Beats working!s Blog on RealTravel

Battambang journal: Battambang

Fri, 23 Mar 2007 00:54:56 GMT

We weren't sure what to expect from Battambang, Cambodia's second city with 150,000 people, but we had one of our best days on the whole trip here. After bedding down for the night Michelle spent the morning learning to cook Khmer food at a small restaurant. It started with a trip to the market to buy the ingredients including fish which was so fresh it was still trying to make a bid for freedom by jumping out of the trays.

In the afternoon we put ourselves in the very capable hands of Ho Nhean (pronounced Onion! or near enough for us) and Rassey our motorbike drivers for a tour of the ...

Siem Reap journal: Tomb Raiders - Adventures at the temples of Angkor

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 07:46:04 GMT

We were prepared for a nightmare journey from Bangkok across the border to Siem Reap. Our guidebook and various websites talked of the many hazards and scams we could encounter. As we have often found to be the case the stories bore little resemblance to the reality with only the bone crunching dust pit of the road on the Cambodian side being an issue.

We stayed in one of our favourite hostels (hostelworld.com proved very reliable again) called Bou Savy. Apart from the clean room, cable TV (Premier league football on day and night, cool- D) and inclusive breakfast it was the friendly ...

Phnom Penh journal: Phnom Penh

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 07:14:20 GMT

Six hours on a bus and we were in Phnom Penhl. In many ways it doesn't feel like a capital city, poverty is very much again in evidence with kids and amputees begging outside popular Western haunts and tuk tuk drivers hanging out on every corner. We had been reading up on the Khmer Rouge years and it was interesting although very harrowing to visit S-21 or Toul Sleng the one time school which was turned into a prison during the Pol Pot regime. 18,000 people were sent to S-21 between 1975 and 1979 and only seven survived. The rest were brutally tortured and interogated before being sent to the ...

Cambodia journal: Our last adventure in Cambodia

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 03:56:45 GMT

Cambodia

Ko Phangan journal: Beach time

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 03:24:30 GMT

We booked the overnight sleeper train to Surat Thani on the East coast and from there took a ferry to the Island of Ko Phangan. After 17 hours travelling we arrived at Thong Nai Pan Noi beach in the North East of the island and it was idyllic. We stayed in a beach hut set amongst a beautiful landscape garden and our intended three night stay turned into nine. Thong Nai Pan Noi beach is set in a sweeping cove with soft white sand and clear blue sea. We decided to partake in some exercise at sunset or sunrise (the coolest part of the day) and jogged along the beach. It was nice to get a little ...

Dali journal: Dali City

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 02:53:33 GMT

Our last stop in China was Dali which like Lijiang is one of the key tourist sights in the area. An old walled city its a great place to wander around and chill out. We really switched off from sight seeing here and just took advantage of the great hostel (with hours of playing ping pong) and found some good local restaurants.

We dragged ourselves away from the ping pong to take a cable car up to a temple in the mountains. It was a really peaceful ride up until they switched on the loud speakers blaring out who knows what in Chinese to anyone within ten miles of the place. At the top we ...

Cambodia journal: Back on the road in Cambodia

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 02:55:16 GMT

Overland from Thailand to explore Cambodia

Thailand journal: R & R in Thailand

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 01:46:24 GMT

Headed to Thailand for a break for

Lijiang journal: Lijiang

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 03:33:16 GMT

Having had enough of uninspiring cities we headed on an overnight bus to lijiang. This was a first for us, a sleeper bus with rows of bunk beds instead of reclining seats. It was actually a pretty good nights sleep. We stopped in a bus station at 4.30am assuming a driver change as we were not due to arrive until 6.30am. At 6am the driver turned the lights on and said we had arrived even though we had not moved for two hours! We worked out that as no public transport runs that early people stay on board to get some more sleep.

After wandering around before sunrise down the unlit streets ...

Kunming journal: Kunming

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 02:33:52 GMT

We took the overnight train to Kunming and again witnessed the crush of the locals racing for the 3rd class hard seats. The lady in our section of the sleeper car (we chose to upgrade to 2nd class of course) luggage consisted of dozens of boxes of shoes which she stashed under the beds. During the journey we went for a walk through the carriages and saw the 3rd class carriage packed to the rafters with the unlucky people standing nose to armpit all night long.

We arrived at 6am and it was freezing cold. We made our way to a hostel we had picked up a leaflet on but when we discovered it ...

Sanjiang journal: Sanjiang - Wind and Rain Bridge

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 02:13:01 GMT

We had one of our most uncomfortable bus rides to Sanjiang as they were building a new road including half a dozen new bridges for the entire route. That meant our crammed bus had to go on bumpy dirt tracks extending what should have been a two hour journey to four. The fact is travelling in China means you have to put up with this kind of thing as they are developing the transport infrastructure at such a manic pace.

Once we arrived we realised we would not have enough cash to last us a further four days out in the sticks, before reaching the next big town. No problem we thought in a ...

Nanning journal: Nanning

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 02:09:38 GMT

A days travelling on two buses brought us to Nanning, the capital city of Guangxi Province (in China think of a province as equivalent to a European country). As we arrived we were amazed at the number of new high rise offices, development banks and most importantly KFCs and Pizza Huts. This sparkling new city looked like it had been built from scratch in the last five years and is clearly another example of Chinas rapid growth.

We soon realised it was an unexceptional city, the only memorable thing being our visit to the exotic food market. We quickly lost our appetite as we wandered ...

Ping'an journal: Dragon Backbone Rice Terraces

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 01:13:57 GMT

We joined an official tour group to make the two hour trip North to see the infamous rice terraces. A decision which with the benefit of hindsight we would perhaps not have made. The guide added nothing to the trip and it was not until we got away from the beaten tourist track to the viewpoints that we could really appreciate this amazing place. Pingan itself was mostly a building site with dozens of guesthouses going up. A common sight across even the most hard to reach tourist destinations, compelling evidence that the rapidly growing Chinese middle class is causing a tourist boom.

As ...

Guilin journal: Guilin

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 01:00:31 GMT

We had just one afternoon and evening in Guilin but in that time we witnessed just how friendly some Chinese people could be when we met Li. A school teacher, Li approached us in the street and quickly explained that he got precious few opportunities to practise his English and would we mind if he hung out with us for a while. He was a nice chap with excellent English and we made the most of his assistance in buying a new camera, booking tickets for a show and a present for Davids Dads birthday. The show, at the minorities theatre, was expensive but worth a look. It featured costumes, music, ...

Yangshuo journal: Yangshou

Mon, 05 Feb 2007 01:14:44 GMT

Next stop the backpacker hangout of Yangshuo which was a beautifully scenic but essentially poor agricultural area. Again not that small at 300,000 inhabitants. We were befriended on the bus travelling there by Li- Mae, a Chinese university student travelling home to see her family in time for Chinese New Year.

We found a fantastic hostel and had a room with our own TV & DVD player and a bath tub! Li- Mae offered to be our guide and show us around some of the stunning limestone karst sights- Moon Hill and Big Banyan Tree- on bikes. Unfortunately that lunchtime we lost our camera which ...

Zhaoqing journal: Zhaoqing

Mon, 05 Feb 2007 00:57:48 GMT

We decided to stop off in Zhaoqing as we travel West, and it was clearly off the beaten tourist track. We saw no other western faces for the two days we spent there. Everyone seemed intrigued to see us and shouted out hello and giggled alot when we said hello or thankyou in Chinese. From the guide book it sounded like a small town, but this being China that still meant a population of 330,000.

According to the Lonely Planet there were two things to see in Zhaoqing. First a scenic park called Dinghu Shan which we hopped on the bus to and saw the worlds largest Ding - Ooh! ( its a massive ...

Guangzhou journal: Guangzhou

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 21:19:49 GMT

We took a rather smart train from Hong Kong, a bit flasher inside than the bullet train. We stayed on Shamian Island which is the old colonial, quiet area of the city. We decided to go to Lucys Amercian style cafe for dinner and couldn't believe our eyes as we gradually noticed every single other table had an American couple with chinese babies! Honestly we were the only two in there without our own little chinese bundle of joy. Surreal. We later discovered that Guangzhou is the adoption capital of China for the Americans and they have to stay for at least two weeks to complete the process.

Hong Kong journal: Hong Kong

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 20:10:13 GMT

With the challenge of China ahead and after the whirlwind of Japan Hong Kong was destined to be a bit of a rest for us. Also the weather wasn't great, very foggy, not ideal for sightseeing.

First we must mention our hostel in the Mirador "Mansions". Mansions could not have been further from the truth, a fifteen storey high rise which should have been condemned decades ago. Our room was a shoe box although we did get our own minuscule bathroom. The fact is this is typical of budget accommodation in the centre of Kowloon as Michelle stayed in the similarly misnamed Chungking Mansions ...

China journal: China

Sat, 27 Jan 2007 21:22:45 GMT

Overland from Hong Kong to Laos.

Kyoto journal: Kyoto

Sat, 27 Jan 2007 21:17:07 GMT

We got the bullet train (or Shinkansen) from Toyko to Kyoto which impressively sped (25kmph)through the city and countryside in just two hours. Although we were a little disappointed by the interior which looked like a drab airplane interior.

Kyoto used to be the capital until the 19th Century and is jam packed with 100's of temples which makes the whole place a World Heritage sight. We only stayed two nights, in a surburb to the West called Uzamasa, in a lovely little hostel which was infact a family home with just three guest rooms. They were very friendly and it was a traditional ...

Tokyo journal: Tokyo

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 18:33:41 GMT

Where to start?

Everything about this huge city was fantastic so sit down with a cup of tea or a glass of wine because this is our longest entry ever as we went on overdrive for four days and just couldn't leave anything out.

First the people:-

The most polite, helpful and friendly people despite living in a massive city of 34 million people (if you count greater Tokyo). Choruses of "welcome" greet you everywhere and bowing all the time. From the guards on the train who bow at the end of every carriage when they enter and leave to the lady on the street who, after giving us ...

Sydney journal: Memory lane in Sydney

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 18:24:43 GMT

Our four days in Sydney were a trip down memory lane for both of us. We stayed near Chinatown and enjoyed the cheap asian food. Darling Harbour was more impressive than the last time we had each visited, in 1997, more developed and really lively. We went to the Imax cinema there and saw a fun 3D film. Circular Quay and the whole Sydney harbour has to be one of the most impressive sights in the world, and you can just sit and watch the harbour activity for hours.

We went to Manly Beach and further up to Palm Beach (where 'Home and Away' is filmed) and stopped for an ice cream at Alf ...

Margaret River journal: Margaret River And Rottnest Island

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 18:20:39 GMT

The area of Margaret River is the big attraction of the South West Coast. It certainly appealed to us with its plethora of wineries and surf beaches. We did a bit of wine tasting taking it in turns to drive and had a delightful lunch at the Watershed winery, funded by the Lindseys [thanks Mum and Dad – D]. This was different wine tasting compared to our experience in Mendoza when we couldn’t get a single free drink. Here they had you sampling the whole cellar the moment you walked through the door – result! True to form Michelle filled her boots. Its not just wine there are brewerys and ...

Albany journal: South West Oz

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 18:18:15 GMT

We drove five hours to Albany on the South coast where we had booked our own little apartment for New Years Eve (courtsey of the Lindseys). Even though it was only one night it was fantastic to have a break from hostels and have our own place- we even had a balcony with a view. We got our monies worth by cooking a nice meal and watched a few DVDs. We only ventured out once at midnight, champagne and sparklers in hand, to watch the fireworks at the waterfront.

Before leaving Albany we explored the area including the coastal rock formations, the Natural Bridge and the Gap, a Whaling Museum ...

Perth journal: Perth & Freemantle

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 18:15:29 GMT

It felt quite strange -but nice - arriving in Perth on Christmas Eve as we had no idea what we'd be doing for Christmas Day or New Years Eve. Feeling christmas spirited we managed to do a huge grocery shop in Woolworths making sure we would not go short of any xmas staples i.e. mince pies and wine.

On Christmas Day we enjoyed the Smith family traditional ham and eggs breakfast along with a glass of bucks fizz. We then spent a couple of hours opening all our cards and presents from our families. We were totally spoilt which was quite impressive when we're on the other side of the world. ...

Mount Cook journal: Last week in New Zealand inc Mt Cook

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 18:06:40 GMT

With one week left in New Zealand we decided first to head over to Mount Cook and explore the area. On the way we went to Lake Tekapo and Michelle managed to get on a Star Gazing evening tour at the observatory there. It was a great experience a Lake Tekapo is one of the best places in NZ for astronomy as it has fantastic clear night skies.

The next day we drove to Mt Cook in the pouring rain. Luckily we were staying in a brilliant YHA hostel - one of our favourite in NZ with a really cozy alpine feel. Once the weather cleared the next day we had a superb view of Mt Cook from our bedroom ...

Japan journal: Japan

Sat, 20 Jan 2007 06:29:51 GMT

One week in Japan

Melbourne journal: Melting in Melbourne

Sat, 20 Jan 2007 05:29:07 GMT

After a fair Spring climate in New Zealand we arrived in Melbourne in the midst of a heat wave. Out with the flip flop and shorts- hurrah!

Michelle had fond memories of her last visit here and we had a great time in this ultra modern, smart city. Michelle took the chance to do a little last minute Christmas shopping while David went off to visit the MCG. [Great stadium combining the best aspects of a football stadium with its large capacity and proximity to the action without losing the class and traditions of a great cricket ground. I'd have to see it on a match day rather than a tour ...

Australia journal: Australia

Fri, 19 Jan 2007 23:27:14 GMT

Off to Australia for Christmas and New Year. Visited Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

Christchurch journal: Christchurch & surrounds

Sun, 17 Dec 2006 00:24:15 GMT

Sadly Bette's last stop in New Zealand. We stayed one night in Christchurch then headed to Akoroa, the biggest town on the Banks Peninsula.

Dave & I went on a swimming with dolphins trip and we couldn't have been more lucky. We got to swim with hector dolphins (small grey ones) for almost an hour. It was amazing as there were eight to twelve dolphins playfully swimming all around us, coming so close you could have reached out and touched them. Not only that but as we climbed out of the water our guide said to us "Do you want to see some killer whales?", so off we sped in their direction. ...

Milford Sound journal: The Milford Road and Milford Sound

Sat, 16 Dec 2006 23:58:46 GMT

It was a long journey but to see it for the first time is well worth the effort. Booking a boat cruise in the afternoon left us plenty of time to enjoy the 120km world heritage stautus Milford Road. We stopped at the Mirror Lakes, some fantastic waterfalls in the bush and the Homer tunnel was the most dramatic of road tunnels in the way that it cuts through snow covered mountains joining two valleys. As for the Milford Sound itself, which unlike the one in Marlbourough is actually a fjord not a sound, was every bit as spectacular as I had hoped and we couldn't have seen it at a better time. ...

Queenstown journal: Queenstown & Surrounds

Sat, 16 Dec 2006 22:26:49 GMT

Alot is said about the adrenalin capital of New Zealand but its also a stunning place with a beautiful blue lake & a snowcapped mountain backdrop to die for. We did our share of thrill seeking with a ride on the famous Shotover Jet boat. It was good fun but perhaps a little overhyped, theme park style, and relatively expensive. We went up the gondola and the enjoyde the vies, walked in the park by the lake and explored the gorgeous scenery in the area. We also visited the cute little former goldrush settlement of Arrowtown.

Wanaka journal: Lakes Wanaka & Tekapo

Sat, 16 Dec 2006 15:56:55 GMT

A chance for Michelle to revisit this favourite spot of hers and even stay at the same hostel as she did 8 years ago. Not much to say except lovely hostel with great views of the lake and Mount Aspiring. We walked on the shores of the lake and and had our first curry in five months.

Left Wanaka set for a days drive to Tekapo and noticed in the guidebook we were passing one was one of the best places in the worldwide for gliding a tiny town called Omararu. We popped in to have a look and 20 minutes later Dave and Bette were sat in the front seat of separate gliders off for their first ...

Franz Josef Glacier journal: Glacier Country

Sat, 16 Dec 2006 15:27:53 GMT

We stopped off at Franz Joseph to walk to the glacier face and then headed down to Fox Glacier 30 minutes further south. Michelle took a walk to the Glacier while David and Bette took a helicopter ride over both glaciers and the West face of Mount Cook (New Zealand's highest mountain). It was an amazing view and we could even see two climbers approaching the summit of Mt Cook. They like us were looking down on the most amazing landscape.

No sooner had David stepped off the helicopter we were off to do a 12,000ft tandem sky dive over the glaciers.

Michelle's view:

It was my ...

Nelson journal: Marlborough Sounds, Abel Tasman & Punakaika

Sat, 16 Dec 2006 15:24:30 GMT

We picnic breakfasted on the ferry crossing to the South Island and on arriving in Piction drove along a lovely scenic route past the Marlborough Sounds to Abel Tasman National Park. Once again we split trips - us for a days kayaking along the coast of the park, while Bette took a boat cruise up the coast for a walk and a relax. Kayaking was a great way to see the park with its beautiful golden sandy beaches and numerous bays.

We decided to hug the road down the West Coast heading for the Glacier region. Along the way we stopped to admire the rugged coastal scenery. We spent a night in a ...

Wellington journal: Wellington

Sat, 16 Dec 2006 15:21:30 GMT

The 'windy city' certainly lived up to its name when we arrived it was raining and blowing a gale for the first night. We stayed in a YHA hostel and it was overrun by school children which made it a bit noisy for us oldies. [ Also someone stole my crisps from the kitchen (pesky kids) - M].

We took a scenic drive out along the coast and stopped at the Chocolate Fish Cafe for lunch (a favourite haunt of the Lord of the Rings actors). We also went up by cable car to the Botanic Gardens and walked back down to the centre. We managed to squeeze in a visit to the museum, Te Papa. We only had a ...

Rotorua journal: Rotorua & Hawkes Bay

Sat, 16 Dec 2006 15:17:01 GMT

The last time Michelle was in Rotorua it was really busy, this time it was much quieter so we realised we were here before the summer crowds in January and February. Highlights were bathing in the Polynesian Spa nestled at the side of the lake, rated one of the Top 10 in the world, flying down a hill on a tea tray on the luge track, and of course the main attraction exploring the thermal reserves - Wai Tapo being the most impressive. We thought the thermals we'd seen in Bolivia were impressive but this beat them hands down. Squirty geyzers, amazing coloured mineral pools and bubbling lakes all ...

Auckland journal: Auckland & Waitomo

Sat, 16 Dec 2006 15:11:35 GMT

We'd been planning to meet up with David's mum in New Zealand halfway through our trip and it was hard to believe the time had come. It was fantastic to see her and we set about making the most of our three weeks in New Zealand together. Straight away we knew she'd fit in as she proudly revealed she'd 'borrowed' the cutlery on the plane for our picnics.

With only one day to explore Auckland we strolled around the new harbourside development (the highlight of the city centre), and took a ferry across the bay to the pretty suburb of Devonport. We had a paddle in the very blue sea and had ...

Buenos Aires journal: Buenos Aires

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 21:01:04 GMT

We'd heard alot about how great Buenos Aires was and we couldn't believe it would live up to the hype. Pretty quickly we realised it was a really cool place. For starts we had a proper 5 star hostel in a beautiful old building right in the centre of the city. We had great fun exploring the different areas of the city- from music and tango in the streets, beautiful parks and architecture, a fascinating cemetery and a real European feel to the city. Once again great food at fantastic prices and as it was our last week in South America we splurged and went to what is considered one of Argentina's ...

New Zealand journal: New Zealand

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 14:32:59 GMT

A whirlwind tour of New Zealand with our new travel buddy aka Dave's mum.

Argentina journal: Argentina Pt 2

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 14:17:30 GMT

Back overland from Brazil into Argentina for the last two weeks in South America.

Foz de Iguassu journal: Iguazu Waterfalls

Mon, 13 Nov 2006 18:25:31 GMT

We caught the bus to Sao Paulo (5 1/2 hours) and then a 16 hour bus to Iguazu (different spelling I know there seem to be numerous)so arrived very bleary eyed and tired at 10am. This led to the first lost property of the trip - which was Michelle forgetting to pick up to Lonely Planet South America book (our travel bible) in the bus station. Luckily (but sadly) we only have two weeks left in South America so we'll survive.

That afternoon we decided to visit one of the 'Seven Modern Wonders of the World' - the Itaipu Dam - the largest Hydro Electric dam in the world. It supplies 95% of ...

Paraty journal: More Brazilian beach

Mon, 13 Nov 2006 08:20:52 GMT

We were drawn to this little seaside resort 6 hours down the coast from Rio as we'd heard about its many pretty beaches. It is a lovely port town and we took a day trip on a boat to visit four different beaches and enjoy a spot of snorkelling and lazing on deck.

Ouro Preto journal: The Minas Gerais - a bit of history and culture

Mon, 13 Nov 2006 08:19:27 GMT

We finally dragged ourselves away from the beaches of Rio and headed inland to the region of Minas Gerais an area rich in history we were told. We headed first to the former gold mining town of Ouro Preto. Afer another overnight bus (a bit of a shock to the system after the R&R of Rio!) we arrived at what first seemed a very sleepy little place or so we thought until the town was transformed at 11am by the influx of wealthy Brazilian tourists.

You can see why they come as Oruo Preto is charming. Gold was discovered there in the 18th Century and it became a very important place. Its ...

Rio de Janeiro journal: ´The girl(s) from Ipanema´ and other Rio highlights

Mon, 13 Nov 2006 07:35:32 GMT

Where to start - in a nutshell Rio is fantastic. We planned to spend five days there and it ended up being ten!

Some say it´s the most beautiful city in the world, and looking down from the top of Christ the Redeemer and watching the sunset from Sugar Loaf we´d have to agree. You´ll recognise them both for their iconic views of Rio, and you can see our attempts to capture just how impressive they are. The statue of Christ is truly awesome and even larger in real life than you imagine. As well as visiting the statue and enjoying the views from it, throughout our stay it was a constant ...

Brazil journal: Brazil

Tue, 07 Nov 2006 15:10:25 GMT

A whistle stop tour of Rio de Janeiro and other highlights in the south of this massive country.

Argentina journal: Chile & Argentina Pt 1

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 16:06:06 GMT

Brief stop in Santiago, Chile, and then crossed over into Argentina.

Puerto Madryn journal: Whales and Wales

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 16:03:31 GMT

On an overnight bus we headed West to the Atlantic coast of Patagonia to see the abundance of marine wildlife. First a guided tour of Penninsula Valdes, the highlight being a boat trip to see the massive Southern Right Whales who can be found in their greatest number just off the coast. They are reknowned for being one of the easier whales to watch and we were not disappointed. To see such a vast animal ( they can measure up to 16m in lenght) in their natural habitat was a real priviledge. We even got to see a mother and calf swimming together right alongside our boat. Back on land we saw sea ...

Bariloche journal: Lake District region

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 15:06:15 GMT

We left the sunshine of Mendoza for the cooler weather of the Lake District. First stop San Martin de los Andes, a rich fashionable tourist town with picturesque Alpine style wooden buildings on the shores of a lake. Our hostel for the first time had a kitchen, which after ninne weeks of eating out we were really excited at the prospect of cooking. That night we enjoyed the classic bangers and mash. We took a trip on the lake and hired a car for the day to explore and enjoy more lake and snow capped mountain views.

Three hours further south is the smaller town of Villa de Angostura. ...

Mendoza journal: Mendoza, first stop in Argentina

Sat, 14 Oct 2006 15:23:36 GMT

A very scenic bus ride over the Andes and across the border took us to Argentina´s fourth largest city, Mendoza. In contrast to Santiago we had received many good reports about the place therefore it had a lot to live up to. I suppose it was a good sign that for the first time accomadation was hard to find due to an exodus of Chileans crossing the border for their bank holiday weekend.

To look at, Mendoza is pleasant enough but certainly nothing spectacular although it does have some very pleasant green plazas and a huge and well maintained park. But as we wandered around we began to ...

Santiago journal: Three days in Santiago

Sat, 14 Oct 2006 14:54:57 GMT

We didn´t know if we were going to like Santiago as we had heard so much more about Argentina than Chile. As it turned out we really enjoyed our 3 days exploring this sprawling western style metropolis although it took some time adjusting having arrived from South America´s cheapest country to one of the most expensive.

After some fantastic advice from the chap in the tourist office we took ourselves on a walking tour of the city taking in the excellent parks, the sparkling new tower blocks of the business district and numerous pavement cafes and bars. The highlight was probably the ...

Copacabana journal: At the Copa, Copacabana...

Sun, 01 Oct 2006 10:58:38 GMT

We´ll keep this one brief, as we´ve already spent 2 1/2 hours on the blog today!

We decided to go to Copacabana now as a blockade had prevented us getting here a few weeks ago. Copacabana is on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca, and a jumping off point to visit, Isla del Sol, another of the lakes Islands.

We did alot of walking both along the peninsular and on the island, totting up 20 miles in two days. Also we found a nicer hotel than normal, with a lake view, and relaxed.

Next blog entry will be from Chile, our 3rd country, flying there on Monday 2nd Oct.

Salar Uyuni journal: The Worlds Largest Salt Flats

Sun, 01 Oct 2006 10:50:22 GMT

Trying to get here we experienced our second bus strike, and ended up in Potosi en route for one night. Luckily it was only one night, and given our timescales it didn´t really matter.

There is only one thing to go to Uyuni for and that is to go on an organised tour of the Salt Flats and South West Bolivia´s amazing scenery. We bumped into two girls we´d meet earlier in Sucre and ended up booking a tour together with them. The trip involved being driven around in a jeep for 3 days/2 nights vast distances through stunning and unusual landscapes.

First day was spent on the salt ...

Sucre journal: Sucre- the former Bolivian Capital

Sun, 01 Oct 2006 10:10:17 GMT

We left La Paz, the current capital, and headed for the former capital Sucre. In fact it seems there is still some debate in Bolivia over which is the true capital. From what we can gather Sucre is still the legislative capital while La Paz is the seat of Government.

Anyway, Sucre is a lovely place, much smaller and completely different from La Paz it has much fine colonial architecture and green open spaces. We chilled out and wandered round, even went to the cinema (for 60p each).

We also visited the musuem which is housed in the building where Bolivia´s independence was signed ...

La Paz journal: First stop La Paz

Tue, 19 Sep 2006 16:33:06 GMT

We had intended our first destination in Bolivia to be Copocabana, on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca. However we quickly learnt that you have to be pragmatic when travelling around South America´s poorest country because a not uncommon strike meant Copacabana was not accessible.

La Paz is the highest capital city in the world at 3660m, and as you arrive by road you see it dropped in a chasm beneath some amazing snow capped Andean mountains. We expected a smaller and poorer version of Lima but have been pleasantly surprised. In many ways it seems more cosmopolitan and vibrant than any ...

Rurrenabaque journal: Into the Amazon

Mon, 18 Sep 2006 13:13:03 GMT

To get into the Amazon you can sit on a bus for 18 hours from La Paz or amazingly travel the same distance in just 50 mins by plane. Being hardened travellers now, of course we opted for the plane!

Rurrenbaque seems to exist solely to support the many tourists that come to get a taste of the Amazon. We chose a 3 day/2 night tour of the Pampas (or wetland savannas) in the expectation of seeing more wildlife and less bugs than in the jungle. It ended up being our own private tour as no one else had booked on the same dates. So off we went with a Spanish only speaking guide and a cook ...

Bolivia journal: Buenos dias Bolivia

Sun, 17 Sep 2006 15:18:05 GMT

Country No 2

Machu Picchu journal: The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

Sat, 09 Sep 2006 15:25:43 GMT

After talking the talk it was finally time to walk the walk. Our fellow trekkers where a friendly bunch of Brits, Americans and Canadians and thankfully not hardcore "I´ll race you to the top" types.

Luckily we had hired a porter to carry our stuff, as we had both filled our day packs with enough energy bars and drinks to power the national grid for a week. We wanted to give ourselves every possible, legal, advantage.

Furthermore we took up all the extras offered to us - the walking stick, top notch matress and artic grade sleeping bag - we looked more like we were going to climb ...

Cusco journal: First class time in Cusco

Sat, 09 Sep 2006 14:28:26 GMT

Got the Peru Rail (Orient Express owned) train from Puno to Cusco, first class. Ten times more expensive than backpacker class (so Michelle was traumatised buying the tickets) but turned out to be worth every penny. The photos tell the story of a fantastic 11 hours on board - great service, food and scenery and a bar carriage to boot. Despite being dragged up to dance during an Andean musical interlude, David absolutely loved it and it was hard to face backpacker class accomodation once we arrived in Cusco.

Cusco itself was incredibly touristy and relative to the rest of Peru expensive. ...

Lake Titicaca journal: Lake Titicaca

Sun, 27 Aug 2006 18:10:47 GMT

Lake Titicaca is at 3000m above sea level and is five and a half hours east of Arequipa. We went to visit the Yavari, a 150 yr old gun boat moored at Puno. It was shipped in almost 3000 pieces to Chile then then took 6 years to transport by mule and slaves over the Andes then two more years to reassemble piece by piece. Now its being lovingly restored by the Captain and crew who have yet to leave the port aboard it! We thought it was a moving story so David brought an overpriced and ill fitting t-shirt to support their cause.

Next day we took a day trip to on the lake. First stop the ...

Colca Canyon journal: Trekking in the Colca Canyon

Sun, 27 Aug 2006 16:52:17 GMT

The Colca Canyon is deeper than the Grand Canyon and is a 6 hour bus ride from Arequipa. To explore it we joined a 3 day/ 2 night trek with 3 other rather more experienced trekkers and a very entertaining and resourceful guide, Jose Luis. Again we must thank Susan and Alan as they kindly paid for David as a birthday treat.

We walked down 1000m to the river at the bottom of the Canyon and spent the first night in a very rustic lodge sleeping in a hut made of mud and straw. On Day 2 we set off early walking from village to village down in the Canyon before arriving at the "Oasis", an ...

Arequipa journal: Joining the Gringo trail in Arequipa

Fri, 25 Aug 2006 18:10:30 GMT

We arrived in Arequipa on David´s birthday and to celebrate checked in to a very nice hotel. To give you an idea for less than the price of a Travel Lodge back home you get a room in a top hotel here. This was certainly a splurge as it was more than three times what we´ve paid for accomodation to date.

Thanks to Sue and Alan that evening we enjoyed a birthday meal of Alpaca and Guinea Pig. (I could still see the Guinea Pigs feet which was a bit off putting, but it was tasty, a bit like duck! - M)

Arequipa is a lovely place, by far the most picturesque city we have visited so far ...

Huacachina journal: Chillin out amongst sand dunes in Huacachina

Sun, 20 Aug 2006 18:41:32 GMT

How do we describe this place? On the one hand its a beautiful desert oasis with a lake, surrounded by palm trees, massive sand dunes where many local school kids come for a day trip. On the other hand its a mecca for the chilled out, hippy backbackers who come to sit by the pool for a week and do a spot of sand boarding or dune buggy rides. We liked the place but one night was enough for us.

It almost killed us trying to climb up the largest dune but it was worth it for the view from the top. Another nice hotel - see photo of the pool! We´re not really slumming it as you can see.

Pisco journal: The night (mare) bus to Pisco

Sun, 20 Aug 2006 18:28:39 GMT

You have to believe us when we say we didn´t want to write another transport related story... but this one has to be mentioned. From Huancavelic to Pisco there is only one bus a day, a 14 hour night bus, across the Andes along some of the roughest roads. We were prepared for all that, but not for the 3 hours solid of Peruvian highland folk music on full volume. Neither were we expecting to share the journey with a frightened lamb which promptly expressed its concern over David´s feet. Upon arrival ( at 6am) we realised we were in the next town from Pisco but only when the taxi driver couldn´t ...

Huancavelica journal: The "Crazy" train to Huancavelica

Wed, 16 Aug 2006 16:09:45 GMT

There are 3 train lines in Peru and we used one of them to travel the 130kms in 3 hours to the small central highlands town of Huancavelica. It turned out to be another transport adventure!

The photo doesn´t do justice to the fact that this was the smallest train you can imagine, it only had 4 rows of seating and we sat in the front row with the driver, the engineer and the engineers chicken dinner. It made Dave jump when he realised the poultry in the sack (at his feet) was alive. It was a hair raising journey as you had to keep your eyes peeled for obstructions on the track which could ...

Huancayo journal: Spanish Lessons & an "Eat-a-thon" with our Peruvian Family

Mon, 14 Aug 2006 14:31:26 GMT

Monday morning at 9am it was back to school for the week. Just the two of us in our Spanish class so no snoozing at the back. Our teacher was a student called Judy and while she was patient she could behave like a stroppy teanager if she was tired or bored. Overall it was a productive week. We learnt lots of vocab, with the help of our Peruvian Mama, and we now feel more confident about communicating around town. You don´t need to have perfect grammer, and we don´t, but you do need a grasp of the language to really start to enjoy South America.

Our Peruvian family live in central ...

Huancayo journal: Exploring the Area

Fri, 11 Aug 2006 16:26:37 GMT

Having explored the city we decided to venture a little further a field on the crazy little buses. It looks like complete chaos but I suggest Ken Livingstone gets himself over here to see how it should be done. Most people dont own cars so everyone uses public transport- literally every other vehicle is a bus. There are no stops you just jump on as they go past, and they go absolutely everywhere.

So off we went to places we could barely pronouce, first on a tatty little minibus, then transfering to small buses (actually estate cars where you climb in the boot too). No 4x4's here and many ...

Huancayo journal: The Bingo bus to Huancayo

Sat, 05 Aug 2006 09:24:05 GMT

A military operation to get ourselves and luggage safely on a v nice bus for the 7 hour journey Lima- Huancayo.

We thought the highlight of the bus ride would be the lunch served en route, but little did we know this was just the start of the fun. After lunch bingo cards were handed out, with a little help translating the numbers from the friendly people around us we almost won! It was bingo with a twist. The twist being if you sang karaoke you got to choose a bonus number. We were still chuckling to ourselves about this when the final film came on. Who'd of thought we'd be watching ...

Lima journal: Lima minus the luggage

Sat, 05 Aug 2006 09:04:21 GMT

Our second flight of the whole trip (Madrid to Caracas) was delayed by 5 hours..not a good start. They held the flight to Peru for us at Caracas, but it meant we boarded and the luggage didn't. Despite our protests we had to pick it up from the airport 24 hours later.

Stayed in the best part of Lima, Miraflores. This is not saying much as Lima on the whole isn't the prettiest, makes Mosside look like Rome. First challenge was getting used to working in 3 currencies - peruvian soles, US dollars and sterling. We got the hang of it and were delighted to have a tasty chicken dinner for 1 ...

Peru journal: Finding our feet in Peru

Sat, 05 Aug 2006 08:48:27 GMT

We're finally on our way,first stop Peru. We intend travelling around the country for 5-6 weeks.