http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Going-by-Dragonfly/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Going by Dragonfly en-us Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:31:10 +0000 Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:31:10 +0000 Hi everyone. Sorry we haven't written in a while it's been nearly 3 months since the last blog and this is most likely the penultimate for this trip anyway. We have been all over the place and seen some amazing things there is just too much to write about. In this blog we will give you an overview of where we have been and as usual loads of pictures. So enjoy...On landing in Cambodia we were http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/blog-223032.html After a freezing train ride we pulled into Uyuni Station at 2am we were met by a barrage of hostel touts who wanted to charge silly money for rooms. Allthough it was about minus 10 we opted to sleep in the station with the locals tight us Yorkshire folk A day was spent in the town arranging our 3 day tour and a slightly better nights sleep was had in our unheated hostel mainly due to the moun http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/Potosi-Department/Salar-de-Uyuni/blog-104961.html After a quick visa run through Malaysia we entered Sumatra for our final Indonesian stint.The twisty roads and crazy driving on the way to Meulaboh made me see my chicken curry again the driving here is just mental. 15 hrs later we arrived at Gampong Chot and the Yasyan Bumi Sehat clinic where we volunteered. info at www.bumisehatbali.orgMeluboh was ground zero for the Tsunami the whole area wa http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Sumatra/Banda-Aceh/blog-202527.html This blog was lost when the site crashed. Heres the photos anyways........................................ http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/blog-130232.html After finding there were no boats to Sulawesi for 1 month Great We diverted our trip to Kalimantan. We flew to the oil town of Balikpapan and jumped staright on a bus to BenjamasinWelcome back to the world of bumpy busses. Benjamasin is the Venice of Kalimantan with impressive floating food markets and floating houses we did a couple of boat tours here which were great such a different way http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Kalimantan/blog-177847.html Thanks for the messages everyone. Keep writing as its great to hear from you. MMM the rain followed us from Nz but at least here the downpours are warm. After a couple of nights in our air con room in the beach resort of Sanur we headed for the cultural centre of Bali UbuD. This bustling market town heaved with all kind of shops and spas to take our money. We fell luck with our home stay hostel http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/blog-160564.html Hi folks Got back out of Bali pretty quick and headed for Mataram in Lombok to start our 4 day boat trip to Kimodo and Rinca. Weren't too sure what to expect but the agent had assured us that there would be a proper toilet... well at least more than leaning over the edge of a boatLiving was pretty basic the upper deck was the communal bedroom and the sea was the bathroom. The crew and 12 o http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Flores/blog-160706.html We spent the end of October hitching around the Jesuit mission circuit in the santa Cruz area of Bolivia. This involved many long and dusty journeys on the back of cattle trucks meeting lots of friendly locals and visiting small towns and villages with fascinating and often tragic histories.we passed briefly through Brasil going on a 5 day wildlife tour into the Pantanal. I think we had been lar http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/blog-117899.html hey thereSo all in all we spent about a week tootling around lake Titicaca highest navigable lake in world on the peruvian and bolivian side.From Puno on the bolivian side we took an overnight trip which visited the floating islands of Uroros.The floating islands are large rafts built of reeds the largest accomadating about 1000 people. Most of the islands had about 10 families living on the http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Copacabana/blog-82393.html After spending a couple of days in Cochabamba wandering around its never ending market 2km square of stalls that sold everything from puppies to microwaves everything that is apart from what we were looking for. We headed off down hill towards the Foundation Angeles of Hope in Villa Tunari where we spent a month doing some voluntary work.Villa Tunari lies just beyond the last wrinkle of the http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/Cochabamba-Department/Cochabamba/blog-98869.html Our experiences of the park are quite different as we worked with separate animals so heres mine first. See ya PeteOur idea of the park was that it was still being set up and that we would be based in the jungle building cages and helping out with animals where possible. On arrival the park was up and running though a little short on volunteers. Due to a lack of male volunteers at the park I was http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/Cochabamba-Department/Villa-Tunari/blog-98870.html The bus dropped us off in the city centre of La Paz so it was relativley easy to find somewhere to stay. La paz is a amazing place it is the highest capital city in the world. Set in a huge valley the rich live at the bottom the poor live at the top In the cold and snow.Sprawling markets and cobbled streetsline the tourist areas you can anything from a calculator to a LLama foetusfor good luck http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/La-Paz/blog-82394.html The Salkantay is the trek that most people who didnt sort out the Inca trail to Macchu Picchu do. Lacks the ruins but makes up in awesome scenery. Day 1 We were picked up at Death O'clock by our so called Guide Jiar who was acompanied by his friend Horaldo the crazy Argentinian. Horaldo looked rough apparently the Cerviche raw fish was doing its worst The bus trip to Mollepatta was st http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Aguas-Calientes/blog-83474.html So getting a bit behind on the blog now.....Got to Cusco after an over night bus ride. Not the best remedy for a hangover as spent our last night in Arequipa having a few too many cubre libres with some jolly french giants.Cusco is tourist highway it was the Incas navel of the world and now a main thoroughfare for all those visiting Macchu Picchu and the many Inca sites in and around Cusco. The http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Cusco/blog-80203.html After a 4am start and a 6hr bumpy bus ride we arrived at Cabonaconde in the Colca Canyon.Ruc Sacs were packed and we were ready to set off on our 3 day Jaunt into the second Deepest Canyon in the worldThe deepest is just up the road but is not as good to look at. We had planned to be independant on this trip as the distances didnt seem that great.On the approach to the Canyon edge we were all re http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Colca-Canyon/blog-74185.html Flying over the lines was fantastic although a little short as only got about 5 secs to look at each shape. Its difficult to make out how big there were from the sky and impossible to make out the shapes from the ground.We flew over the lines in a tiny 5 seater areoplane pete says its a cesna the whole journey lasted about half an hour. I was happy as larry as the plane dived and dipped from le http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ica/Nazca/Nazca-Lines/blog-74184.html After an early 6.30am start we set off from Pisco to Paracas and the Ballestas Islands Paracas is a little fishing port which has been totally set up to run tours to the Ballestas Islands commonly known as the poor mans Galapogos. We set off an a 20ft speed boat with about 25 people on board the very saftey consious locals made us wear life Jkts made of polystyrene GreatOn arrival we were w http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ica/Pisco/blog-72245.html So only a few days until we fly so we thought we'd try and get this up and running.Hi all 4 days to go Started packing the old rucksac today 18kilos and still going Caroline may have to carry the passports. There are still loads of people to say bye to and things are getting a little hectic. If we don't manage it all sorry. A big See ya to Neil. Cheers for making all the kit for this tr http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/East-Riding-of-Yorkshire/Hull/blog-67505.html