kez and rich

We left Bali in a minibus with another couple which took us to the ferry crossing to Java. It was only supposed to take 30 mins but took nearly an hour and a half as they overloaded it we think - we were even going backwards at one point!! We got back on the minibus once in Java to start heading to Mount Ijen which we were due to climb the following morning. It was the rainy season at that time and it was pelting it down and soon there were torrents of water flowing alongside the road or across the roads that looked like raging rivers. We stopped at one point where there was an exceptionally fast flowing torrent rushing across the road and we all heaved a sigh of relief that the driver was ... read more

We flew into Delhi and got picked up and taken to our hotel and first reaction - this is the worst traffic we have ever seen! It was absolute chaos with cows everywhere but we made it in one bit to Hotel Perfect. Maybe not perfect but definitely nowhere near the worst we have ever stayed! The hotel was located by a road full of shops and market stalls so we had a wander around and had our first Indian meal which was amazing! Finally after the let down of Sri Lankan curries we finally found chillies!!! The next day we met our tour leader and the rest of our group, well actually it was just one other British girl, Debbie and that was it! We were on the Tiger Safari trip for the next 15 ... read more

Sorry we did not pose any blogs during our travels but we encountered some technological difficulties and many, many power cuts so we are going to update them now we are back in Perth! We arrived in Kuta, Bali at lunchtime on 5 January and sailed through immigration as we had already got our 60 day visas from the Indonesian Consulate in Perth. We were met at the airport by someone from the hotel which is called Suji Bungalows. We usually stay at Hotel Sorga but when we went there in June last year it was a bit run down so decided to try a place just down the road. We really liked the new hotel which has a great pool and air con and a fridge in the room which is great. It is actually ... read more

After the nasty border crossing we arrived in Costa Rica which we have been really looking forward to. We have not been disappointed. The only downside of travelling in Costa Rica though are the roads and buses which we quickly discovered. From the border we caught a bus to Liberia and then another to Tamarindo, a surfing town made famous by Endless Summer II. It took hours - the roads were horrific, the bus stopped every ten seconds to let someone on and off and the driver ate his lunch as he drove at 20km per hr. Once we arrived at Tamarindo we went round a few car rental places and found a pretty good deal on a 4WD for a week. Rich bought a second hand surfboard and the next day we loaded up the ... read more

From Antigua we got into another really comfortable minibus heading to Copan Ruinas in Honduras. It took over 6 hours and being conned out of money at both immigration posts before we arrived there. To top things off our bags, which had been strapped onto the roof, were soaked through. The next day we went to the ruins here which were pretty good with scarlet macaws flying about which are massive. We also went for a walk along the jungle trail and saw a massive rodent type thing. Rich reckons it was Roland Rat so that must be what it was!! After such a strenuous morning we went to Aguas Calientes (Hot Springs) in the afternoon which involved an hour up a very potholed and bumpy road. When we arrived we had two choices; Option 1 ... read more