http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Cassels/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Cassels en-us Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:13:33 BST Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:13:33 BST My Name is Andrew and this is my story. Well atleast this is a part of my story that bridges the gap between my next story and the last. It all started in a slow paced beach town in Northern Brazil called Jericoacoara... I had decided to leave Jericoacoara at a rather odd moment and after having made the decision to take flight things sort of happened quickly. I walked to the tourist office a http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Rio-Grande-do-Norte/Pipa/blog-175640.html I arrived here very uncertain of what exactly awaited me. Luckily I was welcomed to town by a man named Alvaro who was a local after having left his homeland in Uruguay and he spoke perfect english. He showed me around and introduced me to everyone so I spent a week here. What can I say... Its Jeri You may be mildly impressed by some of the images I have managed to capture on my modest 2 m http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Cear-/Jericoacoara/blog-173300.html Love the Pun Love the Pun What do you think of first when you look at a starry sky Does the mystery spin your mind into a wonder or does that endlessness that is stretched out infront of your eyes cause you to look back in on yourself. I find that once I have found the Southern Cross painted on the worlds ceiling by one of us Southerners a long time ago and after I have cast my eye to its http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Amazonas/Manaus/blog-168561.html The people of Medellin smile at me with white smiles every day from behind a counter down a supermarket aisle at a table in a restaurant passing in the street or looking from the other side of the Metro platform. Beautiful people with perfect figures and a wardrobe consisting only of figure flaunting outfits seem to see something special in us few blue eyed pale skinned people that venture http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Medellin/blog-164116.html This is Cartagena A place with a history of pirates stunning Carribean beaches Colonial architecture hot days humid nights corner cocaine dealers and parading prostitutes. This is a place that seems to barrage you with a culture that isn't found outside of Colombia in a city that still houses forts barracks and cannons from ages found now only at the theatre. This is Cartagena So what http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Cartagena/blog-161438.html As I lifted my bare foot from the smooth dull grey slippery surface of another round topped river stone to fight through the current that seemed to cut my feet from beneath me and then stretched out through the flowing fresh cool water to find another sure spot to set down my slowly shifting weight I realised how great things at that exact moment in my life were. And as I think of that thou http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/Ciudad-Perdida/blog-159391.html 8 months ago if you had asked me which South American nations I would be visiting on my upcoming trip I would have told you that Colombia did not feature in any of my plans. The reputation for Drugs Danger and Guerrillas was my reason but after having spent months meeting travellers whom had ventured into Colombia my view on the Cocaine Capital changed. I was told timeaftertime that the land http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Bogota/blog-154551.html I have just landed in Quito for the second time in my life. I have just sat through another Ecuadorian Taxi Ride. I have just deposited one dollar at the reception of Posada Del Maple for my room key. Now I sit here to tell you about what has been a week of my life. A week spent in The Galapagos Islands. A week I will never forget. It is a two hour flight from Quito airport to touchdown on the http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Galapagos-Islands/blog-152950.html 45 meters from the rocky ground below a waterfall cascading over me Fear submitted to determination the essence of life surging through my veins and a smile cast across my face as I hung from a single rope The sensations that I felt this past week in Banos whilst repelling down a 50m waterfall were truely some of the most pure feelings of accomplishment and joy that I have felt for a long w http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-147878.html I return to you now at the beginning of a new chapter in my journey. The time I commited to working for the better of others has run dry and with an emotional departure beneath both a full moon and the flashes of lightening on the horizon I set off in the same old pickup truck that arrived at 9 to steal away all the other volunteers that departed over the weeks I have been here. Watching the b http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Atacames/blog-145888.html Easy come easy goI wanna go with the flowWhats the hurry what's the rushCome on and cruise with us.Lyrics from a song that jumped back into my head a few days ago whilst swaying sidetoside in the soft slightly sweaty smelling fabric of one of the familiar hammocks that hang outside my room.Hanging there next to the Bamboo table catching glimpses of fireflys threading thier light between the http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Atacames/blog-136774.html The entry for this week will not be long. I think that the pictures say more then my words with this lot.This week was one of those predictable ones that seem to always be comprised of seven days. They followed the same old order and I find myself now on a Saturday here in Atacames again. The long journey to this computer always rewards my efforts and once again my spirits have been lifted by th http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Atacames/blog-131536.html The bus station was full. I was the only gringo in there and as I sat there clutching my bags and sensing peoples eyes examining me and my belongings I thought This is what travelling alone must be like alot of the time.The sensation certainly wasn't lost at all as I sat in my bus seat and felt kids under my seat tugging on my bag which I clutched with sufficient strength to deter the slightly http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Esmeraldas-/blog-127664.html My hostal in Quito is called Posada de Los Maples. From my hostal to the Bus station it is a gentle 10 minute walk through busy urban streets where cars speed by la policia stand on most corners and little kioskos promote their magazines and other merchandise with the cheapest form of advertising shouting.Yesterday morning the sun was out and the locals were going about their ways as they a http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-126682.html The sun is setting outside the receptionists have joined with the regulars in sing alongs and drinks and I am faced with the sad task of packing up all my things into my pack once again and pulling myself together for a late night ride to the Airport because tomorrow morning I takeoff for Ecuador.I have relaxed all this week and hung out with my friends here at the hostel watching films goin http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Entre-R-os/Gualeguaych-/blog-124753.html Often I find myself here stuck inbetween moments. Times when the hostel buzz has faded to a hum and my imagination can only be found through the dull grey of a pencil lead. It seems contradictory that I think in grey towns and sepia light thoughts of beautifully tonned blues greens and the colours of dusk. Those moments seem best captured through my hands with the simple shades of one modest but http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Buenos-Aires/Buenos-Aires/blog-123089.html Feliz Anoor Happy New Year to everybody out there.I would like to tell you a story of the great party that I attended on New Years and show you pictures of a 'Return of the Jedi' callibre celebration that flooded the world where I am but the truth is that had I taken photos of my evening it would have consisted of a quiet airport terminal with an out of place kiwi boy wandering between advert http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Buenos-Aires/Buenos-Aires/blog-121616.html Last night as fat old father christmas was taking his medication and preparing to do another round of chimney jumps Tracey and I lay in bed listening to the wild partying that had consumed the city of Buenos Aires. Here on the other side of the world Christmas doesnt begin with the sunrise and pattering of childrens feet as they excitedly scream down the stairs but with a countdown that begins http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Buenos-Aires/Buenos-Aires/blog-114267.html We found Puerto Madryn right where the map said it would be. We found our hostal right where the map said it would be and we found the heladeria right where the map said it would be.But where were the whaleswait whats that...We watched massive black shapes breaking the ocean surface for a while before identyfying a flipper. After having circled the aquatic ballarenas for a while we edged in for http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Chubut/Puerto-Madryn/blog-113006.html with a creak I ease back into the faded worn padding of an old wooden dining seat. Infront of me is a shiny desk coated in a little too much highgloss varnish. On top of the desk is a sheet of glass and beneath it a 'no smoking icon that appears to have been enlarged a little too much and printed at an economy quality. The computer screen is suprisingly large Maybe 17 and displays they 'L http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Tierra-del-Fuego/Ushuaia/blog-112414.html