The day has arrived....the time has come.....the waiting is over....and indeed, quite possibly the occasion that you've been dreaming about but at times thought would never come.....yes ladies and gents the waiting IS finally over so pop the champagne corks as I give you......my final blog...... Heading back to Rio Prior to getting to Rio I had a cheeky stop over in Santiago which was pretty uneventful another than not being able to find a sushi bar at 11pm (strange cravings, but true) however I managed to notch up another Macds in yet another country, not that I was counting (T [View Full Entry]

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Along the way you hear one or two scare stories about certain places/countries and sure enough Bolivia is one of the places that keeps cropping up. I had heard that there were death defying roads, rubbish buses (prone to breaking down)..fleeces that Reevesie would be proud of and (worryingly) fake police/taxi drivers who had robbed and even killed tourists in the past...... 'but could it be any more dangerous than a night out in Swindon?' I thought..... Anyway before you worry on my behalf (unlikely) I'd also heard that the place was cheap and that they sold dried baby llamas at [View Full Entry]

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So where was I.....oh yeah leaving Brazil after a month of sun, sea, and (luckily) not getting robbed at gunpoint....Anyway with fond memories I bid farewell knowing that it wouldn't be long before I'd be back in Brazil (nice one Qantas) and that I'd be struggling for some fresh gags for that blog.....hmmmm 'gags?' you say.. But in the interim came a brand spanking new country in the shape of Peru and something known only by locals in the know (and, er billions of Western tourists every year)....as The Inca Trail.... But before Peru, I managed another brief visit to BA [View Full Entry]

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Before I get pulled up by the anal amongst you, this blog isn't 'only' on Brazil, oh no....first.there is a bit of Argentina to cover with a cheeky little sidestep into Paraguay along the way. The bad news (for you lot) is that it covers about a 5 weeks of travel so I'm afraid you're all in for another long ride, a bit like some of my upcoming (20+ hr) bus journeys.....altho the blog may, at times, seem longer. Leaving Buenos Aires Iguassu falls, one of the 7 Wonders of the Natural World, an absolute must for any trip to S [View Full Entry]

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I know I know, as another blog trundles along the production line and drops onto your screen you were probably hoping it wouldn't come 'quite' so soon after the last one. Yeah sorry bout that....but as Freddie Mercury said (before he died): 'The Show Must Go On'....and he was right (about that bit anyway, not about Fat Bottomed Girls making the world go round, that's just plain sick in my book). Back to warmer climates Anyway back to the travel story (aka The Show)....and it was (in a Geordie voice) 'Day 236 on the Ginger world tour....and junk food cravings were [View Full Entry]

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So friends (and stalkers) welcome to the 'difficult' Post Antarctica blog,...but how does anyone (especially a ginger) follow such an adventure? Well as the budget wouldn't stretch to a trip to somewhere equally exotic like the North Pole, or Bourton on the Water (Cotswolds, Eng) ....you'll have to settle for some hiking and with some gags at my expense thrown in...so strap yourselves in kiddywinks cos the fun starts here..... Post Antarctica With the sea faring over it was time for more land based fun (which luckily didn't include a bed that rocked up to 45 degrees either si [View Full Entry]

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Antarctica - Background So, Antarctica....the White Continent....the Seventh Continent (depending on which classification you use).....but more importantly (for me anyway) my home for the next 11 days. But what can I tell you about the place to kick things off? Well: -Over 99% of Antarctica is covered with ice, which equates to approx 90% of world's fresh water -It holds record for coldest (-89C) and windiest place (320km/hr) on earth (hopefully never in March) -If it's ice sheets melted, the world's oceans would rise by 60-65 metres (not good) 'That is all very impres [View Full Entry]

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So the BBC's top list of places to see before you die. Hmmmm. Well, all I can say is that I nearly did when I started my research (36 hrs before my flight). But what exactly did I find out? Well, let me share it with you: -'start planning your trip 3-6months in advance, this will allow you to scour the web for the best deals' (Lonely Planet) -'even the cheapest meals bought off street vendors will cost you 12,000 CFP (9 pounds) (Lonely Planet) -regarding accomodation even the worst flea pit will cost you a small fortune (Lonely Planet) And [View Full Entry]

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So, back to Auckland and without a car it was tricky getting to the leafy suburbs of Mount Eden but manage it I did and there was even time to load up on some culture and take in the art gallery before my flight to Queenstown the following day. As there were no rooms at the (BBH) inns in Queenstown I rented a car and drove in awe at the amazing scenery as I headed thro a place called 'Paradise' on the way to Kinloch. The journey was made better as I only came across 3 cars during the 1.25 hrs [View Full Entry]

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Arriving in NZ had shades of Oz about it and whilst they weren't as in your face....or your groin (the sniffer dogs that is, as there weren't any)..they were pretty damn thorough and after my trainers had been inspected to ensure there was no contamination...I was thro and able to meet Palin. Christchurch The excitement of seeing the car that I would spend the next 3 weeks in grew as we got to the car park especially as Palin's last NZ car was a dead ringer for the 'General Lee'...I was however disappointed on reaching the car that was more 'General [View Full Entry]

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