http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/IanMcL/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from IanMcL en-us Sat, 02 Jan 2010 11:23:28 +0000 Sat, 02 Jan 2010 11:23:28 +0000 Breaking new ground hereIrsquom actually typing this in the car with Chris at the helm doing all of her allowed 130 kmh. We are on the way to Mt Isa in Qld having spent the night at the delightful Safari Lodge Motel in Tennant Creek. I donrsquot need to report on either TC or the motel since both were adequately covered on the way up.I do however owe you on Darwin. In summary we loved Da http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Blackall/blog-445465.html So now we are in Darwin.After leaving the otherwise delightful Katherine disappointed that we couldnrsquot find anywhere that had wifi we headed off into Kakadu not knowing quite what to expect.What is obvious from all of the reading is that it presents very differently depending on the time of year and the season. Our trusty Lonely Planet tells us that this the end of the dry is the o http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Northern-Territory/Kakadu-National-Park/Cooinda/blog-444329.html Well folks we have instalments.Prepared the blog as far as Katherine some time ago seems eons but comms being what they are I havent been able to load it until now Darwin where I have connection for the entirety of our stay.I will bring you up to date with the next but meantime further tales to hopefully whet your appetite.As typed 4 days ago .........You now find us in Katherine. A del http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Northern-Territory/Katherine/blog-444025.html Another great day today.This place is a very pleasant place to visit maybe especially at this time of the year. Weather is great and there is plenty to do.Today we visited Standley Chasm Ormiston Gorge Glen Helen Gorge and the Ellery Creek 'Big water Hole'. Each was spectacular in its own way and had we had our van there was great camping at most of them. The pics dont do justice to Stand http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Northern-Territory/Alice-Springs/blog-441980.html Well its time to get the blog underway again for the latest McLennan adventure. Stymied by a dodgy ticker we are forced to take our holiday in Oz cancelling at great expense the well planned and Chris pacifying venture to the US of A.No matter. We challenge ourselves as usual. DARWIN or bustSo we start of on Monday morning not early as we slept in following a hectic weekend. Firstly the Gra http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Northern-Territory/Alice-Springs/blog-441852.html Gday allTime for a closing entry.We have been back 23 weeks now and all are settling back into their 'nontravel' lifestyle for the moment at least. We have had some contact with most travellers over that time and all have agreed that the trip was a fantastic experience. We contacted all in an effort to identify any highlights and somewhat predictacbly the responses varied so much that no http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/blog-349476.html Well this final for now at least blog is being completed at home in sunny Glen waverley.Relatively uneventful trip home although mid stream in the long flight Chris was called upon to tend an unwell patient and predictably stepped up. Lady recovered quite well and was able to continue on in the Qantas flight into Melbourne.Very sad farewells at Auckland Airport and for once I do believe tha http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/blog-343455.html OK OK 2 in 1 dayNow Puerto Varas is not necessarily our favourite place. Nothing much to do and it P1sst rain most of the day yeah I know only the second day in 35 disregarding the snowing and the blizzard.But Helen decided that we should have a formal farewell dinner and nobody wanted to argue.For our part Pete Chris and your correspondent scanned ALL of the restaurants in the area la http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Los-Lagos/Puerto-Varas/blog-342091.html You now find us in Puerto Varas our last stay in the continent before heading home tomorrow night.We did the 2 day Andean crossing from Barilche tp Puerto Varas stopping at the hamlet of Puella in between.The crossing on the Argentinian side is spectacular as you hop from bus to boat to bus to boat to bus passing though two lakes one huge and one smaller but originating in a glacier and there http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Los-Lagos/Puerto-Varas/blog-342002.html BarilocheWe arrive in Bariloche and Peterrsquos bags are successfully reunited with him. The flight was attractive as it skirted the Andes all the way 90 minutes and provided some good views but the worn windows on the ageing MD80 didnrsquot allow any clear photos.We check into our hotel the Panamericano Casino and Resort. The sign on the front door indicated 5 stars and this place may http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Rio-Negro/San-Carlos-de-Bariloche/blog-340945.html Calafate 2I have first shower this morning before the others are awake and Chris comes running in. ITrsquoS BEEN SNOWING I dry off and poke my head out of there to find the area covered in a white blanket of snow but with a clear blue sky. Further dark clouds on the horizon though helliphellipWeird because this is spring going on summer and not expected.Another good breakfast and much spe http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Santa-Cruz/El-Calafate/blog-340944.html And so Calafate First thing to say is that the internet connection in the Hotel was so spasmodic and we were so tired from touring I couldnrsquot be bothered with the blog while there. I am now diligently working in the plane another MD80 from Austral on the way to Bariloche.So much happened in Calafate that I will try to keep it in sequence and cram it into two blogs. First night arri http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Santa-Cruz/El-Calafate/blog-340941.html In Buenos Aeries again today and while there was a full day tour it was a relaxing tour designed to allow us all to recharge our batteries.Not quite sure that it worked as we are all pretty tired.Anyway nice bus ride thru the northern suburbs of BA to the quiet affluent suburb of San Isidro. Went thru a Museum and yes a Cathedral there too before jumping on a train along the coast to the rive http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/blog-340131.html Ok 2 in one dayWhat a night.Off to the Tango show. I had read disparaging reports on the internet about this place. How wrongHall was great food was magnificent unlimited wine was included and the show with plenty of female extremities on display was more than excellent. The guys were good too but its not Kosher to mention thatLate dinner Pete and Chris brought back 8 beers from their shopp http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Buenos-Aires/Buenos-Aires/blog-339500.html Reputed to be a little like Paris Buenos Aeries is indeed a little like the Paris I recall from my visit in 1972.While we were scheduled for a Tango Show dinner last night they sensibly moved it because of a late afternoon flight from Foz Iguacu. We didnt get in until after 6.30 so it would have been a bit of a rush.A quick walk around the hotel area and Chris Peter and I settled for a meal i http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Buenos-Aires/Buenos-Aires/blog-339370.html Gday againWell today was the day that the weather caught up with us.In the National park we are in a rain forest. We had plans to go to the Argentine side walk over and beneath the falls then do the jet boat ride under the water.We did all of that and we knew that we would get wet in the boat. What we didnt know was that the skies would open up and drench us before we even got anywhere near t http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Paran-/Foz-do-Igua-u/Igua-u-National-Park/blog-338720.html Checked out of Rio Just in time. Shrouded in mist and fog as a cool change swept in from the Atlantic.Uneventful flight to the falls and checked into our hotel whose name I havent worked out but it is now part of the rient Express' group which gives it the right to charge stupidly for everything.Fine old place but a bottle of wine costs 60 and I bought 2 for mum's partyThe fallsh are great http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Paran-/Foz-do-Igua-u/Igua-u-National-Park/blog-338414.html Well the second day in Rio.Firstly I apologise for not having pics attached yesterday but for the first time I sent them thru an Internet caf and couldnrsquot load the special software for uploading a quantity of pics. While I did so one by one they all disappeared into cyberspace helliphelliphellipNow for the day. Great start with a trip on the double cable car ride to Sugarloaf Mo http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Rio-de-Janeiro/Rio-de-Janeiro/Copacabana/blog-338036.html Where do I start From the last report in LaPaz we had an exhaustive days travel to Rio. A total of 3 flights with stopovers in Santa Cruz in Bolivia Sao Paulo the largest city in Brazil with 19 million ppl then Rio. All the flights were good although the first two which were with Aerosur Boliviarsquos national airline and the plane and service were both very spartan. Not so much as a http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Rio-de-Janeiro/Rio-de-Janeiro/Copacabana/blog-337807.html So then La PazLa Paz is the capital of Bolivia. Home to 1.8 million people mainly of the Aymara indigenous race. The majority live in the canyon described in yesterdayrsquos note while about one third live in the adjacent ElAlto satellite city on the plains above the CBD.ElAlto is the area first spotted on the drive from Peru and that is a shame since it is a dusty third world place with limit http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/La-Paz/blog-336662.html