) to Mar <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_41" class="blsp-spelling-error">del</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_42" class="blsp-spelling-error">Plata</span>, which is a massive beach resort. I´d read that you <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_43" class="blsp-spelling-error">hadn</span>´t seen crowded beaches until you´d seen this place, and although it was busy, it <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_44" class="blsp-spelling-error">wasn</span>´t as bad as I was expecting. Generally just chilled and people watched. On the downside there were far too many old people at various stages of sunburn, but on the plus side there were lots of girls out jogging and rollerblading, so all it needed was some girls throwing a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_45" class="blsp-spelling-error">beachball</span> to each other and it could have been an episode of Baywatch...but obviously without the Hoff! </p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307294524982906322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6ILTyHnfc-hwUzSdjBpgIzJUxiBOKUv0H0wLkFJeycIFUnmUi7bX63ozJFifhpF8qp__OBtArVXwZAOjbogwqXyyy6f4d8md_RAymHDyWh2g12MJW8YOxZcizRnpgP3eV8F7FjMVhV8Q/s320/IMG_5976.JPG" /><br />Walked to the port which took ages, but saw the sea lion colony there. They were huge, way bigger <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_46" class="blsp-spelling-error">than</span> the ones in Galapagos. They just lie around all day waiting for scraps from the fishing boats. At one point some dogs starting bothering the sea lions despite massive size disadvantage. If a sea lion had took a swing at the dogs, it probably would have took their heads clean off, but unfortunately it backed away and ended up falling backwards into the water. In the evening found a bar to watch one of the football play offs in. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_47" class="blsp-spelling-error">Boca</span> beat San Lorenzo 3-1, which set up and exciting last game as San Lorenzo had won the first play off game earlier in the week beating <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_48" class="blsp-spelling-error">Tigre</span> 2-1. </p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307295859628012658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6PuyN9w5qrnoduod0ntV90V8ZBwAPLDozIlziz51m44ORGwG1EZVBltdYEdTYM2wsUIk5_eI3aUYdefxcxXXQrB81DAUKNEn-85ybwTAfduohGzZk1X289fza9HjxPEuNTHIyqOTlMeT/s320/IMG_5987.JPG" /><br />Next day was just like being at the sea side in England - following a rainy morning, it was then cold, windy and overcast the next day. Sounds like several family holidays from when I was younger! So just wandered around again, before jumping on a late bus to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_49" class="blsp-spelling-error">Buenos</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_50" class="blsp-spelling-error">Aires</span> where I´d spend Christmas.<br /><br />Arrived at 5am (and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_51" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>´t get ripped off by a taxi) but after wandering round for a bit, had to move my afternoon nap forward to 10 in the morning! Did a bicycle tour of the southern part of the city in the afternoon. Pretty good way to see the city so saw San <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_52" class="blsp-spelling-error">Telmo</span>, the multicoloured houses of La <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_53" class="blsp-spelling-error">Boca</span> and the modern posh area of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_54" class="blsp-spelling-error">Puerto</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_55" class="blsp-spelling-error">Madero</span>, although not that posh as it had a Hooters bar! The bikes were´t exactly stylish: they were bright orange, with a massive seat, one gear and a basket on the front. Good job nobody I know saw me on it, would have been really embarrassing, not to mention the conclusions that might be drawn on your sexuality riding one of them. And yes, I did use the basket! </p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307295463643070562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9PQHWVWs5_x5JLTKV0uOLDECU16tC9sN8-It4aXZv8LQoBI0V81buJbtVatuXXOzetjeWbi3BkGlAUDuIQvzPUtR7je293RrXg7MyW6D7kDb6JkNPxBA-uY421RCck37at-lX8zBYyEk/s320/IMG_6002.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307295203428682242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCF89rxFrhGKOHft7niLmtRwGKuSSODW3CdeU_G-ByRwqTjntoaHCaVg7Cb5Nh3JLokV_6OC7vXm5vS-fqIhCzjvm5KPP69f5GQzLWLQQmGxvVYKS57-hehqdU4OcjcZtb6GichK9fWd8n/s320/IMG_6010.JPG" /><br />Having done the Worlds Most Dangerous Road in Bolivia, I´d actually rate cycling round <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_56" class="blsp-spelling-error">Buenos</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_57" class="blsp-spelling-error">Aires</span> as scarier. We were cycling along some city centre roads with loads of lanes and Argentinian drivers are pretty aggressive to say the least, and with traffic flying in all directions it was a bit hairy but no major incidents.<br /><br />Met up with Nicola and Kate who I´d met in Rosario and unsuccessfully tried to see a Tango show. We found a show, asked if we´d be able to see it, they said yes, let us in, we asked where the show was and they said it was in the next room, but we <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_58" class="blsp-spelling-error">couldn</span>´t go in because it was full. Thanks for your help then.<br /><br />Next day I did another popular attraction in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_59" class="blsp-spelling-error">Buenos</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_60" class="blsp-spelling-error">Aires</span> - visit Uruguay! It only takes an hour on the boat to get there. I went to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_61" class="blsp-spelling-error">Colonia</span>, a nice small old town. In the tourist information place I saw it had a bullring so walked over an hour into the next town - Real <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_62" class="blsp-spelling-error">de</span> San Carlos - only to find that it is condemned so its all fenced off and you can´t go in. Looked pretty impressive though. Had a sleep on the beach on the way back. </p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307295016783632738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RWb3sqbSEZnGwpEoa4Xl3cQ8Q8Q8k-CgjoSVd25IrKmxhvISHhOUJSWMogq9W2UIzuv5zPRL9CMvkdX11rY0Z-3DFY7DzkRLB4Ll7QuTjHy2-UCfqWfMbhhEap55yFo0qka3KJ1HO20y/s320/IMG_6018.JPG" /><br />That evening it was the last football play off, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_63" class="blsp-spelling-error">Boca</span> v <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_64" class="blsp-spelling-error">Tigre</span>. I checked out about five Irish pubs - all within about 100 yards of each other - but none had TV´s. Bizarre, cal themselves Irish pubs. So watched it in a cafe which was good as it was full of locals. Despite <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_65" class="blsp-spelling-error">Boca</span> losing the game 1-0 they won the title on goal difference. A bit of an outrage really as San Lorenzo´s goal difference over the season was seven better but they lost because it goes to play offs.<br /><br />Went back to the hostel which was on a 20 lane road in the middle of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_66" class="blsp-spelling-error">Buenos</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_67" class="blsp-spelling-error">Aires</span> and everyone was driving past honking their horns to celebrate. I then saw on the TV pictures of the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_68" class="blsp-spelling-error">Obelisco</span>, which is four blocks from the hostel and fans were gathering there to celebrate. So we headed out and just watched. Thousands of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_69" class="blsp-spelling-error">Boca</span> fans were there singing and shouting, hanging off traffic lights, everything. So many turned up that they closed all 20 lanes of the road. Crazy! We headed back about 2am but the party was still going on. You can´t really imagine Manchester United fans taking to the streets of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_70" class="blsp-spelling-error">Guildford</span> like that to celebrate.<br /><br />On Christmas Eve morning did the bike tour of the Northern part of the city. Palermo was pretty nice with lots of big parks, and visited the famous cemetery at <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_71" class="blsp-spelling-error">Recoleta</span>. I was expecting grass and grave stones but this was more like a little village with small houses which were actually very flash graves. </p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307294867699679586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpX9gCYI6kTBMZO1Q_iSsKB6jj9OY9MXv50mK5takKyl5BjV6h3uzsadDOEWPg1S-A2gb2H-PH-bE1Ip4KVlRwpkW2txbhvRzfF5pXEQd2uUpfmHKxS6w_GrfdfCH4md21BlGXcsY9lfuC/s320/IMG_6046.JPG" /> After that it was just chill out and wait for Christmas to happen!</p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310195264520718153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4326297528959726796.post-16516578050364188322008-12-28T14:26:00.000-08:002009-12-07T01:17:45.949-08:00Sun, moon, stars and sandSo about those wooden pipes I bought in the prison. Not having any use for them I meant to ditch them, but amid the excitement of the salt flats tour I forgot. I only remembered them when the driver of the bus from the Chile/Bolivia border to San Pedro <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">de</span> Atacama announced that Chilean customs search everything. Countries don't like you importing anything wooden, so wooden drugs paraphernalia is a definite no no. So said pipes are in my rucksack at the bottom of a big pile of rucksacks on the bus so I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">wasn</span>´t gonna be able to get to them until we got to customs. We had a customs declaration form to fill in and it asks if you have any wooden items. I clearly <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">wasn</span>´t the only one with something slightly iffy because I´<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">ve</span> never seen so many people sitting there reading the small print of these declarations!<br /><br />I would have declared them if I had to but with my limited Spanish, bringing in wooden objects for the purpose of smoking drugs would be quite difficult to explain without a pair of rubber gloves getting involved, so I decided that I´d leave the box on the form blank for the time being and ditch them if I got the chance when I got my bag from the bus. And under the guise of retrieving my Chile guidebook from my bag and binning a half eaten tube of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pringles</span> I managed to get rid of them. My bag was fully searched too. Disaster averted, and lesson learnt!<br /><br />San Pedro was a tiny little town and very nice. Although I´d seen some geysers on the salt flats tour, the El <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Tatio</span> geysers were supposed to be really spectacular, so signed myself up for the tour starting at 4am - you can only see the steam first thing in the morning. And they were pretty impressive, a massive field of them steaming away in the desert. Its cold in the desert at that time of the morning though. Took a dip in some (not particularly) hot springs which did little to warm me up. On the way back we stopped off at a small village so at 10.30am I had a llama kebab!<br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306921579764095458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPgvjdKgsGClhDF1beVbOXNGlie4wr7AfdqNaxg85v0_CPMlRL01Sc099BXQfUMhyphenhyphen3iwj_wuY0LrbPLTrulbRwZ6ULkbJtlzo85uS-3pR3Qgw8LdqNZgVb8ePIynTkJA869Cghyphenhyphen-0hgMiJ/s320/IMG_5308.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306921705244066994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13uR9F1E25ov3rBemF9BkByiVMBpe0St-Z9m1puIuhT1cFkY6yXNRRKy9-CyghFSsP7dbhoI9msvah1MC4ot3MCYAvSPEcDsRORQ7EiK5w2PcW6Yc4ayDHWEBGbyvy_f667X1h3u_DCYA/s320/IMG_5313.JPG" /><br />The rest of the day was a disappointment as the other two activities I had signed up for - sand boarding, and a trip into the desert to an observatory to look at the stars - were both cancelled. The disadvantage of travelling alone is sometimes there are minimum numbers to do stuff - <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">sandboarding</span> needed two people and I was the only one. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Doh</span>! It was too cloudy for the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">skywatching</span>. Bumped into Charlie and Elizabeth who I'd met in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Potosi</span> so had a few drinks with them. Then had a few drinks with Fiona from Scotland (from my hostel), and met some American astronomers over dinner...as you do. </p><p>Brief aside on the hostel, I don't think boiler health and safety standards are quite up to those in the UK as the one in the hostel looked like it had a carbon monoxide issue. Good job it was outside!</p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306921800482658274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwide8eZEwv1gYXU9Z0WeTk2R6MteYrktrpwdlTo8-zOEyLKtinFvY6W1896OxiAv_sBJWyn8Cg_MUWWkf0quu2kZINZdNaX-Qhqf9EiGhQfjGX3J9zyytOJJx5M1hNQAC8SCPPQ-R1c2/s320/IMG_5363.JPG" /><br />Next day hired a mountain bike to go into the desert to see La Valle <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">de</span> la Luna, a landscape that looks like the moon. Anyone with any brains starts between 8 and 9am to avoid the heat of the desert in the middle of the day, so off I set at 10.30. I really <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">hadn</span>´t given it any thought, although the penny should have dropped when I saw loads of people getting bikes while I was tracking down some breakfast to cure my hangover!<br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306922566821910786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9uPMGUi6wUwfkqbGbgVw4l6oDCpXuxtxglwPyfzKMhZoRt0sWr3283dZ312-hTr7nWj0V13cQJYhkZ-K5-PdNi5D0WM6bT92Y-TZtqBMJBt4xeMGQD7gq81xWgRsA8xqkwrBbxGKQwh0/s320/IMG_5389.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306922492412124434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthyphenhyphenU-fAgBBE8BL9ubh0gAZze_T6W3DdKrLCIyWIol4v4eEl_bAKr7ka3xluMeW20O4BapsJvXPitZv4nuL9oRVkuNivYMCb3lrGWS4Tu91I2ErwAfkTl-SZfEfqnSQv45apHeVRYJssZX/s320/IMG_5382.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306922418478577026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihbOvujZ9ZRbqwzdqq_wDRV6AZ1k3Qu5SEXBwbmy3pKgcC4MFr8Zhs_-YqB0NWAhRvQixabBpzIcYjE06LqNxJaTg-IMu9zlp2Y9ErsZOBjRnYLk7KdupWiaiJ_aIHkZhhwL7WNhfxfosg/s320/IMG_5375.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306922900306662754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlSVokMs2c_Bw-8OxqGvpVbXK0JnKyJAzTe4U9Dn5KndqFoIpzRENQXydraUB81ZuqFGq_qJMt5pNrlCjDUgMMLGdjbzLhajQnVT-ZdMSzObTTPkKm_0IiPUR1DBex_-124NXJ8hF_mJw/s320/IMG_5404.JPG" /><br />The scenery was impressive and was well worth going to see. Cycling in the heat was pretty hard work though, especially when you're knackered and all you can see is a long straight road ahead and it is uphill slightly.</p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306923002929098610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi97KVIplHgnSrFCWfYXvBh-6KCljy7nvIFhf9bqzpI0n0gXVISoH8sUUD137S43I-ScueO3p0TVUFL-0gUklozRuQD__Dr1asLC6HGhhxDY2Ye-Wx7Uxxov3V1SwSOeSr24POZpb7iaMzR/s320/IMG_5410.JPG" /></p><p>It was also hard work on the bike I had been given. I was genuinely worried that I was gonna get stuck in the desert as if I got a puncture I had nothing to repair it with (not that I´d be capable anyway) and no way of contacting anyone. The bike was a piece of junk - the gears were stuck on the second cog which made going up hills too much hard work, the seat was barely attached to the bike when I´d finished, and when the chain came off it took forever to get back on. I think the bloke I´d hired the bike from was genuinely surprised to see me get back! </p>Managed to do the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">sandboarding</span> later that day as Matt and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bryony</span> from <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Beeston</span> - which is five minutes down the road from where I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">grew</span> up - had also signed up. Great fun. Had done it in Peru where we went down on our fronts but this time we strapped our feet in like a snowboard. Our "guide" helpfully told us to put our feet in the straps and point the board down the sand dune. Its a good job he mentioned this too as we may not have managed to work this out for ourselves! Subsequently the guide and his mate sat in the jeep with the seats fully reclined and doors wide open playing power ballads and bad pop music at full blast.<br /><br />The first few goes at boarding I just fell over after a few yards and for the whole two hours I had minimal control and couldn't turn, but after a bit I managed to stay upright which meant I just hurtled down the dune getting faster and faster until I crashed! There was also a bit of a jump which was fun and the main cause of crashes. In one crash I landed so hard on my bum that I thought I'd torn myself a new...you get the picture! When the guide started hammering the horn to say time to go, I knew I had to make the last run a good one, and it was as I cleared the jump then had a massive stack at the end. Brilliant!<br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306923167225686962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWcWga-38Zz98aNNHY4rjdUEj-XvWVFQDHttpgnA5tjiI8Unnpwz3YB65pU4nIbD99TkaQoN3eQYESA2H0N7DxIZCK0E-RHQzrY0J7skqI_prp0SP8jlRFVwnkq3VkDA8caWCgIveiApt/s320/IMG_5422.JPG" /><br />I found out afterwards though the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bryony</span> is a Derby fan. Outrageous. Had I known I may have made more of an effort to crash into her!<br /><br />After this we headed into the Valle <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">de</span> la Luna to watch the sunset, which was also pretty spectacular. </p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306923420164872946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Hhq1Jpz8gA5XOWgOxg5UwqFImi8PoFZNJRBMx6kaFldpHp3LMxTuI3vbjut-0VaqloAVVJL29a3qrqJvhzgs9mVXLY84MKuEQPfiBTUigXNBjuFl1v6uhvuY_xAavYYuLiQrdxOh6Frk/s320/IMG_5458.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306923636415246146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2GdHR0hdvgYz0heVaRIGE9c3Lyr6fff7Y3vTkxgEz6zZLz4FusPUE7qTjEl-aZb1cm52KkpQxijZibS0TdCO-P39hkaIqJO3e88QNQ2jiBGv73LsLupztri0S9G1hwhlrzgazMls5ro3U/s320/IMG_5463.JPG" /><br />Although it was a cloudy night, Monsieur French Astronomer deemed it clear enough to run the tour, so at half past midnight we went into the desert to look at the stars. Apparently the Atacama desert is one of the best astronomy sites in the world. We were expecting some "big ass telescopes" and while they weren't small they weren't huge either, just really powerful. Saw the moon in amazing detail, clouds of gas that will form planets, and the rings of Saturn amongst other things. Very impressive. Quite a random tourist attraction but very interesting. </p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306923869159778194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtz7xuhz9zXuQvTm8RKmZFzL5UZdu7LqTHRJW7rc_2cmYjGerbkyZlhLCEzmt6dsylEaeGAfF9HcS34s8sqiDV7UFzwBOmEdQHWCAdDcdbVt86628sDC1RSGQuyFCDiXvQoz5OyyF6xGWM/s320/IMG_5488.JPG" /><br />Next day got a 10 hour bus into Argentina, to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">Salta</span>. Not a massive amount to do in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">Salta</span> but its a good base for exploring the surrounding countryside, although did go up a cable car where you get good views over the city. </p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306924231280696610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUTwJbUC7mc9tJPPA4e4UOGE3zm69mIax8cDPtjq0F5iEcAVkq8NVtqSaL1IttsMhV7O9vlk_20LNbokYyQAFdA0VYI0ED7n5oYB4jb1To5xuyqMVUd-dvbo2z-rCHQXJYzIG3L_ytiYQW/s320/IMG_5507.JPG" /><br />Over the next two days I did day tours to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">Cachi</span> via <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">Parque</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">nacional</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" class="blsp-spelling-error">los</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" class="blsp-spelling-error">Cordones</span>, and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" class="blsp-spelling-error">Cafayate</span>. En route there was some pretty spectacular scenery, including mountains, rivers, the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" class="blsp-spelling-error">Escoipe</span> gorge, deserts full of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_27" class="blsp-spelling-error">cactuses</span>, and natural rock hollows where people were playing music to use the acoustics. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_28" class="blsp-spelling-error">Cafayate</span> is a wine region so tasted some wine there too. Two good days. </p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306924416105328194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-HNsyfrfN2zovEKnFvlpX2lsn01ewfysIIYqI4Of9JpniQyM2wHN5HHLUn0psRoorEwQMXo5TTZQVD6lqMMSycEI5zYB_J89fTNr_PSGUGY4_2_d6lT2S_c6Wrsyyksb_0oOv5v-SkPF/s320/IMG_5551.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306924487369162226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBBerIZ8bh3Wp4DE6Lz9OXL04EGvDbFAuTYXKpVzaBmv1LeFJ_cl8RpmOR42Zv6KxuRhhLStqXG9uPvMmGkGTPYhvZlnPwQh3Z9AiCzq1AvgYyY-4jZM2bCrZW5ZyaNQa3cWq6y2Ky2bh/s320/IMG_5626.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306924548496234690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiidgfXqN15LhvLn0KZJY4UZ3L68tNsT9OzFI_B_ZEGxWK0DAuva-toGn372SWwvpZFHBXjE5x1z02FOLJf7tkKhw9ahQSgo_AMlwUyVsLcR2LzFugAKua376Agu9E_CVGPDDNpddh6VYQe/s320/IMG_5668.JPG" /><br />In <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_29" class="blsp-spelling-error">Salta</span> had my first <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_30" class="blsp-spelling-error">Asado</span> which is an Argentinian <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_31" class="blsp-spelling-error">barbeque</span>. It was four courses. The first course was red meat, followed by red meat for second course - you can see where this is going. Likely to be in Argentina for six weeks and it is supposed to have some of the best steak in the world, so definitely need to pace myself on the red meat front, otherwise I'll have constant meat sweats, maybe even meat hallucinations.<br /><br />After three days in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_32" class="blsp-spelling-error">Salta</span> I jumped on a 21 hour bus to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_33" class="blsp-spelling-error">Buenos</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_34" class="blsp-spelling-error">Aires</span> as it was the last weekend of the football season so it was my only chance to get to a game.</p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310195264520718153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4326297528959726796.post-25793472403671072762008-12-21T08:26:00.000-08:002009-12-07T01:16:00.459-08:00Phobia of being buried alive, and some stunning sceneryI went to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Potosi</span> to go down the silver mine. I had heard that it can be dangerous – accidents are frequent, you have to crawl through some of the tunnels and you breathe in lots of nasty gases, none of which appealed to me particularly. It is a working mine and the miners work for themselves and methods are still very manual and conditions basic, with next to no health and safety regulations – miners often set off dynamite when they fancy it, and runaway trolleys carrying rocks <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">aren</span>´t unheard of. But it was also supposed to be a pretty amazing experience, so I decided a few days before that I would definitely do it and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>´t look back.<br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306628971625109570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYgednLvu6DB9tnr2h7R-jUbo2ndSbMnjGFxBF6n8reA0e55q6GRjhbuNo_pL_WMYD7d-eMpeQ9tVD2-Fqu_AoetpucW5TyDyk5hfB8RtRPYDpT-RJPQokR2epdgGRKoOmg4sq7nWkf4j/s320/IMG_4873.JPG" /><br />So having arrived in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Potosi</span> at 6.30am I was signed up for a tour at 8.30am. After getting kitted out with overalls and a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">bandanna</span> to tie over our faces to help us breathe we went to the miners market where we buy gifts for the miners. Standard gifts are coca leaves to prolong how long they can work for, fizzy drinks for energy as they don´t eat down there, and, err, dynamite. So I headed to the mine with a bottle of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Fanta</span> tucked under one arm and a couple of sticks of dynamite under the other! </p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306628833975780578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ACm0RCcA-sMx-YpuUgfkcN2xmlxj8NYZPV4cCc8Nz92dZa0ht6wZrgS9G5XcYGjNjtxQ9Jm-eDbnRNTtO9KPwhzwIKe4bvUt5KKYHn-__xoiPoxoCkio76GFllk8csbIYMXjTcam2nj1/s320/IMG_4862.JPG" /><br />You don´t really go down the mine - it is inside <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Cerro</span> Rico (rich mountain) - so you just walk into the mountain. It was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">ok</span> to start with as you could stand up in most of it, and I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>´t have to crouch too much. But as we went further in, I had to get lower and lower and I was pretty much crawling. At one point we were pulling ourselves face first down a slope on our fronts. It was really hard to breathe. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Potosi</span> is 4070m in altitude anyway and no air is pumped into the mines - whatever air there is just finds its way in, and there was so much dust and nasty gases like arsenic in the air. Crawling through such narrow tunnels was pretty scary, especially as I´d made the mistake of reading the liability waiver, which mentioned "cave ins"! I learnt that I actually do have a phobia of being buried alive after all. It was difficult to know if my heavy breathing was lack of air of near panic. But I was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">ok</span> when we stopped to rest and could get my breath back.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306629187444630594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-d5QnTrsOjIo5e7nD7qciBCkYzXgfggJzF6PpUKg61DdK9GxXGoCTktPlAoVZiOexjGil0pOUUVBy9h0Io8o2DN0_ggM2dkn_NZQ45PoRIzv0NkUsj_jFVc1Vcg8VsGfKgU0aLK5VnjC/s320/IMG_4877.JPG" /><br />The miners have a life expectancy of 45 and they almost all die of silicosis (or in accidents). How anyone can work down there is unbelievable. Two Americans wanted to try it for two weeks but barely lasted two hours apparently. One of the miners we saw was 15, but they start as young as 8. This is just what people do in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Potosi</span> as they have for years. I don´t remember being happier to see daylight and fresh air. It was quite an intense experience and a very interesting one, and was glad I did it even if it was a bit scary.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306629271826385106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbLeqkQrCtUxXCS16QCcyrj3Nklpsoas-n4fph58CXzmRCHt5fMOFp9Rmyl9fmR3Vl2aBsEi0f5iSwulXjXyaPgI_gIlJ6MY_TLkDDUYm-m9GqcVPoIgSqOy-I8pYRYR0OU45B75INxmy/s320/IMG_4885.JPG" /><br />As well as not reading the liability disclaimers, I´d also recommend that if you go to adjust the cloth over your nose, try not to poke yourself in the eye as with your hands covered in dust and other dirt, it kind of hurts. A lot. Muppet.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306629333839632322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlabK1X2Nfhzodjt6uft188IBDUkHpb8klpRGcpgfeV-pzMqEAnKSLety1a735BKVs-nFfrANIPkfbMlhwvc_8vMjc7J6-FTE8kupVe27zYww6BaiUnAJNgG29CAirDhSVnvpsBftL5Clv/s320/IMG_4892.JPG" /><br />Some people in our group had saved some dynamite to set off ourselves. From lighting the fuse, we had 45 seconds to pass it round and have photos of ourselves holding it. Really! The only thing that was missing was the ACME trademark like in cartoons. After 45 seconds the guides grabbed them, legged it frantically, dumped them and ran back and we got to enjoy the explosion. Not sure that would have passed health and safety back in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Blighty</span>! </p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306629592258635874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkZuEIellX5RtJlsum0QKvgkVtFfz8f7_160IAbXp4cr4XlfHvKG8WESMZT8S26E4urvaWjKqNjpFARiTZBp2ZikzKUwIC3bqIKWX1RmHkbw5I9zFy4iRRvc8zU5ccPF53j-mokW73JrUk/s320/IMG_4899.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306631752208297362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOctXrvck8vrBytqam6eXKwpWOJ2gMlxe9J15CGz1jEF3h2B5GClyzC46Y8EiulEfLNp71tSnMqWaUlV1EcZ7MUBjMOFGdTbX870LLbKFwn9wT_BjdXgfZQxuc8v61J9uzaAKaM9vrjkCg/s320/IMG_4902.JPG" /><br />There was little else in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Potosi</span> so got a bus to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Uyuni</span> that evening. Arriving at 2.30am we managed to find somewhere to stay, at 7.30am I was going round the tour companies looking for a tour of the salt flats and at 10.30am I left with said tour. This was 3 days of uninterrupted stunning scenery – salts flats, deserts, mountains, lagoons (red and green), 'stone trees', geysers, even a train graveyard. And on a massive scale too.</p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306631904316319106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1AFAWqN9J2BrBFF37OY0NeDmd2MCoS59CbHj-MxISZ1NjFgRCyxVwEAwiodIPBC5fYRtFIA3zDZp-7qTu25lN0T5nfdjJ9xJbZiYabXAXjOtlD8hQ2iGTjrQ8vRTVr8beBIiUnPqqrPn_/s320/IMG_4910.JPG" /><br />The salt flat – <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Salar</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">de</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">Uyuni</span> - was a huge expanse of white, flat (as the name would imply) pretty much as far as the eye can see. Really spectacular. In the middle of the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">Salar</span> is fish island, an almost random island covered in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">cactuses</span>. It looks so out of place. Because the salt flat is so, err, flat, people were taking photos making it look like their friends we either under their feet or standing on their hands etc, but because I am on my own it all seemed a bit too much effort to round some people up to partake. </p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306631976937256370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiYxNP3WtbFKvMvGAElqdxw_2mFyzWTC7sloLomIKy0Yn450tP7GbFUQ4VoDECkS18jZFHehyZlC30RVo8tAnN2C6jgR_Z1A9a8ClQePQ_i3yqpds4EgrGQdKvzTkrOYpxukPjeIzqN0rh/s320/IMG_4956.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306633245270281586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqaIBX6HLPHsQePLTwq1AiBl9ArBZoOy4rDqsC9EV7rHbS4Z4t6Jb_VtBpKs2C4VIc_MXeqPZhGZhAJirlba0BLmIquz-ap-0SBIgELCpav6ltR_-wSDRN0AAwQsZuj1g9ddo-oxnEqy8/s320/IMG_4975.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306632088517383106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5DTfF6oXCzv39aBn3RFbIC3_5QWILduBXIIEdj_AQE1iANkx9VOx-fKTD6WXxVfHrf3UXCT5gP4vhy2dCZFgokyFqoxBqR2sIOsUPR4tqsEI2cIVNWXXU1eMxABlyzgdy3ediJk8C0Prf/s320/IMG_5027.JPG" /><br />There was a lot of time spent in the jeeps, and it was an effort to stay awake (as it often is) at times but the scenery was well worth it. Luckily for the numerous hours in the jeep the driver had two 60 minute tapes. One tape was more or less the same on each side with mostly Beatles songs <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">interchangeably</span> in English and Spanish, and the other was Bolivian pop (I assume), where as far as I can make out, every song is pretty much the same.<br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306633420677106482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqIE5epQ-SZ4ileUGRF8PYI-S4Bzq2laTUiLhMhgZSFpUzFiI5dXNMyAIx09k9jG9rC3ELL5TTxH4tH-wX8LSNYOLYcZU1dyXf6-FLXvtXVelsOwUkLD52Ne7T5MryILfkZOXsL5MAez8/s320/IMG_5051.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306633584366433490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ6_8abPc0o3McJJmc_NToPdNO9VXwV5Sw0TvgmoxUU49RXyeHGQEyrG3jYBp4ltlnKiPBxSxtkt8-ZPyqiARLFy1nSpY5BTinZUKstGXCSCSm4W1lzCZ2f5A_uuufpRE5H5SX7kC25xfr/s320/IMG_5071.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306914447176099362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOSgWvKKuA_t4FHU321_4RfzdXlt1NKUsekMgyaVBJyaEO9lnmel7xtQbmhb7pD9Qrxg0ZOMCkUdj6t7Ok-tckSWEsuw_LnA4mgOyHlurOa8kD0g5E1oTXQYhqpuxbDLUluPJDH39n9s0/s320/IMG_5078.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306914626647892962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimWqsVqrS_EZATtPVsvID6Tou8yjBFq_m83t6wUs75D-BxiA453J_0Ni8A4Sqp-FbUHeYO_ejIkCe-hhgm3sOhF7zxPjVIuhLSy9SlWDUwu3pUuhhT5S9f_8Y3vXbJDonAl0CX2O_UhSRV/s320/IMG_5142.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306914868396847042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPod1RfIthLHblGdftfjsBf_9Utcv9TIkJ4buRfYPmCBkMQXtKONThms-lfbg1lfSiV88TMLC4cQyOkJxOT6513qDIOBJI2Bh33Qg47RZHNcmeenTgKFF1z-p6IYdXFWqNYPDvVi87wDop/s320/IMG_5192.JPG" /><br />The quality of the tours can be variable due to breaking down in the middle of nowhere, bad food, and the drivers having several cans of beer for breakfast, but we <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>´t break down, the food was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">ok</span> – lots of it which was the most important thing - and our driver <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" class="blsp-spelling-error">wasn</span>´t obviously hammered. I shared a jeep with two Japanese and three Canadians who I played quite a lot of cards with.</p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306915039532694482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXIO0Kl6rRhYThSCtYPJXu83w9j9mbgTOW0es7PKYcopMaN71kcu-L283K67lkWFEYoOMUtFxpDPMneNPd_Ux55wNdSU-18GqvZSaYb2KQmqrN62cmgxPtpSShnVSpQv3__SwXD_ofAoQ/s320/IMG_5201.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306915205763527330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggE5MKSPCZR9aMMNDLEe7y_Pet3bLUa4qK9QNFVZ-RRz8Sfw58XBEgTmyfaHDzLfKyVH8D0E1UzH7IGTHcy_PdS-G6lxoycPRX-0bqufzI1L5XlCDBz0DksdhIGkQZHL7lMewSnQGKSxSt/s320/IMG_5215.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306915347056430498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9smj-lt5AUld7lc07yo9ebhgB3OwD5rcFgorlmZ0BQKSllEZrvzxa2wCkJRxSmBo46l0xEc1aF-U16tDI57su6QMoAXh-xHDDozJmg_1Ht-TAncLJO0ebZ6QyLkMDbILmi82dIbc54BA5/s320/IMG_5236.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306915499339696402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjIj4UCeQiTWDZRVskLIMvKXx7wjZ-p9KPa93XQ48UVJbhg7WuXJIDPGwTAoK5q4aG8obkNIhmIQr6eJ7akrYLC5pMaShGMewl8mqUUQlpQ070nwnqMMe7GoK3T-oUQsEqnM6CunlWq_n2/s320/IMG_5244.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306915665830903426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHG5Njxirch_o1llqViXv0xaKPe3wrGfFLwTe8k73O92uzwzS6G1pWFuQ9PDGxuRt_ofCReS5wZVQBrzJm8vCLL3nBGRcdbkbuMaaQNzp0ryVlozbugkKTZZwPsrCaw1qob80Ls_iO-E6/s320/IMG_5253.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306915841367428882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJsZ4qw98OE0ep0RFMWyEAyep2Y-e4akqarAD4ZQradPfzSOyl9ctMW2Kk1blb9msKOaSuOJFFmQ4ZhSb6cmjhUCJG7wyk143zVKb0jnBafC903j5ovHWWdYpJsJz-WShdMlqvwqldRFvq/s320/IMG_5273.JPG" /><br />At the end of the tour we were dropped off at the Bolivia-Chile border, to cross into Chile to go to San Pedro <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" class="blsp-spelling-error">de</span> Atacama. This initially <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" class="blsp-spelling-error">wasn</span>´t planned but it is only an hour from where the tour was anyway and Felicity (flatmate) said it was good so if it was rubbish I´d blame her!<br /><br />I had only spent nine days in Bolivia but it was my favourite place so far. Had met some good people and done some really good stuff, bizarre things you can´t do in a lot of places. From cycling down a road with certain death on one side to going round a prison with no guards being escorted by prisoners and buying freshly squeezed juice from the prisoners to wandering round with dynamite, it was just a fun sometimes surreal experience.</p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310195264520718153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4326297528959726796.post-17024135738540969462008-12-11T15:09:00.000-08:002009-12-07T01:14:08.912-08:00La Paz - Quality stuffOn arrival back in Quito I went straight to the international terminal and bought a flight for that night to Bolivia. The standard route between Ecuador and Bolivia is through Peru but having been there last year I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>´t need to go again. Flying was a more appealing option than spending between 3 and 4 days on buses, and if I missed this flight it was either wait 3 days for the next one or do another flight involving 12 hours in Lima airport.<br /><br />Was sat next to two women on the plane, and managed to hold a 15 minute conversation where I´m pretty sure we <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>´t understand a single word each other was saying. I even handed them my phrasebook/dictionary so they could point to key words - the only word one of them pointed at was "see." Well <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">thats</span> cleared that up then. But my natural wit, charm and general charisma won through and I got the e-mail address and phone number of one of them! It was however written on some advertising material for a mobile phone company, which would explain why the other woman kept pulling <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">sim</span> cards and the like out of her bag to try and sell them to me.<br /><br />The unexpected bonus with this flight was that because I had to fly via Peru they served Inca Kola on the plane!! Awesome. How I miss that stuff! Had about 3 hours to kill in Lima airport before the flight to La <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Paz</span>, so paid an extortionate amount for another bottle...then some more on the flight to La <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Paz</span>. Given the sugar content of that drink it was no surprise that I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">didn't</span> sleep at all on either plane.<br /><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306918877833671954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlW_DJ5KQkjmrW6yU8saadWCKvQgrOkBo7ntuuo8Ihgj92apzLl6ZCftI4G4I2s6og1HCPJe2TLH0XEX8lYy4aYnLFSxgt-M3jmDZzGm378o1AAcIY5pw_jfraq-kvMfp54Meqw1p4_IlX/s320/IMG_4791.JPG" /><br />Arrived in La <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Paz</span> at 5am. Having not booked anywhere to stay, I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">didn't</span> know if anywhere would be open at that time, so still in the airport I found a seat and wrapped my arms and legs round my bags and tried to sleep...but failed. Headed into town soon after 7 and checked into the Wild Rover Hostel, which was basically an Irish Pub with a load of dorm rooms (despite the name and the number of Irish people there it did take me some time to work out it was an Irish hostel!). Only my third Irish pub though; number two was Mulligans in Quito.<br /><br />Had a wonder round La <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Paz</span>, and visited the Witches Market where you can buy shrunken llamas, dead armadillos and other oddities. Did a bus tour in the afternoon, but spent the first half hour asleep chin resting on chest! Don´t know what the other tourists thought! </p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306919001178145922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBF3w6Bqxbjm-Bycnx9S3loCC32cMih_qrq2OLLWlfwX4KkP6dRUbenze4F89RF3Q5qV5-u9NOhI0BjaGYrRy0K3ufqbZeFgIU4cGuPNoggoe5k9dSRuwB-go89HPhchCE4xU2KPxUElf/s320/IMG_4796.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306919188638167714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNov24w8bWmHZa7El4g2ksXjvq8fuKmymPcZDWON5Vuc_iqEJYOH5RW8YVrLpWe2aMslRU-csuzBkiAdLw7iQq_uEzzgiXBKpsjW-nbufhlB2mBR6uRUT3pjX44PKQdth9wLtZoln-1mgH/s320/IMG_4797.JPG" /><br />Having not slept properly for over 40 hours I intended to have an <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">earlyish</span> night, but the hostel bar was good fun. Had a who´s got the worst fake Casio digital watch competition with some guys in the bar, as we´d all purchased cheap watches in different parts of Latin America. Also got roped into an 18 person Killer Pool tournament. Good fun but <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>´t get to bed till after midnight. Not ideal preparation for mountain biking down the worlds most dangerous road - World Bank statistic apparently based on number of accidents, not a tourist gimmick - but I did only have a couple of beers.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306919325954366386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv8frz64TSPzpwFmLHyin_Qpot2Xp0Ns1P99Ktt3w2lgs1GQqMGtnxaICtubbvl6nLKru4IsZdYdHTx6W1SZBWZWLOEbuqHKEZ0ZUfmfhzPU6OYyyCwMfib0DUcmJ6UE5m6atlTuthwgKI/s320/IMG_4808.JPG" /><br />The ride was good fun and I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">didnt</span> crash. You cycle downhill about 60km from about 4700m in altitude to 1100m, and you even cycle through some waterfalls. Most deaths occur from vehicles going over the side - it is narrow and there are no barriers and drops of up to 400m. The road is mostly used for cycling now as a new road was built which takes the traffic now, but there are still plenty of accidents though. The ride <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">isn</span>´t technical or difficult, but there is a small margin for error if you get off balance or out of line. But it <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">wouldn</span>´t be any fun without a bit of danger! </p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306919450971122210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUyTmbotKjJO8zrn7jkRMt8K9TvWnhiU9xbvcLgD4isKPU7dpOyNpS0BrjxJftj1741UGMg1tyyFnGKFX2IRMb-XmTlZPrbLtsZ09CVUHWZL_CnYcoPjR7JtdveBcjSCp14Mt0_djOo8mq/s320/IMG_4814.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306919621128021954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgts95Ghy6gHaSsshLVxuPoH4OHoXQNiI9v-aeE2yLDm9RRS55uiAzzmBBPbkoSekSZKWqSeVXD_Sio9MzsqeBJWRE0M5LvCzwP_XPe5I7b-1PLCW4uLQ14_HOX0KGMxowE_E7aZ496-JWt/s320/IMG_4825.JPG" /><br />The ride finishes in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Coroico</span>, which is small town. I chose to stay the night there. Was really good valley views and a nice main square in town, but shame it rained most of the evening. Next morning I woke up to a view above the clouds, and I hiked up to 2500m to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">Cerro</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">Umuchachi</span> getting more great views of the valley.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306919734116687618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggltJsgyYyQAJPljgqwY55_mTqpCP9ZasOs9XNLbjnAUI26rLrCjOMsHFApC3_QuJ4zhwpvVhB8mNH0W9EjZWzQQOKLqPWKY2ji8xgF8c2zd58tV_HZAQwqYe-MGlOb7yAVDzkwcumPz0u/s320/IMG_4844.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306919900028178258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNdI2R0lL1Igh_AtQjgnpg32hiue5xyCglcx2lB-5dNK_uVMiOoIHWnOeDgsG4G6wXVcboG1s0jAWbjKfyLm-pSFP4fwUPGYwMV9Sa3CGo4Fxu7SIYp8Q3b95VSC050mPtXHITv0TVonXt/s320/IMG_4853.JPG" /><br />Bus back to La <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">Paz</span> in the afternoon. They <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">aren</span>´t shy about trying to fill their buses in this part of the world as most don´t seem to leave until they are full. The second some little women saw the taxi pull in to the bus station, she runs over yelling La <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">Paz</span>, and on hearing "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">si</span>", manhandles me out of the taxi onto the bus and throws my big bag onto the roof of the bus! Surprising amount of leg room for a minibus, although was still glad when the three and half hour ride was over.<br /><br />Back in the Irish Hostel met up again with the two <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">Patricks</span> (neither of which were Irish) and Ben and ended up in a club. I wont go into too much detail, mostly on account of the fact I cant remember much, but lets just say I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" class="blsp-spelling-error">didnt</span> cover myself in glory (apparently). Fell asleep in the club with a nice girl sat either side of me who I was talking too (apparently). Must have been a dodgy bag of crisps or something, can´t imagine it was the tequilas and flaming <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" class="blsp-spelling-error">sambucas</span> that did it.<br /><br />Plan the next day was to get a bus to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" class="blsp-spelling-error">Potosi</span> but that was scrapped the second I woke up, feeling like I´d been hit by a bus. Crawled out of bed by 11.30, and readied myself for a trip to one of La <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" class="blsp-spelling-error">Paz's</span> main tourist attractions - the biggest cocaine factory in Bolivia, aka San Pedro prison. Morally questionable place to visit, but very interesting.<br /><br />San Pedro is a working prison, full of criminals and everything. It is kind of unique because there are no guards inside; the place is run by the prisoners. A local prison for local convicts you might say. Prisoners even rent their cells and work. If they have lots of money, they have a nice cell, if not they spend all day cleaning to afford a basic cell. Disputes are settled internally in some not especially pleasant ways.<br /><br />Tourists visiting <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_27" class="blsp-spelling-error">isn</span>´t technically allowed, but it costs 250 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_28" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bolivianos</span> (about 25 quid), quite a lot of money in Bolivia, and I´m sure the pie is split many ways, including all the police who are outside. You then get a prisoner for a guide. Its perfectly safe, because you get two bodyguards too, also criminals. Ours were a drug trafficker and a murderer...and looking at them you <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_29" class="blsp-spelling-error">wouldn</span>´t mess.<br /><br />We got taken round the different areas of the prison, seeing pretty much everything (except the drugs factory!) Prisoners wives and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_30" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">children</span> live there too, so there were kids running around. Many prisoners make handicrafts - ornaments, toys, jewellery etc - and while there is no threat to buy, its best to show some willing. I purchased two wooden pipes for smoking drugs out of! <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_31" class="blsp-spelling-error">Hmm</span>. More on those later.<br /><br />At the end of the tour, we were given the hard sell to by "the best cocaine in Bolivia for a happy white Christmas", a mere 100 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_32" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bolivianos</span> for a gram. The razor blade and mirror were all ready for us to sample but we all declined. Nobody bought any either; a while back some Kiwi got busted on the way out apparently so his two hour tour got extended 9 months.<br /><br />We were told by our guide we could ask any question we liked. I wanted to ask how one of our security guards lost his front teeth, but not keen on losing mine, I decided not to. At the end of the tour we relaxed over a glass of freshly <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_33" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">squeezed</span> orange juice - we could have had alcohol had we wanted.<br /><br />It was very interesting, and it felt more like a town than a prison. I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_34" class="blsp-spelling-error">didnt</span> feel threatened at all but then I was nursing a fairly respectable hangover which was dulling out other things. It was just surreal though that you can just wander round like that. But tourism is good for business I guess. Was glad I went too because in Quito I wanted to do a prison visit, where you go and visit some of the westerners who are incarcerated there for drugs offences, but freely admit to bottling it as I would have had to have gone on my own. There were people in the hostel who wanted to go but not on the days I wanted to.<br /><br />That evening, after overdoing it the previous night, some culture and local cuisine was called for, so having extensively researched it, we settled on the British Indian Curry House. Someone walked in and said "its a bit touristy in here"...and you were expecting... Had a llama <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_35" class="blsp-spelling-error">tikka</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_36" class="blsp-spelling-error">masala</span> (really), but it <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_37" class="blsp-spelling-error">wasn</span>´t very nice. It just kind of sat and we all had quite severe <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_38" class="blsp-spelling-error">bloatage</span>. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_39" class="blsp-spelling-error">Hadn</span>´t entirely cleared by the next day either.<br /><br />Fairly chilled day the next day. Did visit the Coca <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_40" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">museum</span> which was an interesting way to spend an hour or so, reading about the history and usage of coca leaves and cocaine. Did manage to get my bus to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_41" class="blsp-spelling-error">Potosi</span> that evening although <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_42" class="blsp-spelling-error">hadn</span>´t come across checking in luggage at bus stations before. Was a bit of a mission working out which bus to get, and even the locals <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_43" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>´t seem to know what was going on, which is rare. A Polish couple´s luggage made it onto the bus but they <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_44" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>´t, but they caught the bus up - luckily for them Bolivian buses have a habit of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_45" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">stopping</span> for long periods seemingly for no reason. Bus was a semi-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_46" class="blsp-spelling-error">cama</span>, meaning the seats reclined a long way, so i managed a few hours kip out of the 10 hour journey and arrived in a slightly chilly <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_47" class="blsp-spelling-error">Potosi</span> at 6.30am.<br /><br />I really liked La <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_48" class="blsp-spelling-error">Paz</span>. I´m mostly not that taken by cities, as having lived in one for the last 7 years or whatever, they tend to feel the same, but I liked the feel of the place. It was always busy but at the same time felt quite relaxed, and it was safe to wander around. Might have stayed longer but Bolivia rainy season was imminent and given most roads <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_49" class="blsp-spelling-error">aren</span>´t <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_50" class="blsp-spelling-error">tarmacced</span>, I wanted to avoid the big delays due to blocked roads from mud and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_51" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">landslides</span> that rains tend to bring.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310195264520718153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4326297528959726796.post-36147457437608005972008-12-02T12:32:00.000-08:002009-12-07T01:11:03.351-08:00The Galapagos Islands<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WLtmGZRSkCWoXJwdsbV830N_vOzXtmL6A0Z7Ro2cL_YJ94hYx6DbYyXsByXL8JQohzIyYiOzykkfPVSvetM-qsKCeniPzOcG3pTWgBey2sCUFsZLQNA8MUSd0_OMcg61gk4qMJqcPeXL/s1600-h/IMG_4038.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306480703097490242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WLtmGZRSkCWoXJwdsbV830N_vOzXtmL6A0Z7Ro2cL_YJ94hYx6DbYyXsByXL8JQohzIyYiOzykkfPVSvetM-qsKCeniPzOcG3pTWgBey2sCUFsZLQNA8MUSd0_OMcg61gk4qMJqcPeXL/s320/IMG_4038.JPG" /></a><br /><div>Getting to Galapagos is simple. You jump on a flight in Quito, stop to pick up more people in Guayaquil, and then someone from your boat - I´d booked to spend a week on a boat - meets you at <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Baltra</span> Airport. Or at least <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">thats</span> the plan, but from the moment a group of fat, old American tourists (who always seem to hunt in packs) barricaded half of Quito domestic terminal with their <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">oversized</span> suitcases (as they do), things didn't run smoothly.<br /><br />I was warned that Quito domestic terminal was a shambles, and that people have been known to miss their flights and I can see why - at no point did my plane ever appear on the departure board. Even when we were let through the boarding gate, you pretty much had to go look for it yourself - we were pretty much let loose on the tarmac with no directions! It eventually left an hour late and malfunctioned in Guayaquil so we had to get on another, so by the time I got to the islands the dude from my boat who was supposed to collect me had gone. He had though arranged for someone from another boat to collect me.<br /><br />The transfer was pretty chaotic and I ended up getting on whatever vehicle - bus or boat - had my bag on. Then the bus stopped and I was told to get off and another bus with the people from my boat on would be along in 10 minutes to get me. So I'm standing there quite literally in the middle of nowhere basically completely screwed if they <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">didn't</span> show up. It was quite amusing to start with but after half an hour I was somewhat less amused. I was near a park rangers hut and no wonder he laughed when, in the middle of an island with no water in sight, I explained in Spanglish that I was waiting for my boat to turn up! But in the end a bus with the passengers from my boat - the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Yolita</span> II - did turn up and we were off to see some animals.<br /><br />Everyone I'd spoken to said Galapagos was brilliant, but I was not feeling the love so far. And then what was the first animal I saw? A cow. Was starting to think about asking for a refund but we did get to wonder round a field, that, although full of cows, also had lots of tortoises in, so things were getting better! All the tortoises did was pull their heads into their shells, they <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>´t feel the need to attack or chase me. Or even move. At all. </div><div> </div><div></div><div>Also walked through an underground lava tube, which is a tunnel formed naturally by lava cooling on the surface but still flowing underground. On the way back the bus had to stop so a couple of people could get out and move a tortoise that was sat in the middle of the road.</div><br /><div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306480787065002850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78PATgsWfDdGxjCUrm2NTKub9aKHMxR6hmNyB-a8HjuWXuCgH6U4Lwd02L284IouN7m8MFXuWAQcVX_EG-4wShePEIhQgQwXZOn1e-mlTnQlzX9A9rBz3m-bq1box8BzZjsMlqfcY-Ktu/s320/IMG_4045.JPG" /><br />After that went to the boat. It was really nice and had my own cabin just below sea level. The boat held 16 people, although there was only 9 of us for the first few days. Two Dutch, two German, two Swiss, an Aussie and a Russian. The Swiss chap was called Tony - Swiss Tony! -but <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">disappointingly</span> at no point during the trip did he say "visiting the Galapagos islands is like making love to a beautiful woman." <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Toni" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Toni</a><br /><br />After dinner on the boat, went into <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Puerto</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ayora</span> with Nick (Aussie) and Sasha (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ruskie</span>), the last civilisation I´d see for a week!<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306481343878894050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcvKI85LZhhsdNAJ5CAW9W7jVlufhKAbXG1WGIIkjf-Ejy0IvEdATYNstbpr7W51z8b-TRG-3BYizUdpS3f_fpS8WrIULPQaQobGMPS_8TE_9RSoOaDXa-7YRSx5OI1ItlWqkMtIUZ6gno/s320/IMG_4115.JPG" /><br />The boat sailed over night to our first island. It was quite surreal when I woke up in the middle of the night listening to Tenacious D having fallen asleep with my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">iPod</span> on with the boat rocking a hell of a lot from side to side!<br /><br />If day one <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">hadn</span>´t been a roaring success, the next day blew me away, just saw so much stuff. We started at <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Rabida</span> island, and got off the dinghy to find loads of sea lions on a very red coloured beach. They are obviously really used to tourists because they just lay there and ignore you. On <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Rabida</span> in the morning and Sombrero Chino (Chinese Hat island) in the afternoon, as well as sea lions saw lava lizards, herons, pelicans, frigate birds, marine iguanas, fur seals, Galapagos penguins (quite rare to see apparently), loads of these bright red crabs, and blue footed boobies (a type of bird). The great thing was that we saw all of these really close up.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306480967926004418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjX1a3I0ReDegtQPhIrPpWp-iGxEPo6DStx4v4mBRA85EVC_85x83a4ntPoihYawPOcZ154SrWHLiCdBqr-UTtEDYhtzqeb64vdW72orAl9Uu67Cl9bWz5lwRtwnhgAp7WpZryycdDfPY/s320/IMG_4083.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306481167342547122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3QpKmKohd8-NhCxbkDcgwszJDfQCvhXqCbpQTlmvxZvEAq5nXKxhl_fD8gl_zgblaeIi0SKKCTRC14n10CMJsIjL9XocqtlfRtGY-FTpjIQah4iNtWVZjk2EsMVaXEH6E115smTvuHAB/s320/IMG_4087.JPG" /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Snorkelled</span> twice in the day and saw sharks. Don´t mind admitting that when I first saw one I touched cloth, but white tipped reef sharks <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">aren</span>´t interested in eating humans - not even me. Saw them a few times and was only a few feet away at one point, so could look it in the eyes! It could probably smell my fear! They were about as big as me. Also saw several big groups of hundreds of brightly coloured fish and swam with marine iguanas too.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306481629947810578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaozqcBb6ogi12o7vzqkY7MiUUrk3XQM6awgc94dBW6zIzs4s2RjPZnnmA6y5-bfa_peqdEmpqywNuktw6CSQIOD7fP7qmyd9TSPHfnkJkdMjb1L9u-3t8WbkppZ5Ehew5VyebWhWgQka4/s320/IMG_4121.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306481866049104226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggoZXjs6CfQcPeXFUmSWZDdfdl6k_WzCSWN_60_YZV8sUbfIiJHiS6PHO3rdnFnhEqnOQVypmLT7Gd4sF5RnQkWMaFMuYHTcWfLRwCIng4ECxnFJvGNMYfJhOgYZuDx0OUrkt9KhF78p7J/s320/IMG_4136.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306482157475590610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLaNLOpc4cratGhiQwtIEAXX0zxpehZ2PyttIzbV_g5LuLt2bGQYSgpyTWtL1odFRzoKTpuWNuKF9poJBhRWzK6hgr3y_2LDK6NoFd3Jk5tcg90N2gWDgRYe0QRmJ3N2FMrUMa8Irmnic/s320/IMG_4160.JPG" /><br />Next morning we went to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bartolome</span> island, and did a hike to get a scenic view, and walked along a beach where we saw a big sea turtle. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">Snorkelled</span> again and although there were sharks I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>´t see them.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306482425062781602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyWNztvwk9Rsxjj02vVx5E5ng2mTfSZQZfXm-HOdPYPMEzav3gFBbldL4wr4cQ125IcDFA1iN5GYNRXtLRGpPKmg7qdjhtTLFZ61se-f-5PRVvC1LsSbo1iAIl0gDGJeLnMJbicxzdCew/s320/IMG_4186.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306482574488084690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7GmYvV5UMdVDwTK-KpyarrOcmaSmvOZC0tepTUu166OnR6WYpTsalDgre2h4hKp0Xy-IOopToz00C_zD_Kf7QNQa6iR-apJdo3rXP7_Jr7bg0Z79nMX6a4JxqlEzPOCPsLCmGDoKVMrz/s320/IMG_4191.JPG" /><br />In the afternoon we went to Turtle Cove where we watched turtles mating. I´m sure the turtles were hoping for a little privacy rather than having two dinghies full of tourists taking photos, but they carried on. When they´d finished the male swam off really fast, presumably off for a cup of tea and a cigarette. We also went looking for sharks and stingrays in the cove but <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>´t find them.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306482764973582402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1h7pxpmbsKHHTULTqJp2k8MdbQdNp5ujEeBKIepi70W8xWgWp3DyzrjtkKEB2gMIuRsXrql90t8hxHq7ONlS52YbpohL4cfveGYp_07bxhRCXbww8kP4GuWDSBePB0K4_shsDowaZXydg/s320/IMG_4253.JPG" />The island of Seymour <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">Norte</span> was the destination the next morning. There we saw the male frigate birds inflating this red thing they have on their chins to try and impress the ladies. We also saw blue footed boobies diving beak first into the water trying to catch fish.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306482929103493602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfzje-7d-xt2SeQSCUWS2TFTPnlstwG3RNc6Vp-yfvH62_vsxaRVyEwHjjOnf9aIGCqOjma4qwVtdnn_8YMYFmF_Ryj3IuUjFNAyfxjBj6UB6f7geTLopi6T3ajyYyLhLa4CGRgiTZHN9/s320/IMG_4279.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306483305075101474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QrHRCArUYHrzERr4WVDmO5wQGl0xcCpymvydGhyphenhyphenG1pQFNMxEVaHnXnDIBhLd_Vw46QbCMgPoMnPUHyKe0FtDSOXJqHF2usO7QKFtsLFlrZXOnf_0BfVJkW2rqNN-D3gqhhiWHtnguMY2/s320/IMG_4293.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306483927484690530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjCO_e3YV9RSvGWOrxLWCJMYO0ZuxZi8KM0bzc-YCfK1CiMy_oI4QGZ6A4_M_g_QoImvh4j3f0HK7zWVQdxuxt5rcEDfOWbEvKbhlDRkK0yOLKkbDmB5T4Kt-DRSdMOkgxRdMUn5AzALz/s320/IMG_4317.JPG" /><br />This was changeover day so everyone except myself and the Dutch couple, Harry and Linda, left the boat as they had either already been on a for a week or were just doing a 4 day 3 night trip. Over the previous few days, the German guy thought he could eat more than me but don´t worry, he learnt his lesson. New people then arrived and we had 16; we were joined by some Canadians, and American chap, and a group of American students, but luckily they <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">weren</span>´t like English students as they seemed to know how to behave.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306550304564256290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tHasOgW97uim-IG0lEcgxvX6FDSzZ_axpYJKQP_JcccFEyjUI8eDUXTRDiz0RpY2n8WirelygbiHkPWVW06hL5Q9OaHskU87o7d5bAuY4yHFLwKWjEFcmYEGMgdZfjTThi0fnYvfBvI3/s320/IMG_4372.JPG" /><br />In the afternoon we went to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bachas</span> beach on Santa Cruz island. Saw flamingos and iguanas. From the beach saw a shark silhouette in the water but <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>´t see any when <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" class="blsp-spelling-error">snorkelling</span>.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306550086733765474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjckOKuAwwKOkhr6H7u1lTpV_AM0pG8VBtTLb2Y1_AV54fKiwVwuDAGlQazCcJap2XigQAfLlIaf4wAuo7SOH21zh5EIxpelb_jkETH54wTP4TlR0SvCVQGMcYUWpTdIwPxyEOtSKLyfuFI/s320/IMG_4357.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306549673863898130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMFkiEncDGyjzKA-hWqP8zBJrCe6LeIUqitPa7kDOOz3OajSYVFKtubFKNvHolVVgbM5GNNpvfaubR5glHLpdz-8YIukXudP0uKdM5YtWGcQWU3nhmJz7bRSM3O3AlO1U0qg-flfX8iLCn/s320/IMG_4354.JPG" /><br />Monday morning was South Plaza island. Saw a baby sea lion only a few hours old, and some iguanas fighting over a cactus, which is where they get their water from. Saw the cross breed land/marine iguanas of which only a few exist. We also saw the bachelor sea lion colony where the males who have just lost a fight go to recharge their batteries before going to fight the dominant males to try and have their own colony. Those that win have their pick of the females.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306550744986960418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6QDxXiX0oSZkxUCYoHwHbhx_aos30Axclx0jFaUeVARVuHtFnBf6htEGDNucnxXs6H1pLz34Hz0clw5CkyO0KFKfZvgDotaiTc7Vyx5tLPI_fEoorEFlNtLqldr-C_gjhA341I417qV9/s320/IMG_4388.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306550911478313474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_lyVJaeLLWSLDrVDWO4yLMlAO0uZyV1afnyPLD651MA8XwxkH43gJpclcf4f7tQWRXBx55ypC4iobTswEi0014om4NqsVgtNKoIPWkfKAiPMpT7oiaL1NghZIFN7nDlpJ5T5Y7nbPzG5/s320/IMG_4429.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306551115639151490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmRfkENzBybLCHtPK7FkfuVDmfv7-bGxmQPEf-saxlNfbnHMdTWTawvIBe8Ay8XArazatjtlOvEAKpAG2-4fOIpX2XV_X6bCAHNP_NHMCtvnllikc3KkWT_T-Z00tqovF70iBXJUG9h3az/s320/IMG_4441.JPG" /><br />Santa Fe island in the afternoon, where we <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" class="blsp-spelling-error">snorkelled</span> and swam close up to some big sea turtles and a load of stingrays.<br /><br />Next day we went to Suarez Point on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" class="blsp-spelling-error">Espanola</span> island, where the ´Albatross airport´ is, so we saw albatrosses take to the skies. Also saw some <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_27" class="blsp-spelling-error">nasca</span> boobies and some very brightly coloured iguanas. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_28" class="blsp-spelling-error">Snorkelled</span> from the beach and saw a load more stingrays including one burying itself in the sand. Also swam with sea lions which was good. They don´t half go quick, and they come really close to you, so you turn your head and see one right next to you. Thought they were sharks to start with!<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311082687588533058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi984zIjxO9njsKGODwNnXfrpSN7HNWdHpvMpSLdqgZcsGWgnMaYrSYg91-C9ALX56dCLSCZHX8SF7bgsspCTW7k5M1CnBqp4xqv0BVjzH1FuE6jQDwJnud5jc3IYf1ri_sgd0FVRUF9xDK/s320/IMG_4543.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306551696006785058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLpxIlhx60-NvKlDMsKtQ5Dtw6JjgwTvHhwuHZTvFp7SuzXbQqEb-Oo0uGh3eE8Fe5JWvgv-_9Gxbl3Gk2j1_yqN5QlU2sMMBMDOsh8RxLenxX8dRJvZ8SvIhdCrjtBYL7zppietj8Dgo2/s320/IMG_4459.JPG" /><br />Had to take evasive action on the beach when a baby sea lion ran towards me. I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_29" class="blsp-spelling-error">wasn</span>´t scared, honest, it was because if they touch you they could pick up your smell and their mums recognise their young through smells so they could get abandoned and die. And I doubt a baby sea lion wants to smell of lynx anyway.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306551870717118562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9nUq7qPaUs2p2V8yt3TI4ytalyR-Oj2Z-vgznmHEr6TXI3oeXJZ8FnP2wbDIYOfGIbz9wJX7JkfM6tqLEAU3RLKwzLBsf8YH9L6wVCA_6jiUEfG2KriEn1yMTGzNzAADRgjjPhAkb1vPm/s320/IMG_4476.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311083115302143858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuA4vW3d7SZhVvREAB1krgjiZ9Bc7YDlST0VJiKD0k98Ldjk4ugwMTk0Apmhkc7cfKE8mLR0l_1z50VTXUC_by86gujl1IMBrzD44786M1AgfWPbviWMtSn4jqPw9k9zrDLJp710ND7Dec/s320/IMG_4609.jpg" /><br />The last full day we visited <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_30" class="blsp-spelling-error">Floreana</span> island, which had a green coloured beach. Saw a flamingo lagoon and the now usual array of sea lions, lizards, birds, iguanas etc. There are sea lions absolutely everywhere and you almost become a bit like "not another sea lion!"<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306552146961077202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjG2WwwdgTxsQ-kpnVkewKrMYo-EvLls5XeXkfMetntdoFj5HyQrVMtNN36UKBAP_d3Cln4Nu35e9hMLzvas6GcK2MdWy0yToaiO9ks6W4bgmQ4bBb57q_nFhZaAtwmPTSzGyNW1iREo7v/s320/IMG_4515.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306552335349918578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMKnP91FGf9r5t23TmX8OLGHa_aXWlL9ox0KNlS2gdaYHNMVsaS3RzZJQNRWykDK2qkTEq5iX4741BpIqkbmYmX6jCeTes9sZ3gA0ZO4T-abPmYvclOGTIClCB_StClp07lZVu7JzNh3ja/s320/IMG_4527.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306552533528380194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmTVVQ8ixII9gih1zJW3-nQbyDd4zCjBN88KbZxA7TNX7qOFjuR_0-xibbOMjGq5XV2592qbyU9DBYHWvw8OIBtN4wwk3BV6g98bTfHzZzLlswsbngBnUX_vYDYKMjrBp6kAxCVUnYTu-/s320/IMG_4565.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306552897774734034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRUdOQyjFqN39AjPCfKheTWz6tqTZGT40Bh1Mn3W8LxQELIVlEvXiIw8sqBkYTobmrD2GEWPcFHP9TbmTCRYXvi4_JUizWcDycDAZ-LmyewFJmubiMTXJXDVtradU3GD2um2eyOVkz9uw/s320/IMG_4579.JPG" /><br />Post Office bay in the afternoon. This is where people would leave mail years ago in the hope that others would take it back because they <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_31" class="blsp-spelling-error">weren</span>´t going home for so long. Now tourists leave postcards there and other tourists will take them back to whichever country and post them there. I don´t send postcards (as I´m sure some of you have noticed) but I did send some because I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_32" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>´t have to buy stamps!<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306553380890896946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5_PadFR9vf1C7VfsT-aoh87aDwgNqnOyzqzf2EwzUGDsVlZ1_a9NToUBT8UZzXhTlgrmr4i6guxQzsgTlsBAcI4EusWessVCnc50142BI5Vqf3BSmesnWb1Wr-j4yKkvg4MCi9vPDsMW/s320/IMG_4670.JPG" /><br />Went in another lava tunnel nearby but this one you end up swimming in by torchlight. We only had two torches and my American student friends <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_33" class="blsp-spelling-error">weren</span>´t amused when I turned my torch off and said "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_34" class="blsp-spelling-error">thats</span> not a good time for the batteries to run out."<br /><br />Saw sharks while <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_35" class="blsp-spelling-error">snorkelling</span> again, and our guide dived down to go and annoy it. He did the same with some stingrays too. Also swam with some big turtles. At one point one came up underneath me and bashed into me - scared the life out of me as I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_36" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>´t see it coming.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308852857882786354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_OfaZ4QfK-UwmfEQ35UMjsGWMimURliNUZroVw5Ea2fJzFNwNxF86aftr0n22vvxstgXR6zubX3CH5rcJbzkCgR8Lq2OKId5kRMyy09mGTjNQi4Gq5LvISUSQtzphrqfHbapdbmkK-_3/s320/F1000001.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308853116065486082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiljg6tyjT41Fhde03aIJgsXDvyerIcScYf1w3CV3zwQ8qnQ3pZUg_dJ0bjqBHsMVBct6p6chF0NX99TJPR3WEyq2NxJl2gDQ5rdWEUPakHm2JqGmYbVu_gj4til9sv8Ol9rD_GD1PJ0qrJ/s320/F1000004.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308853273985099458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRcFZhWjMB1yuTMT_nVP8kziCeCLrOk55yAecUNaWW3wDk8dkfISJycFWCIH6iHcrybMIhW0sv_jtruaVHaS6Eswfc2iHkrB4q1XiyYVAZfSUL-VCAfx8ioXPyhbaWm9fn-cyreSepOxBt/s320/F1000007.JPG" /><br />On the way back to Santa Cruz island, lots of dolphins swam with the boat which was really good. They were so fast, with some jumping really high out of the water.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306553642440459282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1M2jklEYvP9OrqoGMfBR8-mHD1IOP4T2q_yQ52iNeXGt760NB_TF4xmjHosW6I46ZomTAS-9FUli1Zv67-6gZzQ4T30MbCnzOefCHbWh7Y1_ym5vRdKwMRkuXP_oi4sMtJy2Ov87oajS/s320/IMG_4692.JPG" /><br />Next day in the morning we <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_37" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">visited</span> the Charles <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_38" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Darwin</span> Research Station where lots of tortoises are looked after. Saw Lonesome George, the last tortoise of his kind. He has been living with two females of a similar species for the last 37 years but <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_39" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>´t fancy mating with them until now. Still, when you live to 250 years I guess there is no hurry. After that flew back to Quito (the journey back was less traumatic, and the some of the views from the plane window weren't bad either).<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306553925128298210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjpGr6jDg8BKCgrOqAaNgAG-aVxWg-xreau5b4q5ii52fv6fidqxS3zXnhoHQw2R5cJ3LlO1-tjboE6DKV3yfinQJWmT_Nz5b8YdJ-aRPrjTcUsqmU8plvK1r1uczt5b6ndNopWos7a9mv/s320/IMG_4739.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306554155729788290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3mKJ4P1UQHIb9PARBfcL8_cMXS6TM3ZDz1rfL1rFUwKiJjGNmzFFJxOPS5k8y0YRlJgzLq550R5Dem45yWpcfyORNsqP_hz1OI0xMopdZY317wIOf8VfIvh-EPcFF_ZgxdlNNPnYUzz3I/s320/IMG_4743.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306554381673460082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWroSyd1fxtD_1jEcS-6gEd0tpfqAOtbnPoGYo9l0vbLVQ9w1rdaunEawyrbl0DsQ-uOEdI5Nnkq7anSsXggRsw40Snv1mPGNrqpXg0X3gPizkAyoK5wdwEdOYdDkMQ7Qw4gb41DlckCJ/s320/IMG_4769.JPG" /><br />Overall Galapagos was really good. To see so many animals and to see them all close up was pretty amazing. It was also fun living on a boat for a week, and the rest of the people on the boat were nice. Its not a cheap place to go but it was definitely worth it.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306554607355520402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvk8QpGOwwR6uG50JrUsFfce_B5UxExOFQjbzSxk3ehR-mKLdDSxvQ_Eara4954IFc6cLiolll0etMoL9g81h_WH9Xv9jWOP7gqVsWZAeM4BefMldXhE8FSZUnwekXPF2cqi92vvXzZhtz/s320/IMG_4788.JPG" />Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310195264520718153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4326297528959726796.post-12399531554369138872008-11-19T18:38:00.001-08:002009-12-08T03:59:27.040-08:00The jungle, train roofs and balancing eggs on nails<p><span lang="EN-US">No rest for the exhausted, as when we got down from from Cotopaxi we headed straight for Baños. Flagged a bus down on the Panamericana. We put our bags in the storage area under the bus and got on, but at no point did the bus stop! Having climbed a mountain, the thing I needed most was to spend two hours standing up on a bus. The one time I did get a seat a woman carrying a baby got on so stood up again. Couldn´t stand up straight either not surprisingly!</span></p><p>We´d heard that the FCO were advising against travel to Baños because the volcano might erupt, which we actually thought might make the trip more interesting! Apparently though there is always some risk of an eruption so the web site is just being cautious. The FCO said this:</p><p>"<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">We advise against all but essential travel within six miles of the volcano in all directions, including Baños, due to the current possibility of further eruptions. If you are travelling through Baños, we would advise you to do this as quickly as possible in order to minimise the risk"</span></p><p><span lang="EN-US">Baños - the Ecuadorean equivalent of Bath - was nice, and next day we hired bikes to see how far we could get of the 61km to Puyo. It was a really nice ride as it was almost all downhill through a valley, and there were a load of waterfalls en route. At one point we had to go through a tunnel and there were no lights. The only thing we had to be visible was the red light on my head torch attached to the back of my cycle helmet. You couldn´t see the road either but by following the light at the end of tunnel (literally) we made it out in one piece. There were plenty of other tunnels that were not lit which would have been certain death because you couldn't see the other side but fortunately there were cycle routes round the side instead of through the mountain.<br /><br />We made it as far as Rio Negro before having a beer and turning back. Its uphill all the way back so the guide book says put your bikes on the roof or a bus. We saw very few buses on the way with roof racks and one we tried to flag down just ignored us, so we eventually hitched back in the back of some dude´s pick up truck. Half way up another family jumped in with us so was a bit of a squeeze. This was good fun though and definitely felt like an authentic way to travel!<br /><br />Next day we headed on a three day jungle trip. On the way we stopped at a sanctuary for rescued animals. There were lots of very tame monkeys running around who spent all their time either fighting each other or trying to climb up the tourists. They weren´t climbing up me though, because, thats right, I ran away! I was surrounded at one point, but managed to escape. Just not a fan of animals climbing up me. I blame my parents as I never had a pet as a kid. Probably a good thing though as it means I am quite willing to eat family pets as evidenced by the guinea pig in Peru last year. Must also find out where they serve dog if I´m ever in Hanoi again!<br /></p></span><br /><span lang="EN-US"><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308848796804996034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoRuw4Y2hbvim7uCMMXE6VA9p6G8QMZiyBDBTwELTQO_IxYo5-Csh3XPAXByi4tlMu7hUJ9hF-TAbGAoe9CCDmS08YkDgd4Em-_CyCgtWzxYGd8D59Pjnhtr7WWfOgJ5ancbKi47DEvOCi/s320/IMG_3790.JPG" /><br />Over the three days we did various hikes to waterfalls or lookout points. Leonardo, our guide for the trip, knew the jungle like the back of his hand...unfortunately he didn´t know the back of his hand too well, as on several occasions I´m sure he was lost. Actually thats not fair, he was only lost once, it just lasted three days. We got to everywhere in the end though and the waterfalls were pretty good, and we got to swim in the pools which was nice.<br /></span><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308848417079027890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJ4ut3c_t6jR8OvuayI9RgCC2eMGb0IIdKozBD7PA0sUKSME4SN8TOrkWMQfFqg9kekm7DwWT6U6kUuanqLhhlKm-3pL-LhGsN-JIHb_v4zuOSLPDjkdG90xcj8-gCTRMRrKV0lya-v2T/s320/IMG_3813.JPG" />All these treks were done in wellies because we had to negotiate streams and lots of mud, but top tip is don´t hike in wellies if you can avoid it. They offer no grip, support, or stability; just not comfortable. </p><p><br /><span lang="EN-US"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308848151490775010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ4rLZ0_t0ScS4Zn99B6UXAH9hIdZUmC-jZyk5EiRkRmkcmWf2-MPSfyypjF8TBZRkcQd7Dob8jGaLrPRFfe-ZPbNENyUg7LRI9svnv1zusyj0U5EXZboM7kw60igsQopRtaX7Y4uhJytS/s320/IMG_3832.JPG" /><br />During the first night we got woken up by a cockerel and a parrot having a shouting competition at 4am. My first words when we got up were "has anyone got a gun, there´s a cockerel that needs to die." From speaking to the other people on the tour, it would be form an orderly queue.<br /><br />After the first night we transferred to a different village in wooden canoes made from tree trunks. The guys driving didn´t fill you with confidence that they knew what they were doing or that they had done it before, as we seemed to be going backwards through rapids and getting stuck on rocks. We even almost tipped once, but we made it to the next village in one piece and not too wet.</span></p><p><span lang="EN-US">Leonardo wasn´t the most enthusiastic guide but was friendly.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>But we were sitting around waiting for further instruction and he wasn´t around, but we found him in a hut which was a bar!<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Three Brits, two Germans and a Canadian and he doesn´t tell us about a bar.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>(Obviously despite being in the jungle we weren´t too far from civilization if the indigenous villages have bars!)</span></p><p><span lang="EN-US">There was a bar game on offer far better than Jenga, Connect 4 and anything else you find in the UK – fire arrows through a blowpipe at a wooden monkey!<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>This was good fun.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>I´d love to see that in Wetherspoons.</span></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308847828142500946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnvOfnxQ9T9MobFyjIo77htb0G5G8GcvE360lafKfym5RxWMBCu_KNv_790CHeMMCaDIKeO89PANhqK6g_NyasWcOmrZGONOueRGMA533hVZNtul71F6m6qP067ksaZUy_G9T2lOVCPyKX/s320/IMG_3850.JPG" /><span lang="EN-US">We tried to go see some Caimans that night but we got attacked my ants which were climbing up our shoes and legs.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>So ants join the ever growing list of animals that have got the better of me this holiday!</span><br /><p><span lang="EN-US">Next day we went to see a Shaman in a nearby village.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>We waited patiently for him to arrive in the shop selling all the local handicrafts – there is a credit crunch going you know, even Shaman have to make a living – but he just shook our hands when he showed up.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>No spiritual enlightenment, no fancy rituals, nothing, not even a rendition of Ebenezer Goode (apologies to those who are too old or young for that one).<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>No suggestion of any money changing hands either even though we were told when we booked the trip that meeting the Shaman was an extra $10.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>He was actually the same bloke we´d seen with our guide when we entered the village, but he had to go put on a necklace and a feathery headdress to get that authentic Shaman look.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span><span style="font-size:0;"></span>We did give him a lift to town though.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Perhaps there was a Shaman conference going on and he was in a rush. </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebeneezer_Goode">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebeneezer_Goode</a></p><span lang="EN-US">Back from the jungle we went to the hot springs in Baños but soon turned round when we saw the pools were rammed and were standing room only.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>I can stand in people´s armpits at home on the Northern Line.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>So we went back first thing next morning and it was far more civilized.</span><br /><br /><p><span lang="EN-US">Instead we went on a night volcano tour.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>It was clear it was going to be lame when the person we booked it through couldn´t keep a straight face!<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>But we were bored and for $3 why not!<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>And lame it was…but it was also comedy.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>We got driven to some hill overlooking Baños which you could also just see the top of the volcano from.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>We then got served some local moonshine by some 12 year olds; the booze was pretty potent at 60% and not that nice.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>I think if you drink too much you'd probably lose the power of sight for a while.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Then said 12 year olds lit a fire using mostly petrol, adding more petrol when it looked to be going out.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>So night volcano tours are mildly entertaining but for all the wrong reasons.</span></p><span lang="EN-US">After the hot springs we hiked up some hills overlooking Baños.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>The hike was either 12km or 16km depending on which distance signed you choose to believe.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Have noticed this a few times and in Costa Rica also, you get distance signs a few metres away from each other that differ by up to 5km.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Anyway, after that it was a bus to Riobamba.</span><br /><br /><p><span lang="EN-US">The main attraction in Riobamba is the Devils Nose train ride, El Nariz del Diablo.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>This basically entails turning up at 6am, paying a bloke a dollar to hire a cushion and spending the next x number of hours on the roof of the train admiring the scenery as the train eventually negotiates the very steep rock known as the Devils Nose.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>How long it actually takes is in part dependent on how many times you derail; we derailed twice!<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Completely normal though apparently.</span></p><br /><p><span lang="EN-US"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308847657955128866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwtYUM6rB7s0SaVfctPgTfdfO4hxrUkqv26CwIp-Lv4BvhJJDwnmHvbwIJTs5vcj0hi1m8euNi7j5kturv4pDbTBTLhJY_iQ3JCYIK7k_qBc-Dd_PPPh77Nz1XoAVh-MDRQPZCWk58hja8/s320/IMG_3917.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308847378379468626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGvKdaA14f6YtldP05RRFYN6pEzGrMk0qavJ8jzriPPfLueQI7Ehxq1dsWQFattiuc-htMthBeFJ1hHs61WF0GlRAk9KSAK2xChNogTFhy6Fk-4156DVUk7z4OnWJUUSo43hTt-Fe-zs0V/s320/IMG_3918.JPG" />It was really good fun though, the views were good, and its really impressive how a train around 100 years old can still be running like this. Its impressive too how they can get it down such a steep mountain, and get the thing back on the rails when it falls off, although its normally only a couple of wheels of one carriage rather than the whole train that come off. Never ones to miss a money making opportunity, there are also a couple pf food and drink sellers who walk up and down the roof the whole way! Something of a monopoly going on there.<br /></span><br /><span lang="EN-US">Would definitely recommend it but some tips</span><br /><span lang="EN-US">- don´t stand up because there are low powerlines in places and getting decapitated spoils everyones fun</span><br /><span lang="EN-US">- hire two cushions as its gets pretty uncomfortable up there especially for the nine hours we were up there for!<br /><br /></span><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308846967105879234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFVmI8Car7MRjaD1FFDSpyd4bVi2OB6j6ktRa_5EPVUjI8i3Fd4_CJs1p4P5N8i6CeP-NRjuBL3Qp7PZRIuYCArNjPyetccWdWAbyypiLa2jc9Rao7MUxTL3ZBuHURPMbtO0cYj5_iul7g/s320/IMG_3937.JPG" /><br /><span lang="EN-US">Back to Riobamba on the bus after the train. Went to some of the local markets, craft and food next day. The craft market wasn´t massive but it did give me chance to practice my Spanish as I tried to explain to a little old lady that I´d been instructed by my ex-flatmates to get them alpaca wool fingerless gloves with a flap over the top. I will confess to some hand gestures too though! The food market was manic, but did have some nice fresh pork and a drink which involved cutting a hole out the skin and drinking the juice through a straw directly from the fruit.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308846282793857858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQPj8NVlCPY938JLIHc9vGYihI6uzXp7SOcREe-c0uQ3nQgVRc1nfbLOvxKj0VJX_KG3zV0FQqgMdU5BVLxgKtwk4CZdY36y3UQsxU5m6RuXEONzL-pgzE9gNsoUXYfZOB_Q50NvvLIwu/s320/IMG_3952.JPG" /></span><br /><span lang="EN-US">My Spanish then got put to the test when I had to book accommodation for that night back in Quito. But we got to Quito and it was exactly what I had booked! He shoots, he scores! Was pleased with that. We stayed in Quito New Town that night, and had drinks in various bars and it was ok, but it could have been anywhere in the world as it was all very modern and swish.<br /><br /></span><span lang="EN-US">On Sunday we visited Ecuador´s busiest attraction, El Mitad del Mundo, the city in the middle of the world - the equator. Its basically a load of cafes and gift shops with a painted line running through it. Cheesy but fun. Its not actually the real equator though as the calculations were done many years ago by a Frenchman (I dunno, you give them one thing to do) and GPS has since shown it to be 240m down the road. You should see all the losers having the photo taken playing on the wrong equator. And yep, I was one of them!<br /><br /></span><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308845967747810722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7UKbp-ovm4V67qGZhg-eENdKWly4vbmNs31JjkMtwXYdtYsCuPMxoDBrLJK_IgTfDKCWaAVXvWKNpq7lOgHFu7n8r1YM6meZIwc1ofkDUausN1-JNiyhwXo_egltYyw3elGmDWdztPwXf/s320/IMG_3953.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412831972289654914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyHwGMR-u7_IjHr31xueoa42DwqXKBTOTqmaAAdk5m50t5MQSXJTS1loV66JlE5V1jmxZRzSAygl7DZnUAA4AYzq7x0f-P8cYUiDnyx8b864agRPDUtzismmmpGV6d7eTjsIWzeAxDnu2S/s320/IMG_3961.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308845585276601282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdm4KnCOf6mrg-4SuuKK1f7qfeyh7Kz2JFaT8txXMpFNt-F1wQmW4R-Z4Zso24wHRdAYzBebkdjxDz9VcZFi5Mr9af6n93NVaYSXplprj0EzTexuEOCc6lcoAsIxg-YghyphenhyphenV42xdw4Q1TmV/s320/IMG_3962.JPG" /><br /><span lang="EN-US">Luckily someone put together an exhibition on the real equator, which is much better. You can see water draining down different ways different sides of the equator, balance an egg on a nail (no centrifugal forces apparently), and other fun experiments. Its all a scam but it is fun. I managed to balance an egg on a nail, for which I got a certificate. Its probably my greatest achievement!<br /><br /></span><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308845370166062050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwIZvBlm84vTyEu-qwTQIZhAMmGhOigCKfYIvYtd8hYeprMxn5FxCOZUvgco21Hs7veSQU6T9bqNVlzHypbXanT9zmHjnP9oUeOHlly1m8kuzY_KKiA2M4gycyTuZioD-YAq2_2fqO5pFx/s320/IMG_3977.JPG" /><br /><span lang="EN-US">Went to the Basilica in Quito old town in the afternoon. Climbed all the way to the top of one of the towers up some fairly rickety steps and walkways. This definitely wouldn't be open to the public in the UK, but it did offer some good views over the city.</span></p><p><span lang="EN-US">On Monday Guy went home. Was really good having him out here for two weeks, so cheers mate. I just tried to sort stuff out the rest of the day, including laundry - rock and indeed roll. I also got a haircut, very exciting. Found a barbers near the hostel and ran my hand over my head while making a "zzzzzz" noise to ask if they had clippers. The answer was "si" so there was little else for me to say but "numero dos por favor!" I assumed clippers use a universal numbering system and they do. Was worried about a power cut here half way through as I had a ridiculous mohican for a while! Was a touch concerned when the cut throat razor appeared but he did a fine job, at least as fine as anyone can with me hair. And at $1.50 its trumped Mr Toppers on price too!<br /></span><br /><span lang="EN-US">Otovalo is famous for its Saturday crafts market, so what better day to go than Tuesday! Well I´m not around on a Saturday am I. I had failed to secure a trip mountain biking down Cotopaxi as nobody else in Quito wanted to do it apparently and there is a minimum group size. So rather than bumming around in Quito again I spent two and half hours each way travelling to spend two hours in Otavalo.<br /><br />The journey there passed quickly though because there was a TV and they were showing a Steven Seagal movie. As suspected you lose nothing in plot through a Spanish translation! Unfortunately although Steven Seagal is one of the finest actors of our generation and it is criminal he has been overlooked at the Oscars, Half Past Dead isn´t his finest hour and a half. I don´t know what film they played on the way back but it was deafeningly loud.<br /></span><br /><span lang="EN-US">Otavalo was nice and the market is seven days, other days just aren´t as busy and lack the atmosphere of Saturdays. It also means that because there are less tourists you are targeted by the sellers, so there was plenty of "no gracias." Not sure I can fit a 10 foot alapaca rug in my bag. I also met an American called Randy who had a massive moustache and beer belly. Honestly, you couldn't script it. Nice chap though.<br /></span><br /><span lang="EN-US">And so today, my blog is pretty much up to date for the first time! Went up the TeleferiQo, which is a cable car in Quito. It just takes you up a mountain where you´ve got city views, and there is a hike too which we did. Went up there with Yvonne, and Irish expat now living in Oz who was also staying in the hostel.<br /><br /></span><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308845173101796722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiZ0RCzUcHhS9XAJEnwnmy_X-5qjK_59jAixBIOdMV59OrKv0EVHl2ULJ00N-VEF_pVgpfCdvOn5gZc-sLH7eSe6Hy4IG1SIDqhrW-mLWIHzGVwBHXvYMIXYo7FCRJ4vX9CoBvE7KTx8fG/s320/IMG_4020.JPG" /><br /><span lang="EN-US">Off to Galapagos tomorrow for 8 days and 7 nights on a boat checking out some wildlife. In keeping with the rest of my trip, no doubt I'll be bullied by various animals. I also fully expect to spend most of the time hanging over the side being sick. But have stocked up on seasickness tablets, so hopefully be ok. I managed to order them in Spanish so didn´t need to draw a picture of a boat and make a being sick gesture. The pharmacist doesn´t realise how lucky she was.<br /><br />Charles Darwin came up with his theory of evolution while on Galapagos, and so I have been asked to report back on why I haven´t evolved. This coming from Jamie is a bit cheeky given evolution hasn´t exactly treated him kindly, but nevertheless watch this space and I´ll report when I´m back on the mainland.</span> </p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310195264520718153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4326297528959726796.post-61792198158221115082008-11-19T13:49:00.000-08:002009-12-06T23:22:54.530-08:00Its gripped, its sorted, lets climb Cotopaxi!So into South America. Met a fellow Brit Emily in San Jose airport. She was travelling onto Lima to work on a volunteer project with street kids. We met in a big queue to check in but there were no staff to check anyone in. But made it through eventually. Had a coffee and some food etc and parted ways. I´<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ve</span> got a mention in her blog though which is a proud moment for me, first of the trip that I know of!<br /><br /><div>Got through Quito airport (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">thats</span> in Ecuador for the geographically challenged amongst you...like me) in record time. I could see my bag going round the conveyor while I waited in line at customs. The guide book said that you get a 30, 60 or 90 day stamp depending what mood the customs person is in. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Couldn</span>´t seem to tell what mine said but lets hope I´m allowed out when the time comes.</div><br /><div>Taxi to the hostel was interesting. Almost crashed twice, I think crossing 4 lanes in one <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">manoeuvre</span> was the record, and almost killed a pedestrian, who for their trouble got shouted at by the driver. But made it to the Secret Garden Hostel. Really good place, very sociable. Instantly got invited to cram onto one single bed with 3 Aussies to watch a DVD (it was raining outside) but 3 was a big enough crush so politely declined. The hostel had good views of Quito from the roof terrace. Everyone sits up there and has dinner together so you meet loads of people.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-GTmXZMEtg7SSpRgX0SaP6xsE3cx5C6U4Az9RB3hyqaE9tD81mOTnr0w68XtJi3lhBD4ruS3c3o2DlS-YD6QWPS-c9X4bsYow-qcMIqVsnhVia_508KpDHTSmTKKYh1fKC0tVxruB-RR/s1600-h/IMG_3599.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270588327296525922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-GTmXZMEtg7SSpRgX0SaP6xsE3cx5C6U4Az9RB3hyqaE9tD81mOTnr0w68XtJi3lhBD4ruS3c3o2DlS-YD6QWPS-c9X4bsYow-qcMIqVsnhVia_508KpDHTSmTKKYh1fKC0tVxruB-RR/s320/IMG_3599.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>Ended up drinking and chatting with Chris from Australia and three Irish girls, Jill, Renee and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Emey</span>. Turned out <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Emey</span> worked for Ernst & Young too as a tax accountant. Between me being a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Microsoft</span> Excel geek and her tax knowledge we could have had some wild conversations, but as we were amongst polite civilised company - and an Aussie - we managed to stop ourselves. By 1.30am , and not under the influence of as much alcohol as you might think, myself and Chris agreed to go to a Salsa dancing lesson with the Irish girls at 10 the next morning.</div><br /><div>At 9.30am this was seeming less clever, but I still went along. Chris had pulled out though, something about having to get a bus to Colombia. I dunno, some people will come up with any excuse. But I went along and it was quite fun. It did provide chilling confirmation of what I already knew - I have no co-ordination. My feet just <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">weren</span>´t meant to move that quick. I ´danced´ with the Ecuadorian instructor, and managed not to break any of her toes with my size 11´s but only <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">because</span> my moves were so out of sync I barely got near her! As you would expect there was a reasonable height difference and when I had to spin her round (she kind of spins under your outstretched arm), I practically lifted her up off the floor. But it was fun and I definitely got better, but had to concentrate so hard, one lapse and I´d mess up.</div><div>After the exertions of one hours dancing I was knackered so just had a wander round Quito old town in the afternoon. That evening Guy, a mate from home arrived for a two week holiday.</div><br /><div>Next day we just tried to organise a few things and we decided we´d have a shot at climbing Cotopaxi a few days later, a volcano 5,897m high a couple of hours out of Quito. So we got fitted up for climbing boots, and various warm gear. Not having planned my trip properly I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">hadn</span>´t brought a warm, wind proof coat - I was just planning on wearing layers, all my clothes at once if necessary. I was anticipating buying a decent jacket when I get to Patagonia, as I will be going to the far south of the continent. But having spoken to a few people it became apparent that I would freeze to death long before Patagonia, i.e. in Bolivia, and layering up <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">wasn</span>´t going to cut it. And now climbing a mountain was another reason to get one. Its Ecuador´s finest mountaineering brand apparently.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje9c1COa6PN5bqfFnw-v4ThHjZKzdLq12tdLc8rHa1kk9wZmJuoJXR-u0u49z6Xwz5xSpG15tnVbEG4i966QZNF_Ls7J1srBZqr7eBIYey0H6i18RcFvWTmsfNIflAPaXmtomrvSlQbfoW/s1600-h/IMG_3615.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270588752016051266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje9c1COa6PN5bqfFnw-v4ThHjZKzdLq12tdLc8rHa1kk9wZmJuoJXR-u0u49z6Xwz5xSpG15tnVbEG4i966QZNF_Ls7J1srBZqr7eBIYey0H6i18RcFvWTmsfNIflAPaXmtomrvSlQbfoW/s320/IMG_3615.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>Next day we set off for Cotopaxi to spend a couple of nights in the Secret Garden hostel there to acclimatise (about 3,800m) before the big climb. It was a great view of the volcano and there would have been some good walking but it was raining so hard we <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">couldn't</span> go anywhere. The rain did abate late in the afternoon and we had a go at walking to a nearby waterfall. We had a to walk along the edge of a stream, and naturally I made a clean sweep of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">muppet</span> awards as my foot slipped off the bank and I got a welly full of water. The idea was that you cross the stream, but the water was so high from the rain we had to turn back.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzpmQaZJXxMIg5DeF7raoQXdFp-y7LpiSzhzvqjW4NEjz0w33iluQOVcXCVrm6UYNbc6_18a1adElKXw_e32DNWOrBakBAC3Kmf2BlOiP-ErFAL1L-pS0AhoA3LqC05Gq7-7fasr3s9R9/s1600-h/IMG_3671.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270590744111562226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzpmQaZJXxMIg5DeF7raoQXdFp-y7LpiSzhzvqjW4NEjz0w33iluQOVcXCVrm6UYNbc6_18a1adElKXw_e32DNWOrBakBAC3Kmf2BlOiP-ErFAL1L-pS0AhoA3LqC05Gq7-7fasr3s9R9/s320/IMG_3671.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>The hostel was nice though. It was very <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">eco</span>-friendly - there was no electric so there was a big fire and we ate by candlelight. The rooms had fires in too. There was even an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">eco</span> toilet, which was definitely the nicest toilet that was just a hole in a piece of wood I´<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">ve</span> ever seen! It even had a padded seat!</div><br /><div>We tried to acclimatize further the next day, so we along with Felicity, an Aussie, and Natalie, a German, who were also doing the climb got a taxi to take us along with some mountain bikes to another nearby peak. We left the bikes at about 4,500m and hiked to about 5000m. It was a beautiful clear day and the views were amazing. It was just so peaceful up there. Was a good lunch spot too. We then headed back to the bikes and cycled downhill to the hostel.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-3OvIuYG-5UZ708exZIDwbvBmsCub0AW3mmsDECfnjhcI4wDp9PLh7UV-r4AIn3eEIw47UOxzCDp_RI6UHwNj5uTppIf9FwbmskEk0h9_EbNZNTJt5dw7mPWtee65_-N8cLK7fQ8dtUS/s1600-h/IMG_3629.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270589553807424210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-3OvIuYG-5UZ708exZIDwbvBmsCub0AW3mmsDECfnjhcI4wDp9PLh7UV-r4AIn3eEIw47UOxzCDp_RI6UHwNj5uTppIf9FwbmskEk0h9_EbNZNTJt5dw7mPWtee65_-N8cLK7fQ8dtUS/s320/IMG_3629.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>The cycling was, err, interesting. The bike was too small for me, had about 5 working gears out of 21 and had limited braking. Holding both brakes on fully the whole way down was enough to just about control my descent most of the time, but it did get hairy a couple of times. Guy did manage to fall off but no damage done. It was over pretty rough terrain and then cobbles for ages, so was even more uncomfortable, but was fun, and having no brakes did give it a certain edge!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYn9RX-9bi4YYSfrwMUYZH_cz2NcC_glWSO2TYgFFDMOBOhiA1RbGLzy5bfd3UZcB9Jrq5bAluRYufjKOWqmCsqAB9Kyir-2hL6nTtEC_kMydBZxr_Vh6qHsQpbxE1czdBB6D61hlyxNi/s1600-h/IMG_3635.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270590107857610690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYn9RX-9bi4YYSfrwMUYZH_cz2NcC_glWSO2TYgFFDMOBOhiA1RbGLzy5bfd3UZcB9Jrq5bAluRYufjKOWqmCsqAB9Kyir-2hL6nTtEC_kMydBZxr_Vh6qHsQpbxE1czdBB6D61hlyxNi/s320/IMG_3635.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>The following day we headed up to the Cotopaxi refuge (4,800m) armed with our climbing gear. Today was about conserving energy, so they just took us up a bit to practice walking with our crampons and ice picks. You actually use it like a walking stick rather than a pick axe, holding the blade end and sticking the handle in the ground. I think using it as a pick is for more technical climbs. Cotopaxi is not a technical climb and you don´t need experience to do it, hence why clowns like me were doing it! We also practiced how to use the pick to stop ourselves if we happen to be sliding face first down a mountain. So we slid down and stopped ourselves!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXb-T5LcFRWcMTf-gydTwlzTc5yRGZ46BXH0f2sJYhY4dUplapNJLWaCcSGgqoC0T0SSNGbFsFCVKuQeWTQaZ0Njlfx_Z2GnllYRzyik7yN5heukqxASwDsap3VOmIzMQnt7HLf4h2V0w4/s1600-h/IMG_3686.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270591414986964914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXb-T5LcFRWcMTf-gydTwlzTc5yRGZ46BXH0f2sJYhY4dUplapNJLWaCcSGgqoC0T0SSNGbFsFCVKuQeWTQaZ0Njlfx_Z2GnllYRzyik7yN5heukqxASwDsap3VOmIzMQnt7HLf4h2V0w4/s320/IMG_3686.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>Dinner at 6pm that night then off to bed at 7.30pm because we had to be up at midnight to start the climb. It is expected to take between 5 and 7 hours to reach the summit so the hope is you can get up and down before the sun melts the snow too much which makes it pretty treacherous. So after a midnight breakfast we set off about 1.30am lit up only by the stars and our head torches. I felt fine at 5,000m the previous day so was optimistic but you never know how altitude will affect you, and 5,900m is certainly a long way up.</div><div>We were a group of 7, and you get one guide per two people. I initially had a guide to myself (Guy had unfortunately decided not to do it), but when one girl had to go down another chap, Fabian, joined me. When anyone can´t make it and has to go down a guide goes with them. Fabian ended up having to go down too so I joined another group of two. So there was the Ecuadorian <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">guide</span>, an Englishman, an Irishman and a Slovenian - sure there must be a joke in there somewhere.</div><br /><div>The climbing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">wasn</span>´t too bad mostly. It was steep in places - up to 60 degrees - but was do-able. You had to jam your crampons in forward to get make sure you <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">didn</span>`t slip but this was fine. We were roped to each other but we <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">weren</span>´t attached to the mountain so if one person slips you all do. It was nice climbing in the dark, and the views of the lights stretching for miles was good, and I really enjoyed the first few hours. It then started to get harder as the air thinned and it seemed to stay pretty steep too. It kind of looked a few times like you were at the top but then another hill would appear. Being the sad loser that I am, at some points on the climb I did actually start doing random times tables to see if my brain was still working and whether altitude was affecting me!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2PS91UWt_MwjZtzANakuoef3MWAk8BpZQk39Ps6J6dpBL5qVzFf-fUKTH6DIsAzPfvBtVs_uVdCcl05sWN2lj2FE9746RHk_NSnFIkuT0ah0sexWkGB1-iWcMpNgWZ_uUAOCiiTDgEIXg/s1600-h/IMG_3708.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270592887696464434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2PS91UWt_MwjZtzANakuoef3MWAk8BpZQk39Ps6J6dpBL5qVzFf-fUKTH6DIsAzPfvBtVs_uVdCcl05sWN2lj2FE9746RHk_NSnFIkuT0ah0sexWkGB1-iWcMpNgWZ_uUAOCiiTDgEIXg/s320/IMG_3708.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>Just after 7 we did reach the summit. The feeling was more relief than euphoria in the end. It is so hard climbing at that height. At times we´d take just a few steps and have to rest, completely out of breath. Took some photos when I got to the top, the kind of collapsed in a heap for a few minutes.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMIxcepO0V7sgnFTOla8sk4wPRJCjJccIwh-Wp2GDjDMrwO3u4AU5pax1da3QcspPl5R6A2plj_C076kCsndQKo7-qTjakoK5zuJC2w7BSCARST0-LcsW8yPeSkNmvwTU0fhlnUNY4nwh/s1600-h/IMG_3718.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270591887482699202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMIxcepO0V7sgnFTOla8sk4wPRJCjJccIwh-Wp2GDjDMrwO3u4AU5pax1da3QcspPl5R6A2plj_C076kCsndQKo7-qTjakoK5zuJC2w7BSCARST0-LcsW8yPeSkNmvwTU0fhlnUNY4nwh/s320/IMG_3718.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div></div><br />It is difficult to describe what it is like doing it because you´re struggling for breath so much and its such hard work. It was similar to the last few km of the marathon I did, where it does become a bit of a mental battle, but I knew I had the energy and my legs felt <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">ok</span> and I felt well enough with the altitude so you just take it steady and push on. At the top I did have a bit of a headache, and a slight urge to be sick or pass out or both, but this it wasn't that bad and I felt largely <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">ok</span>.<br /><br /><div>The views were pretty amazing across the valleys and into the crater so just about worth the effort in the end!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyt0cVvEFGYhUVZOcLmp9_BRf5P0RGctkom1VKRvdhoGvmG5PweYQBdVBWqtiDqD1FeIP0qCTACtpOfeIRzyPyR0SObhGxotl_knUgwrP8nKLBNRjlCRBzSx_annkuERt2fKszxKABi-IM/s1600-h/IMG_3722.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270592402307995330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyt0cVvEFGYhUVZOcLmp9_BRf5P0RGctkom1VKRvdhoGvmG5PweYQBdVBWqtiDqD1FeIP0qCTACtpOfeIRzyPyR0SObhGxotl_knUgwrP8nKLBNRjlCRBzSx_annkuERt2fKszxKABi-IM/s320/IMG_3722.JPG" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fVc-oewezPTRe4iiTrEYo5L7F64nhVVGUnUAtZ-cihr6cG2-9uAhE0PNZlV3SjhXOgPZWlnL71Vley0mq0HGU1c_yf8_u9vAuMWvr1XmaAitsBj3sKvhzg-zjLg08eVQV-s3M93sUFC8/s1600-h/IMG_3710.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270593358715385154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fVc-oewezPTRe4iiTrEYo5L7F64nhVVGUnUAtZ-cihr6cG2-9uAhE0PNZlV3SjhXOgPZWlnL71Vley0mq0HGU1c_yf8_u9vAuMWvr1XmaAitsBj3sKvhzg-zjLg08eVQV-s3M93sUFC8/s320/IMG_3710.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Getting down <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">wasn</span>´t fun though. The Irish guy was in a bad way with altitude sickness, and he was going off-piste both literally and metaphorically. He could barely put one foot in front of the other and was all over the shop to start with, which is a bit scary when you´re all roped together. Sliding down on our bums <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">didn</span>´t work either - you all have to be going at the same speed because you´re attached to each other, otherwise the harness just crushes your balls. Ouch. Made it down in three hours in the end. We were all getting tired and falling over a lot too. The guide said "going up....good, going down....terrible."<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0g_g0YCyDfIJ88HM5ceaJgVzoaCcKHBC-HK2JV7sHWl7NhYEHdMXpq9br6mv7KoAU-3CmoIRQyc_gGRQpZ6It7ImvPvikGBlyqrvC8dT5DQOp1eAdIG2OrZMnv1P-K_wh-ZGyevrsejrV/s1600-h/IMG_3735.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270593842172822322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0g_g0YCyDfIJ88HM5ceaJgVzoaCcKHBC-HK2JV7sHWl7NhYEHdMXpq9br6mv7KoAU-3CmoIRQyc_gGRQpZ6It7ImvPvikGBlyqrvC8dT5DQOp1eAdIG2OrZMnv1P-K_wh-ZGyevrsejrV/s320/IMG_3735.JPG" border="0" /></a> <div>Overall it was good and very glad I did it, and would definitely recommend it. There <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">aren</span>´t many mountains where you can get that high with no technical expertise or experience. And if <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">muppets</span> like your humble narrator can do it, anyone can, although it is a bit pot luck if you can cope with the altitude. Have to say though that I don´t have any great desire to do another any time soon. Not exactly emotionally scarred from the experience but feel quite contented with just having been up Cotopaxi for now.</div>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310195264520718153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4326297528959726796.post-20911878909217800472008-11-19T11:06:00.000-08:002009-12-06T23:21:50.149-08:00Chased by monkeys and ambushed by a racoonSeeing the turtles was one of the highlights of my trip so far, but after that it was back to La <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Fortuna</span> for a night before transferring to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Monteverde</span> the next morning. I was now travelling for a bit with a Danish girl called <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Mette</span> who was on the turtle tour who was going in the same direction. Rather than spend five hours catching two buses to get to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Monteverde</span>, we did the Jeep-Boat-Jeep option. This unfortunately wasn't jeep in the strictest sense of the word, it was in fact jeep in the minibus sense of the word, so not quite what it said on the tin. But nevertheless the boat ride across <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Laguna</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Arenal</span> was pleasant, and it did save some time for not a massive amount of extra expense. <div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCpTzythAj2tgZ3J3AMLOhQ24Ph0LfVocFBDQEp2tU-0kdIMV_uT6U810GmzAnso79ZeR2rway4VkJrQaX6nmde5hp5M38wmN4bNdyjrE1Z6LUPb81tMKlsMlfQb-h1pJRejkDgs2aAx3/s1600-h/IMG_3362.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270576663503265922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCpTzythAj2tgZ3J3AMLOhQ24Ph0LfVocFBDQEp2tU-0kdIMV_uT6U810GmzAnso79ZeR2rway4VkJrQaX6nmde5hp5M38wmN4bNdyjrE1Z6LUPb81tMKlsMlfQb-h1pJRejkDgs2aAx3/s320/IMG_3362.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Did some more zip lining again that afternoon - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Monetverde</span> was where this craze all began apparently. It was quite a good one as it included a rappel and a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">tarzan</span> swing as well as some pretty long zip lines. There was one that if you went on your own you'd probably get stuck in the middle about 300m from either end, so <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Mette</span> had the dubious pleasure of having my legs wrapped round her for the duration of the zip. I'm sure she was honoured. I was also responsible for braking, something she probably would have been less happy about had she ever seen me drive.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEzLAABx_bsaDvRCAY9qlYg9TUrCs1oKoBHBwk2tX50gzmUw5lDeQa6ROm_kIHoKr9ojwadAqFnomurjcPS2-saZmmNwKAkb5gCS1sE7Oe5TEUet_cKWjukWx9KhFd11obclpoy-yGVeYA/s1600-h/IMG_3376.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270577800737161506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEzLAABx_bsaDvRCAY9qlYg9TUrCs1oKoBHBwk2tX50gzmUw5lDeQa6ROm_kIHoKr9ojwadAqFnomurjcPS2-saZmmNwKAkb5gCS1sE7Oe5TEUet_cKWjukWx9KhFd11obclpoy-yGVeYA/s320/IMG_3376.JPG" border="0" /></a>Can't help thinking that health and safety on this one wasn't as good as in La <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Fortuna</span>. Rather than getting a custom made leather <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">mit</span> to brake with using your right hand, we got a gardening glove with a piece of leather glued to it. We weren't clipped onto anything when transferring between platforms either, but I somehow managed not to do anything stupid and everything was fine. That evening met up with Martin from Preston again for some drinks as he was in the same hostel.<br /><br />Next day did some wildlife viewing. Started by doing a tour round the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Monteverde</span> Cloud Forest Reserve. This was interesting. Saw monkeys, tarantulas, a hummingbird and loads of different types of plant. We could only see the hummingbird through the guides telescope type thing and he took pictures through it. Unfortunately he changed all the settings on my camera to be able to take them and being a technological idiot, it took me ages to work out what he'd changed.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQuoWJGdJAkZghkNJWPKo81q8eihqAO3Jk8imCu7l6vQCCMGDHp_y5PG1Sax7O8HOLjmDeG_nly5DLdkQoufiolLKxbIv2oro_ozdqpNsMM7anRTU91njchpcViCVIbFwchBUzdtHOhR91/s1600-h/IMG_3399.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270579440621711026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQuoWJGdJAkZghkNJWPKo81q8eihqAO3Jk8imCu7l6vQCCMGDHp_y5PG1Sax7O8HOLjmDeG_nly5DLdkQoufiolLKxbIv2oro_ozdqpNsMM7anRTU91njchpcViCVIbFwchBUzdtHOhR91/s320/IMG_3399.JPG" border="0" /></a>Interesting facts from the trip were<br />- hummingbirds use spiders webs in their nests so the nest expands as their young grow<br />- wasps kill tarantulas and lay their eggs inside, which later burst out Alien style<br />- <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">epiphyte</span> trees grow from top to bottom, i.e. roots grow down the host tree and then into the ground, only killing the host tree when it has laid its own roots<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiGOIoYjH8_5BKt6mNSiY6atowAhyphenhyphenB5FNLh3X_iBVQns-Oyb3Mtg5n9lUwXY9_Mfr24QCD-0LyTJg1wG0kQe8TFfYeEgowuCyhMtse8WQE66LgYQqUCrh6c1-2T1rTKVt-HuXB91RgRApw/s1600-h/IMG_3380.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270578669077298978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiGOIoYjH8_5BKt6mNSiY6atowAhyphenhyphenB5FNLh3X_iBVQns-Oyb3Mtg5n9lUwXY9_Mfr24QCD-0LyTJg1wG0kQe8TFfYeEgowuCyhMtse8WQE66LgYQqUCrh6c1-2T1rTKVt-HuXB91RgRApw/s320/IMG_3380.JPG" border="0" /></a>Anyway David Bellamy routine over. On the way back walked down a pretty steep hill to go look at the San Luis waterfall, but not for the first time with my navigation we didn't find it. It was definitely signposted down there but think the proper good view was the next turn.<br /><br />Went on some hanging bridges in the afternoon, which are rope bridges over the tops of the trees (the sort of bridges that keep breaking in Indiana Jones films). The bridges held though, nor did they really wobble much which was disappointing (unlike the one over the Thames), and as it was raining we didn't see much wildlife either. But it was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">ok</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLHyf5TSnd8DMIqtsduntY024dhEi9kQFd0uZivYXpmnyMV2DSE3UvMXjzepLY3xv3EjDaxoOsbrT_tG1TyOq6ByOYDf-llwJirZ6v7TFybwEvdmHWBjuUBtus38FSnxa_5LGRkkGFnXQC/s1600-h/IMG_3427.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270580475869000882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLHyf5TSnd8DMIqtsduntY024dhEi9kQFd0uZivYXpmnyMV2DSE3UvMXjzepLY3xv3EjDaxoOsbrT_tG1TyOq6ByOYDf-llwJirZ6v7TFybwEvdmHWBjuUBtus38FSnxa_5LGRkkGFnXQC/s320/IMG_3427.JPG" border="0" /></a>Did a night tour too, and saw more tarantulas and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">funnelweb</span> spiders amongst other things. It started raining half way through so put my hood up, but when it stopped I took it down. It then rained again but I was less keen to put it up because I wasn't sure what spiders etc might have landed in there in the meantime.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Mette</span> departed next morning as she was off home. I hiked round the Santa Elena Reserve which was a decent few km. It chucked it down with rain the whole time, and the bus that takes you back down every 3 hours helpfully failed to turn up. The waiting time was passed though by watching some pig that was just hanging around - perhaps it was waiting for the bus too. But soaking wet with no dry clothes I was getting pretty cold so started walking the 6km back to the hostel as it was the only way to get warm, but managed to hitch two different lifts to the bottom which was pretty handy. They're friendly these Costa <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Rican</span> folks.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbeg8I6OSaNtOSbNH_p-2KVwAXNlD9aTBXpDn3kovKDKf4LcupO6cGUyUULUQzZ62Rn2kUtm2NyJQsN2unC32XhLzYrASjYc_3x6ewuEdG0oGudx9bN4f5MGHNN_hBskf4hzTHUNkw29wr/s1600-h/IMG_3462.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270581172235536514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbeg8I6OSaNtOSbNH_p-2KVwAXNlD9aTBXpDn3kovKDKf4LcupO6cGUyUULUQzZ62Rn2kUtm2NyJQsN2unC32XhLzYrASjYc_3x6ewuEdG0oGudx9bN4f5MGHNN_hBskf4hzTHUNkw29wr/s320/IMG_3462.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />All <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">wildlifed</span> out it was time to head to the beach, so up at the crack of dawn to get a bus to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Puntarenas</span> to then connect to a bus to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Quepos</span>. Had lost all circulation in my legs on this bus as there really was no leg room. As usual apparently with Central America, it would be too sensible to have a bus station, so we were dropped in a different part of town to where the next bus went from. Have to own up to a bit of following everyone else as didn't fully understand the directions from the bus driver.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Quepos</span> is the town where lots of people to stay to go to the beaches and national park at Manuel Antonio half an hour down the road. Went down there when I arrived but the afternoon rains came so cut it short.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfl4VtAnJm8RYU4U7v2UnYKQbWnz7zh-GWS3RLO6GYv6kWgomCBotwHqNIzMR4PFJ5etcnvq9O1prj0fV6Wt4FCZRuRAMeAhz5qDNocsVSnTHwMeJxsaJfqgwG-dtHtCCa0B4q5ahCevbF/s1600-h/IMG_3470.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270581656733024658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfl4VtAnJm8RYU4U7v2UnYKQbWnz7zh-GWS3RLO6GYv6kWgomCBotwHqNIzMR4PFJ5etcnvq9O1prj0fV6Wt4FCZRuRAMeAhz5qDNocsVSnTHwMeJxsaJfqgwG-dtHtCCa0B4q5ahCevbF/s320/IMG_3470.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Next day though set off early to beat the rain and hike round the national park and check out the beaches there. Were some really nice walks there. Was walking a bit behind some couple when we saw some monkeys jumping through the trees. They obviously got spooked by something though because a load of them jumped down onto the path and started snarling at us. Perhaps they didn't like my deodorant. Then a couple of them came for us, so we started running. Fortunately this other couple were between me and the monkeys acting as a kind of human shield. Obviously the monkeys would have caught us had they wanted to! After a brief discussion about the film Outbreak - these were the same white faced monkeys as the film - we decided to backtrack and take an alternative trail. Monkeys 1 Humans 0.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzM557pn6IJrMlNGw14QziwwmirytrVao41rmbg-rC5uzj-_SRnI97e2ZTHIejptrj4x053U0j9wsZPafcsBVlNScg0IUO5oSJ9ozhh9Y6W0bV-EG9by5Pm6kOGBchdQBxKhERMTvVfI8K/s1600-h/IMG_3479.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270582579197254034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzM557pn6IJrMlNGw14QziwwmirytrVao41rmbg-rC5uzj-_SRnI97e2ZTHIejptrj4x053U0j9wsZPafcsBVlNScg0IUO5oSJ9ozhh9Y6W0bV-EG9by5Pm6kOGBchdQBxKhERMTvVfI8K/s320/IMG_3479.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />There were some nice beaches there though. Some white faced monkeys did appear on one of the beaches I was on, but I kept a safe distance and naturally made sure I was hiding behind other tourists. The guide book said the monkeys are notorious for stealing food from peoples stuff, and at one point it looked like they were performing a classic flanking <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">manoeuvre</span> on a couple of people: two monkeys play around and pose for photos while a couple more sneak round the back and raid the picnic basket, but I don't think the monkeys had seen enough Yogi bear cartoons and the sandwiches were safe.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_v2ChPblq1U1ElpwCUkAFfBYkDlditfB4oEwYP5lUdUShhvAeAO9AASlYI8ZYwpEbyUXyQccZstEwzbMBBklpr6mx_zQuPt665194xl5uKhtN7baIyS0R0ZKB8ERJlaTwPrDm9o_wxr4W/s1600-h/IMG_3475.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270583256831671650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_v2ChPblq1U1ElpwCUkAFfBYkDlditfB4oEwYP5lUdUShhvAeAO9AASlYI8ZYwpEbyUXyQccZstEwzbMBBklpr6mx_zQuPt665194xl5uKhtN7baIyS0R0ZKB8ERJlaTwPrDm9o_wxr4W/s320/IMG_3475.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Later on I was lying on another beach using my bag as a headrest just chilling reading my book minding my own business when I heard a noise and turned round to find a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">racoon</span> about a foot from my face. I'd made the mistake of leaving my bag open a couple of inches and it was having a rummage. Being scared of pretty much all animals I was on my feet in a flash, but the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">racoon</span> just carried on. When I pulled my bag away it even held on for a second or two with its teeth. Realising that it wasn't getting its lunch off me, it casually wandered off to ambush other unsuspecting tourists (most of whom had been watching this little episode with great amusement, seeing the tall guy get bullied by a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">racoon</span>). <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Racoon</span> 1 Pete 0. Was pretty funny 'interacting' with the animals though!<br /><br />Next day I headed back to San Jose and decided I wanted to see a volcano after my failed effort in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Fortuna</span>. Would definitely recommend <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Directo</span> buses if they're available as they don't stop every 100m to pick people up like every other bus I'd taken in Costa Rica so far. Just wondered around San Jose that afternoon. Went to the Museum of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Pre</span>-Colombian Gold and went inside the very plush <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">Teatro</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Nacional</span>. Was going to go to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">Museo</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">Nacional</span> to learn about how Costa Rica was colonized but it was closed so the most cultural thing I found to do instead was do a price and menu comparison between the UK and Costa Rica for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">McDonalds</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">KFC</span> and Burger King. Brief conclusions are as follows<br />- its slightly cheaper but not massively<br />- there don't appear to be any Costa Rica specific burgers (unlike in Oz where you get the imaginatively titled Aussie Burger)<br />- Costa <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">Ricans</span> don't like spicy food that much as they didn't do the Zinger Tower burger. Disgraceful<br /><br />For those wondering, I didn't do the triple crown, i.e. have a meal from all three in a single day. Chilled in the hostel in the evening and chatted to an American biologist called Katharine who now lives in Ecuador.<br /><br />Last day in Costa Rica I did the 4-in-1 tour. Started with a tour of a coffee plantation, then onto <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">Volcan</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">Poas</span>. My record of not seeing volcanoes almost continued but we were lucky enough to see into the crater for about 30 seconds before the clouds rolled in and that was it. You have to get there before 10 or you'll never see it because of the clouds. Also quite lucky because if the wind was blowing in the other direction, you pretty much have to run to the viewpoint, take a quick few photos and run back again as the smell of sulphur is too overpowering.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3FhiKlobZC2f07jPPMnjZg_IAuuOLnTMxwox6ESFCT9hEBto_j1H5D7MR3KPwRyISN8AV1rUIdFsa6vGIinmgqk56BuvrgONfPiqv4okWxustF_L1i-MxkP8ZF7l8nnvKuMYXuExJG3_/s1600-h/IMG_3511.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270583826077415538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3FhiKlobZC2f07jPPMnjZg_IAuuOLnTMxwox6ESFCT9hEBto_j1H5D7MR3KPwRyISN8AV1rUIdFsa6vGIinmgqk56BuvrgONfPiqv4okWxustF_L1i-MxkP8ZF7l8nnvKuMYXuExJG3_/s320/IMG_3511.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />After <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">Poas</span> we stopped off at a shop where we got plied with numerous samples of alcohol in the hope we'd buy something, all at 10.30am. Somewhat out of character, I bought some nice fresh strawberries instead of booze. It was then onto La <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">Paz</span> waterfall gardens where we saw toucans, parrots, hummingbirds and monkeys amongst other things.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrVlDULAhhkznUjnQf9n3ru761uQ1VSpJRLvVZyssUx9DBLUSEmlwY525ILP775y2g3MGSjlWllUaHh-xb9UzBs-o_g46PAJnHaWQ_HXzU5IYefVnrRURRAcN27-a7flCIZvd5EdTU-0y/s1600-h/IMG_3531.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270585672608646322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrVlDULAhhkznUjnQf9n3ru761uQ1VSpJRLvVZyssUx9DBLUSEmlwY525ILP775y2g3MGSjlWllUaHh-xb9UzBs-o_g46PAJnHaWQ_HXzU5IYefVnrRURRAcN27-a7flCIZvd5EdTU-0y/s320/IMG_3531.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />The waterfalls were pretty picturesque. Next time you go to a waterfall, stare at the same spot for 20 seconds, then look at your hand as it looks like your fingers are growing, or look to the side of the waterfall as it appears to be climbing too.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj95kJ-xNyxuUURRn5lHVS9P8tavN3LkE5MkVjs16ll9KjdkzjjXB7Bv7FJWHonh9VZKqcwAvJV6XwMs-dqZliYSl86C0ElnTpAyTR9L1kLQVffa1N6Po6EDGDC5LJKg6wg-39le0v3IK0X/s1600-h/IMG_3577.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270586238212915234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj95kJ-xNyxuUURRn5lHVS9P8tavN3LkE5MkVjs16ll9KjdkzjjXB7Bv7FJWHonh9VZKqcwAvJV6XwMs-dqZliYSl86C0ElnTpAyTR9L1kLQVffa1N6Po6EDGDC5LJKg6wg-39le0v3IK0X/s320/IMG_3577.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />The 4<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40">th</span> attraction was a boat trip to spot wildlife. This was much like the trips in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_41">Tortuguero</span>, so didn't see much I hadn't seen already....except for an osprey carrying a big fish under its wing.</div><div></div><br /><div>An observation on Costa Rica: They get hot showers by attaching some contraption to the showers which heats the water as it goes through. It does involve a lot of electric wires in very close proximity to water; can´t help thinking that it might raise a few health and safety eyebrows back in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_42">Blighty</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhusZ_3cM7eTlEa151FVRCudX_CkZY5ktrwTBUGRhTNVVR0ECC6hHHCC0IfCfFvmDNI9PJvIixNPyVIlQrzPsP_RtZc0CBgPigQ5KpFl_rM732iqK2TqNVBRbrKKnE5_Z4PzRr2dtKfuKIU/s1600-h/IMG_3596.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270586810495363826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhusZ_3cM7eTlEa151FVRCudX_CkZY5ktrwTBUGRhTNVVR0ECC6hHHCC0IfCfFvmDNI9PJvIixNPyVIlQrzPsP_RtZc0CBgPigQ5KpFl_rM732iqK2TqNVBRbrKKnE5_Z4PzRr2dtKfuKIU/s320/IMG_3596.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div>In terms of my Spanish, I have been making an effort, in that I have been using it to buy bus tickets and food etc where I can. I have once or twice slipped into the Steve <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_43">McClaren</span> method of talking English in a Spanish accent with Spanish mannerisms, but am not yet ready to fully adopt that approach as I think I´m <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_44">progressing</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_45">ok</span> albeit pretty slowly with the actual language.</div>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310195264520718153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4326297528959726796.post-88998037349235419382008-11-03T15:01:00.000-08:002009-12-06T23:20:47.446-08:00Costa Rica, land of liability waivers...and turtles<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Pura</span> Vida!<br /><div><br />So it was onwards and downwards to Costa Rica. Was originally planning to go straight to South America but had to change planes in Costa Rica or Panama, so with flawless logic, I decided to stop in Costa Rica for a couple of weeks. By the way why do we call Costa Rica Costa Rica and not translate it to Rich Coast yet we translate Cote D´<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Ivoire</span> to Ivory Coast? The mind boggles.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div>Anyway, after a few nights where I probably overdid the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Mojitos</span>, Crystals and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Bocaneros</span> in Cuba, I needed some R&R, so what better place to do it than San Jose...well actually lots of better places because San Jose <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">isn</span>´t that nice. Its mostly just ugly modern concrete buildings on narrow streets choked with traffic and pedestrians. Very claustrophobic and not a great deal in the way of tourist attractions either. The link below probably <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">doesn</span>´t <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">describe</span> San Jose but is quite funny. Had a wander round <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">nonetheless</span> but mostly chilled in the hostel.</div><div><a href="http://idler.co.uk/category/crap-towns/" target="_blank">http://idler.co.uk/category/<wbr>crap-towns/</a><br /><br /></div><div></div><div>Next day got the bus to La <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Fortuna</span>. It took four and a half hours and the leg room was less than generous, in fact it was actually quite painful, as buses here <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">aren</span>´t designed for those of us who are 6´6". But got there in tact and checked into the hostel, where I bumped into someone I know from home - small world!<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Volcan</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Arenal</span> is the main attraction in La <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Fortuna</span>, and on a clear night you can see the lava coming down it, so booked myself onto a tour to go see it. Booked it at 2.30pm in glorious sunshine, but by 3.30 the clouds had rolled in and by 4 it was pouring with rain. Did a walk through some forest first to see some wildlife but most of it had the good sense to stay dry so all we saw was an eyelash viper. Very poisonous apparently.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjykKoRZjDjmXsq5EepnKcH0hsRk1IxFaYldUNIAI855kXjWTE-tuEyIu_mdz3z7BnW6KaLAeEGC71FDMjLUFGWabxBkGeg99TH65Q7CTx12PkkqlN5M_u_UPZ5r90kI0cNORRQ61kLkMpj/s1600-h/IMG_3105.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270573162115359330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjykKoRZjDjmXsq5EepnKcH0hsRk1IxFaYldUNIAI855kXjWTE-tuEyIu_mdz3z7BnW6KaLAeEGC71FDMjLUFGWabxBkGeg99TH65Q7CTx12PkkqlN5M_u_UPZ5r90kI0cNORRQ61kLkMpj/s320/IMG_3105.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div></div><div>The rain <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">hadn</span>´t abated by the time we got to the volcano, and we sat staring at a gap between two trees hoping we might catch a glimpse of some lava. Having seen nothing for half an hour, for all we knew the tour guide could have been stringing us on and the volcano could have been behind us and we were looking at nothing, but eventually we did see some specs of orange. Disappointing but apparently lots of people don´t see it. Its not the first time I´<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">ve</span> turned up a spectacular view and seen nothing - Blue Mountains springs to mind.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div>After the volcano went to the hot springs with Emily from Canada and Emilie from Sweden, two girls from the hostel who were also on the bus from San Jose. The springs were really good. They were kind of set in a river which is naturally warmed by the volcano.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div>Next day having had a rare moment of bravery/stupidity the previous day when I booked it, I went canyoning, which basically involved <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">rapelling</span> (lowering yourself down a rope) down five waterfalls and one cliff. Was fun and got pretty wet but was slightly underwhelmed as I (surprisingly) <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">wasn</span>´t scared standing at the top looking down, nor was I any good at it, so I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">didn</span>´t get the rush of whizzing down really fast. But glad I did it.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div>Did some zip lining in the afternoon, which is sliding down ropes between trees. I think the longest was about 600m, although there are some in Costa Rica that are over 1km. The best bit was the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">tarzan</span> swing where you are attached to a rope and you step off a platform and just swing. Cool. So that was two liability waiver forms signed in one day!<br /><br /></div><div></div><div>In the spirit of continuing with dangerous activities, went white water rafting the next day (and another disclaimer form). It was grade 3/4 and I had only done grade 2´s before. Was really good fun. As it had been raining most of the night, the river was much quicker and it was rough enough not to be boring but not so rough as to be scary, so it suited me fine. I know Kris once had a near death experience on some rapids and I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">wasn</span>´t planning on doing the same.<br /><br />Not sure I´m the right shape for rafting though, because I never ever really felt balanced. I started at the front of the raft, but over balanced into the boat on the first rapid almost! Oops. I was (somewhat harshly I think) relegated towards the back of the boat but this suited me fine. Was a good ride from there. I had to take all instructions in Spanish though - there were 4 Americans, 2 Spaniards and me in the group so I was in the boat with the Spaniards. Got the hang of the calls for paddle forward, paddle backwards, and stop, but never got the hang of "we´re in trouble, everyone get in the boat and get down" but by copying the Spaniards I got by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">ok</span>!<br /><br /></div><div></div><div>Went out for some food that evening with Martin from Preston who was also staying in the hostel. When we got back to the hostel it was dark and it felt like it was time for bed, but it was only 6pm...so we had some Imperials - la <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">cerveza</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">de</span> Costa Rica - with some English girls who were travelling through Central America. Costa Rica is more or less directly below Cuba but is two hours different and it gets light at 4.30am and dark at 5pm. Maybe its to take advantage of the sun before the afternoon rain rolls in, but despite being on holiday, you do find yourself getting up and going to bed really early.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div>Some of the girls in the hostel had spent a month or so <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">volunteering</span> at a Turtle conservation place and some other people had been and said it was good, so I managed to organise a trip out to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Tortuguero</span> on the Caribbean coast to see the Green Sea Turtles nesting as it was still nesting season just. Up at 5am and it took two buses and two boats to get there. Had a Spanish lesson from Ivan, the driver of the first bus on the way! Saw plenty of wildlife en route - numerous birds, monkeys, iguanas and a crocodile, although the fact that the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">croc</span> was just sitting on the bank in plain view almost posing for tourist photos did lead me to suspect it may have been plastic.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-wqbpkqo5BOI0mOrEVYYJsFQrkncYWRcC6mQr6eeP_00mcxWIKXblS7gAIW7ZiZscdpeuONQXiLa0sx2NkhVYohXMVqVvFl18nKFJQT1KgKdu80A0LatbRBf6IWggNz6AhHTGLxjIFG1/s1600-h/IMG_3195.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270573978119571682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-wqbpkqo5BOI0mOrEVYYJsFQrkncYWRcC6mQr6eeP_00mcxWIKXblS7gAIW7ZiZscdpeuONQXiLa0sx2NkhVYohXMVqVvFl18nKFJQT1KgKdu80A0LatbRBf6IWggNz6AhHTGLxjIFG1/s320/IMG_3195.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div></div><div>That evening at dinner there was almost a major diplomatic incident when an American stole my pudding. I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">don't</span> care whether the UK and the US have a special relationship or not, you <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">don't</span> mess with my pudding. The ever diplomatic Scandinavians came to the rescue though as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Mette</span>, a Danish girl, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">didn't</span> want her pudding so let me have it.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div>The main event though was going onto the beach late at night and watching the turtles lay their eggs. These turtles are huge and weigh between 200 and 400 pounds, and in the pitch dark lit only by a tiny light the ranger had we watched one lay its eggs, fill the hole in to protect them, then drag itself back down the beach to the sea. This is all done with its flippers which are designed for nothing more than swimming so its a massive effort for the turtles. They lay 120<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">ish</span> eggs in one go and only 2-3 will survive because of predators. Watching this was really amazing.<br /><br />Walking to the beach almost in complete darkness I casually remarked to an American girl who was walking at the back that "in horror films, its usually the person at the back who gets it first." She <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">wasn</span>´t impressed - this sort of thing is clearly taken quite seriously stateside!<br /><br /></div><div></div><div>Next day was further wildlife spotting around the natural canals of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">Tortuguero</span>, followed by a jungle walk. We saw Caymans, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">poisonous</span> frogs and toads, leaf cutter ants, and spider and white faced monkeys. The jungle walk culminated on the beach, and our guide spotted a turtles next that had been dug up by dogs, and there were some turtles only a few hours old having probably hatched that morning in distress, so we all had to carry a turtle to the water. They were only little, about the size of the palm of my hand. Mine kept kicking its back flipper - I was scared I was going to break it! Someone suggested seeing how far we could skim them, but decided it was best just to put them down near the water. They took a few tentative steps and waves came and they swam away. Hopefully we gave them a slightly better chance of survival.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBC1k14iBIQyIsBRi68V1VLa1uUi3ms9lUVHxtNm40dkn1uMbWWuG7QkWPayI70ksMIAj6w_LGDpu9Jm8eKsiDy4jsE63BMW0JKGbuJx3Kvll8er74tQI3J5xwtK5Jy0nkFfDl1J0wwV6z/s1600-h/IMG_3343.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270574405212766706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBC1k14iBIQyIsBRi68V1VLa1uUi3ms9lUVHxtNm40dkn1uMbWWuG7QkWPayI70ksMIAj6w_LGDpu9Jm8eKsiDy4jsE63BMW0JKGbuJx3Kvll8er74tQI3J5xwtK5Jy0nkFfDl1J0wwV6z/s320/IMG_3343.JPG" border="0" /></a></div>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310195264520718153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4326297528959726796.post-76845341297919778612008-10-28T20:22:00.000-07:002009-12-06T23:19:47.456-08:00Cycling Cuba: If its not over 35 degrees, humid, uphill and into a headwind I´m not interestedMet up with the cycling group and we headed out of Havana to get the bikes. Interesting start to the cycling, as a dog started chasing me after 5 minutes. It obviously decided it didn't like the look of me as it suddenly just went for me. It wasn't foaming at the mouth but I certainly wasn't hanging about to see if it just wanted to play ball and I managed to outrun it.<br /><br />But then after 10 minutes I got a puncture. Normally the support bus stays at the back but it had overtaken already, so while I pushed someone had to cycle on and tell the bus to go back (cheers Joe). So ended up spending 5km on the bus on the first day which was disappointing, but it was the only time I spent on the bus on the whole trip. 25km was a relatively gentle start distance wise but the roads weren't in good condition so it was hardly a smooth ride, and there was a pretty steep hill on just a dirt track to finish. That night was spent in what can generously be described as a pretty grim hotel in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Matanzas</span>.<br /><br />The next day the distance was upped to 61km - hard work given the heat and humidity. Stopped at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Guama</span> crocodile farm to see the, err, crocodiles. They were all just lined up pretty much sun-bathing, then one of the rangers started throwing fish over the fence and they all started clambering over each other to get the food. It was not dissimilar to all the Canadians at the baseball game in Toronto trying to get a free t-shirt. The highlight was when <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Liber</span>, our cycling tour guide, grabbed Ruth, a girl off the tour's leg, and she (not unreasonably) screamed thinking it was a crocodile!<br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262749371598793618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAHaqrnVqKdMfq2QySkMBPc-82p8h2CiNQb2RG_Xed6JnJ-UYJa6CtD2lpf6sieGvIxklA45Y9PVP3gdmRwj0YA7J0WUi6PU89UhoHRGoWEMQswKeSm7XAQw2C6TCEXLXi7KI7kqaU_Rnv/s320/IMG_2673.JPG" border="0" /><br />We stayed the night in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Playa</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Giron</span>, which is where the Bay of Pigs invasion was. Had a look around the museum; was quite interesting and you could get a pretty good idea of what went on even though it was in Spanish. That night was spent in what can generously be described as an even grimmer hotel than the previous night. Our bathroom had a variety of insects living in it, while <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Urs</span> and John's room had a chair in it that had an insect infestation.<br /><br />Next day was a 67km ride, pretty undulating, and still just as hot and humid. Stayed in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Cienfuegos</span>, and had dinner in a really nice restaurant that was a really plush colonial type building. For those of you wondering, the accommodation had improved and was pretty nice.<br /><br />Day 5 was the big one though, 87km. The previous days we had set off at 8am and had finished cycling around lunchtime to avoid the worst of the sun, but today there was no escaping the afternoon heat even with the early start. This was a pretty tough day, because of the distance, the undulating roads, the strong headwind and the heat and humidity. We had been expecting temperatures in the mid to late twenties, but this was mid to late thirties as Cuba was having some sort of October heat wave. Jose-Luis and Alexis (the van and bus drivers) and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Titi</span> (the bike mechanic) were saying that in all the tours they'd done they'd never known it this hot. The highest temperature recorded on some gadget that Trevor had was 42 degrees!<br /><br />My ability to cycle 87km wasn't helped by the fact I'd been up (well, sitting down actually) half the night having presumably eaten something that disagreed with me. I'll spare you details, but this was still causing me problems on the 87km ride, but through a combination of a lot of litres of water (I lost count how many), a lot of fruit, some carbohydrate gels, and various drugs (all legal) I managed to cycle the whole way.<br /><br />I'd made enough of a recovery to go out to a salsa bar with the group that night in Trinidad, and did manage to have a few <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">mojitos</span> and some beers, but no dancing. It looked like you had to be a pro - getting drunk and dancing like an idiot which I may have done once or twice in the UK at various times in my life certainly wasn't going to cut it here.<br /><br />After the the previous day's exertions day 6 was a rest from cycling, and we jumped on a catamaran to a remote island, so just chilled out on deck most of the time. The island was beautiful - white sand, warm water, fantastic. To quote Trevor, "one loud American tourist and this would be ruined."<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262749829427141154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9-SkRhQ-ZWRBxL2WXC9X_N8ZI3EhJ9MoNK_9UTbHR7prC2s-WYNnAjG8qxehxsG8tVRUW9tKv6UcC6qcfcsHC0C6a-dT5YnR5XrQVBi6AE-CBBHRzryAo8tRJ00jUbNlEkLXImafHSfE/s320/IMG_2760.JPG" border="0" /><br />Did some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">snorkelling</span> which showed that my ability to be a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">muppet</span> is still alive and well. I found myself near some rocks that were close to the surface and ended up bashing into them when a wave hit me, so put my hand out to stop myself....onto some spiky coral that embedded itself in my fingers. Ouch. Luckily we had a vet in the tour group who was used to getting splinters out of dog paws and had even been a on a course recently to get splinters out of corneas (in the eye!) so she was happy to try and extract the thorns - thanks Jo. Although apparently dogs scream less during this procedure. Had to leave some in though as it was too deep. I think there is still something in there two weeks later, although my finger hasn't fell off or changed colour so I'm assuming its <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">ok</span>.<br /><br />Lunch on the island was fresh lobster which was really nice. We knew they were fresh because we had watched the people on the boat jump off and catch them! Lunch was on the beach and there were all these iguanas just wandering around, probably hoping for free food. It felt slightly bizarre the first time one walked over my foot, but soon got used to it. There were also tree rats wondering around, but unlike the iguanas, if they didn't get any food they'd start eating your ankles.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262751228595167010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGp2DIidTJEnUTZGvHWO65OFsVLJb0k7dinIMg-ANGxNkwobBVp5-NZVGNTCZ3P_YMCiOiqy_-kjLbsY2pxuN-1utktf_edwcjpgy_leXAMArEI4a0l7sHEgZ4PpJ3B6srCqNNZcgLTX8A/s320/IMG_2757.JPG" border="0" /><br />Today also more or less marked the start of the competition, mostly between myself, Trevor and John, to wind up Ruth aka small psychotic blond (in a nice way!). We were all vying for the number one spot, i.e. who is she going to kill first, so me asking whether I could pour cold water over he while she was sunbathing went down well. I think the exact <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">response</span> was "only if you want to die."<br /><br />Back on the bike the next day for another 60+km and some proper hills, but this was after a bus transfer where for the second time on my trip, the bus got pulled over for speeding, although apparently we weren't speeding, but you still have to pay. Two countries visited, pulled over twice. See if I can keep up the 100% record in Costa Rica.<br /><br />The cycling started as undulating, but soon you'd get to the top of one hill, and find another waiting. Although you couldn't see the road beyond the crest, you could see the telegraph poles rising into the distance, so you then knew there was no break from the hills. Luckily <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Camaguey</span> had some bars to relax in at the end of the day. In the UK when pubs are ready to close, they ask you to leave. Here they just close with you inside, and it wasn't a lock in because they <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">wouldn</span>´t give us a refill.<br /><br />Day 8 started with a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">bicitaxi</span> tour of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Camaguey</span>. These bikes had one gear pretty much and the driver had to pedal himself plus two people in the back so I reckon he was getting it worse than us on our 24 gear mountain bikes. Our cycling started in the heat of the afternoon, and was 60km of straight flat roads. There must have been all of 3 bends in the road the whole way. This was actually quite dull, so after a certain amount of complaining about hills earlier on, come back all is forgiven. The highlight of the ride was when myself and John overtook a couple of local kids, they tried to catch up and overtake us, which was laying down a challenge if ever I saw it, and we won, yeah! Unfortunately though I think it was technology rather than fitness triumphing because our bikes were quite a lot better. But who cares, we certainly showed them!<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262747690192082322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeaEXNVSueXy8n1BF9EQkH90dAmN5Cncezb8iEqelMJIlPcwsIs7chD4MAherbRouZckaUKKE-FXx7wodSjgeLFU6ZXl8HVQml8akBt93s5Yx60DRzQM5ESPKfdoe_B5U94o9tgiXdhLb0/s320/IMG_2942.JPG" border="0" /><br />Day 9 was another King of the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Mountains</span> stage as we headed into the Sierra <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Maestra</span> range. There were some pretty tough uphills on bumpy unpaved roads but the scenery was the best we had seen so far, and we saw lots of small local villages. It was all worth it when we got to the hotel. It was set in the mountains and it had a natural pool at the bottom of a waterfall to swim in and it was brilliant to jump in and cool down. Very refreshing.<br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262750286868851202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrXnaKv4eB1XpKSxr2tC5-w8U7G0lz6iDSvDHgzXHGAc6FmlIhAjd6vcThnhiWTprcrHa-Rsd208fGHD7nDmWroq1sFdcPw04vGVubyGPAx5tTl6YUCKGc8GRnN3tW5d0KuW1r9JEDwAOw/s320/IMG_2861.JPG" border="0" /><br />Next day we cycled to Santiago <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">de</span> Cuba. Some traffic warden came up to me to try to write me a ticket for the 15 bikes that were parked up on the kerb, but I pointed to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Titi</span> who looks after the bikes while muttering "amigo" and hurried off. I assume we didn't get any tickets. Had a bit of a wander round when we arrived, and found some kids playing cricket in Revolution Square - brilliant! That night everyone had a few too many in this 15<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">th</span> floor balcony piano bar overlooking the city, very nice.<br /><br />During the previous day a bag full of condoms had been found on the bus. They apparently belonged to the drivers but they were a bit coy over whether they were for personal use of for distribution to some of the communities we were cycling through. So we concluded that they had a network of ladies across Cuba - a pretty big network given how many they had. But while drinking on this balcony late at night we heard three loud bangs, and feared that it might have been some woman's husband getting home, and we might have to look for two new drivers and a bike mechanic in Santiago the next day. But luckily Alexis, Jose-Luis and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Titi</span> were alive and well next morning.<br /><br />Did a city tour of Santiago. The exhibition in the old barracks all about the revolution was really interesting. And I think Santiago must be the Cuban equivalent of Liverpool as we saw a car propped up on bricks. Also managed to meet Felicity, my former flatmate from Tooting, who was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">coincidentally</span> on holiday in Cuba, for lunch which was really good. Transferred by bus to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Holguin</span> for the evening. Not much to report, except there was a really impressive water ballet display in the hotel pool (kind of like <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">synchronised</span> swimming).<br /><br />For the first time cycling, we had a tailwind while cycling the next day. Almost wanted the challenge of a headwind and hills etc as we were getting so used to it. 66km today. That night made my ´salsa´ debut. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Liber</span>, our tour guide, just pushed me towards this local girl and next thing I know I was dancing (if you can call it that). She really could dance but I was just <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">bimbling</span> around doing my best to keep up.<br /><br />Next day was the last cycling. 55k through some really beautiful countryside. One pretty brutal hill but dispatched with aplomb! Everyone was actually really disappointed to finish we´d had such a good time. We all really wanted to do hills and longer distances. I´d certainly conquered my dislike of hills, and had got used to the heat and humidity pretty quickly even though it was almost always over 30 degrees, and was really enjoying the cycling. Still, to mark the end of cycling had a few drinks - if only we´d realised earlier in the week it is way cheaper to just buy a bottle of rum than individual drinks! <div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262748362201827314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_fO8Pa4RfbBFn1Rc1IhCRFl0HZ_G10r4bR78Npv5f7wRHn5d1EULFB36HRWitLGfXQjEqQFPfHLfB1uoK8ZVU1GhKMVPxzfaYRcXKtZIefj_rIYVonyoT_CI5FueD9upEeO4gHqjhWle0/s320/IMG_2971.JPG" border="0" />The final full day of the tour was disappointingly spent on the bus - we all wanted to get back in the saddle! We visited Santa Clara and saw the armoured train that Che Guevara had <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">de</span>-railed during the revolution, then went to the Che Guevara monument and mausoleum. Interesting chap, although I won´t be rushing out to buy a t-shirt. Cos its what <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">chavs</span> wear who think they´re cool. Innit.<br /><br />On the last morning we did a walking tour of old Havana, then when everyone else went to the airport I went round the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Museo</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">de</span> la <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">Revolucion</span> (which is museum of the revolution if your Spanish <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">isn</span>´t so hot...much like mine). Then it was back to the family I stayed with on the first day, only I stayed with their neighbour on the 17<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">th</span> floor because they were full.<br /><br />Cuba was a really interesting place and I´m keen to learn more about it, and get some different perspectives. Some of the exhibitions we saw probably were one sided, but putting aside whatever might have happened since and what the current state of the place is, I can´t help but be impressed by the Revolution, with the country being reclaimed for the people, given the state of things at the time. I´ll park the politics there as it might be in danger of turning into an anti-US piece, and if I visit Cuba again, I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">wasn</span>´t planning on it being to Guantanamo Bay. But yes, interested to learn more about the history and the current situation.<br /><br />Had heard a few times back home that people think Cuba will soon change a lot as Fidel has stepped down; there are differing opinions about whether this will happen and to what extent. Cuba <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">doesn</span>´t really have violent crime or a drugs problem, and the vast majority of locals were really friendly, so whatever changes may occur - increasing capitalism or whatever - hopefully this will remain.<br /><br /><div></div><div>Food wise Cuba <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">isn</span>´t the widest gastronomic experience. Lunch tended to consist of cheese, ham or ham and cheese sandwiches while dinner was chicken, pork of fish mostly, but it was still pretty good. And for drinking, Cubans obviously like their rum, but they also like their beer strong. There were two local brands: Crystal was the cooking lager at a weak 4.9% while <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">Bocanero</span> was 5.4%.</div><br /><div></div><div>The only downside of the tour was that because we were such a big group, we had to stay in big tourist hotels, and it feels like you could be anywhere in the world. Staying with families in their houses like I did on the first and last days you get to experience authentic Cuba a bit more, but this was not possible with a big group.<br /><br />Cuba is a really beautiful country and seeing much of it from a bike was a great way to see it. And the tour group I was with made it even better. Really good fun bunch of people and a really good laugh. So cheers guys, made a good trip even better.</div></div>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310195264520718153noreply@blogger.com1