http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Unemployed-Ian/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Unemployed Ian en-us Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:17:01 +0000 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:17:01 +0000 Here's the thing I had written an especially amusing blog about my recent trip to Norway. Unfortunately the servers went down I lost my scribblings and I'm unable to muster the effort to start from scratch. This being the case you'll have to settle for a number of photos an intinerary and this link detailing a recent visit by Morten Harket to some kind of wind farmImportant Morten News20th http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/blog-190386.html So after a number of months trying to convince people to gamble online I decided I needed another injection of adrenaline and set off for a couple of weeks in Africa. A two legged trip Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar both in Tanzania was decided upon in a monent of madness in a boozy Covent Garden bar. As luck would have it a trio of Norwegians two of whom I initially met on the Inca Trail were http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/North/Moshi/blog-132591.html I struggled to leave New York for a number of reasons. I was having such a good time and wanted to prolong the fun as much as possible. There was also a problem with my first flight the captain telling us as we sat on the runway that all the bolts had sheared off one of the engines. Not what you want to hear while awaiting takeoff. With a indefinite delay I decided to head back into town to meet http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/blog-79464.html Here's some of the wildlife I saw on my travels. The eagle eyed amongst you will be able to spot a handful of ringers... http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/blog-57147.html In the first of a number of supplemental blogs to further put off returning to the world of work here is what I read on my travels. For large periods in South America I had real problems finding books in English and was forced to resort to reading over and over the back of my shampoo bottle. When I could find books I frequently had to settle for what was on offer rather than what I would have http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/blog-75560.html I settled down into the whirlpool at 4.30am surrounded by handfuls of hundred dollar bills and gazed out of the windows at the black ocean far below my suite. Not for the first time I pondered on my incredible luck. Indeed this whole trip above all else has left me with a profound sense of my own good fortune. I have seen parts of countries that even the locals struggle to see. I have met wonder http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/blog-77286.html Arriving in Las Vegas always makes me feel excited all that money just waiting to be lost What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas and as ever a good deal of my money will remain there. My old friend Chris met me at the airport and we shared a conspiratorial look that foretold the fun to come.I had requested a night in Old Vegas as I had never stayed downtown before and fancied that I might end u http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/blog-75275.html After the ill behaviour of California and Las Vegas it was nice to escape up to Washington for some RR sort of a holidaywithinaholidaywithinaholiday. I had expected Seattle to be like a smaller San Francisco packed with ubercool bars and bohemian types. What instead I found was a rather dull city filled with panhandlers. The only place I have visited that came close in terms of numbers http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Washington/blog-75556.html Aaaaahhhhhh. Back to the comforts of familiar territory fast cars loose women and triple cheeseburgers. The US of A. Land of the free. Home of the Whopper. Marvellous.I flew into Miami sporting a tremendous hangover having been unable to leave a bar in Belize City due to being the only person in the audience for the 5 piece band that was playing. As my body tried to cope with the chemicals inge http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Florida/blog-72400.html I was going to give up this blog a few weeks ago too much hassle. A friend convinced me otherwise suggesting that I would regret it later if I didn't finish the job. The more I thought about it the more I realised what a great souvenir this blog would be in months to come as the memories fade. I also got to thinking that I hadn't really tried to capture what is felt like to be travelling aroun http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Belize/blog-69495.html I had a rather inconvenient 8 hour layover in Miami airport on my way from Brazil and had to fight the urge to escape to the comforting cleanliness and heartbusting burgers of the USA. I satisfied myself with a sullen sausageandeggMcMuffin at the airport but have been travelling for a long time now and am looking forward to the bland and decadent comforts of the western world.Costa Rica th http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/blog-68493.html Before leaving Rio for the secondtolast time I decided to meet up with one final insect. Mosquito was the nickname of my legendary hang gliding guide and he was a very interesting chap having lived and glided all over Britain Japan and China. He had the indestructible air of a superhero. I think I too would have made a good superhero. My alterego would have been Lagerman complete with a http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/blog-65655.html I dont know why but was hit by a bout of melancholy when I reached Rio. The weather wasnt great I was feeling homesick Sugar Loaf was closed for repairs and a couple of thieves tried to scam me with the theres something on your shoe trick I am still hoping that what I found on my shoe was indeed caramel and not real excrement. I didnt fancy throwing myself into party mode with the 18ye http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/blog-64438.html Q Can you name a swampy area the size of France that is full of unpleasant creaturesA FranceAlternative answer the Pantanal in BrazilIt was a fairly uneventful if long journey that took me to Cuiaba a town located just 60km from the official centre of the South American continent and the gateway to the Pantanal. The increase in heat was noticeable temperatures rarely dip below 90 degrees http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/blog-63195.html Not much to say about Iguazu I arrived saw the waterfalls from the Argentinian and Brazilian sides ate lots of steak made the acquaintance of a Peruvian IT nerd and left. Very beautiful and stretching over a large area the falls make Niagara look like a streak of piss and the place has a slightly otherworldly atmosphere. The vegetation is so green the falls so dramatic and with rainbow http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Misiones/Puerto-Iguaz-/blog-62990.html But only in his final days unfortunately. No starlets or spruce geese for me just quite a lot of sitting around in my undergarments drinking wine. Indeed I did so for 3 straight days in Santiago. Arguably two days too many but I needed to regain my mojo after the bacterial onslaught that was Bolivia. My hermitic existence was interrupted only on my brief sojourns into the city and on one occa http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/blog-54181.html I moved on again from Buenos Aires as my ankles had become weak from excessive tangoing. Two weeks in country remained and I decided to head to Mendoza at the expense of Cordoba on the promise of spectacular Andean scenery and adrenaline fueled antics apologies to the good Burgers of Cordoba I'm sure you have a wonderful city and are very tasty.Mendoza was a great little town although its a http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/blog-59151.html I arrived in Buenos Aires full of expectation for Argentina. Initial impressions didn't disappoint as I settled myself into a plush hotel to polish my tango shoes and oil my chaps.The first morning and I breakfasted magnificently and headed downstairs for what was to become my finest day in a city so far. The Dalai Lama decided to drop by to wish me well or at least that's how I interpreted his v http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/blog-56697.html 'I've just seen a man wanking off a donkey into a cup over there AND THEN ANOTHER MAN DRANK FROM THE CUP' exclaimed the Irish man with a frantic expression. I went to investigate...I was really looking forward to Bolivia during my last couple of weeks in Peru so much to see and do and further away from the track beaten by other travellers although increasingly on the backpacker circuit 'co http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/blog-51623.html No not some sordid Iberian sexual peccadillo involving a donkey and a large chorizo that one might see advertised in a phonebox French lessons A O levels but rather stringent pedagogy in a language school in Cusco. My memories of school are mixed. The camaraderie of misehaviour always appealed but the scars of wedgies gone wrong are slow to heal and I didn't relish the rigour of excerci http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Cusco/blog-49197.html