Latest Blog Entries | STA Travel Blogs

Pokhara, Nepal

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 10:29:08 GMT

Nepal is amazing!! We travelled for 6 hours on Monday from Lumbini to Chitwan National Park, stopping on the way at the birthplace of Buddah (apparently). He's meant to be an incarnate of Lord Vishnu, the main Hindu god, and then he created his own religion lol! The resort of the national park was so nice, felt like you were on safari but it was greener. Nepal is so green and the villages we drove through seem more orderly and they take more care in the appearance of their homes, it's cleaner, quieter and just generally nicer than the places we saw in India. When we got to the resort we went to see the elephant breeding centre, where there were twin baby elephants, the first in Asia! We drove back on top of a jeep which was fun, pretty bumpy! Tuesday was an amzing day, possibly the best so far! We got up early and went on our hour and a half ride through the national park and saw rhinos, deer, monkeys and chickens which was weird lol! Never seen rhinos before, they are so dinosaur like! Then late morning a few elephants came to where we were staying and we went elephant bathing! We named our elephant Henry, lol. He knelt down and then we got on him without a seat on top, so three of us were clinging on for dear life by a rope around his neck! It was a 2 minute walk to the little river and then he tipped us in the water, we got back on and he did it a few more times, sprayed us with water and lifted us up by his trunk!! Then he layed on his side in the water which was only a couple of feet high and he has his trunk all curled up and his eyes closed, he was loving it!! We got stones from the river bed and scrubbed him with them to get all the dust off and then he turned over. We were clambering all over him and jumped off, was just so amazing. Saw the gentile side of elephants, they seem really sweet and so well trained! We had the afternoon free so was really nice, after being so busy all of the time to just read and play cards etc in the cushioned area at the resort overlooking the national park. On Wednesday we had another long drive from Chitwan to Pokhara.. 5 hours. For Nepal our group has a private bus/coach which is really comfy so it's actually not that bad. Pokhara is so nice, really bustling with lots of little shops along this one road opposite lake Phewa, but really peaceful aswell. We didn't get there til mid afternoon so we just walked around the lake a bit and then all went for dinner. We got up at 5am this morning and went to see the sunrise over the himalayas! Was so beautiful with the snowy mountains in the background and then the smaller mountains in the front. Jo and I had the whole day free as others in the group went on a helicopter ride over the mountains which landed in the snow, it was $400 each though! And then some people went paragliding this afternoon, so we went boating on the lake this morning and just chilled out again this afternoon. We're off to Kathmandu tomorrow morning, so another long journey! Looking forward to seeing it, everyone says how amazing it is!! So yeah, Nepal = amazing!!

Coffs Harbour, New South Wales

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 10:19:43 GMT

Hi guys, It's been a while since I feel that I updated this and I was starting to feel guilty because I have been to three places since I last wrote in Melbourne! Our first stop after Melbourne was Newcastle. We got a flight ridiculously early in the morning as we felt this would be better than the alternative which was a 13 hour coach drive. So an hour after take off we were there (hehe) but were disappointed to see it had been raining. The grey and wet probably didn't help our first impressions of Newcastle-it didn't seem much different from the Newcastle at home! We arrived at our hostel to be met with more disappointment...it wasn't great. Very old and run down. We only needed to look at each other to know we'd only be staying the one night here. Although we'd been up since 4.30am with very little sleep (we'd been out with some girls Sj met in Fiji then night before) we decided to go for a wander. After wandering for half an hour and not seeing another person, we started to think that we were in a real life ghost town! We got the free bus that takes you around the town to see if we were missing something...we weren't! We did come across a pub where we had a nice lunch which made the day a bit better. Needless to say we got out of there pretty quickly and booked a bus for the next day to..... Port Maquarie which was a lovely place. We stayed at a hostel called Ozzie Pozzie backpackers. It was painted bright blue and was quite small and homely. We liked it here :) It had a pool which we also liked as I was getting fed up of getting sand in my pants whilst attempting to sunbathe. Whilst here we visited the Koala hospital which was lovely and it was free which was definately a bonus! The beach here was lovely too although we only stayed a few hours. The next day was time for us to move on again so I tried to get on tan duty in the morning by the pool :) We arrived in.... Coffs Harbour on St Patricks Day at about 6pm so needless to say we pretty much dumped our stuff, showered and went straight out to the only Irish bar in town and had a fantastic night!! The photos on facebook are proof enough of this I think :) Today has been a very chilled day as the St Paddys hangover took its toll. We did go down to the harbour to have breakfast and have both decided that we love it here. The town is beautiful and the blue skies definately help :) Again we're not staying for long though-tomorrow we're on the road again to Byron Bay! We're very excited to get there and will be staying a week so we can settle a bit. Hope all is well at home! Missing you all xxxxx

Pokhara, Nepal

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 09:57:50 GMT

Hello! well since i spoke to you last we have left india behind and are now in nepal!! however before we left india we had one more stop after the peace at orchha; we went onto varanasi! first impressions of it were to say the least not good! we arrived after a 14 hour train ride with a return to hectic india which was quite a shock after orchha. but the place definitely grows on you! after a manic 30 minute cyclerichshaw ride, during which i was praying that the skinny old man driving our rickshaw didnt keel over and die, we reached the river ganges, emily, me and the skinny rickshaw driver all alive and in one piece. we then went on a boat along the ganges as the sun was setting with a sitar and a tablar player serenading us-quite an experience from the river itself we were able to see many of the religious ceremonies but from a peacful distance. we saw cremations happening on the designated burning ghats (steps that go down to the river so that people can easily enter), then a few ghats down we saw people wasing in the river. there didnt seem to be any idea that maybe they should cremate people down stream of where people wased , no, it was all just intermingled!! we also saw the worship ceremonies on the main ghat, which essentially consisted of many different ways of purifying the air, a job which certainly needed doing!! again in the morning we went on the river at sunrise and saw the religious ceremonies taking place, this time lots more people were washing, brushing there teeth an all!! people were also washing clothes, we found out that often guesthouses send there wasing down to the ganges to have it beaten "clean"... varanasi being the place we decided to do our first bit of wasing yay! lol! but it was quite remarkable to watch how peoples daily lives were centred around this river, this muddy, dirty river. it has been quite interesting finding out about hinduism while travelling around, our guide has begun to groan anytime i ask him a question as i have had quite a few!! to me it seems a very confusing and confused religion, which has for most people become a way of life rather than a coherent belief. we later roamed the streets and the tiny market allyways, and in the end i was quite taken with varanasi, it had a buzz about it and pulse that was quite unusual as life was so captivated by there dedication to there religion and the river.... but i was definitely ready to move onto nepal!!! it took a days bus ride, a crossing at a very nondescript border crossing point, then another half a days ride until we reached chitwan national park, but when we did it was bliss! we staying in a camp situated just on the edge of the national parks jungle and just on the banks of a river. with hammocks between trees and nice fires lit at night, it was peaceful and idilic. chitwan was our time for bonding with the elephants! we went to see the first pair of twin elephants born in a breeding programme in asia, then in the morning we went out on an elephant safari into the jungle, seeing rhinos and crocs, monkeys and deer and of course the chicken or two!! but the best bit was riding the elephant for almost two hours! after that after a bitof a chillout it was time to wash the elephants!!! we rode on an elephant bare back down to the river where he proceeded to roll us off his back into the river- great fun! after doing that a few times we made a token effort at cleaning him before clambering up him again for the walk home. i now officially love elephants, they r awsome!! After a while longer chilling out in chitwan we headed on tot he bus again and off to pokhara! on the way we passed beautiful scenes of mountains and villages, the nepalese seem to have a lot more pride in the way they keep themselves and there home, there homesteads are neatly kept and painted- a drastic change from india! and arriving at pokhara the beauty didnt stop. we r staying on the edge of the lake which we went out on boats on today, and we are surrounded by the annapaurna mountain range. thismorning we went to see the sunrise over annapurna one, an absolutely incredible site, tho it was a little hazy, but the sun on the snowy peaks was no less stunning! we are moving on tomorrow to kathmandu, our last stop here before flying onto hongkong. we have absolutely loved our journey so far, and im very excited about see daniel in kathmandu and then heading onto the next part of our trip!! i will try to upload photos in hongkong so u can all see how we r doing!!! Lots of love, il be in touch soon x x x x x

Magnectic Island, Queensland

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 09:52:33 GMT

Hello! This my delayed second installment from Oz. I arrived in mission beach on 1st March and there is literally nothing there! Fortuneately I was only staying one night but it was a good night, met a bunch of people from Manchester and we watched a few DVDs and had a chilled night. My room at absolute backpackers was s*** tho, it had no air conditioning which was awful as humidity was still about 80%. Anyway after a crap nights sleep I got up at 7am to do my skydive which was awesome! I wasn't even scared to be honest the scariest bit was the plane journey as it was so light the wind was blowing it around everywhere! Jumping from 14000 feet was wicked and the photos and DVD are good aswell! After that I went to get the bus down to Magnetic Island I met up with Priscilla and Becca who I met in Cairns and also my old housemate from Liverpool - Verity! It was lovely to see a friendly face an we had a fun night on the goon! The next day I just spent chilling out by the pool with 3 English girls and priscilla and becca! We also got gooned up that night aswell! Goon is what they call a box of wine over here - although it's not really wine it's more like country manor but worse! On my last day in Maggie Island me and a gay couple rented out a Barbie Car and drove around the island for the day, we found an amazing waterfall which was lovely as it was still very hot! So after Maggie Island me and becca got the bus down to Airlie Beach to meet Priscilla who left a few days earlier and also to meet up with the girls from Maggie island! I will continue my next blog soon! Love ya x

Auckland, New Zealand

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 09:50:01 GMT

The day I flew out of NZ :( it was very sad for me to say goodbye to all my friends I had made here and I have made some great friends in the past six months. I realised I could easily live in NZ, though its far from everywhere else, it has a great sense of positiveness about the country and just puts a smile on your face. It was great to rent a house, have cool housematse, go out in Ponsonby and the Viaduct (Pasha especially!!). Drink good coffee, go to beautiful beaches and just be happy :) I was very upset when I left my old house to get the bus to the airport, but I say to myself it is not goodbye...I will return... one day very very soon, there is no doubt about that!!! Goodbye New Zealand xx

Port Macquaire, New South Wales

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 09:48:21 GMT

ok so we have left sydney now...... but in the last few weeks we have been done some interesting things for example we got naked outside the sydney opera house in the name of art!! yes we got up at 2.30 to get there for 4am and sat waiting for sun rise before getting naked and having our photo taken!! lol was an experience i can asure you! ok also one of our flatmates has moved out and gone up to darwin! stil now luck on the job front but hopefully when we get to brisbane we will find something! finger crossed! we took a day trip to manly to see the beach and look around the shops!! was one of the things on our list so was good to see the beach is lovely longer than bondi but not wider and the sea is just as cold!! lol we went to paddington market to have a look around at some nice things but it was so expensive!! the next day we went to a market in bondi school where we picked up some cheap things (and presents to send home!!) ad then went to watch a surfing competition on bondi beach! Chris has joined us so we had a tourist day we took him to see the opera house, harbour bridge and a place called the rocks!! was a good fun day out! the next day though we spent cleaning the flat for the day we had to move out! in the evening we went to wagamamas for a well deserved dinner! and to celebrate our last night in our flat and offically in sydney (although we did stay in a hostel so we could catch the bus out of sydney at 7am on thursday 18th march!!) ok so now we have moved out and on the way up the coast, we are all sad to say goodbye to bondi and our flat where we spent the last 10 weeks we will miss it as now we have to be proper travellers again!! and carry out backpacks which is proving a mission at the moment as none of us are use the weight!! but we are ready for fun time up the east coast!! we waved goodbye to the opera house and sydney through the windows of our coach as it drove over the harbour bridge! the sun was just rising over the top of the opera house too (good photos!!) ............ next chapter begining now............................................................... we have arrived in port macquaire today and its 28 degrees!! its so hot very humid compared to sydney. only staying here on night as not much too do only a small town! went exploring around the creek down the road this afternoon and saw a koala it there was one in a tree and then one came down and moved across the path and ran across the grass, they are much bigger than i thought they would me but so cute, we were only a few metres away cant believe how close it got! they dont move very fast though.we also saw some bats aswell they are very noisey!another coach journey tomorrow to coffs harbour where we are staying for 2 nights before heading to byron bay

Jaipur, India

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 09:15:50 GMT

I've been keeping an eye on the temperatures back home ahead of my impending return to Britain, and I saw that yesterday it reached the dizzying heights of 14C in London - the hottest day for 5 months I suspect. If its that temperature when I land back at Heathrow Airport on March 28th (British Airways permitting) I will be mighty relieved, as here in Jaipur it has today reached 38C. I am boiling, and even with the fans on in this internet room I feel like I'm being baked alive! This is by far the hottest I have felt in India, and I am looking forward to returning home to a comfortable temperature. I don't think I've felt 14C since the evenings in New Zealand, and that was way back in November! We arrived here yesterday following a brisk 2.5 hour bus journey from Ajmer, near where we were staying in Pushkar. As ever the bus had no air-conditioning, but in a first for our trip in India we drove along a modern motorway, so there was plenty of wind passing through the bus. It made such a change to be driving along a smooth and straight road, and we made very few stops. We were lucky enough to get seats as not everybody on board got one, much to one man's frustration. Indians seem to get very angry quite easily as soon as the step aboard a bus. On a previous journey we saw a man ejected from our bus for trying to attack the driver (whilst we were stopped) and yesterday there was an awful lot of shouting going on between the conductor and a passenger. Once we got going though it all died down. Motorways in most part's of the world are the safest roads to travel on, but the Indian motorway certainly didn't feel safe, with driver's repeatedly cutting each other up and horns being used aplenty. At some points along the road the traffic police had erected metal boards to act as chicances and slow driver's down, but these were futile with everyone attempting to take them at full speed and nearly crashing as a result. Near the end of our journey a Muslim man boarded the bus and started shouting across everyone. For ages I thought he was preaching, but it soon conspired that he was simply trying to sell some crappy coloured biro pens. Quite how he talked about some pens for over five minutes I don't know. As we exited the bus we were greeted by a flurry of rickshaw drivers, who quickly surrounded us on seeing we were white. There were also loads of beggars about, most commonly young women with children. Jaipur is notorious for them. It was all a bit chaotic, but I've found Jaipur in general to be one of the craziest cities I've ever seen. This place makes La Paz seem orderly. Jaipur is Rajasthan's state capital and largest city, with a population of 2.63 million. You wouldn't know it today but its apparently one of the world's greatest feats of town planning, with the old walled city the first fully planned city in India. We are staying just outside the old city, but our guide took us for an interesting, if exhaustingly long orientation walk round it last night. Jaipur has the nickname "The Pink City" because all the buildings in the old city are painted pink (like the colour of a clay tennis court). This harks back to 1867 when the decision was made to colour the city for the visit of Prince Albert, and locals have kept the tradition up ever since. Our walk took us first past one of the main Hindu temple's in the city - the monkey temple, where people go to worship the Monkey God. I find it incomprehensible that in the 21st century well over a billion people on this planet worship something called the monkey god, but each to their own! We then passed through the main bazaar, which was a hive of activity. As we walked along we were constantly trailed by a group of turban wearing beggars, who appeared to be getting donations from every shop on the street. Our guide informed us that these were holy beggars and most shops offer them something every night. None of the locals donate to the women and children begging, but any man who dons a turban and looks a bit holy stands to make a packet from them! The highlight of our walk was when we came across a holy proccession. It was typically chaotic, with the streets not being sealed off, and the parade members seemingly not all walking at the same pace, but it was quite a spectacle. A couple of nights ago was the Hindu new year, and March is the month when there are most festivals in India. This particular one was celebrating the birthday of one of Hinduism's 33 million Gods. There were bands playing, people dancing, floats and even elephants. It was all very lively in true Indian style. This morning we caught a local bus, along with about 30 milk churns, out to the Amber Fort, which is situated up in the hills 14km north of Jaipur. This was the former residence of the Jaipur Maharaja before he decided to relocate his palace to the flat plains of present day Jaipur, so that his city could better expand. It was a brilliant sight from afar, and inside there were some lovely features including a breathtaking gate, but each fort and palace makes less and less impression on me! Its a good job we've left the Taj Mahal till last! The Amber Fort was teaming with tourists (and with it sellers and beggars), many of whom arrived from the packed coach park on the back of maltreated elephants. Its the first time I've really come across coach tours in India and they really are a sordid sight. Most of them seem to be Americans or British, and I just wonder what a vastly different impression of India they'll leave with having been escorted everywhere in luxury, away from the Indian riff-raff. I much prefer to travel on the local busses purely for the experience. Jaipur is the third city of the so called "Golden Triangle", which comprises the historic cities of Delhi, Agra and here, so its no wonder its awash with tourists. There were less tourists though at the second palace of the day we visited - the Hawa Mahal, or Wind Palace, which is in the centre of Jaipur. It was constructed in the 1860s to allow the Maharaja's women and concubines to gaze out upon everyday city life - they weren't allowed to leave the palace most days of the week. The building has a brilliant facade, and offered excellent views across the Pink City. It was well worth a visit despite the fact I've seen so many Indian palaces now! With the heat unbearable, and the fact Jaipur centre is absolutely crazy busy, not one of us wanted to visit the modern city palace where the current Maharaja lives. There was also the opportunity to visit the Jantar Mantar observatory, but I already visited the one in Delhi and this one is basically the same. So instead all of us are back at the hotel escaping the heat (and hassle) for the afternoon. This evening we are all going to the modern looking city cinema to view a Bollywood film called "My Name is Khan", so that should be an experience and something I'll no doubt write about in my next blog. If I've chance I may get that next blog online tomorrow, but if not it could be a few days off. We are off to Bharatpur tomorrow, which is home to a world famous bird sanctuary, but we're only spending one night there before we depart to Agra - home of the Taj Mahal, where no doubt I'll have a busy couple of days.

Cairns :D, Queensland

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 08:07:38 GMT

Our flight to Oz was pretty epic. Richard cliff and the shadows were on our plane!! Ended up sitting next to one of the technicians who also looked after the lead guitarist and had a bit of a jibber with him :) the plane food was substantially better than the food we had on our flight to NZ! We even had a chocolate and coconut ice cream :P Thursday 4th The weather was sooooo hot and humid just typical that the day we set aside to sort ourselves out and trek around town it's 44 degress! started the day with a shop in the supermarket...managed to whack my gammy toe which then bled everywhere (it might as well have been chopped off!) The first aid lady eneded up coming to sort me out and put a plaster on it :)...not before prodding it REALLY hard might i add!! Got our Oz sim card sorted too after having to walk back and forth to our hostel as we needed our passports to buy one?!?!! Was not impressed. spent the afternoon by the lagoon though which was totally LUSH. We also booked our great barrier reef and cape tribulation trips for the weekend :D On saturday we had an early start as we were off to the GBR :D The morning began with filling out health and safety sheets but we were given muffins so it wasnt too painful :P It took about and hour and a half to get out to the 1st reef. We had to put on the most attractive sting suits ever..its jellyfish season!! Basically there are lycra blue suits that cover you head to toe. There's even hand mittens and a hood. Looked like a total dumpy smurf, paired with flippers and a snorkel mask..not a good look! Started off holding onto the "retard ring" as i appropriately named it..It's for the less confident swimmers :P The coral was awesome and saw some nemo fishhh :D Also touched a clam!! Had a BBQ for lunch which was scrummy. Our second snorkel was just as good got to stoke a MASSIVE fish...can't remeber wht it was called but it was HUGE and really friendly...felt like a dolphin! Saw lots of jellyfish (luckily the non deadly type) but i still managed to have a mini panic attack in the water and make a total baffoooon out of myself! Had another early start on the sunday as we headed to cape tribulation! Our first stop was at the animal sanctuary. got to see a koala and kangeroos :D We then headed up to cape tribualtion beach for some lunch. Saw some massive, creepy, horrible spiders :( Has a couple of bush walks through the rainforest on the way back. Our final stop was at a crocodile river cruise. Got to see a couple of big crocs :D Leave for Magnetic island tomorrow!!! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Melbourne, Victoria

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 08:06:33 GMT

It's going to be a fun time. I am looking forward to climb the Eiffel Tower and eat crepes.

Franz Joseph, New Zealand

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 07:32:07 GMT

We have now arrived in Fraz Joseph - even though its raining it's still beautiful here, we wanted to stay longer but because of the buses we couldn't so only have one free day which we are filling with our glacier hike - all really looking forward to that as we've had a bit of a quite week. You have to take your own lunch up the glacier (as there is no 711 at the top!) so we spent our first night getting ready - I got all Delia Smith and decided to do pasta but good old Dave cooked it for me as I needed to sort out our flights - after that we all got an early night as even though the bed was just as squeaky as they all tend to be - the bed is actually really comfy and has a fab duvet which for the first time in 5 months has actually made me miss my duvet and bed from home! :-( The hike meant another sexy outfit so the next day we kitted ourselves out in our jackets, trousers, boots, hats and lovely bum bags! which had our foot spikes or whatever you call them and made our way to the glacier. They break you down into groups dependant on your ability and confidence - Rich wanted to go in the 1st group but we decided to go in the 3rd which at times was a little hard core but don't think there was much difference between the groups - think it was just how unfit I was!!! We made our way to the bottom which was mostly rock and they told us a few bits of info about the glacier e.g. that it moves 4-6 meters per day!! so the routes and formations change all the time - I was already knackered before we even started heading up but as soon as we got to the ice I forgot and we made our way up more into the glacier, we went though crevasse which are like slits in the ice (formed where the glacier moves) they are narrow, also the further you go down the more blue the ice gets (which happens when all the oxygen is squeezed out!) the first was quite long and a little claustrophobic - was good fun and eventually we made it out the other end but the second was even tighter and we had to keep the same foot infront of the other as it wasn't wide enough to even rotate your hips, both me and Dave managed to trip over in this one but didn't do it again as our guide reminded us that if you fall over down there then you wont be able to get out - at the end was a rope which to my horror you were meant to drag yourself out with, I have absolutely no upper body strength and knew I wouldn't be able to do it, unfortunately I had too so after a few very embarrassing moments I managed to drag myself out! We continued with the hike and had lunch near the top, after lunch we went through another part where we had to drag ourselves out but this time there was no rope and the guide cut us steps (though I coudlnt seem to find the steps!) and had to have Dave push me while the guide pulled me - again very embarrassing as I was at the front and litteraly had to push off Dave's head and then needed both hands round the poor guide to get me out!! After all this we started making our way down with no more embarrassing moments for me, Dave however managed to step in some thin ice and get his whole foot in a very cold glacier puddle - at least the rest of the group knew where not to stand ;-) then when we was nearly down Dave tripped, fell and rolled down the glacier quite a way and i'm sure he only stopped as he hit the back of the guys legs infront of him but he's adamant he didn't! (he did!) he saved his camera though and only had a few cuts on his hand. As it was St. Patrick's day me and Liz took our hats up but the boys refused to wear theirs so we shared them with some of the rest of the group including the guide - who all loved them! We started our walk at about 9 am then onto the ice at around 10 am and finished at around 5.30 pm, long day walking but very much worth it. We wanted to go out and celebrate Paddy's day more but we was all so knackered so we had lunch in the pub before me and Dave headed off to the spa pools - I really didn't fancy it and just wanted to stay in my duvet which reminded me of home but was glad when I did go as it rejuvenated me enough to pack my bag ready for the early start the next morning! Franz Joseph really was beautiful and it was a real shame we didn't get longer there - the glacier climb was brilliant too and has been one of our best days yet.

Busselton, Western Australia

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:40:41 GMT

Busselton: 23rd Feb - 16th March- I've not gone travelling, I've moved here. As of today (16th March) I have been in Busselton for a staggering 5 weeks...rather a long time considering I orginally planned on staying here one, perhaps two weeks! It doesn't feel anywhere near that long and I'm at a bit of a loss to account for where the time has gone really! I know I've spent a fair chunk of it working, an even larger chunk at the beach and even more time (especially the evenings) in the hostel itself...ha, excluding work I've not set foot outside the town in over a month, surely I must have something to talk about! Let's start with work, it's as good a place as any. After we returned to the hostel after out firey adventure it was an annoyingly quiet week until the Friday. I say 'annoying' because, although to those of you back in wintery Britain this may be hard to believe, there's really only so much time you can spend on a picture perfect near desrted beach under the burning sun in a cloudless sky before it gets a little...well, a little boring really (I'd ask you not to quote me on that as I'm sat there shivering upon my return but I know not to expect miracles.) However after some early morning (I'm sure half four is technically not yet morning) work the beach magically regains its charm...there's no grapes there for one thing. After several weeks of consistent grape picking I swear it got to the point where I could see them when I closed my eyes, turns out I wasn't alone in experiencing this odd vision but that doesn't make it any less unsettling...or funny. It probably didn't help that the hostel was full of the things too, as we could take some back after each day, there really was no escape! The work on Friday 26th was a bit more of a slog than before as there was a lot of disease in the crop meaning we had to sort through for the healthy grapes, which could be pretty slow and frustrating. However on the bright side it was hourly paid so speed wasn't so much of an issue, for 6 hours work we got 110 dollars (66 pounds), so at 18.3dollars (11 pounds) p/h it was good money. There was more work on Monday 1st March which was smiliar though slightly less diseay and paid 90 dollars (54 pounds) so 15 dollars (9 pounds) an hour. Our pay is reaching us via our employers swinging round the hostel a few days later with a cheque or cash and while this is all very nice and relaxed it can be a bit un-nerving at times, especially when people don't show up at the time they said they will and then seem incapable of answering the phone! Still, nobodies done a vanishing act yet, even if one (who shall remain nameless) did take their time a little too leisurely for comfort! After a solitary day off the intensity shot up with the first of what would prove to be six consecutive days in vineyards. Actually it was only the shere number of days that would create such intensity, as a matter of fact the first day would prove to be one of the easiest days so far. It was nice work for a start, the grapes being at hand height so no crouching or jumping and being outfront instead of being buried behind a veritable sea of stems, branches and leaves. It was also not too hot a day, meaning we weren't reduced to puddles on the ground by the end. Helping out on the heat front, though annoying in every other way, was that we finished at 10AM, having only worked for 4 hours. We got paid 60 dollars (36 pounds) for our pleasure and also got provided with tea and biscuits...why didn't this place have more work available! The following two days we returned to the place I'd first ever picked grapes at a fortnight beforehand. Of course I didn't realise it was the same place right away, one series of grape vines looks pretty much like every other series out there, but once out employers poped up it became kinda obvious. It was back to piece rate work and I'm glad to report I've made some progress over the last 2 weeks and picked 45 buckets the first day and 50 the second. True we went on a little later (half 12, the horror) than usual but never the less that's much faster. We were set to work there Monday too sof or the sake of chronology I'll leave this one on a cliffhanger for the next paragraph (no skipping ahead please, you'll ruin the effect.) Over the weekend we worked 2 days at the worst place we've been to yet. Giant obstructing vines, wedged in grapes...these I can deal with but giant buckets for appaulingly low piece rate...this I do not like. After a tough first day I was rewarded with fifty dollars (30 pounds.) Let's just say I wasn't best impressed. Out of the 6 of us from the hostel who went the first day only myself and one other braved a second...I don't know why I went back, maybe the idea of a grape free day scared me. It turned out OK though as after an hour I got transfered onto the truck going round collecting buckets, it was hard work as it was basically lifting all morning but it came with an hourly rate so I was happy enough. Plus we stopped for a break in a nearby cottage where I blagged myself some tea. Would I work for tea? No, but I like it all the same. For the 2 days I got 126 dollars (76 pounds), which still isn't all that great but could have been a lot worse. And so for the 6th and final day of the run it was back to the Thu/Fri place. It turned out to be a long day, we didn't finish untill 3.30, but that gave me the chance to fill 75 buckets and, really, would I have accomplished anything productive in the extra time? I do wish ants hadn't broken into my bag and eaten my sandwich though, I wanted that! At the end of the day we all sat around with our employers and had a couple of beers, it was a relaxing end to a sweaty (the sun had not let up since it had risen) day and it was good to reflect that a lot of work had got done. Even better was a few days later recieveing a cheque for 389 dollars (234 pounds), at 19.45 dollars (11.7 pounds) an hour (and that's after tax) it's a real shame there's no magive way to extend the harvest. Since then it's been a bit sparse work wise, after the run I was enjoying some time off, having massive lay ins till 8AM but I quickly became restless. We had one more days work on Friday 12th but it was only a 4 hour shift and so only provided 60 dollars (36 pounds) for my pocket. I'm currently waiting around to see if anymore picking work presents itself but it looks like it's dying down, or may even have stopped. Maybe it's just the weather, it rained for the first time since I've been here earlier in the week. It was a little scary to see rain again after a month! I may soon have to take the unprecidented decision to, gulp, leave Busselton...I hear there's a whole state out there after all... I was going to leave this entry at that but then though I didn't want to give the impression that I've done nothing other than work and wait around for work for 3 weeks (I've not done a great deal so watch as I try and stretch this out!) I went into an art gallery right here in Busselton, it was housed in the old courthouse which was a pretty cool setting and allowed me to take a look at the cells there. They were bigger than I thought they'd be but I wouldn't like being confined to one all the same! The art was...good...very...erm...yep my descriptive ability in relation to art doesn't seem to be blossoming quite the way you might have hoped but all the same I enjoyed it. They were 'good'. That'll do. I looked at the jetty again. It's still closed for repairs. Right...that's all Busseltons many attractions ticked off then. Aside from the beach (which you really don't need any more flowery prose about) I spent a lot of time in the hostel, more specifially the garden which is massive taking in a large undercover are complete with a stone oven in which it's possible to cook the tastiest pizzas known to man, a hammock in which I plead no contest to falling asleep in several times, a chicken coup that doubles as a place for the cats to stare at and masses of green that people can generally be found lazing around on from the afternoon onwards. I spend a lot of the daytime playing uke, reading and doing a bit of poi practise (that counts as the constructive part of my day) before spending the afternoon and evening talking, playing cards and generally chilling out with one and all over a glass/bottle or 2/6 of wine. As always, it's a hard life.

Koh Phangan, Thailand

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:44:33 GMT

Nu har vi ätit sista frukosten på Morning Star Resort och vi blir hämtade kl 10.30 då vi har bokat en snabbfärja tillbaka till Koh Samui som bara tar 15 min. Sedan har vi bokat rum på Magic Resort i Lamai. Igår åkte till de två finaste stränderna (enligt turistboken) Haad Mae och där kan man gå över till ön Koh Ma. Det var ett riktigt fint ställe och när vi hade ätit lunch där så åkte vi vidare till Haad Salad också jättefint med en härlig vit sandstrand. På kvällen tog vi taxi till Haad Rin, staden som aldrig sover och det var fullt med backpackers och många yngre som festade loss på stranden. Vi käkade middag och sedan satt vi på en standbar och kollade på allt folk. I natt när vi kom hem så kände jag mig lite observerad och kikade bakom dörren - och där satt ödlan Rune!!! han blev lika rädd som jag och drog iväg men han är STOR!!!! Nu ska vi snart dra - ha det!!

Koh Tao, Thailand

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:30:29 GMT

OH! And I forgot the most exciting part/scariest thign ever. Last night I was doing my laundry (in my bathroom sink...lol) and then a huge beetle randomly fell on the floor by my feet. It was about the size of my hand and quickly took over my whole room as I didn't want to even go near it. I was going to lock it in the bathroom and hope it would just crawl back out the window again or die in the corner but then I got the nice guy two doors down from me who was still awake to get it out. I know you may laugh at my wimpy-ness, so do I a little. *sigh of shame*

Fraser Island, Queensland

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:02:24 GMT

Fraser Island was quality, i'd probably go as far as to say it was the best thing that I've done since i've been in Oz!!! I checked into my hostel on the Sunday and coincidently i was in the same room as Spencer an Reeka so me an Spencer headed to the bar for a quick pint before calling it a night as we had to be up at 6 in the morning! On the morning we got put into our groups! I was pretty lucky as i had a quality group! I was with Luke, Annie & Holly from England, Boona & Laura from Scotland and Simon & Suzanne from Sweden. Out of the 8 of us 7 of us could drive as well which was good as we could split the driving between us so we could all chill out a bit more. We got the food an alcohol shopping sorted and was told how to drive the 4x4's on the sand etc then headed off to get the ferry across to Fraser Island! We decide to name our 4x4 Audrey as she sounds classy but she's flithy on the inside lol! The adventure started pretty much straight a way as we got lost on our way to the ferry - Boona was having none of it though he told us it was a short cut!!! After we got off the ferry we headed to Lake Mckenzie across the bump tracks - we thought they were bad but it was nothing compared to what was in store for us!! Lake Mckenzie was absolutely superb, the water was so clear it's not a suprise that it got voted as one of the top 10 beaches in the world! You'll have to check out the pics the place it awesome! After a swim round we grabbed lunch an headed to Central Station! There wasn't really much at central station just a really clear stream which actually looked like there was no water in it! On the way to camp we also stopped off at the Maheno Wreck which was pretty cool, it reminded me of something out of the film ghost ship. At this point Luke was driving an he did try his best to kill us all lol! While driving towards the camp there was a massive drop in the sand which to be fair was pretty difficult to see until you were right on top of it. We all went flying an as i was sitting in the back i got the full force of it - we kept a pretty close eye on it every other time we were driving that way!!! Back at camp we got the beers out an the BBQ on the go an started to -get the drinking games going! We had a proper good laugh an were all pretty wasted by the end of the night! We saw loads of wild dingos coming into the camp that night but they were not aggressive, luckily! The next day we got up and headed to Indian Head which is the most Easterly point in all of Australia. We climbed up to the look out up at the top whixch gave you a pretty spectacular view across the island! After Indian Head we headed to the Champagne Pools - unfortunately they wern't pools full of champagne, it was a old volcanic rock formation which the waves crashed over to create a pool but as they crashed over it looked like champagne which was pretty cool! Ity was a really nice place to just chill out! After visiting the Pools we decided to drive down to Eli Creek so we could have a free day the next day to do what we wanted. Eli Creek was really nice and again really clear. We then headed back to the campsite for another pretty drunken night with more drinking games on the go! At one point Laura stiched up all the lads so we had to run naked round the campsite - i can't believe how often my clothes have come off since i've been travelling haha! That night in the tent i was woken up by Luke an he was telling us all to look at something! Annie thought he was pointing out a spide while me an Hollie thought he was talking about the stars! after a while it clicked that the top of our tent had actually blown off so we had to go out an fix it - Not that we did too good a job as it came off again in the morning!!! The next day it was my turn to drive! As we decided to head out earlier then we should the driving was pretty difficult as the tide was in so we didn't have much of a choice of which parts of the beach to take! They were all pretty worried in the back haha but i had it covered :) We decided to check out Lake Walby. We had a 2.5k walk to get there which was nakering but it was well worth the effort! The lake was hidden behind these massive sand dunes and it was really secluded! We all jumped in the lake which was definately needed after the walk and we had a swim with the catfish! After everyone had started walking back me and Laura were the last one's to get all our stuff together but which worked out pretty well as all the catfish come over to where we had just been swimming so we got to see loads of them. We then headed down the bumpy roads to lake mckenzie for a quick group picture, so i decided to get my own back on everyone in the back as i kept getting the back seat and getting flung around everywhere! So i hit the bumps at full pelt, throwing everyone in the back all over the place it was a great laugh - well for me anyway lol! When we got the ferry back the timing was perfect as the heavens opened and it absolutely hammered it down!! It was St Paddys day when we got back so we all had a few drinks in the bar which were green and then a few of us went to the irish pub round the corner for a quick pint! I tried a black velvet - guiness an cider which wasn't actually that bad! We didn't stay out to late as we were all pretty nakered and our livers probably needed a bit of a break :s All in all though Fraser island was quality, i had a top group an the weather was superb! The only downfall was them dam Mozzys who absolutely loved me, even with my bug spray!!! I'm heading up to 1770 now where hopefully i'll get to ride a twist and go chopper bike then i'm off to go sailing on the whitsundays. I'm hoping that will still go ahead as at the moment they've just evacuated Airlie Beach due to a cyclone so the boats can't go out at the moment - i've got my fingers crossed the weather sorts itself out before saturday!! Well thats it then i hope your all well anyway, speak to you all soon!

Noosa, Queensland

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:08:54 GMT

Hey all, hope everything is going well back home! I'm just waiting for a bus AGAIN so thought i'd give you a quick update while i've got nothing else to do! I arrived in Noosa on the Friday an just chilled out at the hostel as i was pretty nakered! The next morning i got up early and headed to the Australia Zoo - Home of the crocodile hunter!!! I got talking to Spencer an Reeka on the bus so went round the zoo with them. It wasn't as big as I thought it would be but they are still extending it. It was really good walking round as i recognised quiet a few things that were on the old crocodile hunter show with Steve Irwin! The best part orf the day had to be the show in the Crocoseum where they had all the birds flying round and they got the crocodiles out an made them jump out the water etc! We also got to stroke the Koolas and feed the Kangroo's while we were going round which was pretty kool! The reptile enclosure was also good as we got to see all the venomous snakes including the two most venomous snakes in the world - even though they were in cages you still didn't want to get too close!!! The only bad part of the day was the weather, it was shocking, one minute it would be baking hot then the next it would be hammering it down with rain so we had to buy these stupid packamacks and keep taking them on and off!! After we got back i was completely shattered after walking round all day so i just crashed out back at the hostel! The next day i had to get my bus up to Hervey Bay so i justed headed into the town to have a bit of a look round, then went to the beach! The beach was really nice there and there was a surf competition going on as well which was really good to watch! It was only the first heats to start with so eanyone could enter an some of them were pretty shocking but there were a few who knew what they were doing so that was pretty cool! I should of entered and showed them my skills haha!

Hobart, Tasmania

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:59:09 GMT

Hallo alle miteinander!! Bin jetzt seit gestern in Hobart, der Hauptstadt von Tasmanien!! Die Stadt ist echt schoen aber halt ziemlich klein, kann man mit Melbourne ueberhaupt nicht vergleichen. Aber ich freu mich schon auf die tollen landschaften, mir haben jetzt schon ein paar Leute Bilder gezeigt und des is echt der Hammer da! Lina und Nina sind heute angekommen und jetzt werden wir dann gleich zu ner Autovermietung gehn. Dachten naemlich, das wir kein Auto mieten koennen weil wir unter 21 sind, aber eine Vermietung macht es wohl doch...hoffentlich... ansonsten suchen wir uns ne Mitfahrgelegenheit oder machem ne Tour. Von Melbourne musste ich mich jetzt schweren Herzens verabschieden, also in die Stadt hab ich mich echt verliebt! Aber der letzte Abend war echt ein schoener Abschluss, am federation square war ein food festival und es gab barilla pasta, geiles brot und Popcorn umsonst. Und dann kam auch noch der deutsche film Bella marta auf ner riesen Leinwand und soagr auf Deutsch!! Mein Gott, meine Reise neigt sich auch schon wieder dem Ende zu, nicht mal mehr einanhalb Monate und ich steh schon wieder am Muencher Flughafen. Die Zeit ist einerseits viel zu schnell vergangen, es gaeb noch so viel wass ich machen und sehn moechte, aber andererseits freu ich mich auch total tierisch auf Zuhause, auf mein eigenes Bett, meinen Kleiderschrank und einfach darauf tausend Sorgen weniger zu haben weil ich nicht ein Hostel suchen muss oder so. Ach ja und ich freu mich natuerlich auch auf euch ;) Fuer Alice Springs mach ich noch nen eigenen Eintrag, abe rdie Tour war echt der Hammer! Hoff euch gehts allen gut und nach nachtraeglich alles Gute zum St.Patrick's Day!! :) UteSchnute

Trujillo, Peru

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:55:20 GMT

Volunteering Part One: So, after a hair raising bus journey (anyone travelling to South America, NEVER travel with CIAL buses), we arrived tired and confused in the city of Trujillo where we would be spending the next month volunteering. Not a great looking city, it´s the third largest in Peru and more of an economic hub than a tourist attration, but that was ok as we were there to work! Arriving at the address we´d been given, we were ushed straight to bed by Carmen, the old Peruvian lady we´d be staying with for the duration of our time in Trujillo. She had a strange, dark, silent house with 2 downstairs rooms modified into classrooms with chairs and a whiteboard and a small kitchen which never seemed to have any food in it whatsoever. Upstairs there was a bathroom with a toilet that only flushed in the mornings, think we all had a few embarrasing moments with that one, and then 2 rooms for volunteers, a tiny dark space with a computer and sofá and then Carmen´s bedroom and her nephew, David´s, who ran the volunteer program Espaanglish. The other thing about Auntie Carmen´s was that she owned 20 or more guinea pigs which she kept in her tiny yard just below our bedroom window. These she bred to eat on special occasions, and after a few days there, listening to their weird gruntings in the night, I began to think about telling her it was my birthday, and maybe tims as well, just so we´d have a few less squealing rodents about the house. The other volunteer in the house was a 6´5´´ American guy from Portland, Oregan, complete with long straggly ginger ponytail, all the hair was shaved underneath, and a big bushy ginger beard. His name was Travis and he liked talking very loudly. After meeting David, 27, and Crystal, the organisers, we received our timetables for the month. On Wednesdays and Fridays, Tim and I would be leading the adult conversation clases from 7-9pm. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays we would be working from 8-5pm with another charity organisation called SKIP, website:http://skipperu.org/en in a school in the poorest area of the región called El Porvenir. I would be mostly helping with the English classes and Tim would be more involved with Sports. After introductions we had a few days to settle in before we began. About 40 minutes combi ride away (a combi is a small van with 15 seats , although you´d be surprised how many people can fit in one, that costs 30p and drives around the city with a guy hanging out the side shouting the combi´s destination. Not the comfiest of transports, but it´s definitely the cheapest) was the small town of Huanchaco. A lovely beach resort complete with fish restaurants, reed boats and surfing all year round. The weekend we arrived was the world surf championships qualifier which was pretty cool, although a Brazilian won over the Peruvian and some b***** stole tim´s flip flops prompting a barefooted search around shops back in Trujillo for some new ones. Then, it was time to begin volunteeing. The school was a 20minute taxi ride from Carmen´s and we set off bright eyed and bushy tailed with our nifty blue sleeveless jackets on marking us out as volunteers. As soon as you left Trujillo and entered El Porvenir you could tell things were different. Children running about bare foot and grubby, rubbish everywhere and rotting cow carcasses lined up outside houses waiting to be sold for leather I guess. We met the other SKIP volunteers outside the school, most of whom were American but with a few Danish, English and French as well. Then it was time to open the gates and let the kids in. There were 4 classes altogether of about 25 kids and my first day was spent assisting in the English classes as another guy called Tim from the US lead the teaching of ABC, 123 and basic questions such as , How are you? Where are you from? Etc. Timmy G´s first day was spent doing Art clases and making the children draw a picture of a person closest to them. Oh, and just in case you were wondering, everything, apart from the English classes, is taught in Spanish so the first day, and quite a lot of days after that as well, were spent answering ´Si´, si´ to questions that could have been, ´where´s the glue?´ ´That boy stole my shoe!´ and ´Can I go and play in the mud instead of listen to you?´. The best bit was when they asked us to read to them in Spanish and it was brilliant looking over to see Tim struggling just as much as me over the big words and pausing in all the wrong places! Finally managed to get some more Spanish lessons though and learn the all important imperatives such as , Sit Down! Draw! Silence! Shut the Door! Don´t climb out the window! etc. I was also given my own secondary classes to teach on Wednesdays and Thursdays which was great as I was in charge of a whole class to myself and had to do lesson plans and think of imaginative ways to use the limited materials provided. Not having handouts was really hard as the kids have to copy everything from the board which takes ages!Timmy G was also given the post of swimming instructor as he was the only volunteer with any lifeguarding or swimming teacher experience! The community actually had a really nice compound with a huge swimming pool in it, but most of the kids had never been in the water before which presented quite a Challenge as the pool was fairly deep and there was 20 kids to 2 teachers.A safety inspectors nightmare.

Calgary, Alberta

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:43:34 GMT

Hello everyone! Our final morning in Jasper dawned bleak and damp: the clouds laden and the roads treacherous. After some consideration and with great reluctance, we turned our back on the Icefield Parkway - in any case, much reduced in scenic splendour obscured by the dank, disorientating fog - and retraced our route back east, towards Edmonton and Highway 2, the main arterial motorway connecting that city to its southern sister and our destination, Calgary. Our reasoning ran along the lines that travelling conditions were so terrible that we should maintain a course employing only the largest, busiest roads, as these would be the best serviced and with the added boon that if the weather did prove too dangerous, we could abort and head straight on to Edmonton for the night and await better conditions, hopefully, the following day. As luck would have it - luck, coupled with Kelsey's inspired driving and determination to reach Calgary and her new beau Todd(!) - we were able to soldier on past Edmonton and begin the long, punishing descent through central Alberta along Highway 2. This trip was difficult indeed, bordering upon the surreal at times; I learnt much that day about the harsh facet of the weather in wintry Canada and the necessary toughness bred within those people willing to brave its steely aspect on a yearly basis. I came to appreciate even more fully also the sheer vastness of this country's scale. Here we were, travelling at roughly 40-60 kpm (dependent uopn the ever-changing road and weather conditions) through a mere fraction of the length of a single province and it took us an entire day. The journey itself was eerie, as we ploughed through clinging wisps of fog, hail and snow, along tracks of ice, ghostly headlights rising to greet us, fleetingly, before flashing past and away, back into the gloom. Long minutes would pass between such transient meetings, time in which the mind could well come to imagine that we were the only hardy, neigh; fool-hardy, beings on the road. Other meetings were less alluring, far less pleasant: every few kilometers, we would drive by cars, trucks, vans beached in the snow drifts off the sides of the road. Most were simply abandoned, half sunk into the blanketing whiteness, but all too often we passed vehicles on their side, or even their roof - indeed, the most harrowing moment came as we neared our goal of Calgary, where we crawled past a jeep that could have veered off the road only minutes earlier (people were still emerging from the wreckage and ambulances, sirens blazing, were still en route to the scene further down the road, heading back in the other direction, away from us). It was on its roof and we all were shocked by the sight. Kelsey questioned whether we should stop, but the conditions were dreadful and the sight and sound of the ambulances convinced us that all was under control as well as it could be in such a nightmarish situation. We drove on, ever cautious and finally, after some nine hours on the road, we entered Calgary and pulled up outside the tasteful apartment of Todd, Kelsey's new boyfriend, relieved to have arrived safely, unlike the other poor commuters, their numbers too high to count, whose vehicles we had seen so forlorn besides the road on our way down. We arrived in Calgary just in time for New Year's and so, for a quandry: how best for three great, yet very different, friends to celebrate such a (non-)momentous night? Without mentioning any names (there really is no need), we were torn, desiring a quiet, relaxing night filled with good food and good company, a riotous, outrageous dance-fest and all things in-between. I have never been a huge fan of New Year's as far as celebrating it is concerned: the highs and lows of an entire year are recalled in the space of only a single night, with - generally speaking - copious amounts of alcohol thrown in for good measure. The pressure, however apparent or otherwise, seems always to exist come New Year's: with whom are you going to celebrate, where are you going to celebrate, how are you going to celebrate? By the time the big night rolls around, I am too exhausted to much care, far less after the customary heavy drinking and occasional drama. Many of these concerns were missing from this year's celebration, which is perhaps why I was still enthusiastic come New Year's Eve: I did not need to worry about with whom I was and was not going to celebrate the evening, but there were some issues regarding the how, as mentioned above and, therefore, also the where. Fortunately, my imput in these matters was negligible, as I was content simply to be with my good friends in a new, exciting city. Eventually, Kelsey and Todd hit upon a master-stroke, Kelsey once again spoiling us with her diplomatic and generous approach: we were to spend the evening at a bar in Calgary's down-town area, complete with a dance-floor and all for a ludicrously small cover-charge, all of which covered everyone's various wants. The evening stole upon us, accompanied by the raw wintry chill to which Seb and I were becoming so accustomed and we sallied forth to our chosen location. We procured a table and proceeded with plentiful pitchers of good, local beers and ales. Thus did our final evening of 2009 past, right up until the final minutes preceding midnight, at which point we grabbed our drinks and headed for the dance-floor, where we held the count-down, locked in a tight, personal circle. It seemed appropriate indeed that I should end such a fantastic, definitive year in the company of my two greatest companions from the life-shaping trip that so dominated it, far from home, embarked on yet another adventurous undertaking. Looking back, it comes as something of a mild surprise that I did not linger over many past deeds during the night: I was far more content to remain in the moment, chatting away with Kelsey, Seb and Todd about the here and now much more than the there and then. Again, I sense that this was appropriate for us all, a feeling that is supported by the simple instinct upon that night, leading the conversation in the ways that it did. The remainder of the night, the earliest hours of 2010 and a new decade, passed with much less lustre: Kelsey and Todd departed soon after midnight, leaving Seb and me to make do with the heaving dance-floor and plentiful revellers. After dancing happily for a short while, it became apparent that the party was winding down for many and I too was feeling ready for the off. Unfortunately, by this point Seb had embarked upon what he does best in such situations and so a girl prevented us from leaving the venue for another good hour. It was at this point, with so few people left with whom to make conversation, that thoughts did drift lazily, inevitably to moments crowding the past year. Still, I found myself more than happy to relive these flashbacks and I was perfectly content keeping company with my marvellous memories. The past is not just one, but a whole collection of foreign lands, each different from the last and many providing welcome relief whenever the desire takes hold and I sojourn there once again. Journeys are frequent, departure times haphazard and the duration varies. So it was that 2009 passed into this collection of distant lands, to be returned to, revisited at any time. The danger, always of course, is that such a retracing of one's steps can never match the initial encounter; the edges are blurred, the time shifting and disconcerting, the memory distanced. Nonetheless, with such borne in mind and with some practice, this mode of travel can yet reap ample rewards. 2009 certainly reaped for me more than ample rewards: it is a year that I shall forever look back upon with huge fondness and a true sense of thrill, excitement and contentment. To borrow a phrase particular to Che Guavara, yet common to us all; "I am not the same as I was before" and still, I am all the better for it and grateful indeed. So it is that 2010 opened in Calgary and now, finally, here upon this page as well: on to a new year and to new adventures! Best wishes to all! David xxx

Punta Del Este, Uruguay

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:45:39 GMT

So we got to Punta del Este after a gruelling 36 hours of travelling from iguazu (including a not so entertaining 8 hour wait in Buenos Aires bus station). Here is like the St Tropez of South America. Lots of shiny buildings, shiny boats, and rich americans. We were lucky enough to get the chance to experience the life of the rich as Oli knew a family from here who let him stay on their sun seeker. The boat was incredibly cool equipped with bedrooms, kitchen, and a wii to entertain us on the not so sunny days. Captain Carlos took us out one day to the little island off the coast. We took the tender to the boat out to do some water skiing and doughnutting. Hannah was excellent at this, Georgia not so much... however Georgia excelled in driving the boat and managed to throw Oli out of the doughnut ring whilst turning corners at high speeds! It has been like a holiday within a holiday and very different from a typical backpackers route. Not quite slummy enough for us, or within our budget range! It was nice to have a little luxury for a while, although we still havent managed to wash our clothes. Currently wearing denim shorts that have been worn nearly every day.. imagine the smell... Next stop, Buenos Aires.

Hotel Ranga, Iceland

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:14:46 GMT

My final day in Iceland and its still raining!!!!! I should have stayed in the UK for weather like this!! However I did manage to go out for a walk today and went and saw the river and had a look at the hot tubs which would hav tempted had it not been raining!! Iceland is amazing even though I hav seen very little of it. Definitely a place to return to, maybe with a driver next time or staying in a city!! There is far too much space to really walk alot!! The nearest town is a 10 minute car ride away!! I will be uploading my photos soon, i hav some nice ones of the hotels resident bear (stuffed!) so they will appear soon.

Kampala, Uganda

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:12:52 GMT

Cross posted from Border Jumpers, Danielle Nierenberg and Bernard Pollack. When we arrived by bus at the HIV/AIDS Resource Center in Katuna, Uganda (the border between Rwanda and Uganda), twenty men were intently watching a match between Manchester United and Chelsea on a small television. Along with the pool table, board games, and additional television downstairs, soccer games provide a much needed distraction for the long-distance truckers who have to wait for their vehicles to be cleared by customs before entering Rwanda. But just eight months ago, instead of television and camaraderie among workers, the easiest diversion for truckers was sex. Katuna is one of many towns along what is known as the Northern Transport Corridor-a span of highway that stretches from Mombasa, Kenya through Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and all the way to Djibouti. In the past, the truckers were often delayed for days on the border, giving them little to do. Boredom-and drinking-often led to unsafe sex with prostitutes at the truck stops along the highway. As a result, truck drivers have one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in Eastern Africa. Unfortunately, the virus doesn't stop with them, and is often spread to their spouses. Now, thanks to the work of the Solidarity Center, a non-profit launched by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organziations (AFL-CIO) to empower workers around the world by helping them form unions, and Uganda's Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union (ATGWU), which has about 3,500 members in Uganda, the amount of time truckers spend on the border has been reduced from days to just hours. The union has worked through bargaining with the government to reduce the amount of time it takes their paper to go through which reduced the amount of free time they have on the border. When they don't have as much free time, they're not as likely to engage in unsafe sex. The Katuna resource center, like many others dotted along the transport corridor, offers training and education to truckers and sex workers, and provides reading materials like pocket guides explaining sexually transmitted infections and the dangers of letting them go untreated. More than 150,000 truck drivers and community members have received prevention services, care and support information through one-on-one or community group outreach. The Center also provides free testing for truck drivers, already more than 5,000 of them to date. As we continued along into Kampala, you can't help but immediately feel the pulse and energy of the bustling city. In fact, we love this country so much we have no doubt we'll be back sometime in the future. People here are also very laid back -- We've even gone three days without a cup of coffee here and didn't seem to mind. You hear the words "Hakuna Matata" everywhere. Literally. Internet services down nationwide all day? Hakuna Matata... Flights cancelled? Hakuna Matata... Two hours in wall-to-wall rush hours in Kampala? Hakuna Matata... We spent a lot of time letting go and reversing any stereotypical American traveler latte-induced behavior... Right after arriving, we visited the Mukono District, about an hour outside of Kampala, Uganda, where we met up with Edward Mukiibi and Roger Serunjogi, coordinators of the Developing Innovations in School Cultivation (DISC) project. Edward, 23, and Roger, 22 started the project in 2006 as a way to improve nutrition, environmental awareness, and food traditions and culture in Mukono by establishing school gardens at 15 preschool, day and boarding schools. And over the last year, DISC has received global attention for its work-DISC is now partly funded by Slow Food International. They started with Sunrise School, a preschool taking care of children between the ages of 3 and 6. By teaching these kids early about growing, preparing, and eating food they hope to cultivate the next generation of farmers and eaters who can preserve Uganda's culinary traditions. In addition to teaching the children about planting indigenous and traditional vegetables and fruit trees, DISC puts a big emphasis on food preparation and processing. "If a person doesn't know how to cook or prepare food, they don't know how to eat," says Edward. The kids at Sunrise-and the other schools working with DISC-know how to grow, how to prepare, and how to eat food, as well as its nutritional content. As a result, these students grow up with more respect-and excitement-about farming. At Sirapollo Kaggwass Secondary School, we met 19 year-old Mary Naku, who is learning farming skills from DISC. This was her school's first year with the project and Mary has gained leadership and farming skills. "As youth we have learned to grow fruits and vegetables," she says, "to support our lives." Thanks to DISC, students no longer see agriculture as an option of last resort, but rather as a way to make money, help their communities, and preserve biodiversity. We were so impressed with project DISC and urge you to check out this opinion-editorial we wrote about them for the Des Moines Register. With 1,000 words nearly coming to an end... We would be remiss if we didn't mention that Uganda, like most of the countries in Africa, is full of contradictions. While everyone we met in Uganda was friendly and helpful, going out of their way to assist us when we needed directions, a Wifi hotspot, or a place to find vegetarian food, the country also has some of the most restrictive laws against human rights on the continent. While we were there, the "Bahati Bill" was introduced in parliament. The Bahati called for life in prison -- and in some case the death penalty -- for people found "guilty" of homosexual activity. As gay marriage laws are passed around the world, including most recently in Mexico City, it's hard to believe that lawmakers would punish people for being gay or having HIV/AIDS. The Bahati bill also punishes anyone who fails to report a homosexual act committed by others with up to three years in jail, and a prison sentence of up to seven years for anyone who defends the rights of gays and lesbians. Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, due to mounting pressure from governments such as the United States, across Europe, and in Canada, said that he opposes the measure, and would attempt to try and soften the bill. Yet, even the possibility that a watered-down version of the proposed law could be passed, is an alarming sign of a dangerous trend of prejudice all over Africa. In Blantyre, Malawi, for example, a gay couple was arrested a few months ago after having a traditional engagement ceremony. Homosexuality is punishable by 14 years in jail in Malawi. Other things we want to quickly note Where we stayed: overall, the Aponye Hotel in Kampala, Uganda is a very good budget option in the heart of the bustling city center. It is in walking distance from restaurants, markets, ATMs, the bus station and more. Approximately $35/night, the room was very simple, clean, with air-conditioning and hot showers, and Wifi in the lobby. The veg options were great: We ate fresh avocado, a local staple called posho (or maize flower), matooke (or banana), rice, and cassava. Served with the meal was a dipping sauce made of ground nuts and tomatoes cooked in a covered box sauce pan. Most of the vegetarian food is served in Uganda is steamed -- usually using banana leaves on the bottom. A must do: Go whitewater rafting at the base of the Nile (just a short ride from Kampala). Don't worry it's safe and you will have a lot of fun. Another must do: Go swimming in Lake Victoria -- no need for a fancy hotel, most will let you on the property to swim and use their facilities for a nominal fee. The overland bus company we recommend: Starways (and trust us -- because we traveled on all of them) Thank you for reading! If you enjoy our diary every day we invite you to get involved: 1. Comment on our daily posts -- we check for comments everyday and want to have a regular ongoing discussion with you. 2. Receive regular updates--Join the weekly BorderJumpers newsletter by clicking here. 3. Help keep our research going—-If you know of any great projects or contacts in West Africa please connect us connect us by emailing, commenting or sending us a message on facebook.

Bangkok, Thailand

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:12:09 GMT

Hello from Bangkok!...Dave has left me for a ladyboy... No, we arrived in Bangkok safetly (after several delays and an emergency landing in Kuwait...another country to tick off the list). Been out tday, our first experience in a tuctuc was...eventful! We got taken to tailors and jewellery stores because apparently if we bought something the tuctuc man got a free petrol coupon (David is now donning a bright white suit). Walked around the centre and got chucked out of a taxi on the way back because the driver didn't get his coupon...brilliant. Just getting a feel for things now, have eaten twice and managed to avoid cat feet (we think). Lots of love Sheree and David x

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:24:25 GMT

Ola Mis Amigos!! We finally made it to Mexico after a long and rather tiring journey, on which we realised that Belgians are probably one of the most annoying races around!! Upon arrival at Brussels Airport Simon and I decided to get a bit of rest on the most comfortable looking bit of marble. This would have been bearable had there not been some crazed Belgian man terrorising us whilst we tried to sleep with his floor polisher!! The next morning Simon and I drowzly got onto the plane to Cancun with rather a lot of crying children, however we both got a reasonable amount of sleep. We arrived in Cancun at 1 pm (local time) and proceeded through customs where we met Fran. After a brief catch up we caught the bus from outside the Airport Terminal to Playa del Carmen. The bus was rather pleasant with fully working aircon and films playing!! Upon arrival in Playa del Carmen we checked into our Hostel, Hostel Playa, which is a charming little place with many rooms and a communal area where the Football matches were being shown on TV. We were all relieved to have a good shower and a freshen up and decided to head down to the beach. The beach was stunning with crystal clear warm water and white sand, Paradise!!! We discussed the plan of action for the coming weeks in Mexico and Guatemala with the sound of live music on the beach. We had a roam down the main road through Playa del Carmen, Quintana Avenue (which is on google street view for all interested). Although incredibly touristy with people shouting at you from all angles the weather was warm and the atmosphere incredibly upbeat. We decided to grab a bite to eat in a little cafe down near our Hostel. The meal was nice, and was even better seeing at it was cooked by a mexican midget (something which pleased Simon greatly). The waiter brought over a sauce which he described as Caliente, so we knew it would be hot, however after just a tiny amount Simon and I were in considerable mouth pain, very little taste buds left after that!! Today we plan to head south down the coast to a town called Tulum. Not sure if there will be internet access, so I shall update as and when, and will have some photos to come!!! Much Love Simon and Howard

Hanoi, Vietnam

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:43:23 GMT

Ein letztes Mal "Hallo aus Hanoi" Morgen in der Frueh fliegen wir zurueck nach Bangkok und werden dort noch 2 Naechte verbringen, bis es am 20. Maerz am spaeten Abend dann weiter Richtung Dubai geht. Zur aktuellen Situation, weil es "Nachfragen" gab: Die Lage in Bangkok scheint trotz massiver Proteste der Rothemden, die Einfahrtsstrassen und Regierungsgebaude belagern, relativ entspannt zu sein. Es kam zu keinen gewalttaetigen Ausschreitungen und auch unsere groesste Sorge - das Einnehmen des Internationalen Flighafens, wie es 2009 der Fall war - ist wohl bei Weitem nicht absehbar, sodass wir problemlos in 3 Tagen Bangkok auch per Flugzeug verlassen koennen... Also keine Sorge :) Die Proteste verlaufen erstaunlich friedlich, lediglich mit erheblichen Verkehrsproblemen und Sperrungen diverser innenstaedtischer Gebiete in Bangkok muss gerechnet werden... Gestern morgen starteten wir gegen 8 Uhr mit unserem Bus nach Halong City, was wieder am Meer liegt. Nach kurzer Pause in einem der touristischen Souvenirtempel kamen wir dann um ca. 12 Uhr im hafen von Halong City an und bestiegen - zusammen mit (nur) 12 weiteren Passagieren unser Schiffchen. Kurz danach legten wir dann ab und begannen unsere wirklich eindrucksvolle Bootstour durch die Welterbestaette Halong Bay, also Halong Bucht. Bei einem gewaltigen Panorama zwischen mehr als 3000 Kalksteininseln bekamen wir sogar ein reichhaltiges Seafood-Lunch an Bord. Muscheln, Tintenfisch, frischer Halong Fisch und vieles mehr. Anschliessend besichtigten wir die Paradise Cave, eine gigantische Hoehle in einem der riesigen Karstfelsen, in der locker ein Flugzeug Platz gehabt haette. Mit uns an Bord waren uebrigens ueberwiegend deutschsprachige und ein nettes Paerchen aus Neuseeland, mit dem wir nett ins Gespraech kamen. Gegen 17 Uhr erreichten wir dann die Nationalpark-Insel Cat Ba. Vom Anleger ging es per Bus durch eine eindrucksvolle bergige und menschenleere (!) Landschaft nach Cat Ba Stadt, wo unser Deluxe Hotel auf uns wartete: Schlimmer wie auf Cat Ba im Sun & Sea Hotel mussten wir bisher in ganz Indochina nicht uebernachten. Das Zimmer war dreckig, die Betten feucht, die Umegebung laut und das Hotel roch nach Pipi - ein Traum. Wir haben unser Zimmer wirklich nur zum kurzen Schlaf betreten und das Badezimmer moeglichst gemieden. Am Abend erkundeten wir noch das Badeparadies der Hanoi-Bevoelkerung, allerdings ist das Wetter jetzt zu dieser Jahreszeit bescheiden, sodas im Ort fast schon tote Hose war. Die Hafenpromenade war relativ leer, sogar Autos sah man fast keine - nur der Laerm aus den Karaoke-Bars schallte ueber die Strassen. Heute Morgen ging es dann wieder um 7.45 Uhr an Bord eines weiteren Schiffes und wieder mitten rein in die Halong Bucht, wo wir unzaehlige Formationen und Fischerdoerfchen auf dem Wasser zu sehen bekamen. Den Rest des Tages verbrachten wir dann noch mit der 3,5 stuendigen Rueckfahrt nach Hanoi, dem Check-In in unser alt bewaehrtes Hotel, der Buchung unseres Flughafen-Taxis fuer morgen frueh und ESSEN :) Aufstehen muessen wir morgen um 5 Uhr, danach fahren wir zum Airport und beginnen die Rueckreise Richtung Heimat, wenn auch noch mit 2 Zwischenstopps :) Asiatische Gruesse aus dem vietnamesischen Norden, Basty PS: :-*

Cat Ba, Vietnam

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:17:52 GMT

Siehe naechsten Blogeintrag / Hanoi :)