I am now in New Zealand and its Boxing Day so Christmas is over for another year...this one has definitely been one to remember!
I arrived in New Zealand just under a week ago and so far it has been great! After flying into Auckland with Liz and Vicky (girls I met in Fiji), Liz and I headed to our hostel and organised what we were going to do from Auckland onwards. I managed to sort out my Kiwi Experience buses and got booked on to head up to the Bay of Islands. The next day I was in Auckland by myself so had a wander round the city before getting on the bus at 7:15am the next day. The bus wasn't that full on the way up to the Bay of Islands, but I did meet Carolien who is doing pretty much the same journey as me round NZ so we are now travelling together which is great! On the bus we signed up for dolphin swimming that afternoon followed by a trip to Cape Reinga and a skydive on Christmas Day.
Unfortunately we didn't get to actually swim with the dolphins because the sea was too choppy, but we did see around 30 of them and they came right up to the boat which was pretty amazing! The next day was the trip to Cape Reinga which was good fun, a very busy day but we saw a lot. Being at the very top of New Zealand was great - with amazing views, we also went sandboarding which was not so great for me...I eneded up falling off halfway down a huge dune, rolling in the sand and eating/inhaling A LOT of sand! We also drove along 90 mile beach where we saw dead sharks and jelly fish washed up on the beach, before heading back to Paihia stopping for fish and chips along the way. The following day was my birthday and we headed over the bay to Russel where we walked across the island and sat on the beach...not bad for the middle of winter back home! In Russel we also saw a Christmas Parade and a childrens christmas present 'lucky dip' where the 5 of us chose each other a wrapped gift. On Christmas morning were collected for the skydive...the four of us got picked up at 10am and got kitted up at the skydive centre ready to jump out of a plane at 16,000ft! The plane ride up was pretty good with amazing views...although slightly cramped with 3 sets of tandem skydivers in a tiny plane! At around 10,000ft we put on the oxygen masks ready to climb up to 16,000ft - at this point it was pretty scary!! I was the first to go out of the plane which was definitely a good thing not having to watch the others fall, but the 65 seconds of free fall was incredible over the Bay of Island!! I did have a bit of trouble breathing which was a slight issue but soon recovered once the parachute was pulled - steering us round and twirling in circles was amazing!! Skydiving on Christmas Day has definitely been one of the highlights of my trip so far, but I think twice is enough - not sure I can cope with it all over again!! That evening we had Christmas dinner at the hostel followed by several drinks afterwards, not feeling too amazing today and getting up to skype home at 8:30am was hard work, but great seeing everyone open the presents that finally made it home from Uruguay! Today has been a very lazy day, wandering round Paihia before we head back down to Auckland ready to go to Hot Water Beach tomorrow, and then Taupo for New Year!
So far the start to New Zealand has been pretty good, definitely looking forward to the next 6 weeks before Australia!
Photos:
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Sunday, 25 December 2011
Monday, 19 December 2011
Fiji Time; the most amazing two weeks EVER!
Its been quite some time since my last update due to a lack of internet in Fiji on the islands! My last week or so in South America was great, we went on a boat party in Paraty where we had unlimited caiprinihas...we got on the boat at around 11am and got back to land at around 5pm, between that time we stopped at several points to jump off the boat into the sea - GREAT fun!! The water was so warm and there were two decks of the boat so it was a long way down from the highest point into the water! That evening after dinner we headed back to our hotel to learn how to make caiprinihas...we made strawberry, kiwi and a strawberry and kiwi combo - you need a lot of cachaca and a lot of sugar! From Paraty we headed onto Ilha Grande, an amazing island not far from Rio. Ilha Grande was beautiful; lovely sea, amazing sand, scenery and only 3 cars. Unfortunately due to a delayed transfer from Paraty we missed the ferry we were meant to get to the island...instead 17 of us piled on to a tiny boat with all our luggage and made the 3 hour journey to Ilha Grande. The first afternoon we headed to a beach (Praia Preta) but it was a quiet evening that night. The next day we got a boat to another beach, Lopez Mendes, the boat trip over was pretty interesting with 8 of us in a speed boat going over HUGE waves! We spent the afternoon on the beach sunbathing and I went on a surf board for the first time, lots of fun!! That evening we had a BBQ back at the hotel and it was also our guide, Guillermo's, birthday. We had a bet that he had to drink a whole bottle of 40% cashasa in 7 hours otherwise he had to shave his beard...after a very, very, very drunken evening he lost and so the beard came off the following day. As a result of the previous nights antics the following day was a total write off, it was also raining and a pretty miserable day and thunder stoms had cut off all electricity so dinner that evening was very interesting in the pitch black.
The next day was our ferry and transfer to Rio. Rio was great fun and really lovely, as soon as we arrived several of us headed out on a favela tour. We got picked up and taken to the base of a favela before getting on 'taxi bikes' (motorbikes with a helmet that didnt do up and lunatic drivers), but we made it to the top where we had a walking tour back through the favela. This particular favela had only been pacified three weeks before and the drug barron was arrested so there was a lot of military presece around. It was really interesting to see inside and how people live, it was very smelly with rubbish and wires everywhere but you felt pretty safe as a group inside. That evening was the last night of the tour, most people stayed on in Rio a bit longer so I had one extra night in the hotel (in Copacabana) before moving to a hostel in a 10 bed dorm in Ipanema. Seeing as it was the 'last night' (of the tour) we went to Lapa street party which was pretty crazy! There were weird acts and dancing in the street and at around 1:30am we moved onto a club. Apart from Helen getting her necklace ripped off her neck it all seemed pretty safe and was quite a fun night, stumbling back to the hotel after sunrise yet again...The next morning Helen and I had to move rooms so we had to be up at 10 which meant very little sleep that night but we did then go on a city tour of Rio. The city tour started with visiting Christ the Redeemer which was really great and incredible views of Rio. We then went onto a cathedral and some steps that were decorated with lots of coloured ceramics. Then it was up to the top of sugarloaf but unfortunately for us the weather was not great and so it was pretty cloudy by the time we made it up in the two cable cars. I also managed to buy some Havianas at the top of sugar loaf, at a much cheaper price than at home (bought 4 pairs in Brazil in total...to replace a pair that broke on me!). The next day was my last full day in Rio before the horrendous 42 hours to Fiji. That morning I met Zoe and we checked into Che Lagarto Hostel in Ipanema, prior to that I had to sort out my blocked debit card!! Brazil is a nightmare to withdraw cash and so after too many attempts HSBC delightfully blocked my card...managed to get that all sorted and so we spent the morning shopping. That afternoon we had booked tickets to go to a football game - it was literally the craziest thing ever! It was the final game of the season and the crowd was absolutely crazy, there were huge flags that got passed over everyone, drumming, taunting, fireworks and bangers everywhere! The next day I walked from Ipanema to Copacabana along the beach before packing my backpack ready for my 2:30am flight out of Rio to Fiji. The first flight was 7hours from Rio to Panama where I had 3 hours to wander round and managed to buy a new watch to replace my broken 'waterproof' one. After that it was anothr 7 hours to LA where I had 8 and 1/2 hours before the 11 hour flight to Nadi in Fiji. LAX has to be one of the worst airports with absolutely nothing to do, so that was a very boring 8 and 1/2 hours!! The flight into Nadi was delayed by an hour and a half which meant I missed my boat which would get me to the island I wanted to go to at the top of the Yasawa Islands. Lucikly there was another boat that could get me to a different island, South Sea Island, one of the smallest and I had a great time there. I spent the afternoon on the beach sunbathing before one of the staff took me out on a catamaran and taught me how to sail - GREAT fun!!! The next day I made the 5 hour boat ride up to Coral View resort which was a bit more lively than South Sea and I met Hayley on the boat ride up and ended up travelling with her around the rest of the islands until she left 4 days ago. Coral View was a lot of fun, I went on an intro scuba dive (in the Blue Lagoon) and learnt how to ride a jet ski on a snorkelling safari. After two nights at Coral View, the next stop was Korovou Eco Resort, the resort there was pretty basic and we only had one night which was probably a good thing (the only thing 'eco' about it was the lack of power during the day). We did walk 10 mins to the other side of the island where we went snorkelling before moving onto Waya LaiLai Eco Resort. Waya LaiLai was a lot more fun, we had two nights there and th3e first night ended up being pretty messy, Hayley and I both had bottles of duty free spirits and both of those went that night...there was a 5am sunrise walk the following morning and we were still up from the previous night as the walk started. The next day, due to the lack of sleep the previous night, Hayley and I upgraded to a Bure (private room) and went to bed at 8:30pm. Refreshed and ready for the next island, Beachcomber. There were big expectations for Beachcomber becuase everyone raves about it, it was fun but given all the hype not quite what we had expected. It didnt really help that there were a group of Australian graduates taking up most of the island, but again it was another late night partying. Hayley left the next day and I decided to head to Mantaray resort to do my Open Water scuba diving course. Manatary is by far my favourite place yet....I really don't want to leave! For the first two nights I was with 4 girls that I had met on previous islands, the first night was fairly tame but the second it was Jane (one of the girls birthdays) so a fair bit of drinking took place. The following night I was on my own for the first time since I arrived at South Sea Island but I soon met a girl in the bunk opposite me and we headed up for dinner with a bottle of wine. The bottle of wine soon turned into 3, we were drinking with the owner of the resort, my dive instructor and a couple of other members of staff and their friends that were visiting. That night between a group of around 10 of us we got through $1600 (fijian dollars) worth of sambuca alongside lots of other drinks...The next day I had the final dive of my Open Water Course at 8:30am but diving was a brilliant hangover cure until I lost everyone under the water for about 5mins before one of the guys found me, we then got stuck in a really strong current and lost both dive masters so continued our dive, finally popping back up to the surface to see the other heading back in on the beach. The rest of the afternoon was spent nursing my hangover and sitting in the beach bar. Today in my last full day in Fiji and it has rained all day, luckily every other day has been BOILING hot so its not so bad but I really really do not want to leave yet! Tomorrow I have to get to the airport for 6am so I have booked my own room back on the main island which I am very much looking forward to! Unfortunately though, whilst we were on the ferry boat the other day it broke an engine (smoking us out for a while with a burning plastic smell. Not reassuring when the other 2 ferries are also broken due to constant patching up) so it means that it is really delayed and taking a long time to do the journey. The dive course here was so much fun, I managed to do 5 dives in total (3 individual and one 2-tank dive) and have seen loads of fish, about 6 white tip reef sharks and a turtle! I am now back on the mainland in Fiji and having a slight lull after leaving everyone and the Yasawa Islands behind to be off on my own again but have just met a girl who is on my flight tomorrow so things are looking up! It was also slightly weird after two weeks to see cars again and transfer by coach not boat...would much rather be back on Mantaray Island right now but I'm sure New Zealand will be great too!
Latest Photos:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150370843521491.352317.516011490&type=1&l=e859bf9da0
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The next day was our ferry and transfer to Rio. Rio was great fun and really lovely, as soon as we arrived several of us headed out on a favela tour. We got picked up and taken to the base of a favela before getting on 'taxi bikes' (motorbikes with a helmet that didnt do up and lunatic drivers), but we made it to the top where we had a walking tour back through the favela. This particular favela had only been pacified three weeks before and the drug barron was arrested so there was a lot of military presece around. It was really interesting to see inside and how people live, it was very smelly with rubbish and wires everywhere but you felt pretty safe as a group inside. That evening was the last night of the tour, most people stayed on in Rio a bit longer so I had one extra night in the hotel (in Copacabana) before moving to a hostel in a 10 bed dorm in Ipanema. Seeing as it was the 'last night' (of the tour) we went to Lapa street party which was pretty crazy! There were weird acts and dancing in the street and at around 1:30am we moved onto a club. Apart from Helen getting her necklace ripped off her neck it all seemed pretty safe and was quite a fun night, stumbling back to the hotel after sunrise yet again...The next morning Helen and I had to move rooms so we had to be up at 10 which meant very little sleep that night but we did then go on a city tour of Rio. The city tour started with visiting Christ the Redeemer which was really great and incredible views of Rio. We then went onto a cathedral and some steps that were decorated with lots of coloured ceramics. Then it was up to the top of sugarloaf but unfortunately for us the weather was not great and so it was pretty cloudy by the time we made it up in the two cable cars. I also managed to buy some Havianas at the top of sugar loaf, at a much cheaper price than at home (bought 4 pairs in Brazil in total...to replace a pair that broke on me!). The next day was my last full day in Rio before the horrendous 42 hours to Fiji. That morning I met Zoe and we checked into Che Lagarto Hostel in Ipanema, prior to that I had to sort out my blocked debit card!! Brazil is a nightmare to withdraw cash and so after too many attempts HSBC delightfully blocked my card...managed to get that all sorted and so we spent the morning shopping. That afternoon we had booked tickets to go to a football game - it was literally the craziest thing ever! It was the final game of the season and the crowd was absolutely crazy, there were huge flags that got passed over everyone, drumming, taunting, fireworks and bangers everywhere! The next day I walked from Ipanema to Copacabana along the beach before packing my backpack ready for my 2:30am flight out of Rio to Fiji. The first flight was 7hours from Rio to Panama where I had 3 hours to wander round and managed to buy a new watch to replace my broken 'waterproof' one. After that it was anothr 7 hours to LA where I had 8 and 1/2 hours before the 11 hour flight to Nadi in Fiji. LAX has to be one of the worst airports with absolutely nothing to do, so that was a very boring 8 and 1/2 hours!! The flight into Nadi was delayed by an hour and a half which meant I missed my boat which would get me to the island I wanted to go to at the top of the Yasawa Islands. Lucikly there was another boat that could get me to a different island, South Sea Island, one of the smallest and I had a great time there. I spent the afternoon on the beach sunbathing before one of the staff took me out on a catamaran and taught me how to sail - GREAT fun!!! The next day I made the 5 hour boat ride up to Coral View resort which was a bit more lively than South Sea and I met Hayley on the boat ride up and ended up travelling with her around the rest of the islands until she left 4 days ago. Coral View was a lot of fun, I went on an intro scuba dive (in the Blue Lagoon) and learnt how to ride a jet ski on a snorkelling safari. After two nights at Coral View, the next stop was Korovou Eco Resort, the resort there was pretty basic and we only had one night which was probably a good thing (the only thing 'eco' about it was the lack of power during the day). We did walk 10 mins to the other side of the island where we went snorkelling before moving onto Waya LaiLai Eco Resort. Waya LaiLai was a lot more fun, we had two nights there and th3e first night ended up being pretty messy, Hayley and I both had bottles of duty free spirits and both of those went that night...there was a 5am sunrise walk the following morning and we were still up from the previous night as the walk started. The next day, due to the lack of sleep the previous night, Hayley and I upgraded to a Bure (private room) and went to bed at 8:30pm. Refreshed and ready for the next island, Beachcomber. There were big expectations for Beachcomber becuase everyone raves about it, it was fun but given all the hype not quite what we had expected. It didnt really help that there were a group of Australian graduates taking up most of the island, but again it was another late night partying. Hayley left the next day and I decided to head to Mantaray resort to do my Open Water scuba diving course. Manatary is by far my favourite place yet....I really don't want to leave! For the first two nights I was with 4 girls that I had met on previous islands, the first night was fairly tame but the second it was Jane (one of the girls birthdays) so a fair bit of drinking took place. The following night I was on my own for the first time since I arrived at South Sea Island but I soon met a girl in the bunk opposite me and we headed up for dinner with a bottle of wine. The bottle of wine soon turned into 3, we were drinking with the owner of the resort, my dive instructor and a couple of other members of staff and their friends that were visiting. That night between a group of around 10 of us we got through $1600 (fijian dollars) worth of sambuca alongside lots of other drinks...The next day I had the final dive of my Open Water Course at 8:30am but diving was a brilliant hangover cure until I lost everyone under the water for about 5mins before one of the guys found me, we then got stuck in a really strong current and lost both dive masters so continued our dive, finally popping back up to the surface to see the other heading back in on the beach. The rest of the afternoon was spent nursing my hangover and sitting in the beach bar. Today in my last full day in Fiji and it has rained all day, luckily every other day has been BOILING hot so its not so bad but I really really do not want to leave yet! Tomorrow I have to get to the airport for 6am so I have booked my own room back on the main island which I am very much looking forward to! Unfortunately though, whilst we were on the ferry boat the other day it broke an engine (smoking us out for a while with a burning plastic smell. Not reassuring when the other 2 ferries are also broken due to constant patching up) so it means that it is really delayed and taking a long time to do the journey. The dive course here was so much fun, I managed to do 5 dives in total (3 individual and one 2-tank dive) and have seen loads of fish, about 6 white tip reef sharks and a turtle! I am now back on the mainland in Fiji and having a slight lull after leaving everyone and the Yasawa Islands behind to be off on my own again but have just met a girl who is on my flight tomorrow so things are looking up! It was also slightly weird after two weeks to see cars again and transfer by coach not boat...would much rather be back on Mantaray Island right now but I'm sure New Zealand will be great too!
Latest Photos:
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Sunday, 27 November 2011
Uruguay & Brazil: Caipirinha Time!
It's been a while since my last update and I've now been through Uruguay and into Brazil. The nightbus to Buenos Aires really wasnt that bad and took 20.5 hours in total and BA was really great fun! We had three nights in total, the first afternoon Helen and I went for a wander around the city but not having a map we could only go in straight lines in order to find our way back to the hotel! We managed to get as far as the Obelisk and then headed back ready for a night out...we ended up getting back to the hotel at around 6:30am the next morning. As a result, the next day was pretty much a write off before meeting our new guide and additional (and final) group members for the trip to Rio. Our new guide, Guillermo, is great...heaps better than the previous one, and the new additions to the group seem to fit in really well too. That night it was out for dinner (more steak) and then onto another club. Several of us eneded up heading back to an Argentinian guys apartment with an amazing view over BA before getting back to the hotel at around 7:30am...two nights in a row of seeing daylight before going to bed was starting to take its toll! The following day Helen, Zoe and I went shopping to replace my handbag due to a broken zip...not ideal in a city where my bag had already been opened in a pickpocket attempt! It was an early night that night before the boat ride to Uruguay.
Firtst stop in Uruguay was Colonia, a really lovely town just across the border. After heading to the hotel we went out for lunch before hiring golf buggies and driving around town all afternoon. We headed to the beach for a while before I spotted some horses and went off for an hour's ride along the beach (for less than £3!!). That evening there was a storm and it absolutely bucketed with rain so we stayed in the restaurant where we had dinner and had a few drinks. It was an adventurous trip back to the hotel after getting lost and walking around much of the town but we eventually got back and went to bed. The following day was another bus ride onto Montevideo, this was probably the worst place we have stayed so far and we had two nights. On arrival we were told not to be in the old town past 8pm becuase the police leave the area and its really unsafe...great first impressions! Luckily for me we didnt do a great deal in Montevideo becuase I eneded up with a temperature, cough, cold and generally felt pretty rubbish. We did head to the beach (Punta del Este) one afternoon and to top off my illness I also got ridiculously sunburnt.
After Montevideo it was onto Salto for one night, this was pretty much a stopover to get to Iguassu Falls. I went straight to bed when we arrived and started to feel better the following day after heading to the farmacy to stock up on medicine. We did go to a water park in Salto which was pretty fun with water slides and a lazy river, although I'm pretty sure we were the only foreign tourists in the Uruguayan water park! That evening we had a 13 hour night bus to get to Foz de Iguassu, Brazil. After arriving and checking into the hotel we headed off to see the Brazilian side of the falls, Brazil owns only 20% of the falls whereas Argentina has the majority. Before reaching the falls there was an optional helicopter ride, I opted for this and it was amazing to see the waterfalls from the air! Seeing the Brazilian side was great but it wasnt until the next day when we headed back into Argentina yet again (6 Argentina stamps in my passport now!) to see the falls from the otherside that you realise how different it is from Argentina. When we arrived on the Argentinian side we headed straight for the boat ride, we had a 30min tour through the rainforest before arriving at the boat. The boat initially took us close enough to get photos but not get wet, then it was time to put everything into dry bags before the boat took us into the waterfalls and we got absolutely soaked!! It was actually really nice given that it is BOILING in Brazil so far, around 32 degrees every day! After the boat ride we walked over the top of the falls along walkways. It was increadible to be above the waterfalls watching the water tumble over the edge! We also saw lots of Coati's (Racoon type animals), tonnes of butterflies, a stick insect, an armadillo and lots of giant lizards plus loads of bugs. That evening we had a bbq and pool party with unlimited caipirinhas which meant a fairly quiet day the following day with a trip to a bird park before a night bus to get to the next stop, Paraty.
We arrived in Paraty at around 5pm this afternoon after travelling for 23 hours, but on first impressions it definitely seems worth it. The bus journey really wasnt too bad, a little cold but other from that it was fine, plus we saw an amazing electrical storm along the way! There was no rain just constant forks of lightening in the sky, it was incredible!! Paraty is great, not quite as warm as the 32 degrees we left behind in Foz (not such a bad thing!) and the sea is really warm...which will be perfect for our boat ride with unlimited caipirinhas tomorrow. Only one week left in South America now...cannot believe how fast the past 2 months have flown by, very depressing!!
Photos:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150370843521491.352317.516011490&type=1&l=e859bf9da0
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Firtst stop in Uruguay was Colonia, a really lovely town just across the border. After heading to the hotel we went out for lunch before hiring golf buggies and driving around town all afternoon. We headed to the beach for a while before I spotted some horses and went off for an hour's ride along the beach (for less than £3!!). That evening there was a storm and it absolutely bucketed with rain so we stayed in the restaurant where we had dinner and had a few drinks. It was an adventurous trip back to the hotel after getting lost and walking around much of the town but we eventually got back and went to bed. The following day was another bus ride onto Montevideo, this was probably the worst place we have stayed so far and we had two nights. On arrival we were told not to be in the old town past 8pm becuase the police leave the area and its really unsafe...great first impressions! Luckily for me we didnt do a great deal in Montevideo becuase I eneded up with a temperature, cough, cold and generally felt pretty rubbish. We did head to the beach (Punta del Este) one afternoon and to top off my illness I also got ridiculously sunburnt.
After Montevideo it was onto Salto for one night, this was pretty much a stopover to get to Iguassu Falls. I went straight to bed when we arrived and started to feel better the following day after heading to the farmacy to stock up on medicine. We did go to a water park in Salto which was pretty fun with water slides and a lazy river, although I'm pretty sure we were the only foreign tourists in the Uruguayan water park! That evening we had a 13 hour night bus to get to Foz de Iguassu, Brazil. After arriving and checking into the hotel we headed off to see the Brazilian side of the falls, Brazil owns only 20% of the falls whereas Argentina has the majority. Before reaching the falls there was an optional helicopter ride, I opted for this and it was amazing to see the waterfalls from the air! Seeing the Brazilian side was great but it wasnt until the next day when we headed back into Argentina yet again (6 Argentina stamps in my passport now!) to see the falls from the otherside that you realise how different it is from Argentina. When we arrived on the Argentinian side we headed straight for the boat ride, we had a 30min tour through the rainforest before arriving at the boat. The boat initially took us close enough to get photos but not get wet, then it was time to put everything into dry bags before the boat took us into the waterfalls and we got absolutely soaked!! It was actually really nice given that it is BOILING in Brazil so far, around 32 degrees every day! After the boat ride we walked over the top of the falls along walkways. It was increadible to be above the waterfalls watching the water tumble over the edge! We also saw lots of Coati's (Racoon type animals), tonnes of butterflies, a stick insect, an armadillo and lots of giant lizards plus loads of bugs. That evening we had a bbq and pool party with unlimited caipirinhas which meant a fairly quiet day the following day with a trip to a bird park before a night bus to get to the next stop, Paraty.
We arrived in Paraty at around 5pm this afternoon after travelling for 23 hours, but on first impressions it definitely seems worth it. The bus journey really wasnt too bad, a little cold but other from that it was fine, plus we saw an amazing electrical storm along the way! There was no rain just constant forks of lightening in the sky, it was incredible!! Paraty is great, not quite as warm as the 32 degrees we left behind in Foz (not such a bad thing!) and the sea is really warm...which will be perfect for our boat ride with unlimited caipirinhas tomorrow. Only one week left in South America now...cannot believe how fast the past 2 months have flown by, very depressing!!
Photos:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150370843521491.352317.516011490&type=1&l=e859bf9da0
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Monday, 14 November 2011
Argentina: Land of Red Wine, Steak and Horses!
I am now in Argentina and I have to say it already seems nicer than Chile. I really enjoyed Chile and the beautiful scenery but we didn't have a lot of luck with the weather and didn't really get up to much to make it that memorable.
After leaving San Pedro de Atacamba we headed onto La Serena on at 14 hour night bus (really getting used to these now!). The hostel in La Serena was one of the worst so far, we have been really lucky with accommodation so guess we have been a bit spoilt, but it was pretty much a building site...so not that great. We stayed in La Serena for two nights and didn't get up to all that much there. The first afternoon Helen and I went for ice cream and to the 'animal park' at the end of the street. The following day we went to a river and spent the day sunbathing and attempting to go in the freezing cold water! Following this was a trip to an observatory where we got shown many of the star signs in the sky and go to see the Moon really clearly, this was definitely a La Serena highlight! We did go out for a lovely meal on our last evening, I had an amazing Paella, and then we went out for a few drinks at the local casino. This was the only place open in town due to the public holiday. The following day we had a 6 hour bus onto Santiago.
First impressions of Santiago were great, I really liked the city and we had four days/3 nights to explore which was good. The first night out in Santiago was pretty drunken, firstly we went for dinner, Helen and I shared a bottle of Chilean red wine and a cheese fondue with meat and vegetables (so good!) then it was onto yet another 'Irish' bar called Dublin before moving across the road to a club. I'm not too sure what happened that evening but I could well have had my drink spiked...so funnily enough I spent the whole of the next day and evening in the hotel recovering whilst the others went out exploring. That evening was the last one with 7 people in the group, the following day we were to be joined by 6 new additions.
Before meeting the new arrivals in the group in the evening, some of us headed out on the metro to a huge shopping mall. I managed to buy a few new clothes (so that I don't feel like I'm always wearing the same outfit!) and some perfume :). We spent most of the day having lunch and wandering around the shops before heading back to the hotel ready to meet the new people. Everyone seems really nice and after a few days its like they have been travelling with us for ages which is great. The following day 6 of us got a picnic from the supermarket and headed to the local park opposite our hotel to sit in the sun and kill some time before out 10 hour night bus to Pucon.
Pucon was really lovely (tip of Patagonia), the scenery was amazing and there were loads of 'Swiss Chalet' style buildings dotted around the town with mountains and a snow capped volcano in the background. On arrival we were told about the activities and all signed up for things. Most people opted to climb the volcano (weather dependent), there was a horse riding option, rafting, canyoning (zip lines), hot springs and quad biking. Unfortunately it rained pretty much our whole time in Pucon so not many activities went ahead. We did manage to get to the hot springs which were incredible in the rain...5 pools of different temperatures, the hottest reaching 35 degrees C! We did come across another GAP group staying in the cabin opposite ours, but we soon discovered they were not quite up for the night out we had planned. They invited us into their cabin for a few drinks but things soon went downhill and so we got kicked out and sent back to our part of the hotel...we didn't really hit it off too well with them. Due to the rain and lack of activities, we spent a lot of the time in Pucon drinking which was fun...however not good when you have to get on a 6 hour bus after 2 hours sleep! This bus took us onto Puerto Varas, another really pretty town on a lake a bit further into Patagonia. We had two nights in Puerto Varas, the first day we got the local bus an hour and a half to a volcano on another lake, we went for a wander around before finding a boat to take us out on the lake for an hour, we then got the bus a short way back towards Puerto Varas to see the 'river falls', these were lots of waterfalls and fast flowing water...the water was SO blue!
The next day it was another bus (only 6 hours this time) across the Chilean-Argentinian border to get to the next stop, Bariloche, Argentina. As we drove from Puerto Varas to Bariloche we saw all the ash and dust that has settled as a result of the Chilean volcanic eruption, it has killed miles of trees and plants and just covered the whole area in ash, even the air was full of it. Luckily for us the effects were less obvious in Bariloche and the town, again, has amazing scenery, set on another lake. That evening we went for steak, it was definitely the best steak I've ever had but the portions were ridiculous - three of us shared one portion of meat and it was plently, we are planning another trip back here before we leave! The following day after our arrival to the town nearly everyone opted to do two activities with a BBQ (as a package). I went with Kayaking on the lake in the morning followed by horse riding in the afternoon, it was really good to feel like we were doing something again other than drinking and the scenery was amazing! After both activities we stayed by the lake for a while drinking beer and playing with the owners dogs. Last night it was out for yet more drinks so today was a quiet day lazing by the river. Tomorrow we get a 24 hour bus to Buenos Aeries where we have one more night before another three of the group leave and more join us for the final leg. Cannot believe I've now been away for 7 weeks and only have another 3 left in South America before have the dreaded 38 hour travel to Fiji...its all going WAY to fast!
E
X
After leaving San Pedro de Atacamba we headed onto La Serena on at 14 hour night bus (really getting used to these now!). The hostel in La Serena was one of the worst so far, we have been really lucky with accommodation so guess we have been a bit spoilt, but it was pretty much a building site...so not that great. We stayed in La Serena for two nights and didn't get up to all that much there. The first afternoon Helen and I went for ice cream and to the 'animal park' at the end of the street. The following day we went to a river and spent the day sunbathing and attempting to go in the freezing cold water! Following this was a trip to an observatory where we got shown many of the star signs in the sky and go to see the Moon really clearly, this was definitely a La Serena highlight! We did go out for a lovely meal on our last evening, I had an amazing Paella, and then we went out for a few drinks at the local casino. This was the only place open in town due to the public holiday. The following day we had a 6 hour bus onto Santiago.
First impressions of Santiago were great, I really liked the city and we had four days/3 nights to explore which was good. The first night out in Santiago was pretty drunken, firstly we went for dinner, Helen and I shared a bottle of Chilean red wine and a cheese fondue with meat and vegetables (so good!) then it was onto yet another 'Irish' bar called Dublin before moving across the road to a club. I'm not too sure what happened that evening but I could well have had my drink spiked...so funnily enough I spent the whole of the next day and evening in the hotel recovering whilst the others went out exploring. That evening was the last one with 7 people in the group, the following day we were to be joined by 6 new additions.
Before meeting the new arrivals in the group in the evening, some of us headed out on the metro to a huge shopping mall. I managed to buy a few new clothes (so that I don't feel like I'm always wearing the same outfit!) and some perfume :). We spent most of the day having lunch and wandering around the shops before heading back to the hotel ready to meet the new people. Everyone seems really nice and after a few days its like they have been travelling with us for ages which is great. The following day 6 of us got a picnic from the supermarket and headed to the local park opposite our hotel to sit in the sun and kill some time before out 10 hour night bus to Pucon.
Pucon was really lovely (tip of Patagonia), the scenery was amazing and there were loads of 'Swiss Chalet' style buildings dotted around the town with mountains and a snow capped volcano in the background. On arrival we were told about the activities and all signed up for things. Most people opted to climb the volcano (weather dependent), there was a horse riding option, rafting, canyoning (zip lines), hot springs and quad biking. Unfortunately it rained pretty much our whole time in Pucon so not many activities went ahead. We did manage to get to the hot springs which were incredible in the rain...5 pools of different temperatures, the hottest reaching 35 degrees C! We did come across another GAP group staying in the cabin opposite ours, but we soon discovered they were not quite up for the night out we had planned. They invited us into their cabin for a few drinks but things soon went downhill and so we got kicked out and sent back to our part of the hotel...we didn't really hit it off too well with them. Due to the rain and lack of activities, we spent a lot of the time in Pucon drinking which was fun...however not good when you have to get on a 6 hour bus after 2 hours sleep! This bus took us onto Puerto Varas, another really pretty town on a lake a bit further into Patagonia. We had two nights in Puerto Varas, the first day we got the local bus an hour and a half to a volcano on another lake, we went for a wander around before finding a boat to take us out on the lake for an hour, we then got the bus a short way back towards Puerto Varas to see the 'river falls', these were lots of waterfalls and fast flowing water...the water was SO blue!
The next day it was another bus (only 6 hours this time) across the Chilean-Argentinian border to get to the next stop, Bariloche, Argentina. As we drove from Puerto Varas to Bariloche we saw all the ash and dust that has settled as a result of the Chilean volcanic eruption, it has killed miles of trees and plants and just covered the whole area in ash, even the air was full of it. Luckily for us the effects were less obvious in Bariloche and the town, again, has amazing scenery, set on another lake. That evening we went for steak, it was definitely the best steak I've ever had but the portions were ridiculous - three of us shared one portion of meat and it was plently, we are planning another trip back here before we leave! The following day after our arrival to the town nearly everyone opted to do two activities with a BBQ (as a package). I went with Kayaking on the lake in the morning followed by horse riding in the afternoon, it was really good to feel like we were doing something again other than drinking and the scenery was amazing! After both activities we stayed by the lake for a while drinking beer and playing with the owners dogs. Last night it was out for yet more drinks so today was a quiet day lazing by the river. Tomorrow we get a 24 hour bus to Buenos Aeries where we have one more night before another three of the group leave and more join us for the final leg. Cannot believe I've now been away for 7 weeks and only have another 3 left in South America before have the dreaded 38 hour travel to Fiji...its all going WAY to fast!
E
X
Thursday, 10 November 2011
The journey so far...
Sandboarding and Dune Buggies in Peru
Eating Pachamanca, Peru
Begonas in the Andes, Peru
Hammock in the sun, Peru
Condor spotting, Colca Canyon, Peru
Horse Riding though the Andes, Peru
Inca Ruins, Peru
Inca Trail...the very beginning
Inca Trail, Day 1: Rain!
4 days trekking, no shower and lots of rain but we made it to Machu Picchu!
The Sun Gate, Inca Trail
Fresh trout and Inca Kola...perfect meal!
Amazing sunset at the homestay on Lake Titicaca
My Peruvian Family
Mountain biking down the Death Road, Bolivia
We survived the most dangerous road in the world!
Joy Ride Cafe, Sucre...one of many alcohol filled nights
Dinosaur climbing at 2:30am, Sucre, Bolivia
Spot of Rock Climbing always clears a hangover!
The scariest flight ever...aerocon (con air)
The start of 3 days across the Salt Flats and Atacamba Desert, Bolivia
Train Graveyard, Bolivia
Lots of Salt!
Photographs on the salt flats = lots of hard work!
Geysers and hot springs as the sun rises
Pisco Vineyard...67% alcohol!
The moon, Observatory in La Serena, Chile
Red wine and cheese fondue!
Picnic in the park, Santiago, Chile
Pucon, Chile
Amazing hot springs in the rain, Pucon, Chile
Chess...Puerto Varas, Chile
More photos...
Sunday, 30 October 2011
Bolivia and onto Chile
Its been a while since my last update and I am now in Chile. Following on from my last post, I have survived the most dangerous road in the world...with a little altitude sickness. We left at 6am to get geared up (knee pads, elbow pads, full face helmets, gloves, trousers and jacket) and got our bikes ready to begin the cycle down from around 4700m to 1000m above sea level. It was freezing cold and I soon started to feel dizzy and sick, I got into the minibus and was given coca tea and an altitude sickness tablet and recovered fairly quickly. Its soon warmed up and stopped raining as we got out of the cloud cover and lower down the mountain. Initially you start the Death Road on tarmac to try out the bikes and get used to cycling etc, we then moved onto the Death Road and this is where it got pretty scary with a huge drop at the edge of the road. We made it down though and got taken to a hotel at the end for lunch and showers. That evening we met the 4 new additions to our group and our new guide, Jarred.
The following day we got a nightbus from La Paz to Sucre we paid 30 soles each to upgrade the bus and it was definitely worth it, the best night bus so far! Sucre was lovely, possibly one of the nices town/cities we have been to so far, and there were loads of activities to do! After getting off the nightbus and having a few hours to shower and change we headed out on an orientation walk of the city followed by a stop at Joy Ride Cafe (where we could book any activities). The whole group signed up for a cycle, walk and swim activity the following day and three of us also signed up for horse riding. The next day we went on our cycle, walk and swim activity...definitely one of the best days so far! We cycled mainly downhill for a couple of hours and then began the hike for another 45mins or so to the 'Secret Canyon' there we ate our lunch and got to swim in the canyon, there was also a dingy boat that we could paddle around, then we had the hike back to the bus and drove back to Sucre along some very narrow paths with huge drops at the side of the road! The following day we went horse riding and this was defintiely the best horse riding so far, the horses were lovely and our guide let us go ahead if we wanted so Marit and I did lots of cantering, until her horses shoe fell off!! The ride lasted around 3/4 hours and then it was back to the hotel. Back at the hotel we found out that miners were protesting due to the Bolivian government trying to tax them and therefore they had created a blockade between Sucre and our next stop, Potosi. At this point out guide said it was best for us to wait it out in Sucre and hold off on the transfer to Potosi until we knew more. So that evening we just headed out for a few drinks and karaoke, ending up back at the hotel at 5am. The next day we had to decide on the best option for moving on, we had to be in Uyuni for our salt flats excursion in two days time so either way had to make it to Uyuni by then. We had the option of a 30min flight for $200 from Sucre to Uyuni, or a 22hour bus for $50, as a group we went with the flight. The next day was pretty much a write off with everyone hungover but seeing as we had extra time in Sucre (the two nights we should have had in Potosi) 5 of us decided to book rock climbing for the next day. The climbing was really fun and I actually managed to make it to the top of the rock face that we were climbing three times! The following day was the flight...
We got to the airport for around 11am to find out we were flying with Aerocon (google them...NOT good!!). We boarded out 19 seater, twin prop plane and got ready for the 35 min flight (no safety briefing and we could see the pilots in front of us). The flight was probably one of the scariest things I've ever done...the plane was really old and noisy and there was a fair bit of turbulance! Landing was the worst, the first attempt we overshot the runway and had to circle to try again. Second time we made it back on the ground with serious relief, it was only afterwards that I found out Aerocon had crashed a plane, exactly the same as the one we were in, only 1 month previously and it works out that they lose 18% of their fleet every 5 years...great track record!!! Finally though we made it to Uyuni and the three day jeep crossing could begin. Uyuni was a bit of an odd town in the middle of the desert and it was pretty good to only have one night there before getting in the jeeps the following day. There were 4 to 6 people in each jeep (2 toyota land cruisers and a lexus) and our main backpacks went on top strapped on and covered over with tarpaulin to protect from the serious amounts of dust. We had three days in the jeeps, the first was out to the salt flats which was pretty amazing. We initillay stopped to see how the salt is refined before driving out onto the pure white surface that seemed to go on for miles and miles! We stopped for lunch on an 'island', a rocky bit of land in amongst all the white, filled with cacti. Then it was out deeper into the flats to take photos, we used loads of different props to make it look like we were standing on them. After this it was onto our hotel for the night (with several photo stops in between). Out hotel that night was made out of salt, including the tables, bed frames, walls, floor etc. it was in the middle of nowhere and was quite nice to be compleltely isolated from everything, electricity only came on from 7pm to 10pm. The next day was mostly spent in the jeeps, stopping to look at several lagoons (with flamingos!) and to take photos along the way. That night we stayed in a 'shelter' made out of mud, our guide called it a shelter but actually it was pretty nice considering. Lack of showers here was a bit annoying seeing as the previous day I had trodden in flamingo poo and covered my flip flops, we were also covered in dust from the jeeps, but other from that it was alright. The final morning we woke at 4:10am to get up to visit the geysers and hot springs. These were amazing, we could jump over a fumarole, and see the boiling mud in the geysers, after that we went to the hot springs, these were really great after no shower. Plus it was freezing cold outside (we hit 5200m that morning) and the water was really warm and not too sulphury!
After the hot springs (and breakfast) it was onto the Bolivia-Chile boarder. We stamped out of Bolivia and headed off in our transfer to the Chilean boarder. We had to queue for 2 hours to get into Chile but finally we made it and headed to our hotel in the Atacamba desert. We are staying in San Pedro de Atacamba for two nights (one night left) before moving down towards sea level (finally, after 5 weeks at high altitude). Last night we headed out for more drinks, although finding open bars was difficult! And today we have been sat by a swimming pool and spent all day correcting the ridiculous tan lines that we've acquired so far, its really hot today and not a single cloud in the sky...definitely doesn't feel like the end of October!! Tomorrow we have a 16 hour night bus to get to La Serena, the town that our guide is from which should be good. This tour then ends in Santiago on the 5th November when we lose 7 of the current group and meet another 7.
The following day we got a nightbus from La Paz to Sucre we paid 30 soles each to upgrade the bus and it was definitely worth it, the best night bus so far! Sucre was lovely, possibly one of the nices town/cities we have been to so far, and there were loads of activities to do! After getting off the nightbus and having a few hours to shower and change we headed out on an orientation walk of the city followed by a stop at Joy Ride Cafe (where we could book any activities). The whole group signed up for a cycle, walk and swim activity the following day and three of us also signed up for horse riding. The next day we went on our cycle, walk and swim activity...definitely one of the best days so far! We cycled mainly downhill for a couple of hours and then began the hike for another 45mins or so to the 'Secret Canyon' there we ate our lunch and got to swim in the canyon, there was also a dingy boat that we could paddle around, then we had the hike back to the bus and drove back to Sucre along some very narrow paths with huge drops at the side of the road! The following day we went horse riding and this was defintiely the best horse riding so far, the horses were lovely and our guide let us go ahead if we wanted so Marit and I did lots of cantering, until her horses shoe fell off!! The ride lasted around 3/4 hours and then it was back to the hotel. Back at the hotel we found out that miners were protesting due to the Bolivian government trying to tax them and therefore they had created a blockade between Sucre and our next stop, Potosi. At this point out guide said it was best for us to wait it out in Sucre and hold off on the transfer to Potosi until we knew more. So that evening we just headed out for a few drinks and karaoke, ending up back at the hotel at 5am. The next day we had to decide on the best option for moving on, we had to be in Uyuni for our salt flats excursion in two days time so either way had to make it to Uyuni by then. We had the option of a 30min flight for $200 from Sucre to Uyuni, or a 22hour bus for $50, as a group we went with the flight. The next day was pretty much a write off with everyone hungover but seeing as we had extra time in Sucre (the two nights we should have had in Potosi) 5 of us decided to book rock climbing for the next day. The climbing was really fun and I actually managed to make it to the top of the rock face that we were climbing three times! The following day was the flight...
We got to the airport for around 11am to find out we were flying with Aerocon (google them...NOT good!!). We boarded out 19 seater, twin prop plane and got ready for the 35 min flight (no safety briefing and we could see the pilots in front of us). The flight was probably one of the scariest things I've ever done...the plane was really old and noisy and there was a fair bit of turbulance! Landing was the worst, the first attempt we overshot the runway and had to circle to try again. Second time we made it back on the ground with serious relief, it was only afterwards that I found out Aerocon had crashed a plane, exactly the same as the one we were in, only 1 month previously and it works out that they lose 18% of their fleet every 5 years...great track record!!! Finally though we made it to Uyuni and the three day jeep crossing could begin. Uyuni was a bit of an odd town in the middle of the desert and it was pretty good to only have one night there before getting in the jeeps the following day. There were 4 to 6 people in each jeep (2 toyota land cruisers and a lexus) and our main backpacks went on top strapped on and covered over with tarpaulin to protect from the serious amounts of dust. We had three days in the jeeps, the first was out to the salt flats which was pretty amazing. We initillay stopped to see how the salt is refined before driving out onto the pure white surface that seemed to go on for miles and miles! We stopped for lunch on an 'island', a rocky bit of land in amongst all the white, filled with cacti. Then it was out deeper into the flats to take photos, we used loads of different props to make it look like we were standing on them. After this it was onto our hotel for the night (with several photo stops in between). Out hotel that night was made out of salt, including the tables, bed frames, walls, floor etc. it was in the middle of nowhere and was quite nice to be compleltely isolated from everything, electricity only came on from 7pm to 10pm. The next day was mostly spent in the jeeps, stopping to look at several lagoons (with flamingos!) and to take photos along the way. That night we stayed in a 'shelter' made out of mud, our guide called it a shelter but actually it was pretty nice considering. Lack of showers here was a bit annoying seeing as the previous day I had trodden in flamingo poo and covered my flip flops, we were also covered in dust from the jeeps, but other from that it was alright. The final morning we woke at 4:10am to get up to visit the geysers and hot springs. These were amazing, we could jump over a fumarole, and see the boiling mud in the geysers, after that we went to the hot springs, these were really great after no shower. Plus it was freezing cold outside (we hit 5200m that morning) and the water was really warm and not too sulphury!
After the hot springs (and breakfast) it was onto the Bolivia-Chile boarder. We stamped out of Bolivia and headed off in our transfer to the Chilean boarder. We had to queue for 2 hours to get into Chile but finally we made it and headed to our hotel in the Atacamba desert. We are staying in San Pedro de Atacamba for two nights (one night left) before moving down towards sea level (finally, after 5 weeks at high altitude). Last night we headed out for more drinks, although finding open bars was difficult! And today we have been sat by a swimming pool and spent all day correcting the ridiculous tan lines that we've acquired so far, its really hot today and not a single cloud in the sky...definitely doesn't feel like the end of October!! Tomorrow we have a 16 hour night bus to get to La Serena, the town that our guide is from which should be good. This tour then ends in Santiago on the 5th November when we lose 7 of the current group and meet another 7.
E
X
Tuesday, 18 October 2011
Machu Picchu & onto Bolivia...
Yesterday we arrived in Lap Paz, Bolivia after another interesting journey! We left Cuzco to head through the border, expecting the journey to take ´no more than 7 hours´. 12 hours later we arrive! There were protestors blocking the road between the Peru-Bolivian boarder and La Paz so after stopping for a few hours we finially made it to La Paz, and I´m not too impressed from what I have seen so far! Its pretty dirty, polluted and very busy...lets hope that the rest of Bolivia is better over the next 10 days!
Since the last update I have made it along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, it was the BEST thing I´ve done so far...we had rain every day either morning or evening, no shower for 4 days and the toilets were disgusting, but still it was incredible! The first day we started at around 8am and had to pack up our duffel bags and begin the walk, the porters are unbelievable, each carrying 25kg and practiaclly running the whole of the trail! The first day was pretty easy, after a few hours of walking we stopped for lunch (best food I´ve had so far!!), each meal starts with soup and then we had rice or potato (standard Peru) with chicken or trout etc. Every day we had breakfast, snacks, lunch, afternoon tea and then dinner! The porters all run ahead and set up the tent for lunch, we then eat and start walking and they pack up and are soon ahead running onto set up the tents at the campsite. The first day we got to the campsite at around 4pm ish and played cards before dinner and then bed at around 8pm. We were up the next day in the pouring rain at 5 ready to start treking, the second day was by far the hardest with around 4 1/2 hours hiking uphill to Dead Womans Pass, after that it was downhill for another couple of hours before stopping at the campsite for lunch, we didn´t do any more walking that day and so celebrated with a beer at the campsite. Day 3 was definitely not to be underestimated though! We woke at 4:30 and arrived at the campsite around 3pm that day, however we did stop for breaks and lunch where we met the porters and they presented us with a cake they had made....not sure how they made it at 4000m using camping equipment but it was good! The final day was another very early start at around 4am where we had to walk to the sungate to see our first view of Macchu Picchu and the sun rise, we arrived at around 6:30am and took the first photos, after that we walked the final hour to Machu Picchu where the whole group was re-united (7 did the Inca and 7 did the Lares Trek). The Inca Trail was probably one of the hardest things I´ve done yet with all the rain and over 5000 steps but was SO worth it!! That afternoon we left Machu Picchu and headed back to Aguas Calientes for lunch and free beer from our tour guide, before making our way on the train and bus to Cuzco. We arrived back at around 7:30, had quick showers (amazing after 4 days!!) and got ready for a night out and salsa lessons. Was a very drunken evening and very tiring after being up since 4am...we then had a couple of days in Cuzco to recover before heading onto Puno and Lake Titicaca.
Lake Titicaca is the biggest high altitude lake and is pretty impressive, we visited the floating islands of Uros where people live on reed beds and then headed onto a small village to stay with Peruvain families, this was an experience! There were two people to a family and on arrival they set up a game of football (rest of world vs. Peru) and then dressed us up in local clothing and taught us to dance. After this we headed back to our Peruvian families houses, our family had 7 children in a very small house, we couldnt all eat in the kitchen together and there were flies everywhere!! The houses are made out of mud and we didn´t have water plumbed in, just a bucket to flush the toilet, even so it was a good experience. The next day we had to spend the morning with our families so Helen and I were taught to tie up the sheep up and then headed out on a boat with the two eldest children and attempted standing rowing (at 4000m above sea level its not easy!). We then had to make our way back to Puno for our final night before the journey to La Paz.
Last night was our tour guide Rudy, and tonight we meet 4 new additions to the next tour (4 people are also leaving :( ) and meet the next guide for Bolivia, he has big shoes to fill as Rudy was really good and super helpful! We have a couple of days in La Paz, and leave on an overnight bus to Sucre on Thurday. So leaving a few days free we had a night out last night and have done nothing today which has been great. Tomorrow we are up early for a full day cycling on the Death Road...most dangerous road in the world! Then after that think we are heading on to do a 3 day 4x4 desert excursion to the salt flats in Bolivia, should be good!
I´ll try and add photos on here soon but internet has not exactly been speedy so far and makes this almost impossible!
E
X
Since the last update I have made it along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, it was the BEST thing I´ve done so far...we had rain every day either morning or evening, no shower for 4 days and the toilets were disgusting, but still it was incredible! The first day we started at around 8am and had to pack up our duffel bags and begin the walk, the porters are unbelievable, each carrying 25kg and practiaclly running the whole of the trail! The first day was pretty easy, after a few hours of walking we stopped for lunch (best food I´ve had so far!!), each meal starts with soup and then we had rice or potato (standard Peru) with chicken or trout etc. Every day we had breakfast, snacks, lunch, afternoon tea and then dinner! The porters all run ahead and set up the tent for lunch, we then eat and start walking and they pack up and are soon ahead running onto set up the tents at the campsite. The first day we got to the campsite at around 4pm ish and played cards before dinner and then bed at around 8pm. We were up the next day in the pouring rain at 5 ready to start treking, the second day was by far the hardest with around 4 1/2 hours hiking uphill to Dead Womans Pass, after that it was downhill for another couple of hours before stopping at the campsite for lunch, we didn´t do any more walking that day and so celebrated with a beer at the campsite. Day 3 was definitely not to be underestimated though! We woke at 4:30 and arrived at the campsite around 3pm that day, however we did stop for breaks and lunch where we met the porters and they presented us with a cake they had made....not sure how they made it at 4000m using camping equipment but it was good! The final day was another very early start at around 4am where we had to walk to the sungate to see our first view of Macchu Picchu and the sun rise, we arrived at around 6:30am and took the first photos, after that we walked the final hour to Machu Picchu where the whole group was re-united (7 did the Inca and 7 did the Lares Trek). The Inca Trail was probably one of the hardest things I´ve done yet with all the rain and over 5000 steps but was SO worth it!! That afternoon we left Machu Picchu and headed back to Aguas Calientes for lunch and free beer from our tour guide, before making our way on the train and bus to Cuzco. We arrived back at around 7:30, had quick showers (amazing after 4 days!!) and got ready for a night out and salsa lessons. Was a very drunken evening and very tiring after being up since 4am...we then had a couple of days in Cuzco to recover before heading onto Puno and Lake Titicaca.
Lake Titicaca is the biggest high altitude lake and is pretty impressive, we visited the floating islands of Uros where people live on reed beds and then headed onto a small village to stay with Peruvain families, this was an experience! There were two people to a family and on arrival they set up a game of football (rest of world vs. Peru) and then dressed us up in local clothing and taught us to dance. After this we headed back to our Peruvian families houses, our family had 7 children in a very small house, we couldnt all eat in the kitchen together and there were flies everywhere!! The houses are made out of mud and we didn´t have water plumbed in, just a bucket to flush the toilet, even so it was a good experience. The next day we had to spend the morning with our families so Helen and I were taught to tie up the sheep up and then headed out on a boat with the two eldest children and attempted standing rowing (at 4000m above sea level its not easy!). We then had to make our way back to Puno for our final night before the journey to La Paz.
Last night was our tour guide Rudy, and tonight we meet 4 new additions to the next tour (4 people are also leaving :( ) and meet the next guide for Bolivia, he has big shoes to fill as Rudy was really good and super helpful! We have a couple of days in La Paz, and leave on an overnight bus to Sucre on Thurday. So leaving a few days free we had a night out last night and have done nothing today which has been great. Tomorrow we are up early for a full day cycling on the Death Road...most dangerous road in the world! Then after that think we are heading on to do a 3 day 4x4 desert excursion to the salt flats in Bolivia, should be good!
I´ll try and add photos on here soon but internet has not exactly been speedy so far and makes this almost impossible!
E
X
Wednesday, 5 October 2011
More Peru
Ok I've now been in Peru for just over 1 week and seem to have fit a lot in so far! Going on from my last post we got the overnight bus to Arequipa which was an interesting trip, our bus was already an hour late due to a collapsed bridge but we finally got on and was pretty good....definitely not what I would expect from an overnight bus in South America. We got blankets, pillows, watched several films and got given food! However, at about 4am I woke up and noticed that we had stopped, went back to sleep and an hour later we were still at a standstill, we had to wait for 3 1/2 hours for the Nasca Rally to take place...did mean that we had a great roadside view as the cars came past!
We arrived in Arequipa around 3 or 4 hours later than expected and began an orientation walk of the city, definitely the best place so far! After the orientation walk we were left to wander around for a while so Helen and I found water and then headed back to the hotel to shower and change before dinner where we managed to try Guinea Pig and Alpaca, can't say I'm a fan of Guinea Pig but Alpaca is pretty good! We had one night in Arequipa and then had to pack enough things in our daybags for two nights/three days for heading up the Andes with a local guide. We began the journey into the mountains (amazing views!!) and stopped several times along the way to buy coca leaves and coca tea for acclimatisation, we stopped at 4,800m (higher than the average skydive height) and you could really feel the altitude with dizziness and difficulty breathing. We then arrived at our hotel for the next few nights, this now is definitely top of the list of places we have stayed so far, it was really lovely and right in the Andes. After going to our rooms we headed out for a walk up the mountain which was pretty tough given the altitude! The following day we headed out at 6:30am to go and find Condors, Peruvian birds with wingspans of up to 3 metres. After eventually spotting a few we went on another walk through the mountains with some pretty scary passes. That afternoon there was an option to go horse riding, our horses arrived at the hotel and we were taken through the mountains pretty much doing what we wanted, so on the way back we all decided to canter (without hats...) back to the hotel, so much fun! Following that it was a trip to local hot springs where the natural water temperature was around 35 degrees C, much warmer than the evening temperatures in the mountains (boiling in the day but FREEZING at night!!). We had our first 'night out' last night in the highest Irish Bar in the world, not too sure what made it Irish other than the name and a Guinness poster on the wall, and then crammed into a minibus and headed back to the hotel.
Today we headed back to Arequipa on the way stopping for anyone who wanted more coca tea and I managed to buy an Alpaca jumper ready for the cold nights camping on the Inca Trail. We now have the afternoon to explore the city before we head to Cuzco tonight on another overnight bus. We then have a couple of nights in Cuzco before the group splits into two; those doing the Inca Trail (there are about 6 of us) and the others who are doing the Lares Trek. So guess my next update will be after Machu Picchu!!
E
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We arrived in Arequipa around 3 or 4 hours later than expected and began an orientation walk of the city, definitely the best place so far! After the orientation walk we were left to wander around for a while so Helen and I found water and then headed back to the hotel to shower and change before dinner where we managed to try Guinea Pig and Alpaca, can't say I'm a fan of Guinea Pig but Alpaca is pretty good! We had one night in Arequipa and then had to pack enough things in our daybags for two nights/three days for heading up the Andes with a local guide. We began the journey into the mountains (amazing views!!) and stopped several times along the way to buy coca leaves and coca tea for acclimatisation, we stopped at 4,800m (higher than the average skydive height) and you could really feel the altitude with dizziness and difficulty breathing. We then arrived at our hotel for the next few nights, this now is definitely top of the list of places we have stayed so far, it was really lovely and right in the Andes. After going to our rooms we headed out for a walk up the mountain which was pretty tough given the altitude! The following day we headed out at 6:30am to go and find Condors, Peruvian birds with wingspans of up to 3 metres. After eventually spotting a few we went on another walk through the mountains with some pretty scary passes. That afternoon there was an option to go horse riding, our horses arrived at the hotel and we were taken through the mountains pretty much doing what we wanted, so on the way back we all decided to canter (without hats...) back to the hotel, so much fun! Following that it was a trip to local hot springs where the natural water temperature was around 35 degrees C, much warmer than the evening temperatures in the mountains (boiling in the day but FREEZING at night!!). We had our first 'night out' last night in the highest Irish Bar in the world, not too sure what made it Irish other than the name and a Guinness poster on the wall, and then crammed into a minibus and headed back to the hotel.
Today we headed back to Arequipa on the way stopping for anyone who wanted more coca tea and I managed to buy an Alpaca jumper ready for the cold nights camping on the Inca Trail. We now have the afternoon to explore the city before we head to Cuzco tonight on another overnight bus. We then have a couple of nights in Cuzco before the group splits into two; those doing the Inca Trail (there are about 6 of us) and the others who are doing the Lares Trek. So guess my next update will be after Machu Picchu!!
E
X
Friday, 30 September 2011
Week 1: Peru
I've now arrived in South America, first stop Lima, Peru. My flight got in quite late on the first day (on time, just late at night) so didn't get to my hotel until around 1am, luckily had already pre-arranged a transfer from the airport and this took me to my hostel 'Gemina'. On arrival the front of the hostel was all boarded up and look pretty interesting to say the least....actually turned out to be really nice inside though. I was on my own for the first day in Lima so arranged a tour of the city (soon found out there is not much to see!). After this I met up with my group and tour leader Rudy, everyone is lovely and most people are also going all the way to Rio so should be good fun over the next 2 1/2 months!
Yesterday (day 2) we headed onto Pisco and stayed in a small town called Ica. My roomate, Helen (who is lovely), and I decided to go out and investigate and went for a walk along the beach to watch the sunset - Amazing!! However, as we headed back to our hostel nearly got attacked by a local dog for walking past him as he was sleeping...fun! This morning we then had to be up at 8am to go on a boat ride to the Ballestas Islands, this was a 2 hour round trip where we saw penguins, sea lions, pelicans and loads of other birds. There was the possibility of dolphins but unfortunately there were none around as we headed out on the boats.
After that we headed towards Nasca, stopping along the way at a vineyard to taste the locally made Pisco (Peruvian alcohol). Once finished here next stop was dunebuggies and sand-boarding! We got strapped into the buggies, given glasses (to protect your eyes from the sand) and headed off into the desert...SO MUCH FUN! We got thrown over sand dunes for a while and then stopped to take photos and get ready to board down the dunes, pretty much snow boarding on sand but most of the time it was easier to lay on the board than to stand. Once back to the minibus we had a few hours for swimming and lunch, which was pretty nice in amongst the sand dunes!
We were hoping to get to a tower in time to see two of the Nasca Lines, however as we were on our way in the bus a lorry was blocking the road (after tipping over at 7:30pm the previous evening! apparently the driver was alive but injured in hospital!). Once the lorry had been rightened, using another cab to pull it back over, we carried on our journey but by this time it was dark so had to go straight to our next hotel/hostel. Tomorrow night we are off to Arequipa on an overnight bus so should be interesting given the journeys by road we have had so far!
Was hoping to upload a couple of pictures but the internet connection/or my netbook are too slow and its taking too long but will get some up soon.
E
X
Yesterday (day 2) we headed onto Pisco and stayed in a small town called Ica. My roomate, Helen (who is lovely), and I decided to go out and investigate and went for a walk along the beach to watch the sunset - Amazing!! However, as we headed back to our hostel nearly got attacked by a local dog for walking past him as he was sleeping...fun! This morning we then had to be up at 8am to go on a boat ride to the Ballestas Islands, this was a 2 hour round trip where we saw penguins, sea lions, pelicans and loads of other birds. There was the possibility of dolphins but unfortunately there were none around as we headed out on the boats.
After that we headed towards Nasca, stopping along the way at a vineyard to taste the locally made Pisco (Peruvian alcohol). Once finished here next stop was dunebuggies and sand-boarding! We got strapped into the buggies, given glasses (to protect your eyes from the sand) and headed off into the desert...SO MUCH FUN! We got thrown over sand dunes for a while and then stopped to take photos and get ready to board down the dunes, pretty much snow boarding on sand but most of the time it was easier to lay on the board than to stand. Once back to the minibus we had a few hours for swimming and lunch, which was pretty nice in amongst the sand dunes!
We were hoping to get to a tower in time to see two of the Nasca Lines, however as we were on our way in the bus a lorry was blocking the road (after tipping over at 7:30pm the previous evening! apparently the driver was alive but injured in hospital!). Once the lorry had been rightened, using another cab to pull it back over, we carried on our journey but by this time it was dark so had to go straight to our next hotel/hostel. Tomorrow night we are off to Arequipa on an overnight bus so should be interesting given the journeys by road we have had so far!
Was hoping to upload a couple of pictures but the internet connection/or my netbook are too slow and its taking too long but will get some up soon.
E
X
Monday, 26 September 2011
Goodbye England, Hello World!
Ok so today is my last day in England, doesn't actually feel like I'm going anywhere and really can't quite get my head around it all!
I've packed, unpacked and re-packed for about the 5th time and still might need another attempt before I leave tomorrow morning. Got a lovely early flight at 9am from Gatwick so very early start, but this time tomorrow I will be on the plane heading to Peru....WOW. Can't believe I'm actually going!!
I've packed, unpacked and re-packed for about the 5th time and still might need another attempt before I leave tomorrow morning. Got a lovely early flight at 9am from Gatwick so very early start, but this time tomorrow I will be on the plane heading to Peru....WOW. Can't believe I'm actually going!!
Feeling pretty nervous about it all now, especially the very first night/day in Peru all on my own, but at the same time keep reading over my itinerary and discovering new things that I will be doing, very exciting :)
So I guess the next time I will post anything I will be on my travels and somewhere in South America
E
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