TravelStream™ news feed for member andanddan on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/andanddan en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sat, 31 Jan 2009 04:46:22 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1075602600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1075602600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1075602600/tpod.html Sat, 31 Jan 2009 04:46:22 -0500 Andrea and Dan's Round The World Adventures 2003/2004

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Chihuahua, Mexico

From being dropped off at the central bus station a few kilometres outside of the city, we embarked on a break-neck local bus journey into the centre. Traffic here in Mexico is absolutely crazy - no-one/everyone seems to have the right of way and horns are constantly blaring. Each time we stopped at a junction, we nervously watched smoke rise up through the gearstick - we were constantly in fear of blowing up! Somehow, we made it in unscathed!

With an hour or so of daylight left, we ventured into the centre of Chihuahua to the Plaza de Armas and had a look at the Cathedral. We then spent some time catching up with the travelogue and emails before eating. This turned out to be somewhat of a fiasco as our waiter complicated matters by trying to communicate to us in English, which we didn't understand. He said something like 'The grate is down,' which made no sense to us, as all we wanted to do was order a couple of beers and our main course. After much 'to-ing and fro-ing' he eventually emerged with a friend who spoke better English and asked for our order, which we gave him in Spanish, laced with an incredulous tone. When we were finally served, it transpired that we were given a 'Mexican Combo' for one, between us, despite asking specifically for it to serve two!

Following the Lonely Planet's guide on night-life, we hastily retreated to a 'popular' cafe/bar and had another quesadilla each and looked forward to some entertainment. Unfortunately, this was not exactly forthcoming, even though it was a Friday night. We tried another 'popular' venue, and were again met with an almost empty bar. Perhaps we were out too early. With such success as we had experienced during the evening, we decided to call it quits and return to our motel.

In the morning, we had a welcome, leisurely breakfast, but were soon gripped by stomach pains. Making full use of the cafe´s facilities and then racing back to the motel, we managed to survive 'Montezuma's Revenge', but did not relish the thought of another 6 hour bus journey. With this in mind, we fortified ourselves with Pepto-bismal, and prayed...

Dan and Andrea
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1075773660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1075773660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1075773660/tpod.html Sat, 31 Jan 2009 04:39:30 -0500 Andrea and Dan's Round The World Adventures 2003/2004

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Torreon and Zacatecas, Mexico

The bus journey to Torreon took a little longer than the six hours it was supposed to, but we're getting quite used to it by now and were quite happy reading and drinking in the scenery. After the morning`s episode we were both extremely relieved to discover that the toilet on board this bus wasn't locked for once, and even more relieved that neither of us had the need to use it anyway!

Upon arriving at the bus terminal in Torreon we had the choice of catching a taxi into the centre of town about 6km away, or simply staying at the hotel we spotted near the bus station. Due to the fact that it was already 9pm (we crossed a time zone on the way) and we were continuing our journey southwards the next morning, we settled on the latter option and decided to forego our opportunity to explore the city. After a quick snack we had a fairly early night, huddling under the flimsy covers to keep warm.

We eventually managed to give up the sanctuary of our bed the next morning, about an hour after Dan had put the fire on to warm up the room to a reasonable temperature. Then once we'd bought a few snacks for the journey, we were back on board another bus - this time en route to Zacatecas.

Unfortunately we both finished our books on this trip and are fast running out of English reading material! So we had to settle for watching 'The Runaway Bride' - the first film of the journey that wasn't in Spanish. Having wound our way up into the mountains, we pulled into Zacatecas around 6pm. We transferred on to a local bus for the town centre and pretty much guessed where to get off (having already earmarked the hotel we wanted to stay at - courtesy of our trusty guidebook). Luckily we weren`t too far off the mark and didn't have to walk far before we spotted the Maria Conchita Hotel.

Whilst I thought our room was okay (certainly better than the rooms we spent the first few nights in Mexico in), Dan really didn't like it because it had no natural light. So we didn't waste too much time before going straight back out and having a wander into the town centre of Zacatecas. After a meal at one of the many restaurants to choose from, we came back and had a fairly early night.

We were awoken around 3am to the sound of a television blaring in the room opposite ours. Attempting to get the occupants to turn it down slightly, Dan knocked (and then banged) on their door - no answer. There was no-one at reception to complain to and even phoning the offending room had absolutely no effect (we could hear the phone ringing but no-one answered). An hour later, and desperate for some peace, Dan sneaked down the corridor to the fuse box, where he 'accidentally' tripped one of the switches...silence at last!

It was a great feeling to wake up the following morning and know that we didn't have to catch a bus - we had the whole day to do as we pleased - bliss! After a long lie in, we walked into the central plaza and had coffee and cake at the highly recommended Cafe y Neveria Acropylis. We wandered up and down the main street, Avenue Hidalgo, taking photos of many of the historic buildings as we went. Then we began climbing the winding streets up towards the entrance of the 'Mina El Eden' (the old mine for which Zacatecas is famed). I'm not sure if it was an effect of the high altitude (approx 2,500m) or simply the result of too much beer and junk food over the last few months, but both Dan and I struggled more than usual as we negotiated the steep inclines!

Glad to have made it to the entrance, we took a guided tour of the mine, where up until the 1950s gold, silver, copper, zinc and iron were all mined for. Despite not being able to understand a lot of our guide´s commentary, we still found it quite interesting and were pleasantly surprised at what we could pick up!

A short walk up the hill led us to the 'Teleferico' (cable car) which we took up the Cerro de la Bufa (the rock-topped hill that dominates Zacatecas to the northeast). Once we had taken in the great views of the city, we embarked on another exhausting, although short, walk further up to see the equestrian statues of the victors of the battle of Zacatecas that line the top of the hill. By the time we'd wound our way back down the hill via a series of twisting and turning back streets, we were both tired and starving.

Feeling refreshed after a much-needed late lunch, we continued our walk around the city. We strolled through a few of the parks (which are more like a small collection of trees and shrubs within a concrete 'plaza') as opposed to the grassy lawns that we are used to, although they still provide a shady respite from the hustle and bustle of the busy streets. We ended our 'tour' with a look at the old aquaduct which stretches across the south of the city.

We both thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Zacatecas - it was such a welcome relief to have a day off from travelling and we agreed that it was the prettiest place we had visited so far in Mexico.

Andrea and Dan
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1067278740/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1067278740/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1067278740/tpod.html Thu, 08 May 2008 15:17:52 -0400 Andrea and Dan's Round The World Adventures 2003/2004

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Brisbane, Australia

Our journey down from Townsville to Brisbane (via Rockhampton again) gave us the opportunity to witness a couple of natural phenomena along the way. Firstly, we drove right past a tornado (albeit a small one) whipping up dust and debris as it spun its way across a roadside field. Our second experience was a little more worrying - we drove right through a bush fire, with the road acting as a break, keeping the conflagration to just one side. Having no means of communication, there was nothing we could actually do, and in fact, the fires are a necessary natural process to which many plants and trees have adapted to.

Once in Brisbane, we had quite a rush to locate our backpackers hostel and settle ourselves quickly in before heading to the Suncorp Stadium to watch the Scotland versus USA Rugby World Cup game. The match was played in front of a predominantly Scots supporting crowd and the atmosphere was very jovial. A piper in the crowd was cautioned by the police (we don't know what for), much to the mock anger of the remainder of rugby supporters. In response to the lighthearted booing, the policemen gave up with theatrical shrugs and arm-waving, gaining a massive cheer. Shortly after, the now obligatory 'Mexican Waves' began, and it seemed that there was not too much emphasis being put on the outcome of the game (of course, Andrea was delighted Scotland went on to win!).

For the next part of this entry, I will attempt to offer a summary, rather than detail our daily exploits, as we have been here for about a week now, enjoying doing nothing much!

We washed and cleaned the campervan before returning it the next morning* and wandered around the city to orientate ourselves. Having seen a few sights, we visited a couple of watering holes and checked out the 'Big-Screen' set up outside the Performing Arts Centre for the rugby. We have spent much of the week down there on the South Bank, happily sitting outside, beer in hand, watching the matches on a huge screen, that any cinema would be proud of. It is a superb venue for the occasion, especially as when the sun begins to set and the neon lights become reflected in the river, it really does look lovely. Each night at this time we have been treated to the spectacle of the large fruit-bats flying right overhead after circling the trees and skyscrapers of the city.

We have also been very lucky with our accommodation (The Brisbane Backpackers Resort) as we have an ensuite double room with tv! Downstairs, the hostel has a bar with very cheap beer (and great value, decent food) and a big-screen, so if we didn't fancy the walk into town, we were able to watch the rugby there. We were lucky enough that during one of our trips into the city centre, we were present for an informal PR chat with four of the All-Black players before their game with Tonga. Each one spoke a bit about themselves and their position and thoughts on the World Cup, treating the assembled crowd to an enjoyable insight into the team.

Needless to say, we have therefore been enjoying a very lazy time of it, both around the hostel and in the parks of the city. One place in particular has impressed us both, and that is the artificial 'lagoon beach', just a short walk from the giant screen on the South Bank. As Brisbane is a way inland and as a result has no natural beaches, the powers-that-be have built a lovely outdoor pool (in fact number of pools), surrounded by tonnes of imported sand. The overall effect is a very pleasant and natural one and is serving the city's residents and tourists excellently. The whole area of this part of the city is landscaped beautifully and is a real draw if you wish to escape the hustle and bustle of the city centre.

*We hired this van from Travellers AutoBarn, but would strongly recommend that prospective campers would consider an alternative company. Upon its return in Brisbane, we were told we had nothing extra to pay (and received a receipt stating the same), but a day later my credit card was billed for $546. We had signed a $2000 bond previously and the money was taken without our consent. The company charged us for various things in error - eg $100 for cleaning the vehicle, when we had done so ourselves, $250 late charge, when we had telephoned to explain we would like the vehicle for an extra day etc. We are at the moment in consultation with the Office of Fair Trading in an attempt to reclaim the money Travellers AutoBarn has taken deceitfully from us.

Dan and Andrea
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1061044080/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1061044080/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1061044080/tpod.html Mon, 23 Jul 2007 13:50:38 -0400 Andrea and Dan's Round The World Adventures 2003/2004

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Reading, United Kingdom

Well, we are just about ready to leave, although our rucksacks aren't totally packed yet and we are still doing some last minute washing! We've begun bickering already as we can't agree on what to write here (bodes well, eh?).

We are much more excited and less stressed today as we have finally done all we can in preparation for the trip. Unfortunately I didn't manage to sell my car and Andrea was not able to rent her house before we were due to depart, so we would like to say a massive thank you to our parents for picking up the respective pieces.

Another thank you goes to The Fatman who is taking us to the airport later on and helped fuel our desire to travel the world.

Rather than prattling on about nothing in particular, we'll sign off just now and get back to you when we have more interesting things to say. It's Bangkok to start with - my first time in Asia - we are really looking forward to it...

Best wishes to all of you; make sure you keep in touch.

Dan and Andrea
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1061968860/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1061968860/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1061968860/tpod.html Mon, 02 Jul 2007 14:57:39 -0400 Andrea and Dan's Round The World Adventures 2003/2004

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Bangkok, Thailand

Our last day in Bangkok came not a moment too soon for me I'm afraid. I had become continually dismayed and disappointed with the rip-off merchants and liars which were at the forefront of the tourist/service industry. It transpired (and we were quick to realise) that any 'friendly' Thai who happened to be a teacher, pilot or some such profession and offered us information and 'help' was in fact working a scam and trying to eke out money through unnecessary tuk-tuk/taxi rides by telling us an attraction was closed for one reason or another. We heard the same patter, day in, day out which became wearing to the point of rudeness on our part. We just were not prepared to put up with the blatant lies that issued forth from pretty much everyone we encountered.

Well enough ranting - our last day was actually a very relaxing and enjoyable one (although it did become fairly stressful, but more about that later...). We took a Taxi-Meter (the seemingly only safe option) to Lumphini Park - a verdant oasis in the heart of the concrete metropolis, whereby we found a place by the lake to rest our much hassled bones. The park had a very calming influence and soon we were enjoying a chilled afternoon watching the world go by, and quite a preponderance of local fauna! As we sat sipping ice-cold water (and then beer for me!) we were periodically interrupted by a strange bird call from above, but saw no evidence of the winged beast itself.

A Thai family rocked up near to us and started throwing pieces of bread into the lake to attract the fish. Watching, Andrea turned to me asking if they had crocodiles in the lake. I laughed, thinking what an interesting, if mildly dangerous tourist attraction that might be, before asking her why. She said she could have sworn she had seen one, or the tip of it's snout in amongst the fish. I laughed again as I teased her, but she soon pointed out something poking it's head up through the surface, which (she was right) clearly wasn't a fish. On closer inspection, we found her 'crocodile' to be a hungry little turtle, bobbing along to claim some of the bread!

A little later I spotted a large lizard (about 3 metres long from tip to tail) sauntering past us at the lake's edge. I told Andrea and went to zoom in on the fella with my camera. She had a similar idea, but since hers does not have a zoom, she charged closer (bull-like) and scared the thing off before I could claim a decent snap.

We (well Andrea) decided we should take a pedalo ride around the lake, but when we got to the vendors I saw that there were also Canadian canoes available. Harking back to my uni days and our trip in Canadians down the River Wye, I persuaded Andrea to take one of those out instead. We enjoyed, or endured, a half an hour paddle in the blazing sun, steering the canoe around kamikazee Thai pedalo pilots, the odd heron, and a handful of high pressure fountains. It was then that we spotted the daddy of all lizards! He was probably over 4 metres long and hungry-mean looking (ok so he was pretty docile, but it sounds better, doesn't it?). Just on the land by a drainage pipe, he hunkered down, turning away from us. Should we try a take a picture? Would we capsize in doing so? We had to try. Stealthily manouvering our vessel, we silently glided towards him, whispering to each other, Attenborough style. As we drew ever nearer, waiting to get the perfect shot, the little blighter rapidly sped off into the saftey of his pipe without so much as a flick of his tail! Denied.

We returned the canoe shortly afterwards, with Andrea spotting a smaller lizard as we passed under a bridge, and were fairly relieved that we had not tipped over, and had managed to keep all our belongings relatively dry.

Leaving the park, we headed for a nearby skytrain station, which also housed a shopping mall. Having left my camera USB lead behind in England we decided to see if we could purchase one there. Unfortunately not, but a helpful camera shop assistant pointed us in the direction of a nearby Sony shop and we were able to pick up one there. That is where the big stress event began. After the sales guy selected the appropriate lead he took my camera to check that it was compatible. He then set it down on his desk as I proceeded to pay, and did not hand it back to me. Blissfully unaware (as I was so glad to have the cable) we strode out, jumped on the skytrain and went back to the hotel, leaving the camera with him.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon sitting by the indoor pool as the heavens opended, unleashing a torrent on the city. It was an impressive storm, with so much rain! Over dinner (and half an hour before we were due to leave to catch the bus to Phuket) I discovered that my camera was missing. Mild panic ensued as I frantically tore through the contents of my bags. The only explanation that we could come up with, was the correct one, that I had left it at the Sony store. I raced over to reception and got them to place the call for me, where thankfully the guy had my camera safely, which we could go and collect before seven that night. This was at 6.30, from one side of Bangkok to the other, traffic gridlocked, and the rain pouring down (oh, and our bus left at 7 too).

Jumping in the first available taxi, we somehow communicated that we wanted to get to the shop. We had to get there as the next day was Sunday (the shop being closed) and I couldn't handle another two days in the city. Amazingly, we had picked a man supremely confident in his driving ability and that of his vehicle, despite the conditions, with complete disregard for anybody's safety. We literally flew through the stationary traffic, bobbing and weaving better than the Thai boxers we had seen previously.

We pulled up outside the Sony store, James Bond style, with one minute to spare. I raced in, claimed my camera, and raced back to the waiting taxi. We decided to chance it and head back to the station and see if our bus was still there. The journey took forever...traffic was mired throughout, and what would probably have taken us five minutes, took twenty-five. We did not hold out much hope, but rounded the corner nonetheless - to see our bus and the operators still waiting for us. Suitably ashen-faced we stowed our bags and clambered aboard. We had made it.

Then began our 'epic' journey.

We were sold tickets on what promised to be a luxury 'VIP' coach on an eleven hour trip to Phuket. Sounded reasonable. What we did not reckon with was a 50-60 km/h crawl with a lengthy midnight stopover at some roach-infested, fetid 'roadhouse' in the middle of nowhere. We were keen to get back aboard the bus and continue, but the rest of the backpacking passengers rushed to bolt down bowlfulls of luke-warm rice or noodles like a pack of ravenous carrion eaters!

We did eventually recommence the journey at 1am to be blasted out by Justin Timberlake over the coach's speaker system. It was 1am! Andrea and I seethed ever increasingly as this musical pap continued - that boy is so far up his own backside; why does he mention his name in every song, does he have amnesia and have to keep repeating it? As you can imagine, the hours passed slowly.

With intermittent dozing, we travelled on and were woken by the bright interior lights and guess who? Yes, Justin Bleeding Timberlake! We nearly cried.

To hurried shouts of "Get off now," we disembarked and sought our bags, assuming we were at our destination (1 hour ahead of schedule). Planning a quick getaway from the Justin Timberlake fan club, we scooted away to where we thought the town was (all at 5.30am).

Strangely, none of the roads we came across matched those in the map we had of Phuket Town and nobody from the bus was following in our direction. We decided that perhaps we were headed the wrong way and turned around. We passed our fellow passengers, all sitting in the road and on the pavement and thought that they may be waiting for transfers or the nearby hotel to open. We casually strode past and continued down to a more likely looking area. Again, the roads still did not match.

After trudging for almost an hour, it finally dawned on us that we were in Surat Thani - a town remarkable only for it's utter lack of charm and that it was the ferry port for the island of Koh Samui.

We route-marched back to the drop-off point, hoping against hope that we hadn't missed a transfer that we had no idea about anyway. We hadn't. There on the pavement, was the remainder of the passengers, calmly waiting to be shipped on. It transpired that most were in fact heading to Koh Samui, and that we were amongst only a handful travelling on down to Phuket.

Eventually, a little travel agents opened conveniently behind us, and like sheep, we were herded into the shop one by one. Again, much, much, later, we were shepherded onto another bus to continue down to our destination. That is of course, after they tried to sell us extortionately priced hotel rooms "because everywhere is full". Off we set, only to stop at the train station for half an hour to pick up three more passengers who did not arrive (they probably had more sense than to book with this bunch of shysters!).

Another 4 hours or so, and we pulled up on the outskirts of Phuket Town (we did not know this at the time, however). We were tired, hungry and desperate for a drink - but no, our group was expected to sit through more hard-selling tactics in terms of accomodation. Andrea refused point-blank, and we hung around outside, refusing all offers of chairs etc, leaving them in no uncertain terms as to our mood!

Another twenty minutes later and we did actually arrive in Phuket Town. A short walk to the official Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT)(ignoring a tuk-tuk driver who claimed it was 1km away) meant that we could pick up some maps and other useful info.

We learnt a harsh lesson there - although we were taken to a place in Bangkok that had signs saying it was affiliated to the TAT it was in fact just another travel agent, intent on ripping off the tourists. The real TAT were superb and did not try to sell us anything.

All that remained for that day was to get to one of the beaches and pick a hotel. We took a songthaew (local bus) to our chosen resort of Kamala Beach and over 18 hours after we had set off, we had arrived.

Dan and Andrea
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1079979000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1079979000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1079979000/tpod.html Fri, 16 Mar 2007 18:29:27 -0400 Andrea and Dan's Round The World Adventures 2003/2004

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Lima, Peru

We flew out of Panama City on the first 'proper' plane we have been on since arriving in Central America (not before Andrea took advantage of the duty free and stocked up on perfume - I've just resigned myself to smelling!). The flight was a decent one, with episodes of 'Friends' in English and some ok food. Once we had touched down in Peru's capital we made straight for a travel agency to book ourselves onto a domestic flight to Tacna, which would save us about four days of travelling through unappealing towns/cities (we are now desperately trying to fit everything in, with only one month left and need to save all the time we can.)

Once all the red-tape was completed, we boarded a shuttle-bus bound for the Miraflores district of the capital and were dropped off at a recommended hostel. Unfortunately, they were fully booked, so we wandered with our packs for a few hundred metres before finding an excellent place called 'Inca's Palace'. We were given a large en-suite corner room, which was light and airy and complete with dining table and chairs. Once we had settled in, we performed the onerous duty of getting our washing done, whilst simultaneously checking out our surroundings.

Miraflores is quite an up-market area in Lima, and we enjoyed a brief stroll through the park where hundreds of local poems were being exhibited as part of World Poetry Day. Obviously, these were all in Spanish, so our appreciation was somewhat limited! What we did find quite strange as we familiarised ourselves with this new environment was that the Peruvians trade in American Dollars and Nuevo Soles with equal measure and use both currencies interchangeably. We expected that more in Central America (in fact Panama uses dollars as its currency - plus small change in Balboas), but we were both surprised to see the influence of the U.S.A reaching across to this continent too.

Knowing we had (yet another) early start the following morning, we retired fairly early and spent an evening reading and watching tv. We had a fairly arduous journey ahead of us as we were making our way into Chile as soon as we could, in order to complete a circuitous route which would take us into Bolivia and back into Peru after a couple of weeks.

We were unable to check-in straight away at the airport as we had in fact arrived too early! The taxi ride in was much quicker than expected, so we made the most of our time and had a surprisingly decent breakfast at an airport cafe. We were then detained at the security checkpoint as I had unwittingly left my pen-knife in my hand luggage and it had shown up in the x-ray machine. The weird thing was, it must have been there for weeks, as the last time I could remember using it was in Roatan to open some beers. It had travelled with me on two flights, including the previous international one from Panama City. The guard asked me if I was carrying a knife, to which I replied that I didn't think so (assuming it was in my main luggage). He searched my bag at least half a dozen times without finding it, before showing me its outline on the x-ray screen. He started to examine bottles and books in case I was concealing it deceitfully, before I pointed out that it looked like it was in the side pocket that he kept missing. Luckily he didn't have me down as a terrorist and subsequently filled in a form for me to sign so that I could collect the pen-knife when we return to Lima in a few weeks.

With that little drama out of the way, we had some time to kill before we boarded and made the hour's flight South to Tacna.

Dan and Andrea
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1079632500/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1079632500/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1079632500/tpod.html Fri, 16 Mar 2007 18:18:01 -0400 Andrea and Dan's Round The World Adventures 2003/2004

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Monteverde, Costa Rica

Putting certain discoveries behind us, we waited at a bus stop for about an hour for our transportation to Tilaran, forty five minutes away. We were the first to the stop, but found ourselves relegated to the back of the 'queue' as everybody else shoved past us to fill up the seats. We had to walk the length of the bus to the back to stow our packs, so I did not mind too much that we bumped and bashed all those that had pushed us on the way down!

Once at Tilaran, we had another wait of just over an hour, so we spent the time usefully, catching up on the Internet. A three hour journey round winding, dirt-track roads ensued, and by mid-afternoon we had arrived in Monteverde - a small, dispersed settlement in the heart of the rain forest. Traipsing round, down, and uphill, we reached Cabinas Vista Al Golfo and were immediately impressed with the cleanliness of our brand new room. It was a corner room perched on stilts and had two enormous floor to ceiling windows, providing us with sweeping views across to the town and valley beneath us.

We booked ourselves on a 'Sky-Walk' through a section of what we were to discover is termed cloud forest for the following day, and relaxed in our home for the next few days.

Breakfast at the Rainforest Cafe was a pleasant experience, with fantastic home-made toast and typical Costa Rican coffee (highly recommended!).

We were then driven to part of the Santa Elena Reserve and climbed an outdoor spiral staircase to the first of many suspension bridges through the cloud forest canopy. I had still not shaken off my feelings of lethargy, or indeed, dodgy stomach, so we adopted a steady pace, enjoying the fresh air and views. We took probably about two hours to walk just a few kilometres, stopping regularly to view giant centipedes, catch sight of quickly darting birds, or simply to admire the previously unseen perspective of looking down into the cloud forest. Nearing the end of the trek, we were beckoned over by another couple of walkers who had spotted a group of spider monkeys, some way off. We paused to watch the antics of the juveniles for a few minutes, while the older simians huddled disinterestedly from the rain! Before leaving the reserve, we spent a considerable amount of time watching a variety of humming birds coming and going from feeders that had been set up. Andrea felt that fifteen minutes for photos was plenty and went inside for a coffee whilst waiting for the return bus, but I was amazed to learn that I had been poised patiently to capture that 'one decent shot' for almost an hour!

After returning to the town, we ate lunch then made our way out to the Orchid Garden, where the 'World's Smallest Orchid' was purported to have been grown. We paid our entry fee (of three pounds each), were given magnifying glasses and shown a pitiful example of a tiny withered flower on what appeared to be a bonsai tree - that was it, the world's smallest orchid! We were considerably underwhelmed. But it got worse...

Apparently, the blooming season finished a few weeks before our visit and as a result, we spotted only three actual flowers throughout the whole garden. All but one of which was withered and brown. We felt somewhat cheated.

Not wishing to waste any more time, we duly returned our magnifying glasses with looks of incredulity and found our way back to the 'Serpentarium', where we hoped we would have better luck. With only a few minutes to wait before a guided tour, we looked around at some of the snakes nearby, feeling a strong sense of foreboding for the little white mouse in one enclosure.

The tour was interesting and informative, and at the end, interactive - the guide opened the case of a tarantula and passed it round the group. Needless to say, I backed away (so that I could focus my camera sufficiently, of course!). Andrea was one of the first to cradle the hairy beast, and once in her hands, it became quite active - I could cope with the slow docile movements, but didn't want to be too close in case the brute decided to jump!

With the tarantula safely stowed in its case, I had no qualms holding the snake that the guide handed to us next - we've both held snakes before and this one was quite small in comparison. Feeling considerably happier with our tour here, we left the Serpentarium and made our way back to our room.

We were up bright and early the following morning in order to participate in a zip-wire tour of the cloud forest canopy. Once at the Selvatura reserve, we were helped into harnesses and other safety paraphernalia and driven round to the start of what was to be an excellent adventure. Over the next two hours, we were clipped onto a number of pulleys attached to zip-wires, and shoved off to shoot above and through the trees, sometimes at break-neck speeds. We had a fantastic time, and the guys operating the equipment seemed to be enjoying it as much as the customers. It was with great reluctance that we made our way from the final platform and back to base to hand back our harnesses etc.

Once we were relieved of the burden of the equipment we joined the path for another nature trail through the forest. As before, the track wound its way through the variety of cloud forest vegetation and across long suspension bridges above the canopy. On the journey we saw nothing new until right before the end (again) when a big, hairy tarantula ambled along the path towards us! It was the same sort that we had been shown in the Serpentarium, which actually made me feel ok about it. When we approached (I was counting on it behaving in a docile manner) it slowed to a stop and just watched as we took a couple of photos. It was definitely the highlight of the walk. With more humming birds at the end of this trek, I tried again to snatch a picture of one of the larger, iridescent purple species, but with very little success (they tend to be the most wary of the varieties on show).

Before dinner we popped into the 'World of Insects', next door to our cabin. We joined another guided tour in English and were fascinated by the things we were told about the creatures being displayed. Apparently, cockroaches can live for four days after having their heads chopped off - they only die through lack of food! We also learnt that our tarantula friend from before was one of the 'Orange-kneed' variety (the name is pretty obvious, when you see the photo!). The guide was surprised that we had seen one on the path in daylight (not as much as I was, I'll bet!) as like most 'bugs' they are nocturnal. We watched with morbid enjoyment as he threw the tarantula a cricket and instantly four legs shot out, pouching the hapless insect like a test-match slip fielder.

We had chosen to have our last evening meal at 'Morpho's', as it seemed to be the best place in town. As it transpired, so had everybody else. With the queue to get in going down the stairs outside, we decided to go back an hour later - with the same results! Nowhere else appealed, so we joined the hungry patrons on the steps and chatted to the maitre d' in English - apparently, it was not unusual for people to wait upwards of two hours if there was a large group in! Thankfully, we only had to wait forty minutes, and were handed refreshments as we stood outside. We both ate a delicious meal by candlelight, which rounded off an excellent stay in Monteverde.

Dan and Andrea
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1070840700/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1070840700/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1070840700/tpod.html Wed, 06 Dec 2006 13:44:33 -0500 Andrea and Dan's Round The World Adventures 2003/2004

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Kaikoura, New Zealand

After a pleasant journey, we arrived at the pretty coastal town of Kaikoura at around 5.00pm. Our prime reason for visiting Kaikoura was to go swimming with dolphins and seals, so having checked into the YHA we wasted no time in making the relevant bookings. Due to the popularity of the dolphin swimming excursion, we were put on to a standby list and requested to report to the trip's headquarters in town the following morning to establish whether we would be able to go or not.

After a stroll along the seafront and a meal, we found a spot on the rocks just across the road from our hostel and had a few beers while taking in the stunning view of the bay with the hills and snowy mountains beyond. Unfortunately my descriptive abilities fall way short of being able to convey the full beauty of the scene and even the photos we have taken do not do the view justice. Suffice it to say that I would never get fed up of gazing at the superb scenery.

The following morning we checked out of the YHA (it was already fully booked for the next couple of nights) and drove to the other side of town where we checked into Sunrise Lodge (a BBH - Budget Backpackers Hostel). It was a really nice place and felt more like a B&B with the friendly owners Linda and Brad keen to help us make the most of our stay.

To our great relief we learnt that we would be able to go on the dolphin swimming trip later in the day. The excursion began with a video presentation which was designed to educate us about how best to 'act' with the dolphins in order to capture and maintain their interest and hence heighten our chances of interacting with them. Among the tips we were given was to perform plenty of duck dives, to make eye contact with them and to sing as loudly as we could (or make other whiny type sounds) under the water! Dan and I anxiously looked at each other when we were proffered the warning that it was of course completely up to the dolphins if they were interested in us or not and that we could not force them to swim with us. In other words if we didn't spot any it was just tough luck (as with our previous penguin spotting experience).

Once we were all geared up in our wetsuits, headsocks and armed with our snorkels and flippers, we were bused out to two waiting boats. There were about 25 people on each vessel with about eight spectators on each and the remainder all geared up to swim. We sped away from the shore and twenty minutes later were given the signal to don our snorkels and get ready to hit the water as quickly and quietly as we could.

Dan and I could barely believe our eyes, or our luck, when we looked in the direction of our guide's outstretched arm and saw literally scores of dusky dolphins littering the water all around the left hand side of the boat. Just seconds into my swim I began to see masses of dolphins swimming towards me, past me, under me and around me - it was an absolutely spectacular sight and one which I will never forget. It felt like a massive attack on my senses as I struggled to take it all in. After ten minutes or so, the last of the dolphins flipped its tail and sped off into the distance.

We were called back on board the boat and quickly caught up with the playful creatures once again. As soon as we were given the signal, we were swimming straight out towards them once more, again getting an incredible view of the dolphins. Although we weren't supposed to, I couldn't resist stroking one of them as he passed so close by me. Many of the dolphins were happy to swim in circles as you 'chased' them and seemed to need none of the aforementioned encouragement that we were told would be necessary. In fact they seemed to delight in showing-off for their spellbound audience.

We repeated the process of being boated out to a hundred yards or so shy of the pod, swimming out to 'play' with them as long as they remained, and then swimming back to the boat, a total of five times. Each 'play' with the dolphins lasted at least ten minutes so we got a pretty good experience of them.

Once back on board for the last time, we were told that there were approximately 300 dolphins in the pod and I can well believe that from the amount we saw all around us! Apparently they were putting on one of the best shows they had given for weeks. After we had changed out of our wetsuits we were given plenty of time to get photos of the dolphins as they continued to play around the boat. They put on a fantastic display of jumping, backflipping and swimming right up to the boat.

The afternoon had been an amazing experience and was probably the best thing I have done since beginning our travels. The dolphins are gorgeous creatures and Dan and I felt incredibly privileged and lucky to be experiencing them in their natural environment at such close proximity.

That evening Brad took Dan and I, together with a couple of the Japanese girls who were working at the Lodge as cleaners, into town for a few beers. It was a glorious, sunny day and we enjoyed chilling out in a couple of Kaikoura's beer gardens as we recounted the events of the day.

As we checked in for our seal swim the following day, I felt sure that it would be unable to match yesterday's experience. Dan and I were both surprised to find that it was only us and one other girl - Suzanna from Melbourne - on the trip. Vanessa (our guide) drove us out to the 'Seal Swim Kaikoura' base where we, once again, donned wetsuits etc. Unlike yesterday's dolphin swimming, the seal swim was to be a shore based trip.

We walked round to the rocky headland where we could see a number of NZ fur seals lounging around on the rocks just off the coast. As we swam towards them we were warned not to go within 10m or so of them on the rocks as they are quite territorial and can feel threatened, which may lead to them making an attack. However, Vanessa assured us that in the water they are much more relaxed and we would be safe.

Once we had spotted the seals in the water, we swam over to them and then, just like the dolphins the day before, they seemed quite happy to check us out and swim around us. Slightly ungainly and awkward out of water, these animals are sleek and incredibly agile in the sea. At times it seemed as if they would bang right in to us, they swam so close, but at the last minute they'd dive right underneath us.

Looking eyeball to eyeball at a seal (they have huge saucer-like eyes) as you both swim under water is quite a magical experience! This time it was Dan's turn to stroke one of the seals as it swam right past him. We were both quite surprised at just how big some of the males were and when a couple of them started fighting (we were assured afterwards it was just play-fighting) I for one started swimming rather swiftly in the opposite direction - they're pretty powerful looking creatures and very fast!

Although we certainly didn't need any more entertainment than the seals, Dan and I both really enjoyed the whole snorkelling experience. There were plenty of fish to spot and a number of pretty jelly fish (none were dangerous). It was also interesting to see all the kelp and seaweed etc that swayed in the current on the sea-bed.

Once again we enjoyed a terrific afternoon and were delighted that we'd seen so many seals at such close quarters - my fears that the seal swim could never live up to the dolphin swim were unfounded. In the last two days at Kaikoura we had been lucky enough to experience two awesome encounters!

Andrea and Dan
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1065935640/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1065935640/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1065935640/tpod.html Mon, 30 Oct 2006 11:18:39 -0500 Andrea and Dan's Round The World Adventures 2003/2004

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East Coast, Queensland, Australia

The rain continued to lash the windscreen as we headed off in the van after checking out of Main Beach, Surfers Paradise. Intending to visit Australia Zoo, home of Steve Irwin - crocodile hunter, we travelled past the Glasshouse Mountains just north of Brisbane. However, upon reaching our destination, we decided to abandon the idea and drive a little further to Underwater World in Mooloolaba - where at least the inclement weather wouldn't bother us.

Feeling full of confidence, Dan decided that he was going to do a shark dive (we'd read in the guide book that this was possible "for a few brave souls"). So I left him to get kitted out in his diving gear while I checked out the seal show (slightly more my style!). It was really interesting to learn how they get these really clever animals to perform for, and entertain, the public. All the tricks and poses are triggered by very subtle visual cues from the trainer so that during a performance it looks as if the seal is actually responding to a verbal request.

Soon the time had come to go down to the shark tunnel to see Dan's big moment. The large aquarium contained a travelator running all the way around a huge tube of transparent acrylic, which allowed for fantastic viewing of all sorts of sea creatures - most notably an impressive collection of nurse sharks and sting rays. It was fascinating to watch these animals swimming gracefully right over your head.

After dodging pushchairs and screaming kids for over 20mins, I was beginning to think that Dan had come to his senses and decided he wasn't feeling quite so brave after all. At that moment a few pairs of legs appeared on the rocks above me and then seconds later Dan was the first to completely submerge himself in the shark infested tank...

The crowd around me began to jostle to get a look at these 'crazy young men' who were putting themselves right in the firing line of the mean and hungry looking sharks! Standing as still as a statue, as far back against the wall as possible, eyes wide, with hands clasped tightly together (I'm told they were instructed to adopt this position!) I swear that Dan didn't take a breath for a couple of minutes! The crowd watched with baited breath as the sharks inquisitively inspected the latest tasty additions to their territory. After 20 mins or so of sharks weaving around Dan and the other divers, much to the disappointment of the viewing public and to my relief, there had been no unfortunate incidents!

Once reunited with the 'fearless explorer' (he hasn't stopped going on about it since!), we spent the remainder of the afternoon looking around the rest of the exhibits and shows. We especially enjoyed the chance to touch rays, sea cucumbers, urchins and other creatures who were housed in 'interactive' tanks.

By the time we left Underwater World, it had finally stopped raining and the miserable day had turned into a pleasant evening. So with no camp kitchen at our site, we decided to eat out in the pretty holiday resort of Mooloolaba. After checking out a number of restaurants along the beach front we chose Montezuma's, a Mexican resturant, where we ate one of the best meals we've had in a while.

Delighted to wake up to the sun flooding through the van windows, we headed a few miles back down the road to Australia Zoo again. Much of the day was spent watching a selection of animal demonstrations. This included informative talks about, and sometimes the feeding of, animals such as crocodiles, birds of prey, snakes and dingoes. For us the highlight of the day was our stroll through the kangaroo enclosure where we were able to pet the roos who were quite happy to receive the attention. In particular, the dominant male roo lapped up the admiring glances from the public as he reclined in the sun with a look on his face that left you in no uncertain terms who was king of the castle! Having spent the whole day in glorious sunshine as we wandered around, we were both really glad we'd decided to put the zoo trip off a day.

Andrea and Dan
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1073952900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1073952900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andanddan/world_tour_2003/1073952900/tpod.html Wed, 12 Jan 2005 10:32:29 -0500 Andrea and Dan's Round The World Adventures 2003/2004

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Rotorua, New Zealand

We got up early again the following day and drove approx 30km back towards Taupo so that we could see the 'Lady Knox' geyser erupt on cue at 10.15am, as it does every day. The reason for its reliable regularity is thanks to the clever use of soap powder! This is poured into the top of the geyser - previously stuffed with rags to build up the pressure - which serves to decrease the surface viscosity of the water and hence triggers an eruption.

We viewed this event, within the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, together with hundreds of other tourists who all turned up with their cameras poised ready to get a shot of the moment the geyser started performing. Having gained the obligatory shot or two, most people rushed off to get to the front of the queue to look around the rest of the reserve.

Having enjoyed a coffee before heading out onto the 3km walking track around the rest of the thermal attractions, we were pleased to see that the crowds had abated somewhat and we were able to take a leisurely stroll without feeling any pressurse to move on too quickly. Once again we were given a thorough guide map which informed us about each of the collapsed craters, cold and boiling pools of mud and water, and steaming fumaroles that we came across by following a well laid out walking track.

Wai-O-Tapu (Sacred Waters) is associated with volcanic activity dating back about 160,000 years and is located right on the edge of the largest volcanic caldera (depression) within he active Taupo Volcanic Zone. And now for the science bit...beneath the ground is a system of streams which are heated by magma left over from earlier eruptions. The water is so hot (temps of up to 300 degrees have beeen recorded) that it absorbs minerals out of the rocks through which it passes and subsequently conveys them to the surface as steam where they are ultimately absorbed into the ground. The sulphur smell of geothermal areas is actually associated with hydrogen sulphide and the resulting wide range of colours in the area are all natural and are due to different mineral elements.

Despite already visiting our fair share of geothermal reserves, Dan and I were still fascinated by all the sights and felt that this was definitely a 'must-see' attraction. It was so good that I ran out of film half way through! Among the many thermal 'exhibits' were, 'Thunder Crater', 'Devil's Ink Pots', 'Opal Pool', 'Frying Pan Flat', 'Inferno Crater', 'Sulphur Cave' and 'Oyster Pool'.

Probably the most spectacular sight was 'The Champagne Pool'. This contains several minerals which are deposited on the surrounding bright orange sinter ledge and this makes for an amazing sight around the edge of the steaming lake.

Driving out of the reserve we pulled onto a short loop road which took us to the biggest and most impressive mud pools we'd seen yet. Dan captured some great film of the bubbling pools which hissed and exploded quite spectacularly.

After a quick bite for lunch and another Starbucks frapuccino (which is turning into my staple diet) we headed off to the 'Agrodome' to try a bit of zorbing. This can probably be best described as rolling down a hill inside a huge beach ball! As it was such a hot day we were advised to try the 'washing machine' option - once safely trapped inside the zorb a cold water hose is trained on you and turned on for several seconds. Choosing to do our first run in the same zorb, Dan and I clambered in, got hosed down (which was actually very welcome in the stuffy surroundings) and then had to stand up ready for take off...

As the gate was released, we both managed just a few steps of running before abrubtly collapsing in a heap. We then proceeded to thunder down the hill whilst sliding around, completely helplessly, on our backsides - it was hilarious and unlike anything I've ever done before.

Soaked to the skin, but desperate to have another go, we were driven back up to the top of the hill where we opted to try the zig-zag run. Due to the fact that the zorb kept switching direction as it zig-zagged down the hill, we had to go down separately. Both of us agreed that this option was even more fun. As I slid around all over the place, becoming increasingly disorientated, I couldn't stop giggling like an idiot all the way down. Our only complaint was that the experience was over so quickly!

Andrea and Dan
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