http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Last-Train-to-Transcentral/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Last Train to Transcentral en-us Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:57:40 +0000 Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:57:40 +0000 Ever since Liz made the first Guest appearance in India i have been wondering on a regular basis how likely it was that i could get into this blog. By the time AnneMarie showed up in Argentina i was running out of ideas and Catherine and Patrick were running out of countries. Luckily their flight was changed meaning a stopover in Madrid was a likely possibility and seeing as it was a lot more af http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/District-of-Madrid/Madrid/blog-154278.html After spending my birthday in Salvador all of a sudden time seemed to have moved far too quickly and we only had a week left in Brazil. Some friends had tipped us off that Boipeba an island in the Tinharo archipelago south of the more touristy Morro de Sau Paulo was a fantastic place to see. We were told of unspoilt beaches dense Atlantic Rainforest and clear calm waters. Sounded great we h http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Bahia/Cair-/Boipeb-/blog-150060.html Since we left Annemarie in So Paulo we have whizzed around the last country in our itinerary yeah really this is almost it. We've seen Curitiba the amazing Foz de Iguazu briefly stopped in Brasilia witnessed Amazonian rains in Belm and hit some magnificent beaches on the northeast. All in a few weeks ... and Brazil is almost as large as the USA and just a smidge bigger than Australia. O http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/blog-141566.html According to the Cariocas as Rio's residents are known God didnt rest on the seventh day he made Rio And you can see where they're coming from Rio is without doubt the most beautiful city I've ever visited. It's home to some of the most iconic sights in the world from the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema to the towering Cristo Redentor statue Sugar Loaf mountain and the infamous fave http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Rio-de-Janeiro/blog-133378.html In this episode Cat and Pat are joined by Annemarie Cats little sister. They visit the cities of Buenos Aires and Montevideo. Once arriving in Buenos Aires after travelling up the east coast of Argentina it feels like entering a whole new country. This city is all grand boulevards huge colonial mansions and stunning parks. Nothing resembling what we had encountered on the east coast so far. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Buenos-Aires/blog-132664.html Since the last blog entry from Easter Island Last Train To Transcentral have upped the pace even more and covered a whopping 6000km by plane boat bus and foot to reach Punta Arenas one of Patagonias southernmost cities. From Easter Island we flew back to Santiago took an overnight bus south to Valdivia and pushed on down to Puerto Montt the capital of Chiles Region X. The sun was shining b http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-122481.html Happy New Year from Easter Island or Rapa Nui as it is actually called by the locals. Easter Island is so remote if you cant pick it out on the map you should have a try. Its part of Chile now but still 3700km from the mainland. One of the most remote populated places on earth.So is it worth the trip Well if quitting your job and blowing all your savings was something you were thinking of d http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Easter-Island/blog-116158.html Just a quick preChristmas blog we won't keep you a moment. Flew into Auckland the wannabee capital of New Zealand and largest city on the North Island just 6 days ago. After spending just one night in Auckland and staying in the aptly named trendy Ponsonby area of town we rented a car and dashed up the coast to the Bay of Islands. On the way we stopped off at the obscure town of Kawakawa whic http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-112013.html So what's so great about New Zealand then It's one of those countries that no one says anything bad about. In fact anyone we have met who has made it this far south hasn't shut up about the place. So let's cut to it we know you all have Christmas parties to embarrass yourselves at. So is New ZealandReally that beautiful Yes.Always wet Yes well we have only had 2 wet days out of ten so far http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-109510.html Australia couldn't be more different to India. India has roads with no footpaths teeming with people grime under your fingernails that keeps growing noises that make you wince and smells ranging from the unsanitary to the delicious while crossing one street. Then you arrive in Australia. Suddenly everything is back to being quiet restrained and organised. This is what makes our trip so interes http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/blog-105787.html After a teary farewell to Betty in Kerala we set off to our next destination. Tamil Nadu is a very large state just to the east of Kerala where we spent a couple of days at the former British Hill Station of Ooty. Ooty is a pleasant place to explore with beautiful views over the surrounding countryside but alas we were not blessed with great weather and as a result our trekking opportunities were http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Karnataka/blog-99439.html The Sunday Times has AA Gill and Now Magazine has well Jade Goody. Cat Patrsquos Travelblog is pleased to announce Liz as guest blogger however a warning I think Irsquom more in the Jade Goody league It was very exciting to meet the bloggers in person and find out that the blog that makes us so envious is a true reflection of the great adventures they have had And yes they do have Ir http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Kerala/blog-95574.html Mumbai hits you like a spade in the face It's Indias most populous city and it feels every inch like it. But once we got to grips with the constant noise and pace of this town we fell completely in love with it. There is so much to do here and our time was so short just 4 days before we have to leave for Kerala and in that time we had to see all the sights meet up with our friends Manjari and http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Maharashtra/Mumbai/blog-94529.html Well so says the old Lao proverb anyway and let that be a lesson to yeLaos is a very green country. That's something we did not expect coming from a country which boasts 40 different shades of green on its landscape. Days of heavy rains had brought new growth and the paddy fields were gleaming in the sunshine trees were sprouting new leaves and the grasses were long and bursting onto the roads http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Luang-Prabang/blog-90076.html Our arrival into Vietnam was a fairly painless affair. After a straightforward border crossing we got on a Vietnamese bus to Ho Chi Minh City formerly Saigon run by the tour company Happy Tours. You couldn't ever forget they were called Happy Tours as the 5 bus ticket included a quick lesson in Vietnamese and endless information on what Happy Tours could do for you all provided by a smili http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/blog-87523.html Our three day trip to the Temples of Angkor have been a definite highlight of this whole adventure. Situated in the north west of Cambodia the temples were built by the devaraja God Kings of the Angkor Civilisation between the 9th and 13th centuries. The nearest town to the temples is the rather touristy Siem Reap and we based ourselves here for our three day exploration of the temples. Just tr http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Angkor/blog-87509.html So we crossed into Cambodia just one week ago and the experience so far has been mind blowing. After a relaxing month on the beautiful Thai islands of Ko Tao and Ko Chang we set off to the border crossing at Hat Lek Thailand and Koh Kong Cambodia. We were soon far from the slick merrygoround of Thailands backpacker trail and immersed in the madness of Cambodia.Don't get me wrong the Thai http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Battambang/blog-82979.html A gentle breeze sways the hammock. I look up at the coconut tree over my head and hope a coconut doesn't fall on my head. The thought moves from my head and I return to thinking of nothing much. I fall back into a semi doze. This is relaxation. At last. After three months of being on the move every few days this is downtime. The journey here from Bangkok involved a cockroach filled journey on an http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South-West-Thailand/Ko-Tao/blog-76372.html Sitting in a Tokyo Bay restaurant you can make out the blurry night skyline through the rain as the Yurikamome driverless train snakes across the harbour bridge. This is the Bladerunner style Tokyo I had always dreamed of seeing and I can safely say its all here. The glaring neon the heaving gadgetladen crowds pouring along the skyscraper lined streets the screeching advertisements blaring o http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/blog-73982.html Skyscrapers temples sunshine shopping and nightlife Hong Kong has it all It's also the birthplace of our buddy Wai The Worthing Bear. This city of approximately 7 million people is a huge contrast to China. It has a big city feel to it not unlike London or New York. The people are exceptionally friendly the accomodation is excellent and the choice of food is staggeringAfter a 12 hour jou http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Hong-Kong/Lantau-Island/blog-69184.html