Leaving Buenos Aires, going loco in La Paz and experiencing beautiful Cuzco....

In my last post I was off to Uruguay, but for one reason or another I didn´t make it but instead spent a few days 6 hours south of Buenos Aires in Mar Del Plata. Despite it raining I had a really enjoyable few days relaxing with some Swedish friends I´d met along the way. We then all went back to the capital where I partied for a week more before finally dragging my heels and heading off!

So I finally got myself away from the nightlife, culture, food, climate and everything else that Buenos Aires has to offer by jumping on a bus to La Paz.

When I arrived at the bus terminal I was hoping for only a few things from the bus given that it was a 48 hour journey....air conditioning, reclinining chairs for a sleep and a little leg room. As the bus chugged in at 5pm making this thing look like royalty, I wasn´t hopeful. And my lack of hope was substantiated as I jumped on the bus for two days without air conditioning and the ability to get a decent nights kip. That said however, it wasn´t unbearable and with a couple of books and an appropriaetd pillow from the last hostel I managed to do the journey without much hassle....just.

Anyway, arriving into La Paz and the city is nothing like I´ve ever seen before. It literally takes your breath away (its highest point being 4058km above sea level) and once you manage to overcome the initial effects of the altitude what lays before you is certainly one of the most unique city´s you can come accross. It is sandwiched between two huge mountain faces and thousands upon thousands of houses cascade down these mountains eventually ending up with a flattish centre. It is almost like a supersized football stadium that has been turned into a city.

With not much time in La Paz I set myself a full itinery for the two days that I was there. Unsuprisingly the first days plans where in the bin after I got dragged out all night on my first night there. However, the second day was one I won´t forget.

The day started with a trip to the Coca Musuem. It is a small little building located just behind one of the main Plaza´s in La Paz. An educational and informative tour, it left me with a few suprising (or perhaps not) facts about the history of the Coca leaf. What many people don´t realise about the Coca Leaf is that it has been used for centuries by the Andean people as a method of curing a variety of ills and also improving prouductivity in the workforce.

A quick word on the eradication of the Coca leaf. America has lead the way for its eradication yet it is Western (including American scientists) who first developed its derivative Cocaine and also Coca Cola for years used the leaf as its secret ingredient. Ironically, a stat given in the museum states that America, which makes up 5% of the worlds population, consumes 50% of the total Cocaine intake each year.

Anyway, this isn´t a manifesto either way on the Coca leaf, but I think it is important to know some facts that aren´t always put forward.

So I wandered around La Paz for a bit and then made a trip to a place that I will never forget in a long time. Partially made famous by the book Marching Powder, San Pedro Prison is one of the strangest places I have ever been to. It is an unofficial tour of the "prison" and the way in is to approach a South African couple outside who seem to have used their entrepreneurial skills to set up a "tourist attraction". Anyway, after spending a significant amount of money to get in what I saw was simply unbelievable. We were assigned a guide and a few bodyguard inmates and to say I was shit scared when walking past the guards with automatic rifles is a huge understatement.

Anyway, we were given a tour of the place and it really is unique. It has a restaurant, bar, pool tables and many other amenities that would compliment a small town. Even stranger is the fact that different areas of the prison are referred to as mini boroughs - our guide would often say "this is a poor/rich area of the prison". Perhaps most strikingly though is that inmates wives and children are permitted to live with their husbands in their cells. When I say cells, it is doing their living quarters a disservice as included in what they have is cable TV where one of the young boys was watching Arsenal when I was wandering round. I sat down next to him, watched the second half and his mum brought us some cake to eat. As I said, it was bloody surreal. I´m actually laughing now as I type at how ridiculous the whole situation was. To top it off there are Coca Cola signs printed everywhere around the prison. I guess Capitalism knows no bounds. This link to an old BBC report gives a few pictures and a bit more info on the place (if you look at picture 4 you can see the Coca Cola signs I´m talking about).

Feeling slightly confused and with my eyes firmly open, I spent one more night in La Paz before heading to Cuzco in Peru. No hassles with border control this time (I´d learnt my lesson). On the way to the Cuzco I was actually thinking about how lucky I´d been not to have been ill this whole six months....sure enough after the first meal I eat I felt awful and for the next couple of days I felt pretty rough. Anyway, I spent it in this English pub watching all the weekends football and was well enough on the Monday to go and visit Machu Pichu. A really amazing place, where is is believe the Incas inhabited between 1460 and departed around 100 years later.

The next day I set off for Lima on what was supposed to be a relatively easy 20 hour journey. Things started well when the bus turned up and looked pretty good. I spent the first few hours watching a couple of films before nodding off to sleep at around 9pm. Anyway, I woke up at 2am to a load of shouting and commotion and not being in the mood to get involved went back to sleep. Imagine my suprise when I woke up at 11am to find we were still in EXACTLY the same place. Apparently the bus had broken down during the night and the next bus was to come pick us up at 7pm that evening. An enjoyable 19 hour delay ensued in the middle of nowhere. That said the view was amazing and I took a load of pictures to remind myself. However, beautiful scenery can only pass so much time on a 19 hour delay.

So I´m in Lima now, feeling slightly better but taking it easy. I have a flight to Medallin in Colombia tomorrow and I am seriously excited. It´s meant to be an extroadinary place and everyone I´ve spoke to says I´m in for a treat.

By the way, if you´re looking for something to read over xmas I´ve just finished this book on Medallin´s most famous son, Pablo Escobar. It will amaze you at the state of the place between the mid 80´s and early 90´s when he was king.

Anyway, I hope everyone is well back home and looking forward to Xmas.

Take care and I´ll be in touch soon!

Like a boomerang.....

I´m back in Buenos Aires...haha!!

Only for a couple of days I think. Next stop Uruguay!!

Speak soon.

Buenos Aires continues to thrill and getting deported from Brazil was quite interesting as well.....

So I´m still here in Beunos Aires!

There´s a well worn saying in travelling circles that amounts to "Don´t get stuck in one place...make sure you see more." The most common place this happens is Sydney. People go there straight from England, love it so much, cant see past the Harbour Bridge or Opera House and what was meant to be a year travelling Oz turns into a year in Sydney.

Whilst this hasn´t quite happened to me yet I´ve been in Buenos Aires for almost 3 weeks now and it´s probably time to leave.

However, the last two weeks have been fun, challenging, thrilling and unique. What´s more, there have been one or two unfortunate moments which I´ll come on to but that hasn´t diminished any of the affection I have for this wonderful city.

So last time I checked in I was going to meet my two mates Ed and James in Florianopolis. Before doing this I decided to take a bus up to Puerto Iguazu and see the world famous Iguazu Falls. By the way, the buses in Argentina and South America as a whole are big business. You can get 1st, 2nd and 3rd class busses with 1st class offering you a full bed, meals, wine and a waiter for the journey. A bit OTT but it makes 18 hour journeys a whole lot easier.

Anyway, I arrived in Puerto Iguazu and saw the imposing and quite special collection of waterfalls that this Argentinian landmark has to offer. Especially striking was La Gargenta del Diablo which roughly translates into "The Devils Throat".

So with my fill of waterfalls I crossed the border by local bus into Brazil. A smooth transition through immigration where I got my exit stamp from Argentina. Worryingly though there was no Brazilian immigration to give me an entrance stamp....more to come later!!

Having moved into Brazil I got on to another bus where I made the overnight journey to Florianopolis. There I met James and Ed and it was really great to see a few friendly faces. Having been away for so long without seeing people from home it was nice to spend a bit of time in the company of friends where conversation is easy and forcing conversation is not necessary.

Ammusingly though, it rained for 3 days straight. The lads had come from horrible, dark and murky weather back home in London and had arrived in Brazil to be greeted by the more of the same. So we decided to move our flights forward and leave the next day.

The journey was simple. Florianopolis to Coritiba and the Coritiba to Buenos Aires arriving at around 4pm. The first leg was navigated without hassle. The second leg was not. As we went through immigration in Coritiba the Federal Police had a quick scan through my passport and asked for my ¨Entry Card". Bollocks!! The lack of immigration in Puerto Iguazu was beginning to hurt me. After trying to explain why I didn´t have one, the guys were not impressed and it didn´t help either that the two friends I was with, Ed and James, had the necessary documents. The Federal Police didn´t seem bothered by my explanation that they had come from London and I from Puerto Iguazu.

Anyway, after much discussion in English, Portugese and Spanish, I managed to decipher that I wasn´t going anywhere and would have to fly the next day. James, Ed and I agreed it would be best for them to carry on and I would meet them tomorrow.

So an hour later I was in the interrogation room of the Brazilian Federal Police being told that I had to pay 300 pounds to leave the country. In my head I wanted to tell them to "F*** Off¨". But not having the bottle and also worrying that I would probably excalate the situation, I simply said ¨No¨. After going backwards and forwards for a while and me politely correcting them that no, it isn´t the case that if a Brazilian man was without documentation in England he would be put in prison for 10 years, we finally reached a compromise. I was to leave tomorrow but if I ever wanted to come back to Brazil I would have to pay the fine.

I was partially content but for reasons unbenown to me I decided to kick up a mighty fuss and demand that I leave that night. So quite amazingly I had managed to side step the fine that the Police were imposing, albeit temporarily, and had got them and the airline running around looking for a way out for me that night. I managed to do it as well and an hour later I was on a flight bound for Sao Paolo with a connection on to Buenos Aires. I arrived in Beunos Aires at 12am, met the lads and had one almighty session on the beers with them.

All was good until a few days later when I had my wallet stolen on the tube. Bollocks! It happened so quickly and the guy was off in a flash that before I could do anything I had no cash, no card and no ID apart from my passport. Not good. Anyway, one way or another I managed to sort myself out but it was certainly a lesson learnt.

The lads and I then embarked on a feeding and drinking frenzy lasting a good 5 days. We ate in some great restaurants, had steaks the size of our heads and it got to the stage where rather than being mocked by taxi drivers for going home early as I was when I first arrived, they were rather impressed when we were asking to be taken to more bars after the clubs had closed at 7am. True Porteños!!

So the boys have gone now and I´m planning my exit too. I suppose I´ve loved this place so much that I´m worried things wont compare to it. I´ve almost carved a micro life for myself here where I know waiters, travellers, barman and locals. I know the roads, good places to eat, the tube and the best places to go drinking on different nights of the week. However, someone said you should always leave a place wanting more!

And so I´ll probably be out of here by Wednesday (or Thursday, or perhaps next Wednesday...just kidding) at the latest but I will definately be back.

Next stop is the University City of Cordoba. Apparently Cordoba prides itself on being bigger, better and offering harder partying than Buenos Aires. If that´s the case then the next blog could offer more suprises than this one!

Until then.......

People, Culture, Fiestas and Passion....Buenos Aires just doesn´t disappoint!

So I very nearly didn´t make it to Buenos Aires. After touching down in Santiago de Chile I enquired as to when the check in for my Aeriolinas Argentinas flight to BA was. In mixed Spanglish I understood that the Airline has a relatively relaxed attitude to check in and that I should simply listen out for the call around an hour before take off.

As it was 12pm and my flight was at 6pm, I naturally gravitated towards the bar for a bit of food, a drink and a few hours of reading my book. Anyway, I got chatting to some Kiwis who had got off the same flight as me and a few hours later I was feeling a bit hammered. For some reason they had taken a shine to me and decided to provide an endless supply of beer whilst I was waiting for my flight. I wasn´t complaining and as it reached 4 o´clock I decided to go for a quick toilet break. On my way I saw a young Air Argentina hostess and asked her when check in for my flight was. She took me to the check in desk and said "Ahhh, yis, Señor, we av been waiting for yu. Yu are late Señor, your flight will leave in 20 minutes". So quite reasonably the hostess was suggesting that because no one had told me my flight was cancelled and the only service to BA was at 4.30 I had made the error and should be adequately embarresed at my mistake. Anyway, with no time to complain, I said bye to the Kiwis, finished my beer (still had time to do that) and boarded the plane.

And to be honest the last week in Buenos Aires has been as hectic and frantic as my first encounter with the Air Argentina hostess. I must admit I was a bit worried that Buenos Aires wouldn´t live up to its reputation partly because I´d put it on such a pedastal and partly because generally most things you wish for generally don´t.

However, I need not have worried as the place is simply fantastic. The mix of French architecture, a relaxed European approach to life and the added Latino spice and passion provides for a wonderfully unique city.

My first two days and nights were just a blur. I arrived and walked into a huge party at the hostel and from Thursday until Sunday morning I didn´t stop. The term "24 hour city" could not have been more appropriate. Also amusing was how the taxi driver was giving me shit at 6am on the Friday for, and I quote, "going home early". Haha!

In between the partying of that first weekend I managed to explore the city and spend time in some places where you cant help but walk around with a smile on your face. I spent the day in San Telmo (the oldest neighbourhood in Buenos Aires) walking amongst the various artists, market sellers and street performers while also taking in impromptu Tango dances by the locals. I drank wine and beer with the Porteños (people from BA) in the chic Palermo area and I strolled around the many streets that are permeated with beautiful European architecture. I even went to a US election party full of Argentinians, Americans and anyone else who wanted to see a truly unique piece of history being made.

The rest of the week I began my Spanish classes and continued to fall in love with the City. I haven´t done any of the traditional tourist attractions yet as after feeling a little too touristy in New Zealand (jump of the bus, take a pic and move on) I want to really get a feel for the city. At this point I´m really thinking of spending a bit of time here, perhaps a month or so. I´ve no plans as to what I´ll do here for that month but there seems to be a force pulling me to the City and until that stops I´ll continue to stay.

As for the immediate future, I´ll be leaving for Iguazu Falls in Northern Argentina tomorrow and then the day after I´m heading to Florianopolis in Brazil to meet James and Ed, my great friends from home. We´ll spend a week on the beaches in Floripa before all heading back to Buenos Aires to continue where I left off and to show Ed and James what this great city has to offer.

So the South American leg really has started with a bang. Long may it continue.

Until then.....

..Site Maintenance

Thought I'd give the blog a bit of a spring clean.

May change back in a few days if I think it's crap. To be honest, I'm feeling that excited I'm just finding things to do to waste away the time until tomorrow's flight....

Cutting down on walks + partying more + climbing a glacier = Finishing New Zealand on a high!

So it's been a really enjoyable last 10 days in New Zealand which consisted of, as the title of the post suggests, a few less walks and a bit more partying!

Moving down through Westport on the West Coast there was some really beautiful landscapes of valleys, lakes and mountains. Our first stop on the way down though consisted of a themed party at a pub which is almost as old as the owner (Age of Pub - 95, Age of Les the Owner - 84). The theme was "Anything beginning with P" and so with a tight little affro, a sheepskin coat, some outlandish black and white trousers and a daring purple top I went as a Pimp! Unfortunately I didn't win the competition as best dressed, that went to the Parrot with the lad who came as a Prostitute a close second.

With a slight hangover we made the journey down to the Franz Josef glaciers where we went on a day long hike up the glacial mountain. It wasn't the toughest treck I've done but it was probably the most fun as we were scaling walls and trying to fit our bodies through impossibly tight cravasses.

From there we had an unevenftul stop over at Wanaka before hitting the party town of Queenstown. Not much sleep and plenty of booze was had as this was the last place before the people on our bus went there seperate ways. A cool little town and a fitting way to end the Kiwi Adventure.

Through a mixture of bus and plane I'm now back in Auckland with loads of great memories to take away. The people are friendly, the scenery is jaw dropping and the activities get your blood pumping.

So now I'm waiting for tomorrow evenings flight to Argentina and I honestly can't wait. South America is a place rich with history, culture, music and by all accounts is one of the best continents to visit in the world.

And with that I bid "E noho ra" (Goodbye in Maori) to New Zealand and "Hola!" to Argentina.

Speak soon!!

Landscapes, walking and lots and lots and lots of sheep - Welcome to New Zealand

So after taking the scenic route travelling to Auckland (Cairns-Sydney-Auckland, when the much shorter Cairns to Auckland would have sufficed) I arrived in the country that has a ratio of 10 sheep to every one person (that's not a lie: 40 million sheep and 4 million people!)

Now with such a big country and so few people I made a mental note to approach the next few weeks as an opportunity to take stock, slow down on the beers and get a few nice picturesalong the way. 

Having spent a couple of days in Auckland without much to write home about, I jumped on the Kiwi Experience bus and set off on a 17 day trip through the North Island, over the sea and around the South Island. 

First stop was a small place called Mercury Bay. There we embarked on what I would later find out to be the first of many walks along New Zealand's rich parks and landscapes. It was a relaxing day and my body was thankful for the brief interlude in beer drinking and injection of exercise.

From there we made the short journey down to a place called Rotarua and the place absolutely stunk...literally. Now Wikipedia will have you believe that it is due to the geothermal activity in Roturua and the strong presence of Sulphur in the region. I will tell you that it smells like the population have been living off too many egg sandwiches and have let off a huge collective fart! Anyway, despite it's bad smell I went to a traditional Maori night which was good fun and also refreshing to see a country embracing it's indigenous past rather than shunning it.

Having survived the smell we moved on down to Waitomo - Population 40! I stayed one night went for a LONG walk in the morning and then moved on. 

The next stop was a place called Taopo which offered the first glimpse of a township or city since Auckland. In Taopo I had a lot of fun going Zorbing and Luging and even managed to have a few beers and a party in the evening. 

The Kiwi gods must have sensed I was having too much fun and meeting too many people as the next stop was a place called River Valley - Population: Us! Seriously, the hostel was in the middle of nowhere with the next town, people or shops 35 minutes away. The reason we went there though was to go White Water Rafting, which I did do and which I must say was a lot of fun. Amazingly as well, I managed to catch the Arsenal game at this hostel which considering we were in the arse end of nowhere was a huge surprise. 

And so I rushed through Wellington, Nelson and have now arrived in Westport for a night. Population - Not many. However, this is only a stopover before the South Island really comes alive with the Franz Josef Glaciers (which are rumoured to be stunning) and then Queenstown where you can do the highest bungy in the world (134metres = pretty high). You can also do this....not sure about that one yet!!!

Anyway, despite my cheap and unfunny jokes about the sheep and population, New Zealand truly is a stunning place. It is rich in mountains, hills, volcanoes, lakes and rivers which consistently provides awe inspiring scenery.

So with many miles clocked up walking and some brilliant postcard photos, I look forward to the South Island which by all accounts offers a good mixture of adrenaline, scenery and of course....walks. 

Speak soon!!

Australia shines - A truly memorable two weeks

Having just re-read my previous post I think there was a tinge of dissapointment running through it as I didn't feel Oz was really living up to it's reputation. However, I've just spent the last two weeks in probably the two most beautiful places I've ever seen as well as conquering a (hidden) fear of heights by skydiving at 14,000ft and doing a 90ft bungy!!

So after a day more in Surfers Paradise (that seems bloody ages ago), I made my way to Brisbane for a weekend of continiuous partying with the locals. A really cool little city with a bohemian feel that matches the laid back nature of the people who live there. Making my way further North I stopped off at the Australia Zoo (aka the Steve Irwin Zoo) where I think my camera almost exploded such was the amount of pictures I took of the place. A quick stop off on the beaches at Noosa gave me the chance to read a couple of books and relax.

It was after this however when Australia really came alight. I'd already booked myself on a trip for a self drive 4X4 safari along the sandy panes of the Island and so at 5am last week an Englishman, 2 Frenchman, a German, a Scot, two Norwegians and an American set off to camp on an island for two days.

Now the deal was we were to take the 4X4 jeep, buy a load of food and booze and spend the next couple of days and nights camping and wandering around this beautiful little island. It really was an adventure and apart from the occassional annoying moment where we got stuck in the sand, some of the memories I have will stay with me for a long time. Things like driving along the wet sand, with the sun shining and the stunning scenery before me. Also waking up at 5am to catch the sunrise will forever be etched into my memory. Perhaps the most stunning part of this particular trip was a little lake called Lake Waby. That picture doesn't really do it justice but the lake was a unique bluy/green colour and the sand dunes when you reach the top give off a sensation that you're in the middle of the desert. A really great couple of days.

So if Frazer Island was impressive, sailing on the Whitsunday Islands literally took my breath away. I won't ever forget how I was literally speachless when I stepped onto the viewing point and saw this . I didn't think or know places like this actually existed. After dragging myself away from quite honestly the best piece of scenery and landscape I have ever seen I went down to the beach itself and spent the next couple of hours swimming in the clearest blue sea and continually telling myself how lucky I am.

That's something I actually haven't mentioned on this blog yet. Every single day I wake up and I feel extremely fortunate. Whether it is witnessing a sunrise, visiting a historical monument or simply having to decide how I'll manage a hangover, the same feeling occurs every single time and I am truly grateful for the chance to be on this trip.

And so with Australia bursting into life I made a 10 hour bus journey from Airlie Beach up to Cairns and took in great scenery that seems to permeate Australia's roads. Stopping off just before Cairns in Mission Beach I went for a skydive. Now my nerves weren't reassured when we arrivied at the runway and all the instructors were recalling how drunk they were the previous night and how they were feeling truly awful that morning. The morning I was to trust one of these guys to jump 14,000ft out of a plane. I wasn't reassured either when Igor, my instructor from Moscow, wandered over and absolutely stunk of booze. Anyway, before I knew it I was freefalling at 200km an hour and having the time of my life.

With the adrenaline well and truly running through me I made the short journey to Cairns and went for a bungy jump. Now this was extremely frightening. With the sky dive you don't really have a choice. Once you're up there whether you like it or not the instructor will jump and as you are tied to him....you will too. However, the bungy is different and stepping on the edge of a platform and diving forward goes against the most fundamental human instincts. Nevertheless I did it and whilst I would say a sense of relief rather than elation came over me, it is still something that I'm glad I did.

And yet still there was more to come. Having got my PADI Open Water diving license in Thailand, I went for a couple of dives on the Great Barrier Reef. Whilst the first dive site was slightly underwhelming the second dive was sensational. The reef itself is like another world and the marine life under water so varied and and rich in colours and textures. I also saw a couple of turtles ambling along which only added to the experience.

So the Oz adventure is drawing to a close. It's been an exciting and relaxing 6 weeks and at points along the east coast I have truly been mesmorized and blown away by some of the sights this country can offer.

Thus a flight to NZ awaits me tomorrow where I will begin 3 weeks taking in the Kiwi Experience. From what I hear it can compete and possibly beat Australia for scenery, landscape and activities. If this turns out to be true I can't fail to have a good time!!

Until then...

Up and down the East Coast....the Oz experience begins

With the smell of noodle soop and 30p beers well and truly behind me I've settled into the Australian life. Slightly less on culture and perhaps more on beaches, beers and the surf, the Aussie's certainly know how to relax.

Touching down in Sydney a couple of weeks ago I naively stepped off the plane in flip flops, shorts and a t-shirt and was met with the last dregs of an Australian winter. Despite it still being relatively warm (17oC which is positively scorching back home) compared to the heat of Asia I felt the chill.

Anyway, feeling quite tired I did fairly little the first day with the next few days spent exploring the stunning sights of the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Royal Botanical gardens which at sunset gave me this view.

My impressions of Sydney were mixed. Brimming with people and lots of places to accomodate the Aussie desire to drink make for a potentially good time. However, like a lot of cities and like I found when I first moved to London, it can feel a little lonely at times and if you don't know the hidden gems of a city you end up going to the tourist traps which can leave you feeling slightly short changed.

Which is why I think I enjoyed Melbourne so much after I took the short flight from Sydney. I met up with an old friend who showed me the sights and sounds of this truly cosmopolitan city. I took in an AFL game (the sport unique to Melbourne which is a mix between football and rugby) at the famous MCG along with 80,000 other supporters, had some really beuatiful food in the St Kilda area and whilst I tried, didn't quite manage to get through the 250 or so beers at a bar where the barmem are more like chefs such is there knowledge of beers (they actually wear aprons as well).

So from there I went back to Sydney for an extra night and took the overnight bus to Byron Bay which in my opinion is a jewell in the Australian's East Coast crown. Lucious beaches mixed with an extremely relaxed attitude paved the way for a relaxing few days...though it did rain on my last day which was annoying.

Leaving there for where I am now, the ridiculously named "Surfers Paradise" and the contrast couldn't be greater. The lonely planet describes it as like Paris Hilton "Trashy, in your face and a lot of fun!". It feels like a mini Miami (not that I've been...just from what I've seen on the TV) such is the abundance of palm trees, roller skaters and surfers.

I only plan to stay a couple of days before moving slowly further north. I've got lots of things planned including a sky dive, a bungee jump (which I'm shitting myself about) and a couple of dives in the Great Barrier Reaf.

So while Australia thus far isn't offering the same experience as Asia did (I'd have to go to Western Australia I think for some variation) I'm just going with the flow and seeing where the wind takes me. Hopefully the next blog will be a bit more interesting as I plan to visit some stunning places such as Frazer Island and the Whitsunday Islands.

Until then....

Cambodia to Melbourne...

So as the title of this post suggests, I've made my way to Melbourne. But before I fill you in I must let you know about the unbelievably good time I had in Cambodia.

Having left Vietnam with an overwhelmingly positive picture of the place and people, I thought Cambodia would have to do a lot to rival its close neighbour. After a straightforward bus journey from Saigon to Phnom Penh we settled down into Cambodian life.

The first couple of days in the new country were spent learning about the history of the troubled land. A visit to the S21 prison camp and the haunting Killing Fields told me all I needed to know about the vicious and sadistic reign of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge (Cambodian Red) regime. It is easy in the West to make light of other countries problems but you can't pass over the fact that in a country of 7 million people, 2 million were murdered during his reign (1975-1979). It was a truly haunting couple of days and the sight of the skulls in the Killing Fields (I won't put a link up to these pictures) and the vivid account of a guide whose family were massacred during that period will remain with me for a long time.

After spending a couple of days in Phnom Penh we went to the beach side of Sihanoukeville. Which is rather modestly named after the late King Sihanouk! Whilst we didn't have the greatest of weather it was a relaxing few days spent in the bars and restaurants of the town.

From there I took a 10 hour ride to the capital of Cambodia, Siem Reap. Over the next 7 days I learnt about the wonderful culture of the Cambodian people, the spirit of the children and the awe inspiring Temples of Angkor. The temples truly are stunning. I became a bit trigger happy on the camera and took over a 100 pictures of which I will try and put a few up soon as the pictures are better than any words I could write.

After visiting the temples I spent 4 days teaching English at a remote school 45 minutes from Siem Reap. I managed to get in touch with the owner of the school, Mr Savong, and his story is remarkable. Not having enough money to live and study, he spent 3 years at a monestry studying and learning English. From there through a mixture of donations, a chance meeting and a slice of luck he opened the Savong School. From humble beginnings it now provides a free education to over 450 kids who before wouldn't have had this opportunity. The guy is absolutely selfless and an vivid example as to what can be achieved if you put your mind to it.

I had a great time teaching and the one thing that really struck me was the kids unbelievable thirst for knowledge. Whilst younger kids back home cannot be blamed totally for their attitude to school, I couldn't help but notice how the Cambodians desire to work, learn and study was completely different. Some of the kids were cycling 3 or 4 km a day to come into the school! Despite the countries troubled past the future certainly looks bright with these children who are intelligent, confident and ambitious. The hope is that they get the support from a government who up to now isn't giving them what they deserve.

Anyway, from there I made my way back to Bangkok and hopped on a flight to Sydney. This wasn't before I got the wrong time and date of my flight which I only checked the night before I was actually supposed to fly. A huge amount of luck!

Arriving in Sydney was a big shock having grown to love and be accustomed to S.E. Asian life over the last 2 and a half months. Sydney is great though. A cosmopolitan, energetic and youthful city where it appears people work (relatively) hard but play hard also. I'm currently in Melbourne where the weather is pretty cold but I'm assured the sun will shine soon.

From here I head back to Sydney on Monday before making my way to the sun of Cairns hopping on and off a bus along the way.

So there it is, South East Asia finished and Australia begining. Very exciting!

Till then......

Beaches, War and the Cu Chi Tunnels - Travelling North to South

So due to a mixture of laziness, travelling and having lots to do I've not checked in for a couple of weeks. But I've just ordered a beer in Saigon and have got a couple of hours to spare so I'll get to work on telling you what I've been up to.

Having enjoyed the hustle of Hanoi I jumped on a bus heading South to a remote fishing village called Hue. When I arrived I made an instant decision that this wasn't the place to be and so booked the first bus out in the evening and made my way to Hoi An. Now the bus system in Vietnam is relatively good - the buses are easy to book, they are on time and they are all air conditioned. Most of the overnight buses even have beds on them, "sleeper buses" they're called. However, these sleeper buses seem to be designed for the Vietnamese heights and not 5"11 and three quarter Westerners like myself. So to say I had an uncomfortable 12 hours on the bus to Hoi An is an understatement.

Anyway, I arrived early in the morning and spent and enjoyable couple of days wandering around the markets, buying clothes and sampling the suprisingly good nightlife for such a small town. Whilst there I met three lads from Nottingham with whom I got on well with and so we hopped on a bus to the party town of Nha Trang.

Beautiful beaches matched with some sun and a few of Vietnam's unique tasting yet ridiculously cheap (10p per glass) Bia Hoi's meant for a great few days with my new found friends.

Suitably tanned and slightly hungover we made our way down to Saigon. Now the 3 days I had there will live long in the memory due to the sadness I experienced learning about the Vietnam War between Northern Vietnam and the US supported South.

I could write pages and pages about the experience I had when I went to the War Remnants Museum but I'll try and condense what I want to say into a few words. I must admit I was ignorant as to the facts of the Vietnam War and the war crimes that the American's committed but the 4 hours I spent wandering around opened my eyes. Perhaps the most heart breaking thing that came to my attention was the American use of what was known as Agent Orange. This was only one of the compound of chemical weapons the Americans sprayed over Vietnam in an attempt to destroy the country side and jungle so, amongst other reasons, they could find the Viet Cong . In a 10 year period (1961-1971) they sprayed over 77 million litres of the stuff on Vietnam. Unbelievable! One picture that stood out was that of Kim Phuc who has become known around the world as "The Girl in the Picture". An unbelievably powerful picture just moments after she was sprayed with Agent Orange. But it is not just the immediate effects that Vietnam suffered but the effects now today. The toxic substances that US sprayed was such that sons and daughters, grandsons and grandaughters and generations after will suffer still. I saw pictures of horrific deformaties babies and children are suffering as a result of their parents being sprayed with the stuff. I won't put a link to any of them but a simple google search will allow you to look for yourselves. Anyway, I left the place with a bewilderment at how this could have happened and a complete lack of understanding of how countries can't learn from the past and avoid unjust, immoral and unsubstantiated wars.

A brief word too about the Viet Cong and what courageous people they were. The next day I visited the Cu Chi Tunnels which was a vast network of 240km hand dug tunnels that the Viet Cong used in their Guerilla attacks against the US. Part of the system is open to the public today and walking around I was left astonished at the patience, bravery and ingeniouty of the men and women who developed the system. People would routinely spend weeks and months underground developing and maintaining the networks. I got a chance to go into one of the tunnels that has been modified for Westerners to use. The reason it's modified is that the small original tunnels were only 40cm by 40cm and so only the Vietnames could fit in. Nevertheless, the "Western Tunnels" were small enough and despite only crawling around for a few minutes I was incredibly hot, claustrophobic and amazed at what the Viet Cong achieved during the war.

Anyway, as I said I could talk at length at what I saw and there is certainly more to tell but I'll leave it there for now.

Vietnam has certainly left an impression on me. It is a country of beauty and tragedy and it is with a heavy heart that I leave tomorrow after a truly memorable two weeks spent here. With the people I've met and the things I've experienced I'm sure the future can only be bright for the country.

So it's onwards and upwards tomorrow to the Cambodian Capital of Phnom Penh to begin two weeks in Cambodia which I'm really looking forward to.

Until then.....

Goodbye Laos and Good Morning Vietnam

As a French Protectorate up until 1949, Laos was always going to be a relaxed affair. The influence is strong with every street name written in Laotion and French and every street corner offering baguettes and a cafe!

So after spending a night in what is really the beautiful yet undeniably quiet capital city of Vientiane, I made my way to the backpacker town of Vang Vieng. Not knowing what to expect I found myself on a street with a few bars and restaurants with Limestone caves offering a backdrop to the surroundings.

Now if Vientiene was laid back, Vang Vieng was bloody horizontal. Backpackers laid out in the cafes and bars watching endless reruns of Friends during the day with the last vestige of the hippy era running the nights! It was good for a few days and during that time I earned my spurs as a backbacker by going tubing which appears as a bit of a right of passage. Essentially everyone gets their own rubber ring and then floats along the Mekong River stopping off drinking the cheapest beer in the world, Bear Laos .

Having had my fill of Laos, I made my way into Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. I suppose this is what travelling is all about...going from one extreme to another. It was a real shock to step onto the streets with the roads busy with cars, buses, pedestrians, motorbikes and street vendors all trying to grab your attention.

Anyway, on my first day in Hanoi I visited the Ho Chi Minh museum which was a collection of essays, pictures and art dedicated to their revolutionist leader. I then made my way to what was known during the Vietnam war by American POWs as the "Hanoi Hilton" of which John McCain spent 6 years between 1967 and 1973. Two really interesting places which has given me a much greater and necessary understanding of where Vietnam has been and where it hopes to be.

With my fill of history for the day I turned my attention to trying to bag a ticket for the sold out Vietnam-Brazil game in the evening. One way or another I managed to get a seat at the game and it was a great experience with the Vietnamese mental for their team. The game went as expected with Ronaldinho and Co. running out 2-0 winners but the The Golden Stars definately didn't disgrace themselves.

One final thing, the local motorbike taxi called the Xe Om, which literally means "Motorbike Hug", is an extreme sport in itself. I spent the day buzzing around on one of these scared most of the time but getting a bit of an adrenaline rush as well! It's a kind of organised chaos that works!!

Anyway, I think I'll spend another day here in Hanoi before making my way down South with the end point being Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Until then.....

Kuala Lumpur, Diving in Sipidan and Scaling Mount Kinabalu in Adidas Classics!

So Kuala Lumpur was a roaring success with our beatiful hosts Lauren, Anita and Emma treating us to nights out with stunning views of KL's twin peaks and the KL Tower as well as feeding us until we exploded with a mixture of traditional Malay food, Chinese and Indian cuisine.

With our waistlines rapidly expanding we decided to take the short flight over to Kota Kinabalu in Borneo for a week of 6am starts, diving and (only just) climbing Mt. Kinabalu.

The diving was a mixed affair as despite offering some of the best visibility in the world, we were treated to a storm the night before which reduced what we saw and how far we could see them. Despite that I swam with some HUGE green turtles as well as a white tipped shark which was a real highlight of the trip.

However, the stand out moment of my journey so far was to come climbing the 8km up 4650metres of Mt. Kinabalu.

Now this trip didn't get off to the best of starts as when asked by Maurice in the bus if I had any cash I replied that I'd get some out from the cash machine. He politely reminded me we were off to a mountain site where such machines would be at a premium (none). So between us we had around 150 Ringett (around 35 quid) to survive on for 3 days and nights buying food, equipment and drink.

Comfortable yet cautious with our budget we arrived on our first day ready for the ascent. Now I wouldn't describe myself as "at one" with the great outdoors and so it was no suprise when I was laughed at trying to climb this mountain with some Adidas Classics. According to the climb fraternity they're not the most suitable of footwear.

Anyway, I set of with an I-Pod, a bag full of warm weather clothes and my no grip shoes full of confidence. Having taken around an hour and a half to climb the first 2km and with our guide telling us the record up and down was 2h 16m that blind confidence began to lower.

Slow and steady I made it up to the 6km with a respectable time of 4hours. Now I was warned about the next 2k to take us to the ascent but dismissed it as mere myth. The 2am start was a bit of a shock and when we got to the gates to climb it was lashing it down with rain....if my Adidas Classics weren't appropriate before they certainly were not now. Despite being warned of the dangers we carried on and you can only imagine my delight when we came to this bit and told to haul ourselves up in the pouring rain. My delight was tempered slightly when I asked what technique I should use for this part of the climb. Not being able to afford a proper head lamp I was carrying a small torch and was infromed that I should dump the torch, "use the moonlight" for vision and hold on with both hands for dear life! Hmmm. So in the pitch black, with no grip and slipping everywhere I made my way up.

Despite getting altitude sickness (or I was just shitting myself) Maurice and I reached the top. It was an unbelievable feeling and despite my legs aching, head pounding and being extremely dehydrated it was an unbelievable experience. On the way down the sun rose and I had some stunning views of the mountain and the country below.

On our way back down our guide pleasantly informed us that in his 20 years climbing 3 times a week only 50 people have died through a mixture of heart attacks and falling off the edge. Looks like my footwear made the difference.

Anyway, I leave Borneo and Malaysia as a whole with an overwhelmingly positive picture of the people and culture and will definately return one day.

So I'm back to Kuala Lumpur tomorrow before a flight to Laos to take in the Indochina leg.....

Learning to dive, a Half Moon and on a stroll to the second highest mountain in Asia

Well it's been quite an eventful few days since my last post.....

I think the last time I checked in I'd travelled down to Ko Phi Phi to endulge in a few beers and a bit of rest and relaxation. It went so well that I decided to do a bit more of that in Ko Tao and Ko Pangnan.

On the way to Ko Tao we took a sleeper boat and bumped into a Brazilian guy I met in Bangkok and for the next week or so, two became three as Moa joined Morris and I for a party and some diving. After leaving Ko Tao I am now officially a certified 18 metre scuba diver as well as a connoisseur of Thai Buckets.

Deciding that we hadn't quite had enough of the Islands we made the short boat journey to Ko Pangan to do something a little different...meet some new people and have a party. It just so happened that the Half Moon Party was on which is a derivative of the more famous Full Moon Party yet equally as good.

Nursing a hangover the three of us decided to head down to Kuala Lumpur for a few days. After a relatively good journey down (a 23hour mixture of minibus and coach) we arrived at 3am Malaysian time where some friends we met in Ko Tao picked us up and have very kindly put us up for a couple of nights.

I didn't really know what to expect from KL (as it's known) but from what I've seen so far it is an extremely modern city with all the trappings of a western society. Whether that's a good or bad thing I've yet to decide but what's certain is that it's actually quite nice to move on from Thailand. From what I've gathered so far KL and Malaysia as a whole is a cultural melting pot of Malay, Chinese and Indian people living side by side in a Muslim state with no divides or racial tensions. A few Western states could perhaps take note.

Anywyay, the plan is to fly out of KL to Borneo in a couple of days and to dive in Pulau Sidipan (Sidipan Island) which according to a Guardian article is amongst the top 10 dive sites in the world!! From there we're going to take a stroll up the second largest mountain in Asia...Mount Kinabulu.

So it's all still exciting and I'm looking forward to experiencing something new after almost three weeks in Thailand.

See you at the top of the mountain....

As promised.....

A mix of photos from the Grand Palace in Bangkok, learning to dive in Ko Tao and taking a boat ride in Ko Phi Phi!!

Phi Phi, Cliff Jumping and a bit of a party

So I ended up staying a few days extra in Bangkok for one reason or another and headed down south to Phi Phi Island with Maurice, a mate from college. Despite it only taking around 11 hours to get from home to Bangkok a couple of weeks ago it took us almost 25 hours to make the journey to the Island. Anyway, when we got here it was definately worth it. The sand is white, the sea is blue and at night everyone's having a huge party.

Walking along the beach the other day we decided to rent a boat out and visit the secluded beach (Ko Phi Phi Leh) which is the setting for "The Beach". Along the way we met a few people and were floating along in the sunshine stopping at various smaller islands. I also had time to do this which was fun...but absolutely terrifying.

As for anything cultural at the moment...it's pretty non existent as the Temples and Palaces haven't made there way to the islands just yet which means I'm sitting on the beach during the day and having a party during the night...which I don't mind at all.

Anyway, gonna stay here for one more night before heading to Ko Tao and Ko Pahgnan for more of the same but in a different setting.

As for the photos, they are on their way....promise.

Till then....

"The Land of Smiles"...

...is the sign that welcomed me to Thailand after a suprisingly painless journey from Felixstowe to Bangkok. I've not quite decided whether the Thai Tourism Department are being ironic, inappropriate or appropriate with their welcoming but what's for sure is whatever experience Bangkok gives you, it will certainly be with a smile.

Having successfully navigated and bartered a journey to Thanon Khao San (or Ko San Road as it's more commonly known) I checked in, dumped my bags and headed out for a Chang Beer (the local stuff). Throughout the night I met a range of people from all over the world with a mixture that included a Colombian, a couple of Norwegians, some Canadians and a Felixstoweian (me). What ensued can only be described as surreal but it included buckets of rum, spring roles, a ride in a Tuk Tuk to watch a game of Ping Pong and then finishing with a cold beer watching the Brilliant Oranje gloriously fail once again against Russia.

But whilst it was all fun, what struck me is that sitting on Ko San Road in Bangkok could equally be sitting on a similar strip in Magaluf, Malia or Corfu.

So today I decided to get a bit of culture inside me and visit some Temples and Palaces. With a map in hand I had the best intentions to walk everywhere but within 5 minutes I was completely lost. However, I was saved by a local Thai teacher who sat me down, marked everywhere I should go and then organised for a Tuk Tuk driver to drive me everywhere for 50 Baht (which is less than 1 quid...unbelievable).

My driver was a guy called Max who's a 19 year old student but works a few weeks in Bangkok to earn some cash. I was driven to the Grand Palace which is where until recently the King Rama IX once lived (he moved to be closer to the people apparently), Wat Pho (the chilled out Buddha who's absolutely massive) and to the Grand Temple where I tried to have a conversation with a few local monks.

As for the food....it's phenomonal! Despite what people say about not eating the street food that's all I've eaten and my stomach's managed to hold up (so far). Things range from grilled haddock, egg noodles and chicken or fresh watermelon in the morning. Again, it's stupidly cheap as well.

Anyway, I'll be staying for a few more days in Bangkok and then heading down South for some rest and relaxation on the idyllic islands.

Until then...

p.s. I haven't worked out how to put photos up yet but I will do soon!

So,

I'm booked, packed and ready with a flight to Bangkok waiting for me on Friday. The plan is to take myself through South East Asia for 10 weeks, the East coast of Oz for 6, New Zealand for 3 and then finishing up in South America for 3 and a half months.

I'll be using this blog as a way to keep in touch with everyone and also to post a few pictures as and when I have the time, trying my best to be as frequent as possible.

So with my Lonely Planet's packed, I wish everyone the best of luck with studying, working, partying or whatever you're up to over the next year and I'll see you all very soon.

Speak soon......