Becs and Chriss Blog on RealTravel

San Pedro La Laguna journal: Guatemala - Gringos go home

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 08:21:05 GMT

“Last night I dreamt of San Pedro” crooned Madonna in the late 80’s. If Madge had been singing about the Guatemalan hippie haven rather than the sun-kissed Cayes of Belize, the crooning would have given over to wailing and she would have woken up with shivers down her spine and a bitter taste in her mouth.

Now as with most hippie havens, the allure from afar is strong. San Pedro is sumptuously situated on the shore of Lago de Atitlan, with a back drop of both impressive and imposing volcanoes and crystal clear, blue water lapping at its toes. But take my advice, pass up the chance and ...

Panajachel journal: Guatemala - somewhere over the rainbow

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 08:11:43 GMT

If the land that Dorothy dreamed of is somewhere over the rainbow, then Guatemala must be slap bang in the middle of it. Put your sunglasses on folks, this country is a walking, talking painter’s pallet.

As you cross the border from Mexico into the south west corner of Guatemala it’s not just the landscape that dramatically changes. As rolling hills become verdant mountains and mountains morph into perfect coned volcanoes, ‘western’ clothes are instantly transformed into beautiful textiles that would make Josephs’ Technicolour Dreamcoat look dull.

Being the indigenous stronghold in ...

Santa Cruz La Laguna journal: On the ark

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 08:08:58 GMT

Wonderful setting over looking Lago de Atitlan. More for the older crowd really but we still had a great time. Amazing 6 course meal at night

Santa Cruz La Laguna journal: Chilling out in Santa Cruz

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 08:08:53 GMT

Panajachel is really a permanent market itself and we were starting to get tired of just being seen as the next consumer. So we took a small motor boat to the village of Santa Cruz, a 30 minute boat ride away, where we would spend the next three nights.

Disembarking we headed for the first hotel we saw – Arc de Noah. With its beautiful terraced, landscaped gardens, and relaxed patrons sipping mint tea and eating poached eggs, it looked like the perfect retreat. Either that or ‘the retirement home’. As soon as we entered the gardens and were met by the muted stares of the residents we ...

Panajachel journal: Shopping in Chichicastenango market

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 08:02:39 GMT

Very touristy but you can pick up fantastic stuff here and get a chance to see the locals in their finery.

San Cristobal de Las Casas journal: Mexico - San Cristobal de Las Casas

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 12:22:09 GMT

Our visit to San Cristobal was divided over 5 days with a brief weeks foray into Guatemala inbetween. It has been heralded as one of the most beautiful towns in Mexico which immediately strikes fear into the heart of any traveller trying to avoid throngs of tourists. Thankfully, the town is large enough to not get trampled to death by the ensuing hordes as is unfortunately the case in Trinidad (Cuba).

The city is a charming blend of colonial architecture and indigenous culture. There are many ornate convents and temples to explore, some dating over 400 years and it is difficult not to ...

San Cristobal de Las Casas journal: Detailed visual history of the Lacondon Indians dedicated to conserving the Chiapan environment

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 12:21:36 GMT

San Cristobal de Las Casas journal: Superb hostel with all the amenities of a hotel for the price of a backpackers

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 12:21:36 GMT

Villahermosa journal: Mexico - Villahermosa and the Olmec heads

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 11:45:13 GMT

Before heading to San Cristobal de las Casas we decided to take a short trip over the state border to Tabasco and see the Olmec heads on display at the Parque Nacional La Venta in Villahermosa.

The Olmecs were an ancient pre-Columbian people living in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico. They are believed to have flourished from 1200BC to 400BC. In 1925 archaeologists discovered huge sculptured human and animal figures, urns and altars at La Venta, once the centre of the ancient Olmec culture. When the Tabasco state oil boom consumed the woodland area of La Venta, they were ...

Villahermosa journal: large, clean rooms with a/c and hot water, good location but expensive

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 11:42:43 GMT

Villahermosa journal: combined visit to the zoo and Olmec sculptures - shame about the mosquitoes

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 11:42:43 GMT

Palenque journal: Mexico - Mayan ruins at Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 11:02:54 GMT

We arrived in Palenque town just as the sun was rising after a marathon journey that had started in Southern Belize at just after 9:00am the previous day. The purpose of our visit was to explore the beautiful Mayan ruins at Palenque and take a tour to the less visited ruins of Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

Feeling a little light headed, slightly wind-swept after a night of bus blasted air-con and wearing the familiar stuck-on facial expressions of sleep deprived weary world travellers we opted for the first cheap hostel that came along and crashed out before starting our Mayan ruin ...

Palenque journal: Very near the bus station but noisy, overpriced and no windows

Sun, 25 Feb 2007 17:03:46 GMT

Palenque journal: Wander at your leisure through the amazing ruins set deep in the jungle.

Sun, 25 Feb 2007 17:03:46 GMT

Dangriga Town journal: Belize - Dangriga/Tobacco Caye

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 17:48:23 GMT

After leaving Orange Walk we set off for Southern Belize to sample some of the excellent scuba and snorkeling sites that can be accessed off the coast of Belize. Our chosen base was Dangriga which is a suitable launchpad for exploring Tobacco Caye and slightly further afield Glovers Reef, part of the world renowned and protected Belize Barrier Reef. Dangriga is also the Garifuna heartland and whilst we had not exactly got to grips with the language we were looking forward to immersing ourselves in "Punta Rock".

According to music officianados, Punta is a re-enactment of the cock-and-hen ...

Valladolid journal: Mexico - Mayan marvels in Valladolid

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 17:45:56 GMT

Looking out the bus window at the Cancun coastal skyline, resort after horrific high rise resort, we were pleased we´d decided to head straight from the airport to Valladolid, a colonial style city some three hours away. Sadly though, ours was an inauspicious arrival, the bus pulling in two hours late and us getting completely lost in the labyrinthine streets, our bags seemingly filling with rocks with every step.

Finally we found the house of Antonio “Negro” Aguilar. One of the best Mexican baseball players in history, “El Negro” is something of a local celebrity who these days seems ...

Orange Walk journal: Excellent river tour and historical trip run by two brothers to the ancient Mayan ruins of Lamanai

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 16:57:44 GMT

Orange Walk journal: great value for a double room, cable tv and fan, nr bus station and atm.

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 16:57:44 GMT

Orange Walk journal: Fantastic salbutes at this bus station street food vendor

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 16:57:43 GMT

Orange Walk journal: Belize - Jungle River Tour to Lamanai

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 16:57:43 GMT

Enticed by the abundance of positive travel reviews written about Belize and the prospect of seeing more ancient Mayan cities, tasting locally produced ethnic foods, hearing the sounds of the jungle and inhaling the salty air from any number of stunning cayes and immersing ourselves in its multifarious cultures we rapidly left Mexico (5 days) and hopped over the border. To be fair to the positive propoganda spun out by the Belize protaganists we were looking for a 2nd South Pacific experience and it seemed that it could offer all this and a whole lot more.

The beauty of Belize is that at ...

Valladolid journal: VERY cheap, clean, spacious and central. A bit gloomy though.

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 16:51:47 GMT

Valladolid journal: Very touristy but great site and beautiful buildings.

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 16:51:47 GMT

Dangriga Town journal: Medusa would be proud: The staff have stares harsh enough to turn you to stone!

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 16:28:57 GMT

Dangriga Town journal: Wide variety of coral (fan and conical) and marine life

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 16:28:57 GMT

Havana journal: Cuba - Havana great time

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 15:32:43 GMT

A group of men play dominoes outside crumbling colonial buildings, shrouded in the haze of their fat cigars and the dust kicked up by the classic cars grumbling by. These are the images conjoured up of Cuba and it doesn´t disappoint. Sometimes when reality lives up to the reputation you feel a sense of deflation, as if the place you are visiting has itself become a cliche. Not so with Havana where every potential cliche is a wonder in waiting. After only a brief 6 days Havana has been marked down as the best city of our trip, in fact possibly one of the best cities we have ever been to.

Trinidad journal: Cuba - Trinidad.

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 15:19:28 GMT

About a five hour journey south of Havana, Trinidad lies on the southern coast of Cuba. Declared a UNESCO world heritage site it is certainly a very picturesque little town. With its cobbled streets and small, brightly painted houses and their terracotta tiled roofs it feels more akin to a town in the Bolivian altiplano than Caribbean Cuba.

The town is set on the slopes of a hill, offering great views of the winding streets, the very heart beat of Trinidad. Women sell a few tomatoes and bananas from their livng room windows, hoping to get a few pesos. An old man has set up an impromtu ...

Nadi journal: Fiji - final day in the aquarium

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 14:41:38 GMT

Backpackers Inn in Nadi is staffed mostly by extremely camp Fijians, some of whom have graduated to transexuality. We had stayed there once before and were reunited with an emotional Rupe, adorned as usual with flowers, dolled up to the nines with cabaret eye shadow and sporting his favourite sulu and floral shirt. During the day it seems like simply a quirky backpackers. A few minutes spent hanging around the reception area at night time, however, and it quickly becomes apparent that the place doubles as a knocking shop. We hoped the our room wasn´t also being rented by the hour whilst we ...

Trinidad journal: Huge room with a chef for a landlord. Bit on the pricey side but friendly owners

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 14:40:51 GMT

Havana journal: Cheapest place we found with huge portions of good food. On Brazil street.

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 14:01:47 GMT

Havana journal: Fantastic local bar on Obispo y Villegas. Wonderful music and best mojitos in town.

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 14:00:37 GMT

Havana journal: Great, friendly woman. Wonderful breakfasts. Good location. Slightly dingy rooms.

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 13:59:38 GMT

Oahu journal: For sheer amusement and to see people eating plates of lard, this is the place to go. Funnily enough they do fantastic salads

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 13:57:16 GMT

Oahu journal: Good value, very friendly and entertaining staff.

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 13:56:13 GMT

San Francisco journal: United States - San Francisco

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 13:53:37 GMT

We flew into San Francisco excited to visit a place which felt distinctly familiar but that yet neither of us had ever actually visited before. This is due to San Franciso and its landmarks forming the backdrop to so many well known movies we had re-visited many times; Alcatraz (Escape from Alcatraz/The Rock), Golden Gate Bridge (A View to a Kill), downtown (Dirty Harry) and meandering, steep street (Bullit). It was also where our friends Anna and Matt lived so whilst it was only a fleeting visit we were determined to make the most of it.

Once again we flew in on the red eye (yet another ...

Oahu journal: Hawaii, Oahu Island - Honolulu

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 13:49:22 GMT

It is difficult to describe Oahu Island or more specifically Honolulu where approx 85% of the inhabitants of the Hawaiian Islands live. It is like some sort of bloated plasticine fantasy world that has been designed by and built for the type of children who last struck the jackpot by winning golden tickets for a visit to Willy Wonka´s Chocolate Factory (with Becs and I playing Charlie Bucket of course, especially as we stayed in a 12 bed dorm but without our grandparents).

What strikes you first is the size of everything; large fries, large burger, large coke, large coffee, large cars ...

Yasawa journal: Fiji - Yasawa Islands

Sat, 03 Feb 2007 18:00:42 GMT

Well this was it what we had been waiting what seemed like an age for, real travel again. We landed in Nadi to be greeted by the balmy early evening heat, the strains of a ukelele and crys of "Bula!" (welcome/hello) from a triumvirate of loud shirted Fijian minstrels. This was what you imagine from a South Pacific Island but with the coup a recent occurence and violent clashes occuring in nearby Tonga, we were not sure if we would be met by stern faced military in khaki combats. Thankfully, it was George Formby and Co. of the Southern Hemisphere.

In fact, it was a miracle we even left ...

Nadi journal: Highly amusing, cheap backpackers/brothel run by two transvestites

Sat, 03 Feb 2007 16:23:26 GMT

Suva journal: Suva - city life again

Sat, 03 Feb 2007 15:49:05 GMT

After two weeks of drinking kava and sleeping in hammocks we were sliding into a vegetative state which we were worried might become permanent. Amazingly enough we were totally beached out and ready for a bit of city life. So we headed off to Suva, Fiji’s capital and currently declared off limits by the British Foreign Office due to the recent military coup. At least if anything dodgy happened we’d be woken up from our beach-coma.

We hadn’t been on a local bus since leaving Africa and were so excited by the prospect of getting on a crowded, sweaty, hunk of rust for the four hour journey ...

Yasawa journal: One of the highlights so far - real local life and Fiji time

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 22:51:57 GMT

Suva journal: Really friendly and homely

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 22:46:09 GMT

Pacific Harbour journal: Fiji - shark diving WITHOUT a cage!

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 22:45:24 GMT

It’s a well known fact that the side effects of drinking too much kava include drowsiness and laziness. What’s less well known is that it might induce you to make rash decisions and undertake near death experiences. Like shark diving. Like shark diving outside the relative safety of a cave. This is what I had signed up for towards the end of our travels in Fiji, whilst Chris had rather sensibly opted for a jet ski safari.

As the fateful hour approached I was terrified, and coming pretty close to a Guinness Book of Records triumph for number of trips to the toilet. The dive was to ...

Waya Island journal: Waya Island - a proper resort

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 22:25:58 GMT

We left Nabua Lodge (again) to the strains of Isa Lei, the traditional and beautiful Fijian farewell song. Ron’s singing wasn’t quite as world class as most Fijian’s but it nonetheless brought a tear to everyone’s eye as they sung to us on the white sands of Nacula island.

Our next stop in the Yasawa chain was Waya island, the largest and highest of all the islands. We were reunited with the Danish family aboard the Yasawa Flyer, John managing to squeeze three beers into the hour journey we were with them. Although we were ready for new lodgings this time round we were nonetheless sad to ...

Waya Island journal: Five star resort if you're a backpacker

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 22:25:27 GMT

Akaroa journal: Best backpackers in New Zealand. A real rural retreat!

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 23:04:44 GMT

Akaroa journal: New Zealand - Akaroa and Christchurch

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 23:04:43 GMT

The drive back to Christchurch didn't get off to the best of starts. A stickler for rules and regulations, and known for hating 'bloody speeders', I shot myself down completely from my high and mighty driving pedestal within an hour of setting off. As my brain has rotted over the last 9 months of travelling and lack of mental stimulation I seem to have lost that skill which all women cherish, and love to laud over men - multitasking. This seems to have extended itself to driving and I can not only drive is there is total silence in the car. Obviously this is not possible with Buckingham ...

Franz Josef Glacier journal: New Zealand - Franz Josef Glacier

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 22:45:06 GMT

The Franz Josef Glacier was next on our list and we made the long drive further down south to get up close and personal with one of only three temperate glaciers in the world (two of these are in NZ, the other in Argentina). Not quite rich enough for the heli-hike to the upper reaches of the glacier, we booked ourselves in for a full-day hike on the ice.

Complete with crampons, mitts, condom style over-trousers and woolly hats we headed off to the foot of the glacier. Feeling adventurous we opted for the most energetic of the three groups that our party was split into and set off with ...

Saint Arnaud journal: New Zealand - Nelson Lakes National Park

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 21:50:53 GMT

After leaving our sea legs behind we clambered into El Cheapo and headed for some hiking in the Nelson Lakes National Park. Our exact destination was a village called Saint Arnaud, 50km or so outside of Nelson, the gateway to the national park. On route we picked up a hitchhiking Dane called Morton who needed a ride to Nelson. He proved to be a refreshing companion for the 150km journey from Mokueta to Nelson. He had travelled through New Zealand 20 yrs ago and was keen to see if it had changed. We exchanged views on a number of issues, particularly, the increasing paranoia of non-indigenous ...

Abel Tasman National Park journal: New Zealand - Kayaking the Abel Tasman

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 21:14:31 GMT

Not satisfied with our cycling and walking, and still conscious of our enlarged love handles after 3 months in Australia (good to know the Sydney injection is just as effective as the Heathrow injection at making you a bit more cuddly) we opted for a two day kayak trip in the Abel Tasman National Park. The park lies to the west of the Marlborough sounds and is the sunniest part of New Zealand.

We had opted to rent the kayaks rather than go on a guided tour. I was a bit worried about the lack of an official disciplinarian as I was still scarred from previous kayaking trips, when Chris had ...

Australia journal: Australia - Sydney

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 13:36:44 GMT

We arrived in Australia with mixed feelings. Gutted that we were leaving Africa but excited about catching up with friends and having home comforts, although we couldn’t actually remember what the latter were. What we definitely weren’t excited about was the prospect of work. Hopefully it would take us some time to find any and we would be forced to spend some time on the beach.

Alas, within four days Chris had found work at the University of Sydney and was packed off freshly de-bearded, suited and looking like a small child being sent off to his first day of school. Meanwhile, I was ...

Wellington journal: Great little restaurant serving traditional Maori food with a modern twist

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 13:24:50 GMT

Wellington journal: Fantastic. Informative and inspirational

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 13:24:50 GMT

Wellington journal: New Zealand - Wellington

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 13:24:50 GMT

Waving a fond farewell to Top 10 Taupo we headed for the vineyards of Masterton and Martinbrough and looked forward to a couple more days of R&R at the Cornwall Park Motel with a good glass of plonk! Unfortunately, apart from the first afternoon the rain defeated us and the vineyards were closed. This was not the only bad news as Ed and Des’ attempt to go hot air ballooning was foiled by the high winds although our attempts to wave them off as they floated in the sky was not prevented as Ed did not bother checking his voicemail for the numerous cancellation messages as we all arrived at the ...

Rotorua journal: New Zealand - Wai-O-Tapu

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 00:11:14 GMT

On the way down to our next destination, Taupo, we stopped off at yet another geothermal area. We were all pretty geothermaled out but Wai-O-Tapu is famous for its incredibly coloured lakes so we thought it was worth a peek.

True enough there are some amazing sights here and as we walked through 10km of yet more eggy steam we were greeted by the sight of pools which were bright green, yellow, orange, and blue. All at different temperatures and pHs they variously bubbled, frothed and steamed. Some looked extremely inviting whilst others looked like some sort of witches brew.

There ...

Whakatane journal: New Zealand - White Island

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 00:08:53 GMT

White Island constitutes the tip of New Zealand’s most active volcano, most of which is submerged under the Tasman Straits. It is constantly spewing forth noxious and toxic gases and water and not infrequently blowing its top.

Thanks to the inclement weather there had been no crossings to the island all week but on our last day with Wendy and Lindsay the wind had dropped to just below hurricane level and swell dropped to only skyscraper height so it was all back on! Settling ourselves on the front deck of the boat we popped our sea sickness pills, donned our waterproofs and got ready to ...

Rotorua journal: New Zealand - Geothermal activity in Rotorua

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 00:04:38 GMT

We had gone to Rotorua primarily to visit the geothermal springs and geysers which adorn the area, and also to get a taste of Maori culture. We managed to combine the two with a visit to Whakerewarewa (full name actually Te Whakarewarewatanga O Te Ope Taua A Wahiao' meaning “The uprising of the warriors of Wahiao), a traditional and still functioning Maori village. Whaka (the shortest version of the name and amusingly pronounced focker) is constantly enveloped in steam, partly evaporation from the tourists’ raingear as it never seems to stop raining here, but mainly thanks to the steam ...

Taupo journal: New Zealand - Lake Taupo/Tongariro Crossing/Huka Falls

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 17:20:47 GMT

The A-Team van pulled up outside the reception of Top 10 Campsites Taupo, our home for the next 3 days and we piled out to check the weather report for the Tongariro Crossing. The Tongariro Crossing was principally the reason why we had included Taupo on the trip as it is a spectacular 17km hike over snow covered craters in the Tongariro National Park. It is commonly referred to a NZ’s best one day hike and features in the worlds top 10 one day treks as voted by the readers of monthly Ramblers publication “Don’t forget your Gaiters”.

After taking a glance at the report which forecasted ...

Wellington journal: a welcome retreat from the wind and rain

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 04:00:41 GMT

Kaituna River journal: New Zealand - Rafting on the Kaituna River

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 03:17:37 GMT

Having got soaked two days running the ‘kids’ opted for a third and took the plunge quite literally on the Kaituma River in a rubber dinghy but first of all was something altogether more sedate; blokarting. Once again, the Kiwi’s demonstrated their thirst for sporting innovation by getting a fibre glass low profile buggy and sticking a large wind surf sail in the middle of it and letting you loose on a figure of eight track. Much to the dismay of Des and Jean, Wendy and Lindsay had no intention of letting the ‘kids’ have all the fun and before they knew it they had a helmet on their head and ...

Waitomo Caves journal: New Zealand Te Puke/Tauranga - Caving in Waitomo

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 03:14:47 GMT

Approximately 10km outside of Te Puke lived Wendy and Lindsay, friends of Des and Jean in a beautiful bungalow with a huge sprawling garden with manicured lawns. It was a stunning location from which to be based from for the next 5 days, complete with tennis courts and much to Becs’ delight a trampoline.

As anybody will tell you, it is impossible to visit NZ without being bombarded, and ultimately tempted, by the constant stream of adrenaline activities and outdoor pursuits available. The first activity we plumped for was a 2 hour caving expedition involving abseiling down several ...

New Zealand journal: New Zealand - meet the Buckinghams

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 03:11:43 GMT

After what had seemed an age of working in Australia (well approximately 10 wks) we were finally on the move again. Destination Auckland to meet the small but vocal, Buckingham family (Des, Jean & Ed) on their 5 wk tour of New Zealand, although we would only be seeing them for two.

The flight to NZ is relatively short at just under 3 hours and was made all the more comfortable by the vast array of films and games on offer from Emirates. So much so that Becs refused to get off until she had completed another level of Tetris. Auckland airport as the gateway to NZ is not the finest ...

Johannesburg journal: Leaving Africa

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 03:52:20 GMT

On hearing you’ve spent time in Africa people either glaze over, completely confused as to what on earth might compel you to visit such a land, or you get bombarded by a fairly predictable and depressing selection of questions. These are usually along the lines of: “didn’t you get sick of all that desert?”; “did you feel at risk?”; “where did you stay? I suppose they don’t have hotels”; “what did you do for food?”; and “was it hard not going to the toilet for 5 months?”. OK that last one’s a bit of an exaggeration but I have met more than one person who truly believes there are no toilets in ...

Cape Town journal: South Africa - Thoughts on South Africa

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 20:44:54 GMT

Crossing over into South Africa was thrilling. 'South Africa' had always been a dirty word when we were growing up, synonymous with oppression and brutality. Entering now after 12 years of democracy, we were pretty excited although also a little nervous. Would we be faced by the hopes and dreams the end of apartheid promised to realise? Or would apartheid live on in all but name? Would we be the victims of the crime everyone seems so obsessed about?

When crossing borders I am often struck by the lack of perceptible immediate change between countries, making the borders seem rather ...

Storms River journal: South Africa - Storms River

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 20:43:23 GMT

From the plethora of backpacker accommodation available in Cape Town we opted for PJ’s River Lodge, which judging by the classy leaflet looked to be a relaxing and beautiful retreat that forms part of a community led eco-village. Surrounded by luggage we waited at CT coach station to be collected and after a 16hr coach journey from Namibia, we were crying out for a shower and a good night’s sleep. PJ arrived and with a smile and a warm handshake told us to follow him to the car. Looking like the Sth African arm of Trotters Independent Traders we backfired up the road in the bright yellow Ford ...

New Zealand journal: Luckily there is a great restaurant/pub next door where the staff are friendly and the food is excellent

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 18:09:59 GMT

Port Elizabeth journal: South Africa - Port Elizabeth

Mon, 30 Oct 2006 02:04:11 GMT

Having met up with Elmarie we journeyed east towards Port Elizabeth. Port Elizabeth is a rather uninspiring, industrial city set on the coast, better known as the location where the security forces held and beat to death the leader of the Black Consciousness Movement Steve Biko, in the late 1970's, during the hateful days of Apartheid.

Nevertheless, it offered an opportunity to catch up with a friend who we had last seen in May and swap travelling tales. We checked into a quaint hostel reminescent of Bognor Regis rather than the 5th largest city in South Africa, and headed for the beach ...

Ethiopia journal: Ethiopia - Addis Ababa

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 17:42:31 GMT

Organised / laid back / stupid * as ever (*please delete as appropriate), we landed in Addis Ababa with no Ethiopian currency and no visa. Most visitors would be completely terrified arriving in such a state of utter disorganisation but there were bigger concerns to worry about. Namely Chris launching into a Stato style monolgue about the airport - when it was built, how much it cost and what facilities there were. It could be a long year!

We settled ourselves in to a sedate taxi ride across the city and got an early insight into how differently we would perceive our experiences over the ...

London journal: Leaving on a jet plane

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 17:39:26 GMT

After 24 months of planning we did the usual and left packing until the last minute. We like to think that we were getting into African time already and just taking things nice and slow but, no, we were simply frickin' disorganised. Worst of all, this left us with literally 30 minutes kip before we had to be up to set off to Heathrow at 2.30am.

There were the obligatory tears and fears as we said our farewells to the Pinnington contingent and that was it - let the honeymoon begin.

We started to get a feel quite early on for the fact that Ethiopia isn't the most touristy place on ...

Lalibela journal: Ethiopia - Lalibela

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 03:24:11 GMT

Lalibela is one of the most sacred Christian sites in the world. It is approx 700km north of Addis Ababa and has a population of less than 10,000. The churches were constructed in the reign of King Lalibela (circa 12th/13th Century) and are carved out of the rock. Some of the churches are completely free standing from the rock and others are partly carved (you cannot walk all the way around the outside). The rock is predominantly sandstone although some churches are carved from a mixture of sandstone and granite.

We visited 13 churches in the town with our expert guide Abebe. There are ...

Swakopmund journal: Namibia - Swakopmund

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 15:26:33 GMT

Swakopmund is the adrenaline capital of Namibia and the three of us signed up straight away for the quadbiking, sandboarding and skydive. Andy was a little hesitant about throwing himself out of a perfectly good plane but once he read that the operator had a 100% safety record he gamely threw his North Face hat into the ring.

Before heading out into the dunes we visited the Cape Cross seal colony which is home to about 100,000+ seals, of which 60,000 are clubbed on an annual basis as a rudimentary means of population control. It was rather a surreal sight as the seals swam, sang, slept, ...

Storms River journal: Superb - really friendly and knowledgable, a great base for exploring

Sun, 01 Oct 2006 18:51:45 GMT

Keetmanshoop journal: Namibia - Keetmanshoop

Sat, 23 Sep 2006 03:04:54 GMT

We traveled back to Windhoek and spent a few days winding down from the tour. This mainly involved red wine and chewing the fat with fellow travellers around a Braai. Keen to end his holiday on a high the silver tongued cavalier gamely tried to secure a steed or should that be a mount! But to no avail. Sadly, we bid goodbye to Duffus on the 22nd July but not before having a cracking night out in Windhoek (surprising given how dull it is by day) for my (Chris) birthday.

We were back on our own and the first thing we had to do was get out of the Capital. The plan was to catch the night ...

Keetmanshoop journal: Very German

Sat, 23 Sep 2006 01:41:00 GMT

Hermanus journal: South Africa - Hermanus and the shark diving

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 18:04:14 GMT

Frank writes - On the way to Hermanus we were to stop at Gouritz River bridge where the world’s highest bridge swing is (65m).

The day was perfect. When we arrived we looked down on this great canyon with bridge across. Swinging or jumping looked like madness. But as we waited us oldies were put to shame. There was an elderly man on the bridge; he had long white locks and he was going to bungee jump with his wife. It was his 66th birthday present. He calmly put on the gear and with great elegance swallow-dived from the bridge. We waited for the youngsters to do the swing.

Sarah ...

Lydenburg journal: South Africa - Drakensberg mountains

Wed, 13 Sep 2006 19:20:26 GMT

We came into Johannesburg through a cloud of pollution. The airport was modern, crowded and sprawling. In truth we were a little apprehensive given the guide books’ constant warnings about crime and violence and the need to be constantly vigilant. However the airport seemed no different than any other. We again headed for Avis: to find ourselves upgraded to a VW Sharon. Seven seats, oodles of space for the luggage. We were overjoyed, and Bebs didn't say 'gas guzzler' once.

The road out of Jo'burg took us onto the motorways. These were crowded, occasionally five lanes wide, and heavy with ...

Dar es Salaam journal: Bus journey from hell to Malawi

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 19:51:40 GMT

The portents for the journey from Dar es Salaam to Mzuzu, Malawi, were never good. Firstly, two separate rip off merchants lured us into their tour offices trying to both convince us they were agents for the relevant bus company and to lighten the load of our wallets for the tickets. The stench of a dodgy deal led us to call their bluff by letting them write out the clearly dodgy tickets but never turn up with the money.

After escaping the wheelers and dealers, we literally scoured the city for the elusive office of the actual operating company that runs this route. It was only after ...

Kruger National Park journal: South Africa - Kruger National Park

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 03:07:09 GMT

We left our lodge near the Drakensbeg Mountains just after eight to travel well over two hundred miles to Glenthane Lodge in Mpumalanga province. Here we were a two hour drive away from the Kruger. The journey was uneventful until we stopped for our eleven o’clock break. The ‘restaurant’ at which we stopped was empty and tired. The manager/waitress welcomed us to what we believed was a refreshment stop for tea but was in reality an episode from the Jerry Springer show.

Within a short time of being served refreshments we had learnt about the manageress’ trouble with new management, her ...

Cape Town journal: South Africa - Cape Town

Thu, 07 Sep 2006 15:33:41 GMT

The blog on South Africa comes to you with the compliments of the elder Pinningtons, Sue and Frank.

In our life we have visited many countries to see our children, most of which we had never intended to visit. Chile, Australia and Japan come immediately to mind. South Africa, due to the apartheid era, had also never entered our thoughts – until Chris and Bebs decided on their mammoth honeymoon. So, on Friday 4th August 2006 we flew into Cape Town at the unearthly hour of 5.00 am.

There is little to be said for 5.00 a.m. especially when, in customs, you have your first experience of ...

Oudtshoorn journal: South Africa - Oudtshoorn and ostriches

Thu, 07 Sep 2006 04:11:10 GMT

So, having seen Cape Town, the intrepid adventurers headed inland!

This journey began with a heavy heart. We had arranged, unknown to Bebs and Chris, that Rachel (oldest sister) would come out to visit the rest of the family on the first weekend of the holiday (join BA folks – lots of perks). Unfortunately the security crisis intervened and Rachel was unable to fly. So, having told Bebs and Chris of our plan, we left Cape Town with Rachel very much in mind.

Our journey on the Saturday was to take us down route 62; through what is called the ‘Little Karoo’. This is 150 miles of ...

Sossusvlei journal: Namibia - Sossuvlei dunes

Mon, 04 Sep 2006 16:43:34 GMT

We were all pretty exhausted from the adenalin rushes of the preceeding days and mostly slept through the long journey the next day to the famous Sossuvlei dunes. Not to say that we weren't excited about seeing the bright orange sands as a beautiful backdrop to Andy's green looking complexion!

We were due to arrive at our campsite in Sesriem in time to climb to the top of one of the nearby dunes for sunset. Unfortunately, when we arrived the sun was almost gone so we hadto pretty much sprint up to the top - nearly impossible on a dune. 62 year old John, who can do a marathon in under 3 ...

Windhoek journal: Namibia - Andy Duffus arrives

Sun, 27 Aug 2006 00:34:54 GMT

We tore our hair out for a full 5 days in Windhoek, saved from madness only by the excitement of the World Cup and the thought of our first visitor from home arriving on the 8th - Andrew Duffus (aka Arthur Blackpudding, Andy Dufraine, Doofus, Duffers, the Barrow Sage, J-Lo - I'll explain that one later).

As Andy walked through arrivals to be greeted by the usual embarrasing sign (which for the amusement of anyone who knows Andy, and apologies for irrelevance to those who don't, read, 'Arthur Blackpudding, Mensa'). He had the look of an Africa (not AfricaN) virgin - someone who had been ...

Uis journal: Namibia - northwest

Fri, 04 Aug 2006 01:47:51 GMT

The aquarium chattered excitably following our safari extravaganza, as we ventured into northwestern Namibia which over the next 2/3 days would take in the; Petrified Forest, Twyfelfontein and the Brandberg (Fire Mountain – 2573m). However, our first stop was an afternoon visit to a Himba village.

The Himba still largely eschew the modern world and they maintain their distinctive traditional dress of multilayered goat-leather mini skirts and ochre-and-mud-encrusted iron, leather and shell jewellery (yes they are pretty much naked!). Their skin is smeared with a mixture of butter, ...

Kilimanjaro National Park journal: Tanzania - Kilimanjaro

Fri, 04 Aug 2006 01:23:30 GMT

After harbouring thoughts of attempting to summit Kilimanjaro for several months but always concluding that the season would be wrong I was delighted to have been proven to be misinformed and following the advice of some fellow travellers I met on the mzungu "meat wagon" I shot up to Arusha to arrange the necessary provisions.

Following a recommendation I plumped for Team Kilimanjaro as the tour group that would lead my assault which would last for 6 days. There were 12 altogether in our group; 7 porters, 1 assistant porter, 1 guide and a cook as well as Tom (a 19yr old student ...

Etosha National Park journal: Namibia - 10 day tour - Etosha

Fri, 04 Aug 2006 01:22:31 GMT

(Please note: this entry has been compiled under the influence of 22 different wine tastings, ranging from champagne, to Chardonnay, Merlot and Shiraz).

Our 10-day tour of Namibia started with a drive north to Etosha National Park via Okahandja and Tsumeb. Following our experiences on the meat wagon in Tanzania, Becs and I were not sure what to expect from Wild Dog Safaris; would it be another 28 lambs to the slaughter or a smaller; more tailored tour as was promised on the brochure. Much to our delight the group size was only 9 and the mode of transport was more like a mobile ...

Namibia journal: Namibia - Windhoek

Wed, 02 Aug 2006 10:01:17 GMT

We arrived in Windhoek after a fantastic 18 hour journey on the Intercape from Vic Falls. Double decker, reclining seats, free tea and coffee and, now this is luxury, no religious overtures - great!

As soon as we arrived we felt like we had left Africa behind, or certainly the Africa we had come to know and love. Chaos, dirt, dust, obstacles on the pavements, beeping cars, overloaded minibuses, friendliness , hospitality, bartering, people wanting to chat to you . . . All this had gone and had been replaced by what to all intents and purposes seemed like a European new-town.

Zambia journal: Zambia - Victoria Falls

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 08:39:23 GMT

"Sit back and enjoy the journey, the Lord is in control", announced the Master of Ceremonies on our 4.30am bus to Lusaka, Zambia. This was after a fairly lengthy sermon and prayer, and an invitation to say hello to and get to know our neighbour - luckily just Chris in my case and after 4mths on the road I already know about as much about him as I can, including some things I'd rather not.

The Lord is obviously a pretty good driver because we got to Lusaka in good time and with no incidents save a frantic search for earplugs to sleep through the religious movie ('40 days in the desert') ...

Lilongwe journal: Malawi - Lilongwe

Tue, 04 Jul 2006 03:44:16 GMT

We spent 3 days in Lilongwe before heading over the border to Chipata in Zambia. Lilongwe is an enjoyable city if not a little confusing as the districts are all referred to as Area 1, 2, 3 etc like some sort of communist throwback and roads have no names only plot numbers. The city is divided by the river and the new town is mainly large shopping malls and in the old town daily life follows a more traditional path with people queueing along the banks to see the local witchdoctor.

We enjoyed a game of crazy golf, a good steak at Don Brioni’s and a few drinks at Harry’s bar for Becs’ ...

Chizumulu Island journal: Malawi - Chizumulu Island

Tue, 04 Jul 2006 03:34:59 GMT

The crossing from Likoma was supposed to be 1 hour by motorboat but ended up being about two hours and involving the usual mishaps which seem to mark most of our attempts to get from A to B. It was a pretty rough ride it what amounted to a basic rowing boat with an engine, with the First Mate (7yrs old) constantly pumping out water from the leaking hull! First the engine died with the shore in sight, which resulted in a worrying drift towards the nearby rocks as the boatman tried to restart it before giving up. We put the antique sail up and quickly learned how to duck the boom (a big branch) ...

Likoma journal: Malawi - Likoma Island

Tue, 04 Jul 2006 03:23:06 GMT

Likoma Island is on the Mozambican side of Lake Malawi, measures 17sq km and is home to less than 6,000 people, who also happen to be about the friendliest people you can meet. Going south the Ilala only docks once a week at Likoma and then five days later you pick up the returning ferry. The crossing was approx 9hrs and we felt like intrepid explorers from the late 19th century as we slept out on the upper deck and were met by a stunning sunrise which even Becs managed to marvel at, at 6 in the morning. The ferry is furnished in hardwoods, brass fittings and wicker chairs so we felt like true ...

Nkhata Bay journal: Malawi - Nkhata Bay

Tue, 04 Jul 2006 03:06:06 GMT

Following the harrowing journey from Dar es Salaam we finally arrived in Malawi and after spending 1 night in a drab hotel in Mzuzu toasting the opening match of the World Cup we took a minibus to Nkhata Bay ready to soak up the sandy shores of Lake Malawi. Winding down the hill to the Bay we felt as if we were somewhere in the Carribean. The sun was shining, everybody was smiling, reggae beats were pumping and de herb was freely available.

However, with 30mins to go until kick-off we were most concerned with finding a suitable establishment to celebrate the opening match of England’s ...

Mzuzu journal: Malawi - Mzuzu

Thu, 29 Jun 2006 06:34:38 GMT

After our prolonged stay on the Islands we had to hot foot it to Lilongwe but first we needed to crash in Mzuzu for 1 night to watch the England-Ecuador game. Mzuzu is a town we were pretty familiar with as we had spent half a day there previously traipsing the streets for sun cream before buying a bottle from a guy called Cheese on Toast.

We stayed at a backpackers called Mzoozoozoo which is best described as having rustic charm and regretfully set our alarm for 5:30am to catch a 6:30 bus to Lilongwe, capital of Malawi.

Never lucky with our transport, we arrived to discover that ...

Arusha journal: Tanzania - Arusha Maasai visit

Wed, 28 Jun 2006 05:54:33 GMT

When I wasn't working myself up into an arthritic state updating the blog whilst Chris sodded off up the mountain, I took the opportunity to learn a bit more about the Maasai communities around Arusha.

Contrary to the contrived Maasai tour we had done whilst on the Mzungu meat wagon (all 28 of just staring whilst the Maasai jumped up and down before trying to sell us some jewellery), it was just myself and the guide, Lema, that headed off to a local community.

The village we were going to visit was 40 strong, and not so much a community as a family, as all 40 villagers were ...

Serengeti National Park journal: Tanzania - Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater safari

Wed, 07 Jun 2006 03:54:40 GMT

We crossed the border on the Mzungu meat wagon without hassle and without having to kick any locals and made our way to Arusha. Here we would spend one night in the ominously named Snake Park.

One of the reasons behind signing up to a 10 day overland tour was to take the strain off ourselves for a while and let someone else do the organising. We discovered pretty fast though that having to stick to someone else's agenda was much more stressful for us. Throughout the tour we were like a couple of pensioners, stressed about packing up on time, getting our tent up, getting to breakfast on ...

Dar es Salaam journal: Tanzania - Dar es Salaam

Mon, 05 Jun 2006 02:36:29 GMT

East Africa is a panoply of different peoples with different origins. The indigenous population of Tanzania itself has representations from all three of the major ethno-linguistic groups that make up this region, and in fact Africa. The Maasai, for example, are Nilotic peoples who can trace their origins back to southern Sudan, whilst the Chagga are of Bantu origin, having come from West Africa. Then you have Cushitic groups such as the Iraqw, who came from the north.

Over recent years the traditional way of life of these people has been eroded and walking along the streets of modern ...

Dar es Salaam journal: Tanzania - back in Dar es Salaam

Mon, 05 Jun 2006 01:55:56 GMT

Adventures always happen when you last expect it!

We spent one night in Dar es Salaam (after managing to meet up with our tour friends at the port and having a proper goodbye) before heading off to Arusha, the starting point for Chris's Kilimanjaro climb.

After the usual annoying haggling for taxis, with the drivers impressing upon us just jow expensive fuel is, we set off to the bus station with plenty of time to spare. The traffic was bad and our driver cursed as we got stuck in jam after jam, occassionally mounting the pavement and mowing over a few pedestrians to try and jump ...

Zanzibar journal: Tanzania - Zanzibar paradise?

Mon, 05 Jun 2006 01:33:47 GMT

We had been dreaming of the Zanzibar section of our trip for what seemed like an eternity. Azure waters, palm fringed white sands, coral reefs, fresh fish . . . we were ready for a bit of that.

So we arrived in Stone Town (capital of Zanzibar) with our dreams being fulfilled right before our eyes. Pouring rain, visibility about 30 metres! Better not get that bikini out just yet! Still with our tour group, we had a day and night in Stone Town before we headed off to the beach so I comforted myself with the fact that the BBC five day forecast (tragic I know but yes I did look at it) was ...

Nairobi journal: Kenya - Nairobi

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 05:50:33 GMT

We have realised during our time here that there must be some area of our brains that has succumbed to the belief that there is little or no food to be had in Africa so as soon as we hit anywhere with a population of more than 20, with at least one eatery, we get stuck in. Nairobi was to be no exception and we spent most of our three days there esconsed in Jave House eating until we literally could not move. Literally!

Eating is always a pleasure but we did have some concerns: a) would our girths grow exponentially, as our appetites seemed to be doing; b) could we finance such culinary ...

Nairobi journal: Kenya - joining our tour

Wed, 31 May 2006 06:23:51 GMT

We were pretty excited about joining up with our tour, not just because we would be meeting and spending time with some new people but also because we got to spend the night before we set off in a really nice hotel - the Heron Court, one which cost 3 times more than we normally paid.

Like all of the more costly hotels in Nairobi it's slightly out of town, bordered by high secure fencing and protected by armed guards. For people that then don't venture into the centre of town it's no wonder they get such a strange impression of the city. It looked pretty fantastic from the outside though ...