Life's Journey

Laura's reflections of the Trip

nigelb — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 15:22:00 GMT

Laura writes:

This one year trip around the world has given us the opportunity to see the world from different perspectives. It has also taught me what is really important in our lives and what is not, what is worthwhile focusing on. It has also shown how little we and other people can live with, especially in the way of material possessions and still be happy, by placing the focus on family, friends, purpose, commitment to what we believe in, unity, a sense of community, solidarity with others, love, expression, unselfishness, devotion and having a meaningful focus.

There is something liberating in not knowing what is around the corner, what you will be doing tomorrow, or what new experiences await you when you get to your new destination. Sometimes, even though you experience fear, you still confront the unknown, the unfamiliar. It seems easier to leave fears aside when you have already begun your journey and you're away from what is familiar to you, far away from the privacy and security of your own home. Through the journey you become a different person and you also get to know yourself and the human condition a little better too. It was such a relief to know that I was capable of so much more. I was able to test myself in different situations and environments, including in more dangerous situations. How we limit ourselves in life, and all due to fear of the unknown. We cling on to "security" which we think we need and become mummified in the process. We also cling on to our material possessions as if they will be our path to happiness, how sad! We did not need possessions during our one year trip and realised how little we actually needed to live. In fact, we were so relieved that we didn't have much of that to weigh us down, just a sense of adventure and a desire to learn, experience, see and perhaps grow spiritually.

The people we met on this trip allowed us to see things clearer in many aspects. Each of those people, taught us something and made it clearer what kind of people we want to be, as well as what we do not want to be or do in our lives. These connections enriched us in one way or another. We could see things from other perspectives. Human contact is definitely more important and enriching than all the material possessions we could ever own.

We live life so differently here in the West, in the developed world. The excess we are so accustomed to, suffocates us without even realising it. We become more individualistic in our attitudes "As long as I'm doing well, stuff everyone else". We don't even realise the outcomes of that, not only to others in our own part of the world and especially to those living in the third world, but also to ourselves. We simply miss out on a more meaningful way of life; we shut off to other human beings. We end up looking for ways to fill the gaps in our soul. How superficially we live, that to fill these holes, we go shopping to satisfy ourselves momentarily, to give ourselves a "hit", just like a drug we take to feel joy for a short while. We live in a very sick society. This becomes even clearer when you experience other ways of life and how in other countries that do not have the material excess, people live richer lives with more purpose and meaning. The human element is there in the culture, in the free expression of emotion, in the sense of community, in the enjoyment of life shared amongst family and friends, in the rhythm of life through music and dance, the colours, the laughter, the sense of community. Even though some of the people we met thought they were poor when they compared themselves to us and how much we earn, they do not realise how rich they really are. Some of the people we met may not be able to afford the things we can afford, but without even realising it, they are millionaires.

Off course, there were the extremes as well. We did see so much poverty that left people with no choice but to beg for money to buy food, people wearing rags and sitting or lying on the streets, some with young children too. When you have reached these extreme conditions, I can imagine there would not be much room for happiness. Such a discomforting thought when you realise that there is enough food in the world to feed everyone and that the real wealth is in the hands of just a few in the more developed nations.

On a lighter note, there are particular experiences that stand out to me about this trip. My family in Uruguay and how giving they were, refusing to let us spend any money on food or other things. They even put us up for a total of 4 and half months, giving of themselves the whole time, total selflessness.

The gruelling 34 hour bus trip to Rio de Janeiro was a long journey to be doing by bus, but at the same time, I remember the shear pleasure of getting away from the freezing winter in Uruguay that was getting us down so much. I remember peeling of the clothes one layer at a time as we approached the warmer weather in Brazil. What a pleasure that was!

I can also recall the caution we had to practice once we were out of the safer haven of Uruguay with much less crime than Brazil and other countries we visited in the rest of Latin America where you had to have eyes in the back of your head so to speak. The nervous tension was at times too much, but at the same time what we learned as travellers was very valuable and it felt good that we were not innocent targets. We learned to look after ourselves.

The people we met are also unforgettable. The families we stayed with in Cusco, Puno, Rio Muchacho and Santiago de Cuba, who all made our experiences the more enriching. This type of travel where you stay with local people is the best way to travel. It is the best way to be immersed into the culture and to really experience and learn about the people that live there. I actually felt like a local! I will never travel any other way again! The family we stayed with both in Cusco and in Santiago de Cuba made me feel I was part of the family and we were also very nurtured which is something that surprised me. The two women at these two households, including my aunty in Uruguay, became substitute mothers for me. Their nurturing way which is common amongst Latin people was comforting to me, especially since I had not seen my own mother for many months.

The challenge now for me is not to loose contact with these wonderful people, including the other people we met along the way and that we shared so much with, including our experiences, our hopes, our dreams and desires, our views and off course the common elements that brought us closer together. It is very easy to get caught up in routine again and forget the friendships we made while away, but I think it is now more important than ever for me not to lose them, especially after the realisation of how significant other people are in our lives.

The experience of being in silver jewellery making classes with local Peruvian people while Nigel studied Spanish was also quite unique for me and is not an experience that is open to most tourists. I feel lucky that I speak Spanish and that I was given this opportunity by the lady (Marina) who we were staying with in Cusco. If we hadn't stayed in a home stay, this opportunity would not have come along.

Well, Machu Pichu was to me a journey of resilience, strength, determination, mystery, surprise, inspiration, adventure, as well as self discovery. What I felt during this 3 day journey was special to me and like I've said before, the journey was more important than the final destination. The views and scenery like nothing I have seen before and the long walk to the ruins, a challenge in itself. However, there is something about this experience that I am struggling to put into words, a feeling that is almost clear but not obvious whenever I take myself back to this place, to this experience in my memory. It brings up a strong longing to be there once again, present in those surroundings that made me feel joy to be alive, surrounded by the beauty of nature and the presence of such a strong and invisible force that seemed to be all around.

The uniqueness of Cuba, the people with such strong determination, their strength was inspirational. Their solidarity, unselfishness and humbleness like I have never seen in human beings before. Some of the people we met there did not seem to be driven by ego at all but by some collective force that had to be nurtured for the good of everyone.

Finally, our experience in New Zealand which was a very different travel experience to what we had become used to in the space of one year. Travelling by car, gave us the freedom to travel wherever we wanted and cheaper than if we had seen what we saw through organised excursions. The freedom of having our own transport after such a long time felt very foreign to us. One of the things that stand out to me the most was our shock to experience the incredible difference in the cost of things compared to Latin America. What made this even more impacting and strange for us, was that one day we were in Latin America and the next in a country where we paid twice as much for everything. Could everything have gone up so much in just one year, or had it always been that way but we could not remember?

It was very strange to get on the plane the day before in Latin America and be on the other side of the globe the next day with a very different culture, language, buildings etc. Everything looked so kept, manicured and organised, epecially for tourists with all the tourist information you could possibly want which was absolutely everywhere (I guess NZ has much more money to invest in this area). It literally felt like we had just arrived from Mars!

This trip is not one I will forget easily. It has been very different to any travelling I have done before, but what I am starting to realise, is that even though I thought nothing had really changed within myself when I first arrived home, I am now starting to realise that I am not the same person. As I begin to relate to my world once again, I realise that many things have changed, my strength, my desire to live life more fully, the desire to explore the creativity within has also become much stronger. I now struggle to remember the person I seem to have left behind; some of my internal enemies have been shed like a snake sheds her skin. I have experienced too much to go back now!

Gallery: Uruguay (Summer)

nigelb — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:15:00 GMT

Uruguay (Summer)

Gallery: Cuba

nigelb — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:31:00 GMT

Cuba

Gallery: Ecuador

nigelb — Wed, 9 Apr 2008 01:39:00 GMT

Ecuador

Uruguay (Summer)

nigelb — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 23:56:00 GMT

Laura writes:

We got back to Uruguay after spending over 4 months travelling around the rest of Latin America. It was very nice to see my relatives once again waiting for us at the airport.

Our experience in Uruguay was very different this time compared to our experience in winter when we had last been there. The country really comes alive in summer. After all, Uruguay is surrounded by coast and people in Montevideo really look forward to getting away in January or February when most Montevidianos take a 1 month holiday from work to go camping or rent a house at one of the many beach towns around Uruguay. There is quite a selection of places to go, Punta Del Este being one of the most popular, not only for Uruguayans, but also for those from the Argentinean capital of Buenos Aires (after all, they own most of the luxury houses there!).

Carnival is another popular and cultural pass time in Uruguay during the summer months (from December to March). Outdoor stages (tablados) in most suburbs presenting entertainment every night with typical Murgas dressed in very colourful costumes and singing in a very unique style. "Las Llamadas" are also a part of carnival where dancers and drummers dance through the streets (a very historical event which goes back to the black slaves from Africa).

Carnival also happens around the same time in Argentina and Brazil, but each has its own style. The carnival in Rio de Janeiro being the most famous of all. People in Brazil are a very lively bunch and they go all out for carnival with incredible and expensive costumes and very intricate and stunning floats. The carnival parade there, is one of a kind, but the carnival in Uruguay has a unique style of its own which also makes it very special.

While in Uruguay we enjoyed the warm weather, going to the beach whenever possible (my aunty and uncle live a few blocks from the beach) which was not hard to do when you have an uncle and aunty who are totally fanatical about the beach. One weekend we even went to a beach town called "La Paloma" where we rented a house for two days with all the family (aunty, uncle and cousins with their partners). After this weekend, Nigel and I decided to continue on, visiting other places by bus, while everyone else returned to Montevideo. We ended up taking buses to different places along the coast of Rocha, and even though the weather was not the best, we did enjoy being on our own and experiencing more of Uruguay.

During our stay in Uruguay, we also went to Colonia (a few days before our trip to La Paloma with my relatives). The three days we spent there were absolutely beautiful. We were very lucky, as we got the best weather too. The warm, sunny summer weather certainly added to the feel of the place. There was something special about being in such an important historical and picturesque town of Uruguay. Several people recommended we go there and we did not want to miss the opportunity to see it. The buildings there are from the 17th century and it is the only place in Uruguay where there are Portuguese constructions, as this town was settled by the Portuguese from Brazil around this time. For me this trip was a highlight, as even though I had been to Uruguay on several occasions, I had never visited this place. It was well worth it, not only for the history and beauty, but also because the place had a very special feel.

There were also many social gatherings while we were in Uruguay as my aunty and uncle are very sociable people and have many friends who not only come to dinner, but also meet them at the beach almost every day during the summer months.

One of my disappointments on this visit to Uruguay was how much things had changed in relation to my relatives. This was very disappointing to me and while I was there, I really struggled with it. I guess the last time I had been there, was 10 years ago and even though time passes so quickly, I was not quite prepared for the distance I felt this time around. The last time I had been to visit, two of my cousins were still living at my auntie’s place and we would go out together. Now, they have all moved out, they now have children and have very busy lives, so as a consequence did not have much time for us and we did not see them as often as I would have wanted. I guess we have to accept change!

One thing that took me by surprise on this visit was how much more popular Uruguay has become with tourism. I remember in the past, the only tourists found in Uruguay, were from Argentina and Brazil (close neighbours), but never from the U.S and other parts of the world. I could not believe it when on several occasions, I would hear people speaking English. I think even the locals are surprised and curious about this new phenomenon! We even had a little girl curiously ask us where we were from when she heard us speaking English together as if we were aliens! I have never found myself in this situation while I've been to Uruguay, as this was the first time that I went there with someone that only speaks English. In some way it made me feel like I wasn't a Uruguayan. I did not like how it felt, almost like I didn't belong, and this to me was very strange, as it was the first time I have felt this to that extent while in Uruguay.

In one way, the extra tourism is positive for Uruguay, as it will bring money into the country, but more tourism in the country can also be detrimental, especially in a country that has up till now not been exposed to the negative influences that Nigel and I witnessed in other countries in Latin America, where tourism has destroyed so much and caused locals to behave in less than desirable ways to exploit tourists. Uruguay has never had that, and I'm afraid that Uruguayans will also be tainted in some way, even though perhaps not to the same extend than some of the much poorer neighbours. Uruguay is also a small country and it would be a shame if foreign investors see an opportunity as they are at the moment, and end up buying more land than what this tiny country can afford to lose to foreign investment. This I feel will also be detrimental to Uruguay's citizens, with price of property increasing as well as the cost of life.

Cuba

nigelb — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 07:03:00 GMT

Laura writes:

Cuba has so far been an interesting place, just as I thought it would be all these years. The revolution is everywhere around us; on the billboards, in the music played on the streets, in the names of the hotels ("Habana Libre", "Sierra Maestra")and is part of the daily lives of the Cuban people, the majority being very proud of the revolution and what it has provided for them; not only is their system the closest thing there is to true democracy. Education is accessible and completely free from primary to university level for every Cuban. Health care is also completely free and available to all, including natural therapies which are used in hospitals and clinics throughout the country.

What we have seen, is a very different and unique society which we have not seen anywhere else we have been to, a real contrast to the obsessive, materialistic society we have got so used to and for Nigel and I, Cuba is a breath of fresh air. It is fantastic not to be bombarded by the comercial propaganda machine that we in other countries are constatly exposed to (no Mcdonalds signs here!). Instead, all the billboards we have seen carry important and significant messages that not only empower, but also encourage, educate and inform. They are words full of humanity and wisdom. It has also been very intersting not to see any homeless people on the streets (approximately 95% of Cubans own their own home)or starving children like we have seen in other countries, Fidel has definetly made sure of that! Another encouraging aspect of all this, is that the figures in areas such as health and education continue to improve rapidly.

The young people I have seen while in Cuba who have, like all other children and adults, benefited from this system, have voiced their complete belief in the revolution and in Fidel. It is also amazing to hear medical students as well as student teachers speak. To these people, their careers have a real purpose and place in the revolution and in Cuban society, especially in a country that has always placed so much importance in these two areas. When they speak, you definetely know that they are speaking straight from the heart. It has been inspirational to hear them and it is good to know that they do what they do with much love and devotion. These young adults have not choosen their career for the financial gain like in the capitalist world, but for what they can offer to others, not only in their own country but also to those living in less fortunate countries around the world. Here in Cuba, doctors are trained to give of themselves. Medical students that we met at one of the universities of medicine had already experienced the solidarity of Cuba. These students had come from poor backgrounds in countries such as Jamaica, the United States, Ecuador and Africa and had been given the opportunity to study for free. These kids told us that due to their economical situation, they did not have the chance to study back home. The only condition for receiving this free education here, was that when they finished their careers and returned home, they would offer free medical services to the poor.

Cuban doctors also go to poorer countries or wherever they are needed in solidarity, offering their assistance. These doctors do not receive an income for this work, only enough for living expenses. Operation "Milagros" is a very successful solidarity program run by Cuba which involves eye-surgery. They have treated 208,000 patients from 21 countries and through this surgery, returned eye sight to patients suffering from cataracts, glaucoma, diabetes and other diseases.

These people have been really inspirational to me. As the head chef of the camp (Cachito) said to me the other day; "We don't have much here in Cuba due to the U.S blockade, but the little we have (especially in the area of medicine and education) we share with those less fortunate than ourselves." After thanking Cachito for everything he and his staff were doing for us (cooking for hundreds of brigadistas at the camp), he again responded by saying that it is they who are very thankful for the support and friendship towards Cuba and that what they were doing for us, they did with much love (carino). He also said that it is friends like us who support Cuba, that gives them more motivation and strength to continue in their struggle. He also emphasised that if it wasn't for Fidel, they would have perished by now, that he is an exceptional man; one of a kind. When I told him that my family and I had always felt admiration for Cuba and everything it stood for, his eyes suddenly became teary. I will never forget this look. To me, his response spoke a thousand words and at that moment, I realised that my simple words had touched him deeply. His response felt like I had just praised his own child. Hearing Cachito and other Cuban people speak about Cuba in the 3 weeks that we were there, emphasised that these people carry their country, Fidel and the revolution very close to their hearts.

When I asked Cachito about the risk of the U.S invading Cuba, he responded by saying that they were very well prepared for it. That the U.S would never succeed in their plans to invade and put an end to what they have achieved here with so much sacrifice.

Another interesting aspect of our brigade, has been working with people who have fought along side Fidel in the Sierra Maestra such as the security officer on the camp where we are staying, as well as another man who was one of Fidel's body guards who helped us with the agricultural work on the citrus plantations. Meeting other combatants of the revolution and hearing their stories, has also been incredible. To hear about Che Guevara and Fidel Castro (heroes to Latin Americans) from the people who were there with them and knew them personally, was amazing to say the least, and for me a very emotional experience as well, after all, the struggle for justice, equality and human rights has always been a common thread in the whole of Latin America and it was these political ideals that I was brought up with myself. This brigade has emphasised my ideals and highlighted what is really worth fighting for in this world. This is also very clear to the great majority of Cubans who see the corruption, greed as well as the separation of those living in a capitalist society. They know very well what they have to do to survive as human beings and if it wasn't for their unity, perserverance, sacrifice, conviction, determination and love, they would not have survived for 49 years with such an unjust, criminal and ilegal blockade that has completely isolated them from the rest of the world. It is amazing to witness the power and determination of these people and to hear it in their voice.

While on the brigade, we had an intense 3 weeks with very little free time. This was the 25th aniversary of the Southern Cross Brigade and there were many celebratory events that we took part in. We were welcomed very warmly everywhere we went. Some of us (including me) were also interviewed for national television. We were also told that these brigades have been very important for Cuba, especially so during what they call "the special period" after the fall of the Soviet Union and east Germany, when the Cuban people were at crisis point. It was these brigades that brought over the essentials for their survival, such as food and medicines. They say that if it hadn't been for this, they may not have made it through that very, very difficult period.

It was during the special period that Cuba had no choice but to start becoming self suficient. The country became more focused on internal food production. In Cuba, self-suficiency simply means survival, with the blockade, they have no choice. Urban land that was once wasted, have become small organic farms where fruit and vegetables are grown to provide food for the local residents, and as Nigel and I observed, these farms are everywhere. In the city of Havana, 60% of its food is grown in these urban farms, feeding over two million residents and 95% of this food is organically grown. Most of these farms are state owned but there are others that are privately owned, however, even though those with privately run farms can pass it down to other family members, if these family members are not interested in using the land to produce food, the land will be given to someone else that will use it for this purpose. Some would say that this is lack of freedom, but in reality, it is survival, as they cannot depend on the outside world for their necessities. People here have it very clear (I have heard it time and time again during our 4 week stay) that they have to pull together and stay united for the good of all the population. It is definetely not a selfish attitude.

The work that we did while on the brigade involved agricultural work such as planting, pruning sick trees, trimming overgrown grass with machetes and construction work that only some people participated in. I would have liked to have participated in more volunteer work, as I felt that 7 days of it was not really enough in a 3 week stay and even more so considering that there were so many of us on the brigade (50 people), However, they did remind us that to them, it was more important that we learned about Cuba from the meetings and visits than the physical work we could carry out in such a short space of time. It was very important to the Cuban people that we took the message home about the truth in Cuba, especially considering there is so much misinformation and outright lies about this country.

We learned so much about Cuba while on this brigade, not only from meeting ordinary people, but also from the visits, lectures and meetings. These included meetings with leaders of the Council of Cuban Workers, meeting with a Cuban leader in the Ministry of Foreigh Affairs, also with the Young Communist League, Federation of University Students and Senior High School Students Federation. This particular meeting made me realise how young people in Cuba are given a voice, as well as much respect. These people (as young as 16 years of age) play an important role in their society and as soon as they are 16, can be elected for a place in parliment to represent other young people by voicing their concerns and proposing changes, and what they present in parliment is definetely not ignored. I was amazed by the maturity of these representatives. They were certainly well informed young people and knew exactly what they were talking about. I had not heard people of their age speak in such a mature and informed way before. We also met with the Federation of Cuban Women (yes, women have a voice too) and with the combatants of the Cuban revolution. We went to lectures which included Cuban culture, challenges of globalisation for Cuba and Cuban foreign policy. Other visits in Havana included a performance at the national ballet of Cuba for New Year's, as well as energy facilities, organic centers where food was grown, and an expo of the 25 years of the Southern Cross Brigade.

In Santiago de Cuba (where the revolution was born at approx. 900km from Havana), we visited Revolution Square, the cemetery of Santa Efigenia where many important figures are buried, including Jose Marti (one of Cuba's important national heroes), Moncada Garrison where Fidel Castro was imprisoned after the battle that he fought there on the 26th of July 1953. The vibes in this prison were definetely not pleasant, as this was a place where Batista's troops tortured and killed so many people. We also had a visit to Granjita Siboney, a small farm where Fidel and his men hid and planed the attack on the Moncada Garrison. The mens' blood stained uniforms as well as other items such as shoes and the arms that they used were on display.

While we were there, we also visited Santamaria school where amongst other things, they had a zoo and an organic farm that employed permaculture principles for students to grow food for their own consumption (as food production is given so much focus in Cuba, this, I guess, is the way they teach kids to grow food from an early age). At this school, we were also shown the Cuban history room which included amazing drawings done by the students. The standard of these drawings was incredible to say the least. Nigel and I could not understand how they could have been done by primary school students. Here at this school, I was again very moved by the way we were welcomed by the kids in appreciation of our solidarity with the Cuban people.

We also visited the province of Guantanamo where once more, we were greeted by primary and secondary students with banners of welcome to our brigade. A flower ceremony took place here in our presence, as well as poetry and speeches. While we were in Guantanamo province, we were taken to a spot where we had a view of the Guantanamo Navel base that is on Cuban soil that the U.S is occupying illegally for an indefenite period of time. It was disgusting to see how close the base really is to the Cuban population. It is believed by locals, that part of the reason that the U.S has choosen this navel base to hold prisoners illegally with the use of torture and other human right abuses, is to provoke Fidel Castro (rubbing it in his face). Before arriving, and while we were close to the navel base, we were told several times not to do anything that could upset the U.S and give them an excuse to use it against Cuba in some way. We did however display a banner in protest of the blockade against Cuba and the Cuban five that have been held illegally in Miami for the last 10 years without a proper hearing. Their only crime...attempting to protect Cuba from ongoing U.S organised terrorist attacks which they have had to endure for the last 49 years.

One of the visits that touched me the most, was the one to the Che Guevara memorial. Here the emotions I felt came flooding over me to the point that I could not stop the tears. This response surprised me, as I am not a person that can expose my emotions so easily in public (this trip has certainly challenged me in this respect!). I finally had the chance to pay my respects to this man that has always meant so much to me and to so many latin Americans. This memorial is where his remains were finally put to rest in 1994 after bringing them from Bolivia where he was betrayed by the peasants he was trying to liberate and was killed by the military after he was captured.

Santiago de Cuba, was one of the highlights of our trip. It is a very special province. It is where Fidel lived and where the revolution began. On the outskirts of the city, we were met by police excorts and for the next 4 to 5 days, we were escorted everywhere we went. This gave me the sense that we were in a sacred place, a city of real significance to the Cuban people and that our presence there was very much appreciated. It actually felt like a privilige to be there, especially knowing that our visit to Santiago, had been organised because it was the 25th anniversary of the brigade to Cuba. The last time the Southern Cross brigade had been there, was on the very first one in 1982. Apparently, this special treatment we received had two purposes, one to welcome us to this important historical place, and secondly, so that locals would find out about our brigade and our solidarity with the Cuban people. Television cameras and journalists also followed us to some of the places we visited to interview us.

Seeing the Sierra Maestra (the mountains that surround this city) where Fidel and his men lived and fought from, was quite a sight. I had never imagined that these mountains covered such a huge area, plus, after seeing these ranges, I finally understood why Fidel had choosen that place. It would have been incredibly difficult for Batista's troops to find them, not only due to its expansiveness, but also because of the very thick vegetation of this environment.

The families we stayed with during our time in Santiago de Cuba, were also very special. People from Santiago are well known for their kindness, friendliness and loving nature, and we were definetely witnesses to this. When we arrived here, we were greeted with cheering, clapping, enthusiasm and much love. Each family was holding up signs with our names on them, and as soon as we found our hosts, the hugs and kisses were abundant as if they had known us forever. These people took us in to their homes as if we were part of their family and we were very well looked after during our 5 day stay.

Something that stood out for us in Cuba was the transport system. It functions very differently. The old cars from the 50's and 60's are used as taxis for the locals. These are just private cars that double up as taxis for Cuban citizens only, and are very cheap with a set price. There are other more modern cars or new models that are the official taxis for tourists which cost much more. In Havana, there are also buses that are mainly used by locals, as well as modern excursion buses for tourists. Some trucks have also been converted for public transport (called "Camellos"), these look very interesting. Trucks that have not been converted into buses are seen in the outskirts of the city or in other provinces and stop to pick up people waiting patiently along the roads and highways. Horse and carts are another means of public transport. The reason why transport functions in this way, is because due to the U.S blockade on Cuba, there has always been a shortage of vehicles and therefore the cars and trucks have to be shared by all. While we were in Cuba, we were told that many new buses have recently been purchased from China and therefore this situation is now easing.

The negatives that we saw in Cuba, were mainly in relation to the blockade that Cubans have had to endure for the past 49 years. This has caused and is still causing a lot of damage in many ways. The shortages in food, medicines, maintanence materials for buildings (including plumbing and electrical), cars and other transport, fuels, machinery etc. is felt by everyone. We got very used to hearing "no, sorry, we have run out of that" or simply "no, that is not available". The shop windows and stores look barren, and it is common to see empty shelves in shops. Due to so much sacrifice for so long, there are people who have given up or simply think that the grass is greener on the other side and start idealising the capitalist world, however these people are a minority (1% of the population). From what we have seen, these people have a distorted view of what capitalist society is really like. These people (unlike the majority of Cubans), may not be aware of the many negatives of capitalism, such as the selfishness and the greed that results from such a money fixated society.

Even though the reliance on tourism has kept Cuba afloat (one billion dollars was made from the tourism sector last year), it has unfortunately also had negative influences on Cuba, even though nowhere near the to the extent that we have seen in other countries like Peru. Cuba has had no choice but to open its doors to tourism and with it comes positives as well as negatives.

In Cuba, the positives certainly outweigh the negatives. Cuba was not only inspirational politically and ideologically, but also in its uniqueness in many other ways. There is no other country that it can be compared with. Its isolation from the rest of the world due to the blockade has given this country its own flavour, opportunities, character and personality, its own feel.

Sitting on the wall along the malecon, I remember looking out to the ocean and reflecting while listening to the sound of the waves and looking at the beautiful colours of the sunset in the warm evening sun. I was finally on the island of Cuba that I had wanted to come to for so long. Now I was on the inside looking out, and not the other way around. I was actually experiencing it for my self and not from someone else's perspective. I was seeing it with my own eyes. Looking out to the ocean, I felt like I was very far from the rest of the world, although geographically it is not far at all. I had the sense of defiance (it is illegal to travel to Cuba from the United States). By being there, I felt like I was on the side of the Cuban people and their cause. With this thought, came a sense of pride, understanding and unity. Their cause had always been mine and now I was with like minded people who were the closest living example of how these ideals in reality can work. The people who came on this brigade from Australia and New Zealand were also very special and giving. I could not believe how alike we were. We had so much in common, but what tied us together the most, was our passion for Cuba and its people.

Gallery: Peru

nigelb — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 10:22:00 GMT

Peru

Gallery: Brazil

nigelb — Tue, 6 Nov 2007 12:23:00 GMT

Brazil

Gallery: Uruguay

nigelb — Sun, 4 Nov 2007 09:19:00 GMT

Uruguay

Ecuador

nigelb — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 12:50:00 GMT

Nigel Writes:

Rio Muchacho is an organic farm that practices permaculture and other beneficial techniques. (Organic farming being a method of feeding the soil (eg. via compost), in order to produce higher quality fruit and veg in the absence of chemical fertilisers, pesticides, insectacides, fungacides etc., instead finding more natural solutions to agricultural problems. Permaculture being a system designed by Bill Mollison from Tasmania.

As well as having gardens for farming fruit & veg, from where we picked and ate fresh and tasty organic produce daily, it also has farm animals such as chickens, pigs, horses, guinea pigs, cows and a couple of dogs.

Laura and I chose not only to take classes to understand the practices they employed there, but also to volunteer. This meant we were exposed to and experienced a great variety of things.

A typical day would have us up before sunrise to prepare food and feed the animals and clean out their house / pen etc. The early starts, strong spells and sometimes physically demanding work was quite confronting to us city dwellers at first, but we got used to it and felt some kind of satisfaction from our early morning routine and connection with the animals and nature... After seeing to the animals, we would look forward to our own beakfast, of fresh tropical fruit and granola, (a type of museli).

Later we would either do volunteer work or go to the outdoor classroom (pergola) for some lessons. Volunteer work consisted of digging trenches for water pipes or drainage, hoeing to plant food for the horses, weeding, cutting back the grass with a mechette, carrying river rocks for cementing around bamboo pillars for protection, or splitting and cleaning bamboo for building also with a mechette.

In the lessons we appreciated the role, structure and composition of soil, 4 different types of composting, benefits of planting more than 1 type of plant in close proximity to each other (poly culture instead of monoculture), companion planting, types of plant diseases (presented by a guest speaker), factors influencing plant growth including natural cycles like seasons and the moon, living sustainably and permaculture priciples (also presented by a guest speaker) and the benefits of seed saving amongst many other things! We had some practical time also making a few types of compost, planting lettuce and cabbage.

Food was of course from the organically grown food on the farm with fresh fruit juice. In accordance with permaculture and trying to use everything produced, we used a composting loo, which was used to fertilise plants, (but not the vegies, for our peace of mind).

We watch some DVDs at night which had a HUGE impact on us. The first we saw was called "Power of Community", which looks at what the world faces as world oil prices rise due to peak oil and how Cuba has handled a oil / energy crisis due to the US blockade. The second was called "Biodynamics" which for simplicity's sake is a system similar to permaculture.

We also enjoyed swimming in the river, searching for shrimp, making chocolate (Mm mmm!), coffee and cheese and crafting seeds known as tagua (about the size of a small egg) into necklace pieces or carving mate into natural spoons from the rich supply-house of nature.

Wow - what a time!!!

Laura writes:

The Rio Muchacho farm was a special experience, not only did we get to eat healthy organic food everyday, but the volunteer work we did kept us fit and feeling alive as well as doing something worthwhile for that particular community.

I still remember spending the weekends at the beach in Canoa which we all looked forward to so much after spending Monday to Friday at the farm studying and working. It was a real treat, and even though the weather was always less than favourable (it was overcast up until the last few days of our stay), it did not deter us from getting into the water, especially some of us who were fanatical about surfing!

It was difficult to leave the farm after spending 3 weeks there, especially when we were getting so used to the peace and tranquility, as well as being in such close contact with other people. We did feel the loneliness when we left to continue on our own.

We decided to go to Quito (the capital of Ecuador) where we ended up bumping into quite a few of those that had been with us on the farm. It felt great to see them again and to share experiences and thoughts about our time in Rio Muchacho. There was one particular guy that we had more in common with that we ended up spending most of our time with while we were there.

Our stay in Quito ended up taking 2 weeks instead of a few days as we first thought or planned. This was due to the visa process for Cuba, as that was our next destination. While we were trying to get our tourist visas organised, one of the organisers of the brigade send us an e-mail to let us know that our special brigade visas had already been processed. We didn't need a tourist visa after all. This simplified things for us, as we would have had to change the tourist visas for A6 visas once we were in Cuba as all the brigade participants had these visas. The reason why our case was different, was because we were the only two people that were not arriving in Cuba with the rest of the group.

While we were in Quito, we ended up going on trips to other places and leaving our bags at the hotel we kept coming back to. We ended up going to Otavalo (2 hours north of Quito) as well as Banos (3 or 4 hours south of Quito) which we especially liked. It had been recommended to us by other people at the farm and we were definetely not disappointed. Here we got to experience hot springs which were everywhere around this area, as well as the incredible scenery of mountains and volcanoes. It was the Cotopaxi volcano that we got to see in all its glory as it was active while we were there, throwing a dark volcanic ash that we got to see from a lookout on a mountain ridge. The view was awesome! and we could actually hear it rumbling in the distance, and even more so with an ear to the ground. This area also had lush vegetation due to the fertility of the volcanic soil which is supposed to be of good quality for plant growth.

After picking up our visas from the Cuban consulate, we had to travel back south for our flight to Venezuela out of Lima. Yes, it was back to Lima again by bus! This trip takes around 24 hours, however, we ended up staying in other towns on the way down, not only so that we could get to visti more places, but also because we didn't want to arrive in Lima too early after our previous experience there. Anyway, Lima was not such an exciting city from our point of view, plus, overcast conditions are very, very common there with incredibly thick cloud cover.

Our idea was to take our time getting to Lima, but unfortunately it did not work out that way when we realised we really did not have as much time as we had first thought. We ended up staying in a couple of places, but Riobamba was the place where we had wanted to spend more time and ended up doing so. Riobamba is also the place where you can take the very popular train ride to Nariz del Diablo which is one of the activities we did not want to miss out on.

The ride to Nariz del Diablo was an interesting experience. The province of Riobamba is where most of the indigenous population resides. On this 5 hour trip, we saw a lot of natural beauty, as well as idigenous people working on the fields dressed in their traditional clothing, which were very colourful and really stood out. We also had so many people waving, that our arms almost dropped off waving back. They were very friendly. What we saw, was very unique to us as well as strange to see how in other parts of the world, civilization seems very far away. It gave me a strong feeling of remoteness. This scene did not seem quite real to me, and I can remember thinking that it was like watching a film on T.V or a play in a theatre. What made it seem more real, was that these people were interacting with us. Perhaps they were as curious about us with our cameras and Western clothes as we were about them. I wonder how we might look from their point of view...these Western people travelling on a train and taking photos of them going about their daily routines. I guess it might seem pretty strange and perhaps even a little intimidating. I suppose if I was in their shoes I would be quite annoyed, however, I am a Westerner after all no matter how much I dislike that fact and perhaps we see things differently to these more humble people, due to the kind of environment we live in which is more individualistic and selfish.

Another highlight on our way to Nariz del Diablo, was the stops the train made in some towns. At two of the train stops, we got out and had the opportunity to check out the very colourful crafts, weavings, alpaca clothing such as jumpers, gloves, hats, scarfs etc. and to buy straight from the indigenous people selling them. These markets were quite a unique sight as well, with local people everywhere buying from the markets as well as the tourists.

Our arrival in Nariz del Diablo was perhaps a little disapointing for me. Perhaps due to the lack of green and lush vegetation that I might have expected to see at this location, especially after having travelled to places with better mountain views than what this area provided (eg. Switzerland), however, the altitute of these mountains were pretty incredible and especially getting to see it from a train at the very top.

To get back to Riobamba, we were given the option of taking the train back which meant another 5 or 6 hours, or exsiting the train at one of the towns and catching a local bus which only took between 1 and 2 hours. We took the second option, as by that stage we were a little tiered and the train ride back was more expensive than the bus.

The bus ride was also interesting as the bus was packed with indigenous people and there were only us and another couple that were foreigners.

The next day after our trip to Nariz del Diablo we booked a trip to the Chimborazo volcano which included a drive up to around 4,000m in altitute (to the top of the volcano it is around 6,000m) and then biking downhill. It was a freezing experience to say the least, with very low temperatures and snow. We had to take short breaks from the bike riding to warm ourselves in the car with the heater, as our hands and feet were totally frozen! It was an interesting experience anyway, and as Nigel and I were the only ones booked on this trip, we also got to know our Ecuadorian guide and had some interesting and informative conversations. We learned things from him and he from us.

Even though we were supposed to get back in daylight, we ended up arriving back at our hotel at night, as due to the conditions and the long conversations, we had taken longer breaks than what had been planned for our biking. Also, our guide lost his binoculars at one of the villages where he had dropped us off to do part of our riding where we also crossed paths with many indigenous people, including kids riding donkeys. When our guide realised that his binoculars were no longer in the car, we had to back track to find them. It was lucky that he remembered the spot where he thought he had last used them, and it was around that area that we found them, even though it did not prove to be an easy task, as by this stage, it was pitch black. Our guide had been quite worried as with so many locals passing through the area, he feared someone would have found them first.

The next day after our bike trip, we took the bus and continued on our journey back south. We passed a few towns on the way out of Ecuador and I felt a little disappointed that we had not had more time to explore Ecuador a little more. It was however an interesting bus trip out of Riobamba with awesome views, especially passing through the Andean mountain ranges. When we finally crossed over the border into Peru, it felt kind of strange to be back after spending 4 or 5 weeks in Ecuador as this had been the first time we had back tracked in this way to catch a flight.

Gallery: Treviso & Venice (Italy)

nigelb — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 09:36:00 GMT

Treviso & Venice (Italy)

Peru

nigelb — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 02:57:00 GMT

Nigel´s Prelude:

Peru is home to a mysterious land and culture that had a great impact on us, both in a negative and positive way; but mostly the latter. Therefore we have written a relatively large amount about our unique experiences there. We hope you are able to take the time to read it...

Laura writes:

Arrival in Lima:

Our arrival in Lima was not a pleasant experience and in fact, fairly scary. We arrived at Lima airport from Sao Paulo at around 11.00 pm. At the arrivals hall the taxi drivers pursued us from all directions. This was very disturbing, especially at the time of night when we were very tired and just wanted a bed to sleep on. Unfortunately we had not reserved a hostel before arriving which made us more vulnerable to the taxi drivers who were also offering us places to stay. (Apparently they get a commission for taking tourists to particular hotels.). One guy was especially persistent and we kept trying to shake him off. We thought we had finally got rid of him when we told him we were going upstairs to the food court for a bite to eat but after eating and ringing around for accommodation, we went back down to find him waiting. We told him we were not interested and eventually he got the message.

By this stage it was approximately 2.00 am and we negotiated with another taxi driver to take us to our accommodation. We suspected something strange was happening when we were walking further from the airport with no sign of the taxi. We questioned him about it and his response was that the taxi was outside the gate because he could not enter the airport with the taxi (something like that). We put our bags into the boot but then when we got into the taxi, the guy who had pursued us inside the airport was behind the wheel. Out of nowhere, another guy appeared and between the 3 of them they started discussing / negotiating. By this stage we were pretty scared and what made things worse was that we could not understand what all the discussion was about. All this set alarm bells ringing and we told them we wanted to get out. When they tried to convince us otherwise we repeated ourselves more forcefully and started to make our way out of the taxi. Nigel opened the back door, but then the taxi started moving off slowly with the guy who had picked us up standing between open front and back doors, consequently being hit by the rear one that Nigel was opening to get out. We yelled at the taxi driver to stop repetitively until it did so. Nigel got out and went to the boot, but no-one appeared and so he started yelling for them to open the boot. I sat back down in the back seat with my legs hanging out of the taxi thinking that this would make them more hesitant to take off but once again they attempted to drive off. When no-one appeared after what seemed like a long time (20 seconds), Nigel raised his arm and was about to either make a dent in the boot or just hit it to make a very loud sound, and it was at this point that finally someone appeared with a key and opened the boot. Once we got our gear and started to make our way straight back to the airport, we heard the taxi take off in a great hurry and we walked very quickly back to the airport. On our way back, Nigel noticed that we were being followed, but didn’t recognize the person as being one of the men from the taxi. We made it through the airport doors to where there was plenty of light and police / security officers and immediately felt safer.

We were badly shaken by the ordeal! We did not want to make the same mistake again, therefore we went to the information desk to find out what taxi services were reliable or if there was a shuttle bus at that time of morning. They pointed us in the right direction and we found a registered shuttle taxi or bus that was due to leave in more that half an hour. Even though we had to pay more for this service, we thought our safety was definitely more important. It was then that we saw 2 or 3 signs warning people of the dangers of using unregistered taxi services.

While we were in the process of organising the taxi service, a man in uniform approached us and asked if we wanted to make a formal complaint about our ordeal, but at this point we didn’t know who to trust. He showed us his ID, but we still had our doubts whether it was genuine or fake. He gave us our space and I asked at the shuttle bus if he was really a police officer and worked at the airport. She told us that he did work at the airport and was a police officer, so we decided to report the incident and followed him to the Police station where there were other officers.

Apparently they had witnessed us walking out of the airport with the taxi driver and saw us walking back to the airport again looking very nervous and agitated and presumably it had been reported to them by the person that followed us back to the airport.

Anyway, after that experience, we will try not to make the same mistake again, however, it is easier said than done as every country is different and being aware of all the dangers of all the countries we are visiting, is not always easy, but at least our Lonely Planet guide warns about some of these dangers.

Cusco:

After spending 24 hours in Lima we were glad to leave this city. Arriving in Cusco was a strange experience for Nigel and I as we became so emotional that we struggled to hold back tears. Perhaps this was due to Cusco being such a spiritual place with its many Inca temples and such a high population of indigenous people that it may have a unique energy / vibration. I guess that the Andean music that was being played live by an indigenous group also added to the experience.

Well Cusco was a very good experience for us. It is here that for 3 weeks we became part of the community so to speak. Especially since we were not here just for the tourism, but also for Nigel to learn some Spanish, and me, well I found a course in silver jewellery making that I took part in during the same hours that Nigel was in Spanish school. After class we got to see some of the closer sights around Cusco, such as the ruins of Sachsyhuaman, museums and a live show with all the indigenous dances of this and other areas. On the weekends we ventured further out to the sacred Valley which included other ruins in Pisaq, Chinchero, Urumbamba and Ollantaytambo. Ollantaytambo is also the place where people catch the train to Machu Pichu. The ruins at Ollyantaytambo were especially impressive and the most impacting. It was an awesome sight and the village surrounding the ruins was also incredible and unique with it´s small artesian gift shops and the cute cafes and restaurants at the base of the Inca ruins. These ruins could also be seen from any position in the valley due to their size as well as being spread all over the mountainside. It was also incredible to see the faces on the rocks that had been carved out by the Incas. We also got to see the granaries where they kept their crops and the temples used for rituals and ceremonies.

Nigel and I visited these ruins on 2 occasions. The first time was on a tour of all 5 or 6 sites in the Sacred Valley with our more economical tourist ticket, however, this trip was so rushed (typical of these tours!) that we decided to go back to Ollantaytambo on our own with time to take it all in and really contemplate.

It was then that we did a hike up to the mountain top where there were no other tourists around, (a real pleasure!), and sat on a rock in the silence next to one of the Inca ruins where ceremonies used to take place. We really got to appreciate and take it all in this time. We also got to appreciate traveling on a public bus amongst the locals. This was an experience in itself.

Puno/Lake Titicaca:

In Puno, we got to see and experience one of the floating islands that Lake Titicaca is well known for. My first impression was that this island was a stage in a theatre and the locals with their colourful traditional clothing the actors. It looked too different to what I’ve ever seen before for it to be real. I had seen these islands on TV in the past, but to see it right in front of my eyes was a totally different experience.

These islands are made with a particular type of reed that is very strong. This is why it is also used by the community for the construction and use in many ways. For example, their large canoes, (it takes 2 month to build one), as well as the construction of houses and the souvenirs for tourists. Walking on this floating platform was a strange experience as it felt like we were sinking when walking on the reeds.

The livelihood of these indigenous people used to be fishing but as a consequence of commercial fishing, the fish are no longer abundant and now they have to resort to selling tapestries and other souvenirs to the tourists that come to visit them.

While on this floating island, we also had a ride on one of their typical reed canoes. It was only a short distance between 2 floating islands, but it was very soothing, relaxing and a unique experience. The lake was very glassy and serene. It was the ideal conditions to take it all in.

The most rewarding experience however, was an overnight stay on one of the islands, with a local family of indigenous people.

Here, the group we were traveling with got divided into groups of 2 or 3 and a family was selected for each small group. These families were all waiting for us on the dock as we arrived on our small boat.

Lake Titicaca was an awesome sight from this island, especially from the top of the mountain side we climbed shortly after the meeting we all had shortly after our arrival on the island. On top of this mountain, there was an Inca temple with magnetic energy that effected compasses. According to our guide, this site was of scientific interest and studies had already being carried out.

Even though we had been told to meet our host families at the base of this mountain at 6.00 pm, Nigel and I got carried away contemplating the sunset from a family run café at the ruins, that was serving hot chocolate and what must have been Peruvian style donuts (delicious!). When we realized everyone had disappeared and that it was 6.00 pm we began making our way down the tricky path. We were very lucky that we had taken our torch, as the island was in total darkness, except for the lightning in the sky of what seemed to be an approaching storm. The experience was a little eerie! especially whenever I remembered that we were walking in the area that we were told had a strange energy and power.

We were met half way to the house by someone carrying another torch who we later realized was our host and he accompanied us back to the house safely. Finding the house on our own may not have been that easy, as there were no clear tracks, the paths were over uneven terrain and the houses far apart from each other.

That night, the locals organised a welcoming traditional dance with Andean music for us. Before the party, our host family came into our room to dress us up in their traditional dress. We all had a good laugh seeing each other dressed in this way, including the 2 girls that were also part of our group (one from Holland and the other Peruvian), that were sleeping in the room next to ours.

That night the dance was a lot of fun as well as interesting. One of the things that appealed to me the most was the communal style of dancing that took place. Here everyone danced together. Not like we are used to dancing in the West where everyone dances alone, this was much more enjoyable and sociable. It was also very energetic and joyful as well as interesting to be dancing with the locals that were all indigenous.

There was a very special feel and uniqueness to this place. There was also something very special about sitting outside to watch the stars, which could be seen very clearly in the night sky, especially at that altitude (3,800 m). The sounds of our environment as well as the Andean music playing in the background, brought home not only the remoteness of where we were, but also the uniqueness of this place and its people in the Peruvian Andes. Another aspect about staying with an indigenous family was that we got to observe and experience how willing and eager these people were to show and share their lives and customs with total strangers. Unfortunately, I felt that spending only one night was not long enough to get a real sense of this place and to learn more about this community, but at the same time, I am very grateful for what I did get to experience. It was unique to say the least!

Machu Pichu:

Well, Machu Pichu which we did on the following weekend after Puno was another unforgettable experience. We again departed our home stay in Cusco to experience yet another adventure.

This trip to Machu Pichu was a mystery to Nigel and I. Even though we had organized it through one of the teachers at the school where Nigel studied Spanish, we had not had the chance to clarify all the details. All we knew was that we were going with a small group of people, (it turned out to be around 24) that there was some walking involved and that we were going to be stopping for 3 nights in 3 different locations.

The first surprise was when we were put on a bus full of locals by 2 of the staff of the travel agency that the teacher had organized the trip through, but hey… we were the only ones of the group that were on the bus! It was explained to us in a great rush as the bus was due to leave, that the rest of the group was already at the first destination (Santa Maria), as they had arrived that morning. Why were we leaving at 8.00 pm then?! We later realized that it must have been organized this way so that Nigel wouldn’t miss his last Spanish class. According to what we understood in those short few minutes was that our guide would be waiting for us when we arrived at 2.00 am. This also made no sense to us. He would be waiting at the bus stop at 2.00 in the morning? Come on, get real! We were also given a sealed yellow envelope which we were told to give to our guide, as well as an extra bus ticket which we thought was just a mistake and got close to throwing out the window…

The next surprise was when we were woken up by a friendly guy. Who the hell was this? I thought he was trying to sell us something as this was a frequent occurrence on buses, but to wake us up for this purpose!? This was unusual. No, apparently this was the guide that we thought was going to meet us at Santa Maria at 2.00 in the morning. Obviously we hadn’t understood this minor detail. After a quick run down of what was planned and an explanation that we would travel with a group of South Korean students, he asked for the envelope and the ticket. Hey, where was the extra bus ticket? We finally found it and handed it over to him just in time to stop the conductor from throwing him off the bus!

One of the things we noticed on this bus trip was the significant difference in temperature and humidity compared to Cusco. (Cusco is very, very dry.) It seemed that the climate was more tropical here. The vegetation was also evidence of that as it was very lush and tropical.

We finally arrived at our destination and got off feeling very disorientated and tired. What made things more difficult and challenging was that this town seemed to be in the middle of nowhere and the small streets were also very dark at this time of morning. Once more, out torch saved us. We stopped walking to knock on the door of a very simple and rundown hostel, but there was no answer. Did they know we were coming? After persistent knocking by our guide, and to my great relief, someone answered. Well apparently some of our group was sleeping here, and the other part somewhere else in the area. We continued to navigate through the dark streets of the town, but because there did not seem to be any street names or house numbers, finding this place was no easy task. I remember thinking… thank god this guide has accompanied us here, as without him, we would have been totally lost. He was having quite a bit of trouble himself though. Our guide actually mentioned that the travel agency had asked him to come along with us for this same reason. The heat and humidity had not helped the situation, especially when we were dead tired and desperate to go to bed, so we were very relieved when we finally found the place.

We had to get up around 6.30 am (it was around 4.00 am when we went to sleep!) That did not sound good, especially knowing that we had a 8 hour walk ahead of us, and needed all the energy we could get. Well we were not too happy when at around 6.00 am we were woken up and told we needed to be ready in 10 minutes! Apparently the rest of the group was waiting. Well, we didn’t even get a chance to go to the toilet as one of the other guides (there were 4 or 5 guides total) were hurrying us along.

It was while having breaky before the walk (the rest of the group had already had theirs), that we discovered that our house mate (Daniel) who was also staying at the same family home we were staying at in Cusco, was one of the people in our group. This came as a great surprise, because as far as we knew, even though he had told us he was going to Machu Pichu the same weekend as us, we thought he was going on a different and longer tour to ours that also included one day of mountain biking. As we found out later, it was the same tour, only that we had missed out on the cycling as we had arrived so much later than the rest of the group. According to Daniel and other people in the group, the cycling had not been an enjoyable experience as they had had to cycle in complete darkness in less than favourable conditions, and some had even thought it dangerous.

By the time Nigel and I finished breakfast, the rest of the group had already left. We finally caught up with them approximately one and a half hours later.

The first day of walking was very intense, as not only was it a long walk, but the terrain was also very steep for prolonged periods of time. On this day we made 3 food and 2 drink stops on the way. The locations where we stopped were an experience in themselves to me. These stops were made in villagers` private homes along the Inca Trail, (not the more popular and longer Inca Trail, but an alternative, shorter route). To Nigel and I, this was very different to what we were used to back home when bushwalking. To actually be invited into people’s homes for a rest, drinks and food just added to the whole experience of this incredible place. These homes were also very different, including their immediate environment. The houses were very rustic with simple constructions, some made of what looked to be mud brick. The resting area was usually outdoors, and in two of the homes, they had chickens and other game running around freely which was good to see and off course, with great views as well! These people apparently take this opportunity to sell their goods to trekkers, even though at the first place we stopped at, there were no set prices for most of the things they offered, as it was through donations (bananas which were growing everywhere, a special Andean drink made of a specific type of red corn etc.), while other items such as coffee grains, chocolate, bottled water, special muesli bars were sold. This food and drink were very, very welcomed after a two hour uphill climb! We drank as much food and liquid as our bodies needed. I must have been fairly dehydrated, as after so much drinking, the dizziness I had been experiencing, was relieved. The lack of sleep had definitely not helped.

After another hour or so of walking , we arrived at our second stop for that day. Again, our hosts offered more bottled drinks, and we sat around for a short while and admired the views of the surrounding mountains as well as the vegetation. No snacks or other food was offered at this second stop. We arrived for lunch in another town a couple of hours later. This was another incredible little place amonst lush vegetation. Here, our lunch was included in the price of our 3 day trek, (all meals and accomodation were included). A very long table was set up for our group and we ate and rested for a while to regain our energy. Something that stood our to me here was the kitchen that was practically outdoors and did not have walls all around. It also had a thached roof. The chickens were running around freely here as well and we also saw some visitors (perhaps from Europe) that looked like they had taken permanent residence at this property (I could understand why!). Being in this place gave me the feeling once again of being in the jungle in a remote and unique part of the planet. Of course, I could imagine that in the Amazon jungle this feeling would have been a lot stronger, but for me living in Australia, this came pretty close.

After lunch, we continued our journey, this time for approximately 3 hours. What made this stretch easier was the thermal spring that awaited us like an oasis at the end of the road, one hour before arriving at our final stop for that night. Everyone was looking forward to bathing and relaxing in those pools. It felt it was like our reward for all the effort we had put in. As I said before...the oasis at the end of the road.

We walked along the river for a while and had to cross a suspension bridge. When we were about 20 minutes from the springs, we had to use a flying fox to get to the other side where the trail continued. This was another highlight of our walk. Some were excited and others a little apprehensive. The flying fox was around 120 M in length with a fairly high drop. According to one of our many guides, there were many flying foxes like this one around, which the local people used to get from one side of these cliffs to the other. The flying foxes were apparently the only way accross.

Well, arriving at the springs was a great feeling. It didn´t take long before everyone was in the water. I got into the pools in my underwear, as I had forgotten my bathers in the larger backpack that had been taken straight to the place we were staying for the night, but after such a long walk I wasn´t about to miss out, no way! At the springs, we were given 2 options, we could stay 2 hours if we were taking the minivan to our accomodation, or stay a shorter amount of time and walk the remaining 1 hour. Most of the people almost without exception went for the 1st option and stayed longer.

Our second night was spent in a pretty little town called Santa Teresa. Our accomodation was again very simple and rustic, but this was part and parcel of the whole experience to me, and made the trip the more interesting. No hot showers here!

That night, I started feeling a little upset in the stomach and by morning I wasn´t eating anything. I did not have much energy to walk. There were several people that were not up to walking either; some due to lactic acid build up and others fatigue or pure lazziness. Nigel decided to walk the rest of the way, whereas I took the easier option of a mini van ride along with the other "sick" and "injured" for the last 3 hours of the walk. We were taken to the lunch spot where we were supposed to meet up with the rest of the group and waited there for quite a while with one of the guides. At least we got to enjoy a performance by one of the South Korean guys who was travelling with us and had brought along his electric guitar and amplifier. He was an excellent player!

Once the group arrived, lunch was served (I could not eat a thing again) and then we started walking once again. This time we had no choice as everyone had to walk. Our larger backpacks travelled on the train with one of the guides to our final destination for the trip which was Aguas Calientes. From this town, the plan was to walk up to the Machu Pichu ruins (1 to 2 hour walk) at 4.00 AM the next morning.

The walk to Aguas Calientes was 3 hours from where we had stopped for lunch. The scenery on this part of the walk was different to the 1st day. In this area, the vegetation was even more lush, denser, greener with crop plantations including Babana trees. It was unfortunate that we did not get to enjoy the scenery as much as we would have liked due to the fact that for the whole 3 hours, we had to walk along the railway track and had to be looking down at the ground all the way, due to the irregularity of the spaces between the sleepers as well as the rocks that were not easy to walk on either. Nigel, after seeing a dog walking by on the rail, decided to try it out with much success. This allowed him to walk a little faster and more comfortably. Unfortunately it did not work for me and one of the other guys who tried to do the same. We were very disappointed! At one stage, one of the guides warned us that one of the trains was scheduled to pass through and when we heard it coming, we quickly got off the railway track to let it pass.

We finally made it to Aguas Calientes by late afternoon. This town, even though it was very unique, I was surprised to find it was not what I had imagined. It was very touristy with people everywhere. There were many restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops, a market and the railway track in the middle of it all. It looked very different to anything I had seen before. The river was a feature that also stood out in this landscape. This river is very long and stretches all the way to Ollyantantambo near Cusco. I guess the mental picture I had formed, was of a place off the beaten track that had a natural hot spring and very serene with many indigenous people in their traditional clothing. Perhaps at one point in time in the past, it may have looked like this, but the picture I saw was very different, not unattractive at all as it did have it´s appeal, but different all the same.

Our accommodation for the night was of a pretty good standard when compared to the places we had stayed in the previous couple of nights, we even had hot water! The only thing that took a little getting used to, was the fact that we had to share the room with one of the other guys in our group that had joined us more recently who was from Holland. All I can say is that it was an interesting night!!

After getting up at around 4.00 AM the next morning as planned, we set off on our last part of the journey which was the uphill climb, up to Machu Pichi (1 - 2 hours). It was still dark at this time which added to the whole experience, as it made the journey a little more mystical and mysterious for me.

The climb up was not an easy one, as it was incredibly steep all the way, but definitely worth it, not only because of the beautiful views, but also because Nigel & I felt that to get to this magical place had to take some effort. This was part of the whole experience. We felt that if we had taken the bus up, the journey would have lost some of its magic. This felt more like a pilgrimage to me, and after walking for 3 days, I would not have got much out of arriving at our final destination on a bus.

We finally made it to the top and after passing through the main entrance, we were amongst the ruins. It was very foggy at this time of the morning, so much so, that the only ruins we could see were the ones we were walking through. Our guide explained that the fog usually lifts by 9.00 to 10.00 AM. It did just that, however, while the fog was around it added to the special feel of the place. Once the fog did disappear, all was definitely revealed! We first viewed the ruins from a height while our guide spoke about the Incas, the significance of this sacred site etc. Later, we weaved our way through the ruins while our guide continued to explain.

We had been to other Inca sites in Peru, including those in Ollyantaytambo, but nothing compared to these ones. The altitude of the surrounding mountains around the ruins added tremendously to its appeal. It was also unbelievable to see how far these ruins extended. It was an incredible sight. Seeing this place with my own 2 eyes was very different to seeing it on television. However, somehow, the journey was more memorable than the destination. I think the reason for this is that the 3 day walk was a personal challenge as I didn´t know what to expect or what I was going to see and experience from one moment to the next, whereas, Machu Pichu is familiar to us all. Another factor was the disappointment that after the effort put in to get to Machu Pichu, (walking for 3 days), the first contact with this place is a car park full of other tourists and buses, and that before you see anything at all, you have to line up at the enterance and pay just like the rest of the crowd. It is not a place you are discovering for the 1st time, but rather a sacred site that is overcrowded and overexploited.

While we were studying in Cusco, we were told of other ruins that had been discovered more recently and that to get to them it was a lot more challenging than Machu Pichu. Now, this sounded very interesting! It was a shame that we didn´t have more time available while we were there. This would have satisfied my sense of adventure to a much greater extent. This element is something that I have constantly been seeking on this 1 year trip, and even though it has been partially fulfilled by the experiences Nigel and I have had in the last 7 months, my thirst for adventure has not been fully fullfilled.

From Aguas Calientes, we travelled to Ollyantaytambo by train with the group and then took a minibus back to Cusco. After our 3 and a half weeks stay in this great place, our time was up and we flew back to Lima the next morning.

Lima to Tumbes in the North (by bus):

We didn´t stay in Lima and as soon as we arrived at the airport, we took a taxi to the bus terminal to continue our journey up North.

We travelled along the Peruvian coast (Trujillo, Chiclayo, Piura & Tumbes) up to Ecuador, except for the diversion we made inland to Cajamarca from Chiclayo which was a great experience, especially the visit to the Porcón community.

Cajamarca was similar to Cusco in appearance, especially the cobblestone streets and the colonial architecture. This place was where the last Inca chief was captured. The Spanish demanded ransom for his freedom. Even though the ransom room was filled with gold, they betrayed and killed him. Cajamarca has the oldest colonial architecture, as it was the first place the Spanish conquered in Peru.

While in Cajamarca, I had read about the Porcón community in our Lonely Planet guide and was very enthusiastic about visiting this farm of indigenous people who were making it all on their own without anyone´s help. A completely self sufficient community. These people had started off as slaves and ended up being pretty well off as a community with their own laws and decision making. The main source of income for these people is tourism, (they even have their own animal reserve), the pine timber which they grow and sell to the rest of Peru and the furniture weavings and other crafts that they even export overseas. Cheese was also another of their specialties which include secret recepies.

I was absolutely delighted by this community, not only was what they had achieved admirable, but it was a great experience to see these indigenous people still wearing their traditional clothing and practicing traditional customs.

Here in the community , we stayed in the guest house which included 4 rooms, a huge dinning room / living room with a fireplace and much more, and all this was just for the 2 of us, as there were no other visitors staying on the farm at that time.

Another highlight of our stay on this farm was the horse riding. It was also a good experience having an indigenous guide with us, who even picked some medicinal plants for Nigel to take for his digestive problems during our walk around the bridge of the Incas.

From Cajamarca, we continued up the coast of Peru and made a stop in Piura and Tumbes, very close to the Ecuadorian Border.

This is where our 4 week adventure in Peru ends and our journey through Ecuador and back begins...

Brazil

nigelb — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 09:42:00 GMT

Laura writes:

Well, Brazil was very enjoyable, especially after spending the coldest Winter in 48 years in Uruguay! It was a real pleasure to experience the warmer weather and beautiful beaches.

We travelled on a long distance bus from Montevideo to Sao Paulo where we arrived at 3.00am. At the Rodoviaria (bus terminal) in Sao Paulo we waited to 6.00am to take another bus to our first destination which was Rio de Jenairo. All up it was a 36 hour trip. In Rio we stayed 3 nights and then headed to a cheaper and more relaxing town a couple of hours north of Rio. We stayed in a town called Peró, in the department of Cabo Frio. Even though this place had a strong, unpleasant and constant wind blowing, it felt a lot safer than Sao Paulo or Rio and the town also had a distinct character, with cute houses and interesting people. The youth hostel was also ideal to get away from it all. Not only was it set on a huge piece of land with alot of privacy and nice vegetation, but it was also only 500 M from a popular and very pretty beach, with cafés and restaurants along the waters edge. It was very different to anything we had seen before, as beach chairs and umbrellas belonging to each restaurant decorated the waters edge with a rainbow of different colours. The lively Brazillian music played in each café also added to the lively atmosphere.

The owners of the youth hostel also added to the whole experience. Due to this couples more personal touch with their guests, we felt this was our home away from home and not just another youth hostel.

We spent approx 7 days in Pero and even though we had an invitation from the owner to join her, her husband and some other youth hostel owners, to go north to Bahia, (1,200 kms) with them, we decided it was too expensive, as well as too out of our way considering we had to return to Sao Paulo in 4 to 5 days time to take our flight to Peru.

Following Carmem´s (the youth hostel´s owner) recomendations, we decided to leave 4 days earlier and head south to Isla Grande & Patatí which were on our way to Sao Paulo.

We had to travel from Cabo Frio, back to Rio to catch another bus to Angra Dos Reis and then head to the dock to catch the 3:30 pm ferry, (the only ferry for the day), to Isla Grande. Well, easier said than done! We ended up missing the ferry and joining up with 2 North American guys on a passenger boat that was more expensive, but well worth it, as it was a very nice sail boat.

We arrived at Isla Grande at night, and after saying goodbye to these very intelligent guys (not your typical Yanks!) we had to find the youth hostel we had already booked.

Getting off the boat at around 7.00 pm, and being tired, cold and lost was not a nice feeling, especially when we still needed to find our accomodation. After asking around at the pier, one guy introduced us to another guy, who worked at this particular hostel. We were lucky to find him, as finding this place would have been challenging to say the least.

We spent 3 nights here, and loved it so much so that I regreted not leaving Cabo Frio a few days earlier. The island was very unique. The streets were all sand and the shops, restaurants and houses were all different to those in other islands I had been to in the past.

One of the things that struck or surprised Nigel and I were the catholic masses that were held every single night. At one particular church, they would sing together, but the music was very different to the usual church choirs. This was more African style music and it was very impacting and beautiful to listen to. The voices were also of a very high standard. It is surprising how religious Brazillians are and churches are found absolutely everywhere! It is actually one of the buildings most commonly seen.

After leaving the island, we spent 1 night in Paratí, also very unique in style to the other places we had visited in Brazil. Paratí was actually one of the first settlements of the Portuguese colonisations and it has retained it´s destinct Portuguese architecture, cobblestone streets, and artesinal shops with a variety of crafts and paintings.

After Paratí we reached Sao Paulo again after a 6 hour trip and met up with my uncle´s brother and family. This was also a great experience, and it was also good to see some familiar faces once again. I had seen Alfonso and his family in Uruguay on 2 or 3 occasions when both them and I had been visiting. They were very happy to see us, and even their children, who were now teenagers (the last time I had seen them they were only little kids). They were also incredibly warm towards me and Nigel.

Well, Brazil was a special experience, not only because of it´s beauty, but also because of the people we met while travelling. We had not met as many people anywhere else on our travels and this human contact made the experience a lot more rewarding and fulfulling.

The only challenge was the language, but since Spanish and Portuguese are so similar, understanding each other was easier than what I thought it would be.

Gallery: Zell Am See (Austria)

nigelb — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 11:59:00 GMT

Zell Am See (Austria)

Gallery: Vevey (Switzerland)

nigelb — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 08:32:00 GMT

Gallery: Sitges & Barcelona (Spain)

nigelb — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 03:07:00 GMT

Uruguay

nigelb — Thu, 24 May 2007 04:13:00 GMT

Laura writes:

Well, to some it up, Uruguay was a very cold experience. The coldest winter in 48 years in fact. We had average temperatures of 3 to 9 degrees during the day. The average temps around June and July have always been around 15 during the day with lower temps only at night. What definetely didn´t help was the windy and overcast conditions which occured often during our stay. The whole thing was unusual, but well... the changes in climate are happening world-wide. In fact, we were told that the Gold Coast had the coldest temperatures on record this Winter, Wow!

It was good to see my relatives again after 10 years. It´s funny, but things don´t seem to change all that much in all those years. One of the things that did change and I found a little difficult to deal with was that my grandma was no longer there at the house (she passed away a few years ago), nor my uncle on my father´s side of the family who passed away more recently. It´s a strange feeling living so far away from family as you really get to experience the death of a family member only when you get back there and they are no longer there. It doesn´t quite register until then.

The other change was that my cousins had all got married and moved away from home. This was also a little difficult to deal with as they now had their own families, work and other commitments and were rarely available to go out with us, so we ended up going out more with my aunty and uncle.

The highlight of our 3 month stay in Uruguay was that Nigel got to meet my relatives and they got to meet him. They all absolutely loved him! They often made comments about what a fantastic person he is etc...etc... Nigel also learned more Spanish by being exposed to so many people speaking Spanish around him, even though we were surprised how many people could speak some English, including family members. My cousin´s wife can speak almost perfectly as she has worked for an American company for many years.

Even though we got to do very little tourism while in Uruguay as the weather did not permit it most of the time. We did get to spend a few days in Punta Del Este which is the most popular beach resort in Uruguay as well as amongst Argentinians (mainly from Buenos Aires) who own most of the luxury houses there! This of course does not make some people happy, especially now that there are conflicts between the two countries over the paper mill plants that the Uruguayan government has opened recently, but I guess that´s another story.

Even though Punta del Este was very quiet at the time we were there, we practically had the whole place to ourselves and therefore we got to relax and wind down, especially from the intensity of my uncle and aunty´s place which can get very busy and frantic (they enjoy entertaining very much as they are very sociable people). We were also very lucky that during the days we were there, the weather was a little milder than what it had been before then.

Anyway, Urugay was good in the sense that we received a lot of love and attention, as my uncle and aunty are very caring. They always made sure we had everything we needed, even to the extent of providing all the food for us as there was no way they allowed us to buy our own food. At times we had to sneak out of the house to buy a few things without them knowing! Not easy.

Well, we are going back to Uruguay at the end of January, so the weather will be a lot more enjoyable and we´ll get to do a lot more tourism this time. My aunty and uncle love the beach, so I´m sure we will be doing a lot of that, as well as going to Colonia and perhaps even las Termas (hot water springs) that we never got to visit while we were there. Also we will be there during carnival, which is always a big highlight of the year for the whole of South America as things get very lively. Anyway that is the plan after visiting Cuba.

Treviso & Venice (Italy)

nigelb — Sat, 19 May 2007 07:43:00 GMT

Laura Writes:

Well, our last stop in Europe was Treviso (Italy) approximately 100 kilometros from Venice.

Dad drove from Austria to Treviso on a warm and sunny day. The trip took around 5 or 6 hours, but it was an interesting journey through very picturesque villages and with great views of the snow capped mountains all around us.

Treviso was a great place to stay and like Venice, it was full of historical buildings such as churches and other buildings dating back to approximately the 13th and 14th century. The narrow roads still had their original coble stones. The buildings were constucted with arches and walking along the footpaths was very unique as it felt like you were walking through tunnels. On some of the walls and ceilings ancient paintings were still visible.

Nigel and I caught a train on a couple of occasions to Venice, once with Mum and the second time by ourselves. The train trip only took around 45 minutes and the cost of the tickets were pretty reasonable.

Venice was different and not like any other place I have ever been to. The first day we went to Venice, we got caught up in looking at the souvenirs in the many shops on our way to the main plaza. We were quite surprised when we realised that several hours had gone by while walking through the many streets, it was like walking through a labyrinth!

After spending so much time walking and looking at the houses and unique "streets", exploring the Palace and taking photos, we regreted not having made the time to take a ride on a Gondola. This would have given us another perspective of the channels than the perspective we got walking the streets. It would have been a unique experience not possible anywhere else in the world...

The climate in that part of Italy was quite warm, as we had temperatures around 28 celcius and it was a great Spring feeling in the air with the locals enjoying the great outdoors and eating a lot of ice-cream! The ice-cream shop was very popular to say the least and it was open until midnight every night. It was hard to go to sleep since the ice-cream shop was just across the street from where we were staying.

Anyway, this part of Italy was a nice experience and different to anywhere else we have been in the world.

Gallery: Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

nigelb — Wed, 16 May 2007 05:30:00 GMT

Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

Gallery: Krabi and islands

nigelb — Wed, 16 May 2007 04:36:00 GMT

Krabi and islands

Zell Am See (Austria)

nigelb — Sun, 6 May 2007 03:25:00 GMT

Laura Writes:

From Vevey, the four of us took a train to Zell Am See. This was an eight hour trip and we had to change trains three times. It was our first long distance train trip. Up to this point we had taken trains in Spain, but this was the longest. The trains were also different to the previous ones.

The trip was very enjoyable, as we got to see some incredible scenery such as snow capped mountains, rivers and lakes, typical Bavarian style houses, old churches on hill sides etc. This made up for not getting to see all that much in Switzerland due to the bad weather. It was also great to have a compartment just for the two of us for quite a long part of the journey on one of the trains (my parents had a Euro train pass, so they went in first class). What was also interesting about these trains, which we had observed in Spain for the first time, was the speed (from 250 to 500km per hour). We were both pretty impressed!

Well, we are still in Austria after spending almost two weeks here, however, we are leaving tomorrow for Troviso in Italy, which is very close to Venice. We will be driving there and it will take around 4 hours. It should be an interesting trip, however I'm really reluctant to leave this house with all its comforts.

The house we've been staying in is absolutely incredible, and it is more like a palace than a house. The house also has three floors with furniture dating back 300 to 400 years (we are afraid to touch anything!), a chandelier and great paintings. All this has apparently been passed down from generation to generation. A special feature of the house is the second dinning room which is very unique. This dinning room has a natural stone wall protruding inside the room. This wall was left there as a mistake was made when cutting through the rock to level out the land. Apparently, more rock should have been cleared to allow enough room for the construction of the back rooms of the house, however, it was decided that it would be left untouched and has become a feature of this dinning area, the cellar and the games room. It is very effective. It also has a great atmosphere, especially when candles are placed on the wall crevices and lit in the darkened room. Nigel and I even have our own seperate area on the ground floor of the house with a kitchenette, bathroom with a spa bath, television and bar.

While in Austria, we have been to visit the Hohenwerfen fortress of the higher clergy. This dates back to the 11th century. Unfortunately most of the fortress was only accessible with a seperate tour which we did not take, but we did get to see the falconry museum and a falcon flight performance which was impressive, especially seeing the falcons, giant owls and eagles flying so close to us.

We also crossed the border into Germany a couple of times, once to Munich and the second time to Koeningssee lake where we took an electric boat to another part of the shore line which had walking tracks, yellow spring flowers everywhere and typical Bavarian houses as well as a church from the 12th or 13th century which looked very impressive.

Yesterday we went to Salzburg (the birth place of Mozart) and even though we arrived a little late to go into the museums, residences etc. we did enjoy walking around and getting a sense of the place. We also went into a very old cemetary in the church grounds which also had a catacomb dating back to 1027. This was was facinating but kind of eerie at the same time.

The highlight and my favorite trip was to an ice cave (the Eisriesenwelt) which is the world's largest ice cave (approximately 1 km in length), with formations created by the ice masses that have towered up during thusands of years. Even though it was a very warm day outside the cave, inside it was below freezing, and we really had to rug up before going in. There was also an incredible gust of wind which almost blew us away as we steped through the entrance door. This strong wind was due to due to the temperature difference between the outside and the inside of the cave, as explained by our guide. This trip was a worthwhile experience and I wished we had had more time to contemplate and reflect on this incredible work of nature. Unfortunately, photos were not allowed to be taken, therefore, we bought some postcards which we will try to include in our picture gallery.

There was something else I've been wanting to say. While we've been in Austria, I have been reflecting on how sightseeing, so far, has been just that; sight seeing (just a visual impact) without a real connection to what I've seen. Once you've seen it, it is like ticking it off the list, but it leaves me with an empty feeling inside. My question to you all is: How do you really feel and appreciate a place and make a deeper connection that leaves behind something that you will carry with you forever? After all, it is said that travel is food for the soul.

Vevey (Switzerland)

nigelb — Tue, 1 May 2007 21:45:00 GMT

Laura writes:

We stayed in Vevey / Montreux for only four to five days, so we didn't get to see too much, especially since we didn't get very nice weather while we were there. At least we did see the Castle of Chillon which is the most preserved castle in Switzerland and is therefore popular. It is located right on the Geneve lake in Montreux - very spectacular! We also drove up to the alpine region in Torgon, as well as visited a Tibetan buddhist temple within walking distance of the house.

Nigel, Mum and I took a walk to the temple on a very wet day. On the way there, we met a monk who took us to the temple for a personal tour. It was interesting talking to him, as he was very friendly and had a very sincere smile. He was also very serene which is no wonder, as this place had an amazingly peaceful vibe which I do not sense very often. After he left, we must of spent one hour meditating with the temple all to ourselves as there was not a soul in sight. It was a great feeling, and being a very conducive place to meditate, both Nigel and I experienced a deep sense of serenety and contentment.

In this Tibetan temple, they also had a yak which to us was a novelty, as we had not seen one of these animals before. We also got invited to have a hot drink in the dinning area which was also a good experience.

The apartment we stayed in had spectacular views of not only the Geneve lake which was absolutely huge and very picturesque (we could also see from the house, where the border between Switzerland and France was accross the lake), but also the snow capped mountains in the background which looked very impressive due to their size and therefore also gave the impression that they were very close by! We actually had a great surprise when we woke up the next morning after arriving in the apartment and finding this incredible view right in front of our eyes. It was amazing!

Nigel and I were also very impressed by the hospitality of both the upstairs and downstairs neighbours. They even had Mum and Dad to dinner twice to welcome them to the place before we arrived in Switzerland, and they even picked some flowers and left them outside our door the day after Nigel and I arrived. Very lovely people! Unfortunately, even though I picked up a few words here and there, communicating in French was not an easy task for Nigel and I and therefore we had to rely on Mum and Dad to translate for us whenever there was a conversation.

On the day we left Vevey, the neighbours took us in two cars to the train station, where we took the train to Zell Am See (Austria). It was kind of weird, but it felt like we had known them for a while, and for Mum and Dad who had spent a month in the apartment it was even more so. Mum even had tears in her eyes when she was saying goodbye. One of the ladies, also blew kisses at us as the train departed (very warm people!).

Sitges (Spain)

nigelb — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 05:48:00 GMT

Laura writes:

Well, this was our first stop in Europe after spending two to three weeks in South East Asia. Changing continents was exciting for us.

Sitges is located in the region of Catalunya in Spain, where both Catalan and Spanish are spoken. It is a beautiful little town in the Mediterranean and the people there are proud of their culture, background and their independent language.

We stayed in an apartment (one of mum and dad's house exchanges) within a ten minute walk to the beach, through little alley ways and surrounded by lime-stone buildings and quaint shops, cafes and restaurants (similar to those seen on the Greek islands).

The food here was incredible! and even though we couldn't afford to eat in restaurants or cafes (way too expensive), the meats, cheeses, olives stuffed with anchovies, chocolate crossants, pastries etc..etc.. that we bought at the shops were delicious. Food in Spain is definetely tasty to say the least. Even Nigel enjoyed the food!

People in Spain stay up until the early hours of the morning and we were surprised to see kids stay up so late, walking around town and in restaurants with their families. However, from around 1.00pm to 4.00 or 5.00pm, everything closes up for siesta. These, were some of the aspects I really enjoyed about Spain. The customs, family unity, real passion about things and the general lifestyle were very similar to those in Uruguay (not surprising, as they both are, after all Latin countries and therefore have these things in common). Spain was also an interesting experience due to the fact that my ancestors have come from certain regions of Spain and my grand, grand mother on my father's side had even come from this region where we were staying. This is something that I kept in mind from time to time.

It also felt great to finally be able to communicate easily with the locals for the first time on this trip. Not speaking the local language can be a frustrating experience as we found in South East Asia.

The water temperature unfortunately was not so inviting and the days we stayed there were not warm enough to brave the cold sea. We did go for nice walks along the beach though, and on two or three occasions it was even warm enough to sunbake. I think we've been spoiled by the warm Queensland weather and ocean temperatures. Also, we had just been in South East Asia with 35 to 40 degree temperatures and really warm seas which didn't help the situation in Sitges.

The Gothic walking tour was also great, as we got to see the ancient part of Barcelona with its old buildings. It was interesting to see Roman ruins with newer buildings (churches etc.) built on top of them.

We also went to Mont Serrat which is a very popular place to visit. It has a monastery and a very old church dating back to the 17th century. Both of these buildings were built on the side of a steep mountain (approximately 1,500 meters high) with great views all around. Even though none of us are religious (Mum, Dad, Nigel or I), the history and the beauty of the church with its ornaments, paintings, carvings, statues, as well as its incredible size, was very inspiring. In contrast to this, it is sad to think that these riches (precious metals) were stolen from South America after its discovery by Colon, as well as from donations made by common people that perhaps could not afford to part with their money.

It was here in Spain (in Barcelona), while sightseeing, that Nigel lost or had his wallet stolen (we are not sure) from his back pocket. Even though we had been over cautious during our travels in South East Asia, on this occasion, Nigel let his guard down and the wallet with most of our credit cards, driver's license etc. was gone. Panic stations once again! but this time we did not recuperate the wallet like we did our backpacks. This time we were not so lucky. It took two or three weeks to finally get cards re-issued by the banks and we are still in the process of activating cards, re-organising bill payments, etc. (no easy task when you are overseas!).

Kuala Lumpur to Singapore

nigelb — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 05:26:00 GMT

Laura writes:

We took a long distance bus from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore which took approximately five hours, but was very comfortable with reclining seats which were also very wide.

The passport checks on the border of Malaysia and Singapore were interesting, especially for Nigel who had not experienced a passport check outside of an airport until that point.

Once we arrived in Singapore, finding our accomodation for the night was challenging as we had to walk with our bakcpacks for 3 or 4 kilometres.

The people in the hostel we were staying in were a little stuffy compared to the other places we had stayed in Malaysia and Thailand, but at least we had a more comfortable and spacious room than in the dingy little backpackers we had stayed in previously.

We only had one night in Singapore, and even though our intention was to see some city sights, the next day, we ran out of time, as we had to shop around for a 3 band mobile phone and a memory card for dad's camera, oh well...!

Singapore was even more cosmopolitan and comercial compared to Malaysia. Also,to Nigel and I, it seemed people were not used to seeing backpackers, as on a couple of occasions, we encountered people who giggled as we went past them. Maybe it was because we were sweating like pigs and perhaps even smelled like them!

Krabi to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

nigelb — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 07:25:00 GMT

Laura writes:

Hi guys, well, arriving in Malaysia was a relief after Thailand. As soon as we got off the plane, the first thing we noticed, was how easy and organised everything was. The services provided were a luxury in comparison. A cheap shuttle bus service was also provided from the airport to the main train station in Kuala Lumpur, where we were supposed to catch a train to Chinatown to check into the Backpackers Inn where we had booked a room on arrival at the airport.

Everything went very smoothly, that is until we were about to catch the train, we had been at ease on the bus, but as the time given to have arrived at the accomodation was rapidly approaching, we were anxious to work out and make our train connection. We made for the train station very efficiently, but then, all of a sudden to my horror, I realised we had forgotten our backpacks in the luggage compartment of the shuttle bus! Time to panic! We fought our way through the crowd of people back down to where we had been dropped off, only to find that the bus had gone. We were approached by employees of the bus company, and after explaining what had happened, they immediately contacted the bus we had travelled on. To our relief, we were told that the bus was scheduled to come back in 20 minutes as it had to drop off more people at the station. Once the bus arrived, we experienced joy and relief to find that our backpacks were still there!

Well, the Backpackers Inn was a challenge, especially on the first night, after that we pretty much got used to the place. It was interesting to say the least! It was a dingy place with no windows to the outside. All room windows faced the short and narrow internal corridor which headed to the shared toilets or the reception, tv room and computers at the other end (very noisy until about 1.00am!). It was a strange atmosphere where people would stay out all night and the corridor light would stay on, but at around 8.00am it was turned off just when others were waking up. This made it very confusing and disconcerting for us, especially when we didn't know if it was night or day. On our first night, we were woken up by the noise outside our room, and after cursing for a short while as we thought it was 3.00am, we realised it was already 9.00am and people were getting up.

Chinatown, where we stayed was interesting with its distinctive smells, especially the sewrage drains while walking past them; this had also been common in Thailand. The street stalls, mardets etc. were also similar to those in Thailand, but with their own individual characteristics. Something that drew our attention wasthe fine mist that was sprayed over street stalls where fruit and vegetables were sold, or in restaurants in front of fans (perhaps to keep people cool).

One of the highlights of our short trip to Kuala Lumpur, was while taking the 'hop on hop off' bus. It was the last journey for the night and we were the only two people on it. At one stage, the person accompanying the bus driverasked if we wanted to stop to see the monkeys. We couldn't pass up the opportunity. It was well worth it! All over the foot paths and on the fences, trees and street light poles, were monkeys of all sizes. Some swinging from tree to tree, it was quite a sight! We even got to feed some of them. One of the females was also carrying a baby and some monkeys were even trying to get on the bus. As we continued on our bus journey, the bus reached a street that had been cut off to traffic. The bus driver must have spent 10 minutes trying to turn this very long bus in a very narrow street with cars parked on either side and a deep, steep sided creek/drain. Pretty scary and exciting stuff! It must have also drawn the attention of people walking past, as a lot of them stopped to watch.

'Eye on Malaysia' was also interesting. This was a festival we got to see on our last night in Kuala Lumpur celebrating the year of tourism in Malaysia. Here we got to see an impressive laser show or laser theatre using fine water spray and laser to project images.