SW Blog

Deploying iTunes with Group Policy and Locking Down Features

2010-10-11T20:37:00.032+11:00

UPDATED 27-JUNE-2011 - Updated registry value table to allow disabling of Home Sharing, iTunes Update Check, First Run Welcome Screen, and Ping Social Network. See step 25. Compatible with iTunes 10.2 or higher.

I recently needed to mass deploy iTunes across a network and lock down some of the features, and it turned out to be a little more complicated than a bunch of command line switches. It's not difficult, but there is little official documentation available so having completed the task here is a detailed methodology for anyone out there needing to do the same thing:

A. Preparation

1. First you are going to need Orca, which is included in the Windows Installer SDK. It's not installed by default, but once the SDK is installed you should be able to find orca.msi and install it. If you can't be bothered to go through all of that, I've uploaded a copy here.

2. Download the latest version of iTunes and save the installer into a folder that is accessible (read only) by all. I have a shared folder for all my group policy deployments so I'll just put it in there, in a \Apple\iTunes\Version sub-folder.

3. Extract the iTunes installer files using WinRAR and then delete the downloaded file, SetupAdmin.exe and AppleSoftwareUpdate.msi. The remaining five .msi files are required.

B. Transforming The Installers

AppleApplicationSupport.msi does not require any modification, so I'll just move on to the other four files:

QuickTime.msi

4. Start Orca and open QuickTime.msi. Go to View -> Summary Information and remove all languages except for 1033. Click OK and then save over the original.

5. Go to Transform -> New Transform, and then make the following modifications:

- LaunchCondition -> NOT BNEWERPRODUCTISINSTALLED: Right click and drop this row.
- Property -> SCHEDULE_ASUW: Set the value to 0 (zero).
- Registry: Find the item that has QTTask.exe in the Component column and drop that row.
- Shortcut: Drop rows for QuickTimePlayer_Desktop, QuickTimeUninstaller, and QuickTimeReadMe.

6. Generate the transform (.mst file), Transform -> Generate Transform, and save it as QuickTime.mst.

iTunes.msi

9. In Orca, open the iTunes.msi file, Go to View > Summary Information and remove all languages except for 1033. Click OK and then save over the original.

10. Go to Transform -> New Transform, and then make the following modifications:

- Component -> iTunesDesktopShortcuts: set the Condition so that it reads DESKTOP_SHORTCUTS="0" (zero).
- CustomAction -> QuickTimeInstallFailed: Drop this row.
- Property -> IAcceptLicense: Set the value to Yes.
- Property -> SCHEDULE_ASUW: 0 (zero).
- Shortcut: Drop the AboutiTunes row.

11. Generate the transform (.mst file), Transform -> Generate Transform, and save it as iTunes.mst.

Bonjour.msi

12. In Orca, open the Bonjour.msi file, Go to View -> Summary Information and remove all languages except for 1033. Click OK and then save over the original.

13. Go to Transform -> New Transform, and then make the following modifications:

- Property -> IAcceptLicense: Set Value to Yes.
- LaunchCondition -> NOT BNEWERPRODUCTISINSTALLED: Drop this row.
- Shortcut -> Drop all rows.

14. Generate the transform (.mst file), Transform -> Generate Transform, and save it as Bonjour.mst.

AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi

15. In Orca, open the AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi file, Go to View -> Summary Information and remove all languages except for 1033. Click OK and then save over the original.

16. Go to Transform -> New Transform, and then make the following modifications:

- Property -> IAcceptLicense: Set Value to Yes.
- LaunchCondition -> NOT BNEWERPRODUCTISINSTALLED: Drop this row.

17. Generate the transform (.mst file), Transform -> Generate Transform, and save it as AppleMobileDeviceSupport.mst.

18. Close Orca.

C. Group Policy Deployment (Active Directory)

Using the Group Policy Management tool, create a new Group Policy Object (GPO) and link it to the Organisational Unit that contains the target computers. In my case I only want iTunes to go to certain machines so I also filter the object by a security group of computers. You probably already have a structure for group policy deployment and I'm not going to cover that stuff here anyway, so I'll get straight to adding each installer to the GPO.

19. Edit the Group Policy Object and expand Computer Configuration -> Policies -> Software Settings -> Software Installation.

20. Right click and select New -> Package. Browse to your deployment share and select AppleApplicationSupport.msi. Leave 'assigned' selected as the deployment method and click OK to add it to the object.

21. Add another package but this time select QuickTime.msi. Select Advanced as the deployment method and click OK. After a few moments the Quicktime Properties panel will open. Go to the Modifications tab and select Add. Pick your QuickTime.mst file and press OK to finish.

22. Repeat step 21 for iTunes.msi, Bonjour.msi and AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi, being sure to add the correct transform file for each package.

23. Reopen the iTunes package you created, and on the Deployment tab you can tick 'Uninstall this application when it falls out of scope of management'. This is just so that iTunes can easily be removed if necessary.

D. Locking Down Features & Parental Controls

Apple provides a mechanism for locking down various parts of the software, including automatically checking for updates, parental controls and a few other things. This is all managed through a single registry key.

I prefer to use Group Policy Preferences for this sort thing so I have created a single registry entry in the same GPO that I am using to deploy the software. The correct location for this entry in the GPO is under Computer Configuration -> Preferences -> Windows Settings -> Registry.

24. You can add the registry key however you like, but if you are using Group Policy Preferences then create a New Registry Item and fill in the properties box with the following values:

- Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
- Key Path: SOFTWARE\Apple Computer, Inc.\iTunes\Parental Controls\Default
- Value name: AdminFlags (do not tick Default)
- Value type: REG_DWORD
- Value data: Please see the next step to work out your particular value.
- Base: Decimal

Note. For a 64bit installation the key path needs to be: SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Apple Computer, Inc.\iTunes\Parental Controls\Default

25. The last thing we need to do is figure out that crucial registry key value. The table below shows all the options that are available to you. All you have to do is add together all the values for the ones you want and apply the total value:

Item	Value
kParentalFlags_Locked	1
kParentalFlags_DisablePodcasts	2
kParentalFlags_DisableMusicStore	4
kParentalFlags_DisableSharing	8
kParentalFlags_DisableExplicitContent	16
kParentalFlags_DisableRadio	32
kParentalFlags_RestrictMovieContent	64
kParentalFlags_RestrictTVShowContent	128
kParentalFlags_DisableCheckForUpdates	256
kParentalFlags_RestrictGames	512
kParentalFlags_DisableMiniStore	1024
kParentalFlags_DisableAutomaticDeviceSync	2048
kParentalFlags_DisableGetAlbumArtwork	4096
kParentalFlags_DisablePlugins	8192
kParentalFlags_DisableOpenStream	16384
kParentalFlags_DisableAppleTV	32768
kParentalFlags_DisableDeviceRegistration	65536
kParentalFlags_DisableDiagnostics	131072
kParentalFlags_AllowITunesUAccess	262144
kParentalFlags_RequireEncryptedBackups	524288
kParentalFlags_DisableHomeSharing	1048576
kParentalFlags_DisableCheckForAppUpdates	2097152
kParentalFlags_DisableCheckForDeviceUpdates	4194304
kParentalFlags_DisablePing	8388608
kParentalFlags_DisableFirstRunWelcomeWindow	16777216

I have including only the following controls:

- kParentalFlags_Locked: You must include this or users will be able to override your settings.
- kParentalFlags_DisableSharing
- kParentalFlags_DisableExplicitContent
- kParentalFlags_DisableHomeSharing
- kParentalFlags_DisableCheckForAppUpdates
- kParentalFlags_DisablePing
- kParentalFlags_DisableFirstRunWelcomeWindow

The value for my registry key is therefore 1 + 8 +16 + 1048576 + 2097152 + 8388608 + 16777216 = 28311577. The value you end up with will depend on your specific requirements.

All done!

E. Further Reference

http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#featuredarticles/FA_Deploying_iTunes/Introduction/Introduction.html

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2102

Life in Melbourne: Food, Parties & The Dalai Lama!

2007-06-23T01:37:00.011+10:00

We've been in Melbourne for over a month now and we've been going out a lot! We've been partying hard down here and have a got a pretty good grasp of the city, where all the cool stuff is, where's good to eat and drink, and what the night life is like. We're staying in Coburg, in the north of Melbourne, and the main road down to the city is peppered with cool bars and restaurants, notably one called 'Lentils as Anything' where you eat whatever you want and pay whatever you think it was worth - it's a great concept and the food is fantastic! There's tons of other good food around here: Lebanese, Italian, Afghan, Nepalese, Turkish, Indian, Greek, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese... The list goes on and on and it's all right on our doorstep - now that can only be a good thing! I have yet to find a Burmese restaurant - its supposed to be a wonderful fusion of Indian and Oriental cooking :) If you know a good one... stick a comment on this blog!

On the night life side of things, we've been having a ball! We've been to illegal warehouse parties and legit club nights alike, we also went to see DJ Shadow play at The Forum which, aside from a rash of technical problems and London priced tickets, was pretty cool. He's definitely a very talented guy and it was great to see some live stuff once again. Check out the video I shot - it's hardly audiophile sound quality, my little camera simply not up the bass, but you get the general idea and if you know DJ Shadow you'll recognise the classic track!

Watch all my videos on Vimeo

We also went to see the Dalai Lama talk at a free event in a football stadium. 'His Holiness' was definitely a very chilled out guy and despite some fairly heavy topics he doesn't seem to take things too seriously, laughing and joking about quite a bit and the way he spoke and chuckled reminded me a lot of Yoda! It was a really interesting afternoon, and it feels quite special to have had the opportunity to see the Dalai Lama at all.

Overall, I like Melbourne a lot and we've both settled in pretty well. I don't much like the federal government out here: Their policies regarding immigration and indigenous people are blatantly discriminatory and even downright racist - they're a bunch of bloody Nazis. It's very disappointing to see that people will actually vote for such policies, in much the same way as it was disappointing to see Bush get a second term. I can only hope they get the boot in the coming elections.

Over the past few weeks I've been busy uploading loads more photos from our travels so far to my album on Zooomr, so if you haven't already had a look, then please do! They're not all great photos, but they tell a story.

View all my photos on Zooomr

Well, it doesn't feel much like 'travelling' any more, job hunting is taking up most of my time so I probably won't blog again for a little while. I will try to keep the photos and videos coming though, and please stay in touch.

Steve x

Road Trip: Brisbane to Melbourne

2007-05-19T03:16:00.004+10:00

Hi... First I'll quickly mention that it's my birthday! Those of you that forgot, I will no doubt see another time, probably in Hell ;) Talking of which, the obvious question now is "What the Hell are you doing sitting in front of a computer on your birthday?!" If you know me, you'll also know that it doesn't take much, any excuse will usually be sufficient! This time, however, I do actually have a pretty good excuse...

We've just completed a road trip from (near) Brisbane to Melbourne. If you look on a map it doesn't initially look like a very long way... BUT, God, those maps can be deceiving... 2500km later, just a few hours ago, we finally got to Melbourne. It's a huge distance and it is the first time I have been able to get any sort of feel for how absolutely massive Australia really is!

As you head south, things change quite a lot. The coast from Brisbane to Sydney, along the Pacific Highway, feel quite wealthy, middle class, is very very modern, and has beach after beach after beach. I'm not really a beach person, I'm more interested in city life and like to have lots of stuff going on around me, so when we finally turned off the coast I was actually a little relieved! We took a long diversion inland to Armidale, where Heather was born. Everyone you speak to will say stuff like: "why d'ya wanna go there" or "there's nothing there", but actually I quite liked Armidale. They are absolutely right, there is nothing there... except for some nice older architecture from the 1800s - a rare jewel in such a young country. Then it was back to the coast for more beaches (yawn) and then down into Victoria and through lots of rain forest.

An obligatory rant about logging: Why is everybody cutting down their rain forests... surely they understand the consequences? Driving along, we were constantly met by huge trucks carrying logs and there are numerous huge areas that have been cleared for farming and (probably McDonalds) cows! They may have re-planting schemes in place, so perhaps I'm being a little unfair, but this practice of clearing forest is something I've seen a lot of recently, in the Amazon for starters, and it really sucks! You would think a country with an ozone hole sitting over it would know better!
Disclaimer: I did use 5 or 6 full tanks of petrol during the trip and am therefore technically not exactly helping things either ;) I should have probably walked or hitched or something like that, but whatever my sins... I still don't like seeing all those trees getting cleared!!

So finally, after more camping and hundreds of kilometers of driving, we are here in Melbourne. It's been a fantastic drive and, despite my beach yawns, the coast is very beautiful. The last bit of the drive wasn't very interesting as we were running out of time and had to cut off the final section of the coast in favour of taking the motorway, but it was easy driving and we arrived in Melbourne not long ago. It's raining, as we'd been led to expect, but I don't care much about that - I'm used to it! I notice a particular London-like feel (maybe its the rain), narrower streets, some old buildings and it has a multicultural feel which is something I have become very accustomed to and prefer.

So, back to my excuse for being on a computer on my birthday... I'm killing time waiting for a lift to my new home (sofa) in Australia. Probably won't have much to say for a while, but I'll still be updating photos and other stuff down the right hand side. OK... time to get very drunk! Steve x

PS. Click here for a route map of our road trip.

Down Under

2007-05-10T02:59:00.005+10:00

We've been down under for a few weeks now and it's been really good so far. We spent a week and a half in Sydney and it seems like a pretty cool place, even if it is 'just another big city'. There are a lot of spooky similarities to London, like Hyde Park, Oxford Street, Kings Cross and Paddington, and with the abundance of English culture out here it does actually feel, to some extent, as though I have come home!!

We didn't see very much of Sydney because we couldn't be bothered with the whole sightseeing thing anymore, though we made an exception for the Sydney Opera House, and I have to be honest: After all the amazing stuff we've seen in South America, Sydney just isn't that interesting. Also, the backpacking scene where we were staying for most of the time was made up almost entirely of much younger travellers (~18-21 yrs) , so unless you still enjoy drinking warm beer in crappy clubs that churn out the same shit you've heard a thousand times, it's not that great. I would only recommend staying in Kings Cross if you are either a prostitute looking for work or a junkie needing a fix!

So, after a week in hostels in Kings Cross we managed to escape the backpacking scene altogether and spent a couple of days down by Bondi beach staying in a very exclusive luxury boutique hotel! Bondi was really nice, really trendy and our time there was a great escape from the accommodation and location we have become so well accustomed to. The coastline from Bondi down to Coogee is really rugged and beautiful and I'd like to go back to Sydney in a few months and spend some more time there.

At the moment we are staying with some mates, on the Sunshine Coast near Maroochydore. The Sunshine Coast is really nice, the beach is the focus, and it really is how I imagined Australia to be: Very quiet suburban streets with spaced out bungalows, large lawns and of course a beach and a surf club just down the road! Actually, I never realised quite how much beach there is here, it just goes for miles and miles and miles and doesn't seem to ever stop! The beach here is 20km long and joins straight on to another one when you get to the end of it!

At the moment we're just getting some plumbing in place: bank accounts, medical care, tax numbers, mobile phone, etc, and job hunting is now a high priority. 'Real world' life is kicking back in and we're looking for work in Melbourne. Our last bit of tourism for a while will be a mini road trip along the coast, aiming to get down to Melbourne by the end of next week.

Steve x

Hasta Luego South America

2007-04-21T05:34:00.004+10:00

Tonight we fly to Oz for the start of something different, leaving South America behind us, for now, and it is only fitting that I give some sort of summary... Every country we visited in South America was fantastic in it's own way, but if I had to pick just three countries to talk about then there is no doubt in my mind: Colombia takes the top spot, with Argentina & Peru close behind. I'll get straight to it..

For Peru I have to start with the Cordillera Blanca (Huaraz) - Easily the most spectacular and dramatic scenery I have ever seen anywhere in the world. Huaraz is definitely a 'must-see' place with really stunning lakes surrounded by countless perfect snow-capped peaks! Cuzco and Machu Picchu of course have to get a mention here as well... Although we've all seen loads of photos of Machu Picchu, when you get there it still somehow manages to impress and exceed expectation. Food-wise, they eat some pretty weird stuff like Alpacas and Guinea Pigs, but it's generally a bit more spicy and interesting and I really liked it, especially after spending time with the rather culinary-challenged Venezuelans and Colombians! In general, Peru is brimming with activity, there's just so much stuff to see and do!

Argentina came as a bit of surprise, especially after Bolivia! I felt as though I had just jumped the Atlantic back to Spain or Italy or something! But despite the very mediterranean and un-Latin American feel, I really really liked Argentina. For a country that emerged from a military dictatorship and a terrible genocide only a few decades ago, it really feels so sorted and is maybe even somewhere I would be happy to live. Good food, cheap steak, the 'late night' life-style, Buenos Aires, friendly people, amazing ice cream, the list goes on and on. Better get there while the economy is still in a mess, as I'm sure it won't stay that cheap for long!

So, last but certainly not least, my favourite country: Colombia. We visited Colombia quite early in our trip and I wasn't really doing this blogging thing very much, so now's my chance to say a few more words. Colombia is the only country we visited in which I can honestly say I enjoyed every single minute. It's just such a beautiful country and, although it doesn't have any big attractions like Machu Picchu or Iguazu, it has a fantastic laid-back feel and is a great place to be. In fact, it's great because all the tourists that are only interested in ticking boxes and have no interest in the actual country, don't go there! The landscape is lush and green, the Caribbean coast is amazing, the architecture is stunning and perfectly preserved, and everywhere you go the people are so friendly, open and relaxed - You'll never feel like anyone is getting impatient if you can't pull up enough Spanish! Before we crossed the border we were a little apprehensive as to what we might find, and there's no point in pretending: Yes, there is a war going on and in the past tourists have been kidnapped, but you'd be a fool to let that stop you. We had an amazing time in Colombia with expectations constantly exceeded and my preconceptions, whatever they may have been, were totally blown away. If you travel around South America and don't go there, you're missing out on one of the best bits.

Steve x

Disclaimer: This blog is just my opinion. If you visit Colombia or any other South American country based on my recommendation and don't like it, it's your own fault and you only have yourself to blame! You should know better than to listen to me!!

Revised: 07-May-2007.

Attack Attack Attack!

2007-04-13T05:30:00.004+10:00

We've been in Argentina for several weeks now and in fact have just begun the last week of our whole South American trip, so here I am again writing about some of the best bits!

We spent about 10 days in Buenos Aires, met loads of really cool people and had some wicked nights out: We saw an amazing modern tango orchestra, Orquesta Típica Fernández Fierro, live at one of Buenos Aires' swankiest clubs, which was excellent - it started off sounding like Gotan Project (but without the electronic stuff) and built up to an amazing finale of abstract composition that left me genuinely impressed and clapping hard!!! There are a lot of bands that look similar in pictures and on the street, but seriously, if you go to Buenos Aires don't settle for anything less - these guys are the real deal! We also had a great night out doing the electronic thing in a huge techno club called Big One, which was err.. quite spacious!

So, after loads of 'going out' fun in Buenos Aires we went to Peninsula Valdes, Puerto Madryn, to see if we would be lucky enough to spot the elusive Orcas (Killer Whales) snatching seals right off the beach! It was prime season for sightings but they are still very rare so our expectations couldn't have been lower. The morning of our trip to the peninsula, in a perfect start to the day, our alarm clock failed us and we overslept! High tide was going to peak in just two hours, the only time the Orcas attack, so we legged it to rent-a-car and, ignoring all the "please drive carefully, it is very common for tourists to roll cars on the peninsula!!!" warnings, we tore across the tricky gravel roads in a 120kph dust ball, terrified the whole thing would be a waste of time. We had after all travelled more than 1000km from Buenos Aires to see this and there was no bloody way I was gonna miss it! About 20 minutes after reaching the Northern tip of the peninsula we saw Orcas' fins slicing the water far in the distance. We hoped that they would venture closer and have a pop at the seals swimming in the shallows along the edge of the beach. A little while later our prayers were answered: We saw two very dramatic frothy thrashings in the shallows just a few meters off the beach right in front of us! The Orca would rush towards the seal with incredible acceleration, catch it and drag it underwater in a wriggling mass of activity and foaming water. A few seconds later the seal would come shooting out sideways, escaping to safety - awesome!! All you could hear were excited shouts - attack attack attack! - from the tourists and photographers legging it up and down the paths trying to follow the action! We didn't get the full 'seal hanging from bloodied teeth' spectacle that you might see in a BBC documentary, in fact the Orcas failed and went home hungry, but it was incredible nevertheless and really made my day! Definately a major highlight of our trip so far, though our photos are rubbish and don't do it justice at all, sorry! Incidentally, on the way back to town afterwards, we did see a very crumpled up car containing a very red-faced tourist, so they weren't lying to us at Rent-a-car!

More recently we spent a few days in Argentina's lake district which was, well, FREEEEZING! After just one day walking around El Bolson and a day around Bariloche, which is very beautiful by the way, we basically ran away from the cold and arrived here in Mendoza this morning! I didn't come to South America to get snowed on for god's sake! So this is where we will be for this coming week: Our final week in South America, for now... Steve x

Mmmm, Steak!

2007-03-28T04:03:00.005+10:00

Hola! After Bolivia we headed south to Argentina and spent a few days in Salta... Oh My God: what a culture shock! Argentina is just so SORTED! Everything, it would seem, actually works! The difference between Argentina and Bolivia is extreme to say the least but, having spent quite a while in much poorer countries, Argentina has actually come as a very welcome change :) So after chilling in the very lovely and European feeling Salta, we went to the AMAZING falls at Iguazu and yes, as I have been told so many times, it is really quite a sight - I never thought it possible to spend 4 hours looking at the various different cataracts of the same waterfalls! (Some people were doing 2 day tours, though personally I don't think any waterfall warrants that much attention!) It is a little bit over-crowded with old people to the extent that sometimes I wasn't sure if it was yet another cataract, or just a seething mass of white hair! The older traveller is something that Argentina as a whole seems to attract more of than other South American countries (though not disproportionately), and I can see why: travel is easy (luxury in fact), the food is excellent, the climate is agreeable and the two larger cities we have visited so far, Salta and Buenos Aires, feel very European, relaxed and even sophisticated, depending on what you do. Oh, and it's cheap!

So here we are in Buenos Aires and it really is fantastic! We're staying in a very cool hostel (www.ostinatto.com) which is probably the best hostel I have ever stayed in - I couldn't recommend it more. Last night I cooked up a couple of steaks I bought from the supermarket meat counter: They were about 10oz and cost 75p each, crazily cheap, and whatever it is that they do to their cows out here - it works - 'cause there wasn't an ounce of fat on them and they were DELICIOUS! I could go on about this all day, but the quality of steak out here is just so fucking good - it's a real treat :) Oh, and did I mention that it's cheap?

We have done some sightseeing in Buenos Aires, though much less than usual. We went to check out a cemetery in the center of town. It doesn't sound too interesting I'm sure, but it was definitely one the weirdest and most interesting things I've seen. On one side of the cemetery (the cemetery is massive) were hundreds, perhaps thousands of massive tomb like buildings, some of them like miniature churches, for the richest Argentinian families - Peering through the doors you can make out dozens of coffins going back for centuries, stacked up with the most recent on the top shelf. On the other side of the cemetery were perhaps a dozen two-storey deep complexes, each comprising of dozens of corridors with, in total, literally tens of thousands of bodies locked in drawers, all adorned with flowers and the like. They were kind of like giant public morgues... Almost impossible to describe and certainly very unusual.

So that's about all I've got to say this time, largely because Argentina has so far been all about drinking beer and wine and eating steak, and the coming week is likely to continue that way with some hardcore clubbing and tango shows thrown in for good measure! At some point we intend to go further south, probably on the most luxurious bus on the planet, where apparently we can get a boat into the Atlantic and check out some Orcas (Killer Whales), and then there's that massive glacier a little further towards Antarctica... Should be fun! Take it easy, Steve x

Across Bolivia in 12 days

2007-03-15T02:53:00.004+11:00

After a long and really fantastic time in Peru we finally made it to La Paz in Bolivia. All our attempts to miss the English winter have failed miserably as it definitely caught up with us in Bolivia! La Paz is a cool (literally) city - not too big, not too small and plenty to do. A bit of shopping therapy went down very well, after more than 3 months in the same clothes, and of course it was really cheap! After the shopping though, we felt a bit directionless and couldn't really be bothered to do very much, so we just hung around for a few days eating, drinking, and chewing coca leaves (to help deal with the altitude, of course ;) until we had managed to formulate some sort of plan. The coca museum in La Paz was excellent: I didn't realise that Coca-Cola still used coca leaves for flavouring and they buy 200 tons of leaves every year from Bolivia, despite the fact that Bolivia is not legally allowed to grow the stuff! Being at high altitude for so long (maybe a month?), with cold and/or rainy evenings and sporadic breathlessness had managed to beat us down a bit and so the plan was very simple... Head south, take a tour around Bolivia's Altiplano and then get the hell back to sea level and Argentina!

The Altiplano is really very different as far as landscape goes and the tour from Uyuni was excellent. At first we didn't think our driver was going to turn up but in the end he did and we roared off across the desert in a banged up 4x4 at considerable speed. I thought, at first, that he was your typical S.American tour guide: certifiable! My opinion was soon to change, however, when his rally like driving proved he was actually highly skilled driver... Phew! We soon settled in to the bone-shattering ride and quickly arrived at the salt flats at Uyuni: Really strange - A vast expanse of brilliant white as far as you can see and, because they were flooded under about 2 inches of water, with a beautiful reflection of the sky and the mountains far in the distance. The second day of the tour took us further south to a national park, which I can't remember the name of, where there were weird and wonderful bubbling geysers at more than 4000m and a very large and trippy bright red volcanic lake! The whole area contained very beautiful and unusual scenery which actually reminded me a little of driving south through the Atlas mountains into the Sahara, Morocco, a few years back. One the third and final day of the tour we spent the morning soaking in some hot-springs and then dropped our four jeep companions at the Chilean border; then started the long bone-shattering drive back to Uyuni. On the way we picked up two French and two Canadians to fill the empty seats. I soon overheard the 63yr old Canadian guy teaching Heather how to chop down trees, haul them back with a tractor, and finally build a house! At every toilet, photo or snack stop I dreaded the reshuffle might treat me to an equally interesting conversation: I was soon to learn all about tractors, which has the most indestructible transmission, the various plough attachments available, and finally a lesson on how to calculate the power produced by a steam engine using one of Einsteins formulas! Ah... they say it's the people you meet!!! Boring old men aside however, the tour was really fantastic... check out the Photoblog.

Straight after the tour we got the train south to the Argentinian border which was a refreshing ride: After soooo many buses, apart from the Machu Picchu train, travelling by train was a real luxury! Crossing the Argentinian border however was the slowest border crossing in history - There was a crazy number of Bolivians trying to cross and, as usual, nowhere near enough officials to deal with it! Exhaustive bag searches didn't help the matter, though to be honest I could have had two kilos of cocaine in my pack and they still would have missed it!

So that's really it for Bolivia, just 12 days, and mostly cold ones at that. I had been led to believe that the Bolivian people were amongst the friendliest on the continent, but I didn't find this to be the case - I felt a certain amount of resentment towards foreigners (outside of La Paz) and the majority of people seemed to only squeeze a smile when I had my wallet out. I understand that Bolivia has been hugely exploited by the west and that it continues even today, so I suppose the resentment is justifiable, but it's a shame to have only achieved a fairly cold 'client only' relationship with most of the people I spoke to - I mean, it's not like I exploited them, so there's no need to take it out on me! That said, I still enjoyed Bolivia loads and of course not everyone was like that!

So here we are in Salta, Argentina after the most indirect direct bus in the world and one bag search at a police check point on the way, run by a very abrupt, stern and one-eyed soldier! The weather is warmer though raining at the moment :( and finally I can move a muscle without suddenly gasping for breath! It's a much bigger city than we're used to and the regular inhalation of toxic smog is quite welcome. We're both really looking forward to a (best in the world) steak and a good bottle of wine... I mean come on, we've had it hard... we deserve it! :)

Inca Everything

2007-02-27T03:51:00.004+11:00

Hola.. Our 10 days in Cuzco has come to an end now but it's really been a fantastic week. There's so much to do in and around Cuzco that it's simply impossible to be bored. The whole Inca thing that's going on around here is really cool and completely different to anything else we have seen in the past 3 months. Of course the powers that be are cashing in heavily and subsequently you can get just about (Inca) anything... Inca Cola, Inca cigarettes, Trans-Inca buses, Inca gas supply, Inca bike hire, the list just goes on and on and on...

My brother Adam and his girlfriend Sophie have been on holiday in Cuzco this past week which has been fantastic and it's been really really good to be able to spend some time with familiar faces and specifically, of course, to spend some time with my brother :) We haven't stopped all week, with one early start after another, going here there and just about everywhere! Hot springs, Machu Picchu, other Inca sites, mountain biking, lots of eating and drinking... it's been fantastic, and totally exhausting!

I'm not really sure why the Spaniards didn't erase every trace of the Incas in and around Cuzco, as they have done everywhere else, but there are loads of sites besides Machu Picchu to visit. We only did a few of them, but the impressive fortress walls at Sacsayhuaman and the Temple of the Sun at Pisac are well worth it and provide, in my opinion, better examples of Inca construction than anything you'll find at Machu Picchu itself. Ear-wigging a guide at Machu Picchu a few days later revealed that 40-50% of the site is actually re-construction and only the base is 'the real thing' - This doesn't really matter though because it is still incredible and easily exceeded expectation...

Past experience of trekking in Venezuela has made both me and Heather realise that we don't actually enjoy it very much, so we quickly trashed the idea of the Inca trail and got the train to Aguas Calientes. A fantastic relaxing evening in the hot springs followed, and then the next day we got up at the crack of dawn so that we could get to Machu Picchu before the crowds. We arrived by bus just as it was getting light and were literally among the first 10 or so people into the site - Wow! - Machu Picchu in the half-light of morning, mist and cloud swirling around the mountains and not a sole in sight is really a very impressive and magical view indeed! Having seen so many photos of it prior to visiting, it felt strangely familiar as though I'd been there before, but this didn't dampen the experience at all - no photo will ever do it justice!. We spent the whole morning there and climbed up the mountain to the ruins at Wayna Picchu where you can get amazing views across the whole area. Finally at about 11am, half of Japan arrived in a continuous stream of buses so we legged it just as the site was turning into a circus!

There's some good mountain biking around Cuzco (I just can't resist the temptation ;) and a day's riding takes you about 40km over just about every different type of surface possible including some fairly tough, technical, rocky single-track waiting to catch you out at a moments notice. Fortunately, my only crash this time was minor and didn't result in any injuries or bike damage!

Today is a lazy day and in a few hours we head down to Puno (Lake Titicaca) for a short stop before we make our plans to head into Bolivia. However, our plans will have to be carefully put together because Bolivia is currently in a state of emergency: "350,000 have been affected by the worst floods to hit Bolivia in 25 years". Not sure what we are going to do just yet, but most probably head to the capital La Paz, which is south of the affected area, and play it by ear.

No end to deadly Bolivian floods: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6380331.stm

Rocoto Relleno

2007-02-18T06:16:00.005+11:00

Rocoto Relleno is the most amazing thing I've eaten in South America. It's a Peruvian dish, a hot pepper bell stuffed with minced meat and vegetables and stuff. I had almost resigned to the fact that spicey food did not exist in South America, that is until yesterday! Unusually, it is not just the filling that is hot as you might expect, but it's actually the pepper itself - it's a giant fat chilli pepper! As a hot food lover, this dish rocked my world (so much so that I've decided to blog about it while the memory is still fresh)... If you can buy it and make it back home then you should, but beware it is VERY hot ;)

Action Packed Peru!

2007-02-16T09:21:00.004+11:00

Well, we've finally arrived in Cuzco and it feels really good to know we're not going anywhere for about 10 days. We've been so busy ever since we got stuck into Peru, but I'm not complaining... oh no... it's been great!

Peru has a quite incredible variation in landscape as you pass through it. Dripping wet amazon, lush rolling countryside, dramatic white capped mountains, and even vast expanses of desert... I had no idea, but it has certainly made for very varied activities over the past few weeks. Unlike Colombia, Peru has a much more established tourist industry, despite appearing to be poorer, and subsequently there is just soooo much stuff to do as you travel through :)

Starting from the north we did some cool, but ultimately hopeless, attempts at surfing at a really chilled out surfing/fishing village. Then on to Huaraz for the most amazing mountain bike trip in the world, ever, in the Cordillera Blanca (see previous entry). Next was 'Poor Man's Galapagos' (Pisco) where we got to see loads of birds, penguins, sea lions, etc - was the first bit of 'nature watching' we've done so far, so it was great to be doing something a bit different for a change. I've never seen anything like that before and it was amazing watching the males (bulls?) fighting over the ladies in a rather rubbery and cumbersome but bloody and violent kind of way! After that was sand boarding on vast sand dunes at this amazing little Oasis in the desert, where, to top up on my mountain biking injuries, I managed to stand up for a while... and then SLLAAAMMM, right on the base of my spine - no one had warned me that sand was like concrete at high speed! I need a little recovery time so I think that's it for extreme sports for a while!

Last stop on our run roughly down the cost was Nazca to see the weird and wonderful Nazca Lines... and yes, they're pretty weird and there's a whole host of theories and explanations as to why they might be there. The most ridiculous ones are the 'giant running track' and 'alien landing site' ones - amazing they ever made it onto paper really! The most plausible, I think, is that they were 'drawn' as offerings to the gods so that it might rain. The plane that took me up was the smallest thing I've ever seen and after a pretty harrowing flight and narrowly avoiding a tornado on the runway, we landed and I was nearly sick!

So anyway, just kicking back for a few days now until Adam (my bro) and Sophie meet up with us in a few days, and then the debauchery begins (again)... ;) Take care all, and as always please tell me your news....

Riding the Cordillera Blanca

2007-02-11T13:31:00.004+11:00

Wow wow wow is pretty much all I can say for my experience in the Cordillera Blanca. First of all I think it's best if I get the stats out of the way... 38 peaks over 6000m crammed into a 180x20km area (over 200 peaks in total). North America has only 3 such mountains and Europe has none!

We got a bus from Huaraz into the national park, with mountain bikes strapped to the roof, and they dropped us at the peak of one of Huascarán's neighbours. Approx 4750m. Huascarán, the highest peak at 6768m is simply awesome to look at, in fact the full 360 is incredible. Every time I go into the mountains in one country or another I think 'wow' this is the most amazing I've seen, and the Cordillera Blanca is no exception to this rule... it is easily the most incredible scenery I have ever set eyes on, but this time I think it will be hard to beat! (perhaps only the Himalayas?).

The ride down was really good... long sweeping gravelly/rocky road winding for what seemed like an eternity down to the stunning lakes at the bottom. I did have a little 'accident' about 20 minutes from the top... a misjudged jump... and bad landing... and a nasty crash. The damage came to: A large area of skin missing from my right arm, cuts on my left hand, ripped jeans, bruised and scratched legs, smashed camera (yes, smashed), and destroyed gear leavers on the bike!!! Fortunately the pain of the injuries or losing my camera didn't really set in until after about 4 hours of riding (with a slightly restricted gear range) returned us back to town.

Even with the crash and the unexpected cost of repairing the bike and replacing the camera, it was still an amazing day. The scenery was just so awesome and impressively beautiful that it's just not possible to describe what it 'felt' like... I hope the photos go some way to help... Check out my PhotoBlog.

A swifty through Ecuador

2007-02-02T13:29:00.004+11:00

Hola! I haven't written anything substantial since leaving Colombia so here goes... From Colombia we went to Otavalo in Ecuador which was reasonably dull apart from the fantastic and colourful market which threatened to spread to almost every street in the town! After Otavalo we went to Quito for a week of Spanish lessons which were excellent.

I have mixed feelings about Quito and in fact about Ecuador in general. On the bad side, there were just far too many tourists and I found places were fairly characterless and didn't feel very Latin American as a result. 'Gringolandia' (the new town) in Quito was horrible, the sort of place I would normally jump through hoops to avoid wherever possible - a mish mash of tourist-orientated, over-priced bars and restaurants, street sellers and beggars - not my cup of tea at all! Even the old town was not very inspiring... Perhaps we've been spoilt by all the beautiful places we went to in Colombia, perhaps we weren't there long enough and didn't visit enough places to give it a fair trial, or perhaps Ecuador simply just didn't compare - I'm not sure, but I think it's likely to be a combination of all of them. On the plus side, the wildly westernised Quito did allow us to indulge almost all our cravings! Dark chocolate, black tea, roast potatos and last but not least possibly the best Madras I've ever had - It was our third visit to (the same) Indian restaurant (in 5 days!) and experience dictated the necessity to ask for it be 'very very very very very very very hot please' (in Spanish of course!) to achieve the desired amount of spice - this time it worked - it even made me sweat a little! The Spanish lessons were also excellent and have helped me to practice, consolidate and feel confident with what I learned from audio tapes previously as well as quadrupling my vocabulary! Things are so much easier now...

The $4 bridge to Machu Picchu

2007-02-02T07:55:00.005+11:00

A budget traveller's dream come true?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6292327.stm

The Shaman

2007-01-25T22:25:00.004+11:00

Hola Amigos! So, where do I start? It's only been a couple of months but I am starting to suffer withdrawal symptoms from some good old English comfort food! In particular Bangers & Mash (with Gravy), Roast Potatoes (with Gravy), Chicken Jalfrezi with a Garlic Nan and Sag Paneer... oh, the things I'd do for a good curry right now!!! I hear the food in Peru is good - I hope so - I'm looking forward to spit roasted guinea pig ;)

We ended up spending nearly a month in Colombia, sacrificing any real time in Ecuador. We figure it is better to spend more time in fewer countries than try to do them all justice and fail miserably! Even after a month however I would loved to have spent more time there - so many places that still we did not have time to go and visit. Colombia is a real gem of a country, beautiful lush green landscape and wonderful architecture everywhere you go. The people are among the friendliest I have met anywhere in the world and of course the coffee is great (though typically it is brewed up a bit too weak).

In our last week or so in Colombia, we spent a lot of time with a really nice Colombian couple in a stunning town called Popayan. Their English was about as good as our Spanish so it was difficult to converse, but we managed OK and it was fun nevertheless. The guy is a Shaman (medicine doctor) and although he wouldn't be given half a chance in England, he seemed very well liked and respected everywhere we went. I paid (a small sum) for a ceremony with the Shaman which was supposed to cure all my problems (for 8 days!!). The ceremony was performed on the grassy area at the back of the hotel he was staying in and involved drinking a hallucinogenic brew called Ayahuasca that originates (I think) from tribes in the Amazon.

The brew was a thick black liquid, really disgusting, but just about drinkable! After a couple of hours I started feeling the effects and the Shaman went about his business of chanting, waving stuff around and calling up the spirits! The effects were actually a lot milder than I expected (even though I was on a double dose!) - some auditory and visual hallucinations with colourful geometric patterns when my eyes were closed. However, the overriding feeling was an almost unbelievable sense of tranquility and calm. Ayahuasca apparently has proven results in psychotherapy and I can understand why... I felt completely at peace! It wore off pretty quickly though and soon everything was back to reality!

The next day we headed down to the Ecuadorian border for our final bit of Colombian sightseeing - the amazing Santuario de las Lajas. Our 6 year anniversary passed by mostly on the 7 hour bus ride to the border town of Ipiales, but when we got there we did get a bit pissed, had a great meal in a posh hotel restaurant and then finished off the night in a pool club!

Today is our first day in Otavalo in Ecuador. It's certainly not as impressive as Popayan in Colombia (not even close) although the setting is amazing, but we're here for a few days, maybe some mountain biking, and of course for the famous indigenous market on Saturday. From here we have to get to Quito for a 5 day 20 hour intensive Spanish course we've arranged, and then it's straight to Peru where we want to spend a substantial amount of time.

Colombia - Wow!

2007-01-12T01:34:00.004+11:00

Hi all, so finally I've got round to writing some stuff about Colombia... We've been here for a few weeks now, and the longer we are here the longer we intend to stay! I wasn't sure what to expect from Colombia but it has certainly been surprising in all the right ways.

We've been working our way slowly down through the country and everywhere we have been so far has been really amazing - From the beautiful coral islands off the Caribbean coast, down through numerous smaller towns and villages along Colombia's Andean chain, and now at the end of our time in Bogotá. Colombia is such a beautiful country but also it's just so interesting! Historically, culturally and politically I'm finding myself constantly intrigued by everything around me. Two other things that makes this place so great are the lack of tourists and travellers (though there are still enough!) and the Colombian people themselves - sooo friendly, welcoming and helpful... I only wish my Spanish was good enough to converse properly - At the moment lots of nodding, smiling and badly pronounced sentence fragments is the order of the day, though we are studying Spanish as much as we can!

A few days ago we went to the Salt Cathedral at Zipaquira... A huge (capacity 8400) underground cathedral carved out of a mountain of rock salt! Three massive adjacent caverns that form what is actually a working cathedral. It's one of the most amazing and unique things I have seen in a long time! Bogotá is really just 'another big city' but it has been great fun and there are lots of really good museums and stuff to visit (notably the gold museum - sounds shit, but it's great!). Last night we went to a small bar/club which looked like it had been knocked up out of odd bits of wood during the day. It had a big open 'campfire' in the middle of the room - I don't suppose it would get past UK health and safety law - The noxious fumes meant only a short stay was enough!

Tonight we get a bus down to the southern end of the country which is supposed to contain the most spectacular scenery and no doubt yet more stunningly set towns and villages. We're having such a great time here that I don't suppose we'll be crossing the border the Ecuador just yet. Colombia is certainly going on my list of places to come back to another time.

Take it easy, Steve. x

Money, Drugs and Corruption

2007-01-01T03:30:00.004+11:00

From the title of this blog you would be forgiven for thinking I was talking about Colombia... No, actually it is much more about Venezuela. Ever since we arrived in Venezuela there has a been a visibly large military and police presence and it has been a pain in the arse. I don't know a great deal about the cocaine trade and its impact on the surrounding countries, but as I learn more I feel it would be rude not to share some of it! The military in Venezuela, largely cocky kids with guns, are constantly stopping and searching vehicles traveling along the road from Venezuela to Brazil. Entire double decker coach loads are turfed out of their luxurious reclining chairs in the middle of the night for exhaustive bag searches over and over again! A soldier will check your passport and then go and get his mate who will do exactly the same thing for no particular reason, as if trying to call your bluff (idiots). I get the feeling they have no idea what they are actually looking at but are just going through the motions to make themselves feel big and powerful! A German guy we spoke to had to empty his bags out 3 times in one night alone, making for a very long sleepless journey! We are repeatedly and reliably informed that the bulk of the cocaine from Colombia is shipped through Venezuela to Brazil where it is then distributed around the world. Given the size of Colombia's cocaine trade and the vast sums of cash involved, the military presence along this particular road, the only one into Brazil, is fully justified. It is a shame however, that the military also take the opportunity to pick on tourists carrying small amounts, just for a bit of pocket money. I guess they've got a tough job and don't get paid very well for it.

Crossing the border from Venezuela to Colombia proved to be a lot more tricky than I expected! We took a local bus across the border, which should have taken about 2 or 3 hours... Along route we were constantly stopped by 'police'. It was pretty hard to tell exactly which ones were real and which were not. They just get on the bus, demand a bribe, and get off a little richer! Uniformed police, plain clothes police (with a 'badge'), military police with machine guns, some very hard looking frontier police dudes... all manner of tooled-up official looking people, simply taking bribes - well, demanding them - under the guise of border control! Every 200 metres it was the same story, over and over again we were stopped and sometimes had to pay a small amount to prevent them causing us even more hassle (like a full hour long bag search). I lost count of how many times we had to stop, but it was somewhere between 10 and 20. I suppose it would have helped if everyone on the bus had a passport - one girl didn't and this didn't seem to help matters. She found a way though, selling herself to the bus conductor to ensure a smooth border crossing! After 6 hours of chaos and the most complicated passport control process on the planet we did finally make it into Colombia.... phew!

In contrast to Venezuela, though there are as you might expect a lot of hard looking dudes walking around with guns, Colombia seems to be more organised and less corrupt. The bus was stopped several times on the Colombian side also, but they didn't hassle the passengers, they were fast and seemed to know exactly what they were doing. I haven't been here long so that opinion may well change but that is my certainly my first impression. My lasting impressions of Venezuela will be that it was as obviously and stunningly beautiful as the police and military were corrupt. We learned today from an American guy that Chavez is actually supporting the Guerillas (as a socialist movement) in Colombia so I suppose that provides some further explanation as to the border tension between the two countries.

So here were are in Colombia... We're in Cartegena for New Year and it's a stunningly beautiful city. No idea what is gonna be happening tomorrow night, just playing it by ear.

Happy New Year, Steve. (in an internet cafe, unblocking my credit cards as usual!).

PS. I've just seen the photo's of your Christmas dinner, Alice - it looks amazing. I had a tough old steak.. so thanks a bunch!!!!

Roraima - The Lost World

2006-12-22T20:13:00.006+11:00

Hey all, this is my last blog till after xmas and the new year. We´ve been in Venezuela for about 10 days now. We came into a small town called St Elena and immediately it was very different from Brazil despite being only about 10 minutes drive from the border. I lost my entry card for Brazil so I´ve got this thing stamped into my passport now that says I have to pay a fine if I want to re-enter! Venezuela is a breath of fresh air - no more over sweetened coffee, bland food, and difficult language... don´t think I´ll be paying that fine!

We went on a 6 day trek to climb the highest mountain outside of the Andes, Mount Roraima. It´s a table top mountain and rises to 2850m. The first 2 days were solid trekking across baking hot savannah, wading across rivers and getting eaten by tiny little flies that simply swarm all over you. I had 15 bites on my left elbow alone, and I think there must be well over 100 on my body in total - They´re really nasty little buggers!! After two days we were at base camp and the climb began. The climb is really hard, at least 45 degrees incline constantly for about 4 hours. The ´path´ barely qualified as one and in places we were simply scrambling up rock falls, and in one place up a waterfall with freezing cold water crashing down on us and a 2000m sheer drop on one side! Put simply, it´s easily the hardest thing I have ever done in my life! To top it all off we were carrying our full size packs, in my case all 65 litres of it! (clothes, camping gear, etc). The top of Mount Roraima is the reason for going, and it really is a very strange place indeed. The plant life on the top of the mountain has evolved in isolation from the rest of the world and hence out of 2000 plant species, more than half of them are endemic (they only grow there). Apparently these plants can only be found as fossils anywhere else! The top is like being on another planet... black rocks of all shapes and sizes, pools of water that have slowly eroded in the most wonderful shapes, little black frogs about the size of the end of your thumb. It´s very odd indeed, reminiscent of a set from an old Sci-fi movie. Thick cloud can roll in at a minutes notice completely engulfing the top of the mountain so you can´t see a bloody thing! The top is about 32 square kilometers so you really don´t want to get lost. While we were up there a couple of Czechs got lost in the clouds and spent a freezing cold night huddled together (oooer) in a cave!! Can´t have been nice in shorts and a T-shirt given it was nearly below freezing at night! The way back from Roraima was long and arduous... more baking hot Savannah, more man eating flies... not nice, I´m glad it´s over!

After 24 hours on a bus, we´ve arrived on the Caribbean coast for Christmas at a place called Puerto Columbia. We have yet to explore...

Happy Christmas.

Soaked in the Amazon

2006-12-11T13:08:00.004+11:00

Hello all, we arrived in Manaus last night after our long 6 day boat ride along the Amazon. The starting port, Belem, was a fairly non-descript town, the usual colonial type buildings, with generally nothing to do at all. However, the boat ride from Belem to Manaus was really good - the lonely planet gave it a poor rating, warning of discomfort, bad smells and security issues... I couldn't disagree with it more! We put hammocks up on the bottom deck which was half passengers and half cargo - economy class - open to the elements from both sides, and pretty much just lay there for 6 days! Hammocks took a bit of getting used to but after a while we were sleeping really well. It was the first time we've really had to chill out properly since we've been out here, as up until this we had spent all our time in big cities, and so it was great to just be cruising along the Amazon watching the endless jungle pass by, playing cards (mostly Shithead), reading books, listening to music, etc. In the days it was hot hot hot but at night it was surprisingly cool, even a bit chilly a couple of nights.

I bought some small padlocks for the zips on my pack before we left and after the first day on the boat two of them jammed up and I was locked out of my bag! Fortunately the guy next to me, who rotated between sleeping, singing and swinging violently on his hammock, pulled out a handy hack-saw and cut them off for me in about 30 seconds! Helpful indeed, but made a mockery of the security of my stuff!! On the second night of the trip we pulled out our stock of Caçacha (don't think that's spelt right) and limes and started making up Caprinhas - being ignorant foreigners we hadn't noticed the sign that said no alcohol (unless bought from the bar) and subsequently the captain confiscated our booze... well, one bottle of it anyway :) Fair enough I suppose, I can't imagine they want their customers getting smashed and feeding themselves to the pirannas! As usual I managed to make a fool of myself at least once, leaping onto my hammock which subsequently spun around, dumping me with a thud onto the metal deck - much to the delight of Heather and several Brazilians!

We have been travelling with a group of other people this last week, a Danish couple,a Brit and an Ozzy. It helped to make the boat trip great fun and it's a little bit of a shame that we now go different ways.

So now we are in Manaus and it's raining like there's no tomorrow... We're leaving the Amazon behind now with the possibility of doing jungle tours later on from maybe Peru or Bolivia where you can do all the same things but much cheaper ;)

Rockin' Rio

2006-11-28T02:45:00.005+11:00

Been in Rio for a few days and I'm finding myself checking my email more than expected. Not because I'm bored (no chance of that ;) but simply because it's so available and I'm hiding a little from the continued expense of Brazil... For anyone thinking of coming here... make sure to budget a bit more for this country! Anyway... went to check out the Favela's today and was not dissappointed... they're amazing, though considerably more developed than other shanty towns I've seen... I mean, they had electricity for god's sake! Its the largest Favela in Brazil and actually has district status. The people were great, saw a really cool street performance of Capoeira. What I found shocking was how close to the rich the very very poor are living... you look across the shanty town and on the other side you see a swimming pool! It's something I expected to see and have seen before but it's easy to forget how shocking it really is until you see it again. Some of the richer people living around the Favela's choose to gain respect and security by supporting the community, but unfortunately others choose to put electric fences up and are just not interested (how sad for them). Rio is a wicked city, full of life... a few days left here and I think we'll be making our way out of Brazil, via the Amazon. It's a hard life ;)

Sao Paulo

2006-11-23T23:00:00.004+11:00

Hi all, so here we are in Sao Paulo... what can I say, it's massive like no other! High rise towers as far as the eye can see in all directions, mostly ugly but some cool buildings too... The pollution is pretty serious here and I think I might be starting to get hooked on the smell of diesel in the mornings ;) Roll on Rio...