http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/NicB/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from NicB en-us Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:57:02 +0000 Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:57:02 +0000 OK so I get back to Quito on Sat 2803 early hours about 1am as the plane was delayed by just over an hour Not too bad get to check straight in and straight to bed.......the only bad thing is that the room is at the front of the hostel so you can hear all the noise from outside and it is really still fri night and however tiered I am its hard to get to sleep...........well I do in the end a http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/blog-386170.html So I arrived in the rain to Colombia so just to let you all know that any tan I had from the heat of Argentina and Brazil has pretty much gone with this loverly rain here and Ecuador You gotta love it they must know I need preparing for coming homeIt was all good though got to the hostel and checked in not really too many people around so I thought what best but to get lost in the cit http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/blog-385071.html So I get into Quito about 2ish on 060309 and seriously I was soo tired I thought I had gone to the wrong hotel it was soooo nice. I was told this trip would be slightly better than the others but this was pure luxury........it was a shame I was far to tired to actually appriciate it I basically checked in had an early dinner and went to bed I know it was fri night but to be honest did not re http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-382575.html So I am on my todd now as I think everyone I have met is on their way home Oh well this is the week that is meat for chilling and relaxing after the madness of carnival..........I get to the bus station and there are a lot of people all looking to get the same bus funny as I seem to book the only seat yesterday So I chat to a couple of Irish girls and it looks like they are every 15ish mi http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Rio-de-Janeiro/Ilha-Grande/blog-381458.html So after a fab 24hrs on a bus yes that was 24hrs and having the rudest Brazilian man sitting next to me we arrive in Rio 2002 I am still not sure how but all 5 of us get into a taxi with all our luggage and head to the hostel.......sorry I mean hovel.......OK I know when I booked it I did not expect the Ritz it was only a tenner a night over carnival period but serioulsy this was just a http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Rio-de-Janeiro/Rio-de-Janeiro/Ipanema/blog-379479.html Well after a nice long bus journey we arrive at Iguazu at about 8.30am and yes the hostel did not lie it is across the road to the bus station which is really good my bag is getting real heavy hmmmm.....So we have to wait for the others as it was only Karen and I who got the bus the posh ones got the plane hee hee We managed to shower and dump the bags our room will not be ready til midday http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Misiones/Iguazu-National-Park/blog-378885.html So after the big thing that we were told who has to go on the later bus when we get to the boarder we find that our guideshave mucked up again and the 2 girls Laura and I should have been 2 of the others......hmmmm you have to wonder how they got here So we finally arrive at about 8.30pm 112 and the others did not too impressed as they had been waiting around for us......I could not bel http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Buenos-Aires/Buenos-Aires/blog-377856.html OK so I arrived back in Santiago at about 8.30am tell me why I do this again Oh yeah apparently it saves on accomodation costs The bus journey actually was not too bad and I was soo close to not having anyone sit next to me.......but in the last minute some women made herself all cosy Doh Could not quite get into my room though so had to be poilet to some of the other guests http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Araucania/Pucon/blog-374282.html So we get to Mendoza real nice and early 2901.........7.30am and yeah the hostel rooms as expected are not ready til about 10ish.........Leslie manages to kip on the sofas in the common area but I am jsut no good at that at esp when there are a lot of people milling round as they are waiting for trips to start and stuff........so I do important things find out about the eine tours and when to http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Mendoza/Mendoza/blog-370647.html So Leslie and headed off today 260109 to Valparaiso today at about 2ish we were pretty lucky with our timings as we got the train yes its basically the best way to travel in Santiago I do feel a bit for all thoses travellers now on the tube people are not helpful or all that nice really to the bus station and our bus was tehre for us so that was cool its was only an 1.5hrs so we got c http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/blog-370020.html I know I started off really well and its all going a bit downhill You are however all getting the jist of it all I promise I will take you totally up to date now..............I have to say though it is nearly midnight but the internet is free in the hotel so I have basically waited til all in bed hee heeSo we get to teh Bolivian border and pay to get an exit stamp yes we paid to l http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Santiago-Region/Santiago/blog-366779.html OK this could take a while I have been busySo after the bus journey from hell we finally get into Sucre 9109 about 10ish and finbd out that we are actually in a pretty cool hotel Yeah So we have to make the decsion brekkie or bed as the on the night bus no one really slept We went for brekkie and that was a mistake do people not understand what veggie is no ham thats for sure http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/Potosi-Department/Salar-de-Uyuni/blog-365113.html Well its all gonna be fun today as we are off to cross the boarder to Bolivia oh the excitement country number 2 Getting soo many stamps in the passport its great yes I am still only 5. Its all quite odd though as we are not allowed to go through with Ybone as she does not have a working visa from there I find that funny as she is working for a pretty big organisation So we are http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/La-Paz/blog-361848.html So today 311208 we finally get a lie in an still we wake up dead early as well we are just so used to it now.........hee hee Well its News Years Eve but a tad too early for a beer so we have a briefing at about 1ish so we get all our laundry sorted as after the Inca Trail I am not too sure that anything is clean hee hee and we are off to Puno on New years Day so time to get it all sorted http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Puno/Lake-Titicaca-/Taquile-Island/blog-359806.html So here we go the start of the first big thing of my Sth American Trip the Inca Trail 48km going up and down a few ikle peaks ikle yeah right Well as I am writting this you will have realised that yes I did make it in one piece and I did not give up although at times it seemed like the easy option if I see that many steps in that space of time again I think I will die hee heeSo we w http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Inca-Trail/blog-358804.html So on Xmas eve we travel back to Arequipa where we are planning to ahve a full group Xmas dinner and secret santa for this evening should be interesting and the food should be good I hope Although we have to be up at 5am tmw to head to the airport off dave and I go to get a bottle of wine for dinner well its xmas after all hee hee So dinner was actually quite good I have to say I http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Cusco/Cusco/blog-358790.html After a pretty comfy night bus ride we arrive in Arequipa at about lunchtime only one mishap with the bus as it broke down about 20mins from town hmmmm but another bus did follow on and we got to the hotel still pretty impressed with them all as quite nice and all pretty clean So today is a free day in Arequipa and Dave and I head to town there is not a huge amount to see but lots of mark http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Colca-Canyon/blog-356962.html Well get ready this could be a slightly longer entry So much seems to have happen in just a week its great. So just a quick one about the group......there are 12 of us form pretty different backgorunds......2 boys from Surrey a girly from Bristol and one from Hampshire a Kiwi couple an Aussie girl and boy and 2 slightly older people from Canada a lady and bloke All seems to be OK a fe http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ica/Nazca/Nazca-Lines/blog-356137.html Well after a few ikle mishaps Dave and I have made it all here in one piece.......all OK though thought I had left all my at home so bought a load more in the airport at a totally rubbish rate.......guess what they were packed in a real secure place that I found once I had arrived in Peru D'oh Miami arport was interesing ' me getting stressed having only 2 hrs to get through never we http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Lima/Lima/Barranco/blog-354836.html