tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14877632998275925972024-03-13T09:54:39.194-07:00Jan & Fossie's TravelsJanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727748355811233707noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1487763299827592597.post-25854398945996492792009-12-31T12:04:00.000-08:002010-09-06T13:05:48.884-07:00Ar Ais AbhaileSo the morning after I typed the last post we packed up our backpacks (and 2 newly acquired suitcases to accomodate all the shopping we did in the States) for the very last time. We got a taxi to the airport and got on a plane to Heathrow. We had a bit of luck and managed to get our seats upgraded. Our flight was delayed but we arrived into Heathrow close enough to the scheduled time. We barely made our next flight though. We had 5 security checks to go through before we could board and eneded up skipping past the last queue and running all the way to the boarding gate. We just about made it and the flight took off just as it started snowing. We were really lucky because just after that the weather caused major delays everywhere.<br />
I had hoped Dad might be working in the airport but since he wasn't we got another taxi instead. We met him just as we were letting ourselves in the door at home and he was coming down the stairs. Paul came home next and then Mum arrived in the door a little bit later. She definitely got a bigger shock than Paul and Dad. Lots of screaming and hugging.<br />
We called up to the Foster's house in the middle of Caroline's birthday party. Lots more screaming and hugging there and Fossie finally got to hold his niece Lizzie for the first time.<br />
It was a great surprise for everyone, and we were both delighted to be home and to see everybody after such a long time.<br />
<br />
We had one more surprise in store though...<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sz0Rb_OZLbI/AAAAAAAABH0/jwZhnTF6yLs/s1600-h/IMG_0315.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421508698949889458" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sz0Rb_OZLbI/AAAAAAAABH0/jwZhnTF6yLs/s320/IMG_0315.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 127px; width: 177px;" /></a></div><br />
We got engaged when we were in the Grand Canyon. After we did the boat ride on the bottom and while we were waiting for the helicopter to come back and pick us up Fossie got down on one knee. Of course I was thrilled and said yes! We kept it to ourselves until we got home though.<br />
<br />
So 335 days and 26 flights later, our little adventure is over. We had an absolutely amazing year, saw some spectacular sights, and had some amazing experiences. It really was a once in a lifetime opportunity and we're so glad we did it. Hopefully we'll have the chance to see a little bit more of the world in the not too distant future!<br />
<br />
Jan and PaulJanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727748355811233707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1487763299827592597.post-86242796160253010262009-12-15T22:44:00.000-08:002010-09-06T13:10:24.803-07:00Mexico, Vegas and LAWell it's been a while since the last post. The internet in Mexico was very hit and miss, in Vegas it was very expensive and in LA we've been very busy.<br />
When we crossed the border to Mexico our first stop was at the Mayan ruins in Palenque. They were a bit similar to the ones in Tikal, but different at the same time.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SyiC2U4IkwI/AAAAAAAABGs/5Snbm0RYvr4/s1600-h/DSCN1662.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415722421741720322" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SyiC2U4IkwI/AAAAAAAABGs/5Snbm0RYvr4/s320/DSCN1662.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
Then we had a bumpy bus journey to San Criostobal, literally. They have so many speed bumps in Mexico, it's crazy! San Criostobal was a lovely little town up in the highlands. There wasn't all that much to do there but it was a nice place just to wander around. It was freezing while we were there though. In that region of Mexico (Chiapas), the Mayan culture is still really alive. We went to visit a Mayan village called San Juan Chamula. It was nice to see that although they have kept there traditions, and in many ways live similarly to their ancestors, they're not stuck in the dark ages. The church in the village was really interesting. Technically the people would say they are Catholic, but they banished the priest a long time ago. They don't celebrate any masses in the church, instead it's like a communal place for prayer. They have some very un-Catholic prayer rituals that involve lighting different colour candles in different arrangments what they're praying for, hanging mirrors around the Saints necks', and sacrificing chickens!!! Unfortunately we couldn't take pictures in there but it was very different to any church I've ever seen.<br />
<br />
From San Cristobal we headed to Puerto Escondido on the Pacific coast. It was 6 days of nothing but sun, sea and sand. We loved every minute of it. The weather was perfect and the beaches were spectacular.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SyiGCpM0DQI/AAAAAAAABG0/t2HnGyLOnyk/s1600-h/DSCN9806.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415725931890478338" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SyiGCpM0DQI/AAAAAAAABG0/t2HnGyLOnyk/s320/DSCN9806.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SyiGgCjVDoI/AAAAAAAABG8/fkNr4BdUW8w/s1600-h/DSCN9809.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415726436912008834" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SyiGgCjVDoI/AAAAAAAABG8/fkNr4BdUW8w/s320/DSCN9809.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
Our last stop was Mexico City. After getting so lazy at the beach we didn't really do too much for our 2 days in the city. We stayed in the Old Quarter and really just spent most of our time strolling around there. We were amazed to find out that because Mexico city is built on land reclaimed from the lake, it's sinking rapidly. Some of the buildings would rival the Leaning Tower of Piza. A disaster waiting to happen!<br />
<br />
Two flights later and we were in Vegas. It lived up to up to our expectations. It's like nowhere else in the world. In one day you can climb the Eiffel tower, see the Empire State Building and ride a gondala through Venice!<br />
We just about managed to get out to the Grand Canyon. Our flight was initially cancelled due to SNOW but it cleared up and we got a later flight. Once our 18 seater plane toucher down we were straight into a helicopter that brought us down to the canyon floor.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SyiH7FJoeBI/AAAAAAAABHE/wcrBuspyGhI/s1600-h/DSCN9861.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415728000977631250" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SyiH7FJoeBI/AAAAAAAABHE/wcrBuspyGhI/s320/DSCN9861.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
The views down there as we floated along the Colorado River were breathtaking. It's really spectacular. After the chopper took back up we had a bit of time to admire the views from up there too.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SyiI8dXXJoI/AAAAAAAABHM/YXfajJV0Dmg/s1600-h/DSCN9926.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415729124169164418" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SyiI8dXXJoI/AAAAAAAABHM/YXfajJV0Dmg/s320/DSCN9926.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>The next day we took a spin out to the Hoover Dam. That was amazing too, and even more so when you think about how it was made without the technology and modern tools we have nowadays.<br />
<br />
We did manage to squeeze in a little bit of gambling. Had a little bit of luck at the start but of course put it all back into the slots. Well, it was only $20. It was crazy to see some of the amounts that some people were gambling ... and losing.<br />
<br />
We flew to LA then and landed to lovely Irish weather. A perfect day to hit the mall!<br />
Yesterday we went to Disneyland. We both loved it. Our favorite ride was definitely Thunder Mountain. We did it 3 times. Meeting Mickey Mouse was another highlight.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SyiLDmcd3oI/AAAAAAAABHc/BxZCKIpd20s/s1600-h/DSCN0018.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415731445888835202" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SyiLDmcd3oI/AAAAAAAABHc/BxZCKIpd20s/s320/DSCN0018.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
</div>The parade was wonderful too, really magical and Christmassy.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SyiKzi_m9VI/AAAAAAAABHU/wAUDNUl0_hY/s1600-h/DSCN0040.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415731170084582738" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SyiKzi_m9VI/AAAAAAAABHU/wAUDNUl0_hY/s320/DSCN0040.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a></div><br />
And they had a brilliant fireworks show to top off the day.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SyiLeuFfxzI/AAAAAAAABHk/LnoIqph0y7E/s1600-h/DSCN0115.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415731911796442930" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SyiLeuFfxzI/AAAAAAAABHk/LnoIqph0y7E/s320/DSCN0115.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
Today we took a tour of Hollywood. Got to see the homes of some of the stars including J-Lo, Cher, Justin Timberlake, the Spelling Mansion and the Playboy Mansion (no bunnies in sight though.) We did the Walk of Fame too.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SyiMxINJDFI/AAAAAAAABHs/5q9_tBZu03M/s1600-h/DSCN0143.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415733327557102674" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SyiMxINJDFI/AAAAAAAABHs/5q9_tBZu03M/s320/DSCN0143.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a></div><br />
So it we haven't too long left now. Let's hope it won't be so hectic. Can't wait to see everyone.<br />
<br />
Jan and Paul.Janhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727748355811233707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1487763299827592597.post-79442092905223770522009-11-26T12:31:00.000-08:002010-09-06T13:14:05.902-07:00Guatemala and the Amazing Technicolour Chicken Buses (& Nicaragua too)After a long bus journey from Monteverde we arrived in Granada, Nicaragua. It was a really pretty little colonial city, but there wasn't really much to do there. We spent a day just chilling out in hammocks at Laguna Apoyo, a volcanic crater lake and then headed on to Esteli. It#s a real cowboy town that was significant in the civil war because it was the last town to fall, and forced the end of the Samoza rule, bringing democracy to the country.<br />
Then we had to fly over Honduras becuase the political situation there isn't the greatest and they suspended all civil liberties about a month ago for a while, and we didn't fancy getting stuck there. It wasn't too bad though because we flew Business Class, it was US$50 cheaper than economy.<br />
We spent only spent the one day in Guatemala city because of all the warnings about how dangerous it was. Our next stop was Antigua. It was so nice we stayed there a bit longer than we intended. It was all cobbled streets, cute little houses, and an overload of churches, some of them in ruins. The highlight there was probably the trip to visit volcan Pacaya. It's one of 3 active volcanoes in Guatemala. We weren't allowed to hike to the crater because it was so active when we were there, but we did get to within about 5m of a lava flow. It was amazing. About 20m up hill from where we were standing we could see red hot molten lava oozing out of the volcano.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sw7vyLjJGFI/AAAAAAAABF0/O7FojUs2D4U/s1600/DSCN9531.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408523847891228754" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sw7vyLjJGFI/AAAAAAAABF0/O7FojUs2D4U/s320/DSCN9531.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
</div>It cooled quickly and lost it's redness but was still hot enough to toast marshmallows over by the time it reached us.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sw7wdcBkZ-I/AAAAAAAABF8/Ghk7Exmh_rE/s1600/DSCN9535.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408524591048189922" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sw7wdcBkZ-I/AAAAAAAABF8/Ghk7Exmh_rE/s320/DSCN9535.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>Our trip was cut a bit short when the wind picked up and sent some rocks/mini-boulders hurtling in our direction.<br />
<br />
From Antigua we headed to Chichicastengo for the famous market there. We arrived the day before the market so we got to see all the vendors arriving from the nearby villages. They were carrying all their wares on their backs, as well as the sticks to assemble their stalls. They have such hard lives, we wouldn't work animals as hard at home. Most of the stuff there was handmade, there were some really amazing weavings and textiles. You'd be ashamed when you see gringos (like us) bargaing the prices down to a pittance, and you wonder how the people manage to survive on that sort of income at all.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sw7ztVBGOxI/AAAAAAAABGc/VZTyv98Vllc/s1600/DSCN9639.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408528162579954450" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sw7ztVBGOxI/AAAAAAAABGc/VZTyv98Vllc/s320/DSCN9639.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sw70OnguQII/AAAAAAAABGk/lU0GqzGgXiQ/s1600/DSCN9640.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408528734480121986" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sw70OnguQII/AAAAAAAABGk/lU0GqzGgXiQ/s320/DSCN9640.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
<br />
From Chichi, it was a very long night bus to Flores, to see the Mayan ruins in Tikal. They were really impressive, some of them were huge. When you climbed up the tall ones all you could see was the jungle canopy with the tops of some of the other ruins poking out, real Indiana Jones stuff.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sw7xUNlbjJI/AAAAAAAABGE/7sFI3gARQwY/s1600/DSCN9674.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408525532064877714" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sw7xUNlbjJI/AAAAAAAABGE/7sFI3gARQwY/s320/DSCN9674.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sw7y2cJWgJI/AAAAAAAABGU/JZ7ozXqmhQk/s1600/DSCN9720.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408527219600818322" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sw7y2cJWgJI/AAAAAAAABGU/JZ7ozXqmhQk/s320/DSCN9720.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 239px;" /></a></div><br />
Ok so the chicken buses...<br />
Chicken buses are what becomes of US school buses when they get too old or unsafe to transport American kids around. Central America is like the graveyard for these deathtraps, but somehow they manage to resusitate them and pimp them up to the last. Think lots of chrome, brightly colored paintjobs, and so many lights that at night time they're like a crazy funfair ride. Actually getting on one at night wouldn't be too different from a crazy funfair ride. They're bad enough by day.<br />
Once they're all done up they're paired with drivers, whose only neccessary qualification for the job is that they were boy racers in former lives.<br />
Anyway inside these beauties there are no individual seats, but two rows of bench type seats. Originally, one row was made for 3 schoolkids, but in reality only takes 2 and a half adult sized rears. The other would probably have fit 2 children but is only big enough for one and a half fully grown (or overgrown) behinds.<br />
In Guatemala it seems to be the fashion to remove the smaller benches and replace them with the larger ones. This makes the aisle ridiculously narrow, and impossibly so if you've got a big backpack on, as we found out when we literally could fit on the bus from Guatemala City to Antigua. That was fun.<br />
Anyway on our way back from Chichi, the bus was fairly full by the time it picked us up. This meant that we were the 3rd people on the 2 and a half seater benches. So only one ass cheek got a seat. There was 3 people on the bench opposite me so that meant myself and the guy on the opposite bench were actually propping each other up and stopping each other from sliding of the bench and crashing into the aisle, as our crazy driver sped around the hairpin bends without even considering slowing down. My hands actually cramped up from gripping the rail in front of me so hard.<br />
But some people manage to get quite comfy on the buses. About an hour into the journey, the guy in the seat across the aisle from me, who is actually sitting next to me, decides he knows me well enough to fall asleep on my shoulder. I woke him up when I started laughing at him.<br />
However, the real beauty of the chicken buses is that they have an unlimited capacity for passengers. Just when you think they're full (i.e. at least 3 people crammed into every seat and the tiny aisle full of people) they manage to squeeze another 20 people in. The upside to this is that you don't have to worry about sliding off the bench anymore, becuase you are jammed in so tightly that you couldn't move even if you wanted too. The downside is having someone's ass in your face for the last hour and a half of the journey.<br />
I suppose for €2.50 for a 3 hour journey, we probably shouldn't complain!<br />
<br />
Jan and Paul.Janhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727748355811233707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1487763299827592597.post-64009861886845725892009-11-10T13:21:00.000-08:002010-09-06T13:19:31.903-07:00Panama and Costa RicaWell after the Inca Trail we said goodbye to South America and boarded a plane to Panama. While we were in the city we went to see the Panama Canal. The whole set-up there was very impressive. We went to the Miraflores locks nearest the city. There's 2 lanes and both have 4 gates and 3 separate sections to change the water level. We got to see 2 big boats passing through them and were surprised how quickly they got from the first gate out to the ocean at the other side, only took about half an hour. Most boats pass through the whole canal in less than 24 hours.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvnrWo30fbI/AAAAAAAABEU/PNnzYKsaQuY/s1600-h/DSCN1514.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402608002168815026" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvnrWo30fbI/AAAAAAAABEU/PNnzYKsaQuY/s320/DSCN1514.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 177px; width: 236px;" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvnsmuiE1TI/AAAAAAAABEc/YhQ2VRkF9EY/s1600-h/DSCN1517.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402609378077758770" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvnsmuiE1TI/AAAAAAAABEc/YhQ2VRkF9EY/s320/DSCN1517.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 178px; width: 236px;" /></a><br />
You can see how the water changes level here.</div><br />
After that we headed to a little town called Boquete in the Panamanian highlands. Apparently it grows the best coffee in the world (since the gold medal for coffee has been won by Boquete coffee farms for the last number of years.) We couldn't miss the chance to do a coffee tour there. We were both surprised by how interesting it was to learn about and see the whole process from picking the coffee fruit to grinding and packaging the beans. Needless to say we're both coffee experts now ( though I still take mine with milk and sugar, much to our guide's disappointment), so there'll be no more No-es-Cafe for us. (No-es-Cafe is the nickname for Nescafe, it literally means 'it's not coffee', they use the reject beans for that.)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvntfqPFXnI/AAAAAAAABEk/p_94AY8yerw/s1600-h/DSCN9406.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402610356176903794" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvntfqPFXnI/AAAAAAAABEk/p_94AY8yerw/s320/DSCN9406.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
Next it was on to San Jose (Costa Rica), obviously humming Do You Know the Way to San Jose all the way there. Didn't get up to too much there, just had a bit of a wander around the city.<br />
<br />
From there we got a bus to La Fortuna to see the Arenal Volcano. It's the most active volcano in Costa Rica, a land full of them. But of course the night we went to see it it was too cloudy to catch a glimpse of anything, not to mind see lava pouring froming the crater like it had been the night before. At least we got to see some wildlife and nice plants on the way there.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvnuK26Yw0I/AAAAAAAABEs/fxJV_0cyRRs/s1600-h/DSCN9434.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402611098314130242" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvnuK26Yw0I/AAAAAAAABEs/fxJV_0cyRRs/s320/DSCN9434.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
See it smoking?</div><br />
Part of that tour was to visit hot springs in the area too. Our tour company took the cheap option though, so we actually ended up in a hot river. It was something else altogether. In the darkness we made our way down to the river's edge, waded under a bridge and ended up beneath the canopy of trees with lightening flashing overhead, while we sat in the hot water of the river. It was such an unusual experience. All the more unusual when one girl shone her torch around and I spotted something on the tree trunk that had fallen over into the river. I very calmly got up and moved away (although Foss says my face dropped.) But when she screamed SNAKE Fossie was out of there like a shot - the fastest he moved since we've been away. Anyway the rest of us stayed there a while more, feeling a bit more reassured when the guide explained that snakes being cold blooded meant they wouldn't come into the hot water of the river.<br />
<br />
From Fortuna we made our way across the lake to Monteverde, a town known for its cloud forest reserves. Last night we did a guided night tour through one of the forests. Unfortunately we didn't see all that much wildlife, I think the heavy rain scared them all away. We did get to see an Orange-Kneed Tarantula though.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvnvFFvZBaI/AAAAAAAABE0/EnK3SkGJKEE/s1600-h/DSCN9474.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402612098726954402" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvnvFFvZBaI/AAAAAAAABE0/EnK3SkGJKEE/s320/DSCN9474.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>We were told they sell for $100 as pets. As if that would be enough to make me put my hand into a hole like that and try to catch one!<br />
<br />
This morning we headed to a different forest to do a Canopy Tour. This was sooo much fun. It's basically a series of ziplines through the tree tops. There were 12 cables altogether, the longest one was 1km, the highest 540ft, and there was a 90ft rappel too. We were like Tarzan flying through the forest.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Svnvte2-dQI/AAAAAAAABE8/NAF8KhOKxQE/s1600-h/DSCN1536.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402612792664421634" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Svnvte2-dQI/AAAAAAAABE8/NAF8KhOKxQE/s320/DSCN1536.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvnwHAx93pI/AAAAAAAABFE/LSDt_cfHEig/s1600-h/DSCN1535.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402613231266946706" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvnwHAx93pI/AAAAAAAABFE/LSDt_cfHEig/s320/DSCN1535.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvnwWCXUP6I/AAAAAAAABFM/BZIW0ESE2kc/s1600-h/RSCN1540.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402613489390075810" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvnwWCXUP6I/AAAAAAAABFM/BZIW0ESE2kc/s320/RSCN1540.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvnxLEQRcCI/AAAAAAAABFc/OP3kyYu8yZo/s1600-h/DSCN1548.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402614400430469154" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvnxLEQRcCI/AAAAAAAABFc/OP3kyYu8yZo/s320/DSCN1548.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Svnxr2e2a3I/AAAAAAAABFk/L5ovznWgrNc/s1600-h/DSCN1552.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402614963669199730" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Svnxr2e2a3I/AAAAAAAABFk/L5ovznWgrNc/s320/DSCN1552.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvnyIQP-Y_I/AAAAAAAABFs/F467StDOUkM/s1600-h/DSCN1547.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402615451622466546" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvnyIQP-Y_I/AAAAAAAABFs/F467StDOUkM/s320/DSCN1547.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
Because we only have 5 weeks in Central America to get from Panama city to Mexico city we're moving quite fast. Tomorrow we have a bus to Granada in Nicaragua. Let's hope the roads aren't too bad.<br />
<br />
Jan and Fossie.Janhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727748355811233707noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1487763299827592597.post-17267883018003901652009-11-03T13:30:00.000-08:002010-09-06T13:25:47.325-07:00Inca Trail4 days - 23 hours trekking - 46 km - but worth every aching muscle to see Machu Picchu and some of the other amazing Incan sites along the way.<br />
Our first day we got as bus as far as Kilometer 82 (on the railway line) where the trail begins.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvCjav3HNDI/AAAAAAAABC0/2JYpXWx2_R4/s1600-h/DSCN9056.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399995633136776242" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvCjav3HNDI/AAAAAAAABC0/2JYpXWx2_R4/s320/DSCN9056.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
We started off mostly flat that day with a few gentle uphill bits. It was nice to break us in gradually. After lunch was a different story though, especially the last 2 hours, they were tough going. But at least we knew we were finished for the day when we arrived at our campsite.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvCj4Npk78I/AAAAAAAABC8/lGAVpzPthbc/s1600-h/DSCN1372.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399996139349274562" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvCj4Npk78I/AAAAAAAABC8/lGAVpzPthbc/s320/DSCN1372.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
It was an early start the next day. Wake up call was at 5.30am and we were on the trail by 6.15am. I don't think I've ever been up and active that early in my life before! This was definitely the hardest section. About 3 1/2 hours to the top of Dead Woman's Pass (4215m above sea level). It was torturous. By the time we could see the top I was so worn out and it was so steep it was literally 20 steps, take a break, 20 more, catch my breath ...<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvCnKo8X6CI/AAAAAAAABDM/ByWD54u0gJY/s1600-h/DSCN1386.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399999754448398370" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvCnKo8X6CI/AAAAAAAABDM/ByWD54u0gJY/s320/DSCN1386.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a></div><br />
We made it to the top just in time to admire the view before the clouds set in.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvCl5hBICxI/AAAAAAAABDE/qSB6ylkGLbM/s1600-h/DSCN9089.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399998360751442706" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvCl5hBICxI/AAAAAAAABDE/qSB6ylkGLbM/s320/DSCN9089.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 241px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
After the struggle to get to the top, what else would you do only go back down. We had about 2 hours of really steep down hill to our lunch spot.And of course that was followed by another massive climb to the second highest pass of the trek, where we had a break<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvCoOhJ-7fI/AAAAAAAABDU/PZVhM3nzGWs/s1600-h/DSCN1402.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400000920589102578" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvCoOhJ-7fI/AAAAAAAABDU/PZVhM3nzGWs/s320/DSCN1402.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a></div>before yet another descent. Crazy stuff! Why the Inca's couldn't just flatten it out a bit is beyond me.<br />
<br />
It poured rain that night, but luckily we woke up to clear skies and a great view of the valley in the morning.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvCvPmcSemI/AAAAAAAABEE/k4h1hYM3Mcc/s1600-h/DSCN9150.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400008635769322082" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvCvPmcSemI/AAAAAAAABEE/k4h1hYM3Mcc/s320/DSCN9150.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
We started off with a nice gentle section that would have been easy if our legs weren't in bits after all the up and down the previous day. Luckily it was only a half day of walking until we got to the Intipata site, and our campsite was very close.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvCo67LiVzI/AAAAAAAABDc/GkkGihy_Cpo/s1600-h/DSCN9215.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400001683489183538" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvCo67LiVzI/AAAAAAAABDc/GkkGihy_Cpo/s320/DSCN9215.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
That afternoon we visited Winaywayna. This was my favourite site along the trail. we just rounded a bend and there it was. Really outstanding. All the terraces were for farming. Our guide told us they layered gravel, then sand, then soil to make it more fertile and improve drainage. At the top of the site is a natural spring and they built a seies of fountains and channels to bring the water down as far as the houses.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvCphKyan_I/AAAAAAAABDk/uJXv-ZcIGVM/s1600-h/DSCN1432.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400002340513816562" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvCphKyan_I/AAAAAAAABDk/uJXv-ZcIGVM/s320/DSCN1432.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
On the last morning we were up before the sun and started the final leg at 5am. At Intipunku (Sungate) we got our first glimpse of Machu Picchu through the cloud cover.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvCqon6m-rI/AAAAAAAABDs/Ar0ugwZynWk/s1600-h/DSCN1444.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400003568103520946" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvCqon6m-rI/AAAAAAAABDs/Ar0ugwZynWk/s320/DSCN1444.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
We hung around for a bit and luckily it cleared up.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvCvtA_39-I/AAAAAAAABEM/FLnvk3TQ3Lc/s1600-h/DSCN9278.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400009141114107874" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SvCvtA_39-I/AAAAAAAABEM/FLnvk3TQ3Lc/s320/DSCN9278.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
By the time we got down there it was scorching. We had a guided tour of the site first and then had some free time to wander around ourselves. It's a really amazing site. It's hard to comprehend the scale of it from the photo's and even in real life. They reckon that maybe 500 people lived there in the Incan period.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><div><embed align="middle" flashvars="cy=bb&il=1&channel=3170534137704222822&site=widget-66.slide.com" name="flashticker" quality="high" salign="l" scale="noscale" src="http://widget-66.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" style="height: 320px; width: 400px;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"></embed><br />
<div style="text-align: left; width: 400px;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=3170534137704222822&map=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-66.slide.com/p1/3170534137704222822/bb_t000_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=3170534137704222822&map=2" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-66.slide.com/p2/3170534137704222822/bb_t000_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" /></a> </div></div><br />
</div><br />
So that was the Inca Trail. A challenging but fantastic experience.<br />
<br />
Jan and PaulJanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727748355811233707noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1487763299827592597.post-58838244177434011892009-10-27T18:47:00.000-07:002009-10-27T18:51:17.262-07:00Quick LinkHere's a link to our<a href="http://www.sastravelperu.com/english/inkatrail.html"> Inca Trail Trek</a>. We're starting it tomorrow.<br />Any thoughts and prayers on Thursday to help us get to the top of Dead Woman's Pass will be much appreciated : )<br /><br />Jan and Paul.Janhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727748355811233707noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1487763299827592597.post-60064293330274034532009-10-23T14:44:00.000-07:002010-09-06T13:49:58.827-07:00Most Dangerous Road and on to PeruWhile we were in La Paz (it seems like ages ago) we decided to cycle down the World's Most Dangerous Road. It is a 64km long stretch of twisting dirt road that is cut into the side of a mountain and descends over 3,400m from start to finish. To the right, there is a towering cliff face with occasional rock overhangs and waterfalls washing the road away, to the left, a sheer drop of over 1,000m (3,300 ft.) And as luck would have it, it's the only road in Bolivia where they drive on the left, meaning we had to ride along the edge of the road, right beside the death-defying drop!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuIp7xBXKbI/AAAAAAAABAs/0XSTnOZ_0jc/s1600-h/DSCN0485.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395921410291345842" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuIp7xBXKbI/AAAAAAAABAs/0XSTnOZ_0jc/s320/DSCN0485.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuIrnmKkMUI/AAAAAAAABA8/dIgtzK-MO9I/s1600-h/IMGP8995.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395923262803030338" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuIrnmKkMUI/AAAAAAAABA8/dIgtzK-MO9I/s320/IMGP8995.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuIsap2ukvI/AAAAAAAABBE/4Qdni4XrISs/s1600-h/IMGP9012.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395924139966894834" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuIsap2ukvI/AAAAAAAABBE/4Qdni4XrISs/s320/IMGP9012.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuIsx2uJfyI/AAAAAAAABBM/jhuSpdLk11M/s1600-h/IMGP9013.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395924538557562658" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuIsx2uJfyI/AAAAAAAABBM/jhuSpdLk11M/s320/IMGP9013.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuIrI4yPjuI/AAAAAAAABA0/ib8gwfXIDOw/s1600-h/DSCN0530.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395922735225343714" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuIrI4yPjuI/AAAAAAAABA0/ib8gwfXIDOw/s320/DSCN0530.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a></div><br />
We had a fantastic day, although we were aching the day afterwards. At least the only thing we had to do was sit on a bus that took us over the border to the Peruvian town of Puno. The main attraction there is Lake Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake apparently. It's home to this wierd little group of floating islands, called the Uros Islands, made from reeds. The ground, the houses, everything there is made from reeds. St. Brigid would have been proud!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuIttuDAj6I/AAAAAAAABBU/-pxFdLWw8pM/s1600-h/DSCN0585.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395925567021289378" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuIttuDAj6I/AAAAAAAABBU/-pxFdLWw8pM/s320/DSCN0585.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
We also went to Amantani, one of the islands further out on the lake, not a floating one, and spent a night in a homestay there. It was really nice to stay with Peruvian family and experience a day in their life.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuIuduK-r0I/AAAAAAAABBc/8OArp4_iOFE/s1600-h/DSCN0662.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395926391688441666" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuIuduK-r0I/AAAAAAAABBc/8OArp4_iOFE/s320/DSCN0662.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
While we were on the island they had a 'fiesta' for us and we got to dress up in traditional island clothing.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuIvsH4IP8I/AAAAAAAABBk/Vw9AVAvU5UI/s1600-h/DSCN0704.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395927738618494914" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuIvsH4IP8I/AAAAAAAABBk/Vw9AVAvU5UI/s320/DSCN0704.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 239px;" /></a></div><br />
After Puno we went to Arequipa and from there did a side trip to Colca Canyon, a well know trekking area. For some crazy, idiotic, insane reason one of the most popular treks is to hike it down to the bottom of the canyon there, a mere 1200m descent, have a swim in the pools down there, and then try to haul yourself back up again. Obviously that's exactly what we did! Even though we were kind of aware of the stupidity of it beforehand, the point was really hammered home as we tried to drag ourselves back up the steep, winding, dirt path. It took us about twice as long as it had to get down there!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuIwwg64UOI/AAAAAAAABBs/YaOCOyLvwpg/s1600-h/DSCN8765.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395928913572024546" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuIwwg64UOI/AAAAAAAABBs/YaOCOyLvwpg/s320/DSCN8765.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
On the way back from Colca Canyon we stopped off at Cruz del Condor to see the condors that live there. Amazing birds that drift on currents of hot air, really big once they get close.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuIyQRXIFPI/AAAAAAAABB0/aEzHCm21KaU/s1600-h/DSCN1169.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395930558662972658" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuIyQRXIFPI/AAAAAAAABB0/aEzHCm21KaU/s320/DSCN1169.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
After Arequipa it was on to Nazca, where we flew over the Nazca lines, in what could only be described as a toy plane.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuIzu-XauwI/AAAAAAAABB8/EbdOHD-2s14/s1600-h/DSCN8925.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395932185651493634" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuIzu-XauwI/AAAAAAAABB8/EbdOHD-2s14/s320/DSCN8925.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuI0MOmm1FI/AAAAAAAABCE/twA67ofaBWw/s1600-h/DSCN8907.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395932688226374738" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuI0MOmm1FI/AAAAAAAABCE/twA67ofaBWw/s320/DSCN8907.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuI00C2oVVI/AAAAAAAABCM/lejFZnS8PmM/s1600-h/DSCN8910.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395933372267124050" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuI00C2oVVI/AAAAAAAABCM/lejFZnS8PmM/s320/DSCN8910.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 241px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
They're fairly certain at this stage that the lines were created by ancient Nazcan people, not aliens as once believed. But they're not 100% sure why they created these lines that could only be seen from the air in an era when there was no flying. One opinion was that they were for the benifit of the Shamans (ancient priests). When the priests got high they believed they could fly and so the people created the lines to provide a bit of scenery for these drug induced 'flights'.<br />
<br />
After Nazca, we visited Pisco to go out to the Islas Ballestas. They're nicknamed the poormans Gallapagos, and that suited us fine since we won't be going to Ecuador.<br />
The islands were literally covered with birds (we got to see penguins, pelicans, comorants and lots of others), and the rocks were dotted with sealions.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuI2jn6vx_I/AAAAAAAABCc/IvR2DN6E1rQ/s1600-h/DSCN8937.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395935289181980658" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuI2jn6vx_I/AAAAAAAABCc/IvR2DN6E1rQ/s320/DSCN8937.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuI3ad96MqI/AAAAAAAABCk/X-CF7ICSiJc/s1600-h/DSCN8962.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395936231403696802" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuI3ad96MqI/AAAAAAAABCk/X-CF7ICSiJc/s320/DSCN8962.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuI4rZoaPUI/AAAAAAAABCs/YNj9ppaWkWU/s1600-h/DSCN8968.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395937621809184066" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SuI4rZoaPUI/AAAAAAAABCs/YNj9ppaWkWU/s320/DSCN8968.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
</div>Apparently they make a fortune from collecting guana from the islands, that is they harvest the bird shit!<br />
<br />
Our next stop was Lima. We've had a lazy few days here because we got here a bit earlier than intended since we didn't go to Rurrenabaque. To be honest it's been nice to laze around and not really do much. We saw some of the city sights, but nothing really stood out.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow we head to Cusco and have a few days to try and get re-acclimatised to the altitude before we do the Inca Trail. Then it's on to Central America, scary hown close to the end of the journey we are!<br />
<br />
Anyway would love to hear from anyone reading the blog, we're getting as little bit homesick at this stage.<br />
<br />
Jan and PaulJanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727748355811233707noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1487763299827592597.post-56631060792422758272009-10-05T07:53:00.000-07:002010-09-06T14:00:08.901-07:00Pantanal and BoliviaWe spent 3 days in the Pantanal. It's an area of savannah grassland about the same size as France. We went hiking through the grasslands, did some horse riding, went on a boat trip, fished for pirhana ( and used them as bait to fish for alligators), and went on a jeep safari looking for snakes.<br />
We got to see lots of wildlife. Loads of different type of birds including toucans, storks and blue macaws. Right in front of our lodge was a lake with hundreds of alligators, caipivara (giant guinea pig like things) and the occasional flamingo. We spotted the odd armadilo, deer, stag and monkey too.<br />
The highlight was probably the 4 metre anaconda. Our guide nearly danced a jig when he saw it stretched across the road. It was unbelievably long and a lot heavier than it looked.<br />
<br />
<div><embed align="middle" flashvars="cy=bb&il=1&channel=3170534137701387189&site=widget-b5.slide.com" name="flashticker" quality="high" salign="l" scale="noscale" src="http://widget-b5.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" style="height: 320px; width: 400px;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"></embed><br />
<div style="text-align: left; width: 400px;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=3170534137701387189&map=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-b5.slide.com/p1/3170534137701387189/bb_t000_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=3170534137701387189&map=2" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-b5.slide.com/p2/3170534137701387189/bb_t000_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=3170534137701387189&map=F" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-b5.slide.com/p4/3170534137701387189/bb_t000_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" /></a></div></div><br />
<br />
After the Pantanal we left Brazil and headed across the border to Bolivia, on a day that happened to be a fiesta. We ended up waiting about 2 hours for the border guards to leave the party and grace us with their presence. When they did decide toshow their faces they demanded that we pay them a bribe for showing up to their jobs and stamping our passports.<br />
<br />
Then it was on to the Death Train. It wasn't quite as bad as it's name, well we're still alive anyway, and we got some sleep too, which was a bonus we weren't expecting.<br />
<br />
We spent a day in wandering around Santa Cruz before hopping on a night bus to Sucre. It was posssibly the worst journey we've had so far. 16 hours in a rickety old bus, on unpaved dirt roads winding up and around through the mountains.Sleeping wasn't a possibility.<br />
Sucre was a really pretty little town, but we were really struck by the level of poverty there, especially when we went to a local market in Tarabuco nearby. Most of the locals there barter for goods rather than buying with cash.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sso_0wb0TyI/AAAAAAAABAk/Kb6WKVLYGo8/s1600-h/DSCN9970.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389190079689543458" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sso_0wb0TyI/AAAAAAAABAk/Kb6WKVLYGo8/s320/DSCN9970.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>We went to visit a dinosaur park too. It's a World Heritage Site due to the fact that it has biggest collection of dinosaur footprints in known existence- over 5000 dinosuars left their tracks there. It also has the world's longest single dinosuar track. It was cool to think that dinosaurs really were there millions of years ago.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Ssoml6r0b8I/AAAAAAAAA_8/R6Tlle_7nD0/s1600-h/DSCN8724.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389162336952283074" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Ssoml6r0b8I/AAAAAAAAA_8/R6Tlle_7nD0/s320/DSCN8724.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sso1gTUXAqI/AAAAAAAABAU/t20zP6B_NNI/s1600-h/DSCN8731.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389178733159973538" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sso1gTUXAqI/AAAAAAAABAU/t20zP6B_NNI/s320/DSCN8731.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SsoqmJk_NfI/AAAAAAAABAE/2daYAJVBqwY/s1600-h/DSCN8725.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389166738996671986" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SsoqmJk_NfI/AAAAAAAABAE/2daYAJVBqwY/s320/DSCN8725.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Ssou_mnzW6I/AAAAAAAABAM/VbYTNFbRBms/s1600-h/DSCN8728.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389171574336347042" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Ssou_mnzW6I/AAAAAAAABAM/VbYTNFbRBms/s320/DSCN8728.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
</div>In Sucre we met an English gentleman called Simon. Because Simon has fluent spanish he has been able to converse with the locals and he filled us in on the urrent political situation on Bolivia.<br />
Santa Cruz and the Eastern part of the country is very prosperous. This is in total contrast to the standard of living for the campesinos (indigenous country people/peasants) who try to eke a living in the harsh conditions of the altiplano in the west. The President at the moment is an indigenous campesino called Evo Morales. Morales' priority is to improve the standard of living for the campesinos, which is a very noble goal. However, he has rubbed quite a lot of people up the wrong way due to his policies and opinions. He is very racist against Bolivians of European descent and constantly refers back to the Spanish enslavement of the indigenous population. He is also anti- American (he has kicked out all American aid agencies, and some others as well) and is said to be in the pocket of the Venezuelan President, who is supposedly supplying him with arms. He has a very liberal attitude to the coca (cocaine) industry. He has increased permitted coca growth from 1 hectare to 8 hectares per farmer, he has asked for campaign donations in the form of coca leaves (to be sold on to the cocaine industry presumably) and he has banished the American Drug Enforcement Agency. In addition to all of that, he is underminig the Judicial system by placing his own cronies in positions of power and changing the procedure for becoming a lawyer and how the system is regulated. He has also changed election procedures to make it easier to hold onto his position of power. It seems like he is paving the path to a dictatorship. He dislikes private industry, which is booming in the east, hence the prosperity there. Last year civil war nearly errupted when some of the provinces in the east tried to declare indepence from his rule. There is going to be an election in December, and it's expected that he will be re-elected because the campesinos who make up almost 70% of the population are suppostive of his plans to improve their rural lifestyle. His opponents are apparently of the opinion that what's needed in the country is a military dictatorship. Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the rest of our lot don't seem quite so bad now!!!<br />
<br />
After Sucre we headed to Potosi. The altitude there hit us a bit harder than in Sucre. At 4060 metres above sea level, we found ourselves breathless walking up the slightest bit of an incline. The main reason for visiting Potosi was to see the mines there. In the 16th century Potosi was the richest city in the world due to the silver mines there. Now most of the silver has dried up and it's mainly zinc there . Even at that it's totally hit and miss. The miners work as a co-operative and basically they only get paid for what they get out of the mine, which isn't very much anymore. The conditions in there are terrible, basic tools, manual methods and no safety precautions. In order to prepare themselves for such a hard workday the workers spend the morning chewing coca leaves and sipping 96% alchol until they're sufficiently anaethisised to enter the mines.<br />
<br />
<div><embed align="middle" flashvars="cy=lt&il=1&channel=3170534137700877792&site=widget-e0.slide.com" name="flashticker" quality="high" salign="l" scale="noscale" src="http://widget-e0.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" style="height: 320px; width: 426px;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"></embed><br />
<div style="text-align: left; width: 426px;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=lt&at=un&id=3170534137700877792&map=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-e0.slide.com/p1/3170534137700877792/lt_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=lt&at=un&id=3170534137700877792&map=2" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-e0.slide.com/p2/3170534137700877792/lt_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=lt&at=un&id=3170534137700877792&map=F" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-e0.slide.com/p4/3170534137700877792/lt_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" /></a></div></div><br />
<br />
From Potosi we got a bus to Uyuni and took a trip out to the Salar de Uyuni (the salt plains). The landscape there is absolutely amazing, so different to anything else we've ever seen. Millions of years ago there was some tectonic movement that forced the land up and trapped some of the Pacific Sea high in the mountains forming a lake. Eventually the water in the lake evaporated and left this huge salt desert. Like all good deserts there's an oasis in the middle of it. It's called Fish Island. At one time is was part of a coral reef, but since the sea dried up so did the coral and now it's home to some of the tallest/oldest cacti in the world.<br />
The people in the villages bordering the salar have different rights to use the salt there. We visited one village where they are allowed to take the salt and refine it down to salt grains. Then there is another village that can take blocks of salt that are used for building. On our first night of the trip we stayed in a 'hotel' (that's a very loose term) that was made from these salt bricks.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SsoPmP-Yx9I/AAAAAAAAA_k/1QFDfizwv8k/s1600-h/DSCN0221.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389137053899868114" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SsoPmP-Yx9I/AAAAAAAAA_k/1QFDfizwv8k/s320/DSCN0221.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
Salt Bricks<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SsoUVRbES0I/AAAAAAAAA_s/T8mtjIO0xO8/s1600-h/DSCN0230.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389142259788958530" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SsoUVRbES0I/AAAAAAAAA_s/T8mtjIO0xO8/s320/DSCN0230.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
Bedroom in Salt Hotel<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SsoXztD3yOI/AAAAAAAAA_0/nYeNfbKlHV8/s1600-h/DSCN0232.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389146081138821346" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SsoXztD3yOI/AAAAAAAAA_0/nYeNfbKlHV8/s320/DSCN0232.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
Dining Room in Salt Hotel<br />
<br />
</div>As part of the tour we ventured into the desert proper as well, as opposed to the salt desert. We saw lots of lagoons that were brightly coloured due to the minerals and algae in them. Most of them were home to flocks of flamingos. Because the whole altiplano area was formed by the movement of tectonic plates there are lots of volcanoes in the area too. The whole trip was really cool, got to see lots of wierd and unusual stuff.<br />
<br />
<div><embed align="middle" flashvars="cy=bb&il=1&channel=3170534137701455102&site=widget-fe.slide.com" name="flashticker" quality="high" salign="l" scale="noscale" src="http://widget-fe.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" style="height: 320px; width: 400px;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"></embed><br />
<div style="text-align: left; width: 400px;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=3170534137701455102&map=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-fe.slide.com/p1/3170534137701455102/bb_t024_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=3170534137701455102&map=2" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-fe.slide.com/p2/3170534137701455102/bb_t024_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=3170534137701455102&map=F" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-fe.slide.com/p4/3170534137701455102/bb_t024_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" /></a></div></div><br />
<br />
Now we're in La Paz, the highest capital city in the world and we're hoping to go to Rurrenabaque today to visit the Amazon. Fingers crossed though as the flights this morning were cancelled because the grass landing strip was wet.<br />
Ok so there's thunderstorms in Rurrenabaque today, and they're forecast for the next week. Our flight was still going ahead apparently but we weren't too comfortable with the idea of landing flying a toy plane through a thunderstorm to land on a grass strip. But more importantly we were afraid that even if we did land safely we'd be stuck in Rurrenabaque because if the flights get cancelled due to rain, then there's a good chance the road would be impassable too and timewise we just can't afford to get stuck there for a week. We'll just have to suss out if we can squeeze in a trip to the Amazon from somewhere in Peru instead.<br />
<br />
Jan and PaulJanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727748355811233707noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1487763299827592597.post-41762844891808113272009-09-18T15:40:00.001-07:002010-09-06T13:04:41.541-07:00Rio De JaneiroIn some ways Rio hasn't been quite like we expected it to be. I think we probably thought it would be more vibrant and maybe more tropical or exoctic or something. Maybe the fact the weather wasn't all that great until yesterday has something to do with it. It's a huge sprawling city, that's kind of worn around the edges for the most part. But in other ways it's just like the postcards with the beautiful long sandy beaches, including women in skimpy bikinis. (All the women wear thongs to the beach, regardless of age, shape or size.)<br />
<br />
We took a very steep and very scary cable car ride up to the top of SugarLoaf mountain, where we really got to see just how big the Rio is. It just went on and on as far as the eye could see. It's really unusual how many little mountains/big hills are dotted here and there, right in the middle of all the highrise development. We got to see how busy Rio is as a port too, there were loads of huge tankers and cargo ships all milling around the bay. There were great views of the beaches up there as well. It's amazing to have such spectacular stretches of sand just beside busy built up areas.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SrQz1zlzUcI/AAAAAAAAA-8/PxS5mYO-7sQ/s1600-h/DSCN0134.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382984454089429442" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SrQz1zlzUcI/AAAAAAAAA-8/PxS5mYO-7sQ/s320/DSCN0134.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>We took a spin up to the top of Corcovada, to see Christ the Redeemer. It was a bit cloudy, so he was appearing and disappearing at will. Sometimes we could just about make out his outline, and then the clouds would blow over and he'd be unveiled again.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SrQ4kg-xPFI/AAAAAAAAA_c/C1_a2eijQoo/s1600-h/Cheater2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382989654594239570" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SrQ4kg-xPFI/AAAAAAAAA_c/C1_a2eijQoo/s320/Cheater2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a></div>We had a trip to Rochina favela yesterday. It's one of over 1000 slums in the city. The conditions there were unbelievably cramped. It's just house upon house with barely walking space between them. It really reminded me of India.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SrQ4D0rOY9I/AAAAAAAAA_U/x_akxhlCM2k/s1600-h/DSCN0712.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382989092945290194" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SrQ4D0rOY9I/AAAAAAAAA_U/x_akxhlCM2k/s320/DSCN0712.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SrQ250MOBMI/AAAAAAAAA_M/5PHliqnJMKI/s1600-h/DSCN0711.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382987821504922818" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SrQ250MOBMI/AAAAAAAAA_M/5PHliqnJMKI/s320/DSCN0711.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
Besides all the sightseeing we've been enjoying Brazil's rodizio cuisine too. Rodizio basically means all you can eat. We've been to a few BBQ type rodizios where theyhave buffets of veg, salad, rice, potatoes etc. and then they come around with meat on skewers, and slice it off onto your plate. Pizza rodizios are fairly popular too. As long as you're there the waiters just keep coming around with different pizzas and you can take slices of whatever ones take your fancy. When they notice you're slowing down, or look like you're going to burst, they roll out the dessert pizzas. The white chocolate and strawberry went down well, but the banana, cinnamon, and cheese wasn't such a hit. They put cheese on everything over here, so we should have expected it.<br />
<br />
Today was Fossie's birthday and after having Happy Birthday sung to him and his candles blown out by the nutters in Carrigmore, we hit Copacabana. Chilling out will a beer on the beach in the Brazilian sunshine isn't the worst way to spend your birthday.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SrQ2NFU_vMI/AAAAAAAAA_E/aslkl_X4WEQ/s1600-h/DSCN0739.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382987053011025090" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SrQ2NFU_vMI/AAAAAAAAA_E/aslkl_X4WEQ/s320/DSCN0739.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
This morning we said goodbye to Emily and Andy who had been our travelling companions for<br />
the last 2 weeks, and tomorrow we fly to Campo Grande for a trip to the Pantanal. Hopefully we'll spot some wildlife there.<br />
<br />
Jan and PaulJanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727748355811233707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1487763299827592597.post-56471346637019232112009-09-13T18:01:00.000-07:002010-09-06T13:03:48.715-07:00South America 1 - Santiago to RioWay back on the 27th of August we decided we'd had enough of regular travel so we tried our hand at time travelling. Only managed to go 5 hours back in time but still...<br />
Since we left Auckland flying at 5pm flying in one direction, and with the sun going the other, and crossing over the international date line and all of that, we actually arrived in Santiago 5hours earlier than our flight took off. At 40 hours, it was literally the longest day of our lives.<br />
<br />
We didn't spend too long in Santiago so just explored the city a bit. It was really nice and more developed than I was expecting.<br />
<br />
From there we caught a bus up and over the mountains and the Argentinian border to a town called Mendoza. It was really nice there too and just as developed as Santiago had been.<br />
<br />
Then it was the first of our night buses as far as Buenos Aires. It was great. We had fully reclining seats with footrests, that basically folded into beds.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2XHiipX1I/AAAAAAAAA8s/zlVVxtQn6Ds/s1600-h/DSCN0436.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381123285564612434" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2XHiipX1I/AAAAAAAAA8s/zlVVxtQn6Ds/s320/DSCN0436.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>We got dinner and breakfast on board, and we were even offered a nightcap (although we didn't make use of that because our Spanish was very rusty so we didn't know what we were being offered).<br />
<br />
In Buenos Aires we walked around a lot of the city and did lots of sightseeing. One of the evenings we went to a tango show, and even get some tango lessons! It was great craic, although we weren't much good.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2alaxL-VI/AAAAAAAAA9k/1Ts-120rA7U/s1600-h/DSCN9882.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381127097409075538" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2alaxL-VI/AAAAAAAAA9k/1Ts-120rA7U/s320/DSCN9882.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 242px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2YymdXUOI/AAAAAAAAA9E/vwis-S55g1Q/s1600-h/DSCN0431.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381125124862202082" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2YymdXUOI/AAAAAAAAA9E/vwis-S55g1Q/s320/DSCN0431.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2ZfCuPedI/AAAAAAAAA9U/T6QIblRHyhI/s1600-h/DSCN9914.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381125888363428306" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2ZfCuPedI/AAAAAAAAA9U/T6QIblRHyhI/s320/DSCN9914.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2aMr-DX1I/AAAAAAAAA9c/85mhEwep3Xg/s1600-h/DSCN9945.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381126672529710930" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2aMr-DX1I/AAAAAAAAA9c/85mhEwep3Xg/s320/DSCN9945.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 239px;" /></a><br />
<br />
</div>We also visited Recoletta Cemetery, where Evita is buried. Well, actually she's not quite buried. It was really strange there. It was like a miniture town, with loads of little streets and alleys, that were all lined with these one room buildings that are mausoleums. So these little buildings have doors into them (glass doors in a lot of cases) and on one side they had shelves for all the coffins. It was a bit spooky and very wierd that you could actually see them.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2XjzO2w4I/AAAAAAAAA80/OyAvkHLocko/s1600-h/DSCN9866.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381123771081343874" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2XjzO2w4I/AAAAAAAAA80/OyAvkHLocko/s320/DSCN9866.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2X6K8gMII/AAAAAAAAA88/cANc6bY-iGg/s1600-h/DSCN9870.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381124155403939970" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2X6K8gMII/AAAAAAAAA88/cANc6bY-iGg/s320/DSCN9870.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>We managed to get to the Boca Juniors stadium too, although we just missed a game there.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2gHu7CVCI/AAAAAAAAA-E/y2d84r28i_c/s1600-h/DSCN9985.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381133184492786722" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2gHu7CVCI/AAAAAAAAA-E/y2d84r28i_c/s320/DSCN9985.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
</div>Another night bus brought us to Puerto Iguazu, the Argentinian side of Iguazu Falls. On that side we got to walk along the top and the bottom of the falls, and did a boat ride underneath them too.<br />
<br />
Then we crossed over to Foz do Iguacu, the Brazilian side. The national park there is on the opposite side of the river to the falls, so you're further back from them but that means there were some really amazing panoramic views of the whole falls. they were pretty impressive, definitely a whole lot more to them than Niagara.<br />
<div style="visibility: visible;"><object data="http://widget-09.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" height="320" style="height: 320px; width: 426px;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="426"><param name="movie" value="http://widget-09.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="scale" value="noscale"><param name="salign" value="l"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="flashvars" value="cy=ms&il=1&channel=3170534137698606089&site=widget-09.slide.com"></object></div><div style="white-space: nowrap;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3170534137698606089&map=2" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-09.slide.com/p2/3170534137698606089/ms_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" /></a> </div><br />
So from there we cut out to Florianopolis, on the Brazilian coast. The evening we arrived there was a gay pride parade going on so we went to have a look at that. It was great fun, just like a big street party.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2brQfX0sI/AAAAAAAAA9s/7eCKTRORzNc/s1600-h/DSCN0574.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381128297240842946" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2brQfX0sI/AAAAAAAAA9s/7eCKTRORzNc/s320/DSCN0574.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 241px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>We managed to get to the beach there one day, and it was lovely just to be able to lie out in the sun again (the weather has been very mixed most of the time, a bit like summer at home).<br />
<br />
We also did a little bit of sandboarding on the sanddunes there - great fun.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2ceQwB4vI/AAAAAAAAA98/JLlof62IaRQ/s1600-h/IMG_2609.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381129173484036850" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2ceQwB4vI/AAAAAAAAA98/JLlof62IaRQ/s320/IMG_2609.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2cKhyZ6UI/AAAAAAAAA90/D3JS3NP1mfU/s1600-h/IMG_2590.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381128834460019010" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2cKhyZ6UI/AAAAAAAAA90/D3JS3NP1mfU/s320/IMG_2590.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a></div><br />
From Florianopolis we headed up along the coast to a really cute little place called Paraty. It was so quaint with its cobbled streets, lined with white house with brightly coloured windows and doors. We loved it there, and probably more so because it was one of the first small towns we'd been to, everywhere else was big and busy, but Paraty was small and quiet and laid back.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2hqgiMFFI/AAAAAAAAA-M/boo80tDArC0/s1600-h/DSCN9961.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381134881437520978" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2hqgiMFFI/AAAAAAAAA-M/boo80tDArC0/s320/DSCN9961.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2iUMe7-5I/AAAAAAAAA-U/OjgEcOXeMNo/s1600-h/DSCN9965.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381135597609679762" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2iUMe7-5I/AAAAAAAAA-U/OjgEcOXeMNo/s320/DSCN9965.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2i7obU51I/AAAAAAAAA-c/1P_m83zq9ng/s1600-h/DSCN9975.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381136275125626706" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2i7obU51I/AAAAAAAAA-c/1P_m83zq9ng/s320/DSCN9975.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
Next destination was Ilha Grande, and island about 20km off the coast. Like Paraty, it was small and laidback. There are no cars on the island at all. We got really lucky with the weather and had a scorcher of a day at Lopes Mendes beach on the island. It was beautiful.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2j0dJLIjI/AAAAAAAAA-k/w9RHKkpXMUI/s1600-h/DSCN0613.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381137251349242418" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2j0dJLIjI/AAAAAAAAA-k/w9RHKkpXMUI/s320/DSCN0613.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
Tried our hand at a bit of surfing but realised we forgot everything we learned about in Australia - we were awful at it but at least the surfboard looked good.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2mCMoz0rI/AAAAAAAAA-s/EoX5Ju5b3Jo/s1600-h/DSCN0051.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381139686459953842" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2mCMoz0rI/AAAAAAAAA-s/EoX5Ju5b3Jo/s320/DSCN0051.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2mVV8eH5I/AAAAAAAAA-0/Xx0K76o9uDE/s1600-h/DSCN0088.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381140015375851410" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sq2mVV8eH5I/AAAAAAAAA-0/Xx0K76o9uDE/s320/DSCN0088.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a></div>So now we've just hit Rio this evening, fingers crossed the weather holds out for us to get a day a Copacabana!!!<br />
<br />
Jan and Paul.Janhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727748355811233707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1487763299827592597.post-41766608285467175882009-08-25T18:53:00.000-07:002010-09-19T03:15:28.924-07:00Farewell NZ.After our day on the ice at Fox Glacier we headed further north (but still in the South Island) and paid a visit to Abel Tasman National Park. The national park runs along a beautiful stretch of coastline so we got a water taxi out and walked back 15km through the trees and beaches that make up the Abel Tasman. It was incredibly picturesque.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SpSZwuqWIJI/AAAAAAAAA7k/8XOrqFpwmaI/s1600-h/DSCN0240.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374089317798256786" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SpSZwuqWIJI/AAAAAAAAA7k/8XOrqFpwmaI/s320/DSCN0240.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SpSaxYXG5bI/AAAAAAAAA7s/M14_11zWamU/s1600-h/DSCN0265.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374090428503483826" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SpSaxYXG5bI/AAAAAAAAA7s/M14_11zWamU/s320/DSCN0265.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SpSbLvEXKmI/AAAAAAAAA70/zd1dzuNJVrk/s1600-h/DSCN0281.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374090881275472482" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SpSbLvEXKmI/AAAAAAAAA70/zd1dzuNJVrk/s320/DSCN0281.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
<br />
</div>After Abel Tasman, we had a few days of solid driving to make our way back up the North Island, where our first real destination was the Waitomo Caves. Their claim to fame is the glowworm colony that lives in one of the chambers of the cave. They were so cool. As we drifted underneath in a little boat in total darkness and silence it was like looking up at a night sky that was filled with more stars than imaginable. It was just amazing. Unfortunately there's no photos allowed because it dims the glowworms' lights and that's how they catch food.<br />
<br />
We went to the Ruakuri cave there too. It's better known for the cave formations there and they were fantastic.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SpSdCbULVII/AAAAAAAAA8E/cRIyO3w0BT4/s1600-h/DSCN0379.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374092920377529474" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SpSdCbULVII/AAAAAAAAA8E/cRIyO3w0BT4/s320/DSCN0379.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" />s</a></div><br />
Then we drove cross country all the way over to Whitianga on the Coromandel Peninsula. They have this beach there called Hot Water Beach and it lives up to it's name. When the tide is out you can access hot water from the springs on the beach by digging your own little pool. I swear the water was roasting. A rush of cold water from an incoming wave was more than welcome.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SpScZ0meJwI/AAAAAAAAA78/NGQCjKP6EGk/s1600-h/DSCN0386.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374092222790510338" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SpScZ0meJwI/AAAAAAAAA78/NGQCjKP6EGk/s320/DSCN0386.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
</div>While we were in the area we called out to see Pam and Tony (we met them in Fiji) and they brought us on a tour of their farm. We whizzed around on these cool little 4WD's.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SpSeYC9QPTI/AAAAAAAAA8M/ehkaWtKp6As/s1600-h/DSCN0392.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374094391307681074" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SpSeYC9QPTI/AAAAAAAAA8M/ehkaWtKp6As/s320/DSCN0392.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SpSe9JZlpyI/AAAAAAAAA8U/YgtqfANQcHI/s1600-h/DSCN0395.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374095028692297506" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SpSe9JZlpyI/AAAAAAAAA8U/YgtqfANQcHI/s320/DSCN0395.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
</div>It was interesting to see an operating farm and how they do things there. Because the farming industry is so big in New Zealand we felt it gave us a bit more insight into the country and they way of life for so many Kiwi's.<br />
<br />
From there we headed back to Auckland to finish up our loop of NZ. Haven't done too much sightseeing here just a bit of last minute souvenir shopping.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow it's on to South America, which is kind of like the 3rd and final leg of our adventure!<br />
Can't wait to see what it brings,<br />
Jan and PaulJanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727748355811233707noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1487763299827592597.post-34485705639946894262009-08-16T00:46:00.000-07:002010-09-19T03:25:04.012-07:00More NZAfter all the excitement during our first week in New Zealand, we slowed the pace a bit. We spent 2 days in Christchurch and really liked it there. One day we just wandered around the city, which was really pretty. The next day we took a spin to a little town over the mountain. On the way there we went through a tunnel which was fine, but on the way back we took the scenic route. It was probably the narrowest, windiest, road I've ever been on and it just wound its way along the ridge of the mountains, with steep drop-offs on either side. Obviously, we barely got the van out of second gear we were crawling along so slowly.<br />
From there we went to Mt. Hutt and got in a days skiing there. We were lucky that it snowed the day before and there was some great powder on the slopes. Unfortunatley it was closed the following day because strong winds meant it they couldn't operate the lifts. :(<br />
So we motored on to Dunedin then. Just outside the city of Dunedin there's a peninsula called the Otago Peninsula that's reknowned for its wildlife. We tried in vain to spot a sealion, penguin or albatross, but the weather was terrible and apparently they're much harder to catch a glimpse of in the winter.<br />
To make up for the disappointment we decided that we'd treat ourselves to a visit to Cadbury World. We loved it, it was like being Charlie in Willy Wonka's factory. We loved it. We got to see Easter Eggs being made (They spend 6 months making easter Eggs from June-January and they're all scoffed in one week!). We got to see how they make Curly-Wurlys. We loved it. Oh, and we got loads of free samples too. Did I say we loved it. At the end of the tour we hit the gift shop hard, needless to say it was all chocolate products and we nearly made ourselves sick for the next 2 days. But we still loved it.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Soe6yp3iaJI/AAAAAAAAA58/0s7UB_i-ZQc/s1600-h/DSCN9853.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370466460057626770" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Soe6yp3iaJI/AAAAAAAAA58/0s7UB_i-ZQc/s320/DSCN9853.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Unfortunately there's no photos allowed inside the factory<br />
<br />
</div>After our chocolate binge, we went to Te Anua for a cruise on the Doubtful Sound. It started off with a trip across the Lake as far as the West Arm Power Station. There we went 2kms underground to see how they harness the power of water and turn it into electricty. It was actually quite interesting. From there we took a bus up and over the mountains via the Wilmot Pass (took the photo just for you Robert if you're reading.)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Soe8chKCsJI/AAAAAAAAA6E/dT0WyuPtDbM/s1600-h/DSCN0002.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370468278785454226" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Soe8chKCsJI/AAAAAAAAA6E/dT0WyuPtDbM/s320/DSCN0002.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>Then it was on to the sound itself, well technically it's a fjord but anyway, we spent about 2 hours cruising along admiring the clouds, I mean spectacular scenery.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Soe9M92SRlI/AAAAAAAAA6M/qs7Zbx_tLW0/s1600-h/DSCN9910.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370469111120938578" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Soe9M92SRlI/AAAAAAAAA6M/qs7Zbx_tLW0/s320/DSCN9910.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Soe-c_zVaOI/AAAAAAAAA6c/o0MhZQzlyMU/s1600-h/DSCN9935.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370470486034966754" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Soe-c_zVaOI/AAAAAAAAA6c/o0MhZQzlyMU/s320/DSCN9935.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Soe_SW8-YEI/AAAAAAAAA6k/5mLQniztOmM/s1600-h/DSCN9927.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370471402782482498" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Soe_SW8-YEI/AAAAAAAAA6k/5mLQniztOmM/s320/DSCN9927.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SofADaT52oI/AAAAAAAAA6s/iL0Mhp1Z9AM/s1600-h/DSCN9973.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370472245497551490" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SofADaT52oI/AAAAAAAAA6s/iL0Mhp1Z9AM/s320/DSCN9973.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SofAjnYIa5I/AAAAAAAAA60/FLkMFb1bjYg/s1600-h/DSCN9988.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370472798760758162" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SofAjnYIa5I/AAAAAAAAA60/FLkMFb1bjYg/s320/DSCN9988.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
</div>Next stop was Queenstown. We squeezed in another day skiing there and did some jetboating too. Got to meet up with Hoggy and spent a few nights in Winnie's, the bar he's running. It has this retractable roof that you open when it gets too warm and they serve the most delicious pizzas ever.<br />
After Queenstown, it was on to a little place called Wanaka. We were hoping to ski there but the weather didn't oblige. We went to an quirky little place called Puzzling World and passed a few hours there. Our two favourites things were the Perspective room and the Gravity Room. In the perspective room I got to be a giant while Fossie was made fun sized, all using optical illusions. Apparently they used the same technique in Lord of the Rings for the Hobbits. The gravity room had me totally confused and off balance. I have no idea how they did it but you go into this room that with a sloped floor and whatever way the walls and everything else are lined up I really struggled just to stay standing. It was so wierd. (You can't really see it in the photos though!)<br />
<br />
This was one of the optical illusions there. From far away the lines seem slanting but they're actually straight.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SofEC6Mk77I/AAAAAAAAA7M/HCe9wFkK1ng/s1600-h/DSCN0035.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370476634923397042" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SofEC6Mk77I/AAAAAAAAA7M/HCe9wFkK1ng/s320/DSCN0035.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SofCz3u0xmI/AAAAAAAAA7E/tDONlwXzByU/s1600-h/DSCN0036.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370475277052069474" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SofCz3u0xmI/AAAAAAAAA7E/tDONlwXzByU/s320/DSCN0036.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
</div>Wanaka had the coolest cinema too. For seats they have cozy couches and armchairs, and even this old Morris Minor with a sofa fitted inside it.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SofFOJ9c9rI/AAAAAAAAA7c/FU-owEm7JEs/s1600-h/DSCN0087.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370477927645116082" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SofFOJ9c9rI/AAAAAAAAA7c/FU-owEm7JEs/s320/DSCN0087.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
Like the Opera House, they had an intermission for your meal. You ordered before the film started, went out at half-time for your dinner, and if you weren't finished then you could bring it in to the 'theatre', with a tray for your lap. If that wasn't enough to impress, they served the most devine homemade cookies (still hot from the oven) and homemade icecream to top it off. Yummmmm! Oh and the film was good too, we went to see The Reader.<br />
<br />
From Wanaka we drove as far as Fox Glacier. There was this lake there that had amazing reflected views of Mt. Cook and Mt. Tasman.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SofBiUw4-iI/AAAAAAAAA68/vcGbV85UQXw/s1600-h/DSCN0105.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370473876096088610" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SofBiUw4-iI/AAAAAAAAA68/vcGbV85UQXw/s320/DSCN0105.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a></div><br />
But the whole point of going to Fox was to walk the Glacier. It was a bit of a trek before we got onto the ice - up 800 steps to be exact. I was having second thoughts at that stage but it I soldiered on. Nedless to say I was gald I did. We had such a great day. Got to go into some ice caves and through some crevasses. It's amazing how much the glacier changes all the time. Apparently it moves about 90cm everyday, and our guide was telling us how one day a there might be a cave or arch or whatever and the next day it might be gone. In some places he had to carve steps into the ice for us because the path from previous days was gone. It was defintely an experience that won't soon be forgotten.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="visibility: visible;"><object data="http://widget-a7.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" height="320" style="height: 320px; width: 426px;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="426"><param name="movie" value="http://widget-a7.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="scale" value="noscale"><param name="salign" value="l"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="flashvars" value="cy=ms&il=1&channel=3170534137695744679&site=widget-a7.slide.com"></object></div><div style="white-space: nowrap;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3170534137695744679&map=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-a7.slide.com/p1/3170534137695744679/ms_t024_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3170534137695744679&map=2" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-a7.slide.com/p2/3170534137695744679/ms_t024_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3170534137695744679&map=F" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-a7.slide.com/p4/3170534137695744679/ms_t024_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">So now it's just under 2 weeks until we fly to South America. Can't beleive how fast the time is flying by, but we're loving it all,<br />
Jan and Paul</div></div>Janhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727748355811233707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1487763299827592597.post-63208503413519018632009-07-29T02:40:00.000-07:002010-09-19T03:37:30.893-07:00Action Packed New ZealandWell we've been in New Zealand a week and we've managed to squeeze a lot into those 7 days. We landed in Auckland but only stayed long enough to have a peek at One Tree Hill ( long story short - there was a native NZ tree planted there as a monument to the Maori people, the British cut it down and replaced it with a foreign tree, a few years back the Maori's attacked it unsuccessfully but went back to finish off the job more recently, so that really it should be called One stump Hill.)<br />
Next stop was Rotorua. It's situated in a volcanic area, by the side of a thermal lake. It was incredible to see vents of steam just coming up from the drains and out if the ground in scrub areas.<br />
Besides the lake and thermal springs there isn't all that much to do in the area naturally, so of course they have developed a few attractions.<br />
First up for us was <a href="http://www.zorb.com/rotorua">Zorbing</a>. We climbed into a giant inflated ball, had some water thrown in on top of us and then got rolled down a hill - great craic altogether.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SnFOtrvzGvI/AAAAAAAAA4k/KgbGfiLYXs0/s1600-h/DSC_2591.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364155177919257330" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SnFOtrvzGvI/AAAAAAAAA4k/KgbGfiLYXs0/s320/DSC_2591.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 241px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
Fossie's actually in there!<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SnFPH8TFZbI/AAAAAAAAA4s/EY2heMBqLCY/s1600-h/DSC_2586.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364155629038822834" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SnFPH8TFZbI/AAAAAAAAA4s/EY2heMBqLCY/s320/DSC_2586.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 239px;" /></a><br />
Another pose-y one!<br />
<br />
</div>Then we did the Luge. We got a cable car up a hill then went down the hill in what was kind of like a go-kart with no engine, and really basic steering and brakes. We probably would have enjoyed that a bit more if it wasn't bitterly cold, we didn't have wet hair from the zorbing and it hadn't just rained making the seats (and our bums) soaking wet. It was still fun though.<br />
<br />
To engage our cultural sides, we took a visit to Tamaki Maori Village. We got to see some traditional Maori weapons, songs and dances, and enjoyed a lovely hangi meal , that was supposedly cooked in a traditional ground oven. The food was good but the rest of the evening felt very fake, a bit like New Zealand's answer to Bunratty.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SnAe1Wu6b5I/AAAAAAAAA4M/zrmC3yGHDLg/s1600-h/DSCN9902.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363821058182508434" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SnAe1Wu6b5I/AAAAAAAAA4M/zrmC3yGHDLg/s320/DSCN9902.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a></div>After Rotorua, we headed to Taupo, stopping of along the way at Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, to admire volcanic features like craters, hot springs, mud pools and most impressively the Lady Knox geyser.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SnAf-ZbBS7I/AAAAAAAAA4U/bJhdwidQj9M/s1600-h/DSCN9554.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363822313034828722" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SnAf-ZbBS7I/AAAAAAAAA4U/bJhdwidQj9M/s320/DSCN9554.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
Taupo is another lakeside town with a few natural attractions and lots of manmade ones. This time we decide to do a <a href="http://www.rocknropes.co.nz/">high ropes</a> activity course. This was brilliant fun. It was all walking beams, ropes and shaky bridges that were 12- 15m above the ground. We both loved it and even though Fossie is afraid of heights he still managed to do the whole course.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SnAgWcjEvPI/AAAAAAAAA4c/_kaZ51JE0uw/s1600-h/DSCN9614.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363822726190775538" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SnAgWcjEvPI/AAAAAAAAA4c/_kaZ51JE0uw/s320/DSCN9614.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Foss on the shaky bridge!<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SnFQFnm0qtI/AAAAAAAAA40/0KC58jx5vlE/s1600-h/DSCN9632.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364156688636357330" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SnFQFnm0qtI/AAAAAAAAA40/0KC58jx5vlE/s320/DSCN9632.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
Once you got to the top of the pole all you had to do was stand up and jump off - Easy!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SnFQ3W_o5_I/AAAAAAAAA48/bJdSJpwvQdk/s1600-h/DSCN9615.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364157543170500594" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SnFQ3W_o5_I/AAAAAAAAA48/bJdSJpwvQdk/s320/DSCN9615.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
Yes - he did have to trust me not to drop him.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">After all that we went to Tongariro National Park and got some crazy notion that we should climb a mountain. So we did - just about. (I lay equal blame on an overload of adrenalin from all the other activities and an enthusiastic email from Curran - thanks a lot for that Kev!) And what better mountain to climb than the active volcano, Mount Doom from Lord of the Rings. Well actually, the itinerary was to climb the saddle of Mt. Doom and Mt. Tongariro, the mountain beside it like <a href="http://www.adriftnz.co.nz/walks.htm#alpinecrossing">this</a> guided tour.But on the day the weather was so fine that we actually got to go all the way to the summit of Tongariro. The guides made out like this additional extra was a good thing, that we were lucky. I swear it nearly killed me. I have to say it was really full on. We were given crampons (spiky things for you shoes so you don't slip in the ice or snow) and ice-axes in case we did slip so we wouldn't slide right over some edge or halfway back down the mountain, and you really had to climb in some parts. But I suppose it was worth the effort. The views were amazing. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SnFTAsry1rI/AAAAAAAAA5E/FCkSkVxakS0/s1600-h/DSCN9699.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364159902634923698" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SnFTAsry1rI/AAAAAAAAA5E/FCkSkVxakS0/s320/DSCN9699.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Looking enthusiatic at the start - not having any idea what was in store!</div><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SnFTegzaFvI/AAAAAAAAA5M/r_EethNpCJo/s1600-h/DSCN9740.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364160414841706226" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SnFTegzaFvI/AAAAAAAAA5M/r_EethNpCJo/s320/DSCN9740.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 239px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
At the summit, with Mt. Doom behind us. I still don't know how we managed to muster smiles!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">Since we were up in the snowy mountains, we said we might as well do a bit of skiing too. I have to say I much prefer being transported up the mountain in lifts and coming down it on skis.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SnFVH2L6QRI/AAAAAAAAA5U/puKai6h8R-o/s1600-h/DSCN9754.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364162224467886354" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SnFVH2L6QRI/AAAAAAAAA5U/puKai6h8R-o/s320/DSCN9754.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">If you look closely you can see the top of Mt. Doom above the cloud line in the background.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">After all that we headed to Wellington and caught the ferry across to the south island. As we were driving along the coast to a little town called Kaikoura there were loads of seals just basking all along the shore.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SnFY_8kPhVI/AAAAAAAAA50/oUL64x21I14/s1600-h/DSCN9821.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364166486788113746" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SnFY_8kPhVI/AAAAAAAAA50/oUL64x21I14/s320/DSCN9821.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 239px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">And just nearby there was a little stream with a small waterfall that had a pool at the bottom. The female seals swim up the stream to have their cubs and leave them in the pool, so it's like a little seal nursery. It was so cute to watch them all playing in there.</div><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SnFYrShnG9I/AAAAAAAAA5s/C9369hc-8a4/s1600-h/DSCN9783.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364166131905403858" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SnFYrShnG9I/AAAAAAAAA5s/C9369hc-8a4/s320/DSCN9783.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
(The 2 black things on the right are seals, one is jumping)</div><br />
So it's on week inNZ done, 4 more left. Let's hope they're going to be as much fun!<br />
<br />
Jan and Paul.<br />
<br />
</div></div></div></div>Janhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727748355811233707noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1487763299827592597.post-67250723839064218672009-07-21T15:02:00.000-07:002010-09-19T03:41:55.030-07:00Bula from FijiDidn't get up to all that much in Melbourne. James took us to some of the tourist spots like Chapel St. (a trendy shopping street with lots of fancy cafes too) and St. Kilda ( a kind of beach side area.) It was great to meet up with Luke. The 3 of us went to an AFL game in the MCG together. Setanta Ó h'Ailpín's team were playing and he had been tipped in the paper as one to watch so were all excited about seeing him. Just our luck that he was pulled a few minutes before the game, we never found out why. We enjoyed the game anyway, but it might have helped if we actually knew the rules! Half the entertainment value was from the fans around. Listening to their shouts and jeers was hilarious, worse than any hurler on the ditch!<br />
<br />
It was on to Fiji then. We flew in to Nadi, which is on the West Coast of the main island. In the sea just to the west of it there is long chain of little islands. The islands at the bottom of the chain form the Mamanucas and the ones above that are called the Yasawas. There is only one boat a day heading to the Yasawas and it leaves at 8.30am. Unfortunately our flight was delayed and so we missed it. Instead we decided to hit South Sea Island in the Mamanuca group. We were welcomed onto the island by a group of musicians and lots of Bulas (Bula is the Fijian version of Céad Míle Fáilte (welcome) but they really apply it, we were made feel very welcome. Now we weren't expecting the island to be very big, but it was absolutely tiny. It must have been only 100m across. I swear you wouldn't even fit a GAA pitch on it. To walk the whole way around the island, at the waters edge when the tide was fully out took less that 5 minutes. It was just like one those little islands you see in cartoons, literally just a ring of sand with a few trees in the centre.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmY-Z9GqeEI/AAAAAAAAA3E/laUxduT9W7c/s1600-h/DSCN9560.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361041022051317826" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmY-Z9GqeEI/AAAAAAAAA3E/laUxduT9W7c/s320/DSCN9560.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
That night the staff at the resort organised a (hermit) crab race. There was a circle painted on the ground and whatever crab got out of the circle first won. My crab won the first round, we think Fossie's was dead. It didn't even peak out of it's shell not to mind try to move out of the circle. Anyway in the second race mine was making good headway when it decided to start going sideways and he just about qualified for the final. He left the rest for dead in the final though and as a reward I won 4 cans of Fiji Gold. Not bad going!!!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmY95kwdFLI/AAAAAAAAA28/awmQDDcF1Ds/s1600-h/DSCN9556.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361040465759900850" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmY95kwdFLI/AAAAAAAAA28/awmQDDcF1Ds/s320/DSCN9556.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 238px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmZB6AmoRfI/AAAAAAAAA4E/IteERdDqyxc/s1600-h/RSCN9558.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361044871281395186" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmZB6AmoRfI/AAAAAAAAA4E/IteERdDqyxc/s320/RSCN9558.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>From there we got the boat to Kuata island. Kuata was a bigger island and the resort was only part of it (though the rest is unoccupied). The resort here was much different. It was made of lots of little huts, called bures and 2 bigger dorm huts plus the dining room/bar area. We were lucky that our first night there was a traditional Fijian theme night. It started with a Kava Ceremony. One chief was chosen to represent all the guests. He had to ask the chief of the tribe for permission to visit their island. Then both chiefs drank Kava and all the members of both 'tribes' did too. Kava is a drink made from grinding down the roots of a trees and putting the powder in a little muslin sack and soaking that in a big bowl of water (kind of like making a giant cup of tea). It tasted like muddy water to be honest but it seemed to have some sort of anesthetic effect, making your tongue kind of numb. So that was the official welcome.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmZAmKGdQaI/AAAAAAAAA3k/8brOC0_hzMo/s1600-h/DSCN9613.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361043430721798562" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmZAmKGdQaI/AAAAAAAAA3k/8brOC0_hzMo/s320/DSCN9613.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 239px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>After that we ate dinner in a cave, which was really just a kind of overhang, nothing too dramatic. When dinner was finished we were entertained with plenty of traditional music and dance.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmZBHrPloDI/AAAAAAAAA3s/7TkuBY35fak/s1600-h/DSCN9620.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361044006554148914" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmZBHrPloDI/AAAAAAAAA3s/7TkuBY35fak/s320/DSCN9620.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmZBjr70ZcI/AAAAAAAAA30/Zpk6FdBGxeo/s1600-h/DSCN9631.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361044487776003522" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmZBjr70ZcI/AAAAAAAAA30/Zpk6FdBGxeo/s320/DSCN9631.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
</div>It was a really great night!<br />
The following night we had some more dancing and a fire show from the Bula Boys.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmZBsIX6qyI/AAAAAAAAA38/Ae2O0s3V1I0/s1600-h/IMG_5200.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361044632849001250" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmZBsIX6qyI/AAAAAAAAA38/Ae2O0s3V1I0/s320/IMG_5200.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 241px;" /></a></div>At the end of the night they got us all up and tried to teach us one of their dances.Foss ended up as an unwilling 'volunteer'<br />
<br />
We did a village visit to the island across the way from us and got to visit their school. It was very basic but the kids all had really good English (nobody is allowed to speak Fijian on the school grounds) and the level of work they were doing seemed a little bit harder than they would be doing at home at the same age!<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmY_QYGPS5I/AAAAAAAAA3M/I2zeEX--t7o/s1600-h/DSCN9573.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361041957010230162" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmY_QYGPS5I/AAAAAAAAA3M/I2zeEX--t7o/s320/DSCN9573.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmY_zCLLBTI/AAAAAAAAA3U/AsSyTOZjj4U/s1600-h/DSCN9596.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361042552420762930" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmY_zCLLBTI/AAAAAAAAA3U/AsSyTOZjj4U/s320/DSCN9596.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmZAQzoIOZI/AAAAAAAAA3c/FrMnhbb7UxE/s1600-h/DSCN9598.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361043063911758226" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmZAQzoIOZI/AAAAAAAAA3c/FrMnhbb7UxE/s320/DSCN9598.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>After only 2 days we were sad to leave Kuata, the people there were so friendly and it was such a nice place.<br />
Our next stop was further north on Matacawalevu island. we stayed at the Long Beach Resort here and true to it's name the beach was fairly long. It was the crystal clear, turquoise waters that really impressed us though. It really was like being in a travel show or some exotic film. It was stunning. I don't think any of the photos we took do it justice and you just can't convey the beauty of it. If you close your eyes and imagine what you think paradise looks like I reckon you won't be far off. We couldn't believe it when we saw it.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmY7qx-S_QI/AAAAAAAAA2c/uzFhevrQsA4/s1600-h/DSCN9483.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361038012586327298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmY7qx-S_QI/AAAAAAAAA2c/uzFhevrQsA4/s320/DSCN9483.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
<br />
After 2 days there we headed South again back down to Manta Ray Resort, on Nanuya Balavu Island. As our boat was pulling in we heard them sounding the drums to say manta rays had been spotted in the channel between 2 nearby islands. So we had a quick change, hopped back into the boat and off we went to swim with the mantas. We ended up seeing one manta ray and two stingrays. The were amazing, way bigger that I expected. Fossie reckons their 'wingspan' was over 6 feet from tip It really looked like they were just flying through the water.<br />
<br />
Our next stop was Waya Island and the Octopus Resort. This place was lovely, definitely the most developed resort and closest to what you might expect at home. There was a mix up over our booking though so we almost had nowhere to stay, and that was a bit of a worry because the boat just runs once a day and once it's gone, that's it. Anyway they did manage to rustle up beds for us but it wasn't what we'd booked unfortunately.<br />
They had loads of organised activities there so I learned how to weave a basket from banana leaves. Here's one I made earlier.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmY8CXmJeMI/AAAAAAAAA2k/UfMnVBESlho/s1600-h/DSCN9508.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361038417822578882" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmY8CXmJeMI/AAAAAAAAA2k/UfMnVBESlho/s320/DSCN9508.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a></div><br />
We did another village visit there too. You had to climb the hill behind the resort and the village was down in the opposite bay.There were magnificent views from the top of the hill.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmY8-nYcaSI/AAAAAAAAA20/dIaeoqpS-ZE/s1600-h/DSCN9527a.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361039452852218146" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmY8-nYcaSI/AAAAAAAAA20/dIaeoqpS-ZE/s320/DSCN9527a.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>This village was much bigger than the last one we visited and the villagers came out to perform some songs and dances for us.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmY8dF7HTjI/AAAAAAAAA2s/nEkJi0kZgNU/s1600-h/DSCN9520.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361038876935147058" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SmY8dF7HTjI/AAAAAAAAA2s/nEkJi0kZgNU/s320/DSCN9520.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>On the morning of the day we were leaving we were woken by rain banging down on the roof, and even though it dried up, the wind never died down. The boat journey back to the mainland was seriously rough. Besides the crahing waves and groaning of the boat the other main sound effects were shrieks and screams and of course plenty of retching. Luckily for us half a packet of seasickness tablets saw us through without having to see our stomach contents. By the time we reached the port there were more green faces coming off the boat than if a spaceship had landed from Mars. Not the nicest way to finish our little island hopping trip, but we can't complain really.<br />
<br />
So next stop is New Zealand. The weather there will probably be a shock to the system but we're looking forward to doing some skiing and maybe some of the other extreme sports and activities they offer there. Hopefully it will be fun.<br />
<br />
Jan and PaulJanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727748355811233707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1487763299827592597.post-6867063448471450372009-07-09T02:08:00.000-07:002010-09-19T03:58:36.465-07:00Great Barrier Reef, Kakadu and Great Ocean RoadWell since the last post we've seen some of the iconic sights of Australia.<br />
From Cairns we got on a 3 day liveaboard diving trip out on the Barrier Reef. We had an early start the first day (well every day actually), we were collected at 6am and by the time we got our diving gear and sailed out to the reef, we were ready for our first dive at 11am, and 2 more after that. We were supposed to have a night dive the first night but because of strong currents we weren't able to. That meant 5 dives on the second day and to be honest it was tough going, but we really enjoyed it. It was our first time diving without a dive guide and we only got lost twice! But we did managed to make our way back to the boat on our own without having to get the 'tow of shame' from the dinghy. Over the course of the 3 days we did 11 dives in total, spent 442 minutes underwater and managed to spot 8 sharks, 5 turtles and a huge variety of little fish and some amazing coral. We also did our first night dive, which was a little bit wierd at first but amazing once we got into it. We're now qualified as Advanced Open Water Divers.<br />
<div><embed align="middle" flashvars="cy=lt&il=1&channel=3170534137691235650&site=widget-42.slide.com" name="flashticker" quality="high" salign="l" scale="noscale" src="http://widget-42.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" style="height: 320px; width: 426px;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"></embed><br />
<div style="text-align: left; width: 426px;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=lt&at=un&id=3170534137691235650&map=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-42.slide.com/p1/3170534137691235650/lt_t024_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=lt&at=un&id=3170534137691235650&map=2" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-42.slide.com/p2/3170534137691235650/lt_t024_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" /></a><br />
<br />
</div></div><div><embed align="middle" flashvars="cy=lt&il=1&channel=3170534137691243631&site=widget-6f.slide.com" name="flashticker" quality="high" salign="l" scale="noscale" src="http://widget-6f.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" style="height: 320px; width: 426px;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"></embed><br />
<div style="text-align: left; width: 426px;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=lt&at=un&id=3170534137691243631&map=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-6f.slide.com/p1/3170534137691243631/lt_t024_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=lt&at=un&id=3170534137691243631&map=2" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-6f.slide.com/p2/3170534137691243631/lt_t024_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" /></a> </div></div><br />
After all that excitement we caught a flight to Darwin, to see Kakadu. Kakadu is a 22,000 square mile National Park. The whole park is a huge flood plain with one elevated plateau running through it. During the wet season a lot of Kakady is under water and most of it is unaccessible. The rain that falls on top of the plateau then flows over the edge creating some amazing waterfalls. Some of them had dreid up by the time we were there because the dry season had started, but the ones that we did get to see were fairly impressive. We got to swim in some beautiful plunge pools and waterfall gorges. We did a few treks up to the top of the plateau to look out over some of the amazing scenery. At some of the falls we were only able to swim at the top because there was a chance of crocodiles in the water below!<br />
<div><embed align="middle" flashvars="cy=lt&il=1&channel=3170534137691964474&site=widget-3a.slide.com" name="flashticker" quality="high" salign="l" scale="noscale" src="http://widget-3a.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" style="height: 320px; width: 426px;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"></embed><br />
<div style="text-align: left; width: 426px;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=lt&at=un&id=3170534137691964474&map=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-3a.slide.com/p1/3170534137691964474/lt_t000_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=lt&at=un&id=3170534137691964474&map=2" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-3a.slide.com/p2/3170534137691964474/lt_t000_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" /></a> </div></div><br />
Speaking of crocodiles, the first part of the trip included a jumping crocodile cruise, where they lured the crocodiles to jump out of the water by dangling meat over the side of the boat.<br />
<div><div style="text-align: left; width: 426px;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=lt&at=un&id=3170534137691963737&map=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-59.slide.com/p1/3170534137691963737/lt_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=lt&at=un&id=3170534137691963737&map=2" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-59.slide.com/p2/3170534137691963737/lt_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" /></a> </div></div><br />
We spent the two nights sleeping under the stars. The first night we slept in swags. They're basically big waterproof sleeping bags that you put your actual sleeping bags in. The creepy crawlies weren't too bad but you'd never realise how much noise little mosquitoes can make when they're buzzing in your ear.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SlXDL8e7q_I/AAAAAAAAA2M/Qd0gkc-ZrEk/s1600-h/DSCN9323.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356401941808917490" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SlXDL8e7q_I/AAAAAAAAA2M/Qd0gkc-ZrEk/s320/DSCN9323.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>The second night the mozzies were worse so we pitched a tent.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SlXDr8rGILI/AAAAAAAAA2U/wJP15gl-JUM/s1600-h/DSCN9334.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356402491615748274" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SlXDr8rGILI/AAAAAAAAA2U/wJP15gl-JUM/s320/DSCN9334.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>We took part in an Aboriginal Cultural Experience too, and we both tried our arms at spear throwing and playing the digeridoo.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SlXAnJ6uiSI/AAAAAAAAA18/T2CbifVUuhw/s1600-h/DSCN9351.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356399110736742690" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SlXAnJ6uiSI/AAAAAAAAA18/T2CbifVUuhw/s320/DSCN9351.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SlXBZN1h6TI/AAAAAAAAA2E/SVHcS_cd2_U/s1600-h/DSCN9366.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356399970782144818" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SlXBZN1h6TI/AAAAAAAAA2E/SVHcS_cd2_U/s320/DSCN9366.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a></div>From a very hot Darwin (35 degrees) we flew to Adelaide in the opposite end where we were greeted with 10 degree cold. Bit of a shock to the system! Adelaide was actually quite like home. It was all green fields as we flew in, and with the grey misty weather, windy roads and cold we did get a little bit homesick. We spent a whole day driving to get to the start of the Great Ocean Road. The following day we started along the road, stopping off at all the major sights.<br />
<div><embed align="middle" flashvars="cy=lt&il=1&channel=3170534137691965982&site=widget-1e.slide.com" name="flashticker" quality="high" salign="l" scale="noscale" src="http://widget-1e.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" style="height: 320px; width: 426px;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"></embed><br />
<div style="text-align: left; width: 426px;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=lt&at=un&id=3170534137691965982&map=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-1e.slide.com/p1/3170534137691965982/lt_t024_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=lt&at=un&id=3170534137691965982&map=2" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-1e.slide.com/p2/3170534137691965982/lt_t024_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" /></a> </div></div><br />
All the main attractions/formations were at the start of the drive and after that you could have been driving around the Dingle Penisula. It was just like any other coastal road we have at home.<br />
<br />
We hit Melbourne then and we've been here for the last 3 days. We're staying with James and Kate, the Australian couple we met in Asia and James has been showing us some of the sights here in between shopping! Having great fun.<br />
<br />
Jan and PaulJanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727748355811233707noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1487763299827592597.post-55654551636728447352009-06-23T21:38:00.000-07:002010-09-19T04:18:36.286-07:00Whitsunday's, Yongala, Tablelands and Cape TribulationWell we've been having an amazing time since our last post, seeing and doing some fanastic things. First of all we had our 3 days out on the Anaconda III sailing in and around the Whitsunday Islands. On the first day we stopped off at Whitehaven Beach. I'd swear that beach was made just for postcards. The water is turqoise and crystal clear and the sand is so white, it's 98% pure. It squeaks under your feet as you walk on the beach and we had to be really careful of our cameras because it's so fine it can get into the mechanisms and break them. I still managed to get a few snaps there though!<br />
<a href="http://s36.photobucket.com/albums/e33/jank1910/?action=view&current=DSCN8544.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e33/jank1910/DSCN8544.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="http://s36.photobucket.com/albums/e33/jank1910/?action=view&current=DSCN8549.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e33/jank1910/DSCN8549.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="http://s36.photobucket.com/albums/e33/jank1910/?action=view&current=DSCN8563.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e33/jank1910/DSCN8563.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
The following day we did some diving and to be honest we were both a bit disappointed. We had been lucky with winds and currents that we had gotten out to one of the outer reefs, Knuckle Reef. Since we were diving the Great Barrier Reef we were probably expecting a lot. We didn't see very many fish, the coral wasn't all that spectacular, the visibility wasn't great and our dive leader was very poor. He rushed us through the whole dive site so we couldn't really stop to look at anything. We did get to do some more snorkelling that afternoon though and the coral we saw then was superb so that made up for it. On the last night some people went out to do night dives so we were up on deck watching them go off when one of the deckhands shouts 'WHALE'. You could hear the noise from the blowhole so they got out a spotlight torch and we could see it off in the distance. We were well chuffed, until about 20 minutes later when the other deckhand really started shouting 'WHALE!'. There were some lights hanging over the side of the boat to attract fish and the whale swam right up to the light and under the boat. It was incredible. Really huge!<br />
There was a great crowd on the boat too, and while it wasn't a booze cruise, we had some good banter.<br />
<div style="visibility: visible;"><object data="http://widget-5b.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" height="320" style="height: 320px; width: 426px;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="426"><param name="movie" value="http://widget-5b.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="scale" value="noscale" /><param name="salign" value="l" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent"/><param name="flashvars" value="cy=ms&il=1&channel=3170534137690808411&site=widget-5b.slide.com"/></object></div><div style="white-space: nowrap;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3170534137690808411&map=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-5b.slide.com/p1/3170534137690808411/ms_t024_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3170534137690808411&map=2" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-5b.slide.com/p2/3170534137690808411/ms_t024_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3170534137690808411&map=F" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-5b.slide.com/p4/3170534137690808411/ms_t024_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" /></a></div><br />
<br />
After Airlie and the Whitsunday's we headed up along the coast to Magnetic Island. It was a really pretty island and we did a few walks around there. We managed to spot a few koalas sleeping in some trees. We stayed in Bungalow Bay and they have an koala/wildlife sanctuary there so we took one of their guided tours. We got to hold a snake, crocodile, lizard and koala and we got to 'kiss' a black cockatoo.<br />
<div style="visibility: visible;"><object data="http://widget-2c.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" height="320" style="height: 320px; width: 426px;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="426"><param name="movie" value="http://widget-2c.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="scale" value="noscale" /><param name="salign" value="l" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent"/><param name="flashvars" value="cy=ms&il=1&channel=3170534137690810412&site=widget-2c.slide.com"/></object></div><div style="white-space: nowrap;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3170534137690810412&map=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-2c.slide.com/p1/3170534137690810412/ms_t000_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3170534137690810412&map=2" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-2c.slide.com/p2/3170534137690810412/ms_t000_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3170534137690810412&map=F" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-2c.slide.com/p4/3170534137690810412/ms_t000_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" /></a></div><br />
<br />
We had intended to stay 2 days on the island and do a dive there but the boat was out of action so we had to leave a day early and back-track 70kms down the coast again to the only other operator running trips to the dive site we wanted to go to. The boat journey out to the divesite, the wreck of the SS Yongala, was awful. The sea was really rough and the boat was just a glorified dinghy. We were soaked by the waves before we even got into the water and feeling a bit seasick too. The dive was worth it though. Absolutely amazing. The first thing we saw when we descended was this huge turtle sitting on the front of the boat, and that set the tone of the dive. We saw some really spectacular fish but the highlight of the first dive was a HUGE groper that was hanging around the back of the boat. I have never seen a fish so big. The second dive didn't disappoint either. Towards the end we were watching a tawny nurse shark basking on the top of the boat when our dive guide pointed out another one swimming through the water so we started chasing after it. It was only we got the surface that he informed us that the 3m long shark we had been enthusiastically chasing after was actually a bull shark, the kind of one that might consider a human a tasty little snack! Not sure we would have been so quick to tag along after it if we'd known that at the time.<br />
<br />
Anyway after our amazing dive we headed to Mission Beach but the weather wasn't really suitable for a day on the sand so we headed inland to the Atherton Tablelands stopping off at Paronella Park (a wierd castle/park built by an eccentric Spanish guy), Millaa Millaa Falls, Eachram Volcanic Lake, Kuranda and Barron Falls. The sceenery up around there was beautiful. Everything was really lush and green.<br />
<a href="http://s36.photobucket.com/albums/e33/jank1910/?action=view&current=DSCN8889.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e33/jank1910/DSCN8889.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
From there we headed on to Port Douglas, which was a really pretty little town. Only got to see half of the Lions game there because the bar closed at 12am. From what we've heard we didn't miss out too much in the second half.<br />
Our next destination was Cape Tribulation and the Daintree Rainforest. That was a really beautiful area. We got to walk through some of the oldest rainforest in the world and see where it met the pristine, white sandy beaches. It was spectacular. <br />
<a href="http://s36.photobucket.com/albums/e33/jank1910/?action=view&current=DSCN8949.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e33/jank1910/DSCN8949.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
Now we're in Cairns and after 4 great weeks we returned our Jucy van. We've already decided we're going to hire another camper in New Zealand it went so well.<br />
That's about all. Can't believe we're almost halfway through our travels. Where did the time go???Janhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727748355811233707noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1487763299827592597.post-5785543834951883602009-06-11T19:29:00.000-07:002010-09-19T04:20:29.331-07:00Motoring Up The East CoastWell we're over halfway through our little camper adventure and we're getting on great with it. So far we've been making the most of it and staying in campsites the whole time.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SjHH8Z9zyjI/AAAAAAAAA1s/ZuK57NjHvzs/s1600-h/DSCN8383.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346274073241700914" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SjHH8Z9zyjI/AAAAAAAAA1s/ZuK57NjHvzs/s320/DSCN8383.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SjHIgRo12MI/AAAAAAAAA10/1FlsmINhv8I/s1600-h/DSCN8390.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346274689481562306" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SjHIgRo12MI/AAAAAAAAA10/1FlsmINhv8I/s320/DSCN8390.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>Our first real destination was Byron Bay. The weather there was only okay though so we didn't really get on to the beach much. It was grey and misty for most of the 3 days. We did get to squeeze in some surfing lessons and we both managed to stand up on some waves so we were happy enough with that.<br />
There was a really nice headland walk there where we got to go out to the most easterly point of Australia<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SjHCDIdhjAI/AAAAAAAAA1E/LqrsQOvITDs/s1600-h/DSCN3559.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346267591732202498" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SjHCDIdhjAI/AAAAAAAAA1E/LqrsQOvITDs/s320/DSCN3559.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a></div>and we got to see this lighthouse which is supposedly the biggest/brightest one in the southern hemisphere.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SjHDSPKNDdI/AAAAAAAAA1M/MvecBXVrl5g/s1600-h/DSCN3562.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346268950739881426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SjHDSPKNDdI/AAAAAAAAA1M/MvecBXVrl5g/s320/DSCN3562.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a></div>Then after that we headed to North Stradbrook Island. It's supposed to be fab but I think you'd need good weather for it and we didn't have that at all. There's one stretch of beach all along the east coast of the island that's 18km long but we only had a quick look because it was so blustery.<br />
<br />
Anyway after that we had a quick stop in Brisbane, did a bit of shopping but the most expensive thing was the $32 we had to pay for 2 hours parking!<br />
<br />
After that the weather picked up and we had 3 lovely days in Noosa. We loved it there. Hired a surfboard one of the days to put our new found surf skills to use.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SjHF59PAdAI/AAAAAAAAA1c/nLWe4n3nZrc/s1600-h/DSCN8440.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346271832146211842" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SjHF59PAdAI/AAAAAAAAA1c/nLWe4n3nZrc/s320/DSCN8440.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SjHFSb20heI/AAAAAAAAA1U/crSIiBfLfF8/s1600-h/DSCN8407.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346271153171498466" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SjHFSb20heI/AAAAAAAAA1U/crSIiBfLfF8/s320/DSCN8407.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
Nest stop was Rainbow Beach. It was a quiet enough spot but the beach there was lovely.<br />
After that we had two hard days driving, well Foss did. We covered over 1000km to get from Rainbow Beach to Airlie Beach where we are now. It's really nice here but the main attraction is the Whitsunday Islands and we're heading off in a boat this evening for a 3 day trip around them. We're really looking forward to it.<br />
<br />
So that's about all really.<br />
Don't forget to keep in touch with comments and emails, love hearing from home.<br />
Jan and PaulJanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727748355811233707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1487763299827592597.post-90973307461814973082009-05-28T16:36:00.000-07:002010-09-19T04:25:35.954-07:00Busy Busy Busy in Uluru and SydneyWe have been so busy since the last post. We've only been in Uluru and Sydney but we packed so much in. We flew into Alice Spring where we met Fossie's parents. From there we drove to Uluru taking a short detour (300km round trip) to King's Canyon. It was amazing. So steep and high.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sh88Q3gN9iI/AAAAAAAAAz8/e5_n2EsQWAw/s1600-h/DSCN7783.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341053943559353890" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sh88Q3gN9iI/AAAAAAAAAz8/e5_n2EsQWAw/s320/DSCN7783.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>We did the Creek Walk there before we continued on our merry way to Uluru. We arrived just in time to see the clouds ruin the sunset, so no colour change on the rock itself but we were still impressed by the sight of it. We got up both mornings to try catch a sunset, one at Uluru and one at Kata Tjuta. Neither of them really made the rocks change colour but the second one at Kata Tjuta was beautiful in its own right.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sh89KTC03uI/AAAAAAAAA0E/oIqCi0R7dWo/s1600-h/DSCN7830.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341054930204810978" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sh89KTC03uI/AAAAAAAAA0E/oIqCi0R7dWo/s320/DSCN7830.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 241px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
You can even see Uluru in the corner here.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sh8-N1-kiHI/AAAAAAAAA0M/QB2e4pWbiI0/s1600-h/DSCN7954.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341056090633439346" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sh8-N1-kiHI/AAAAAAAAA0M/QB2e4pWbiI0/s320/DSCN7954.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>Besides the sunsets we also walked around the base of Uluru, did the Valley of the Winds walk at Kata Tjuta and went to the Sounds of Silence Dinner.<br />
The Sound of Silence dinner was lovely. We were taken out to the outback/desert to watch the sunset over Uluru (spoiled by bloody cloudsagain) while we were fed canapés of crocodile, kangaroo and smoked salmon and given as much champagne as we could polish off.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sh9AJGDq79I/AAAAAAAAA0U/lXOx7yHFB6w/s1600-h/DSCN7930.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341058208073707474" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sh9AJGDq79I/AAAAAAAAA0U/lXOx7yHFB6w/s320/DSCN7930.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
The main course was next and it was a buffet selection that inlcuded crocodile ceasar salad, kangaroo fillet and delicious lamb chops. That was followed by a local star gazer/astronomer coming to tell us about the stars (non-existent due to cloud) and some of the Aboriginal stories behind the constellations. He made the best of a bad situation though and really entertained us.<br />
Lastly we were serenaded by the digeridoo while we gorged on the scrumptious desserts.<br />
We really enjoyed it but it was a pity it was so cloudy.<br />
<br />
We only managed to spot one kangaroo out in Uluru<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sh9CSk2cljI/AAAAAAAAA0k/3KmucVoTMf4/s1600-h/DSCN7991.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341060569981818418" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sh9CSk2cljI/AAAAAAAAA0k/3KmucVoTMf4/s320/DSCN7991.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a></div>but spotted a few at the Telegraph Station back in Alice Springs.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sh9GBE7MawI/AAAAAAAAA0s/CkkgRJ4x_x0/s1600-h/DSCN8019.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341064667400530690" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sh9GBE7MawI/AAAAAAAAA0s/CkkgRJ4x_x0/s320/DSCN8019.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>After the long drive from Uluru to Alice Springs, (it's as long as drving London to Paris) we flew to Sydney where we met up with Mum and Dad again. Unfortunately the East Coast of Australia has been battered by some terrible storms over the last few days so the weather wasn't great. Despite that we still got to see the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, both by day and night. They are both amazing structures. On our last night the Opera House was lit up spectacularly for some exhibition that's on.<br />
<div style="visibility: visible;"><object data="http://widget-94.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" height="320" style="height: 320px; width: 426px;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="426"><param name="movie" value="http://widget-94.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="scale" value="noscale"><param name="salign" value="l"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="flashvars" value="cy=ms&il=1&channel=3170534137687828116&site=widget-94.slide.com"></object></div><div style="white-space: nowrap;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3170534137687828116&map=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-94.slide.com/p1/3170534137687828116/ms_t000_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3170534137687828116&map=2" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-94.slide.com/p2/3170534137687828116/ms_t000_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3170534137687828116&map=F" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-94.slide.com/p4/3170534137687828116/ms_t000_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" /></a></div><br />
We got out to Manly Beach but it was closed because of the weather but luckily enough the day stayed dry for us. The sea was quite rough for the ferry crossing though, the waves were huge and the ferry really got thrown around.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sh8i-ZVrHPI/AAAAAAAAAz0/khuVAVFt3-g/s1600-h/Dad+Sydney+449.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341026138433723634" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sh8i-ZVrHPI/AAAAAAAAAz0/khuVAVFt3-g/s320/Dad+Sydney+449.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 214px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>We spent a day out in the Blue Mountains too. We went to Govett's Leap, Katoomba for the 3 Sisters and Wentworth for the Falls there. Again it was cloudy but we did manage to admire the scenery during breaks in the cloud.<br />
<br />
Darling Harbour was celebrating it 21st birthday so at the weekend they put on a fireworks show.<br />
<div style="visibility: visible;"><object data="http://widget-b1.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" height="320" style="height: 320px; width: 426px;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="426"><param name="movie" value="http://widget-b1.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="scale" value="noscale"><param name="salign" value="l"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="flashvars" value="cy=ms&il=1&channel=3170534137687804337&site=widget-b1.slide.com"></object></div><div style="white-space: nowrap;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3170534137687804337&map=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-b1.slide.com/p1/3170534137687804337/ms_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3170534137687804337&map=2" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-b1.slide.com/p2/3170534137687804337/ms_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3170534137687804337&map=F" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-b1.slide.com/p4/3170534137687804337/ms_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" /></a></div><br />
On our last day we went to Bondi Beach and were blessed with the weather at last. Both our dads, Foss and I went swimming, though the water was quite cold and there was a very strong pull.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sh9BUa3Mw3I/AAAAAAAAA0c/7gzy_AdheFQ/s1600-h/Dad+Sydney+751.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341059502148731762" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sh9BUa3Mw3I/AAAAAAAAA0c/7gzy_AdheFQ/s320/Dad+Sydney+751.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 214px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>We also managed to squeeze in a trip to the Aquarium, lunch in the fish markets and a few other touristy things.<br />
And of course we couldn't leave Sydney a re-union of ex-Nathan's accountants.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sh9JvuF8xSI/AAAAAAAAA00/0BJdGqMGAmE/s1600-h/DSCN3515.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341068767260362018" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sh9JvuF8xSI/AAAAAAAAA00/0BJdGqMGAmE/s320/DSCN3515.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a></div>So after those hectic few days we hired a campervan to head off up the coast. It's probably not quite what you'd imagine a camper van to be so have a look at <a href="http://www.jucy.com.au/campa.asp">this website</a> and the video tour especially!<br />
<br />
So far we've spent our first two nights in it. One at Hawk's Nest/Port Stephen's and one at Port Macquarie and we haven't killed each other yet so that's something.<br />
<br />
BTW I have fixed the blog so that hopefully people will be able to leave comments now. Looking forward to them :)<br />
Jan and Paul.Janhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727748355811233707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1487763299827592597.post-4661642781479850452009-05-09T09:15:00.000-07:002010-09-19T04:32:56.893-07:00KL, Singapore and PerthPaul here, and as some of you may have guessed, this is my first entry on the blog, (so it probably won't be as detailed / good). Since the last post we've spent a couple of days in Kuala Lumpur.<br />
<br />
That was a far as Fossie got and it's been over a week since he did that so I'm just going to finish off this post. We spent 2 days in KL. It was a fab city, really clean and modern with great public transport. We did a few of the touristy things there. The first morning Foss queued for ages for tickets to the Petronas Towers (he is good for something) so we could go up to the Skybridge and get a glimpse of the view out over the city.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SghCILFmqZI/AAAAAAAAAxc/P71QUJg90vY/s1600-h/DSCN3230.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334586466803034514" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SghCILFmqZI/AAAAAAAAAxc/P71QUJg90vY/s320/DSCN3230.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a></div><br />
We went to the Lake Gardens too and visited the Orchid Gardens there. I spent ages taking loads of photos there while Foss sat and waited patiently.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334587108439247618" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SghCthXmSwI/AAAAAAAAAxk/gUTgvOqJwFo/s320/2009+05+03.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 187px; width: 320px;" /> </div><div style="text-align: center; white-space: nowrap;">They had a craft village there as well and I got to try my hand at some batik.</div><div style="text-align: center; white-space: nowrap;">This was what I produced at the end.</div><div style="text-align: center; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SghFG1S0NZI/AAAAAAAAAxs/8Sqvxi1HvZw/s1600-h/DSCN3250.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334589742307882386" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SghFG1S0NZI/AAAAAAAAAxs/8Sqvxi1HvZw/s320/DSCN3250.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center; white-space: nowrap;">The picture was traced but I had great fun doing the wax outline and painting with the dye .</div>After KL we got a bus to Singapore. It was similar to KL, being such a modern city. There were loads of shops there too. I don't think I've ever seen anywhere with such a high concentration of shops and shopping centres. Besides shopping, we visited to the zoo there. It was definitely the best zoo I've ever been to. Although I don't know how much competition Fota and Dublin Zoo really provide. We saw loads of different animals there and the whole set up seemed really good. We both loved it.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><div><embed align="middle" flashvars="cy=lt&il=1&channel=3170534137686270220&site=widget-0c.slide.com" name="flashticker" quality="high" salign="l" scale="noscale" src="http://widget-0c.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" style="height: 320px; width: 426px;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"></embed><br />
<div style="text-align: left; width: 426px;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=lt&at=un&id=3170534137686270220&map=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-0c.slide.com/p1/3170534137686270220/lt_t024_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=lt&at=un&id=3170534137686270220&map=2" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-0c.slide.com/p2/3170534137686270220/lt_t024_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=lt&at=un&id=3170534137686270220&map=F" target="_blank"><img border="0" ismap="ismap" src="http://widget-0c.slide.com/p4/3170534137686270220/lt_t024_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" /></a></div></div></div>That was the end of the South- East Asia leg of the trip. I can't believe it's over. Seems like absolutely ages ago that we were in India. We have seen and done so much since then.<br />
Anyway we flew to Perth from Singapore where we met up with Mum and Dad. It was great to see them. Siobhan and Mike have been spoiling us all since we arrived. It's great to have your own personal tour guides. They brought us to see so much that I don't think we would have gotten to otherwise.<br />
One of the places they brought us to was the port town of Fremantle. It's only about half an hour away, but Mike took us the scenic route to show off some of the views out over the river so it took a bit longer but we loved getting to see so much.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SguETETeLWI/AAAAAAAAAx8/TmU_Ccfl5JE/s1600-h/DSCN7512.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335503646658276706" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SguETETeLWI/AAAAAAAAAx8/TmU_Ccfl5JE/s320/DSCN7512.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
Australian Mother's Day was last Sunday so we had a picnic in King's Park. It's amazing that they have such a huge park area in the middle of the city. It's very popular though and was absolutely jam packed for the day that was in it.The Australian idea of a picnic is a bit more upmarket that the Irish one. Not a ham sandwich in sight and I'd say we were the only ones drinking our flask of tea from tin cups, though I think our cake stand made up for that.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SgwMrlDpO3I/AAAAAAAAAyU/SiuWaGlBZUU/s1600-h/DSCN7549.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335653601348500338" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SgwMrlDpO3I/AAAAAAAAAyU/SiuWaGlBZUU/s320/DSCN7549.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>Siobhán and Mike took us on trip to the Swan Valley Winery area. We stopped in Sandalford Winery and sampled some of the wines there. Then in was on to the chocolate factory where we had a 'few' of the free samples, tried out some real hot chocolate and indulged in a chocolate fondue with all sorts of goodies for dipping.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SgwTJXy2n_I/AAAAAAAAAy0/frW1C6iIy1c/s1600-h/DSCN7582.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335660710254256114" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SgwTJXy2n_I/AAAAAAAAAy0/frW1C6iIy1c/s320/DSCN7582.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>After that we had a little stroll and came across a kids playground. Some of the 'ould wans' got a bit unruly on the spinny-around-thing.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SgwUiFEb5VI/AAAAAAAAAy8/zidQ_vJ7UQA/s1600-h/DSCN7583.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335662234236085586" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SgwUiFEb5VI/AAAAAAAAAy8/zidQ_vJ7UQA/s320/DSCN7583.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SgwWskrN2OI/AAAAAAAAAzM/EE0Ri1tZRuo/s1600-h/DSCN7584.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335664613542189282" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SgwWskrN2OI/AAAAAAAAAzM/EE0Ri1tZRuo/s320/DSCN7584.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
And sure you couldn't go to the playground without getting some ice-cream so we made sure to drop into the the ice-creamery afterwards. On our way to the next winery we took a detour to Bell's Rapids and even though the river was low and there were no rapids there was some magnificent scenery there.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SgwPpwyR3SI/AAAAAAAAAyk/zmEvZBtx9pY/s1600-h/DSCN7633.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335656868672036130" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SgwPpwyR3SI/AAAAAAAAAyk/zmEvZBtx9pY/s320/DSCN7633.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>Going back into town we couldn't drive past the Feral Brewery without sampling some of their wares.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SgwNoL5wEHI/AAAAAAAAAyc/d1XgVn68T6Y/s1600-h/Dad+Perth+211a.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335654642568138866" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SgwNoL5wEHI/AAAAAAAAAyc/d1XgVn68T6Y/s320/Dad+Perth+211a.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 136px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>We never did make it to that second winery in the end. It was closed when we got there!<br />
<br />
In between all of that we managed to get to Floreat, Cottesloe and Scarboro beaches. The 3 of them were beautiful but the water was a bit colder than we've become accustomed to.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SgwK6_Fh0AI/AAAAAAAAAyM/4JnqFqUXdxA/s1600-h/DSCN7381.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335651667010506754" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SgwK6_Fh0AI/AAAAAAAAAyM/4JnqFqUXdxA/s320/DSCN7381.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
Mum and Dad left Perth Tuesday night for Cairns. After we dropped them out to the airport we took a spin to South Perth to admire this beautiful view of the city all lit up at night.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SgwJHrbp8EI/AAAAAAAAAyE/o_WGLBnKfJk/s1600-h/DSCN7658.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335649686049648706" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SgwJHrbp8EI/AAAAAAAAAyE/o_WGLBnKfJk/s320/DSCN7658.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Foss got lucky on the way back!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SgwRZT67pGI/AAAAAAAAAys/C9C6shMPPXw/s1600-h/DSCN7671.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335658785069048930" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SgwRZT67pGI/AAAAAAAAAys/C9C6shMPPXw/s320/DSCN7671.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">We reluctantly left Perth this morning for Alice Springs. Hopefully we'll get to go back there again. We really liked it. The whole lifestyle there seemed so nice, very active and outdoorsy, but I think the weather has a lot to with that.<br />
Foss was delighted to meet up with his parents this evening and in the morning the 4 of us are setting off for Uluru.<br />
Maybe Foss will write the next blog post about that!!!<br />
<br />
Jan and Paul.</div></div>Janhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727748355811233707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1487763299827592597.post-35494923098462991082009-05-01T19:23:00.000-07:002010-09-19T04:37:01.323-07:00Malaysia<div align="center"><div style="text-align: left;">We left Thailand behind us a week ago and took a very long journey to Penang in Malaysia. It's an island but it's mostly city and very devloped. We spent 2 days there. The first day we did all the touristy things around the city (visited a Chinese clan house, went to Fort Cornwallis, saw the history Museum, went to the Chocolate Boutique and then vetured to a Batik Factory). The next day we went to Penang Hill, where they have an Old Funicular railway that brings you, very slowly, up the 800m to the top of the hill. From there you have a uninterrupted view out over the island. It was wierd to see that some parts of it were totally green and uninhabited whereas others were totally built up with skyscrapers.</div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sfu5pziDt5I/AAAAAAAAAxU/D1D3gIZ6vsI/s1600-h/RSCN6869.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331058711781947282" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sfu5pziDt5I/AAAAAAAAAxU/D1D3gIZ6vsI/s320/RSCN6869.JPG" style="height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">Have to say we liked Penang and Georgetown (the city there). Not a bad place to spend 2 days.</div><div style="text-align: left;">We took a night bus over to the opposite side of the country to hit the Perhentian Islands.There are two islands there. We stayed on Puluan Kecil, which literally means Small Island. Yes, the other one is Big Island. It was absolutely beautiful there. Much nicer than any of the Thai Islands. The beach had white sand and crystal clear turqoise waters. It really was spectacular. </div></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sfu4csfP1hI/AAAAAAAAAxM/F32iWujvXpM/s1600-h/DSCN6958.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331057387041183250" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sfu4csfP1hI/AAAAAAAAAxM/F32iWujvXpM/s320/DSCN6958.JPG" style="height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div align="center" style="white-space: nowrap;">Apart from the two main beaches that have accommodation and</div><div align="center" style="white-space: nowrap;">restaurants, the rest of the island is nearly untouched. </div><div align="center" style="white-space: nowrap;">To walk from Long Beach, where we were staying to Coral Bay on </div><div align="center" style="white-space: nowrap;">the other side, you had to walk along a track through the jungle. </div><div align="center" style="white-space: nowrap;">It was totally unspoilt.<br />
There were loads of creatures there though. </div><div align="center" style="white-space: nowrap;">Lots of these monitor lizards, that can grow to 2m long. </div><div align="center" style="white-space: nowrap;">This one was only 1.5m. </div><div align="center"><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sfu2qc8R-RI/AAAAAAAAAxE/hmxXVeVRj-M/s1600-h/DSCN6868.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331055424362903826" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sfu2qc8R-RI/AAAAAAAAAxE/hmxXVeVRj-M/s320/DSCN6868.JPG" style="height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Then on the way through the jungle path to coral bay </div><div align="center">there were loads of these HUGE spiders.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sfu185YxwFI/AAAAAAAAAw8/U2pEECIOWJ8/s1600-h/DSCN6893.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331054641724637266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sfu185YxwFI/AAAAAAAAAw8/U2pEECIOWJ8/s320/DSCN6893.JPG" style="height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
The sea was full of wonderful stuff too. </div><div align="center">You could see these fish just standing waist deep in the sea. </div><div align="center">It was brilliant.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sfu08gFzi1I/AAAAAAAAAw0/-gFcivKzVyk/s1600-h/DSCN6973.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331053535422548818" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sfu08gFzi1I/AAAAAAAAAw0/-gFcivKzVyk/s320/DSCN6973.JPG" style="height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
We did 2 more scuba dives as well. They weren't as good as the ones we did on<br />
Phi Phi but we did get to see some blue spotted stingray, </div><div align="center">bamboo sharks, a coral cat shark and a giant moray eel.<br />
Other than that we just spent our time tanning up on the beach.<br />
We were sorry to leave it behind yesterday.<br />
<br />
Now we're in Kuala Lumpur. Just arrived this morning after catching a night bus. Have already sussed out an Irish bar for the big game tonight though! Just waiting around the guesthouse now because we can't check in until 12 o' clock. Have 2 days here, then it's Singapore for a day and then the flight to OZ. We're can't wait to meet our parents.<br />
<br />
<br />
That's about it for now,<br />
Jan and Paul. </div>Janhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727748355811233707noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1487763299827592597.post-64680221133766199252009-04-22T07:06:00.000-07:002010-09-19T04:44:15.819-07:00Diving in Phi PhiWell we went ahead and did our PADI course in Phi Phi. Basically it gives us a license to dive up to 30m deep in open water. We loved it. It took us 3 days to get our certs. The first day we spent the morning watching videos for the first 3 course modules and did those 3 tests. Luckily it was a lazy morning because we'd decided to sample some of the buckets (of cocktails) the night before and I think I might have drowned if I went anywhere near the water in the morning. Anyway a big greasy burger and chips for lunch did us the world of good and then it was into our wetsuits and scuba gear and down to beach we went. We spent about and hour and a half in a roped off section of the beach and did lots of skills and exercises. We were only about 5m underwater but sure we thought we were great.<br />
The next morning we were up bright and early and headed to Bida Nok and Malong for our first open water dives. It was soooo amazing. We got to see so many brightly coloured fish and beautiful coral. You'd nearly think some of it was fake, like something you'd buy to put in the bottom of a fish tank, it was just incredible. We saw loads of huge star fish. We even got to see some of Nemo's cousins. Seeing a turtle was probably the highlight of the first dive but everything was really impressive. Second dive we got to see another turtle, and while we were looking at it a Leopard Shark swam by. We had lunch in Maya Bay, where the film The Beach was set. It was a beautiful location but spoiled by all the boats and tourists (yes, like us I know) who were out there.<br />
Anyway it was just the 2 dives to 12m that day and we were fairly wrecked after them.<br />
We had 2 dives to 18m the next day and apparently the conditions were perfect. There was a slack tide where the tide changes really slowly so there was no current and it meant we could do Bida Nai and Bida Nok on the same day, usually it's one or the other. We had another great day diving. Saw loads again. We saw one Leopard Shark lying on the sand and we were able to stay and watch it for a good few minutes. It was brilliant.<br />
We loved the diving so much that when we passed the dive shop that evening it didn't take much to persuade us to go diving again the next day. We went out to dive the wreck of the King Cruiser ferry ship. That was a 30m dive so we had to do it as a certified dive.Now we're licensed to dive to 30m which we hope will come in handy when we go to see the Great Barrier Reef. We did 3 dives that day and they were all fab. We even got to see an octopus on the deck of the wreck. We totally loved the diving and our dive school, Princess Divers in PhiPhi were brilliant! Unfortunately no photo's but I'll try to find a site with some pictures of the type of things we saw.<br />
Okay so I found the website for the charts that we were using to identify the fish we saw<br />
Saw almost all of these<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SfB2vZhprJI/AAAAAAAAAwk/7-GI4V4SSJc/s1600-h/3a++Fish+Slate+Side+2_jpg_jpg.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327888915857255570" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SfB2vZhprJI/AAAAAAAAAwk/7-GI4V4SSJc/s320/3a++Fish+Slate+Side+2_jpg_jpg.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 230px;" /></a><br />
Quite a few of these but none of the stingrays and the Leopard Shark was the only shark we saw<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SfB3GH0X_HI/AAAAAAAAAws/1YJsIaqX5c0/s1600-h/3a+Fish+Slate+Side+3_jpg_jpg.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327889306240941170" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SfB3GH0X_HI/AAAAAAAAAws/1YJsIaqX5c0/s320/3a+Fish+Slate+Side+3_jpg_jpg.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 230px;" /></a><br />
Other than that the beaches in Phi Phi weren't actually all that great. They looked spectacular from the viewpoint<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SfBwliGaunI/AAAAAAAAAwM/RiMsiq5yE9A/s1600-h/DSCN6638.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327882149290490482" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SfBwliGaunI/AAAAAAAAAwM/RiMsiq5yE9A/s320/DSCN6638.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
But in reality they were a bit dirty, the water was murky so you couldn't see the rocks so we both got loads of cuts on our feet and you had to walk ages out to see to even get waist deep. A bit of a let down but I suppose at least they looked beautiful.<br />
We're in Ko Lanta now. It's quieter than Phi Phi but the place we're staying in is lively enough. We did a tour of the island today. Some beautiful scenery. On the east side of the island there's a viewpoint where you could see right across to the mainland and lots of little islands between here and there.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SfByw07sn2I/AAAAAAAAAwU/mUX0AeJ9I2s/s1600-h/DSCN6790.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327884542347616098" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SfByw07sn2I/AAAAAAAAAwU/mUX0AeJ9I2s/s320/DSCN6790.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
There's 2 caves on the island too and we went caving in one of them. Really enjoyed that though it was quite a trek to get to it and hard work climbing down into it and through some narrow crawl spaces.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SfB0XVpqyzI/AAAAAAAAAwc/in-lmSlo_4g/s1600-h/DSCN6830.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327886303477025586" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SfB0XVpqyzI/AAAAAAAAAwc/in-lmSlo_4g/s320/DSCN6830.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
Tomorrow we leave Thailand for Malaysia. We've rejigged our plans for there a bit and hope to get in some of the East Coast Islands there since we only did the West Coast/ Andaman Islands in Thailand. Anyway we've a long day of travelling ahead of us I'd say, not that I'm complaining at all that we're getting to see and do!<br />
Can't believe we've done so much already and in 2 weeks we'll be in Oz. South-East Asia flew!<br />
Anyway looking forwards to loads of comments!!!!<br />
Jan and PaulJanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727748355811233707noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1487763299827592597.post-67853578148639543522009-04-13T21:03:00.000-07:002010-09-19T04:47:28.179-07:00Happy New YearWell not that anyone seems that concerned, but we're out of all the turmoil in Bangkok. Left there a day or two before it started. (Foss is very disappointed nobody called or emailed to check that we were ok!) We're in Phuket at the moment. There were plenty of guns and armed patrols here yesterday though - water guns and patrols armed with buckets of water and hoses that is. It's the Lunar New Year (Songkran) and they celebrate by soaking everybody. It's good fun and nobody seemed to get the least bit upset about being absolutely drenched. You literally couldn't go out the door without getting soaked. The people here just line the streets armed with buckets of water, hoses and water guns and they show no mercy to anybody, whether you're walking past, driving or on a mo-ped. Then there's groups who were driving around in pick-up trucks and drowning all the people on the streets. The fire-brigade even got involved going around hosing people. Foss joined one group of locals in the festivities for a while.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SeQek6Rm2XI/AAAAAAAAAwE/I1JU6-jiE9k/s1600-h/DSCN6628.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324414278925998450" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SeQek6Rm2XI/AAAAAAAAAwE/I1JU6-jiE9k/s320/DSCN6628.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
Other than that the beach here is great. We're staying near Karon beach, and the waves here are brilliant. Foss loves them but I get bashed around a bit more than him.<br />
<br />
Before we arrived here we spent 3 days on Koh Chang. It's a really nice but quite island. We had the beach to ourselves almost all the time. It was really relaxing but 3 days was probably enough of doing nothing.<br />
<br />
Then we headed to Khao Sok National Prak. Stayed in a lovely bungalow there with a fab view of the mountains and their garden. With did a half day 'trek' in the park. I used the word trek very lightly. Our guide was only 21 and we just strolled around the place. He was able to point out a lot to us though and after all his warning about leeches we were fine and he got two stuck to him!<br />
There was some really lovely scenery and greenery there.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SeQd-YW01ZI/AAAAAAAAAv8/S7h9fJ6ucTw/s1600-h/DSCN6494.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324413616986051986" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SeQd-YW01ZI/AAAAAAAAAv8/S7h9fJ6ucTw/s320/DSCN6494.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
We did a cookery course in Khao Sok too. We learned how to make Tom Yam, Chicken Fried Rice, Sweet and Sour Fish, Pad Thai, Thai Omelette, and Thai Green Curry. Had great fun and the food turned out delicious.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SeQb2FRhpVI/AAAAAAAAAv0/y1C9aSw5idA/s1600-h/DSCN3156.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324411275401340242" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SeQb2FRhpVI/AAAAAAAAAv0/y1C9aSw5idA/s320/DSCN3156.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
So we reckon we'll probably go to Koh Phi Phi tomorrow and maybe do a PADI diving course there. We'll have to see.<br />
<br />
Jan and PaulJanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727748355811233707noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1487763299827592597.post-65330878439712019282009-03-31T19:33:00.000-07:002010-09-19T05:04:22.862-07:00Been busy.<div><div>Well since the last post we've been busy. Moved around lots and have seen quite a bit. After HCMC we headed for the Mekong Delta region. It really wasn't what we expected at all. It was just a series of cities that were the same as any where else except they happened to be on the Mekong River. We were lucky that we booked a tour for our first day because we got to see a few of the lush green islands on the delta and some of the 'industries' they have there like making rice paper, honey, coconut shell souvenirs, and coconut candy.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SdSf78n2aDI/AAAAAAAAAvM/65a4uDJX1Pk/s1600-h/RSCN5250.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320052912065767474" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SdSf78n2aDI/AAAAAAAAAvM/65a4uDJX1Pk/s320/RSCN5250.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
We got to see a floating market too early one morning which was something different but probably not worth the money we paid to get to it. We were totally ripped off!</div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SdSiK__qWFI/AAAAAAAAAvU/xQon33l4MCo/s1600-h/DSCN5405.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320055369692239954" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SdSiK__qWFI/AAAAAAAAAvU/xQon33l4MCo/s320/DSCN5405.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
Other than that it was a lot of time on local buses that were like travelling zoos at times. In one we had a dog in a bag hanging from the seat in front of us and roosters in baskets in the seat behind us. Crazy!<br />
<br />
After the Delta we spent 3 relaxing days on Phu Quoc Island. It's in the South China Sea off the southern coast of Vietnam, but it's very close to Cambodia and the Cambodians claim it should be theirs. It was so blissful there. Our hut resort was right on the beach and in the 3 days we only left the beach once and that was to book our tickets back to the mainland. We spent all day on the beach but it was so hot that for most of the day we were in the shade and we still managed to get burnt. The water there was lovely and warm, and it was so salty that you could just float for ages. We got to watch the sunset over the sea every evening as well and that was really beautiful.</div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SdScvIZ8g1I/AAAAAAAAAvE/06uj63Bs-0o/s1600-h/DSCN0018.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320049393355490130" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SdScvIZ8g1I/AAAAAAAAAvE/06uj63Bs-0o/s320/DSCN0018.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>It a good job we were so relaxed leaving there because it was hard work getting to our next destination. We got the hydrofoil (like a giant speedboat type ferry) back to the mainland, then we had to get a minibus to Ha Tien (the closest town to the border), from there we got motorbikes to and through the border. They were supposed to take us all the way to Kep in Cambodia but it was too hot for them so the fobbed us off on a taxi driver so we got a car to Kep. When we got there we had to wait 2 hours for the bus on to Kampot. That was all in the one day, and it was only the following day we found out that the bus from Kampot to Phnom Penh (where we were going to) now goes through Kep so we could have just stayed there for the night instead of hanging around for 2 hours and then taking the bus to Kampot. The bus journey to Phnom Penh was fairly tough going, a rattly old bus on bumpy dirt roads, but we got there in the end.</div><div><br />
</div><div></div><div>We went to see the Killing Fields and the S-21 prison museum. It was fairly harrowing stuff seeing all the skulls out in the Killing Fields and some of the pictures and displays in S-21.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SdiNPFhQstI/AAAAAAAAAvc/nyn4A78RF58/s1600-h/DSCN5523.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321158250057478866" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SdiNPFhQstI/AAAAAAAAAvc/nyn4A78RF58/s320/DSCN5523.JPG" style="height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
It was good to hear in the news that some of the people who were responsible for the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge are finally being held responsible.</div><div><br />
</div><div></div><div>We left Phnom Penh for Siem Reap and have spent the last 3 days looking at the ruins in Angkor Wat. Some of them are really spectacular. I think Ta Prohm was favourite for both of us with the giant trees and sprawling roots growing amongst the ruins. After the 3 days though I think we've both had our fill of ruins for quite a while.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/TJX7U7mfBkI/AAAAAAAABKE/lV3Ntdj9T9I/s1600/DSCN2926.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/TJX7U7mfBkI/AAAAAAAABKE/lV3Ntdj9T9I/s320/DSCN2926.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/TJX7h1Qs7NI/AAAAAAAABKM/3UStn8qaHi4/s1600/DSCN5661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/TJX7h1Qs7NI/AAAAAAAABKM/3UStn8qaHi4/s320/DSCN5661.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/TJX71Q2LQqI/AAAAAAAABKU/_d59OkECg2w/s1600/DSCN5865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/TJX71Q2LQqI/AAAAAAAABKU/_d59OkECg2w/s320/DSCN5865.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Siem Reap itself is a lovely town, really laid back and relaxed. There's a few markets here and it's a good job we met up with Kate and James again because Foss and James can go off and have a few beers while Kate and I go shopping. In one of the markets they have a fish massage thing where you put your feet into a pool full of fish and they nibble off all the dead skin. It was really funny and tickly at first but enjoyable once you got used to the sensation. </div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SdiOLDGNzPI/AAAAAAAAAvk/8Z1tAOBa3zU/s1600-h/DSCN2964.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321159280199322866" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SdiOLDGNzPI/AAAAAAAAAvk/8Z1tAOBa3zU/s320/DSCN2964.JPG" style="height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>One of the nights in Siem Reap we went to the ACODO orphanage to see a show that they put on every night. The kids did all the dancing and played the music themselves.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/TJX6IbJho8I/AAAAAAAABJ0/DPE27i9ld2U/s1600/DSCN5965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/TJX6IbJho8I/AAAAAAAABJ0/DPE27i9ld2U/s320/DSCN5965.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
It was free to get into but they do ask for donations. We all really enjoyed it and it was nice afterwards to talk with the kids and take photos with them. They were all really well behaved and seemed happy and well looked after. We went back there another morning for a few hours. We spent the morning playing with the kids and then we went to the market with one of the volunteers and some of the kids to buy them some cooking ingredients like cooking oil, fish sauce, soya sauce, sugar, salt and seasoning. We really enjoyed it and had great fun with the kids.</div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/TJX6aONWjeI/AAAAAAAABJ8/sT2B9k-DdXI/s1600/DSCN6227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/TJX6aONWjeI/AAAAAAAABJ8/sT2B9k-DdXI/s320/DSCN6227.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/TJX51nGrvcI/AAAAAAAABJs/-SPO389Dqco/s1600/DSCN6223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/TJX51nGrvcI/AAAAAAAABJs/-SPO389Dqco/s320/DSCN6223.JPG" /></a></div><br />
</div><div>On our last night we had dinner in a place where you barbeque your own food in the centre of the table. We were very adventurous and went for the sampler menu of chicken, beef, squid, snake and crocodile. They were all delicious.</div></div><div><br />
<div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SdiQ2WmAxFI/AAAAAAAAAvs/KdBIG_E-TJE/s1600-h/DSCN6313.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321162223190590546" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/SdiQ2WmAxFI/AAAAAAAAAvs/KdBIG_E-TJE/s320/DSCN6313.JPG" style="height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div></div><div>Then it was a long bus ride back to Phnom Penh to catch a cheap flight to Bangkok that turned out to be not so cheap since you have to pay $25 departure tax. One night in the Khao San Road, one day of shopping and now we're heading for the islands. Yipee!<br />
<br />
Hope everybody is keeping well,</div><div>Jan and Paul</div></div>Janhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727748355811233707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1487763299827592597.post-73644609257117024742009-03-19T06:00:00.000-07:002010-09-19T05:09:25.036-07:00Dalat, Mui Ne and HCMCAfter the pretty little town of Hoi An we headed for the hills to Dalat, a town in the Central Highlands. The first part of the journey involved a night bus to Nha Trang.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/ScJHVRc6PqI/AAAAAAAAAtE/GGeqqwmBTxY/s1600-h/DSCN4879.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314888941038091938" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/ScJHVRc6PqI/AAAAAAAAAtE/GGeqqwmBTxY/s320/DSCN4879.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
I thought it was fine and comfy, I even had a foot to spare.<br />
<div><div><div><div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/ScTk1yblG3I/AAAAAAAAAts/NGFOJ-_BzGg/s1600-h/DSCN4868.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315625072925678450" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/ScTk1yblG3I/AAAAAAAAAts/NGFOJ-_BzGg/s320/DSCN4868.JPG" style="height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
On the other had it was just a little bit cramped for Foss but strangely enough he still managed to sleep.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/ScTmLiBpd7I/AAAAAAAAAt0/MmdKmUY17Tg/s1600-h/DSCN4877.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315626545990694834" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/ScTmLiBpd7I/AAAAAAAAAt0/MmdKmUY17Tg/s320/DSCN4877.JPG" style="height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
I dozed at the start but woke up after a while and I sat up to look out. A very bad idea. After about 10 minutes of witnessing the driver's driving technique I didn't think I'd be getting back to sleep anytime soon. He was more concerned about avoiding the crater-like potholes in the road than getting out of the way of oncoming traffic. Wouldn't really make you feel safe enough to drift of into a peaceful sleep!<br />
When we got to Nha Trang we had a hour to grab breakfast at a buffet (an we certainly ate our money's worth) before we had to get on a bus to Dalat.<br />
I don't think I have ever been in a creakier, rattlier bus in my whole life. I don't think Bus Eireann would even accept it into their fleet. It made the bus journey more like a roller coaster ride, we were lurched forward and flung side to side so often. There was more than one occasion where I thought someone must have pressed an ejector button in my seat, I was thrown so high into the air by some bump or pothole we must have hit. Not the most comfortable journey in the world but some of the scenery was spectacular, looking out on the valleys.<br />
We just wandered around a bit that evening but the following day we did a motorbike tour with two <a href="http://www.dalat-easyrider.com.vn/Websites/English/">Easy Riders</a>. We had a really great day, they took us to see loads and they were really informative.The highlight was probably the Datanla Waterfall, though Fossie might argue that it was the cable car ride, what with his fear of heights and all that.<br />
<object data="http://widget-cc.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" height="320" style="height: 320px; width: 426px;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="426"></object></div><br />
<div style="white-space: nowrap;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3170534137681202636&map=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://widget-cc.slide.com/p1/3170534137681202636/ms_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3170534137681202636&map=2" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://widget-cc.slide.com/p2/3170534137681202636/ms_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3170534137681202636&map=F" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://widget-cc.slide.com/p4/3170534137681202636/ms_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" /></a><br />
</div><div>We headed to a beach resort called Mui Ne next. Thankfully we had a better bus for that trip and the road was okay most of the way, but we still managed to hit a motorcyclist and knock him and his bike into a dike on the side of the road. No worries though the driver did help get him and the bike back onto the road and he was off on his merry little way in no time - not a bother on him. Not even a cross word spoken!<br />
Mui Ne was such a nice change to all the cities and towns we've been in. We got a beachside bungalow (just a detached en-suite room in reality, but who am I to argue) that was literally about 2 metres from the beach.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/ScJU99stqwI/AAAAAAAAAtc/OKFkxJoCEU8/s1600-h/DSCN2778.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314903933761465090" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/ScJU99stqwI/AAAAAAAAAtc/OKFkxJoCEU8/s320/DSCN2778.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
It was almost too hot to lie out there, though we tried our best and I got roasted the first day.<br />
There are some sand dunes nearby and we took some motorbikes out to see those.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/ScJVYwcACnI/AAAAAAAAAtk/ZL15Q-DNt_g/s1600-h/DSCN5003.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314904394058173042" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/ScJVYwcACnI/AAAAAAAAAtk/ZL15Q-DNt_g/s320/DSCN5003.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
Apparently they're beautiful at sunset - just our luck that it was too cloudy to see it!<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/ScJT0cydryI/AAAAAAAAAtM/4oD-1TG79XM/s1600-h/DSCN2741.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314902670796762914" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/ScJT0cydryI/AAAAAAAAAtM/4oD-1TG79XM/s320/DSCN2741.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/ScJUl_9ftOI/AAAAAAAAAtU/0z9bwCanTPo/s1600-h/DSCN4986.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314903522051863778" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/ScJUl_9ftOI/AAAAAAAAAtU/0z9bwCanTPo/s320/DSCN4986.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
We spent Paddy's Day in and out of the sun and the sea. We managed to recruit two English girls, Kirsty and Carly to help us celebrate it that night. It wasn't your typical St. Patrick's Day dinner, but it was delicious.<br />
We headed to a place called Mellow that's supposed to be a lively spot but despite all the people wearing green, drinking Jameson, and playing Oirish music, there was no atmosphere there. We hot-footed it down to another bar to catch the very last minute (literally) of the 2 for 1 Mojito happy hour. Carly decided to request some Irish music from the Vietnamese DJ, in the spirit of the day that was in it. We didn't know how she'd manage that one but after explaining that like Ho Chi Minh is a hero for the Vietnamese, St. Patrick is a hero for the Irish (?) and so he'd have to play some Irish music. Credit where it's due we had diddly-i music filling the bar within 5 minutes. Of course, I had to teach the girls how to Irish Dance, sure the music wouldn't have been any good otherwise. I don't think we sat back down after that. Mighty craic was had by all.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div><embed align="middle" flashvars="cy=lt&il=1&channel=3170534137681204610&site=widget-82.slide.com" name="flashticker" quality="high" salign="l" scale="noscale" src="http://widget-82.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" style="height: 320px; width: 426px;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"></embed><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left; width: 426px;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=lt&at=un&id=3170534137681204610&map=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://widget-82.slide.com/p1/3170534137681204610/lt_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=lt&at=un&id=3170534137681204610&map=2" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://widget-82.slide.com/p2/3170534137681204610/lt_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=lt&at=un&id=3170534137681204610&map=F" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://widget-82.slide.com/p4/3170534137681204610/lt_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" /></a></div></div>Unfortunately we had an early start the following morning to get the bus to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). We spent the first evening wandering around and paid a visit to the market. The next day we got a tour to the Cu Chi Tunnels. It was brilliant. Really well set up and organised. We watched a short documentary about the war, it was an old film, but totally anti- American. Then we got to see try out a tunnel entrance that has been enlarged for tourists.<br />
<div style="visibility: visible;"><object data="http://widget-92.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" height="320" style="height: 320px; width: 426px;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="426"></object><br />
<a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3170534137681642898&map=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://widget-92.slide.com/p1/3170534137681642898/ms_t000_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3170534137681642898&map=2" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://widget-92.slide.com/p2/3170534137681642898/ms_t000_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3170534137681642898&map=E" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://widget-92.slide.com/m/3170534137681642898/ms_t000_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide9_1.gif" /></a> </div><div style="white-space: nowrap;">Our guide showed us some of the booby traps the Viet Cong used against the Americans - most of them involved getting impaled on spikes in some form or another!<br />
<br />
<object data="http://widget-d6.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" height="320" style="height: 320px; width: 426px;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="426"></object></div></div><br />
<div style="white-space: nowrap;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3170534137681203926&map=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://widget-d6.slide.com/p1/3170534137681203926/ms_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3170534137681203926&map=2" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://widget-d6.slide.com/p2/3170534137681203926/ms_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=3170534137681203926&map=F" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://widget-d6.slide.com/p4/3170534137681203926/ms_t016_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" /></a></div><div style="white-space: nowrap;">It was onto the shooting range next and we both had five shots on an AK-47.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/ScjuFhKyGJI/AAAAAAAAAuc/X5rgeNnATQA/s1600-h/DSCN5202.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316761138681223314" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/ScjuFhKyGJI/AAAAAAAAAuc/X5rgeNnATQA/s320/DSCN5202.JPG" style="height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
The last part of the tour was the tunnels themselves. They have been made 40% wider to facilitate tourists but it was still tight down there. </div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Scjud3u4AqI/AAAAAAAAAuk/j0KsHpDtRec/s1600-h/DSCN5211.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316761557055046306" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Scjud3u4AqI/AAAAAAAAAuk/j0KsHpDtRec/s320/DSCN5211.jpg" style="height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
<div>We we got back to the city we went to the Reunification Palace which has been left the way it was when the first tanks crashed through its gates in 1975 - it wasn't very interesting to be honest. The War Remnants Museum that we went to next made up for it though. Loads of photos, artefacts and info about the war, labelled in English so we knew what they were. We spent ages looking around there. </div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Scjvw6ua8uI/AAAAAAAAAus/Mvg22V9OiCg/s1600-h/DSCN5235.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316762983787590370" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Scjvw6ua8uI/AAAAAAAAAus/Mvg22V9OiCg/s320/DSCN5235.JPG" style="height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<div>We decided that we'd seen all we wanted of HCMC so we left a day early to head to the Mekong Delta region.</div><div>BTW, sorry about all the slides, I know they're a pain to load up but Blogger's really acting up whenever I try to add photo's so it's the easiest way to add them. </div><div>Don't forget to email us or leave a comment to keep us filled in with all that's happening at home,</div><div>Jan and Paul</div></div></div></div></div>Janhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727748355811233707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1487763299827592597.post-57455788497032860532009-03-16T23:35:00.000-07:002009-03-16T23:45:04.432-07:00Beannachtai na Feile Padraig<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sb9Fez0yCUI/AAAAAAAAAs8/ArLMSLUa6WM/s1600-h/happy-stpats-wordart1.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 399px; height: 93px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_dHJ2-ABm8/Sb9Fez0yCUI/AAAAAAAAAs8/ArLMSLUa6WM/s320/happy-stpats-wordart1.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314042480930457922" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Hope ye're all enjoying the day off. We'll have to go out tonight and see if we can find anywhere to get a green pint.<br />In a beach resort called Mui Ne now and enjoying the sunshine. Bet it's raining at home for the parades - Murphy's Law and all that!Janhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727748355811233707noreply@blogger.com1