We were over the moon when Scottevest contacted us to review their jackets. Their jackets are ones we have really wanted for a long time and I wanted to see if it matched up to our expectations of being able to travel and leave your day pack behind. Take a read of what I thought and don’t forget that you can enter to WIN a men’s and women’s jacket for yourself. All you need to do is comment on this article and ‘like’ our review on Facebook.

Scottevest Mens Revolution Plus Jacket

The History Of Scottevest

Scottevest has been around for 10 years  and have a reputation for being a quality jacket that has more than enough pockets to hide all your belongings. Scott and Laura own and run the company and have launched a range of products to help travellers store all their belongings in one convenient jacket.

Elise wearing the Scottevest Lola Jacket

Their product range has grown substantially over the years and now they are launching some really trendy everyday urban wear jackets. I am very excited to see where the next 10 years takes them.

Scottevest Revolution Plus Hood

The Products Available

Scottevest has a wide range of products now available from expedition jackets, urban jackets and a huge range of pants and T-shirts too. Who would have thought you could have hidden pockets in a T-shirt!? Well, Laura and the designers have come up with unique pocket inclusions in all their products and it just amazed me how they continue to keep the style of these garments, which is at the forefront of their designs. There are too many products to list, so for a comprehensive look at all their products you can visit their website.

Scottevest Lola Jacket inside

The Pockets

This is the first jacket that I have ever worn that houses 26 pocket! Yep, you heard right… 26! They are located throughout the garment and are placed in the most convenient areas for easy access. There are also some sneaky ‘pockets within pockets’ for extra safety for your passport and money if needed. These jackets hold belongings such as iPod, iPhone, iPad, sunglasses, camera, passport, wallet, water bottle, keys…The list just goes on and on. The only thing you can’t carry is the kitchen sink!

Pockets in the Revolution Plus Jacket

My Thoughts

We were lucky enough to be sent one mens Revolution Plus Jacket and Elise received the women’s Lola Jacket. Each of the jackets we noticed were made extremely well. You can see from all stitching, to the design of the jacket, everything has been thought of. What can I say…this jacket is very hard to fault and if you know us from our previous reviews we tell you the truth if we don’t like a product. The jacket has a snug tailored fit that hugs the body and you would never know that the jackets housed so many pockets internally and externally. I loaded up my jacket with all the items that I would if I were travelling overseas or taking a flight and you could barely tell that I had anything under my jacket.

Scottevest iPad pocket

This is great for the security aspect of your belongings and it also allows you to leave the day pack at home if you can carry everything on your body. The only thing to criticise would be that the women’s arm length on the Lola jacket were a little long, now this may only be due to Elise’s incredibly short T-Rex arms!

Scottevest Key chain Accessory

I will be giving my jacket a huge test drive when I go to America. I will attempt to have limited carry on and only will be carrying my dslr camera in a bag and the rest of my belongings will be in my jacket. I am looking forward to the road test out and about in the States! I will let you all know how it goes in the next couple of months.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prTQKoo9Ebc

The Giveaway

You have a chance to WIN 2 jackets valued at $390! Scottevest, in conjunction with Positive World Travel are giving away 1 Men’s Revolution Plus Jacket and 1 Women’s Lola Jacket.

To enter just follow these 2 easy steps below.

1. Comment on THIS article below and tell us what you would put in your Scottevest pockets?

2. Share this article on Facebook by clicking “Like” on the left or at the end of this article.

Terms & Conditions

We encourage multiple entries (only one comment, per person, per day)
This competition is open worldwide
Winners will be chosen using random.org
Winner will receive 1 Revolution Jacket Plus, 1 Lola Jacket
Competition closes 10pm (EST North America) March 9th 2012

So what are you waiting for, comment below and “like” to WIN! It’s that simple!

positiveworldtravel.com

The Secret Garden Hostel Cotopaxi is the sister counterpart to the same one in Quito and is just as good. Only 2 hours from Quito, the Cotopaxi guesthouse is set on a large property and has stunning views of the Cotopaxi Volcano.

The Dining Room at Secret Garden

Much like the hostel in Quito, this one offers so much for its guests. The best part is, you can do as little or as much as you like. The property really lends itself to a relaxing few days as well as exploring the surrounding mountainside and volcanoes.

Accommodation at Secret Garden Cotopaxi

Another great aspect about Secret Garden Cotopaxi is how many people you are able to meet. During our week long stay we met with honeymooners, travellers attempting to summit the Cotopaxi volcano and others who just wanted a little break and R & R from their long term travels. It seems that Secret Garden Cotopaxi appeals to all sorts of people because of the wide variety of things on offer as well as varying accommodation options, suiting all travel styles and budgets.

Dorm Rooms at Cotopaxi

Because it is on a large area of land, the owners have had the ability to have a variety of different accommodation options. Outline below are the room types:

Dorm Room

The eight person dorm room, is large and comfortable with a fire for those cold nights. Each bed also comes with blankets, pillows, towels and a luggage storage box.

Tents

Far from any rough camping these tents have a matress bed inside along with linen, blankets and towels. Apparently, they also boast the best view of the Cotopaxi Volcano!

Honeymoon Cabanas

These 2 story cabanas are luxury yet still on a budget. The bottom floor of the suites have a private bathroom with a sunken bath, fireplace, chairs and dresser. Upstairs is a comfortable double bed with 2 bedside tables.

The Honeymoon Rooms

All accommodation options are comfortable, clean and candlelit (you receive your own candles and wine bottles to light your room) what could be more relaxing than that? Shared and private bathrooms are also extremely clean and the water is always piping hot!

Bathrooms at Cotopaxi

Regardless of what room you choose, you will be spending much of your time down at the lounge and dining area. Again, this room is candlelit at night and has a warm and inviting feel to it. The fireplace is lit each night and surrounded by comfortable couches where you can have a snooze or read a book. The large wooden dining table sits all guests who are staying on the property and a great place to chat over a glass of wine.

The common area at Cotopaxi

The price of Secret Garden Cotopaxi  includes accommodation, all meals (including snacks at sunset), coffee, tea, water, bikes and maps. It really is a place you can come and do what you like, but not have to worry about a thing. Extras like wine, beer and chocolate can also be purchased.

Whenever meals are always included in the rate of stay I always tend to get to get a little wary. I remember once in a hostel in Miami where all food was included and it was revolting. Tastless and unhealthy food is most certainly not on the menu at Cotopaxi! The food was delicious. Each day we would start the morning off with varied hot breakfast (eggs, pancakes, etc) along with toast, fruits and jams. Lunch would often be a tasty soup and dinner was always fresh with a yummy dessert to top it all off! Many of the guests would be licking their plates by the end of the meal.

Dining room at Cotopaxi

If it wasn’t already enough that they offer all meals and fireplaces, there is also a jacuzzi free for guests to use. This is perfect at the end of a day of mountain biking down the volcano, hiking or (if you’re like me) just because you want to relax!

The other great factor about Secret Garden Cotopaxi is that unlike most other places who offer all inclusive rates, there is no minimum number of nights stay. That means, even if you are on a tight travel scheudle you can still get to experience some relaxed country living for just one night. However, if you have the time I would recommend 3 or 4 nights. That way you can spend a couple of days going hiking, mountain biking down Cotopaxi and then the other 2 days you can laze around in a hammock or by the fire or out feeding the llamas!

Cotopaxi Volcano

Are there any areas Secret Garden Cotopaxi could improve on? Well, not really. It’s not the type of place that needs WiFi (you go there to escape it!), it doesn’t matter that there is no electricity as it adds to the charm of the place the staff are pretty friendly and laid back. What more could you ask for?!

While we did recieve complimentary accommodation all thoughts and opinions are our own. For the most up to date information and prices visit the Secret Garden Cotopaxi Website.

positiveworldtravel.com

We have been running a Clothing Arts competition over the past 2 weeks and all you needed to do was comment on this review article on the Pick-pocket Proof Pants. We placed all your entries into random.org to draw the winner.

Drum roll please……..Watch the video to find out who won!

We have many more competitions coming up, with a new one starting next week. Keep checking back on the site for more details and we wish you all luck in the next competition. You have to be in it to win it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUGjKAlPkS4

positiveworldtravel.com

Valentines Day has come around again and I was wondering the other day what the fuss if all about. I remember growing up and having girlfriends that I would buy Valentines Day presents or flowers for them or better still I used to get a bunch of roses from my Uncles rose farm which were free and they all used to think that I spent hundred of dollars on them. I did tell them eventually where the roses came from. Regardless, I used to buy into the fact that I just HAD to buy Valentines Day presents for my partner at the time. Why?

Elise and I in Quito Ecuador

Now that I am older and wiser (well you make your own mind up on that one) I can say that I no longer buy into this unwritten retailing agreement for everyone to spend more money on things we don’t really need. Valentines Day has been dreamt up buy retailers and florists across the world to make money off consumers and we now choose not to buy into this fake day. Rather we celebrate our love for one another each and every day we are together. Yeah, I know you are thinking that can’t be true, but it is. We try and show each other that we love one another in a small little ways each day. It really isn’t that hard. I am not talking about getting a sky writer proclaim my love for Elise, but doing little things that will just make a smile and think of me.

I challenge you this Valentines Day to not buy expensive presents for one another but to go out and celebrate your love by not spending money on things you don’t need. Go out for a long walk together or sit and chat at the first place you met. Be romantic without over indulging in Valentines Day presents.

Valentines Day and Travel

When we were travelling around the world we would always celebrate Birthdays and dates like Valentines Day in unusual locations. We became creative and celebrated the things that really mattered and it was simply just being together without any other distractions which became our celebrations.  Bring Valentines Day back to being about love and not only about how many, how big or expensive the Valentines Day presents are.

Travelling together

Yes, I am a cynic but that doesn’t mean that I don’t celebrate Valentines Day. I think that it is great to show Elise that I love her on this day, I just hate that I am told on what day we are suppose to do it and that we really pushed to be buying Valentines Day presents.

What are your thoughts on Valentines Day presents?

positiveworldtravel.com

Elise Birthday was celebrated down at Billarong Reserve located on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. It is a beautiful place to take friends and family for a BBQ and that is just what we were doing to celebrate Elise turning 25. However, we wanted to have a little more fun for her Birthday so we organised Sumo Suits for the event which were supplied by Supa Sumo in Syndey. I had seen these suits many years before and had always wanted to see what it would be like to get into a fat suit. Hope you enjoy this sumo suit photo easay and video.

Elise & Kate were first in the ring

Me Vs The Mother In law

This was the perfect opportunity to fight the mother-in-law. We sliped on the suits and we went for it. Although I went pretty soft on her it was hilarious beating each other up whilst the rest of the family looked on.

Me on top of Di

Kate & Patty ready for action

Kate's funny sumo face

This was the biggest mis-match of the day, Kate against her boyfriend Patty. It was the funniest to watch Kate’s face during sumo wrestling and her baby little steps attempting to run with all her might towards the man mountain known as of her boyfriend.

Kirra & Mel ready for battle

Fun for all the family

Down and out

Our good friends from the UK had been travelling around Australia for the past couple of months and we hadn’t seen them since our time in South America. It was great to catch up over a BBQ, beers and who thought that we would sumo wrestling.

Gemma & Oliver from the UK

Carla & Tash getting ready for battle

Dad & John getting ready

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I turned around and my Dad was getting the Sumo Suits, ready to face newly married John. Dad is 70 and still not scared to give anything a go. God love him!

Dad & John ready to sumo

Sumo Wedgie

Simon gets a cheap shot while the head gear is off

It was time to get it on with my best mate Simon, but he wasn’t shy to get the fight going and we both landed a few cheap shots to the head while we were still getting suited up.

Simon gets me down

Going hard at it

Patty & I going into battle

Elise & I ready to fight

Elise in the middle of the battle

One handed wrestling

Elise & I

It was a fun and exciting way to celebrate Elise’s 25th Birthday. The Sumo suits added to all the celebrations and it was the perfect addition to the party. All our friends and family had a ball and there were a lot of friends that said they would never have a go and by the end of the day we couldn’t get them out of the sumo suits.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihWUXAHK3KM

Thanks to Supa Sumo for supply these sumo suits for Elise’s party. If you would like more information you can visit their website or Facebook page.

positiveworldtravel.com

In the time we have been away, we have been on our fair few share of hikes. They have lasted for a few hours and up to a few days. Over that time, there have been a few things I have began to realise or accept as the proper etiquette or behaviour when you are sloshing through mud, mazing your way through dense pine forests or sweating it out in tropical jungles.

The following is a list of what I have deemed as the most important when participating on a hike. I should also note, that these primarily relate to when you are trekking as a group. See what you think, if you agree and feel free to add you own!

Hiking In Nepal

Don’t Be Captain Complainer

I know as soon as Anthony reads I am giving advice on this point, he will laugh hysterically, as he often calls me the Captain Complainer. I am the first person to admit that I complain when I trek. I hate getting sweaty, tired, hungry, puffed (Wow…Why do I enjoy trekking so much?!) I am not saying you cannot complain at all. I think people should just be aware of how they complain and whine.

If there is one thing I can’t stand more than getting sweaty, tired, hungry or puffed when I trek, it’s when people complain loudly and constantly. More often than not, everyone is in the same boat- all feeling a little worse for wear.

Blisters Are Never Fun

But it does’t mean you need to remind people of it all the time!

I am the quiet complainer. I think over and over in my head, how much my legs hurt or when the next pit stop will be. But that’s the point…I do it quietly!  (Well, in all fairness, Ant gets the brunt of it at times too). People don’t need to hear how much my blisters are hurting and I really don’t need to hear how a guys sack rash is killing him. (I mean c’mon buddy I just met you).

Also don’t be the person who is constantly complaining out loud in a joking manner, trying to cover up how they are really feeling. You know the people, the ones who are constantly turning around to the group saying “Why are we doing this again?” Or “Whose idea was this hike?!” with a stupid grin on their face. It’s not funny and it just makes me think even more why am I doing the trek?

As You Can Tell...I've Had Better Times!

Bottom line, if you are going to whine, keep it to yourself. No one else wants to hear about your problems, we all have our own.

Be Careful Of The Full Moon

Most of the time when trekking, going to the toilet means going bush. I’ve never had to rely on busherman’s toilet paper because (if you know me) I’m always prepared!

But just because we are trekking as a group, doesn’t mean we all need to go to the toilet as a group. It’s not a bonding experience.

If you are yet to go on any long treks, let me be the first to tell you-find a private place to do your business!

There have been numerous times, when we have had a pit stop for a quick snack and a drink, I’ve turned around and a full moon is shining right in my face (and no it hasn’t been night time).

So Much Space...But Where To Go?

I don’t know whether people just don’t realize they are so close to group and that we can all see them do their business while we are trying to eat or that they are terrified if they go into dense foliage, we will start up again and leave without them.  Either way, people need to be more aware of their surroundings.

If you can see us….we can see you! (And it’s often a part I don’t need to see of you).

Learn To Share

If you remember from my first point, when we trek, we are often hungry. Hiking really takes it out of you and by the time you usually stop for lunch you are ready to devour anything. But, just because you are ravenous doesn’t give you the right to go for 3rd and 4^th helpings when everyone else is still on their first plate.

Don't Rush In!

Don’t worry, there is always a huge amount of food available, but you need to learn how to share and wait for everyone to have at least one helping before you start serving your self up again.

I still can’t believe the amount of people we have hiked with who have scoffed their first plate and dug right in to their next serving before others have even finished.

If you really can’t wait, at least ask the rest of us if we mind you eating all our food. More often than not, we’ll be too polite to say otherwise.

Don't Worry, There'll Be Enough Bananas For Everyone!

I figure, if you know you eat a lot and you are a really hungry person, pack some snacks for yourself to tie you over until the next group meal. I always trek with extra trail mix, chocolate and muesli bars that I will chew on when we are walking if I can’t wait until lunch or dinner.

Don’t be one of those people who will eat more than they need just to get their ‘money’s worth’. Hiking is not about the meals. It’s about the landscape, the wildlife and the numerous photo opportunities you’ll find along the way.

Be A Polite Hiker

Hiking will take you through plenty of different terrain. You may be walking through grassland, dirt tracks, skipping on rocks over streams or in slippery mud. Whatever the trail is like remember to be courteous of the person behind you.

What I mean is, if you find a hole in the track, large root you need to step over or a thorny plant in the way, tell the person behind you.

I know you need to be quite observant when hiking, but it doesn’t hurt to let the person behind know of a hole up ahead they might sprain their ankle on.

Helping Out Makes Hiking So Much Easier

The same goes with branches of trees and scrub that has begun to creep, hang and reach out onto the track. Don’t just walk into it and let it fling back. There is a person behind you!

The amount of scratches, cuts and thorn pricks I’ve accumulated over trekking is mostly from people just powering ahead on the trail letting the branch or what not, thwack me in the face or arms!

Often I’ll hold it back for people until they can reach up and grab it themselves to hold so it doesn’t give them a nasty scratch.

It is a simple gesture that makes your trekking much more enjoyable.

It’s Not A Race

The popular saying ‘You’re only as fast as your slowest person’ really rings true when you are trekking as group.

I don’t understand the people who feel the need to power ahead of the group, like they’re training for an upcoming cross country event (Ok, fair enough if you are training for an event, but do it by yourself).

Have A Rest With The Group

I mean, what’s the point? Why do you feel the need to move so fast? I know getting to your destination is great feeling at the end of the trek, but it shouldn’t be the premise for taking a trek in the first place.

Take in the view.

Look for peculiar animals, bugs or plants.

Stop and smell the fresh air.

If you do charge ahead you’ll just have to wait for the slow pokes (that’s me!) at the next pit stop for double as long.

I should also say here, that if you are a really slow trekker (like me) don’t hold up everyone on the trail either. There is a point between being a dawdler or just genuinely tired! It all comes back to remembering you are with other people and being polite.

So what do you think? Are there more trekking etiquette rules I have forgotten or are these just plain rubbish?

positiveworldtravel.com

Check out Part 1 of Hampi India

We spent our second day in Hampi India on a bicycle  and we decided to spend this full day going across the river and exploring the other side of Hampi, full of rice fields and local villages.

Again it was was a hot day but the breeze from riding on our bikes was refreshing. Much of Hampi is flat, with only large, bright orange boulders rising up from the earth and creating strange formations. Clambering up these boulders is a great way to get a wide view of the small town and the surrounding ruins of Hampi India. Using your imagination, you can also make out some interesting images when looking at the boulders…that, or maybe we had had one too many chai teas!

Hope you enjoy the video below for more information on our explorations of Hampi India:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_lwy_iTTaw

positiveworldtravel.com

Many of you now know that I was pick-pocketed in Granda, Nicaragua. I thought that I would most definitely know when someone had their hand in my in my pockets. Little did I know that these people are professionals and before I knew it, my wallet was gone. After publishing the article of my pick-pocketing incident, I was contacted by Clothing Arts, a company that has pushed the boundaries in keeping your belonging safe and secure whilst on your body.

Adam from Clothing Arts was kind enough to send me a pair of Pick-pocket Proof Travel Pants to test-drive and review. Not only that, we are giving you the opportunity to WIN an entire outfit for FREE from Clothing Arts. We just want to make sure that you don’t end up like I did and lose your wallet or worse still your passport.

Pick-pocket travel pants

History Of Clothing Arts

Adam the owner had a similar experience to mine and after losing his personal belonging in China came up with the concept of Pick-pocket Proof Pants. He realised that no one was making clothing that he wanted to wear and there was a need for personal security when travelling to more dangerous countries. So after 2 years of development the first Pick-pocket Proof Pants were born.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyJub4TCzDA

Doing It For The Kids

Clothing Arts has also partnered with Cambodian children’s charities and they ensure that these children see a brighter future. We have seen first hand the poverty in Cambodia and Adam and his team are giving a huge 20% of their proceeds from the sale of there Cloth Heart Collection to Cambodian children’s charities.

What I thought

I thought the best way to test drive these pants was to take them away with me and go camping in the Australia Bush. Well not really an environment that I would be getting pick-pocketed but I wanted to test out all the features as these aren’t any ordinary type of pants.

My first impression was that there were a great deal of pockets on these shorts. This is definitely a must when you are travelling as you always need somewhere to place all your personal belongings. I think you can never get enough pockets as most of the time I would like to venture out without the need to take a day pack.

The rear pockets

Every one of the pockets have anti-theft protection. The side pockets have zippers and and extra material fastener to ensure no unwanted hands will enter. The pants have the usual cargo pockets but the ingenious thing with these is they have an extra clasp on the inside that prevents the pockets from gapping open. Sometimes the simplest of features are the best.

There are a number of hidden pockets throughout the shorts but my favourite would have to be the hidden passport pouch that is located on the left rear of the shorts and hidden within the existing pocket. you would never know that you were carrying your passport on your bum.

Expandable pockets

Adam has thought of everything with these shorts and they include a water bottle holder that conveniently attaches to the side of the shorts, and an expandable rear pocket that will fit a guide book. Over the many years of planning these shorts, every fine detail has been accounted for and trailed and tested.

The Material

I found the material to have an up and also a down side. The material is extremely durable and is pretty much ‘everything’ resistant. It is wrinkle-free, rain and stain resistant and even the pockets are slash resistant with double thick fabric thread. These shorts will do everything but fly you to the moon! Although all these features in the material are simply amazing, I did find the shorts to be slightly heavy when I first put them on. This is a small price to pay for having all the unique features in one garment.

Ant-theft pockets

The Verdict

I would definitely recommend these shorts if you are planning on going overseas. They will protect your belongings, they are comfortable and they also look pretty cool. I will be taking these with me on my next trip to America in June and Africa in December.

Water bottle pouch

The Giveaway

THIS COMPETITION ENDED ON FEB 14 2012. THE WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY.

This giveaway is exclusive only to Positive World Travel. We want to make sure that you are protected on your next trip overseas with some cool gear and Clothing Arts is giving away an entire outfit! Thats right! The lucky winner will receive 1 Shirt and 1 Pick-pocket Proof Pants (Over $120 in value)

How to Enter

Please follow these 2 simple steps to enter.

1. Leave a comment on this article below about your favourite piece of travel clothing.

2. Share this article on Facebook by clicking the “like” button on the left side or at the end of this article.

Terms

This giveaway is open to everyone worldwide.
The winner will receive one T-shirt & one pair of shorts.
Winners will be chosen using random.org
Competition closes on February 14th 2012 at 10pm EST (New York)

Good luck! What are you waiting for? Leave a comment and click “like”on Facebook now. It’s that easy!

Thanks to Clothing Arts for sponsoring this review and a great competition.

positiveworldtravel.com

We arrived tired and bleary eyed at 4am after a 32 hour bus (which was only supposed to be 24) from Quito. As the taxi pulled up outside the hostel, I was wondering if anyone would actually be at the door.

32 Hours On A Bus Is Never That Fun!

However, Florian (the ownser) true to his word, he said there was 24 hour security, and the guard came down to greet our tired faces and showed us to our room.

I was too tired to make a first impression of the hostel so that would have to wait for the morning. The only thing I did notice was how comfortable and warm the bed was. Within minutes I was fast asleep.

When I awoke the following morning, I was feeling a little more refreshed and Anthony and I clambered up the stairs to the roof top terrace for the delicious breakfast.

We sat down to enjoy the inexpensive fresh fruit salad, juice, coffee (or tea) and jam with a croissant. Of course, for extra dollars you can also order eggs, bacon, french toast-anything to fill you up (or cure a hangover!)

Breakfast At The Secret Garden

We had read on Secret Garden’s website about the ‘famous’ views from atop their terrace and indeed…they were pretty spectacular. We were looking out over most of the hisotric area of Quito, including the huge Basilica and the El Pancecillo on the hill to the South. If it looked this pretty during the day, I couldn’t wait to head back up to the terrace at night to see everything glittering and bright (not to mention sit around the fire that is lit each night too).

View From The Secret Garden Hostel Terrace

Night View Of Quito From The Terrace Of The Secret Garden Hostel

The Secret Garden Hostel is set out in an old heritage building along a cobble stone street, and because it is a heritage building it can take some time to get used to the maze of small staircases and corridors leading off into different areas of the hostel. I can’t tell you how many times I ended up near someone else’s room for taking one too many flights of stairs back down from the terrace! Although after a couple of goes you start to know where everything is and it all works out fine!

The rooms are very comfortable and clean and the beds (like I said before) are so warm and soft-great for the cold Quito nights! There are also safety deposit boxes in each of the rooms. There is the option of dorm rooms, private rooms with shared bath and also en suite rooms. Every choice for every traveller and budget!

Private Room With Shared Bathroom

The only downside we had was the lack of hot water from the showers. I tried several different bathrooms during our stay and most of the time they were luke warm and I had one hot shower. However, this could have just been my timing for my showers, because each time Anthony hopped out to have a shower he came back saying his was scorching hot! I guess we’ll never know!

As you probably know by now, WiFi is a big plus for us especially if it is available in the rooms. Our signal was pretty weak in our room and we could get it occasionally, but all we had to do was head up to the lounge room and we could use it fine from there. Not the fastest internet, but it did the job.

Staff At The Secret Garden Hostel Quito

Secret Garden Hostel has great rooms and beautiful views from the terrace, it also has a whole range of other perks when you stay there. For example, there is also: affordable laundry, dinner each night (and if you sign up for dinner before 10am you get a free wine or beer), book exchange, free computer use, taxi service of reliable drivers in the area, bicycle hire on weekends and cheap transport to their sister hostel in Cotopaxi.

To add to that there is also a great travel agency downstairs of the hostel where you can book tours from the Galapogas to the Amazon. Not to mention just receive extra informtiaon about the city of Quito!

Phew! What more do you want?! The Secret Garden Hostel really knows how to cater for the budget traveller crowd. They are friendly, well organised and an affordable accommodation option in Quito.

While we did receive complimentary accommodation at the Secret Garden Hostel all thoughts and opinions are our own. For the most up to date information and pricing visit the website of Secret Garden Hostel Quito.

positiveworldtravel.com

A man with an acne ridden face just wouldn’t get out of my way. I pushed and pushed and I wasn’t sure how long this would go on for…

We had recently visited Leon in Nicaragua and we were making our way down the country as I was in desperate need for a surf. Our plan was to travel down to San Juan Del Sur which is a popular surf spot in the south. Before reaching our beachside destination we had to stop over in Granada and we planned on staying one day to take in the city sites and then move on.

There aren’t too many cities I really enjoy, so I prefer to move on and get out of the hussle and bustle. Of course I do love bigger cities like New York, Bangkok, London and Sydney. But most larger cities in Central America are dirty and polluted and seem to be bursting at the seems with an ever growing population.

After a chicken bus ride from Leon to Granada we were ready for a quick bite to eat and wanted to hit the sack early so we could go sight seeing the following day. Upon our arrival we soon realised that the city was in shutdown. No, there wasn’t a terrorist threat it was a festival in full swing and we were now smack bang in the middle of the craziness!

The Main Church, Granada

Granda celebrates Desfile Hipicos in August where the city centre is converted into an assortment of bars and make shift restaurants throughout the laneways and roads.  We were excited to have stumbled upon this event and we were keen to get amongst the other travellers and locals. Even though we were extremely tired we always want to make the most of all opportunities we are faced with and we quickly found our accommodation and dumped our bags.

Before leaving our room as always I locked up our personal belongings with our Pacsafe and secured it to a bed post. Usually I would only take money out that I needed for the day and leave my wallet behind, but I forgot to get my wallet ready and I was in too much of a rush to get out and party wth the locals…

Big mistake!

We rushed outside with my camera in my hand walked the streets trying to find a place to eat which wasn’t overflowing with people. If there is one thing the Cental American’s do right…it is festivals. All the streets going into the city centre were closed and only open for pedestrians and the sidewalks were lined with bars and music blaring from all angles as we walked down the main street. Our only mission as this point was to find food as we were staving from our bus ride.

Pedestrians everywhere

The main street was mayhem and this festival celebrates all the best horses of the city and they are paraded down the street one after the other. It was a little different to any organised parades we were used to, with the horses trotting down the small streets with thousands of people on either side. You had to be really careful not to be trampled by a 7 foot horse while holding a beer and taking photos!

Sharing the streets with horses!

This was Central American craziness at its best!

We came to a junction where there was a temporany bar set up outside a resturant and women were dancing on stage and giving out free alcohol to the many men which they teased with there alluring dances before throwing out free beers and layback shots. The crowd had spilled over onto the street and there was now a road block of people in front of us. We were so hungry by this stage and add to that we were so tired, the crowd was starting to get to us.

The bars in the street

We slowly made our way through the sea of people and squeezed our bodies through the sweaty maze of locals and tourists. With my camera above my head to alliveiate it from getting knocked around by the crowd we surged through the crowd until one guy infront of me just wouldn’t move. In a crowd there is a natural flow and people generally move around each other like a ballet dance. This man in his early twenty was right in front of me and wouldn’t budge. He looked me directly in my eye with his acne ridden face and grinned. He seemed like he was drunk and he was starting to piss me off and all I wanted was to get on my way, get a little bit closer to my meal. He was in the way of food and sleep deprived man.

Not a good choice!

We surged against each other over a period of about 20 seconds and then from no where he released his stance from in front of me and then gracefully walked past us both. I thought to myself how unusal he had been acting and then all of a sudden he had allowed us to pass. I didn’t care and I was now away from the people filled road block and we were dodging the horses to get to the nearest food stall on the side of the road.

The streets were packed with people

After selecting a pulled pork roll and a icy cold beer to wash it down with I went to grab for my wallet and realised that it wasn’t in my pocket. Not thinking, I just thught that I must of given it to Elise to put in her bag when we were in our room. She replied with “I don’t have your wallet”. My stomach dropped and I began srambbling in every one of my pockets to see if I’d  mistakenly placed it somewhere else.

Then it clicked…The pimpled face man had just pick pocketed me in the crowd!

We dropped our sandwiches and apologised and explained that we had been robbed to the stall owner and we ran up the street to the crowded bar to find the guy. I was fuming with anger not only at the man but at myself for being so stupid. Usually, I would be wearing my cargo pants that have buttons on the pockets but I was wearing my jeans and had my wallet in the right front pocket of them. As we were making our way through the crowd I had my camera above my head in my right hand which had left my wallet and easy target for a professional pick-pocketer.

On the way back to our hostel

We raced back to our accommodation and began ringing our banks to cancel all credit cards and debit cards. Luckily enough we got there in time and man had already tried to access our money but was not successful.  The man had only gotten away with the equivent to $20USD, so I didn’t lose too much.

The whole ordeal was much more of a nuisance than anything. We didn’t need to order new cards, as Elise had other copies of all our credit and bank the cards. She kept them in her backpack and we’d never used those cards, only keeping them for cases like this. We were able to continue travelling virtually without a hiccup.

After this occurrence, I was really diligent about only going out with the money I was going to need each time. We also began to spread our money out over our body, if we did need to carry larger sums.

I have also learnt not to be lazy and just go out with your wallet into festivals that are raging with people that are less fortunate than I am! I hope the man needed the money more than I did and I hope he put it to good use and bought himself a meal. I look at it as more of a donation than I was pick pocketed and as always, I look on the positive side of things. As I lose something, someone else will gain  and it won’t be long before it will be my time to gain again.

Have you ever had anything stolen from you? Tell us in the comments below…

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