TravelStream™ news feed for member ksmc04 on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/ksmc04 en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 08 Jun 2007 20:14:32 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/perth-2006/1160186100/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/perth-2006/1160186100/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/perth-2006/1160186100/tpod.html Fri, 08 Jun 2007 20:14:32 -0400 Go West

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Perth, Australia

We had 10 days in the West so we decided to head out of town to see some of the surrounding areas, as it is a very big state with fairly big distances between, so we hired a car to see where we would get.
Couldn't get much further west & with the desert east of the city we could only really head south or north, we chose the former first.
It is easy to drive around Perth with big wide roads & no where near as much traffic as Sydney but it did seem that plenty wanted to hit the road the same time we did.
Heading thru the city across the Narrows Bridge we were on the Kwinana Freeway, heading towards Mandurah, which is a mostly newly refurbished motorway with a new rail link added to the centre of the road to the expanding southern suburbs.
It seems that it takes quite some time even on the multi-lane road to clear the sprawling urban nightmare that are these new 'estates', which are similar to those in the western suburbs of Sydney, that are a blight on the landscape.
These is no infrastructure, even with the railway, so that all the residents need to use their big fuel guzzling machines to get about.
Not the best idea.
There is a massive resources & minerals boom in the West at present, with China consuming the worlds Iron Ore reserves to construct a new planet within their country, which means that employment is an easy thing no matter what your skill levels.
Jobs for all.
This has also resulted in the local economy to be very buoyant & the real estate market to go thru the roof, they need places to live.
People are moving back to the west from the rest of Australia or others are moving over to join the good times & that means prices are going up to levels that can only be seen in this countries largest city which has a population of 4.5 million.
The mean average price for an average house in Sydney is around the $550,000 mark (Aussie Dollars) & in Perth it was closing in whilst we were there & has now surpassed that, but how long will it last?
Minerals booms always slow down eventually then it will be interesting to see how things go.
But make the most of it whilst you can.
Our short sighted politicians are gloating about these good times but ultimately we will all pay for this with the scar on the environment & when the global economy slows, but for now............
Heading towards Bunbury the crowds of cars thinned out & we started to see the countryside, rather than the concrete roof tiles, which was nice to see as the sun started to head west we looked at staying at Busselton for the night which we got to late in the afternoon.
The local tourist info directed us to the 'Paradise' Motel where we booked in for a couple of nights that wasn't the Ritz but good for us all the same.
Busselton is know for its long timber pier, 2kms in length, that stretches out into Geographe Bay, named after French explorers, which is very shallow for quite some distance & hence the need for a long pier for the old days when whaling was the business around those parts, thankfully no longer.
Not much else happens around town which is home for around 11,000 & as you walk down the main street at around 5pm you could almost fire a shot down the road & not hit a soul, a bit like Canberra.
But then again this is why we go to these places & the local corner pub served up some good food, for a 'healthy price', & I had to try a couple of the local brews.
Of course we had to take a walk along the jetty which was as the sun was going down & the locals headed out with their fishing rods to try their luck wetting a line.
Return trip of 4kms was a good way to stretch the legs & work up an appetite.


Margaret River is the most famous wine area of Western Australia & we were just on the edge of all this in Busselton so it made for a good place to set out & explore the district the next day.
Firstly off to Cape Naturaliste National Park where we had a fantastic view out to the Indian Ocean from the lighthouse which we had a short tour of.
It is still an operational feature of the coast where we got to go up & see the old French crystal prism that is nearly a century old that is now worth over ½ a million dollars, couldn't fit it in the backpack.
A few seals could be seen sunning themselves on the rocks in the bay which is protected from the Indian Oceans mostly southerly swells & if you are there at the right time of the year you can see whales going by, none that day.
The coastline of the Margaret River area is battered most of the year by the huge swells that come off the Southern & Indian Oceans so you can imagine the landline is scared from the years but it also makes for some wicked surf if you are a wax head.
We headed down to have a look at Yallingup, which is a small coast retreat, & then to Prevelly where the annual Margaret River surf tournament is held & the 'sea was angry that day my friends'.
Huge swells just off shore, massive gutters with a savage wind swell caused all sorts of rips & sand bars to be all over the place which I wouldn't even know where to start to paddle out.
Then again it has been a few years since I got the board out.
No one out when we were there as it just seemed a little too rough.
Cutting back across to the town of Margaret River Sharon had to check out a few of the wineries on the way but it always seems the cellar door charges more than the local bottle shop so we didn't get too many bottles.
A better place to visit, well this is a personal opinion, is the Bootleg Brewery which we happened to run into for a bite to eat at lunch & a half of their Pale Ale which wasn't too bad, still not as good as Coopers!!
Of course when you are driving you cant have very much at all, there is never an excuse for drink driving, so I had to get a 6 pack to take home, actually two so Byron & I could have a few, which was a selection of their brews.
Some good names too.
Raging Bull was one of them that is a dark ale & a percentage to go along with its name.
The town of Margaret River isn't that big & is mainly a place to stay to visit the wineries in the area so you can imagine it is a little touristy but not too overtaken by it all either.
I was only 5 years old the last time we had visited the West, from Adelaide where we drove over the Nullarbor, but I can remember visiting a lighthouse which I found out was the one at Cape Leeuwin the most South-West point of the big brown land.
Only a further 50kms down the road to the cape so we headed down to be almost blown away by the fierce cool breeze that hit us as soon as we stepped out of the hire car for a quick visit to this piece of land that is probably never seen a calm day.
Waves rolling in from the collision of the oceans into the granite rocks of the coast line would test the best surfers in the world & you had to stand & stare in awe of the powerful beauty of mother nature as she reminds you that all can be taken away very quickly.
The white rounded walls of the lighthouse rise up from the sturdy base which is a stunning sight against the deep blue sky that seems to completely surround you on the point as she rises as a clear beacon to deter the local shipping that a great danger is about.
This was exactly as I remembered all those years ago & it is also reassuring that the lighthouse will be there for a lot longer yet.
With standing, some what you can only imagine, very rough days indeed.
Our day out in the area was rapidly coming to an end so we headed back to the base camp at Busselton via the coast road to stop off at Hamelin Bay where the pristine white sands stretch on for as far as you can see & a small community lives in very tranquil isolation in this corner of WA.
Most of this area, thankfully, is a national park where you can get a fair look at what the native area looks like with thick vegetation over the other side of the sand dunes.
Black boys, the plant, thrives in the sandy soil & the gum trees do grow very tall there.
The farming paddocks away from the national park had some other natives of the land with Skippy & his hundred mates sitting about enjoying the afternoon sun, I had to get a few snaps of this piece of Australianana.
Unfortunately we ran out of time to make it to the chocolate factory as we got back to 'Paradise' after dark to get something to eat.
Again the main street was quiet.


Heading back to Perth the following day we stopping in at Bunbury which is actually the largest regional centre in Western Australia.
Boasting a community of 28,000 this was another one of those whaling places years ago that now services the local farming community, nice beaches too.
It seems that every second place in the South West ends with 'up'.
Have a quick look at any map of this part of Australia & you will notice that it is popular & apparently means place in the local Aboriginal language which might explain it.
Amazing that Perth isn't actually called 'Perthup' in that case as it is clearly the biggest of these 'places'.
We took a different road back to Perth via Waroona & Pinjarra that is more rural & nice to see something different before we hit the big smoke again.
Past the sprawling burbs of southern Perth again to head back via Rockingham & into Fremantle where we had a few hours to walk about.
It isn't the most pleasant view coming into Freo as this is the industrial hub of the city where smoke stacks out number the trees & a nice green tinge to the local beach which is being 'cleaned' up from years of industrial abuse.
Fremantle is a much better place to see as it is an old heritage village which has had a fair amount of restoration to its old maritime days where all sorts went on.
We went up to the jail hoping to have a look around but just missed the tour & we didn't have enough time to wait for the next one, shame it is apparently full of good stories as it was a penal establishment with Freo being the first 'drop off' from the old country.
Australia II won the Americas Cup in 1983 from the US skipper Dennis Connor onboard 'Liberty' that sent the old mug from the New York Yacht Club to Fremantle for the first time in 132 years, the same one the Kiwis managed to allow some unhappy Maori to smash up.
This had a major part in the redevelopment of this part of town & the now convicted criminal Alan Bond, also broke so we have been told (funny how his family still live in mansions), was a West Australian icon that set about in buying or developing half of the state.
Fremantle had never been the same again.
There is also a big student population in Freo so the local pubs are busy & with the influx of backpackers makes it for a cosmopolitan area with different eatery places too.
Worth a visit.
The markets attracts people too but weren't open as they are open on the weekend
Back to our foster parents place for the night to have a good home cooked meal.


We now headed in the opposite direction to the north of Perth as we had the hire car for a few more days.
The landscape is certainly more arid along this way & the trees that were all over in the Margaret River area have thinned out to be more bush.
The distances between towns grows considerably too.
We cleared the suburbs to get more semi-trailers on the road as well as the odd road train which are something to try & overtake.
A quick stop in Guilderton, which is a fishing town like most around these parts, where the caravan park is on the bend of the river that doesn't flow into the sea until there is a high tide.
Another very quiet place.
On the main road to turn off & head to Cervantes where we would find another motel as this is the closest town to the Pinnacle National Park where a very unusual natural formation can be seen.
I remember seeing 'Billy Connelly's world tour of Australia' where he visited this site on his three wheel trike but was dancing thru the sandstone pinnacles in the buff as the sun set over the water, an amazing sight the stone formations are.
Not so Mr Connelly.
We had a few hours to wonder about the rocks which some might think is too long but it was a very peaceful place with the wind blowing the shapes into the sand in the afternoon sun.
The deep yellow hue of the pinnacles against the blue sky with streaky white clouds & a dash of green vegetation made it a great place to shoot some snaps as the shadows stretched along the dunes that also gave these formations definition.
Almost sounds like an advert for a High Definition TV.
You could drive amongst them on a track as the area that these covered is quite huge & not what I expected.
A great afternoon in nature.
To set it all off we went to see the sun drop below the Indian Ocean water line as living in the east we don't get to see the sun set over the sea.


Another day in the west as we now headed back towards the city via an interesting little town called New Norcia that is actually a monastery town.
It was established in 1846 by Spanish Benedictine Monks to covert the local aboriginal population to Catholicism but ended up a refuge for European orphans after disease struck back home.
The Iberian Peninsular influences are apparent in the local church & style of the buildings in a town of less than 100 people that are mainly all within the church boundaries.
Something that you would never expect to find in the West or even anywhere in Australia.
Interesting & also worth a look.
Back to Perth in the afternoon as Byron & I had a date that evening at Gloucester Park, that is just on the east edge of the CBD, where a special stage had been set up for Rally Australia which was the last year it was to be staged in Western Australia.
The World Rally Championship (WRC) www.wrc.com cars were coming back in from the special stages that are around the city for their service area at Langley Park where we went for a look to see these multi-million dollar machines that are covered in dust & a few with some panel damage.
These drivers are something else & they wonder around the area as if they are around friends unlike their Formula One cousins that are living on their own planet.
We had a couple of hours before we had to be in our grandstand seats so we went for a beer, or three, firstly at the lucky shag which is on the Swan over looking the city & on a Friday afternoon one of those places to be.
Byron & I have shared a many beer over the time we have known each other which started back on a 6 week Contiki tour of Scandinavia & Russia which would change our lives.
More so for Byron than I as he would meet his future wife.
Ah the good old days.
There is nothing like a few beers to have all those flash backs.
Our seats at the special stage were great over looking the whole course so we sat back & watched these guys go at it for a few hours which was great.
For the record Mikkola Hirrovenon won the last WRC race in WA that has been staged since 1988, shame to see it go from Perth.
It seems that it is very difficult to get a taxi in Perth as we started to walk out & find our way back to Bedford which is only 20 mins out of the centre.
We almost made it half way home before we got one after most would ignore our attempts at waving them down.
In Sydney taxi drivers would pull across three lanes of traffic, run up the footpath in a no stopping zone & sacrifice a lamb to get a fare but in Perth you have to stand in front of them to get any reaction.
Then again in Sydney you are lucky to get one that speaks English or even know where the city is.
They are by far the worst taxi drivers in Sydney & believe me we have caught a few around the world.


Another place you must go to in & around Perth is what the locals refer to as Rotto!
So we got a ticket to get the ferry from the Barrack Street Wharf which took us on a cruise firstly down the Swan River to Fremantle & onto Rottnest Island which is only a 45min trip from Freo.
As it was a Saturday the boat was full of day trippers, as well as others that stay on the island for a few days, that is an institution in the Perth way of life.
You land at 'the Settlement', which is the only settlement on the island, where all the main facilities like shops, restaurant & pub are.
Most of the island is national park, you need to go thru them to book accommodation, with no cars around, very good, so you hire a bike to get around on the tracks.
A bus does run around too so that if you can't ride a bike people can still get to different parts of the island.
The water is a deep turquoise colour that is great for snorkelling, which is a favourite past time, along with what seems some of the whitest beaches in the world that are almost empty.
As you move away from the settlement the crowds thin out & you can easily have most of a cove beach to yourself.
Just watch out for the red-belly black snakes that we saw dashing across the road.
Another native are the Quokkas that populate the island & it is the only place in the world that these little marsupials can be found as well as how the island got its name.
The Dutch originally discovered this part of Australia in the 15th century but didn't think there was anything worth settling for, if only they knew about the iron ore!
They came across the island & found the little fellas to think they were some sort of rodent so hence Rottnest or rat nest island.
We had most of the day there, on the bikes we hired, & headed back on the late ferry with a few others that were a little sunburnt as it is very exposed & not too many shady trees to sit under.
We ran into Sharon's cousin Kim whom was over from Sydney at a friends wedding as it is a popular place for the locals to get hitched as well as other celebratory events.


We now had a few days in Perth to see the city after having explored the surrounds so had to go past Subiaco (Australian Rules) Football Ground where the current AFL premiership cup is after the West Coast Eagles beat the Sydney Swans by 1 point, Sharon is still mad about that, then again now it turns out that half the team was on drugs at the time which I am mad about too.
Bloody West 'Coke' Eagles.
The beaches of the city are a popular place to go for the locals on a nice sunny day with the favourites being Cottesloe & Scarbourgh that have many watering holes or places to get a bite to eat lined along them so you can sit & watch the sun go down, we did this one evening.
Of course these areas are also quite expensive patches of real estate.
The main CBD of Perth is quite a large piece of real estate, that might be worth a few dollars too, that stretches along the foreshore of the Swan River with a few high rise business buildings & more new inner city apartment buildings.
It isn't the busiest place in the world in downtown Perth & even in the mid-morning of a Monday work day there wasn't a lot of people around in the Burke Street Mall where we ventured to.
The usual array of shops that we have all over Australia are in the city, with a few other additions, but I managed to keep Sharon away from most of them & held onto the credit card tight.
Although she did manage to find the Jurlique day spa for an hour of treatment whilst I went off to see the mint.
I wouldn't rush back to the mint as it is quite small with not a lot to see considering how much they were charging to get in, a mint, but I did get to lift a block of gold, lots of the shiny stuff in the West, that was worth nearly as much as our flat.
If only I could have got it out of the reinforced box that it was contained in, then again the guy out the front with a pistol might have something to say.
The main drag in Perth is St George's Terrace which is where most of the business premises are located & just a few blocks away are the old Victorian style houses with a couple of posh private schools.
Like most cities in Australia, & even the world, they are going thru an urban renewal at present as inner city living is returning but at a cost.
Lots of tower cranes adorn the skyline with the resources boom happening people are investing.
The walk down by the Swan is a nice way to see the city which has been built mostly along the river with some prime real estate suburbs of Dalkeith, Peppermint Grove & Mosman Park being the pick of these.
Great views over the water & with the almost set your watch Fremantle Breeze, known as the Doctor, in the afternoon it is a cooling place to be under the big tree lined streets.
You can see why they like to live there.
We also caught up with one of Sharon's old work mates whom has returned to the west to start a family as well as being closer to her own & Kath was only too happy to get out of the house & have lunch in her local area which is only 10 minutes from the city.
The property boom was just about to take off when they moved back to Perth from Sydney so they were lucky to get a great little old house when they did.
Perth is a very family city in that it would be a great place to grow up as it is very safe but then you can imagine that some of the younger people wanting to get out to see some of the world as soon as they can, which we know some, but they do return to restart their lives after their 'crazy' days are over.
Then again this can be said for quite a few people living in different cities in the world.
It wouldn't be a visit to Perth if you didn't go for a walk around the Kings Park which provides you some of the best views of the city as it is elevated & gives you an idea of the surrounds, which for the most part are fairly flat.
Some of the wildflowers were still out in the afternoon sun as this was the end of the 'season' which has people from all over the world come to see these unique Australian plants in bloom.
The West Australian floral emblem is the Kangaroo Paw which comes in an array of red hues, yellows & greens which is a very unusual looking flower.
The lifestyle of Perth is one of living with the water as it is a city that embraces its carefree lifestyle on the west side of the country that seems completely removed from the fast pace, stressful lifestyle of Sydney & you could swear you are in a different country.
Boats & yachts can be seen dotted all along the Swan River under the big blue skies especially in the afternoon when there is that breeze.
Lots of English & South Africans have emigrated to WA as you can hear their accents all over town which also gives you the impression of not being in Australia.
No wonder the local rugby team, the Western Force, has a good fan base in the Super 14 competition.
One amazing fact is that the West Australian capital is actually closer to Jakarta than it is to its own national capital of Canberra but there is a lot of nothing between the two Aussie centres, which could also be said for the politicians that occupy them.
If you like to get away from it all & still be in a centre that has just about all you want you could do worse than spend a few days in Perth which even though it is a long way from the rest of us is a comfort that these qualities can still exist in a city of a million people.
Go West they say so we did to see almost quite literally how the other half live in a city that few from the east side will venture across to see & it is only those that don't go that are missing out.
It is different to the rest of Australia but then again that's what makes this country so very special in that we have such a huge variation to explore.
So explore you must.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/perth-2006/1159840260/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/perth-2006/1159840260/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/perth-2006/1159840260/tpod.html Wed, 17 Jan 2007 21:45:23 -0500 Go West

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Sydney, Australia

In ye olde days it was often thought that sailers that hadn't returned from their adventures had fallen off the edge of the world.
We now know that the world is in fact round but if you wanted to get to somewhere that was close to the edge of the world Perth in Western Australia is almost as far as you can get.
As it had been some time since I had been there & Sharon never we thought we would get on the big bird again to "Go West" & see if life is peaceful there.
Departing Sydney we were delayed by about 1hr after the flight came in a little late.
To my surprise we had a Boeing 747 at our gate ready to take us across the big brown land which was due to get us into Perth about 11:30pm local time.
WA is two hours behind Sydney in time atleast.
Once onboard the flight, which was completely full, we headed off as the sun was dropping below the horizon to cover a distance of around 4000km's.
And this was all within our own country which almost feels like you should be heading international with these distances & a trip time of 5 hours.
We did however feel like being on an international trip with the usual inflight service, including beer & wine, as well as the in the back of the seats entertainment.
That was all good.
Flying in the dark we could only see the lights below on the towns as well as the city lights of Adelaide, which isnt even half way, before we decended into Perth International Airport around midnight to be picked up by our friend Byron.
This was a very good taxi service as we were back & Byron & Taras house in minutes, then again most things in Perth are easy to get to, to hit the hay after a long 1/2 day trip.
More to explore very soon.
Regards
Keith & Sharon.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/rtw-0506/1138900680/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/rtw-0506/1138900680/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/rtw-0506/1138900680/tpod.html Fri, 10 Feb 2006 01:55:23 -0500 The last continent - trip to Sth America via Asia, Europe & home via Nth America. Our trip starts in Dec to Feb 06.

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Machu Picchu, Peru

Hello again,
Well we made it.
The highlight of our trip so far in South America has to be Machu Picchu!!
A perfect day with lots of sunshine, after I had been praying to the weather gods, as we got to the site at 7:30am before the hoards of tourists turned up.
We had a fantastic guide to show us around the site & learn some more of the Incan ways, they were amazing people but Sharon cant understand why they didnt worship the river & not the mountains.....lots of stairs.
We also visted a couple of other Incan sites in the sacred valley which the Incan trail also follows.
Amazing stuff.
We spent pretty much the whole day up in the heavens & made our way back to Cuzco (where we are at the moment) via the PeruRail train, which was very slow, only to find that our connection hadnt turned up.
So we got a lift back to the hotel from the local Police!!!
They even put the flashing lights on........had to be done.
Alas I have now picked up a cold so have a pocket full of tissues, small price to pay for the good weather that we got!!
We are off to Lima tomorrow before flying to LA, for a couple of days, & then back to Sydney.
8 weeks has certainly flown by but we have some good memories & met some cool people.
We have to leave our second GAP family on Saturday (Shelly, Canada - Sandra, Canada - Evander - USA & our fantastic leader Mayra - Ecuador) that we have travelled with for the past 3 weeks, it has been great!!
The photos that we have attached were all taken by Sharon, I think you will agree she has done a great job & she has learnt everything from me!!
Hope all are good.
Bye for now as we head back home soon.
Keith & Sharon
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/rtw-0506/1139453940/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/rtw-0506/1139453940/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/rtw-0506/1139453940/tpod.html Wed, 08 Feb 2006 22:13:02 -0500 The last continent - trip to Sth America via Asia, Europe & home via Nth America. Our trip starts in Dec to Feb 06.

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Sydney, Australia

Hello there,
Yes we are home.
Made it.
A long flight from LA, 14hrs overnight (over the Pacific Ocean), & we lost a day but we are now back to our cosy flat after 8 weeks away.
Back to work too.
Seems like we have been away for years & it all seems a blur at the moment, will have some time to look back & take it all in now.
A few quiet weekends now catching up.
I am in the process of putting together a website with all our travels & as I have now been to 52 countries it should be faily extensive.
Hope you have all enjoyed our updates of where we have been & felt you were travelling with us too, makes the working week seem somewhat better.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions or comments as we like to hear from you.
Hope all are well.
I will put together some of the best photos soon, took over 3000 of them!!
Bye for now & happy travels if you are heading somewhere soon!!
Keith & Sharon

keith_mcinnes@hotmail.com
sharonj24@yahoo.com
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/rtw-0506/1139273880/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/rtw-0506/1139273880/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/rtw-0506/1139273880/tpod.html Wed, 08 Feb 2006 21:57:37 -0500 The last continent - trip to Sth America via Asia, Europe & home via Nth America. Our trip starts in Dec to Feb 06.

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Los Angeles, United States

Hey there,
We are now in Los Angeles in California after our overnight flight from Lima in Peru for a couple of days.
We havent been to the US since July 2001 so it is interesting to see again & this time from the West Coast, as we say NYC & Boston last time.
Alot of things here remind us of Australia, or the other way around, so it is a little taste of things to come when we get back home.
Only a 15hr flight to go now!!
The Superbowl was on here Sunday night so I watched a little of that, still dont understand that sport too much, & it was won by Pittsburg.....for those that care!!
The sun has been shining & it is winter here but 25 deg C!!
A few 'wild fires' have broken out in the hills as it has been so warm for them here & too long without rain.
We are staying in Santa Monica which is a nice beach side part of town (just like you see on Baywatch) so we checked that out along with Venice Beach which is like Camden by the sea here, alternative people all over the place.
Today we have been to Hollywood, for an audition, & Sunset Boulivard to Rodeo drive where I bought a new Armani suit.
All nearly over now as we head home & back to work.........
8 weeks, 5 continents, 10 countries & Around the World!!!
Hope all are well.
Bye for now.
Keith & Sharon
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/rtw-0506/1139094000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/rtw-0506/1139094000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/rtw-0506/1139094000/tpod.html Sat, 04 Feb 2006 18:12:03 -0500 The last continent - trip to Sth America via Asia, Europe & home via Nth America. Our trip starts in Dec to Feb 06.

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Lima, Peru

Goodbye South America!!
Yes we are at the last part of our trip in Lima, Peru....well we are actually staying in Minaflores, which is just south of the city, as Lima is a little dodgy!!
We are flying out tonight to Los Angeles for a couple of days before returning to sunny Australia.
Lima is a little odd city as it is not a safe place to venture out but where we are is a very nice part of town, for here, & a little safer.
I have read lots of things about Lima so we are not going to try our luck!!
Otherwise all is well, even if I have a little head cold & Sharon will be glad to get a good cup of tea again, as the past 6 weeks in South America have flow by.
Lots of memories & great places.
The whole city here is surrounded by slums as this is where half of the countrys population lives & they are below the poverty line.
All you can see when you fly in is buildings & no trees, even the waterfront (?) is a tip that they are using to reclaim the sea, very dirty.
A wierd fog rolls over the city too from the sea which can be quite thick.
Not much else to report from Lima & we are just about South Americad out now!!
Hope all are well & roll on an English speaking country.....but not the US!!
Adios amigos from Peru!!
Keith & Sharon
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/rtw-0506/1138554000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/rtw-0506/1138554000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/rtw-0506/1138554000/tpod.html Thu, 02 Feb 2006 12:49:42 -0500 The last continent - trip to Sth America via Asia, Europe & home via Nth America. Our trip starts in Dec to Feb 06.

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Cusco, Peru

Hola again, this time from Peru!!
We have made it across the border to Peru & the standards are about the same, not bad really!!
Now in Cusco only a few days away from the big one....Machu Picchu!!
Weather has been good as it is the rainy season & we havent been effected by it very much as it has only really rained when we are moving!!
Cusco is a very pleasant city and the Architecture is quite amazing, very Spanish Colonial with the base of most of the buildings are Incan.
What a combination.
We left La Paz at the right time as it seems it has only rained since leaving & they are now having some major problems with flooding, as well as some other places in Bolivia.
No major political changes here but they are having an election soon, where the favourite is a Female (what is going on here!!)......Sharon looking funny at me now!!
It seems we have effected the local political environment enough.
All is still going well & we only have 10 days to go until we get back to our little flat, which we will be glad to get back to.
8 weeks is a long time to live out of a backpack, it has been fantastic, but we have been moving alot during this trip so it gets tiring.
A few pictures of Cuzco for you too as well as the floating islands in Lake Titikaca which we visited when we were in Puno.
Time is flying.
Got to go.
Adios Amigos........our Spanish still hasnt advanced but we are used to saying No Gracias all the time now!
Bye for now
Keith and Sharon
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La Paz, Bolivia

Hola from the offical capital of Bolivia, La Paz.
We flew in from Sucre today (Tues) & what a change in scenery!!
Sucre is a stunning colonial city that is very clean & tidy but La Paz is something different.
Between a huge valley the city reaches up the side of the hills that rise from the valley floor to plains that stretch out at 4000 metres.
La Paz is a little lower at 3700 metres & is another big dirty city.
We havent had a good chance to explore just yet but it seems there isnt that much here for us to see & we will explore the many streets which run up the hills.
There are however markets everywhere & you can buy just about anything off the street which maybe real or not.
Loads of CDs, DVDs etc...you know the story.
So many people too, very busy!!
The flight was good with AeroSur in an old Boeing 727 which we havent had in Australia for 20 years now, a retro flight.
The airport is the highest in the world & it takes special training to land there.
It is much cooler too here as it was only 8 deg C when we landed & they often have storms this time of the year.
Anyway.
Time to explore & Sharon has found the markets here!!
adios amigos.
K&S

PS HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY for the 26th to all the Aussies, & those that would like to be!!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/rtw-0506/1138043640/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/rtw-0506/1138043640/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/rtw-0506/1138043640/tpod.html Mon, 23 Jan 2006 14:25:31 -0500 The last continent - trip to Sth America via Asia, Europe & home via Nth America. Our trip starts in Dec to Feb 06.

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Sucre, Bolivia

Hola Amgios (again),
We are now in Sucre which was the former capital of Bolivia, & some say still is.
What a contrast to the desert & salt plains that we have just been thru to get here, from 4x4 to tar roads......with plenty of rock slides on them!!
Sucre is a much sweeter place to be.
Almost the complete opposit of the rest of Bolivia & where there is a little more money.
A very colonial Spanish feel to the place with white walls & arches all over the place.
The new Bolivian President, Morales, has just been installed into the leadership of the country & will be here this afternoon to meet the people, talk about some political changes since we have been here!!
Morales is the first native leader of any South American country, so very significant!!
We also have visited the silver mines in Potosi which was an eye opener.
When you think you are having a bad day you should think of these guys.
Working in unlit, dark, cold conditions of 100 Bolivianos (8 Bols to the US dollar) for a bag of rocks that weight more than a big sack of rice.
Very hard work & most dont get past 40 yrs old.
We were able to buy some stuff for them & the stuff I mean is TNT.
Yes I was able to buy explosives legally here & pass onto the miners.
Explosive!!
Amazing to see but glad I dont have to live in the town where the average life expectancy is the 3rd lowest in South America.
It was also at 4070 metres so claims to be the highest city in the world, alot of that in Bolivia!!
Altitude sickness no longer a problem as we have adjusted to it now so no more headaches, just a little short of breath every now & then.
All is going well & we are heading to La Paz tomorrow which is the highest capital in the world.
Hope all are good.
Bye for now.
Keith & Sharon

keith_mcinnes@hotmail.com
sharonj24@yahoo.com
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/rtw-0506/1137796740/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/rtw-0506/1137796740/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ksmc04/rtw-0506/1137796740/tpod.html Mon, 23 Jan 2006 14:14:00 -0500 The last continent - trip to Sth America via Asia, Europe & home via Nth America. Our trip starts in Dec to Feb 06.

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Uyuni, Bolivia

Hola there!!
We have made it to Uyuni in Bolivia after 3 days in a 4x4 across what seem the worst roads we have ever been on & across a salt flats covered 10cms of water!!
Yes thats right.
Talk about a change in direction.
This wasnt in the brochure!!
Guess who also got altitude sickness??............Sharon!!....only joking...me!!
The worst hang over you can imagine (or headache for the Muslims!) times 10 & there is nothing you can do about it!!
Except come down.
We got to 5000 meters where it all kicked in & we were surposed to stay at about 4200 metres that night.
Couldnt do it & some of the others were feeling the effects too.
So we drove a couple more hours to get down to 3700 metres where the headache totally went away.
Crazy.
Anyway all is good now.
Probably worked out for the best as we got thru the non-existant roads (all goat dirt tracks) faster & had some amazing views.
Plenty or great photos but we can upload at present.
We are now about to head to the more civilised area of this country(?).
Photos later.
Hope all are well.
Bye for now.
Keith & Sharon
Bolivia is something else & we are lucky to find a good computer.
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