http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/andyrooheavens/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from andyrooheavens en-us Wed, 30 Dec 2009 03:40:29 +0000 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 03:40:29 +0000 Our first city in Peru Jaen up in the north was just meant to be an overnight stop. There is not much to do there except stand out as one of very few tourists that come this way. But we had too much excitement there for myself.As we were riding in a mototaxi to the bus stop to leave town with all our gear loaded up in the back of it we were distracted taking photos from the seat and having fun. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/blog-54155.html very out of date entries from now on i was too busy travellingAfter leaving Quito i headed straight for Riobamba. I had previously planned to visit Sasquilli Baos and some other locations but was running out of time for my meeting with Matthew in Cuenca. An overnight stop in Riobamba for a ride on the train called El Nariz Del Diablo The Nose Of The Devil wouldn't consume a lot of time. Al http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/blog-26082.html This is my travelling diary. Some of it is transcribed from the paper journal i am keeping some of it is embellished as the paper journal reminds me of things that i couldn't be bothered writing.Many thanks go to my friends in Australia for buying me a diary and giving me photos to travel with. I hadn't really thought of journalling my travels before since i usually just write it all into big em http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/blog-19485.html Mountaineering HangoverArriving back in Quito after the Galapagos Islands i had itchy feet. Spent a day organizing some travelling to Cotopaxi and Cuyabeno. Met with Lars and Matt for some quality rum at Lars' place. Given that i would be heading up to an altitude of 4800m during a hike the next day i think the drinking we did till close to 6am was a bad idea for me but then anything can seem l http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/blog-23310.html Arriving at the Galapagos Islands in the airport. The next thing to do is pay out 100 as a national park entry fee supposedly to go towards conserving the islands but i'm not so sure about that. Rather expensive beginning for my South American trip but this place is changing so fast that it will likely be much more expensive and touristed in 20 years time better to see it now.Because the airp http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Galapagos/blog-23230.html Have been in Quito for 6 days already. Studying at a Spanish school has filled 4 hours a day so not a lot going on except some city hiking and socialising. Quito is a little dangerous especially at night and i was extra careful of pickpockets and getting home early in the evening. Gunshots can be heard every few days or more often. And certain streets seem really sketchy where i couldn't help bu http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-20298.html In my final week in San Francisco i went to jail for a day. Alcatraz that is the exprison located on an island in the the bay near SF. Quite strange that in my 4 years of living in San Francisco i never went to it before but i was working and the weekends require a reservation upto a month in advance and i can't schedule my life that well. When i did have holidays i was more keen for backpacki http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/San-Francisco/blog-19860.html With a base of operations in the city i returned the hire car and then succeeded in contacting more friends and across the next week i met up with various friends bought a quadband phone and digital SLR camera Jonathan's fault booked a trip to Alcatraz with Jace.On Thursday went to potluck at Tappie and Mike's new place. Potluck is where the guests bring something to share or go into the cook http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/blog-19499.html My first flight on a plane bound for Los Angeles California USA. Bleedin' hell that was a long and boring 14 hours at least i slept some of the time. Finally landed in Los Angeles approximately 3 hours before i left datetime wise and drove up highway 1 scenic coastal route to the San Francisco Bay Area. Jetlag made me pull over and sleep about halfway to my destination. I began my California http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/blog-19488.html