TravelBlog » Geoff n Lexa

Geoff n Lexa - Geoff Long and Lexa Wokersien

Hi there everybody,
We hope you enjoy reading about our exploits whilst we're on our 16 month BIG TRIP. Many people have asked why we are going and in an attempt to explain here is a quote from the famous British explorer Eric Shipton.

"In these days of upheaval and violent change, when the basic values of today are the vain and shattered dreams of tomorrow, there is much to be said for the philosphy which aims at living a full life while the opportunity offers. There are few treasures of more lasting worth than the experience of a way of life that is itself wholly satisfying. Such, after all are the only possessions of which no fate, no cosmic catastrophe can deprive us; nothing can alter the fact that if for one moment in eternity we have really lived."

Happy reading!
Geoff and Lexa

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Joined on: June 24th 2006
Last Login: April 5th 2009

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Blogs & Travel Journals

by Geoff n Lexa, order by Date newest first.

By Geoff n Lexa
August 20th 2007

Potosi explosi South America » Bolivia » Potosí Department » Potosi

Ready for anything

Well you can’t visit the famous silver town of Potosi without visiting the mines ….can you?? Well, maybe after you’ve read this, you might understand why some people decide against it… Potosi’s historical wealth has certainly come at some considerable human expense, with an estimated EIGHT MILLION plus Black and Indian slaves dying whilst working in the mines from 1545 to 1825 and the 4824m Cerro Rico overlooking the city deservedly earning its nickname of ‘The Mountain That Eats Men’. To be honest it didn't sound like conditions had impro [View Full Entry]

Quick shop at the market for drugs and alcohol

Not sure if this is ethical tourism, but it's the local culture

Hmm dynamite and an detonator for about 70p ...don't panic Mr.Mainwaring!!

By Geoff n Lexa
August 15th 2007

Salar de Uyuni Part II - Bolivian breakdowns South America » Bolivia » Potosí Department » Salar de Uyuni

Oh dear this looks bad...

It was half way through day two of our San Pedro to Uyuni trip and things were going swimmingly. The plan was to get to the Salt Hotel at the edge of the vast Salar de Uyuni salt flat in time for sunset, however the previously superficial mechanical anomalies were about to get more fundamental... The first major problem was a broken leaf spring, a rather vital part of the suspension for those unfamiliar with mechanical things. But heh, no problem for these guys and with the help of more old strips of tyre, the whole thing was strapped back together [View Full Entry]

No problem we are off again..just with fewer gears.

The Kiwi's (now our support crew) come careering past again

By Geoff n Lexa
August 14th 2007

Salar de Uyuni Part I - Off to the altiplano South America » Bolivia » Potosí Department » Salar de Uyuni

Chilean-Bolivian border for breakfast

And so it was time to leave San Pedro de Atacama and head for Bolivia via the Salar de Uyuni. First it was a short bus ride out of town to the Chilean border and to get our exit stamp. Then it was another half hour or so into the hills up to the desolate Bolivian border, where we arrived at 9AM and tucked into breakfast whilst freezing our kerniggets off. As a side story back in the 70’s and 80’s, the Chilean Army, foreseeing a war, planted several thousand landmines along the border with Bolivia and its neighbouring areas, including [View Full Entry]

By Geoff n Lexa
August 12th 2007

Last days in San Pedro South America » Chile » Antofagasta Region » San Pedro de Atacama

Lexa trip planning at Vila Coya with Stephen and Nancy

When we arrived in South America we were only planning to visit Chile, but everyone we met kept saying things like ‘go to Bolivia it’s amazing’, ‘go to Argentina they’re really friendly’ etc etc. So whilst hanging out at the very friendly Hostel Vila Coya in San Pedro de Atacama, Lexa did some brain storming of places to visit in Bolivia and Ecuador with the help of Rocio (Argentina), Marcus (Germany/NZ/Argentina) and their South America lonely planet, knowing that when we left we were going to have to go solo, except for her brief notes...eeeek! With [View Full Entry]

The hardships of village life...which of the 24 types of coffee shall we have...

Cordillera (mountain) Traveller who we put out faith in to get us to Bolivia by 4x4

By Geoff n Lexa
August 11th 2007

Antiplano Antics South America » Chile » Antofagasta Region » San Pedro de Atacama

Heading to the hills

Basically it took us ages to get over the jet lag and 5 days after we arrived in Chile we were just about beginning to come right, but maybe the fact that our 3 hour bus ride inland from Antofagasta took us 2260m (7500 feet) up didn’t help our recovery. We arrived at Calama in the early afternoon and walked a kilometer to a hostel, unfortunately paying for a night before discovering that the tour of the largest open pit mine in the world and the only reason we or anybody comes to Calama was booked out for the next 4 [View Full Entry]

By Geoff n Lexa
August 7th 2007

August 7th twice South America » Chile » Antofagasta Region » Antofagasta

Antofagasta's Big Ben

We caught the 6pm flight from Auckland on Tuesday 7th August, flying east for 11 hours to South America and landing at Santiago on the Chilean coast midday on the Tuesday 7th August…. Always a bit confusing the old International Date Line… To add to the 8 Hour time change, we had a rather uncomfortable flight and essentially missed a whole nights’ sleep on the plane, only getting a couple of hour’s kip. We had a funny moment just before takeoff as I adjusted my headrest and it came off in my hands… various attempts by stewardesses and myself failed to [View Full Entry]

A bit like Commercial Rd in Portsmouth really but with a big hill in the background

By Geoff n Lexa
August 2nd 2007

The north of NZ and then off Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Auckland

Kauri Museum

Our final few days were spent going a little further north, with our first stop being the Kauri museum at Matakohe. Kauri trees once dominated the New Zealand landscape, but now only a few percent of the original forests remain. Hence conservation work is taking place to preserve the few remaining examples of these giants of the forest that grow to about 40 meters tall in 500 years. It has to be said that at the end of the day the museum was about a type of tree and although this sounds quite boring, I actually quite enjoyed it. I won’t [View Full Entry]

By Geoff n Lexa
July 28th 2007

Back to basics at Boggy’s Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Auckland

Boggy's place at Morning Star Farm

Before I start I will just remind you about the whole WWOOFing thing - don’t laugh. When we were still at home planning our big trip we had decided to do some WWOOFing in New Zealand (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) as it’s a cheap way to live, a good way to get to know the locals, great for learning about organic gardening and sustainability and of course Geoff had great WWOOFing memories from his last trip. With this in mind we had bought the WWOOFing book when we first arrived in Christchurch, this gives you the contact details of all [View Full Entry]

The bus that brought Emily and Boggy from the UK

By Geoff n Lexa
July 27th 2007

O2BGOD! Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Auckland

Dolphins at Hot water beach

Hot water beach was our next destination up the coast a little way and yes it does literally have hot water springs on the beach that are uncovered 2 hours either side of low tide. We arrived that evening when the water was too high to get in the pools, but we stopped for a cuppa whilst watching a pod of dolphins swim by and took a walk down the beach before heading to a campsite for the night. To catch the tide we were back at 8am the next day with plastic bowls from the van to dig pools in [View Full Entry]

Where did we leave the camper.... somewhere under the rainbow of course!

By Geoff n Lexa
July 22nd 2007

There be gold in them there hills!! Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Whangamata

Martha mine - about to close for the 2nd time in 100 years

Leaving the rafting place, we pushed on northwards in the pouring rain lunching at Maketu, then on through Tauranga where we failed to replace our punctured tyre because it was now Saturday afternoon and everything was closed. Overnight found us 10k’s inland up in the hills near the Tuahu walkway and back out again to the main road the next morning, onto Kati Kati and then Waihi - home of the Martha Mine, one the world’s largest open pit goldmines. We wandered around the historic Cornish pumphouse, recently moved to avoid it falling into the open cast mine and learnt that [View Full Entry]

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