Okay so I'm determined to get this all finished before the New Year...
Next stop was Mexico City as part of the 2 weeks I had in Mexico.
I was fortunate to have a friend, that I first met at Glastonbury, who lived in Mexico City and so I had plenty of tips for my time here.
As per usual I spent the first couple of days in the City wandering around getting my bearings. Mexico City is HUGE so I quickly realised I wasn't going to be able to see all of it, as such I focused on districts that particularly appealed to me.
These first days I visited the university district and San Angel, an older town that got submerged as the city spiralled. An area most famous as the home of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, a nice contrast to the crazyness of the Centro Historico.
As well as getting all this culture in I still managed to find time to watch Mexico get knocked out of the Copa America in a recommended Tapas bar.
Next up I met up with Alejandro who showed me some of the less visited sight around town, including a stop at the Plaza Garibaldi-Mariachi where we drank pulque while watching genuine Mariachi touting for business!
We then booked a day trip to see some of the sights around Mexico City culminating in a trip to Teotihuacán, a pre Aztec city on the outskirts of Mexico City. It is a truly staggering archeological site with two pyramid temples believed to be the inspiration for the famous Aztec temples built in Mexico City itself. Unfortunately it was chucking it down with rain all day we lingered far longer in the traditional tequila factory next door...
Alejandro also pointed me in the direction of some great gig venues so I finally got a fix of live music that I'd been sorely missing.
I returned to Mexico City after a few days on the West coast of Mexico to visit the remaining sites including the Metropolitan Cathedral (The largest cathedral in the American continent), the Palacio Nacional and the Templo Mayor the only remaining ruins of the Aztec city upon which Mexico City now stands. I also stopped by to show solidarity with the trade unionists occupying the Zócalo...
Mexico City was definitely one of the best cities I visited, a vibrant place with more museums and archaeological sites then anyone could hope to visit in one trip. You could spend two weeks in the National Anthropological Museum alone!!!
Next up was Acapulco an unintended destination... All will be explained (hopefully in less than 2 months this time)
Thursday 15 December 2011
Tuesday 4 October 2011
Lima
Although I spent a week in Lima I couldn't for the life of me remember what I actually did with that time.
A day or so thinking about it has brought it all back to me... I watched a lot of the Copa America and by a lot I mean almost all of the games!
I was staying in the Miroflores area of Lima which is the most touristy district on the coast. It has several picturesque squares and also lots of (again touristy) bars and restaurants. Miraflores is several kilometers away from the Centro Historico the original part of Lima laid out by the conquistador Pizarro.
I decided to visit the Centro Historico early on in my stay. I had been warned that Lima was quite a dangerous city and in particular the public transport. During my stay I used the local buses and the new Rapid Transport metro system and had no problems what so ever. Having caught the bus up to the Centro Historico I visited the Cathedral, the Bishops Palace and the Presidential Palace as well as the Convento de San Francisco, one f the earliest Convents in the whole of South America. Complete with catacombs containing the remains of hundreds of the founding inhabitants of Lima, not for the fainthearted!
I thought Lima had some of the best nightlife in South America particularly of you got away from Pizza Street in Miraflores. I really enjoyed a couple of nights out in Barranco, a neighbouring district to Miraflores with a much more edgy vibe and some great bars.
One of my original plans for Lima was to take some surfing lessions. Unfortunately I took one look at the dirty polluted coastline in Lima and decided it wasn't for me...
Lima was also home to one of my favourite museums in South America, the Larco Museum, a fantastically presented collection of pre Inca art and artifacts.
Lima was a great place to top off a great country and indeed a great continent. Next stop was a flight up to Mexico and a brief stop in Central America.
A day or so thinking about it has brought it all back to me... I watched a lot of the Copa America and by a lot I mean almost all of the games!
I was staying in the Miroflores area of Lima which is the most touristy district on the coast. It has several picturesque squares and also lots of (again touristy) bars and restaurants. Miraflores is several kilometers away from the Centro Historico the original part of Lima laid out by the conquistador Pizarro.
I decided to visit the Centro Historico early on in my stay. I had been warned that Lima was quite a dangerous city and in particular the public transport. During my stay I used the local buses and the new Rapid Transport metro system and had no problems what so ever. Having caught the bus up to the Centro Historico I visited the Cathedral, the Bishops Palace and the Presidential Palace as well as the Convento de San Francisco, one f the earliest Convents in the whole of South America. Complete with catacombs containing the remains of hundreds of the founding inhabitants of Lima, not for the fainthearted!
I thought Lima had some of the best nightlife in South America particularly of you got away from Pizza Street in Miraflores. I really enjoyed a couple of nights out in Barranco, a neighbouring district to Miraflores with a much more edgy vibe and some great bars.
One of my original plans for Lima was to take some surfing lessions. Unfortunately I took one look at the dirty polluted coastline in Lima and decided it wasn't for me...
Lima was also home to one of my favourite museums in South America, the Larco Museum, a fantastically presented collection of pre Inca art and artifacts.
Lima was a great place to top off a great country and indeed a great continent. Next stop was a flight up to Mexico and a brief stop in Central America.
Sunday 2 October 2011
Cusco
After the fun and games that was the crossing from Bolivia to Peru and then the eerie quiet that was Puno I finally made it to Cusco, although not without a 5 hour detour to avoid the protesters. Cusco was absolutely one of the highlights of my trip! I enjoyed it so much I stayed for two weeks!
I was lucky in my timing arrive bang in the middle of Inti Raymi (Festival of the Sun), one of the most significant Inca festivals with daily activities and parades though out Cusco. It coincides with the Summer Solstice and culminates in a magnificent festival at Sacsayhuamnan the Inca fort on the outskirts of Cusco.
I decided as I was going to be in Peru for several weeks to join the South American Explorers Club, which has club houses in both Cusco and Lima. This turned out to be an inspired decision.
On my second day in Cusco (the solstice day itself) they were running a guided trek around Cusco visiting ancient Inca sites that can only really be explored with a guide. We visited temples and sacrifice sites specifically designed so that during the solstice the shadows from the sun create images of sacred animals and gods. Unfortunately it was cloudy that day.... Maybe next year.
I had planned to fit in plenty of activities while in Cusco which meant some juggling with schedules. Number one on my list was a trip to Machu Picchu. I made the trip to Aguas Calientes myself by bus shared taxi and a 10 km walk along the railway at the end. A lovely trip that saved me $45.
After a pleasant night in the town (watching the Copa Libertadores Final) I got up to go to Machu Picchu the next day. I decided not to join the race to climb Wayna Picchu (I didn't go traveling to stress out racing to climb a hill) and so when I arrived at Machu Picchu I was heading in the opposite direction to everybody else. I decided to walk up to the Sun Gate, the entrance for those doing the Inca Trail and an amazing view point of the entire complex. Back in the complex itself I visited the breath taking Inca Bridge and then decided to try and climb Machu Picchu Mountain itself it was only 800m more to climb....
If only it was that easy!! The entrance to the climb was hidden away but i eventually found it. At this point I had no water left and had not eaten but I though hey its only 800 meters. Little did I know what I'd set myself in for. It was 800m straight up, the view was stunning but suffice t say it nearly killed me!! By the time I came back down I was on the verge of collapse, the trip back to Cusco was all a blur.
After a day to recover I set out on activity number two... More White Water Rafting this time for 3 days along the sacred Apurimac River with rapids up to grade 5+ certainly the craziest rafting trip I took during my travels. A highlight of this trip was camping on the shores of the river with a group of Condors circling, as far for civilisation as it was possible to be. Also I didn't fall in once!
Trying to squeeze every little bit from Cusco the day after I got back from the rafting I headed out for a 4 day trek around the Lares Valley. This was not the most technically challenging trek (although it reached 4200m) but was stunning in scenery and an amazing way to meet the local people living in a manner not that far removed from their Inca ancestors!
Back in Cusco I spent a couple of days chilling out and visiting the local tourist spots. Including Qoricancha which was one of the most sacred Inca palaces in Cusco and the site of a post Colombian cathedral built on its foundations. This is amazing to see the standards of Inca stone work particularly when compare to Middle Ages European style. Its no wonder that during the many earthquakes Cusco is subject to, not a single Inca building collapsed while the early Spanish building have long since collapsed.
After and amazing couple of weeks next stop Lima... and a lot of football watching
Time to update
Having been back to work for a month I think its high time I attempted to complete my blog and record of my travels so here goes....
Saturday 20 August 2011
Home
I'll be home on Tuesday and back in London on Wednesday next week.
I promise I'll update the last two months of blog on my return.... Honest...
I promise I'll update the last two months of blog on my return.... Honest...
Saturday 9 July 2011
Copacabana and Puno
After recovering from my unplanned drinking in La Paz I made it to Copacabana on the Bolivian edge of Lake Titicaca the highest fresh water lake in he world at an altitude of just shy of 4000 meters!
I was unsure of how long I would spend here because ongoing boarder issues so I planned a few activities to keep me occupied.
Copacabana has he feel of a small seaside town with a rustic beach side, again it had a chilled out Bolivian vibe. The Bolivians are certainly relaxed and friendly people it must be all the coca they chew!
I spent the first day climbing up a hill (mountain!) to view, what turned out to be, very limited Inca ruins!
The next day I planned the first day of two on the Isle del Sol... an island on Lake Titicaca which is, in legend, the birthplace of the Inca religion and empire. I took the early boat to the north of the island. My plan was to trek along the mountain ridge to the south, stay overnight and return the next day. As it turned out by the time I'd viewed the Inca ruins and trekked the (exhausting at altitude) 4km to the South I was in time for the afternoon boat back to Copacabana and so didn't actually end up staying. Was still a cracking day though.
I'd heard a rumor that the Bolivia Peru boarder was closed (again!) due to ongoing protests my indigenous people in the Peru side over mining contracts. I found out all buses were canceled until further notice so book a boat to Puno. Little did I know what I had in store for the next day!!!
No buses were going from Copacabana to Puno (according to the 11 agencies I trawled around). On the 16th June buses were attacked by protesters throwing rocks so all companies suspended buses until further notice.
I took a boat but this was equally difficult.
The 8.00am boats were massively oversold with those travelling to the border being packed onto rowing boats and taken to the boats only to be sent back due to overcrowding.. I was not even taken to the border before being told my boat was cancelled.
I then booked onto the (more expensive) fast boat at 11am. We got to the Yunguyu/Kasani border but just as we were stamped out of Bolivia the protesters showed up at the Yunguyu/Kasani border and closed that. We waited 3 hours for them to disperse before we could stamp into Peru.
We were then taken to the boat through fields to avoid the protesters. Unluckily they spotted us on the way and confronted us. Luckily a Colombian traveller negotiated with them and eventually once we each paid them 10 soles they let us get to the boats.
The boats we were on then ran out of fuel 30mins from Puno so we drifted for an hour until another boat brought us some extra fuel. I eventually arrived in Puno an 8.30pm. Some journey!!
But hey I arrived so it could have been worse.
After all of that fun Puno was quite relaxed. Unlike Copacabana Puno is a city. I spent weekend wandering around looking at the great markets and trying (unsuccessfully) to find some football to watch.
I also managed to visit the floating islands. A community of people who live and man made reed islands on Lake Titicaca. Fascinating to see but way too geared up to tourists.
Surprise surprise the road to Cusco was blocked by protesters and so I had to book a 12 hour night bus (it normally takes 6) but hey, at least there were buses going....
I was unsure of how long I would spend here because ongoing boarder issues so I planned a few activities to keep me occupied.
Copacabana has he feel of a small seaside town with a rustic beach side, again it had a chilled out Bolivian vibe. The Bolivians are certainly relaxed and friendly people it must be all the coca they chew!
I spent the first day climbing up a hill (mountain!) to view, what turned out to be, very limited Inca ruins!
The next day I planned the first day of two on the Isle del Sol... an island on Lake Titicaca which is, in legend, the birthplace of the Inca religion and empire. I took the early boat to the north of the island. My plan was to trek along the mountain ridge to the south, stay overnight and return the next day. As it turned out by the time I'd viewed the Inca ruins and trekked the (exhausting at altitude) 4km to the South I was in time for the afternoon boat back to Copacabana and so didn't actually end up staying. Was still a cracking day though.
I'd heard a rumor that the Bolivia Peru boarder was closed (again!) due to ongoing protests my indigenous people in the Peru side over mining contracts. I found out all buses were canceled until further notice so book a boat to Puno. Little did I know what I had in store for the next day!!!
No buses were going from Copacabana to Puno (according to the 11 agencies I trawled around). On the 16th June buses were attacked by protesters throwing rocks so all companies suspended buses until further notice.
I took a boat but this was equally difficult.
The 8.00am boats were massively oversold with those travelling to the border being packed onto rowing boats and taken to the boats only to be sent back due to overcrowding.. I was not even taken to the border before being told my boat was cancelled.
I then booked onto the (more expensive) fast boat at 11am. We got to the Yunguyu/Kasani border but just as we were stamped out of Bolivia the protesters showed up at the Yunguyu/Kasani border and closed that. We waited 3 hours for them to disperse before we could stamp into Peru.
We were then taken to the boat through fields to avoid the protesters. Unluckily they spotted us on the way and confronted us. Luckily a Colombian traveller negotiated with them and eventually once we each paid them 10 soles they let us get to the boats.
The boats we were on then ran out of fuel 30mins from Puno so we drifted for an hour until another boat brought us some extra fuel. I eventually arrived in Puno an 8.30pm. Some journey!!
But hey I arrived so it could have been worse.
After all of that fun Puno was quite relaxed. Unlike Copacabana Puno is a city. I spent weekend wandering around looking at the great markets and trying (unsuccessfully) to find some football to watch.
I also managed to visit the floating islands. A community of people who live and man made reed islands on Lake Titicaca. Fascinating to see but way too geared up to tourists.
Surprise surprise the road to Cusco was blocked by protesters and so I had to book a 12 hour night bus (it normally takes 6) but hey, at least there were buses going....
Friday 8 July 2011
La Paz & Rurrenabaque
Okay I'm back...
iPhone has been replaced with an iPod Touch and the blog can resume. I've got some catching up to do!!! So where we... Arriving in La Paz that's where.
The first thing I noticed about La Paz was the amount of uphill involved. The second thing was the ridiculously high altitude. Once I got my head around those two (which took a while) I spent a week or so exploring the place.
The first two days were pretty much wiped out once I went out drinking with the owner of the loki hostel, but I didn't manage to book my ticket for the "death road" cycling.
The death road is the most dangerous road in the world, it's single lane gravel road that descends approx 3500 meters in 3 hours. On one side is a shear drop off of the cliff... An average of 2 travelers die each year off the edge.... I didn't die!
Next up was a flight to the jungle for 6 days. The plane was a 20 seated biplane which was an experience, but nothing compared to the airport at Rurrenabaque!! A grass field with a straw hut is probably the best description!!
Rurrenabaque was my favorite place in Bolivia, it had a chilled out vibe and plenty to do if it took you fancy. On my first day I booked my jungle trip with an Eco-lodge and had half a day spare. I made use of this by booking a kayaking trip a short way along the Rio Beni including a short trek to a natural pool for a bit of a swim. Certainly a nice way to welcome the change from dusty Andes to Amazon basin.
The jungle trip turned out to be a highlight of my whole trip. The company I booked with was actually the tourist arm of a community based on the edge if the Madidi national park. All of the trip was on their land and the guide were all from the community and so had grown up on this land.
Day one was in the community visiting a village ( the only one of 7 open to tourists) and trekking to a natural pool for a swim. I was with a family of 3 in including a four year old. He certainly enjoyed the swimming!!
Day 2 we took a 3 hour boat into the Madidi Nation park, although still on Ticana (the tribe) land. We had two days in the deep jungle to do several wildlife treks. We we incredibly lucky seeing loads of animals quite rare in the deep jungle, including 3 types of monkey, wild boar, a tapir, capybara and made others. We also saw numerous birds including, a particular highlight of mine, a Toucan!!!
After an amazing 2 days I had an extra day back in the community where I had great trek though a canyon and learnt about traditional hunting method's. As I said before, definitely a highlight of the trip.
God knows what possessed me, but I decided to book a day zip lining in the jungle tops to finish of the trip... I've never been so terrified in my entire life!!
Back in La Paz I got stuck for a day because of a strike preventing my onward trip to Copacabana and so did what any normal person would do... Visited the Coca/Cocaine museum and then went out drinking....
Pictures from my time in India up to Uyuni are now up on my picasa page...
http://picasaweb.google.com/tumbridge
iPhone has been replaced with an iPod Touch and the blog can resume. I've got some catching up to do!!! So where we... Arriving in La Paz that's where.
The first thing I noticed about La Paz was the amount of uphill involved. The second thing was the ridiculously high altitude. Once I got my head around those two (which took a while) I spent a week or so exploring the place.
The first two days were pretty much wiped out once I went out drinking with the owner of the loki hostel, but I didn't manage to book my ticket for the "death road" cycling.
The death road is the most dangerous road in the world, it's single lane gravel road that descends approx 3500 meters in 3 hours. On one side is a shear drop off of the cliff... An average of 2 travelers die each year off the edge.... I didn't die!
Next up was a flight to the jungle for 6 days. The plane was a 20 seated biplane which was an experience, but nothing compared to the airport at Rurrenabaque!! A grass field with a straw hut is probably the best description!!
Rurrenabaque was my favorite place in Bolivia, it had a chilled out vibe and plenty to do if it took you fancy. On my first day I booked my jungle trip with an Eco-lodge and had half a day spare. I made use of this by booking a kayaking trip a short way along the Rio Beni including a short trek to a natural pool for a bit of a swim. Certainly a nice way to welcome the change from dusty Andes to Amazon basin.
The jungle trip turned out to be a highlight of my whole trip. The company I booked with was actually the tourist arm of a community based on the edge if the Madidi national park. All of the trip was on their land and the guide were all from the community and so had grown up on this land.
Day one was in the community visiting a village ( the only one of 7 open to tourists) and trekking to a natural pool for a swim. I was with a family of 3 in including a four year old. He certainly enjoyed the swimming!!
Day 2 we took a 3 hour boat into the Madidi Nation park, although still on Ticana (the tribe) land. We had two days in the deep jungle to do several wildlife treks. We we incredibly lucky seeing loads of animals quite rare in the deep jungle, including 3 types of monkey, wild boar, a tapir, capybara and made others. We also saw numerous birds including, a particular highlight of mine, a Toucan!!!
After an amazing 2 days I had an extra day back in the community where I had great trek though a canyon and learnt about traditional hunting method's. As I said before, definitely a highlight of the trip.
God knows what possessed me, but I decided to book a day zip lining in the jungle tops to finish of the trip... I've never been so terrified in my entire life!!
Back in La Paz I got stuck for a day because of a strike preventing my onward trip to Copacabana and so did what any normal person would do... Visited the Coca/Cocaine museum and then went out drinking....
Pictures from my time in India up to Uyuni are now up on my picasa page...
http://picasaweb.google.com/tumbridge
Tuesday 14 June 2011
Salar de Uyuni and Southern Bolivia
To make the trip from Chile to Bolivia I booked a 4x4 trip across the Atacama desert and then across the Salar de Uyuni, the worlds largest salt flat. The trip was in a Landcruser with space for 6 people, although luckily our group was only 4 people so we had loads of space.
The whole journey to Uyuni in southern Bolivia took 3 days. Each day saw a completely different landscape
Day one we began by visiting several laguna´s, each a different colour, high in the volcano strewn mountain ranges dividing Chile and Bolivia. We also stopped at a hot spring situated at an altitude of 4200m and the incredible Sol de Manana Geyser Basin at 4950m! We finished the day at visiting the surreal Laguna Colorada. A laguna that's water is a bright red colour as a result of algae growing within. It is also home to hundred's of flamingos making a spectacular sight!
Day two began with a trip to a collection of desert rock formations cause by erosion of the different density volcanic rock. This was followed by several more laguna´s including the aquamarine coloured Laguna Verde at 5000m altitude. In the afternoon we visited the basin of one of the (long dormant) volcano's to see the bizarre lava formations. We finished the day arriving at a hostel made of salt on the edge of the Salar de Uyuni
Day three began with an early start to watch the sun rise on the otherworldly sight that is the Salar de Uyuni salt flat. This was followed by a visit to a volcanic cacti strewn island in the middle of the salt flat itself. The next few hours were spent viewing the salt flat from various different angles before we arrived at the edge of the town of Uyuni. The last sight of the trip was the railway graveyard, a collection of rusting steam trains and carriages that used be used to transport minerals from the region before prices made the extraction uneconomical.
The trip complete I stopped in Uyuni for two nights to wait for the train to Oruro, my next stop on the way to La Paz. Although I´d been told there was nothing to do in Uyuni I made the most of it. First up on arriving I found a bar where I could watch the Champions League final. That done I explored the entertainment options Uyuni had to offer. First up was the best pizza I´ve had since travelling at Minuteman Pizza, a restaurant run by an American. Next up was a few beers with some friends I made along the way before bed.
My full day in Uyuni I visited the local museum and predictably went to a local football match! The train journey was a pleasant overnight one to the city of Oruro .
Oruro is not really on the standard traveller route through Bolivia but I decided to stay overnight, I was glad I did. although Oruro wasn´t much to look at it had a nice central square, a great market and in the evening I had really good fun having a few beers in a local bar.
La Paz was only 3 hours by bus so the next nooning I headed to the bus station top catch one of the regular buses...
(Apologies for the lack of pictures and updates, I´ve been having technical difficulties also known as a dead iPhone)
Saturday 4 June 2011
San Pedro de Atacama
After an amazing trip through the Andes mountain range I arrived in San Pedro de Atacama (Chile), a oasis town in the centre of the Atacama desert.
My primary reason for stoping here was to arrange a 4x4 trip across the Salar de Uyuni salt flats into Bolivia, but I decided to spend a couple of days to explore the Atacama desert.
First up was a trip to the Moon Valley to watch the sun setting on the distant Andes. A really pleasant couple of hours trip which highlighted the unique features of the Atacama desert landscape.
Secondly was a stargazing trip in the desert. This was one of the highlights of my trip so far!
A two hour trip, during the first hour the expert astronomers explained the southern sky. The naked eye view was incredible I had never seen anything like it. Several distant galaxies were visible, along with Saturn and a huge part of the Milky Way.
The second hour we were able to make use of 9 telescopes set up to view the best the sky had to offer and we were shown how to take pictures of the night sky however cheap your camera is.
The next day I visited a pre colonial fort built by indigenous tribes in the mountains surrounding San Pedro, before going for a small trek to visit a recommended valley nearby.
Although San Pedro was a place geared up entirely to tourists I enjoyed my couple of days stop.
My primary reason for stoping here was to arrange a 4x4 trip across the Salar de Uyuni salt flats into Bolivia, but I decided to spend a couple of days to explore the Atacama desert.
First up was a trip to the Moon Valley to watch the sun setting on the distant Andes. A really pleasant couple of hours trip which highlighted the unique features of the Atacama desert landscape.
Secondly was a stargazing trip in the desert. This was one of the highlights of my trip so far!
A two hour trip, during the first hour the expert astronomers explained the southern sky. The naked eye view was incredible I had never seen anything like it. Several distant galaxies were visible, along with Saturn and a huge part of the Milky Way.
The second hour we were able to make use of 9 telescopes set up to view the best the sky had to offer and we were shown how to take pictures of the night sky however cheap your camera is.
The next day I visited a pre colonial fort built by indigenous tribes in the mountains surrounding San Pedro, before going for a small trek to visit a recommended valley nearby.
Although San Pedro was a place geared up entirely to tourists I enjoyed my couple of days stop.
Friday 3 June 2011
Salta
After the beauty of Iguizu I was a bit apprehensive over what to expect in Salta. I needn't have worried!
Salta is the capital of a huge state of northern Argentina bordering Bolivia to the north, Paraguay to the east and Chile to the west.
I arrived after an uneventful luxury 24 hour bus journey and immediately found my hostel. A pleasant place about 5 blocks from the centre of town. I was in a dorm but was lucky enough to be on my own for my entire stay which was a touch!
Salta is a great base for two reasons, first it is a picturesque city with colonial architecture and a great nightlife. Secondly it is a great starting point for exploring the surrounding countryside.
I decided to stop here for a week and quickly began planning my activities. The three outings I settled on were a trip to Cafayate through a fantastic gorge. The train to the clouds and some more whitewater rafting...
Once all these trips were booked up I hit the town, taking a cable car up the nearby mountain (1500 meters) for a great view over the town and then visiting a few of the local museums. The High Altitude Archaeology Museum, featuring a complete 3000 year old mummy was a particular highlight. That evening I hit the town to sample Salta's famous nightlife. It was a similar experience to Buenos Aires in that nothing started until gone midnight, something I'm still struggling to get used to.
Trip to Cafayate:
I was up early for this organised trip (6.30 ouch). It was a bus trip stopping off at several fascinating gorges and other rock formations
The afternoon involved a trip to a wine distillery and a trip to the town of Cafayate itself, a really nice trip overall.
Train to the clouds:
This was an 16 hour train ride up into the mountains that border Argentina and Bolivia. Initially built for mining use the train now runs four times weekly as a tourist attraction. On the 8 hour journey up you really get to see what a magnificent feat of engineering this was at the time it was built. The tide finishes at an aqueduct at 4200 meters before the long trip back down!
Whitewater rafting:
A really pleasant days rafting down through the green valleys south of Salta. Pictures here: https://picasaweb.google.com/tumbridge/RaftingInSalta#
Next up is a trip across to Chile on route to Bolivia...
Salta is the capital of a huge state of northern Argentina bordering Bolivia to the north, Paraguay to the east and Chile to the west.
I arrived after an uneventful luxury 24 hour bus journey and immediately found my hostel. A pleasant place about 5 blocks from the centre of town. I was in a dorm but was lucky enough to be on my own for my entire stay which was a touch!
Salta is a great base for two reasons, first it is a picturesque city with colonial architecture and a great nightlife. Secondly it is a great starting point for exploring the surrounding countryside.
I decided to stop here for a week and quickly began planning my activities. The three outings I settled on were a trip to Cafayate through a fantastic gorge. The train to the clouds and some more whitewater rafting...
Once all these trips were booked up I hit the town, taking a cable car up the nearby mountain (1500 meters) for a great view over the town and then visiting a few of the local museums. The High Altitude Archaeology Museum, featuring a complete 3000 year old mummy was a particular highlight. That evening I hit the town to sample Salta's famous nightlife. It was a similar experience to Buenos Aires in that nothing started until gone midnight, something I'm still struggling to get used to.
Trip to Cafayate:
I was up early for this organised trip (6.30 ouch). It was a bus trip stopping off at several fascinating gorges and other rock formations
The afternoon involved a trip to a wine distillery and a trip to the town of Cafayate itself, a really nice trip overall.
Train to the clouds:
This was an 16 hour train ride up into the mountains that border Argentina and Bolivia. Initially built for mining use the train now runs four times weekly as a tourist attraction. On the 8 hour journey up you really get to see what a magnificent feat of engineering this was at the time it was built. The tide finishes at an aqueduct at 4200 meters before the long trip back down!
Whitewater rafting:
A really pleasant days rafting down through the green valleys south of Salta. Pictures here: https://picasaweb.google.com/tumbridge/RaftingInSalta#
Next up is a trip across to Chile on route to Bolivia...
Monday 23 May 2011
Puerto Iguazú
My visit to Puerto Iguazú was an impromptu one, I hadn't even heard of it before arriving in Argentina! Suffice to say, looking back I'd have been gutted to have missed it, definitely a highlight of my trip.
Puerto Iguazú itself is a small town next to the Iguazú waterfalls national park. The Iguazú falls are situated between Brazil and Argentina. Part of the river that actually divides Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. From a point in you can actually see all three countries:
In this picture I'm standing in Argentina, Paraguay is to the left of the river, Brazil to the right.
But back to the falls. From the Argentina side you see the falls close up. I spent 2 days exploring this side. It was certainly far and away the most spectacular natural sight I have seen in my whole trip and that's saying something!
In the park itself there were several fantastic treks as well as a speedboat ride into the falls themselves... It was damp...
On my third day in Puerto Iguazú I took a trip across to the Brazilian side of the river to get a different perspective of the falls. Unfortunately the weather wasn't great but I still managed to walk the main trail and get a couple of pics:
The pictures say it all. I'm fairly sure as natural wonders go. The Iguazú falls will take some topping!! A big thanks to those in Buenos Aires that recommended them!!
The next stop is Salta (where I am now as you know from the rafting pics) update to follow, hopefully in the next day or so....
Puerto Iguazú itself is a small town next to the Iguazú waterfalls national park. The Iguazú falls are situated between Brazil and Argentina. Part of the river that actually divides Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. From a point in you can actually see all three countries:
In this picture I'm standing in Argentina, Paraguay is to the left of the river, Brazil to the right.
But back to the falls. From the Argentina side you see the falls close up. I spent 2 days exploring this side. It was certainly far and away the most spectacular natural sight I have seen in my whole trip and that's saying something!
In the park itself there were several fantastic treks as well as a speedboat ride into the falls themselves... It was damp...
On my third day in Puerto Iguazú I took a trip across to the Brazilian side of the river to get a different perspective of the falls. Unfortunately the weather wasn't great but I still managed to walk the main trail and get a couple of pics:
The pictures say it all. I'm fairly sure as natural wonders go. The Iguazú falls will take some topping!! A big thanks to those in Buenos Aires that recommended them!!
The next stop is Salta (where I am now as you know from the rafting pics) update to follow, hopefully in the next day or so....
Montevideo
I'd love to say that I decided to visit Montevideo in Uruguay to see a more chilled out version of Buenos Aires with more welcoming people.... Buy in truth I went just because I found out that the oldest derby in South America between Penarol and Nacional as taking place that weekend.
The Penarol National derby is notoriously crazy (check out this link: http://www.thefootballramble.com/dwhof/entrant/penarol-v-nacional)
But more of that later...
First up being a cheapskate I took a ferry and bus combination from BA that took 5 hours rather than the 2 hour direct route. I was pleasantly surprised, at first, to discover the bus part of the journey (after the 3 hour ferry across the River Plate) had wifi so I could listen to Spurs V Blackpool. Effing load of Sh*te etc etc...
Anyway I arrived in Montevideo and took pleasant stroll to my hotel. On arriving I found out that getting a ticket to the match would involve a trip to the national stadium which is... Next to the bloody bus station!
Touted ticket purchased (£25, 10 times face value) I spent a day exploring the city.
I really enjoyed the place. Nice simple colonial architecture but with pleasant tree lined streets and squares. The night life was limited but good fun, an added bonus.
So match day... I headed to the stadium wondering if my touted generic ticket would work. It did, I was in the Nacional end (70000 people attendance) and had a great time. The match finished 1 - 0 to my new South American team Nacional. Good times all round.
I passed the next day wandering the streets of Montevideo in the pleasant sun. A really nice diversion on my trip !
The Penarol National derby is notoriously crazy (check out this link: http://www.thefootballramble.com/dwhof/entrant/penarol-v-nacional)
But more of that later...
First up being a cheapskate I took a ferry and bus combination from BA that took 5 hours rather than the 2 hour direct route. I was pleasantly surprised, at first, to discover the bus part of the journey (after the 3 hour ferry across the River Plate) had wifi so I could listen to Spurs V Blackpool. Effing load of Sh*te etc etc...
Anyway I arrived in Montevideo and took pleasant stroll to my hotel. On arriving I found out that getting a ticket to the match would involve a trip to the national stadium which is... Next to the bloody bus station!
Touted ticket purchased (£25, 10 times face value) I spent a day exploring the city.
I really enjoyed the place. Nice simple colonial architecture but with pleasant tree lined streets and squares. The night life was limited but good fun, an added bonus.
So match day... I headed to the stadium wondering if my touted generic ticket would work. It did, I was in the Nacional end (70000 people attendance) and had a great time. The match finished 1 - 0 to my new South American team Nacional. Good times all round.
I passed the next day wandering the streets of Montevideo in the pleasant sun. A really nice diversion on my trip !
Saturday 21 May 2011
Photos from Salta
I've gone all out of sync, with Blogs about Uruguay and Iguazu still to do, but in the mean time heres some photos from rafting today in Salta:
I'll catch up soon honest....
(Massive congratulations to Martin and Dawn on their engagement while I'm on...)
Tuesday 17 May 2011
Buenos Aires
So after an entire day of travelling from KL to Singapore to Buenos Aires I arrived at... Er... Exactly the same time as I set off, which definitely did some funny things to my head for a few days.
That said I actually felt just about alive on arriving at my (absolutely fantastic) hostel in BA. Having settled in I made all the important enquiries, where can I get food, laundry done and most important of all how do I get tickets to local football matches....
It turned out Boca Juniors were playing Independiente that very evening and the hostel were running a ticket plus beer and food trip to the match. Well it would be rude not to I thought!!!
It was I great evening all round. The atmosphere in the old style terracing at the La Bombonera was great (although tempered a little by being all tourists in the area I was in). The match itself, a 1 - 1 draw was not quite the quality I had expected but a fantastic experience none the less:
The evening itself was also good fun with much free beer in a local Boca bar. It was also great to meet a nice bunch of people on my first night in South America.
After much recovery, from the flight not the drinking, I spent the next couple of days exploring BA. Taking in a walking tour of the central colonial areas and visiting Evita's family mausoleum.
As well as catching the odd random protest. Apparently there is over 700 per year in BA, eat your heart out London!!
The nightlife in BA is supposed to be legendary but I found it strange. People in South America don't seem to go out until very late and by late I mean that bars still empty at midnight will suddenly start filling up at half 1 - 2! I struggled to cope with this concept!
After a few days wandering. I decided to make a trip to Uruguay for the weekend (which I'll talk about in my next post) before coming back to BA for one last night before heading North.
My last day in BA was probably my favourite. I decided to walk to the working class La Boca district, against much worried advice from the staff in my hostel, who seemed to follow the belief that a working class area means inevitable robbery. Although the area was run down, it was a fascinating view of a different side of BA. I also took in a stadium tour of La Bombonera, including their really interesting football museum and even managed to catch a free Tango show at a street restaurant in the more touristy (who arrived by bus obviously) artist enclave area of La Boca.
It was a shame really that I spent my last 2 hours in BA watching Man City v Spurs when I could have spent more time in La Boca. I never learn
Next stop Puerto Iguazú via A brief stop in Uruguay... I bet you can't wait
That said I actually felt just about alive on arriving at my (absolutely fantastic) hostel in BA. Having settled in I made all the important enquiries, where can I get food, laundry done and most important of all how do I get tickets to local football matches....
It turned out Boca Juniors were playing Independiente that very evening and the hostel were running a ticket plus beer and food trip to the match. Well it would be rude not to I thought!!!
It was I great evening all round. The atmosphere in the old style terracing at the La Bombonera was great (although tempered a little by being all tourists in the area I was in). The match itself, a 1 - 1 draw was not quite the quality I had expected but a fantastic experience none the less:
The evening itself was also good fun with much free beer in a local Boca bar. It was also great to meet a nice bunch of people on my first night in South America.
After much recovery, from the flight not the drinking, I spent the next couple of days exploring BA. Taking in a walking tour of the central colonial areas and visiting Evita's family mausoleum.
As well as catching the odd random protest. Apparently there is over 700 per year in BA, eat your heart out London!!
The nightlife in BA is supposed to be legendary but I found it strange. People in South America don't seem to go out until very late and by late I mean that bars still empty at midnight will suddenly start filling up at half 1 - 2! I struggled to cope with this concept!
After a few days wandering. I decided to make a trip to Uruguay for the weekend (which I'll talk about in my next post) before coming back to BA for one last night before heading North.
My last day in BA was probably my favourite. I decided to walk to the working class La Boca district, against much worried advice from the staff in my hostel, who seemed to follow the belief that a working class area means inevitable robbery. Although the area was run down, it was a fascinating view of a different side of BA. I also took in a stadium tour of La Bombonera, including their really interesting football museum and even managed to catch a free Tango show at a street restaurant in the more touristy (who arrived by bus obviously) artist enclave area of La Boca.
It was a shame really that I spent my last 2 hours in BA watching Man City v Spurs when I could have spent more time in La Boca. I never learn
Next stop Puerto Iguazú via A brief stop in Uruguay... I bet you can't wait
Saturday 14 May 2011
Sydney
Sydney is by far the most expensive place I've ever been!!!!
Now I've got that out of the way... I stopped in Sydney for 6 days without any real plan for my stay.
My hand was forced slightly by the poor weather (cold and wet) so I spent my whole time in the city itself.
I spent most of the 6 days exploring on foot. Making use of a multi entry ticket valid in 10 of the city's museums and historic buildings. They were very interesting but I won't list them all here... That said I was surprised how historical and quite how pretty Sydney was.My highlights mainly came about just through strolling around the different districts.
I was staying in a typical city backpacker hostel, which seemed to be full of stag do's... So I didn't spend too much time hanging around there! In fact most of the bars I found in central Sydney were either typical after work pubs, backpacker pubs... Or bizarrely pub come bookies. All of them were ridiculously expensive.
I did find one great bar after a bit of research, that had live BA da on every night... I went there 4 of my nights in Sydney! Sadly it was closing down the week after I moved on. A real shame
I shouldn't forget to mention my surreal night watching the Royal Wedding in Circular Quay with another Brit and a couple of pro Monarchy Aussies. In what became an increasing drunken night, I was interviewed twice by Aussie TV before it all decended into shambolic singing of Jerusalem...
I also managed to increase my football match attendances to 3 continents by going to a match in the New South Wales league. The match APIA Tigers vs Sydney Olympic, was in fact a match between two historic clubs representing Sydney's Italian and Greek communities respectively. The clubs have long histories and a long local rivalry and as such the attendance was in the higher hundreds. The barman also brought me a beer, top afternoon!
After a brief spell of civilisation, back on the travels again. Next stop Buenos Aires...
See you there
Now I've got that out of the way... I stopped in Sydney for 6 days without any real plan for my stay.
My hand was forced slightly by the poor weather (cold and wet) so I spent my whole time in the city itself.
I spent most of the 6 days exploring on foot. Making use of a multi entry ticket valid in 10 of the city's museums and historic buildings. They were very interesting but I won't list them all here... That said I was surprised how historical and quite how pretty Sydney was.My highlights mainly came about just through strolling around the different districts.
I was staying in a typical city backpacker hostel, which seemed to be full of stag do's... So I didn't spend too much time hanging around there! In fact most of the bars I found in central Sydney were either typical after work pubs, backpacker pubs... Or bizarrely pub come bookies. All of them were ridiculously expensive.
I did find one great bar after a bit of research, that had live BA da on every night... I went there 4 of my nights in Sydney! Sadly it was closing down the week after I moved on. A real shame
I shouldn't forget to mention my surreal night watching the Royal Wedding in Circular Quay with another Brit and a couple of pro Monarchy Aussies. In what became an increasing drunken night, I was interviewed twice by Aussie TV before it all decended into shambolic singing of Jerusalem...
I also managed to increase my football match attendances to 3 continents by going to a match in the New South Wales league. The match APIA Tigers vs Sydney Olympic, was in fact a match between two historic clubs representing Sydney's Italian and Greek communities respectively. The clubs have long histories and a long local rivalry and as such the attendance was in the higher hundreds. The barman also brought me a beer, top afternoon!
After a brief spell of civilisation, back on the travels again. Next stop Buenos Aires...
See you there
Wednesday 11 May 2011
KL
I only expected to have one night in Kuala Lumpur before I had to catch a train to Singapore, but the lack of trains and cheap cost of flights left me with two nights.
As well as getting heavily rained on I did the usual exploring of museums and colonial buildings.
The highlight though was on the Saturday evening I was on t'internet looking for somewhere to watch the Spurs game when I saw a tweet from the Malaysia Spurs AGM. To cut a long story short, I went along met done great people, was interviewed on camera and had a great night with some loyal Spurs fans
My interview is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcxBYSlaCcA (for reference of course)
As well as getting heavily rained on I did the usual exploring of museums and colonial buildings.
The highlight though was on the Saturday evening I was on t'internet looking for somewhere to watch the Spurs game when I saw a tweet from the Malaysia Spurs AGM. To cut a long story short, I went along met done great people, was interviewed on camera and had a great night with some loyal Spurs fans
My interview is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcxBYSlaCcA (for reference of course)
Wednesday 4 May 2011
Bagan & Yangon
The train to Bagan we certainly the best and most comfortable journey I had in Myanmar, but to be honest that's not saying much! The amount the train bumped up and down on the rails, I was sure we were going to derail at any moment!!!
I met a lovely Dutch couple on the train who told me about a hotel they had booked, with free train station pick up and a swimming pool for only $15!!! Suffice to say I joined them in the pick up! Definitely the best place I've stayed so far on my trip!!
The gutting thing was due to a lack of buses back to Yangon (water bloody festival... I'll elaborate later) I only had a day and a half I'm Bagan.
Bus booked (more to come later on that) I hired a horse and cart to take me around the main temples of Bagan
To add some context, Bagan as a historical area covers over 40 sq km with over 4000 temples and stupas in the boundaries!
I really am struggling to describe the sheer scale and magnificence of Bagan. The only comparison in Angkor, which although has many more impressive sights is far less staggering in scale.
For the next half day before I had to head back to Yangon I relaxed by the pool... A first on the trip!!
Again because the water festival had just finished it turned out that all the buses were full for the next week. The only option I had for getting back to Yangon was to sit on a plastic stool in the solar of the bus... It turned out I wasn't the only one to have taken this option, the bus was rammed full. The 14 hour journey was without doubt, the worst in my life!!!!
Back in Yangon I had a day to explore the now open city and a fantastic place it is. Suddenly full of life with bars and restaurants spilling onto the surrounding streets. Definitely one of my favourite cities I visited Asia.
All in all I found Myanmar amazing experience. I managed to avoid paying all government fees bar the departure tax and met some absolutely amazing people. Anyone considering a visit I would highly recommend it!
I met a lovely Dutch couple on the train who told me about a hotel they had booked, with free train station pick up and a swimming pool for only $15!!! Suffice to say I joined them in the pick up! Definitely the best place I've stayed so far on my trip!!
The gutting thing was due to a lack of buses back to Yangon (water bloody festival... I'll elaborate later) I only had a day and a half I'm Bagan.
Bus booked (more to come later on that) I hired a horse and cart to take me around the main temples of Bagan
To add some context, Bagan as a historical area covers over 40 sq km with over 4000 temples and stupas in the boundaries!
I really am struggling to describe the sheer scale and magnificence of Bagan. The only comparison in Angkor, which although has many more impressive sights is far less staggering in scale.
For the next half day before I had to head back to Yangon I relaxed by the pool... A first on the trip!!
Again because the water festival had just finished it turned out that all the buses were full for the next week. The only option I had for getting back to Yangon was to sit on a plastic stool in the solar of the bus... It turned out I wasn't the only one to have taken this option, the bus was rammed full. The 14 hour journey was without doubt, the worst in my life!!!!
Back in Yangon I had a day to explore the now open city and a fantastic place it is. Suddenly full of life with bars and restaurants spilling onto the surrounding streets. Definitely one of my favourite cities I visited Asia.
All in all I found Myanmar amazing experience. I managed to avoid paying all government fees bar the departure tax and met some absolutely amazing people. Anyone considering a visit I would highly recommend it!
Wednesday 27 April 2011
Mandalay
The bus actually arrived in Mandalay early (5am), which is almost unheard of so I headed straight to a hostel for a but of kip. Duly refreshed and having learnt from my Yangon experience, first up was booking my onward transportation to Bagan.
I decided to go for the train as again there were no buses (water festival) that booked I set off to explore.
To visit the main sights in Mandalay you need to pay a government fee of $10 which of course goes straight into the pockets of the Generals. To avoid this I went on another trip around the temples and monasteries.
The main temple in Mandalay contains a gold Buddha statue, being the Burmese New Year the whole temple was packed with pilgrims. In fact in was almost comparable with the pilgrimages i saw in Tibet.
I wandered though some dusty backstreets and by dusty I mean just sand, led my to some local monasteries. Far more interesting than paying $10 to a 1996 palace reconstruction built by slave labour!!
That evening I went to see the Moustache Brothers, a comedy trio who have been banned and arrested multiple times for satirising the military junta, as part of their traditional Burmese dance and comedy act. They now perform at their home only to foreigners (after a mention in the Hugh Grant film About A Boy they're too well known overseas to completely repress). A fantastically funny and moving experience, in spite of only one of them speaking English:
The next day I hired a motorbike and driver to take me to the surrounding former capital cities of Myanmar. They used to move them regularly on the advice of astrologers..,
The day involved a 100m climb to a temple in 40 degree heat, a horse and cart ride around various monasteries (needless to say avoiding the $10 fee...) and crossing the worlds oldest teak bridge, 200 metres in length!! Who ever said Mandalay wasn't worth visiting!!!
An enjoyable couple of hours in a local beer station preceded my train to Bagan...
I decided to go for the train as again there were no buses (water festival) that booked I set off to explore.
To visit the main sights in Mandalay you need to pay a government fee of $10 which of course goes straight into the pockets of the Generals. To avoid this I went on another trip around the temples and monasteries.
The main temple in Mandalay contains a gold Buddha statue, being the Burmese New Year the whole temple was packed with pilgrims. In fact in was almost comparable with the pilgrimages i saw in Tibet.
I wandered though some dusty backstreets and by dusty I mean just sand, led my to some local monasteries. Far more interesting than paying $10 to a 1996 palace reconstruction built by slave labour!!
That evening I went to see the Moustache Brothers, a comedy trio who have been banned and arrested multiple times for satirising the military junta, as part of their traditional Burmese dance and comedy act. They now perform at their home only to foreigners (after a mention in the Hugh Grant film About A Boy they're too well known overseas to completely repress). A fantastically funny and moving experience, in spite of only one of them speaking English:
The next day I hired a motorbike and driver to take me to the surrounding former capital cities of Myanmar. They used to move them regularly on the advice of astrologers..,
The day involved a 100m climb to a temple in 40 degree heat, a horse and cart ride around various monasteries (needless to say avoiding the $10 fee...) and crossing the worlds oldest teak bridge, 200 metres in length!! Who ever said Mandalay wasn't worth visiting!!!
An enjoyable couple of hours in a local beer station preceded my train to Bagan...
Monday 25 April 2011
Yangon
Arriving in Yangon was nice and easy, with my hostel providing a airport pickup. After that things became more difficult!
Unbeknownst to me the water festival meant that a) everything was closed for a week and b) no buses were running! I thought at this point my Myanmar trip was going to be a limited one...
I decided to make the most of it, with a walk around town come that evening. The Burmese people are amazingly friendly even to the extent of one of them buying me a beer!
Day 2 I donned my wet weather gear (ready for the onslaught) and went for a walking tour of the crumbling colonial old town. You could really see what a magnificent city Rangoon must have been at the peak of the Empire. Many of the old building are in the process of being restored so eventually the Yangon riverfront will be a great attraction for the city
I also managed to find a ticket to Mandalay through the only bus company running, at 3 times the usual price mind, so at least knew I wasn't stuck in Yangon the whole 9 days.
That evening I wandered down to the Sule Pagoda in the centre of town, where a water festival concert was ongoing. Hearing Eye of the Tiger sung in Burmese was one of the stranger experiences of my trip! The Sule Pagoda was open that evening so I had a look around. Lit up at night it was certainly an impressive sight, although I found the excessive use of neon lights around Buddha images at bit bizarre.
With my overnight bus booked I had one last day of the water festival to enjoy/endure... I decided to use the morning to visit Yangon and Myanmar's most revered temple, the Sewadagon Pagoda. At more than 2000 years old and over 100 metres tall, covered in gold leaf and precious stones it's a breathtaking sight and certainly the most beautiful
pagoda/stupa/temple that I've seen so far on my travels! My only mistake was visiting at midday. As with all temples in Myanmar you most remove your shoes and socks before entering. With the temperature at 42 degrees the tiled floor was hot and by hot I mean blisters on the feet hot! Ouch!!
After drying off back at the hostel I caught by, surprisingly nice, overnight bus to Mandalay.
Unbeknownst to me the water festival meant that a) everything was closed for a week and b) no buses were running! I thought at this point my Myanmar trip was going to be a limited one...
I decided to make the most of it, with a walk around town come that evening. The Burmese people are amazingly friendly even to the extent of one of them buying me a beer!
Day 2 I donned my wet weather gear (ready for the onslaught) and went for a walking tour of the crumbling colonial old town. You could really see what a magnificent city Rangoon must have been at the peak of the Empire. Many of the old building are in the process of being restored so eventually the Yangon riverfront will be a great attraction for the city
I also managed to find a ticket to Mandalay through the only bus company running, at 3 times the usual price mind, so at least knew I wasn't stuck in Yangon the whole 9 days.
That evening I wandered down to the Sule Pagoda in the centre of town, where a water festival concert was ongoing. Hearing Eye of the Tiger sung in Burmese was one of the stranger experiences of my trip! The Sule Pagoda was open that evening so I had a look around. Lit up at night it was certainly an impressive sight, although I found the excessive use of neon lights around Buddha images at bit bizarre.
With my overnight bus booked I had one last day of the water festival to enjoy/endure... I decided to use the morning to visit Yangon and Myanmar's most revered temple, the Sewadagon Pagoda. At more than 2000 years old and over 100 metres tall, covered in gold leaf and precious stones it's a breathtaking sight and certainly the most beautiful
pagoda/stupa/temple that I've seen so far on my travels! My only mistake was visiting at midday. As with all temples in Myanmar you most remove your shoes and socks before entering. With the temperature at 42 degrees the tiled floor was hot and by hot I mean blisters on the feet hot! Ouch!!
After drying off back at the hostel I caught by, surprisingly nice, overnight bus to Mandalay.
Bangkok II
I only had a few days in Bangkok, primarily to arrange my Myanmar visa, but it was certainly a far more enjoyable experience than the first visit.
I think the main reason was the location and the hostel in which I stayed. This time I booked into a tradition wooden Thai style hostel near, but not on, the Khao San Road. This was a happy accident, as my bus happened to be dropping me in that area.
Bringing near the action, but far enough away to remove myself from it, made a whole different experience for me.
On the day I arrived I hunted down a blues bar that I had been meaning to visit on my first stop. I had a great night drinking with both the locals and a lively expat crowd. Needless to say, getting up early the next day to queue at a visa office was a pain!
The whole day spent arranging the visa was as painless as these thing can be, although involved much form filling and queuing. Lucky I'm British and so an expert...
The one day visa process gave me a free day to wander Bangkok, along the canals and all over the Old Town. A very pleasant day.
That evening set the tone for for the next 7 days of my travels in both Myanmar and Thailand, with the huge water fight that is their New Year celebrations (Songkram inThailand and Thingyan in Myanmar)
I'll talk about Myanmar in my next update. But the evening of the 12th in Bangkok was one huge and i mean HUGE water fight. I was ill prepared for this and ended up damp.
I spent the whole of the next day avoiding getting soaked before my flight, with only marginal success....
Next stop Myanmar
I think the main reason was the location and the hostel in which I stayed. This time I booked into a tradition wooden Thai style hostel near, but not on, the Khao San Road. This was a happy accident, as my bus happened to be dropping me in that area.
Bringing near the action, but far enough away to remove myself from it, made a whole different experience for me.
On the day I arrived I hunted down a blues bar that I had been meaning to visit on my first stop. I had a great night drinking with both the locals and a lively expat crowd. Needless to say, getting up early the next day to queue at a visa office was a pain!
The whole day spent arranging the visa was as painless as these thing can be, although involved much form filling and queuing. Lucky I'm British and so an expert...
The one day visa process gave me a free day to wander Bangkok, along the canals and all over the Old Town. A very pleasant day.
That evening set the tone for for the next 7 days of my travels in both Myanmar and Thailand, with the huge water fight that is their New Year celebrations (Songkram inThailand and Thingyan in Myanmar)
I'll talk about Myanmar in my next update. But the evening of the 12th in Bangkok was one huge and i mean HUGE water fight. I was ill prepared for this and ended up damp.
I spent the whole of the next day avoiding getting soaked before my flight, with only marginal success....
Next stop Myanmar
Tuesday 12 April 2011
Saigon & Cambodia
A phone breakdown has prevented any updates for a while I'll try and catch up now!!
Saigon
I only had a couple of days in Saigon and so tried to fit as much in as I could.
I visited the military remnants museum first,which was a bizarre collection of American military equipment captured during the Vietnam war. The galleries inside detailing the horrors of the Agent Orange chemical bombing were very disturbing (although certainly tainted with a whiff of communist propaganda). Next up was the reunification palace. Formally the residency of the South Vietnam President. It has been left in the exact state it was in when the Vietcong army tanks crashed through the gates in 1975 (again a bit weird).
Day two was a trip to the Cuchi tunnels just outside the city. These were the underground tunnel network connected to the Mekong used by the Vietcong to infiltrate South Vietnam. Famed for the 'tunnel rat' American troops sent into them to fight in the pitch black. I couldn't even bring myself to go inside a 100 meter section!
Cambodia
Because of my last minute decision to visit Burma my time in Cambodia was limited to a quick week. In that time I was only able to make it to Phnom Penh and Siam Reap (for the Angkor temples)
Phnom Penh was quite a contrast from Saigon. It felt much more like an Indian city, with accompanying squalor.
Day one in the city I visited the famous S 21 prison where tens of thousands of prisoners were held and tortured by the Khmer Rouge, before being taken to the killing fields for execution. An incredibly moving place, each prisoner was photographed and the pictures now adorn the former cells. Of all the prisoners brought here in the 4 years of Khmer Rouge rule only 7 survived.
More moving still was the visit next to killing fields themselves. Certainly a sobering day.
I also visited the Royal Palaces and the National Museum while in Phnom Penh but they were certainly cast into a lesser light by the previous visits.
Next up was Siam Reap as a base for the Angkor Temples. The hostel I stayed at (a great place) had push bikes to hire which was a great way to explore the temples.
The first two days I explored all the close temples along with the museum to get some context. The temples are staggering in both size and the scale of the area they cover. At it's peak Angkor must have been the most magnificent city in the world.
The best day I had was the second which by being overcast and wet, kept the tour groups away meaning I had the temples almost to myself:
The highlight for me was sitting by myself for a couple of hours, watching the sun go down behind Angkor Wat, drinking a couple of beers. Bliss
The 3rd day I hired a tuk tuk and explore the further temples. One unexpected highlight was the Cambodian Land-mine Museum which I visited that day. A private museum set up and run by a former Khmer Rouge child solder, who now devotes his life to clearing mines all over Cambodia and looking after their child victims. A fascinating overview of the evil of mines and unexploded ordinance and the damage they continue to do generations later.
Now back to Bangkok for Burma visa and phone repairs...
Saigon
I only had a couple of days in Saigon and so tried to fit as much in as I could.
I visited the military remnants museum first,which was a bizarre collection of American military equipment captured during the Vietnam war. The galleries inside detailing the horrors of the Agent Orange chemical bombing were very disturbing (although certainly tainted with a whiff of communist propaganda). Next up was the reunification palace. Formally the residency of the South Vietnam President. It has been left in the exact state it was in when the Vietcong army tanks crashed through the gates in 1975 (again a bit weird).
Day two was a trip to the Cuchi tunnels just outside the city. These were the underground tunnel network connected to the Mekong used by the Vietcong to infiltrate South Vietnam. Famed for the 'tunnel rat' American troops sent into them to fight in the pitch black. I couldn't even bring myself to go inside a 100 meter section!
Cambodia
Because of my last minute decision to visit Burma my time in Cambodia was limited to a quick week. In that time I was only able to make it to Phnom Penh and Siam Reap (for the Angkor temples)
Phnom Penh was quite a contrast from Saigon. It felt much more like an Indian city, with accompanying squalor.
Day one in the city I visited the famous S 21 prison where tens of thousands of prisoners were held and tortured by the Khmer Rouge, before being taken to the killing fields for execution. An incredibly moving place, each prisoner was photographed and the pictures now adorn the former cells. Of all the prisoners brought here in the 4 years of Khmer Rouge rule only 7 survived.
More moving still was the visit next to killing fields themselves. Certainly a sobering day.
I also visited the Royal Palaces and the National Museum while in Phnom Penh but they were certainly cast into a lesser light by the previous visits.
Next up was Siam Reap as a base for the Angkor Temples. The hostel I stayed at (a great place) had push bikes to hire which was a great way to explore the temples.
The first two days I explored all the close temples along with the museum to get some context. The temples are staggering in both size and the scale of the area they cover. At it's peak Angkor must have been the most magnificent city in the world.
The best day I had was the second which by being overcast and wet, kept the tour groups away meaning I had the temples almost to myself:
The highlight for me was sitting by myself for a couple of hours, watching the sun go down behind Angkor Wat, drinking a couple of beers. Bliss
The 3rd day I hired a tuk tuk and explore the further temples. One unexpected highlight was the Cambodian Land-mine Museum which I visited that day. A private museum set up and run by a former Khmer Rouge child solder, who now devotes his life to clearing mines all over Cambodia and looking after their child victims. A fascinating overview of the evil of mines and unexploded ordinance and the damage they continue to do generations later.
Now back to Bangkok for Burma visa and phone repairs...
Friday 1 April 2011
De Nang
As I mentioned in my previous post, I was really craving a change from the obvious SE Asia backpacker route, so I decided to stop in De Nang as opposed to Hoi An which is 25km further south.
I had seen brilliant recommendations for a hostel / hotel called Hoa's Guesthouse on China Beach about 10km south of De Nang itself and so decided to head there. The initial impression was not the best as the entire coast looked like one big building site, but it turned put to be one of the best decisions of my travels.
Hoa's was close to the beach and had a fantastic chilled put atmosphere. Those staying there were all long termers (either surfers, researchers or American expats). They were a really sound bunch, just what I needed!
I started off (after my free Barbecue!) by visiting the main local attraction, a complex of buddhist temples on a mountain known locally as Marble Mountain (it was more a hill but I'll stick with mountain). It had some really interesting temples along with several caves, some of which could be climbed right to the various peaks of the mountain!
That evening I join some of the guys going into De Nang for a few beers. The expat bar was fairly standard, but the least said about the mock up American saloon (Saloon 17) the better!
As I was enjoying Hoa's so much, I decided to cancel my onward plans and stay for a few days hiring a scooter.
I joined a trip up to a national park in the mountains (Ba Na) although our efforts to reach the peak on motorbikes was thwarted. We instead went over the Hai Van Pass, as featured in the Top Gear Vietnam special. It was up in the clouds and so wet, but definitely a spectacular ride!
I was told on arrival by David E, one of the Vietnam vets staying at Hoa's, that once or twice a week a group of them climbed Marble Mountain at 5.30am, to see the sun rise from the peak! So next we, that is everyone at Hoa's, dragged ourselves out of bed for the climb. It actually really rewarding with amazing views!
The days bike ride was a trip to Hoi An, which was a pretty place, but I was pleased I'd stayed in De Nang instead. In fact the only disadvantage to not staying in Hoi An was missing out on the chance of a hand made suit.. C'est la Vis
On my final day two of us decided to go for a ride up Monkey Mountain. A mountain peninsular that creates the bay in which De Nang is situated. It was another overcast day and so the mountain was covered in cloud, but we thought it would still be a good ride.
First up we stopped off to see a chapel built by the initial French and Spanish missionaries who failed to get a foothold Vietnam because of disease and local resistants, which on turn gave the French the excuse to invade...
After this bit of culture we hit the 30% angle road up the mountain in minimal visibility. We soon discovered that the roads were being repaired (i.e. dug up) making the trip even more treacherous!! In spite of this it was still a great trip, although the veiwing point offered little
As I was running out of petrol, we headed back to De Nang stopping to attempt to capture a picture of the road (best effort)
The next day I had to sadly say good by to Hoa and his family. He is facing eviction after 16 years running his guesthouse, as the land has been earmark for development of yet another resort. I sincerely hope the local government see sense and realise what someone like Hoa brings to the area.
One of the decisions I made while chatting with the guys one evening was that, although southern Thailand would be fun, I would much prefer to visit Burma. The choice having been made I booked my flights! Burma in mid April here I come...
Next stop Saigon
I had seen brilliant recommendations for a hostel / hotel called Hoa's Guesthouse on China Beach about 10km south of De Nang itself and so decided to head there. The initial impression was not the best as the entire coast looked like one big building site, but it turned put to be one of the best decisions of my travels.
Hoa's was close to the beach and had a fantastic chilled put atmosphere. Those staying there were all long termers (either surfers, researchers or American expats). They were a really sound bunch, just what I needed!
I started off (after my free Barbecue!) by visiting the main local attraction, a complex of buddhist temples on a mountain known locally as Marble Mountain (it was more a hill but I'll stick with mountain). It had some really interesting temples along with several caves, some of which could be climbed right to the various peaks of the mountain!
That evening I join some of the guys going into De Nang for a few beers. The expat bar was fairly standard, but the least said about the mock up American saloon (Saloon 17) the better!
As I was enjoying Hoa's so much, I decided to cancel my onward plans and stay for a few days hiring a scooter.
I joined a trip up to a national park in the mountains (Ba Na) although our efforts to reach the peak on motorbikes was thwarted. We instead went over the Hai Van Pass, as featured in the Top Gear Vietnam special. It was up in the clouds and so wet, but definitely a spectacular ride!
I was told on arrival by David E, one of the Vietnam vets staying at Hoa's, that once or twice a week a group of them climbed Marble Mountain at 5.30am, to see the sun rise from the peak! So next we, that is everyone at Hoa's, dragged ourselves out of bed for the climb. It actually really rewarding with amazing views!
The days bike ride was a trip to Hoi An, which was a pretty place, but I was pleased I'd stayed in De Nang instead. In fact the only disadvantage to not staying in Hoi An was missing out on the chance of a hand made suit.. C'est la Vis
On my final day two of us decided to go for a ride up Monkey Mountain. A mountain peninsular that creates the bay in which De Nang is situated. It was another overcast day and so the mountain was covered in cloud, but we thought it would still be a good ride.
First up we stopped off to see a chapel built by the initial French and Spanish missionaries who failed to get a foothold Vietnam because of disease and local resistants, which on turn gave the French the excuse to invade...
After this bit of culture we hit the 30% angle road up the mountain in minimal visibility. We soon discovered that the roads were being repaired (i.e. dug up) making the trip even more treacherous!! In spite of this it was still a great trip, although the veiwing point offered little
As I was running out of petrol, we headed back to De Nang stopping to attempt to capture a picture of the road (best effort)
The next day I had to sadly say good by to Hoa and his family. He is facing eviction after 16 years running his guesthouse, as the land has been earmark for development of yet another resort. I sincerely hope the local government see sense and realise what someone like Hoa brings to the area.
One of the decisions I made while chatting with the guys one evening was that, although southern Thailand would be fun, I would much prefer to visit Burma. The choice having been made I booked my flights! Burma in mid April here I come...
Next stop Saigon
Hue
Sorry for the lack of updates, Internet coverage in Vietnam is ropey at best..
Hue was a really nice town for a quick stop down the coast from Hanoi. Nice but wet, very wet.
In the end I stopped in Hue for 2 nights day one involved I scooter ride to visit the tombs of former emperors dotted around the area. I found 1 in 5 hours. I also got soaked!!
Day two involved a walk around the formal royal palace complex including the Purple Forbidden City. The central complex had been almost entirely flattered during the Vietnam war, although having visited the Forbidden City in Beijing it was easy to picture it in it's former glory.
Having only taken a morning to visit the forbidden city, I also managed to catch a Vietnamese 2nd tier football match!
Vietnam had a really nice bar and restaurant scene, although it was the same old crowd from Hanoi. With this in mind I decided that my next stop would be the little visited city of De Nang rather than Hoi An. This turned out to be a great decision, but more about that later....
Hue was a really nice town for a quick stop down the coast from Hanoi. Nice but wet, very wet.
In the end I stopped in Hue for 2 nights day one involved I scooter ride to visit the tombs of former emperors dotted around the area. I found 1 in 5 hours. I also got soaked!!
Day two involved a walk around the formal royal palace complex including the Purple Forbidden City. The central complex had been almost entirely flattered during the Vietnam war, although having visited the Forbidden City in Beijing it was easy to picture it in it's former glory.
Having only taken a morning to visit the forbidden city, I also managed to catch a Vietnamese 2nd tier football match!
Vietnam had a really nice bar and restaurant scene, although it was the same old crowd from Hanoi. With this in mind I decided that my next stop would be the little visited city of De Nang rather than Hoi An. This turned out to be a great decision, but more about that later....
Thursday 24 March 2011
Hanoi
Where to start! I'm not sure I can praise Hanoi enough. My favourite city so far in South East Asia.
So to start from the beginning
After a pretty uneventful flight I arrived in Hanoi and found my hostel with little trouble. After my free beer, yes the hostel gave out free beer for an hour every evening, I went for a few St Patricks Day beers. Suffice to say a bumped into several people that I've seen everywhere since Chiang Mai!!
My first full day I spent getting my bearings and wandering around the fantastic french style old town.
Day two I got up early to head off to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum only open in the morning. So after dead communist number 3 and a trip around the museums I geared myself up for the main event of the day... Ha Noi ACB vs Becamex Rd, a classic 3 - 3 draw with a last minute equaliser for the away team!
That evening was spent searching Hanoi for somewhere to watch the Spurs match. I almost wish I hadn't bothered! So frustrating!
After another day of museums (Temple of literature was great) and watching footy in bars I set off for a day trip to Halong Bay:
It was a great day out and although the weather was a bit overcast, the scenery was great. The 5 hours chilling out on a nice boat was also worth the trip!
I found myself with an extra day in Hanoi as I couldn't book an onward train, so I managed to squeeze in a visit to the Water Puppet Theatre. I was really glad I did as it was will worth the £1.20 it cost!
Although I did a lot of activities while in Hanoi, I mainly enjoyed just walking around taking in the feel of the place. Not bumping into the same crowd of people everywhere was a bonus too! (although they were still to be found in the obvious LP recommended backpacker bars). There were some great little bars as well, so was easy to avoid the obvious.
Having picked up the trains again I booked into a hotel in Hue. I think I've had enough of the backpacker scene for a couple of weeks!
Other news: My ribs are still sore and I'm gutted I'm missing out on a trip to the Bernabeu (although looks like I wouldn't have had enough loyalty points anyway...)
So to start from the beginning
After a pretty uneventful flight I arrived in Hanoi and found my hostel with little trouble. After my free beer, yes the hostel gave out free beer for an hour every evening, I went for a few St Patricks Day beers. Suffice to say a bumped into several people that I've seen everywhere since Chiang Mai!!
My first full day I spent getting my bearings and wandering around the fantastic french style old town.
Day two I got up early to head off to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum only open in the morning. So after dead communist number 3 and a trip around the museums I geared myself up for the main event of the day... Ha Noi ACB vs Becamex Rd, a classic 3 - 3 draw with a last minute equaliser for the away team!
That evening was spent searching Hanoi for somewhere to watch the Spurs match. I almost wish I hadn't bothered! So frustrating!
After another day of museums (Temple of literature was great) and watching footy in bars I set off for a day trip to Halong Bay:
It was a great day out and although the weather was a bit overcast, the scenery was great. The 5 hours chilling out on a nice boat was also worth the trip!
I found myself with an extra day in Hanoi as I couldn't book an onward train, so I managed to squeeze in a visit to the Water Puppet Theatre. I was really glad I did as it was will worth the £1.20 it cost!
Although I did a lot of activities while in Hanoi, I mainly enjoyed just walking around taking in the feel of the place. Not bumping into the same crowd of people everywhere was a bonus too! (although they were still to be found in the obvious LP recommended backpacker bars). There were some great little bars as well, so was easy to avoid the obvious.
Having picked up the trains again I booked into a hotel in Hue. I think I've had enough of the backpacker scene for a couple of weeks!
Other news: My ribs are still sore and I'm gutted I'm missing out on a trip to the Bernabeu (although looks like I wouldn't have had enough loyalty points anyway...)
Friday 18 March 2011
Vientiane
Vientiane was another example of a places that i really liked in spite of people saying "it's only worth a day there's nothing to do". It's was definitely the most chilled out capital I've ever visited.
But to start from the beginning...
I had planed to book a bus to Hanoi but after some research, concluded it was called the 'Hell Bus' for a reason and so booked a flight!
I used the extra day to visit... The national (formally revolutionary museum) with plenty of mentions of the "American Imperialists and their puppets"... I also managed to fit in the national football stadium, the local Market, the national symbol temple and the Laos version if the Arc de Triomphe!
But the most fun I had was a back to the 90's trip to a Laos bowling alley! The picture says it all. (Superbowl Milton Keynes I'm thinking of you...)
Hanoi look great so far (in spite of the English temperatures and rain)...
As always we'll speak anon
But to start from the beginning...
I had planed to book a bus to Hanoi but after some research, concluded it was called the 'Hell Bus' for a reason and so booked a flight!
I used the extra day to visit... The national (formally revolutionary museum) with plenty of mentions of the "American Imperialists and their puppets"... I also managed to fit in the national football stadium, the local Market, the national symbol temple and the Laos version if the Arc de Triomphe!
But the most fun I had was a back to the 90's trip to a Laos bowling alley! The picture says it all. (Superbowl Milton Keynes I'm thinking of you...)
Hanoi look great so far (in spite of the English temperatures and rain)...
As always we'll speak anon
Wednesday 16 March 2011
Vang Vieng
Where to start with Vang Vieng!!! Well it's certainly a party town!
We (the guys I met in Chiang Mai) arrived after a pleasant-ish minibus journey from Luang Prebang early afternoon and pretty easily found the hostel that had been recommend. That sort we headed out to see what there was to do. The answer seemed to be either drink or watch family guy...
The first full day, against all advice, we hired tubes and headed up to the river for some tubing (floating down the river in a large inner tube). Suffice to say we spent most the time in the bars using and the rope swings and little time actually tubing...
and yes I managed to injure myself with a glamourous belly flop from one of the rope swings. Injuring my ribs :o(
(I won't even go into the falling through a bridge incident...)
Having only tubed a quarter of the river on day 1, day 2 I rested my injuries by floating the whole way down the river with a couple of friends. Very chilled out.
Vang Vieng is entirely full of travellers in town for the party, some of which never leave!! The party gies on all day at the river and all night in town, so it's pretty hard going....
To get away from the party the next day a few of us hired scooters and went out and about visiting caves, lagoons all along the worst gravel roads I've ever seen!!
Having had more than enough of Vang Vieng we decided to head to Vientiane (Laos capital). There was a simple bus but also the option of kayaking. Not thinking of my ribs I booked this version. The morning we came to leave it was pissing it down with rain. It turned out kayaking was quite painful on the old ribs, so I didn't have much fun.
Now a day or two in Vientiane before my flight to Viatnam. I'll post an update then.
We (the guys I met in Chiang Mai) arrived after a pleasant-ish minibus journey from Luang Prebang early afternoon and pretty easily found the hostel that had been recommend. That sort we headed out to see what there was to do. The answer seemed to be either drink or watch family guy...
The first full day, against all advice, we hired tubes and headed up to the river for some tubing (floating down the river in a large inner tube). Suffice to say we spent most the time in the bars using and the rope swings and little time actually tubing...
and yes I managed to injure myself with a glamourous belly flop from one of the rope swings. Injuring my ribs :o(
(I won't even go into the falling through a bridge incident...)
Having only tubed a quarter of the river on day 1, day 2 I rested my injuries by floating the whole way down the river with a couple of friends. Very chilled out.
Vang Vieng is entirely full of travellers in town for the party, some of which never leave!! The party gies on all day at the river and all night in town, so it's pretty hard going....
To get away from the party the next day a few of us hired scooters and went out and about visiting caves, lagoons all along the worst gravel roads I've ever seen!!
Having had more than enough of Vang Vieng we decided to head to Vientiane (Laos capital). There was a simple bus but also the option of kayaking. Not thinking of my ribs I booked this version. The morning we came to leave it was pissing it down with rain. It turned out kayaking was quite painful on the old ribs, so I didn't have much fun.
Now a day or two in Vientiane before my flight to Viatnam. I'll post an update then.
Friday 11 March 2011
Darts
Just stumbled on a darts based game in a random temple in Laos!!! You had to pop 3 balloons with 3 darts to win a prize... Suffice to say I showed the kids how to do it properly (well on my third attempt anyway)
Wednesday 9 March 2011
Chiang Mai
After Bangkok it was a relief to be heading up to Northern Thailand and the beautiful city of Chiang Mai.
The hostel I was staying at (a little bird hostel) was one of the nicest and most social I've stayed at in Asia, which was another welcome change from Bangkok!
I spent my first day exploring the old town which still had the remains of its original wall and moat. Within this centre were numerous Buddhist temples and random little alleys and parks to explore.
An example of one of the stupas
I then did the usual trick of hiring a scooter for a couple of days and exploring the nearby mountain roads stopping off to visit the Doi Suthep a sacred Buddhist sight with amazing views of the surrounding areas.
Then came the silly mistake of booking a trek. Sounds innocent enough but didn't do my broken foot any good....
The trek was great fun though. Elephant riding:
A big trek up to 1200 meters before staying with a hill tribe and when I say up I mean UP I thought I was going to die!!
It could have been worse, one of the two lads I've been travelling with lost his wallet half way up... The local 17 year old took them back down (at a sprint)!!! They reached 10 yards from where they thought they'd lost the wallet when the guide suddenly sprinted past them the other way. At this point he shouted elephants!! Charging elephant's doesn't sound much fun to me. When they made it back to the camp I'd never seen two more tired people in my life!!!
Day two involved trekking back down (hence throbbing broken foot) and then white water rafting, before bamboo rafting, cracking trip.
The trip to Laos was a two day slow boat to Luang Prabang which involved drinking and er... Drinking
Now following the traveller trail through Laos. I'll keep you informed
The hostel I was staying at (a little bird hostel) was one of the nicest and most social I've stayed at in Asia, which was another welcome change from Bangkok!
I spent my first day exploring the old town which still had the remains of its original wall and moat. Within this centre were numerous Buddhist temples and random little alleys and parks to explore.
An example of one of the stupas
I then did the usual trick of hiring a scooter for a couple of days and exploring the nearby mountain roads stopping off to visit the Doi Suthep a sacred Buddhist sight with amazing views of the surrounding areas.
Then came the silly mistake of booking a trek. Sounds innocent enough but didn't do my broken foot any good....
The trek was great fun though. Elephant riding:
A big trek up to 1200 meters before staying with a hill tribe and when I say up I mean UP I thought I was going to die!!
It could have been worse, one of the two lads I've been travelling with lost his wallet half way up... The local 17 year old took them back down (at a sprint)!!! They reached 10 yards from where they thought they'd lost the wallet when the guide suddenly sprinted past them the other way. At this point he shouted elephants!! Charging elephant's doesn't sound much fun to me. When they made it back to the camp I'd never seen two more tired people in my life!!!
Day two involved trekking back down (hence throbbing broken foot) and then white water rafting, before bamboo rafting, cracking trip.
The trip to Laos was a two day slow boat to Luang Prabang which involved drinking and er... Drinking
Now following the traveller trail through Laos. I'll keep you informed
Wednesday 2 March 2011
Ooops
It's just dawned on me that I have only seven weeks to fit in Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma, Malaysia and get back to Singapore....
Somehow I think it's not all going to happen
Somehow I think it's not all going to happen
Tuesday 1 March 2011
Bangkok
I'll start off by saying I wasn't overly impressed with Bangkok, I'll try not to moan in this post too much though...
I was staying in a small (pretty shite) hostel in Silom which is away from the old town and the Khao San Road but near all of the transport links.
For me Bangkok in particular seems to exist solely for the benefit of tourists and the worship of the King very strange.
The main evening entertainment areas were either full of two week hippies, or catering for sex tourists! Both of these groups seemed to be primarily English (never a good sign)
In the week I was there I decided my time between the sights, including a river cruise (just to upset my Mum), shopping and the usual trip to weekend markets and a football match:
Army United vs Sriratcha FC (3 - 1) to United:
Okay I have whinged a fair bit so far even though I promised not to. I did enjoy the Modern Art Gallary (I know, I'm grasping at straws), the footy was a good laugh and Arsenal did get beaten in the Carling Cup final while I was there.... And er, there were some good shopping malls....
The highlight of Thailand so far was the train journey to Chiang Mai. The train was the nicest I've been on since China really comfy and passed through some magnificent scenery. Trains are definitely the way to travel the world (India excluded)
Chiang Mai seems really nice so far. With pleanty of opportunities to get out of the town. Hopefully I'll manage to get in a bit of trekking (foot permiting of course)
I'm here for 3 days so I'll keep you updated as ever...
I was staying in a small (pretty shite) hostel in Silom which is away from the old town and the Khao San Road but near all of the transport links.
For me Bangkok in particular seems to exist solely for the benefit of tourists and the worship of the King very strange.
The main evening entertainment areas were either full of two week hippies, or catering for sex tourists! Both of these groups seemed to be primarily English (never a good sign)
In the week I was there I decided my time between the sights, including a river cruise (just to upset my Mum), shopping and the usual trip to weekend markets and a football match:
Army United vs Sriratcha FC (3 - 1) to United:
Okay I have whinged a fair bit so far even though I promised not to. I did enjoy the Modern Art Gallary (I know, I'm grasping at straws), the footy was a good laugh and Arsenal did get beaten in the Carling Cup final while I was there.... And er, there were some good shopping malls....
The highlight of Thailand so far was the train journey to Chiang Mai. The train was the nicest I've been on since China really comfy and passed through some magnificent scenery. Trains are definitely the way to travel the world (India excluded)
Chiang Mai seems really nice so far. With pleanty of opportunities to get out of the town. Hopefully I'll manage to get in a bit of trekking (foot permiting of course)
I'm here for 3 days so I'll keep you updated as ever...
Thursday 24 February 2011
On India
So while I'm sat in a Bangkok blues bar listening to a big band, I'll endeavour to offer to make a few observations on India.
Of all my stops on the 11 month trip the two months in India is the longest stop in any country and as such I feel it is worthy of some summation.
Before I arrived pretty much all of the stories I had heard from travellers were negative, but I (fair obviously I thought) decide to approach it with an open mind. I found out later that isn't the general approach!
1st The people...
The common perception amount the traveller community sealed to be that everyone in India was out to rip you off. I found this to be far from the truth.
Of course to a large of Indians you meet (ie those used to dealing with tourists) even a budget traveller is rich and so naturally they will try get what they can for their services. But I found once you got used to this and adapted to fixing a fair price everyone ended up happy.
Outside of those offering services the people were almost without exception warm and welcoming. A great example of this was the help I received on my train journey to Mumbai when my ticket wasn't valid. People who had no idea who I was were happy to give up space in there compartment for the entire 16 hour journey. Even going as far as sorting out my ticket!
2nd The cities...
Being a city boy at heart I always expected to enjoy the cities, that in spite of being told they were the worst places. My first observation was (in Delhi) is that the areas where traveller congregate tend to be a bit rough around the edges. Unless you venture out and make an attempt to understand the city you never will. A 2 day quick stop off certainly isn't time to do this.
3rd The Countryside...
I only spent limited time outside of the cities and that was primarily in Southern India, but to understand India first you must understand the villages. Again I always found villagers warm and welcoming. Even more so than the cities, they were willing to share whatever they had!
4th The beach resorts
As pleasant as the beach resorts ate they bear no relation to actual India. This should be obvious to people. But it wasn't always the case.
5th The sights...
India is blessed with some of the most beautiful buildings and ruins in the world but they make a mixed use of them. Some were well maintained and some, scandalously, crumbling. I also felt the often lacked historical context to help people understand them which was a shame.
6th The politics....
I found the political set up fascinating, particularly the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty and the role that caste still plays. Primarily the corruption is still doing the most damage in holding India back from it's rightful place at the top table as a world superpower. That said India's time is coming no doubt about it!!
I would recommend India (along with China) to anyone that really wants to understand the direction the world will take in the next generation...
7th The sport...
Cricket that is all! (Although I did attend a football match with a decent 7000 + crowd in Kolkata)
To conclude....
Even though I'm still not half way through my trip, I doubt very much I will find anywhere that comes close to matching India for the sheer experience!!!
Of all my stops on the 11 month trip the two months in India is the longest stop in any country and as such I feel it is worthy of some summation.
Before I arrived pretty much all of the stories I had heard from travellers were negative, but I (fair obviously I thought) decide to approach it with an open mind. I found out later that isn't the general approach!
1st The people...
The common perception amount the traveller community sealed to be that everyone in India was out to rip you off. I found this to be far from the truth.
Of course to a large of Indians you meet (ie those used to dealing with tourists) even a budget traveller is rich and so naturally they will try get what they can for their services. But I found once you got used to this and adapted to fixing a fair price everyone ended up happy.
Outside of those offering services the people were almost without exception warm and welcoming. A great example of this was the help I received on my train journey to Mumbai when my ticket wasn't valid. People who had no idea who I was were happy to give up space in there compartment for the entire 16 hour journey. Even going as far as sorting out my ticket!
2nd The cities...
Being a city boy at heart I always expected to enjoy the cities, that in spite of being told they were the worst places. My first observation was (in Delhi) is that the areas where traveller congregate tend to be a bit rough around the edges. Unless you venture out and make an attempt to understand the city you never will. A 2 day quick stop off certainly isn't time to do this.
3rd The Countryside...
I only spent limited time outside of the cities and that was primarily in Southern India, but to understand India first you must understand the villages. Again I always found villagers warm and welcoming. Even more so than the cities, they were willing to share whatever they had!
4th The beach resorts
As pleasant as the beach resorts ate they bear no relation to actual India. This should be obvious to people. But it wasn't always the case.
5th The sights...
India is blessed with some of the most beautiful buildings and ruins in the world but they make a mixed use of them. Some were well maintained and some, scandalously, crumbling. I also felt the often lacked historical context to help people understand them which was a shame.
6th The politics....
I found the political set up fascinating, particularly the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty and the role that caste still plays. Primarily the corruption is still doing the most damage in holding India back from it's rightful place at the top table as a world superpower. That said India's time is coming no doubt about it!!
I would recommend India (along with China) to anyone that really wants to understand the direction the world will take in the next generation...
7th The sport...
Cricket that is all! (Although I did attend a football match with a decent 7000 + crowd in Kolkata)
To conclude....
Even though I'm still not half way through my trip, I doubt very much I will find anywhere that comes close to matching India for the sheer experience!!!
Tuesday 22 February 2011
Singapore
Just realised that I haven't updated to old blog in a while so here goes.
After sadly saying goodbye to India I took flight two of my RTW ticket to Singapore.
The first thing that struck me about Singapore is how clean it is. It's immaculate, you don't see a single piece of litter anywhere. The second thing I noticed is how expensive it is compared to India, particularly for beer. The cheapest I found was £4 a pint but the average was £6!!!!
Anyway enough of that. I spent the first 3 days using (the bargain) museum and gallery pass which I picked up at the National Museum.
The museums, like Singapore itself, were of a western standard only slightly better!
The next couple of days I passed doing the usual tourist things. The botanical gardens and the night safari were particular highlights.
Although the evening were a pricy affair, i still managed to take in a Singapore Sling at Raffles Hotel (which was shit...) as well as an Old Fashioned (better...)
I also got a chance to spend the evening with three old uni friends which was a real unexpected pleasure!
I ft I could easily have spent more than 5 days in Singapore, so I'm glad I'm heading back their at the end of my South East Asia adventure.
Yesterday I arrived in Bangkok and went for a few beers on the Khao San road with some Swedish guys I met. Bangkok is a whole world away from India. By far the most touristy place I've been so far!
To follow I few thoughts on India... (when I get a chance)
Laters
After sadly saying goodbye to India I took flight two of my RTW ticket to Singapore.
The first thing that struck me about Singapore is how clean it is. It's immaculate, you don't see a single piece of litter anywhere. The second thing I noticed is how expensive it is compared to India, particularly for beer. The cheapest I found was £4 a pint but the average was £6!!!!
Anyway enough of that. I spent the first 3 days using (the bargain) museum and gallery pass which I picked up at the National Museum.
The museums, like Singapore itself, were of a western standard only slightly better!
The next couple of days I passed doing the usual tourist things. The botanical gardens and the night safari were particular highlights.
Although the evening were a pricy affair, i still managed to take in a Singapore Sling at Raffles Hotel (which was shit...) as well as an Old Fashioned (better...)
I also got a chance to spend the evening with three old uni friends which was a real unexpected pleasure!
I ft I could easily have spent more than 5 days in Singapore, so I'm glad I'm heading back their at the end of my South East Asia adventure.
Yesterday I arrived in Bangkok and went for a few beers on the Khao San road with some Swedish guys I met. Bangkok is a whole world away from India. By far the most touristy place I've been so far!
To follow I few thoughts on India... (when I get a chance)
Laters
Wednesday 16 February 2011
Arrived in Singapore, checked into a great hostel. Now having a quick beer before bed.
Even though I couldn't watch I stayed up last night waiting for Sacha's text updates!! (was well worth it). Starting to look into the price of return flights from South America at the end of May...
Even though I couldn't watch I stayed up last night waiting for Sacha's text updates!! (was well worth it). Starting to look into the price of return flights from South America at the end of May...
Location:Singapore
Tuesday 15 February 2011
Mumbai
So where to start... It seems like months ago I arrived in Mumbai.
I was lucky on my first few days to be hosted by an old friend Mark from uni (take a bow Mr Trayling). So after meeting up, I seemed to jump in straight at the deep end!
So day one... After a few beers at the Royal Bombay Yacht Club, we took out a yacht and went on a spin around the harbour followed by a bit of lunch (plus obvious beer) at the Taj Hotel, then it was back to the yacht club before later stumbling along to a karaoke bar...
Day two involved a trip to Mumbai's only gig venue before back to Marks for a date with a bottle of Johnny Walker Black Label...
After days one and two it was safe to say I was a bit wiped out so definitely needed a couple of days r'n'r
Since Mark left for New York (allowing my liver to recover) I spent the next few days exploring to sights of Mumbai, watching a bit of amateur cricket and taking in the odd bar.... (Playing endless Bryan Adams, god help us)
Further update when I reach Singapore
I was lucky on my first few days to be hosted by an old friend Mark from uni (take a bow Mr Trayling). So after meeting up, I seemed to jump in straight at the deep end!
So day one... After a few beers at the Royal Bombay Yacht Club, we took out a yacht and went on a spin around the harbour followed by a bit of lunch (plus obvious beer) at the Taj Hotel, then it was back to the yacht club before later stumbling along to a karaoke bar...
Day two involved a trip to Mumbai's only gig venue before back to Marks for a date with a bottle of Johnny Walker Black Label...
After days one and two it was safe to say I was a bit wiped out so definitely needed a couple of days r'n'r
Since Mark left for New York (allowing my liver to recover) I spent the next few days exploring to sights of Mumbai, watching a bit of amateur cricket and taking in the odd bar.... (Playing endless Bryan Adams, god help us)
Further update when I reach Singapore
Sunday 13 February 2011
Mumbai
Just in case anyone had wondered where I've been... Mumbai has by far the worst internet coverage of anywhere I've been in India so far! (and possibly anywhere I been full stop!!) It has no wifi anywhere and about 3 internet cafes in the whole city.
So only time for this quick update. I'll post full details of what I've been up to when I reach Singapore on the 16th Feb.
Good news is, I've had the cast taken off of my foot. Bad news is that the break hasn't healed yet.
Mumbai is good fun as cities go although I'm looking forward to leaving India now
Speak to you in Singapore!!
So only time for this quick update. I'll post full details of what I've been up to when I reach Singapore on the 16th Feb.
Good news is, I've had the cast taken off of my foot. Bad news is that the break hasn't healed yet.
Mumbai is good fun as cities go although I'm looking forward to leaving India now
Speak to you in Singapore!!
Sunday 6 February 2011
Hampi
I thought that Hampi was going to be a bit of a struggle when I found out that there was no booze in the whole town and that is was strictly vegetarian.... But it turned out to be a fascinating place. It's been a fair while now on my trip since I visited a historical area, my time in India for the last month was primarily cities and coastal resorts, so Hampi made a welcome change.
The amount of ancient temples and monuments in one small area in staggering with temples ranging from neolithic to the 17th century.
So what have I been up to...
The overnight bus journey from Panaji was a bit of an ordeal but with that out of the way we found a really nice place to stay. Hampi itself was primarily full of travelers with a few Indian tourists.
After getting my bearings on the first day I hired a scooter for a couple of days to explore the ruins. I'd love to post some pictures to give an idea of the beauty of the area but with no wifi I can't attach them. I'll try and add them later.
Being out and about on the scooter gave me the freedom to explore all of the temple sights some of which we're pretty remote and I had entirely to myself. The only downside to travcelling this far was a slight miss-calculation in the amount of petrol I had... It all worked out for the best though as a kindly passer-by gave me a lift to the nearest petrol station and I hailed a passing tuk tuk taking some tourists to a temple to give me a lift back.
Other highlights we're being blessed by the sacred elephant (bizarre) and a trip to see the underground waterfalls (okay a pretty stupid thing to do with a broken foot...I had visions of 127 hours!)
The evenings passed pretty quietly as you can imagine but it was nice to have a bit of a healthy break. I've now been in a town with plenty of bars for two hours and still haven't had a beer!!!
I catch the trian to Mumbai in a couple of hours so back to city life...
The amount of ancient temples and monuments in one small area in staggering with temples ranging from neolithic to the 17th century.
So what have I been up to...
The overnight bus journey from Panaji was a bit of an ordeal but with that out of the way we found a really nice place to stay. Hampi itself was primarily full of travelers with a few Indian tourists.
After getting my bearings on the first day I hired a scooter for a couple of days to explore the ruins. I'd love to post some pictures to give an idea of the beauty of the area but with no wifi I can't attach them. I'll try and add them later.
Being out and about on the scooter gave me the freedom to explore all of the temple sights some of which we're pretty remote and I had entirely to myself. The only downside to travcelling this far was a slight miss-calculation in the amount of petrol I had... It all worked out for the best though as a kindly passer-by gave me a lift to the nearest petrol station and I hailed a passing tuk tuk taking some tourists to a temple to give me a lift back.
Other highlights we're being blessed by the sacred elephant (bizarre) and a trip to see the underground waterfalls (okay a pretty stupid thing to do with a broken foot...I had visions of 127 hours!)
The evenings passed pretty quietly as you can imagine but it was nice to have a bit of a healthy break. I've now been in a town with plenty of bars for two hours and still haven't had a beer!!!
I catch the trian to Mumbai in a couple of hours so back to city life...
Wednesday 2 February 2011
Pictures
A new batch of pics now up covering China, Tibet, Nepal and India: http://picasaweb.google.com/tumbridge/JTSTravelsChinaTibetNepalAndIndia#
Tuesday 1 February 2011
Panaji
After my intrepid adventures around southern Goa by scooter we packed up and headed up to Panaji the state capital of Goa. Panaji is really nice for an Indian city. It is small and exploring is manageable even with a broken foot.
The first day we were drawn to the casino boats, which float on the river to avoid gambling restrictions. The casino was great fun with much use being made of the free food and drink. The less said about the gambling the better. So having bankrupted myself that evening I decided to take it easy for the next few days...
Next yup was a trip to Old Goa formally the base of Portuguese colonial India. Now notable for the shear number of Churches and Cathedrals in one small area. Well worth a visit, particularly to see the remains of St Francis Xavier which are kept in a mausoleum at the Basilica of Bom Jesus. I'll add that to my list of dead celebrities seen so far (Lenin, Mao...)
Next up is Hampi for a few days, hopefully Internet access will be more readily available there...
The first day we were drawn to the casino boats, which float on the river to avoid gambling restrictions. The casino was great fun with much use being made of the free food and drink. The less said about the gambling the better. So having bankrupted myself that evening I decided to take it easy for the next few days...
Next yup was a trip to Old Goa formally the base of Portuguese colonial India. Now notable for the shear number of Churches and Cathedrals in one small area. Well worth a visit, particularly to see the remains of St Francis Xavier which are kept in a mausoleum at the Basilica of Bom Jesus. I'll add that to my list of dead celebrities seen so far (Lenin, Mao...)
Next up is Hampi for a few days, hopefully Internet access will be more readily available there...
Thursday 27 January 2011
Palolim Goa
There is a distinct lack of wifi in Palolim which is not necessary a bad thing. Although it has made updating the old blog a bit tricky.
Palolim is a beach resort in Southern Goa. Its far less developed as a resort as Varkala making it a much more chilled out place. Unfortunately a beach resort is not the best place for a big ginger bloke with a broken foot. I can't swim and I can't go in the sun....
That said I have discovered a solution to this problem that has solved my lethargy... I've been out and about exploring Southern Goa on a scooter. Its great fun, doesn't involve using my foot and allows me to imagine that I look like something out of Easy Rider. What more do you need!!
We're heading up into central Goa at the weekend. So I'll keep you posted
JT out
Sunday 23 January 2011
Ups and downs
Have left the beautiful Varkala we jumped on a quick train up to Kollam. The contrast couldn't be more different whereas Varkala was a tropical paradise, Kollam was a pretty poor example of a typical Indian city. Dirty, polluted and worse of all no bars!!!!
Luckily we only stopped for one night. The hotel we were in was something else but I won't even go there....
To travel between Kollam and Alleppey we booked a 8 boat trip through the backwaters. It was the perfect antidote to Kollam. Super chilled out with amazing scenery.
In Alleppey we also landed on our feet. We were recommended a home-stay by someone on the boat. The place turned out to be great, with an amazing garden restaurant come bar and most amazing of all it was cheaper than the dump in Kollam!!
Luckily we only stopped for one night. The hotel we were in was something else but I won't even go there....
To travel between Kollam and Alleppey we booked a 8 boat trip through the backwaters. It was the perfect antidote to Kollam. Super chilled out with amazing scenery.
In Alleppey we also landed on our feet. We were recommended a home-stay by someone on the boat. The place turned out to be great, with an amazing garden restaurant come bar and most amazing of all it was cheaper than the dump in Kollam!!
Tuesday 18 January 2011
Varkala
After a very peaceful train journey (surprisingly for India) in an air conditioned carriage I have arrived in Varkala
Varkala is a beach resort set along a cliff-side in southern Kerala. It is a little bit like the Thamel area of Kathmandu transported to a tropical beach. But that said it's very chilled out and with miles of bars and beaches. Not I can make much use of beaches with my stupid foot in plaster.
I even managed to buy a couple of lightweight shirts (or blouses as I'm sure Jamie would call them). I'll bring one each back for the boys at the football
Varkala is a beach resort set along a cliff-side in southern Kerala. It is a little bit like the Thamel area of Kathmandu transported to a tropical beach. But that said it's very chilled out and with miles of bars and beaches. Not I can make much use of beaches with my stupid foot in plaster.
I even managed to buy a couple of lightweight shirts (or blouses as I'm sure Jamie would call them). I'll bring one each back for the boys at the football
Monday 17 January 2011
Fort Kochi
I've spent two days chilling out in the very pleasant (touristy) area of Kochi. That said it's been nice to relax and read, keeping the weight off of my foot. I'm currently half way through a biography of Indira Ghandi which is a fascinating book (by Katherine Frank).
I'm catching the train to Varkala early in the morning so shouldn't really be staying up to watch Utd v Spurs.... Obviously I am though.
I'm catching the train to Varkala early in the morning so shouldn't really be staying up to watch Utd v Spurs.... Obviously I am though.
Saturday 15 January 2011
Back on the traveller trail
Yesterday I went on a Kerala backwater trip.
The tropical scenery around Kochi is breathtaking. The trip involved a houseboat and canoe trip! A couple of pics:
I've been really impressed with Kerala. It certainly seams the most well run region of India. The roads are good, it's clean and tidy and there are little or no slums. It surprised me to realise that the region has been run by the democratically elected Indian Communist Party for the majority of time since independence. Make of that what you will.
It was also the last day in my suite :o( Back to slumming it in a bog standard room...
Today I got my rucksack repaired (bloody baggage handlers roped of one of the support straps!) and then hired a tuk tuk to take me around Fort Cochin.
Nothing else to report other than the fact I'm now addicted to watching the Asian Cup. Sadly India have been hammered in every game...
The tropical scenery around Kochi is breathtaking. The trip involved a houseboat and canoe trip! A couple of pics:
I've been really impressed with Kerala. It certainly seams the most well run region of India. The roads are good, it's clean and tidy and there are little or no slums. It surprised me to realise that the region has been run by the democratically elected Indian Communist Party for the majority of time since independence. Make of that what you will.
It was also the last day in my suite :o( Back to slumming it in a bog standard room...
Today I got my rucksack repaired (bloody baggage handlers roped of one of the support straps!) and then hired a tuk tuk to take me around Fort Cochin.
Nothing else to report other than the fact I'm now addicted to watching the Asian Cup. Sadly India have been hammered in every game...
Thursday 13 January 2011
Kochi
Although travelling with a broken foot is not the easiest I made it to Kochi in Kerala with no real problems, well bar hanging around in Bangalore airport for 7 hours!
The home-stay I booked into had no standard rooms available so the had to put me in the suite. It's been quite tough to adapt from the usual bug ridden hovel to a two room apparent, but I'm sure I'll manage!!
Today I saw the sea for the first time since Brighton beach on 10th October! (I know it's not the same sea)
Tomorrow I've booked onto a 7 hour boat trip through the Kerala backwaters so I'm back on the traveller trail once again, broken foot or no broken foot!!
I even found a football stadium to go an have a look at, with the most bizarre local athletics meet in progress.
I think I can safely say I'm back!!
The home-stay I booked into had no standard rooms available so the had to put me in the suite. It's been quite tough to adapt from the usual bug ridden hovel to a two room apparent, but I'm sure I'll manage!!
Today I saw the sea for the first time since Brighton beach on 10th October! (I know it's not the same sea)
Tomorrow I've booked onto a 7 hour boat trip through the Kerala backwaters so I'm back on the traveller trail once again, broken foot or no broken foot!!
I even found a football stadium to go an have a look at, with the most bizarre local athletics meet in progress.
I think I can safely say I'm back!!
Tuesday 11 January 2011
Broken Foot
No recent post because I haven't really been able to do much since breaking my foot.
That said the last couple of days I can at least walk about as the foot is now in plaster:
Since then I managed to make another trip to the races for the Calcutta Derby. And a trip to watch East Bengal FC vs Pune FC in the Indian professional football league:
Tomorrow I fly down to Kochi in Kerala for a bit of warmth and sun!
That said the last couple of days I can at least walk about as the foot is now in plaster:
Since then I managed to make another trip to the races for the Calcutta Derby. And a trip to watch East Bengal FC vs Pune FC in the Indian professional football league:
Tomorrow I fly down to Kochi in Kerala for a bit of warmth and sun!
Sunday 2 January 2011
Ouch
Just to update everyone on why I've disappeared...
On the 30th I went over on my ankle and landed on a stone. Result, broken 5th Metatarsal. As such foot is strapped up and nothing to report.
Happy New Year though!!!
On the 30th I went over on my ankle and landed on a stone. Result, broken 5th Metatarsal. As such foot is strapped up and nothing to report.
Happy New Year though!!!
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