A Well Overdue Blog; Sarah & James Travel Blog
knock kept continuing so we got up and Stuart was at the door and he said “you have got to see this!”, so we trundled very sleepily over to Stuarts room and after rubbing my eyes I noticed that the ship was travelling through a really really narrow Fjord, called Tracey Arm Fjord with mountains all around, but not only that the water was was crystal blue and there were the remains of icebergs everywhere. I can’t begin the explain how amazing the scenery and it was probably up there with one of the most beautiful sceneries I have ever seen (although New Zealand and Vietnam were also breathtaking). As well as the scenery being amazing, it was actually the fact that this humongous cruise ship was cruising very slowly through this very tiny passage and crunching through ice which made it all the more impressive. It was also a very calm day and there was no signs of life anywhere on the land so it was so peaceful.
We actually left Seattle nearly a week ago and flew to New York. I have to say I am not going to bore you with the details of our time in New York as we bascially shopped til we dropped and spent what little money we had left, but we are in Cape Cod now. We hired a car and James drove quite a painful 6 hours up the east coast to a place called Yarmouth in New England. The East coast is having a heat wave at the moment so New York was boiling, but Cape Cod is quite a bit cooler so it’s easier to do stuff. We are actually booked in to go Whale Watching as the cruise ship gave us a taster for it but we want to see them more up close and apparently sightings are guaranteed. yey!
An icey river dip and a boiling Carribean island; Sarah & James’ Travel Blog
We left you in Cusco as I was recovering from my illness and overnight stay in hospital. Thanks to the doctor I was out and on the road to recovery very quickly, although not back to normal for a while.
We had planned an further 5 nights in Cusco as we had intended to chill out after doing the Inca Trail. As I was feeling a lot better we decided that we should make the most of our time and do something active. We had wanted to go white water rafting while we were in New Zealand but both time and money prevented it. We had read on TripAdvisor that white water rafting was a good thing to do while in the area of Cusco, so we booked onto a trip with PeruRafting. I was really excited about this as I have only rafted once before and really enjoyed it, but we were both a little apprehensive about safety standards. As soon as we got to the river and got kitted up these fears were quickly allayed. The safety briefing was extensive and detailed and all the equipment was new. The Urubamba River flows from a glacier higher in the mountains and so the river was rather chilly despite the sunny day. We were told that this was a category 3 / 4 river and I can say that it was really exhilarating and we had to work hard under the instruction of the guide to navigate the various rapids. Thankfully we had a bit of a breather half way down the river where we could leap from high rocks into the icy cold water. When we finally made it back to the camp at the end of the run we were able to warm up in a sauna and were treated to a freshly cooked meal of chicken roasted in a wood fired oven. We were both absolutely shattered by the time we returned to our hotel in Cusco.
The next day we had to say goodbye to Hotel Ninos, a charity which uses all the profits from their 3 hotels to fund the children’s charity helping kids in Peru. We boarded the airplane to head back down to sea level to Lima where we would spend the night before again flying to Cancun Mexico. We were wondering if we would have any reverse effects to going back down to sea level, and the oxygen rich air. In all honesty I was looking forward to it, as although we were adjusted to the altitude it was still rather draining.
The next morning we got to the check in desk and presented our passports for our flight to Mexico. We thought it was a little odd when the desk attendant asked us to confirm where we were travelling to, with a slightly worried look on his face. After nearly 5 minutes tapping on his computer I had to ask if there was a problem, as there was far more key tapping going than normal. Disconcertingly the response to my query was a smile and a nod, not what I was looking for! This set the tone for the next hour. We waited another frustrating 5-10 minutes before the chap told us in very broken English that the flight was full. Full?! How can a flight that we had booked about 10 months in advance be full, and they not have seats for us? But we were not so reassured by the “Don’t worry we’ll find you a seat”. How do you find a seat on a full plane, you can’t exactly borrow one from another plane? So followed another 10 minutes of key tapping, but apparently computer was saying no. After about an hour of being passed from one desk to another, and receiving no explanation of the situation, we were eventually given boarding passes at opposite ends of the plane; no seats together apparently. This was approximately 15 minutes before the flight was due to take off, and we still had to clear customs, go through security and pay an exorbitant departure tax. We were convinced we were going to be late! After rushing through all of these formalities uttering countless obscenities under my breath Hugh Grant style, we eventually reached the gate about 2 minutes before the flight was due to take off. There was no-one waiting at the gate so assuming that everyone had boarded we rushed to the desk and thrust our boarding cards at the attendant, only to be told that the plane hadn’t even arrived yet, and they would be boarding in about 30 minutes!! Wouldn’t it have been nice to be told this at the check in desk! To make things worse, when we got on the plane there were two empty seats near me, what was all the fuss about!
So we eventually made it to Cancun and caught the ferry for the short trip across to Isla Mujeres. Our farcical day continued when we arrived at our hotel, a mere stumble from the ferry port. We arrived in the lobby to a desk clerk with an expression very similar to that of the airport check in attendant. Of course they had no record of our booking. We were a little concerned as they also did not seem to have a booking for our friend Jon Guest who was flying out the next day to spend a week with us. Again we were told that they were full. After 10 minutes in the back office the manager appeared, however it seemed that all was sorted and they had found our booking, crisis averted. We were so glad to get into the air-conditioned room! After the incredibly dry atmosphere of the altitude in Cusco, the humidity of Cancun was almost unbearable.
The next day we awoke to rain but it was light enough that we set out to explore the area around the hotel before Jon arrived. Isla Mujeres is a small island about a mile off Cancun, which is only about 100 meters wide and 2 miles long. Guesty arrived on the ferry in the afternoon and brought the sun with him which was great. But like the true Brits we are as soon as it got hot we moaned that it was too hot. However I think we had some justification as when we checked the weather online it was recorded as 38 degrees, but it said feels like 46 due to the humidity! Which to be honest was a little too hot to be out in in the peak of the day. There was a fantastic sunset that evening though.
Jon and I were due to go diving, Jon enrolled to do the PADI Openwater qualification, while I wanted to put the skills I had learned in Thailand to the test and dive with him. We met with the English dive instructor Ed from Aqua Adventures, and Jon went off to do the shallow water training. Sarah and I headed to the beach to take advantage of the weather. Later that afternoon I joined Jon on his two dives of the day. On the second dive we were lucky enough to see a Nurse Shark, which thankfully was very docile and just happily hiding in a hole in the reef, but quite clearly visible. As soon as we broke the surface after the dive Ed the instructor whaled at the top of his voice “Shark!”. This had me reeling and searching the surface of the water for a telltale dorsal fin, but it soon became clear from his fist pumping, and singing ‘how much is that sharky in the window, shark, shark’, that he was merely pleased to have seen a shark. It turned out that after 250 dives this was his first shark. It was Jon’s 2nd dive and my 6th, so we thought ourselves quite lucky. The next day Jon completed the qualification and I joined him for his last two dives. That evening we went out and celebrated out shark encounter, and how do you celebrate on Isla Mujeres? With Corona and Cuban cigars of course! We we are only a short boat trip from Cuba!
The following day we decided that we would continue the watersports theme and so we hired a windsurf, and tried our hand at it in the expanse of the shallow waters off Playa Norte on the north side of the island. I think that all those on the beach got as much entertainment from this as we did trying to do it! About the only time I managed to get it going was just before we had to give it back, except I could only seem to sail it away from shore, and in a very short time I was a very long way out. Which meant a tiring swim back pulling the board and sail, I just couldn’t seem to get it to go in the other direction! Guesty was much much better at it than me, and Sarah had a brief outing too!
The following day unfortunately Guesty succumbed to the dreaded travellers illness, but we enjoyed the sun the best we could for the next couple of days. Guesty left on Saturday and unfortunately he seems to have taken the weather back with him as we have had thunderstorms and rain since, and now it is lovely in the UK! We have been keeping occupied watching all the coverage of Wimbledon that ESPN can provide, although we have had regular interruptions for power cuts caused by the storms. Today we took the opportunity of a short break in the rain to head out for lunch, which became quite eventful as we had to wade through water up to our knees in the main street.
We head up to the States on Friday and are officially on the final leg of the journey, and are looking forward to seeing Stuart, and Sarah’s parents in Seattle.
I wonder how many blogs we are going to fit in from here, we will probably be on the east coast for the next one.
The Incavenous Trail – A tough time in Peru; Sarah and James’ Travelblog
Hi All,
Well you are probably wondering what the title is all about, well let’s just say we have had a complete change of plans and didn’t end up doing the Inca Trail which we are both so disappointed about.
So here’s what happened….
We arrived in Cusco from Lima after our very bumpy flight through the mountains where we landed at 3,400 metres above sea level. As soon as we were out the plane we both immediately noticed the thin air, especially as it is the highest either of us had ever been. It 
was hard work to even lift our bags off the baggage carousel.
We were picked up and taken to our hotel which was a lovely simple hotel called Los Ninos which had a great cafe in the courtyard which served all sorts of healthy food like veggie lasagna and yummy museli cereal so we were quite happy. 
We were both feeling quite light headed from the altitude and had dull headaches so we immediately went to the cafe and drank some Coca Tea which is supposed to help with altitude sickness. The tea itself tasted a bit like grass but definitely did the trick as the next day we were feeling a lot better.
We had 4 days to chill out in Cusco as we had heard that it is best to do as little as possible before the trek to allow your body to acclimatise and also not drink any alcohol, boohoo for James.
So we spent our time looking round the markets and stocking up on awesome alpaca treats as some of the clothes were really wonderful. We were also very impressed with Cusco, apart from the very annoying street sellers who wouldn’t leave you alone, there were loads of impressive buildings and churches and lots of cobbled streets and narrow alleyways.
We were due to start the Inca Trail on Wednesday and Tuesday morning came and James unfortunately started to have quite bad diarrhoea. However, this didn’t seem to dampen his spirits too much as we still went to our Inca Trail briefing and a walk around the town, also he had no temperature so I wasn’t too concerned at first.
However, about 4pm that day he did start to get alot worse and was now being sick quite regularly and by 7pm we had both pulled out of the trail as James was starting to get dehydrated. I also started to get quite worried so I decided to ask the hotel if they could get the doctor. I simply thought the doctor would come by and prescribe some antibiotics and that would be it but when he arrived he asked how many times he had been to loo and was completely shocked when James said (it really was alot) and said I think you need to come to hospital and be put on a drip.
So that’s what happened, off we went to a hospital and James was put on a intravenous drip for hydration and anitibiotics. Although, it got quite scary when they couldn’t even find a vein to put the drip in and James was still being so ill, to be honest, this was the lowest point for me on our whole trip so far and I couldn’t have wanted to come home more.
Fortunately, James had his own room and bathroom so this was better for him, although I later found out why this probably was. After many tests James was diagnosed with amoebic parasites which is highly infectious and probably explained why he had his own room. It is picked up by contaminated food or water and is very common in South America and can also take quite a while to build up in your body so we really are not sure where he picked it up from. It was 1am by the time we got the results and so the doctor switched the antibiotics to some stronger ones and I got a taxi back to the hotel.
I can definitely say I didn’t sleep a wink that night.
As we were due to check out the next day for the Inca Trail, I negotiated with reception to extend but we had to move rooms. As checkout was 11am, I had time to go to the hospital first and check on James. When I got there, James had a lot more colour and went through the night without being ill, which we were both so pleased about. The doctor said if he could keep food and water down all day he could be released that evening.
So I went back to the hotel and moved rooms and then went to the tour company to see what they could do for us. The tour company said that if James was better we should try and get to Machu Picchu on Friday and stay over night in time to meet the group we would have trekked with on Saturday. I said that would definitely not happen.
By the evening James was feeling much better and had managed to eat so the doctor said he could be released. I wasn’t sure and wanted him to stay one more night but James was keen to get out of there as soon as possible which I totally understood and so we went back to the hotel together in a taxi.
The next day James was feeling even better and wanted to have a walk round Cusco. We also went back to the tour company to see if we could go to Machu Picchu some other time but when we arrived they strongly recommended to go the following day as our entry to the Machu Picchu was still valid and our transport etc. So reluctantly we agreed and hoped that James would be well enough. We both also worried whether I might get parasites as the doctor said I should show symptoms within 3-7 days of James being ill. We both just had our fingers crossed.
So we were picked up by a driver the following day and taken to a town about an hour and a half away, called ollyantambo which was where the train leaves to another town called Aguas Calientes which is the closest town to Machu Picchu. James was getting much stronger and to be honest I couldn’t have been more pleased that he went to hospital as they obviously knew exactly what they were doing as James’ recovery was unbelievable. What was even better was our insurance company picked up the bill without us even needing to really do anything. Amazing!!! I can definitely say we have totally had our money’s worth (as we claimed for alot in India as well).
The train journey was spectacular as it meandered through the Andes and past the start of the Inca Trail. The trip was only 27 miles but took 1 1/2 hours. Aguas Calientes was a lovely little town but obviously very touristy This area of Peru is prone to earthquakes and James and I could not believe the state of some of the houses in this town that literally looked like they would topple over with just a slight bit of wind. There was not alot to do in Aguas Calientes but eat and drink which was a bit tricky as no alcohol, fatty foods, caffeine or dairy produce for James. Certainly a good way to loose weight.
Our bus trip up the mountain the next day to get to the Machu Picchu was a bit hairy but all
was organised as met our guide and the group we should have been with at the top. As we had met a couple of people from the group before in the briefing back in Cusco everybody was instantly sympathetic towards us. We were expecting the group to be feeling exhausted and dishevelled after the hike but they all looked pretty well and as high as kites for having completed the trek which although James and I were pleased to do at least the Machu Picchu we were even more gutted for not doing the trek. But….at least we both have our health and James is getting back to normal as that is far more important in my mind. 
The Machu Picchu was really incredible and probably the bizarrest thing we have ever seen. It is basically the ruins of a city built on the side of a huge mountain and whichever direction you looked there was always a long drop down the valley, quite scary. We were given a 2 hour tour from the guide who had done the trek with the rest of the group where we discovered that if you look at the famous Machu Picchu photo on it’s side, it is actually the silhouette of a face of a man. Hopefully you can see it in this picture here on the right.
After the tour we had some free time before meeting the rest of the group for lunch back in Aguas Calientes. We got chatting to some of the people from the group and there were 2 girls who were sisters and had 7 children between them and were from England and had various family members looking after the kids whilst they did the trek. There was also a 62 year old lady in the group so James and I feel that there is still plenty of time for us to come back and do the trek or perhaps do a different trek somewhere else in the world.
After lunch it was time to get on the train back to Ollyantambo but before we arrived back at Ollyantambo the train stopped and all of a sudden the music on the train got alot louder and everyone started to look at one another and wonder what was going on. 
Well from behind the curtain a man in a very scary mask started to dance up and down the isle of the train. So weird!!!!! but a traditional Peruvian dance apparently. This was then followed by the train staff using the isle of the train as a catwalk as they modelled various items of Alpaca wear, trying to tempt us to buy some. It was the weirdest thing we have ever seen and certainly made everybody laugh.
We were picked up in Ollanytambo by a van to take us back to Cusco which was driven by the most suicidal man who decided to over-take going down the mountain on blind corners, quite regularly and it was pitch black. It wasn’t for the faint hearted!!! In the short time we were with the group we thought they were a fab group and we all passed the time on the way back playing 20 questions. Great fun and took our minds off the journey.
So we’re back in Cusco now and we now have another 4 days here which we had planned in case we needed recovery time after the Inca Trail. We are pretty bored of Cusco now so are hoping to do some day trips to pass the time before our next flight to Mexico on Friday.
There is still chance I can catch the parasites as the 7 days is not up yet but I am remaining positive and we know exactly what to do if I do get it.
James and I are now 1-1 on the illness front, NO MORE PLEASE!!!!!
Bye for now
Sarah and James
xxxxxxxxxxxx
Rio and Lima – 2 great South American Cities; Sarah and James
We seem to be non-stop through South America and we both feel that we need much longer on this continent to explore it properly but after our really busy time in Argentina we were looking forward to some chill out time in Rio on the beach.
Errrr……don’t think so. We arrived from Iguassu to our hostel in Leblon and actually the hostel was pretty nice but our room was right outside a nightclub which pretty much shook the bed until 6am every morning. Ohhhhhh and what was worse, the weather was seriously crap and rained every day during our stay in Rio.
But, we’re totally used to the rubbish weather now and rather than trying to sleep through the noise James and I decided just to join in.
After 2 weeks in Argentina we were slowly starting to get to grips with the language only to land in brazil and our Spanish being pretty useless as “we don’t speak no Portuguese” but luckily the Brazilians in Rio spoke pretty good English and also the locals are super friendly, in fact I don’t think I have met such friendly people.
We first experienced this on our 1st day. As it was tipping it down all day, whilst walking round Leblon we spotted a gym so we thought we’d get some exercise and do a work out. Basically from the moment we walked in to the moment we left we were totally looked after. We were hooked up with a personal trainer called Bruno who put us in a running class, then put us on a step machine (as we told him we were doing the Inca Trail) and then helped us out with some weights and not only that, gave us loads of recommendations for things to do in Rio. The gym was also amazing, 6 floors, with a spa at the top and an outside swimming pool where we swam in the rain.
After the gym, it was time to drink. We thought we’d drink and stay awake as long as possible (even though we were super tired) so we started off in the hostel bar. Unlike us stingy English, the measurements of rum that bar tender was serving us was ridiculous. We got talking to 3 English people who live in Jersey, Ryan and Julie and their friend Frankie. After a few drinks with them they persuaded us to go to an area in Rio called Lapa which is a famous night spot in Rio with great live music and a good samba scene. After getting a recommendation from the bar tender in the hostel, the 5 of us hopped in a taxi to a place called Rio Scenarium. 
We arrived there just as the heavens opened again after 1am and the live music was in full swing. The place had 3 floors and was decorated with antiques and movie set props, it was awesome. We got back about 4am and I can definitely say I slept amazingly.
The next morning I woke at 9am and I had the most horrendous hangover (a long time since I have had one) and I can safely say I spent all day in bed. Although James wasn’t as bad as me, he also spent all day in bed.
The next day we were lucky enough to move to a quieter room which was bliss as it meant we got some sleep. But, although it was cloudy the rain had stopped so we thought we had better do some of the touristy stuff. As we only had 1 day left we decided to go up the Pao de Azucar (the sugar loaf mountain) as the view was supposed to be better than the view from the Christ the Redeemer (the big famous statue) but before we did that we went for some breakfast round the corner from our hostel. It was the best breakfast we ever had, loads of different breads, preserves, scrambled eggs, ham, cheese, orange juice, such a feast but not cheap, but worth it. It was also a great place to people watch as Leblon is a really nice neighbourhood; as it was a Sunday morning there were people everywhere walking their what I call “designer dogs”. Steph, your grooming business would do wonders here.
Anyway, we got a local bus to the sugar loaf mountain which was pretty easy and then went up the cable car to view Rio. Once we got to the very top, a thick fleece and a woolly hat would have gone a long way here as it was very windy and pretty cold but was worth it.
The following day there was good news and bad news. The good, the sun was out, the bad, we were going to be sitting on a bus for 7 hours heading to Sao Paulo for our flight to Lima. The bus was originally eventful as a lady was kicking off for some reason and we had the police on the bus, exciting. Then when we arrived in 
Sao Paulo we decided to stay in an airport hotel as our flight wasn’t until very early the next morning only to get in a taxi from the bus station where the driver got us completely lost and we couldn’t communicate to him which was so frustrating. But after what took double the time the driver asked some locals for directions and we made it to our cheapo hotel.
After 6 hours on a plane to Lima we arrived at our hostel Inka Frog which was heavenly peaceful compared to Rio. We’re currrently in Lima now, and we’re staying in an area called Miraflores (which we were recommended) and we really like the area. There are loads of nice restaurants and fancy casinos but also loads of lovely parks and it’s right on the pacific ocean.
Miraflores has an open top bus sightseeing tour and considering neither of us had actually ever been on one (not even in London) we thought it would be fun. 
The bus took us round the area and it made James and I like it even more, especially on the sea front where there are some very posh hotels and also people paragliding off the cliffs.
We had met a girl in Cordoba who lives in Lima and told us to get in touch when we arrived and she would take us out. So I contacted Belka, and luckily she was free and so last night Belka took us to a restaurant which served great Peruvian food. At the restaurant Belka helped us with the best food to order and I had stuffed pepper filled with beef served with creamy potatoes and James had pork ribs with rice and beans (a proper Guesty dish). Belka gave us a taste of her dish which was what I thought was some sort of steak only to find out afterwards it was cows heart. Nice!!! I also tried the famous local cocktail, Pisco Sour, only made in Peru and made from local sour lemons. Yummy!
Belka had then booked us tickets to see a traditional Peruvian dance show. It was so spectacular. The dancers performed lots of different routines that represented different regional dances throughout Peru, and it was all danced to a live band. The costumes were so colourful and for each dance there was a completely different costume and theme. My favourite dance was the Marinera which is a romantic dance between a couple and involves much waving of a handkerchief. It was so good, the crowd wanted more. Belka was great and told us about all the different dances and she herself performs these dances, in particular the Marinera. In between each Act, the audience were given chance to dance to the live band. Many people were doing the Salsa and I was very tempted to get up and join in but though my lack of Salsa experience would make me look like a right fool.
We felt so privileged to be taken to something that was so local and so cultural and it was also great to have Belka with us, who speaks the language and also speaks English perfectly. In particular when getting a taxi to the venue and back again as even Belka wouldn’t get in the local taxis as they are so dodgy here.
We fly to Cuzco tomorrow where it is one of the highest cities in the world, sitting at nearly 4km above sea level so we have our fingers crossed than neither of us are effected by the altitude.
Speak soon
Sarah and James xxxxxxxxxx
Che Guevara, Salta and Iguazu Falls; Sarah and James’ Travel Blog
As sarah mentioned at the end of our last blog we were about to set off on another bus journey from Cordoba to Salta as we made our way north through Argentina. The bus set out late in the evening from Cordoba so we took the opportunity to head to nearby Alta Gracia for the day. Alta Gracia is a pretty town about an hour from Cordoba, but the main attraction for tourists here is that it was home to Ernesto “Che” Guevara during his more formative years. After being dropped at the bus station in Alta Gracia with no map or any idea where we were, we eventually found a map in a very poorly signposted tourist office and set out to find “El Che’s” old house. On the way we stumbled across Alta Gracia Golf Course, and as it was lunch time, and we had been recommended the restaurant as a place to eat so we dived in. After a lot of pointing and grunting (as the waiter didn’t seem to understand our poor Spanglish) we received what is probably the best meal that we have had in Argentina to date. Sarah had a spinach stuffed chicken breast with roast veg which looked amazing, and I had peppered steak with potato gratin. I actually got two huge fillet steaks which had more flavour than any steak I have ever had in my life, and the view over the golf course topped lunch off brilliantly. At first we were slightly apprehensive about the cost of the meal as we realised that there had been no prices on the menu, but when the bill came we were astounded to see that it cost £10 each, but I guess that is quite an expensive meal here.
After lunch we headed to Che’s house which was just around the corner, and had a good look around. Unfortunately everything was in Spanish so we did not learn much about his life. We both agree that if Argentina is to attract more English speaking tourists they do need to improve the bi-lingual signage and information at attractions such as this. After this we have a walk through the town before heading back to Cordoba to get the overnight bus to Salta.
We arrived in Salta after a reasonably comfortable 11 hour ride. We arrived at the hostel at 7.30 am and it took quite a lot to rouse the staff again, the Argentinians just don’t seem to be early risers! We checked into what we thought was a hostel as we had booked via Hostelworld, but Posada de las Nubes turned out to be more like a hotel as we had a en-suite room which was really nice. After catching up on some sleep we headed out to explore the town and quickly realised that it was going to be our favourite town in Argentina. There are lots of nice squares and cobbled pedestrianised streets lined with bars cafes and restaurants. Our first day was, as ever just spent recovering from the journey really, but the next day we set off early to head up the small mountain at the edge of town which provides a fantastic vista over the plains which stretch for miles. We opted to walk up the mountain, rather than take the cable car as we need the exercise to prepare us for the Inca Trail. 
We had lunch with a fantastic view at the top before exploring a little and looking at the various christian statues that adorn the peak. After getting the cable car back down we headed to the office of MTB Salta to book our mountain bike tour for the following day. After a bit of a rest back at base (well we had climbed a mountain) we headed out to the very cool street lined with bars for some dinner. We headed out at about 8pm expecting things to be livening up, but soon realised that we were the only ones about. We chose a restaurant and ordered our food and Sarah was delighted to find that they served Singapore Slings! There was a stage set up with a band at the end of the bar and we asked the waiter what time the band would start. When he replied that things started at 1am we realised that we really did not fit with the Argentinian timetable! As we had an early start for our mountain bike tour of the area the next day we decided we had best not try to stay out until things started to get more lively!
The following morning we were picked up from the hotel by Francisco, our guide for the day and headed out into the national park in his 4×4 with the mountain bikes strapped to the roof. After a short journey we got kitted up and headed out to explore. Francisco had great english and was very knowledgeable about the area. We navigated our way along the tracks, competing for space with the wild horses and a number of cows before returning to the car. On the way back to Salta the car broke down 4 times, a loose wire under the bonnet that Francisco seemed to know how to fix, but on the outskirts of the town unfortunately it gave up the ghost. We now know why he had a for sale sign on the 4×4 and was telling us that he was looking for a new one! Francisco offered to get us a taxi but as it was a nice day, and I knew how to get back I said it was fine and that we would walk, which was a bit of a mistake as we were both starving after the tour! We eventually got back and had great lunch in the restaurant across from our hotel. In the afternoon we chose to rest as we knew what was coming the next day; we were booked on a 26 hour journey by bus from Salta to Puerto Iguazu on the border with Brazil.
We got settled into our seats on the bus, and made ourselves as comfortable as possible and the 26 hours passed a lot easier than we had expected and we both got a lot more sleep than we were expecting. We arrived in Iguazu and found our hostel with no problems before heading out to find some real food (after the stuff that we had been served on the bus). Puerto Iguazu reminds Sarah and I of Kerala in India, the landscape is very similar, and there are just as many dogs roaming the place. In general the dogs are quite friendly and don’t seem to bother with you, but when we were heading to get food one seemed to take a disliking to us and ran along yapping at us until he was happy we were off his territory, which I found more annoying than anything but Sarah didn’t like it at all! Obviously our reason for visiting Iguazu was to see the world famous waterfalls, which we were going to spend 2 days doing as you have to see it from both the Argentinian and Brazilian sides of the river. 
After a leisurely start we decided to see the falls from the Brazilian side on Tuesday. We took the bus across the border and got our stamp out of Argentina and into Brazil. As soon as we entered the national park that surrounds the falls we were struck by how much wildlife there was! Firstly there were butterflies everywhere, you could not walk around without them flying into you, and they were all sorts of different sizes and colours. As we walked along the paths that lead to the falls there were also all sorts of insects, including lizards and stick insects. But by far the most interesting animal we saw was the Quatis, which is a large racoon with a big bushy tail like a ringtail Lima. While they were very cute to look at and definitely not afraid of people we were constantly reminded not to touch or approach them as they can apparently be aggressive and are known to carry rabies. We could walk directly up to the falls on the Brazilian side but realised that they are not as spectacular here as on the Argentinian side. After a few photos we got back on the bus and returned to Argentina, looking forward to visiting the Argentinian side the next day as we could tell it was going to be a much more up close experience. That evening we headed to a restaurant that we had spotted from the bus, and after we sat down we were astonished as in walked a couple that we had met in Vietnam back in January! They did not notice us and I did not recognise them at first but Sarah was adamant, so I approached them and sure enough it was the same couple. What a small world!
The following day we set out earlier to visit the Argentinian side of the falls as we knew that this was a full day and there was more to see and do. We got to the park, and got on the little narrow gage train that ferries you through the park to the different parts of the falls. We immediately headed to the area from which you can catch a boat that takes you on the river and up to the falls. Sarah and I had taken our rain coats with us expecting that they would shield us from the spray, but I soon saw people walking in the opposite direction who looked like they had just stepped out of the shower, fully clothed! I suddenly realised that my waterproof may not be so useful. We were provided with dry bays for any stuff we didn’t want to get wet. We boarded the boat with our coats on under our lifejackets and set out on the boat. It headed up one section of the river and had a good look at the falls, and got a little wet fro the spray, at which point I was thinking that this wasn’t so bad. Then the driver said ‘Are you ready?!’, ready for what? I thought. Then we headed for another section of the falls and the driver took the boat right up to the falls, all I can say is that it was like being hit full on by a water canon. I could not keep my eyes open for the intense spray and despite my waterproof jacket there was not a dry patch on me! Sarah and I could not stop laughing, it was hilarious! When the boat docked again, and I stood up, water was pouring down the inside of the arms of my jacket.
We headed to a cafe to sit in the sun and dry off, but Sarah was wearing denim shorts and there was no way she was drying off very quickly. After half an hour or so in the sun we got back on the train and headed for the main attraction, “The Devils Throat” is the point at which the most waterfalls converge. There is a walkway across the top of the falls and a platform overlooking the edge of this immense spectacle. The volume of water cascading over the falls is just unbelievable and although the drop is hundreds of feet, the spray that is thrown up reaches high into the air above the lip of the falls. It is one of those things that just makes you stand and stare! We caught the last train back to the park entrance and returned to the hostel, where we cooked in for the first time in ages!
We are now in a hostel in Rio having flown up from the Brazilian side of Iguazu (we have now crossed this border 3 times in the last 48 hours and have lots of stamps in the passports), and after 2 weeks getting used to the language we have no idea what is going on again as it is all Portuguese now!
It is now only 2 months and 2 days until we are back but we still have 6 countries to visit. Its going to be a busy few weeks!
Life On the Other Side of the World; Sarah and James’ Travel Blog
Hola!!!
We have arrived in South America!!! Yippee!!
Geoff if you are reading this, you were right we were very sad to be leaving Sydney and generally Australia as we really felt at home there. Oh well time to move on.
We embarked our longest flight of the entire trip, Sydney to Buenos Aires, Argentina. After 13 hours and ALOT of turbulence (which made it interesting when drinking tea), and a beautiful view over the Andes, we arrived in the mad city.
When we arrived at the airport we somehow figured out a bus to our hostel. Our hostel was in the Tango Area of town and we were unbelievably jetlagged when we arrived and we were so pleased to see a bed. I have never seen James so eager to hit the pillow, there was no stopping him, no words, just shower and bed. We managed to sleep from 3pm that day through til 5am the next day when hunger woke us up so we resorted to eating what little rations we had on us, vegimite and plain crisps. Hmmmm yum!
We finally got up and were delighted that the hostel provided free breakfast in the cafe downstairs which was our 1st Argentine culinary experience, “cafe and medialunas”, Coffee and the most amazing sweet croissants. This was also our first conversation with the outside world since we had arrived, fortunately, I was still able to get my cup of tea which seems to be the same translation wherever you are in the world but James and I soon realised that English was not a common language AT ALL in Argentina. As we had heard this on the grapevine we had come well prepared with a Latin American Lonely Planet phrasebook. We also realise that unlike other foreign cities, we actually blended in with the crowd quite well with most people assuming we were Argentinean and it was not uncommon to be stopped to ask for directions where James and I just look at each other and had no idea what to say other than “no”.
After breakfast it was time to explore the city and this was made a whole lot easier with the Buenos Aires subway. With a stop right outside our hostel it was a great way to get around, it’s a great system, you pay per trip and it’s only 15p a
nd it’s super efficient. I think the London Underground needs to learn some lessons. As per the LP we thought we would explore an area called Palermo Viejo but not before a trip to the bus station to book our onward journey from Buenos Aires for a few days time. As with all major bus stations, probably not the nicest looking place to be and almost was a case of buying our ticket and “getting the hec out of dodge”. Palermo Viejo was on the other hand a completely different story and we were totally gobsmacked as to how nice it was. Full of funky shops and cafes and although it was cold, the sun was out and the trees were a lovely autumn colour.
We grabbed a spot in a deli for lunch and had lovely food whilst we watched the world go by. We were little put off by the security guard pacing the street outside where we were sitting but Buenos Aires does have a reputation for it’s crime so better to be safe than sorry I suppose. We wondered around the area for a while afterwards before jetlag took it’s toll again and we headed back for a short snooze before we were going to head back out again, however, the short snooze turned into sleeping through until the next day. Whoops!!
James had found a free tour taking place in the city centre the following morning so we thought why not. The tour was fab, we had a great tour guide called Teo, although he seemed a bit hungover he spoke perfect English. Teo took us to the main sights within the main city, all within walking distance. The city has some great architecture, many being government buildings or monuments relating to their independence from Spain 200 years ago. The city is also completely crazy with mad traffic and lots and lots of people, it has a population 
of 13.5 million and the whole of Argentina only has a population of 40 million so considering Argentina is the size of India, I think there is alot of spare land here!
During the tour Teo stopped outside a place called Cafe Tortoni and said it was a great place to go for a “submarino”. As we were not sure what this was but were very intrigued, we went there after the tour. OMG! It was right up my street, a submarino is a cup of hot milk served with a bar of chocolate which put two and two together makes an awesome hot chocolate. It was also a great way to warm us up after standing outside in the freezing cold all morning. I can definitely say I have had a fair few Submarinos since then. Susie, you would love it!
Teo also told us the best place to watch the FA cup final. So the next morning we checked out of our hostel and headed for a pub called the Gibraltar, an expat run pub. We were very excited about watching Stoke play all the way from Buenos Aires, so we walked all the way there only to find it was closed!! Too early!!!! to be fair it was 10am. So it was back to plan B, 
we hurried back to the hostel and flicked on the TV in the communal area and just prayed it was going to be on fox sports. 11am (3pm GMT) came and went, no football!!! Ok well there was, but it was Blackburn vs Bolton. So we frantically turned on the internet and streamed it from some random channel. Phew!!! It got to half time and I said to James “I might just see if it’s on another channel”. Of course they were showing it on ESPN so we were very pleased to watch the second half on TV with a cup of tea in hand. We weren’t very pleased with the result though. To commiserate we went back to the Gibraltar and drank.
We painfully waited around until 10:30pm for our night bus to a place called Cordoba, northwest Argentina. 
To kill time though we went to a Tango Milonga which we thought would be a matinee Tango show. Unfortunately we were wrong and it was just the general public dancing Tango in a big hall. Quite strange actually, the men would wonder round and keep their eye out for a women they wished to dance with and then the music would begin and off they went. I got very nervous when anyone came within a few metres of me as I wouldn’t have a clue what to do, but I knew I was safe due to my attire being not very tango-like.
The night bus wasn’t took bad. It took 9 hours to get to Cordoba and the bus was a lot better than the buses we have in England. Comfortable seats which are pretty much fully reclining AND you even get food served on the bus, not particularly edible to be honest, but the bread was good.
We arrived in Cordoba at 7am and as we walked the streets trying to find our hostel we noticed that everyone was just coming out the pubs and clubs and there were a fair few drunk people around. I just don’t know how the Argentine’s do it! We couldn’t actually find the hostel and had to actually resort to the iPhone to get us there. Doh!!! That’s gonna cost alot, and it’s annoying as we were literally right outside the hostel it’s just the sign wasn’t very good. We rang the buzzer, 
no answer, we rang again……..again and again and then all of a sudden in the corner of the courtyard a man popped his head up from the couch. It was quite funny as he was clearly the owner and he clearly had pretty much only just got to bed. He managed to introduce himself as Mike and he let us drop our bags off while we waited for our room. I also took the opportunity to sit in the very inviting hammock which was actually one of my ultimate wishes of travelling but not quiet on the scenic beach but was still very relaxing.
Mike, the owner of Pewman Che hostel was great. Once we had had some sleep (it turns out we had missed one of his famous Saturday night asados) he basically gave us an itinerary for the few days we were going to be there. One of the things he really recommended was to go horseback riding at the foot of the hills, the Sierras. I was quite reluctant at first but James had never been horse riding and so I agreed.
So this morning we were up early to be picked up by Marcelo, the owner of the land and all the horses. He spoke great English and was actually a professional Polo player and had spent 4 years playing Polo in the UK and has met members of the Royal Family. He said the culture of playing Polo in the Argentina is very different to that of the UK, in that in Argentina it is associated with the hard working “Gaucho” whereas it is more of an upper class sport in the UK.
Anyway, we arrived at the Ranch which was just fabulous, 357 hectares!! First thing first was to eat cookies and drink the traditional Argentinean drink, “mate”. However there are rules to drinking Mate, there is only 1 cup and it is drank in turns among a group of people from a metal straw, known as Bombilla. It tasted ok, but not my cup of tea.
It was then down to the important stuff, horseriding. Now I think there might be a story out there about me maybe screaming a little bit last time I was on a horse. Errrrr……just a bit. Basically, last time I didn’t enjoy it but I was determined to overcome my fear. My horse was named Renga and she was Marcelo’s 1st professional Polo horse. Therefore she is now quite old. I was first up on the horse and I had visions of me screaming the house down again, but actually that would have been quite embarrassing so I kept quiet. Marcelo gave us a few instructions and then it was time to go. It was amazing, Renga was amazing. 
She was such a good horse and after a while I wasn’t frightened at all. We went through fords, up hills, down hiils and over very rocky terrain but me and Renga managed e
verything. We spent 3 hours out among the hills. James was fab, and Marcelo said that James looked very confident and as there was all girls in the group this time James didn’t get chance to really go very fast but he is definitely keen to try again.
Afte
r the 3 hours I had a very sore bum, but actually got quite attached to Renga and was sad to say goodbye. We celebrated as a group afterwards with a famous “asados”, BBQ cooked by Marcelo’s father. Hmmmm…..what did we have on the BBQ?? I wonder…..lots and lots of steak and it was yummy! And topped off a great day
Back on the road again tomorrow with another overnight bus to a place called Salta.
Adios Amigos
Sarah and James
The Hunter Valley & Sydney; Sarah & James’ Travel Blog
Well as Sarah said, we headed to Newcastle to catch up with another couple that we met while on the Milford Track. Anne and Lindsay actually live an hour outside Newcastle out in the countryside, in the Hunter Valley, famous for it’s wines. Anne picked us up from the bus station and we took a quick trip along the coast and saw how close to the city the beaches are, which is a completely new concept to me, to be able to walk to the end of the main street in the city and be straight onto the beach!
From here we wound our way through the Hunter Valley passing acres of Vineyards and olive groves and finally arrived at their property. We pulled up their drive and were welcomed by the kangaroos that were happily playing between the rows of their vines. Sarah and I thought that this was brilliant to have resident kangaroos, and they seemed unfazed as we tried to navigate around them in the car to get down the drive. We arrived in the dark so could not see much of what was around us, but once we were inside we realised what an amazing place they have. As it is well into autumn here now, Anne lit the open fire and we enjoyed a glass of their own wine from their vineyard and caught up by the fire, and discussed what we would do in the couple of days that we were around. Lindsay returned from work and we were soon enjoying a fantastic dinner made with fresh produce out of their garden. Sarah and I are definitely sold on the idea of producing as much of our own fresh produce as possible after our trip, it just tastes so much better.
We woke the next morning to a gorgeous sunny day and suddenly realised what lovely grounds Lindsay and Anne’s house is set in. Looking out from our bedroom window was wide open grass land and native trees as far as the eye could see. At the back of the house was a fantastic covered patio which was was brilliant for taking in these views. To the front of the house was their vineyard of 300 vines and at the side the olive grove that provides them with the lovely oil that they had cooked with the night before. To Sarah and I this modest 25 acre plot was like owning your own country! After breakfast we headed out with Anne to have a look around the Hunter Valley and sample some of the delights that it has to offer. It really was like having our very own tour guide, and she seemed to know so many people in the area, and we felt like royalty as we received special treatment at the places we went to. First we visited one of their neighbours who runs a hotel called Tonic, we got a guided tour of the accommodation and fully understood why it costs $425 per night to stay there, it was a great setting with amazing views, and apparently has attracted a few celebrities. The complex is up for sale and if Australia was only a bit closer to home I think we could have been tempted by a new business venture! Next we headed to another of their neighbour’s places called St Clements Estate run by a fantastic character called Luigi, and his (huge) dog ‘Bundi’ who despite his dominating appearance was the softest of dogs you have met. After a tour of the 100 acre estate, which includes one of the tallest hills in the area, with amazing views of the surrounding area, we got down to the serious business of wine tasting. St Clements is a relatively new and small commercial winery but the wines were fantastic and Sarah and I were that impressed that we joined the wine club. We are just hoping that Luigi can send the two boxes of wine over to the UK that come with the membership! Soon Luigi will be opening the bar and Pizzeria, which is just in the final stages of being fitted out, and I am sure will be a great success.
After visiting a couple of other wineries we stopped for lunch at the ‘Smelly Cheese Shop’ which was attached to another of the vineyards, what more can you want, wine and smelly cheese, as you can imagine I was in heaven. We went in the rather pungent cheese room and Sarah just couldn’t stand the pong and had to get out. I could have stayed in there all day, although they wouldn’t have had much cheese left if I had! We sat on the terrace and looked over the vineyards and watched as a helicopter arrived to take a bride off to be married, they don’t do things by halves around here! After lunch we made it to another couple of vineyards, one which specialised in sparkling wines (it’s really hard not to call it Champagne, but of course it isn’t) and I tasted sparkling red for the first time, which was really nice. We also visited a chocolate factory and I think this was more Sarah’s thing than the wine. I think we covered all the important things that day, wine cheese and chocolate, brilliant. After a quick pit stop and cup of tea back at the Marsh’s ranch we headed back out to the Tatler Estate for dinner at their Tapas restaurant, where we met Lindsay on his way home from work. The food was amazing and we ate so much we could have popped! There was also yet another amazing sun set.
The next day we had arranged to meet up with another of the Milford Track walkers who are friends of Lindsay and Anne’s, and live an hour or so away in Nelson Bay. We drove up to Nelson Bay and had fish and chips by the marina, with Keith and Cheryl and one of their daughters. The fish was as fresh as it could be and was so tasty, but the Aussies just don’t know what they are missing out on by not having mushy peas!!! After the short stroll back to Keith and Cheryl’s house overlooking the sea, we had a cup of tea on their patio, while I played with their new Jack Russell puppy, before heading back down to Lindsay and Anne’s in time to catch the late bus to Sydney. Overall we had a fantastic couple of days, and time permitting could have easily stayed a couple more. It was nice to be staying in a home again after the soullessness of hostels. Thank you Lindsay and Anne for being great hosts. 
We arrived late into Sydney but thankfully our hostel was only a short walk from the bus station. As we were walking towards the hostel we could see what looked like a queue to get into a nightclub, and could hear the thumping music, and Sarah said ‘I hope we’re not too close to that nightclub!’. When we got closer we realised that ‘that nightclub’ was our hostel! When we were checking in, the chap behind the reception desk was having to shout over the noise of the music coming from the basement! We both looked at each other and I could tell we were thinking the same thing, we were in for a noisy night! Thankfully though our room was on the 5th floor and we couldn’t hear the music. The hostel, called ‘Wake Up’ is by far the biggest that we have stayed in and is in a great location to explore the city.
On Sunday we headed out to meet another of walkers that we met in New Zealand for some Lunch. Rich is similar to us in that he has taken a year off work to travel but is settled in Sydney for a while. We met outside the Town Hall and strolled down to Darling Harbour for lunch. From here we strolled over to the Opera House and found a bar with amazing views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. We had a good few drinks and chatted the afternoon away as the sun went down behind the bridge. Monday unfortunately brought slightly worse weather but after a late start we headed back out to ‘The Rocks’, a historic area of Sydney, and back to the Opera House as I had not taken my camera out with me the day before. We walked back through the Botanical Gardens and via St Mary’s Cathedral but the heavens opened and we escaped into the shops. I quickly decided that it was time for a wardrobe overhaul and took advantage of some of the sales. I now just have to work out what I’m going to throw away. After a couple of days here I think I have to declare Sydney my new favourite city of the trip.
Tomorrow we leave Australia and catch a flight over to Buenos Aires. The flight takes 13 hours 15 minutes, but because of the time difference, we land 15 minutes after we take off. Tomorrow is literally going to be the longest day of my life. We are looking forward to South America but have just realised how short our visit is going to be! It is only 7 weeks until we will be in Seattle with Stuart and Sarah’s parents!
So the next time we write we will be in Argentina.
We hope all is well and just want to say COME ON STOKE!!!!
Back to Civilisation – The East Coast of Oz: Sarah and James’ Travel Blog
Hello Again,
In the end, we were quite pleased to be getting out of the Red Centre (well I was), or should I say away from the mice, and across to the East Coast.
After our flight over pretty much nothing but bare dessert from Alice Springs, we arrived in Brisbane. This was actually the third time I had been to Brisbane and I must say this time it was quite different from the other times as it was no staying in nice hotels or going out for nice meals as mummy and daddy were no longer paying. So, it was a couple nights in a hostel and cheese for dinner.
We stayed in the YHA in Brisbane after a scary moment of turning up at the place we had booked and being told that our credit card could not be charged so therefore they gave the room to someone else!!! Apparently “all hostels do this”??? Hmmmm we’ve been travelling a while now and have never heard of this!!! But we walked up the road to the YHA which was actually pretty awesome in the end. It had a roof top pool and an great view over Brisbane from the kitchen/eating area and actually we had some pretty decent weather. So we decided to make the most of it and book ourselves onto the Brisbane City Lights tour. 
We were on a 20 seater bus and only 6 of us on the tour but it was actually quite good. Again, like Coober Pedy we had a very quirky tour guide who was pretty passionate about his city. We went up Mt Coot-tha which had some stunning views over the city and also did a cruise along the Brisbane River.
After a very short visit we decided to head up north to a place called Noosa. I had been here before with my parents and as I remember it was stunning and a great place to stay so I wanted James to see it. We hopped on the greyhound bus which was actually quite a refreshing change from all the driving we had done but about an hour out of Brisbane the clouds came in and it started to pour down and actually that set the tone for our stay in Noosa which was quite different from the beautiful sunshine we had when I was there last. 
However, our stay was made all the better with our accommodation called Noosa Flashpackers! Yep, as the name describes amazing! for just $60 a night we had a really nice room even with bed side lights! (yeah!! we never get those), and the showers were proper rain showers and it was very clean AND they gave away free breakfast, free wifi, free sizzling sausages on fridays and free surfboard/body board hire AND a free shuttle bus to take you into town.
James and I made the most of the body board hire and decided to 
head down to Main Beach in Noosa Heads and try and catch a wave or 2 and the sun had come out. I started off pretty well where I literally felt like I was flying and I would turn round and see James bobbing round in the water not having much luck. Then my luck changed and I could not really seem to do it and the weather had turned a bit and it had started to rain. Also, the waves were actually quite dangerous and the force of them was flipping me over and then the sand scraped all down my back. Yes there was blood Ouch!!!! A good scar now.
Our hostel helped us with booking a day trip to Fraser Island which I did with my parents all those years ago. It was a very early start as we got up and 5:30am to head out on a 20 seater 4 x 4 Warrior!
(That’s what the tour company called it. It really was powerful). The weather started off promising, until on our route there the driver of the Warrior radioed in to the entrance of Fraser Island and there was a big black cloud over the island and just as we were driving onto the barge a rainbow appeared over a beach called Rainbow Beach. Despite the weather we still had lovely morning tea on the beach once we got there and James was loving the cruising along the beach which is basically the main roads around the island. 
After tea we turned off from the lovely flat smooth beach onto EXTREMELY bumpy surface. Basically you can’t go anywhere near the island unless you have a warrior or equivalent. Our next stop was Lake Mackenzie which I remember very well. From what I remember all those years ago 
Lake Mackenizie was very cold and I think there is video footage of Alastair, Caroline and myself running in and then very quickly running back out. he he!!! Well as I knew this I stood on the sidelines and watched James run in. The cold didn’t seem to bother him as he gleefully swam all around. I think I was being a whimp and also the weather was looking quite threatening.
After the swim we had a lovely gourmet lunch sitting under a canopy which the tour guides had set up whilst it lashed it down all around us. We were quite happy though with our free beer and yummy steak.
After a short walk through the rainforest which was swarming with leeches from all the rain, it was time to head back. It was touch and go on the way back to get back along the beach because of the forced tide they were having from all the bad weather. The last stretch of the beach before getting back on the barge to get out of the lsland was swarming with driftwood and the tide was really high which meant our warrior driver had to nail it for a section of it then try and squeeze in among the driftwood whilst he waited for the waves to go back down again and then he would nail it again. Quite fun, but a bit scary.
When we returned back to our hostel I was extremely pleased that on the big flat screen tv in the communal living room the build up to the wedding was on. So I grabbed prime spot at 5:30pm (8:30am UK time) and did not move until 10pm. It was fab. There was a few Brits around us and the atmosphere was great, ESPECIALLY the huge gasp from all the girls when William struggled to get the ring on Kate’s finger. James did well, the only male on the sofas and pretending he wasn’t interest by reading his book but secretly watched the whole thing.
The following morning 
we had arranged to meet Michael and Teifi a couple we met on the Milford Track who live in Brisbane. They picked us up from Flashpackers and we headed to The Emundi markets which was fab for tasting the local food. We then piled back in to their 4 x 4 and headed down the coast towards Maroochydore where we stopped for fish and chips along the way. We then headed up into the mountains where there were great lookouts over the glass house mountains. We also did a wee rainforest walk where we saw really cute little Wallaby’s that had come out in search of food. Another Australian wildlife to tick off the list. Now where are those Koalas?
After a long day sightseeing we headed to Michael and Teifi’s house just on the out
skirts of Brisbane and they lived up to the Australian tradition and cooked up an awesome BBQ. The following morning it was back on the road again to head south towards Byron Bay. Michael and Teifi are outdoor pros and had a really well e
quipped 4 x 4, it even had a fridge in the boot. we headed into the Border Ranges national park which is great fun for a off road vehicle and as the name describes was the border between Queensland and NSW. There were some fantastic lookouts along the way with breathtaking views.
We stayed over in a pretty cabin in the middle of the rainforest just outside Byron Bay. The following morning we headed into Byron Bay for some breakfast before Michael and Teifi had to do the long drive back to Brisbane. James and I were so grateful to be dropped off in Byron Bay and even better that we got to do a scenic route. Thank you so much Michael and Teifi.
So James and I explored Byron Bay a bit and checked out the beach as the weather was really nice. We had booked the greyhound bus the next day 
down to Port Macquarie which we were basically just using to break up the journey towards Sydney but actually it was really nice. We spent just one day there and hired some extremely dodgy bikes (mine had no brakes, James’ had no gears) and cycled out to the Koala Hospital. James has kept saying all through Australia “I really want to see a Koala” so as it was free to go to the Koala Hospital we jumped at the chance. On the entrance to the hospital there was a list of all the patients and what was wrong with them, most of them had a disease or recovering from bush fires. But as we walked around it really was like a real life game of “where’s Wally” as the Koala’s were tucked up in the trees quite camouflaged. Most of them were asleep but were still very very cute!!
That evening we joined in Pancake evening in the hostel and the hostel had put on a Star Wars drinking marathon where they were going to sit and watch all 6 episodes of Star Wars in a row and there were some intriguing drinking rules to go with it. I think James would have loved to take part but as we had booked a 5am bus the next morning it was never going to happen.
So 4am our alarm went off and we walked about a mile through Port Macquarie to catch the greyhound to Newcastle hoping to meet up with some other people we met on the Milford Track. Anne and Lindsay live just outside Newcastle in the Hunter Valley the wine region so we were very pleased to be going there.
As James is the wine connoisseur he’s going to tell you all about it.
We are coming to the end of our time in Australia with just Sydney to explore.
Just 82 days until we are home. Arghhh!!!!
The (not so) Red Centre: Sarah and James’ Travel Blog
After 3,800 kilometres Sarah, Hobbit and I have reached Alice Springs. Since we last blogged in Halls Gap, we have covered a lot of long straight roads and had some long days travelling, but it has definitely been worth it. We have travelled a route that is not known as a popular tourist route due to the long open stretches of nothing, but we are glad we have done it, and as you will hear later, there is more here at the moment than there normally is.
We left Halls Gap and headed to nearby Horsham to have Hobbit’s windscreen fixed. We were planning to head all the way to Adelaide that day, thinking that the replacement windscreen would take maybe an hour at the most. We arrived at the windscreen repair place where we were told that it would take 4 hours from when they started it, and all the workmen were heading off for there lunch break as it was approaching 12pm. This meant that Adelaide was out of the question as it was nearly 500Ks to get there. We were a little annoyed as it meant that we would be put back by a day, but we made the best of it and spent some time looking round the town of Horsham, which we would not have even stopped in if it were not for this un-planned interruption. Eventually we were back on the road with a couple of hours light left, so we decided to make as much headway into the journey to Adelaide as possible, and chose a town called Dimboola (population 1495) as our overnight stop. From the description in the Lonely Planet we were expecting quite a quaint rural Australian town, which apparently has both a play and a film (of the same name) about it. I haven’t seen the play or film, but having now been to Dimboola I think that the film is of the ‘Zombie’ or ‘Slasher’ genres and the play was probably a tragedy in all respects! Enough said.
The next day we hit Adelaide and stayed in a really good camp site within walking distance of the centre of the city. We explored the city a bit, and found that it was really nice and had a really modern and young vibe. It is a university town and reminded us a lot of Newcastle upon Tyne, with a lot of large impressive red brick buildings. After a couple of days in Adelaide we set off on our journey north towards Alice Springs, with a short detour via Ayres Rock. There were some long days of driving and we stopped at some towns for the night just to break the journey, and because it is not advisable to drive at or after dusk due to the abundance of wildlife that comes out to play, and has little regard for the Green Cross Code.
After leaving a town called Port Augusta where we had stopped for a couple of days to break the journey up, we hit the Stuart Highway which is a road that connects South Australia with the Northern Territory and and is the main route up to Darwin. This is a good tarmac road through the desert, long and straight, and at this point we were entering the desert proper for the first time, and the area known as the ‘Red Centre’. After 100 k’s or so I started to get a little confused as the ‘Red Centre” wasn’t looking so red, in fact it was looking rather lush and green! Certainly the ground is very red but there is a lot of shrubs and grass meaning that as you look across the long flat plains, the visage is more lush pasture than barren desert. We were later to find out that due to the exceptionally high amount of rainfall that Central and Eastern Australia has had this year the flora has literally spread like a weed across the whole central area, meaning that the “Red Centre’ really isn’t at the moment. We quickly realised as we were driving long that everyone coming the other way seemed to be waving at us. Sarah read the Lonely Planet section about driving in the Outback and found that it is customary to greet passing drivers with the ‘bush wave’, a simple matter of raising the index finger off the steering wheel as you pass.
850 kilometres north of Adelaide we stopped at Coober Pedy, pronounced ‘Peedy’, for a couple of days. Coober Pedy is a town sprouting up in the middle of the flat desert, seemingly for no reason, until you learn what all the mounds of sand and rusty machinery everywhere is for. in the early 1900’s Opals were found in this area of the desert and since then prospectors have flocked to the area seeking to make their fortunes. The town is now hot to a population of over 3500 with schools and all the amenities expected of a town, and even has 2 supermarkets, and a restaurant proudly boasting the best pizza in Australia! Anyway we stopped here to find out more about the Opals that brought the people here. We joined a tour run by the holiday park that we were staying at the next morning which took us to see all the sights that Coober Pedy has to offer, which were actually quite interesting. Due to the extreme temperatures experienced here; soaring close to 50 degrees in the summer days, and below freezing at night, over 70% of the population lives in ‘dugout’ homes which as the name suggests are houses burrowed into the sandstone. The temperature in these dugouts remains at a constant 23 degrees year round. On the tour we visited a dugout Serbian Orthodox Church, an old opal mine, and a dugout home. Our tour guide and driver was Rudy, a comical 76 year old former opal miner who has lived in Coober Pedy since the early 60’s and obviously knows everything there is to know about opal mining and the town. Coober Pedy also has the most obscure 18-hole golf course I have ever seen. You can only tell that there is a course because of the greens, which aren’t actually green (as they can’t grow grass very easily), but black due to the sump oil that has been mixd with the sand to create a putting surface, very environmentally friendly! After the tour we heading to the piazza restaurant to sample Australia’s best pizza, it was good, but I’ll take Pizza Express any day.
After another overnight stop we got to Yulara, which is the settlement closest to Uluru or Ayres Rock, and feels a lot like Centre Parks in the middle of the desert. After a night in Yulara we got up very early to head into the national park to watch the sun rise over Ayres Rock. This was simply stunning, and one of the best sights I have ever seen. After this we took a guided walk around part of the rock and learned about the Aboriginal history of the area and the rock itself. We also headed to another rock formation which is probably equally as spectacular as Ayres Rock called the Olga’s, which is a series of smaller dome rocks in a small range. At sunset we decided to go for the double and headed out to see the sun set, and see Ayres Rock as it is lit up by the glow of the sun. We both agreed that sunrise was the more spectacular. Remarkably while we were in Yulara, the most middle of nowhere place that we have been yet, we got a (weak) internet signal, but as Stoke had played in the FA Cup Semi-final on Sunday we had not yet seen the score so we were ecstatic when we saw the score on the BBC website. Well done Stoke! Shame we’ll miss the final too!
The next day we set off to Alice Springs. Sarah started the days driving and we saw the most road trains that we have seen on our whole journey in this one day. I should explain that road trains are the biggest and longest lorries that you have ever seen. Think of one of our articulated lorries, put it on steroids and then put 4 of them together so that it is over 50 metres long! These things basically power along the roads at 120kph and do not slow down or stop for anything. So if one is coming up behind you you pull over, and if one is coming towards you, it’s probably safest to pull over, not that we did most times. When they are coming in the opposite direction and they go past you it is like a gale force wind knocking you sideways, this is of course worse because we were in a tall camper.
We arrived in Alice Springs, unfortunately with another huge chip in Hobbit’s windscreen, probably from one of the aforementioned road trains. We made our way to the camp site and set up. The weather was noticeably warmer here and we chilled out outside the camper while our dinner cooked inside, leaving the door open so I could check that the spuds didn’t boil over. That evening I was reading my book in bed and heard a rustling underneath the bed. It seemed odd, but I put it down to the shopping bags which were stuffed under there settling down as they do. Then a few minutes later I was joined on my pillow by a mouse. Well you can imagine my surprise (an probably his) needless to say it darted back to where it had come from. I immediately put my book down and tried to work out where it had come from. Soon I heard noises coming from behind the fridge and microwave, and my heart sank. I realised that this was not going to be easy. Had I had a Rambo style bandanna to hand it would have been swiftly affixed to my forehead, this was war! Thankfully Sarah was blissfully unaware and fast asleep, which is how I was hoping she would stay until I had at least trapped the little blighter. I set up a cunning trap made of tupperware box, peanuts and a pen lid. Despite some rustling behind the fridge I saw and heard nothing more of him, but was determined that I had to see this through to the end. Unfortunately Sarah stirred and woke and wondered what the heck I was doing at 2 in the morning with my head hanging over the feet end of the bed. I have to say I was expecting a much more hysterical reaction, but I think that she was just glad it wasn’t a spider. After another half hour or so we conceded that we were not going to catch it and had to go to sleep. I fell asleep no problems but Sarah had a few more issues with the little thing scurrying around.
Next morning we decided to try to flush it out. We caught fleeting glimpses of it, and when all went quiet decided that we must have annoyed it enough to make it leave, and just hoped that we didn’t hear anything the next evening. Unfortunately About 7pm we saw it dart from one side of the van to the other. While deciding on a cunning plan of action we could hear it rustling in one corner. Suddenly Sarah grabbed my leg and said that she could see another one in the other corner of the van. We swiftly realised that we didn’t have only one mouse, we were infested. We had to find somewhere else to stay. Unfortunately the reception of the camp site had just closed and we could not rouse anyone so that we could move into one of their cabins. We made a swift call to the nearby Alice’s Secret hostel and got a room there. When we got in the front seat and we could hear rustling behind the dash board, god knows how many there were in there! When we arrived at the hostel we were greeted by the manager and some other people and had a drink by the fire that was burning in the courtyard. After explaining our mouse problem, the manager of the hostel disappeared for 10 minutes and returned with a bucket half full of water and an empty wine bottle, he then proceeded to make a home made mouse trap that looked quite ingenious. We popped it into the campervan overnight and hoped for the best. It was a relief to know that we had a mouse free room for the night. We found out here that one of the problems associated with the rain, flooding, and new abundance of grass is that Alice Springs has been overrun by mice since late December. We woke this morning, and unfortunately no mouse were swimming in the bucket. Tonight we have returned to our camp site but are in a cabin and Hobbit is outside playing host to Micky and his family. Sorry Hobbit.
Tomorrow we give Hobbit back, perhaps a little less reluctantly than a few days ago, and fly from Alice over to Brisbane to explore the East Coast. We are really looking forward to this after what seems like ages in the arid desert.
Speak soon.
James (and Sarah)
The Hobbit; Sarah and James’ Travel Blog
Well after our very busy time in New Zealand (and also very expensive) we have spent our 1st part in Australia chilling out a bit more. Although we have still done lots.
So after our very late flight into Melbourne we were pleased to check in to our very nice YHA hostel just on the outskirts of the city. Melbourne is now our new favourite city!! (Singapore has been relegated). It reminded me of a mini San Francisco as it has got a tram running through the city, but also of a mini London as it has an area called the Southbank with lots of restaurants and bars backing onto the Yarra River. We treated ourselves to lunch there and it was marvellous and very atmospheric.
We had planned to save some money and not do much especially as Australia is seriously expensive……..nearly £4.00 for a cup of tea!!!! It’s way more expensive than London, but it doesn’t help that the exchange rate is only $1.5:£1 whereas as our lonely planet (published Nov 2009) says $2.5:£1. I suppose a lot has happened to our economy since then. However, we couldn’t resist the signs around our hostel saying $20 to see an Aussie Rules match at the world famous MCG, so we signed up for it. 
The match was on a friday night and there were 24 of us that met in the hostel lobby. We were taken there on the tram by an avid AFL fan who was a member of staff from the hostel. The match was 2 Victoria teams, St Kilda vs Richmond. At 1st we had no idea what was going on, but eventually we were told the rules and it all began to make sense. The MCG has a capacity of 100,000 and we were right at the top, so the players looked like pins. The most bizarre thing about the game, is all the people running on and off the pitch all the time. There were 2 people dressed in bright yellow running around like headless chickens between the dug out and the field. We found out they were a messenger between the coach and players. Also, apparently due to the fitness required for the game (that I can understand) players were subbed constantly. The final score, can you believe it was a draw 95-95. Apparently this never happens, so it was all quite exciting in the last quarter.
The following day we were picking up a campervan. Yes another one!!! We loved it so much in NZ and it is such a great way to get around and see places so we picked it up in Melbourne and we have i
t for 3 weeks and we are making our way to Alice Springs (proper scary Outback).
I have named this camper, Hobbit!! This is because it is much much much smaller than the one we had in NZ, but proper cosy. Which means, no toilet on this one, which is fine, EXCEPT when you have to go outside in the dark to the loo. This was fine in NZ, but here, there seems to be ALOT of bugs about at night time. I have seen all sorts of things so far, which is my idea of a nightmare. I am so scared of spiders, so when it gets dark James and I do team toilet sessions.
So, James, Hobbit and I started our journey with a little visit to a friend from home. Clair (my brothers fiances’ sister) lives just on the outskirts of Melbourne in a lovely suburb called Mitcham. Clair, cooked us a lovely lunch and we met her 2 little boys James and Lucas, 
who are now quite a bit bigger than when we last saw them and they enjoyed having a look round The Hobbit (pictured right). After a good chinwag and Clair directed us to the nearest supermarket, we were on our way.
We had decided our 1st stop would be Philip Island as we had heard this is where you can see penguins! So, when we arrived we went to the visitor centre to buy our tickets for the evening as basically, just after sunset the penguins come out of the sea to find a place to sleep for the night.
It was the most bizarre thing. There were doors out to the penguin viewing area and we were allowed through from 5:30pm. The viewing area was right on the beach and was literally like a cinema with rows of seating, you could even buy popcorn to watch the penguins come in. It got to 6:30pm and it was getting dark and very cold as the beach was completely exposed, I was even wearing 2 fleeces. As it got almost pitch black, we could see to the right a group of penguins just on the tip of the water looking quite scared. Then to our left, there appeared another group. As it was so dark you could only just see them because of their white furry fronts. 100s of little penguins starting coming out of the water and the crowd started to get all excited. Once they had run past the viewing area, you could get up and walk around a boardwalk to see them waddling to their homes. You could get really close to them and they were really cute. Unfortunately, you couldn’t take your camera in which was disappointing. Oh but it’s ok you could have had your picture with them and pay a fortune for it. Errrr…..no thanks!!!
Afterwards when we arrived back at our campsite, we were startled by a Kangaroo looking for food. It was huge!! James was quite excited as it was the 1st Kangaroo he has ever seen in the flesh.
After just one night at Philip Island, it was time to start heading west so the 3 of us started heading to a place called Sorrento so we c
ould catch the 45 minute ferry across the mouth of Hobson Bay just south of Melbourne. On the other side we pulled up at a place called Anglesea for the night. We had a walk to the beach and watched the surfers as they tried to fight the waves.
The next morning we started our real trip on the Great Ocean road. But just before we left Anglesea we came across the lighthouse that was used in the children’s TV programme Round The Twist. Afterwards, I did some of the driving here and there was loads of twists and turns that Hobbit struggled with a little bit but the views were great.
We parked up for the night at a place called Apollo Bay and the weather was very cold so we went for a run to try and warm up. From our campervan we had gr
eat views over the Ocean (and could even hear the waves) so it was wonderful to wake up in the morning and have our breakfast overlooking the sea.
We continued our journey along the Great Ocean Road after breakfast and we eventually reach the famous Twelve Apostles which is the rock formations just off the coast. There was 12 of them sticking out the sea but now after lots of erosion, there are only 6.
We stopped at a place called Warrnambool for the next 3 nights as the weather had suddenly turned alot warmer!! 26 degrees (our warmest weather since Singapore). It was also a great spot for my birthday as I can safely say I had never been to a beach on my birthday before. We found a lovely little spot of white sand that at 1st didn’t look like a beach you could sit on as it was full of seagulls and no one was on it. But, we went to a 
lovely little place for a lunch (which James paid for) and then on the way back we spotted a few people lying on the lovely white sand so James and I followed suit. It is probably the nicest beach I have been on as it was so quiet and secluded.
After our 3 nights we decided to head to a place called The Grampians, a national park inland. We also noticed that absolutely everyone else in our caravan park also was leaving. It seemed very odd as it was a Saturday, we later found out why. The weather was so fickle. As we started heading for the Grampians it starting to rain and also get quite cold. When we arrived at a place called Halls Gap the rain was alot worse and it had started to get really cold. So bizarre, we went from lying on the beach on friday and fleeces, Jeans and raincoats on Saturday.
That night in Halls Gap, was a bit scary. The wind was so strong it was making Hobbit sway all over the place. Also as it had got so cold in the night the glass on James’ watch had shattered and we also woke up with a big crack on Hobbits windscreen!!!!! To be fair I do think we were hit with a stone yesterday but I think it was made loads worse by the cold. It feels like we have gone through Winter and Summer in 2 days.
Yesterday, the weather was horrendous, from 2pm onwards it rained really really heavy. It was also absolutely freezing and unlike NZ we had no heater so we had to resort to sitting in our sleeping bags. Around dusk time the Kangaroos’ came out to play around the campsite 
so it was quite nice to watch them from inside the Hobbit (as we did the night before last) as there was no chance of going outside. Well I didn’t go outside…but James found a fantastic camp fire and put a couple of Jacket Potatoes on the fire for 3 hours so they were just amazing to eat!!Also with no internet and no TV, we resorted to good old fashioned cards and book reading oh and of course valuable off line blogging time.
Fingers crossed the weather improves a bit in Adelaide
TTFN
Sarah (and James)
Sarah & James' Travel Blog 