much better than work...´07 / ´08
In and around World
Greetings pop pickers. If you´re reading this then you´re misguided enough to be interested (however fleetingly) in my extended exercise in ´responsibility avoidance´ or ´traveling´ as its more colloquially known. Not really sure what I´m up to or where I´m going so I guess we´ll just have to put our heads together and make it up as we go along. Thanks for checking in!!
Route taken and entries by Real Traveler Catch 22
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1
World Beach Ultimate Championships
So the World Championships eh? Where to begin me hearties?? Well I´m guessing most of you know what ultimate is so I won´t bore you with the rules.... Continue reading »
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2
Waterfalls, waterfalls and er...did I mention the waterfalls??
Ah this is a bit of cheat you see. I wasn´t really in Lensois for six days I was actually mostly in the bloody rain forrest conveniently located in... Continue reading »
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3
Bahian Rhythms and Seafood - all gobbled in 24 hours...sniff sniff
So some how I managed to limit my Salvadorian experience to 24 hours. A slight miscalculation with flight times and two days was suddenly... Continue reading »
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4
Backpackerland
Backpackerland
This is the neverneverland that all backpackers go to and few escape. I got a little cynical about all of thi... Continue reading »
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5
Réveillon and Lets Chat about Brazil
Rio
Yup, its pretty spectacular thats for sure. Its not architecturally amazing but after the north it seemed impossibly civ... Continue reading »
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6
Buenos Aires is actually just south of Madrid didn`t you know??...
So Buenos Aires is rather refreshingly familiar. After Brazil´s third world charm Argentina allows a bit of breath catching before embarking onward... Continue reading »
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7
Montevideo : There and back again (...and again and gain)
So Montevideo is a perfectly pleasant place. Uruguayans would be dismayed to learn that I found it a little unremarkable after BA or Rio but appare... Continue reading »
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8
One Night in... Punta del Este
Creamfields....go figure.
Well there are pix and if I have them up then you have little need to read this text. Needless to say it involved a... Continue reading »
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9
Punta del Diablo...Tranquilo indeedy
(Oh yeah a few more observations. Apologies to the Uruguayan nation in advance but alas I must report that in my experience Uruguay was a playgroun... Continue reading »
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10
Cuzco - the warmest of welcomes: the wetest of climates
So i had heard rumour that there might be a requirement for a volounteer with some architectural skills. That sounded like a good use of my time si... Continue reading »
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11
Lazing around In Arequipa
Lets cut to the chase. Lonely Planet describes Arequipa thus....
'The city of Arequipa nestles in a fertile valley under the perfectly... Continue reading »
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12
Puno and Tourist Tat
So Puno is pleasant but unremarkable. Its main point for the backpacker is to get to the floating islands which are so touristy its a little dispir... Continue reading »
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13
Copacabana
Beautiful light, endless horizontals and too many sunset pictures!!
I did of course have to skip across the border to get here but it had to... Continue reading »
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14
La Paz
So then..La Paz. Tis a bit of a rough diamond set amongst sparkling mountains. Its also packed with Brits for some reason. The best kept secret is... Continue reading »
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15
The World´s Most Dangerous Road
Starting high in the rarefied air of the Bolivian Andes, the steep and bumpy La Paz-to-Coroico road plunges down almost 3,600 meters on its spectac... Continue reading »
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16
Rurrenabaque
Rurrenabaque (or simply Rurre) is a small town (population 15.000) on the banks of the RÃo Beni in the Bolivian Amazon Basin. Trips to the jungle i... Continue reading »
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17
Sucre
Sucre is the constitutional capital of Bolivia. Located in the south-central part of the country, Sucre lies at an altitude of 2750m (9,00... Continue reading »
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18
Potosi
Potosi is the highest city in the world and quite easy on the eye too. Lets just say its so bloody high so breath is short, views are good and there a... Continue reading » -
19
Uyuni and the Atacama
Uyuni is nothing much more than a springboard for the Salar which is the worlds largest and highest salt flats apparently. Indeed vast, big, high a... Continue reading »
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20
San Pedro de Atacama
So how come no one told me about this place?? Its cute and fun with amazing things to do. The guidebooks really play ity down. Star gazing and sand... Continue reading »
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21
Santiago the underated
So I rather liked Santiago de Chile. It gets a bad rap with travellers and indeed the lonely planet makes it sound very undesirable. Where exactly... Continue reading »
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22
Mendoza
Mendoza. Ah a glass of vino that would be very kind why thank you. Well it is wine growing country of course so when in Rome it would be rude not t... Continue reading »
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23
Bariloche
Bariloche eh?? Well it has its merits. Its a ski town which out of season is a little odd. It also has a penchant for Swiss architecture which havi... Continue reading »
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24
El Bolson
So word of mouth took me here proving that guide books are pants but your fellow travellers are gold. Whats to say?? More gold leaves, more stunning m... Continue reading » -
25
Cordoba
So I'd nipped of to Cordoba to visit deposit young Dylan into the arms of Harriet. Poor boy was having some rucksack transporting issues with his brok... Continue reading » -
26
The Argentine / Chilean Border
Eeeek!! What am I doing here? Last thing I knew I'd caught my bus and was heading to Santiago / Valparaiso for a few days sight seeing before... Continue reading »
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27
Queenstown
So getting into Aukland I took travellers advice and immediately headed south to Queenstown. Having not slept in a bed for 4 days I had at least us... Continue reading »
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28
Milford Sound
Yup, its beutiful but being taken around on a tour bus ain't my style and its pricey. Unfortunately the kiwis aren't daft and make it the only way to... Continue reading » -
29
Fox Glacier
So seeking a bit of an adventure I headed off to Fox Glacier for a spot of ice climbing and glacier stomping. I got as much adventure as I'd ever want... Continue reading » -
30
Wellington
City of coffee culture indeed. Compact, civilised and blighted by crappy weather. Alas all I did here was shop for some garb for Damian's wedding a... Continue reading »
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31
Rotorua
Sorry Rotorua you are lovely but I just couldn't get away from the fact thast you smelled like a slightly elderly egg sandwich. Well I guess thats... Continue reading »
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32
Auckland
Two days. Actually come to think of it ...less than two days. I arrived at 12 and left at 3 the next day. Not really enough time to get to grips wi... Continue reading »
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33
Magnetic Island and Damo's Wedding
I made it. Just.
You'd think that after travelling for this long getting on a plane would be easy. Well it is. At least until you get complac... Continue reading »
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34
The PoolHouse, Plan Pac and V8 Supercars
Yes I know. It was bound to happen really. What can I say??? Clearly I'm hot stuff. Desirable architectural property and a must have for all aspiring... Continue reading » -
35
Singapore Slung
So as often happens when you have no expectations things seem to go swimmingly. Singapore has a sort of dull reputation but for me it was anything... Continue reading »
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36
Three Nights in Bangkok
So it had to happen. Me and Bangkok. If it had been a date I'd say that we got on, we had fun but that was that and I won't be phoning her anytime... Continue reading »
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37
Ko Samui
Well the flights went here didn't they?? I know there's my backpacker cred out the window. So only for one night and a break before going to Ko Pa... Continue reading »
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38
Ko Pha Ngan
Ahhhh....now this is more like it. I really needed a holiday from my er...holiday and what could be more relaxing than a beach hut and a quiet beac... Continue reading »
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39
Chiang Mai
I feel I'm not really doing Chiang Mai justice at all. I arrived late the day before yesterday, slept then gnashed round temples all day. I slept a... Continue reading »
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40
Huay Xai: Slow Boat to Luangprabang
Why on earth did I choose this option?? I can only assume that I was sick of the plastic sanitized travel that airports provide in favour of a... Continue reading »
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41
Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang is a city located in north central Laos, on the Mekong River about 425 km north of Vientiane, and the capital of Louangphrabang Provi... Continue reading »
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43
Ha Long Bay
Really there is no story here. No credibility to be had. No interesting times.
Sounds bland doesn't it?? Well just cause it doesn't make a go... Continue reading »
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44
Sa Pa
Okay okay lets have a quick look at what wikipedia says about the area before I pile in with my ill informed point of view:
"Sapa is a fr... Continue reading »
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45
Escape from Lao Cai
You know its not Lonely Planet's fault. Its symptomatic of society. Nothing can be bad because everything is subjective and we dare not cause (sewa... Continue reading »
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46
Siem Reap: Ankor wat
Siem Reap is a rather polished tourist town whose raison d'etre is Ankor Wat. For those who need to read more Anjor Wat is arguabley the foremost p... Continue reading »
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47
Sihanoukville
Nothing virtuous here. I fancied a bit of beach and I got it. Arguabley there are better locations but it did the job before indulging in the next sta... Continue reading » -
48
Phnom Penh and the Khymer Rouge
So its not often that I am in any way moved to write about a place even before I have left but this city is the exception to the rule as evidenced... Continue reading »
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49
Hong Kong
Hong Kong was closed.
I jest you not. How can an entire city be closed?? Well I found my answer here. When I arrived I went to bed. When i w... Continue reading »
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50
Beijing
So having met the dynamic Damien Fergusson in HK we traveled on to Beijing for a little light sight seeing before meetings in Shanghai. Thats right... Continue reading »
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51
Shanghai surprise??
Well if anything could be as glitzy as HK then Shanghai aims to be the city to best it. It is the symbol of the new China and is everything China w... Continue reading »
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52
Xian
Xian is one of the oldest cities on China. It boasts a high percentage of muslims, has a great market area and a whacking wall. The real reason to... Continue reading »
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53
Chengdu
Am I the only person not to visit pandas?? I just wasn't motivated to get to see the furry creatures. I did wander off and see some temples, buy a... Continue reading »
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54
JiuZhaiGou
So the story is that I was supposed to be horse riding in Songpan for 3 days. I was really in the mood too. Alas disembarking the bus after a 10 ho... Continue reading »
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55
Shanghai Kyoto Ferry
So I spent two days on a ferry and saved myself almost 500 quid in the process. Well such are the choices when you are time rich and cash poor. The... Continue reading »
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56
Osaka
Osaka* second city of Japan and I`m thinking it will probably turn out to be a bit of a little introduction to Tokyo: a taster without quite the in... Continue reading »
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57
Kyoto
Kyoto is beautiful. not all of it but enough of it. Its relatively quiet for a Japanese city and it has more green and temples than is feasible. I... Continue reading »
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58
Nagano and Matsumoto
Nagano and Matsumoto.
Gateway to the snow and mountains. Somehow never managed to see either. I did stay in a very nice Ryoken... Continue reading »
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59
Kagoshima and Sakurajima
Popped down to southern Kyushu to have a look at a volcano and it lava fields. Used Kagoshima as a launch pad and found it pleasant but non descrip... Continue reading »
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60
Fukuoka
Eric was an American chappie I had the privilege of meeting in Kyoto. A brief catch up was possible in Fukuoka but alas the lure of Tokyo meant tha... Continue reading »
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61
Yokohama
Well allegedly this is a popular date spot and excursion from Tokyo. Its indeed only 20mins from Tokyo. Tis a strange mix of car oriented new city... Continue reading »
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62
Postcard from Tokyo
This entry is a bit of a work in progress so have some patience with the readability!!
So Tokyo is big and everything I might have experience... Continue reading »
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