TravelStream™ most recent 25 entries from TravelPod.com. Travel Blogs | Travel Journals | Travelogues | Travel Diaries ( Since 1997 ) http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:14:16 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/qiqigoestochina/1/1258769526/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/qiqigoestochina/1/1258769526/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/qiqigoestochina/1/1258769526/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:14:16 -0500 QiQi Goes To China

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Shenzhen China, Guangdong, China

Today we picked up our rental car and also switch hotels. At the first hotel, there was too much dust in the air and the traffic was too confusing because they are building a subway station close by.The second hotel is an apartment hotel, where we stayed for 1 night. there was heat there, and it is pretty cold here for this time of year. So far they are having the coldest November on record!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/qiqigoestochina/1/1258769320/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/qiqigoestochina/1/1258769320/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/qiqigoestochina/1/1258769320/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:10:51 -0500 QiQi Goes To China

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Hua Qiao Cheng China, Guangdong, China

It is now Saturday morning and we changed hotels again. This would should do us until we have our apartment ready
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/blummo/1/1258628807/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/blummo/1/1258628807/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/blummo/1/1258628807/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:07:16 -0500 והשכלתי לתהות

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Lukla, Nepal

גם טיול ארוך הנמשך כמעט עשרים יום מתחיל במשפט קטן. "זה לא לעניין הקור הזה" במבטא רוסי כבד. דניאל חבר של איילה צייד אותנו יום לפני צאתנו לדרך. מהגיגי שותפו למסלול שעשה זה לא מכבר. בהמשך הטרק כבר חיברנו משפטים לעצמנו, בונים אמתחת ניבים ובדיחות פנימיות מכובדת. מיתרונות היחדיו, מהם עוד גיליתי רבים.בראשית היה מטוס, מטוס ישן ורעוע, שהיה בשנות השבעים כבר ענתיקה, ולתיבול נוסף נאלצנו להמתין בתור של נמל התעופה לטיסות תוך-ארציות שנראה במקרה הטוב כתחנה המרכזית בבאר שבע. שם נחלקנו לשתי קבוצות עיקריות. המיוחסים והלא מיוחסים. בקבוצת המיוחסים, תיירים אירופים בקבוצות של עשרה ויותר לבושים במיטב הגברדיה של חברות בגדי המטיילים "נורפ-פייס", "לוא- אלפין" ו"סלומון", לבושים מכף רגל ועד ראש בציוד יוקרתי שכולו אומר - ארנק ללא תחתית. אוחזים ביד אחת מקל, בדרכם לכבוש את פסגת האוורסט מרגע שינחת המטוס. וביד השניה תיק ציוד ענקי שיועלה על כתפי הסבל המקומי - "פורטר", ובו כל תכולת ביתם שנשאר בארצם.בקבוצת הלא מיוחסים, שקי אורז , מצרכים לכפרים הרחוקים, חומרי בנין וקבוצת ישראלים קטנה של שלושה פרטים.כעבור שעה המתנה, שחשבנוה לעיכוב לא יאה, לא מתארים במה נתקל בדרך חזור, יצאנו בטיסה מזרחה לעבר רכס ההימלאיה, ובו, עיירת שדה התעופה לוקלה. כשהגענו לאיזור הנמל התרשמתי. מפאת ניסיוני לא הצלחתי להבין כיצד יכול לנחות מטוס כזה במסלול שגודלו לא עולה על מנחת טיסנים. 300 מטר של כביש אספלט צר שנגמר בצלע הר אימנית. כנראה שהטייסים שלא עברו ריבועיזציה של טייס תובלה ישראלי, לא חשבו על מה יקרה אם נרצה ללכת סביב, ונחתו על המסלול. אין עודף במסלול לריצה, אין שולי בטחון, אך אין נפגעים לכוחותינו, בנחיתה הזו לא נהרגנו. תוצאה סופית חזרה לי חדוות הטיסה שהקפידו להרוג בשנותיי הקודמות.מהשדה יצאנו לעיר שפשוט מקיפה את המסלול. נפטרנו מהצעות למדריכים וסבלים, מגיבובי מילות עברית שהשתרבבו מפי מקומיים בתקווה לתפוס תשומת לב קטנה מאיתנו, והתחלנו את הטרק.שמש זרחה בשמיים כחולים בוהקים. אני, שניסתי לחשב מתי היתה הפעם האחרונה שיצאתי לטרק של כמה ימים, צעדתי בבטחה בשביל האבנים המרוצף שלצלע ההר, הסולל את דרך המלך אל מחנה הבסיס להר האוורסט. מגלה עד כמה היתה הצעת המדריך מגוכחת. נהנתי מנוף הכפרים הנשקף מצדודתיו של נהר התכלת שזרם מתחתינו. מאנשי הכפרים שנראו כטיבטים והזכירו נשכחות ונצורות מסין הרחוקה. ומהטבע שנגלה במלוא הדרו על שלוחת הריו הירוקים, מימיו התכולים שהיו בכל מקום ופסגותיו הלבנות משלג שהציצו גבוה מכתפי ההרים הקרובים כמרמזים על הבאות. שעת צהרים הגיעה, ועל אף השמש הקופחת, קריר היה. אוויר צלול וקר של כפרים מרוחקי ציווליזציה. שריח עשן מדורות נהמל בחיקו במקום פיח הדלק. השבילים כה תלולים ומפותלים שאפילו אופנועים לא נמצאו כאן. רק שרשרת מטוסים שמובילה אנשים, ציוד ואספקה לחבל ארץ נידח זה.אך השביל רחוק מהיות שלו ובודד. שיירות של תיירים העושים דרכם מעלה ומטה. בהמות מסע העמוסות בשקים כבדים מתנהלות לאיטן בשבילים לקולם צעקותיהם ומכותיהם של המובילים. אנשים במעמד בהמות משא ואף פחות, נושאים בסליהם העמוסים ארגזים ומוצרי צריכה בדרך העולה מעלה. אדם עם גורל של יאק נושא בירה יוקרתית שלעולם לא יזכה לשתותה עבור תייר מפונק שרוצה לאכול ארוחת ערב עם כוס בירה ומוכן לשלם ביד נדיבה על כך. ישנם גם חיים כאלו. מעלה, מטה, מעלה ומטה. מי ישבר ראשון הגוף או הנפש? בכפר הראשון עצרנו לשבוע צהרים. מכל גינות החמדה, המאפיות ומסעדות היוקרה, בחרנו להכנס לבית פרטי ללא יומרות של מסעדות או פודנדקאות מכל סוג שהוא. האישה בבית התעוררה ראשונה מפליאתה והציעה שנשב והיא תכין לנו את מבוקשנו. כעבור שעה של המתנה זכינו לטעום צ'אפטי, פיתת בצק אפויה על מחבת ואת ה"דאלבאט". דאלבאט - התבשיל הנפאלי לקיבת המטייל הרעב. צלחת אורז ותבשיל ירקות בקארי מוגש עם מרק עדשים כרוטב לאורז. יחודו הוא בתוספת שאפשר לבקש עד שובע. ועוד יסופר בקסמיו, מעלליו ובמחיריו.המשכנו בדרך והגענו לבריכת מים ומפל. בריכה קרה של מי שלגים שנצברו לפני זרימתם לערוץ הראשי. מבטים חטופים ביני ובין איילה לדברים שלא צריכים להאמר בקרב ישראלים ומקוה מים. חמש דקות לאחר מכן ואני חבוק בקור המים הקפואים לא יודע אם קר לי או חם לי מכוויות הקור המרגשות ובאות, איילה החליטה ללכת עד המפל, כי זה יותר קל להכנס כך לפי דעתה, ולנה הסתפקה בטבילת רגליים קצרה להבין שקור כזה יכול להפיל חלאים בקרב מטיילים. עוד דקות מספר ואנחנו מחוץ למים. נהנה מהרגשת החיים שטבילה במים קפואים מעניקה לך, וממבטיהם המשתהים של העוברים ושבים לא זוכים למחזה כזה בכל יום, אם בכלל. האדם איננו חזק מהטבע, אך כשפועלים שניהם יחדיו, שום רעה לא תבוא. דלקת או צינון היו רחוקים ממני כביתי. שעה נוספת עברה, ורגלינו נעצרו בפתחת הכפר בנקר. בתחתית הנהר, שלא כמו מראשותיו, בכפרים חיים אלו לצד אלו, משפחות לצד גסטהאוסים. עצרנו בראשון עוד לפני שעת בין ערביים, נותנים לגוף את ההסתגלות הרצויה להליכה שעוד צפויה לו. שני חדרים קטנים עשויי אבן ועץ קיבלנו. ובחדר הסעודה פגשנו בקבוצת בריטים בגיל העמידה. הם יעשו את דרכנו אך הפוך ועוד נתקל בהם. ואחד מחבריה יהודי בעל קלרינט, שבשל נגינת "אבינו, מלכנו" זיהתיו מלכתחילה, יהפוך לבן שיחה במהלך הלילה. אכלנו. שתינו. ישנו בקור שלא הורגש מתוכו של שק השינה החדש שלי. ותמונת ההר המואר באור השקיעה תסכם יום ראשון ומוצלח עד מאוד של טרק ארוך במקום נידח אך לא שומם ושמו שמורת האוורסט.  
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/brianandclaire/1/1255628014/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/brianandclaire/1/1255628014/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/brianandclaire/1/1255628014/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:05:38 -0500 Brians & Claires Great Adventure

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Playa del Carmen, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

  This was our holiday before the backpacking really got going.  Playa Del Carmen is, or was, a pleasent little fishing town on the coast.  The beach was fantasic with its dazzling white sand and crystal clear shallow waters.  The town is not a high rise metropolis like its soulness neighbour Cancun, an hour up the road.  Our Hotel, the Aventura Mexicana, just off 5th avenue (the hub of night life in Playa) was small and friendly with 2 pools.  The room was big, with bedroom and living room, mircowave and frigde, backpacking can be tough.....it got hot, even with our fans and A/C.......  We mainly relaxed the week in Playa, down by the beach, getting ourselves rested before the tour started.  It rained a few days, which was nice in the heat, and swimming in the pool, but the weather was generally very good.------First Doctor of the Trip------                                            Poor Brian, only just after learning how to swim, and after less than a week enjoying the sea and the pool, I get a god damn ear infection, sore as hell too..  It woke me up in the middle of the night, had to get the hotel to ring a doctor the next morning.  Out arrives, what I can only describe as "Doctor Hollywood", with his tanned brwn skin, his accented english, his stories of ´what a great doctor I am´, and finally his mutha-fucking bill of US$170, wanker..  Expensive business gerring sick, but only the best for Briano..  Did a Tour out to the mayan ruins of Chichen Itza in the Yucatan.  Chichen Itza means "Mouth of the Well of the Water Sorcerer" and is meant to be one of the most spectalcular of the mayan sites.  Claire decided to opt out of this one, mayan ruins not being her thing, so had to do this one Han-Solo..  Got collected from the hotel by a mini-van full of spanish speaking people, thinking i should have joined  
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sales_family/1/1258680997/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sales_family/1/1258680997/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sales_family/1/1258680997/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:01:43 -0500 Sales_Family's Great Adventure

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Dalat, Vietnam

 A few days ago we were in Dalat,  a city high in the central highlands of Vietnam.  Dalat has much the same climate as where we live in Monteverde.  In Dalat we had the good fortune of reconnecting with a Canadian family who we had spent time traveling with in China. Long term traveling works like that.  People pop in and out of the picture as we all meander around the world.  Martin and Kathy and their two boys, Thai and Noah, are on a similar track as ourselves--a year off traveling the world.  The boys are about the same age as ours and it has been great to have other kids to hang out with. We had hiked the Tiger Leaping Gorge together in China a month or so previously, and very much enjoyed each others- company.  After a couple of days in Dalat, the conversation eventually turned to moving on,  and Martin told me they had found a company that ran bike trips.   They were thinking of biking the 80km to the coast.  They are big bikers, having done multi-week trips with their kids.  At first we hesitated, but when we learned that it was almost all DOWNHILL  on a paved road that is almost unused, we jumped on board.  We had found in China that with all eight of us we had great bargaining power.  Kind of a family travelers union.   We negotiated a great price for the trip and the next morning we were off bright and early.  We started in the pine covered hills of the highlands and 6 hours later were picked up on the coastal plain below.  What a great ride.   Despite some complaining about sore butts and never being able to have children,  I think everybody had a good time.  Today we are resting up at the beach and planning the next leg of the journey.  Unfortunately, it won't be by bicycle.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/qiqigoestochina/1/1258606653/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/qiqigoestochina/1/1258606653/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/qiqigoestochina/1/1258606653/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:59:41 -0500 QiQi Goes To China

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Shekou, Guangdong, China

Arrived at the Nan Hai hotel. This was not our first choice, the hotel we had made reservations at, was no longer there! so we had to take a taxi to this hotel.Photos should be coming soon.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/vinsar3kinga/1/1258768425/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/vinsar3kinga/1/1258768425/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/vinsar3kinga/1/1258768425/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:56:34 -0500 vinsar3kinga's Great Adventure

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Santa Clara, California, United States

Vacation BlogBusiness Plan ServicesVacation Rentals
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jamesnicky/1/1258767663/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jamesnicky/1/1258767663/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jamesnicky/1/1258767663/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:53:19 -0500 Our South American Odyssey

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Nasca, Peru

After checking out at about midday, we caught a taxi back to Ica.  Instead of catching the tourist bus (Cruz del Sur) we opted for the local bus, Peru Bus, as it was a third of the price.The trip took about 2.5 hours and we arrived at about 3pm.  We made our way to our hostel by foot, saving the 5s a taxi would have cost to drive the 10 blocks (which in the heat with our packs felt like several kms).We finally arrived at Walkon Inn, which appears to be a good hostel with fast internet (for South America) enabling us to catch up on our blog and have some laundry done for us.After settling in when went and had a late lunch/early dinner and organised a tour to the Chaucilla Cemetery and our overnight bus ticket to Arequipa for 21 November 2009.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jamesnicky/1/1258759624/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jamesnicky/1/1258759624/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jamesnicky/1/1258759624/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:39:33 -0500 Our South American Odyssey

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Huacachina, Peru

After breakfast we thought it would be a good idea to climb one of the surrounding sand dunes.  Our first attempt was in jandels, however, at 11am and the temperature already at about 26 degrees C already we burnt our feet on the sand after about 15m.  Back to the hostel to get tramping shoes, we made it to about halfway (100m vertical) before deciding that the pool was a much better idea.  After an afternoon beside the pool we were ready for our buggy and sand boarding tour.  We had opted from the 4.30 slot as it would not be as hot and we would also get to see the sunset in the dunes.  There were about 20 poeple on the tour and we were ushered to one of three buggies.  At this point we were not aware that our designated driver was a local legend when it came to buggy driving and that allegedly he is named in guide book.  Anyway, it was one of the most exhiliarately experiences of our lives.  We would drop over the edge of sand dunes maybe 60-100m high of which the faces were almost vertical.  The adrenaline did not stop at the buggy driving this guide took us to the higher faces than the other groups.  At one point when we met up with the other groups who were sand boarding down the west face of a dune, he basically told us that that side was for whimps and he told us to go down the south face which was 200m from top to bottom ( as opposed to 100m).After the sand boarding, instead of going back to Haucachina like the other drivers, our driver took us to a high point where we could watch the sunset.  Needless to same the sunset was beautiful, particularly with the hue of the dunes changing over a matter of minutes.Finally we headed back, although we noticed that for the first time our driver put on his seat belt and safety glases - which did cause some trepidation.  All we will say is that we learnt the difference between getting some air and getting airborne.  (Your guide often makes the difference between a good and a truely memorable time - so if you ever do the sand buggy tour with Casa de Arena ask for the loco/crazy diver although scary we did feel safe and the locals later said he was the best).After a few beers, a swim in the pool and dinner we joined the festivities in the night club by our room for some beer and free pisco sours.Note re: hostal 25s per person per night incl. private bathroom (if you book buggie with hostel otherwise 30s.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinasfamily/1/1258767390/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinasfamily/1/1258767390/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinasfamily/1/1258767390/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:38:21 -0500 martinasfamily's Great Adventure

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Singapore, Singapore

Ho mangiato in tanti posti ed ho avuto tante belle esperienze che vi voglio raccontare.Ecco le mie pagelle
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tourdev/1/1258766860/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tourdev/1/1258766860/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tourdev/1/1258766860/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:34:42 -0500 tourdev's Great Adventure

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Lakewood, New Jersey, United States

Lakewood NJ is a town that's pretty close to the Jersey shore, but has not much in it. The theatre we played was pretty nice, but the hotel we stayed at had nothing near it except one pizza place and a Wawa mini-mart... which has since become a cast favorite. They have these pretty cool self create milk shake machines that every LOVES. When we arrived at the venue the next morning, I walked in to greet the day's crew and was instead greeted with their technical director asking me "Do you have money and a signed contract?" And I said "No, everything is billed for you" His reply "Well, no contract, no show." After calling the office, everything was cleared up and we were able to perform, but it was nerve wracking none-the-less. Off to Philly (sort of)
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alvrez/7/1258763767/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alvrez/7/1258763767/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/alvrez/7/1258763767/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:23:19 -0500 The Alvrez USA Road Trip 2009

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New York City, New York, United States

Stopped again at MacDonald's for breakfast this morning, before catching the Q60 bus which goes to Manhattan. The bus took a LOT longer than the subway (tons of traffic) but it was an interesting experience seeing some of Queens, which you don't get to do in the subway. Queens had lots of red brick buildings, graffiti, traffic jams everywhere and small shopsmore than chain stores – from what we could see on the bus route, I'm sure other areas of Queens were different. Some amazing views of NYC as we went over the Queens bridge. Hopped on the subway and then transferred to the line that would take us to the American Museum of Natural History by Central Park. However, unbeknownst to us we hadn't actually transferred lines properly, so we were sitting at the wrong part of the subway wondering why our train hadn't come...! Finally we figured it out and managed to get to the right area and catch the right train, but that was 30 minutes down the drain sitting watching subway trains rush by. Once at the Museum (which was opposite the park, and looked very stately among the autumn coloured trees) we paid our $50 suggested (!!) donation and decided to go on a free highlights tour. The guide we got (Irene) was very passionate and enthusiastic about the museum and we were highly entertained by her narration about the many exhibits (evidently the museum has over 2.5 million – we didn't see that many, thank goodness!). There were tons of dinosaur bones (which the museum is famous for) and many stuffed real animals that looked spookily lifelike, behind glass with painted murals in background. After the tour we grabbed a quick lunchat a burger place called 'Shake Shack' (which were the nicest burgers we've had in the USA so far) but the place was jam packed so we had to sit on some benches outside the museum, which Josh and Kate moaned about as by this time it was spitting/drizzling. Spent another couple of hours in the museum, lots to see, but boy were our feet/legs sore by the end of it! Then we decided to go into Central Park and see the castle that we'd read about – asked about 6 staff members of the museum where it was and none of them seemed to know! Finallyfound someone who told us to go down 81st street (which goes right across Central Park) and we would spot it. So we dutifully trotted off down 81st street in the light rain with 2 complaining children, hemmed in by a tall rock wall one side of us and two lanes of whizzing traffic on the other, expecting to find some paths off 81st street so we can actually get INTO the park, rather than walking down the busy road beside it...ah, no. No entrances, and when we finally spotted the top of the castle, there was no way of getting to it, we just had to keep plodding andplodding and plodding...!! Finally made it across to the other side of Central Park and decided to at least walk some of the way through the park – which looked beautiful with the yellow/orange leafed trees and winding paths. Kids were not impressed, Josh kept laying down on any available rock or even the path sometimes! Kate cheered up a bit when we saw lots of squirrels, and then both kids became more enthusiastic when we found a playground. After taking somephotos of us at the famous 'Alice in Wonderland' sculpture, we decided to catch a bus down to the end of the park, where the horse/carriage rides start from. We found a driver called Richie (he was from Ireland and asked if we were from  England..hehehe) and his horse Gallagher. The four of us piled into the carriage and tuckedthe big furry blanket around us and enjoyed a 20 minute ride around Central Park, which was made even more enjoyable by the fact that we didn't have to WALK! Saw on the ride the skating rink inside the Park, the The Plaza hotel (where Home Alone 2 and Crocodile Dundee was filmed), the two 'Ghostbuster' sky scrapers (from the movie) and an indoor carousel (which was a bit boring as was only a brick building). After the ride we took the kids for a short look into FAO Schwarz again (huge toy store that we went to last time) and then caught the subway back downto 34th street where we had dinner at the Tick Tock diner again. After dinner Fred bought a beautiful leather ¾ length coat for $129!!! Then our last look at the frantic busyness of a New York city street with the Empire State building wreathed in mist & rain in the distance, before heading down into the bowels of thesubway to our final return trip to the hotel.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tourdev/1/1258765442/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tourdev/1/1258765442/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tourdev/1/1258765442/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:22:58 -0500 tourdev's Great Adventure

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Washington DC, District of Columbia, United States

Finally, another much needed break in a good city. After our last week, we were certainly ready for some time off in a good city. And this was a great weekend.Our hotel was in a great part of the city, within walking distance to Georgetown and 3 minutes from a Metro stop. By far our best location yet. We stayed at the George Washington University Inn, since that was the venue we were performing at on Monday. The hotel was very nice... and even better, I ended up in a suite. They didn't have 4 double rooms on the same floor, so they gave us 1 suite at the same rate. They didn't even tell us. One the other pairs was supposed to be in that room, but neither was staying there, and one of the guys asked me if I could put his bag in the room. So, I said sure, and then I walked into this amazing room. Needless to say, I went downstairs and swapped rooms. After all, I get some perks for being the stage manager, and neither of them were using the room that night. It was amazing!!! It had a full service kitchen with all the supplies you could need. We went to Trader Joe's and had a feast for the weekend, including making great breakfasts :)The first day we arrived, before the discovery of the glorious room, my roommate and I walked around Georgetown and had Indian at the first affordable restaurant we could find. It was okay... not as good as India Quality (which I can't wait for), but okay. Then we discovered the room and went shopping.On Sunday, we ventured out into the city to play at the museums. We went to the Smithsonians and hit a couple of those, and then we spent the majority of the day in the National Gallery. It was wonderful. I found a new Rodin that I love called Morning. For those of you who don't know, Rodin is probably my favorite artist of all time. His sculptures have a life and beauty to them that I simply adore. They speak to me in ways that no painting really has.D.C. was the perfect break I needed... now if I could just get to Boston, all will be great :)
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/farrahfig/1/1258765035/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/farrahfig/1/1258765035/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/farrahfig/1/1258765035/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:08:53 -0500 Farrah Fig, World Traveler: Mission Central America

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San Pedro La Laguna, Western Highlands, Guatemala

Another plagerized blog from Jaime, who somehow stays so much further ahead of me with this stuff!!!Goodbye Antigua, hello Lake Atitlan! San Pedro looked alot different in the daylight, that´s for sure. We got our bearingsdown pretty fast seeing how small the town is, the main touristy partis closer to the shore of the lake and consists of narrow walkways andalleys that are lined with restaurants and little tiendas. The mainpart of town where all the locals live and conduct business is up aHUGE steep hill away from the lake´s shore.&nbsp; We meandered up that waybut there wasn´t much to see so we wandered back down to find ourfriends, Aviv and Oron, who were staying a hostel around the cornerfrom ours. San Pedro is like a mini-Israel for some reason, and we´renot sure why, but there is no lack of falafel in the town! You know thesaying, ¨when in Rome...¨so we found our friends (who happen to beIsraeli) and treated ourselves to some Falafel for lunch..it wasde-lish!&nbsp;That night our other friends from Antigua, Kiel and Dasi,arrived- a mini-reunion! Everyone came over to our hostel&nbsp;to hang out.We didn´t do&nbsp;much of anything but somehow sat around the table talkingfor 4 hours!&nbsp;&nbsp;San Pedro is pretty slow-paced town, and it was nice tojust relax with friends and not feel pressured to go out andparty...besides I was still sick at this point.&nbsp; Well..we were both sick...I was coming up hill and Jaime was rolling down. <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.xlarge.1.1258079593.me-and-jake-at-the-hostel.jpg?1258082453" alt="me and Jake at the hostel" width="214" height="285">me and Jake at the hostel Thenext morning Jake made us some scrambled eggs to compliment our freshlybought pan de banana and pan de coconut, which turned out not to be sogreat. There are 3 or 4 different bread ladies who&nbsp; get up in themorning to bake all different types of bread: banana, chocolate andbanana, coconut, carrot, cinnamon- you name it, she´s got it. And theywalk from hostel to hostel with their breads all packed in a basketwhich is carried on their heads all the while shouting ¨pan de banana,pan de coconut, pan de chocolate...¨over and over again. If they askyou once they ask you a million times, and after one day of it itbecame a huge joke amongst all of us! One day she even let Farrah and Itry balancing her bread basket on our heads! I don´t know how they doit...they must start practicing at a young age because it isdifficult!. Seriously hard.&nbsp; They must have super posture or really flat spots on their heads!&nbsp; Anyways, after breakfast we hopped in a tuktuk and headedto San Juan, the neighboring town to San Pedro. It´s even smaller andthere is even less going on there, but we did get to walk through thetown cemetery which was very neat.&nbsp; They had just recently celebratedthe Day of the Dead (the day after Halloween) so there were remnants ofdecorations and bouquets of flowers strewn over the headstones andtombs. It was a little eerie, I must say, but it was neat to see adifferent type of cemetery. We were planning to hike the Indian Nosefor sunrise the next morning so we called it an early night seeing thatwe had to set the alarm for 230am to catch the bus!The Indian Nose is a popular hike in the area due it´s viewpoint of the lake, especially at sunrise.It´s called the Indian Nose because from down below, the mountains areshaped like a sleeping Indian if looking at him from the side, his nosebeing the highest point. Agencies will try to see you a tour to theIndian Nose but we had heard from other travelers that you can do itwithout, so that´s what we opted for. Our group consisted of me,Farrah, Jake, Sophie, Gustav &amp; Anna (a couple from Sweden). We tookthe first chicken bus out of town towards Santa Clara, which left atapproximately 3:30am. It took us about an hour to reach SantaClara&nbsp;where we were dropped off on the side of the road with no senseof direction and no clue as to where to hike. We walked a few yards andfound a trail that led to a nice lookout over the lake but we knew thatwasn´t the Indian Nose, so we searched for about 45 minutes andeventually decided to perch on the lookout and wait patiently for thesun to wake up. The sunrise was gorgeous- we had perfect weather and aneven better view. It turns out that we were somewhere on the Indian´sneck, which was slightly disappointing but it was still worth the earlywakeup call. We caught a pickup back into a town, which is quite acommon form of transportation in Guatemala. The only way I know how todescribe it, is it´s like a dangerous amusement park ride but REALLYfun! This would NEVER fly in the States!!&nbsp; We got back to town around 830 and grabbed some breakfast whichwas shortly followed by a much needed nap. Later that afternoon wewalked down to check out the public swimming pool. <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.xlarge.1.1258079593.more.jpg?1258082470" alt="more.." width="214" height="285">more.. It turned out to be a really chill and relaxed place to hang out with abar and a great music selection. After a few hours lounging by thepool, made our way to the Thermales, which are essentially a bunch ofhot tubs on the lake´s shore that you pay to sit in for as much time asyou want.&nbsp; Farrah and I somehow managed to organize a hot tub sessionwith our group and it turned out to be a lot of fun! We crammed 8 or 9people into a pool for 6!&nbsp; Jaime and I get shit done!&nbsp; It was a great way to spend the evening, butonce the water started to cool off after a few hours, we packed up andheaded to dinner. Lucky for us the place where we decided to eat wasshowing a movie..but not just any movie, the Michael Jacksondocumentary ¨This Is It¨!! I know, it´s lame, but we were SO excited tosee it! Did anyone go see it at home? I thought it was cool to get aglimpse of what his tour would have been like and to see him kind of¨normal¨(I use that term loosely) in a an everyday setting. I orderedPho but it was nothing like Mekong, let me tell you! Man I´m cravingthat right now....&nbsp; I had the Tom Kha and Spring Rolls...where is Madam Mam when you need her???&nbsp; I´m missing me some Madam Mams.The next day we planned a day trip toPanajachel, which is a town just across the lake via an hour boat ride.It´s a bit bigger and thus more touristy, but we were in the mood toshop so we went for it. After walking throught the souvenir vendors,&nbsp;wefound the local market and bought some ingredients for dinner- nothingbetter than a breakfast taco for dinner! We bought our tortillas from alittle stand on the side of the road and actually got to learn aboutthe tortilla-making process. <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.xlarge.1.1258079593.and-more.jpg?1258080459" alt="and more" width="285" height="214">and more All they consist of is corn and water (they can be bland), but theywere so nice and let Farrah and I make some of our own! It wasexciting. And then we got to eat the ones we made. Mmmmm. And the ladies who worked there actually laughed at my tortilla making skills!&nbsp; Talk about feeling two feet tall?!&nbsp; Sidenote/mini-history lesson:&nbsp;a majority of people who live in Guatemala,especially in the highlands around the lake are Mayans. They speak adialect of Mayan first and Spanish second and the women weartraditional dress always.&nbsp;In their religion they believe that man wasmade from corn, hence the&nbsp;multiple corn fields and corn-based productssold in the area. Interesting, huh?&nbsp;&nbsp;After dinner we didn´t do much..Ithink we were still fairly tired from the Indian Nose hike. Fridaywas our last day on the lake so we decided to treat ourselves tomassages. San Marcus, another small town across the lake, is known forit´s holistic culture and numerous massage spas. We decided on amassage that included 4 different types of therapies including energywork, Swedish, reflexology and chiropractic. Our masseuse was Helmut, asecond-generation German- Guatemalan. We agreed on the price for onehour which worked out to be about 20 US dollars. Even though I wentinto wanted a relaxing Swedish massage like my mom gives (the best), Imust say I felt so much better after he was done. He actually crackedmy back and neck and re-aligned me! When he started my right leg was a1/2 inch shorter than my left and after they were even! Wowzers.&nbsp; Double Wowzers!&nbsp; I wasnt entirely sure about a spinal adjustment in Guatemala but it turned out to be good and easy!&nbsp; As Aviv later quoted, the guy says, ¨Breath in. Breath out.&nbsp; Breath in. Breath out.&nbsp; Leave your mouth open.&nbsp; BAMBAMBAMBAM!!!!&nbsp; DON´T MOVE!¨ Terrifying and relaxing at the same time. &nbsp; Andcheap. Overall, I enjoyed our time at the Lake Atitlan, despite the fact that I was still sick (but getting better).It´s really fascinating to be in a culture that is still so alive withtradition, not to mention tradition that is so different from what I´mused to at home. Another side note: they call the people that live inthis area ¨green bellies¨because they eat and grow so many avocados,but they export the rest because you can´t buy one to save your life!And if you do find one to buy, they´re expensive! It doésn´t makesense&nbsp; No sense at all...but apparently they do the same thing with their coffee, theygrow excellent coffee in this region but they export it all so thecoffee they serve in restaurants is rather shitty, in my opinion.Especially compared to Costa Rica and Panama. Alright folks,that´s all I have for you today...sorry the updates are coming lessfrequently (ahem Ma, but I promise I´m doing my best! I´m still alittle behind, but the good news is that I´m well! We´re going to Tikaltomorrow, but I´ll get to that more in a later post...hopefully soon. One week til´ Turkey Day! More Pictures <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.aviv-hard-at-work-drawing-in-my-jounrnal.jpg?1258081181" alt="Aviv hard at work drawing in my jounrnal"> Aviv hard at work drawing in my jounrnal <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.me-and-farrah-in-san-juan.jpg?1258081181" alt="me and Farrah in San Juan"> me and Farrah in San Juan <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.the-dock.jpg?1258081181" alt="the dock"> the dock <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.some-guatemalan-women-and-a-man.jpg?1258081181" alt="some Guatemalan women (and a man)"> some Guatemalan women (and a man) <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.on-the-dock-in-san-juan.jpg?1258081805" alt="on the dock in San Juan"> on the dock in San Juan <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.suicide-dog.jpg?1258081805" alt="suicide dog"> suicide dog <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.the-dock_1.jpg?1258081805" alt="the dock"> the dock <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.gravestone.jpg?1258082483" alt="gravestone"> gravestone <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.tomb.jpg?1258082486" alt="tomb"> tomb <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.mas.jpg?1258082414" alt="mas.."> mas.. <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.sunset.jpg?1258082414" alt="sunset"> sunset <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.more-sunset.jpg?1258082414" alt="more sunset"> more sunset <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.sunrise.jpg?1258666718" alt="sunrise"> sunrise <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.bendy-at-the-sunrise.jpg?1258666718" alt="bendy at the sunrise"> bendy at the sunrise <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.the-cleaning-crew-330-in-the-am.jpg?1258082414" alt="the cleaning crew @ 330 in the am"> the cleaning crew @ 330 in the am <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.almost.jpg?1258666718" alt="almost..."> almost... <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.there-it-is.jpg?1258666933" alt="there it is!"> there it is! <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.and-in-sepia.jpg?1258666933" alt="and in sepia"> and in sepia <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.pondering-life-and-fixing-my-hair.jpg?1258666933" alt="pondering life..and fixing my hair"> pondering life..and fixing my hair <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.something-was-funny.jpg?1258666933" alt="something was funny"> something was funny <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.ridin-in-the-back-of-the-pickup-truck.jpg?1258666933" alt="ridin&acute;in the back of the pickup truck"> ridin´in the back of the pickup truck <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.hot-tub.jpg?1258667086" alt="hot tub"> hot tub <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.hot-tub-2.jpg?1258667086" alt="hot tub 2"> hot tub 2 <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.panajachel.jpg?1258667086" alt="Panajachel"> Panajachel <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.bendy-and-the-dinosaur.jpg?1258667086" alt="bendy and the dinosaur"> bendy and the dinosaur <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.corn-to-make-tortillas.jpg?1258667086" alt="corn to make tortillas"> corn to make tortillas <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.the-tortilla-lady.jpg?1258667239" alt="the tortilla lady"> the tortilla lady <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.the-other-tortilla-lady.jpg?1258667239" alt="the other tortilla lady"> the other tortilla lady <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.getting-a-lesson.jpg?1258667239" alt="getting a lesson"> getting a lesson <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.our-finished-product.jpg?1258667239" alt="our finished product"> our finished product <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.group-shot.jpg?1258667239" alt="group shot!"> group shot! <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.the-lake.jpg?1258667409" alt="the lake"> the lake <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.dirty-water-ew.jpg?1258667409" alt="dirty water, ew!"> dirty water, ew! <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.alleyway-in-san-pedro.jpg?1258667409" alt="alleyway in San Pedro"> alleyway in San Pedro <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.farrah-kiel-and-aviv.jpg?1258667409" alt="Farrah, Kiel and Aviv"> Farrah, Kiel and Aviv <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.me-and-dasi.jpg?1258667409" alt="me and Dasi"> me and Dasi <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/jeridolp/thumbnail.large.1.1258079593.the-ladies.jpg?1258667691" alt="the ladies"> the ladies
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pickmoredaisies/1/1258765066/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pickmoredaisies/1/1258765066/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pickmoredaisies/1/1258765066/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:08:38 -0500 Pick More Daisies's Great Thailand Adventure

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Bangkok, Thailand

"Today has been another good day. We moved out of the Riverview Guesthouse in Chinatown and entered Banglamphu. To do this we headed out to pier 3 as per instruction of the receptionist. Following the instructions this time around went a little bit better compared with last time. I wanted to take a boat trip on the Chao Phraya River anyway. Once we got off at pier 13 we got lost again however. Well, maybe not lost but more disorientated. We walked the same street up and down... and after that up and down again. All this with our backpacks. Lets just say that both Shirls and I were rather hot by the end of it!After finding a place to stay, we headed out to see the Grand Palace which was awesome. (See Pictures)Later that night we explored Koh San Road where we got talking to some other travelers. I remember having one too many Chang beers that evening..."
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/machupicchutour/1/1258741636/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/machupicchutour/1/1258741636/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/machupicchutour/1/1258741636/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:04:12 -0500 machupicchutour's Great Adventure

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Arequipa, Arequipa, Peru

Arequipa OverviewThe Arequipa department is one of the most geographically, culturally, and socially varied of Peru. Main attractions of the department are the city of Arequipa, the Colca Canyon, adventure tourism, and wildlife observation. The city of Arequipa, the second largest in the nation after Lima, is known as the white city. The name comes from the white colour of the city's buildings which are made of a white stone called sillar which comes from the volcanoes in the area. The city is overshadowed by the El Misti volcano which adds to the city's charm. It is the most developed city in Peru after Lima. The Historic centre of Arequipa was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site by the United Nations for it's abundance of baroque colonial churches and mansions, and the Santa Catalina Monastery, a city within a city with cobblestone roads, plazas, and patios. Arequipan cuisine is among the best in Peru and has spread throughout the country and the globe. The Colca Canyon is located 100 miles northwest of Arequipa and is double in depth as the Grand Canyon of the United States. The Cotahuasi Canyon, located nearer to the city but considered less picturesque is the deepest in the Western HemisphereArequipa Tourist InformationThe department of Arequipa is one of various terrains. It begins in the coastal desert and then climbs the Andes, reaching great altitude at the snow covered peaks and at its volcanoes.Arequipa, known as the White City for its beautiful white walls of sillar, a volcanic stone, lies at the feet of the mighty volcanos of Mount Chachani, Mount Misti, and the snow covered peak of Mount Pichu Pichu. The downtown of the city, placed on the World Cultural Heritage list by UNESCO, features Mixed Baroque churches and mansions from the Colonial Period like the Monastery of Santa Catalina, a Spanish city in miniature with stone streets, beautiful patios, and plazas. Sabandía, Tiabaya, and Tingo, located among the large fields, are must see places, and the irresistible Arequipa cuisine is the perfect complement to the visit. Just 3 hours and 45 minutes from the capital is the Colca River valley and canyon, one of the most extraordinary destinations in the country. Throughout the region, you can see colorful pre-Incan agricultural terraces still used today for growing quinoa, corn, barley, and wheat. During the pre-Hispanic era, the department was inhabited by the Collaguas and the Cabanas; today, the inhabitants have learned to conserve their Colonial churches in Yanque, Lari, and Madrigal, and they continue to wear their traditional clothing. You can also do many types of adventure sports in the valley such as mountain biking, trekking, and white water rafting. And, at the Cross of the Condor, you can view the majestic flight of the condors. Other places of interest in the department are the Toro Muerto petroglyphs, the Andagua Valley of the Volcanoes, and the Cotahuasi Canyon..List of Arequipa Tours and Colca Canyon&nbsp; deepest on earth check below :Arequipa tour packagesColca Canyon TourArequipa Classic TourVisit Peru
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fierce4nz/1/1258762663/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fierce4nz/1/1258762663/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fierce4nz/1/1258762663/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:02:07 -0500 fierce4nz's Great Adventure

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Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

We can finally get paid because we got our tax identification number cards in the mail yesterday. We will be dropping off our paperwork at each place that we work now so we can start getting more hours and get on the pay roll. Our long day at work started at 3 yesterday. We were catering a dinner at the convention center for about eleven hours. It was long work on our feet and I was definitely ready to hit the bed when we finally got home. We are pretty lucky we landed this job because most of the time we get to eat any food that is left over. Last night was a buffet style which means there is always food left over to eat. Most of the time it is really good and last night&nbsp;the food&nbsp;was especially good. The minute we are given our break the four of us American&nbsp;girls&nbsp;raced&nbsp;up the stairs of the&nbsp;convention center to get the food. We were lucky last night because two of us got pieces of lamb from the buffet which was really really delicious. It's quite humorous to see us racing our co-workers to get food, but really, being able to eat at work just cuts down our expenses that much more.Today is an extremely windy day in Wellington. The wind always sems to be blowing here, but this morning when Mari and I went grocery shopping, the wind could actually move us. It was incredible. Last week when we were at our temp meeting we actually heard a story about a recent temp worker who got blown into the street of on-coming cars while he was waiting at the cross walk. We didn't believe it, but after the wind today, it seems plausible I guess. We stopped at Wholly Bagels on our way to the grocery store, which is the only bagel place in Wellington. It had decent bagels as far as taste goes, however when we went up to ask how much a dozen would be to bring home to our friends and roomates and found out it was 45 dollars to get our bagel and a package of cream cheese. That pretty much was the end of that generous idea. Mari and I figured paying 45 dollars for 12 bagels was just a wee-bit too generous. Not that we don't like our roommates, but I guess we don't like them 45 dollars worth. Mari is&nbsp;making us some home-made pesto pasta tonight and after that we are going to a staff party&nbsp;for our catering job. We enjoy the people we work with so much so we are really looking forward to spending some time with them outside of the work environment.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jeridolp/1/1258760237/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jeridolp/1/1258760237/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jeridolp/1/1258760237/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:01:54 -0500 Two Backpacks and No Plan

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Lanquin, Guatemala

Lucky you, two updates in 2 days! This is mainly because the Internet here in Flores has AMAZING connections and it takes pictures virtually no time to upload. Added to that, Belize, our next destination, charges about 7 US dollars an hour for Internet- YIKES! So I´ll most likely be off the grid while we´re there. Any-who, our next stop after the lake/San Pedro was Semuc Champey, about a 13 hour bus ride away! Semuc Champey is an area in the mountains with caves and rivers that is great for hiking and any sort of river activity you can think of. The closest place to stay is Lanquin, a sorry excuse for a town- harsh, but true. So that´s where we turned up at 1030 at night after traveling ALL day only to find out that our hostel was over-booked! We somehow got a ¨mattress¨to sleep on up in the attic which suited us at the time because we were tired beyond words by that point. We ended up getting some decent sleep, surprisingly and woke up the next morning ready to start our activities. First one up: tubing down the Rio Cahabon. This was nothing like tubing down the James, for starters, the river didn´t smell like shit upon entering the water and secondly, it only took about 45 minutes to float almost 2 miles! The water level was HIGH due to the recent rain, but it made it tons of fun along the way. Noah, one of the hostel dogs, tagged along and swam almost the whole way...the time that she decided not to swim, she jumped up on Farrah but only stayed for a few minutes before she decided to jump off..and in doing so, flipped Farrah off her tube causing her to dislocate her shoulder! Kind of a big deal when you´re heading towards rapids! Thankfully she got it popped back into place and we continued on our float, but we were scared for a few seconds there. After the float we took a (very short) walk through town and covered all the bases in less than 20 minutes. Other than a daily market, there´s not much to the town. So we spent the rest of the evening relaxing.&nbsp; The best part about the hostel-well, there were two..the first was the awesome selection of music constantly playing, and the second were the showers. They were completely open to the mountains-no screen, no nothing (like yours in SC Dargan!). The next morning we booked a tour to Semuc Champey, only 10 KM down a very bumpy road. There were about 8 of us going from the hostel, a reasonable sized group with some fun people. After riding in the back of a pickup truck for about 30 minutes, we arrived at the park entrance where Otto, our guide, promptly secured all the flip-flops in the group with string for our expedition into the caves. We said goodbye to daylight and hello to the darkness and COLD cold water around 10am with just a candle to light our way. It was adventurous to say the least. There were opportunities to repel and climb up a waterfall, jump from about 3 meters into a pool of water and a chance to slide through two rocks and drop into a pool below- none of which I did! Are you kidding me? Call me a wuss, but there are no safety regulations and that last thing I wanted was to get seriously injured in Guatemala...besides, wading through th dark waters of the caves was adventure enough for me! After the caves we walked up a ways to a section of the river where waterfalls meet a rush of water exiting a tunnel. We scaled the side of a rock up to yet another cave and from there, walked across a waterfall (stop freaking out mom) and over to a set of rocks where upon we had the option to jump from. No, I didn´t jump, but almost half of our group did and it looked like loads of terrifying fun! Instead, I reverse-scaled the rock back down and swam across the river back to the safety of shore. I´m not one that´s much for jumping off of things that are more than a few feet and this was about 12m high (36 feet)- no way Jose! Our next activity was a little more low-key: another float down the river.&nbsp; This one was even shorter and much more rewarding because on the way down, we floated past our friends, Aviv and Oron! They had checked into a nearby hostel and happened to be relaxing by the river when we floated by, how serendipitous! So we chatted with them and made plans to move over to their place the next day. Then it was time for a quick lunch, and back to activities, activities, activities- I´ve never felt that a tour was so worth it´s money than this one!After a quick lunch break we hiked up the El Mirador, which is a breath taking outlook of Semuc Champey, or at least the part where our tour took place, which was only about a 1/4 of a mile of the river. The natural pools are part of a natural bridge over the river that is created by a huge tunnel that runs underneath. The river flows ferociously through this tunnel and exits near the waterfalls that members of our group had jumped&nbsp;from earlier in the day. I know it must sound kind of confusing, sorry! You should just come down here and see it for yourself! Anyways, so the hike nearly killed us as it was almost completely vertical for about 30 minutes, but it was well worth it..and afterward we got to hike down to the pools! They are crystal clear and WARM, unlike the water in the river. There are 3 or 4 main pools connected by mini-waterfalls and are all easily accessed. We swam through them all until we reached the edge of the natural bridge and guess what- there was ANOTHER waterfall, this time it was even bigger! Maybe 15m or so. Only 3 guys jumped from our group while the rest of us watched and offered our support. It must have been quite the adrenaline rush because 2 of them did it twice! Farrah and I were like ¨no way in HELL!¨After the jumping was over, we swam back through the pools and up towards the river bank where our bags were located. It was about 330pm at this point and we had experienced a total of 6 hours of nonstop adventure! The tour cost around 20 bucks including entrance fee to the park and transportation. Something similar in the US would have been well over a 100 dollars PLUS you would have had to sign a waiver in case anything bad happened to you. So overall it was an awesome experience, it was probably the most beautiful river I´ve ever seen and the caves were just too neat for words at this point (I´m really tire, fyi, so I´m sure I could think of words otherwise, hehe). We were completely wiped out the next day but somehow managed to move our stuff from our hostel to Avai and Oron´s. After we got settles. we spent the day lounging by the river on the rocks reading and doozing off in the sun. It was perfect. The four of us made plans to take a shuttle to Flores (another 7 or 8 hours away) the next day and hit Tikal, so we relaxed and took in the scenery for an afternoon and got to appreciate all the experiences we´ve had thus far. It´s nice to reflect and even though I´m on vacation, it´s still easy to take things for granted and difficult to really live in the moment. But I´m getting better at it, day by day. Hope you enjoy the pics, don´t expect another update for a while. I´m in Flores now and saw Tikal today, but I don´t think my fingers can handle writing about it in this same session. Miss you all So much and PLEASE eat A LOT of food for me on Thanksgiving!XOXOXOPS I also didn´t re-read this one for editing, hope it all makes sense!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robontour/1/1258708786/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robontour/1/1258708786/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/robontour/1/1258708786/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:01:24 -0500 Rob's sabbatical 2009

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Cairns, Queensland, Australia

I've spent the past couple of days in Cairns (it actually sounds like 'Cans' when Australians pronounce it!) following my flight from Christchurch into the haze of Brisbane, then a 2-hour internal flight from Brisbane up to Cairns.The first thing that struck me about Cairns was the weather - warm, wet, humid - tropical to say the least.I think the highlight of my time here has to be the journey to the Great Barrier Reef by helicopter (passing both Fitzroy and Green islands) and of course the time on the reef (called Moore Reef) itself, which was amazing for the views both above and below the water. I managed to get some pictures from the helicopter travelling out to the reef - albeit nearly losing the camera out of the window a couple of times!I must have spent at least 2 hours snorkelling and viewing the coral and marine life in clear blue waters. Proudly,&nbsp;I managed to avoid attracting any jellyfish (though I did see a few in the distance) or predatory marine life, though I was slightly startled when a metre-long humphead wrasse approached me from my blind side!! Take&nbsp;a look on Google images for a picture of one. There were plenty of fish about 30cm in length and very slim that looked like mini-swordfish and lots of other vibrantly coloured fish - which sadly I'm completely ignorant of the names of!After a good couple of days here in Cairns,&nbsp;I'm off to Townsville later today to watch some more 'A' League 'soccer' when Robbie Fowler's Queensland Fury take on the might of the Central Coast Mariners...
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meluebke/1/1258764430/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meluebke/1/1258764430/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meluebke/1/1258764430/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:55:35 -0500 Megan's Up With People Adventure

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Hamburg, Germany

Hello dedicated blog readers :)I just wanted to let you know that I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth. We arrived in Hamburg, Germany today and I just went out with my 22 year-old host sister/host mom. Yes, that's right. My host "family" is an awesome 22 year-old girl (not really a "girl" but typing the word "woman" seemed awkward) named Kathrin. We had a great time and met up with Therese (Sweden) and her host sister. We went to a huge amusement park called "Dom", which is only open 3 times per year, and rode on this huge ride that spun and twirled and twisted Therese and I around for about 8 minutes.How do I know it was 8 minutes?I filmed the whole thing on my camera!&nbsp;This blog will be short because I'm exhausted. We're baking Christmas cookies tomorrow and then going out to see Hamburg. Thus, I must go to bed!I hope you all are well :) I'll write a long blog tomorrow about Berlin and my first night in Hamburg. Get ready for lots of pictures!Love to all,Megan&nbsp;
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1258162740/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1258162740/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1258162740/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:53:51 -0500 Amazing Thailand!: Courtesy of Thai Airways & Tourism Authority of Thailand

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Sop Ruak, Chiang Rai, Thailand

To arrive at the Four Seasons Tented Camp, you must drive to a point at the river and meet hotel staff who will then take you by speed boat. It's quite an exhilarating ride. There wasn't much wild life to see, but you can see farmers on both sides of the river tending their crops.We were greeted at the dock and relinquished our life vests to climb the stairs to the lucky gong. We each had to strike it three times before ascending the rest of the stairs. When everyone made it to the top, we were given some iced lemongrass green tea as a refreshing treat while Sanjay told us about the resort.It has only 15 air-conditioned tents that are made to accommodate two people each. While the resort is designed for adults, they will allow older children to stay there upon request. The resort is set up for all-inclusive packages starting for three nights. The packages include your "tent", food and drinks, arranged activies, elephant training and excursions, a spa treatment and transfer to and from the Chiang Rai International Airport.If I were staying there, I think the Burma Bar Lounge would be a favorite spot to hang out. It overlooks the river and seems as though you've taken a step back in time. It was also quite fun taking the Range Rover to the lounge, because it was just like being on the Indiana Jones ride without the swooshing darts and fireballs.We got to explore the Elephant Tent which was lovely. It looked very comfortable and was my kind of tent. There wasn't anything rustic about it. It even had two massage tables on the deck, not to mention a beautiful view of the river and roaming elephants. After a quick tour of the restaurant, wine cellar and pool area, they rushed us back to the speedboats. You see, the border closes at dusk. The border is the middle of the river. There is no going in and out of the Tented Camp once the sun is down. Not only did they need to get us out, but they had to get back! It was close.The Tented Camp is a beautiful place.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pickmoredaisies/1/1234644978/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pickmoredaisies/1/1234644978/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pickmoredaisies/1/1234644978/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:52:37 -0500 Pick More Daisies's Great Thailand Adventure

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Bangkok, Thailand

"The flight went well. Plenty of things to entertain me for 11 hours although dozing off was my favourite passtime. I dont think could really call it sleeping...I watched 2 movies, one of which called 'The Boy With The Striped Pyjama's' which I really liked and almost made me cry. Embarrasing when the hostess wants to serve you your food...Played interactive games such as 3 in a row etc. Very unsuccesfully I may have to add!I felt really excited/nervous getting out of the plane and I am ever so proud of my first ever stamp in my passport.Bangkok seems to be a very interesting city. Its seems to be ever so poor but at the same time really rich. As a result many shabby little tin houses next to near enough sky scrapers. Bizarre!We took a bus to the trainstation (Hua Lamphong) as this was near our reserved accommodation Riverview Guesthouse. Whilst on the bus we got stuck in traffic due the sheer volume and a smallish car incident which happened right in front of us.When we reached the train station we got into a phuk-phuk which was quite an experience. At one point I really thought the driver was going&nbsp;to kidnap us or something! He took us through&nbsp;little tiny allyways and it all felt a little bit dodgy. When he stopped I was unsure what to do... But I knew everything was fine as he pointed with his finger towards the sign of the guesthouse. He insisted on using his services again and thus gave us his mobile number which we -might- use tomorrow.The guesthouse has 8 stories of which the top one is a bar + terras. It has a great view over the river and a various buildings. To think about the fact that its stunning on the 8th floor of a cheap guesthouse, I can only dream about what it would look like out of the penthouse suite of the Hilton Hotel (one of the buildings we can see). Then again, not really that bothered. After all, its all relative.Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. Woohoo!"
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/marcmsm/4/1258700609/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/marcmsm/4/1258700609/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/marcmsm/4/1258700609/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:50:24 -0500 Australia, The Siberian way...

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Port Augusta, South Australia, Australia

On the Drive south then to Port Agusta we stopped off at lake Hart where some land speed records had been attempted, it’s a salt lake right in the middle of the desert and reminded me very much of Bolivia… big load of white in the middle of a brown desert. Upon getting into Port Agusta the temperatures had hit 46 degrees, a heat wave and you could just feel ur skin burning as soon as you walked in it…. Never mind its just horrible air to breath in anyway, Still had time to hit the water tower lookout and the Arid botanical gardens which was quite funny… The gardens arent really garden… its basically desert&nbsp; with a few walking tracks. But a pretty nice town anyway, And camped up a little south in a campsite for the night with only a short distance left to Adelaide.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/marcmsm/4/1258700508/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/marcmsm/4/1258700508/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/marcmsm/4/1258700508/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:49:33 -0500 Australia, The Siberian way...

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Coober Pedy, South Australia, Australia

The next stop was Coober pedy in the Opal fields. Its pure desert and fuck all grows but right there in the middle of the desert is a dirty mining town where over 50% of the population live underground. The town looks more third world than 1st but its loaded. Opal stones are worth a fortune and lie beneath the sandstone in the town. Veins of opal run through peoples houses campacted in the sandstone where once was ocean millions of years ago. The houses that are underground are cool and avoid the heat, people can pretty much build them… or dig them rather as big as they want… The joke goes that when they have someone visiting they just dig out a new room…. Literally…. Some people get lucky then and find valuable opal right in there home. Visited the Oldtimers mine right in the town centre which was full of history and really informative. Went into possibly the worlds only underground catholic church… had a word with the boss…. We checked in then to the Opal camping ground and hit the saloon bar then for happy hour… Some right strange looking kinda in breed people knocking about here.. I think all the sun goes to these miners heads. But all good.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/marcmsm/4/1258700457/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/marcmsm/4/1258700457/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/marcmsm/4/1258700457/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:48:53 -0500 Australia, The Siberian way...

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Kings Canyon, Northern Territory, Australia

After the time wasting it was on the road for the Kings Canyon 300km to the north… more heat and nothing like a 6km walk then over the canyon rim. The canyon is stunning and is full of amazing views along with an oasis at the bottom of the Canyon. The walk is almost as much of an effort as it is to carry all the water you need for along the way. The walk starts off with a steep climb and includes bridges and ladders along the way and finishes with a steep desent. Back on the road again a few hundred km away to the stuart highway and into the Kulgera roadhouse for petrol and a 6 pack…. What was funny here was you had to show ID and sign a form saying the booze was for you only and that you weren’t going to sell it or give it to any aboriginals down the road….lol… Anyway stopped for the night at the state border.
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