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Just wandering around
Lonard
Hi there. Well, this is my travel blog that I have been trying to keep up for the last 3 years. Although a few gaps have started to appear I will do my best to update it as much as possible.
Travelling I will be the first one to admit that I have been dealt some nice cards in my life so far. Born into a middle class Australian family, graduated from university with a job that pays well, freedom of movement and has subsequently given me time to explore. My first trip to South East Asia when I was 24 seemed to revolve around the amount of havoc that I could inflict on my own body in the process of seeing all the sights. I have grown up since then. Dont get me wrong, I still had an amazing time but now travelling seems different. I love the history of the regions and countries, the geopolitics involved and just the day to day life that flies by you when either wandering the streets or in some mode of transport. From talking about the cricket on the streets of Mumbai whilst drinking chai to discussing family values on the minibus to La Paz, these are the experiences that I cherish the most.
I hope you enjoy these entries and that they help you in any way on your travels. Travel safe.
Travel Blog Posts
Beginning of a journey: A welcome to the Basin
Published: January 15th 2011South America » Colombia » Leticia » Rio Yavari, Amazon
November 2nd 2010
A pipe dream: I suppose that is what you could have labeled the idea of crossing the Amazon from the western border of Brazil to the Atlantic Coast. I can still remember when this idea popped into my head, long before I had ventured off Australian soil. You know, those TO DO LISTS you write after a heated discussion with someone about how crap your job is and if you could travel the world this is what you would do. Although, over the last 3 years I have been living out my dream. And on this second trip to Latin America crossing the Amazon was one of the first things on my agenda. The length of the journey you can take across the Amazon Basin varies. If you are a purist, as in the sense that ... read more
August 13th 2010
1. Taking Risks 2. Stupidity Sometimes these two concepts can end up being the same thing. I think there is a time and a place to take a slight risk when you are travelling, as long as your gut feeling is good. I mean, we take risks all the time whether it be riding on the roof of a bus or in the back of a truck; if it gets you form A to B for the cheapest amount of money most people are happy to take a slight risk to achieve this. Then there is the issue of trusting people. I will be honest here, I usually don´t trust anyone unless they have done something to gain my trust. I know this has shut out alot of opportunities that could have been great but sometimes ... read more
Sailing to Belizean Beats: A Taste of the Caribbean
Published: August 28th 2010Central America Caribbean » Belize
August 1st 2010
¨Welcome to Belize,¨ as I received the stamp in my passport at the border town coming from Guatemala. English....my brain instantly began to relax!! I had been in Guatemala for the last 2 months and even though I was loving learning and practicing Spanish, the weeks break that Lisa and I intended to have in Belize would also be a mental break of being on guard to translate everything that is said to me. Lisa and I had been travelling in Guatemala for the last 2 weeks and after tossing up options either to hike through the jungle to the El Mirador Mayan ruins in the northern part of Guatemala or spend some time on the Cayes and have some Caribbean sun, we were both happy to be crossing the border (even more for Lisa whose ... read more
October 26th 2009
Waiting roadside we hailed down the tourist bus going direct to Sauraha. The only thing was we were going to have to sit on the roof. I always wanted to do this and with the journey supposedly only another hour I thought 'why not'? The girls weren't too keen on this idea and ended up finding space inside whilst Pauly and I took up seats on the left rear. I was nervous to begin with and was just imagining falling off and trying to explain this to my parents. However after 10 minutes I was fine; the wind in my hair, legs hanging over the edge and eating the dust thrown up from the oncoming traffic. We drove through a large town and we were getting funny looks from all the locals. It was then that ... read more
Ghorepani-Ghandruk Loop: In the midst of the Annapurnas
Published: October 26th 2009Asia » Nepal » Annapurna
October 14th 2009
Birethanti (1050m)-Tikhedhungga (1540m) We are going trekking today!!! Had a great sleep last night with only a slightly weird dream. Everyone has been having some crazy dreams over the last couple of days. We are all slightly suspicious there might be MSG in the food. The girls bags looked bigger than I had anticipated when we walked down the road to get a taxi to the Baghlung Bus Station for the journey to Nayapul. We were all jammed in the back of the bus on busted seats, the girls with their bags on their laps. The girls nausea from the night before continued once we hit the winding bumpy roads. Nayapul ended up just being a row of sheds selling food on the side of the road. I kind of expected a town centre at least. ... read more
October 5th 2009
Here we go again!! This time it will be slightly different teaming up with 3 other people but that doesn't mean it's not going to be as fun. Nepal...I just love the mountains and to be able to experience the Himalayas will be a dream come true. The tea houses, friendly locals and their traditional cuisine I am all looking forward to. Yeh its going to be peak season but hopefully it will be peaceful enough when I want it to be. It's been a different experience living in the UK for the last 5 months post South America. Living in Chichester was a great way to experience the 'Real England' outside of London. The English countryside is so beautiful and living in the South Downs and near the beach was a nice change from the ... read more
August 21st 2009
I looked to the left; and to the right; scanned the aisles front to back. This was the Easyjet flight from London to Split and there were Australians all around me. I swear I went to university with that girl; I have seen him somewhere before as well. This flight may well have been a Jetstar flight from Sydney to Melbourne. Its funny how word gets out about a place. I remember when I first moved to London and one of the first travel tips I received was to go to Croatia. That was all the encouragement I needed; so after booking this trip all the way back in February it was great to finally be on the plane heading for the blue waters of the Adriatic. The heat. It hit me as soon as I ... read more
July 30th 2009
"Do you mean I can have 4 days off?" I said to my boss after double checking the roster. Sounds good to me I thought, perfect time to get away for a couple of days. After looking around at my options I decided to take the Eurostar to Belgium for 4 days. Some chocolate, beer and waffles would do me nicely. So after spending Thursday evening with my friends in London (also for the last time at our house in Avenue Rd), I boarded the early Friday morning service from London to Brussels where I then connected on a northbound train to Antwerp. My first impressions were obviously "grand" after arriving in the magnificent Central Station. Wow, what an impressive building. The "OLD EUROPE" feel was balanced with an Art Deco lego block with the letter ... read more
June 18th 2009
Berlin. I thoroughly enjoyed myself last time I visited as a tourist and was looking forward to a 4 night break to escape the working life in England. I have just entered back into the daily wonders of working and it felt like the right time for a little side trip. On that note it was nice just to take a break for a couple of days, and in a city like Berlin it was sure to be a pleasure. Sarah and I met in Ecuador last year whilst we were studying spanish. We first met in the courtyard of our school at salsa classes where we demonstrated to our teacher that we had no idea how to dance. After becoming good friends after 6 weeks in Quito we planned to meet up later in our ... read more
April 14th 2009
So after seeing the Argentinean side of Iguazu falls and living the resort life at The Hostel Inn (A.K.A Rancho Relaxo) we caught the bus to the border just before midday. With all the hassles that Bryan and I had in Buenos Aires trying to obtain a Brazilian visa I would compare the experience in Puerto Iguazu to buying a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Pay the money, wait for the stamp to roast, let it settle slightly and then Bob’s your Uncle. If only the people in the Embassy in Buenos Aires with tears streaming down their face could see how easy it was here, well they would probably let out more tears of frustration. Crossing the border from Puerto Iguazu (Argentina) to Foz De Iguaçu (Brazil) was very similar to my experience of crossing ... read more
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