http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Doug and Bec/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Doug and Bec en-us Sat, 11 Oct 2008 02:53:21 BST Sat, 11 Oct 2008 02:53:21 BST Blogger Dougo So I am sitting on the couch trying to ignore the pile of homework books that need marking before tomorrow and I pick up my laptop to read the writeup on the AFL prelim final between St Kilda and Hawthorn. Having just watched the game at a mate's place next door I thought it might be nice to hear what the critics have to say about a very onesided game of football. Next thing I http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Bangladesh/Dhaka/Dhaka/blog-325598.html Blogger Dougo The day had finally arrived. Since running out of cash last year and having to head home straight after the Cricket World Cup bypassing Peru we have been building up to this moment. The day we start to trek the Inca Trail. We had an early start this morning our bus picking us up at 6 am. It was freezing cold and the bus had never known heating. We drove for an hour through what i http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Peru/Cusco/Inca-Trail/blog-303303.html Blogger Bec Early this morning we waved goodbye to Esteban and journeyed back to Puno for a day of touring and checking out the local sights. In actuality we slept in a lovely warm bed and watched cable TV all afternoon Sad but true. Sometimes you just need a bit of comfort and a restAt 7pm we all assembled in the hotel foyer and headed out to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Gasper our le http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Peru/Puno/Puno/blog-303301.html Blogger Bec and Dougo Has there ever been a bigger tribute to the manufactors of outdoor gear than the streets of Cusco North Face Quecha Kathmandu Mountain Designs Macpac Berger Doite Deuter Osprey scruffy backpackers cheek by jowl with popcorn eaters luxury tourists Cusco is a heaving mass of outdoor consumerism. And it aint in the shops folks its on the backfeetscalpchestp http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Peru/Cusco/Cusco/Cusco/blog-303300.html Blogger Bec Weve survived one year of marriage Yay for usSo how did we celebrate making it through 365 days of each other We went to stay on an isolated island in the middle of the worlds highest lake with a family who spoke no English slept in a creaky old bed in freezing cold temperatures and it was SENSATIONAL We started our two day journey with a charted boat trip to the Uros islands http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Peru/Puno/Lake-Titicaca-/blog-301140.html Blogger Bec This morning we drove from Arequipa to the amazing Colca Canyon a beautiful drive spoiled a little by our REAL dose of altitude sickness. About 15 minutes into our 6 hour journey we stopped at a shop to buy some coca leaves a natural remedy to alievate the symptoms of altitude sickness. They taste horrible like a wheatgrass shot only stronger and without the OJ chaser and you http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Chivay/blog-301138.html Blogger Bec Early crack of dawn sparrows start this morning for a long bus ride to the depths of Colca Canyon to see the famed Andean condors filthy ugly yet majestic creatures found only in the Canyon.The ride to the condor lookout was spectacular. Incan terraces lined the cliffs and tiny villages dotted the countryside. The sun was out not a cloud in the sky. Many of us were still a littl http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Colca-Canyon/blog-301136.html Arequipa is a lovely town in the middle of Peru at a fairly high altitude about 2500m above sea level which meant we had our first taste of travel at high altitute. At that point we just felt a little more tired than usual and had a wee headache fixed by drinking lots of water. Unless we had read up on it we would have just put the symptoms down to general travel tiredness.We had two major s http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Arequipa/blog-301134.html Blogger Dougo Today we awoke in our hotel in Nazca early to be ready for the transfer to the airport to view the Nazca lines. Unfortunately we walked out our hotel room to be greated by a thick blanket of fog covering the town and surrounding area. So we waited. We played cards taught a few of our group members our new found passion Shithead. We waited. The bloody fog hung around until 12 no http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Peru/Ica/Nazca/Nazca-Lines/blog-297724.html Blogger Bec Day 2 of our trip saw us visit the amazing Ballestas Islands off the coast of Paracas about 4 hours south of Lima.Normally tourists stay in Pisco a major town but due to the major earthquake there late last year it was not possible. Pisco is still being rebuilt a very slow process but one helped immeasureably by NGOs and the local government.After an early start we walked http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Peru/Ica/Paracas/blog-297717.html Blogger Bec Weve arrivedDay 1 real of our Peru trip saw us take in the sights of Perus capital Lima.We spent most of the previous afternoon in bed watching Nadal beat Federer we were going to see the sights really But when you have the worlds best tennis players slugging it out on the world stage you have to go with the flow...We mostly just walked around the capital taking in daily http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Peru/Lima/Lima/Lima/blog-297715.html Blogger Dougo ...And so the next great Bec and Doug adventure got underway with a long haul flight from Bangles Dhaka Bangladesh to LA with a 6 hour stopover in Honkas Hong Kong. Twenty two hours of our lives gone forever. The up side came in the form of a great hostel in San Pedro south west of Hollywood. The YHI San Pedro Hostel was a converted army barracks on the edge of the Angel Gate http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/blog-297709.html Mollie's birthday yet another Scavenger Hunt. Anyone would think we would be sick of these by now but it's such a fun way to interact with the locals. They love seeing us do stuff that to them is just their everyday lives but to us is crazy.The winners of this hunt was determined by everyone voting on the best picture for each task. It was our first loss. We are now 2 for 3. http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Bangladesh/Dhaka/blog-284383.html What do you think is the best way to see your own city in a new light Participate in a crazy scavenger hunt to help celebrate your mate's birthdayLori let us loose with cameras and a list of weird and wonderful items to source go team http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Bangladesh/Dhaka/blog-284323.html 4 glorious days off work stretched in front of us how should we spend itDrinking tea and sheltering from the horrendous daily onslaught of Dhaka noise seemed like a sensational way to escape.We rose early on Friday morning to catch the 4 hour train ride to the northern state of Sylhet renowned world wide for it's magnificent tea. The jampacked train station was the usual source of panic for m http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Bangladesh/Sylhet/blog-284307.html Everything thinks their daily life is pretty boring us included but I always want to know details of how other people live so I thought maybe someone else might to...Here are a selection of photos from our life here in Dhaka.Warning they are almost exclusively of us and our students so if you are not interested in our professional life switch to another blog pronto http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Bangladesh/Dhaka/blog-265609.html Two glorious weeks of nonBangladeshness ahhhh smell that glorious air http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/blog-265605.html Blogger BecGreetings everyoneLife trundles on over here in Dhaka including getting a little olderI decided I needed a little lift so organised a fancy dress party with a P theme oh the possibilitiesMy birthday celebration was one of the best I have ever had extending to over a week There was parties dinners shopping sprees spa days and an almost unending stream of little pressies. I f http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Bangladesh/Dhaka/blog-247562.html Blogger http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/India/National-Capital-Territory/New-Delhi/blog-232579.html Blogger Dougo Having driven from Agra to Jaipur yesterday afternoon we checked into our hotel which was actually an old palace some time in the distant past. Recently converted into a hotel it was a strange mix of old India and modern dodgey furniture. It was one of those place that could be really really good but falls down in the decoration and service department. Bec still loved the decor http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jaipur/blog-232570.html