Lucy Pilgrim

LucyPilgrim

Lucy Pilgrim

I am an independent backpacker travelling the world, making the most of the opportunities life presents. I hope you enjoy reading about my travels.



Africa » Zimbabwe » Victoria Falls December 17th 2017

Victoria falls was nothing like I expected! After weeks of rural Africa we were suddenly in a bustling town with western style restaurants and cafes. I think we were all excited at the prospect of different food, especially when we realised they have good cheese!! After being herded in to the activity centre to book adrenaline filled activities for the coming days we headed off in search of food and shopping! Walking around town we saw a sign for a brewery, and were drawn towards it! Luckily they did food too, so it was a unanimous decision to stay there. The brewery is called the river brewery, and is only 5 weeks old. They brew 6 of their own beers on site, as well as offering platters of food. I opted for the veggie platter and ... read more
Beautiful tiles in the public toilets
Helicopter flight
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Africa » Malawi » Lake Malawi » Chitimba Beach December 1st 2017

Our next destination is Malawi, the warm heart of Africa! We are camping in the shores of lake Malawi, which involves a big drive from Tanzania! Very soon after crossing the border into Malawi we noticed that the people here are indeed very friendly, every child runs shouting hello and waving at the truck, and even some adults too. If we see them to wave back they often switch to a double handed extremely enthusiastic wave! On our first morning we had the opportunity to visit the local witch doctor. This was definitely worth the money simply for the entertainment factor! We had a short walk to the local village, accompanied by a group of villagers, where we were sat upon a bench hastily assembled from some planks of wood and locally made bricks. We were ... read more
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Carrying 40l of water on her head

Africa » Tanzania » Zanzibar » Nungwi December 1st 2017

Our next stop was Zanzibar, the spice island. After clearing customs and immigration once again we started our visit with a tour of stone town. Stone town is laced with so much history - old forts, ancient buildings and even a slave market. I was surprised by how much history was remaining, especially compared to many other places we've been where the history is lost to modernization. Stone town is also a predominantly Muslim area, dating back to the days of trade with Arab traders. This means the city is bathed with the call to prayer, a sound I quite enjoy hearing. This does also mean that tourists should cover up out of respect, which some clearly had no consideration for! The tour ended with some shopping in the local craft shops, followed by sunset cocktails ... read more
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Local fruit market in stone town
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Africa » Tanzania » North » Ngorongoro Conservation Area November 12th 2017

Serengeti - We have now entered Tanzania. After having to get my yellow fever vaccination done at the border I was finally let in the country! As this part of the trip wasn't planned I hadn't thought I would need the vaccination. Our first stop was at a snake park just outside Arusha. We were lucky to turn up on market day, so behind our campsite was the weekly Massai cattle market, with some impressive cattle being sold. Unfortunately we were shouted at and demanded money from for taking pictures, but we just feigned ignorance and left without paying anyone. Next up we went for a tour of the snake park, learning about the local snakes and how deadly each one is! I also got to hold a snake and a big tortoise, so I was ... read more
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Jackal

Africa » Kenya » Rift Valley Province » Masai Mara NP November 6th 2017

As you probably know by now I decided to cut short my time in Mozambique. I realised early on that the internship wasn't for me, and that diving is much less fun when you're working and having to keep an eye on everyone. Finding myself at a lose end I found a dragoman trip to do instead. I had a couple of weeks between quitting the dive job and starting my chosen trip in Nairobi, in which I made the most of not working, and read many books at the beach, made new friends, and generally relaxed in Mozambique. The trip I've chosen runs from Nairobi all the way to cape town, with many exciting inclusions along the way. My trip did not get off to the best start, upon arriving in Nairobi on a very ... read more
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South America » Ecuador » North » Quito » Historical Center March 11th 2017

I'm in Quito! My 6th continent, meaning another tick on my bucket list. My first impression of Quito was at 1am getting a taxi to my hostel, but already I can see that the people are very friendly, and remind me more of Mexico and Guatemala. I only have 2 days in Quito, so my plan is to make the most of it. The first morning I headed out to the old town for a walk around admiring the old building and people watching in the main plaza. I'm glad to see things have considerably gone back down in price compared to my recent spending - breakfast is $1-2. There are a lot of interesting vendors and little shops to look at, so I quite happily pass the morning wandering around the streets observing. Heading away ... read more
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My massive lunch


I decided to head down to Panama City earlier than Jess and Andy so I could do more there than they wanted to do. After a mostly sleepless night bus we arrived at 4am, luckily upon arriving at the hostel they were happy to point out 5 sofa spaces to sleep on, and there were still quite a few people up drinking! The extra 2hrs sleep were a godsend in order to function the next day! My new friends and I headed out to the old town for an explore and because it has great views over the water to the built up part of the city. Two of the guys are keen photographers and with an array of old interesting buildings this led to a great day exploring and taking photos. That evening we also ... read more
Enjoying a donut with a view
The skyline from the old town
Looking out over the city


I'm currently sat at the airport waiting to say goodbye to Panama, so this is perfect time to catch up with my blog. Before coming on this trip all I knew of Panama was Panama City and the canal. In my mind it was a bit like Singapore - a big city, the impenetrable Durian gap and nothing much more. I was not expecting the beautiful islands, the dense rainforest and the abundance of animals on offer. First up was the border crossing - I don't know why but the Central American borders all seem to be stuck out in stupidly hot places, and usually involve a bit of a walk with all your stuff. This one was no different! After almost a month in Costa Rica where they have no army, I knew we'd got ... read more
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Sunset in Bastimentos
The start of our hike


I'd wanted to go to tortugero ever since I first started my travel research. Although it's not currently turtle season it is still rich in wildlife. There are no roads here - you have to fly or boat in. The boat to and from tortugero is half the charm here - it's a 1.5hr steady boat cruise along the river, spotting wildlife as you go. As we were crossing the country by bus I could see a definite change in the landscape and housing style as we got closer to the Caribbean coast. This side of the country has a more laid back feel to it than the Pacific side, which is a refreshing change from the ultra touristy destinations we have been to recently. On our drive up to the boat dock we spotted another ... read more
Iguana on our canoe trip
Looking for his next meal
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Central America Caribbean February 26th 2017

Our next destination was Manuel Antonio national park. This is the most beautiful place I have been in all of Costa Rica. The park consists of an area of jungle leading out to the beach. As soon as we got to the park I could tell it is very touristy- there was a queue to get in and a lot of groups with guides. As Jess and Andy didn't want to pay extra for a guide we went alone. It was handy having a lot of guides around as we could pick up on what they were showing their groups! Thanks to the guides we spotted some small frogs and lizards, and a very far away sloth. I also found my first toucan! It was beautiful, but unfortunately flew away beds I took a photo. Walking ... read more
Very photogenic sloth
Monkey sleeping at the beach
Beautiful beach in Manuel Antonio




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