http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Rich-n-Di/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Rich n Di en-us Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:06:11 +0000 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:06:11 +0000 Through the fierce hills of Oaxaca we rode through Puebla state Morelos Mexico and Michoacan where the road dipped and soared gently through the high contours where sulphur hung on the air and plumes of pure white steam leaked from geothermal vents. We found charming lively towns Vallee de Bravo where it takes a brave cyclist to tackle the quaint but painful cobbled streets Morelia wh http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Derbyshire/Derby/blog-317561.html From Chiapa De Corzo we dropped down from the hills into a vast and hot frying pan of a plain to an overnight stop in Cintalapa. A gentle climb out into the hills the next morning was topped off with a gorgeous downhill roll through protected forestland with glimpses of the Pacific Ocean far below. We emerged in Oaxaca state on a coastal plain and took a bus to avoid a stiffling slog along a f http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Cuernavaca/blog-306884.html Before we go anywhere I want you to cast your minds back to a distant tiime in Venus Bay Australia when Richard was practising baby care on a joey wombat in readiness for the arrival of our brand new niece or nephew. Well were pleased to say that little Iona Jade is now safely with us. We were in the land of the Mayans when we heard the news and as jade was the Mayans most precious materi http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/Sumidero-Canyon/blog-300202.html Hola amigos and bienvenidos to the mexican leg of our cycle jaunt. We start off in Cancun and oo it ain't 'arf 'ot. Except in our room in Casa Mexico Tipico where it is just about subzero. We are staying with Hilda her family and Pepita the chihuahua. Hilda's mother is a music teacher and we are entertained by a parade of young pianists percusionists and guitarists. All is not harmony http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/Palenque/blog-297202.html In our quest to view humpback whales off the coast of Ecuador we changed our flights to alight in Guayaquil. Thence we took to the buses to arrive in Puerto Lopez further north along the coast. The bus journeys were hairraising conducted at breakneck speed at every stop vendors leaping on and off to sell their wares kebabs patties juices water coconut and bizarely live crabs. All b http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-291255.html The Galapagos Islands. What images do these words conjure up A land of giant tortoises Jagged lava rocks covered in prehistoric marine iguanas Comical seabirds so fearless that you can almost touch them But this place is so much more so special unique and wonderful. Not a static zoological curiosity but genesis happening before your very eyes a living tableau of creation and survival. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Galapagos/blog-289343.html Greetings readers new and old. Now I know that you are waiting to see the Galapagos Islands report but I am afraid this is not it. But as all you armchair travellers know by now you have to take the rough with the smooth...We made our escape from Uruguay across the river to Buenos Aires where we whiled away a few days hunting down new tyres and preparing for our journey to Ecuador. Pretty s http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-289339.html Greetings dear readers. It has been some time since we shared our news but weve been having a bit of a traumatic time lately and have been a little distracted. Uruguay has been a bit of a challenge it must be said. Firstly it was closed for the weekend no boats across the river from Argentina and so we waited in Monte Caseros until the Monday morning before making our way expectantly t http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Uruguay/West/Colonia-del-Sacramento/blog-275483.html Its the crack of dawn and we are off. First of all 20 km on the somewhat hairy Route 14 main trunk road through Argentina until we reach the turn off for the Ibera wetlands. The road is firmpacked dry earth and fast. We fly along. Or we would if somebody didnt stop every ten yards to take a photograph of the birds and butterflies that dart about the roadside vying for attention. Bird http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Corrientes/blog-269652.html We breezed into the province of Misiones in our little jam packed car travelling up the western fringe of this outcrop of Argentina with the River Parana forming the national boundary. From our lodgings in Paso de La Patria we strolled beside the river watching the sun set over Paraguay. That evening we ate our customary steak and chips dinner to the background of a news report on the 26th a http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Corrientes/Mercedes/blog-264798.html It was a bad ball bearing day. New ones were fitted to Richards front hub and I had new pedals for my bike as no more new bearings were to be found. Thus refurbished we bade fond farewell to Ramon and his family getting up extra early to wave them off to their respective workplaces. Mother Tina saw us off with presents of chocolate rabbits and easter eggs to complement our new collection o http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Jujuy/San-Salvador-de-Jujuy/blog-263667.html Having entrusted virtually all our clothing to some unfortunate to launder we left San Jose de Jachal the cleanest most neatlypressed cyclists that you could hope to meet a futile gesture if ever there was one. Our road took us up to a hilltop where stood a monument to local poet and gaucho Buenaventura Luna. What a marvellous name I think I might adopt it. One of his poems was reprod http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Salta/Salta/blog-259353.html Fully laden with food snacks fuel and water we set off early from Mendoza bound once again for Uspallata. No we havent gone mad Uspallata forms a natural crossroads where the road from Chile meets the two routes to Mendoza and the road northwards towards San Juan and beyond. Previously we had taken the fastest route to Mendoza and now we were returning to Uspallata along the isolated and http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/San-Juan/San-Juan/blog-253050.html To combat jet lag a little light exercise is recommended. So on that basis cycling over the Andes from Santiago to Mendoza should do the trick.So after a day of bike building and trying to keep awake during the day rather than at night we departed the rather pleasant little town of Los Andes and pedalled nervously towards the mountains looming ahead. Our first stop was at Rio Blanco not so http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Mendoza/Mendoza/blog-249964.html This short episode brings us to the very end of the Australian chapter and ushers in a new chapter a new continent and a new halfcentury.As expected we cruised into Sydney by train. All very cycle friendly. No need to ring the Punjab 28 times trying to get an affordable train ticket and make a booking for one of the two available bike spaces. En route we stayed with fellow touring cyclistsTa http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Aisen/Monte-San-Valentin/blog-249711.html A little update from Katoomba in the heart of the Blue Mountains as the Australian chapter of our journey comes to a close. From Tumut we made our way via Wee Jasper Crockwell and Abercrombie River Park to Oberon generally riding through farmland of sparse population whether it be trees people or livestock. There were undulations aplenty with an upward trend of course. Our first stoppin http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/blog-244655.html It's amazing what a hot shower and a couple of bottles of riesling can do for you. Clean and refreshed we departed Jindabyne to head for a wilderness camp just beyond Threbdo. By just beyond I mean 6 km uphill to Dead Horse Gap then 10 km down hill to Leather Barrel Creek our home for the next two nights. Sounds innocuous but we had decided to walk to the summit of Mount Kosciuszko the http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Tumut/blog-240877.html There is a lovely road which passes through the Alpine and Snowy River National Parks as it crosses from Buchan in Victoria to Jindabyne in New South Wales. The road is remote more than half of its 180 km length is dirt track and it climbs steadily to peak at 1343 metres at the 150 km mark. Just a few 4WD vehicles pass along this way plus the occasional lunatic cyclist. Within the protected p http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Jindabyne/blog-240879.html ...she shall bring snow. Not around here she don't more like a forty degree wave of heat from the furnacelike interior. So to avoid frying we are up with the cockatoos and cycling by daybreak. This strategy is working remarkably well delivering comfortable rides in cool temperatures and on quiet roads and arrival at destination by lunchtime thus giving us the afternoon and evening for ass http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Gippsland/blog-235721.html Happy New Year from Melbourne having come full circle around Tasmania. Since our last update we progressed westwards from New Norfolk stopping firstly at Mount Field National Park. There we had a super day cycling up from the campsite to Lake Dobson a threehour15 km uphill through Eucalyptus rain forest moist and cool then through mixed forest where the air was fresher and the mighty gu http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/blog-230850.html