http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Jake-and-Leslie/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Jake and Leslie en-us Thu, 24 Dec 2009 10:50:57 +0000 Thu, 24 Dec 2009 10:50:57 +0000 We have mustered up the energy to write a final blog about our roundtheworld trip Jake took the lead on this one. Sorry we've been so late with this update but we are now so deeply entrenched in our suburban lifestyle e.g. watching TV shopping at evil Walmart and playing with hedge trimmers that our trip seems like a distant memoryThe Best Deals Per day spending including lodging food http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/Long-Island/blog-420420.html We are back in New York and our trip has officially come to an end. How sad We've spent the last week getting reconnected with the modern world buying cell phones and getting a laptop and going to happy hour with friends. We've gained back at least 5 lbs of the weight we lost on the trip in just 1 week. We need to get ourselves back to the Southern hemisphere ASAP where the pounds just mel http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Santa-Marta/blog-410574.html We had a fun 3 weeks in Colombia with the highlight being the 5day Ciudad Perdida trek out of Taganga. We'll have to save that for a secong blog since we have so many pictures to upload BogotaBogota is among our least favorite cities in South America. Its dirty expensive has mediocre food drizzly wet weather and is home to a substantial population of irate local stewbumbs that constantly http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Cartagena/blog-407937.html After our Colca Canyon adventure we were happy to be back in civilization the large but pleasant city of Arequipa. Jake was still recovering from his altitude sickness and we were trying to get our stomachs back on track so we took it easy and tried to avoid the cheap set meals with their suspect soups and homemade drinks. It is very easy to get around Arequipa since cabs seem to charge 3.50 http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Machu-Picchu/blog-403691.html We had a great time during the 3 weeks we spent in Peru. Outside of Machu Picchu this is a very inexpensive country... we actually got by one day spending only US8 each for food lodging and transportation In smaller towns the going rate for a room with private bath in a small posada is S20 'S' is for Nuevos Soles which is about US7. The food is also very cheap with set meals in non http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/blog-403688.html San Pedro de Atacama was our first stop in Chile we knew it was a popular destination for backpackers but had no idea how touristy it had become. It is a tiny town with the highest concentration of touts we have seen since SE Asia... you cant walk through the main streets without being solicited in English by at least a dozen people trying to get you into a restaurant or to sign up for a tou http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Antofagasta-Region/San-Pedro-de-Atacama/blog-403024.html UPDATE WE BOUGHT A MEMORY CARD READER HERE IN PERU AND WERE FINALLY ABLE TO UPLOAD THE PICS We continued on our road trip through Salta and Jujuy provinces in Argentina where we saw amazing scenery. It was a highlight of our 3 months in South America. After turning in our rental car we went back to the backpacker life of longdistance buses and crossed into http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Salta/Salta/blog-398925.html We left Tucuman city after 2 nights with our tourist map in hand and Jake behind the wheel of our Chevrolet Corsa rental car. I only know the model because a cop stopped us and asked that on the first day I just said 'somos turistasand he let us proceed. From the city we followed the Circuito Valles Calchaquiesthrough Tucuman province passed through Salta province and ultimately reache http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Salta/Cafayate/blog-398941.html As you may have noticed we are VERY behind on the blog We're now in Arequipa Peru after having passed through northern Argentina and Chile. The internet connections are annoyingly slow in the past few weeks so it's been impossible to even access the blog. We're making up for lost time so expect to see several updates in the next few days. Tucuman. Why We stepped off of the overnight bu http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Tucuman/San-Miguel-de-Tucuman/blog-398937.html After 2 intense weeks in Buenos Aires hanging out with old friends and drinking until 4 in the morning we were ready to explore the tamer side of Argentina. Hopefully we'll be able to come back soon and visit Cesar and Magda since they don't have much chance of coming to New York with the US's strict visa requirements. According to friends of friends who visited Miami years ago OK this migh http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Mendoza/Mendoza/blog-398760.html When our bus from Iguazu Falls pulled into the Retiro bus station we were met by my friend Cesar... it was an exciting reunion since I had not been back to visit Buenos Aires in 5 years. That started off a crazy 2 weeks in the city where we abandoned our sedate beach bumb lifestyle honed in Brazil and actually went out drinking every night... way past midnight It was like we were 20 ag http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Buenos-Aires/Buenos-Aires/blog-395754.html After 5 nights in Fernando Noronha we weren't ready to give up the Brazilian beaches just yet. We boarded a 2 hour bus from Natal to Pipa a beach town described in the Lonely Planet as being an 'international' destination. Still not sure what that means but we did see the requisite Argentine hippies selling jewelry on the beach. We had read some blogs where visitors described seeing dolphi http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Rio-Grande-do-Norte/Pipa/blog-389157.html We splurged on a trip to Fernando de Noronha an island off of the Pernambuco coast of Brazil and have absolutely no regrets... it was an amazing place and is home to the most beautiful beaches we've ever seen I am not exaggerating... if you go to one place in Brazil it should be Fernando de Noronha. Hmmm I'm already regretting writing this since I hope to go back one day and don't want to http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Pernambuco/Fernando-de-Noronha/blog-387982.html We were waiting to post our Salvador blog entry until we developed the rolls of oldschool film. We finally accomplished that so here is our lost entry from March...Salvador de Bahia We left Rio de Janeiro by plane no 25 hour bus for us and headed to Salvador a large city in Bahia state known for its crazy Carnaval African influence and the historic colonial district called the Pelourinho. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Bahia/Salvador/blog-383639.html Hola amigos We finally managed to borrow a camera charger so here are some recent photos from our trip. Were really behind on the updates so well skip Salvador and head straight to Aracaju and the start of our latest beach vacation Aracaju Our stay in Aracaju was basically an accident since the direct buses from Salvador to Macieo were booked and it was the most convenient in between poi http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-382855.html Were still in Rio de Janeiro waiting for the Cannon charger to arrive in the mail and Jakes cold to get better he caught the bug I had during Carnaval. After 2 weeks here we are feeling the urge to move on. We may just head to Salvador without getting the camera charger who knows if it will ever arrive anywayIt seems we are in the midst of a miniheat wave here in Rio. Yesterday the tem http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Rio-de-Janeiro/Rio-de-Janeiro/Copacabana/blog-378487.html Bom dia Its been a long time since our last blog entry but we have a good excuse. When our flight arrived in Sao Paulo from Johannesburg we discovered someone had opened the side pocket of Jakes pack and stolen our camera charger. That doesnt seem like a big deal we bought it in Vietnam for 6 but it turns out they do not sell Cannon cameras or accessories anywhere in Brazil So we http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Rio-de-Janeiro/Rio-de-Janeiro/Copacabana/blog-377330.html We had an amazing safari trip and have finally had a chance to upload the photos. I tried to include all the animal species we saw but I may have missed a bokor two... Journey to Botswana From Cape Town we flew to Johannesberg and then boarded a Botswana Air flight to Maun. The last flight was delayed three hours and we were surprised when we got to the tarmac and saw the plane... it was http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Botswana/North-West/Chobe-National-Park/blog-370659.html We just got back from an amazing safari trip with Jake's family in Botswana and Zambia we haven't had internet access in a while so we are way behind on the blog. Here's a short update of our presafari trip... so no cute animal photos yet. SorryOur South African journey continued as we set out in our little rental car from the Drakensberg mountains for Durban one of the country's main cities http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Cape-Town/blog-366340.html After exploring the shopping malls and seedy underbelly of Bangkok for a few nights we said goodbye to Lauren we miss u and boarded a public bus for the airport. After a comfy 4hr flight we arrived at the chaotic Mumbai airport for our stopover to Johannesberg. As we approached the airport we could see shacks covering the entire city extending right up to the edge of the runway. It loo http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/KwaZulu-Natal/Durban/blog-364606.html