Paul Stacey and Elaine Walsh
"This isn't a tale of derring-do, nor is it merely some kind of 'cynical account'; it isn't meant to be, at least. It's a chunk of two lives running parallel for a while, with common aspirations and similar dreams. In nine months a man can think a lot of thoughts, from the height of philosophical conjecture to the most abject longing for a bowl of soup - in perfect harmony with the state of his stomach. And if, at the same time, he's a bit of an adventurer, he could have experiences which might interest other people and his random account would read something like this diary"paulandelaine
Che Guevara, The Motorcycle Diaries.
Hi all!!
This is Paul and Elaine's travel blog for our long awaited venture around z world. Starting in Bangkok on the 8th August, 4.5 months in Southeast Asia, 7 weeks New Zealand, and 3 months in S. America taking in Argentina, Peru, Equador and Chile!!
We hope ye all check in regularly, and enjoy our photos and watching us travel!!! We'll be holidaying for Ireland!!
We'll be back mid May, a little dejected, so hopefully the summer 2008 will be perky!!
(Little Add on .... Home now end of March, cos Paul got a job offer he couldnt turn down, so Peru and Ecuador will have to wait til next time!)
Travel Blog Posts
Final hours in Buenos Aires
Published: March 23rd 2008South America » Argentina » Buenos Aires » Buenos Aires
March 23rd 2008
Well, we are completo!!! We´d have more photos, but the glacier wetting of the camera back in New Zealand, and a very recent dropping of it this week by Elaine, has caused a motor problem with the trusty camera, so we´ve been forced to commit more to memory. (Sorry Dad, Pauls gonna do a Maguiver on it, once he gets home to his tools, but it has taken virtually thousands of photos on this trip, so never has a camera been more appreciated, and still was the best present ever. x. Its lasted til the end pretty much and fulfilled its purpose and still may rise to snap another day) We have spent the last week in Buenos Aires, 2 nights in San Telmo (liked it there, didnt seem dogdy, near good bars and restaurants and ... read more
Bye to Bariloche and jetting to Iguazu
Published: March 14th 2008South America » Argentina » Misiones » Puerto Iguazú
March 14th 2008
Well, we finally wrapped up in Bariloche. Our last weekend involved our Saturday blogging to you all, and then on Sunday, we took a little stroll to the Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi, beside Lago Guttereiz, our local lake and took a walk to see the little waterfalls that were in there. We had thought about hiking up to Refugio frey that Sunday with Peter, a guy from the Netherlands from our school who was looking for company. However, the trek was supposed to be about 16km, so 32 km return from our Cabaña, and I wasnt sure whether I was fit enough for it. We had a look that Sunday though at the start of the hike, and decided that on the Monday we would do a timed walk up the trek, and turn when we ... read more
Hiding out in Bariloche!
Published: March 8th 2008South America » Argentina » Río Negro » San Carlos de Bariloche
March 6th 2008
Hmmm, our plans to leave Bariloche were scuppered! 2 weeks on we find ourselves still here! We stayed in a nice hostle called El Barraca right in the town (well up about 100 steps, but we got used to that) for the first week, trying unsuccessfully to make plans for our limited time left in Argentina. We were still hankering after some more spanish lessons - very fruitful of us I hear you all thinking, and trying to book accomadation etc. Anyway we came across a set up "Spanish in the Mountains" who took us on this week for a massive 4 hours spanish a day, up the hills in a place called Villa Coihues, about 12km out of Bariloche but on the bus route. They also helped us get a sweet little (brand new) cabana ... read more
Volcano gazing from Chile to Argentina!
Published: February 25th 2008South America » Argentina » Neuquén » San Martín de Los Andes
February 25th 2008
Well, you probably all know now, but we are coming home early! We are due back on the 24th March, Easter Monday. Paul got offered a job he was on a panel for, and he simply couldnt turn it down. So we´ve shaved about a month and a half off our trip and tried to put the foot on the accelerator!! ..... well, it turns out we have become lazy, so we shaved the plans instead, and have opted to just visit a few places, and if we like it we can come back and visit another time. So its back to work with us!!! 5 weeks left, and we have just crossed Chilean/Argentinean border.... But onto blogging... So we left you in Pichilemu when we were heading off for our conversation evening in the Spanish ... read more
February 14th 2008
Well we left Mark and Mary in New Zealand on the Morning of the 5th February to go to the airport in Christchurch. Everything seemed to go swimmingly and we touched down in Auckland at 11.30am to change flights to our 5.30pm flight to Santiago Chile. We had some time to kill, so grabbed some food, checked emails, read papers etc, until at about 4.30pm, our flight disappeared off the board. About 2.5hrs later, after much confusion, we were bussed off to a hotel for night courtesy of Lan Chile. We reckoned they didnt have enough people for the flight, and they had just cancelled it to put us on the flight the next day. Anyway, it all worked out well enough. We had been quite tired, and it was nice to have a big room, ... read more
The final countdown in New Zealand
Published: February 4th 2008Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Christchurch
February 4th 2008
So, the clock is ticking... flying to Santiago Chile tomorrow morning! On the last leg now it seems! We left our blog in Dunedin as we were getting settled in. The hostel there was lovely, and as the days went on, an endless stream of people we had met along the way kept arriving into it! Obviously a popular choice. Two swiss girls, Michelle and Christina, whom we had spent christmas with in New Plymouth, and met a few times along the way in the north Island and on the ferry, resurrected themselves into our hostel. Dion and Christy who we had met in Queenstown, and then in Te anau again, turned up. And a girl who was Woofing (working for bed and board) in hostel in Caitlins arrived in as well, not to mention a ... read more
Chance encounters with Glaciers, Dolphins and fellow travellers in New Zealand
Published: January 25th 2008Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Queenstown
January 16th 2008
So we left you in Franz Joseph village last time. We headed out for our free shots, and spent the evening shooting some pool with a guy and girl from the netherlands. They are doing their PE teacher placements in New Zealand, and were taking some time out to see a bit of the country. Unfortunately for them they were broke though and had to get up early the next morning to clean the hostel in exchange for their dorm beds. We, on the other hand were spoiling ourselves with in-room facilities like a kettle, toaster, en suite, and tv and video. A treat like you wouldnt believe! We booked in for a half day glacier visit up to the Franz joseph glacier. We left at lunchtime and were kitted out with boots and jackets, and ... read more
West coasting - Wines, Treks and Swingbridges!!
Published: January 12th 2008Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Abel Tasman National Park
January 9th 2008
Another blog already!!! We've been moving fast the last few days and have a good few photos to upload, so thought we had better jot down what we have been up to while we have the time! However, internet services have not been so willing. It has taken 4 attempts at different internet points to get this blog together. Asia had it down to a tee, but they have all sorts of administrator blocks for downloading the picture resizer on computers here in some places and others have no usb port etc! Pauls is the techie side, so he's had a few frustrations, but we've pieced it today for your monday morning viewing pleasure. (for those of you who aren't avid readers enough to be reading on weekends, we KNOW you skive in work at any ... read more
North island for christmas, and south for new year
Published: January 4th 2008Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Blenheim
January 4th 2008
We thought we had better put up a blog since yee are all heading back to work soon or are already there and probably need something to fill your hours when you return to the office. We spent Christmas in New Plymouth in a hostel called Shoestring Backpackers. Paul n I went out for Christmas Eve drinks and after trawling the streets found an Irish pub playing christmas music, so had a few tipples there wearing our Santy Hats. (only 1 pub with Christmas music, and people on street doing a double take cos of hats.... very different from home!!!). There was a breakfast put on in the hostel by the owner on christmas day, so everyone mucked in (cept lazy asses who slept in like ourselves), and it was nice to have a big breakfast ... read more
Ho Ho Ho christmas eve in new zealand
Published: December 24th 2007Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » New Plymouth
December 24th 2007
Hallo all, Thought we'd squeeze in a blog before Santy comes, as we've been moving round a fair bit, and gets hard to recount it all, when we are travelling fast! So we headed off from Pahia in the northlands about a fortnight ago, in the oul' mazda with our first two hitchhikers, two english guys, Ross and Sam who were heading down to Auckland, and who we had been limbo'ing with in the local pub the night before (ask no questions and we'll tell yee no lies). The car coped well, and they gave us some dosh toward petrol so that was sweet. Actually backtracking a bit, our last night in Pahia, Paul spotted a guy in the pub who had been in our minibus from the airport in Hanoi in Vietnam, who we'd also ... read more
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