http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Maurice-y-Siobhan/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Maurice y Siobhan en-us Tue, 29 Dec 2009 06:49:57 +0000 Tue, 29 Dec 2009 06:49:57 +0000 To see our route click on this link Our route for the 1st four weeksBarcelona and aroundWell with the few days in Tossa to familiarise ourselves with the workings of the campervan Monday morning came and we knew we better get going if we were to see any of Europe. First we had a rendezvous in Barcelona with our wedding photographer so south we drove stopping along the way to pick up a new batte http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Catalonia/Girona/blog-201841.html Life in the ldquoBig RigrdquoWell Friday the 13th of July came and it was off to Barcelona to pick up the lsquoBig Rigrsquo as it was affectionately named by Mauricersquos friend lsquoThe Dillrsquo in itrsquos early days in our hands. After our 7.30am flight we finally arrived back to the scene of the crime Tossa de Mar at about 4pm. Maurice left me and an Estrella Damm beer http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/blog-201850.html IRELAND Wed 2006 to Fri 1307We arrived back into Dublin airport about 12pm on Wednesday my sister mother and nephew were kindly coming to collect us Maurice was particularly looking forward to the emotional airport greeting. The excitement was too much we walked into the arrivals hall anxiously searching for our arrival party left right left again no definitely not there Feeling a http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Ireland/blog-195313.html DUBAI CITY Sat 1606 to Wed 2006We had an uneventful flight from Hong Kong 9 hours or so arrived in Dubai at about 8 PM on Saturday evening. We were met by my cousin Yvonne who has been living in Dubai for nearly 2 years had very kindly offered for us to stay with her. She also informed us on arrival that we had missed the weekend that Saturday night was just like a Sunday night at ho http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/United-Arab-Emirates/Dubai/blog-195316.html HONG KONG CITY Tue 1206 to Sat 16061st NightWe flew to Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific and having heard they are considered one of the best airlines in the world we were really looking forward to it. At this point having flown with many airlines itrsquos fair to say we have plenty to compare them with unfortunately they really didnrsquot impress us the staff were quite rude and the ser http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Hong-Kong/blog-193013.html KO PHANGAN Gulf of Thailand Sat 1905 to Tue 2205From the Malaysian border we took a bicitaxi to the trainstation. We were feeling dead guilty for the poor lad in the intense morning heat but weren't as bothered when his 3 KM estimate turned out to be less than 1 KM we really could have walked it. The scamming had started we really were in Thailand. We checked on the times of trains http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/blog-157987.html KUALA LUMPUR Malaysia's Capital City Sat 1205 to Mon 1405 After going through all the border paperwork from Singapore to Malaysia which included a severe warning on our entry cards in big bold letters that 'DRUG TRAFFICKING CARRIES THE DEATH PENALTY' we were back on our bus. We arrived in Kuala Lumpur about 3pm on Saturday we didn't have any hotel booked but since Chinatown was pretty goo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/blog-157986.html SINGAPORE Thu 1005 to Sat 1205 After quite a short flight from Perth 5 and 12 hours we arrived in Singapore the airport is so clean and pristine everything shines On our way to collect our bags we noticed a free internet kiosk took the opportunity to check our mail. Once we left the airport the heat just hit us it was menacing like someone had just grabbed you around the neck s http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Singapore/blog-157668.html A Koala in the bushCoogee BeachThe 3 Sisters the Blue MountainsKangaroos WA MELBOURNE Victoria Fri 1304 to Sun 1504 A little worse for wear after the previous night's revelry we got a ferry back to Auckland dropped back our corolla made it to the airport in time for our flight. We had a grand flight were well impressed with Qantas we had heard some bad reports but everything went pe http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/blog-154362.html Bungy 2A young HAKA Bungy 1Fox Glacier AUCKLAND North Island Wed 1403 to Fri 1603 Well we arrived in Auckland at about 5am on 14th March a little disoriented but our first impressions of this land were definitely positive. There were cheery Kiwis everywhere welcoming us and in English what a bonus no more grassyass for us although it did take us a while to adjust. There was one friend http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/blog-141996.html Nearing the halfway mark 17 countries visited so far It's off to New Zealand next for a month then onto Australia for another month or so then we make our way back to Europe through Asia with a brief stop in Dubai all going well we arrive back in Dublin on June 20th for a holiday a little holiday within a holiday before we travel back to Tossa to pick up the Big Rig start our Europea http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/blog-158224.html As the New Year comes in we have visited 10 countries with current plans for 20 or so more but that will surely change.Visited Countries MapOur favourite countries list comes in as follows1 GUATEMALA2 PANAMA3 COSTA RICA4 EL SALVADOR5 NICARAGUA6 CUBA7 VENEZUELA8 HONDURAS BELIZE MEXICODont reckon we can rate Belize or Mexico as we spent so little time there. Mexico is somewhere we wo http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/blog-129493.html BOCAS DEL TORO Carribean Coast Thu 2812 to Sat 3012Well after a bit of confusion at the Costa Rican border them trying to convince us that we never left Nicaragua and us trying to convince them that we did cause there we were standing in front of them in Costa Rica we finally got the exit stamp from Costa Rica put our watches forward and hour and crossed the death trap that was a bridge http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/blog-123133.html ALAJUELA Middle Costa Rica Thu 2112 to Fri 2212We left San Juan del Sur Nicaragua early on Thursday the 21st with 3 days to get to Puerto Viejo del Talamanca on the Caribbean or East coast for Christmas. We took a one hour bus back towards Managua Nicaraguas capital hopped off the bus at a cross roads. We hadnt bothered to check on bus schedules as we were up off very early. We http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/blog-123132.html LEON Mon 1112 Wed 1312So after a lengthy bus journey down from Honduras on chicken buses we finally crossed the border into Nicaragua at Guasaule without realising it. We are sitting on the bus and it had come to a stop I looked out the window and a guy was shouting what I thought was aguawater at me. There was nothing quite unususal about this as every bus we go on there are numerou http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/blog-110726.html SANTA ROSA DE COPAN Western Honduras Thu 0712 to FRI 0812So no passport stamp again on we walk into Honduras. We had been on the road since 4.30 AM decided that our 1st job in Honduras would be to get breakfast so we ordered scrambled eggs with onions in a border town restaurant a safe option we use rather than the local choices which usually include beans in some form. With coffee http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/blog-110398.html ACHUACHAPAN APANECA JUAYUA Western El Salvador Mon 0412 to Wed 0612 We crossed the border into El Salvador at La Hachadura at approximately 5 PM and had no problems whatsoever in fact we were in El Salvador had to be called back by a lady border officer. We asked about getting a stamp in our passports but were disappointed to hear that Guatemala El Salvador Honduras Nicaragus ha http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/El-Salvador/blog-110396.html FLORES TIKAL Northern Guatemala Fri 1711 to Mon 2011So....last time we were taking a bus from Belize City to the Guatemalan border. Well we arrived paid a ridiculous departure fee something like 37.50 each stepped into Guatemala. Immediately we were under pressure from bus owners touts telling us all sorts of stories about broken down buses hijacks bandidos the like but http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/blog-107053.html Belize City Thu 1611 to Fri 1711Belize was a bit of an afterthought it is a beautiful country however it was never on our agenda. We decided to make a brief stopover because we had to go through Belize to get to Guatemala and we knew we wouldn't make it to Guatemala before dark. One of our rules from the start was never to arrive in a new towncity after dark so we made the stopover in Be http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Belize/blog-110721.html PLAYA DEL CARMEN Mon 1311 to Thu 1611We arrived in Cancun airport on Monday 13th November excited about the next leg of our journey. The weather was beautiful and we decided to head to the beach town of Playa del Carmen. We picked our bags up from the Carousel went through customs and lucky enough it was green for go for both of us so no bag checks were necessary. We went to the ATM and w http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/blog-107052.html