Raymondo
Ray Church Joined: May 14th 2006
Logged in: November 13th 2011
Logged in: November 13th 2011
Has not sunk in yet??? can't imagine what a year away feels like!! so im gonna keep this blog updated as much as possible so you all can enjoy it with me...
Here's a little itinary - Brazil,Peru,Bolivia,Southern Brazil,Argentina,Chilli(maybe antartica £?),NewZealand,Australia,Indonesia,Singapore,India,Nepal,Southern Thailand,Cambodia,Vietnam,Loas,Northern Thailand...
Will miss you all!!! Just not sure how much???..x
Visited Countries Map
Travel Blog Posts
Indian Sadhu - Varanasi
For Everything You Feel And See In India The Opposite Is Also True!!! Its Rich & Poor, Spiritual Yet At The Same Time So Very Materialistic,Simple and difficult, Cruel And Kind, Angry Yet Peaceful, Both Ugly And Beautiful, Smart And O So Stupid… Yet Amougst These Extremes That Defy Understanding, Its All Ok!!!! Theres No Reason To Justify Anything!!! Simply Soak It All Up And Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!… And the sumit of all these contrasts is to be found in “Varanasi” India’s Oldest and Holiest City… But more about that in abit!!! I’m just in Katmandu writing this and getting ready for my Bus/Train Journey from hell part two!!!!!!! Part One!!!! Journey to Nepal!!!! Started in Kalkuter, I arrived here first as wanted to have mainland India boxed off before I fly to Andaman Islands (Most people go ... read more
Jaisalmer Holy Man!!!!
I had trouble tearing myself away from Pushker!!!! It had been my home for the last week and I’d loved the unpacking and settling in vibe of the place!!!! But next stop was to be Udaipur which the guide books and fellow travelers rave about…. I arrived after a fairly easy 10 hour bus into the water city.. Known mainly for the James Bond movie Octopussy, which was filmed in the Lake Palace and the Hill Palace… And boy did they milk it!!!!!! I hadn’t seen the film since probably Christmas afternoon 1995.. but in the space of 3 nights I’d watched it in segments about 6 times!!!!!!!!! Every restaurant plays it EVERY NIGHT!!!!!!!! There’s no getting away!!!!!!!! It does however save you the trip up the hill to the palace!!!... I didn’t warm to this ... read more
Agra - Sunshine Taj Mahal
Guys im so far behind with my blogs that the next couple are gonna have to be more like photo diary as i'm now in Jaisalmer and have been to Agra, Pushker, Udaipur and Jodpur!!!! (Next Is Dehi!!)... All these are in Rajistan in the north west of India and i feel i'm experiencing one of the most magical sides India has to offer... It's increasingly difficult to tare myself away from each place but i'm managing to stick to my 5 days maximum just!!!!!... Unlike most places here, Agra is the one place you don't bother reading about to see if it warrants a visit, as its the home of the Taj Mahal, the one and only tourist must see!!! Which is good for Agra as a town, as on its own merit it would ... read more
January 7th 2007
Ajanta Caves...
So i left the sandy beaches behind for the sacred sights of inland India, luckily the sun decided to follow!!!!... My trip would take me from Goa inland to Hampi which was my first of many 12 hour overnight journeys during next few days!!! Where i stayed for 2 nights and 3 days, done lots of walking lots of temples and spent lots of time watching the locals and just reading by the river... Then another 12 hours to Pune (poona) where i just got of had brekkie and hopped back on an Eight hour bus and headed for Jalgoan. Found my best little hotel in India so far there, even had Cable TV!!!! and the town was a bustling little place with great street markets... From here i visited the Ajanta Caves then headed to ... read more
Ko Phi Phi... By Night.... Fire Light...
Wow!!! 10 days of truly differing places and festive experiences!!!! From Kuala Lumpu to Ko Pee Pee to Bangkok to Bombay to Goa!!!!!! I’ve left the pictures in time order (except the first one) so please check out page 2 for the whole story... Chapter 1 - Kuala Lumpu, So off to the big city again!!! And this one happened to be Kuala Lumpu in Malaysia, which was never on my plan but was a good base for getting flights and Visa for my trip to India for Xmas & New Year.... Booked my flight from Bali over the internet on AirAsia for 1.4million!!!!!! (80quid’ish), landed and took a taxi to my hostel in “China Town” which i picked out the Lonely Planet due to its opposite the bus terminal location... KL is very modern with ... read more
Adel At Sunset...
“With its white-sand beaches and clear turquoise waters the Gili islands are a favorite destination for the long-term traveler, but a planned few days can easily turn into a few weeks!!!” Lonely Planet 2004…. Never a truer word written!!!!! My scheduled 4 day break ended up 14 lovely days on the 3 Islands… The Gili’s are made up of 3 small islands Trawangan, Meno and Air, with Gilli T being the busier, Meno stunning and quiet and Air bigger but equally quiet... With Hindu ceremonies in Ubud every thing was closed for 5 days (including local shuttle buses) so i had to fork out for a Perama busboat (very touristy, 220,000rp) which is a little more expensive but a lot less hassle and pretty much direct, plus it had 8 staff for the two of us!!! ... read more
Rice Fields...
I arrived from Darwin into Densapar Airport at Midnight!!! Totally in the dark so to speak!!, I had no Lonely Planet and no where to stay!!! My first taxi offer was 120,000 rupees for accommodation and 40,000 for my fare!!! All numbers that meant very little and I kind of started to regret my decision to do this free fall without a guide book!!! I found a fellow German tourist and got a gauge from his book just where all the hostals were situated.. Then paid for an official taxi 45,000 and headed for cutely named Poppies Lane II in Kuta by the sea… I got out my taxi and headed in a random direction, my first try was 250,000 and then a side street eventually provided me with my best offer of 55,000 (about 3quid!!)… ... read more
The Best View!!!!
As i write this I’m staying in a beautiful village town called Ubud situated in the middle of the island of Bali in Indonesia.. And with that I’ve kind of figured out what this traveling this is all about for me… Its about being “Enchanted”, enchanted by my surroundings by the people, their culture, their smiles, motivations, religion and by the bazaar… And as I looked over my trip through the Northern Australia I would simply be cataloguing the events!!!! I want to be expressing experiences!! You all know how hot it gets, what a westernized nightclub is like, how a city works, what its like by a swimming pool.. Don’t get me wrong its nice to hit civilization now and then, but only as a backdrop to recent adventure…. “And A Reality Check”.. So I ... read more
Back On The Beach!!!
Landed In Brisbane International Airport.. Was very strange to know i'd be seeing family at the arrival lounge!!!!!! got that beautiful creeping across your face beaming smile that you cant control..... I was met by my happy Uncle Paul..... On leaving the terminal i was greeted by someone else i was pleased to see!! Bright Hot Golden Sunshine.. 30oC.... factor 30+ all the way for me!!!! My trip to Australia was to be a 5 week stay with my family in Brisbane followed by a whistle stop tour of Cairns, Ayers Rock & Darwin (10 days!!!)... "My Family" Paul came travelling in Australia on a working visa for a year in about 1990, met Shaz (darwin) and lived in the uk for a few years and did some more travelling before emigrating and raising their family ... read more
Wow!!!!!
So arrived on the south Island using the ferry from Wellington to Picton.... Qued (cued??) with the rest to get my bags then headed for the exit, I was very nervous as Karl and Lucy would be waiting for me and i tried to hold it back but you get this beaming smile come across your face that you cant hold back? sort of intense over-excitment!!! Multipul small clapping moment!!!.... was great to see them and i felt nice and relaxed immediatly (i know ive been away 4 four months but i hadn't actually seen karl & Lucy for a couple of years since they emigrated from the Uk).......... Arrived at No.47 Arther Street which was to be my home/base while here on the South Island, it was in Bleniem a small quiet town about 20 ... read more
