TravelPod.com TravelStream™ — Recent Entries at TravelPod.com TravelStream™ most recent 25 entries from TravelPod.com. Travel Blogs | Travel Journals | Travelogues | Travel Diaries ( Since 1997 ) http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss en-us Copyright Š2013 TravelPod.com Mon, 20 May 2013 12:05:09 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com " xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"/> %] This is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site, subject to copyright and fair use.Visiting the family — Tacoma, WA http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/s_8bjG7k2cw/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/karlwfoster/2/1368836315/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/karlwfoster/2/1368836315/tpod.html Mon, 20 May 2013 16:05:09 +0000 Alaska Cruise
Tacoma, WA

Where I stayed
Gabbard Condo


Saturday was a great way to start a vacation!. We rode the FrontRunner train and Trax to the airport in Salt Lake City. We had to switch trains at North Temple, which was easy to do.
Since I have a transit pass from work, it only cost $3.10 for Holly to get to the airport. That was so much better than $8 per day to park our car out there. I HIGHLY recommend this method to get to the airport in Salt Lake. The train station is at Terminal 1. It was a short walk to Terminal 2 where we dropped our large suitcase off with Delta, went through security - very short line on a Saturday afternoon - and off to our gate. After an uneventful and on-time flight to Seattle, we met Debbie at baggage claim, waited and waited and waited for Holly's suitcase and went to her house in Tacoma. It was great to visit with Debbie, John, and Kirsten. Kirsten's two children are very cute and active. Jeff and his wife Jonna came by. We had never met Jonna before, and they were on their way to go celebrate Jonna's 30th birthday. Debbie prepared a nice dinner for us of pulled pork. We watched "The Avengers" and got some sleep in the "Gabbard Condo" behind the house. The "Gabbard Condo" is a giant 5th wheel trailer.

It was great to see Debbie and John and after John's number of medical dramas, he appears to be on the mend.

]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/karlwfoster/2/1368836315/tpod.htmlMiami II — Miami, FL http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/rNngQeVShvg/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bn2010usa/4/1369046672/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bn2010usa/4/1369046672/tpod.html Mon, 20 May 2013 16:04:33 +0000 B & N's 2013 USA Trip
Miami, FL

Where I stayed
Florida City Travelodge


Returning from the Florida Keys, on our way northwards, we saw a bit more of Miami.


Deering Estate at Cutler

This is a historic estate establishing by Charles Deering (the older brother of James who did Vizcaya). While this estate is archaeologically quite significant evidently, none of the finds or archaeological areas where on display while we were there. The buildings and grounds were interesting enough, but did not have the impact of Vizcaya.


Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

The admission price ($25 each) seemed a little steep until we had a look inside. These gardens are extensive, spectacular and well maintained. Included in the admission price was a Theme Park-like shuttle tour of the gardens (there were walking tours on offer as well). They had artworks scattered throughout the gardens, including a number of park benches created by various artists (one had a chandelier, which lights-up at night).

Even people who are not normally interested in Botanical Gardens should find this oneabsorbing.


Miami Bus Tour

Miami is known for its Art Deco buildings. We figured the best way to see them was from the open upper-deck of a tourist bus. There are laws in Miami preserving the Art Deco buildings and preventing any of the existing ones from being copied. The bus, amongst other things, took in well known areas of Miami, such as Little Havana and Miami Beach (including Muscle Beach).

Little Havana is an area of Miami heavily influenced by it's Cuban population and is named after the capital of Cuba, Havana. Any Cubans who make it to the United States get instant citizenship evidently. One of the striking features of Little Havana is the Domino Parks, were the locals, for a small fee, socialise, play dominoes and talk about going back to Cuba some day. Although, according to our guide, they never will given the relative comforts they have in the US and the continuing tensions between USA and Cuba.


Sawgrass Recreation Park

We couldn't leave Florida without have a ride on an Air Boat.

]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bn2010usa/4/1369046672/tpod.htmlIn transit again — Amsterdam, Netherlands http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/ppwaGGpZKps/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cathb/2/1369066397/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cathb/2/1369066397/tpod.html Mon, 20 May 2013 16:04:01 +0000 The Big Trip 2013
Amsterdam, Netherlands



Today, I am afraid will not be a momentous entry in this blog; the basic facts are that I caught a train to Amsterdam and it is raining.

Anyway, because I had no idea or experience about how these things worked, I thought I should get to the train station - Gare du Nord - early just in case. I asked the hotel to order a taxi for me, which they did, for 7am this morning. I was a little concerned that my taxi did not take a direct route to the station, however it cost me only €20 and it wasn't as if his route was entirely unreasonable as instead of driving across town, he went out to the ring road and then back in again. It was peak hour, but also a partial public holiday; the concierge who ordered the taxi for me said the holiday did not apply to all, with a note of regret in her voice...it turned out she had the first shift at the reception this morning as I checked out. I felt sorry for her, she was lovely.

Gare du Nord is a cavernous building, and not really a welcoming space...St Pancras was much more warm and lively. Its cavernousness, if one may use that expression, had been toned down by the provision of pleasant cafes and shopping. When I walked into Gare du Nord, I had no idea what to do next, so I walked slowly down the concourse. I spotted an information booth for the train company with which I was travelling, Thalys, and enquired if I needed to book in, or go through customs? No. All I had to do was wait for the train, hop on, and travel. So I was way early - at the station at 7:30, and my train was due to leave at 10:25. However there were some seats available in a kind of three sided glass cubicle for passengers to sit and shelter in, and I got a corner seat which also protected me from the - I am trying to think of a word here...opportunists might be it. They wander around asking for money, but also, like wolves testing the herd, looking for the distracted and vulnerable from whom they might hit pay dirt. One sat and watched me out of the corners of her eyes for a bit but gave up and left since I had all my stuff carefully jammed between me and the glass wall. The station has some soldiers with serious looking weaponry wandering about but they do nothing to discourage these folk; I suppose it is not their job. I read in the paper before I left Australia that the staff at the Louvre had gone on strike due to the presence of pick pockets; I was told that this led to a crack down by the police, which seems to be still having an effect, but there are still a few of these dodgy people roaming about. At Gare du Nord, the tourists come and go in tides, arriving for their trains and then disappearing, leaving the concourse nearly empty. For a time an older couple sat next to me, and I could hear the Australian accent. We got talking (they were also from Brisbane) and together watched one of the wolves, the same one who'd watched me, accosting people...without much success I think. We commented that most of these people looked well fed and if not dressed nattily, neither are they dirty or wretched. They'd heard that some of them get bussed in precisely to do this kind of 'job',and their controller is wealthy. Maybe...who knows. Anyway they were half way through their 6 week trip and were off to Brussels. We agreed that though we were enjoying ourselves, we still longed to get back to Australia; we were just a tad homesick. Sad but true folks.

At about 10, they announced the platform for our Amsterdam train and a whole mob of us shuffled off, luggage in tow. I was in coach 13 - first class! It was nice too, comfortable seats, ladies coming around to offer refresher towels, snacks and meals. I had a window seat, but not really a window as the end of one window finished just before my seat, and the other began just after my seat, so my view of the countryside was obstructed. The ladies serving us spoke fluent French, English and German; it is true that in Europe a second language is almost mandatory - in fact i suspect if you wished to work in hospitality or tourism it would be mandatory. Our lunch was cold duck with onion confit, and something like boiled wheat (which sounds horrible but it was quite good), beans, a bread roll and a dessert. It wasn't too bad, though it would have been tastier hot.

We were in a high speed train - cars on the motorways looked like they were not moving, we were going so fast. It is hard to get over this when you know that even the good Australian trains rarely do more than a hundred. It took us an hour and twenty minutes to get from Paris to Brussels - that's like travelling Brisbane to Sydney on the plane! I saw little of Brussels - the trains do not travel through the exciting bits of town - but what houses I could see looked like tall narrow terraces; different from Parisian stateliness. We also stopped at Antwerp and Rotterdam. i can see that you could use this train as a hop on hop off service if you wished, just spending a few days in each city as you made your way to Amsterdam. I saw too, that the graffiti pests who plaster the walls of train lines in Oz are active here as well, even in Paris. The person who invented the spray paint can has a lot to answer for.

The country side was fairly flat, and got pancake flat as we entered the Netherlands...I spotted some windmills so I guessed we were nearly at our destination. We arrived at Amsterdam Centraal at 1:35. You have to take stairs or an elevator to get down to the main concourse, and I elected to take the lift. The lift was tiny - it fitted only four people and their luggage at a time; what were the railway planners thinking?! So I had to queue for a bit. When I got downstairs I had no idea whether to go right or left so I just stood there for a bit looking around. I saw a sign in Dutch which looked promising - quite a few Dutch words resemble English in shape or sound, so occasionally you know what the sign is saying. Not surprisingly, many Dutch speak good English - good for me, since I know no Dutch at all.

When I exited the station it was raining lightly - I didn't have a map but I'd looked carefully at one on the Internet before I left Paris. My hotel was only some hundreds of metres from the station, but maps never tell you the whole story. The hotel website said you needed to cross the road, go right, then left on Martelaarsgracht then left on Nieuwzijdkolk. I had some trouble finding the appropriate street signs so I had to double back at one point but I made it. It is a nice four star hotel, easily the best (and by far the most expensive) hotel of this trip. My room is 'deluxe' though I am not sure what difference that makes. It is a nice room on the fourth floor, small but well appointed and well maintained. No signs of wear and tear which all my other hotels have had excepting the Shakespeare Coast in Jersey. The hotel is in two parts joined by a walkway, so from reception I have to go up to floor two then walk along a corridor to get to another lift to go up to floor four. I arrived just after 2, so was able to check in at once. I did think I might go out again to ave a look around, but it started to rain heavily and my room is both warm and comfortable. I think Bunny and I will stay in.






]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cathb/2/1369066397/tpod.htmlThe long and winding road. — Logroņo, Spain http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/tOUpYwkg9yw/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/irvin.cane2/1/1369044491/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/irvin.cane2/1/1369044491/tpod.html Mon, 20 May 2013 16:03:58 +0000 Irvin.cane2's Great Adventure
Logroño, Spain

I was going to call this entry 'The quick and the dead' to maintain the literary/musical theme I have adhered to so far. The Dylan song ' Shelter from the storm'' for example, seemed perfect for the entry following our demanding,if imprudent,crossing of the Pyrenees.Twenty eight kilometers and 9 hours walking was clearly a massive error,we should have stayed the night in one of the small villages on the way up to the Col de Roncesvalles and so when Lara appeared out of the driving rain and offered us accommodation she seemed the embodiment of the heroine in Dylan's song.
All along the way song titles or book titles or lines from both have come to us but, for once I shall not be going with my original choice of title.
This blog is about the people we have met on the way and and who have shared experiences with us or enriched ours with their personalities. Everyone who walks the Camino carries a burden, not just a heavy pack but sometimes an emotional burden which can be heavier than the pack you're carrying. Everyone has a story.
I came to this challenge with lots of expectations and preconceptions but, bit by bit,they have all been radically changed or have disappeared entirely. For example,because the Camino is a pilgrimage route and has been for at least a thousand years, I supposed that most people walking it would be religious and predominantly Catholic. I am not a religious person,anyone who knows me well will know that I dislike intensely organized religion of any kind but I like to think I have always been a spiritual person and open to different ideas and philosophies.So the religious aspect of this trek across Spain meant very little to me and continues to do so.To me it was always going to be a hard physical challenge, a personal adventure and an opportunity for me to raise money for something that has touched my family and friends and that I care about. But, as the Camino has unfolded,I have learned not to judge others reasons so harshly.
As you walk and meet others you talk and listen to their stories and reasons for doing the Camino- like Tessa, the lovely Australian lady we met who told us she was doing it 'because I needed a bloody good walk!' to the elderly man from Georgia who was struggling along to Santiago because God didn't speak to him anymore or Karin,who was looking for forgiveness. Of course there are very religious people walking the Camino,those who smile little,laugh less and are constantly meditating or praying in their quiet moments,the kind of people from whom I have always shied away. The Camino has taught me that I love people who love life,who are slightly irreverent and who are always prepared to laugh and to embrace life for what it is. And we have met lots and lots of people like that.Trine, the Catholic lady from Sweden who has more cigarettes in her pack than clothes but whose laugh lights up the world and is so infectious that you have to laugh with her. Mische,the big young Swiss guy from Basle who runs a successful science instrument company. He has spent ten years building it up but now wants something else but doesn't know what and so he is hoping the Camino will tell him what it is. I walked with him up the mountain at Alto de Perdon, a long,very steep climb.He talked to me as we climbed and asked me why I was doing it. I gave him my stock answer ' because I wanted a challenge and I have little else to do.' He was impressed that someone of my age should be doing this.I wasn't impressed by that but I said nothing.
There were also the Irish ladies from Galway, Bernadette and Kathleen who had left their partners and families at home to walk a week on the Camino in order to commemorate their mother's passing three years ago and to raise money for an Altzheimers charity because this is what their mother had had. Their brother is simultaneously walking from Ireland to Santiago and is currently somewhere between Bordeaux and Pyrenees. We met them on the stretch between Lorca and Los Arcos in the Navarre. They tagged along with us one day as we were struggling together over the mountains in rain and mud and told us their story.We stopped off together in a bar in a small mountain village. My feet were playing me up and so they produced a bottle of Captain Morgan's rum from which they poured Richard and I a shot into our coffees.We talked about the Camino and how hard it was and they agreed but said 'the craic was good'.They were so funny with soft Irish accents and a huge love of life which made a long slog in difficult conditions not only bearable but actually enjoyable.
We didn't see them again until we dragged into Logrono yesterday morning. I had met the lovely lady from the Friends of the Camino who had tended my feet and we were sitting in the main street outside a cafe drinking coffee and popping paracetamol in a weak but welcome sun. Along the road came the ladies with two other Irish girls.They had been hoping to catch up with us because they had finished their week's walk and wanted to say goodbye and give us a half bottle of rum so 'we could dose our own coffee on the way,sure we could'.
We've met these people and lots of others who come into our lives,even if only briefly but all leave their mark on it. I know there'll be some who will be there at the end and with whom we shall walk into Santiago and others whom we shall never see again, but they are all part of this experience they call the Camino just as are those who have trodden the same path but whose lives have ended on it; some crossing the Pyrenees at the wrong time of the year or in the wrong conditions,some because for some other reason their time ran out on the Camino. Often, we come across little shrines by the side of the track comemmorating their passing in the fullest sense.
That's why I have not decided to call this blog what I had originally intended it to be.

]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/irvin.cane2/1/1369044491/tpod.htmlA day in Zermatt — Merligen, Switzerland http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/Ue5iH0jqBi4/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hooper123/1/1369022081/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hooper123/1/1369022081/tpod.html Mon, 20 May 2013 16:03:58 +0000 John and Jess's Honeymoon
Merligen, Switzerland

Traveled to Zermatt (in the Alps) for a day of sightseeing and hiking. Nice weather and we actually got to see the Matterhorn.
]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hooper123/1/1369022081/tpod.htmlThe adventure of getting to Bolivia continues — Bermejo, Bolivia http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/jx6Ag9PmNjQ/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/carille_emma/1/1368575121/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/carille_emma/1/1368575121/tpod.html Mon, 20 May 2013 16:02:03 +0000 Emma's South and Central American Adventure
Bermejo, Bolivia

Well, I made it to Bolivia, but not to my desired destination and it has been quite the adventure! I caught the bus to Aguas Blancas on the Argentine-Bolivian border this morning but there was a blockade along the way that slowed us down by an hour or so. At the town just before Aguas Blancas we had to get off the coach bus and transfer to a local bus because there was another blockade and they weren't letting coaches through. I finally arrived in Aguas Blancas, which isn't much of a town any way you look at it, but the bus dropped us at the river bank, which divides Argentina and Bolivia. There were people coming and going from the river with huge bags of things. I knew I needed to pass through Argentine immigration and customs but I couldn't see any obvious buildings so I headed towards the river following the crowd. A police officer stopped me and directed me back to the immigration offices. Passing through was a bit of a joke because they didn't check anything. After getting my exit stamp, I went back to the river to get a boat across to Bermejo on the Bolivian side. The river is not wide so it was a short jaunt across in a small more boat, but it is quite the operation they have going on! There were many boats coming and going and many people clambering up the river banks on both sides.
The Bolivian immigration office was not obvious either but I did manage to find it after asking for directions. It was a corner office with windows on two neighboring sides, one of which was labeled immigration and the other was for a travel agency. There was one guy in the office and he was sitting at the window for the travel agency. I first went to the immigration window not realizing that there was only one person but when I saw the guy at the other window I headed to there. When he realized I wanted immigration he told me that I had to go back to the other window and he moved over! After reviewing all of the stamps in my passport fairly thoroughly, he finally gave me the Bolivian stamp and allowed me in. He gave me directions to the town center where I could change money and get a cab to the bus terminal where I planned to take a taxi or a bus to Tarija. I arrived at the terminal 30 minutes later only to find that the road blockades were back and the strike was on again!! No vehicles were able to leave or arrive because the road was blocked and the protestors weren't letting anyone through. It was thought that everything would be settled by 6 pm so I sat and waited at the terminal for 5 hours. At 6:30 pm it became clear that no one was going to get out. A Bolivian woman from Cochabamba, Mariana, befriended me and we went to find a hotel for the night. We are now sitting in the hotel room after having eaten dinner and we are planning to head out early tomorrow with the hopes of getting some vehicle to Tarija. Hopefully things get settled or we find someone who is willing to take us the long way round!
]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/carille_emma/1/1368575121/tpod.htmlThe Day of Departure.... — Reims, France http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/C6c21cHWAGc/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2legs2wheels/2/1366113030/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2legs2wheels/2/1366113030/tpod.html Mon, 20 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000 2 Legs, 2 Wheels & 1 Engine - Off to Oz
Reims, France

The departure


The emotions I experienced have softened over the last 2 weeks, but I was hit harder by the enormity of my departure than I had ever expected. After a few weeks of endless organisation and paperwork, I found that my bags were packed to the brim with tents, water filters & gadgets that will probably never see the light of day. It was then time to say good bye to Gandalf and turn the key in my lock for the last time in what might be a very long time. As I left Battersea Square I am not ashamed to admit that tears were streaming down my cheeks - a feeling of loss at what I was leaving behind and a mix of fear and excitement at what awaited me.


It is a strange sensation leaving home for what you know is going to be a long long time. Firstly, it is the immediacy of leaving the security of your own bricks and mortar that make up the swell place that you dwell that hits you, but the biggest apprehension is knowing that you won’t see your friends and family and that does cause the old heart strings to sing. But there is a third concern - losing the invisible security blanket that encompasses us without us knowing or appreciating it is there. The blanket is made up of the familiarity of your streets, knowing what the cash in your pocket is worth, not worrying about communication or where you might sleep each night.... it is that ease with which we life day to day. And losing all three of these foundations was more than unsettling.


I was not surprised by this realisation given that I have had a long time to contemplate the differences from my other crazy adventures of cycling across the US and this trip and I have known that when the original challenge was a physical one, this would be a cultural one - though driving for 10 hours on a motorbike is not to be underestimated as I already know!


So through my bleary vision I ended up at the Chunnel, where I had a further bout of emotion, which was a little embarrasing in what is no more that a glorified service station! However, I boarded my train under the Chunnel, and like a mole I also had no idea where I was going, well to Sydney and via Istanbul, but how to get there? The bicycle trip had been limited to an exact route and I was looking forward to the freedom of having no set path to follow, and so when I passed under the Channel, I had no idea which route I would take. As it was I rushed down the Autoroute to Reims where I thought a celebratory glass in the capital of Champagne was an appropriate first night, fortunately, I did not shed a tear at La Foch, which is where I ate that night!


I eventually fell asleep that night in the knowledge that I had started my adventure....... and there was no going back now!
]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2legs2wheels/2/1366113030/tpod.htmlNew day, new start — Burgos, Spain http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/W-15xtHLmVY/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gillc99/2/1368907530/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gillc99/2/1368907530/tpod.html Mon, 20 May 2013 15:59:46 +0000 Camino de Santiago
Burgos, Spain

After a lovely rest day i went to bed rather fed up as I realised I had stupidly left my iPhone charger lead in the last hotel. I was awoken through the night by his lordship...... Doing goodness knows what ( trying to turn the standby light off on the tv) and each time I was awake I could only think about how I could get another lead. Tony had already emailed our IT guru ( lovely son-in-law Mike) for advice, which as usual was sensible and helpful. Got up up to a 'charming' breakfast, the owner does not live on the premises and had kindly prepared it all the night before. Yes even the coffee, it was in a thermos type flask and you guessed it, stone cold by morning. Thoughtfully she had provided a microwave so I boiled cups of water and made my own lovely decaf. Along with toasted baguette that was breakfast. Enough for a 13 mile walk I hear you say. We set off in good spirits after saying goodbye to an australian lady who we had met up with at the last 3 or 4 hotels. she was travelling alone but meeting her husband in London where they were to visit their solicitor son, she was only about 4'10" but a force to be reckoned with I think! Our days walk began with a steep climb on my favourite type of track (not) horrid rubble which batters the feet, we were with around a dozen others but suddenly we found ourselves alone on the track. Where had we gone wrong? Or had all the others gone wrong? It was a confusing plan in the "bible book", two alternatives to the main route had been cited and we thought we were on one of them. Nope, we were not, we were on a tractor trail across very muddy squelchy fields for over 2 hours. At times I thought I was wearing lead weighted boots and walking on the ocean floor the amount of claggy stuff that stuck to them was incredible. On top of that there were no villages to stop in, so no coffee or loo breaks! Yes tempers got desperate and heated at times especially when I thought we were going to end up on the Burgos airport runway! It is a very strange feeling to be walking without other backpackers in sight. Luckily i had 'my Lovely Leonard' with me, he certainly raises my spirits and gets me through some tough times. I know that some of you will find that surprising but you don't understand the special relationship me and my Leonard have. Any how we eventually made it to civilisation and were still talking to each other which was a miracle. How lovely it was to spot a back packer and pretend that we had just been ahead of them and not lost at all! I knew that I was extra tetchy because of my charger but I really tried not to let it consume me as these things often seem to. We had a horrible walk into Burgos no one enjoyed it as it was at least a 5 or 6 mile trek on concrete through an industrial area, however I stuck like glue to a group of pilgrims I didn't want to be lost again.. When we eventually reached the centre of the old part of town the cathedral was magnificent but we were too tired to stop and go in. We managed to get to a department store and buy a lead which was lucky as the Apple store shut at 2pm on Saturdays! No wonder the economy is so poor when they shut shops on a Saturday so early in a major city! We were fortunate that our days trudge had been in fine weather although it was cold and windy however by the time we met Helen and Paul for an evening meal it was pouring down. We had worn our new gaiters that day and they saved our trousers from being too mud splattered, Tony did a brilliant job of washing them in the bidet at the hotel, they came up like new. Mind you I thought our boots would never be the same again after being clarted in so much mud. But they survived maybe the waterproof spray helped. The next morning we set off again in good spirits knowing that nothing would be as bad as the previous day even though it was pouring down and we had to set off in our ponchos. The walk out of Burgos took an hour but it was a lovely pleasant walk alongside a river and part of it on a promenade lined with trees and many bushes where someone had very cleverly used their topiary skills to their utmost best! We only had to do 13 miles today, thankfully as it rained most of the time, so what luxury! We arrived in Hornillos and stayed in a very small hostel it only had a tiny bathroom so no laundry was done. The village had a population of 100 with one shop and one bar/restaurant which only seated 20 people at a time for a 3 course meal costing 9.60 euros. We had to queue and managed to get on the second sitting. Breakfast the following morning was a very healthy sweet croissant and toast with jam, no fruit or eggs in sight but very nice coffee. Neither of us feel that we have lost any weight it's all pasta and bread with a bit of fruit and salad thrown in from time to time. I can hear Sam asking if there is not a healthy option we could choose, the lack of vegetables is amazing, although there is often beam or lentil soups. Yes there is lots of alcohol well what else can we do with our afternoons we are too tired to sight see!
]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gillc99/2/1368907530/tpod.htmlAdios Mexico, Gud Maanin Belize — Orange Walk, Belize http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/prKRLQ0Fo1U/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan_and_lauren/1/1369068346/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan_and_lauren/1/1369068346/tpod.html Mon, 20 May 2013 15:56:28 +0000 Dan & Lauren Do Central & South America
Orange Walk, Belize



Friday 17th May

We caught the 8:30 am bus to Chetumal which took about 3.5 hours. Chetumal is about 20 minutes from the border so we weren't sure what we were going to do once we got there to continue in to Belize. At the bus terminal we were told to get a taxi across the border and pick up a bus the other side. The taxi was going to cost 20 us dollars. We’re not sure how but when asking about the bus terminal the other side we managed to negotiate a 50 peso lift to a chicken bus terminal in the centre of town that took us across the border and all the way to Orange Walk, and it only cost 35 pesos each!

The border crossing we went to first was shut and the 2nd one we tried made us get out of the bus as we were tourists. We had to prove we had already paid the 20 us dollar exit fee which I had luckily printed out. We were the only gringos on the bus otherwise I think it would have taken much longer.

We arrived in Orange Walk about an hour afterwards and after some lunch went to find somewhere to stay. The receptionist at the Orchid Palm Inn didn’t have any space but was so helpful she phoned round all the other budget accommodation in town and even offered us water. We ended up walking to a place on the river called Lamani Riverside Retreat which had room in the condos. This is where I am now, updating the blog whist we wait for dinner to come. Apparently there are 14 ft crocs in the river and we’re booked on the 9am tour down the river to the ruins at Lamani tomorrow morning. We only have about 50 metres to walk from our condo so board the boat which means a few extra minutes in bed tomorrow. The boat ride down the river is about 1.5 hours, after which we will arrive at a lagoon which has water 'as blue as my eyes’ according to the woman that owns the retreat. Lauren would like me to point out that had she not been wearing sunglasses at the time, the lagoon would have been as blue as her eyes too.

Saturday 18th May

We didn’t realise that Belize is currently an hour behind Mexico so arrived for our 9am tour at 8am but this gave us time to have some breakfast of eggs and fried jacks, which are kind of like squashed doughnuts, delicious.

We were picked up and driven to the main Lamani Eco-Adventures dock and were lucky enough to get on a boat with just 4 of us rather than the other much larger boats. We went up river to begin with so we could be shown some spider monkeys in the trees alongside the river before heading back past the dock and on our way to Lamani.

On the way we saw yet more wildlife including some insect bats that were hugging a branch on the river bank. Apparently they eat up to 800 mosquitoes a day so we were considering adopting one as a pet for the rest of our time away. We also saw some snail kites, ospreys, vultures, herons and kingfishers. There was also a small crocodile resting on a log but it disappeared as we approached it, so we were unable to get a photo.

Once we reached Lamani we had a look around the museum and then headed to the ruins which were in the jungle, and despite applying repellent liberally we were both ravaged by them. Only 7% of the ruins there are excavated due to lack of funding and the country that funds the excavation gets to keep any valuable artefacts, mainly the Canadian universities. We climbed about 4 of the main temples and got some great views of the 18 mile long lagoon that the river we came in on feeds. At the last temple we visited, which was where the king would have housed his many wives, we saw a howler monkey high up in the trees and got to hear it calling across the jungle. Sadly, we did not see any toucans, but my quest continues.

Before leaving we had some chicken and rice for lunch and some rum punch that we topped up for the journey home. We got dropped off right by our accommodation on the way back and Lauren’s swinging in a hammock and I’m writing this whist sipping on some Belikin Mayan temple beer which is pretty good.

That evening we went for a Chinese as weirdly Orange Walk pretty much only has Chinese restaurants.
]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan_and_lauren/1/1369068346/tpod.htmlZiplining across primary and secondary forests! — Drake Bay, Costa Rica http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/H6-RKZ2aCuM/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sojanet/5/1367347910/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sojanet/5/1367347910/tpod.html Mon, 20 May 2013 15:56:07 +0000 Pura Vida: Summer 2013
Drake Bay, Costa Rica

What I did
Corcovado Canopy Tour


We had decided to sleep in today and do a canopy tour in the afternoon. Our neighbors started making loud noises around 5:30am... so much for sleeping in!

We had breakfast at a cafe/bakery next to Gringo Kurt's. They make you pretty much anything you want. I only had dollars on me at that time, but that wasn't a problem since almost all places accepted both dollars and colones. The thing about Drake Bay is it doesn't have any banks or ATMs, so you need budget well and bring a lot of cash.

Afterwards I enjoyed the beautiful bay view and relaxed under a palm tree. The water here is not crystal clear and the shore isn't a white sandy beach. Still, it's very scenic.

I had a guanabana batido at a restaurant across the road from the bakery cafe and Gringo Kurt's. Batidos have become a staple in my daily diet, and this place made the best kind! They also made amazing casados and pasta, so we pretty much decided to eat every meal here, except breakfast since it doesn't open as early as we wake up. There's also a grocery store attached to it, and they offer laundry service.. so it's truly a one-stop shop!

Mom had been really looking forward to the canopy tour-- where you go on elevated platforms and zipline across the forest. The tour took place in Los Planes, a small town in Drake Bay. We were picked up in a Corcovado Canopy Tour truck. Even the ride itself was fun and thrilling, fording through Agijuita River!

We came across a ranch and a well-maintained cabin, the office of the tour company. From there we got fitted into rock climbing gears, a helmet, and a special glove. We were the only guests for the afternoon, so it was like a private tour! Our main guide was Pedro, an elderly Costa Rican guy who spoke very calmly, and his assistant Carlos expertly helped us through the tour.

The tour spanned 13 platforms passing secondary and primary forests. There was also a little hike on a well-marked trail in the primary forest. The whole place was very beautiful and well-designed.

The ziplining itself was SO fun. It was kind of scary at first, but it quickly faded away as I was flying over the canopy. I never felt unsafe or unsteady, thankfully. Because it was just the two of us, there was no wait, and 1.5 hours flew by. At one point we could see the ocean. A downside was we saw 0 animals, not even birds! It wasn't a big deal since we had seen a ton yesterday, but I was hoping for some close encounters with animals.

Mom absolutely loved ziplining and said it was worth every penny. She also wants to try bungee jumping now (!!).

Afterwards, we indulged in ice cream, spaghetti, and whole snapper with fries and salad at our favorite local restaurant. During dinner we started hearing karaoke-like singing next door, in what we thought was a deserted cement block building. It seemed like they were putting together an event... the sound continued on and off until we were back on our balcony. By then the singing had escalated to shouting/yodeling...! Turns out, it was a church service.







]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sojanet/5/1367347910/tpod.htmlA very wet day in Estaing — Estaing, France http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/_2xZCCFrGjg/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/wanderingsnl/1/1368944921/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/wanderingsnl/1/1368944921/tpod.html Mon, 20 May 2013 15:54:29 +0000 Wanderingsnl's Great Adventure
Estaing, France

We arrived in the early evening last night and went out for a meal. We sat on a heated terrace overlooking the Lot River. It was lovely when the cold wind wasn't blowing! We are in a beautiful 2 bedroom home that is so spacious we feel really spoiled. Comfortable large bedrooms and bathroom upstairs and a large lounge, dining and kitchen downstairs and considering how cold it is, centrally heated. I had told Noel that this was the best of all our booked accommodation. It can only be downhill from here!

Today it thundered and poured with rain and we even had a hail storm. Apart from shopping for supplies (we decided the markets were too far away and it was too wet), we stayed in-doors and watched a couple of DVDs. They have quite a few to choose from fortunately and comfortable lounges to sink into.

Unfortunately our internet access is via an old computer set up in the dining room as they do not allow wi-fi access. The frustration with this is that I cannot upload any photos. I hope the next accommodation has wi-fi or it may be some time before any more photos are displayed.
]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/wanderingsnl/1/1368944921/tpod.htmlHER YOL VENEZIA — Venice, Italy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/OWxzMOlbbV0/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/traveloturc/15/1340704209/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/traveloturc/15/1340704209/tpod.html Mon, 20 May 2013 15:53:51 +0000 2012 ADRIATIK'IN 2 YAKASI
Venice, Italy

GÜN 20 GÜNLERDEN SALI:
Sabah tüm işlemlerimi tamamladım ve 07:40 ta yola çıktım…
Kalan tüm Hırvat param ile Tor' da son damlasına kadar yakıt aldım ve heyecanlar içinde MIO yu izlemeğe başladım.
Dün ayarladım bakalım nasıl olacak ?
İnanması zor ama hiç şaşmadan beni istediğim yoldan Slovenya hududuna getirdi..
Hudutta "Arızavic" abi beni kenara aldı..baktı da baktı..sordu da sordu ..
gece iyi uyumuşum keyfim yerinde ..
hayatta sinirlerimi bozamaz..pasaportu aldı gitti...fonda "sen gelmez oldun"çalıyor…
Paranoyak diyeceksiniz ama eminim bir sürü kamera aracı izlemeğe aldı.
Tepkilerimi ölçmek istiyorlar diye geçiriyorum aklımdan …müziğimi açtım ..fırsattan istifade bir şeyler atıştırdım ve bekledim …
Baktı ki bende tepki yok .
Bir süre sonra geldi pasaportu verdi …
Tam gideceğim diye hamle yaptım
"dur bir daha bakacağım" dedi..
Bu sabahki piyango bana çarptı anlaşılan …giderek bende oyuna katıldım ve şüpheli hareketler yapmağa başladım ...sonra çaresiz saldı…
Artık MIO nun ellerindeyim..
Beni nerelerden geçirdi anlatamam, ama Allahı var hiç şaşmadı ..
Aldı benden parayı …helal olsun …
Hiç beni otobana sokmadan İtalya hududuna 300 m kala otobana soktu ve İtalya’ ya girdim..
İtalya hududunda arama yok ..memur da yok …direkt giriyorsunuz .
O zaman anladım Arıza abinin niye titizlendiğini…
Italya, Trieste kapısının yükünü, Slovenlere taşaronluk vererek çözmüş…
Orayı geçtin mi ? artık Schengen Avrupasındasın…
Hudutta tekrar GPS ayarlarını yaptım.
Hedef Venedik…
Her 2 GPS çalışıyor ve Nermin ( Garmin ) bermutad saçmalıyor…
Otobandan Venediğe vardım ...Mestre'den çıkarak artık yuvam haline gelen Jolly Kampı buldum…
O da nesi ? kampı olduğu gibi değiştirmişler..
Çok havalı bir yer olmuş..Kalabalık kıyamet..
Burası özellikle gençler arasında pek tutulan bir Venedik noktası..
Önce bir havuz yaptım ..yerime dönünce çorbamı hazırladım ve Decathlon diye bir yeri bulmak üzere yola çıktım.
Decathlon en favori markam olan Quechua ürünlerini pazarlayan bir kuruluş..
Biz de hesapta kampçıyız ya donumuz bile Quechua olmalı…
MIO yazdığımız adrese varınca ilgisiz bir yere vardık…
meğersem oradan taşınmış..
Etrafta deli dana gibi dolaşırken bir İtalyan insan evladı …"düş arkama" dedi..
Kısmet kardeşim bugün benimle..adam nerelere girdi çıktı ,biz habire peşinden gittik sonunda çok büyük bir AVM ye vardık ..
Decathlon orada bizi bekliyor …adamcağıza binlerce kez teşekkür ettim ..
"Mille Grazie" durumları yani...
Benim minibüsü yaptırırken bana sormuş olmalarına rağmen yan tenteyi yaptırmamıştım..
Tavanı delmek istemediğimden ..
Gel gelelim her yağmur yağdığında kendimize kaçacak yer aramaktayız ..
Quechua portatif tente yapmış bu benim işimi görecek…
Birkaç şey daha aldım ve alış veriş kısmını halletmek için devamlı gittiğim ve bizim kampın hemen yanında yer alan Metro ' ya yönlendim..
Kapıdaki kadın benden uluslar arası kodu sordu…
Ben de böyle kod yok …itişmemeğe kararlıyım.
Boşver deyip yandaki Panorama’ ya yönlendim ..
Bir de ne göreyim..tüm öğleden sonra aradığım Decathlon’ un bir başka şubesi orada değil mi ?
Tüm öğleden sonra bunu aradım meğersem kampın burnunun dibinde imiş..
Olacak bu kadar salaklık…
Seyahatin tatlı sürprizleri...
Bir tarihte bir Peugeot aracını tamir etmek maksadıyla Paris'in altını üstüne getirdikten sonra, tamirhanenin otelin arkasında olduğunu keşfetmem gibi bir şey...
Alışverişi bitirip kampa döndüm ve tekrar havuz yaptım..
Akşamüstü tam kendime bir şeyler hazırlarken sayısız otobüs geldi....
üstelik Çin seddi gibi önüme park ettiler ..
Sürü halinde gençler bağırış çağırışla kamp kuruyorlar..
Otobüsler, aracı soğutmak adına çalıştırmaya devam ediyor ..
Bir noktaya kadar dayandım sonra açtım bayramlık ağzımı..
Şöför gözlerime bakınca çabuk anladı ne demek istediğimi ..
Hepsi motorları stop ettiler..
Çıkan sonuç şu :bu mevsimde seyahat etmeyeceksin gelmeyeceksin …
Davos gibi "Bir daha bu kampa bu mevsimde asla gelmem" ..
Bu Venedik etabı ile Adriatik’in bir ..yakasını tükettik
Şimdi artık Adriyatiğin İtalya kanadını gezmeğe çalışacağız…< br> Buralarda fazla durulmaz artık
Yarın sabah yolcuyum ..güzel yemeğimi yedim ve yattım..
Görsel malzeme olarak POREC-VENEDIK yol videosunu ve Venezıa Jolly Camp
Videosunu ekledim
programa ilaveten Venezıa campımın Clipini You Tube ta yayınladım
adresim:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi73cUNj OYg

Venedik'te şu anda hava :
http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ weathersticker/sunandmoon_metric/langua ge/english/global/stations/16105.gif'





GÜNÜN ÖZETİ

GÜN KM:271 KUMULATIF KM: 2898

ORT HIZ: 51

MAX HIZ: 140

TOPLAM SAAT:4.45

SÜRÜŞ SAAT : 3.00

YAKIT E/Lt : 1.28
]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/traveloturc/15/1340704209/tpod.htmlSecond hike to Portofino — Portofino, Italy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/Be9KlDTp848/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/phewl72029/2/1369061581/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/phewl72029/2/1369061581/tpod.html Mon, 20 May 2013 15:52:55 +0000 Italy
Portofino, Italy

We had much better weather today so took a second and longer hike (2 hours) to Portofino, walking higher up into the surrounding mountains. We visited an old grain mill along the way, before descending into town. Then hopped a short ferry back to Santa Margherita, just in time for a massage at the hotel spa. I could get used to this place!
]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/phewl72029/2/1369061581/tpod.htmlCountdown is on for our trip back home! — Oakton, VA http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/yYblq60Zu9k/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/evietravel/1/1371723258/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/evietravel/1/1371723258/tpod.html Mon, 20 May 2013 15:52:17 +0000 Evie's dream trip back home
Oakton, VA

I never thought I would be going back home so soon after our trip in 2011 but I am. This time with my sister and her family. Initially, my older sister from Brisbane, Australia contacted me about planning a trip back home to celebrate our dad's 80th birthday next September. I was excited by the idea and I was thinking how wonderful it would be to have a family reunion considering that all three of us left Mauritius over 20 years ago.

However, at the beginning of April, my younger sister decided she wanted to go back home this summer. It was quite a last minute decision and after giving it some thought, I decided that I would go with her as well. I've always wanted to go back home with her one day and I believe this to be a great opportunity that I couldn't miss. We don't usually travel back home often since airfares are pretty expensive and you would need at least three weeks off to make the trip. This is going to be a unique vacation for sure. The best part is that Dad was told I am the only one coming and the arrival of my sister and her family would be a surprise! A huge surprise for sure! I cannot wait to see his face and reaction when Nat would come out of customs!

For those who haven't heard about Mauritius, it is a tiny tropical island on the east coast of South Africa. Our neighbor islands are Reunion, Rodrigues, Madagascar and the Seychelles! From the US, it takes two days to get to Mauritius. Connections can be via London, France, South Africa or Dubai. Mauritius is worth visiting with its beautiful sugar white sand beaches which I consider to be the main tourist attractions. Of course, for me personally, when I go back home I think about all the mauritian food and snacks that I have not eaten in a long time. Four weeks will be plenty of time to eat, visit places and be with family and friends.

We depart Washington on June 20 and arrive Mauritius on June 22. Since we have a long connection time in London, we are planning to take the metro to Chinatown in London and meet up with our cousins who live there for lunch. I hope getting out of Heathrow and back won't be too stressful! My sister studied in London years back and loved visiting Chinatown. She raves about the restaurants and bakeries!

Anyway, as one can imagine, we cannot wait for our departure day! Especially my sister who has not been back home in over ten years! I have to say I have mixed feelings since I am leaving behind hubby and the boys! And for such a long time! Four weeks is long! We always go on vacation together as a family so this is going to be tough. Some days, I feel very apprehensive, anxious, nervous and sad. But there's no turning back now - tickets have been booked and purchased!

Countdown is definitely on - 6 weeks &amp; 2 days left! :) Shopping is almost completed, thank God! And before I know it, it will be time to pack those suitcases! What a headache it's going to be since I do not know how to travel light! :)

Stay tuned for more as we get closer to departure time! I will try my best to keep up with the blog while in Mauritius so you all can see what we're being up to. In the meantime, here's some pictures from our last trip to Mauritius in 2011!


]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/evietravel/1/1371723258/tpod.htmlIndoor swimming! And Eurovision — Donegal, Ireland http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/ZqimF9uxNsE/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webbies2013/1/1368835200/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webbies2013/1/1368835200/tpod.html Mon, 20 May 2013 15:52:13 +0000 Webbies 2013 Great Adventure
Donegal, Ireland

Well what an experience;) The indoor pool was different to our pools...everyone used a change room and lockers, then we all had to wear a swimming cap :) it was funny seeing everyone in a cap! It was fun though! It had cool slides, one was dark with stars in it! In the evening we watched the Eurovision Song Contest...we wishes we could have voted for Ireland. It was an interesting night some weird songs from Romania and some other cool songs. We all liked Ireland's song. Mum liked the one from Azerbaijan (which came second), dad likes the one from Ukraine (which came third), Emi liked the one from Greece (which came sixth), Jess liked Belarus which came about 15th ;)....we had fun :)
]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webbies2013/1/1368835200/tpod.htmlSecond hike to Portofino — Portofino, Italy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/1r0eV35WFik/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/phewl72029/2/1369065541/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/phewl72029/2/1369065541/tpod.html Mon, 20 May 2013 15:51:33 +0000 Italy
Portofino, Italy

We had much better weather today so took a second and longer hike (2 hours) to Portofino, walking higher up into the surrounding mountains. We visited an old grain mill along the way, before descending into town. Then hopped a short ferry back to Santa Margherita, just in time for a massage at the hotel spa. I could get used to this place!
]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/phewl72029/2/1369065541/tpod.htmlSecond hike to Portofino — Portofino, Italy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/1sWxa0CyvX4/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/phewl72029/2/1369064881/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/phewl72029/2/1369064881/tpod.html Mon, 20 May 2013 15:51:12 +0000 Italy
Portofino, Italy

We had much better weather today so took a second and longer hike (2 hours) to Portofino, walking higher up into the surrounding mountains. We visited an old grain mill along the way, before descending into town. Then hopped a short ferry back to Santa Margherita, just in time for a massage at the hotel spa. I could get used to this place!
]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/phewl72029/2/1369064881/tpod.htmlThe final visit to San Jose — San Jose, Costa Rica http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/m_gto_bCIOI/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mjnelson18/1/1368920740/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mjnelson18/1/1368920740/tpod.html Mon, 20 May 2013 15:50:17 +0000 From Central to South America
San Jose, Costa Rica

Another one night stop over at San Jose for the third and final time which I'm quite happy about - it's not my favourite city. We are meeting a girl that James met on his teaching programme and then up to Nicaragua in the morning where we will be heading to the Pacific coast to another party resort of San Juan Del Sur.
]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mjnelson18/1/1368920740/tpod.htmlEnfold — Madrid, Spain http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/dRMqy5K2ZRc/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pieceofmind12/1/1356193130/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pieceofmind12/1/1356193130/tpod.html Mon, 20 May 2013 15:46:54 +0000 Christians and Moors hang out.
Madrid, Spain

Where I stayed
Therese's apartment


Día Uno


OK. This blogging bidness is pretty cool. This way I won't have to revert to a much older technology. I don't know if you guys have heard of it? It's called "email". Maybe your grandpappy told you about it. I think it was invented the same time as something called Betamax.

After a horrible flight in which I hitherto was unable to sleep even the smallest of winks (why do people continue to have babies?) I needed to make sure I at least followed the rest of my jet lag regimen and stayed up 'til the local bed time. Highyeva, it's Spain. Bed time is 3am. Wakey uppey time is 11am. So now what? Went 'til midnight wavering in and out of a fog so deep I expected a great white whale to come rising up any second. Saw a movie oddly enough and liked it's little $16 ****....... The Sessions. Humh. Interesting actually. Theater right near this cafe.

Then walked out to explore the most awesome labyrinth of intertwined cobblestone quaintness curling back on itself as often as it went somewhere, and periodically interrupted by a massive square undoubtedly dedicated to a war or two and designed by a genius or two complete with sculptures, subway outlets, stores shops and desserts, booths with plants for luck, lights for Christmas, and roasted everything with an irresistible waft like that finger made out of smoke that comes from the kitchen in a cartoon and pulls you under your chin right into the half amazing, half dangerous culinary delights never to be seen again, at least for the next couple minutes of the cartoon. But more than all that... masses and masses and masses and masses of people. Laughing, moving, changing, jumping out of nowhere, done up as everything. Three heads popping out of a box. A ram made of foil and straw and paint and attitude. Gaggles of young high school guys dressed in women's long, over-cooked wigs. Elves, Minnie Mouse, Santa. Spanish Santa?

Completely awesome Christmas decorations. Somehow I thought they would be more subdued about Christmas but no. More intense. Way more intense. As if the whole town stayed home for Christmas, and by 'home' I mean the grand squares with all their to be discovered nooks and crannies between. Especially the crannies.

We eventually found our way to the much recommended El Tigre and despite it's reputation as a great place to go, it fulfilled it. Friendly, super bustling, order a half beer (caña, Therese) and a Schweppes lemon bubbly almost tonic water (me - hated it at first, loved it by the end) for 5 Euros. With them came a honkin' plate of tapas........ for free. Sweet. And they were so delicious. The place was packed so I asked a random couple if we could share their 3 foot diameter round stand up no chair table, after all.... it is Europe. They said no problem. After all.... it is Europe. Then when they bounced, they left half their tapas on their plate. After all..... it is Spain, and every single person in the country has to stay thin somehow. So we slid their plate over to our side of the table and started munching down their tapas. Hey. They were different from ours. All together we had little breads with sausage or ham or cheese and a tasty sauce. Potatoes. All delicious. Five minutes later four other people came up and asked if they could share our table and we said sure. After all.... we did feel bad about eating those other people's leftovers. On opposite day.




Off to another plate full of fantastical lights. I love how they meander out from the squares up the side streets.




Distances in Spain are measured from this red and green Christmas tree. When you see a little sign on the side of the highway coming into Alicante that says "360", that's 360 kilometers from this tree.







Home really early though (midnight) 'cause this was one tired puppy. Slept 11 hrs. Off to the park today, sunny and 50 degrees, then the Prado which is free this evening. Goya and his chicas.

Plane, sleeping, museums, architecture, people watching, tapas, other people's tapas - all free. That is a price I can relate to!


Jaime




]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pieceofmind12/1/1356193130/tpod.htmlToucan Hunting — Coba, Mexico http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/2oUMAzrgRlE/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan_and_lauren/1/1369068034/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan_and_lauren/1/1369068034/tpod.html Mon, 20 May 2013 15:43:00 +0000 Dan & Lauren Do Central & South America
Coba, Mexico

Thursday 16th May



We planned to get to Coba, 45 km from Tulum relatively early but didn't end up getting there until mid-morning. This was because there are no longer buses that run to Coba from Tulum and we found it really hard to track down a collectivo. It seemed that each taxi driver we asked sent us to a different location. We eventually found one a few blocks up from the bus station but had to wait for some more people. After 15 minutes the driver said we could pay for 4 people (200 pesos) and just go, so we did.

Coba has the largest pyramid (42 metres) in the Yucatan and you can climb it, but having done Tulum, Ek Balam and Chichen Itza, I would probably say it can be skipped if you’re on a time limit as it’s hard to get to and doesn’t offer anything we hadn’t seen before, apart from a couple of cool skull sculptures. Views from the top of the great pyramid are similar to Ek Balam’s, but you don’t get the same great views of the surrounding architecture. Despite venturing off-track into the jungle, we couldn’t track down any of the toucans we had heard could be seen in the area, only more mosquitos.

Getting back to Tulum was tricky as well with the early bus cancelled we paid 48 pesos each for the bus at 3.10. This meant we had a few hours to kill walking round the lake in the town. I asked some lads if there were any toucans about and they didn’t understand so I flapped my arms and made a hook nose gesture and they laughed at me, as well as Lauren. One of the boys did his own sign language, a hangman, to let me know they were dead apparently.

Once back in Tulum we went for a swim, then packed ready for the journey down to Orange Walk in Belize and went out for our last meal in Mexico.
]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan_and_lauren/1/1369068034/tpod.htmlFrom Monpazier to Estaing — Estaing, France http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/yWojz7QQroM/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/wanderingsnl/1/1368941361/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/wanderingsnl/1/1368941361/tpod.html Mon, 20 May 2013 15:41:18 +0000 Wanderingsnl's Great Adventure
Estaing, France

We said goodbye to our wonderful hosts, Edell &amp; John. We would certainly recommend their B&amp;B or gites to anyone travelling in this area of France.

We had originally planned to travel to Estaing via Rocamadour, a village clinging to cliffs &amp; Gouffre de Padirac, a river cave. Due to my health, the distance to be travelled and the nature of the cave (cold &amp; wet), we decided to take a different route. Instead, on the advice of Pam &amp; Neville Windsor, we visited another village also clinging to a hillside, this one is above the Lot River called Saint-Cirq Lapopie. The sun was shining, so the village looked spectacular both as we approached it from the other side of the river and again as we parked and clambered about its hilly streets. The chateau originally perched on the very highest hilltop, the remains of which are a few walls, provided a great vantage point to view the valley below and the village as a whole. Many of the houses here are built using wooden beams and stones and mortar. Considering that some are still standing having been built in 13th-14th century, is quite remarkable. The walls lean out and bulge but they remain standing. The interiors are modernized but the exterior walls are maintained in as close to the original form as possible. Beautiful narrow,cobbled streets, twist and wind about the village and somehow cars manage to drive on a number of these.

Our next stop on the way was Becastel. Brian Wilson had recommended this town, Estaing and many other places in the region of Aveyon and we were not disappointed. Becastel was breathtakingly beautiful. With the Aveyron River flowing through its centre and a lovely stone bridge rising across it, together with its stone houses and chateau it certainly deserved the classification of one of Frances most beautiful villages.

Belcastel to Estaing was not far if we had travelled on the main roads. But no matter how we set up this stupid Nav-man (GPS) it continues to take us on back narrow roads that take twice the time to reach our destination especially when to pass an oncoming car you have nowhere to pull over and are nearly sliding down the steep incline on your side. Definitely not fun!
]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/wanderingsnl/1/1368941361/tpod.htmlGeorgetown — Georgetown, Malaysia http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/xn-u2JigV5o/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/emandve/1/1368144000/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/emandve/1/1368144000/tpod.html Mon, 20 May 2013 15:39:20 +0000 Emma and Verity's travels
Georgetown, Malaysia

The island of Penang was a new addition to our itinerary and definitely one I'm glad we made. It's main city Georgetown gave us a really positive first impression of true Malaysia. A sleepy town with a very 'shabby chic' vibe and oozing examples of unspoilt colonial heritage- it's no wonder its a UNESCO world heritage site. The inhabitants there are such a mix of ethnicity yet walking down the old streets felt like the Brits had never left. Although nothing has been visibly done to keep the old buildings in good repair, equally nothing has been done to spoil them so the pastel-coloured Georgian style houses with their flaky wooden shutters still remain just as they were. The people are all really pleased to see you, and be they Indian, Chinese, Malay or a mixture of all three, they generally all spoke pretty perfect English which was surprising given the lack of western tourists. The city even has an area known as Little India and it really was like being back on the streets of Agra, (albeit a lot cleaner!) with the sound of Bollywood music drifting out of shop doors and the smell of curry at every street corner. We took the liberty of visiting the grandiose Eastern &amp; Oriental Hotel one afternoon and although we didn't splash out on 'Afternoon High Tea' (as tempting as it sounded) we enjoyed snooping around at all the old-fashioned suites and the Grand Ballroom where 'dances' are still held. We were also warmly welcomed by a lady in the museum part of the hotel who began telling us all about her life, including some fairly intimate details; "in an arranged marriage the man expects his wife to be a cook in the kitchen and a ***** in the bedroom....if not he can easily slip across the Thai border for a night! My mother only warned be about the cooking!" - an interesting although perhaps rather too personal perspective of Malay life for a woman!
]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/emandve/1/1368144000/tpod.htmlLangkawi, Malaysia — Langkawi, Malaysia http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/WX7h7U_indU/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/emandve/1/1367884800/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/emandve/1/1367884800/tpod.html Mon, 20 May 2013 15:39:04 +0000 Emma and Verity's travels
Langkawi, Malaysia

First stop in Malaysia and although the island of Langkawi is only just across the Thai border the new culture was definitely apparent. Predominantly a Muslim country, we immediately noticed the increase of women wearing headscarves and the occasional full length burka. Another noticeable difference was that the westerners we'd been surrounded by on the Thai islands were now substituted for Chinese and Indians. In fact we soon learnt that Malaysias population is actually only 50% Malays, with the Chinese and Indians making up the other half. The Indians here were just as friendly as we'd experienced in India though and it was nice to refresh our memories of Indian cuisine. The beach here has to be one of my favourites so far. Nice hard white sand, beautifully pristine water and very few tourists. We did however have an interesting encounter on our first day on the beach with a BMW.....and no I am not referring to the car. One clearly rather confused and slightly deranged man decided to stand behind where we were sunbathing, fully clothed but with his flies undone, repeatedly saying 'hello' and then wiggling his willy at us whilst maintaining an entirely straight face. After receiving a bit of giggling and then complete ignorance from us he then wandered along to the next group of bikini clad girls. Bikinis were clearly just too much for him to handle and left us wondering whether we should be swimming fully clothed like the locals. Nevertheless we never saw him again and for anyone wanting to experience the gorgeous beachlife of the Thai islands minus the tourists then we highly recommend Langkawi!
]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/emandve/1/1367884800/tpod.htmlGunung Bromo (volcā Bromo) — Gunung Bromo, Indonesia http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/fmrxEVQwBc4/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ba119766/3/1368753992/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ba119766/3/1368753992/tpod.html Mon, 20 May 2013 15:38:46 +0000 Sudest asiātic al poder
Gunung Bromo, Indonesia

Hola

Com Indonèsia té algunes activitats de risc i nosaltres encara no som molt de surf decidim anar a visitar un dels més notoris volcans actius de la zona: el gunung (volcà) Bromo

Una lleugera ruta de 11 hores en minivan adelantant dotzenes de cotxes, motos i camions pel carril contrari, en corbes tancades i en canvis rasants ens deixen al típic hotel de muntanya brut, vell, ronyós, desatès i car. Sovint oblidem el preu de turistejar per zones que quan hi vas no tens escapatòria; 4 hotels oberts en 40 km

Sense atrevir-nos a comprobar si l'aigua calenta funciona ens acostem a l'hotel del costat buscant menjar menjable i ens fiquem al llit a les 22pm doncs l'endemà ens recull el 4x4 a les 0330am !!!

Molt poc animats i abrigats amb el poc que tenim enfilem a les fosques el camí d'una hora cap el mont Penajaran de quasi 3000m d'alçada que serà on veurem sortir el sol amb el conjunt volcànic al nostre davant. Quin circ es munta dalt d'aquella muntanya; hi ha centenars de persones que tots mirem cap al lloc equivocat doncs encara som a les fosques i apart de fred no veiem res de res

El sol com és ben sabut il.lumina tot i es presenta davant nostre la impresionant plana de cendres on es cimenten els 3 volcans a la vista: l'alt que és el Mahameru ja treu una petita fumerola com avisant que allò no va de broma, el petit sembla un flam de royal perfectament format però ja extint i el gunung Bromo que treu vapor d'aigua i sofre per a que t'hi acostis (va treure lava només fa 3 anys). Quin espectacle !!! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Bro mo )

El 4x4 ens baixa a la base del cràter i el circ es torna a reproduir mentre camines pesadament per les cendres i puges els 240 graons per arribar al 'cim'. Allà es percep el sofre a la gol.la i una mica als ulls però les vistes impressionen. Els més agosarats caminen per l'inestable marge del cràter fent els 360º, no vam haver de lamentar cap víctima tret d'una lipotímia entre una cansada ascendent d'escales.
De moment el millor que hem vist a Indonèsia

La Betty fa migas amb el conductor del vell però xulo Toyota Landcruiser de l'any de la picor que quasi li ofereix vendre-li. El pollastre el té equipat amb un equip d'audio dels que peten fort (veure vídeo) i ens atrona amb música d'after de baixada.

El paquet que hem comprat inclou trasllat fins a Dempasar (Bali) així que ens tornem a ficar en una minivan que ens deixarà 12 hores més tard al destí no sense abans haver fet minivan1+minivan2+ferry+bus+taxi per arribar a l'hotel de Kuta que com es veurà aviat torna a canviar totalment el nostre tipus de viatge i entorn.
Aaaaaai que dur és viatjar i què fàcil tornar a anar a l'oficina un dia si i l'altre també :-P

Òscar

PS: sembla que em vaig perdre un bon partit en la final de la copa del rei no ?




]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ba119766/3/1368753992/tpod.html — , http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/oaDiEMHeTME/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/girl_and_plane/1/1369061118/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/girl_and_plane/1/1369061118/tpod.html Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 Girl_and_plane's Great Adventure
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