http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Travelling-Shoes/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Travelling Shoes en-us Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:17:06 +0000 Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:17:06 +0000 Hobbit Wanders Part Three There's No Place Like Home.Climbing the rock face with Moka and jumping into the crisp Akatarawa River on a fresh March evening It felt like time had spun backwards at least a decade my inner child was smiling with eyes wide open.Blimy I remember more than 20 years ago during summer when Mum would pick my brother and I up after school in the Hillman Hunter. She wo http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Wellington/blog-452032.html HOBBIT WANDERS WaiotapuAs our hobbits gather food for the nightrsquos meal at Pakrsquonrsquosave they are attracted by a new sight strawberry flavoured Lindaur popular NZ bubbly wine. It seems like a great idea putting strawberry flavour with the wine. They later realise that although it tastes fine itrsquos a shame it smells like toilet spray. It might have been better drinki http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-436260.html HOBBIT WANDERS Tane MahutaHay Kids It has been a while since I last sent you some tales. Mum has been here in the UK for the last 5 weeks. We had such a superfunbusy time. Ye ol blog has taken a back seat however. So where were weOh yeah....After Santiago we hoped on a plane bound for the land of the long white cloud AotearoaA place where hobbits wander and birds are so relaxed that t http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/blog-432734.html The Elusive Obvious by Moshe FeldenkraisHaving just finished this book and think it is absolutely fantasticI have distilled the main ideas and added quotes from the text. This is suppose to be a travel blog but travelling isn't just to other countries you knowInternal travel is just as cool'Come on a journey through space and time' Mighty BoosheIntroductionMoshe is a super cool guy I wo http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/blog-406096.html Santiago Great Wine and Great ViewsItrsquos my third time here in Chilersquos capital. The first time I thought it was stinky the second time I discovered the wine and this time I liked it. I am glad to be back and ready to take advantage of my previous experiences and discoveries.Every time we visited Santiago we stayed in the same place Plaza de Armas. We rarely repeat an old experie http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Santiago-Region/Santiago/blog-402684.html Lake Titicaca Island of the sun.By Tina TorresAfter backpacking around Bolivia for a month everything is a bit dirty a bit stinky and a bit worn out especially me We have been constantly on the go finding buses finding accommodation finding food finding that monument that is on the map but not on the street. I am glad to be on Isla de Sol Island of the Sun for a genuine break and a c http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Isla-del-Sol/blog-396159.html Cerro Ricco The Rich MountainBy Tina TorreslsquoSi si si yo soy de Potosi. lsquoSings a boy in the middle of the restaurant. He collects a few coins then heads out the door. Why is this boy so proud to be from a dodgy town in the south of Bolivia Turns out that Potosi was once a place of huge richness where the street lamps were literally made from pure silver and where Spanish aristoc http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/Potosi-Department/Potosi/blog-393826.html The Death Road North Yungas Bolivia. Andean mountains rain mud a bicycle and a great big smile An adventure to remind me how much fun it is to be alive. In 1995 the InterAmerican Development Bank stated that the North Yungas Road a few hours from Boliviarsquos capital La Paz is lsquothe most dangerous road in the worldrsquo and they would not be providing funds to have upgrades o http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Yungas-Road/blog-391777.html Cholita Wrestling in BoliviaPetticoats fly across the ring as the two women send each other crashing to the floor. The passion and effort behind the moves is sensational and the crowd are caught up in the performance.I read an article on this extraordinary twist on wrestling in The National Geographic last year. So when I found myself in La Paz on a Sunday evening it was a perfect coincidence a http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/La-Paz/blog-389896.html San Pedro From Sunrise to Sunset Like cactus and tequila in a shot glass.Finding time to put pen to paper has been extremely hard between epic bus rides and bustling new towns. Oh and please excuse the long title but anything shorter would fail to describe the lands of wonder I am in. In fact I feel a lot like Alice. You know the one who fell into wonderland.And on that note I will begin.l http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Antofagasta-Region/San-Pedro-de-Atacama/blog-371367.html Between the dreams and stories.I have done a bunch of other daytoday stuff that hasnrsquot made it to the final cuts.So I thought Irsquod fill in the gaps and create the glue. I know me and my bloody metaphors. As you know I have a theory for almost everything that involves cake except for the one about cats and dogs. CAKE There are infinite varieties it all just depends on the ingr http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/blog-368741.html The paramo of ChingazaDonrsquot know what a paramo is no worries neither did I until Moka told me about them. A paramo is an alpine eco system that is found in the tropical Andes above 3000 m.a.s.l. in Colombia Ecuator Venezuela and Costa Rica. It is guarded by Fraliones a kind of small funky palm and even just a quick visit will leave you physically and mentally refreshed. PART ONEAt http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Cundinamarca/blog-367422.html San Agustin A timeless questionShe looks at me through the light rain and I notice her jaguar eyes and teeth I am told her name is Diosa de la Lluvia Goddess of the Rain. A rainbow sits on her head like a hat and she smiles with a promise. A promise of what I have no idea. Unfortunately no one has any idea the culture that made her had no written language and disappeared long before an http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Huila-/San-Agustin/blog-365714.html Rio Claro A crystal river a drug lord and burning souls.It has been a pretty hectic Christmas and New Year and from the title you can guess a little more madness has occurred. But before I get carried away let me take a deep breath and start at the start. Tina Moka Isabel and Hernando get up at the crack of dawn and head off for a road trip.Back in the Magdalena valley the humidity makes http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Antioquia/blog-362214.html A Colombian WeddingWearing masks hats and gigantic smiles we spill over the floor dancing Barranquillarsquos carnival style in celebration of Aurelio and Zuzannarsquos wedding.For the second time this year I find myself invited to share the joy of two people celebrating the decision to share their lives. And again it is in a country I have never been to before. What can I expect from a ls http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Bogota/blog-357740.html Villa de LeyvaWanted signs are plastered on walls and the midday sun glistens off gun handles. A commotion breaks out on one side of the town square followed by a horse dashing off through the streets. People murmur and exclaim lsquoZorrorsquo.Villa de Leyva is not only a popular weekend destination for Bogotans but so dramatically picturesque that it is regularly converted into a movie set http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Villa-de-Leyva/blog-357743.html The Legend of El Dorado GuatavitaA dull green surface comes to life with a gentle touch from the sun. In the early dusk of morning almost one million people are gathered around the edge of the crater to make an offering of a single piece of gold. The piece is tossed into Guatavita Lake Laguna de Guatavita along with the wish or thought that has been bestowed to it. The ceremony is part of k http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Bogota/blog-357206.html Travelling Shoes and Moka in Colombia Zona CafeteraWe made it back to Bogota Kidnapping fund still intact. Ok so I always kept the door locked and was reluctant to leave my window fully down but noone stole the shirts from our backs while we were stopped at a red light. In fact we were entertained by juggling clowns at the red lights Rather than my fear of being followed by suspicious http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Quindio/blog-356124.html Travelling Shoes and Coffee in Colombia Eagles and Frogs.For those of you that know me well you will know I love nothing better than enjoying a wine in the sun with a book. Ideally something that exercises my brain like a National Geographic as Beth will vouch for. So get your sombrero and poncho out pour yourself a beverage of choice and then read on. Irsquoll start out with one of m http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Bogota/blog-352781.html Ten days in Egyt resulted in several bursting note books. So I have decided to break it down a bit. On the first day after some hot coffee we head toThe Valley of Kings Hundred's of Tombs and a TempleStill half asleep looking through a dirty van window at 6am dreams of Pharaohs and gods fade away to the dawn lit dust of the West Bank here in Luxor Egypt.Letrsquos kick this off with thre http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Luxor/blog-347802.html