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Halfway House

31/3/2014

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If they were to make a "Shaun Of The Dead II" (outside of the Cornetto Trilogy) I would make a great extra as a zombie and know how to make it look realistic ... by doing a 24hr plus bus journey.

A) prior to bus departure do a power walk up a hill to the bus station at 3600m above sea level as you're running late for the bus

B) embark on a 16 hour bus journey through Bolivia where the seats are a little tight and your legs are way too long to get anywhere near comfortable. Ensure the person sitting next to you likes to push his elbows out when sleeping

C) ensure the bus stops every 3/4 hours to pick up passengers. Whilst at bus stops ensure people arrive with dodgy smelling goods/food that then stinks out the whole bus

D) upon arrival at border control at 8am ensure it takes 3 hrs for customs clearance and 2 passport stamps ... again make sure you have a look of worry that it might run out of space! Plus as you're going from Bolivia to Argentina always worry about the rubber glove treatment

E) jump on another bus for 8 hours to destination

Voila ... arrive smelling bad, with glazed eyes from lack of sleep plus malnourishment as the buses don't have toilets so you don't eat or drink for extended periods!

And I enjoy this because?


As I said before, the last week has been a lot of buses to make tracks to Salta in Northern Argentina for my flight to Buenos Aires tomorrow. Therefore in order to try and see everything I crammed lots in...

- In La Paz, I went to the Moon Valley and did 2 hours of off road motorbiking through beautiful countryside and only 20mins downhill from La Paz. As I was riding relatively quickly this meant I killed time riding through some Bolivian council estates... which meant riding with my legs up to avoid the stray dogs chewing your ankles!! I always love a bit of additional danger...not like riding off-road across mountain passes is safe!!

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A cross between a storm trooper and Daft Punk racing through the Bolivian countryside
- Went to the wine region of Cafayate for a speed drinking vineyard tour. I managed 8 across 2 half days. It's famous for its white Torrentes wine...smells sweet but tastes dry...not bad but not a touch on Mendoza Melbec...having said that the settings were beautiful and reminded me of Cape Town vineyards. Just a note if doing it by bicycle - don't wear flip-flops (Jandels to my NZ friends...Japanese Sandels) as after a few wines you feel gun-ho going over bumps and you end up scraping your foot! The drive leading into the town has amazing geology through a colourful gauge...as a drive-by tourist just snapped from the bus but still good.

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Wine tasting had it's downside...injury on the bike...plus I felt like I starred in a camp version of ET with my pink girls bike and basket!!

The reason for choosing Salta for this week is the "Tren a las Nubes" or train to the clouds ... now I am not a Malcolm or Nigel and like train spotting, I just enjoy the mode of travel as I can walk around and it is more pleasant than bus. This didn't stop me wearing a parka and having a spotting jotter though! It's the 2nd highest railway in the world!! It has 217km of track, 21 tunnels, 13 viaducts and 2 zig-zag and starts at 1187m and rises to 4220m!! It was the opening weekend so we had a marching band to wave us off . It runs weekly and first time of the season had cars of people following us for a glimpse of the train and it's journey! The scenery and engineering are stunning but the train looks more like a Cape Town commuter train than tourist luxury travel hence it was odd to see all these cars wanting to get a glimpse of the train...but then I realised there are no trains in Argentina so there is a novelty element to the journey for them. Singing the national anthem at the top was unique and made me realise how patriotic they are...I didn't mention I was British!

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Train to the clouds lived up to its reputation...had snow at the stop!!

- I succumbed to an old trait...I was craving Crunchy Nut Cornflakes with cold milk FOR DINNER!!...I couldn't find any but saw "Honey Graham" instead as a good alternative. It's a bad habit I know but when all you have for breakfast is bread and Dolce De Leche spread I needed cereal and cold milk. I guess it was karma for buying the cereal as I accidentally picked up soya orange juice to go with it!!

- Salta is a nice enough city but want to highlight one museum on the square. MAAM - in 1999 some European geologists went to Volcano Llullaillaco at 6739m which was an Inca sacrifice site...they found 3 fully preserved children from the -20C temperatures with face, skin and clothes all in tact...seeing it was quite remarkable especially as only 15 years ago...imagine how many more are out there!

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Salta valley sightseeing...always proud to see the RAC equivalent helping the local motorists...just wish I still had my membership :(

Time for reflection...

Wow ... my 6th month travelling milestone has now been reached. Do you miss me? Even know that I've gone? Remember my name?

For me the time has flown by, but in a fantastic way. My energy for travelling has ebbed and flowed as it naturally would but as I write this blog and now list my highlights it brings a smile to my face and real sense of achievement ... to see what I have seen ... done ... what great characters I have met and what experiences I have shared.

Some highlights so far:
- Quad biking with my 5 year old nephew Rex on my dad's farm in South Africa
- Sharing afternoon tea with my 91 year old Nanna
- Reaching the peak of Africa in Kilimanjaro at 5895m to the most Southerly tip of Africa at Cape Agulhas
- Teaching children in South Africa to read and helping adults to use a computer
- Travelled by plane, train, bus, taxi, tuk-tuk, rickshaw, motorbike, quad bike, bicycle, underground, horse, boat and ferry
- Reconnected with family and friends from all parts of the globe from Sydney, Bali, Cape Town and even Wales
- Swam with whale sharks, held a lemur, seen 200 elephants at a watering hole, had a monkey climb up my leg (not a euphemism) and heard a sea lion roar
- Drank 'mate' with the portenos of Buenos Aires and Melbec with the bodega owners in Mendoza,
Argentina
- Driven a 4x4 through the Atacama desert in Chile and cycled down the road of death in Bolivia
- Been overwhelmed by the beauty of Patagonia and the Salar de Uyuni

All in all I have covered 12 countries so far, I have the passport stamps to prove it ... although I cant really say I know Zimbabwe that well!

When I started the trip I wanted to track my progress with daily photos ... this proved harder than planned and has been dropped. What i have got immense pleasure from is this blog, it allows me to think about what I've recently done and put down my experiences and thoughts and will become a permanent record of my sabbatical journey. Amazingly to date I have had 7700 views of my website (7699 of those views from my mum) so thanks
for following the story.

When I look at this extensive list it feels great to have taken a 12 month sabbatical and it is a real sense of achievement ... not in a ticking box way but having the impetus to utilise this opportunity and to feel that I am making the most of my life. It has been a time for me to think, share my ideologies with fellow travellers and plan not just for the short term but what I want to get most from life in the long term.

On a bus journey in Peru I was reading via the
Longform app an interesting article regarding a child with autism and how he dealt with it via Disney films. They say you read something to share ... hence a quote from Laverne, the gargoyle from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” “Quasi,” he says. “Take it from an old spectator. Life’s not a spectator sport. If watchin’s all you’re gonna do, then you’re gonna watch your life go by without you.”

The exciting thing is I am now only half way...

The 1st April is the start of the next arrival on Palmer Tours ... my mum...3 weeks of Buenos Aires, Igauzu Falls and Peru, which also means no hostels for 3 weeks! After that I'm going to Ecuador, Galápagos Islands, Brazil (for England first game), Venezuela, Columbia and Central America.

It's great to reflect on an amazing 6 months so far but also to now look forward to the next adventures I have installed ... to which an open invite is always there for any of you to come and join me.

Keep reading this blog for future installments ...

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Carniv...oh!

10/3/2014

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So when you think of South America you think...

a) Football

b) Music / Dancing

c) Carnival

(d) Drugs if thinking of exports


So having not done any of those so far you would think for Fat Tuesday I would at least be able to tick off Carnival...well I failed!! (To be fair this weekend I have seen a few late street processions but poor quality)

I did try to see carnival but to be fair I have seen some of the best scenery out there this past week in the Atacama desert (Chile) and Salar de Uyuni (Bolivia).

Apart from the photos below to show you the scenery they have moved the Dakar rally here...see some stunning footage from stage 8 to give a flavour of what my eyes have marvelled on.
So after a 23hr bus journey with my travel pal Ignacio we arrived in San Pedro de Atacama...the tourist town/western film setting location for the main attractions of the Atacama Desert...it sits at 2,400m a.m.s.l

Few factoids on the desert...driest hot desert and oldest desert on Earth! Essentially the driest place on Earth...and covers 41k sq miles.

So after arriving at our hostel run by table tennis loving potheads we set about planning our time here in Chile and for getting to Bolivia and Salar De Uyuni.

Atacama is known for geysers (the spitting kind not council estate yobo's!), salt plains, thermal springs and stunning scenery. Due to all this it is a fairly active area for seismic activity. 

Saw sunrise over the geysers; swam in thermal baths; swam in Dead Sea equivalent (although told not as salty); 4x4 over mountain passes around 5,000m. The scenery is that of Mars and the moon and in fact NASA has used it to test vehicles. It is also known for the star gazing qualities and has the clearest skies in the world...would love to tell you more and get geeky but didn't manage to do the tour.

Highlight for me was Ignacio and I hiring a 4x4 for 2 days to explore ourselves the beautiful landscapes this place has to offer...essentially an awesome road trip listening to tunes, racing up dunes, improving my truckers tan and nearly hitting a duck!! My driving bravado nearly got us stuck in the sand but fortunately Ignacio didn't have to push and get a mouthful of sand! Sitting out in the desert eating a sandwich overlooking some stunning lakes and salt flats was a good alternative to Carnival!

About this town for anyone that goes...there are 25 operators of tours to Salar De Uyuni...price differences of $20 for a 3 day trip...all have mixed reviews...all put you in alright accommodation...all follow the same route. Makes decision making confusing and the topic of conversation with all travellers. My business hat says guarantee top accommodation, food and 4x4 then people will gladly pay more...nobody has entered the middle ground of backpackers with cash who want a top experience. Unfortunately my Chilean Dragons Den application did not come back!!

Thankfully Ignacio speaks Spanish as his parents are Cuban so has come to the rescue many times...most memorable was me asking the Cambio to change 4 days into Boliviano's the required currency. The laughter from all in the shop made me realise "quatro-dias" is not 40!

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Some unusual creatures were spotted in all types of strange locations!
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Road trip!! Meant some amazing places and views that were jaw dropping...some even inspired Salvador Dali!
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Flamingo porn! After a while it becomes "not another bright coloured lake with flamingos"
Salar De Uyuni and 3 days in a 4x4 with 4 other randoms was the next stop on my global tour...the highlight of anyone visiting SA...essentially in most people bucket list. Well the 4 randoms turned out to be great people from UK and Denmark...the Danes have a great sense of humour!

Few factoids of Salar De Uyuni...worlds largest salt flat at 4k sq miles.

Anyway the scenery is fantastic and don't think my photos do it justice!! We saw many lakes of greens, whites, blues and reds. Numerous flamingos...well too many to be honest!! But the highlight of the tour being the salt flats themselves for sunrise. This was the last day so a great build up to get there. Had a great laugh in the car watching the mountain and volcanic scenery fly by...sharing travelling stories and listening to music. The accommodation was basic and the 2nd night our hotel was made of salt...although rather annoyingly the floor was loose salt which meant salt got everywhere!! In terms of remoteness there is no phone reception and the hot water (and the water) lasted about 30 mins...luckily I made it before the 30 mins was up!! Martin in our group was mid hair wash so was not a happy camper!!

Most important thing to note about this trip is the altitude...now as a seasoned pro at altitude thanks to Kilimanjaro I was not worried but sleeping at 4,400m was the same as my highest sleep at Kili...therefore really had to watch out when walking around the lakes/hostel. Means it gets cold at night to below freezing in summer. Just shows you what a barren and harsh landscape it is...all the more impressive when you see llama and flamingo surviving at this altitude.

The main draw obviously is the salt flat which at this time of year is impressive. Still a little water so has great reflective properties of the mountains but means get to drive across the salt plains at speed to find our spot to do the famous perspective photos...google image Salar de Uyuni and you will see what I mean. Meant many hours on the salt plains having fun and playing around.

As I said at the start these 2 places are stunningly beautiful. Patagonia in the South is mountainous and meant more physical exertion...these are amazing in their own way due to the expansive vistas, coloured lakes and scenery like you don't get anywhere else on Earth.

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Team Salar De Uyuni!! A place that didn't disappoint...reflection and expanse meant a great time of year to explore
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Lake after lake after lake...
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Pantone colour scale got a lot of inspiration from here! Majestic pink...
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Sometimes the altitude makes you go loopy!!

Now I am firmly in Bolivia planning the next few weeks of the trip. Jaguars, death roads, ancient ruins and jungle are all on the list!! Bolivia is a great country so far and the people friendly...probably due to all the coca they eat/drink! Also very cheap...decided to check myself into a B&B single room with en-suite to catch up on sleep (dude in hostel last night was a snorer), do some admin, some washing plus the breakfasts here are bacon and eggs!! So splashing out in Bolivia terms here is $17 a night...yup the travelling playboy of luxury i have become!

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S=4H if S=Santiago

1/3/2014

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Hot...temp is averaging above 30C

Hilly...surrounded by the Andes...ski resorts 30km away

Hazy...with the heat and being in a valley pollution is that of Mexico City

High rises...tallest building in SA is completed

So when I last left you was at the border post in the Andes. To give you some idea of the height/altitude we are dealing within this area...I took a sip from my coke bottle at the border and upon arriving into Santiago the bottle had shrunk due to the drop in altitude/pressure!!

Santiago is a great city in the 2 days I have seen it...a nice European style city but less crowed than Buenos Aires. So as mentioned before it is hilly...there are 2 hills in town...mini Santa Lucia and grander San Cristobel. Great visual references for navigation particularly when you get lost walking down the grander hill after sunset!!

Did a walking tour (my own as well as organised one) that provided a great insight into Santiago life...and more importantly some quirky things to enjoy...

My favourite being "coffee with legs" which can be best described a cross between Starbucks and Hooters...btw the coffee is good rather than thinking i am a pervert! Although great skill is required to maximise enjoyment as I realised after my initial school boy error!! Walked into Cafe Caribe and pre-paid for my coffee to see that the lady serving was my mum's age in a shocking pink mini dress...the VPL was that off stomach sucking granny pants!!! Enough to make me burn my throat to get out of there quickly!! To enjoy the experience I scouted the second coffee house around the corner Cafe Haiti which proved a better choice although when the girl said "Hola Chico" and I said "Hables Inglais" to which she walked away to read the paper...at least easier on the eye whilst drinking coffee but doesn't do justice to the South American lady who is great on the eye particularly as summer ;)

The tour also highlighted a great ice cream parlour with earl grey tea, ginger and hazelnut ice-cream. The fish market run by the local mafia (they own all the restaurants) did a cracking crab pie (Pastel de Jaiba) as well.

One thing Chile has done that Argentina hasn't to my knowledge is bring to justice the regime under Pinochet. The Truth and Reconciliation commission has been involved post his regime to understand what happened to the Chilean people...I.e. those that disappeared. Similar to Argentina under the military coup people disappeared and the museum tries to highlight and bring reconciliation to those involved. Bodies were bound with metal and dropped from helicopters out at sea only for bodies to appear on beaches...mass graves identified...bodies in roads with throats slit...and still to this day a few hundred people have not been identified for those families involved. Those protesting where either against the regime, communists even faith leaders were locked up and tortured. Brutal for the people and understandably people still are coming to terms of the Pinochet regime. Will leave you to google Pinochet times in Chile.

So after coming to a major city again I change my mind once again about whether I could live in a small town or city. Mendoza was great and had what you need but Santiago with its culture and art and busyness of life is also appealing...tough one to call but as a city guy born and breed think it wins at the moment as where I would like to live...watch this space!!

Finally a point on Union Jack's? Over here I see many locals wearing T-shirts with the Jack as well as a bum bags amongst items seen. Are they more patriotic than me? Should I wear my footy top with pride? Am I concerned by the conertayions associated with the England top? With World Cup around the corner will hopefully be in Manuas to watch the first game and will be wearing it with pride then!!

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As you can see hilly, high rise, hot and hazy!!
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Love observing city life...walking for hours means seeing so much. The empanada maker saying hi...the coffee with alright legs...crab pie served by the local fish mafia...student revolt and numerous arrests but modern warfare is all about capturing on film.
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(Top) Dogs are a favourite here with the strays getting their own homes and winter coats / thought the saying was pigs might fly not dogs! (Middle) Messages of love (Bottom) Whether protesting or street art the city buildings provide a great backdrop to the activities
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Art art art...whether in galleries, on walls or in cultural centres a city has so much to offer...many performing arts on street corners as well...including token painted man statue!

For a cheeky day trip (doesn't necessarily do it justice) I went to Valparaiso which is/was a major port. Used to be massive before the Panama Canal was built as a stop between Europe and California when they had a gold rush...today still a port but famous for its 40 hills, funiculars and street murals...photos are only a small selection of the good ones!!

Explored the city and first stop was the 1971 Nobel Peace prize winner Pablo Neruda (poet and diplomat) home in the hills. Great views across the city. The city has many houses/shacks for the port workers so has a favela feel but not with the same tension...one thing to remember in Chile is major earthquakes and so shacks are easier to rebuilt than houses!

Tried the local shellfish "marisco" empanada (Cornish pasty) for lunch at the legendary Empanadas Famosas...people were buying 10 at a time. Bizarrely on the TV were naked ladies with body paint on jumping into a swimming pool after posing...like I have said before SA TV is good!! Also tried the local Pisco Sour for sundowners over the bay...Peru and Chile fighting over who has the rights but still a decent drink!

Did the free walking tour like in Santiago and worthwhile and recommend in any city that offers it...you just tip as the fee (just don't forget to tip like I did and now on a massive guilt trip back to Santiago!). Learnt about the port and city life...had the most expensive street in SA due to the port...now in ruin. All the fire stations are run by volunteers thus more revered than the police in the public eye...more interesting is that each individual station is sponsored by the Brits, Germans, Italians and Saudis i.e. the early immigrant settlers!! Most bizarrely though was the offering of Waitrose Essentials ketchup in the local supermarket???

Best way to see the city is by the following videos from a Red Bull championship to bomb it down the hills in c.2mins. See the steepness and wall decorations.

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Both old and new photos of city life. City of culture and expressive paintings. My fav being the new McD logo with the funicular in the background to my Pisco Sour! Btw don't worry not going and I have made human friends along the way...he is the poet Pablo Neruda...a right character!!
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Both big and small...garage doors to walls to lamp posts...art everywhere!!

Finally I head north on a 23hr bus ride today...guess no sympathy coming my way...I will arrive in the Atacama desert and have 4 days exploring high altitudes (roads at 5000m...think top gear in SA) and potential whale bones unearthing before crossing the frontier with Bolivia and the famous salt flats. Therefore those that do get concerned (few of you!!) I will out of radio contact for a while...don't be concerned unless you see me on CNN not waving behind the camera saying "hello mum"!!

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Nice legs...lovely body!!

26/2/2014

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Luckily I don't get car sick otherwise these bus journeys could be a burden rather than a joy. Currently on an 10 hr bus ride from Mendoza to Santiago (Chile)...got a 22 hr one next week as a reminder of the distances to travel when I head up to the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile. The route today takes me over the Andes past the highest peak in the Americas called Aconcagua. At nearly 7000m it is an achievable climb and like Kilimanjaro is a non-technical climb...one for another trip!! Issue is it is overcast and raining so can't confirm how beautiful the scenery is!! Having said that the border proved a lengthy wait but interesting after watching the Fratelli's (Goonies reference) + Maradona lookalike try to smuggle numerous house hold goods into strict Chile...one of my worst border crossings of about 3 hrs. But before sharing stories about Mendoza check out the photos below from a recent flight in Patagonia from Calafate to Bariloche...one of the scenic commercial flights I have taken.

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View from the plane across the Andes...seat A proved fortuitous!!

Mendoza is a must stop for anyone on a trip to Argentina. The city has loads to offer but top of this list is wine...lots of red Malbec wine to enjoy. Also is known for its food quality, art and adventure sports. I participated in 3 of the 4...let's just say I was lazy for 4 days!!

"Nice legs" and "lovely body" are the crap jokes in my wine repertoire and not comments I get on my travels! After visiting 5 vineyards to sample the local vino (mainly Melbec) my rubbish banter didn't improve!! I know a little more about the wine than before but to fair just enjoyed the vineyards (bodega), food and company. Perhaps my nose/mouth just hasn't got the palette to taste all the flavours...no comments about my Roman nose!! Reminds of that gin advert sketch..."hmmm I'm getting oyster shells, lavender, chocolate...Rubbish!"

The settings weren't always as beautiful as Cape Town but the wine tours and tasting certainly matched Stellenbosch. The knowledgable staff meant I learned more about the process than before...also here many of the vineyards are relatively new due to the previous economic crisis's forcing bodega to be sold or left fallow...so the passionate owners often showed us around. We visited small and organic vineyards like Clos de Chacras, Carinae, Pulmary through to larger estates like Luigi Bosca and Escorihurela.

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Luigi Bosca bodega in the rain meant poor photos so can you guess which are photos of posters?!?
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I tried my best to drink all the bottles on offer but decided instead to enjoy the beautiful settings of the many bodega's

Also the food here is great and the abundance of steak is starting to show across the waist line! Went to a place called Ituzaingo which is a closed door restaurant...essentially a local has converted his house into a restaurant but still lives there. On offer was a taste journey of 7 courses around Argentina with accompanying wines. Nice idea when you have a nice place...not sure my Balham flat has the same wow factor! My foodie friend Nancy (who runs her own catering company in Sydney) picked the restaurants and bodega and choose winners every time!!

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Hmm steak, steak and more steak!!

A stroke of genius from Nancy was the flat we hired for the 4 nights. Meant we had more space, could cook and had a roof terrace for sundowners...felt like being a local and my old life back in London. Bumped into a friend Tiffany from Bariloche who we invited over for drinks and nibbles. 6 of us had a cracking and raucous night...good litmus test is getting a knock at 1am from an angry neighbour about the noise!! Like all parties numerous bottles of wine helped lubricate the conversation!! The issue as always is the head the morning after which appears to get worse with age!! But well worth it as learnt a new drinking game and how to beatbox...important life skills at the age of 33!! Cheats way to beatbox is to say "boots n cats n boots n cats..." over again and quickly and then throw in "cats n tits n cats n tits..." Once mastered that can mix it all up to sound like an average beat boxer. The beauty of travel is learning about life experiences and skills of others around the world...in our flat were people from London, Sydney, Georgia USA, Auckland.

Finally to ensure we tick the art box we stumbled across a Pablo Picasso art exhibition in town...always nice to throw in a bit of culture once in a while!

Nancy departs tomorrow and has been a great 3 weeks sharing my travel experience with her. Going back to Sydney means work for her and me to find a new Scrabble partner. I know that I am not ready for work yet...so much more to see!!

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Buena Vista Trekking Club

20/2/2014

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I remember fondly from my school days our 6th form geography field trips. It wasn't the case studies of glaciation in the Lake District; the rivers of Devon or the urban planning of Newcastle. No it was the fun times with your school mates away from home for a week...Lango and his mini-bus rally driving skills; Jonny Angel proudly wearing his Arsenal scarf through the Byker Estate in Newcastle; Rich and I making a lame attempt at covering the bus in loo paper; and of course trying to score booze or the late night run home from the pub due to the curfew!

Heading to Torres Del Paine National Park (This park was awarded the 8th Natural Wonder of the World...what happened to just 7?? Jealous Table Mountain got that accolade?!? Why stop at 8?!?) in Southern Chile suddenly brought back memory of my school studies. The area can be classified as a Physical Geography teachers wet dream! Whereas at school we had to visualise glaciers, rivers and diffluent col down here you can see glaciers and their devastating force with your own eyes. See the glacial lakes and rivers meandering through the valley. The twisting of the rock from the immense pressure of the tectonic plates millions of years ago.

This knowledge occasionally impressed my new travel partner (Nancy from Sydney from EY days) but was mainly met with a L across her forehead towards me..."LOSER!"

My early blogs of needing jaw dropping scenery to impress me certainly exceeded my expectations here. Anyway see the photos for yourself and marvel at the breath taking scenery. What the locals call Buena Vista! My aim was to seek green /azure lakes and they certainly fulfilled this in abundance.

Unfortunately this comes at a price...yup camping it up ("oohh Matron" Kenneth Williams) is a nightmare. Tents are not made for light sleepers and 6ft manly frames. I was able to pitch my tent ("aight" Ali G) to prove my manly skills but after that the fun disappears. Picturesque camp sites are appealing but lack of sleep out weighs this. Thus the option of getting up at 4am for sunrise was much more appealing than sleeping on the ground!! The views were well worth it although the cold air at the summit suddenly made the tent have the comfort of a 10 tog doona (sorry Oz influence from Nancy after a week...means duvet!)

Luckily we only did the light "W" walk so had to carry kit for just 2 days not 5. We decided to spend more time in El Chalten and have a hostel/cabana for day walks which is much more pleasant. I say "we" loosely as Nancy did all the prep and organising skills for her 3 weeks...the rule of any joining member of Palmer Tours is that of planner...and thanks to her spreadsheet (she is an accountant after all!! Don't worry no mention of accounting is made in public places...although embarrassingly all border post forms ask for our profession!) the plan is error free so far...so far!!! Like a good ex-auditor I am always checking things ;) Also Nancy brought the Ozzie sunshine with her as we had the only hot days Patagonia has seen all summer!!

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The only way city slickers do night walks...iPhone 5 torch and Bobble bottle. The llama was watching over us as our boat departed...supposedly a puma too but did not see any evidence!!
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Guess who worked out the colour isolation function on my camera...can get it to pick out my gingerafro and nothing else!!

After nearly getting stuck in Puerto Natales as all buses were full which is not ideal as not much going on we headed to Perito Moreno glacier in El Calafate back in Argentina (3rd of 5th border entries being madero Arg!). Our mode of transport was the Little Miss Sunshine mini-van...was part of a family trip but didn't care as all other avenues of taxi, hitching and flying had expired. And wow what a sight the glacier was!! Ok very touristy and set up for the masses but being that close to the glacier and seeing / hearing it crash around you is awesome...it moves by 2m per day!! Mother Nature at her best!! Surprisingly peaceful just watching it and seeing it drop bits into the blue glacial lake.

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A glacier that advances rather retreats...again was having a Kit-Kat when the ice fell so only the shock wave afterwards as evidence!

Not to be outdone El Chalten 3 hours away is where Mount Fitzroy (3405m) peaks above all those around it. A technically challenging summit that was not on my radar to complete as involves ropes and ice axes...although the trekking around it to the lakes and glaciers proved equally rewarding as the W walk and a great way to sign off trekking and no more sleeping in cold/uncomfortable tents in South Patagonia. Unfortunately after 4hrs up to the Fitz Roy view it was overcast but the view from the high street the following morning was equally beautiful.

So we camped for one night again and as the gentleman I took the tent and heavy items but I am not going to lug gas, pots and dried noddles...meant my back thanked me as I slept on the hard forest floor!! Unfortunately did mean we ate cold pizza for dinner whilst smelling the chicken noodles from next door! Winning Trivial Pursuit was the only consolation.

The Argentinians have managed to adapt Swiss style architecture to their trekking/activity areas albeit they are new towns whereas Chile prefers the tin shed option...Swiss style reminds me of Europe and more pleasing to the eye whereas Chile has perhaps the more authentic look. Hence Argentina is winning over Chile for favourite country so far!! Issue with Chalten is lack of internet...my Commodore 64 could load things quicker...rather sad though that dependent on wifi but booking hostels etc it is a key traveller requirement. The good thing about these little towns are the quality of the beer and steak...steak for 3 nights in a row followed by digestifs at the micro-brewer...don't worry made sure of token vegetable for a balanced diet!

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Mixture of sun and cloud didn't put us off exploring the mountains...unfortunately sunrise at Fitzroy was missed due to sleeping through alarm!!
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Our lunch spots along the way...beats the Hammersmith Flyover!!

And finally...had my first "what the F are you doing here" moment!! Yesterday after a double-take bumped into a friend Bridget from EY days in Chalten who is taking 6 months off...not such a small world after all!!

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Brrr...its Chile

10/2/2014

6 Comments

 

Travelling or backpacking can have its highs and lows...some days everything goes to plan and others not...some days you meet great people and other times you need some personal space...Travelling solo has its advantages and disadvantages as well...although i need to constantly remind myself that i am not working for 12 months and going places many dream of there are times when the fairytale doesn't go to plan! You crave your sofa; some home cooked meals (note cereal for dinner not consumed yet...not have i cooked in months mind you!) or just some beers with mates (love getting photos from London of mates catching up with now ex-pay chums or Skype calls from parties where we end up both dancing!).

So i am in Chile and initially has been disappointing. Issue being very busy as holiday season so places are full...there are hitchhikers everywhere! The weather is often damp. Plus having the realisation thanks to delays that been wasting a few days that could of been spent elsewhere. Like all decisions about travel its a case of "what if" or FOMO (fear of missing out). You cant see it all so have to be selective based on LP (Lonely Planet aka travellers bible) and traveller stories...as you can sense from my intro i was in a little slump!!

So the past few days have been slow due to Chiloe way of life and distances to travel. Arrived on the island of Chiloe (halfway up/down Chile) for 3 days turning into 6. Rained first few days which means just sitting around with minimal exploring. Went to penguin sanctuary to see 100 or so penguins...again as have been lucky to be exposed to so many wonders of the world sometimes its hard to get wow factor...for local Chileans probably has wow factor but for global jet-setters like myself you need them in bow-ties tap dancing! German beer festival was good and shared beers with some great travellers (Germans settled here ages ago). Then karma slapped me across the face...

Had a 5 hr bus journey to the port for 23:00 ferry departure. Arrived cutting it fine but the ferry (sailing through fjords and stunning scenery...apparently) was delayed by 13hrs. After trawling the streets found no available hotel rooms. After contemplating the beach/park bench the thought of the stray dogs licking my face put me off. Luckily found 2 Chileans in same predicament and we managed to stay in a spare room of a local resident...thus cool to see Chilean way of life. Next morning decided to scrap the boat and head on 7hr bus to main airport in the north (my connecting flight in south would have been missed and then stranded in middle of nowhere as meeting friend Nancy from Oz in South). Managed to get on same flight but from stop earlier thanks to staff at Sky Airline (bought them a Toblerone as made me happy as got on board and have an emergency exit window seat to see the scenery from the air! Which as you will see is awesome!!) so worked out in the end but essentially 2 days wasted with little sleep and food.

As i said some days you pinch yourself of how lucky you are others you just wish transport would work (ok London did have strikes) and wish there is a sofa and English TV at the end!

Luckily over the next few days can share the experience with a friend and the scenery is meant to be stunning! Glaciers, mountain lakes, camping (not massive fan!) - just hope Tierra del Fuego and Chalten live up to their reputation!

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Island of Chiloe famous for churches, penguins and German beer!! Pleases all types of people.
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One could not complain of a window seat overlooking the Andes.
6 Comments

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