http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Meeking/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Meeking en-us Tue, 05 Jan 2010 03:14:43 +0000 Tue, 05 Jan 2010 03:14:43 +0000 A busy 16 days since our last update. We had a week or so in Chile starting in San Pedro de Atacama just over the border from the Bolivian Salt flats. Bizarre little town in the middle of the desert. Highlights included an evening of Astronomy and star gazing we saw the rings of saturn and the craters on the moon through some very impressive telescopes We also went a day trip to the 'Valley of http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Noosa/blog-265819.html We have spent the past few days in a jeep passing through the dramatic scenery of south western Bolivia. Highlights have included the salt flats of Uyuni colourful lagunas geysers weird rock formations and wild desert and mountain landscapes. The whole journey was so spectacular we have posted some additional photos not that they are as amazing as the real thing. The salt flats were complete http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Antofagasta-Region/San-Pedro-de-Atacama/blog-260454.html We have had a fun filled few days. We loved Sucre beautiful white colonial city with lovely main plaza especially because the sun shone the whole time we were there We organised a 3 day hiking trip into the Cordillera de los Frailes a beautiful mountain area. On arrival at the office for our departure the guide suggested it might rain and would we rather do a 2 day walking bus tour Being http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/Potosi-Department/Potosi/blog-258680.html The last 10 days in Bolivia have flown by but as usual we have managed to cram plenty in. Due to a road block we took a circuitous route to Copacabana on the Bolivian shore of Lake Titicaca from Puno Peru via La Paz 11 hours on a bus instead of 4 Still the effort was well worth it as Copacabana was fantastic. We arrived to beautiful sunshine and happened upon a festival of some sort with http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/Chuquisaca-Department/Sucre/blog-256845.html After the upset caused by the guinea pig photo Darryl is only eating rice and fish from now on.We have been very busy seeing some amazing sights the highlight was our 4 day trek along the Inca trail to the holy lost city of Machu Picchu. We survived every sort of weather that the Andes could throw at us whilst walking and camping with 14 other mad men and women. The whole experience was fantastic http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Puno/Puno/blog-253528.html We have had a pretty hectic week since our last blog time is flying by After Otavalo Market in Ecuador we returned to Quito where we caught a flight via Guayaquil to Lima Peru. We were picked up by transport from our hostel and we noticed bars along the windows around the boot and the fact the driver promptly covered our rucksacs with a rug. On enquiry he explained that the windows have been sm http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Arequipa/blog-249939.html Hi everyone. Thanks for all your messages they are so much fun to receive sorry we cant reply individually but keep sendingOn our return from Galapagos we explored the city of Quito in more depth. It is a great place with an old town pretty and a new town lively. We visited the equator at La Mitad del Mundo where Pen balanced an egg on a nail less gravity at the equator because the world i http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Otavalo/blog-247010.html We flew into Quito Ecuador last week and encountered some rough weather which was a shock to the system and was a sentimental reminder of England Despite a weather induced brief flight delay to the Galapagos we had the most amazing week in the Galapagos in glorious sunshine. It is a truly unique place and almost impossible to describe our fantastic experiences there. In terms of wildlife we saw http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Galapagos/blog-244997.html Adventures since our last blog... We took a very fast boat from Punta Gorda Belize to Livingston in Guatemala via Puerto Barrios and stayed in a funky hotel with hammocks. Livingston is only accessible by boat and has people from many different cultural backgrounds. Mayans Garifunans Chinese Mexicans Indians and of course Gringos.... We had an amazing curry cooked by a crazy Mexican lady w http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Rio-Dulce/blog-241213.html We haven't updated the blog for a few days because we have been loafing about on beaches in sunny Belize. Penny has spent some time diving in and around the Southern Barrier Reef along Belize coastline. She had a great time and spent some of her first dive and all of her second dive surrounded by playful dolphins. She also saw big turtles lobster stingray etc. etc. meanwhile Darryl got in some s http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Belize/Toledo-District/Punta-Gorda/blog-240499.html We have packed lots into the last 2 days Our overnight bus from Antigua via Guatemala city to Flores was uneventful due to the long duration 9 hours we opted for the luxury class not sure we would survive an overnight chicken bus which was surprisingly fairly classy reclining seats snacks and drinks like on an aeroplane... Arrived at Flores a little island in Northern Guatemala in a J http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/El-Peten/Flores/blog-238539.html We had the most thrilling day of our trip yesterday when we took a trip to the top of Pacaya Volcano and saw lava flowing right by our feet. Some chilean girls we were with toasted marshmallows by the lava. Lava is very hot so obviously Penny had to check the temperature before Daz got too close You just had to put a stick or twig close and it erupted into flames. Rocks were melting people shoes http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Antigua/Antigua/blog-237781.html We've had 3 nights by Lago de Atitlan a huge lake formed thousands of years ago in a crater left by a collapsing volcano. We've been to a nature reserve with spider monkeys coffee plantation banana trees and a butterfly farm but we only spotted 5 butterflies Met a lovely belgium girl who we have been travelling with. We swam in the lake in our underwear as we forgot our swimsuits lovely clea http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Lago-de-Atitlan/Panajachel/blog-236933.html Wow what a journey into Guatemala We got up at 6 am to leave San Cristobal Great city amazing market and caught a bus to the Mexico Guatemala border about 3 hours. Crazy border crossing but uneventful 4 km journey over the border then the travelling experience REALLY began. Gone are the days of aircon coaches and reclining prebooked seats... we are now on white knuckle rides The cra http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Quetzaltenango/blog-235347.html We are still alive What a fun filled 10 days weve hardly stopped for a minute. Mexico is an amazing place and every place we visit is so different and full of character. We will have a couple of days here in San Cristobal and then head to Guatemala so shall update you then...... Weather has been hot and sunny no problems with travelling so far meeting lots of interesting people. Food has be http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/San-Cristobal-de-las-Casas/blog-234813.html Rather uneventful 26 hour day yesterday with successful journey luggage arrived safe both planes on time found a good mexican meal in Miami airport to get us into the swing of things Managed to negotiate the local bus into Cancun Downtown yes we are REAL travellers no taxis for us... off to see the market and then heading inland this afternoon. Havent done much yet but this is a trial r http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Quintana-Roo/Cancun/blog-232286.html