The final Blog post of the trip

I have thought for a while what and how I should write the last blog entry of the trip. I have pondered whether it should be a summary of things we have done and experiences we have had, or maybe something more emotional and reflective. In the end I opted for a simple download of thoughts. There are many thoughts I am having about this trip and its conclusion, so much so that I think it is best for me to simple begin typing a blog post and end when it feels right! I have no idea where this will go and how long it will be so apologies if the post is too long or boring!

The world trip, the life that Urvi and I have led for the last 558 days is over. I am writing this post in the departure lounge of Johannesburg as we wait for our flight to Mumbai. I recall the moment well when the idea for the trip was born. It was during the summer of 2005. Urvi had seen an article in the Sunday Times Travel supplement about the increasing numbers of Career Gappers - people who would decide to give up their jobs and start to travel, seriously travel and see the world. She thought it was an awesome idea, but as ever I was most cautious about it. We were just chit chatting about it and Dad was saying that it sounded like a great idea and that he would have loved to have done this earlier in life. The idea was born. Goodness only knows how this casual chat about travelling for 3 months or so evolved into an 18 month mammoth trip, but evolve it did!

The last firework went off on New Years 2007 and the plan was on, we had to work hard and get things sorted, for we were leaving on the 2nd May 2009! The date was somewhat random, but it was also related to the year end dates in the UK. That was a special moment, as from then on all our efforts were focused on working for the trip. We made a number of serious life compromises during the years building up to our departure and although at the time I had some regrets, the moment that we started on the travel trail all those regrets vanished. Really the moment we arrived in Beijing and checked into our hostel, I knew this was going to be some trip. Beijing was such a rich place full of people and culture that just got me going, got me excited about travel and made me really understand that people are so different as much as they are so similar.

I look back at the first few months, and the pile of things that we packed that we did not use even once, I look back at the gleaming ruck sacks, and freshly ironed cloths, and it makes me smile. Just how far we have indeed come in such a time. Back at the start, every day was a vacation and yet every day was a challenge. It was such an undertaking for us, despite my confidence about being independent. At that time I particularly found it hard to mingle and speak to random people, I found it hard to share, because I guess I don't think I had that much to share. Over the months our routine became more fixed, between us our roles became defined and things smoothed out. We were then left with the experiences of every day. Both Urvi and I grow in stature and confidence, we began to enjoy time, just for the sake of it. We began to calm down and really let the world soak in.

By the end of the trip I think that our mindset to travel, to challenges and to each other has changed so so so much. Urvi is so comfortable with being uncomfortable and never have either of us felt that we are being forced to live a life on the road that we did not want. That was a special point really that only at the end I can appreciate. Urvi has compromised and been so flexible during the trip, and really I don't think we could have travelled with anyone else. At this time of reflection the partnership was just perfect. It sounds a little patronising but I am so proud of Urvi for all that we have achieved and for all that she has supported me to achieve.

On a very personal note I have learnt a great deal about myself and I believe I have changed a great deal. I am not scared to work hard, to be uncomfortable and to really put some effort into things. What ever it might be. People work hard around the world and achieve things and seeing that is very motivating. I have been happy with second best much of the time, but this trip was nothing short of life changing, because we both worked really hard to make it so.

I have learnt that I enjoy the company of new people more than I thought, I have learnt that I know just a fraction of a fraction of what the world and its people can offer, and the most interesting thing is that the knowledge is all out there, in the people you speak with and spend time with. I have learnt this during the trip.

I know now that I can overcome physical challenges and that I in fact enjoy that sense of challenge and totally cherish the moment of achievement. I could go on and on, but simply put I have learnt that there is so much out there that we are foolish to be happy in our own little niche.

The people we met during this time away have been truly AMAZING. Each and everyone of the great friends we have made are inspirational in so many ways. For what they have done in life, for what they were doing, for the way they thought about things, for the joy and love they gave us, for how close we became over the space of hours or days. The friends we made are the real jewels that we have collected throughout the route. I am not going to name a single one, because to name one means I must name them all, but for them all, thank you, and go well in your future and current travels. You were all amazing.

That goes for the people who kept track of us to, cared about us from a distance and talked about us to friends and family. There are people all over the world now who have heard of our trip, and if even 1 person does something that they thought was impossible for them because of some inspiration we gave them, then I am so proud. To be honest I don't expect or want this trip to be replicated by others, but I do hope that people will embark on their own ‘world trip’ - in their own way, by setting out to do something big, something hard and achieving it.

As we all know only to well, time is such a thing that cant be bought, no matter how much cash you have we all have the same unit of time and none of us truly knows how much we are given. Therefore you cant wait, you cant put things off. Start the diet today, plan for your trek today, save for your TV today. WHATEVER it is, do something today. The sense of achievement I feel after this trip will keep me going for a jolly long time!

We touched the feet of all 7 continents, we have seen the sun rise and set all over the world. Would I take up this challenge again? Of course I would. Indeed I think that travel and the feelings that only travelling can give you are now fixed I my head. I want to progress in my life but, travel will be part of that life I am sure. In this regard I am soooooo thankful that Urvi and I just click totally on this. She is a total travel addict too, and I am sure the moment we get home the travel magazines will be out again!

I don't know how life will be in the next days weeks or months, but I know that we have this experience to hold and give us strength as we go forward. We have done and seen things that most dream about, we have had the chance to have many life changing trips, within this one trip. We are lucky but we have also worked hard for it and worked hard during it.

We have this to look back on and motivate our children to never shy away from any challenge.

The best of the trip...

These are some of the ‘bests’ of the trip...

Hostel - Sandalwood hostel, Kyoto, Japan
Nights Sleep - Lebua at State Tower, Bangkok, Thailand
Train Journey - Xining to Lhasa, The Tibet Railroad
Bus Journey - Bahir Dar to Lalibela, Ethiopia
Sunset - Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam
Sunrise - Poon Hill, Nepal
Cruise/Boat trip - ANTARCTICA!!!!
Street Food - Super Tacos, Mexico City
Swim - The Dead Sea, Jordan
Trek - Torres Del Paine, Patagonia, Chile
Mountain - Dhaulagiri, Nepal (Anand), Fitzroy, El Chalten (Urvi)
City - Cape Town, South Africa
Natural Experience - Leopard Seal Kill, Antarctica (Urvi), White Sharks, South Africa (Anand)
Cultural Experience - Hamer Tribe, Bull Jumping, Ethiopia
Thrill - Sky Diving
Day - Wine Route in New Zealand (Urvi), A380 Flight to NZ (Anand)
Diving - Coral Garden, Dahab, Egypt
Boat - Iceberg Alley, Antarctica
Drink - Coffee in Ethiopia
Religious Site - Angkor Wat
Best Architectural site - Potala Palace, Tibet (Anand), Petra, Jordan (Urvi)

Would go back tomorrow - Nepal, Japan, South Africa
Left Undone - Peru, Bolivia, Africa

Thanks to all the tour and expedition guides!!

We are currently at Victoria Falls and getting ready to do a days White Water Rafting. I am listening to the briefing that Hippo our guide is giving and by this I am reminded about the various guides and drivers we have met, travelled with and relied on through out the trip. I think that these guys and gals deserve a special and collective thanks from us both

We have trekked in Tibet with Chung Dak; Bumped around Mongolia; driven by Nemo; Learnt diving with PADI instructor Tom; Walked around the rice fields of Vietnam with the young informal tour guide girls of Sa Pa; lost and then found my Walking boots with the guides from Greenland Adventures; Jumped out of a plane with our tandem Sky Dive masters in NZ; enjoyed a life changing trip to Antarctica with Sebastian and his team; Climbed Cotopaxi with climbing guide Guido; Sweated in the desert of Jordan with Abed and his son Neal; Visited the tribes of the south Omo valley with Daniel and got soaked while white water rafting with Hippo and his gang.

These and many many other guides and drivers, have kept us safe and more than that helped us have some of the most amazing experiences I could ever imagine. I know this is their job but these people have a love for what they do, for their country and this is really infectious, they have really enriched our trip and I am thankful to them all!

Urvi would not have made it over the Drom La Pass on Mount Kailash if it were not for our driver and Chung Dak. This was the biggest achieved of the trip for her and it was the support and dedication of the driver that gave her the chance. We interact with people all the time, but when we meet guides and support teams, we build a short but important friendship. This is easy to disregard but it is important to acknowledge - thanks All!

Next time your are taking a guided excursion or thrill activity, spare a thought for the people who are assisting you, they are special and fun people!

Tribes of Southern Omo Valley

There have been times on this trip when we have debated about going some place or another, and most of the time we have not regretted the decision. During the Ethiopia leg of the journey the big debate was to head south or not. Whats in the South?? The Tribes are in the south! Ethiopia for the traveler is essentially split into discrete circuits covering the north, south and east of the country. The North is the Church and Historical circuit. The East has some amazing natural wonders, and the south has the tribes. The tribes of Ethiopia are varied and interesting, they hold much intrigue for those who venture down to visit them, and deciding to take this trip was the best choice of the whole african leg of the journey.

We were really debating this one hard, solely because of the costs - you have to take a 4x4 to visit the tribes, as the roads are even worse than the awful highway roads found around Addis! They really are African Bum massagers! The 4x4 guys have a great monopoly going on and the rates rarely drop below $100US per car per day. Sure for a group this might work out ok, but for us backpackers, thats a lot of Injera!

We were super lucky that as we were booking our jeeps we met a couple of guys from the Czech Republic and Slovakia - Ivan and Michel, they too wanted to do the trip and so we were set, 50% straight off!

I guess the first thing to say is that there are tribes all over Ethiopia, but the southern Omo Valley tribes have gained some notoriety as they have been cut off for a number of years (for main stream travelers, the villages were really only opened for visits 15 years ago), also they have maintained customs and traditions to this day that set them apart from what I or most others would know. They are intriguing and mind boggling in the way they live life. I think it gives some indication on how past generations may have lived.

Of course times are changing as these tribes are becoming more commercially savvy. There are new ‘better’ roads being built and villages are becoming easier to get to. There are park and village entrance fees, and I am waiting for the first tribal Starbucks to open soon!! Seriously I think that we had an experience that was somewhat staged, but as close to real life as I would expect. In the end we were visiting people in their homes and communities and jumping out of a non air-conditioned 4x4 to take photos and gawp at bull jumping and lip plates, is already pretty synthetic. This aside the experience was mind blowing and I am so glad that we decided to visit these tribes.

We were fortunate in that over 3 days we visited 4 different tribal groups - the Konso, the Arbore, the Hamer and the Mursi. Each were different. The Konso were most like conventional towns folk, the Arbore are famous for the beaded and metal jewelry they wear. The Mursi are rough, aggressive, savvy and plain weird! The ladies are famous for the huge lip plates the wear IN their bottom lips. These plate could easily hold my dinner on them and they are apparently a sign of beauty. I am not one to judge but the way that the ladies were taking the plates out and letting the resultant skin flap around was not too catchy for me!!

The Hamer were the most interesting and most welcoming of the tribes we met. We were super lucky to be in the area at the right time of year and the right day to witness and in some ways be part of the famous bull jumping ceremony they have. The Bull jumping is a coming of age ritual that any boy must perform before they can be called men. It is complex and goes on for many days, but the main highlights are as follows.

All boys must undergo the ceremonial process to become a man, indeed even if you leave the village for work or anything else, you must come back to your village for this ceremony.

All the ladies of the family of the boy perform many dances and performances to show their support to the boy. The greatest sign of their support however is that they are voluntarily whipped, by whippers for the area. These are no light dashes with a leaf, this whipping leads to blood. It is a very disturbing process to watch, but one can’t help being enthralled by the ruthlessness of the act. The more the whipping the more you are showing your support for your brother or cousin or son.

The boys family must arrange for many bulls to be brought to the village, the more bulls they can buy the richer they are and again the better for the boy. As you might guess there is whole marriage subtext to this whole thing, as once the boy becomes a man he needs a wife. As ever everyone is one to impress!

The concluding act of the bull jumping ceremony is exactly that. The boy must jump onto and run over the backs of all the bulls that have been collected. Other men of the tribe help him by holding the bulls by their tails and horns and her jumps on them and runs. He must do this non stop at least 3 times and he cant ‘train’ for it. More over as ever with tribes he is naked (why do they always do this!).

Seeing a boy grow in to a man by jumping over 7-10 angry bulls in a row is a sight to behold. This was not a show, it was not put on to impress the tour groups, these ceremonies are how life moves with the Hamer. I was taken aback by it all and it really was a privilege to see the events unfold. Sure I felt a bit uncomfortable as I clicked away throughout the ceremonies, but to be honest this was a time when the pics did not matter, having seen the tribes of the south Omo valley was an experience by itself and was unforgetable.

Murder on the night train to Aswan, a bugs tale

We had not taken a long distance train in quite a while (for an overnight train - since India) and so I particularly was looking forward to the train rides in Egypt. Rumor was that they were pretty good value and comfortable and the first short hop that we did from Alexandria to Cairo was exactly that. Feeling confident we got our night tickets for Aswan, only 13 hours, it was a short ride down the country. Due to the attacks on tourists a few years back people are not allowed to travel on the day trains. There are ways are it but in any case we opted to save the nights accommodation and go for the night train.

Problems hit from the start, the cabin we were given was an old style coupe, like something out of harry potter! The seats did not recline and all 6 seats were full. So yup sitting up all 13 hours. Ok not a big deal. But then... It soon became apparent the cabin was overbooked! We sat down and found out that our seats were already taken. Not double booked by people but by a collection of bugs and mites!! Urvi started itching and then I started! We were wriggling and giggling all night and all the morning. I think that it may well have been the worst journey we have had on the whole trip. It took a whole 2 days for the itching to recede and worse our bags had carried some of the critters along with them, so for at least 3 days we had to quarantine the bags!

Really it was horrible but maybe this is what travelling is all about...??

Ramadan Experiences - Mall Style

As I mentioned before we have been stuck in Amman waiting for our passports for a few weeks, and during this time Ramadan has also started. There is definitely a routine and rhythm to the holy month, that you have to get used to, in order to survive, enjoy and also be respectful to others.

Breakfast is early and although hostels do still provide breakfast but its meagre. Shops and other places (non food related) will open late and generally close up before the Iftar (the evening meal taken after the sun sets). Most tourist related spots stay open but close early. Food stores will be open during the day, but restaurants and eating stalls will be closed in the main. More importantly whether we like it or not it is disrespectful to be out and about in public with a sandwich and bags of crisps in your hand! Water is a tough one, because most locals will not drink during the day, however for people not used to the Middle Eastern heat, water is a must. So we have been buying water during our days.

If you want to eat in the day the only places you can buy meals are the more foreigner orientated locations, so McDonalds and Subway will happily serve you. Again its going to be more expensive and not that easy to find. We have therefore bumbled our way through the afternoon meal, sometimes finding a local place that will serve meals to tourists and cheeky locals sneaking a snack in the day and sometimes not eating anything.

However all in all, we have found it is essentially best to eat light, drink lots and then save up for the evening meal. Most people break fast at home, so when the clocks approach 7pm, the streets empty, EVERYTHING shuts, and restaurants may or may not be ready and open. There are some famous and popular places where people like to eat outside and there you see huge picnic/catering set ups where people all eat together. However a word of warning - When it comes to Iftar outside, it is like taking part in a motor race, people get to the restaurants early, order early and are ready on the start line with their food for the lights to go green, at which point they chow down in a cloud or falafels! If you want to eat at this time you have to follow the same routine, otherwise wait until 8:30 before venturing out. Its funny but for tourists Ramadan may mean an hour extra of fasting!!

For me it has been nice to follow some, if not all, the routines of Ramadan. We have eaten less during this month for sure, and going out in the evening, when the town come to life, people eat, drink coffees, play games and shop, it is nice to feel that you are taking part in something local and authentic.

The funniest experience was a day when we decided we wanted to break out of the routine. We were going stir crazy at the hostel, and thought we would head to mall and camp in Starbucks, for some coffee and wifi.

As most will know, when the going gets tough, Urvi and Anand get to the Mall! We have done it before and it just works for us, every so often to window gaze, sip mochas and sun bath in the incessant air conditioning. However this day we got to the mall at 1300, and found that EVERYTHING was still closed. What we forgot that not only was it Ramadan but it was also Friday. The shops and eateries were all closed, Starbucks - Shut.

OK no problem, we decided to combine the 2 things that were open at the time, the Cinema and the large (and pretty grand) supermarket. The store was full of upmarket Ammanites shopping for the Iftar meal. We also picked up noodles and other stuff, and then decided to go to the cinema. We therefore also got the usual M&Ms and Chips and drinks etc. Shopping bags in hand we got into the cinema and as it was mid afternoon on a Friday the place was empty, well apart from us and 2 others.

We smuggled all the food in, and chomped through all our snacks, being careful to only rustle or slurp when there was an action scene and lots of noise!! It was a sight, stuck in the back corner of the cinema, with contraband food! Too much.

We got out of our food frenzied movie, and decided to check out if Starbucks was now open, the stores were open and so we thought we had a good chance. Nope, Starbucks - Still closed.

We walked around a bit and by 1700 we realised that the shops were now closing up again, by 1800 all the stores in the mall were shut, and apart from the few cleaners and us, the place was deserted. Everyone who had stayed had made their way to the food court. I felt like Tom Hanks in Terminal! As we walked around people smiled at us quizzically, as if to ask what are you still doing here! All alone with nothing but empty shops around us was a weird feeling, still we had the AC on!

At 1930 we also made our way to the food court and decided to order dinner, the place was packed it was the most bizarre sight! Everyone had ordered and were staring at the KFC, Pizza hut, Quiznos and McDonalds trays they had in front of them. There was not a seat in sight, and we walked though the maze of people with everyone staring as if we had descended from another planet. The mall speakers blasted out the verses from the qua’ ran and everyone was off eating. Its only after the breaking of the fast that people entered a state of normality and at that point the mall was a buzz, the coffee shops were rocking and the shops were alive. Starbucks was still closed...

We gave up our mission for the frappuchino and ended up at another coffee shop, and at 2300 when Urvi proclaimed she was tired, we exited our home for the day, the city mall in Amman, just as it was getting super busy! Midnight is the time to be at a mall during Ramadan in the Middle East, its like mid day on a Saturday in London.

Oh and Starbucks never did open!

Petra by day, Petra by night, Petra by candlelight

Our travelling in Jordan was going to follow a fairly well trodden path down the kings highway that cuts the country in 2 halves. About 5 hours south from Amman (in the north) is the town of Wadi Musa (wadi means Valley). Wadi Musa is the launching point for Petra. This town was similar to Siam Reap in Cambodia, in that it only exists to cater and earn from the tourists that flock to trek to Petra.

Similar to Angkor (but not quite on the same scale), Petra Is actually a sprawling city of many temples and buildings. However again just like Angkor there is one focal point that most go to see, here it is the Treasury.

We visited the site 3 times over 3 days and each time it was different, we Saw Petra by Candlelight, by Sunset, and by day. The night time excursion was pretty nice. You walk the 2kms from the entrance to the treasury in a candle light procession, on arrival there is the wonderful sight of the 2,000 year old building glowing orange in the light of the candles. Story telling and music add to the romantic and eerie feel to the place and the silence of the desert is all around.

Petra was a Nabatean (old Arab tribe) City (with Roman and Greek influence) that was built up on the trading route that took people from west to east across Roman run Arabia. The buildings are mainly carved into the sides of the towering rocks and the scale and intricacy of the work is simple mind boggling. The conditions of the remains are also very dramatic. Some look as if the buildings were built just a few years ago.

The highlights are the Monastery, the Roman Road and surrounds, and the Treasury. The monastery is a mammoth temple at least 30m high and grand in its design. The trek up to the monastery is about 3kms up and so we left many of the day bus tourist behind at the start. This was a tough hike in the 40 degree sun, but so worth it. You come out on a flat plain where you see nothing. Then turn around and you gasp at the beauty of this site. With such few people at the top you have the whole place to yourself!

The roman road and surrounds are just typical of the constructions of that time. Roads that last 2000 years, put most of todays routes to shame! The pillars and temples along the route are again grand and just invite you to dare to imagine with life in those days was like. Real time travel.

The Treasury is a great wow moment. Not so much for the beauty or grandeur of the building (although it is beautiful), but more for the approach to it and the impact of the first sights of it. The route from the entrance to the treasury takes you through a winding labyrinth, where the rocks tower 50m above you. The path is relatively narrow at about 5-6m but you don’t feel boxed in. The rocks take turns to shade you as you go, and at every corner you think you must have made it, each time you are wrong, but still greeted with truly magnificent colour and contours on the formations all around. Finally in the distance you can hear the gasps of others who have found the treasury, it is near. You walk through and see the first sight of the 2000 year old monolith, so typically Roman in scale that you think you could be in Rome itself. The world famous photo of the treasury covered in part by the rocks that have followed you all the way here, is a sight in itself. You stop and imagine for a second who has experienced these first sights before, and even before them, the first people to rediscover this site. How did they feel!

The ancient city of Petra is a true wonder of the world, and despite the 40c temperatures and the baked hot sands, one cant stop to gaze and wonder what stories must have been told in the past about this place and about its people.

When in Cuba, Swing to the music and sway with the Salsa

The single most important thing for people in Cuba is music, and coupled with that is Dance. EVERYONE knows how to salsa. It is more important than any other skill, and you see it everywhere. Children who can barely walk to old ladies who can barely see!

Music flows out of every doorway, with a beat, and energy that is indeed infectious. And when the music pumps people dance, or at least swing and jig. Movement is in everyones bones. I have not seen a culture where this love affair with music and dance is so deep rooted. What is great is it only takes someone to start tapping on the table, to be joined by someone beating with a juice bottle, and they are off, the rhythm is going and people just join in like a snow ball.

Music in Cuba has many origins, just like the people but the defining routes are the Spanish and crucially the African blend. Music was, and still is a release from the pain of life, from the slavery of the past and the lack of opportunity of today. Love it.

I love to listen to music but I am NO dancer, yet Urvi was adamant, she was gonna get me to dance salsa! So we did what you do in Habana, found ourselves a salsa teacher and got to it. After 5 lessons, I was no dancer, but I had great fun, had a great workout and now have a totally new respect for dancers of any type. The flexibility and grace you need to dance well is beyond me but is just wonderful to see and experience.

We went to more clubs and dance shows in Cuba than we have been to in all the trip so far, and it was awesome. Jazz (my fav), traditional Cuban old classics, and of course the world famed salsa clubs. The nights start late and go on later, but what is for sure people enjoy, dance and live life as if there is nothing else. The freedom with which old and young, fit and fat move was a real lesson to me. The music and dance of Cuba will be as unforgettable as the mountains of Nepal or the beaches of Thailand!

Riding like Cowboys in the ghost town of Real De Catorce

Every so often Urvi pulls a real gem out of the bag when it comes to places to visit. Real De Catorce has definitely been one of these. Located about 5 hours north of Mexico City the town gained fame a few hundred years ago for silver mining and became rich through this industry. Then as suddenly as the town grew, it shrunk to nothing, everyone left and a ghost town remained. In modern days there has been a revival and the town, now driven by tourism is kind of flourishing again.

The route to the town was a hard one, with 3 buses and a number of cities to be passed, the final hour or so was on what is renowned as being the worlds longest cobble road! After an hour bumping our way along I am willing to believe this! The final leg of the journey was through a 2 km long tunnel, for the town is cut off from the rest of the world by a large group of hills.

Emerging into the late evening light we felt as if we had travelled back in time. There was definitely an eery feel to the place but something that was somewhat cosy also!!

Through the tunnel the temperature had suddenly seemed to drop too! It was positively cool... We found our guesthouse, and for the first time in a while made sure there were blankets and not a fan!

Urvi had planned this whole section out really well. We were to stay here 2 nights, and in so doing, we could enjoy the night skies, the sunny days and beat all the day trippers that might make the trip. It was a Thursday, and as we stepped out in the evening to look for something to eat, we were greeted by nothing but total silence. Everything seemed to be closed! Was this Ecuador again, there nothing seemed to be open for very long, but in Mexico this was a new experience for us. In any case we found something good to eat and shared a great chat with the cafe owner, he advised us to watch out for the weekend as things would hot up then...

The next day was one of the best in Mexico. We hired horses and took a wonderful half day horse trek into the Sierra Madre mountains. The horses were wonderful and really healthy, and our guide was really good as well, although I worried about him as he perched on the back of a tiny donkey and trundled along behind us! We trekked for a good few hours, to the top of a famous hill lookout and prayer spot. There we just looked out on the flat lands that seemingly stretched on forever the road that we had bumped our way along the day before seemed to be the longest in the world of any type let alone cobbled!!! The scene was majestic and being on a horse to experience just seemed perfect. Again Urvi seemed to get the most energetic and pushy horse of the group (goes with her character maybe!!!), and she was always leading the pack, her horse would not let anyone go ahead of him, which made for some fun when he wanted to stop!!

The ride was one of the best things we have done in Mexico it gave us such a different view on the scenes and was so much more fun than walking the route!

On our return to the town, we said goodbye to our new friends and chilled out for sometime. Slightly apprehensive about being the only ones looking for dinner again we went for a tramp around the town, and were surprised to see the place buzzing! Kids were whizzing around on bikes and the restaurants were abuzz with townsfolk and others, we found a dream place that believe it or no had the BEST pasta and a wood burning fire. I think this was Urvis dream combination for that evening. We sunk into the cosy chairs, played cards between courses and totally pigged out on awesome goats cheese salads and Pasta. It was sublime!

I am sure our dinner in Real was not totally authentic! But it was totally symbolic of the feeling we had about the town. Real was a cosy, comforting town, where you wanted to just relax and take in the views all around you. It encouraged you to do little, think alot and eat even more! This was just the combo Urvi wanted and just the potion I needed!!

Climbing Cotopaxi, for me it’s more than the top of a mountain

We started on this mammoth trip of ours with a whole bunch of dreams and ambitions, some of which we knew we would complete, some that we hoped we would, and some that at the time I think were pure pipedreams. One of the goals that falls into the last category for me was, climb a mountain. This meant climbing a real mountain and making it to the top! In my physical and mental condition back in may 2009, this was a complete fantasy; there was no way that I was going to the top of anything. However over the time we have travelled, my physical stamina has improved and more importantly my mental toughness has increased. So much so that when we visited Cotopaxi and trekked up to the base camp Refugio at 4800m, I knew that I wanted to climb this mountain and touch the summit.



The view of the top was just mouth watering, Cotopaxi is pretty much a perfect mountain shape, and looks just like you would imagine a volcano. The snow cap undulates like the ice cream dripping over a cone and the snow itself is brilliant white in the sun. It’s made even more startling when the rich blue sky is cloudless behind. It was truly awesome, and I knew I wanted to mark my achievement on this mountain.



All keen and raring to go, I took the guides advice and undertook some acclimatisation workouts. These included the Quilotoa loop and also climbing up to the 4800m Refugio of the mountain. I had also spent some time in Bolivia at altitude so I was pretty confident about dealing with the thinner air. What I was worried about was the pure challenge of the climb itself. Did I have the guts to do it? did I have the will power to keep trudging when things were tough? I guess this was really a question I can ask myself about life in general. My life has been pretty straightforward so far and I have been pretty fortunate in all aspects, but when the challenges have come my way I have been adept at dodging them. What I don’t have to do doesn’t usually get done. This mountain was a test for me of doing something that I had a choice to do but that was also tough. Would I chicken out, would I walk away from the challenge?



We climbed up to 4800m during the afternoon of day 1. There we had lunch and practised the use of ice crampons, and the ice pick. The level of safety briefing by our experienced guide was really good, and it certainly made me feel a bit better. Nonetheless, the first steps in the crampons really gave me a wake up call for what I could expect only a few hours later! It was tough, but at the time of the real thing we would be cold and in the dark…

When climbing like this, all climbers are roped together, this is to allow the guide leader to assess if anyone has fallen, and of course to ensure they don’t tumble through the ice or down the mountain. This is all good, but the flip side of the safety rope is that you all have to essentially climb at the same rate, and without stopping. This can be really tough, especially for me! (I would want a break all the time). It also added a new layer of tension to the whole thing, as I was now not only responsible for my own achieving of the summit, but also the other climber who I was with. In this case the other climber was Andres, from Belgium. Andres was a fit and likable 23yr old, who like me really wanted to get to the top. We got on well form our first meeting, and as we sat outside in the late afternoon staring out at the beautiful sight of the Cotopaxi summit, we both talked about if we would make it. I assured him that we would, and the words of the guide also helped… ‘Climbing a mountain is not a race, it’s about being a team and working for each other’. With these words ringing comfortingly in my ears, I finished up my dinner at 6pm, and went to sleep in the freezing dorm, ready to be awoken at 11pm for breakfast and to start climbing at 12am.



The moon was out and the sky seemed clear, unfortunately that meant cold cold conditions for climbing, and what we didn’t see for the fog rolling in above the snow layer of the mountain. The first 2 hours were the climb up to the glacier face. This was slow going and tough in the dark. I was struggling a little with the cold but spirits were fine. The moment we hit the snow layer it became apparent that things would get frosty and colder – the snow started to fall and the wind whipped up. Amelio, our guide basically said that the snow and fog would be with us from here on in. We would not likely see the crater, or the beautiful blue white scenes we had dreamt of.

We all agreed that go on we must, for us all getting to the top was the most important goal. We walked, climbed, clambered trudged. The going was tough and the pace determined. By the 4th hour, both Andres and I wanted to stop after 10 steps it seemed, but we kept going. All I could thing about was the feeling of failure, and how I did not want to go back to Urvi with the story of nearly making. How I didn’t want to add this to my list of compromised targets, my list of second bests. I wanted this climb, on that day, to be the start of my list of achievements. We kept going.

Breathing become tough and the snow was sticking everywhere making it hard for me to see in my glasses, but as the weak sun rose and peered through the think fog, the snow capped peaks and cuts became evident. On 6hrs we reached the final climb, one of the steepest of the whole endeavour, and one of the toughest to push ourselves for. We huffed and puffed our way over the top and just over 6.5hrs after setting out we reached the summit. Despite the grey underwhelming physical sight that greeted us, I was beaming with pride. The mental sight was that I had made it to the top pf a mountain. I had set myself a tough challenge and completed it. This felt good, it felt great. I sank into the snow, said a little prayer, thanked a few people and just sucked in the cold summit air. There was total and deafening silence. Not a sound, even the wind seemed to make no noise. I will remember this silence for ever.

Cotopaxi hid itself from our eyes, but for me I saw more than I thought I would, I saw what effort can achieve, I saw what taking the right path, the tough path can get you, and as I stumbled and slid and struggled down due to pure exhaustion I kept smiling and knew that this was more than a mountain for me. Cotopaxi showed me that I can achieve things if I tried and made the effort. It was a special feeling that I pray I can hold on to and replicate over again.

Ps we were the first of the climbing groups to make it to the summit that day…

Keep Left In Quilatoa

One of the most popular and beautiful treks in Ecuador is a trek called the Quilotoa loop. This is a 3 day trek that takes you between some pretty villages and through some of the most awesome green vistas you can imagine. There are rolling hills, small farms and patchwork fields all around you and you really feel totally in old world Ecuador, its just lovely. The highlight of this trek is a loop within a loop – this is the 14km walk around the crater of the Quilotoa volcano. This is a really stunning walk where you traverse the crater rim; it’s pretty up and down and is actually suggested as a prep hike for climbing Cotopaxi. We had originally decided to undertake the full 3 day loop but since the time I decided to climb Cotopaxi, we cut the plans short and decided only to trek the crater rim.



So full enthusiasm to hand we jumped on a bus and then a pickup truck to take the 2 hour trip to the village of Quilotoa. The pan was to do the crater rim, stay overnight at the local hotel and then return to Latacunga the next morning, all good! Unfortunately Urvi twisted her ankle again, and was not in shape to do the whole walk, so Claire and I decided to tramp the crater together and meet Urvi back at the hostel. At this point I should introduce Claire. We met in Latacunga and travelled to Cotopaxi together. Claire is a Pharmacist from Ireland. It seems that Ireland is full of really nice Claires! As our friend from Antarctica is also called Claire from Ireland!! Anyways Claire and I embarked anticlockwise around the trek that should really have taken only 4 hours. However we hadn’t account for the sudden descent of some pretty dangerous freezing fog. We had seen the fog on the other side of the crater, but were not too worried about it. But when the whole crater and the surrounding village were covered I a mist that brought the visibility down to 5m we started to get seriously worried. The path was precarious in any case, but when you couldn’t see either side of the gravel things started to get tough. We also got seriously lost at least 4 times. When I mean seriously, I mean that we had no bearing of where we were and where we were heading. A few times we lost the path totally and could have walked into nothingness!



This was a trek where we both had to help each other, keep each other going and concentrate. Funnily (now that we were safe and sound!) we coined the term ‘when in doubt, keep left!’ this was because I kept trying to follow the path and often lost it! So the rule on Quilotoa is KEEP LEFT!! (When doing the trek anticlockwise!)



The trek was a real test of our resolve and was a lesson in trying to keep your spirits high. As the sun was slowly setting and we were seriously facing the prospect of maybe having to sleep out in the open for the night, we had 3 major bits of good fortune that surely showed that someone was looking out for us. The 1st was when we seriously seriously lost the trail once. At that time I stopped and tried to relocate our steps, it was only after ½ hour of scrambling that we finally found the trial. The 2nd bit of good luck was that we crossed a farmer, who had come from the village of Quilotoa; this perked our spirits up a lot. The final and biggest bit of luck was right at the end, when we had done what seemed like major circles circles circles, the fog lifted a bit and we saw the lake below! We saw the path and most importantly we saw how far we had to go! It was a real thank God moment.



We arrived back to the hostel completely soaking wet, and freezing. It took us 5.5hrs, which in the grand scheme of the nightmare, wasn’t too bad. However I reckon for at least 4.5hrs Urvi was panicking and really worried. She had got to the stage where some guys from the hostel were going to start out and search for us. I think she was much more nervous than even we were!

The day ended well, with a great meal and a lovely log fire in the hostel. Claire and I were able to recount the drama of the day and Urvi was finally able to relax. This experience just goes to show that you should never take nature for granted, or it can take you.

The Galapagos Islands, where the animals are wild and the skies filled with birds

When you think of nature and the best places in the world to witness the awe of nature there are many locations that come to mind. It could be a safari in Africa or rain forests of Borneo, or the Great Barrier Reef. However there is no place better than the Galapagos Islands for witnessing nature at its most untouched. For believers of evolution (the theory that all organisms have developed from common ancestors, over millions of years, through a process called natural selection – where natures best survive and pass on successful traits to their offspring) the Galapagos Islands are where the English biologist Charles Darwin came and studied birds called finches, and developed his theories of evolution. It’s a pretty special place!




The islands are about 600 miles west of Ecuador and are famous for the variety of marine, land and bird life, not to mention the many many species of plants. The isolated nature of each island meant that they have developed totally unique populations of plants and in some cases animals, and despite the potential for rampant exploitation over the years many of the islands in the archipelago are untouched and uninhabited.



The basic approach to visiting the Galapagos is to arrive and jump on one of the many expedition cruises for a few days or week of amazing wildlife watching. I don’t want talk too much about that in this post because I want to address this in a separate more detailed post about how we organised our trip. However it is enough to say that we combined an island hopping cruise with some time on the main inhabited island, and some dives also.



The highlights of our trip were the animals and more notably the birds. Because the Galapagos Islands were untouched for so long, the wildlife is totally unaffected by humans, and the birds (many of whom nest on the ground) are literally all around you. The stars of the show were undoubtedly the Frigate Birds. I remember first seeing these amazing birds on the living planet documentaries with David Attenborough, which my dad recorded from the BBC in the mid 1980s. They are amazing birds that look very regal with a long pointed beak and swooping wings. However their most striking features are the huge inflatable red pouches on the chest of the males, that they inflate like a balloon when trying to attract females. The spectacle was amazing on the TV but in real life it is so awesome! Its crazy, when the living planet was on I don’t think that I would have ever dreamt of being 2 feet away from performing Frigate Birds on one of the Galapagos Islands! Now they were everywhere…



Even more amazing than the performance of the males however was the display of synchronised flying that we were treated to by 7-10 birds for about 1hr! Our guide told us that it is pretty common to see these birds following a boat and ‘riding’ on the wind currents it creates, but we had these birds fly literally 1 metre above our sun deck on the top of the boat. They were so so majestic and silent, and in perfect tune with the ship and us it seemed!! The birds would take it in turns to ride directly above us, in order to get the best drafts, and then they would fall back and let a few of the others take the prime location. They were so close that at times I could literally look into their eyes. I don’t know why but the hour that these birds spent with our boat as we travelled between two islands was totally dream like and the most amazing interaction I have ever had with any living animal. It was totally sublime.



Another once in a lifetime experience of nature we had was also a tale of the amazing and also tough side of life on the wild side. We had just finished an afternoons snorkelling (which in its self was amazing! Loads of fish and beautiful corals etc) off Bartolome Island, and as we were drying off and chilling out on the beach someone shouted out turtles!! There was some confusion for a moment as everyone looked out to the water and saw nothing, then we realised the turtles were hundreds of baby turtles that had just hatched up on the beach and were now going to make the dash for the water and potential safety. It was just a totally amazing sight of the babies, not more than 4cm long looking so cute flip flopping there way to the water. There were literally hundreds and the amazing thing was that normally the turtle hatch under the cover of night thus reducing the risk of predators catching them. Unfortunately for the turtles but fortunately for us, these guys woke up during the day. It was also very fortunate for the Frigate Birds who could spot the tiny babes from their cruising altitude a few hundred feet up in the air. The moment the hatchlings were out on the beach the sky was full of hungry birds, and they really tucked in. There was literally a turtle massacre right in front of us. It was just an awesome sight of the birds feasting on the newborns. It was tough to watch but a great display of nature at its wildest. Not more than 2 or 3% of the hatched turtles made it to the water and even then they weren’t safe, there would be fish, sharks and others all ready to welcome them. Maybe only 1% of all the turtles that hatched would survive. What a story! It made every fully grown turtle we saw a total miracle.



The final amazing experience that I wanted to talk about was the diving of North Seymour. In short it was just outstanding! We saw sharks, multiple types of fish, beautiful forms of coral and much more. Urvi wasn’t going to dive here, but I am glad that she decided to do so. She was really lucky and actually saw Hammerhead sharks on her first dive! So that’s pretty amazing. The Galapagos Islands are really special for diving because of the currents that flow around the islands, this make the area full of nutrients and therefore the seas full of animal life. The sharks were really special and on the second dive, although we really struggled with the currents (that were super strong), we saw plenty of black tipped and white tipped reef sharks. The fully grown sharks looked menacing, and it was so exciting for us to see these animals in the wild. Hurrah!!!



We travelled to the Galapagos, like most people, with a vision of natural history paradise, and in short we got exactly that. It was an amazing experience being this close to a range of wildlife. Again it was a privilege to be here in person and for me was another one of these childhood dreams accomplished.

ONE YEAR COMPLETED!!!

Well we did it! Despite some very significant downs and because of some really significant ups, we have come through the one year landmark. In a post like this you normally summarise the things we have seen, the people we have met etc etc, but I just want to concentrate on a few things that I have learnt/felt.

This first and most obvious is just how special the trip has been thus far. We have climbed, flown, dived, walked, laughed, cried, cycled, rode, photographed, written, eaten, eaten and then eaten a bit more!! We have done so much, so much that just 2 years ago I would not have thought I or Urvi would be able to do. Could I have imagined that I could trek as much as I have??? Could in have imagined that Urvi would dive the oceans of the world??? No and no! We have worked hard to be able to enjoy this trip and looking back so far we have done that hard work full justice.

The second thought is - If life throws you challenges you have to rise to them. Despite feeling often that things have been bizarrely easy for us (and in many ways a trip like this is easier than one may think) there have been challenges. Either self created or created by circumstance. I am learning that the trick is it rise up to the challenge and face it rather than to spend energy in finding a way around it. This has really bee proved on the trip. Conquer the summit rather than trying to find a way around the mountain. Besides the view is much better from the top!! Which leads me to my next discovery...

Actually doing something, actually achieving something is such a sweet feeling. I have spent alot of my life finding a way out of things. A year on and I am realising that doing and achieving things is so important and is so rewarding. Even the commencement of the trip is an example of this. We had a dream, we made plan, we worked hard, and we achieved it. This financial and time freedom that we now feel on the trip is a direct of this. Cheers to us.

Tell people who matter to you what you are feeling, it could be the last time they hear you. No need to say anything more on this one. I have lost 2 important people during this year. In both cases much was left unsaid and now the chance is lost.

The world is stunningly and bewilderingly beautiful - we have touched 5 of the 7 continents so far and will set foot in all 7 by the end. We have seen oceans, mountains, deserts, rainforests, glaciers and skies of all sorts. Each time we have seen something new and continually we are amazed by the beauty of nature. The variety of animal life has been outstanding and seeing God’s creatures in their own natural environment is really a precious thing to behold. I cannot imagine, for example, seeing a mother and calf humpback whale feeding in the stunning waters of Antarctica, just to be able to recall this is a treat!!

My final realization from this phase of the trip is that people are basically good and often can be angels in disguise. We have stayed in many many hostels and most of the time we have met interesting people who have stories to tell and are interested in our stories. It is an amazing experience hearing about the lives of such different people. Also the general public of the world - people just living life and in the main enjoying with what they have – are really amazing and must be learnt from. We get really caught up in a lot of nothing and I think in the future just recalling the villagers in Sa Pa, Vietnam or the farmers in Mongolia will really put my life into context.

Despite having a general tendency to trust people, I have be personally amazed at just how helpful, and sometimes life saving people have been.

The Chinese police officer in Zinning who sorted our Tibet permits out.
The guy in Siberia, who helped us to our hostel, when we were totally lost.
The whole campsite in New Zealand who came to our aid when our campervan tipped over
The Brazilian women who gave us so much help in Rio and then drove us to our hostel
The Hostel guys in Japan, who were like family to us throughout our stay

Thanks to them all, and everyone else who have made the year so so memorable!!!

We have less than a year left on this trip. The last months have been very tough for many reasons, but I can unreservedly say that this last year has taught me so much, made me realise many of my strengths and weaknesses, and most of all has been the most fun ever!!!!

I survived the worst border ever - But this time no t-shirt!!

I have been comfortable with any of the travelling experiences we have had in the near 365 days we have been travelling, indeed I don recall having a horrendous travelling experience, but on the border of Peru an Ecuador I finally had my shock moment.

My plan was to travel pretty non stop from Cusco via Lima up over the Peru/Ecuador border and then on to Quito. If I could get the international bus in Lima then this would take me non stop to Quito, if not then I would DIY the crossing continue to the capital.

The first 48hours of the trip were fine, I got to Lima and then on to the border town of Tumbes in Peru. So far so good. It was a long trip but no problems or issues, then the border loomed!!!

The context is that this area of north Peru was previously disputed territory and was fought over in recent wars. It is still a rogue area full of contraband loads passing over the border. In particular the border is the focus of the drug run from Columbia. In addition to these problems the border is full of petty criminals and bizarrely dodgy people trying to offer 'help' to travellers crossing.

I am really kicking myself as I should have known things were suspect from the moment I got of the overnight bus and was besieged by taxi touts trying to assist me across the border. In the mêlée I opted for the wrong guys who told me he would get me to the direct bus on the Ecuador side. The other tell tale sing was that there were no other tourists anywhere to be seen in the town!

From the moment I got into his tuk tuk and someone else got in I knew things were not right. 10 minutes from the border we got stopped by the police, who wanted to check I was a smuggler! They looked official but I was not sure, and when they took my passport and disappeared into the police van I got a bit twitched. Things were worse when they started asking me what I was doing in Peru, if I had been working, if I had drugs etc etc. They checked all my bags for anything they could fix me for. Of course other than smelly t-shirts there was noting!! Finally they let us go and we carried on. I was sooo relieved to have my passport that I barely noticed the second police guy who stopped us 2 minutes later. This time he was doubtful I was the same person as in he passport. I had the stubble right but looked to be too thin!!! Finally I had found a bad point to losing weight!!

Again after much umming and questioning the second guy let us go.

When we go to the Peru side of the border I was told to get my exit stamp and then the tuk tuk was going to arrange a security escort (can you believe it!!) to take me to Ecuador. At this point he asked/demanded his fee. A cool $20!! The ride should have been $2, but by this time I wasn't in a position to argue and furthermore I got the distinct feeling that everyone was in cahoots to make things tough and therefore charge more and more. I gave in and gave him the 20 bucks and he gave me a security escort, who turned out to simply be a porter.

I have to say that the porter guy was actually of some use as by this time I had missed my bus connection to Quito and Guayaquil (the town where I could get a faster bus to Quito). He took me to a minibus rank where there were minivans that would speed me to Guayaquil. This seemed like the best idea, so after fighting with the porter over his fee (he wanted 20 too)!!! And also having 2 further police officers extort more dollars for tea I booked the transport.

The final twist was that I was told to go ahead of the minivan to the order post and get my Ecuador visa sorted. The van would meet me there. Not knowing where things were I was again lost. Finally seeing my plight a wonderful Ecuadorian lady offered to come with me to the border and we would catch the van together. If it was not for Roxana I am sure I would have paid more and more to sort things out.

Finally after 50+ hours I arrived Guayaquil airport (I had decoded to fly the last 10 hour bus ride!!!) I tell you I was literally smiling and laughing when I walked into the cool clean brand new airport and the LAN check in lady upgraded me on hearing my story!!! I sank into the comfy chair in the lounge and savoured my coffee!!!!

The journey is one for the memory banks and reminds me that things have been real smooth so far on this trip! Every so often a bump in the road helps to bring me down to earth!
I was also mighty glad that Urvi wasn't there. I struggled and at a few points I felt pretty uncomfortable, but I think that Urvi would have freaked out!!! It was a real lesson in trying to stay focused and keep your wits about you.

Getting over the fears of my youth

As I plummeted down the death road to Corioco on a mountain bike I was thinking just how bizarre this experience was!!  I recalled that I was the kid who only really learnt to cycle when I was 7! and in general would sherk away from anything active.

I recall the torture I put my brother and sister through as they tried and pleaded with me to get on a bike and then to take the stabilisers off! I am now seeking out interesting bike rides and racing down hills with 400m drops - how crazy...

This got me thinking just how much I feel both myself and Urvi have actaully overcome the fears of our youths...

My mum will recall just how much torture she went through in trying to teach me to swim. I would literally scream my head off (I was only 4 ok!!!!) in the swimming pool if I was taken anywhere near the water, I was crazy. Now I go crazy to dive in the most amazing locations in the world. Urvis the same, she hardly swam until the recent past, and now she is also flying through the water with he scuba gear on... Amazing!!!

I remember my brother trying to get me trekking, but only succeeding to get me a few flat kms! Now I have been seeking out treks and looking forward to scaling new heights, can you imagine!!!

Urvi was a proficient trekker in her past, but it's fair to say that she has not trekked for a while, so now we are literally rising to new limits and conquering passes at over 5700m!!

Overcoming fears and rising to new challenges has been a totally fundamental part of this trip and long may it continue. Remember I plan to end his trip by cage diving with Great White sharks!! Pretty amazing for a guy who as a kid wouldn't even walk into shallow end of a pool!!!

The magic of travel!!

Sent from my iPod

I Feel So Much That My Mind Goes Blank

I feel so much that my mind goes blank.
I see so much that my eyes struggle to focus
I hear so much that I can't make out any noise

There are times when my senses are overloaded and everything becomes too much...

This happens often and is maybe a function of my inability to express and process what i see. However I see things and feel I must describe them, define them, analyse them, quantify them. Of course this is plainly stupid, not everything is to be catelogued in this way.

I guess the conclusion i come to in these random musings is just that this world is indescribably complex and yet so simply beautiful and sometimes it is better to just let it be, take it in and let the gift of time and memories allow you to digest what you have felt, seen or heard.

Someone once said that sometimes you just have let things be and they will develop at the pace they were meant to, experiences are often like that. I guess I must learn that, never push things...

Sent from my iPod

Getting High On Salt

Ever since the conception of this trip I have been wanting to visit the famous salt flats of Bolivia - the Salar De Uyuni. I'm not sure if it was the photos I saw, the extreme nature of the place or simply the uniquenss of the place, but this was on my must be done list. It was therefore with a slightly heavy heart that I made my way alone to San Pedro and from there embarked on this important trip without Urvi.

The dissapointment of leaving Urvi in BA while I travelled here was somewhat lessened by the fact that I was travelling with a bunch of great friends. Of course there were Melissa and Claire, without whom I would have not enjoyed this portion of the trip, we have travelled on and off for a while together and I am really thankful for that - cheers guys!!  For putting up with me!! In addition Jamie and Liz were on the trip too, which was great. We then had Si and Jim, Lauren and Liz, Alessandra and Davide and Andrea; all of who we knew from somewhere on the South America trip. This made for a great travelling group and of course dampened any pangs of loneliness!!

The nuts and bolts of the trip are simple. You take a 4x4 jeep from the Bolivian border and drive it for 3 days, 600kms through to Uyuni. The trip maybe 3 days but technically one could compete it in 2 easy days. The altitude of the trip can be a challenge for some and staying at this hieght should never be taken lightly, however I must say after scaling the 5700m Droma La Pass in Tibet I felt fine with the 4000m+ levels we encountered here.

Along the way you are treated to a spectacular array of natural scenes that blow your mind. There are lagoons, barren mountians, deserts where nothing seems to be, volcanos, rock formations so grand that you wonder where and how they were conceived and of course the biggest draw of all, the salt flats.

Imagine a land so flat and White that it looks like a desert of snow, your feet crunch over the 7m of natural salt that spreads out so far that you drive for an hour and your still not at the end. At times all there is in your eyeline is salt and sky. White and blue so clear and clean that it is more of a picture that reality. The jeep heads out in a direction that could be any direction, the vista is the same. This is a place where no photo can express what the eye captures and the soul processes. It is simple and in many way monotonous but the scale just blew me away. I looked out at the barren aching flats and just pondered life and all that I have witnessed to date...

Although I would say the trip is a bit stretched out, it gave us the chance to spend 2 nights under what is the most spectacular night sky you could imagine. The dark deep sky was literatly set alight with stars. Stars so bright that they glowed and burned and together gave the sky a lighter hue. After the observatory tour in San Pedro i was able to make out various constellations and spot the shades of nebula, it was very special

The Salar De Uyuni was place for which I held great expectations, it didn't disappoint! Once again mother earth has thrown up another amazing display of natural awe and variety. Without Urvi it was different and I am sure we will be back this time together!

Sent from my iPod

Feeling Insignificant in San Pedro

I am just one of 6 billions people on this earth,

Our earth is just one of 9 planets in this Solar system

Our Solar System is just one of tens of billions in this Galaxy

Our Galaxy is just one of tens of billions in thie universe


Looking out at the stars that set the dark Atacama sky on fire you gaze out in wonder and awe. I can´t comprehend the size of the universe we live in but gazing out at something so huge makes me focus on things that I can comprehend and are tangible to me...

We are each pretty darn small and insignificant, even less significant than one grain of sand on a huge beach, even less significant than a drop of water in the oceans, yet despite this insignifance we are also important to each other. There are people in each of our lives that mean more than the whole universe, these times when you feel so small you realise wahts so big.

The drama of the night sky in Atacama was amazing, and the power of looking out into the universe like that was immense

Mendoza - not your typical copa de vino!!

Well from the tranquility of El Bolson I left to travel to Mendoza. Known to the world for being in the centre of South America winelands and grape growing region, Mendoza is truly blessed with amazing weather, scenes and mountiains.

With all this in mind I arrived fully expecting the jaw dropping beauty that we witnessed travelling through the New Zealand wine making regions, however I can honestly say it wasn´t to be!!

The town is perfectly pleasent, with large spacious parks and plaza´s, but the wine region is more about manufacturing and factory production. A winelands bike tour would take you out on dusty roads sharing the path with large trucks full of grapes - not something i was up for therefore i spent more time in the wonderful resturants that cover this town.

Also its at times like this you are thankful for meeting up with friends. Jana, Phil and Dom (Friends from Antarctic trip) where already there, i also met Jamie and Liz and James from El Bolson, great times!!

We had a fun lunch and then went on to the Vines of Mendoza tasting rooms - a sepcial afternoon!

A concert ticket for Milk...

This is the best form of charity I have seen a long time...

I was walking around the historic centre of Mendoza looking for intersting stuff to do, and came across a poster for the annual Mendoza Wine and Music festival, knonwing nothing about it, but being interested in getting a bit of muscial culute in, i headied inside searching for the ticket office.

My Spanish is pretty rubbish to be honest but I managed to find the security guard and ask him (somehow!!!!) where the ticket office was. He was a little confused but seemedd to know what I was on about. however his reply threw me right off, he told me to follow him, and kept talking about LEche Leche. Now from my basic Spanish - mainly from the coffee con leche, i knew this was milk...

Milk???? what was he on about??? Finally after much climbing we arrived at the office of the director of culture for Mendoza, umm worrying, was i gonna get a telling off, what!!!??

It transpired that the concert series was sponsored by the Rotary club of Mendoza and if people donated 800gms of milk powder, you could have 2 free tickets to withever performance caught your eye. Inspired!!!!

After much searching for a supermarket that did not honour the standard half day siesta, i finally got the 2 boxes of full fat milk powder, handedthem in and got my tickets, from the director no less!!

The performance chosen was wonderful, it was in a converted wine factory, where the owners have done half of the warehouse and production plant up, so the space was really dramatic and moody the group were a famous (not to me!!) Argentine male singing quartet, who sung in both Spanish and English. they did a mix of classical songs thatthe whole audience apart from me understood and enjoyed hugely, and also a range of gospel greats in English, that whole audience apart from me were lost too!!!!

All in all the concert was really fun, and the singing high quality. more than that however i was glad to have been able to contribute to a good cause. that made the gospel singing even sweeter!!!!