worldofbintang's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries TravelStream™ news feed for member worldofbintang on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/worldofbintang en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sun, 18 Jan 2009 03:14:41 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com Travelling through Romania & Bulgaria — Varna, Bulgaria http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1154101200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1154101200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1154101200/tpod.html Sun, 18 Jan 2009 03:14:41 -0500 Heading west around the World following the stars....
Varna, Bulgaria

After leaving rural northern Romania, we arrived in Sighisoara, Transylvania (Dracula land) and immediately met up with an old friend, Vinnie (who we'd met when we had been travelling in Mexico nearly 2 years ago). Paul, Vinnie and I had a great 3 nights in Sighisoara enjoying the cheap beer, great views of the medieval style town and catching up... finally Paul had someone apart from me to chat to football about!!! After a weekend in Sighisoara the 3 of us headed to 2 hours south on the train to Brasov. This is an old walled town with verdant green mountains on either side of the town, as soon as we had checked into the hostel we headed for the beer festival in Parcul Central and had some great BBQd sausages washed down with 20p a pint beers - who said travelling was hard?? The rest of our 3 days in Brasov was spent looking around the town at the many beautiful buildings, taking a cable car ride up to the mountain overlooking the town and partying with others in the hostel - after all we did have a birthday to celebrate (Vinnie's ..5th). Our last stop in Romania was Bucharest where we had 2 days to take in the sights - the palace that Ceausescu had demolished 1/6th of the city to build was pretty impressive, if not a little extravagant (the 2nd largest palace in the world after the pentagon)... the picture doesn't really show how massive it actually is. Ceausescu also built his own version of the Champs d'Elysees and a mini Arc de Triumph just to show off his grandeur, all very nice but shame that he spent so much of the country's money on. We also visited the square where protests against Ceausescu first took place and it was sad to think about all the people who had been killed in 1989.
After nearly 2 weeks in Romania we crossed the border into Bulgaria and had an interesting 5 days in Veliko Tarnovo, the old capital. Vinnie, Paul and I stayed in a great little hostel run by an English guy - really relaxing and part of the reason we ended up staying longer than we thought. The other reason why we stayed for a few more days was because of the fab pool about 5 minute taxi ride away from the old town. Oh and I nearly forgot about the great beer, wine and food that we sampled. We spent one of the scorching days visiting the Tsaverets fortress which was impressive and made us feel like we were doing something worthwhile instead of just lazing by the pool or in the hostel. We had to say goodbye to Vinnie as we left Veliko Tarnovo for the Black Sea Coast.
The last 2 weeks have been party, party, party and this is only going to continue as we have just landed in another great hostel in Varna and met a great crowd here who are always up for going out. The hostel is just out of town but offers free trips to the beach where we have spent the last 2 days relaxing in the sun right next to a pool built in the bar on the beach - bliss!!! We're in no rush to leave but will have to move at some point as Mandy is flying back to the UK from Istanbul in 2 weeks where it will be bye bye Paul, hello work (what is that??)... Paul's off for some more adventures in South America while I hold the fort at home.
]]> where are all the bears.. — Calistoga, California, United States http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1093546140/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1093546140/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1093546140/tpod.html Thu, 31 Jul 2008 19:18:33 -0400 Heading west around the World following the stars....
Calistoga, California, United States

After leaving Vegas we drove through Death Valley National Park.. at first it just looked like a big quarry but got a bit more impressive as we drove out and you could see across the vast desert.
We headed up to Yosemite National Park the day after, a beautiful place with lots of huge Redwood Trees, amazing rock formations and crystal clear lakes. We booked a ´cabin room´ at Housekeeping Camp on the other side of the park and when we got there we found a couple of beds with a frame surround and canvas wrapped over and around. There were also lots of warnings not to feed the bears or leave any food lying around so we wondered whether they might visit us in the middle of the night as there was no way to secure it at all... After an afternoon of swimming and relaxing we went for a walk later on and ended up walking back in the dark through ´Sleepy Bear Meadow´. We also had a rather restless nights sleep but the bears never made an appearance... I think they overplay them just to attract more tourists!
We then headed further up US highway 395 and stopped to visit a ghost town called Bogey. It was a lawless town of a couple of thousand people during the gold rush but is now uninhabited. Lots of the buildings such as the saloon, school, church and houses are really well preserved and were really interesting to look around. This being America there were also several people dressed up in the traditional costumes and you could get Beef and Beans like the cowboys used to eat..
We carried on driving north and visited Lake Tahoe which has a beautiful lake surrounded by large mountains. In winter it is a big ski and snowboarding resort but unfortunately there was no snow for us. It was´t very sunny in Tahoe so we decided not to stay and instead headed up to the Napa Wine Valley east of San Francisco. We found a lovely little town called Calistoga which was just one main street of shops, a couple of bars and a disused but restored train station. We had a couple of nights of luxury here as our hotel had a swimming pool. We also spent a day walking around to some of the wineries and doing some wine tasting. Twomey was a small winery which makes lovely Merlot in the old french barrels the traditional way. Sterling nextdoor was the complete opposite.. numerous different wines all mass produced but some very good ones. To go tasting at Sterling you also had to get a cablecar up the hillside and you got great views. Not as friendly as the people at Twomey though where we got through a couple of bottles!
]]> Dublin stop — Dublin, Ireland http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1166112000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1166112000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1166112000/tpod.html Thu, 21 Dec 2006 06:16:29 -0500 Heading west around the World following the stars....
Dublin, Ireland

xx
]]> Back Home — Manchester, United Kingdom http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1166699460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1166699460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1166699460/tpod.html Thu, 21 Dec 2006 06:14:37 -0500 Heading west around the World following the stars....
Manchester, United Kingdom

Wow, where did the last two and a half years go?? And do I REALLY have to go back to work after Xmas ????
]]> A week with family in the Central Valley — Bakersfield, California, United States http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1165920360/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1165920360/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1165920360/tpod.html Thu, 21 Dec 2006 06:03:45 -0500 Heading west around the World following the stars....
Bakersfield, California, United States

I left San Francisco and took the 'Amtrak' train over to my sisters house at Bakersfield in the Central Valley of California. The trains in America are very comfortable but also very slow.. and my journey was delayed even further just 4 miles short of my destination. Initially the train stopped for half an hour with no reason and then we were eventually informed that a 'suspect package' had been found on the track and as they thought it was a bomb we couldn't go any further. Eventually the train reversed back down the track to a level crossing where we transferred to some buses for the last few miles !! With that scare behind me I had a great week staying with my sister Michelle, her husband Austin and my four nieces & nephews - Bethany, Eleonore, Samuel & Joshua. On the Sunday we went to the 'Buck Owens' country music restaurant - it doubles as a tribute to Buck Owens the country music singer who put Bakersfield on the map. The restaurant has lots of memorabilia and photos and the food is good too. I had brought Samuel & Joshua football kits from Colombia and when they wore them to soccer practice they both scored two goals.. they were easily the best players but then soccer is an English game and not an American one! On our last night we headed out to the Bakersfield Zoo - but not to see animals. At Xmas time it is decorated with thousands of lights and they also have a train ride and a ferris wheel - very Xmassy and great fun, especially with the biggest bag of popcorn I have ever seen (enough for seven people and some..) When you are away travelling for two and a half years you appreciate family and friends that little bit more and so it was great to be able to spend my last week with my sister and her family. So for now that is it.. all that is left is a 2hr bus ride to Los Angeles and then a flight back to Manchester for my first Xmas at home in 3 years. Mandy and I have had THE most amazing trip and you can guarantee it won't be long before we are both getting itchy feet again......
]]> San Francisco — San Francisco, California, United States http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1165090380/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1165090380/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1165090380/tpod.html Fri, 08 Dec 2006 16:31:04 -0500 Heading west around the World following the stars....
San Francisco, California, United States

After finishing my 3 months in Colombia I flew back to the USA and spent my first night freezing to death in Los Angeles airport (when did Winter suddenly arrive??). The following morning I took another flight up to San Francisco and met up with my friend Paco who I had met 2 years previously in Guatemala. San Francisco is a really cool city and we had a great few days enjoying the coffee shops, bars and restaurant. I also got to see the huge redwood trees in Muir Woods, Golden Gate Park, the De Young Museum of Fine Arts and of course the Golden Gate bridge itself!! Another interesting diversion was a tour of some studios where 'adult' videos are made and the dungeon, jail cell and props were certainly an eye-opener.. the hot-tub on the roof and the free bar also helped to make this a memorable night! Paco and his friends all made my stay in San Francisco great fun and hopefully I will get the chance to return there very soon.
]]> The Pacific Coast — Bahia Solano, Colombia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1164041940/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1164041940/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1164041940/tpod.html Thu, 23 Nov 2006 13:47:04 -0500 Heading west around the World following the stars....
Bahia Solano, Colombia

Leaving Jerico I headed for the region of Choco which consists of lots of jungle and the pacific coastline. I left at 5am and took 2 buses to get me into Quibdo about 10pm at night!! The roads were really bad.. narrow and muddy with steep drops and several small landslides along the way, but the spectacular views of the River which we followed for most of the way made it a worthwhile trip. I arrived in the town of Quibdo, got off the bus, and as I was standing on the pavement a small rat fell on my head!! It immediately scurried off and when I looked up to see where it had come from there was a cat with a huge grin on its face looking down at me, having obviously just chased the rat. I found a crappy overpriced hotel room for the night and then when I went out for food got hassled by a drunk guy for money. Quibdo wasn't my favourite place so far.... The following morning I had a quick look around the town and decided there was nothing here to make me want to stay. I headed to the airport and managed to get a seat on a small plane to Bahia Solano on the pacific coast. The day was clear and sunny so I got great views of the huge area of jungle which lies west of Quibdo (there are no roads) and also the stunning coastline.
In Bahia Solano I stayed at Cabo Marzo, a friendly homestay with lovely rooms and delicious food. There is also a relaxing terrace area with hammocks and views of the sea. Enrique & Nancy the owners were really helpful showing me around and so for 3 days I did lots of walking along the beaches and through the jungle. This is one of the wettest areas in the world (there was usually some rain late afternoon) and so there are lots of spectacular waterfalls to see, some coming right out onto the beach. I also took a short trip up one of the rivers with an Indian boy in his dugout canoe.. very unstable but great fun. A short jeep ride away was the town of El Valle which isn't very attractive although the people are friendly. Better is the huge sweeping beach of El Alemjal which is unspoilt and very pretty with just a couple of decent hotels to choose from. To get back to civillisation I took another flight all the way back to Medellin - this plane was even smaller with only 10 seats - and the pilot kindly did a flyover tour of the city before we landed.
Only a few days left in Colombia now so I am heading South to catch my flight back to the USA out of Cali.
]]> Traditional Antioquia — Jerico, Colombia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1163469000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1163469000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1163469000/tpod.html Tue, 21 Nov 2006 20:57:26 -0500 Heading west around the World following the stars....
Jerico, Colombia

Leaving Medellin again I took a bus up into the mountains to a village at the heart of Antioquia - Jerico. Here I found a great hotel - The Rio Piedras (stone river) - and bagged a room with a great view of the main plaza and the overlooking mountains. The village has 16 churches and no shortage of old houses either so it is a delight to walk up, down and around the narrow streets. Lots of the locals still wear the traditional clothing and hats and there are usually more horses and cows around the centre than cars. There is a mix of modern and old though - you occasionally see horses tied up outside the local internet cafe!! The people are really friendly and I was soon 'kidnapped' by a group of local students who wanted to show me around. We walked up to the 'Cristo Rey' overlooking the village for some great views and they also pointed out a waterfall and shrine in the mountains above, the local 'piscina' (swimming pool) and neighbouring stadium for football matches. It was also a holiday weekend with everyone having the Monday off so the partying had begun and the plaza was full of people. The local campesinos were having a parade through the town and this was great fun with lots of highly decorated cars, horses and children! Lots of singing and dancing with a mix of costumes both funny and traditional. I met a really nice Italian man, Georgio, who owns a coffee finca outside the village and was invited to have lunch with his Colombian girlfriend and her (huge) family. This was great fun and my Spanish was put to the test as no-one else spoke English - a few hours and more than a few beers later we were all still chatting merrily! On the Monday Georgio took me in his jeep out to his coffee finca and showed me around. It is in a beautiful location overlooking the village and as well as coffee he has cows, sheep, fruit trees, forest, streams and much more on his land. It is a beautiful place and I really enjoyed the visit, despite being attacked at one point by some angry ants who objected to my presence. It was lovely to find such an unspoilt village and I think it has jumped to the top of my list of favourite places in Colombia!!
]]> Heading back North — Medellin, Colombia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1162052280/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1162052280/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1162052280/tpod.html Tue, 21 Nov 2006 13:19:08 -0500 Heading west around the World following the stars....
Medellin, Colombia

After the side trip to Ecuador I headed back North through Colombia spending a few days each in Cali and Armenia before arriving back in Medellin. The Black Sheep Hostel in Colombia is a really good place to relax for a while and so I had a week with good company, a few nights out and the odd beer or two! I also did some more exploring of the city and checked out a few nice places to stay as Mandy is flying out for her weeks holiday next Saturday (Oct 28). The longer I stay in Medellin the more I like the city - its very green and you nearly always have a view of the mountains. The metro makes it easy to get around and taxis are also cheap. All this combined with the good bars and restaurants make it a great place and a very liveable place too! And there are not too many cities that I have been to that I would say that about.. Next update will be re the great week me and Mandy had together out here and should have lots of good photos.
]]> A brief trip into Ecuador. — Quito, Ecuador http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1160663880/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1160663880/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/worldofbintang/round-the-world/1160663880/tpod.html Mon, 20 Nov 2006 22:21:10 -0500 Heading west around the World following the stars....
Quito, Ecuador

After several weeks in Colombia I crossed into Ecuador for a few days 'holiday' from Colombia. I spent my first night in Ottavalo and found a great place to stay at the Hostal Santa Fe. The rooms had just been refurbished and were lovely and I also had a great view of the mountains overlooking the town - a bargain at US$7 a night. In the nearby plaza I bumped into some friends - Karima & Adi - who I had met a couple of weeks earlier in Salento so we went for dinner and drinks. The following morning was the big Saturday market so we had a good walk around, starting with the animal market which was organised chaos with cows, pigs, sheep & chickens going in all directions. The main part of the town also has a 'tourist' market where a huge selection of pictures, clothing, souvenirs and handicrafts are for sale - lots to see but a huge crush of people. I think I saw more tourists today than in a whole month in Colombia!! I caught the lunchtime bus to Quito where I stayed at the Posada del Maple in the new town. It's a great place to stay with comfy beds, free internet and an amazing breakfast (pancakes and maple syrup included!). The hostel was full so met lots of people and many of them were working in Ecuador and having a couple of days holiday here. Quito is definitely a city of two halves - the new town is very modern with lots of hostels, internet cafes, bars and restaurants and you could easily be in the USA or Europe here. For a little piece of England 'La Reina Victoria' pub offers draft ale, shepherds pie and a warm welcome (even when the real fire isn't lit!). The old town however is a real contrast - hundreds of beautiful old buildings and busy streets where the locals sell fruit, clothes or just about anything else. At night the more impressive buildings and plazas are illuminated and are even prettier. While I was in Quito it was just a few days before an election so in the evenings there were lots of political rallies in the main plazas. These were good fun with lots of enthusiastic supporters waving flags and posters. Then, after the politicans announced their views and how good they would be at running the country there was usually a free music concert just to reinforce the feel-good factor!! With the election imminent I decided it would be a good time to leave and retraced my steps back to the border. The Colombian immigration officer spent lots of time studying every page of my passport - was there a problem?? Then he announced with a smile that I didn't have much space left before squeezing in a stamp on one of the less cluttered pages...lucky I don't have too many more border crossings to do!
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