Well ... only 2 weeks since my last blog and in that time we´ve been on a bit of a boot camp over here, having done heaps of trekking (and in very testing weather - in no way am I doubting that this is the rainy season!!) and also a spot of white water rafting. I am now travelling with my sister Elizabeth, and after not seeing each other for over 12 months, hiking and camping along the inka trail for 4 days is a great way to catch up on all the stories we´ve missed, think we´ve almost caught up [View Full Entry]

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Our guide told us that we would be screaming 'no more boobies' after 3 days .. and he was almost right. Although the booby birds are fascinating, particularly at this time of year when the babies are hatching .. but after being within just a breath of these amazing birds for days on end.. enough was enough !! My personal favourite of course was the blue-footed booby .. who could resist those aqua feet!! Of course ... this blog is coming hot off the trail of my 8 day cruise in the Galapagos Islands which was truly fantastic and definitely the [View Full Entry]

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So .. I wasn´t going to send another blog before Galapagos Islands but I had such a great week in Ecuador that I wanted to jot down my experiences! Where to go and what to do? After arriving in Ecuador, I had no grand plan of where I would go and what I would do for my 5 days before Galapogas, but over breakfast and with the help of my trusty Lonely Planet, I´m so glad that I decided to head directly to the idylic little town called Baños. After a spectacular bus ride through the beautiful mountains and past snow-capped [View Full Entry]

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Well ... after 5 weeks, the time finally came to say goodbye to the town of Xela, my language school friends and also my wonderful family ... and take off for a final week of travel in Guatemala before heading to Ecuador for the South American leg of my trip! My week of travel in between was originally intended to be in Guatemala ... however the persuasive powers of Pete, my travel buddy, meant that after 2 days in north Guatemala, I then headed to Belize for an incredible 4 days on a beautiful and relaxing island called Caye Caulker. Definitely [View Full Entry]

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Hello again and another update on my antics in Guatemala over the last couple of weeks! Volcán Tajumulco My biggest achievement since I've been away would have to be last weekend, which I spent climbing to the highest point in Central America, Volcán Tajumulco at 4,220m. The climb was especially difficult as we were not only battling with the altitude and lack of oxygen but mostly the weight of the equipment and water we had to carry! I went with a trekking company, 'Quetzaltrekkers', who were so well organised with everything from amazingly sexy 80´s ski-wear to keep us warm (check [View Full Entry]

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School and Life with a Guatemalan Family Well I have now been in school and with my family for 2 weeks and thought I´d share a few stories and experiences of what i´ve been up to! My School - Proyecto Linguistico Quetzalteco de Español The school I´m at is unique in that it is the only school that i´ve heard of that combines the spanish learning experience with an understanding of Guatemalan history and issues still existing today, as well as providing a diverse range of activities for students to participate in when school´s out!! Each week we have a minimum [View Full Entry]

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My first week in Guatemala Well, in summary, í'm having so much fun thus far, more than I ever imagined!! My very first day was so brilliant that I didn't think it would get much better, and each day keeps throwing more great things at me!! A few highlights thus far: Riding the Chicken Bus The gringo (name given to western travellers by the locals) name for the bus that is an old jeep crammed with seats that really only fit for 2 bums, but of course 3 people are squeezed into each seat as the bus fillls up. There are [View Full Entry]

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Getting ready for leaving London I have been loving my last month in London. A great piece of advice I can offer is ... December is a perfect time to wrap up a job and plan farewell festivities as everyone is definitely in the wind-down and party mood leading up to Christmas!! Well, it's hard to believe that 3 years in London has come to an end and knowing I'm coming back certainly makes it slightly easier to leave. But as it's starting to get a lot cooler here now, it's certainly a nice time to be moving to warmer climates! [View Full Entry]

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