Then When

Carrying the World on your Shoulders

2013-06-30T12:16:00.003-07:00

Carrying the World on your Shoulders

Backpacking is the art of anticipating what a place will be like and then packing what you think you'll need for the weather you think you'll get and the time-span you think you'll be gone... and then being wrong. After every trip I realize that I actually need much less than what I thought. Because less really is more.

There's a curiosity in each of us that can lead to adventure . Its not always easy to find an experience that captures your whole consciousness. There is something in the back roads of back roads, places where facial expressions and sign language is the only common language , the sharing of your story, the representation of your country and the strangeness of different. I'm not someone that likes putting smiley faces in my writing, but that is pretty much what I look like while writing about experiences where I packed my bag while still uncertain of my destination.

I'm a normal everyday guy, but I decided that money I can recover, but time.. never.. so risks are to be taken now. I started hitch hiking and backpacking in varsity. Even though there were risks involved I believe in that old saying that you will regret the things you didn't do. After backpacking all over, this is one decision I have never regretted for a day.

I see travel in two ways. There are holidays and then there’s adventure. The difference is that you come back rested from a holiday. Adventures some times take everything out of you, BUT it generates or leaves a story worth sharing. From Asia's toilets on the train which is like live target practice to the strange foods that got you there; from the serenity of Tibet to the wildness of the Amazon jungle; from the chaos of Egypt to the smiles of Swaziland. The places, the faces and the memories, all captured in photos and journals. It fills you, it changes you, it gives you identity and a story.

The unknown and the unforeseen are part of backpacking. Disaster is not like lightning, it strikes more than once and sometimes from all sides, but you see, this is life writing your story. Sometimes the best things that happens to us don't seem like it at the time. Like the old saying goes “life is understood backwards but has to be lived forwards!”

You will need different accessories for different adventures, mainly depending on the season, accommodation, temperature, geography and means of transport. What I took to survive in the Amazon was different from what I took to hitch hike through Asia. Decide what you are going to do and then pack accordingly. You will always find things you did not come prepared for, but take the necessities. A few things McGuyver would like to have with him:

1. Duct tape. For building or fixing anything. Well, almost anything. For everything else there is Mastercard! From rattling or broken bus windows, closing a too cold air-con outlet to fixing a backpack strap or to seal a leaking waterbottle. It allows your creative juices to flow!

2. Inflatable neck pillow. Its small, weighs nothing and makes those 24+ hour bus rides a little more bearable. I even use mine as a normal pillow when camping in my tent.

3. Tablet. I have a 7 inch Samsung tablet. It works like a dream and it fits into the side pocket of my cargo pants. This frees my hands and whenever I need to write, need some music or check the maps I downloaded, its close and ultimately handy! The tablet was a great asset in places with wifi, which is now at most backpackers lodges! The screen size is great for watching movies, but not as big and lousy as a laptop that draws too much attention. The storage is more than enough for all my entertainment. I use it as a Kindle, Ipod, Work station, translator, easy access to documentation, maps, checklists and emergency contact details. Ill be lost without it!

4. Dry bag. The last one I bought from Cape Union Mart was about R40 and it is possible to get two backpacks in it. This is handy when your bag has to ride on the roof of the bus in the rain or on dirt roads. It also gives nice shade when you build a small shelter.

5. Candy. Forget all those books on the power of persuasion. Candy with a smile is the ultimate weapon of persuasion! Buy packets of individually wrapped sweets, just so some can be kept in your pocket in case of emergency. I've seen candy make a friend, defuse arguments and prevent bus drivers from leaving me behind!

6. Thermal underwear. These things make you jump for joy when you get into a cold bed. And for the weight to heat ratio, still one of your best bets.

7.Warm jacket for the bus. While on the bus or plane, it some times gets very cold after a few hours because of a full-blast air conditioner, no matter if you are in the midst of summer in Thailand or Vietnam! The duck-tape from point 1. might stop the cold air blowing directly on you, but unfortunately you wont be allowed to tape all of them closed! Rather use your candy from point 5. to make friends with the driver who operates the air conditioner!

8. Multi-fuel stove. This is my pride and joy! When we are sitting on a mountain, like our previous hike in the Drakensberg, some one always says: "A coffee would now be nice", This...is my moment. I then assemble my compact multi-fuel stove and little holders with coffee.(It surprises many that a coffee machine can find its way up a mountain!). And if I didn't crave after I ate all my candy on the way up, there might still be some cookies to go with the coffee.

9. Hammock. I found my hammock to be great for short trips. Easy up and easy down. It serves a multi-purpose as it is used as a chair, bed or shade anywhere. Well, you need two trees. I imported a very light and compact one with tree straps to protect the trees.

10. Slops. Slops are great after a days walk with closed shoes. For sanitary reasons I prefer to shower with them too.They weigh nothing and strap on the outside of your bag. (it prevents people from walking into you too!)

11. Wet Wipes. "If you are a girl!". Its also nice to wipe your hands before you eat,especially if you are not able to go to a tap. This worked well in Asia for the long bus and train rides.

11. Carabiners (I usually buy a whole bunch of them) and a large rubber tie-strap. I bought both from a 4x4 shop. I like using carabiners to keep zips closed in crowded areas. When I pack my bag I also put shopping bags in last just before I close the zips. They make a lot of noise if removed and would discourage any pick pocketer. The rubber straps are great to tie your bag to the roof when theres little space and the carabiners to hook extra things on your bag, or even to tie your backpack to a pole to avoid it from becoming part of the redistribution of wealth.

12. Toilet paper. Never, never, never assume there will be.

13. Zip-lock bags. Great for the toilet paper in point 11. (Wet toilet paper not as nice as dry toilet paper. ) When flying, I’d also advise you to push the air out of the liquid soaps, like shampoo, and then also place it inside a zip-lock bag to prevent frustration in case it leaks.

14. Multi tool (Leatherman). Because you'll never know if you'd get asked to build an arc. I found it useful in places where we would hire bicycles, small repairs on rented vehicles in the bush and some times it creates the contact point when you help a stranger from your "fully kitted bag".

15. Pen and paper. I found it incredibly handy to have a pocket sized notepad to jot down directions, details and to do's. I also make notes of places other travelers advise to go and not to go. Its more up to date than any Lonely Planet! (Lonely Planet is a book which advises travelers where to eat, sleep, party and think. It works well for many. I'm thankful for this as it concentrates the tourists in certain places, giving us others who want to get away from the west a good idea where not to go.

16. Basic Medicines. Like Rehydrate and Immodiums, to soften the aftershock of those interesting foods you don't want to miss out on.

17. Email documents. I always scan and email all of my most important documents to myself in case I lose everything.

18. US Dollars and a money pouch. Dollars come in handy in every crisis, as it is surprising how many places and some times countries have no ATM's or ATM's run out of money.

Having any of these when you need them is exhilarating! Two things I learned that makes a big difference are treating yourself to good food once in a while and rest days. Good food is good for your health and great for your moral. Rest days are essential, especially if you travel in a group. Trying to keep everyone together is like herding butterflies, so I prefer a rest day after every two days on the move, it keeps the peace.

There is nothing that can give you what travel gives you. And you need not go far. The broadening of horizons, the breaking down of cultural barriers, the developing of new perspectives, the writing of your story, all in simply locking your front door.

The same goes for backpacking and for life. The more I travel the less I need. You realize how often you carry way too much stuff, while what you didn't have, created the start of a great conversation or a new friendship.

Carrying the World on your Shoulders

2013-06-30T12:16:00.001-07:00

Carrying the World on your Shoulders

2. Inflatable neck pillow. Its small, weighs nothing and makes those 24+ hour bus rides a little more bearable. I even use mine as a normal pillow when camping in my tent.

6. Thermal underwear. These things make you jump for joy when you get into a cold bed. And for the weight to heat ratio, still one of your best bets.

11. Wet Wipes. "If you are a girl!". Its also nice to wipe your hands before you eat,especially if you are not able to go to a tap. This worked well in Asia for the long bus and train rides.

12. Toilet paper. Never, never, never assume there will be.

16. Basic Medicines. Like Rehydrate and Immodiums, to soften the aftershock of those interesting foods you don't want to miss out on.

17. Email documents. I always scan and email all of my most important documents to myself in case I lose everything.

18. US Dollars and a money pouch. Dollars come in handy in every crisis, as it is surprising how many places and some times countries have no ATM's or ATM's run out of money.

Carrying the World on your Shoulders

2013-06-30T12:15:00.003-07:00

Carrying the World on your Shoulders

2. Inflatable neck pillow. Its small, weighs nothing and makes those 24+ hour bus rides a little more bearable. I even use mine as a normal pillow when camping in my tent.

6. Thermal underwear. These things make you jump for joy when you get into a cold bed. And for the weight to heat ratio, still one of your best bets.

11. Wet Wipes. "If you are a girl!". Its also nice to wipe your hands before you eat,especially if you are not able to go to a tap. This worked well in Asia for the long bus and train rides.

12. Toilet paper. Never, never, never assume there will be.

16. Basic Medicines. Like Rehydrate and Immodiums, to soften the aftershock of those interesting foods you don't want to miss out on.

17. Email documents. I always scan and email all of my most important documents to myself in case I lose everything.

18. US Dollars and a money pouch. Dollars come in handy in every crisis, as it is surprising how many places and some times countries have no ATM's or ATM's run out of money.

Carrying the World on your Shoulders

2013-06-30T12:14:00.001-07:00

Carrying the World on your Shoulders

2. Inflatable neck pillow. Its small, weighs nothing and makes those 24+ hour bus rides a little more bearable. I even use mine as a normal pillow when camping in my tent.

6. Thermal underwear. These things make you jump for joy when you get into a cold bed. And for the weight to heat ratio, still one of your best bets.

11. Wet Wipes. "If you are a girl!". Its also nice to wipe your hands before you eat,especially if you are not able to go to a tap. This worked well in Asia for the long bus and train rides.

12. Toilet paper. Never, never, never assume there will be.

16. Basic Medicines. Like Rehydrate and Immodiums, to soften the aftershock of those interesting foods you don't want to miss out on.

17. Email documents. I always scan and email all of my most important documents to myself in case I lose everything.

18. US Dollars and a money pouch. Dollars come in handy in every crisis, as it is surprising how many places and some times countries have no ATM's or ATM's run out of money.

Jnb to Malawi on thumbs

2013-06-30T12:06:00.001-07:00

Jnb to Malawi on thumbs

Karla and I just returned from one of the best holidays of our lives. We went with my family to the sun and white sands of Phuket, Thailand. We had an action-packed ten days and saw and did more than most people will do in two months. Needless to say, the ten days flew past and like all good things, memories are best when they end on a high. And it did. But ending on a high is still not always enough to counteract that chill of reality of being back to normal after a trip. We were back for two days, but the need for adventure was greater and we decided there is a way to keep the hype.. We needed to go on another trip!

So we packed our backpacks and had no idea where we were going. I found many times before that the words planning, knowing and readiness are never part of a great adventure. But the words unknown, maybe and hopefully are good measurements for an unforgettable adventure. So we asked Karla's parents to drop us off at Johannesburg station. Its quite a dilemma when you have to explain to your girlfriend's parents that everything is under control, even though I had no clue where we were going! I have hiked before, but this was with my friend Gilbert. Never thought in my life Ill lose so many marbles that I’ll undertake a journey like this with a girl..

We entered Jo'burg station and decided to take the first bus that left South Africa. It was a few days before Christmas, so the place was packed with people and their striped bags full of supplies they needed to take home to their families. I stood an hour in a queue and was amazed at how extra-friendly everyone was. When I spoke to the lady at the ticket office it was similar to an ad that was on TV a few years ago. The guy in the ad arrogantly asks a member of the Airline staff: " Do you know who I am?", to which she responded by asking over the microphone if anyone knew who this person was, as he didn't seem to know. Our situation was similar, but in a friendly tone: "Where to?" Came the words from behind the window. I moved closer to the window so as not to sound like a mad man to everyone else listening and said through my smile: "Umm, I don't know. Can you please sell me two tickets on the first bus out of South Africa?!" The lady frowned and then looked around as to call someone and then she asked:" why?" I explained in short that we wanted it to be a surprise.. To ourselves! So she said laughingly there is a bus leaving for Zimbabwe in an hour and before she could finish her sentence I told her we will take the tickets. My African sister laughed and just shook her head.

The bus-ride that followed was one we will never forget. I am a little claustrophobic, so when we got front-row seats, next to the window and close to the door I was relieved! We greeted our friendly bus driver and then the bus went quiet. One lady stood up and prayed for a safe journey in such a way that you could not help getting goose-bumps. When she finished they sang a song, but we could only listen.. We didn't know the words.. The bus driver took his seat and the loading started. I've never seen anything like it. Another row of seats was created with luggage in the passage. Soon we could not see our bus driver any more and I started to fear for my life! Oh and off course my girlfriends life too! I think we lapped the maximum allowable weight, but everyone was smiling as the bus squeaked and moaned while pulling away. It felt like one of those movies where everyone was cheering someone or something to just give that final steps and hold on! You can do it! Then when the tension was at its highest, it almost felt like we were pushing the bus from where we sat in our seats! The bus jumped forward, shaking in its old frame. We were off to Africa! Waka Waka, This is Africa!!

The bus never stopped, not for a policeman or a pee. Five or Six times the Traffic officers waved the bus to stop and it did, 800m further. And as soon as the traffic officer approached the bus, the bus driver would pull away waving back at the frustrated officer. Our bus rocked from side to side and in the weirdest up and down motion, then we reached Zimbabwe. Beitbridge was chaotic. My uncle Nowell, who is always a sport, is our "in case of emergency number". He always does a lot of effort to inform us of the latest news in the area we might find ourselves. He phoned us to let us know he heard on the radio that the waiting time at Beitbridge border might be anything between 16-24 hours. Every bus that crosses the border needs to be unpacked, man and machine will be searched. Then the daunting queues and afterwards we needed to get your belongings back on the bus. This was the rule for every bus, but not our bus. Our driver was well connected. He skipped the queue, upset a few thousand people and after a quick passport stamp in the office we were heading into Zimbabwe.

We made some amazing Zimbabwean friends on the bus. They invited us to come and stay with them until we had a plan for the rest of our journey! We stayed with them for the night and the next day decided to thumb a ride to Malawi. Malawi is called the warm heart of Africa and this is one place both Karla and I had always wanted to see. Our Zimbabwean friends called a family gathering to see if they can help us with a lift, but we would need to wait for two days. We would have loved to stay, but we were so hyped to go to Malawi, that by any means would be fine!

Our friends were so caring and wanted to make sure these foreigners did not get themselves into too much trouble. They accompanied us to the taxi rank and there was a taxi that was willing to take us to the border of Mozambique. Fortunately our friends were still with us and we barely made it out of there with all our belongings. Our Zimbabwean friends understood that the taxi was planning to drop us somewhere and drive off with our bags! So we had to skip this one. We then put up our thumbs and fortunately a bakkie picked us up. There was hardly enough space for us, so we had to sit on top of our bags. We had amazing conversations, with the sun in our faces and the wind in our hair! The locals changed from strangers to friends, and then to hosts. They insisted on buying us fruit along the way. We shared our pom-pom(Sweets) and it soon changed into a feast!

We reached the border of Mozambique after a very pleasant journey and took the first available lift to Malawi. What should have taken a few hours turned into half a day. The lifts provided us with some interesting conversations ranging from politics to religion and everything in-between.

The times we paid for the ride they drove 3 stops in the right direction and then made a U-turn and headed back to the starting point. They continued this until the car/taxi/truck was full. And if someone were to get out, to our despair, they would turn around and go look for another passenger to fill the space. You know when you are in an elevator and that moment you stop expectably on a floor on the way up or down.. At least it makes sense as long as you keep moving in the same direction. Now imagine pressing the button for floor 19 and the elevator goes up a few and then down a few, until there is a full elevator to go to floor 19. That was our lifts in Mozambique! One thing about Africa is that you don't want to be outside late at night. Our last lift dropped us off at the border of Malawi just after the sun went down. The gates were closed and we had to wait till the next morning. There were a couple of people from other African countries on the border and we were fortunate enough to catch this group as we walked into town to look for a place to stay for the night. It might not be so dangerous, but there is comfort in numbers.

Malawi was waiting for us, so we were up early and some of the first people at the border. The Mozambique exit and Malawi entry border posts were about 4 kilometers from each other and it looked like a beautiful walk in No Man's Land. We walked about 100meters when a huge truck pulled in next to us. The driver leaned out the window and with two quick blows on the horn he welcomingly said : "Welcome to Malawi". Then we knew we had arrived! He insisted on giving us a lift to the next post. The Malawi border was quiet and took us about 10 minutes to fill in the forms, get the stamps and be off again.

Finding a lift in Malawi was easy and we quickly made it to Blantyre and then Zomba. The next day was Christmas, so we decided to take a local bus in order to speed up our travel to the famous Lake Malawi. The bus driver decided on the scenic route and what should have been a few hours turned into a day. This did not trouble us a bit, as we were accompanied by a Lieutenant in the Malawian army who told us the most interesting stories about the smiling culture of Malawi. He explained what the different place's names meant and what was significant to each. He even had us in suspense when he said: Wait.. Here, it was here! It sounded like we hit a crows-nest as me and Karla chirped: "What what what?" Then he explained that he was here a few decades ago when a lion fell from the mountain to its death in front of the truck! Recently lions were reintroduced into the wild in Malawi, as the numbers had dwindled from the 1960's to the 80's.

We arrived at Monkey bay very late at night. As we got out the bus a group of men raced towards us, but the Lieutenant gave a authoritarian yell. The guys froze in their shoes! This moment was all about who we knew! He was furious and went screaming at them as if he wanted to get his troops in line. They tried to explain, but with a fast arm movement that looked Nazi-like, he directed them to go away. We found a place to stay in town and Christmas morning we got a lift to Cape Mclear.

It was a marvelous little hidden paradise, away from everything and everyone. We walked to the camping spot and found the camping area consisted of only 4 spots! To our surprise the other campers were also South African! As always we first went to meet our neighbors and the funniest moment to everyone was when they asked where our car was! No one could believe we thumbed from Johannesburg to Paradise in 2 days.

As we pitched my dad's old 2-man army tent, the neighbors brought us chairs, coffee and cookies! There is nothing like the warm welcome of South African laughter. We spent the time water-skiing, sunset cru-zing and sitting around the fire with our fellow South Africans. The crystal clear water and beach were a haven for people tired of the buzz.

Driving to Lake Malawi in my old Landy would have been fantastic, but it would have been similar to driving to Cape Town, and we would have missed the story.

One of the funniest moments of the trip was when we got to the border, just before we entered our homeland; we urgently needed to go to the toilet. Unfortunately.. We realized we had lost our toilet paper along the way and so we soon found a new use for the bandages we had carried along! The rest I would rather leave for your own imagination.

Then When

2011-11-10T21:50:00.001-08:00

	"You think you have all the time in the world, what if you're wrong.."

	Life is a journey, but its about your story. I found that it is my perspective and approach that will determine mostly what I get out of life. You are your best friend and worst enemy, so get to know yourself! I asked this question numerous times to myself: What you are experiencing or where you are at in your life, is it the best there is or only the best you know? To me, life is about finding character instead of comfort. This change in mindset will change everything, from the way you experience things, to what you say yes or no to, and even the way you perceive challenges. Just a small shift can change it all-similar to the ship changing its course by one degree, ending up 100km off destination.. Even suffering is understanding away from contentment. Its as if the distance between suffering and finding this contentment is understanding. If you don't start to walk, you will stay in suffering. Having friends as companions upon your road of understanding is the shortest cut. B.C Forbes said something profound "The real friends is he or she who can share all our sorrow and double our joys" We choose what we find beautiful and happiness is different for everyone, but the way it makes you feel, is universal.

Life is a journey, but its about your story. I found that it is my perspective and approach that will determine mostly what I get out of life. You are your best friend and worst enemy, so get to know yourself! I asked this question numerous times to myself: What you are experiencing or where you are at in your life, is it the best there is or only the best you know?

To me, life is about finding character instead of comfort. This change in mindset will change everything, from the way you experience things, to what you say yes or no to, and even the way you perceive challenges. Just a small shift can change it all-similar to the ship changing its course by one degree, ending up 100km off destination.. Even suffering is understanding away from contentment. Its as if the distance between suffering and finding this contentment is understanding. If you don't start to walk, you will stay in suffering. Having friends as companions upon your road of understanding is the shortest cut.

B.C Forbes said something profound "The real friends is he or she who can share all our sorrow and double our joys" We choose what we find beautiful and happiness is different for everyone, but the way it makes you feel, is universal.

Phuket in a "Coco-nut-shell"

2011-11-10T00:33:00.000-08:00

Flying is more than transport to a destination, its preparation for an adventure! Thailand must be one of the most affordable and adventurous outdoor countries in the world. There are enough activities to keep you busy every day, for months! Thailand was hit by a very destructive tsunami on 26 December 2004, which was the worst natural disaster to ever strike Thailand . The tsunami claimed many lives and caused major damage to the environment and property. The consequences of the tsunami on the Thai economy and environment influenced their fishing and tourism industries severely. The thousands of displaced people and loss of livelihoods reduced the quality of life for everyone in this paradise. The day of 26 December 2004 for these countries around the Indian Ocean was like 11 September 2001 in the USA. We went to Phuket, the largest island of Thailand, at the end of 2010 and was surprised to see that there was no signs of the tsunami after six years, except for warning signs. The restored buildings and the ever friendly people made it hard to imagine the chaos and emotional times that had come over these poor people a few years ago.

Tsunami warnings in Thailand and on its islands

Thailand is also known for its long beaches with crystal clear blue and turquoise water and green protruding rock islands. Other things that come to mind are elephants, massages, dark tanned people and water that is like your bath, after adjusting the temperature with little warm, little cold, and then you get it the right comfortable temperature, perfect! When I started planning the trip, I only did a little research on where to stay and what not to miss, but nothing could have prepared me for the pleasant surprise. Mmm.. Pleasant surprise. You don't hear that so often these days as marketing have developed to a level where they can even make your backyard look ridiculously fantastic! Face it, the best you can get is only if it's as good as the brochure portrayed it to be. And on the other hand, people are comfortable going to same place every year where they know what the trip will cost, where they have a camp spot that is "theirs", know where the best shop is and they meet all their other comfortable friends there.. every year.. We were like that for a couple of years in Groot Brak in the Western Cape.

The last time my parents left for another continent was 37 years ago on their honeymoon. My mom's dream was to go to an island, so when I saw pictures of Phuket, it was a sell. We bought a package for R8000 per person, which included flights, hotel, buffet breakfast and transport between hotel and airport. We started saving and after a few months of boring everyone with our story of going to Phuket, my parents, my bother, Karla and me were on our way to Thailand for 10 days. We stayed at a hotel called West Inn in Karon beach. Nice and quiet, but close to all the action. On arrival a tour guide comes and informs you of all the activities and you can book them there and then as well. My brother and me were determined to get my dad to do everything with us, and him being paraplegic made it so much more a family effort. We booked our activities so we have an activity full day followed by a rest day, where we traveled locally and spent time relaxing on the beach. Our first day we went on one of the most memorable rides of our lives.. Elephants in the jungle!

Our family

Jungle Tracking

Standing Elephant!!

Getting my dad on/off the elephant with a podium

There are many unique activities, and you'll know when you find them! Some times someone just says something and when you get the feeling to ask them: "You do what?!", you need to make a booking. Our next big trip was to visit islands, caves and volcanoes on inflatable kayaks! The kayaks are loaded on a big double-story boat and then taken to these unique picturesque spots that make tourists realise that no matter how long you are going to be here on holiday - its going to be too short!

Getting my dad on the kayak

Kayaking at James Bond Island

Kayaking among Limestone Cliffs

Asia has a delicacy that has been part of the Chinese culture for more than 1500 years. It is mostly harvested in Thailand and it is exactly what the name states: "Bird-nest-soup". Its also known as the "Caviar of the East". The hand-sized nests, built within 35 days, are harvested three times a year after the swallows are typically given time to breed and raise their young in the nest. The treacherous process of carefully climbing to collect these nests adds to the end-price which varies between $25 and $10 000 a nest, depending on the nest's colour. These bird nests are applauded for its medicinal uses, but its over romanticized by traditional and cultural beliefs.

Kayaking past Protected cave with swallow nests

We then kayaked into a tunnel in the side of a volcano, almost like going through the side of a large doughnut. Some places were tight enough to make claustrophobic people close their eyes. In less than 10 minutes you are on the inside of the volcano, filled with water and trees.

Inside the tunnels through volcano wall

Tunnels in volcano wall

Approaching inside of volcano

"Victorious- We made it!"

After the volcano we loaded all the kayaks back onto the big boat and we were off to see some caves. These limestone caves displayed spectacular color and stalactites. It feels like the most realistic dream you have ever woken up in.

Colourful caves

The difference between an adventure and a holiday is that you come back rested from a holiday, but fuller and richer from an adventure! There are endless activities for the day you just want to spend at the beach, from para-sailing, jet skis, massages, swimming, windsurfing, snorkeling to eating ice creams! The prices for activities vary, but are much cheaper than South Africa.

Para-sailing at Karon beach

View from Para-sailing

Jet-skis!

Jet-ski after falling off

Jet-ski fun

We did not have one day we could not go swim or find an interesting activity to make our day memorable. Even sitting on the beach was filled with action and some times discomfort! I realised how reserved we were brought up when some walk around top-less, comfortable with very little!

Our next excursion was out on a speedboat! The triple engined machine took us flying over the waves to the best snorkeling spots and the islands you only see on television! We visited various islands, even the one where the movie "The Beach", was filmed.

Speedboat to islands

Inside the luxury speedboat

"The Beach"

Island fun!

Swimming among the lime stone islands

Taking my dad snorkeling was the first for our family. Getting him off the boat and to the snorkeling spots was quite an island effort, as everyone was amazed to see a disabled person so keen on trying everything.Snorkeling is colourful! You attract the fish with a piece of banana and they'll take it out of your hand! There are many different species of fish and the reefs are very shallow.

First we choose our anchoring spot

Secondly overland to our snorkeling spot

Thirdly, carry my dad into the water

And finally pull my dad deep enough so he can swim

Colourful fish when snorkeling

Fish attracted with bananas

Phi-Phi island was another island with lushes green and turquoise blue. We stopped at Phi-Phi island for lunch, but got more than a full stomach. If you find those places that make time stand still and you find yourself walking in a dream, its a moment no money can buy. We sat on these pillows after lunch, overlooking the long wooden boats on the calm sea. Its these moments that you share with the ones closest to you that's memories last's a lifetime.

Phi-Phi Island

Comfortable pillows on the beach

Boats at Phi-Phi islands

The sunset cruise is something not to be missed. The moment comes alive in the most relaxed atmosphere as the ship sails into the sunset, in between green limestone cliffs and with music from Sarah Brithman playing softly in the background, while the ship breaks through the waves. It was perfect. There are large cushions to sit comfortably on, while you are being served by the friendly crew. We were fortunate to be sharing the ship with a nice couple from Australia.

Boarding our "Sunset cruise"

"Sunset Cruizer"

Atmosphere is about being with the Right People in a place of appreciation

Coffee and snacks served on board the sunset cruise

The nightlife is a story on its own. The streets become vibrant and cramped when it gets dark! Everyone is outside and the markets and shops are busy. There are many restaurants where you can enjoy local and international dishes. Local food is always cheaper than Western franchise restaurants.

Restaurants with live entertainment

Local food: pineapple, chicken and cashew nuts

Small street restaurant

Fires outside restaurant creates welcoming feeling

Phuket's currency is Baht and is about four Baht for every Rand. Clothes are very cheap and if you bargain for a couple of items, you get even better prices!

The zoo is also a fun off-day trip. You get to interact with the animals and there is a wide variety of animals to see here. We got to see different animal shows and even made the Orangutang part of ours! As Karla and me held the cuddling animal, someone screamed "Daddy, mommy, baby"!!

Hug an orangutang

"Our family"

"Daddy, mommy, baby"

Even on the cloudy days it was warm and pleasant. Some times we would go walking in the soft rain, which did not bother anyone, as things just kept going on as normal. After the zoo there was time to go take a swim.

Going swimming

Mom loves waves

Every morning you are greeted by the friendliest staff with words that sound as if they make all the sounds through their nose and mouth, saying: "Sawa-di-kaaap". I believe you should at least try local foods and traditions and trying to greet them in their language and eating their food made our trip even more fun and friendlier. Everyone loves it when a foreigner tries to say something in their language and sounds absolutely hysterical! When I visit foreign countries, I make time to visit villages where you can experience the traditional way they lived and and everyday life. One of our off days we went to visit such a town, where you can see their houses, taste their foods and see how everyone made a living before industrialization. One of the the most important travels we all have to go on is to meet others half-way. This will create value and appreciation in a friendship.

Tuk-Tuk to traditional village

Traditional Thai houses

Latex flows from rubber tree into cup and is big part of Thai exports

Drinking Coconuts

Traditional condensed milk coffee

Water-buffalo ploughing the fields

Finding transport in Phuket is as easy as walking in front of a car! There are many taxis and Tuk-Tuks, readily available. And if you want some real action, you can hire a scooter for R50 a day! Many locals use this transport, some times overloading one scooter with five people! We saw a family of five on one scooter, mom and dad on seat, one kid hanging on to mom at the back, one at dad's feet and a baby in a bucket hanging from the scooter's handle!

Scooter parking at shops

Sight seeing the island

Cheapest traveling in Phuket

The scooters was also ideal for doing local sightseeing when my parents wanted to take a rest. The designs and feel of Phuket architecture is a merge of Chinese, English, Portuguese, India, Holland and Malayu arts and beliefs. "Shino-Portuguese" is the mix of Eastern and Western building styles. Chinese architecture is the is the most common. The Western architecture started to influence Phuket in the colonialism era and there are many buildings with Western building style, but combined with Chinese symbols and patterns like on top of poles and above windows. There are many colourful Buddhist temples that are a big attraction for tourists.

Entrance to temple

Buddhist Temple

There is a huge 45 meter high Buddha sitting on Nakkerd Hills between Chalong and Kata. The Buddha was built on the best viewpoint of Phuket, where it gives you a 360-degree view of the island. Its a very quiet place, where you only hear small bells on the trees, yellow Buddhist flags flapping in the breeze from the sea and in some places some dharma music and monks singing in those deep sounds they make through their nose and mouths. I wanted a picture with one of the orange robed monks. Afterwards Karla and my mom decided they wanted a picture with the man too! What they did not realize is that women are not allowed to touch the monks! And the more the poor man tried to warn them by saying in his broken English accent "Yew kan. ttouch me bojie". The more it sounded like you CAN touch my body! It was hilarious! Here we had a very peaceful man getting very energetic, running away, and two women with outreached hands like they are haunting ghosts from a movie, running after him!! Only after he pulled his face and gave a shrieking sound did they realize that this man does not want to be touched!

Me, Monk, my dad and Big Buddha

Mom, Karla and nervous monk

The night sky in Thailand has another light which does not come from the moon or stars. These are known as sky lanterns, sky candles or fire balloons. Sky lanterns were the first hot air balloons. Although these lanterns were used strategically during ancient Chinese wars, they are now a symbol of happiness. The airborne paper lanterns are traditionally found in Asian country's skies. They are made from rice paper, a thin wire frame and small flammable substance to heat the air, sending it into the night sky. Unfortunately there is a negative side to these beautiful flickering in the sky, as they cause environmental damage and can cause destructive fires.

Sky lanterns lit on beach

Sky lantern in Phuket sky

The hart of any relationship is memories. By creating memories, doing the things that make your heart go big inside, and sharing it with the ones you love, you have many reminders of the good times every time you see them. Traveling Thailand had something in common with all my previous trips: Ive seen, heard and tasted more than what I can remember, Ive seen places and experienced a different culture, some things that not even the best camera in the world can capture; and I found little pieces of myself that I did not know existed.

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. We don't receive wisdom, we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us" Marcel Proust

Uruguay

2011-11-07T22:06:00.000-08:00

On our way from Peru to Uruguay we stopped over in La Paz, Bolivia. Bolivia is a country with many natural wonders, like the salt lakes, lake Titicaca and Moon Valley. The modern buildings mixed with colonial time cathedrals and building styles gives La Paz interests to all aged travelers. La Paz is also the highest national capital in the world, at elevation 3650m, and fits the name given "The city, that touches the sky". The city was built in a canyon created by the Choqueyapu River.

Bolivia had some similarities to the rest of the countries in South America. Its easy to get food, accommodation and transport..if you speak Spanish! And sometimes it's really better to not know what is being said! Everything in South America is fairly cheap and you can do a lot of traveling if you are willing to swop comfort for character!

La Paz, Bolivia

We arrived late at the Montevideo bus-stop in Uruguay and because we were getting on a bus in the the early morning hours, we decided to sleep on the floor.We were woken up several times by officials, who asked us to sit on the chairs and every time I just smiled and spoke in Afrikaans and they were so confused that they left us!

Uruguay was very camper friendly. Campsites cost a lot less than in South Africa and the people are very friendly to foreigners. We camped at a small campsite close to the famous beach called La Calavera beach Cabo Polonio. At the campsite the Latinos danced and sung in the evenings, while the most soothing Latino music played all day. The campsite was stacked! With rows and rows of two and three man tents. I was still sick from the Salmonella and the owners of the campsite really went out of their way to find a remedy.

Camping in Uruguay

The limited shade nets the campsite provide over our tents helped, but could not prevent us from being cooked out of our tent before 7 o' clock. We packed our bags and hiked to the ticket office for the 4x4 trucks that take you over the dunes to a very popular beach called La Calavera beach Cabo Polonio.These trucks race over the beach and dunes to a place that feels like an oasis, without the palms. You drive untill there is no one in site and as you drive along the beach and blue water, spots start to appear in the distance. As you get closer these spots turn into other trucks, small shops, then the next spots turn into umbrellas and the last into people lying with skimpy swimwear in the sun! Paradise!

Que for the 4x4 Truck

Truck taking us to the beach

We were the only people on the beach with that much luggage! We used the rain cover of the tent to create a little shade. The sun had a negative effect on the parasite in my stomach, as my stomach was cramping and burning as if I swallowed a warm coal.

The water was fantastic and the people beautiful! We could not believe that our trip has gone by so fast! I could still think of many things to do if we had a little more time. Especially with Brazil so close by!

La Calavera beach Cabo Polonio

Beach shelter at La Calavera beach Cabo Polonio

La Calavera beach Cabo Polonio

View from our tent is giving us a sign , "Not allowed"

Our trip has come to an end after a month of unrivaled adventure and scenery. We camped in the most beautiful scenery, made friends, made memories, River rafted in Chile, climbed an active volcano, did a bicycle down hill race in the jungle, hiked in the mountains, climbed to marvelous Machu Picchu, stayed in the Amazon, danced to Spanish music and experienced irreversible change in ourselves. Life is different for everyone, but to me it is a daring adventure, a leap into the unknown, and some times you are fortunate to go traveling!

Boat from Montevideo back to Buenos Aires

"Life is a ticket to the greatest show on earth" Martin H. Fischer

The Amazon

2011-11-06T23:46:00.000-08:00

We safely arrived at Port Maldonado, after a 16 hour drive from Cuzco, through the lush jungle. Port Maldonado has a huge market where the Peru Amazonians come and sell the fruit they collect in the jungle and buy other necessities they need. The market is an interesting place as they have a very wide range of foods and fruits that look a little different than back home.

Backpackers in Port Maldonado

Head of Anaconda

"Variety of fresh Fruit on Market"

Gigantic fruits

George helped me look for a local that is willing to take me into the jungle with him and maybe speak a little "Engless", while he spent some time resting in Port Maldonado. I met up with a pleasant Peru Amazonian called Milan. I tried to make it sound like I would be a great help fetching fruit... he nearly died laughing while saying funny sounding words. I said to Milan that I wanted to eat whatever they eat. He then asked me what we have? I said banana and he showed me 15 different bananas. I said potato and he showed me 50 different potatoes and asked which one? I soon realised this was a lost case! We bought supplies and we were off on Milan"s boat with its egg-beater engine.

Milan's boat on the Amazon river

On the Amazon River with Milan

Milan moved to the bank of the river as if we were pulling into a driveway with a street address and recognizable house. He said "me casa", (my house), looking at the jungle and I felt right at home! His house was surrounded with fruit trees and very colourful flowers. We passed his house and 100m further we got to the kitchen and food storage and another 150m further was my house. He explained that if wild animals or large snakes, showing with his hands a diameter the size of my middle, come to eat the chickens or other food, then we are not in the way! I suddenly realised Im in over my head!

I was surprised to find a mosquito net over my bed. I asked Milan if they have lots of mosquitoes, and Milan just replied that its not for the mosquitoes. I just uttered an "oh", as if I knew what he meant and decided that it might be better for me to leave it unanswered and for my imagination.

My house in the Amazon

Colourful Heliconia flowers in the Amazon

Milan really went out of his way to show and teach me about the plants and animals in the jungle. He showed me that the different bananas each have a purpose it is best suited for. One banana is for feeding chickens (Then they lay eggs faster- or maybe easier!), others for feeding fish, others for salads, other one is to be prepared over the fire and my favorite was the APPLE-BANANA. It looks like a short fat banana, but tastes like apple and banana mixed together!

Apple banana is only one of 15 different bananas in Amazon

I believe we should experience and learn about things as wide as possible. This prevents tunnel-vision. "The Walking Tree" in the Amazon was a paradigm shift to me. This tree's roots are on top of the ground and it moves 20cm a year to find a better spot in the sun. You can see which direction it's moving if you look at the roots: the roots on one side are dying while it's growing new roots on the other side. I realised how easily we place things in boxes and because of our ignorance, we limit our capacity to experience.

Walking tree walks 20cm a year after sunlight

If these Army Ants come through your kitchen area, you should abandon cooking for the high-ground! They eat everything that moves! And I believe if you stand still for too long, you would be carried away for a later snack. When they bite you your ankles swell up and you will have pain and headache for 24hours.

Enormous Army ants

You never get use to the sounds of the jungle. When the parrots come over you in a swarm, you cant even hear each other if you screamed! There are amasing places where you find colourful flying birds come together. One of these places is a clay-lick, where the parrots and macaws come to lick up the minerals they need out of the exposed soil. The minerals help the birds process toxins found in the seeds they eat in the jungle.

Green Parrots at Clay-lick

Other times you crawl up your toes in your shoes when you hear something flying close by and you cant see it! And the worst is when it goes quiet! Then you anxiously start flapping your arms around and looking around to see if you were the landing strip! And some times you are! Then you cant scream like a girl, because you might wake up something worse!

Things that go BUMP in the night

There were many fruits and vegetables that I ate in the Amazon that I never even heard of or ever seen before. The one fruit looks like a rolled up palm-leave, with huge black pips covered in a white juicy flesh. They don't look half as interesting as it tasted! Something like watermelon, kiwi and pineapple!!? How do you explain something that compares to nothing you know? eh..

Best fruit I tasted in the Amazon jungle

My new friend took me to a lookout that was 75m above the jungle. There were swarms of colourful birds flying below us. Macaws and Toucans and smaller bright coloured birds diving through the rain-forest canopy. The view from the lookout is breathtaking.

Tree-house 75m above jungle

Tree-house towering 75m above the jungle

The Daceton Armigerum ant has a really strong jaw. I met this "orange"ant in the Amazon jungle, while 75m above rain-forest canopy. I heard a "tch" sound and I looked around and were brought to the attention of this small ant when I heard the sound and felt a pinch that felt like a bee-sting! This armored ant is not to be taken lightly! These ants are visual predators and if they see something they want, they go after it! These orange ants feed on just about anything it comes in contact with, including dead animals, algae and small slow insects! While the male ants walk most of the time, they also glide from the trees. The females have wings until they have mated!

Daceton Armigerum Ant

There are more than 1500 bird species in the Amazon Basin and South America is home to more than a third of the worlds birds. The Toucan is one of the most well-known and also the noisiest! They can be heard almost a mile a way! Many birds are migrating birds and can only be seen certain times of the year. Milan took me to a rehab center for animals and birds found in the jungle that got injured. There were large snakes, loud birds, many monkeys and a very shy Jaguar! So I got the opportunity to see some of the animals up close and still in the wild!

Down-river to see animal rehab

Toucan, Amazon rehab centre

Red and green Macaw at rehab centre

Collecting the fruit was done in the "greenest" way imaginable. Some trees only bare fruit once and even then are they not just chopped down. Over ripe fruit are thrown on the jungle floor and a lot of care is taken not to trample new fruit trees. A long bamboo is cut down and sharpened. It is then used to pierce the branch that carries the fruit until the fruit falls to the ground.

Gathering fruit for the market

Gathering fruit in the Amazon jungle

After carrying different fruits back to the boat, I was covered in blood-red spiders. Nervously getting the attention of my Amazonian friend, not wanting to over-react and get another one of his laughs! He just looked briefly, poked off a couple that did not look friendly to him, turned around and walked off! I asked him if we can swim and take a bath in the river?! He chuckled again! Milan put his long panga-knive on the side of the boat where it is easy reachable and said come, while hitting his two index fingers against each other to signal that we have to stay together! He explained: Piranhas, Cayman, Anaconda, Sting Ray, eels..etc and all I was worrying about is the little catfish that swims up your manhood! The river was flowing fast and Milan showed me how to surf trees coming down the river and then swim back against next to the river bank in the slower moving water. When we got back into the boat, we were refreshed and clean. As the boat "scrambled" off with its egg-beater attached to the back, we were shocked to see a few Cayman lying in the reeds 50m from where we were swimming!

Getting speech on river dangers, not motivational

Swimming 50m from Cayman

When it gets dark, everything changes.. for once I understood what is meant with... "the hunter becomes the hunted"! Milan told me on the first night to go fetch my "lunar"(light) and mumbling "aranya... aranya", but his broken English with my "scattered" Spanish missed some crucial info. Every time Milan has no idea what I am saying he just answers with an English word he picked up somewhere: "EXACTLY"... "Milan, can I eat this?.. Exactly! Fortunately I figured out that "exactly" is not exactly what Milan means! As I want to walk off to fetch my headlamp, Milan tells me to stay away from the trees and if I walk in-between two trees, closer than 3 meters, I should put my hand in front of my face. After a day of seeing poisonous trees and some dodgy jumping insects, I thought he was quite reasonable with his advice. On returning to Milan, he points his fingers at his eyes and to the trees, as to ask if I looked at the trees. I shook my head and Milan took my headlamp and I followed him.. Oh my word. ARANYA MEANS SPIDERS!! And freaking huge ones! My stomach was shaking as I approached the hand-sized Tarantula spiders which was on every second tree! Suddenly I knew what the mosquito net over my bed is for!

Sunset on the Amazon River

Tarantula Spiders on my house and in my house

Amazonian Spiders

Amazon Insects

I soon realised that my weak stomach was not enjoying the adventure as much as I did. I think Milan's friend we visited just added fresh meat to the old ones to damp the taste. All the Amazonians were fine afterwards, while the sweat started to form drops on my forehead. The next day Milan realised that something was seriously wrong and told me to find a doctor in Cuzco. Getting back to Cuzco was the next problem as I was throwing up all over the place. First Milan gave me herbs in boiling water and then took me with his slow boat back to Port Maldonado, where I met up with George. We had to wait a couple of hours for the bus that takes 16 hours to get back to Cuzco. When I finally got back to Cuzco, the doctors looked a bit stressed and ran around puncturing my arms and neck to find a vein, as my veins had fell flat. I lost more than 11kg in 6 days! The funny thing is that I was injected against salmonella, but got so much in that my salmonella count was sky high. The doctor wanted me to stay in hospital for five days and he made quite a case when he tells you how many people dies from Salmonella. But with 7 days left in South America, I was not willing to lie in a hospital bed for 5! The doctor gave me medicine I should use for the next couple of days, until I am home. We were off to Bolivia..

"Salmonella Effect"

Peru

2011-10-30T06:33:00.000-07:00

If people ask me WHY third world countries and unknown wilderness, majestic cliffs and mountains; and unfamiliar territories, I know they wont understand the answer anyway. There is something in the unknown, in the mysterious unfamiliar places, that give you a scary sense of consciousness. You become aware of what is real.. Have you ever felt that you grew up in the wrong era?! I think third world countries are the closest I get to the feeling of living in Medieval times with ancient ruins, bartering on markets, traveling by foot, chaos, uncertainty, peasants and adventure.

In a world where what is real is hard to compare to the created, be it good picture to Photoshop or natural beauty to plastic surgery, you can still find places where you can escape the lies and the "plastics" of life. If we look at a picture of a magnificent sunset, the previous generation thinks: Timing, this generation thinks: Photoshop.. I believe that people's REAL colours come out when under two opposite extremes: When its going too well; or when they are under pressure and especially in circumstances where everything is out of control, like nature. People are different, and what they want in people are different too. So if you want to make your sifting process of finding real friends, easier: go somewhere unfamiliar to all of you! To me camping is the sieve that most easily finds people that feel the same as I do. I hope the youth of today can apprehend the value of the little discomfort of camping, as it develops teamwork, communication, friendships, interpersonal relationships and shows us that we complain too much.

George and I left Valparaiso in Chile on a 48hour bus ride through the Chilean desert. We arrived at a small town called Puno, next to Lake Titicaca. Puno had a huge market for fruit and flowers and this was the first place where all the people had a resemblance of the magnificent Inca Indians. We quickly found a bus to Cuzco, the main city of the ancient Mayan Empire. Even a flat wheel couldn't spoil a moment of our excitement!

We decided to do the touristy thing and join a tour group on the Inca Trail. The group was mainly Spanish people, but there were people from the USA, UK, Netherlands, Australia and of coarse us from South Africa. Day 1:downhill bicycle race in jungle, day 2 &3 hiking up the mountain passes and day 4 Machu Picchu. We were picked up in a red mini bus and we met our new friends and friendly tour guides.

Winding road to the top of mountain

On the way to the starting point we stopped in a small town to get supplies. Here everyone sells Cocoa leaves with a black "tar", which you chew and put in your cheek. This is believed to prevent altitude sickness. While George bought us some "Leaves", I bought us Cocoa leave tea! We were making sure the altitude is not interfering with our trip! We drove up a long winding road to get to the highest point on the mountain and as we crossed the highest point the tar road turned into a mud dirt-road. We put on our raincoats and each got a bicycle. We are doing a down-hill bicycle race in the rain and mud on the outskirts of the Amazon jungle!

George, my finger and bags of cocoa leaves

It was pouring! We soon realised that our cheap raincoats were as effective as trying to carry water in your hands for long distances! We were absolutely soaked, but the adrenalin from slipping and sliding kept us warm! There were places where the water came down with such a force that we could not cross with our bicycles! We had to get on the roofs of trucks and mini-buses with our bicycles to cross the powerful rivers that formed! The first day of our Inca trail was absolutely action packed!

End of the tar.. Start of the race

Crossing "rivers" with our bicycles

The first night we slept in a town in the mountains called Santa Maria. You could hear the mighty rivers flowing past the town. We started our hiking trail, walking through large Cocoa plantations and crossing long suspended bridges which you could easily bounce up and down, shaking everyone crossing them! The other fun way of crossing the river was in a basket that runs on a pulley, and you have to pull yourself across with the ropes.

Cocoa plantation

Crossing suspended bridges

"Amazon Cable car"

We went up into the mountains, following a narrow footpath to places seen only in the movies. Green mountains with majestic lookout points of valleys stretching as far as the eye can see, or to the next bend. Its places like these that make you feel really small. Especially when you get to a point where landslides took away parts of your footpath!

Our view from the mountian

On the cliffs of the Inca Mountains

Landslide left us without a footpath

The pit-stops were small camouflaged buildings with only a roof. Here we each received cold drinks and snacks and if you wanted any more Cocoa leaves.. I still don't know what the black tar is that you chew with the leaves, but if you take a too big piece, it burns your mouth like biting though a mouth full of chillies! At one of these pit-stops there was a beaver waiting anxiously for the last bit of everyone's cold drinks, as if it knew for certain it was its fair share for waiting out here. After refreshments we had sports as the group had to dress in the colours of the Inca people.

Pablo amused with the thirsty beaver

Dressed in Inca Colours with friends from Netherlands

Lunch with Inca tour group

The two day Inca trail ended with a swim at the hot springs! It was one of the most memorable swims with steaming hot water coming out of the ground, cooled by a waterfall from the mountains. We then made our way to Machu Picchu town and spent the day relaxing in small restaurants overlooking the floodwater's coming down from the mountain. Four days after we left Machu Picchu Town, it was inundated by flood waters of the Urubamba River and the people were evacuated with helicopters.

Machu Picchu Town

The next morning my friend Ruben and I started to climb at 3h, for the gates open at 6h and we wanted to be the first at the famous Machu Picchu temple ruins on the mountain. The prize? Sunrise on Machu Picchu and we could take pictures without any people in them! Only 400 people a day are allowed to enter this marvelous ancient site. Buses leave by 6h, but then there is already a cue of the early climbing enthusiasts, and you have to hope you get in!

Winding path for buses to Machu Picchu Temple

Climbing at 3h with Australian friend Ruben Ares to Mach Picchu

Waiting at the gate of Machu Picchu at 6h

Machu Picchu, which means "Old Peak", was built around AD1400 and this Inca site is located 2431m above sea level. Machu Picchu was built with polished dry-stone walls for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472) and is often referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas, perhaps the most famous icon of the Inca World. The Spanish Conquest killed the emperor, even after he negotiated for peace with riches above our minds! Rooms full of Gold and Silver could not stop them from wiping out the "savages". Machu Picchu was only brought under International attention in 1911 and restoration continues to this day.

Wayna Picchu is the stone that rises 360m higher than Machu Picchu. The Incas made a trail leading up the side of Wayna Picchu and built temples and terraces on strategic look-out points. According to archeologists, this is where the high priest stayed and he came down to Machu Picchu every day to signal the new day!

The famous Machu Picchu temple

Lamas at Machu Picchu Temple

Wayna Picchu, towering above
the ruins of Machu Picchu

Temple of the Moon is one of three large temples in Machu Picchu area and is situated on a level lower than Mucho Picchu, while the other major temples called Temple of the Condor and Temple of the Sun are inside Mucho Picchu itself. You climb down the back of Wayna Picchu with slippery steps, steel cables and wooden ladders and it's one of the most beautiful climbs in lush forest with beautiful coloured birds and butterflies! Here you also find another sacred temple with fine masonry, called the Great Cavern. When you reach the bottom and you see the green ruins, it feels like you just discovered a lost city! Definitely worth the sweat!

The climb to Moon Temple

Ruins of Moon Temple

Moon Temple Ruins

The next day we spent some time with our Inca Trail friends and in the afternoon I started to look for a lift into the Amazon..

Argentinian "amigos" the day after the Inca trail

Ruben and 2 American friends after Inca Trail

I found a bus to Port Maldonado. It reminded me of the famous Chicken buses in Africa. The bus is overloaded inside and on top! It's an uncomfortable 16 hour drive, but it has character! I could not help myself laughing when I saw people sitting with heaps of everything from bags of shoes to chickens on their laps. They have quite a good "drive-through". It is quite customary in Peru for "entertainers" and salespeople to get on the bus. They stop at a small town and pick up "entertainers" that sing and dance for a fee and sellers with funny looking pieces of fruit to large home made breads and then drop them at the next stop. This gives them enough time to walk to the back of the bus and back and then get on the next bus back to the previous town.

While I was looking out the window, I saw a river coming from the right and I know there is a cliff on the left. I could not believe it when the bus driver hit the river and go so deep that the wheels go under the water, the bus made a cranking sound and shifted left! My nerves were shot, I was sure we are going to be pushed off the cliff! Now I know why they overload the bus -to prevent us from falling down the waterfall!

Bus to Port Maldonado

Bus stops regularly to pick up people that sell food

Live Gloriously in the NOW. The looking back on a life not fully lived is worse than standing at the beginning feeling you have no way to beat the giants of tomorrow. We all have giants.. We all have fears.. But don't waste your days on a giant that may never come. The past is a much bigger giant, one you will unavoidably face, every day. The only way to prepare for tomorrow is to finish today well.. Being paralyzed by indecision is worse that making the wrong decision. At least you learn from mistakes, where you lose time and confidence by standing still!!

Chile

2011-10-23T00:28:00.001-07:00

The first town we stayed in Chile was Pucon (South of Santiago). Pucón's an unrivaled location by an active volcano and a large lake called Villarrica. This town has a lot of adventure sports to offer, from water and snow skiing. backpacking, river rafting to horse back riding and kayaking. There are also hot springs, zip lines and guided ascents up Villarrica volcano.

The first backpackers we found felt more like a home than a backpackers. There were backpackers from Israel, Argentina and Chile. The Chilean couple that owns and looks after our "home" was the most loving two people. We arrived on 29 December and even though George and me were the newcomers, they immediately invited us to have New years dinner with them. Everyone staying there made us feel right at home. After New years dinner we went to the beach for the big countdown and fireworks. It was impossible not to get sprayed with champagne! The beach is black, made up of volcanic rock, and is next to a large lake called Villarrica, and its size makes you feel like your in an ocean bay.

Our Chilean "parents"

New years eve with house mates

New years on beach of Villarrica lake

We spent a lot of time in the evenings with our Israeli and Latino friends and during the day we tried every activity this town had to offer. We decided to river raft and climb the active volcano in the next few days, but because it was raining we took on the rivers first! The winding river runs between the green mountains and lush forests. It was beautiful scenery and we had the occasional wrestle to make sure everyone got a little wet! We met two amazing people, Devon and Valerie, from the Canadian Army. Its always the people that make a trip, and if you have a group of people that need a lot of translating to understand each other, it makes action team sports even more fun! Especially if your guide only speaks Spanish and you never know what to do! Some times our guide got very excited and then screamed in a panicky tone, "shrsharhshshsharhs", and what do you do with that!?

River Rafting in Pucon, Chile

Upper Trancura river

We were very fortunate, as it had been raining for 2 weeks before we came and there are no trips up the volcano when it rains. The day after our river rafting it was blue skies! We booked our places with our guide and got our gear together. You wear a waterproof pants with a rubber "nappy" to sit on and slide down once you reach the top! The waterproof climbing shoes feel like you tied bricks to your feet and your axe is to prevent you from sliding down the 2800m volcano if you slipped and it is used as a break when you sliding down (Which is of coarse rarely used if you are a guy!) This sounds like an add on the radio in South Africa where they say: "Real men don't cry, except at the birth of your first child, and if its a girl, like you!"

Villarrica Volcano

View from halfway up Villarica Volcano

Zig Zagging up the Volcano

Devon and me reaching the top!

South Africans, Latino's, Canadians on top of volcano

There were few surprises as exciting as hearing the sound of the ocean and then realising it is molten lava rumbling under your feet! The sulfur that comes out of the volcano burns your nose and eyes. If you look at the people on the ridge on the other side of the opening of the volcano, you get an idea of the size of Villarrica volcano. Keep in mind that the narrowest part of the volcano is the top! Look at the first picture of the volcano to see how small this opening looks!

Sulfur gas burning your nose at the top of Villarrica volcano

People across the opening of volcano, gives idea of size

Then comes the sliding down! We climbed six hours to the top and you slide down in one! This is an exhilarating experience as you go faster and faster and suddenly come to a stand still in a wall of harder compacted snow. You then just jump up and into another "line" and keep going! The view is spectacular when the snow is not in your eyes!

Sliding down Villarrica volcano

The next day we sat! We were always on the run during the trip and if we sat, we rested! I love the sun. But the direct sun, the indirect sun reflecting from the snow and the sweat washing off my sunscreen lead to the worst sunburn I ever got in my life. Some pieces of my face were almost burnt black!

Me after climbing Villarrica Volcano

Sitting means resting

There is a statue like the "Christ the Redeemer" statue in Rio de Janeiro overlooking the city of Pucon, smaller of coarse. Pucon was definitely worth the visit. The people made Pucon exciting and being able to make and share memories like these are jewels in the years to come. You can tell a lot about which direction your life is heading by looking at the people with whom you've chosen to spend your time and memories. A.A Milne made me aware of the irony of life when said: "Good judgment comes from experience, and experience- well, that comes from poor judgment."

Similar to "Christ the Redeemer" statue in Pucon

We visited Santiago and other large cities, but found the quieter towns like Maitencillo resonating with what we were looking for. The large cities are great for parties and meeting people, but the smaller towns have character, atmosphere and scenery. The small towns like Maitencillo are also less touristy and you know it by the staring faces. We found a place to camp close to the ocean and were welcomed by a friendly Argentinian couple.

Our Argentinian neigbours

The ocean was cold, but the beach was busy and the people very friendly. This is one of those places where you realise how reserved your culture is! If women were to walk around on our beaches dressed in these "less-than-bikinis", our beaches would have been overcrowded! The restaurants make you feel like you are on an island, drinking rainbow coloured drinks with straws and little umbrellas. There is also an abundant sea-life in the pools and lagoons around Maitencillo, with horned crabs and gigantic sea-stars.

Maitencillo beach

Restaurant on the beach, Maitencillo

Breathtaking sunsets in Maitencillo

When we got off the bus, someone took a picture of us and said it was only for a project. A few days later we sat at the same bus stop. The lady next to me looked at us and turned to her newspaper. She kept doing this and then I greeted her in my plain funny sounding Spanish. She smiled and pointed with her finger to us and then to the paper. As she turned the paper to us - there we were! On the front page of the newspaper with the title: "Invasion of foreigners"! George and me jumped up out of shock!

"Invasion of Foreigners"

With the illicit drugs trade business at $322 billion, it is one of the largest international businesses. Its hard to imagine that this beautiful country and care-free people can be part of it. As we left the sea side, we climbed on a 48hour bus ride to a town called Puno in Peru, next to Lake Titicaca. Lake Titicaca is the highest commercially navigable lake in the world.

What we thought to be a boring trip through a desert, turned out to be part of the route of the Dakar rally! So we got to see some of the race and modified vehicles in action, racing past us in the dry desert!

One toilet, 30 people, 48hours

Desert in Chile (Part of Dakar Rally)

"Cocaine is God's way of telling you you have too much money" Robin Williams

4.Argentina

2011-10-22T00:29:00.000-07:00

All my life I have dreamed of going to South America and especially the Amazon. There is just something about jungles and wilderness that stirs the insides of man. I went on this adventure with my Chilean-South African friend, George. When I told him about my idea of going to Latin America in December 2009, he did not need any convincing to go with. It would be both of ours first visit to the continent with the beautiful women and wild jungles.. or is it wild women and beautiful jungles..hmm. The trip was quite impulsive and we got everything together in a month before leaving South Africa.

The weekends are vibrant here! We spent our time in Buenos Aires watching couple's doing the Tango in the awe of the spectators. We danced Salsa with locals in the street while they beat their drums and tambourines, visited a famous cemetery, socialized with locals and indulged ourselves in the local foods. This famous cemetery for the rich and famous people like Eva Peron, the "Diana" of South America feels like you walk down a street with houses. There are huge family grave buildings and some with large statues. Some of these "houses" are two stories underground.

La Recoleta Cemetery

We left the vibrant city hitting the roads by bus and by thumb to Bariloche in the West of Argentina. The changing landscapes from East to West felt exactly like when we drove from Pretoria to George in the Western Cape in South Africa. You pass the farmlands, areas like the semi-desert region like the Karoo and the mountains. We arrived in the town called San Carlos de Bariloche (mostly known as Bariloche) at the foothills of the Andes in the most beautiful Patagonia! Bariloche is located in Nahuel Huapi National Park and is a picturesque little town, which made international headlines as haven for Nazi SS war criminals like 'Hauptsturmfuhrer Erich Priebke'. There are some "boers" that were exiled to Patagonia in the war against the English in South Africa.

Patagonia

From Bariloche we traveled with a dodgy bus on a winding road to a very small town in the Seven Lakes region called San Martin de los Andes! The road was mostly gravel road in overgrown woods with spectacular views of the lakes and mountains we passed. San Martin feels like a place from the movies- quiet streets, everyone greets each other, cozy little houses, and the town is surrounded by mountains and forest.

houses in San Martin

We made friends from San Martin the previous year while shark cage diving in Mosselbay, South Africa, and they invited us to visit them! And before they could finish their sentence we were on the plane to them! We must build these friendships and meet as diverse people as possible, for this prevents tunnel-vision and an understanding of others. As a friend said it, "Do not foster co-dependance or independence, but interdependence." Everyone has something to teach you, you must just ask the right questions and be open to learn! Pride is when you cant be taught.

Tom and his wife in San Martin!

Tom preparing thick steaks

After a few days of eating thick steaks and late nights in front of the fire place, we were on the road again. A friend of Tom dropped us off at a place where we could camp that was on the way to Chile, so we can easily catch a ride from there.. Or so we thought..The campsite was unbelievable! The lake had fresh water, no filters or purification tablets needed! We had a view of a large volcano and were surrounded by mountains and forests.

Lake next to our camp

Fresh water lake

View from our tent

Once you start unpacking your backpack you see the miracle of how much you actually squeezed in there! During the day you feel like chucking out half your bag, but in the evening when you have everything from a comfy bed to a cup of coffee, you are thankful you carried the load! Our character is so often tested by privileges. We show who we are when things are under our control and when its out of control! For everything in-between we are uncertain, yet too safe to become conscious of what is needed to feel alive.

Our overfull tent

Camp and coffee

The lesson we learn't the hard way is that people do not pick you up if you are close to or crossing the border. They are scared you are trading in inlicit drugs and wont risk being caught with you. So we walked to the freaking Chilean border! Fortunately everyone at the borders are very "gringo"(Spanish for foreigner) friendly. After we cleared through customs, the custom officials spoke to the locals and organized us a lift to the next town. I believe life is 10% what happens to you, 30% what you know, 40% what value you put on time and 20% how you react to the situation!

Hitching a ride with friendly locals

Long walk to Chilian border

Its easy to become caricature when you take yourself too serious. So, never stop dreaming, its your anchor in Reality.

Scotland

2011-10-04T08:02:00.000-07:00

Scotland is more than guys wearing skirts and people talking a funny English. Scotland is a magical country, maybe its because I watched “Brave Heart” too many times. On the other hand I don’t think you can watch William Wallace give that stirring speech on freedom too many times! That moment in time you feel alive, your insides go big, the hair on your arms raise and you feel like picking a battle that is long overdue!

We left England on a bus to Edinburgh. We found a nice backpackers called West Inn and stayed for 6 Pounds per person, including breakfast! We joined a Scotland tour operator the next day called "Wild and Sexy", yes my reaction was the same as yours. I confirmed that we are not going to a red-light district.. I was skeptic, as I am not the tour group type, but the group turned out to be very nice and accommodating. We were introduced to our tour guide called Steven. He turned out to be the best guide I have ever had.

West Inn Backpackers

We started the tour on some battlegrounds. It was disappointing to hear how different the truth is from the movie about our hero, William Wallace. The movie is actually a combination of different stories, but doesn't reduce the excitement of it. There is also a theory that king Robert the Bruce was Brave Heart and as he lost all his hope of going to heaven after not fulfilling his promise of a religious crusade he had one last dying wish: His friend Sir James Douglas is to cut out his heart when he dies and take it with on the next crusade! So Sir Douglas obeyed his leader's dying wish and put the heart in a wooden box with a chain around his neck. As Sir Douglas was losing in battle and knew he is going to die, he threw the heart of Robert the Bruce into the battle and chased after it screaming: "Lead on Brave Heart".


William Wallace Monument in Stirling

The monument has been telling the story of William Wallace and has been a world renown landmark for over 140 years. I will never forget the moment we first saw this monument. The moment it appeared in the distance, our Scottish friend Steven put the Brave Heart sound track on. Its as if those bagpipes came from inside me, a powerful melody with even more powerful meaning.. no words to the song, because no words would have justified that emotion.

Brave Heart's sword replica

The sword of William Wallace is longer than I am tall. More than two meters long! Holding the sword was very similar to the feeling of sitting under the Christmas tree and knowing you are getting exactly what you wanted! Unfortunately the real McCoy was never found and a replica was made. The sword is made according to the warriors measurements and its only the best warriors that used swords of this size.

After the battle of Stirling we went to the mysterious Loch Ness! The evening we arrived, a few of us went to walk along the Lock Ness to see if we can meet the "shy monster". It felt a bit eerie walking out on the piers in the darkness of night! Every sound on the water had us swinging our heads around to see what it is! The water is 5.5 degrees Celsius year round because of its 230m depth and there is more water in the Loch Ness than in the whole of England and Wales combined! The water is a dark colour from the peat, which is rotten forest material in the phase just before it becomes charcoal. Julius Caesar had called Scotland "Caledonia", which means forestry country. Scotland was 93% forest then, today there is only 4% is left.

Looking for Nessie

The next morning I challenged the "lads" to take a swim with me in the Loch Ness! Hesitatingly they decided to come in after me. There was snow on all the mountains around us, this helped create the feeling of a ice bear swim! This turned out to be the best part of the whole trip! It was quite funny to look back and see everyone's faces as they enter the water. The moment your ankles enter the water it is like a thousand needles or someone hitting the the bony outside part of your ankle with a brick! Some guys fell down on the rocks just to elevate their ankles out of the water!

Sometimes we need to get out of our comfort zones to create unforgettable memories. You can go to different places or do things differently where you go. This is a great way to get to know yourself. Life is a journey, but its about the story.

"Nessie came to visit"

Our last night at the Loch Ness we tried traditional Haggis. Its sheep and lamb heart, liver and lungs minced with onion and spices in a sheep stomach! It turned out to be not as bad as it sounds..

The next day we met a celebrity who is known to eat sugar and chips.. Its a Kyloe or a Highland bull. They are a hardy Scottish breed of meat cattle with long horns and long wavy coats.

Highland cattle or Kyloe

Our next stop was part of a myth. There was a fight between two Mc' Clans. They arranged for the son of the one chief to marry the daughter of the other chief. Fortunately they were in love, but as she approached the wedding sermon with the two clans sitting next to each other, she fell off her horse and scarred her face in such a way that when she arrived at the wedding her groom refused to believe its her and that the other clan was making a fool of him. This lead to another clash between the clans and a day of battle was determined. The bride was very sad and did not know how to stop the fight, when she came across the Fountain of Youth. Not knowing its power she drank water out of the spring and washed her face. As she walked back everyone saw it was the missing bride! The water had healed her! After rushing her to the battlefield and stopping the battle just in time, she married her groom and lived happily ever after..
We were taken to this "Fountain of youth", so all of us can test its "magic". The water was icy cold, so when Karla looked back at me after she dipped her face in the cold water for a couple of hopeful seconds, as if asking "Is it working", quite the opposite had happened! Her face was so cold that she couldn't move it!

Fountain of youth

Everyone testing fountain of youth

Steven then drove us to the second biggest island of Scotland, called the "Isle of Skye." We saw the amazing Scottish Highlands and drove over a bridge to the the Isle of Skye. We went into a small restaurant that has a view over the calm bay. As we entered the restaurant our South African anthem, "Nkosi Sikeleli", played over the radio! Nooo! It cant be! In a small restaurant on a small island off a foreign country thousands of kilometers away from home, it was special. This time the "Nkosi Sikeleli" made us proud in a different way. It gave us the sense of belonging and fired our patriotism even more! We are proud to be South African.

Isle of skye

Then we stopped at a very dangerous mountain in Scotland, due to its fast change in weather. We walked through a beautiful forest to get to the mountain. Its unreal how fast the weather changed here. If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes!

Blue skies

five minutes later

There were many fun activities like this Kissing Gate. You have to kiss everyone behind you before entering! We walked to the most spectacular view of a waterfall falling into the ocean.

"Kissing Gate"

Steven shared many stories about clashes between different groups and some times within one group. One story that fascinated me was when 2500 Jacobites (Scottish) attacked 5000 English by running down from a hiding place in the Scottish Higlands with the sun behind them. The blinded English army was quickly taken apart with very few casualties on the Jacobite side. We then went to the Battle of Culloden,which was fought by tired and desperate Highlanders. The army formations on the battlefield are plotted out by red and blue flags. There is something inside you that turns when you know men were willing to fight and die for what they believed in. Some times its something we take for granted, like freedom. What have we lost if we lost courage and honor and.. freedom.. I think we exchanged these powerful gestures for personal entertainment and comfort. The Red Indians of North America said something that makes you think: "It takes less than death to kill a man. The Courageous die but once, cowards die many times."

The Battle of Culloden, (1746)

Moor scattered with graves of Gallant Highlanders

By now our group has grown very close. Everyone was going out of their way to make the trip fun and memorable. We made an interesting stop at a place like Stone Henge called Balnuaran of Clava, a prehistoric cemetery, but not commercialized at all! No ticket office, fences or tourists! The cemetery had been built between 3000 and 4000 years ago.

Wild and Sexy Team

Balnuaran of Clava stones in circle

Balnuaran of Clava stones

Our last day on tour ended with a huge snow fight! Everyone slipping on the black ice! It was great to see so much joy! We enjoyed dinner together and everyone went in their own directions the next day. It was quiet without the group! Feels like a car that suddenly came to a standstill and I'm still moving forward!

SNOW FIGHT!

Our last few days we went to see the more touristy sites like the old Scott Monument and the Roman restorations on the outskirts of Edinburgh. As we were heading back to fetch our bags to catch the bus back to London, I heard the sweetest sound.. a man played the bagpipes with all his heart. Its amazing what music can do to create atmosphere. Bagpipes while in Scotland, priceless..

Scott Monument

Roman restorations on outskirts of Edinburgh

Amazing Grace on Bagpipes

There are only so many tomorrows. Don't wait till the well of time dries up, do the things that matters and makes your heart go big inside. Be loosely attached to the world, live and dress simple and dont let the things you own, own you.

England

2011-10-04T04:58:00.000-07:00

After a week holiday in Switzerland, we were on our way to Oxford. We were working at a hotel called Lambert Arms in the countryside, close to Lewknor. Fortunately we are only started to work in 2 days time, which gave us a little time to look around London first and do the touristy things. We first went to Buckingham Palace to see the change of the guard. I cant believe how motionless those guys stood.. they moved for nothing.. as if they are tin soldiers, arranged and left there till the hand comes and move them again.

Buckingham Palace

"Guard behind bars"

Horsemen close to Buckingham Palace

We then ventured to the "moving" things like the London Eye. It is a gigantic 135m tall Ferris wheel on the banks of the River Thames. The London Eye is also the most popular paid tourist attraction in the UK. 3.5milllion people a year visits this Ferris wheel! We also had to take a look at the Clock Tower with the largest bell (over 13 tons), called the Big Ben. The present House of Parliament is a Gothic masterpiece and was constructed between 1840 and 1888.

London Eye

The Big Ben

We took a train to Oxford and a bus to Lewknor. The last 2km we saw no-one and we walked till we came to The Lambert Arms hotel. This was our home for the next 8 weeks. It was such a cozy hotel, especially when fleeing from the cold. When we entered we were welcomed by many friendly faces, as if they were waiting for us. We were anxious to hear what we will be doing for the next 8 weeks. It turned out Karla would be on reception and I would be the barman! This was a little stressful, as I know nothing about alcohol, nevertheless pouring them! I really did not know there is so much to learn to be able to manage a bar! Fortunately I had the most amazing regulars, mostly Scottish.

The Lambert Arms

THE BAR

The people organizing the work for us took us for a ride. They got many things wrong, but the worst was that they said all meals included. It wasn't. We only got one meal a day, if you are working! So we ended up sharing our meals. We were stranded in the country side and going shopping was not that easy. Second problem was not having a fridge or oven to preserve or prepare food. So we bought and lived off sweets, chocolates, chips,cookies and pies! We warmed our pies on the heater in our room and we put our clothes under the mattress of our bed to take out the wrinkles. Improvise!

Shopping in Oxford

Pies on our "stove"

We took every chance we got to travel England. We loved Oxford and Cambridge. They were more vibrant than the smaller cities, but not as busy as London. You can hear yourself think without someone interrupting you, while there is advice always close at hand.

Cambridge

"Cam-bridge"

One of the highlights of our trip was Warwick castle. Here you could actually see how they had lived and get an interesting History lesson. We went together with our two friends, Martin from the UK and Lydia, another South African friend we met. When we approached the entrance I asked if we can get discount if we go in as a family? They enjoyed the humor and let us go in for half price!

"Our Family"

Warwick Castle

They are serious when they say no pictures

Trying on some armor

We made friends with a pastor in a small town close by. He borrowed us bicycles and this became our favorite mode of travel! On our first day of cycling we were driving down a narrow road, when suddenly a car drove into Karla's bicycle handles. Karla was unharmed, but the poor old people felt so bad and I said we will forgive them if we can take a picture of them! So if this is your parents, they are good people!

Cycling the country side

"The Culprits"

Our 8 weeks flew by and we were getting ready for our trip to Scotland. There was still a lot to see, but we felt it was time to move on! Some times having options are more complicated than having none.

"Simplicity is the most difficult thing to secure in this world; it is the last limit of experience and the last effort of genius." George Sand