cezzah's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries TravelStream™ news feed for member cezzah on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/cezzah en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sun, 24 Aug 2008 14:53:04 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com Its All Over — Swindon, England, United Kingdom http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1219405080/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1219405080/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1219405080/tpod.html Sun, 24 Aug 2008 14:53:04 -0400 Hughesy's gone to the jungle to hug some trees, plant some plants and say hi to the turtles.
Swindon, England, United Kingdom

www.volunteersecuador.comwww.intiwarayassi.org Well folks, that's it, it's all over. The fat lady has sung, the shouting has happened, Roy Orbison is in agreement. Yep, I'm back home in Blighty. It was a bit of a sudden decision, I only booked the flight a couple of weeks ago - I'd hit the travellers wall. I'd got to the point where I simply didn't really want to see another church/museum/view/Inca thing. At that point its time to head home, so I did. The Chimborazo ascent was supposed to be the grand finale, that didn't work out so well so the final week was just spent eating nice food and hanging out in the hostel failing to be able to watch any of the Olympics. Así ha terminado. La dama gorda ha cantado, el gritando ya acabo, Roy Orbison esta en acuerdo. Estoy en mi casa en Blighty. Tome un decisión repentino, reservé la vuelta solo hace un par de semanas - chocé contra la "pared de viajeros", alcancé el punto cuando no gusté visitar algo mas iglesias/museos/vistas/cosa de los incas. Necesité volver a mi casa, así yo hago. Alcanzando la cumbre de Chimborazo, suponía la gran conclusión, pero no podemos. En cambio pasé la última semana en Quito comiendo y intentando ver los juegos olímpicos.  So for the final blog, a short resume of the trip in numbers, my pick of the top 120 photos from the several thousand that I took. (Digital is great, but at times also a curse), and a final message.  Así por mi blog final, un resumen corto sobre el viaje en números. También mi elección de mi 120 fotos favoritos de los miles que tengo. (Digital es increíble, pero a veces también es una maldición). Y un mensaje final.  Distance travelled (very approximately) 25,100 milesDistancia (muy aproximada) - 40.100km Plane/Avión - 13,828miles / 22.125kmBus/bus - 9,806 miles / 15.689kmBoat/barca - 713 miles / 1.141km Jeep/jeep - 625 miles / 1.000kmBike - 63 miles / 100kmCanoe/canoa - 31 miles / 50kmHorse/caballo - 6 miles / 10km Number of nights away - 461 (ish)Numero de noches viajando - 461 Number of places stayed - 71Numero de lugares donde se quedé - 71     Number of nights sleeping on a bus - 16Numero de noches durmiendo en un bus - 16 Number of nights on a boat - 4Numero de noches durmiendo en una barca - 4 Photos taken - 3,000+Numero de fotos saqué - 3,000+ Time taken to view photos on a 2 second slide show - 1hr 40 minutesTiempo necesitaras para ver todas las fotos en presentación de 2 segundos por cada foto - 1 hora 40 minutosTime taken for the 120 favourite photos - 4 minutesTiempo necesitaras para ver los fotos favoritos - 4 minutos Trees planted - hundredsÁrboles he plantado - cientos  Incorrect trees cut down - 3 Árboles incorrecto que corté - 3  Bridges built - 2 Puentes he construido - 2  Bridges still standing - 2 Puentes que ya están en buena forma - 2   Number of times attacked by a big scary jungle cat - 2.5 (once was just in play)Veces que un grande gato de la selva me asaltó - 2.5 (una vez solo estuvo jugando) Volcano climbs (succesful/unsuccesful) - 4/2Numero de veces subí un volcán (exitoso/ sin éxito) - 4/2 Mosquito/fly bites - ∞Picos de mosquitos/moscas - ∞ Footie games played in - 28 (ish)Numero de juegos de fútbol - 28 (aproximado) Footie games scored in - 28Numero de juegos de fútbol cuando he ganado - 28 Number of Jean Claude van Damme films seen on buses - all of themNumero de películas con Jean Claude van Damme vi en buses - todos Number of times forced to sit through "Little Man" - 3Veces debí mirar la película "Little Man" - 3  T-shirts worn - 5Camisetas llevé - 5 Hats lost - 3Sombreros perdí - 3 Number of new scars on body - 5Numero de nuevo cicatrices sobre mi cuerpo - 5 Number of times singing "Jenny from da block" at karaoke - 1Veces canté "Jenny from da block" en karaoke - 1 Number of bus break downs - 2Veces le bus estropearse - 2 Number of bus crashes - 0 (amazingly!)Veces la bus chocó - 0 (no puedo creerlo!)Number of blog visits - >5,000 (thanks mum)Visitas a blog - > 5.000 (gracias mamá)Number of memories - ∞ + 1Veces de memorias -  ∞ + 1  Now, the message: This planet is beautiful, it has some amazing places. I've been lucky enough to see some of them. This planet has amazing plants and animals. I've been lucky enough to spend time with them. This planet has amazing people. I've been lucky enough to meet some of them. We are destroying many of these amazing places. We are losing forever many of these plants and animals. We are ruining the future of these people. It's probably about time we stopped doing all this, and started cleaning up our mess. Some people are trying to do this, they need help. Please help them. Let future generations have the chance to see what I've seen. Over this last year or so I planted mahogany trees because the species is almost extinct in the wild, I planted trees while I could hear chainsaws cutting them down across the valley, I walked a puma who is a member of a threatened species, I saw up close an Andean spectacled bear - there are not many of them left, I cut down blackberry bushes that are killing all the native vegetation on the Galapagos, I saw Lonesome George - the giant tortoise who is the last of his species, I walked on a glacier that will soon disappear, I drove along a road where the rainforest used to be, and drove and drove for hours to reach the forest. We are responsible for all that. Enough now.Just use less of everything. Ahora, el mensaje: La Tierra es bonita, tiene lugares increíbles. Tenía suerte para ver algunos. La Tierra tiene animales y plantas increíbles. Tenía suerte para pasar tiempo con ellos. La Tierra tiene gente increíble. Tenía suerte para encontrar algunos. Estamos destruyendo muchos de estos lugares increíbles. Estamos perdiendo para siempre muchos de estas plantas y animales. Estamos estropeando el futuro por estas personas.  Quizás es la hora paramos destruyendo nuestra planeta, y comenzamos limpiando nuestro porquería. Hay personas que están intentando hacer eso. Los ayudas, por favor. Debemos dar la oportunidad a gente en el futuro para ver las mismas cosas. El ano pasado, planté caobas porque la especie es casi extinta en el salvaje, planté árboles mientras alguien los corta a través el valle, caminé con una puma quien es un miembro de una especie en peligro, vi un oso anteojo - no hay mucho mas de ellos, corté mora - una planta que es matando todas las plantas nativas en los galápagos, vi Jorge Solitario - la tortuga enorme quien es la ultima de su especie, caminé sobre un glaciar que desaparecerá pronto, manejé sobre un carretera donde el bosque lluvia fue, y manejé y manejé por horas para alcanzar el bosque. Estamos responsable por esto. Basta ya.Solo usa menos de todos.By everyone, thanks for reading.Adios todos, gracias por leyendo.
]]> Wheres Uzi? — All around really, Ecuador http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1187720640/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1187720640/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1187720640/tpod.html Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:34:36 -0400 Hughesy's gone to the jungle to hug some trees, plant some plants and say hi to the turtles.
All around really, Ecuador

 Well theres nothing really to report about Chimborazo - we went a few hours up, it snowed too much, we turned back, we spent a night freezing in the refuge. Pants. So in lieu of anything interesting there, play hte new fantastic, wheres Uzi game. See if you can find Uzi in these photos. No prizes, its just for fun and to waste a few minutes in work. Look for the hat...
]]> La Hesperia - The Return — Santo Domingo, Ecuador http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1218314520/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1218314520/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1218314520/tpod.html Sat, 09 Aug 2008 18:27:08 -0400 Hughesy's gone to the jungle to hug some trees, plant some plants and say hi to the turtles.
Santo Domingo, Ecuador

So I went back to La Hesperia for a couple of weeks, ,first, if you havent yet read Cates latest update, I unfortunately have some sad news - Raul and Lolas son Pablo Alberto died a couple of months ago, so understandably they are still grieving and not the same as before. They are both still working at LH but Raul is more part time now and may be leaving soon to work with a Christian group.Volví a La Hesperia por dos semanas,  primero desafortunadamente tengo algo noticia muy triste, hace dos mesas Pablo Alberto, el hijo de Raul y Lola, lo moría. Así Raul y Lola no están los mismos ahora. Aun están trabajando en LH pero Raul solo lo trabaja medio tiempo y podría tomarlo un nuevo trabajo con un grupo cristiano.In happier news,  JP and Alexandra have another son, Joaquin who is about 4 months old now. JP is currently working full-time for the new hydro-electric plant so not around too much. Its fair to say that all these things coming together had a detrimental effect on the reserve but they have recntly hired Walter, who is a forestry engineer, to work there full-time so things seem to be getting back on track.En noticia más feliz, JP y Alexandra tienen un nuevo hijo, Joaquin, tiene 4 mesas. También, JP trabaja por el nuevo sistema hidroeléctrico y no podía pasar mucho tiempo en la reserva. Podías decir que todos eso tenia un mal efecto sobre la reserva, pero recientemente han alquilado Walter, un ingeniero forestal, así las cosas están mejorando.Addressing some of the important questions you my loyal blogees have. The bridge is still standing and in good shape as is the bench. Unos de los puntos más importantes para ustedes. El puente es en buena forma y también el banco.     The veggie garden has recently been expanded and getting back in shape after a bit of neglect. The med and med gardens are looking good with minimal weedage. The lower reforestation area is pretty clean,  though some genius did change all the line markings without reading the all important Snoopy book first.La huerta es un poco mas grande y volviendo en buena forma después un poco faltar a cuidar. Los jardines medicinales y meditación miran buenos con pocos malas hierbas. La área de reforestación mas bajo es bastante limpio, aunque algo genio decidió cambiar todos los marcas para los líneas sin leyendo el libro de Snoopy primero. The upper reforestaion area has been expanded quite a lot and now hosts many hundreds of trees, the campsite is being used to help with this and now even has a proper toilet. El área de reforestación superior es bastante mas grande ahora y tiene muchos cientos de arboles, usan el área de camping por eso, y ahora hay un inodoro verdadero.  The community project building looks good. They are building a new hostel near the entrance that the hydro project will hire completely for workmen. El edificio por la comunidad parece bien. También, están construyendo un nuevo hostal cerca la entrada para trabajadores del proyecto hidroeléctrico.Xica and Benito are still mental and lovely in equal doses running up to me like puppies every morning for their mornign walk. Cyd / Little Baby Goat Face is doing well and growing quickly - though the goats were in trouble last week for getting into the veggie garden and eating half the corn in about 2 minutes. Fluffy the tarantula is still happy living inthe wall. Theres only a couple of pigs and a few pheasants left (you can pretend they are all happy living in a pig andf pheasant retirement community if it makes you feel better). The cows are still gioving milk, the chickens are still giving eggs and Filamone the mule is still giving headaches. Xica y Benito aun están locos y encantadores igualmente, corriendo hasta yo como perritos para la caminata todos las mañanas.   Cyd / Cara Cabra Pequeño Bebe esta bien y creciendo rápidamente - sin embargo las cabras fueron en problemas la semana pasada - comieron la mitad del choclo en la huerta en dos minutos. Fluffy el araña aun vive en la pared. Solo hay un par de chanchas enormes y cuatro faisanes. Las vacas proveen leche, las gallinas proveen huevos y Filamone la mula es terco.  The view of the clouds over the Andes is still linspiring and amazing, the trails are still steep, slippery and muddy. Ive bathed in the pond, showered under the waterfall and remembered what a beautiful place it is. Lola and Vero are still stuffing us with fantastic food, the staff are still stuffing us at football. Santo Domingo is stilla dump and the Supermaxi still refuses to stock custard.La vista de los nubes sobre los andes aun es inspirando y increíble. Los senderos aun están abajados, resbaladizos y fangosos. He tomado un baño en la laguna y una ducha bajo la cascada y he recordado como hermoso es este lugar. Lola y Vero continúan preparar comida muy rica, el personal continuaron nos derrotar en futbol. Santo Domingo es feo y no puedes comprar natillas en el supermaxi.  The trees are still growing - good work fellas.Los arboles están creciendo - bueno trabajo chicos. As I lay here in the hammock writing this (before typing it) a gorgeopus butterfly has just landed by mne, I can see forests in the hills and Im in the Andes. Not bad really.Mientras descanso en el hamaca y este escribo (antes de lo escribo de maquina) una mariposa muy hermosa se acabo aterrizar cerca, puedo ver bosques sobre las colinas y estoy en los montanas de Andes - no tan mal. Bye La Hesperia - I'll miss youAdios La HEsperia - te extrañare
]]> Back to Quito, via Whales (not Wales) — Quito, Ecuador http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1216407420/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1216407420/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1216407420/tpod.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:52:06 -0400 Hughesy's gone to the jungle to hug some trees, plant some plants and say hi to the turtles.
Quito, Ecuador

www.volunteersecuador.comwww.intiwarayassi.orgI'm back to where I started some 14 months ago. Same city (Quito), same hostel (Posada del Maple), different room (15 if anyone is wondering). I've arrived with more memories, more bites and a mild concussion, so maybe I havent arived with all the memories.Estoy aqui donde comencé 14 mesas atras. El mismo ciudad (Quito), el mismo hostel Posada del Maple), un cuarto diferente (15 si gustas conocerlo). Llegó con mas memorias, mas picas y un conmoción, así quizas no tengo todas las memorias.After 26 hours on a bus from Lima to Guayaquil I arrived tired and with a strange wetness over my rucksack that still stinks. Guayaquil is a lot nicer than its reputation would have you think, lovely waterfront development and a strange park in the centre full of iguanas and turtles. Why? Who knows?Despues 26 horas por el bus de Lima a Guayaquil llegé cansado y con una mochilla humeda y con un olor muy mal. Guayaquil es un ciudad mucho mas linda que piensas, un desarrollo bonito al lado de mar y un parque en el centro que es lleno con iguanas y tortugas de mar. ¿Porque? No sé.After that it was to teh coast to see whales, given where I'm from, Alannis Morrisette would probably call it ironic, but I fear she never really understood the true meaning of the word. I digress. Like usual. But Ive never been afraid to be somebody who "takes a long time to make his pointless" Descartes - havent had one from him for a while.Entonces fuimos al coasta para ver las ballenas. (El siguiente parte no hace siento en español porque en ingles ballena es whales y Gales es Wales).Oh yeah, whales - humpbacks to be precise. Beautiful and amazing creatures - huge, weird looking and friendly. We found two groups, the latter were happy to hang around our boat for ages coming up and playing around. Although they did stubbonly refuse to do any cool flips or belly flops, I did manage to get numerous shots of parts of them, even a few classic tail shots. From Puerto Lopez it was up the coast to cañoa which was quite cool and relaxed.Ballenas - ballenas de giba? Animales muy lindas y increíble - enorme, extraño y amistoso. Encontramos dos grupos, el segundo tuvieron alegre para quedar cerca nuestra barca por un largo tiempo. Aunque no hacian saltos podía sacar bastante fotos de diferente partes de suyos cuerpos y tambien algunos fotos de suyas colas.Then it was Lalo Loor: The Return. I am proud to report that the world famous TomUzi Bridge is still standing and actually looking mighty fine if I do say so myself. The Bench is also still a work of beauty. Sadly the Gryff Haydn steps have been slightly ruined by some damn cows and the Sarhod steps are still intact but did need some remedial maintenace. The Loor has 4 volunteers at the moment, none of whom seemed incredibly happy there, so The Lazy Man is still working his magic to inspire the volunteers. It was nice to go back and see that there has been some devlopment there, although the new visitor centre at the entrance that was due to open just after I left last September is still "just about to open"...Entonces, Lalo Loor: el regreso. Estoy orgulloso para decir que el puente famoso TomUzi es en uno pedazo y aparece muy bueno (si yo digo).  Tambien el banco paracerlo un obra de un maestro. Desafortunatamente las gradas Gryff Haydn tuvieron problema con unas vacas y las gradas Sarhod estan bien pero necesitaron un poco mantiniemento. Hay 4 voluntarios alli ahora, nadie de quien aparecen muy feliz, asi el Hombre Perezoso no esta inspirando los voluntarios.  Estuve  feliz para volver alli y ví que hay algo dessarollo allí, aunque el nuevo centro por visitantes que debió abrir septiembre pasado ahora "abrirá en un rato"... From The Loor we tok a bus towards Pedernales, passing a few Earth trucks on teh sied of the road our driver unfortunately decided to stop and see what they were doing. Another day another blockade, unfortunatley again our driver decided to reverse back to the wrong side of it. Next thing theres about 10 tons of earth over the road and buring tyres. Fortunately we had walked to the side we need to be on (experienced in these things now) and managed to get a lift the rest of the way. However teh fun didnt stop there, because of the blockade our easy 6 hour journey to Quito turned into a fight for seats on the 11am bus which eventually left at about 7pm, and then had to go the long way. The 9 hours long way - it wsa somewhere in teh middle of this that I sustained my concussion as our lunatic driver went over yet another pothole leading to a my head/hard part of bus interface. 3 times. (the blockade was about the state of the roads so Im kinda with them - ironically - maybe, is it Alannis?)Del Lalo Loor tomamos el bus hacía Pedernales, y pasamos algunos camiones al lado de via, desafortunatamente el chofer decidió parar y hablar con los camioneros. Un otro dia un otro paro. De repente 10 toneladas de tierra fue sobre la carretera y llantas quemando. Con suerte caminamos al otro lado y tomams un carro a Pedernales. Sin embargo, porque el paro nuestro viaje de 6 horas entones fue 9 horas y el salida a las 11 por la mañana salió as las 7 por la tarde. Durante esta viaje recibí mi conmocíon, cuando nuestro chofer loco pasó sobre un hueco, mi cabeza golpeó un parte duro del bus. 3 veces. (el paro fue sobre las problemas con las vias, asi por una manera cierto, estoy con ellos  - ironicamente).Now I'm heading back to La Hesperia tomorrow for a few weeks, then back to Quito when for some reason I have booked to go up a 6300m volcano, Chimborazo. The summit of which is the furthest point on the Earth' s surface from the centre of the Earth. Probably not a good idea, but I'm good at them.Mañana volveré a La Hesperia por unas semanas, y entonces volveré a Quito, cuando por alguno razon voy a inentar subir un volcan de 6300msnm. El cumbre de Chimborazo es el punto mas largo del centro de la tierra. Probablemente no es un buen idea, pero tengo bastante de ellos.Until the next time.Hasta la proxima vez.
]]> Ceri has left the jungle and gone 5*. — Lima, Peru http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1215810720/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1215810720/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1215810720/tpod.html Fri, 11 Jul 2008 21:48:59 -0400 Hughesy's gone to the jungle to hug some trees, plant some plants and say hi to the turtles.
Lima, Peru

www.volunteersecuador.comwww.intiwarayassi.orgWell I survived the jungle, no stitches, no nasty bites just a few rapidly fading scars and some nicely healing holes. Frankly I got off lightly - one guy who foolishly decided to not stop behind the puma and instead fell on it received a "sharp" lesson and then later an even bigger one - dont take your shirt off when youhave a hole in your back when there are flies around waiting to lay eggs in such ahole. Important life lesson - don't fall on pumas and dont have things crawling around inside you.Sobreviví la selva, sin suturas, sin mordiscos malos, solo pocos cicatrices que desapareceren rapidamente y algo hueces curando bien. Es verda que tenía suerte - un tipo que no podía pare atras una puma y lay caýo recibó un leccíon "afila" y entonces un leccíon mas grande - no desvestir cunado tienes huecos en tu espalda cuando hay moscas eserando para poner huevos en el hueco. Leccíones importante en vida - no caer sobre pumas y no tener cosas gateando dentro tu.As the time went on I got more tired and weary but then again so did Leo so we tended to walk less each day. He seemed to sense my last day and was ultra affectionate - even trying to wash my head - this did unfortunately result in a 70kg puma being on my back with one claw clamping my head and my ear in his mouth. Uncomfortable situation for us both.   Mientras el tiempo el pasar fui mas cansado pero tambien Leo, asi caminamos menos cada dia. Leo parecio conocer mi dia ultima y dío mucho afecto - intentó lavar mi cabeza - desafortunatamente esta resultó en una puma de 70kg sobre mí espalda con una uña grapando mi cabeza y un oreja en su boca. Desconfortable por nostros dos.   I also ended up spending 3 nights sleeping with a baby puma, Luna plus one very long afternoon playing basketball with her. She was kind of cute apart from the diarrea over my blñanket and her habit of waking you up by biting you on the face.   Tambien pasé tres noches durmiendo con una gatita puma, Luna, y un tarde muy largo jugando baloncesto con ella. Fue divertido excepto con la diarrea sobre mi manta s su hábito de me morder en la cara para desperatrme.Leaving Intiwarayassi behind we again got stuck in frickin Cochobamba, no blockade just the end of some holiday. But then we got to La Paz for pampertime having booked a room at teh Ritz. Which was full. Damn it. But instead we went to the 5* Radisson where we paid the exorbitant sum of 700Bobs (about 50 pound) for a room. I had a bath! I had a jacuzzi! I had a sauna! I had about 4 showers! I had room service! Sadly had to leave and got on a rickety bus to Copacabana (go on sing it out loud, you kow you want to) and checked in at a 40Bob room (about 3 pound). We went on a boat to Isla Del Sol on Lake Titicaca (titter if you want, I do) which was ok. Then prepared to once again travel the length of Peru. I'm currently around the half way point in Lima. 26 hour bus journey tomorrow. Travelling, gotta love it...   Salìmos intiwarayassi y entonces otro vez astacadamos en maldicion Cochabamba, no fue un bloqueo esta vez, solo el fin de algo vacacìon. Pero entonces llegamos a La Paz por mimado, porque reserva un habitacìon en el Ritz. Fue lleno. ¡Mierda! Pero fuemos al cinco estrellas Radisson y pagamos 700Bobs por un habitacìon. ¡Tomè un baño! Tomè una sauna! ¡Tomè un jacuzzi! Tomè cuatras duchas! Tenìa servicio de habitacìon! Lamentablemente necesitè salir y tomè un bus viejo a Copacabana y tomè un habitacìon por 40Bobs. Fuimos en una barca a Isla del Sol en Lago Titicaca que fue bien. Entonces preparamos tomar otro vez un bus todo lo largo de Peru. Ahora estoy en el punto medio en Lima. 26 horas por la bus mañana. Viajando - chevere...
]]> Walking with Leonc(io) — Cochabamba, Bolivia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1213740120/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1213740120/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1213740120/tpod.html Tue, 17 Jun 2008 18:31:39 -0400 Hughesy's gone to the jungle to hug some trees, plant some plants and say hi to the turtles.
Cochabamba, Bolivia

www.volunteersecuador.comwww.intiwarayassi.orgSo Im here in Bolivia, in the jungle, walking through the jungle in fact, witha  puma, on a rope, Im like the defenceless gazelle (apologies to all my gazelle readers), but before we get to that, the first feature presentation is - Cochabamba: The Great Escape, not starring Steve McQueen, Dickie Attenborough or Sly Stallone (um, right). Estoy aqui en Bolivia, en la selva, caminando entre la selva en realidad, con un puma, sobre un cuerda. Estoy como el gazelle indefenso (lo siento a todos los gazelles) pero primero el presentacíon es Cochobamba - La Fuga Grande, no con Steve McQuenn, Richard Attenborough o Sly Stallone.Those paying attention, and who actually read this stuff will recall teh last installment and the fun getting into Cochabamba - getting out was even more fun. After 2 days of no buses while the blockade got worse we decided "(expletive deleted) it, lets give it a go". So having been denied by a fw micro drivers who didnt want to head into a massive traffic jam we jumped into a taxi yelling "take us to the barricades" - like Les Miserables but with less singing. So El Taxista did.  From there we were told we could walk the 3/4 blocks across the blockade. Rucksacks on. Vamos. 3/4 blocks is apparently Bolivan for 6/7 kilometres. Luckily after walking through a few trucks some nice guys conveniently with little mopeds offered to whisk us through for the bargain price of 25 Bobs (about one fifty). So violating numerous traffic laws and laws of common sense I clamberedon the back with my two rucksacks and we weeved, dodged, sweved and squeezed through the 7ks of tightly packed trucks, vans, truckers and er vanners to reacj the other side. It was far more fun than the "most dangerous road in the world" and certainly a lot more dangerous.   Si pagaste atencíon y leiste el ultimo blog, puedes recorder el divertido para entrar Cochobamba - saliendo fue aun mas divertido. Despues dos dias sin buses durante que el bloqueo empeorado, decidimos "porqu, no, vamos a intentar". No pudimos encontrar un taxi hasta el bloqueo, asi tomamos  un taxi gritando "vamos por las baricadas" como en Les Miserables pero con menos cantando. Asi el taxista hizo. De alli dijimos que podemos caminar solo 3/4 cuadros atravz el bloqueo. mochilas arriba. Vamos. Aparatamente, 3/4 cuadros es Boliviano por 6/7 kilometros. Por suerte, despues caminamos por pocos caminetas encontremos algos tipos con motos pequeños, nos ofrecieron para tomarnos por el precio razonable de 25 Bolivianos (cerca 1.50). Violando muchas reglas trafico y reglas de sentido común, subí a moto y evadimos, esquivamos y apretamos por 7k´s de camiones y camionetas. Para mi, fue mas divertido que "el carretera mas peligroso en el mundo" y definitiviamente mas peligroso. So eventually got to Parque Machia where the next day I met Leoncio, 70kg of scary, bitey, scrtatchy jungle cat. Two of us walk him every day for about 6/7 hours - one holding te rope as best possible, the other is the gazelle - normally me. We head down creeks, slide down landslides and abseil down muddy banks. I spend 6 hours a day wondering when and where the next mauling is coming from. Most of his jumps are only play jumps, but  apumanot bitig you that hard still feels like, well a puma biting you - i.e. painful. Then there are teh "I'm pissed off, I dont want to go that way" jumps. They seriously hurt. My lower back, currently bears the scars of puma teeth and claws and my leg has a 20 cm scar, but luckily its not deep.. as does my groin (far too close), right forearm, left bicep and right butt. An ive only been with him 7 days. 23 more to go. I may not survive - literally. Finalmente llegé a Parque Machia donde, el dia siguuiente, encontré Leoncio, una puma - 70kg de espeluzmente, mordando, rasguñado gato de selva. Yo y un otro, Vanessa, caminamos con Leo todos los diaspor mas o menos 6 horas - un contenerlo con la cuerda lo mejor que es posible, y el otro es la gazelle indefenso - normalmente yo. Caminamos aboajo y subir quebradas, resbilazamos adajo corriente de tierras y subir bancos cubierto de lodo. Paso 6 horas cada dia pensando cuando es la proxima magullando. La mayoria de las saltas de Leo estan jovial pero un mordar suave de un puma todavia es como un puma mordando - doloroso. Entonces hay saltas "estoy molestado, no gusta ir por alli" - estas hacer daño mucho. Ahora mi espalda tiene cicatrices de dientes y uñas de puma y mi pierna tiene un cicatriz de veinte centimetros pero no es profundo. Tambien mi ingle, brazo derecho, bicepa izquierda y trasero. No vivíara - literamente.The vets here spend more time stitching up the volunteers thatn with the animals. Strangely its the monkeys taht cause the most damage - I think we had 4 straight days with monkey related stitches. They really are little bastards who will try to steal anything and eveything, and if they dont get it its bite time. recently theyve got an ipod, a camera (later found broken but they had taken teh memory card) and 1 empty puma food container (we dropped it and ran away up the hill as we had no cat to protect us). I assume the monkeys are opening a shop. Theres are aslo lots of birs, small animals, 2 ocelots, 6 other pumas and a bear named Balu.    Los veterianos aqui pasan mas tiempo suturando voluntarios que con los animales. Es extraño pero es los monos que hacen el mas daño. Cuatro dias siguiente con suturos porque los monos. Estan pequeños bastardos quien robar todos los cosas - recentimiente 1 Ipod, 1 cámara y 1 cajo por comida por una puma (dejamos caer y corrímos subir la colina porque no tuvimos un gato para protectarnos). Supongo que los monos estan abriendo una tienda. Tambien en la reserva, hay muchas aves, ocelotes, tortugas, muchoa animales pequeños, una puma bebé, un oso se llama Bulú y seis otors pumas.Its cool, its hard, its interesting, its challenging, its scary, its kinda fun. Es interesante, dificil, asustado, duro pero divertido. A word about the accommodation here, in Bolivia there are 2 categories of accommodation below hostels (the 3 quid places I have been staying in) - the lowest being alojamiento. Thats where I am, having just been upgraded from somewhere that presumably doesnt even make the scale. So Im no longer sharing my room witha large rta, an ant colony and a very loud snoring israeli guy. If I could only shut out the trucks thundering past and the 3am dog barking chorus, the place could be ok.    Una palabra sobre el acomodacíon aqui, en Bolivia hay dos categorias por acomodacíon bajo hosel (estan los lugares por $4 para noche que he quedado) - el mas bajo es alojamiento. Estoy en una de ellas, pero acabo de mejorarlo - el otro lugar todavia aún sobre el escala. Asi ahora no necesitas compartir mi habitacio con un largo raton, un colonia de hornegas y un tipo de Israel con un ronquido muy fuerte. Si podría solver los problemas con los camiones y los perros ladrando esta lugar podría bien.Gotta go, its a long trail tomorrow and Ive got a puma to keep up with.Necesito ir, es un sendero largo mañana y tengo un puma para alcanzar.HugsAbrazosCeri
]]> La Paz - the Worlds Most Dangerous Road - ooooh! — La Paz, Bolivia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1212616740/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1212616740/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1212616740/tpod.html Wed, 04 Jun 2008 18:33:28 -0400 Hughesy's gone to the jungle to hug some trees, plant some plants and say hi to the turtles.
La Paz, Bolivia

www.volunteersecaudor.comwww.intiwarayassi.orgWent to La Paz. Hung around a bit. Breathed a lot, particularly going up stairs. Watched the new Indy film - quite cool, particularly as I seem to have recently been to half the locations in it.Cycled down "The Most Dangerous Road in the World".It was ok. Pretty dangerous if you're:a: up for a Darwin awardb: suicidalc: drunkIf not, its quite a nice easy ride with some pretty good scenery. Its all downhill which is fun, starting at 4700m or someut and ending at about 1500m. If I had my tshirt on I could be more accurate. But its in the wash.There are some dodgy bits, little things like the 800m sheer drops on the side of the road, but now the new road has been opened theres hardly any trucks, buses or other likewise scary things coming up it. Takes some of the fun away really. Of course, that does make it a lot safer, they have  managed to "lose" 13 bikers in 13 years of doing it. But they must have all been either a,b or c. Or a combination of the three. I cannot confirm if the title is in fact justified, I don´t know the equivalent mortality rate on other roads, but in terms of deaths per kilometre, this one must be up there. More crosses on it than in the World Noughts and Crosses Championship (thats Tic-Tac-Toe for the English impaired).From there we took a fairly uncomfortable bus ride to Cochabamba. Or at least to close to Cochobamba where we joined the end of a very very long queue as the road was blocked due to yet another Bolivian protest. Luckily (Im assuming, the jury´s out) a little minvan came along and we piled in along with an unfeasibly large number of Bolivians plus luggage. The guy knew a way around the roadblock and could take us to the town for a mere 15 BOBs, so we thought "great, pop in here for a bit and we'll take another road around, be there in time for tea". Two hours later we were still going on this little detour, up some mountain, down some valley, all on dirt tracks with holes, holes and more holes. On our own for ages and then suddenly in another massive jam. All this crammed into the backseats of a Nissan Little Van (or something) with rucksacks on top. Not fun. Arse was sorer after this than after the bike ride.So we finally arrived in Cochobamba and then tried to leave again this morning. Nothing doing. Roads all still jammed and blocked so essentially we're stuck. Hopefully only until tomorrow.I'm off to see monkeys and birds and take big cats for walks in the jungle (possibly)!Yep, its volunteering time again. If I can actually get there, I'm heading here: http://www.intiwarayassi.org/ to help the poor ickle animals for maybe a month.  Looks cool, hopefully will be. And just found out that a mate from La Hesperia is going to be there (Hi Rach, see you before you read this, probably).So off to the jungle(ish) tomorrow, strikes permitting. Bought some lovely new white trackie bottoms for working in - god they are cool!
]]> Into hell from the heavens — Potosi, Bolivia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1212089160/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1212089160/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1212089160/tpod.html Sat, 31 May 2008 14:49:33 -0400 Hughesy's gone to the jungle to hug some trees, plant some plants and say hi to the turtles.
Potosi, Bolivia

www.volunteersecuador.com     Potosi, its high, really really high. I mean you may think its a long way upto the the 10th story in work,but thats nothing. Potosi is really really high. Think of a high place, and then increase its height by lots, and youre getting near to Potosi.   So main activities there were: waiting for the shower, sitting near the lovely heaters (yes heaters!) in the hostel, attempting to breathe and going to visit the Potosi mines.   It was one of those "glad i did it but i aint going back" experiences to be honest. The sort of tourist outing that would give the Health & Safety Executive a stroke. We piled in a minibus with about a dozen other gringos and set off to be dressed in our silly outifits so that all the locals could have a laugh. Then stopped to buy some supplies for the miners - the usual stuff they need- pop, coca leaves and a few sticks of dynamite with ammonia nitrate to make sure its a nice big bang.   Yes thats right, by handing over about a pound somebody gave me a little plastic bag filled with enough exlosives to make a serious dent in me and the mini bus we were on. Even more worrying, half the people on the bus also had similar bags, meaning that a load of untrained idiots were now carrying enough explosives to send the bus flying to the mine.  Luckily we arrived with a full complement of attached limbs, heads and other crucial body parts and then went down into the mine. This was not the sanitised pretend tourist experience you might get at Big Pit (look it up, unless youre a WTB colleague - you should already know). We went down the same way as the miners go, sucked up the same choaking dust, hid in wall recesses as they came hurtling past with their wagons full of, sadly these days largely worthless, piles of rocks with trace elemets such as zinc in them. We helped out one guy who was mid way through his 8 hour shift of shovelling endless cartloads of rocks into the buckets to be hauled up. I simply could not imagine attempting that job, 5 minutes of shovelling and I was totally done in - sweating, choaking and just dying for the sun and freedom. After a seemingly eternal hour or so we crawled back up through the narrow tunnels, climbed up the very rickety looking ladders and escaped.   The guy we helped would have been down there for the rest of the day, sometimes he would have stayed all night aswell. With only coca leaves to chew on to provide energy and stave off hunger.  It is simply unimaginable for us in our cushy western lives to appreciate what it must be like to have a job like that. Its really really really crap. So is the pay. The miners know however that their time in the mine is likely to be relatively short, most of them die by about 40 from sciliosis.   To get a feel of it, try watching "The Devils Miner", a film I watched last night (we're in Sucre and saw it in a nice gringo cafe with a big screen). http://www.thedevilsminer.com/index_new.html   Filling up time on the internet this afternoon as we awoke to find Sucre essentially closed. Theres some strike on which might also stop us from getting the bus to La Paz tonight. Dunno what they are striking about this time, almost like a hobby around here it seems. Hopefully will be able to take our posh cama seat bus tonight - yep Bolivia does have one. Or if not, not a lot to do really, everything is shut.   Sucre - not much else to say really, went to a really interesting textiles museum (yes I id just write that) yesterday which was surprisingly fascinating. Western clothes are so boring - my jeans or tshirt dont mean anything, these guys weave all sorts of significance into their shawls, ponchos and funny hats. And the way they do it simply blows my mind. I watched one woman for about 20 minutes and my only conclusion was she must have been a witch and was doing it with magic. Only explanation. Then today we didnt go to all the other museums i wanted to as they are all shut. So wandered to see a little tower that doesnt actually look much like the eiffel tower and to yet another cemetery. So next La Paz. Hopefully soon.
]]> Hmmm Salt — Uyuni, Bolivia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1211806980/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1211806980/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1211806980/tpod.html Mon, 26 May 2008 13:06:00 -0400 Hughesy's gone to the jungle to hug some trees, plant some plants and say hi to the turtles.
Uyuni, Bolivia

Aaah culture shock! 2 months in Argentina/Chile kinda made me forget that I was in fact in South America, the developing world n all that. One short walk across the bridge (yep you actually walk, the Argies arent prepared to bring their nice swanky double-decker-cama-seat buses into Bolivia) and suddenly things have turned a bit more basic, a bit more rustic and a helluvalot more cold.Bolivia, it nearly killed us all with CO poisoning on the bus. That was the observation after one hour. Bolivia, its boiling, its freezing, its cheap. Those were the observations after about 24 hours. After a week: its beautiful, stunning, friendly, inspiring, challenging and more freezing than boiling. Really freezing, literally. 6 blankets and a sleeping bag and three layers of clothing freezing. This however relates not to Bolivia as a whole, how could it, only been here a week, but rather to the Salar de Uyuni and related areas.2 Aussies, 2 Colombians, 2 Bolivians and a Welsh guy (thatll be me in case there was doubt) climbed into a nice comfy jeep 4 days ago and headed from the small dusty one horse town of Tupuzi to the small dusty half a horse town of Uyuni. Luckily we took the scenic route and passed some of the most incredible scenery this fine planet has to offer (please help to take care of it). We really lucked out with the group; we had a sort of 4 day language exchange with English and Spanish being abused from all sides. The guide and cook were great; I ate better during these four days than I have since, well the Inca trail to be honest. Maybe theres something in these tours... We drove upto 5000m, slept at a little less than that, saw rock formations of bizarre and beautiful sizes and vivid and alluring colours. We saw flamingos flying, we bathed in a thermal bath near a still frozen lake. We saw mud and water exploding out of the Earth. We saw lakes of vivid green red and blue. We saw dramatic harsh peaks reflected softly in the surface of smooth clear lagoons. We saw cacti that were born at the time the Roman Empire was emerging, and rock formations that were being etched as humanity itself was emerging.We saw salt, lots of it - the biggest salt flat in the World in fact (12,00 sq km if you were wondering). Salty. Salt on the ground, salt in mounds, salty bricks, salty walls, salty chairs, tables and beds. Did make me wonder why we bothered bringing some in a shaker to be honest, but felt churlish to ask. We saw some of the work being done to harvest the salt - looked a bit on the tough side to me; 3500m above sea level in the freezing cold/blazing sun. With a shovel. And for that the workers get 9 Bolivianos for every 50kg they produce (including drying, purifying and packaging). Thats about 70p.We saw a thousand kilometres of dusty, pot holed roads and paths and tracks. We saw hundreds of flamingos, thousands of llamas, millions of stars, one bright clear moon and one searing welcome sun. We saw the sun rise to illuminate the hills in a deep soothing red and then fall to leave a sky layered from red to pink to clear blue to black. We saw all the colours of the rainbow, without ever needing the rainbow.I also stayed in probably the nicest place Ive stayed in S.A. and it cost the princely sum of about 3 pounds fifty. Plus its great, the menu is more than pizza and pasta. You get vegetables, lots of them and fruit, lots of it. Of course on the other side it can take an hour and a half for an omlette to arrive, but thats the whole relaxed way here. Tonight slumming it a bit, down to a 1.75 bed, but at least theres hot water. I´m not gonna be able to survive UK prices again.I think I can go home now, Ive seen it all. That said, off to Potosi tomorrow to probably crawl around in a silver mine and (in a slight jump in time frames) maybe heading back to the UK via NZ and OZ. In November. Plans changing a bit due to inconsiderate gets getting married in Australia of all places. Ive checked on a map and with a flight centre and it seems that Ecuador to the UK via NZ/Oz is a far more sensible route than Ecuador to the UK, then Oz and back. So looks like I´ll have to hang out in S.A a bit longer. Ho hum. And now I have two mates in Bogota, Colombia may be on the cards...Any suggestions for Colombia/NZ/Oz would be welcome.I should apologise for the amount of photos I will inevitably end up loading on here, I just wish they could in some way convey the stunningness of the journey (yes I know its not a real word but I´ve been running empty on superlatives for quite a while now, I need a thesaurus).To sum up, chévere.
]]> iguzau - resistencia - salta — Salta, Northern Argentina, Argentina http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1211041860/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1211041860/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cezzah/cerisgonesouth/1211041860/tpod.html Sat, 17 May 2008 12:33:34 -0400 Hughesy's gone to the jungle to hug some trees, plant some plants and say hi to the turtles.
Salta, Northern Argentina, Argentina

by the time i write more of this, i'll be in Bolivia
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