http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Eon/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Eon en-us Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:31 +0000 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:31 +0000 Finally the time has come for me to write the final instalment of this seasons work here on the Brunt Ice Shelf at Halley Research Station.I left you previously with the update written while we were waiting out the storm which ended up keeping us cooped up inside for just over 4 days. Day 1 was great a chance to chill out and relax catch up on emails watch a film and generally do nothing for o http://www.travelblog.org/Antarctica/Antarctica/Halley-Station/blog-253418.html I began my last update by explaining that I had time to write it due to being stuck inside because of 30knot winds and huge snow drifts. Well a few weeks down the line and it is time for another update only today it is blowing 50 knots outside and you cant see more than 2 meters in front of you A pattern seems to be appearing and the only time you get to sit down and write is when you canrsq http://www.travelblog.org/Antarctica/Antarctica/Halley-Station/blog-247975.html We have been on base and grafting away since that big day my birthday on 20 Dec. Today is Sat and normally we would be out there in the thick of things however the elephantselements are well and truly against us and there is a 30knot constant blow outside with big drifts and about 10meter visibility. So until somebody stupid enough tells us its OK to go outside we are stuck indoors passing http://www.travelblog.org/Antarctica/Antarctica/Halley-Station/blog-235218.html OK I know I only updated my Travelblog a few days ago and already there is another instalment winging its way through cyber space as we speak. Well thatrsquos the benefit of being stuck on a little red ship travelling to Antarctica. There isnrsquot actually loads to do during our time as passengers on this ship so I thought I would give you all a little tour of the ship along with explain http://www.travelblog.org/Antarctica/blog-228505.html Once again it has taken me a few months between updates and friends and family are left scratching their heads due to my shocking ability to tell anyone what is actually going on.For those who actually fancy finding out I will try my best here those who would just like to see pretty pictures then scan ahead.Back to South AmericaDue to the fact I needed to be in Cape Town for the upcoming Antarcti http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Cape-Town/blog-226841.html Ok i know its been a while and for that i apologise for not letting people know where i have or will be especially mum who thought i was stuck in the shocking earthquake in Peru.We actually were in the town of Ica Nazca and many of the others that were hit but luckily due to other instances which i will go onto later we sped up the trip a bit and moved further North clear of any danger.Equador http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Galapagos/blog-196977.html Choquequiroa to Machu Picchu 8 days trekking taking in the lost city of Choquequiroa meaning Cradle of Gold in the local language of Quecha through to the fabled New 7th Wonder of the World Machu Picchu. Due to the unbelievable popularity of the 4 day Inca trail route leading into Machu Picchu I decided to look for an alternative trek which would still give us plenty of information abo http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Cusco/blog-179214.html Ok time for another update for all those who are eagerly waiting to see what has been going on over here since the last story. Watch out itrsquos a long one After leaving you all since the climb Kev Dave and I have been cramming in the action. We are starting to get to the point where we need a holiday by the beach for a while to get over all this adventure However this is what happened http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Lake-Titicaca/blog-174332.html Huayna Potosi Now if you look at the guide books they will tell you that this mountain is actually one of the easiest 6000m peaks in the world to climb. After doing this i can only say that there is no such thing as an easy 6000m peak as the human body is just not supposed to survive at this altitude. We chose a 3 day trip on the mountain to give us a good couple of days to aclimatise due to t http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Huayna-Potosi/blog-169173.html Uyuni We said goodbye to Chile after catching the bus from San Pedro to the Bolivian border where we were to meet our driverguidecookmechanicgeneral all round good egg Pailo. After being promised that there would only be 5 in the 4wd that we had hired we soon found out that there was actually 7 of us as well as drives. Considering we had hundreds of miles ahead of us driving through some tru http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/Chuquisaca-Department/Sucre/blog-166001.html Well the sweaty pants bit comes on a bit later. We left Santiago after arriving from Easter Island as soon as we could to get out of the big city feel and horrendous smog which blights this otherwise ok place. Straight onto an overnight bus 6 hours up the coast to a small city called La Serena. Here we jumped onto a local bus to take us a few hours further inland to the small town of Vicuna wh http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Antofagasta-Region/San-Pedro-de-Atacama/blog-162388.html The Legends According to legend the origin of the people of Rapa nui goes back to Marae Renga an island that probably formed part of the Marquesas Archipeligo. It is believed that Ariki Hotu Matursquoa was defeated in war by his brother and was forced to search for a new home across the Pacific Ocean. Matursquoa sent 7 warriors in search for this new homeland and when they finally found it http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Easter-Island/blog-159139.html I arrived in Santiago Chile to be met by Kev at the airport. Oh wait no that never happened he was asleep in his hotel after not coming out of it for 3 days before i arrived. Luckily he had managed to feed and water himself so no major harm was done. We quickly organised ourselves in town sorting a weeks intensive brain hurting 6 hours a day of Spanish lessons at Escuela Bellavista just ar http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Santiago-Region/Providencia/blog-156186.html Finally after 5 months I find myself once more back where the journey all began a few years ago in Port Stanley Falkland Islands. Irsquom not too sure how to describe this place other than it reminds me of windy wet weekends trudging around Dartmoor as a kid wishing that at this point in time I could be anywhere else in the world. The terrain is very similar to Dartmoor with huge clumps o http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Falkland-Islands/blog-150652.html Welcome back to my little world ladies and gentlemen boys and girls.You will be pleased to know that I have emerged from the correct end of a small bout of depression during which time I had my man flu and felt like I just couldnrsquot walk. Anyway things are looking up a great deal now and since my last update no end of cool fun events have been happening here. Itrsquos a wonder any work http://www.travelblog.org//blog-135741.html Hello again one and all.First of all I must apologise for not updating the websites for quite some time mainly to me mum whorsquos been most worried that aliens might of abducted me while scoping out the continent for their water shortage needs. Did you know Antarctica holds 90 of the worlds ice Now thatrsquos a lot of water my friend Anyway the main reason for my lack of info is basi http://www.travelblog.org//blog-130553.html This week has been absolutely mental in all respects of the word out here on the lovely Island of Adelaide. As I mentioned in a few of my previous updates HRH The Princess Royal or Annie to me now arrived for 3 days of fun and games around the peninsular along with her husband Admiral Lawrence and a few other VVIPs including the Director of British Antarctic Survey Prof Chris Rapley. Annie a http://www.travelblog.org//blog-121380.html Hello again one and all and welcome back to the weird and wonderful events taking shape out here on the Antarctic Peninsular.There has been absolutely loads going on since the last update apart from the term ldquoday offrdquo being mentioned from the boss. The building is coming on in leaps and bounds now on the external side of things anyway so it looks quite good. Windows are in 1 side http://www.travelblog.org//blog-119494.html First of all id just like to send my best wishes to one and all for the upcoming year and I hope everything you all expect it to be will be.So Xmas and New Year over now on base and as it stands no real reason to actually have a day off from now until I leave at the beginning of April. Bugger. However great fun was had by all over the holiday period and as much as there was actually hardly any http://www.travelblog.org//blog-115313.html Ok so it isnrsquot actually that bad or really bad at all for anyone else apart from myself. In fact itrsquos kind of trivial and in all honestly to be expected. The thing is ive only gone and twisted my knee and ripped a few ligaments after what I can only say myself was an absolute beauty of a wipe out while snowboarding on the hill at the weekend. The thing is I obviously thought http://www.travelblog.org//blog-112737.html