Barbados, Caribbean (11/4/07 - 18/4/07)

Jumping off the plane, I was on a natural high... the weather was warm with the beautiful beaches waiting, I could understand people again, I was meeting some great friends and Australia was halfway through defending their back-to-back world cup victories. The only problem was that Kev was arriving in a few days and I didn't know where Lewi was staying. Lewi had arranged some accommodation for us in Oz and apparently emailed my UniSA account which I no longer had access. Therefore, I was forced to find my own accomm for the night and email Lewi to find where they were lodging for the week.

I went for a walk/run to the Bridgetown, the main area of Barbados. Feeling hungry I grabbed some Chinese at a restuarant and met another Aussie who couldn't get into his room and couldn't find his friends either. He told me about the St. Lawrence Gap where most people go to party in Barbados. So, we set off to have a few drinks and see if we could run into our mates. After a few beers, old mate found his buddies but I wouldn't be so lucky.

The next day, I'd finally received another email from Lewi so I packed my stuff and headed to meet an old face. Lewi had a big night and was feeling a bit rough, so we just managed a catch-up and swim on one of the clearest beaches I've ever seen. Turns out Lewi was only next door at a bar the night before. I walked past the bar he was drinking at but didn't bother going into every single bar. Oh well, there was plenty of time to hang now.

My first night was spent on a fold-out army bed. The place was very basic and people were crammed into every room, yet it still cost us US$40/night. I wasn't very impressed, especially when he made me pay for the first night when I had a sh!tty fold-out.

On the morning of my first World Cup match, Kev rocked up. I hadn't seen Kev since London which I left 2 and a half years ago. It was great see a good mate from my London days again. With all our Aussie gear, we made our way for the ground in a maxi-taxi. They have shared mini-van taxi's which are great cause it's loads cheaper. But the problem is that they cram heaps of people in to make as much money as possible. Half the time you're almost sitting on another persons lap.

In the party stand, you get a meal and 8 drink vouchers. After I'd already received my tokens and was waiting for Kev, the lady asked me if she had given me the tokens. I told a little white lie and said 'no'. She gave me another lot of tickets! Since I wanted my mates on the same level, I promised to share them with Kev and Lewi - we were set for a big day. But the Aussies didn't help the situation as they destroyed the Irish by 1pm. The party stand continued to play music for another hour, so we had slightly more time to finish the drinks. Stumbling out of the ground, we were on the hunt to continue celebrations. The boatyard seemed to be the best place as it was a bar on the beach with an inflatable iceberg and a trampoline in the water. I gave my stuff to Lewi, while Kev and I went out to climb the iceberg and dive off the trampoline. I'm not sure how but I managed to lose my sunnies. At 7pm, they tried to kick everyone out of the bar so they could have a $40 all-you-can-drink night. Already being drunk, we thought we wouldn't get our money worth but still wanted to stay. Disputing the deal as I pulled out the cash for Lewi and I, I called it a 'rip-off'. One of the wanker bouncers heard and wouldn't let me pay and go back inside. I waited for Lewi to get Kev, so we could go to another bar. We tried to keep going at St. Lawrence Gap but the day proved to be too big for us.

The next 3 days was spent just recovering, swimming, playing beach cricket with local West Indians, playing cards and hanging out.

On the 15th, we scored free tickets to the Ireland v Bangladesh match which turned out to be the closest game I watched. It was free as the game didn't matter in the context of the tournament. If the favourites had won, it would have been India v Pakistan but they exited the tournament early and so did most of the fans that had pre-purchased tickets.

The 17th was the much anticipated South Africa v England match - the winner would basically secure a semi final so it was branded a final in itself. Again, the game was a bit disappointing with South Africa winning convincingly. Again, we visited the boatyard after the game but the inflatable platforms were closed and it wasn't as happenning like after the Oz game.

On the last day, I managed to lose my 2nd pair of sunnies - lucky they were cheaps this time. Don't ask me how it happened though...

Return rating: 8 (beautiful beaches on most of the islands)

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil (7/4/07 - 10/4/07)

For what should have been around a 4 hour flight from La Paz to Rio, instead took me 18 hours and 4 seperate flights. Such are the difficulties in travelling around South America. During one of the stops, we landed in Sao Paulo at 1am. I thought it was illegal for planes to arrive in residential areas between 11pm-6am.

After landing, I grabbed a registered taxi and set off for a hostel I found in Clare's lonely planet the day I left La Paz. I didn't have any reservation much like most of my adventure, which was a fairly nerve racking experience at night in one of the worlds most dangerous cities. So dangerous, the taxi driver wouldn't stop at traffic lights as to avoid being car jacked. (I later discovered that people on the street charge parkers to watch their car to make sure nobody steals or damages it.) Thankfully, there was room at the hostel and I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

My first full day in Rio was rather upsetting as I got the news of the passing of my grandma. I will miss the funeral but I was able to say my goodbyes before leaving Australia. Reality still hasn't sunk in and I don't think it will until I return home. I'll miss you Gre.

The rest of my afternoon was spent on one of the world's most famous beaches, Copacabana Beach. The skimpy bathers are evident straight away, however, most of the time it is unwanted as fat and/or old people show too much. Although, there is the odd bit of eye candy for everyone.
On the 8th, I went for a walk to the adjacent and Ipanema Beach. Since it's Easter, the beaches are packed with holiday-makers and locals. There shore breaks are as heavy or heavier than Boomers in Victor Habour. I stopped to watch people getting slammed by the massive closeouts.
In the evening, I finally managed to see my first South American soccer match... and it was a big game between the Flamingos and America. Maracana Stadium is supposedly the biggest stadium in the world, holding 120,000 fans. Apparently, they have crammed 180,000 sardines into some finals. This all sounds impressive but I would say the MCG is much more impressive. It doesn't make sense to me cause a soccer field is smaller and Maracana only had two levels whereas the 'G' has 3 or 4 around most of the ground. Maybe they can fit more people because the Brazzilans are smaller people (or Australians are fatter - depending on your viewpoint).

The game was organised by the hostel where I met 2 Norweigen girls and a Swedish girl. Unfortunately, it rained for half the game and there were only a few thousand people in the crowd. For the record, Flamingos won 4-1.

If there is one symbol of Brazil, it's the Statue of the Christ Redeemer on Corovado Hill. Today was my chance to visit, so I caught a bus to the bottom of the hill. When I got off to catch the train, a guy convinced me and another guy from Vancouver (now living in Sao Paulo), Maz, to catch a private car up the hill. It was cheaper, quicker and we got an extra stop for photo opportunities.

The views at the top are spectacular. I later discovered that Rio's coastline and bay is on Wikepedia's 7 tourist wonders of the world. It is certainly the best view of a city I've ever seen, even after seeing most of Europe. We spent a few hours admiring the view and got the typical tourist photos. Maz was kind enough to take a few snaps on his digital camera and emailed them to me.















I had ideas of going to sugar loaf but the afternoon brought more rain and I couldn't see how the view could be any better than what I'd already seen. Instead, Maz and I found a traditional Brazillian meal consisting of rice, chips, meat and beans.

Back at the hostel, I ran into the girls from the soccer who were going to a samba dancing club, so I made a spur of the moment decision to join. The tunes were OK but I couldn't understand a word of the Portugese. The dancing seemed to be simply feet shuffling but everyone was really getting into it and enjoying themselves most importantly. Again, we tried to kick on but there wasn't much open being Easter.

Just like when I got on the ferry for Mykonos, my luck wasn't working for a spot of hang-gliding over the bay of Rio. I'd even paid for it and was ready to fly but the winds weren't strong enough so a refund was given. Maybe next time...

I spent my last few hours walking down the deserted Copacabana Beach. Easter was finished and everyone was back at work. I was ready to leave Brazil and see our brilliant cricket team in action at the world cup!

According to a world survey, Brazillian people are the happiest in the world. However, in my experience I didn't see as many smiles as I would expect from the happiest country in the world. Also, poverty seems to be a bigger problem than Australia with the majority of Brazillians continually struggling to earn a living.

Return rating: 8

Well, that's it for South America... for now. I didn't have time to see Igausu Falls (despite popular belief it's much bigger and impressive than both Niagra and Victoria Falls), Buenos Aires and the Galapogas (seemingly something that can be done in my senior years). Next time I hope to be able to speak some Spanish or Portugese.

La Paz, Bolivia (4/4/07 - 6/4/07)

Again, we spent a fair portion of the day on buses but finally arrived at the last destination of our tour. At 3600m, La Paz is the highest capital city in the world (apparently Tibet is fairly close). We managed a quick walking tour of the city before dinner but everyone was exhausted again and the night ended relatively early.

Our last full day of the tour was spent at the Tiahuanaco ruins founded pre-Incan times, around 1000 years ago. Even though this site is older, I still found Machu Picchu to be much more interesting. Or was I getting over ruins???

I tried to change my flight to Rio as I wanted to tackle 'the most dangerous road in the world' on a mountain bike but it was too much drama. The next morning was a rather strange feeling as we said our goodbyes and went our seperate ways. Patricia had been extremely helpful in bridging the culture differences such as language and a fantastic guide overall. I still hope to keep in contact with the group.

Return rating: 4

Puno, Peru (2/4/07 - 3/4/07)

Rising early again, we caught 3 buses which took the entire day to arrive in Puno.

The following day, the tour continued on a boat out to the floating islands of Uros on Lake Titicaca. Lake Titicac is the highest navigable lake in the world at 3820m. The islands are built from layers of totora reeds that grow in the shallows of the lake. As the reeds closest to the water rot, new layers are added on top. As you can imagine, we were all a little cautious about stepping off the boat onto the floating islands. However, it was surprisingly sturdy. The Uros orginally built the floating islands to isolate themselves from rival tribes. Nowdays people live on them to avoid tax as the government doesn't consider it to be land.

We then spent 3 hours on a boat bound for a real island, called Taquile Island. This was somewhat of a waste of time as we only went for a short trek and had lunch before taking another 3 hours to return to Puno.

Return rating: 1

Cusco, Peru (1/4/07)

Back in Cusco, it was time to celebrate our achievement and great experience with a group dinner. The beers and wine flowed freely as we reminisced about the trek. The younger people kicked on to a discoteque (can't believe they still call them disco's) while the oldies called it a night. Santiago joined us, so we shouted him drinks as a way of showing appreciation for his help during the Inca Trail. However, he obviously doesn't drink much and soon had to be taken home. It was down to Craig and I but we ended up losing each other. When I got back to the hotel, Craig was coincidentally just getting to the door aswell. A good night had by all.

Luckily the next day was a free one as Craig and I woke around 4:30pm. Apparently, Clare banged on our door at 9am to see if we wanted our laundry done but neither of us heard. My only clean clothes were shorts and the temperature was in single digits.

We were exhausted from the trek and celebrations. The hangover was more unbearable at 3800m but we managed to meet the group for another dinner. Guinea pig was on the menu and was shared amounst the group. It came to the table looking like a guinea pig that had been dropped in a deep fryer. I only managed a mouthful.

Return rating: 6

Inca Trail and Machu Picchu, Peru (27/3/07 - 30/3/07)

During the morning, Patricia gave us a quick tour of Ollantayambo which included a visit to a local families home. In almost every room there would have been 15-20 guinnea pigs - considered a delicacy in Peru. Surely it's weird seeing your dinner running around the living room???

There wasn't much more time to spare as the bus was packed and the Inca Trail waited. For the 10 people on the tour, we had 15 porters to carry our tents, mats, chairs, tables, food, cooking equipment and peronsal packs for everyone. Before the inca trail was regulated, the porters would carry 50kgs on their backs (about their own bodyweight). Now they are only allowed to carry 25kgs which is still very heavy to be climbing mountains.

At km82 (the start of this Inca Trail and the distance back to Cusco), the bus dropped us to meet our second guide, Santiago (I wondered if this would be reprentative of my previous experience in Chile but he turned out to be a fantastic help and eventually a friend). The Inca trail is now so popular that they have passports checks at the beginning and only allow 500 people/day (including porters and guides). In the words of Bruce, "I feel special...".

Feeling energetic and keen to get started, we set off for the 42km trek. Bringing into perspective is the fact that we are only completing a small section of the entire Inca highways which linked the empire from Quito in Ecuador to Santiago in Chile. We pass many ruins as we hike along the river. The first ruin, Llactapata was burnt to the ground by the last Inca emperor to discourage Spanish persuit down the trail and into Machu Picchu.

We are welcomed to lunch with applause from the porters who have trekked ahead to setup tents, tables, chairs and prepared a meal. The food is amazing, especially considering the conditions and facilities.

After a few more hours walking, Craig and I arrive at the first campsite and wait for the group. Everyone is glad to finish the first day. The view is spectacular and a photo will not do it any justice. Of course, we had to celebrate with a quite beer... but not too many as tomorrow was the most difficult leg. So with a feed and a few games of arsehole, we hit the sack.

We start the 2nd day in a group which is rather slow going. Patricia gave Craig and I directions to go at our own pace. The rain fell so I covered up with my garbage bag aka poncho. Every 50m, I have to stop and catch my breath - the altitude and steep terrain take their toll. But the good news is that my recovery is fast. We reach the highest point of our trek, Warmiwanusca or Dead Woman's Pass at 4198m. Craig was waiting at the top and we take a well deserved 15 minute break to admire the foggy but impressive view.

The trail down is wet and extremely slippery, especially for me being the only person trekking in sneakers. It's lucky we have walking sticks so I can take some weight off my decent. Even still, I very nearly went AoT 3 times which must have been funny for anyone watching my arms wave around trying to regain balance.

For the section which was supposed to take 7 hours, Craig and I completed in 3 and a half hours. The porters had only just arrived at the lunch camp and began preperations for the group. The rain got heavier as we waited in shelter for the rest of the group to arrive. 2 and a half hours later, the last of our group showed looking a bit crook. Claire had suffered a bad case of altitude sickness and lost vision near Dead Woman's Pass. The guides managed to help her through with some techniques but the oxygen for most severve cases was reserved if she didn't improve.

The afternoon trek was a bit easier, however, we still finished in the dark. Ingrid and Ann went straight to bed and the rest of us weren't far behind.

In the morning, we woke to magnificent views of the Inca valley that we couldn't see the night before. It had now been a few days since nature called, so I had no choice but to use the longdrop. As you can probably imagine, the toilets aren't very well maintained with no running water. It stunk to hell and was overflowing with stale water, urine and badly aimed battleships. Aneurin had other ideas as Craig told me later - he thought the wash basin on the outside of the toilets was the men's urinal.

The 3rd day is the easiest. Seemingly too easy for some as Craig convinced a porter to swap bags as they passed us in the morning (the porters have to stay behind to dismantle the camp and arrive before us at the next camp to setup). They are big bags and Craig hadn't done any training. He managed to keep up with their pace and met us at the first stop where we took a snap of all the porters. Craig later admitted he struggled with the last part. I was considering doing the same but Craig always seemed to be a step ahead of me on the trail and my aerobic fitness had certainly dropped in the last few weeks. Besides, we were still somewhere between 3000-4000m above sea level which does have an effect on my mild asthma.

The afternoon trek continues through some more breath-taking views and ruins. We finish the day at a slightly more civilised campground with electicity... finally we can take a warm shower. Craig and I sink a few beers while admiring some of the best views in the world and discuss what has been an unfortgettable experience of a lifetime. At our last dinner cooked by the support group, we are given a chance to show our appreciation with a speach from Chris in broken Spanish. We tip the porters & cook and offer them a beer aswell - they have certainly earnt it. I'm still amazed with their strength and fitness but they shrug off the compliments by saying that it is normal and they have grown up with the lifestyle. The porters sing a traditonal Peruvian song which we return with a bad rendition of Australia's unnofficial national anthem, Waltzing Matilda. The Norweigen family sing their traditional tune and we're all one big happy family on the last night.

Just before heading to bed, Aneurin and I went to the toilet. Aneurin gets ready to use the wash basin again but stops to check with me. Knowing Craig's story, I was in histerics laughing. Craig comes over to see what the fuss is about and soon the whole tour is in stitches. The rest of the campground would not have been happy with our group as they tried to sleep and we couldn't stop laughing.

Once again, I'm feeling the early starts as we pack and eat. The 4th day is the last of the trek and the most rewarding. It's so early that we are walking in the dark. It's a good job that I have my keychain light as I'm too excited to wait for the group. I'm the first to arrive at the Sungate (Intipunku) which in theory you should be able to see Machu Picchu. There is cloud and mist covering, making Machu Picchu that much more mysterious. The cloud disappears for a few minutes and we are treated to our first glimpse. After a few snaps (will have to show you the prints), we walk down the trail and into one of the 7 wonders of the world (currently taking votes online).

Throughout all my travels, I've taken my pillow and sleeping bag in case I had to camp without a traditional bed. Everyone seeing me carry my pillow through airports, trains and buses think I'm a bit crazy. Well, it was just the same at Machu Picchu - they wouldn't let me in with the pillow strapped to the back of my daypack. This caused great amused to our tour group as they have given me banter during the entire journey.

Patricia gives us some info on the ancient city as we admire the precision of the Inca's. Halfway through, a random girl approaches me to ask if I can be in her photo. I couldn't refuse which provided more amusement to the group watching. Chris managed to get a photo of me with the random girls.

Towards the end of the tour, Craig and I broke away from the group to climb Winaypicchu which is the mountain adjacent to Machu Picchu. It proved to be the most difficult climb of the tour which is why the rest of the group decided against the extra trek. But with risks come rewards, it was definitely the best view of Machu Picchu. In fact, I've been told that most of the professional photos you see of Machu Picchu are taken from Winaypicchu. The decent was even more difficult as we finished covered in sweat.

At lunch, we came across a photo that someone took at the start of the trek. I didn't even notice the photo being taken on day 1 of the trek and I don't know why they kept it for 4 days (2000 people have done the trail since) but I had to get it. We left Machu Picchu behind in a much easier way... train and bus.

Return rating: 9