http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Ali/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Ali en-us Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:25:54 +0000 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:25:54 +0000 Whale Sharks Nature's Biggest FishIn 7 years of diving I've missed more whale shark sightings than the average diver with something like 700 dives completed I've never seen one. I'd stopped believing.Each season on the Perhentians I'd miss the whale shark either being on a visa run taking a morning off or the boat would be broken I missed seeing these beautiful creatures time and time http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Terengganu/Pulau-Tenggol/blog-418298.html It's 6.30am I'm awake eyes wide no time for coffee and I'm heading up to the dive shop the streets of the sleepy village of Tulamben are quiet the only sounds are from the ever present cockerels and the hiss of scuba tanks being tested and filled.Tulamben is famous worldwide to divers as the village where you can shore dive the Liberty wreck. Thirty meters out from the rocky shore and 30m http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Bali/Tulamben/blog-400703.html Happy New Year out with the old and in with the new again. I wish everyone happy and fulfilling adventures for the next year.I'm in Edinburgh for the New Years in Scotland the celebration is called Hogmanay and has it's own associated traditions first footing visiting friends homes singing Auld Lang Syne or more accurately singing the known few words and mimingdroning the rest I t http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/Edinburgh/blog-358972.html I don't often get time to update my blog now but sometimes I'm lucky enough to see something or do something so amazing that I just want to write it up straight away. Yesterday was one of those days.Nusa Penida is a rocky rugged island off the southeast of Bali virtually uninhabited undeveloped a sanctuary of wilderness on land and a deep water wonder under the sea. I thank the Blue Planet http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Bali/Nusa-Penida/blog-329275.html Uspallarta is both the name of a small village and a remote pass between Mendoza and Santiago Chile. Travelling between Santiago and Mendoza was a joy beautiful craggy mountains twisting roads that double back on them selves over and over looping up the mountain.After arriving in Mendoza I headed back to the village spent an afternoon on horseback taking photos when I could convince the be http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Mendoza/Uspallata/blog-274247.html Sitting in a hostel common room in Bariloche Argentina I'm debating where to go next south into the increasing chill north a wine tour in Mendoza east to the coast where soon the whales will return or west into Chile across the Andes and to the small town of Pucn where an active Volcano can be climbed.So many options and unfortunately my time in South America is in it's final few weeks. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Araucania/Villarrica-Volcano/blog-271558.html Picture a flat flooded landscape strange piglike pigsized rodents grazing on the short grassy islands beautiful gaudy macaws glide above cawing noisily cows wallowing neck deep in tea coloured water. Sunsets that reflect golden hues in every direction a world you could invert and almost see the same. I ride a stocky pantanal horse a mongrel breed that descended from those strong enough to http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Pantanal/blog-259240.html As the cold winds blow in from the south the year continues it's cycle in the southern lands at latitude 41 degrees it's autumn. Bariloche is a chocolate box beauty and the gateway to Patagonia famed for it's skiing and hiking it's hills mountains and lakes.Visiting a ski resort inspired my lust for snow I've missed the mountains and skiing for too many years now. But walking past so many c http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Rio-Negro/San-Carlos-de-Bariloche/blog-270323.html Photos from the Iguau Iguazu parks and my days there. The birds are from the Iguacu bird park and are fairly used to close contact with people hence it's easy to get up close. The butterflies cayman kuati and new friends are from the Argentinian side of the falls. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Paran-/Foz-do-Igua-u/Igua-u-National-Park/blog-260357.html Waterfall photos from Iguazu National Park both the Brazilian and Argentinian sides.I took a second trip to Iguacu Iguazu the most spectacular waterfalls I have ever seen the first trip was back in November secretly I wasn't happy with the photographs with a new camera Nikon D300 and it's first serious outing I messed up the settings left the ISO on the value I'd used for a nigh http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Misiones/Iguazu-National-Park/blog-260349.html During my time in Rio de Janeiro I took two trips to the big island Ilha Grande it sounds so natural in Portuguese but translated Big Island clumsy. It is virtually road and car free a natural relaxed paradise just a few hours from the hustle of big city Rio.For most of it's history as part of the country of Brazil Ilha Grande was a high security prison off limits to the public the m http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Rio-de-Janeiro/Ilha-Grande/blog-258885.html Bonito is experiencing an Ecotourism boom in the south of Matto Grosso do Sul it has an extraordinary diversity of natural wonders in a relatively compact area. Blessed with caves waterfalls crystal clear rivers forested hills all within a 50km radius a very small distance in Brazilian terms Bonito is riding the ecotourism wave very well. I travelled directly from a few days in the we http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Mato-Grosso-do-Sul/Bonito/blog-258306.html Terry Gilliam must have been inspired to name his 1985 movie Brazil after seeing this utopian view of the future from 1960.Fifty years of progress in five moving the capital from Rio de Janeiro to a plateau in the undeveloped interior. President Juscelino Kubitschek Architect Oscar Niemeyer urban planner Lucio Costa and landscape architect Burle Marx undertook this momentous feat desig http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Distrito-Federal/Bras%EDlia/blog-257208.html Antonio Francisco Lisboa Alejandinho 17381814 76 Son Portuguese master architect Manuel Francisco Lisboa and an unnamed slave architect sculptor and cripple.the hamlet sprawls on the hunchbacks of the hillsthe obedient pastoral flock go to the churchesthat of Camo which is all of stonethe Mother Church which is all of goldThere can be no one who doubts that Brazil today is the best a http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Minas-Gerais/Ouro-Preto/blog-257204.html An hour and a half away from Paraty the small relatively undeveloped beaches of Trindade can be found. A few beach bars and restaurants line a hundred meters of two of the main beaches which are both about 1km long. The beaches have good surf and are popular with surfers obviously. There are small trails that wind through the forest which take you to waterfalls and pools. A lovely way to spe http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Rio-de-Janeiro/Trindade/blog-257202.html Paraty has another tourist draw. In the bay of Paraty ed. Possibly Ilha Grande there are reportedly 365 islands one for every day of the year it's probably 366 islands on leap years. The islands and coastline are stunning and Sao Paulistas and Cariocas residents of Rio and Sao Paulo flock to the schooners for a day of delights snorkelling lounging sun bathing and listening to music on a http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Rio-de-Janeiro/Paraty/blog-257200.html Paraty a small colonial port town on the southerncoast of Rio de Janeiro state illustrates one small subsection of history and culture of Brazil.During the 18th century the hills and mountains of Minas Geras a few hundred kilometers to the North were plundered the Portuguese had found their el dorado cities of gold even if it were all buried under hills. Massive quantities of gold and gemston http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Rio-de-Janeiro/Paraty/blog-256479.html Out of the streets and into the SambadromeThe biggest party in the world is officially in Rio every year the carnival takes hold of the city the streets erupt and in the samba schools preparations are completed and tensions are high for the competition in the Sambadrome. In suburbs and favelas of the city of Rio there are many Samba Schools. Their main purpose is to research and create all the http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Rio-de-Janeiro/Rio-de-Janeiro/Centro/blog-244800.html Banda de Ipanema e Bloco de CapoeiraRain stopped play on Monday at least for me it was so heavy that for the few brief hours that it eased to a drizzle I didn't feel confident taking the camera out. I'm not sure if the bloco I planned on attending was cancelled... it seemed that way when I went for a quick look.Tuesday everyone in Ipanema wanted to make up for the rained out Monday... the ci http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Rio-de-Janeiro/Rio-de-Janeiro/Ipanema/blog-243323.html Bloco Que m... essaDay 2 and rain nearly stops play. It rains all night over the 2nd to 3rd thunderstorms and the morning is grey and wet. At around 4pm the skies let a weak pale sun shine down on the streets leaving patchy puddles.I somehow miss the Simpatia quase amor and wander into Que m... essa a less known smaller bloco with a theme Hugo Chavez Por qu no te callas http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Rio-de-Janeiro/Rio-de-Janeiro/Ipanema/blog-242504.html