Friday was another long drive day. The issue with where we are at the moment is that Lima is a 1200km drive approximately from the border along the coast, and there's not much inbetween as the terrain is arid and effectively desert. Due to this we left our campsite at 6am and had breakfast on the truck. The good thing however was that the roads were both smooth and flat which meant we could cover a lot of ground in a lot less time compared to the mountain passes we've done prior.
En route we stopped at the Museo Tumbas Reales de Sipán, a world-class museum that showcases the finest artefacts from the archaeological finds at nearby Sipán. The ancient city of Sipán was a settlement of the Moche civilisation that thrived in the area between 50-700 CE. The ruins were discovered in 1987, and when excavated revealed a set of fantastic and well-preserved royal tombs. Although some tombs had been plundered, many were found intact and full of some of the most extraordinary historical treasures ever discovered in the world! Amongst the most impressive discoveries made here is the tomb of the famous ‘Lord of the Sipán’, a Moche priest found buried amidst an array of gold, jewels and fabrics - some phenomenal gold and silver ornamental and ceremonial artifacts were recovered, which demonstrate the outstanding craftsmanship of the Moche metalworkers. It was very interesting looking at artefacts on show, although use of cameras were forbidden.
After the museum we had lunch at this restaurant where I had the fish, although it was full of small bones. We then continued our drive south along the coast, arriving in Huanchaco at about 7, so it was a very long day. We had an amazing sunset from the truck though and the sky just turned red. We also had another music quiz on the journey this time with a Disney and musicals theme and I was surprisingly good at it. We also unleashed our new play list where we pick 5 songs each and play them. They didn't shuffle them this time though and my 5 songs were the last 5 songs played. We once again had option to upgrade in Huanchaco, although I camped. I think I'm the only person not to upgrade so far. After the tents were put up we went out for dinner, where I went to this beach bar with live music. I had the beef and onions with chips.
Huanchaco is a small town on the Peruvian coast that is rapidly acquiring a reputation for the quality of the surfing off its relaxed beaches. Wandering along the sea front you come across the local fishermen's "caballitos de tortora" - curved reed boats left propped up in groups together on the sand. Huanchaco is an ideal location from which to explore the numerous archaeological ruins that surround the nearby city of Trujillo. The town itself felt very British as it had a pier and lots of seaside bars and restaurants. After going for a run along the seafront in the morning, and having breakfast which was surprisingly egg based, we left around 9 for a morning to explore the nearby ruins.
First stop was the pyramid-shaped Huaca de la Luna, the impressive remains of the capital of the Moche civilsation that flourished between 100-800 CE. The site contains some phenomenal abode structures and well-preserved painted murals of the Moche deity Ai Apaec. The structure itself has never been restored after being discovered deep under desert sand, and is simply maintained. Much of the structure was sandstone although it doesn't erode as it simply just never really rains. The artwork was amazing. I did somehow prove a hit with these Peruvian a school kids here though and they thought I was really hot. I literally got surrounded and they all wanted pictures with me, while the rest of my group continued the tour.
We then went to the ruins of Chan Chan, a vast adobe city constructed as the capital of the Chimú civilisation which thrived in the area between 900-1470 CE, when they were finally invaded by the Incas. This area was vast and just surrounded by desert for miles in all directions. We had another guided tour here which was very interesting. Apparently they're even expecting rain within the next year due to the el nino effect, something I studied in geography. After the tour we had a truck lunch which was basically fruits and sandwiches, before heading back to the campsite early afternoon.
The afternoon was free time where I relaxed, before going to the beach to look rounds the shops and walk on the pier. I then watched the sunset which was pretty impressive before heading back to the campsite before dinner. For dinner I had this Peruvian seafood paella which was really nice. I then headed back to the campsite and sat outside for a while. I even had wifi inside my tent.
Monday, 21 November 2016
Saturday, 19 November 2016
Punta Sal
Wednesday was another long drive day, with a border crossing chucked in for good measure, so there was the potential for a very long day. We left at 8am and breakfast was egg based once again. The drive out of Cuenca was interesting though as there were lots of roadworks. Outside of the city they were constructing lots of new roads as tunnels which meant there were effectively off road diversions which were one way. The scenery was still amazing though as we were basically decending from 2600m down to sea level.
We stopped for lunch about 20km off the border in Santa Rosa where I had ribs. I wanted the goat meat but they didn't have it. We then eased our way through the border compared to the last one. It was literally stamp out, stamp in, and drive off. Shortly after crossing the border we stopped in Tumbes to get money although everyone ended up with big notes which was not ideal. We ended up arriving in Punta Sal and our campsite by like 5.
Located right on the beach, our campsite was literally in the middle of nowhere. We pitched up our tents right by the sea under these umbrellas and soon after had this amazing sunset. Dinner in the evening was this fish bbq with salad which was really good. We then made a campfire and it was a really good evening. We could even see Venus, Mars, and Jupiter in the sky. It ended up being quite a late night.
Come morning we had 3 options for the day. We could either stay at Punta Sal and relax on nti the beach all day, drive to the town of Mancora and spend the day there, or visit some turtles and spend the afternoon in Mancora. I went for the turtles. Breakfast in the morning was pancakes, and we left at 9. The place where we visited the turtles was a commercial place where they basically fed wild turtles to aid their tourism. Some people were a little skeptical but I still swam with them and it was an amazing experience.
After the turtles we drove into Mancora where we headed straight down to the beach for lunch where I had the burger. I then went and found a sunbed a short some wifi and just spent the afternoon relaxing, before getting up and looking round the shops and markets of Mancora. We spent most of the afternoon here and ended up arriving back in Punta Sal at like 5. When getting back I went straight in the sea, although the waves were so strong. They could literally knock you off your feet. Dinner in the evening was spaghetti bolognese, and after dinner we had another campfire, including marshmallows this time, before having an earlier night due to an early start the next morning.
We stopped for lunch about 20km off the border in Santa Rosa where I had ribs. I wanted the goat meat but they didn't have it. We then eased our way through the border compared to the last one. It was literally stamp out, stamp in, and drive off. Shortly after crossing the border we stopped in Tumbes to get money although everyone ended up with big notes which was not ideal. We ended up arriving in Punta Sal and our campsite by like 5.
Located right on the beach, our campsite was literally in the middle of nowhere. We pitched up our tents right by the sea under these umbrellas and soon after had this amazing sunset. Dinner in the evening was this fish bbq with salad which was really good. We then made a campfire and it was a really good evening. We could even see Venus, Mars, and Jupiter in the sky. It ended up being quite a late night.
Come morning we had 3 options for the day. We could either stay at Punta Sal and relax on nti the beach all day, drive to the town of Mancora and spend the day there, or visit some turtles and spend the afternoon in Mancora. I went for the turtles. Breakfast in the morning was pancakes, and we left at 9. The place where we visited the turtles was a commercial place where they basically fed wild turtles to aid their tourism. Some people were a little skeptical but I still swam with them and it was an amazing experience.
After the turtles we drove into Mancora where we headed straight down to the beach for lunch where I had the burger. I then went and found a sunbed a short some wifi and just spent the afternoon relaxing, before getting up and looking round the shops and markets of Mancora. We spent most of the afternoon here and ended up arriving back in Punta Sal at like 5. When getting back I went straight in the sea, although the waves were so strong. They could literally knock you off your feet. Dinner in the evening was spaghetti bolognese, and after dinner we had another campfire, including marshmallows this time, before having an earlier night due to an early start the next morning.
Thursday, 17 November 2016
Cuenca
Monday was was effectively a drive day and we were warned it could be a very long day. With about 500km to cover on windy roads, we ended up leaving at 6am with a packed breakfast to eat on the truck. It was a very fresh morning, and shortly after leaving we stopped as there was a fantastic view of the snowcapped Cotopaxi volcano which was very impressive. We couldn't see it when driving in because of the clouds, but we were luckier today. Breakfast was these cheese sandwich based things. The cheese out here is like plastic though so a lot of people have been craving stuff like cheddar for a long time. What I miss is a full English breakfast however.
We stopped at various points en route for toilet breaks, and had lunch on the outskirts of Alausi where we had spaghetti, chicken, and rice, quite an interesting combination. Once again the scenery outside was stunning, and we passed a lot of snow capped peaks. We also passed a lot of whole pigs being cooked on these poles! We did keep ourselves amused on the truck though playing a few games like cards and this game where you draw and write what you see, a bit like Chinese whispers.
We ended up arriving in Cuenca at about 6pm, so it was a long day. After settling into the hotel we went out for dinner to this pizza restaurant. Instead of ordering a normal pizza a few of us ordered 2 of the jumbo pizzas which were massive and shared them. They split the toppings up so we had lots of different types of pizza and this saved lots of money. After dinner we went to this karaoke bar and it was a funny evening. I managed to destroy quite a few songs, although smashed a high school musical duet like usual. We then went back to the hotel and sat in their secret garden, although it turned into quite a late night.
Cuenca is Ecuador's third-largest city and its small centre is home to some beautiful architecture. The city was founded in 1557 and named after the city of Cuenca in Spain, the birthplace of the Viceroy of Peru at the time. This small university town is a pleasure to explore, and you'll discover impressive churches that date back to the 16th and 17th Centuries, attractive colonial buildings, tranquil plazas and lively markets. The Ecuadorians consider it the finest city in the country, and many of its buildings are constructed from marble and decorated with stunning woodwork and ironwork. Cuenca is also the home of the Panama hat, and you can visit one of the famous hat factories and watch the skills of the craftsman here.
Breakfast in the morning was eggs, fruits, and croissants. It was nice to have some kind of lie in in the morning too. At 10 we had the option of meeting to visit the Panama hat museum. It was really interesting as we got to see the whole process of how they are made, and then try some on at the end. There was even this balcony in the museum where we got a good view of the city. Some people even bought some souvenir hats, although one person bought 250 of them to ship home for their business or something!
After the museum I headed back to the hotel, before heading out to explore the city. I wasn't really sure where to go as everyone was doing different things, so I decided to go on the city bus tour. There was only 3 people of the whole open top bus. With English commentary I saw lots of the churches and rivers that flow through the city. There was also a lot of interesting graffiti and architecture. The tour also took me to the top of this hill where we able to get off and see the skyline. We also got to try this local drink which was like hot water with this sugarcane spirit. I even climbed up to this canopy to get an even better view of the skyline. When getting back on the bus we headed back into the city centre to see some more of the buildings, before arriving back at the square where I started around 2 hours later.
When getting off the bus I headed out for lunch, where I found some British based cafe and had the bacon cheeseburger and chips. I then went and visited the local market which sold many foods and handicrafts. They even had whole pigs including their heads being carved. Another interesting thing were there locals whacking children with these plants and rubbing it all over then. Apparently this is a blessing or something. I headed back to the hotel around 4, where it was nice to relax. Dinner in the evening was up to us so I went with a few others to this local restaurant where I had the sausage and chips. Everyone then had an early night although I stayed up a bit later while the wifi was actually working properly because basically no one was on it.
We stopped at various points en route for toilet breaks, and had lunch on the outskirts of Alausi where we had spaghetti, chicken, and rice, quite an interesting combination. Once again the scenery outside was stunning, and we passed a lot of snow capped peaks. We also passed a lot of whole pigs being cooked on these poles! We did keep ourselves amused on the truck though playing a few games like cards and this game where you draw and write what you see, a bit like Chinese whispers.
We ended up arriving in Cuenca at about 6pm, so it was a long day. After settling into the hotel we went out for dinner to this pizza restaurant. Instead of ordering a normal pizza a few of us ordered 2 of the jumbo pizzas which were massive and shared them. They split the toppings up so we had lots of different types of pizza and this saved lots of money. After dinner we went to this karaoke bar and it was a funny evening. I managed to destroy quite a few songs, although smashed a high school musical duet like usual. We then went back to the hotel and sat in their secret garden, although it turned into quite a late night.
Cuenca is Ecuador's third-largest city and its small centre is home to some beautiful architecture. The city was founded in 1557 and named after the city of Cuenca in Spain, the birthplace of the Viceroy of Peru at the time. This small university town is a pleasure to explore, and you'll discover impressive churches that date back to the 16th and 17th Centuries, attractive colonial buildings, tranquil plazas and lively markets. The Ecuadorians consider it the finest city in the country, and many of its buildings are constructed from marble and decorated with stunning woodwork and ironwork. Cuenca is also the home of the Panama hat, and you can visit one of the famous hat factories and watch the skills of the craftsman here.
Breakfast in the morning was eggs, fruits, and croissants. It was nice to have some kind of lie in in the morning too. At 10 we had the option of meeting to visit the Panama hat museum. It was really interesting as we got to see the whole process of how they are made, and then try some on at the end. There was even this balcony in the museum where we got a good view of the city. Some people even bought some souvenir hats, although one person bought 250 of them to ship home for their business or something!
After the museum I headed back to the hotel, before heading out to explore the city. I wasn't really sure where to go as everyone was doing different things, so I decided to go on the city bus tour. There was only 3 people of the whole open top bus. With English commentary I saw lots of the churches and rivers that flow through the city. There was also a lot of interesting graffiti and architecture. The tour also took me to the top of this hill where we able to get off and see the skyline. We also got to try this local drink which was like hot water with this sugarcane spirit. I even climbed up to this canopy to get an even better view of the skyline. When getting back on the bus we headed back into the city centre to see some more of the buildings, before arriving back at the square where I started around 2 hours later.
When getting off the bus I headed out for lunch, where I found some British based cafe and had the bacon cheeseburger and chips. I then went and visited the local market which sold many foods and handicrafts. They even had whole pigs including their heads being carved. Another interesting thing were there locals whacking children with these plants and rubbing it all over then. Apparently this is a blessing or something. I headed back to the hotel around 4, where it was nice to relax. Dinner in the evening was up to us so I went with a few others to this local restaurant where I had the sausage and chips. Everyone then had an early night although I stayed up a bit later while the wifi was actually working properly because basically no one was on it.
Tuesday, 15 November 2016
Chugchilian and Quilatoa
We left Rio Verde about half 8 on the Saturday, after another breakfast which was told to be strictly anything other than eggs. Our next location was the village of Chugchilian to visit Quilatoa, a volcanic crater. What we did have though was a lot of climbing as the lake is high above sea level and Rio Verde is not. We stopped off en route in Ambato, and also the small village of Zumbahua for lunch later on. The mountain pass we went over to this village took us over 4000m for the first time! For lunch I had lamb with rice and salad, and a short time after lunch we arrived in Chugchilian about 2 ish.
Chugchilian is set in the slopes of the Rio Toachi Canyon, and is well known for having many stunning hikes in the surrounding areas. We were given the afternoon to do whatever we wanted. I looked round the village which was actually very lively with this intense volleyball match taking place, and the locals being very friendly. Our hotel itself even had a games room with a pool table and table tennis to name a few games. The only thing it lacked was wifi. I then ended up having a nap afterwards as I was exhausted after the previous nights camping. Dinner in the evening was pork which was really nice. I then ended up having an early night, although the temperature had plunged massively so it was freezing.
After a good night's sleep I woke up Sunday morning raring to go to visit the nearby crater. Lake Quilotoa is a beautiful volcanic crater lake located at 3,600m above sea level in the hills between the villages of Zumbahua and Chugchilán. Its emerald water spans a circle with a diameter of 2kms - Quilotoa is an active volcano, but the last major eruption was over 850 years ago. The lake also lends its name to the Quilotoa Loop, given to the winding circuit of spectacular dirt roads that connect Lake Quilotoa to Latacunga and the Pan-American Highway. The roads that lead away from Latacunga are unpaved, winding and have spectacular views of the mountains, rivers and verdant landscape.
Breakfast in the morning was eggs with bread and fruits. We set off in jeeps at about half 8 to drive to the lake, arriving by 9 where we had a brief look round the village, before going to this viewpoint to see the stunning emerald colour lake. We were then given the option to either walk down into the crater or look around Quilotoa, being given a strict meeting time of 11 to return. I decided to walk into the crater. The views of lake was just stunning and I shot down to the waterside within half hour. I even touched the water. Despite many people trying, only 5 of us made it to the bottom. The walk back up was a lot tougher however as being at altitude the air is lot thinner meaning you get out of breath more quickly. It was also very hot. I took about an hour to get back up but the walk was worth it just for the views alone!
I reached the top again with time to spare and met the others to take in the view one last time. We were then given the option of walking the 10km back to Chugchilian, or taking the jeep back to the hostel to relax. I chose the hike and we set off following the rim of the crater. The clouds decended at this point however making it nice and cool, but not cold. The views of the crater were still just as stunning, although the terrain was very loose underfoot meaning a lot of care had to be taken. Before long we left the crater and decended rapidly down the loose terrain into the valley, where at the bottom we had our packed lunches in this remote village. This dog had followed us from Quilatoa all the way here and was in its element here as everyone was feeding it!
After lunch we continued decending, initially following this dirt track, and then dropping into the canyon past waterfalls. The scenery was just amazing. Once on the canyon we headed back up the other side, and followed the edge which was badly eroded in places through to another village where the locals were thrilled to see us. When leaving the village we decended once again into the canyon down a very loose path through rocks and trees right down to this stream and this road. We were then allowed to walk our own pace back to the hostel as the pace en route had been very pedestrian. I therefore tanked it back to the hostel, and somehow never got out of breath despite going back uphill once again. I arrived back at half 3, with the dog who passed out, and we cheered everyone in who arrived over the next hour or so.
I then spent the remainder of the afternoon relaxing, with dinner being at 7. Dinner was fish, and after dinner I played pool for a bit, before heading to bed for another early night. Everyone was just really tired, and we had a 6am departure time in the morning!
Chugchilian is set in the slopes of the Rio Toachi Canyon, and is well known for having many stunning hikes in the surrounding areas. We were given the afternoon to do whatever we wanted. I looked round the village which was actually very lively with this intense volleyball match taking place, and the locals being very friendly. Our hotel itself even had a games room with a pool table and table tennis to name a few games. The only thing it lacked was wifi. I then ended up having a nap afterwards as I was exhausted after the previous nights camping. Dinner in the evening was pork which was really nice. I then ended up having an early night, although the temperature had plunged massively so it was freezing.
After a good night's sleep I woke up Sunday morning raring to go to visit the nearby crater. Lake Quilotoa is a beautiful volcanic crater lake located at 3,600m above sea level in the hills between the villages of Zumbahua and Chugchilán. Its emerald water spans a circle with a diameter of 2kms - Quilotoa is an active volcano, but the last major eruption was over 850 years ago. The lake also lends its name to the Quilotoa Loop, given to the winding circuit of spectacular dirt roads that connect Lake Quilotoa to Latacunga and the Pan-American Highway. The roads that lead away from Latacunga are unpaved, winding and have spectacular views of the mountains, rivers and verdant landscape.
Breakfast in the morning was eggs with bread and fruits. We set off in jeeps at about half 8 to drive to the lake, arriving by 9 where we had a brief look round the village, before going to this viewpoint to see the stunning emerald colour lake. We were then given the option to either walk down into the crater or look around Quilotoa, being given a strict meeting time of 11 to return. I decided to walk into the crater. The views of lake was just stunning and I shot down to the waterside within half hour. I even touched the water. Despite many people trying, only 5 of us made it to the bottom. The walk back up was a lot tougher however as being at altitude the air is lot thinner meaning you get out of breath more quickly. It was also very hot. I took about an hour to get back up but the walk was worth it just for the views alone!
I reached the top again with time to spare and met the others to take in the view one last time. We were then given the option of walking the 10km back to Chugchilian, or taking the jeep back to the hostel to relax. I chose the hike and we set off following the rim of the crater. The clouds decended at this point however making it nice and cool, but not cold. The views of the crater were still just as stunning, although the terrain was very loose underfoot meaning a lot of care had to be taken. Before long we left the crater and decended rapidly down the loose terrain into the valley, where at the bottom we had our packed lunches in this remote village. This dog had followed us from Quilatoa all the way here and was in its element here as everyone was feeding it!
After lunch we continued decending, initially following this dirt track, and then dropping into the canyon past waterfalls. The scenery was just amazing. Once on the canyon we headed back up the other side, and followed the edge which was badly eroded in places through to another village where the locals were thrilled to see us. When leaving the village we decended once again into the canyon down a very loose path through rocks and trees right down to this stream and this road. We were then allowed to walk our own pace back to the hostel as the pace en route had been very pedestrian. I therefore tanked it back to the hostel, and somehow never got out of breath despite going back uphill once again. I arrived back at half 3, with the dog who passed out, and we cheered everyone in who arrived over the next hour or so.
I then spent the remainder of the afternoon relaxing, with dinner being at 7. Dinner was fish, and after dinner I played pool for a bit, before heading to bed for another early night. Everyone was just really tired, and we had a 6am departure time in the morning!
Monday, 14 November 2016
Rio Verde (Banos)
Tuesday night was somehow an early night as one minute I was packing my bag, the next minute it was like 6am. I think I needed the sleep. After breakfast and a few people having a meltdown because of the election result, we set off at like half 8 for the drive to Rio Verde where we're camping for 3 nights. We stopped shortly into the drive in the town of Tena to do some shopping as we have a few meals to cook. I also got some new flip flops here as my other ones died at the equator.
After leaving Tena we continued driving, stopping at Puyo for lunch where I had this amazing mixed grill, 3 types of sausage, chicken, pork, beef, potatoes, corn and salad. We then continued onto our campsite arriving around 3ish. One thing Rio Verde is famous for is waterfalls, in particular the The Devil’s Cauldron (El Pailon del Diablo). A few of us decided to walk to this waterfall which was about a 20 minute walk after setting up the tents. I probably shouldn't have worn flip flops though as we at the top of this canyon and it was very steep decending down the waterfall below. There was a few viewpoints en route and this incredibly wobbly swing bridge too! When at the bottom we went for a swim although it was very refreshing!
We spent a while at the waterfall before climbing back the incredibly steep steps to return to the campsite. We had a treat in the evening though as the owners were Argentinian and they cooked an Argie Barbie for us. They didn't mess about chucking big joints on the bbq and serving us hunks to eat. It tasted amazing. After dinner it started raining quite hard but luckily there was a nice living area to sit in where we stayed for quite a while, good night though.
Where we are staying at Rio Verde is near the town of Baños, nestled in the shadow of the fiery Tungurahua volcano. Tungurahua is one of Ecuador's largest active volcanoes, and provides an incredible backdrop to treks and explorations in the area. There are some beautiful waterfalls, excellent trekking and mountain biking opportunities, and some famous volcanic hot springs which give the town its name! Baños is basically the adventure capital of Ecuador. On Thursday I therefore decided to go canyoning. Breakfast in the morning was some granola mix (eggs were banned).
Leaving about half 8 we drove into Baños where we went to the canyoning headquarters to be kitted out with wetsuits and helmets. We then drove to the canyon near Rio Negro and got out safety talk and had to practice abseiling before entering the canyon. We didn't end up entering the canyon until gone 11. The first part p of the canyon required us to stand on a rock and just fall backwards into the water below. We then had to jump off this waterfall although the water below was very shallow! Everyone managed this fine but then the fun and games started.
The next section required us to jump off this 10m waterfall. There was the option to avoid it by abseiling instead. The first couple of people went fine, but then someone jumped but jumped straight down instead of leaping out, which meant they landed in these strong currents and got pulled down. When retrieved they were unconscious and had to be revived with chest pumps. It was quite scary. The issue with where it happened though was that it was literally in a canyon in a pool with waterfalls both sides, so it very challenging to relax. I was last to jump but I had to contend with other issues as the weather had turned and it was hammering it down with rain, which meant the water level was rising rapidly and the flow was getting faster. I jumped in fine but the currents were so strong.
The next section was effectively a zipline, where I had to abseil down the waterfall and then fall backwards into the canyon. At this point however the water flow was getting dangerous and we had to get out. This was not easy however as there were just rock cliffs all around us so we had no choice but to let the rapids take us downstream. Luckily further downstream we found a tree and managed to climb out. About 10 minutes later we would have been screwed if we stayed in the water. We then climbed up this very steep and muddy hill through the trees and emerged through the bushes onto the road. It was a relief when out as it had got quite dangerous in terms of the power of the water flow.
It was typical that after we got out the sun came out, and after getting changed we drive to Rio Negro for lunch where I had beef. We then went back to the campsite where I relaxed before going for a walk to Rio Verde which was the nearby village. It was nice to look round and sit by the river. I spent a couple of hours here before returning to the campsite. Dinner in the evening was this vegetable stir fry which was nice. After playing cards and stuff after dinner, I ended up having an early night.
On Friday I opted to go ziplining, and after breakfast we set off into Baños and got a safety briefing before heading up the hill into the canopy. There were 6 ziplines in all, and after being kitted out in harnesses we walked to the first line. The first one was a sit down one which required us to brake with our hand. I was awful. The second one I went upside down. I wasn't expecting to go out the trees and into the canyon though, it was quite high up! The third one I went superman and it was fun. The fourth one I did in a sit position again because I wanted to admire the views. The fifth one we went in pairs superman style holding hands. And the last one, also the longest one, I sat down. It was lots of fun!
After the ziplining I was planning to go to La Casa Del Arbol and the swing at the end of the world. I have seen many pictures of this online and really wanted to go. I was going to go on my own but after showing someone else there ended up being 7 of us going! On a clear day you can see the Tungurahua volcano which is 2.5km away, but it was cloudy. I still got some great pictures though which create an illusion you're swinging into the canyon.
After the swing most people headed back to the campsite, although I decided to get off in Baños. A couple of us had pizza, before going our separate ways. I had a good look round the town which was very adventure equipped and touristy, dominated by the surrounding hills. I then found an Irish bar and watched the England v Scotland game, where there were actually a few English inside. The beer there was so strong though, the weakest one was like 6.6%. After the game I decided just to do a little pub crawl as the bars were pretty lively. I then somehow negotiated the bus system to get back to the campsite which was 17km away. My Spanish is getting better by the day.
Dinner in the evening was pad thai which was really good. We then stayed up for a bit before having another relatively early night.
After leaving Tena we continued driving, stopping at Puyo for lunch where I had this amazing mixed grill, 3 types of sausage, chicken, pork, beef, potatoes, corn and salad. We then continued onto our campsite arriving around 3ish. One thing Rio Verde is famous for is waterfalls, in particular the The Devil’s Cauldron (El Pailon del Diablo). A few of us decided to walk to this waterfall which was about a 20 minute walk after setting up the tents. I probably shouldn't have worn flip flops though as we at the top of this canyon and it was very steep decending down the waterfall below. There was a few viewpoints en route and this incredibly wobbly swing bridge too! When at the bottom we went for a swim although it was very refreshing!
We spent a while at the waterfall before climbing back the incredibly steep steps to return to the campsite. We had a treat in the evening though as the owners were Argentinian and they cooked an Argie Barbie for us. They didn't mess about chucking big joints on the bbq and serving us hunks to eat. It tasted amazing. After dinner it started raining quite hard but luckily there was a nice living area to sit in where we stayed for quite a while, good night though.
Where we are staying at Rio Verde is near the town of Baños, nestled in the shadow of the fiery Tungurahua volcano. Tungurahua is one of Ecuador's largest active volcanoes, and provides an incredible backdrop to treks and explorations in the area. There are some beautiful waterfalls, excellent trekking and mountain biking opportunities, and some famous volcanic hot springs which give the town its name! Baños is basically the adventure capital of Ecuador. On Thursday I therefore decided to go canyoning. Breakfast in the morning was some granola mix (eggs were banned).
Leaving about half 8 we drove into Baños where we went to the canyoning headquarters to be kitted out with wetsuits and helmets. We then drove to the canyon near Rio Negro and got out safety talk and had to practice abseiling before entering the canyon. We didn't end up entering the canyon until gone 11. The first part p of the canyon required us to stand on a rock and just fall backwards into the water below. We then had to jump off this waterfall although the water below was very shallow! Everyone managed this fine but then the fun and games started.
The next section required us to jump off this 10m waterfall. There was the option to avoid it by abseiling instead. The first couple of people went fine, but then someone jumped but jumped straight down instead of leaping out, which meant they landed in these strong currents and got pulled down. When retrieved they were unconscious and had to be revived with chest pumps. It was quite scary. The issue with where it happened though was that it was literally in a canyon in a pool with waterfalls both sides, so it very challenging to relax. I was last to jump but I had to contend with other issues as the weather had turned and it was hammering it down with rain, which meant the water level was rising rapidly and the flow was getting faster. I jumped in fine but the currents were so strong.
The next section was effectively a zipline, where I had to abseil down the waterfall and then fall backwards into the canyon. At this point however the water flow was getting dangerous and we had to get out. This was not easy however as there were just rock cliffs all around us so we had no choice but to let the rapids take us downstream. Luckily further downstream we found a tree and managed to climb out. About 10 minutes later we would have been screwed if we stayed in the water. We then climbed up this very steep and muddy hill through the trees and emerged through the bushes onto the road. It was a relief when out as it had got quite dangerous in terms of the power of the water flow.
It was typical that after we got out the sun came out, and after getting changed we drive to Rio Negro for lunch where I had beef. We then went back to the campsite where I relaxed before going for a walk to Rio Verde which was the nearby village. It was nice to look round and sit by the river. I spent a couple of hours here before returning to the campsite. Dinner in the evening was this vegetable stir fry which was nice. After playing cards and stuff after dinner, I ended up having an early night.
On Friday I opted to go ziplining, and after breakfast we set off into Baños and got a safety briefing before heading up the hill into the canopy. There were 6 ziplines in all, and after being kitted out in harnesses we walked to the first line. The first one was a sit down one which required us to brake with our hand. I was awful. The second one I went upside down. I wasn't expecting to go out the trees and into the canyon though, it was quite high up! The third one I went superman and it was fun. The fourth one I did in a sit position again because I wanted to admire the views. The fifth one we went in pairs superman style holding hands. And the last one, also the longest one, I sat down. It was lots of fun!
After the ziplining I was planning to go to La Casa Del Arbol and the swing at the end of the world. I have seen many pictures of this online and really wanted to go. I was going to go on my own but after showing someone else there ended up being 7 of us going! On a clear day you can see the Tungurahua volcano which is 2.5km away, but it was cloudy. I still got some great pictures though which create an illusion you're swinging into the canyon.
After the swing most people headed back to the campsite, although I decided to get off in Baños. A couple of us had pizza, before going our separate ways. I had a good look round the town which was very adventure equipped and touristy, dominated by the surrounding hills. I then found an Irish bar and watched the England v Scotland game, where there were actually a few English inside. The beer there was so strong though, the weakest one was like 6.6%. After the game I decided just to do a little pub crawl as the bars were pretty lively. I then somehow negotiated the bus system to get back to the campsite which was 17km away. My Spanish is getting better by the day.
Dinner in the evening was pad thai which was really good. We then stayed up for a bit before having another relatively early night.
Wednesday, 9 November 2016
Ecuadorian Amazon
We had another start Sunday morning for the shortish drive to our next stop in the amazon. The truck was loaded before 7 and breakfast was once again egg related, setting off by 8. Getting out of Quito was quite a challenge though as many of the roads were closed which meant it took longer than expected to reach the main road.
Once out of Quito we got onto some more spectacular mountain passes, driving through increasingly jungle like surroundings. The road was dodgy in places though as some of the barriers and road had collapsed due to landslides! We stopped en route at this lake where we got a few pictures, and I walked down to this little jetty which was nice. We arrived at our lodge in the amazon by lunchtime, where a lunch of grilled chicken and chips was waiting for us! Our accommodation is really nice, staying in these hut things en suite, with even a hammock provided!
We spent the afternoon relaxing, before heading off for a trek into the jungle at 3 to walk to this waterfall. We had a guide, and en route we stopped and learned about various different plants. I didn't really understand what was going on half the time but the plants had fascinating smells and tastes. Like one plant had ants inside which we ate, and another when squeezed let out this potent smell which they tricked into putting into my mouth. Other fascinating plants included this fern which closed its leaves when touching it, and this tree which had this orange substance which they rubbed on our skin which was apparently good for you.
When arriving at the waterfall we had the opportunity to swim. I decided not to go in although a few people braved it. The walk itself was interesting as it was wet and muddy, and slippery in places which made it challenging when going up and down hill. We ended up staying out for about 3 hours hiking, but we didn't go far as we stopped so often to learn about the surroundings. Dinner in the evening was this beef medallion with these croquettes and other stuff, preceded by this mashed potato style soup. We even had this chocolate fudge cake after. I went to bed early though in the evening as lack of sleep was catching up with me!
After an early night Sunday I woke up Monday with a solid 10 hours sleep in the bag which was much needed. It was raining in the morning though. After breakfast which was tropical fruits and fried eggs for a change, with these potato things, we were told to get ready for a 9am start for another walk into the jungle. We continued to learn about plants on the walk, and our guide once again made various silly things like hats and bracelets for us out of leaves for us to wear. There were even opportunities to swing on these vines which was fun. It wax once again very slippery underfoot although they have supplied us with wellington boots for the duration of our stay.
We eventually arrived at this cave which were able to explore. It was effectively a stream but absolutely fine to walk through in wellies. We were in there for quite a while and needed torches, which I didn't have but it was fine. The issue was there were lots of massive spiders on the wall, and even bats inside. Some of the passes were slightly narrow but there were never a time I had to crawl and it was very interesting exploring. We exited the cave in a different place. When leaving the cave we walked back to the lodge, via this waterfall where we had the chance we swim again. It was nice however just standing nearby and letting the mist hit me as it very humid!
We arrived back at the lodge shortly before lunch where we had this traditional pastry thing, then this popcorn soup which sounds weird but worked, followed by steak with all sorts on the side, and this pineapple thing after. I wasn't really expecting a four course lunch but it was good. I then sat the afternoon relaxing by the pool, before getting ready for a trip to another set of caves which we left to visit at 3.
To get to the next set of caves we got in the truck for a 20 minute drive to visit them. A few people decided not to visit these ones and relax at the lodge. These caves were a lot bigger but also a wetter and required swimming in places. Once entering the cave and swimming through the water, we soon climbed up through some tight passages, with no need to crawl, where we sat down after a while and learned about the religious significance of the caves, and even had a minutes silence. We then headed back to the water and followed the water up to this waterfall where we allowed to enter it. The first one was this plunge pool which I dived about 5 metres down this tight hole to pick up this gravel at the bottom. The second part was a chance to jump into the pool which I fell off and banged my leg after misjudging my step, although I was fine. We finally exited the caves by scrambling up these rocks and coming out in the jungle.
After walking back to truck we went in the local swimming pool filled by the natural green water. It was very exciting as there were water slides which were lots of fun. We ended arriving back at the lodge by like 6. Dinner in the evening was another soup, followed by this chicken based meal, and then this flan. After dinner though was exciting as we got to learn how to make chocolate. We roasted the cocoa beans and after they were nice and hot peeled the shells off them. We then had to crush up the insides into this powder, and then mix in some milk and sugar and heat it again into this thick melted chocolate mix. We then added our choice of flavour, so I added honey and it tasted amazing! The evening was then spent relaxing, although it was raining again. We were in rainforest with respect.
Tuesday was another full on day, with breakfast at 7.30 for an 8am start. Breakfast was pancakes and eggs, with tropical fruits. We went out in the truck when everyone was ready and drove to this indigenous village where we learned about their lifestyle. The first part took us to the river where we panned for gold. There was actually gold but in minuscule amounts after filling a bowl with mud and cleaning it out. We then went into the village where we learned about their hunting techniques. We got to use this big tube thing which fired an arrow when blowing inside it. We had to try and hit this wooden parrot. I missed but not by far.
We then learned how to make this drink which was called chisa or something. It was basically made by boiling some yucca and then mashing it up into this paste. After adding water it was wrapped inside this leaf and left for 3 days. Luckily they skipped this step for us and the final drink was this milky coloured liquid which tasted really sweet. We then learned about how they made pottery and got to play with the clay. They used different coloured stones which they crushed to powder to colour their pottery and the final pieces were very impressive.
After leaving the village, we continued our drive to the river Napu where we got on a boat for a trip down the river. They were basically big canoes with a roof and motor. The river Napu is a tributary to the river Amazon. We didn't see much wildlife en route, although we did travel through jungle and along brown murky water, with some gentle rapids along the way! We stopped after a while at this animal rescue centre where we got to see various animals including monkeys, anaconda, camon, and wild cats. It was very interesting.
After looking round we got back into the boats and headed back upstream which was actually quite challenging against the flow. The boat I was on even hit a rock at one point which was sketchy. We didn't end up arriving back until 3 where we had lunch, beef stew, before driving off to the town of Misahualli which is known to have monkeys roaming round. The monkeys basically couldn't be bothered to live in the jungle anymore so came to the town. We saw quite a few although they wouldn't stay still!
We arrived back at the lodge at close to 6 so it was quite a long day. Dinner in the evening was soup, this vegetable bake thing, and this fruit salad. Everyone was going on about the us election though which was interesting.
Once out of Quito we got onto some more spectacular mountain passes, driving through increasingly jungle like surroundings. The road was dodgy in places though as some of the barriers and road had collapsed due to landslides! We stopped en route at this lake where we got a few pictures, and I walked down to this little jetty which was nice. We arrived at our lodge in the amazon by lunchtime, where a lunch of grilled chicken and chips was waiting for us! Our accommodation is really nice, staying in these hut things en suite, with even a hammock provided!
We spent the afternoon relaxing, before heading off for a trek into the jungle at 3 to walk to this waterfall. We had a guide, and en route we stopped and learned about various different plants. I didn't really understand what was going on half the time but the plants had fascinating smells and tastes. Like one plant had ants inside which we ate, and another when squeezed let out this potent smell which they tricked into putting into my mouth. Other fascinating plants included this fern which closed its leaves when touching it, and this tree which had this orange substance which they rubbed on our skin which was apparently good for you.
When arriving at the waterfall we had the opportunity to swim. I decided not to go in although a few people braved it. The walk itself was interesting as it was wet and muddy, and slippery in places which made it challenging when going up and down hill. We ended up staying out for about 3 hours hiking, but we didn't go far as we stopped so often to learn about the surroundings. Dinner in the evening was this beef medallion with these croquettes and other stuff, preceded by this mashed potato style soup. We even had this chocolate fudge cake after. I went to bed early though in the evening as lack of sleep was catching up with me!
After an early night Sunday I woke up Monday with a solid 10 hours sleep in the bag which was much needed. It was raining in the morning though. After breakfast which was tropical fruits and fried eggs for a change, with these potato things, we were told to get ready for a 9am start for another walk into the jungle. We continued to learn about plants on the walk, and our guide once again made various silly things like hats and bracelets for us out of leaves for us to wear. There were even opportunities to swing on these vines which was fun. It wax once again very slippery underfoot although they have supplied us with wellington boots for the duration of our stay.
We eventually arrived at this cave which were able to explore. It was effectively a stream but absolutely fine to walk through in wellies. We were in there for quite a while and needed torches, which I didn't have but it was fine. The issue was there were lots of massive spiders on the wall, and even bats inside. Some of the passes were slightly narrow but there were never a time I had to crawl and it was very interesting exploring. We exited the cave in a different place. When leaving the cave we walked back to the lodge, via this waterfall where we had the chance we swim again. It was nice however just standing nearby and letting the mist hit me as it very humid!
We arrived back at the lodge shortly before lunch where we had this traditional pastry thing, then this popcorn soup which sounds weird but worked, followed by steak with all sorts on the side, and this pineapple thing after. I wasn't really expecting a four course lunch but it was good. I then sat the afternoon relaxing by the pool, before getting ready for a trip to another set of caves which we left to visit at 3.
To get to the next set of caves we got in the truck for a 20 minute drive to visit them. A few people decided not to visit these ones and relax at the lodge. These caves were a lot bigger but also a wetter and required swimming in places. Once entering the cave and swimming through the water, we soon climbed up through some tight passages, with no need to crawl, where we sat down after a while and learned about the religious significance of the caves, and even had a minutes silence. We then headed back to the water and followed the water up to this waterfall where we allowed to enter it. The first one was this plunge pool which I dived about 5 metres down this tight hole to pick up this gravel at the bottom. The second part was a chance to jump into the pool which I fell off and banged my leg after misjudging my step, although I was fine. We finally exited the caves by scrambling up these rocks and coming out in the jungle.
After walking back to truck we went in the local swimming pool filled by the natural green water. It was very exciting as there were water slides which were lots of fun. We ended arriving back at the lodge by like 6. Dinner in the evening was another soup, followed by this chicken based meal, and then this flan. After dinner though was exciting as we got to learn how to make chocolate. We roasted the cocoa beans and after they were nice and hot peeled the shells off them. We then had to crush up the insides into this powder, and then mix in some milk and sugar and heat it again into this thick melted chocolate mix. We then added our choice of flavour, so I added honey and it tasted amazing! The evening was then spent relaxing, although it was raining again. We were in rainforest with respect.
Tuesday was another full on day, with breakfast at 7.30 for an 8am start. Breakfast was pancakes and eggs, with tropical fruits. We went out in the truck when everyone was ready and drove to this indigenous village where we learned about their lifestyle. The first part took us to the river where we panned for gold. There was actually gold but in minuscule amounts after filling a bowl with mud and cleaning it out. We then went into the village where we learned about their hunting techniques. We got to use this big tube thing which fired an arrow when blowing inside it. We had to try and hit this wooden parrot. I missed but not by far.
We then learned how to make this drink which was called chisa or something. It was basically made by boiling some yucca and then mashing it up into this paste. After adding water it was wrapped inside this leaf and left for 3 days. Luckily they skipped this step for us and the final drink was this milky coloured liquid which tasted really sweet. We then learned about how they made pottery and got to play with the clay. They used different coloured stones which they crushed to powder to colour their pottery and the final pieces were very impressive.
After leaving the village, we continued our drive to the river Napu where we got on a boat for a trip down the river. They were basically big canoes with a roof and motor. The river Napu is a tributary to the river Amazon. We didn't see much wildlife en route, although we did travel through jungle and along brown murky water, with some gentle rapids along the way! We stopped after a while at this animal rescue centre where we got to see various animals including monkeys, anaconda, camon, and wild cats. It was very interesting.
After looking round we got back into the boats and headed back upstream which was actually quite challenging against the flow. The boat I was on even hit a rock at one point which was sketchy. We didn't end up arriving back until 3 where we had lunch, beef stew, before driving off to the town of Misahualli which is known to have monkeys roaming round. The monkeys basically couldn't be bothered to live in the jungle anymore so came to the town. We saw quite a few although they wouldn't stay still!
We arrived back at the lodge at close to 6 so it was quite a long day. Dinner in the evening was soup, this vegetable bake thing, and this fruit salad. Everyone was going on about the us election though which was interesting.
Monday, 7 November 2016
Otavalo and Quito
Friday was a later start as we only had a short drive to Quito with a few stops along the way. One thing I'm renowned for in the group is how open I am about my bowel movements. This morning was extra impressive as I literally had a green poo. I'm not sure if it was a sign I was ill, or the fact I was drinking this herb vodka the night before.
The first stop of the was Otavalo. Otavalo is a small town in northern Ecuador nestled in beautiful surroundings a short distance from Quito. Many of the local indigenous communities in this area still wear their traditional clothing made from intricately woven and decorated fabrics, and the men tend to wear their hair in long ponytails. The Otovalan weaving skills are quite renowned and they are rightly famous for their textiles - so rugs, wall hangings and knitwear are all well worth buying here!
In Otavalo there was a massive market and we spent a couple of hours here, where I bought a hat and poncho, an alpaca, and a new t shirt. You had to barter with the sales people which was fun even if my Spanish is dreadful! After leaving the market we continued to the Mitad del Mundo monument which means middle of the world where the equator lies. It was fun jumping between hemispheres and there were plenty of things to read and a tower we could climb on the monument.
After looking at the moment and getting lots of funny photos, we had lunch, where I decided to have a subway. We then took the short drive into the centre of Quito where we checked into our hotel and relaxed for the afternoon. Quito is the capital of Ecuador, nestled in a hollow in the mountains in between the volcanos Cayambe, Pichincha and Cotopaxi - at 2,850m above sea level, it is the world's highest official capital city. Founded in 1534 by a group of settlers led by Sebastián de Benalcázar, the town slowly grew throughout the Spanish colonial era and after the region's independence from Spain in 1822.
The colonial old town is a maze of steep, cobbled streets with intricately carved, overhanging balconies, and some of the best examples of Spanish colonial art and churches anywhere in the Americas - along with Kraków, Quito was the first ever World Cultural Heritage Sites declared by UNESCO in 1978. The modern area of the town is lively and has some fantastic restaurants and bars. Quito's mix of European and Indian cultures make this a really fascinating city, with stalls displaying Indian textiles, colourful wall hangings, jewellery, pottery and woodcarvings. Quito has some incredible museums, galleries and parks in the city, and some excellent adventure activities and mountain treks nearby for those with extra time in the area.
We met for dinner about 7 where we went to this restaurant and I had this double American cheese burger. We also had the dragoman awards as only 10 of us were continuing onto Lima. I won the worst bowels award and the best couple award. As we were staying in the new town and there were lots of bars nearby so we went on a bar crawl after dinner. I particularly enjoyed this beach bar with sandy floors. People left gradually, but I however had quite late night and it was probably wasn't my wisest move to go to some Ecuadorian nightclub on my own, but the locals were fascinated by me.
After a late night I woke up about half 9 for breakfast, eggs again, before taking a taxi into the old town with a few others. We looked round the square and went into the church which was interesting. I then took a taxi up the hill to this monument where we were able to get a good view of the city skyline. I felt very lightheaded up here though, although I wasn't sure if it was dehydration or altitude sickness.
We then headed back the hotel where I spent the afternoon chilling, and saying bye to the people who were leaving. At 6 I was meant to go to a welcome meeting to meet the new people joining the group, but instead I went out to a few bars and this lovely pizza restaurant with one of my friends who was leaving. This was in the old town and it was really nice night although there were a few dodgy characters around!
The first stop of the was Otavalo. Otavalo is a small town in northern Ecuador nestled in beautiful surroundings a short distance from Quito. Many of the local indigenous communities in this area still wear their traditional clothing made from intricately woven and decorated fabrics, and the men tend to wear their hair in long ponytails. The Otovalan weaving skills are quite renowned and they are rightly famous for their textiles - so rugs, wall hangings and knitwear are all well worth buying here!
In Otavalo there was a massive market and we spent a couple of hours here, where I bought a hat and poncho, an alpaca, and a new t shirt. You had to barter with the sales people which was fun even if my Spanish is dreadful! After leaving the market we continued to the Mitad del Mundo monument which means middle of the world where the equator lies. It was fun jumping between hemispheres and there were plenty of things to read and a tower we could climb on the monument.
After looking at the moment and getting lots of funny photos, we had lunch, where I decided to have a subway. We then took the short drive into the centre of Quito where we checked into our hotel and relaxed for the afternoon. Quito is the capital of Ecuador, nestled in a hollow in the mountains in between the volcanos Cayambe, Pichincha and Cotopaxi - at 2,850m above sea level, it is the world's highest official capital city. Founded in 1534 by a group of settlers led by Sebastián de Benalcázar, the town slowly grew throughout the Spanish colonial era and after the region's independence from Spain in 1822.
The colonial old town is a maze of steep, cobbled streets with intricately carved, overhanging balconies, and some of the best examples of Spanish colonial art and churches anywhere in the Americas - along with Kraków, Quito was the first ever World Cultural Heritage Sites declared by UNESCO in 1978. The modern area of the town is lively and has some fantastic restaurants and bars. Quito's mix of European and Indian cultures make this a really fascinating city, with stalls displaying Indian textiles, colourful wall hangings, jewellery, pottery and woodcarvings. Quito has some incredible museums, galleries and parks in the city, and some excellent adventure activities and mountain treks nearby for those with extra time in the area.
We met for dinner about 7 where we went to this restaurant and I had this double American cheese burger. We also had the dragoman awards as only 10 of us were continuing onto Lima. I won the worst bowels award and the best couple award. As we were staying in the new town and there were lots of bars nearby so we went on a bar crawl after dinner. I particularly enjoyed this beach bar with sandy floors. People left gradually, but I however had quite late night and it was probably wasn't my wisest move to go to some Ecuadorian nightclub on my own, but the locals were fascinated by me.
After a late night I woke up about half 9 for breakfast, eggs again, before taking a taxi into the old town with a few others. We looked round the square and went into the church which was interesting. I then took a taxi up the hill to this monument where we were able to get a good view of the city skyline. I felt very lightheaded up here though, although I wasn't sure if it was dehydration or altitude sickness.
We then headed back the hotel where I spent the afternoon chilling, and saying bye to the people who were leaving. At 6 I was meant to go to a welcome meeting to meet the new people joining the group, but instead I went out to a few bars and this lovely pizza restaurant with one of my friends who was leaving. This was in the old town and it was really nice night although there were a few dodgy characters around!
Friday, 4 November 2016
Ipiales to Otavaldo
Wednesday was another drive day, this time travelling from Popayan to Ipiales. Unlike the previous day however the roads we're mountain roads which made it difficult to get any speed together. It's really hard on mountain roads as you get slow lorries and it's just a bendy single carriageway which makes it difficult to overtake. Breakfast in the morning was tropical fruits and cereal, and prior to leaving I took a walk to the main square of Popayan, filled with big white colonial buildings.
When leaving we the scenery got noticeably more arid for some reason compare to the luscious green hills in previous days, and after a while we stopped in Cumbitara for lunch where I had this beef stew thing. I never know what I'm ordering so I just hope for best by saying Pollo or Carne which means meat or chicken. There was also a nice little market here which was worth looking round.
After lunch we continued climbing, stopping for a viewpoint en route for the scenery, and also stopping at this cafe where I had this big monster cake which turned my mouth blue. We didn't arrive to Ipiales until dark and it was quite a long day. Ipiales itself is the border town between Ecuador and Colombia, famous for the nearby Santuario de las Lajas, a neo-Gothic church and bridge built over a river, because someone said they saw Mary on this rock so they built the church around it. Dinner in the evening with burritos at a local restaurant which was very nice.
Thursday was another early start for the border crossing, although before leaving Colombia we visited the Santuario de las Lajas. We stopped en route at this viewpoint where we got an aerial view of the church, before heading down to the view the church itself. There were lots of markets to look at, and many viewpoints around the church which I walked to. I was even able to look inside the church. It's amazing how they constructed it.
After exploring the church and surroundings, we drove to the border where we experienced a few problems. To put it simple we made it across to Ecuador minus 4 people. We had no problems getting to the border and on the Colombian side we stamped out without any problems. We then walked over the bridge to the Ecuadorian side where most of us got a visa without any problems. One person however had just gone under the 6 months remaining stage on their passport. This was a problem and the officials refused to give a visa. Our guides tried to bribe the officials with money but that was unsuccessful.
We sat in the truck for a while things were being sorted, without success, and as a result we lost that person, their husband, and two friends. It was very emotional saying goodbye to 4 people who we had got so close to over the last few weeks. There were further problems however for them, as the Colombian border wouldn't let them back in so they were effectively stuck in no man's land. They did eventually get back into Colombia although instead of leaving us in Quito, the British embassy is having to sort something out in Bogota.
We eventually left the border with a more empty truck, and stopped pretty soon for lunch where I had beef. Ecuador use the us dollars as well. We then continued onto Otavaldo, arriving in the dark again. The scenery was pretty stunning too en route. We may have played drinking games on the truck on the way though however. When arriving we checked into dorms and had dinner where I had spaghetti bolognese, and also someone else's chilli con carne. The evening was then spent in the jacuzzi which was very relaxing, heading to bed after a few hours inside!
When leaving we the scenery got noticeably more arid for some reason compare to the luscious green hills in previous days, and after a while we stopped in Cumbitara for lunch where I had this beef stew thing. I never know what I'm ordering so I just hope for best by saying Pollo or Carne which means meat or chicken. There was also a nice little market here which was worth looking round.
After lunch we continued climbing, stopping for a viewpoint en route for the scenery, and also stopping at this cafe where I had this big monster cake which turned my mouth blue. We didn't arrive to Ipiales until dark and it was quite a long day. Ipiales itself is the border town between Ecuador and Colombia, famous for the nearby Santuario de las Lajas, a neo-Gothic church and bridge built over a river, because someone said they saw Mary on this rock so they built the church around it. Dinner in the evening with burritos at a local restaurant which was very nice.
Thursday was another early start for the border crossing, although before leaving Colombia we visited the Santuario de las Lajas. We stopped en route at this viewpoint where we got an aerial view of the church, before heading down to the view the church itself. There were lots of markets to look at, and many viewpoints around the church which I walked to. I was even able to look inside the church. It's amazing how they constructed it.
After exploring the church and surroundings, we drove to the border where we experienced a few problems. To put it simple we made it across to Ecuador minus 4 people. We had no problems getting to the border and on the Colombian side we stamped out without any problems. We then walked over the bridge to the Ecuadorian side where most of us got a visa without any problems. One person however had just gone under the 6 months remaining stage on their passport. This was a problem and the officials refused to give a visa. Our guides tried to bribe the officials with money but that was unsuccessful.
We sat in the truck for a while things were being sorted, without success, and as a result we lost that person, their husband, and two friends. It was very emotional saying goodbye to 4 people who we had got so close to over the last few weeks. There were further problems however for them, as the Colombian border wouldn't let them back in so they were effectively stuck in no man's land. They did eventually get back into Colombia although instead of leaving us in Quito, the British embassy is having to sort something out in Bogota.
We eventually left the border with a more empty truck, and stopped pretty soon for lunch where I had beef. Ecuador use the us dollars as well. We then continued onto Otavaldo, arriving in the dark again. The scenery was pretty stunning too en route. We may have played drinking games on the truck on the way though however. When arriving we checked into dorms and had dinner where I had spaghetti bolognese, and also someone else's chilli con carne. The evening was then spent in the jacuzzi which was very relaxing, heading to bed after a few hours inside!
Wednesday, 2 November 2016
Salento and Popayan
On Monday we were able to have a later start as out next destination of Salento was only a short drive away. What I did take the chance to do due to this was to go running with a couple of others in the group as they kept pestering to come with them for ages. It was a nice run although hard work due to hills and the thinner air from the altitude. When we got back breakfast was nearly done which was breakfast burritos. It's funny all this cooking for each other as a few people are competitive and want to make better food than everyone else, which is probably a good thing for me!
After breakfast we had the choice of walking up the hill and meeting the truck or catching the truck up. I walked up for the second time that day after my run. The track was very windy and small so the truck needed treating with respect going up which is why it took so long. It's amazing some of the roads we're fitting the truck down! The drive to Salento was pretty smooth and we arrived there by lunchtime, although in the rain.
Once camp was set up I went and relaxed in a hammock, before going off at half 2 for a walk in the Cocora Valley which was about a half hour drive away. This area is known for having some of the biggest palm trees in the world. At an elevation of 2700m at the start, we hiked up to 2900m, although we couldn't so the loop walk at the weather wasn't great. We still managed to have lots of fun though, despite it being very slippery underfoot. It was sketchy going downhill though as we took an alternative route where we we climbing over barbed fences and going down very steep hills!
We ended up arriving back at camp at about 6 in the dark. As it was halloween night we had organised a Halloween party so before dinner we got some outfits together. Some of the outfits were really good, only being made out bin bags and other materials! I got my face painted and wore some tinsel, although I looked ridiculous. Dinner in the evening was ratatouille and meatballs which was really nice. We then partied into the night although it was another late one!
With a long drive day on Tuesday morning, I ended up getting about 2 hours sleep. Breakfast in the morning was porridge and fruits. There wasn't actually much planned for the day, just get to Popayan, although en route while looking for somewhere to stop for lunch we discovered the town on Villa Rica. You could tell this area wasn't Spanish immigrants but more a settlement of ancestors from the slave trade, and when arriving there was this children's festival on. Everyone was dressed up and when we drove in they were thrilled to see us!
We stayed here for lunch where I had the chicken and rice, although it was so salty. I even bought some mango off the street after and that was covered in salt too so they must like salt there! I then just got involved in the festival although I was basically surrounded by excited children. I don't think they see tourists very often. I got loads of selfies and had some kind of conversation with them, mainly about football.
When leaving we were chased down the road, and made the last push to Popayan, where we arrived like 4. We actually made really time as the roads were basically all dual carriageway on good surfaces unlike some of the roads we've had! We arranged to meet at half 7 for dinner, so I just relaxed. It my turn to have own room as well. Dinner was the pizza where I had this curry pizza which was very interesting! I then had an early night as I was exhausted after the previous night.
After breakfast we had the choice of walking up the hill and meeting the truck or catching the truck up. I walked up for the second time that day after my run. The track was very windy and small so the truck needed treating with respect going up which is why it took so long. It's amazing some of the roads we're fitting the truck down! The drive to Salento was pretty smooth and we arrived there by lunchtime, although in the rain.
Once camp was set up I went and relaxed in a hammock, before going off at half 2 for a walk in the Cocora Valley which was about a half hour drive away. This area is known for having some of the biggest palm trees in the world. At an elevation of 2700m at the start, we hiked up to 2900m, although we couldn't so the loop walk at the weather wasn't great. We still managed to have lots of fun though, despite it being very slippery underfoot. It was sketchy going downhill though as we took an alternative route where we we climbing over barbed fences and going down very steep hills!
We ended up arriving back at camp at about 6 in the dark. As it was halloween night we had organised a Halloween party so before dinner we got some outfits together. Some of the outfits were really good, only being made out bin bags and other materials! I got my face painted and wore some tinsel, although I looked ridiculous. Dinner in the evening was ratatouille and meatballs which was really nice. We then partied into the night although it was another late one!
With a long drive day on Tuesday morning, I ended up getting about 2 hours sleep. Breakfast in the morning was porridge and fruits. There wasn't actually much planned for the day, just get to Popayan, although en route while looking for somewhere to stop for lunch we discovered the town on Villa Rica. You could tell this area wasn't Spanish immigrants but more a settlement of ancestors from the slave trade, and when arriving there was this children's festival on. Everyone was dressed up and when we drove in they were thrilled to see us!
We stayed here for lunch where I had the chicken and rice, although it was so salty. I even bought some mango off the street after and that was covered in salt too so they must like salt there! I then just got involved in the festival although I was basically surrounded by excited children. I don't think they see tourists very often. I got loads of selfies and had some kind of conversation with them, mainly about football.
When leaving we were chased down the road, and made the last push to Popayan, where we arrived like 4. We actually made really time as the roads were basically all dual carriageway on good surfaces unlike some of the roads we've had! We arranged to meet at half 7 for dinner, so I just relaxed. It my turn to have own room as well. Dinner was the pizza where I had this curry pizza which was very interesting! I then had an early night as I was exhausted after the previous night.
Tuesday, 1 November 2016
Manizales
When waking up Saturday morning it was still raining, although a lot less than before. You could see how much rain had come down though! With a short drive to Manizales we left at 8, after yet more scrambled eggs!
Manizales is a friendly city right in the heart of Colombia's coffee region with a comfortable climate and plenty to see and do. Although still opening up to international tourism, Manizales has a lot to offer the visitor in the way of outdoor activities and ecological attractions. The town itself is a relaxed and friendly place centred around the magnificent cathedral with attractions such as the botanical gardens, thermal springs and eco-parks all easily access able from the centre of town.
Venturing a little further, you will find coffee haciendas and plantations in the surrounding area as well as some beautiful country landscapes perfect for trekking or just taking a relaxing break in the great outdoors. In Manizales we stayed on one of these working coffee plantations covering approximately 480 acres which provides people from around the world a taste of the finest Manizales fair trade coffee. The plantation employs around 100 people all throughout the year and about 400 people during the peak picking season.
We had another pretty spectacular drive throughout the mountains, climbing massively as Honda was in a valley and the only way to Manizales was straight over the Andes. The road was very slow and windy, and at one point we ended up on this ridge with shear drops both sides. There were also cheers at we reached 3000m for the first time, although we continued climbing. Before long we were in cloud and then above the cloud in what is known as cloud forest. We went as high as about 3700m in the end before decending into Manizales. We were kept amused on the bus as we found out names meaning in Japanese!
We arrived in Manizales at about lunchtime where we we given about 3 hours to explore, have lunch, and get ingredients for our meals. My group had 6 people in, and was assigned to cook the nights dinner and next mornings breakfast. We split into a 4 and 2 though and I was in the 2 to sort out breakfast. It was funny getting the ingredients as a couple of people were getting stressed from other groups. For lunch a few of us when to this Italian restaurant where I had the pizza.
Our campsite for the night was a on a coffee plantation outside of Manizales. We arrived at a reasonable time, setting up camp and then relaxing. It was nice to be back on the beers after a 3 day dry spell. Dinner in the evening was this Japanese curry which was amazing, with big chunks of beef and vegetables. The Japanese man in our group had bought his own spices from home which made a very interesting flavour. We even had this chocolate mousse made up too. After dinner the guitar came out and it was a very funny evening, although I may of had quite a late night.
Sunday morning was meant to be the day I cooked breakfast for the group, although when I got up everything was prepared as people had got up early. It was probably a blessing in disguise as I didn't get to bed until like 5 and felt horrendous when waking up. Breakfast was scrambled eggs with leeks and mushrooms, bacon, and fruit. I did do the washing up however!
As we were staying on a coffee plantation, we had a guided tour of the place during the morning. We firstly walked up to the house where we learnt about how coffee spread round the world and the different types. Colombia produces 8% of the world's coffee. After a lengthy talk and some free samples we entered the actual plantation and walked through where we could see all the coffee beans growing, many of which were ready to be picked. We then continued walking round the plantation for a while which was absolutely vast when you think about it.
After a while we ended up at the place where they dry the beans and prepare it for exports. It was very interesting and we were even able to sample some the actual beans. The final part of the tour took us to this main guesthouse where we were learnt the different flavours and roasting processes and we're able to taste some of beans. I don't really drink coffee but it was nice to taste the bean, which was very bitter.
The afternoon was effectively free time, so most of us went to the pool where we had our packed lunches and went for a swim. I felt exhausted by this point though so I headed back to our campsite and zonked out in a hammock for the afternoon. I got a bit of sleep but someone did decide to chuck water at me which they thought was hilarious...
Come the evening we had the most amazing bbq prepared by some Colombian locals. There was so much meat and salads, including whole joints, and they were so particular about the charcoal used to cook it. It was probably up there with my top 5 meals ever. We were stuffed by the end, and there was a lot of meat leftover. Afterwards we had some live music from a Colombian band which included lots of dancing. It was also one of our group members birthdays so we made a big thing of that! I bossed the dancing. I had a relatively early night after the entertainments.
Manizales is a friendly city right in the heart of Colombia's coffee region with a comfortable climate and plenty to see and do. Although still opening up to international tourism, Manizales has a lot to offer the visitor in the way of outdoor activities and ecological attractions. The town itself is a relaxed and friendly place centred around the magnificent cathedral with attractions such as the botanical gardens, thermal springs and eco-parks all easily access able from the centre of town.
Venturing a little further, you will find coffee haciendas and plantations in the surrounding area as well as some beautiful country landscapes perfect for trekking or just taking a relaxing break in the great outdoors. In Manizales we stayed on one of these working coffee plantations covering approximately 480 acres which provides people from around the world a taste of the finest Manizales fair trade coffee. The plantation employs around 100 people all throughout the year and about 400 people during the peak picking season.
We had another pretty spectacular drive throughout the mountains, climbing massively as Honda was in a valley and the only way to Manizales was straight over the Andes. The road was very slow and windy, and at one point we ended up on this ridge with shear drops both sides. There were also cheers at we reached 3000m for the first time, although we continued climbing. Before long we were in cloud and then above the cloud in what is known as cloud forest. We went as high as about 3700m in the end before decending into Manizales. We were kept amused on the bus as we found out names meaning in Japanese!
We arrived in Manizales at about lunchtime where we we given about 3 hours to explore, have lunch, and get ingredients for our meals. My group had 6 people in, and was assigned to cook the nights dinner and next mornings breakfast. We split into a 4 and 2 though and I was in the 2 to sort out breakfast. It was funny getting the ingredients as a couple of people were getting stressed from other groups. For lunch a few of us when to this Italian restaurant where I had the pizza.
Our campsite for the night was a on a coffee plantation outside of Manizales. We arrived at a reasonable time, setting up camp and then relaxing. It was nice to be back on the beers after a 3 day dry spell. Dinner in the evening was this Japanese curry which was amazing, with big chunks of beef and vegetables. The Japanese man in our group had bought his own spices from home which made a very interesting flavour. We even had this chocolate mousse made up too. After dinner the guitar came out and it was a very funny evening, although I may of had quite a late night.
Sunday morning was meant to be the day I cooked breakfast for the group, although when I got up everything was prepared as people had got up early. It was probably a blessing in disguise as I didn't get to bed until like 5 and felt horrendous when waking up. Breakfast was scrambled eggs with leeks and mushrooms, bacon, and fruit. I did do the washing up however!
As we were staying on a coffee plantation, we had a guided tour of the place during the morning. We firstly walked up to the house where we learnt about how coffee spread round the world and the different types. Colombia produces 8% of the world's coffee. After a lengthy talk and some free samples we entered the actual plantation and walked through where we could see all the coffee beans growing, many of which were ready to be picked. We then continued walking round the plantation for a while which was absolutely vast when you think about it.
After a while we ended up at the place where they dry the beans and prepare it for exports. It was very interesting and we were even able to sample some the actual beans. The final part of the tour took us to this main guesthouse where we were learnt the different flavours and roasting processes and we're able to taste some of beans. I don't really drink coffee but it was nice to taste the bean, which was very bitter.
The afternoon was effectively free time, so most of us went to the pool where we had our packed lunches and went for a swim. I felt exhausted by this point though so I headed back to our campsite and zonked out in a hammock for the afternoon. I got a bit of sleep but someone did decide to chuck water at me which they thought was hilarious...
Come the evening we had the most amazing bbq prepared by some Colombian locals. There was so much meat and salads, including whole joints, and they were so particular about the charcoal used to cook it. It was probably up there with my top 5 meals ever. We were stuffed by the end, and there was a lot of meat leftover. Afterwards we had some live music from a Colombian band which included lots of dancing. It was also one of our group members birthdays so we made a big thing of that! I bossed the dancing. I had a relatively early night after the entertainments.
Saturday, 29 October 2016
Villa de Leyva to Honda
After a good night's camping just outside Villa de Leyva, Friday was just designed to be a drive day with a stopover in the evening at Honda. We were however given to choice of driving straight to Honda for a long day, or stopping off en route at this salt cathedral for a very long day. We opted for the very long day. Breakfast this morning with pancakes and fresh pineapple, and after taking down camp we departed at around 8.
The drive to Catedral de Sal took about 4 hours, although we kept ourselves amused by writing poems about each other which was funny. From what I can remember the cathedral is one of only 3 in the world to be made inside a salt mine, and had 14 separate chapels, going as deep as 180m. It was very interesting walking round the endless tunnels and seeing many illuminated crosses and narrow walkways. I did accidentally fart louder than expected in one of the chapels though which may have upset a couple of locals.
After exploring the salt cathedral, we went back to the truck where the people who didn't want to visit the cathedral had prepared lunch for us. We had ham and cheese toasties, with leftovers from the last two nights, fresh pineapple, and this lovely potato salad. I hope they're not expecting something as good when I prepare my meal soon. We're also getting really efficient at washing up now too, with our scrub, disinfect, rinse, then flap to dry system.
When we finished lunch we continued on although it was very slow as we were effectively on the outskirts of Bogota. Part of the drive today also took us above 2800m for the first time which is apparently when people sometimes start to feel the effects of altitude sickness. Everyone was fine though. When we finally negotiated Bogota we started decending rapidly down winding mountain roads, and the scenery was stunning, although we were soon driving in the clouds and couldn't see much.
Before long it got dark and the heavens just opened and we had another massive thunderstorm. Some of the lightning was so dramatic. To pass the time though we did play cards. We have now found out though that the truck isn't totally water tight.
We didn't arrive to Honda until about 8, and luckily it had stopped raining and we checked in no problems. It was after checking in that an even worse thunderstorm came, with some spectacular lightning and rumbles of thunder. The outside of my room flooded as well which wasn't great. Luckily I had bought dinner earlier, but some people who went to a nearby restaurant said that the lightning struck something and sent sparks through the restaurant which was meant to be a little scary. We even had a power cut but luckily it wasn't down for too long. I just stayed in my room as it was pretty horrendous, and I wanted an early night after 3 nights of camping before, and a further 3 nights of camping afterwards!
The drive to Catedral de Sal took about 4 hours, although we kept ourselves amused by writing poems about each other which was funny. From what I can remember the cathedral is one of only 3 in the world to be made inside a salt mine, and had 14 separate chapels, going as deep as 180m. It was very interesting walking round the endless tunnels and seeing many illuminated crosses and narrow walkways. I did accidentally fart louder than expected in one of the chapels though which may have upset a couple of locals.
After exploring the salt cathedral, we went back to the truck where the people who didn't want to visit the cathedral had prepared lunch for us. We had ham and cheese toasties, with leftovers from the last two nights, fresh pineapple, and this lovely potato salad. I hope they're not expecting something as good when I prepare my meal soon. We're also getting really efficient at washing up now too, with our scrub, disinfect, rinse, then flap to dry system.
When we finished lunch we continued on although it was very slow as we were effectively on the outskirts of Bogota. Part of the drive today also took us above 2800m for the first time which is apparently when people sometimes start to feel the effects of altitude sickness. Everyone was fine though. When we finally negotiated Bogota we started decending rapidly down winding mountain roads, and the scenery was stunning, although we were soon driving in the clouds and couldn't see much.
Before long it got dark and the heavens just opened and we had another massive thunderstorm. Some of the lightning was so dramatic. To pass the time though we did play cards. We have now found out though that the truck isn't totally water tight.
We didn't arrive to Honda until about 8, and luckily it had stopped raining and we checked in no problems. It was after checking in that an even worse thunderstorm came, with some spectacular lightning and rumbles of thunder. The outside of my room flooded as well which wasn't great. Luckily I had bought dinner earlier, but some people who went to a nearby restaurant said that the lightning struck something and sent sparks through the restaurant which was meant to be a little scary. We even had a power cut but luckily it wasn't down for too long. I just stayed in my room as it was pretty horrendous, and I wanted an early night after 3 nights of camping before, and a further 3 nights of camping afterwards!
Friday, 28 October 2016
Barichara and Villa de Leyva
There no early start Wednesday as it was a free day to explore San Gil and the surrounding areas. San Gil is a small town in the Yariguíes Mountains of eastern Colombia, founded
in 1689. During the build-up to Colombian independence, the town was an
important gathering point for many native people from surrounding areas who
would then march on Bogotá. Now it is famous as being the adventure capital of
the region, and there are several outdoor activities available for visitors such
as rafting, hiking and caving.
Due to the thunderstorms the night before the rafting was cancelled, although when waking up I didn't feel great. Like a few other people I've had diarrhoea for a while and I had stomach pains that morning. Instead I decided to go hiking instead as I didn't want to do some of the adrenaline activities some people did like bungee jumping and caving. After breakfast a few of us headed to the village of Barichara, catching the bus about 5 minutes from our campsite. It was very slippery underfoot!
The bus journey was about half hour. Barichara itself it's known for its cobbled streets and old colonial buildings. It was very interesting walking round the streets and exploring the churches. I also got some antibiotics here to try and sort my body out, although I have been banned from drinking for a few days. There was a scare at one point though because a bomb went off and shortly after police and all sorts arrived at the scene. There was then smoke billowing from this window and the whole village decended to the square. It wasn't until afterwards we were told it was training exercise.
After exploring the village, we went to this cafe where I had a lovely cake, before setting of on a hike with a few others to the village of Guane along the Camino Real. This basically followed an old cobbled road through the valley of the hills and it was a very nice walk. It took about two hours to get to Guane where we had lunch which we had prepared before going out. After exploring the small village we caught the bus back to the campsite, arriving back at about 4.
I spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing, although I did try one of the campsites outdoor natural showers which was interesting. The campsite was very eco friendly including dry toilets too! The owner who was English was very passionate though and gave us lots of information. Come evening we had a special vegetarian Indian buffet made for us by the family who run the campsite. This was for 45 people though as a second dragoman truck arrived in the evening heading in the opposite direction. It was a very nice meal with 6 different curries, and poppadoms with an array of chutneys. I had an early night as well.
Thursday morning was an early start, waking up before 6 to put my tent down and have breakfast ready for the drive to Villa de Leyva. We arrived at about lunchtime, and went straight out for lunch where I shared at pizza with someone, before getting a guided tour of the old colonial town. With cobbled streets and set beneath some hills, we were now at about 2200m above sea level. The guided tour was very interesting although I couldn't really understand what our guide was saying. We still managed to have fun though.
After exploring the town we headed to our campsite just outside the town, where I relaxed in a hammock after setting up camp. Dinner was chicken and mushroom pasta which was nice. Apparently I'm cooking on the 29th although we're in groups so it should be alright. Luckily at our campsite there was wifi so it was nice and relaxing evening, although most people went for an early night.
Due to the thunderstorms the night before the rafting was cancelled, although when waking up I didn't feel great. Like a few other people I've had diarrhoea for a while and I had stomach pains that morning. Instead I decided to go hiking instead as I didn't want to do some of the adrenaline activities some people did like bungee jumping and caving. After breakfast a few of us headed to the village of Barichara, catching the bus about 5 minutes from our campsite. It was very slippery underfoot!
The bus journey was about half hour. Barichara itself it's known for its cobbled streets and old colonial buildings. It was very interesting walking round the streets and exploring the churches. I also got some antibiotics here to try and sort my body out, although I have been banned from drinking for a few days. There was a scare at one point though because a bomb went off and shortly after police and all sorts arrived at the scene. There was then smoke billowing from this window and the whole village decended to the square. It wasn't until afterwards we were told it was training exercise.
After exploring the village, we went to this cafe where I had a lovely cake, before setting of on a hike with a few others to the village of Guane along the Camino Real. This basically followed an old cobbled road through the valley of the hills and it was a very nice walk. It took about two hours to get to Guane where we had lunch which we had prepared before going out. After exploring the small village we caught the bus back to the campsite, arriving back at about 4.
I spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing, although I did try one of the campsites outdoor natural showers which was interesting. The campsite was very eco friendly including dry toilets too! The owner who was English was very passionate though and gave us lots of information. Come evening we had a special vegetarian Indian buffet made for us by the family who run the campsite. This was for 45 people though as a second dragoman truck arrived in the evening heading in the opposite direction. It was a very nice meal with 6 different curries, and poppadoms with an array of chutneys. I had an early night as well.
Thursday morning was an early start, waking up before 6 to put my tent down and have breakfast ready for the drive to Villa de Leyva. We arrived at about lunchtime, and went straight out for lunch where I shared at pizza with someone, before getting a guided tour of the old colonial town. With cobbled streets and set beneath some hills, we were now at about 2200m above sea level. The guided tour was very interesting although I couldn't really understand what our guide was saying. We still managed to have fun though.
After exploring the town we headed to our campsite just outside the town, where I relaxed in a hammock after setting up camp. Dinner was chicken and mushroom pasta which was nice. Apparently I'm cooking on the 29th although we're in groups so it should be alright. Luckily at our campsite there was wifi so it was nice and relaxing evening, although most people went for an early night.
Wednesday, 26 October 2016
Mompos to San Gil
Monday morning was meant to be an early start although we're advised of a new road that had been built to our next overnight stop in Aguachica. Due to this we decided to take a gamble and listen with a departure time of 9am. I ended up getting up 7 though ready for breakfast before relaxing in the room before we left. It was once very hot in the morning, and after loading the truck we set off, managing to avoid all the low lying cables.
The diversion was good at first, although we soon turned off the nice tarmac road and ended up on this dirt track with potholes. It was very bumpy and we followed this track for ages being jostled round everywhere in the truck! At one point we got to this point where was this massive hole in the road and couldn't pass. Luckily there were some locals on hand to help us build a 'bridge' by filling the hole with logs to get the truck over. Luckily the truck got through without falling in but it was very amusing to watch!
Prior to today's journey we all wrote down 5 songs we liked for the truck, and with 22 of us that's a lot of songs. We all tried to guess each others songs which was funny because there was such a mix. On the truck there is also this Japanese man who is really funny despite speaking only basic English. We have actually formed quite a bromance and both love Maya Yoshida of course and he is basically my wingman. Today he surprised the truck by doing a spontaneous origami competition, where he taught us how to make a swan, and then after learning we had to make another one as quickly as possible. I was awful, but it was a right laugh.
After a lengthy time moving very slowly and avoiding several potholes, we finally got to tarmac and could actually start moving! Later into the drive we stopped for lunch where I somehow found a Chinese and had this rice dice with 7 different meats inside. The locals were interested to see us here though and as with other places a lot of people asked for pictures with us because they obviously just don't see tourists. After leaving we continued straight onto Aguachica, arriving at about 3, which our guide estimates saved us over 2 hours of driving taking the shortcut.
The hotel we were staying at was very nice with super fast wifi, and a pool. Aguachica itself is completely off the tourist trail, so there wasn't much to see in the town other than a long road with shops and restaurants down it. I therefore decided to spend the afternoon in the pool and was probably in there for over 2 hours! It was nice to just a few beers and relax in warm weather. For dinner we met as a group at 8 and went to a local restaurant where I had this massive beef steak with fries and rice, accompanied by quite a few beers.
This morning we left about 8, with breakfast prior being scrambled egg again. There is not much variety in food in Colombia although I don't think they eat much because of the heat. I did have this lovely blackberry juice though. Soon after leaving our Japanese passenger had another surprise, teaching us how to make Japanese green tea which was interesting and surprisingly tasty. Our play list of songs continued too. They only guessed one of my songs so far.
It was a nice surprise part way into the ride as we stopped at this school by accident when going for a toilet break and the children were excited to see us. They wanted loads of pictures with us and despite not really speaking English they still spoke to us. I understood words like Lionel Messi and James Rodriguez. Later into the journey we stopped at Bucaramanga for lunch and also some drink for the evening. I went with a few others to this supermarket cafe. We also looked at outfits for halloween although the girls have decided they're going to make me an outfit so god knows what I'm going as!
After Bucaramanga the road started to get pretty stunning as we started doing some serious climbing into the foothills of the Andes. It was very windy the road and a little sketchy in places as cars were overtaking the round bends. There was also no barrier on the side of the road in places! As I was curious I got my gps out and we climbed to over 2000m with some stunning views of the hills shrouded in cloud. We eventually decdended to 1100m into San Gil.
Our accommodation for the night was not in San Gil, but actually just outside. It was here it started to rain, and it was pitch black at this point too. We ended up getting lost looking for our campsite, and when asking a local for directions we broke his wind mirror when turning around. He wasn't happy. When we did find our campsite it was a mission getting down the driveway in the truck which was a mud track. We eventually negotiated it despite nearly driving off a cliff as the mud was giving way! When we finally arrived the heavens just opened and we had this dramatic thunderstorm. The lightning was lighting the whole sky yellow!
Where we were staying had the option to either camp, or upgrade to a dorm or even a yurt for an additional fee. Naturally most people wanted to upgrade although I was one of the few people who decided to camp as there wasn't enough upgrades for everyone. We discussed this in a bus converted into a games room on site, before leaving to have a very wet and slippery guided tour of the site. There was running water everywhere. The owner said he'd never seen anything like it in his 10 years here!
After setting the tents up in the rain, we had dinner which was a very nice chilli con carne made by our driver. I haven't been nominated to cook yet luckily. After dinner we had to somehow get the bags out of the truck, which was difficult with water flowing downhill and all the mud! I kindly volunteered to bring all the bags up for everyone so they didn't get wet. After sorting the bags out we could finally relax, and luckily I brought some wine earlier so I didn't have to go outside and buy beers every 5 minutes. It was a fun evening, and there was even a dart board.
The diversion was good at first, although we soon turned off the nice tarmac road and ended up on this dirt track with potholes. It was very bumpy and we followed this track for ages being jostled round everywhere in the truck! At one point we got to this point where was this massive hole in the road and couldn't pass. Luckily there were some locals on hand to help us build a 'bridge' by filling the hole with logs to get the truck over. Luckily the truck got through without falling in but it was very amusing to watch!
Prior to today's journey we all wrote down 5 songs we liked for the truck, and with 22 of us that's a lot of songs. We all tried to guess each others songs which was funny because there was such a mix. On the truck there is also this Japanese man who is really funny despite speaking only basic English. We have actually formed quite a bromance and both love Maya Yoshida of course and he is basically my wingman. Today he surprised the truck by doing a spontaneous origami competition, where he taught us how to make a swan, and then after learning we had to make another one as quickly as possible. I was awful, but it was a right laugh.
After a lengthy time moving very slowly and avoiding several potholes, we finally got to tarmac and could actually start moving! Later into the drive we stopped for lunch where I somehow found a Chinese and had this rice dice with 7 different meats inside. The locals were interested to see us here though and as with other places a lot of people asked for pictures with us because they obviously just don't see tourists. After leaving we continued straight onto Aguachica, arriving at about 3, which our guide estimates saved us over 2 hours of driving taking the shortcut.
The hotel we were staying at was very nice with super fast wifi, and a pool. Aguachica itself is completely off the tourist trail, so there wasn't much to see in the town other than a long road with shops and restaurants down it. I therefore decided to spend the afternoon in the pool and was probably in there for over 2 hours! It was nice to just a few beers and relax in warm weather. For dinner we met as a group at 8 and went to a local restaurant where I had this massive beef steak with fries and rice, accompanied by quite a few beers.
This morning we left about 8, with breakfast prior being scrambled egg again. There is not much variety in food in Colombia although I don't think they eat much because of the heat. I did have this lovely blackberry juice though. Soon after leaving our Japanese passenger had another surprise, teaching us how to make Japanese green tea which was interesting and surprisingly tasty. Our play list of songs continued too. They only guessed one of my songs so far.
It was a nice surprise part way into the ride as we stopped at this school by accident when going for a toilet break and the children were excited to see us. They wanted loads of pictures with us and despite not really speaking English they still spoke to us. I understood words like Lionel Messi and James Rodriguez. Later into the journey we stopped at Bucaramanga for lunch and also some drink for the evening. I went with a few others to this supermarket cafe. We also looked at outfits for halloween although the girls have decided they're going to make me an outfit so god knows what I'm going as!
After Bucaramanga the road started to get pretty stunning as we started doing some serious climbing into the foothills of the Andes. It was very windy the road and a little sketchy in places as cars were overtaking the round bends. There was also no barrier on the side of the road in places! As I was curious I got my gps out and we climbed to over 2000m with some stunning views of the hills shrouded in cloud. We eventually decdended to 1100m into San Gil.
Our accommodation for the night was not in San Gil, but actually just outside. It was here it started to rain, and it was pitch black at this point too. We ended up getting lost looking for our campsite, and when asking a local for directions we broke his wind mirror when turning around. He wasn't happy. When we did find our campsite it was a mission getting down the driveway in the truck which was a mud track. We eventually negotiated it despite nearly driving off a cliff as the mud was giving way! When we finally arrived the heavens just opened and we had this dramatic thunderstorm. The lightning was lighting the whole sky yellow!
Where we were staying had the option to either camp, or upgrade to a dorm or even a yurt for an additional fee. Naturally most people wanted to upgrade although I was one of the few people who decided to camp as there wasn't enough upgrades for everyone. We discussed this in a bus converted into a games room on site, before leaving to have a very wet and slippery guided tour of the site. There was running water everywhere. The owner said he'd never seen anything like it in his 10 years here!
After setting the tents up in the rain, we had dinner which was a very nice chilli con carne made by our driver. I haven't been nominated to cook yet luckily. After dinner we had to somehow get the bags out of the truck, which was difficult with water flowing downhill and all the mud! I kindly volunteered to bring all the bags up for everyone so they didn't get wet. After sorting the bags out we could finally relax, and luckily I brought some wine earlier so I didn't have to go outside and buy beers every 5 minutes. It was a fun evening, and there was even a dart board.
Monday, 24 October 2016
Mompos
I actually slept really well Friday night getting a solid 8 hours sleep considering I was in a hammock. With respect I have had limited consecutive sleep so far in Colombia. Due to a long drive we were asked to ready by 7 so we could eat breakfast early and set off promptly for our walk back to the national park entrance. To be fair everyone was pretty prompt and we had tropical fruits with the toast, scrambled egg, and potato cake again.
I walked off with a few others before everyone else and I have to say I saw more wildlife of the 45 minute walk back to the entrance than the entire time in the national park. I forgot to mention I saw a few monkeys on the ruins trek, but I saw more close on the way back. I also saw a snake which was in the middle of the path, and a camon while crossing a bridge. Once everyone made it the entrance we got in the minibuses to be reunited with Amber ready got our drive to the old colonial town of Mompos.
The drive out was pretty smooth, although it was a pain driving along single carriageways and constantly being stuck behind lorries and having to overtake against regular oncoming traffic. We stopped en route at a petrol station, and then further on we stopped for lunch at the town of Bosconia where I had beef, rice, and salad. After lunch we continued south, although at one point we took a wrong turning and ended up in Santa Ana gridlocked as we couldn't pass the parked cars and had beeping cars all around us trying to pass as we had blocked the road. We got out eventually and got back on track.
Due to Mompos being across a large river, our guides were unsure whether we should catch a barge, or gamble this new bridge was open. We gambled and it paid off, and soon stopped at this village bar for a beer which was very refreshing. The locals loved us. After we soon arrived in Mompos, although we had issues getting to the hotel as the streets were very narrow and full of potholes, as well as the power lines which drooped lower than the truck meaning we couldn't get under. We eventually found a way to the hotel after getting stuck down 3 streets and asking a local for help who directed us by letting us follow his motorbike.
Just a bit of information, the quiet colonial town of Mompós, located in the wetlands along the River Magdelena, is most famous as being the location where the revolutionary Simón Bolívar declared independence from Spain in 1812 and then recruited an army to march on Caracas. Once an important port for transporting goods up the river, the old colonial buildings of Mompós are not only well-preserved but are largely still used today for their original purpose, providing a good example of a living colonial-style city.
Once arriving I managed to get WiFi and catch up, and even got a double bed in my hotel room! We went out for dinner this evening as a local restaurant which was lovely being near old colorful buildings and churches. I had this sausage and chorizo based dish with chips. I even shared a bottle of red which is very unlike me! From here we continued onto another couple of bars, before deciding to head back to the hotel as I promised a couple of the girls they could pluck my eyebrows which was very interesting at gone 2 in the morning!
After a pretty late night, I woke up like half 9 and had fruits with scrambled eggs and brioche for breakfast. There was the option to go for a walk round the town with our guide from 10 but I decided not to and instead went with a few of the others on our own where we walked along the river and saw the churches. As it was Sunday a lot of places were closed though. After exploring a little we just saw by the river and had a drink which was this lovely homemade lemonade, before going somewhere else with a couple of others for a few beers by the river.
At half 2 we had a wildlife river cruise with our entire group. What this in fact meant was a booze cruise, although we did see a hawk! It was lots of fun going about an hour downstream before turning round and heading back. There was lots of dancing and laughs on board, and I even won the dance off to get myself a free beer. When we arrived back I relaxed at the hotel for a bit.
One thing we did forget today was lunch after drinking by the river instead, so we were very hungry so by like half 5 I headed off with dinner with a few others where I had this lovely pizza with all sorts on it. You know it must be good when no one on my table could translate the toppings even though some of them can speak alright Spanish. After eating everyone headed back to the hotel, although I headed across the road to meet a few other people and have a drink while they were eating. There were these annoying stray dogs who wouldn't leave us alone though! They even followed us back to the hotel. We arrived back at a reasonable time, although I sat with a few others taking in the atmosphere of the town which was very lively with locals before heading to bed.
Sunday, 23 October 2016
Tayrona National Park
We were given a strict start time of 8.15am Thursday morning for our sizable drive to Tayrona National Park. It was nice to have a lovely breakfast of scrambled eggs once again which was one of 5 options prior to leaving. After packing a day/night bag for our visit to the national park, we loaded all our luggage onto our bus which is a brand new truck called amber. It holds 24 people and there are 22 of us right now. If does seem that I have a lot less luggage than some people though which I'm not sure is good or bad!
First stop of the day was a visit to the mud volcano about an hour outside Cartagena. Local myth says it used to spew hot lava before some priest poured holy water over it to make it become mud. It is not in fact a real volcano but just a natural mud pool. It was here we had the option to go inside the mud, which I agreed to, climbing up these stairs before entering this liquid mud and getting a vigiurious massage inside! God knows how deep it was but you couldn't touch the bottom and it was very difficult to put your feet down!
After the mud volcano we jumped in the lake where we were literally washed down by these woman from head to toe, although they kept asking me to get naked if my Spanish is correct! After cleaning myself up we continued driving, although there was very heavy traffic through Barranquilla which delayed us a bit due to roadworks. After negotiating the city we stopped off at this local roadside restaurant where I had chicken and rice, before continuing on past fantastic coastal scenery and deprived villages where the locals were very excited to see us pass.
We finally arrived at the national park at dusk which was a lot later than planned. We had issues entering with our truck which meant we needed a transfer by the park inside, before embarking on a good 45 minute trekthrough what can only be said as ridiculous humid weather through the jungle in pitch black to our campsite on the beach. It is here we're staying in hammocks which is a very interesting set up! That evening we had a meal where I had the pork and yukka accompanied by a lot of beer (to the point we emptied the fridge twice).
The sleep in the hammock was very interesting and muggy, where I was up at the crack of dawn due to the sunlight, although I stayed in the hammocks relaxing while other people were doing all sorts. For breakfast this morning I decided to have the tropical fruits with scrambled eggs, toast and potato cakes which was very nice but took ages to come! Today was essentially a free day to explore the national park, although our group leader gave us the option to go with him to ruins of El Puibito, which I decided to do.
Just to give some information about the place, Tayrona National Park is a wonderful protected area on the northern coast of Colombia, which contains a huge diversity of animal and plant species including 2,000 species of animals and 800 types of plants. This is in part due to the variation in geology of the area - at sea level the climate is arid and the rugged coastline has some excellent beaches and coves, but the terrain quickly rises as you travel inland, where we find a sub-tropical climate and cloud forests on the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
To get to the ruins we walked about 45 minutes through coastal jungle, to another beach which was spectacular. From here there was a signposted track up to the ruins which were at 260m above sea level. Walking along sandy paths with ferns and palm trees, we soon began to climb on some very challenging terrain which involved a lot of scrambling. The path was essentially boulders which at times we had to crawl through and teamwork was vital in places to climb up them. About half way up I tanked on ahead with someone else as some of the others were struggling. The issue was the path wasn't just physically demanding, but the humidity levels were stupid. I've never before literally been dripping all over with my clothes wet right through. I needed a lot of water.
When reaching the top we waited for the others, and after about half hour they arrived minus 5 people who had turned back due to the challenging nature of the hike. It was ironic that the only people who made were the two oldest people in the group, me, and the two tour guides. The ruins weren't anything special, with just old walls and steps, and some replicas of the huts. There was a small hut up here selling fruit juice though which was very refreshing. We went back down a different way back to the beach, although the path we took continued to climb for a while before finally decending. The terrain was very different here being loose soil which needed to be treated very carefully.
We eventually made it to the bottom, where we met a few of the others at the beach we started from to have lunch. I had the fried chicken with rice and chips. From here a few people went off to do there own thing, although I stayed with a couple of others to swim in the warm waters of the carribbean. The beach was beautiful being situated in this bay surrounded by big rocks and palm trees. We stayed here for a while before continuing onto another beach further down where we met a few others. This beach was a lot busier although it was still just as beautiful. We had to leave after though as there were way too many sandflys.
We ended up getting back about 5, and while everyone else jumped in the shower, I went down to another beach to watch the sunset. It was alright although it was cloudy so it wasn't as good as it could have been. After relaxing in my hammock for a bit I joined the others for dinner where I had beef medallions. It was a complete surprise because I let someone else order for me! Come 9 however everyone had gone to bed due to an early start tomorrow, although I stayed out a bit longer. I then finally went to the hammock about half 9 and relaxed due an early start tomorrow morning.
First stop of the day was a visit to the mud volcano about an hour outside Cartagena. Local myth says it used to spew hot lava before some priest poured holy water over it to make it become mud. It is not in fact a real volcano but just a natural mud pool. It was here we had the option to go inside the mud, which I agreed to, climbing up these stairs before entering this liquid mud and getting a vigiurious massage inside! God knows how deep it was but you couldn't touch the bottom and it was very difficult to put your feet down!
After the mud volcano we jumped in the lake where we were literally washed down by these woman from head to toe, although they kept asking me to get naked if my Spanish is correct! After cleaning myself up we continued driving, although there was very heavy traffic through Barranquilla which delayed us a bit due to roadworks. After negotiating the city we stopped off at this local roadside restaurant where I had chicken and rice, before continuing on past fantastic coastal scenery and deprived villages where the locals were very excited to see us pass.
We finally arrived at the national park at dusk which was a lot later than planned. We had issues entering with our truck which meant we needed a transfer by the park inside, before embarking on a good 45 minute trekthrough what can only be said as ridiculous humid weather through the jungle in pitch black to our campsite on the beach. It is here we're staying in hammocks which is a very interesting set up! That evening we had a meal where I had the pork and yukka accompanied by a lot of beer (to the point we emptied the fridge twice).
The sleep in the hammock was very interesting and muggy, where I was up at the crack of dawn due to the sunlight, although I stayed in the hammocks relaxing while other people were doing all sorts. For breakfast this morning I decided to have the tropical fruits with scrambled eggs, toast and potato cakes which was very nice but took ages to come! Today was essentially a free day to explore the national park, although our group leader gave us the option to go with him to ruins of El Puibito, which I decided to do.
Just to give some information about the place, Tayrona National Park is a wonderful protected area on the northern coast of Colombia, which contains a huge diversity of animal and plant species including 2,000 species of animals and 800 types of plants. This is in part due to the variation in geology of the area - at sea level the climate is arid and the rugged coastline has some excellent beaches and coves, but the terrain quickly rises as you travel inland, where we find a sub-tropical climate and cloud forests on the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
To get to the ruins we walked about 45 minutes through coastal jungle, to another beach which was spectacular. From here there was a signposted track up to the ruins which were at 260m above sea level. Walking along sandy paths with ferns and palm trees, we soon began to climb on some very challenging terrain which involved a lot of scrambling. The path was essentially boulders which at times we had to crawl through and teamwork was vital in places to climb up them. About half way up I tanked on ahead with someone else as some of the others were struggling. The issue was the path wasn't just physically demanding, but the humidity levels were stupid. I've never before literally been dripping all over with my clothes wet right through. I needed a lot of water.
When reaching the top we waited for the others, and after about half hour they arrived minus 5 people who had turned back due to the challenging nature of the hike. It was ironic that the only people who made were the two oldest people in the group, me, and the two tour guides. The ruins weren't anything special, with just old walls and steps, and some replicas of the huts. There was a small hut up here selling fruit juice though which was very refreshing. We went back down a different way back to the beach, although the path we took continued to climb for a while before finally decending. The terrain was very different here being loose soil which needed to be treated very carefully.
We eventually made it to the bottom, where we met a few of the others at the beach we started from to have lunch. I had the fried chicken with rice and chips. From here a few people went off to do there own thing, although I stayed with a couple of others to swim in the warm waters of the carribbean. The beach was beautiful being situated in this bay surrounded by big rocks and palm trees. We stayed here for a while before continuing onto another beach further down where we met a few others. This beach was a lot busier although it was still just as beautiful. We had to leave after though as there were way too many sandflys.
We ended up getting back about 5, and while everyone else jumped in the shower, I went down to another beach to watch the sunset. It was alright although it was cloudy so it wasn't as good as it could have been. After relaxing in my hammock for a bit I joined the others for dinner where I had beef medallions. It was a complete surprise because I let someone else order for me! Come 9 however everyone had gone to bed due to an early start tomorrow, although I stayed out a bit longer. I then finally went to the hammock about half 9 and relaxed due an early start tomorrow morning.
Thursday, 20 October 2016
Start of my Dragoman tour
Tuesday was the day I finally got to meet my tour group, although with a 6 pm meeting time I had a whole day to myself round Cartagena once again. Breakfast was once again fruits and scrambled eggs, and after packing my bags I made the short walk to the hotel which is being used by my dragoman group. After checking in I went out and further explored the old town where I looked round the many markets and shops. All in all I had a very relaxing day Tuesday, even taking time to sit on the beach which was packed full of people.
Come 6pm I got to meet my group, meeting on the rooftop balcony of the hotel as the sun was setting. We all introduced each other to group and said a little fact about ourselves, before our guides (who are from NZ and Scotland) went through all the niggle little things like kitty payments, insurance, and everything else health and safety. We did get to listen to this while drinking endless cups of rum and coke though! My group is a good mix of males and females ranging from people as young as 18 right up to 64! There are people from the UK, NZ, Australia, South Africa, Austria, Switzerland, and Japan, including the person who founded dragoman in 1981, and who met his wife on a 1984 trip, who is also on the trip. Ipswich and Burnley are among the football teams supported, although only 7 people are going all the way to Rio so I will lose and gain people throughout.
After getting to know everyone a bit we went out to this restaurant for dinner where I had this massive lump of sirloin steak which was amazing. It was nice to further chat to people even if I couldn't speak to everyone as there are 22 people in the group, but I'm sure I will. After the meal some of us sat in this square where we had a few beers which was very chilled, although the police were very strict about where we could drink. Most people eventually went to bed but I continued with a couple of others to some salsa bar which was a right laugh. I don't even know what time we got back.
After limited sleep I was woken up at 7am for breakfast by the Japanese man I was sharing a room with (he speaks little English but is really funny). I was glad though as I could have sleep right through and missed breakfast, and also our guided tour of Cartagena which was at 8. The guided tour was very interesting learning about the various street art and Spanish history. There was a lot to take in as the tour lasted over 2 hours, finishing at some square where we were given the option to do what we wanted.
Everyone went in different directions, but I went with someone from Australia who lives in the outback. We ended up going to the gold museum and the Spanish museum of inquisition. They were both very interesting as they gave a real insight into Cartagena and South America before Europeans invaded, and what happened after. We ended up getting street food after, although she said that in the outback she eats things like snake meat so I was probably the only one being adventurous!
Our group leader gave us the option of meeting back at the hotel at 2 for a trip to the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas which is a massive fort built by the Spaniards to prevent attacks from people like the British. In the end 7 of us turned up and we got another guided tour which lasted about 2 hours and was very interesting. The fort is strategically placed to prevent attacks from both land and sea. We even got to explore some of the tunnels, one of which defended 120m underground used back then as an escape route. It was very slippery going down though.
After the tour we headed back to the hotel, although I headed to the shops and bought some flip flops as we are staying by the beach for the next two nights. It's annoying because I won't know the Inter Saints score until Saturday though. There wasn't an organised meal tonight, although a few of us went out for a meal at some lovely restaurant, where I had a beef crepe with all sorts inside it, and a strawberry waffle after. Afterwards most people headed to bed although I sat outside with a couple of people before heading to bed to ourselves as we have an early start in the morning. I will be off the radar for the next couple of days.
Come 6pm I got to meet my group, meeting on the rooftop balcony of the hotel as the sun was setting. We all introduced each other to group and said a little fact about ourselves, before our guides (who are from NZ and Scotland) went through all the niggle little things like kitty payments, insurance, and everything else health and safety. We did get to listen to this while drinking endless cups of rum and coke though! My group is a good mix of males and females ranging from people as young as 18 right up to 64! There are people from the UK, NZ, Australia, South Africa, Austria, Switzerland, and Japan, including the person who founded dragoman in 1981, and who met his wife on a 1984 trip, who is also on the trip. Ipswich and Burnley are among the football teams supported, although only 7 people are going all the way to Rio so I will lose and gain people throughout.
After getting to know everyone a bit we went out to this restaurant for dinner where I had this massive lump of sirloin steak which was amazing. It was nice to further chat to people even if I couldn't speak to everyone as there are 22 people in the group, but I'm sure I will. After the meal some of us sat in this square where we had a few beers which was very chilled, although the police were very strict about where we could drink. Most people eventually went to bed but I continued with a couple of others to some salsa bar which was a right laugh. I don't even know what time we got back.
After limited sleep I was woken up at 7am for breakfast by the Japanese man I was sharing a room with (he speaks little English but is really funny). I was glad though as I could have sleep right through and missed breakfast, and also our guided tour of Cartagena which was at 8. The guided tour was very interesting learning about the various street art and Spanish history. There was a lot to take in as the tour lasted over 2 hours, finishing at some square where we were given the option to do what we wanted.
Everyone went in different directions, but I went with someone from Australia who lives in the outback. We ended up going to the gold museum and the Spanish museum of inquisition. They were both very interesting as they gave a real insight into Cartagena and South America before Europeans invaded, and what happened after. We ended up getting street food after, although she said that in the outback she eats things like snake meat so I was probably the only one being adventurous!
Our group leader gave us the option of meeting back at the hotel at 2 for a trip to the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas which is a massive fort built by the Spaniards to prevent attacks from people like the British. In the end 7 of us turned up and we got another guided tour which lasted about 2 hours and was very interesting. The fort is strategically placed to prevent attacks from both land and sea. We even got to explore some of the tunnels, one of which defended 120m underground used back then as an escape route. It was very slippery going down though.
After the tour we headed back to the hotel, although I headed to the shops and bought some flip flops as we are staying by the beach for the next two nights. It's annoying because I won't know the Inter Saints score until Saturday though. There wasn't an organised meal tonight, although a few of us went out for a meal at some lovely restaurant, where I had a beef crepe with all sorts inside it, and a strawberry waffle after. Afterwards most people headed to bed although I sat outside with a couple of people before heading to bed to ourselves as we have an early start in the morning. I will be off the radar for the next couple of days.
Tuesday, 18 October 2016
Cartagena
With my flight to Cartagena being at 7.55am, I had an early start on the Sunday, setting my alarm for 3am! I was up and on the metro by half 3. The night before the journey planner told me to change at 4th avenue, but on arrival the line was shut. When I asked someone what to do they sent me back to 34th street, where I was then directed to catch an A line train which was running on the F line. It was all very confusing. From what I can make out there were engineering works on the express line to the airport, which meant I had to get there on the slow line. I got to the airport in the end, but a lot later than intended.
After finally negotiating the metro I arrived at the airport and checked in without any problems, although they didn't understand my pronunciation of Cartagena at first. I even eased through security and managed to get to my gate with time to spare. I flew with Avianca to Cartagena which I think is a Colombian airline. Due to this all the flight announcements were in Spanish so I didn't really know what was going on. I was probably the only English person on the flight.
The flight ran pretty smoothly although there were a few bad patches of turbulence. The food was good too, serving some omelette thing with potatoes to start with, and bacon sandwiches later in the flight. Luckily with the in flight entertainment there was the option to use it in English and I played the games and watched Skyfall. The landing into Cartagena was interesting as we flew past the city and then did this massive u turn before landing really smoothly. I was able to see the skyline and surrounding areas upon arrival as I was lucky enough to have a window seat!
After landing I obtained my Colombian visa easily and decided from the airport I would walk to my hotel which was about an hour walk. I stayed in the airport for a little while though for the wifi and the air con! The walk to the hotel was interesting as I basically walked through the slums which I probably shouldn't have done. It was very muggy too and raining every so often. I found the hotel without any problems and was surprised to find I had a double room en suite!
Cartagena itself is one of the most historic cities in South America, and is also famed for its beauty. The area was inhabited by various native civilisations for thousands of years before the city was founded in 1533 by Spanish conquistador Pedro de Heredia, who named the city after Cartagena in Spain, where most of Heredia's sailors were from. Having suffered a tumultuous past full of battles, raids, invasions, destructions and reconstructions, the city became heavily fortified and huge defensive walls now surround its narrow cobbled streets and colonial buildings. The city is made up of various districts. The new town with its high rise hotels, apartments and nightspots, and the older colonial parts of the city. The old city is the main attraction for visitors, particularly the inner walled town which is packed with churches, monasteries, plazas and mansions.
I spent the afternoon relaxing at my hotel, before heading out to dinner Sunday evening where I just got a subway, and then a few beers for the hotel. I ended up having an early night in the end with my early start catching up with me! Due to this I was up about 5am this morning, although sunrise was about then too! I had breakfast included at my hotel which was fresh fruit, and scrambled egg with this bread and cheese thing. It was very nice.
When leaving the hotel I decided the best way to explore the city was to follow the city sightseeing bus route. I went to new town first with its high rise buildings and followed the extensive coastline round back to where I started. The new town is basically on a spit. It was however very muggy so I was glad on my way round to find a big shopping centre, and later a supermarket which had a good air con. The beaches in the new town were also very packed, although I think mainly South Americans come to holiday here as there weren't many other nationalities at all.
After visiting the new town, I went into the old town, following the big wall which surrounds it. I went for lunch here, going to a restaurant where I ordered the pork. I didn't really understand what I was ordering though as the menu was in Spanish, and the waitress didn't have good enough English to translate. What I did find here was a geocache. It said I had to order an "El Tesoro de Blas de Lezo" when I looked before coming out, and when I asked out came a big treasure chest to my table!
After my meal I continued exploring the old city, following the wall and going to the many cobbled streets full of colourful housing. I even visited the nearby castle and it was nice to see the many market stalls and street entertainment. Despite what people say the locals are actually really friendly, even if they can barely speak English and half of them are trying to sell you drugs. Apparently I get a proper guided tour of the old town on Wednesday where I will learn about all the Spanish history.
After a busy day I relaxed at the hotel, before heading out to the seafront along the city walls to watch the sunset which was very nice. Instead of going out for a meal tonight, I went to the supermarket and picked up some random food and a few beers and sat on the rooftop balcony of my hotel underneath the fan. Tomorrow I get to meet my group who I will doing my tour with, so I'm looking forward to that. It's still absolutely boiling here, but other than that having an amazing time.
After finally negotiating the metro I arrived at the airport and checked in without any problems, although they didn't understand my pronunciation of Cartagena at first. I even eased through security and managed to get to my gate with time to spare. I flew with Avianca to Cartagena which I think is a Colombian airline. Due to this all the flight announcements were in Spanish so I didn't really know what was going on. I was probably the only English person on the flight.
The flight ran pretty smoothly although there were a few bad patches of turbulence. The food was good too, serving some omelette thing with potatoes to start with, and bacon sandwiches later in the flight. Luckily with the in flight entertainment there was the option to use it in English and I played the games and watched Skyfall. The landing into Cartagena was interesting as we flew past the city and then did this massive u turn before landing really smoothly. I was able to see the skyline and surrounding areas upon arrival as I was lucky enough to have a window seat!
After landing I obtained my Colombian visa easily and decided from the airport I would walk to my hotel which was about an hour walk. I stayed in the airport for a little while though for the wifi and the air con! The walk to the hotel was interesting as I basically walked through the slums which I probably shouldn't have done. It was very muggy too and raining every so often. I found the hotel without any problems and was surprised to find I had a double room en suite!
Cartagena itself is one of the most historic cities in South America, and is also famed for its beauty. The area was inhabited by various native civilisations for thousands of years before the city was founded in 1533 by Spanish conquistador Pedro de Heredia, who named the city after Cartagena in Spain, where most of Heredia's sailors were from. Having suffered a tumultuous past full of battles, raids, invasions, destructions and reconstructions, the city became heavily fortified and huge defensive walls now surround its narrow cobbled streets and colonial buildings. The city is made up of various districts. The new town with its high rise hotels, apartments and nightspots, and the older colonial parts of the city. The old city is the main attraction for visitors, particularly the inner walled town which is packed with churches, monasteries, plazas and mansions.
I spent the afternoon relaxing at my hotel, before heading out to dinner Sunday evening where I just got a subway, and then a few beers for the hotel. I ended up having an early night in the end with my early start catching up with me! Due to this I was up about 5am this morning, although sunrise was about then too! I had breakfast included at my hotel which was fresh fruit, and scrambled egg with this bread and cheese thing. It was very nice.
When leaving the hotel I decided the best way to explore the city was to follow the city sightseeing bus route. I went to new town first with its high rise buildings and followed the extensive coastline round back to where I started. The new town is basically on a spit. It was however very muggy so I was glad on my way round to find a big shopping centre, and later a supermarket which had a good air con. The beaches in the new town were also very packed, although I think mainly South Americans come to holiday here as there weren't many other nationalities at all.
After visiting the new town, I went into the old town, following the big wall which surrounds it. I went for lunch here, going to a restaurant where I ordered the pork. I didn't really understand what I was ordering though as the menu was in Spanish, and the waitress didn't have good enough English to translate. What I did find here was a geocache. It said I had to order an "El Tesoro de Blas de Lezo" when I looked before coming out, and when I asked out came a big treasure chest to my table!
After my meal I continued exploring the old city, following the wall and going to the many cobbled streets full of colourful housing. I even visited the nearby castle and it was nice to see the many market stalls and street entertainment. Despite what people say the locals are actually really friendly, even if they can barely speak English and half of them are trying to sell you drugs. Apparently I get a proper guided tour of the old town on Wednesday where I will learn about all the Spanish history.
After a busy day I relaxed at the hotel, before heading out to the seafront along the city walls to watch the sunset which was very nice. Instead of going out for a meal tonight, I went to the supermarket and picked up some random food and a few beers and sat on the rooftop balcony of my hotel underneath the fan. Tomorrow I get to meet my group who I will doing my tour with, so I'm looking forward to that. It's still absolutely boiling here, but other than that having an amazing time.
Sunday, 16 October 2016
New York
Arriving in New York late on Wednesday, I woke up Thursday fully recharged and was up and ready to explore the city by half 8. With no idea what to do I decided to go about the day on foot, despite it being about a 7 mile walk from the hostel to the other end of Manhattan. I felt doing it this way allowed to take in more sights I would not otherwise think to see. All I knew was if I head south I would see most of the main sights en route.
With my hostel just a couple of blocks from central park, I decided to explore here first. The park itself was a lot bigger than I expected and if it wasn't for the occasional view of towering skyscrapers surrounding it on each side you could easily get lost! Passing lakes and going down woodland tracks, you would have never guessed you were in the city! When reaching the end of the park it was a short walk to times square which was very impressive, and also very busy.
From here I hopped across a couple of blocks where I got close up glimpses of the empire state and chrysler buildings. From the bottom they just looked like normal buildings. Another interesting building I passed was the flatiron building, a skinny triangle structure famous for its shape. Continuing south passing through the occasional park, I ended up at the world trade centre. It was very interesting visiting the 9/11 memorial and seeing the new towering skyscrapers both finished, being built right now, and planned for the future.
I eventually ended up at the southern tip of Manhattan and battery point where I got my first glimpse of the statue of liberty. It was here I hopped onto the Staten Island ferry which was recommended on my flight as one of the best free things to do in New York. Connecting Manhattan and Staten Island and lasting 25 minutes each way, many people use this service to get views of the statue, Brooklyn bridge, and New York skyline, which is what I did. The views were worth it, although it started drizzling at this point which was annoying.
When back on shore in Manhattan I continued exploring by heading back north, this time to the famous Wall Street. I did however encounter a protest down here! From here I headed to the Brooklyn bridge, and then back inland through Chinatown and Little Italy famous for where migrants moved to in the past. By this point I was quite hungry and found this pretty cool salad bar buffet place, which was takeaway. I went there and sat in Union Square which was very lively with entertainers to name a few.
At this point it was getting dark, so I headed back to Times Square which was even more impressive at night with all its signs, people in fancy dress, and the ridiculous amount of tourists, not helped by the roadworks in the middle! I stayed here for a while to take in the atmosphere before heading back through central park to my hostel. It was well lit through here, although there were loads of rats running around. There were some good views looking back though of the skyscrapers all lit up though!
On Friday I went out about 10ish. On reflection I was out yesterday for over 12 hours and where I went was geographically a 14 mile round trip, although I definitely walked further because I zigzagged a lot. Instead of walking today I caught the metro down to battery point where I went yesterday to catch a boat to liberty island to see the statue. Luckily today was a sunny day, although getting to the island involved a high security process.
Once aboard the boat the views of both the statue and the city skyline were amazing. When landing it was cool to see such an iconic landmark with my own eyes. I may have got lots of selfies here. The island itself was only small and offered brilliant views of the harbour. From Liberty Island I caught the boat to Ellis Island which is where immigrants went in early 1900s before being let into the US. This island was essentially a museum and was very interesting.
When leaving Ellis Island I caught the boat back to battery point where I decided to walk back to the hostel once again, stopping off at union square for something to eat. The street entertainment here was amusing, similar to Leicester Square. Once again from here I headed to Times Square, although this time going via the Empire State Building to see it at night. When arriving at Times Square I spent a while there once again to take in the street entertainers and iconic billboards before heading back to the hostel.
To be honest you could easily spend a week in New York, and I was spoilt for choice of things to do today (Saturday), but in the end I decided to explore central park through geocaching. To put it into context it took me 5 hours to do a lap of the park whilst geocaching to give you an idea how vast it is. You honestly would never think this green space was in the middle of the city at times! It was a really enjoyable day.
I arrived back at the hostel at a reasonable time today to Skype a few people, and even cook my own dinner. It's a shame it's my last day in New York although onto South America and Cartagena tomorrow! My flight is at 7.55am though which means I am going to have to leave quite early taking into account it's over an hour on the metro to get to the airport. Good night and I'll see you in Colombia :)
With my hostel just a couple of blocks from central park, I decided to explore here first. The park itself was a lot bigger than I expected and if it wasn't for the occasional view of towering skyscrapers surrounding it on each side you could easily get lost! Passing lakes and going down woodland tracks, you would have never guessed you were in the city! When reaching the end of the park it was a short walk to times square which was very impressive, and also very busy.
From here I hopped across a couple of blocks where I got close up glimpses of the empire state and chrysler buildings. From the bottom they just looked like normal buildings. Another interesting building I passed was the flatiron building, a skinny triangle structure famous for its shape. Continuing south passing through the occasional park, I ended up at the world trade centre. It was very interesting visiting the 9/11 memorial and seeing the new towering skyscrapers both finished, being built right now, and planned for the future.
I eventually ended up at the southern tip of Manhattan and battery point where I got my first glimpse of the statue of liberty. It was here I hopped onto the Staten Island ferry which was recommended on my flight as one of the best free things to do in New York. Connecting Manhattan and Staten Island and lasting 25 minutes each way, many people use this service to get views of the statue, Brooklyn bridge, and New York skyline, which is what I did. The views were worth it, although it started drizzling at this point which was annoying.
When back on shore in Manhattan I continued exploring by heading back north, this time to the famous Wall Street. I did however encounter a protest down here! From here I headed to the Brooklyn bridge, and then back inland through Chinatown and Little Italy famous for where migrants moved to in the past. By this point I was quite hungry and found this pretty cool salad bar buffet place, which was takeaway. I went there and sat in Union Square which was very lively with entertainers to name a few.
At this point it was getting dark, so I headed back to Times Square which was even more impressive at night with all its signs, people in fancy dress, and the ridiculous amount of tourists, not helped by the roadworks in the middle! I stayed here for a while to take in the atmosphere before heading back through central park to my hostel. It was well lit through here, although there were loads of rats running around. There were some good views looking back though of the skyscrapers all lit up though!
On Friday I went out about 10ish. On reflection I was out yesterday for over 12 hours and where I went was geographically a 14 mile round trip, although I definitely walked further because I zigzagged a lot. Instead of walking today I caught the metro down to battery point where I went yesterday to catch a boat to liberty island to see the statue. Luckily today was a sunny day, although getting to the island involved a high security process.
Once aboard the boat the views of both the statue and the city skyline were amazing. When landing it was cool to see such an iconic landmark with my own eyes. I may have got lots of selfies here. The island itself was only small and offered brilliant views of the harbour. From Liberty Island I caught the boat to Ellis Island which is where immigrants went in early 1900s before being let into the US. This island was essentially a museum and was very interesting.
When leaving Ellis Island I caught the boat back to battery point where I decided to walk back to the hostel once again, stopping off at union square for something to eat. The street entertainment here was amusing, similar to Leicester Square. Once again from here I headed to Times Square, although this time going via the Empire State Building to see it at night. When arriving at Times Square I spent a while there once again to take in the street entertainers and iconic billboards before heading back to the hostel.
To be honest you could easily spend a week in New York, and I was spoilt for choice of things to do today (Saturday), but in the end I decided to explore central park through geocaching. To put it into context it took me 5 hours to do a lap of the park whilst geocaching to give you an idea how vast it is. You honestly would never think this green space was in the middle of the city at times! It was a really enjoyable day.
I arrived back at the hostel at a reasonable time today to Skype a few people, and even cook my own dinner. It's a shame it's my last day in New York although onto South America and Cartagena tomorrow! My flight is at 7.55am though which means I am going to have to leave quite early taking into account it's over an hour on the metro to get to the airport. Good night and I'll see you in Colombia :)
Thursday, 13 October 2016
Start of my travels
So today was the day when I finally began my travels. I'm not going to deny I was extremely excited the last few weeks, although I have been a little nervous too. It has been really difficult working out exactly what I need to and what I don't need to take, but I think I got there in the end! I just tried to remember that if I do forget something I can always buy it while I'm away.
For obvious reasons I didn't sleep much last night, but it was nice to be able to an afternoon flight which meant I could have some kind of lie in. With my flight being at 16.55, arriving at 20.05 (1.05 British time) I'm hoping that I won't get jet lagged, but we will see when I try to sleep.It was typical though that when I woke up my dog was at my door waiting and jumped straight on my bed. I think he's going to miss me.
I ended up leaving about 1pm in the end, and it was nice because as well as my Mum and a few of my friends took the day off to come to the airport with me. After arriving at the airport it was a sizable wait to check in, and from there we went to wetherspoons for a last drink before I had to leave. It was slightly emotional saying goodbye to my friends and family although they all know this is what makes me happy. I probably should have allowed more time to get through security though because my bag was checked on the way through and my plane was boarding by the time I got through (although there was no rush).
Whilst in duty free I purchased a travel adapter which I needed, although god knows if it will work because apparently South America has various different plug types. I then took the long walk to my gate and made one final phone call before turning it on flight mode. I'm going to miss having a phone although I've got a tablet which my friends from Tesco kindly bought for me. Boarding was pretty straight forward, although my seat was right at the back of the plane! Take off was pretty quick too for a change.
One of the advantages of sitting at the back however meant I got my meal first which was chicken in tomato sauce with veg and potatoes, cous cous salad, and chocolate cake. It sounds better than it was! The in flight entertainment kept me amused too with an array of games and films, and a very detailed flight tracker to name a few. I even managed to watch finding dory at last. There was also a guide of things to do in New York which was very useful because I haven't actually done much detailed research, I just know what the main sights to see are.
Before landing they gave me some sandwiches and a cookie, before landing earlier than expected in New York. It did however take over half hour to park up which meant I did technically just arrive on time. Getting through security was surprisingly easy as I basically just walked out. When I went through security at LA a couple of years ago they were very tough, but not here.
Before I had any chance to get WiFi I was asked to leave the airport, where I caught the train to connect with the metro. It was really confusing in terms of payment though because their tickets worked similar to an oyster card and I had no idea how much to put on. I was advised to put on a couple of dollars, and I had no problems, despite having to change trains twice. It was very similar to the London underground.
When finally arriving at the nearest metro station to my hostel, which was like an hour journey, I checked in. My hostel is basically a couple of streets across from the north west ish corner of central park. Luckily opposite the hostel there were lots of food places so I decided to get a pizza because I was hungry after the small portions of food on the plane. I'm now relaxing in the hostel, pretty tired as it's like midnight (5am according my body clock). As I said before I will not be updating this blog daily but I will update it as much as possible. Zzzzzzz.
For obvious reasons I didn't sleep much last night, but it was nice to be able to an afternoon flight which meant I could have some kind of lie in. With my flight being at 16.55, arriving at 20.05 (1.05 British time) I'm hoping that I won't get jet lagged, but we will see when I try to sleep.It was typical though that when I woke up my dog was at my door waiting and jumped straight on my bed. I think he's going to miss me.
I ended up leaving about 1pm in the end, and it was nice because as well as my Mum and a few of my friends took the day off to come to the airport with me. After arriving at the airport it was a sizable wait to check in, and from there we went to wetherspoons for a last drink before I had to leave. It was slightly emotional saying goodbye to my friends and family although they all know this is what makes me happy. I probably should have allowed more time to get through security though because my bag was checked on the way through and my plane was boarding by the time I got through (although there was no rush).
Whilst in duty free I purchased a travel adapter which I needed, although god knows if it will work because apparently South America has various different plug types. I then took the long walk to my gate and made one final phone call before turning it on flight mode. I'm going to miss having a phone although I've got a tablet which my friends from Tesco kindly bought for me. Boarding was pretty straight forward, although my seat was right at the back of the plane! Take off was pretty quick too for a change.
One of the advantages of sitting at the back however meant I got my meal first which was chicken in tomato sauce with veg and potatoes, cous cous salad, and chocolate cake. It sounds better than it was! The in flight entertainment kept me amused too with an array of games and films, and a very detailed flight tracker to name a few. I even managed to watch finding dory at last. There was also a guide of things to do in New York which was very useful because I haven't actually done much detailed research, I just know what the main sights to see are.
Before landing they gave me some sandwiches and a cookie, before landing earlier than expected in New York. It did however take over half hour to park up which meant I did technically just arrive on time. Getting through security was surprisingly easy as I basically just walked out. When I went through security at LA a couple of years ago they were very tough, but not here.
Before I had any chance to get WiFi I was asked to leave the airport, where I caught the train to connect with the metro. It was really confusing in terms of payment though because their tickets worked similar to an oyster card and I had no idea how much to put on. I was advised to put on a couple of dollars, and I had no problems, despite having to change trains twice. It was very similar to the London underground.
When finally arriving at the nearest metro station to my hostel, which was like an hour journey, I checked in. My hostel is basically a couple of streets across from the north west ish corner of central park. Luckily opposite the hostel there were lots of food places so I decided to get a pizza because I was hungry after the small portions of food on the plane. I'm now relaxing in the hostel, pretty tired as it's like midnight (5am according my body clock). As I said before I will not be updating this blog daily but I will update it as much as possible. Zzzzzzz.
Thursday, 6 October 2016
European Tour
Only 6 days until I leave for South America now, where I will be going to New York for 4 nights and then onto Colombia to start my tour with Dragoman around South America. Not really ready to go in terms of packing or anything but it normally all works out in the end! It's really difficult to know what to pack because my itinerary says be prepared for all four seasons in a day! Aside from that having left Tesco over a month ago now I've had a lot of free time, and it's been nice to just chill out and relax, and catch up with my friends. What I did do a couple of weeks ago though was a trip around Europe which I will talk about now.
With flights around Europe being so cheap these days I decided to a mini tour to a few European cities. I started off by flying to the city of Aalborg in Denmark, staying in the middle of nowhere between the towns of Hjallerup and Dronninglund. I spent 4 nights here, and managed to get in a days geocaching while exploring Dronninglund and it's surrounding countryside which was very interesting. There were lots of sculptures and the area is particularly famous for its church. At the weekend I went into Aalborg and met a couple of friends I met travelling last time, and they showed me round the city. Aalborg isn't a massive city and has by no means got many tourists, but it was still a very nice city. They even took me to Jomfru Ane Garde which is a street with over 30 bars down it!
I left Aalborg on the Monday and took the short flight to Copenhagen which literally took about 30 minutes (saving a long train journey). I stayed in Copenhagen for 5 nights. Some of the highlights in the city included Nyhavn which is a famous street of colourful buildings, the little mermaid which is the famous statue in the water, the green light district which was a very interesting place, and the Copenhagen street food complex which was a lively area serving food and drinks from all over the world. Despite being a slightly expensive city, I managed to go out and watch the football most nights (including a brilliant 3-0 for Southampton in Europa). Whilst in Copenhagen I even managed to get a day trip to Malmo in Sweden which is connected to Copenhagen by bridge and tunnel through the sea. Another highlight was a trip to Tivoli Gardens which was literally right next to hostel, and is the second oldest amusement park in the world. Copenhagen is definitely somewhere I would recommend visiting! One thing you do find with Denmark though is there is a lot of homeless people going through the bins, and I found out eventually that were collecting bottles because they paid to recycle them (because when you buy a bottle in a shop you have to pay a deposit on it).
After a busy time in Copenhagen, I then took a flight to Rome where I stayed a further 5 nights. My accommodation was literally a 10 minute walk from the Colosseum which was ideal and all the main sights were in walking distance for me. I did find away from the tourist areas Rome was a little dodgy in terms of the homeless people, and vast amounts of graffiti everywhere, not to mention the traffic light system whereby cars didn't seem to acknowledge red and green! Despite this is took me 3 days just to explore the city! I spent a day exploring the main sights including the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, and Pantheon to name a few of the interesting things to see. I then spent a day actually inside the Colosseum and the Roman forum next door which literally took ages to explore due to its size! I then also spent a day exploring the Vatican which was very interesting, and even took a walk up the dome which took ages to get up the narrow staircases! As with Denmark I managed to watch the Southampton games without any problems (even if the Swansea game was on a small screen in the corner while the rest of the pub were watching some Irish sport thing). At least we won! The food here was also amazing, especially the pizza!
After a busy time in Rome, I spent my last day on the beaches of Ostia and Fiumicino just outside the city to relax (being near the aiport), before catching an evening flight back to the UK. It was nice to spend a couple of weeks exploring some new cities, but it was nice to come home to my own bed! I even somehow managed to visit 4 countries while I was away if you count Sweden and Vatican City. I'll try and keep my blog updated while I am away, although I am still unsure how easy WiFi will be to obtain.
6 days to go, Harry.
With flights around Europe being so cheap these days I decided to a mini tour to a few European cities. I started off by flying to the city of Aalborg in Denmark, staying in the middle of nowhere between the towns of Hjallerup and Dronninglund. I spent 4 nights here, and managed to get in a days geocaching while exploring Dronninglund and it's surrounding countryside which was very interesting. There were lots of sculptures and the area is particularly famous for its church. At the weekend I went into Aalborg and met a couple of friends I met travelling last time, and they showed me round the city. Aalborg isn't a massive city and has by no means got many tourists, but it was still a very nice city. They even took me to Jomfru Ane Garde which is a street with over 30 bars down it!
I left Aalborg on the Monday and took the short flight to Copenhagen which literally took about 30 minutes (saving a long train journey). I stayed in Copenhagen for 5 nights. Some of the highlights in the city included Nyhavn which is a famous street of colourful buildings, the little mermaid which is the famous statue in the water, the green light district which was a very interesting place, and the Copenhagen street food complex which was a lively area serving food and drinks from all over the world. Despite being a slightly expensive city, I managed to go out and watch the football most nights (including a brilliant 3-0 for Southampton in Europa). Whilst in Copenhagen I even managed to get a day trip to Malmo in Sweden which is connected to Copenhagen by bridge and tunnel through the sea. Another highlight was a trip to Tivoli Gardens which was literally right next to hostel, and is the second oldest amusement park in the world. Copenhagen is definitely somewhere I would recommend visiting! One thing you do find with Denmark though is there is a lot of homeless people going through the bins, and I found out eventually that were collecting bottles because they paid to recycle them (because when you buy a bottle in a shop you have to pay a deposit on it).
After a busy time in Copenhagen, I then took a flight to Rome where I stayed a further 5 nights. My accommodation was literally a 10 minute walk from the Colosseum which was ideal and all the main sights were in walking distance for me. I did find away from the tourist areas Rome was a little dodgy in terms of the homeless people, and vast amounts of graffiti everywhere, not to mention the traffic light system whereby cars didn't seem to acknowledge red and green! Despite this is took me 3 days just to explore the city! I spent a day exploring the main sights including the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, and Pantheon to name a few of the interesting things to see. I then spent a day actually inside the Colosseum and the Roman forum next door which literally took ages to explore due to its size! I then also spent a day exploring the Vatican which was very interesting, and even took a walk up the dome which took ages to get up the narrow staircases! As with Denmark I managed to watch the Southampton games without any problems (even if the Swansea game was on a small screen in the corner while the rest of the pub were watching some Irish sport thing). At least we won! The food here was also amazing, especially the pizza!
After a busy time in Rome, I spent my last day on the beaches of Ostia and Fiumicino just outside the city to relax (being near the aiport), before catching an evening flight back to the UK. It was nice to spend a couple of weeks exploring some new cities, but it was nice to come home to my own bed! I even somehow managed to visit 4 countries while I was away if you count Sweden and Vatican City. I'll try and keep my blog updated while I am away, although I am still unsure how easy WiFi will be to obtain.
6 days to go, Harry.
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