http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Europe , United Kingdom , England , West Yorkshire , Leeds en-us Thu, 04 Dec 2008 22:59:27 UTC Thu, 04 Dec 2008 22:59:27 UTC After a very long uncomfortable and uneventful flight including a change of plane in Paris I finally made it to Manchester Airport where my parents met me and took me home. The hero returns scene. I was looking forward to my home comforts in the days to come.Looking back this has probably been the best trip I made up to date. There has been a lot of highlights and a lot more than I anticipa http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-347885.html In a couple of hours time I will be on my way to Manchester Airport. All my stuff is packed everything organised and the PC is just about to be switched off. I will touch base once I arrive in Chile. Now I am hoping for a problem free flight and journey. http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-339941.html Its been 18 months since we first boarded that jet plane in search of unknown adventures half a world away. Setting out we had no idea how long we would be away from home nor what to expect from life on the flip side. Undoubtedly we've travelled to some amazing places and experienced many wonderful things we could never have dreamt of before setting off on this journey. In many ways our appetite http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-331172.html Yes we're back and a little bit knackeredLook forward to catching up with you all soon. xx http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-329650.html Today I received my confirmation for the Three Lakes Crossing Puerto Varas to Barlioche Very Expensive but this is a journey I always wanted to do. The Crossing was suspended until this month because of various reasons I think there were disputes between the companies operating it. It was cheaper booking direct via a Chilean travel agent than going through a travel agent here. There is noth http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-329454.html For the past month or so there was uncertainty whether I would be going to Chile or not. There is a lot happening in my life including my health problems and various issues. There were times that I simply wanted to cancel my trip. With a lot of thinking and praying I decided now to go ahead with my trip and adjusted my itinerary. The plan now is to head to Southern Chile on the following day http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-317949.html After the Galapgaos we had 2 days back in Quito and in the nice hotel this time in a room that appeared once to have been the garden shed but quite cosy once we got another heater A torrential downpour on the first afternoon caused chaos in the city and blew the power supply in our area of town so candles were required in the hotel for an hour or two. Apart from that nothing very exciting happe http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-314180.html Leeds has some nice shopping arcades but little else readily available. The cab drivers are talented improtu tour guides because they have no idea where they are going in the first place. Which is lucky because they cannot escape this city and affect the rest of humankind. If they ever mate with Auckland taxi drivers watch out Let me explain...When we arrived in Leeds it was clear this was no Lon http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-310966.html this week to give Sophie's new flat the once over. Its very nice not far from the last one but this one is in an old Victorian house beside the park so there are lots of trees. Its a nice flat and she has it looking very homely. We spent some time in Knaresborough yesterday looking at the petrifying well and walking round the castle. Some pics but the well was under trees so its a bit dark. http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-309479.html We're off. Love you all see you soon.xxSpeak to you in Peru. http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-304281.html Day 1 25th July Train to HeathrowFly to New YorkFly to Lima PeruFly to Cusco Peru26th to 28th July Aclimatising29th July Start our Overland Tour. 'Wilds of the Altiplano Pantanal'Week 1 29th to 5th Aug. Peru Inca heartland. Trecking the Inca trail plus community project.Potentially white water rafting down the Urubamba river.Week 2 6th to 13th Bolivia Peru. Lake Titicaca La Paz http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-302850.html I learnt today that the Three Lakes Crossing Puerto Varas to Barlioche vice versa is not operating at present. So I may have to change my plans travelling to Pucon. My alternative route maybe via San Martin de los Andes the seven lakes region. However I will probably decide when I get there what route I will take and if the crossing is in operation. Final payment for the trip is due a http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-300657.html Just paid off my Spanish course accommodation and Recreational package including 1 day excursions and 2 half day excursions for when I am in Pucon with Cactus Languages. I plan to stay there a week to learn Spanish at a local language school and partake activities in their great outdoors with a possibility of climbing up a volcano. I haven't book the volcano excursion yet as I decided to play http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-293257.html The last time my backpack went on an adventure was in 2001 when I was in Thailand for a month. Getting it packed again for this trip I have just realised I'm taking a shocking number of things which I didn't take on my last trip the top 10 being1. Mobile phone2. Ipod3. Credit cards4. Digital camera5. Fleecy sleeping bag liner OK Thailand was hot but am I really such a wimp after 7 years livin http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-292090.html Just 2 days now til I leave for Peru and although I have loads to finish off at work I'm finding it hard to resist planning my trip...I'll be flying out of Leeds at 6.15am on Saturday and arriving in Lima at 9pm local time which is 6 hours behind UK time. I've been telling people for weeks it's a 16 hour travel time but obviously it's more like 21 hours. Perhaps I'm settling in early to the Sou http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-291935.html Just reserved my hostel accommodation for Barlioche and Mendoza. I booked rooms as I want my privacy and the rates were reasonable. The total cost of my hostel accommodation on this trip is how much I would pay for 3 nights for a room in a UK hostel Half the cost I am wating to receive information about booking the lakes crossing from Barlioche to Puerto Varas and when I can I will be booking http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-291689.html I have open a travelBlog account of my travels. My next blog is for the trip I am taking in OctoberNovember where I will be going to Chile and Argentina for 3.5 weeks. I wish it was a lot longer but with work commitments this is not possible at present but I intend to do a big trip in the near future so watch this space http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-290283.html This is the hometown of my Grandparents and my Mum. We caught the train up to Leeds approx 3 hours after a few days in London and were picked up at the trainstation by Muriel Grandma's cousin and her daughter Karen. We drove about 10 mins to get to Pudsey and it is a great little town. The housing looks very different to back home with most houses that look the size of one house being split http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-270286.html Kia Ora my friends first of all lets talk about the weather. There is a rumour going around that the main reason we came to England was for the beautiful clear skies. Its not true the weather continues to be cold and bleak nearly a month into spring and Yorkshire is no exception. In fact I'm not sure we have seen any sun this weekend but hey we are out of london and in the North well lower n http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-268239.html Well hello to my few yet faithful readershellip or should I say Heyup all reet Get trsquo pub yrsquo divvy. Eeh by gum girsquo over yrsquo jammy bastard. Wharsquos up wit ye Nout. Got a right bollocking didn i Oh aye. Pack it in steady calm down. That actually doesnrsquot make a whole lot of sense even if you can speak Yorkshirehellip which I really canrsquot http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-263937.html They say itrsquos good luck if it rains on a bridersquos wedding day but snow in April Poor Helen I thought as I rolled out of bed this morning. So much for her drinks in the garden. The snow was really coming down and looked as if it might hang around for a while.After spending a quiet morning writing and putting notes into my calendar about when I could travel I had a long bath an http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-263564.html Itrsquos amazing what an early night can do for onersquos state of mind. I was up with the birds this morning. I treated myself to a room service pot of coffee and made my way through two dozen emails and updating the blog.I love keeping the blog but it has completely changed the way I record my memories. I have kept a paper journal since I was nine. Now I only use the paper journal to p http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-263240.html This is me in the kitchen testing this thing. dad is grumpy and handling cauliflower. http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-261257.html A much anticipated event the arrival of our dear friends from home After being met at the train station by Adam and taken back to our apartment to rest the lovely Leah and Tony were awoken from their jetlagged slumber by a very over excited Miranda who came running into the dark apartment yelling out greetings...consequently scaring them out of their skins After a shakey beginning a lazy week http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-242193.html I went to Leeds to visit Gali who was there doing her exchange at the University of Leeds.Our two exchanges were opposite in many ways.Gali lived in an American Style dorm complex with British students Leeds is considered a student city by many with a growing economy and job market and the University of Leeds has a huge campus comprising of many different faculties and disciplines. On the other http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-241557.html So here is my travel journal and the main way for me to stay in contact with all you lovely people back home I'm just getting to grips with how this works and will be giving short tutorials over the next week to panicked parents http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-233069.html Well we are diving in at the deep end travelling for the first time nonstop for a year. Keep up to date with our travels as we let you know what we are up to and where we are as well as seeing our pix We start our trip on the 2nd Feb 08 where we are doing a tour for one month with a travel company in Africa. The link is httpwww.acaciaafrica.comOVERLANDSEA2431.htm if you want a peek. O http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/Leeds/blog-226306.html