http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/tomlewsey/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from tomlewsey en-us Mon, 28 Dec 2009 06:31:49 +0000 Mon, 28 Dec 2009 06:31:49 +0000 Hello folks well here's the first big update as to what I've been up to... arrived in Pakistan about 4 weeks ago and set off on a 4 day drive up the Karakorum Highway and beyond on dirt tracks to as high as it would take us then a week's walking up the huge Baltoro Glacier which is indescribably spectacular. At the top of this glacier is Concordia a huge bowl of ice and rock where 3 http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Pakistan/blog-1148.html After the adventure and general remoteness of Sumatra it was a complete contrast to arrive in the Space Age city of Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia being the most prosperous nation in S.E. Asia and their stated aims of becoming fully industrialised by 2020 they are full steam ahead on the road to capitalist nirvana. The gleaming skyscrapers the plush shopping malls and carefully crafted city gard http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/blog-12202.html Getting tired. 11 months into our grand trip and it's taking it's toll. Sights and places that previously would have had us ooohing and aaahing now barely get a second glance. Northern Thailand Laos and Cambodia have left us templed out. The islands and beaches of Thailand have left us beached out and Vietnam just left us exhausted with the bartering effort of it all. So to remedy this malais http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/blog-10736.html And so back to Thailand having done the north on our previous visit here 2 months ago this time we were headed south to the beautiful beaches and islands where mainstream backpacking mixes with package tourism and becomes as alternative and independent as Starbucks. But for all that it's a stunning part of the world and an absolute blast. So having escaped from the more exotic world of http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/blog-9741.html There is a popular book on the backbacker circuit at the moment. Written by an American journo about Phnom Penh during the 1990s it's subtitle says it's all Guns Girls and Ganja. Although it's nowadays a safer and more accessible place and has become a popular tourist destination due to the amazing temples at Angkor Wat it retains it's edge of craziness and it's history over the last 30 yea http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/blog-8592.html And so to current affairs you may be aware that this last weekend saw the 30'th birthday of a world class sportsman one of the best looking and glamourous men on earth and a style icon to millions Yes I turned 30 and so did David Beckham apparentlyanyway more about that later.. But first to South Vietnam and the ancient trading port of Hoi An. This charming city was founded on th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/blog-8195.html A word of advice if you are ever considering how best to undertake the journey from Vientiane Laos to Hanoi Vietnam I have one word for you FLY Even the dubious pleasures of Lao Aviation who's ancient soviet planes dont have any electronic guidance systems fly by sight and coincidentaly dont publish their safety record must be preferable to the journey we took. Starting at 5am the fir http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/blog-7702.html Ok then second update. Loads to tell you all about so I'll do it chronologically since I last updated you all Rachael arrived in Delhi which was obviously very nice for me though not so nice for her as she had to deal with the rather large culture shock that India's capital brings. Only a day later we were on our way to Rajasthan the Land of the Kings. This vast area borders the Great http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Rajasthan/blog-1172.html Right been very busy since leaving behind Rajasthan and our personal driver Rikki who was starting to really annoy us particularly his persistent dancing in his car to the sctratchy tape of the Venga Boy's greatest hits... Anyway after getting him to drive us from Jaipur to Agra we were then on our own.. 80 of visitors to India stick to the golden triange of Delhi Jaipur and Agra a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Goa/blog-1218.html You know how some of the best nights out are sometimes the ones that arent planned Well I think countries are a bit like that as well... Originally Venezuala was just going to be our gateway to South America and a stepping stone to other more celebrated destinations... but plans change and when a combination of expensive flights stories of Colombian coach robberies and a primary school fu http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Venezuela/blog-1498.html Right then... after a week of bumming along Venezualas North West Caribbean Coast cold beer fresh fish and warm tropical seas we decided to get our adventurous hats on again so with my trusty old exploring sun hat and lots of insect repellent we set off on an overnight sleeper bus which was quite palatial with fully reclining beds but broke down at 5am to the hot sleepy town of Cuidad http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Venezuela/blog-1555.html Time for a little insight into the day to day trials of travelling. From the previous entries it may seem as if we are having an amazing time and doing and seeing loads of exciting things.. while this is undoubtedly true I havent mentioned the less glamorous nitty gritty daily details... the chaos of bus stations and finding the right bus with our decidedly basic spanish of arriving in a town http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Venezuela/blog-1581.html And so South... after the eventful final day in Venezuala we spent a long day flying south to Santiago the capital of Chile. At first impressions this is a grey drab city the weak spring sun fails to penetrate the blanket of smog and the stern government buildings seem to be straight out of the 70s cold war architecture handbook. It is rather reminiscent of eastern europe and the cold wi http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Santiago-Region/Santiago/blog-1598.html Right then after the Caribbean exuberance of Venezuala and the European austerity of Santiago it was time to stop arsing about and get into the REAL South America.. you know towering Andean mountains barren plains at dizzying altitudes plunging down to the Amazonian basin and the sultry sweaty jungle below Indigenous Indian women with toothless weather beaten faces an ill fitting bowler http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/blog-1761.html And so to the home of the Incas and Paddington Bear... My trip to Peru was neither long nor original. With time short I basically devised a plan for a short sharp hit on the jewel in the thorny crown of South American travel Cusco and Macchu Picchu. This is probably the most established tourist centre in South America and dont they know it.. from the touts at Cusco bus station to the ski re http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Cusco/blog-1792.html And so after my little whistlestop Peru side trip back to Bolivia. After another uncomfortable overnight bus journey this time back to La Paz I embarked on a whirlwind of activities and tours with the idea of getting as much out of Bolivia in the shortest possible time... So with Rachael doing some charideee work in Cochabamba and then visiting Sucre I have been busy with climbing Bolivias 3r http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/La-Paz/blog-1836.html A 46 hour bus journey took us from Potosi in southern Bolivia to Puerto Iguazu in North Eastern Argentina. This involved 5 different bus journeys and conditions noticeably improved once we crossed the border into Argentina.... The roads were paved the buses were luxurious sleeper affairs with free coffee and Hollywood films shown in English and the food became noticeably more appetising... http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/blog-1922.html And so to Brazil.. the fifth biggest country on Earth. Due to the constaints of time we were only briefly heading across the South East of the country... but it at least gave us a flavour for it.. Our first stop from Argentina was the Brazilian side of the Iguazu Falls. Equally spectacular to the Argy side but still worth a visit to get a different perspective on this incredible place.. We th http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/blog-2031.html I bet reader that you probably dont know a huge amount about Uruguay... It is a relatively small but affluent country on the Atlantic coast nestled in between Brazil and Argentina. Its mainly agricultural and produces huge amounts of wheat and beef.. Fray Bentos is actually the name of a cow town here It was also a banking and touism centre for rich argentinians until the Argy currency cra http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Uruguay/blog-2124.html And so back to Argentina... and what can I say about it's capital Buenos Aires Firstly I should mention that the first disease that any traveller catches is exaggeration... everything becomes spectacular awesome etc etc... now sometimes this is actually true but mostly the description comes in order to justify whatever time money or hardship the writer has spent in order to visit the place http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Buenos-Aires/blog-2286.html