http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Daz_Crawford/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Daz_Crawford en-us Sat, 11 Oct 2008 08:07:59 BST Sat, 11 Oct 2008 08:07:59 BST The air is thin and your lungs feel like they are going to explode. At an elevation of 4760 metres above sea level you begin to suffer the effects of altitude and a serious lack of oxygen to the brain. You feel fearless as you cycle through the clouds and down dirt roads at lightening speed. You begin to feel your bike slide on the gravel while dodging boulders and pot holes. You look down the http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Yungas-Road/blog-325021.html Blinding salt plains stunning mountain ranges beautiful frozen lakes dust clouds freezing nights sweltering days amazing wildlife prehistoric cactuses fossilised reefs vehicle breakdowns altitude sickness no roads and basic amenities. These are the words I can only use to describe the most stunning adventure that I have just taken across the dreamy Bolivian desert.Back in San Pedro De http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Bolivia/Potosi-Department/Uyuni/blog-320156.html Fantastic shopping modern cities friendly people romantic paradise beautiful landscapes new travel companions and lost in translation are the few words I can use to describe my introduction to the wonderful country of Chile.The capital of Chile Santiago is nothing how I imagined. Its a shoppers paradise with the latest designer cloths outlets massive shopping malls and quaint cafes linin http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Chile/Atacama/blog-319886.html Nitro Glycerine Dynamite Ammonium Nitrate Fertiliser and a 4 minute fuse.. A recipe for disaster Probably but what a surreal experience to unexpectedly run fuelled on adrenaline with five sticks of dynamite a bag of fertiliser and a lit fuse in hand. Sliding down the side of a mountain and stumbling over rocks in a complete panic before carefully placing the dynamite on the ground. Scram http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Bolivia/Potosi-Department/Potosi/blog-319875.html The air was unbearably hot the tunnels were cramped and the atmosphere was filled with dust and asbestos generated from the blasting of rock. Together with the uncomfortable knowledge that Australian experts predicted the tunnels should have collapsed 4 years ago I was on an adrenaline fuelled adventure deep into the silver mines of Potosi at an elevation of 4000 metres above sea level. This w http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Bolivia/Potosi-Department/Potosi/blog-319838.html Potosi is a city of beauty madness and adventure. Maybe its the altitude sickness that creates a distorted view of the city or the insanity of crawling around in the Potosi Silver mines while hyperventilating asbestos dust makes this city appealing. With the option of creating a massive bomb out of Nitroglycerine and Ammonium Nitrate I cant possibly understand why this city only appeals to ins http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Bolivia/Potosi-Department/Potosi/blog-319805.html Early thismorning I arrived at the Franz Josef Glacier Hiking Centre and got kited up in thermals waterproof cloths walking boots hats gloves and ice grips. It took a while before I could find hiking gear the correct size before jumping on the bus for a 20 minute ride to the start of the trek.On the bus everyone was looking awkward. We were all fighting with our uncomfortable gear and beenie http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-308728.html As I am writing this blog I am absolutely buzzing. Adrenaline is still pumping around my body and I can't stop bouncing off the walls while telling complete strangers that I just jumped out of an aeroplane at 15000ft and did free fall for a full 60 seconds while plummeting to earth at 200kmph as the ice cold air 10oc rushed past my body. It was the single most amazing experience of my life http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Queenstown/blog-305817.html I have just returned from the most fantastic day travelling along the Great Ocean Road with 12 other backpackers in a minivan. Although initially the trip down the Great Ocean Road seemed expensive 95AUD it was worth every penny.We left in the early hours of the morning for a long drive out of Melbourne and onto the Great Ocean Road. This little backpacker trip through Bunyip Tours was very w http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Great-Ocean-Road/blog-303932.html After a 14 hour bus journey from Sydney I arrived in Melbourne exhausted. I slept for the first day before climbing out of bed to reexplore my favourite city in Australia. The city has changed a lot with a massive economic boom causing lots of new shops and businesses to pop up all over the place. The docklands have now developed into flash apartments and offices while the city has become so c http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/blog-300870.html Well I am back in Sydney after six years since my last visit. The city has changed quite a bit with new buildings popping up all over the place. I had a walk around the city and managed to find the youth hostel I used to stay in during my last visit way back in 2002. This time I opted to stay in the more action packed Kings Cross area for its active night life and entertainment. I met some rea http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/blog-300865.html I have just spent the last few days backpacking around Kanchanaburi and Ayutia which is in central Thailand. My first stop was the old capital of Thailand known as Ayutia. I spent the day wondering around the old ruins which are very similar but on a smaller scale to Angkor Watt in Cambodia. I climbed around the ruins with a few other travellers I met along the way. We visited one of the large http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Thailand/Central/Kanchanaburi/blog-300389.html I've just been riding around the roads of Koh Tao on a Quad Bike while taking in the spectacular views of the island. Koh Tao has developed considerably since my last stay way back in 2002 but it still remains one of my favourite islands in Thailand. Even though the main strip now has five star accommodation the Thai people seem to have neglected road maintenance. I assume its because they make s http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Thailand/South/Ko-Tao/blog-296305.html On the eve of the full moon party you can almost feel the anticipation building up to the largest party in South East Asia. The islands vibe begins to change into full on party mode and everyone begins gearing up for a night of insanity along the beautiful beach of Haad Rin. Yes its the world renowned but over hyped Full Moon Party. Its 20 hours of mayhem fuelled by drugs fire music sex and http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Thailand/South/Ko-Pha-Ngan/blog-289604.html I have finally arrived in the party capital of Thailand Haad Rin beach. Its on the run up to the world famous Full Moon Party and the vibe is getting stronger as each day passes. It is a completely mental place with different parties kicking off every night. I don't think I have ever drank so much in my Life. I have been on buckets of Vodka Redbull for only 100THB. No wonder everyone is in http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Thailand/South/Ko-Pha-Ngan/blog-289593.html After a 14 hour Bus Boat Rickshaw Longtail journey we have finally arrived on the secluded Bottle Beach Resort on Koh Phangan. Its really nice to be back on this beautiful little backpacker beach resort with the slowest pace of life imaginable. When I first arrived here there was only a handful of hippy type backpackers. I have the nicest little beach hut its very basic but I don't need http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Thailand/South/Ko-Pha-Ngan/blog-289278.html After an entertaining night out in Hong Kong while miserably losing at a pub quiz and getting a random drunk bloke arrested and fined for smoking in a nonsmoking bar we decided to leave China and head for the beautiful beaches of chilled out Thailand.It is now my 6th visit to Thailand and I still love the country as much as the first time. Lots of things have changed in the name of progress b http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/blog-289257.html Over the last few days we have had a fantastic time in and around Beijing. We independently made our way to one of the best parts of the Great Wall Of China in Samatai. I can't believe it is actually 2 hours out of the centre of Beijing by bus. Even then we had to get a taxi from the local town to the wall. The size of the wall is amazing and Samatai remains relatively remote from the tourist http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Beijing/blog-283596.html Well it all started when I decided to join a tour group to go and see the most touristy route on the Great Wall of China Badaling. It was my last day in Beijing and Glyn had managed to get an earlier train for the 24 hour trip back to Shenzhen leaving me with a day to kill before catching my train that evening. Our visas were due to run out the day after so it was imperative we were out of http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Beijing/blog-282783.html Guoliangcun was another one of those small towns that was incredibly difficult to find. We left Shaolin in the early hours and got on a local bus to Luoyang and then made our way to the long distance bus station in Dengfang. At first we struggled to find the long distance bus station because everyone kept pointing us in different directions. I got the feeling they didn't have a clue what we we http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Henan/blog-282743.html