If anyone fancies checking out my new adventure with Janet you can here
janetandjohnsadventure.blogspot.com
Go on you know you want too....
janetandjohnsadventure.blogspot.com
Go on you know you want too....
Tuesday, 29 April 2014
Wednesday, 2 January 2013
New Blog....
During my year away I started taking picture of football stadiums and football pitches around the world as I worked on my desire to attend a football match on every continent I visited.
I collect lots of pictures during the year and so have decided to start a separate blog to focus on this particular strand of my trip...
I'l also continue to add pictures as I continue to indulge in my favourate pastime watching the beautiful game.
The blog can be found at: http://worldfootballstadiums.blogspot.co.uk/ check it out....
I collect lots of pictures during the year and so have decided to start a separate blog to focus on this particular strand of my trip...
I'l also continue to add pictures as I continue to indulge in my favourate pastime watching the beautiful game.
The blog can be found at: http://worldfootballstadiums.blogspot.co.uk/ check it out....
Saturday, 20 October 2012
The Everglades
My last stop before a return to civilization was supposed to be Miami from where I was flying home, but after a week in NoLa I fancied getting away from the big city for a bit.
I flew into Miami but jumped straight onto a bus to one of the best hostels I stayed at during the whole trip! The hostel was set about an hour south of Miami on the edge of the Everglades National Park and was a great base for exploring both the Everglades and the Florida Keys.
After the heavy week I'd had in New Orleans I was ready to get out and about and do some exploring. The best was to explore the Everglades was on bicycle and luckily my hostel hired them out!
The Everglades although a fascinating wetland environment, by its nature has little shade and so the cycling was definitely warm in the 35 degree heat! Even so I managed to see some amazing wildlife including several wild alligators! Although by the most impressive thing I saw all trip the the biblical thunder store that chased me back...
So here is the gator:
and here is the storm...
I did make it into Miami for a day where I again hired and bike and cycled along Miami beach. I wasn't overly taken with Miami but I think a lot of that was just being sick of cities. All I could think of as I was winding my way through the marina full of multi-million pound yachts was Grand Theft Auto Vice City..... Which probably says more about me that about Miami!
All that was left now of my trip was a visit to the Florida Keys. I actually made the trip down twice. The first trip was to the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park on Key Largo where as well as a key lime pie, a relaxing swim and a wander through the the amazing forests of mangroves, I booked a trip glass bottomed boat trip over the coral reef itself... something I missed out on in Australia.
The second trip on my last day was as far as I could make it down the Keys to Marathon where I spent my last day visiting a somewhat neglected Crane Park Museum and Nature centre which was a lovely way to end and amazing trip.
All that remained was one last bus trip back to Miami before the long flight back to London and real life.
So thats it, better late than never....
JT out
X
I flew into Miami but jumped straight onto a bus to one of the best hostels I stayed at during the whole trip! The hostel was set about an hour south of Miami on the edge of the Everglades National Park and was a great base for exploring both the Everglades and the Florida Keys.
After the heavy week I'd had in New Orleans I was ready to get out and about and do some exploring. The best was to explore the Everglades was on bicycle and luckily my hostel hired them out!
The Everglades although a fascinating wetland environment, by its nature has little shade and so the cycling was definitely warm in the 35 degree heat! Even so I managed to see some amazing wildlife including several wild alligators! Although by the most impressive thing I saw all trip the the biblical thunder store that chased me back...
So here is the gator:
and here is the storm...
I did make it into Miami for a day where I again hired and bike and cycled along Miami beach. I wasn't overly taken with Miami but I think a lot of that was just being sick of cities. All I could think of as I was winding my way through the marina full of multi-million pound yachts was Grand Theft Auto Vice City..... Which probably says more about me that about Miami!
All that was left now of my trip was a visit to the Florida Keys. I actually made the trip down twice. The first trip was to the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park on Key Largo where as well as a key lime pie, a relaxing swim and a wander through the the amazing forests of mangroves, I booked a trip glass bottomed boat trip over the coral reef itself... something I missed out on in Australia.
The second trip on my last day was as far as I could make it down the Keys to Marathon where I spent my last day visiting a somewhat neglected Crane Park Museum and Nature centre which was a lovely way to end and amazing trip.
All that remained was one last bus trip back to Miami before the long flight back to London and real life.
So thats it, better late than never....
JT out
X
Saturday, 5 May 2012
New Orleans
And so on to New Orleans....
The first thing that struck me about Nola was the oppressive stuck heat particularly after to cold of San Francisco but after a couple of day I got used to it.
I lucked out with the hostel I stayed in, which had single rooms available for not much more than the dorms including a little kitchen!
Just around the corner was a 24 hour bar, bizarrely with a launderette at the back, where I went for a drink the first night. With what I found was typical southern hospitality, I was soon drinking free beers and getting involved in singing Pogues songs with the 'Irish' locals....
After taking some time to recover, the next morning I set out to explore. The oppressive heat kept me off of the streets for most of the day so I visited a few museums, including a fantastic second world war museum and a tiny civil war museum.
One of the highlights of Nola was the discovery that the New Orleans Saints were playing a pre season game while I was there and I managed to get a ticket! I do love a bit of American Football and so had a great evening. Again the local fans kept me in beer which was incredibly generous at $9 a pint! The Saints beat the SF 49ers do a was good.
The days were fun but Nola is all about the nights. I did make one evening trip to the famous Bourbon street strip of tourist bars, but I mainly hung out on Frenchman Street, which is literally teaming with live music bars and clubs. With blues, country and folk all night I was in my element!
While heading out one afternoon to find a bar known for showing all the Premier League football, I took a trip though the expanses of derelict space which is the result of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. I sobering trip, I was amazed quite how much of the devastation still remains 6 years later.
New Orleans was certainly the friendliest place I visited in the US and somewhere I would love to return to even just for the nightlife!
So with only one more stop on my trip I might even get this blog finished before the first anniversary of my return! Here's hoping.....
The first thing that struck me about Nola was the oppressive stuck heat particularly after to cold of San Francisco but after a couple of day I got used to it.
I lucked out with the hostel I stayed in, which had single rooms available for not much more than the dorms including a little kitchen!
Just around the corner was a 24 hour bar, bizarrely with a launderette at the back, where I went for a drink the first night. With what I found was typical southern hospitality, I was soon drinking free beers and getting involved in singing Pogues songs with the 'Irish' locals....
After taking some time to recover, the next morning I set out to explore. The oppressive heat kept me off of the streets for most of the day so I visited a few museums, including a fantastic second world war museum and a tiny civil war museum.
One of the highlights of Nola was the discovery that the New Orleans Saints were playing a pre season game while I was there and I managed to get a ticket! I do love a bit of American Football and so had a great evening. Again the local fans kept me in beer which was incredibly generous at $9 a pint! The Saints beat the SF 49ers do a was good.
The days were fun but Nola is all about the nights. I did make one evening trip to the famous Bourbon street strip of tourist bars, but I mainly hung out on Frenchman Street, which is literally teaming with live music bars and clubs. With blues, country and folk all night I was in my element!
While heading out one afternoon to find a bar known for showing all the Premier League football, I took a trip though the expanses of derelict space which is the result of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. I sobering trip, I was amazed quite how much of the devastation still remains 6 years later.
New Orleans was certainly the friendliest place I visited in the US and somewhere I would love to return to even just for the nightlife!
So with only one more stop on my trip I might even get this blog finished before the first anniversary of my return! Here's hoping.....
Monday, 19 March 2012
San Francisco
So here we are, I've had another moment of inspiration and have decided to add another quick entry...
I arrived at San Francisco (SF) after an awful Greyhound bus trip. I couldn't believe that there was any need, on an 8 hour night trip, to stop at 3am at a roadside Burger King. But I'm obviously the only weird one as the entire bus trooped of to tuck into late night snacks! At least I made it although tired and headed down to the Mission District where I was booked into a nice hostel. The hostel kindly let me, after some persuasion, catch up on a bit of sleep before checking in!
I was instantly taken by SF. Firstly it was a comfortable temperature, or in fact a tad cold when the mist rolled in and secondly with narrower streets and great public transport, it felt much more like the European cities that I know and love!
I was lucky enough to have a list of hints and tips of things to do in SF and so set about ticking them off by exploring the Downtown area. I soon got board of this an decided to take a stroll back to my hostel. I had been warned that the Mission District was a bit dodgy, but I found it absolutely fine. I particularly enjoyed the small book shops and thrift stores along the parallel Valencia Street not to mention the great little bars along that route.
I realised my first evening in that the (then world champion) San Francisco Giants were playing a home series against the Arizona Diamondbacks that week. I managed to snap up a ticket for the next day...
I found a great little bar/cafe that night (Revolution Cafe between Mission St & Bartlett St), which was up there in my top drinking spots of the entire trip, it had nice beer and some great live music. Then again I think I probably just liked it because they played the whole of Five Leaves Left by Nick Drake shortly after I walked in but hey....
I spent the next few daytimes exploring the amazing districts of SF such as The Lower Haights, Chinatown, North Beach and also some of the obvious tourist areas such as Fishermans Wharf, where I went on a great boat ride around the bay.
So that second evening was my first trip to a real 'Ball game'! I have to admit I was underwhelmed, people didn't seem to arrive until well into the 3rd innings and left well before the end (SF lost). As such I found it was somewhat lacking in atmosphere. Anyway heres a pic:
I arrived at San Francisco (SF) after an awful Greyhound bus trip. I couldn't believe that there was any need, on an 8 hour night trip, to stop at 3am at a roadside Burger King. But I'm obviously the only weird one as the entire bus trooped of to tuck into late night snacks! At least I made it although tired and headed down to the Mission District where I was booked into a nice hostel. The hostel kindly let me, after some persuasion, catch up on a bit of sleep before checking in!
I was instantly taken by SF. Firstly it was a comfortable temperature, or in fact a tad cold when the mist rolled in and secondly with narrower streets and great public transport, it felt much more like the European cities that I know and love!
I was lucky enough to have a list of hints and tips of things to do in SF and so set about ticking them off by exploring the Downtown area. I soon got board of this an decided to take a stroll back to my hostel. I had been warned that the Mission District was a bit dodgy, but I found it absolutely fine. I particularly enjoyed the small book shops and thrift stores along the parallel Valencia Street not to mention the great little bars along that route.
I realised my first evening in that the (then world champion) San Francisco Giants were playing a home series against the Arizona Diamondbacks that week. I managed to snap up a ticket for the next day...
I found a great little bar/cafe that night (Revolution Cafe between Mission St & Bartlett St), which was up there in my top drinking spots of the entire trip, it had nice beer and some great live music. Then again I think I probably just liked it because they played the whole of Five Leaves Left by Nick Drake shortly after I walked in but hey....
I spent the next few daytimes exploring the amazing districts of SF such as The Lower Haights, Chinatown, North Beach and also some of the obvious tourist areas such as Fishermans Wharf, where I went on a great boat ride around the bay.
So that second evening was my first trip to a real 'Ball game'! I have to admit I was underwhelmed, people didn't seem to arrive until well into the 3rd innings and left well before the end (SF lost). As such I found it was somewhat lacking in atmosphere. Anyway heres a pic:
I was feeling a little city jaded by this point so I booked up a trip to Yosemite National Park for a few days, but I still had time to visit the secluded Japanese Tea Gardens and take a trek through Lincoln Park to catch some (misty) views of the Golden Gate Bridge. I also managed to catch a couple of great gigs just in case you we're missing my drinking exploits!
The trip camping and walking in Yosemite was bliss and although not much to talk about here's a couple of pictures:
Heading back to SF, I had only allowed myself about 8 hours for sleeping before my flight across to NOLA and my penultimate stop on the trip, but what a stop it was! Then thats another story.....
Thursday, 19 January 2012
Los Angeles
Last stop on my trip was 4 weeks in the United States. Starting off with a week in Los Angeles.
I found Los Angeles and indeed America as a whole a strange place. I was expecting it to be far more like home than it actually was! That said I still enjoyed my time here.
I booked myself into a hostel on Hollywood Boulevard itself thinking it would be super glam... Turned out it was a shithole so I moved to a slightly less shit one ten doors down.
After a day of viewing the obvious sights in Hollywood I decided I wanted to head out a bit and see more of LA. This is where I hit a major snag. It is actually impossible to see LA without a car. With this, admittedly major, handicap I set out to view the metropolis.
First up was the "old" town in the Downtown district. (I'm sure I've lived in older houses but I'll let that go....) Although this is primarily the business district, some of the original Spanish settlement buildings still exist and so I spent a pleasant day wandering around this area.
I managed to totally baffle locals by travelling everywhere by bus which no body in LA does! Next stop was the slightly more bohemian area of West Hollywood. I mainly spent my time here hanging around in record shops. No change there then. I also managed to visit the Le Brea Tar pits and the LA county museum of art. Both were highlights of LA particularly the LACMA which had a fantastic exhibition on the artwork of Tim Burton.
The evenings in LA I spent drinking in bars around the Hollywood area, a notable highlight of which (for me anyway) was actually "singing" on Hollywood Bvd in a bar with Karaoke. One thing I really found when our in bar in America was how friendly the people were. Definitely noticeable from my experience in other big cities. I did manage one big night out on Sunset Strip including watching loads of great music in both The House of Blues and the famous Viper Room, formally owned by Johnny Depp and the place where River Phoenix died in 1993.
My longest trip from my base in Hollywood was down to Long Beach where I headed down to see the Queen Mary. Sadly the highlight of this trip was finding an English shop on board that sold Frys Orange Creams...
My last day in LA I made a brief trip to have a look around Beverly Hills (dull) and a look around UCLA (which puts British University's into shame). I finished my stay by going to see the last Harry Potter film in the Chinese Theatre, which where they hold The Oscars...
I have to admit I found a week in LA more than enough time and sort of wished I'd headed on earlier. Maybe it would have been different if the LA Galaxy had been playing at home!
Next stop after a greyhound bus ride.... San Francisco!!
I found Los Angeles and indeed America as a whole a strange place. I was expecting it to be far more like home than it actually was! That said I still enjoyed my time here.
I booked myself into a hostel on Hollywood Boulevard itself thinking it would be super glam... Turned out it was a shithole so I moved to a slightly less shit one ten doors down.
After a day of viewing the obvious sights in Hollywood I decided I wanted to head out a bit and see more of LA. This is where I hit a major snag. It is actually impossible to see LA without a car. With this, admittedly major, handicap I set out to view the metropolis.
First up was the "old" town in the Downtown district. (I'm sure I've lived in older houses but I'll let that go....) Although this is primarily the business district, some of the original Spanish settlement buildings still exist and so I spent a pleasant day wandering around this area.
I managed to totally baffle locals by travelling everywhere by bus which no body in LA does! Next stop was the slightly more bohemian area of West Hollywood. I mainly spent my time here hanging around in record shops. No change there then. I also managed to visit the Le Brea Tar pits and the LA county museum of art. Both were highlights of LA particularly the LACMA which had a fantastic exhibition on the artwork of Tim Burton.
The evenings in LA I spent drinking in bars around the Hollywood area, a notable highlight of which (for me anyway) was actually "singing" on Hollywood Bvd in a bar with Karaoke. One thing I really found when our in bar in America was how friendly the people were. Definitely noticeable from my experience in other big cities. I did manage one big night out on Sunset Strip including watching loads of great music in both The House of Blues and the famous Viper Room, formally owned by Johnny Depp and the place where River Phoenix died in 1993.
My longest trip from my base in Hollywood was down to Long Beach where I headed down to see the Queen Mary. Sadly the highlight of this trip was finding an English shop on board that sold Frys Orange Creams...
My last day in LA I made a brief trip to have a look around Beverly Hills (dull) and a look around UCLA (which puts British University's into shame). I finished my stay by going to see the last Harry Potter film in the Chinese Theatre, which where they hold The Oscars...
I have to admit I found a week in LA more than enough time and sort of wished I'd headed on earlier. Maybe it would have been different if the LA Galaxy had been playing at home!
Next stop after a greyhound bus ride.... San Francisco!!
Sunday, 8 January 2012
Acapulco
My original plan for Mexico had been to get out of Mexico City and to spend a week in Puerto Escondido. The bus was booked and paid for only for me to arrive at the bus station to find a landslide had cancelled all buses... Afte a quick re planning (and couple of beers) I decided to opt for a trip to Acapulco instead.
My first impression of Acapulco was of a faded British seaside town such as Blackpool. It definitely lacked glamour... That said I checked into my hostel and hit the beach for my first swim in the see of my entire travels!!!! Later that evening I tried out a few of the beachside bars. None of which particularly covered themselves in glory. Most bring theme bars catering to the limited number of package holidaymakers.
So far I could see why no body advises a stop in Acapulco while in Mexico....
I decided at this point to revise my plans for the week. Somebody recommended a cheep beachside hotel in a tiny fishing village called Pie De La Cuesta about 20 kilometres along the coast.
Pie De La Cuesta was everything I could have hoped for. The hotel backed onto the beach, the village had one bar that was happy to put the football on for me and the little beachside restaurants all sold amazing fresh grilled fish. The only downside was that the Pacific was too dangerous to swim in at this point with very strong currents. Not that it stopped some of the crazy surfers I saw.
Although I spent much of my few days here sprawled in a hammock I day make the effort to do a bit of exploring.
Pie De La Cuesta is at one end of a spit of land between the pacific ocean and a freshwater a lake called Coyuca, so I took the opportunity to go on a boat trip around the lake stopping off on one of the islands for a swim.
Back at the hotel I pretty much spent the next two days chilling out, a very welcome break.
Back in Acapulco itself I booked into a different hotel in the old part of town in view of the famous cliff jumpers.
Next up (bar a quick couple of days back in Mexico City described in my previous post) was Los Angeles and my final country the good ol US of A
My first impression of Acapulco was of a faded British seaside town such as Blackpool. It definitely lacked glamour... That said I checked into my hostel and hit the beach for my first swim in the see of my entire travels!!!! Later that evening I tried out a few of the beachside bars. None of which particularly covered themselves in glory. Most bring theme bars catering to the limited number of package holidaymakers.
So far I could see why no body advises a stop in Acapulco while in Mexico....
I decided at this point to revise my plans for the week. Somebody recommended a cheep beachside hotel in a tiny fishing village called Pie De La Cuesta about 20 kilometres along the coast.
Pie De La Cuesta was everything I could have hoped for. The hotel backed onto the beach, the village had one bar that was happy to put the football on for me and the little beachside restaurants all sold amazing fresh grilled fish. The only downside was that the Pacific was too dangerous to swim in at this point with very strong currents. Not that it stopped some of the crazy surfers I saw.
Although I spent much of my few days here sprawled in a hammock I day make the effort to do a bit of exploring.
Pie De La Cuesta is at one end of a spit of land between the pacific ocean and a freshwater a lake called Coyuca, so I took the opportunity to go on a boat trip around the lake stopping off on one of the islands for a swim.
Back at the hotel I pretty much spent the next two days chilling out, a very welcome break.
Back in Acapulco itself I booked into a different hotel in the old part of town in view of the famous cliff jumpers.
Next up (bar a quick couple of days back in Mexico City described in my previous post) was Los Angeles and my final country the good ol US of A
Thursday, 15 December 2011
Mexico City
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)
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)
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 !
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