tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171779382011-07-07T23:26:12.649ZSenor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.comBlogger1841100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-51998673087689363622007-05-15T11:05:00.000Z2007-05-15T11:12:43.034Z

Home sweet home!OK, so there's WAY too much to tell right now, and I'm super busy. But so that you know...YES - I haven't blogged in 6 weeksYES - I have some posts from India to write in the next week or soYES - I'm home nowandYES - I had the time of my life.Until I manage to extract enough time to finish the blog, sit tight and check back here in a few days. There should be something up by

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-90293556309788487142007-04-02T13:40:00.000Z2007-04-27T14:11:51.714Z

So, we left off with me stuck in bed, sweating out my tonsilitus-induced fever and wishing I was partying with the routy 18-30s crowd that are inhabiting my hotel. Its not looking good. Truth is - i'd kinda lost faith in the whole thing anyway. This full moon party looks more and more likely to be the worst thing we've done all year. If the people we're staying with are anything to go by, i

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-4904842713468480522007-03-30T13:39:00.000Z2007-04-25T15:30:05.188Z

Ko Pha Ngan is probably the most revered of all the thai islands. Its small enough to have a single road running around its perimetre, its got great beaches and plenty of snorkelling sights, and its overrun with party animals every month, flocking here from all over the world to celebrate the Full Moon Party. How could it go so wrong?So, after still-drunkenly leaving Ko Samui, we have what

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-51551331515255856992007-03-27T13:38:00.000Z2007-04-10T08:48:01.853Z

Fake bags, fake sunglasses, fake dvds... this place is so fake, even the women are fakes.A day of travelling across Thailand takes its toll on your sensibilities. After a ferry ride, 2 bus journies, another ferry ride and then an hour journey in the back of a truck not really knowing where to get off, we decide to hop off, tired and irritable, on a highstreet that we *think* is Chaweng - most

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-65071399726300302462007-03-26T13:37:00.000Z2007-04-09T13:03:39.501Z

Today was possibly one of my favourite days in Thailand. In fact, I think it was my most favourite. I'm writing this almost 2 weeks after it happened - a sure sign that I've been enjoying myself way too much - and nothing's topped it yet. So I dedicated a whole posting to a 4-hour event. Anyway, on with the day...So, its our 4th day on Ko Phi Phi. Yesterday we were supposed to be jaunting

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-69127366998145081612007-03-23T10:43:00.001Z2007-04-08T13:36:55.308Z

Leonardo DiCaprio has been here. Confirmed.Right. Let's get one thing straight. Ko Phi Phi is gorgeous. I don't care how much you think Thailand sucks because *everyone* goes there these days. I don't care how overdeveloped, over-priced or over-trodden those shores are. I don't care. Ko Phi Phi is, without exception, one of the most beautiful islands I've seen on the planet. This is a

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-9034267669501326232007-03-20T10:42:00.000Z2007-04-05T19:01:05.378Z

The last unspoilt corner of Thailand???Well, that's a statement I'm not actually qualified to make. Since I've only been here 3 days. But hey, on Eves' friend's advice, this island, Ko Chang, is the very last beautiful, isolated, idyllic place left off the coast of the thai mainland. So we're off. The lonley planet (urgh!) threatens this place with a scathing review of its effluent-filled

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-30769310822003835742007-03-15T10:42:00.000Z2007-03-28T15:39:28.778Z

Pussy ping pong...Bangkok STINKS. In fact, Thailand stinks. This is a fact. Its a confirmed fact. It stinks. Sometimes of toilets. Sometimes of bins. Sometimes of wet dogs. And its almost always rank. Has it put me off Bangkok? No way. OK, so we're booked on an amazing air-conditioned, reclining chair bus to go to the Thai border. Its 5 hours away. We get up at 7am. Tired. Grumpy.

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-20767570523386943802007-03-12T14:47:00.000Z2007-03-23T10:32:12.460Z

Angkor wat is pretty spectacular. Right - i have to say that. No choice in the matter. It is. Its big and grand and amazing and everyone knows that. It sprawls itself over what feels like half of cambodia. Almost as many people visit this place as actually live in cambodia. Its a beast when it comes to international top tourist attractions. I'm not disagreeing. BUT (and here it comes).

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-61787372194601849102007-03-10T14:46:00.000Z2007-03-21T14:32:45.979Z

Dissentry and rubbish dolphins...Kratie is a funny one. I'm kinda torn on how I feel about it. First glance, you get a cute TINY village, swinging its feet into the cool waters of the mekong river which looks SO NICE from here. Its hot and humid and lush and green. The soils are rusty brown and the locals are the most beautiful rich brown colour. Its so nice. BUT, it was a bit of a let

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-8628923452462081152007-03-06T03:55:00.000Z2007-03-17T11:25:13.677Z

Happiness is a warm gun...So, we're back in Phnom Penh. The journey was classic cambodian - late arrival, slow, seats too narrow (cambodia people have tiny skeletons it seems), air con too cold, and it stopped at every tiny hut we passed. And despite only being a 2.5hour journey, it took us over 4hours and dragged on into eternity. But we made it off the bus, to a hostel and before long we

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-72741149077547287312007-03-03T03:53:00.000Z2007-03-16T11:32:13.063Z

Creepy...Two hours in a taxi (i love saying that. let me say it again. 2 HOURS IN A TAXI) later and we arrive in the tiny town of Kampot. This place is mental. We're checked into a hostel opposite the marketplace to the town - a run-down, corrugated-iron-roofed, open sewerage, stinking pit of a market. Despite the allure of a wide, flowing river, its murky stagnant waters around the town's

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-75125821619060125312007-02-28T03:52:00.000Z2007-03-13T03:45:12.931Z

Amputees and sex pests everywhere...Welcome to Sihanoukville. After a 4 hour bus journey (it should be two - the bus was late, then stopped for a 20-minute food stop after just 15 minutes on the road), dropping us off in some remote carpark with no clear direction to go in, we hopped in a cab and headed to the beach. and just after the sun had set, we're wandering the 2 minute walk from our

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-60963400669555413032007-02-26T03:50:00.000Z2007-03-10T14:35:29.823Z

No wonder angelina jolie bought a cambodian kid...OK, so since the killing fields we've busied ourselves spending our dollars on tuk-tuk rides across town, wandering the squalling, maze-like marketplace in town, drinking watermelon shakes everywhere, watching the sunset over the lake and reading fake books. It seems se asia is a hotspot for forgeries of everything including the latest

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-19896174844426102122007-02-25T15:31:00.000Z2007-03-07T04:46:53.344Z

So, I've said this before, but I didn't really have any background knowledge of SE Asia before I came here. As we arrive in a country, most of us backpackers read the lonely planet's 3-page history of a country and then spout about it like we studied it at university. We then go to the museums, maybe read the books the kids sell on the streets, sometimes talk to locals, so that by the time we

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-17405184548398833202007-02-24T10:20:00.000Z2007-03-06T13:58:17.298Z

No one told me tuk-tuks were this much fun?Its 8pm at night and we're dragging our backpacks out of the overcrowded luggage compartment of a bus and onto the dusty pavements of the capital of Cambodia. We're surrounded by 5 motorbike drivers, all calling out for our american dollars (the de facto currency here - its actually Riels). Sam's SO scared of motorbikes, so we need a taxi. But its

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-58869363377077348142007-02-16T10:17:00.000Z2007-03-05T16:18:27.247Z

Happy New Year... again.So whilst china and the rest of Asia (and every chinatown in every city in the world) celebrates 'Chinese New Year', the Vietnamese had to be different. Tonight its 'Tet', their own version of New Year, and its big business. When we left Ho Chi Minh City over a week ago, they were already clearing the streets, decking them with lanterns and flowers. And even back then

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-63214241940932506282007-02-14T16:12:00.000Z2007-03-02T17:43:03.276Z

Does it get much better than this?We specifically wanted to go snorkelling. That much I remember clearly. We should have known we were being lied to - the day before when booking our cookery course, we were told *explicitly* we would be cooking our own meals - this was a lie. instead we watched someone else 'prepare' our meals, and we weren't even sure the end result was the food we watched

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-18186937364292669042007-02-11T16:09:00.000Z2007-03-01T05:12:19.529Z

This place is SOOO pretty...Hoi An is kinda famous. I dunno if you've heard of it, but I hadn't. Until I realised it was the place that I HAD heard of. Because EVERYONE who's been to SE Asia seems to talk of this promised land where you can have a suit made for 30quid. and its AMAZING quality. If you didn't guess already, Hoi An is that place.Anyway, Ady, Cat and Bonnie have kindly

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-39919516066956050382007-02-09T16:08:00.000Z2007-02-26T18:37:14.065Z

Actually, I'm crapping myself...When we still lived at the amazing 5-star Windsor Plaza Hotel, the guys from london booked up a load of stuff for us to do while they were here. And one such activity was a day trip to the world famous Mekong Delta.... hang on. Did i say 'world famous'? I meant never-heard-of-by-anyone Mekong Delta. The guide books are running away with themselves there I

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-54119848751654026782007-02-07T07:48:00.000Z2007-02-21T16:07:09.506Z

Now, before I go any further, can I just urge you to read the following post. Right, I'm not even sure I can do the whole situation justice in written words, but I'll do my best. But its probably worth it. So, we've not left Ho Chi Minh City yet. We're here for another couple of days, and shacked up in the poshest hotel in town. Its a normal day - steaming hot, by the pool, ordering room

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-40922414673100679052007-02-06T15:38:00.000Z2007-02-17T10:50:02.857Z

Check out this motley crew...Well, its been a pretty mental few days. You know how there are whole weeks that blur into one long party, littered with memories of laughing histerically about stuff and nothing much else? Well, this week has been one of those. Best boy mate Adrian, armed with Cat and Bonnie (who I LOVE) from London landed in the capital of Vietnam about 2 hours before us and

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-81411378402764205722007-02-03T02:43:00.000Z2007-02-05T16:58:10.579Z

6660 steps later...So, in our usual squalling backward trek around massive countries (we did the same in argentina), instead of taking the quickest and most sensible route through a selection of places of interest, we decide on taking the longest, most contorted and most uncomfortable route. So once again, we leave Datong and head, this time, to Taishan, once again via Beijing (a journey that

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-57790382641318881752007-01-31T16:03:00.000Z2007-02-04T17:39:14.194Z

Thsese dudes are massive...So, after the hanging monastry (which is only the *2nd* most impressive tourist trap in Datong), we decided to check out the Yungang Caves, a series of 45 caves, 20 minutes out of Datong, that house - get this 51,000 buddha statues. Now, I don't know about you, but the fact that it houses "51,000 buddha statues" means nothing to me. Firstly, I have no idea how many

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-26197738112596377742007-01-30T10:18:00.000Z2007-02-03T11:05:44.104Z

Every now and then, you strike gold...So, Sam and I are sat in Xian, back off the Terracotta Army trip, which you might know I kinda hated. And we're discussing where to go next. We had a choice. We could go south, see some panda's, but then getting back to Beijing might have been a hassle. We could go to Taian, site of china's most sacred, and scalable, mountains. Or we could go to Datong

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-2699452507970500042007-01-27T06:39:00.000Z2007-02-03T10:30:00.765Z

Scary...OK, so getting to Xian, about 10 hours south-west of Beijing on a night train, was probably the most-fun part of our 2-day trip to the Shanxi province. Originally planning on continuing south for a week, our beijing hostel has scared us to death about the impending New Year celebrations and lack of available train tickets, so we're heading away for just a couple of days. Anyway, we're

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-51156407896618585422007-01-23T08:40:00.000Z2007-02-02T05:51:14.456Z

This is SO MUCH cooler than the Forbidden City...Right, travelling in China is a little bit different to everywhere else. South America is great because no matter what your plans, timescale or level of social skils, you'd quickly pick up a group of people to travel with and would never be on your own for long. New Zealand and Australia are trickier - but its totally possible if you're

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-77215485667044417282007-01-20T04:18:00.000Z2007-01-26T10:44:04.452Z

How great is this...So my alarm goes off at 6:30am, I stumble out of bed, throw on about 6 layers of clothes and head bleary eyed to reception where the bus is waiting to take me to the Great Wall of China. The thing about china is that whilst there's LOADS of stuff to do here, there's only a couple of things you really associate with china. The Great Wall, of course. The Terracotta Warriors

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-11735768638756591672007-01-19T03:30:00.000Z2007-01-24T03:58:57.229Z

Welcome to the biggest public square in the world...So, after sorting a couple of formailties (i.e. getting visas to enter vietnam in 2 weeks - something we should have done months ago), its time to check out what Beijing has to offer. We don ourselves in as many layers as can fit under our hoodies, scarves, hats and gloves and two pairs of socks to brave the winter extremes and walk the hour

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-69904473160996725662007-01-18T10:11:00.000Z2007-01-24T04:00:12.888Z

Ni hao!OK, so before we get to the china part, a quick recap of the last few days. Stuck in Perth without any chinese visas, sam and i resort to riding around the city on the free bus to relieve our boredom. Overcast and dull as hell, the days are long, and the pool water too cold. Its sick. We're supposed to be enjoying ourselves. Luckily, the weather smartens up for our last day, which is

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-22110066065582754892007-01-07T16:19:00.000Z2007-01-14T17:11:33.252Z

Welcome to Western Australia.So, airports and flights have now offically TOTALLY lost their novelty. I don't even think I get excited about take-off anymore, and that has ALWAYS been a winner. I guess after this many flights, they're bound to lose it sooner or later. Anyway, this time it was Melbourne to Perth. And we arrived on a hot and steamy day (you know that feeling when you get off

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-72329034572767432832007-01-04T16:09:00.000Z2007-01-09T17:39:34.419Z

Goodbye sydney - Hello Ramsey Street!So, its a new year and time to move on. 6 weeks in sydney has been AMAZING. Yeah, the first few weeks were a bit rubbish. pressure to get a job, not 'feeling' the city, all that stuff. But since that all went away, I've turned into the biggest sydney fan ever. Its the job. and the clubs. and the people. but yeah, I'm so hot for sydney these days.

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-73060817897980643322007-01-01T17:03:00.000Z2007-01-07T18:43:35.896Z

So, since christmas day I've been pretty busy. I took Eve and Sam for a massive walk around the botanical gardens, opera house and harbour...[what a muppet]I walked from Bondi to Coogee beach, passing some amazing beaches with NO BATTERY in my camera (this is all I got)...And I slept and ate food and did almost nothing else all week in the run up to new years. Although there was one salient

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-40393439611707134872006-12-25T05:16:00.000Z2007-01-02T06:23:06.314Z

Merry Christmas everyone...The run up to christmas has been mental. Right, back home I familiarise the final week as being (a) a wind-down at work, (b) lots of christmas parties and (c) a mad rush to buy presents before the shops shut. But christmas when you're backpacking is TOTALLY different. I worked the last couple of days before christmas eve, both hideously late shifts (until 7am)

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-13256430512396672812006-12-17T01:43:00.000Z2007-02-17T09:19:57.243Z

How beautiful is Coogee Beach?So, last night in Stonewall (the gayest of gay bars in sydney - it has a surfing tarzan statue attached to the wall), I bumped into another friend from home. unprepared. again. this keeps happening. This time its Neel. Neel was mark and angie's mate from Brighton who I never really hung out with but always spoke to when we crossed paths in Boogaloo on a

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-79678405881779861592006-12-13T06:19:00.000Z2006-12-30T16:56:20.943Z

Lazy days in Sydney are no more. Lie-in's have been laid to rest. Boardshorts are out - long-sleeved shirts are in. Guys, I did it. I got myself a job.So, after a weekend of doing nothing but swim in Peach's swimming pool and go on the internet, I decided to be productive on Monday morning. I jumped on the phone to a recruitment agency that specialises in data entry (I'm shit hot on a

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-11856693265650812542006-12-07T05:05:00.000Z2006-12-29T06:17:49.978Z

How quintessentially Sydney...If you wanna see the real Sydney, you need a guide. And that's exactly what I've got - in the form of Suzi (you know suzi - the annoying aussie I met in Peru and has been clinging onto me in all but three countries that I've visited). I love her. And she has some bright ideas. One of them being to go and see Pedro Almodovar's latest flick 'Volver' at the '

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-55926932364105661632006-12-05T13:33:00.000Z2006-12-19T05:03:32.583Z

How creepy is this place...So, its been a quiet week here in Sydders. The day after the gig was spent in a hungover fuzzy daze. I woke up in Sam's bedroom at 11am, face down and fully clothed with 6 people all gathered around me dragging me up to go for lunch. I'd had about 3 hours sleep and wasn't impressed, and couldn't face any food, but sat in the sunshine in good company for a couple of

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1165368954098844262006-12-01T01:34:00.000Z2006-12-13T04:01:35.599Z

Glo-sticks at the ready!Friday night, and my most anticipated night out in sydney yet. I've spent the last 2 weeks talking EVERYONE I know into coming to this night. Everyone. I sent a text message to each australia mobile number I had (including randoms I only met once) to encourage a bit of companionship. But alas. It was just going to be me.Its fine. Right, I don't have a problem going to

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1165122035593667482006-11-25T04:59:00.000Z2006-12-13T04:00:24.335Z

How sick am I? So, its saturday. I still need a job. what do I do? I GO TO THE BEACH, of course. yep, every saturday the hostel puts on a 'trip' down to Coogee Beach (not as big as bondi, but a bit more personal), where they buy as many budget sausages and burgers as they can and make use of the open-air free BBQ stands next to the beach. Its great. Its free, its hot and there's a shed

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1165240117533905922006-11-20T13:41:00.000Z2006-12-13T04:02:35.869Z

I hate job hunting. Right, the time has come. I've been avoiding this day for MONTHS (6 in fact) but I can no longer escape it. Last week I extended my credit limit on my Egg card to 3,000 quid. Guys - I'm gonna be VERY depressed when I get home, so please be prepared to pamper me with all sorts of attention. But yes, the money is running very dry. I'm into my credit card, I'm into my

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1164858583869695402006-11-15T03:49:00.000Z2006-12-03T04:59:41.210Z

I'm so bored of partying...So, after getting a free upgrade to a twin room (I love it when that happens), Sam and I dropped off our bags, threw on some shorts and a t-shirt, and headed out to explore the city. Our hostel is RIGHT in town. Its about 10 minutes walk from the main shopping drag (Pitt/George Street) and 15 minutes from the bridge and opera house. Its not actually possible to get

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1164855773195366592006-11-13T02:49:00.000Z2006-11-30T03:49:57.196Z

We made it!Arriving in Sydney is a bit of a landmark. Its the closest we have to coming 'home' during our trip. Sydney is the place where we plan to get a flat. To get jobs. To get sim cards and semi-permanent friends. Its here we are gonna settle, recharge our batteries for 2 months, and prepare for the onslaught of south-east asia. Its gonna be massive. I'm sure of it. Driving there

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1163209611953906212006-11-11T01:46:00.001Z2009-05-25T16:31:02.826Z

Brodi is a GOD!So, leaving byron bay behind to the soundtrack of the new Nelly Furtado album (half good, half RUBBISH. where's the old nelly gone. she was perfectly good as she was), sam drove us south for 3 hours while I slept in the passenger seat to a little nondescript town called Coffs Harbour. I don't wanna offend anyone, but its a bit rubbish.Right, it sells itself as the 'town with

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1163209580714074102006-11-09T01:46:00.000Z2009-05-25T16:31:29.910Z

Byron Bay is gorgeous. This is a fact.Byron Bay, the most easterly point on the australia mainland, is pretty spectacular. THIS is what a headland should look like, not like Cape Tribulation, which was rubbish. Its big, and menacing, and imposing and has a lighthouse because its rocks kill people. Its great. And the beach goes on FOREVER. Urgh, its possibly the most beautiful beach scene

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1163209551159092452006-11-07T01:45:00.000Z2009-05-25T16:31:29.912Z

Right, can you believe they actually named this place 'Surfers Paradise'? that's mental!Anyway, before all that, we left Noosa and got the bus back to Brisbane (where all our bags were waiting for us at Roger Bishop's house). Between here and Sydney, we had decided to hire another Wicked van to transport us down in style, so heading across town to pick it up. In case you missed the Wicked

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1163209515532758652006-11-06T01:44:00.000Z2009-05-25T16:31:29.913Z

So, all-round-nice-guy Roger Bishop (from Brisbane) said we could totally hang out with him mum if we wanted when we got to Noosa, so we booked a ticket there after Fraser Island and he arranged for her to meet us at the bus station.So, this is a little weird right. She's his mum, so she's probably kinda old. And we've never met her. Its a little weird. BUT, its free rent for a night. So

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1163209497099160372006-11-03T01:44:00.000Z2009-05-25T16:31:29.914Z

Who in their right mind lets 8 kids borrow your jeep and drive across sand dunes UNGUIDED for 3 days? the idiots...Fraser Island is an enigma. Its basically a massive island (probably about the size of the Isle of Wight or something), composed almost entirely of sand, with about 1 mile of paved roads and the rest just dirt tracks across the island. its home to some beautiful lakes, beautiful

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1163209459444412122006-10-31T01:43:00.000Z2006-11-14T01:57:36.943Z

CRIKEY!Australia Zoo was always going to be a highlight. Its pretty hard for the home of Steve Irwin not to be. In fact, when I originally made Sam's blog, she cited 'meeting Steve Irwin at Australia Zoo' as one of her 3 most favoured things to do around the world (along with swimming with dolphins and, strangely, just Thailand). Anyway, all-round-legend Rog Bishop let us take his posh car

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1163209428500216022006-10-29T01:42:00.000Z2006-11-11T02:39:40.566Z

Everyone keeps banging on about how travelling is not about places - its about the people you meet. Right, this is almost completely true. Almost without exception the last 6 months of travelling have been littered with stories of wicked people. No matter how great a place is, it only becomes cool when we meet good people. Brisbane is a typical example. Honestly, its a bit rubbish.

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1163206421549519652006-10-25T00:08:00.000Z2006-11-11T01:42:11.633Z

So, its like 8am, I'm knackered. spent half the night up last night writing this blog (which is stressing me out a little, but my appallingly bad memory needs it to remember everything for the next 70-odd years that I'm expected to live). and Anthony and I are hopping on a bus to Tully to go White Water Rafting. Its wildly exciting.Anthony's always been good with presents right. since he

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1163149673325567822006-10-23T09:06:00.000Z2006-11-10T09:57:22.823Z

After leaving Cairns, I had my first proper big journey in the Deluxe Samantha, and drove her 2 hours south past a shed load of amazing beaches (literally, this place is crawling with palm tree lined, white sand beaches). Past banana fields. Past sugar mills spewing a stupid amount of white smoke into the already screwed atmosphere. Past trains with about 300 carriages crossing roads every

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1163065510021701582006-10-22T09:12:00.000Z2006-11-09T09:55:31.493Z

Right, I know I gush about stuff all the time - "it was AMAZING" or "that was unreal". BUT, in my defence, we're getting to some properly special stuff ALL THE TIME. So, in an attempt not to gush so much all the time, all I will say about the Great Barrier Reef was that it was PROPERLY AMAZING. seriously. there are no words.Here's the deal. You pay 200 bucks (which is about 80 quids i

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1161422372737605662006-10-21T09:18:00.001Z2009-05-25T16:35:02.377Z

Hartley's Crocodile Adventures ROCKS! Fact. If you come to Cairns, you come to Hartley's, ok?I was SO not excited about coming here. Seriously, i was in discussions with sam and anthony about ditching it in favour of soaking the sun all day - since my lily-white skin was a mild embarrassment during my shirtless rainforest walks. Its a small park, and looks a bit crap. Compared with

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1161422331246115462006-10-19T09:18:00.000Z2006-11-01T06:27:52.110Z

Can someone help me out here please. I think I seem to be missing something. What is the deal with Cape Tribulation?Right, its beautiful. Yeah, its got a couple of nice beaches. And there's some class A rainforests here. BUT, that stuff is all along the coast around there. Was there something AMAZING I was supposed to see, and didn't? or what?So anyway, after leaving Cairns, we hopped in

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1161421961944100422006-10-17T09:12:00.000Z2006-11-01T05:26:51.383Z

Arriving in Aussie was great. 6 weeks in New Zealand was perfect - not too long to get bored, not too short to miss anything. Another week in the north island might not have gone amiss, but as it happens, we made up for it in the south island. So leaving, whilst pretty gut-wrenching to be leaving Eve, was just what we needed. We arrived at Sydney airport and had a couple of hours to kill

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1161421927877888572006-10-16T09:11:00.001Z2009-05-25T16:21:23.520Z

Farewell my beautiful Laser. You will be missed... As of 10am this morning, a young irish lad called Ciaran is now the proud owner of the laser. Good luck my friend. Anyway, back to Sunday...So, still instilled with a fear that we'd not actually manage to sell the little pile of junk, we had just 1 full day left to sell it. In desperation, taking the advice of the car market owner, we got

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1161421894532871532006-10-12T09:11:00.001Z2009-05-25T16:21:09.702Z

Christchurch 'looks' rubbish. This is a fact. Its flat. Its grey. Its dull. And even with the sun out, it oozes boredom. But we have a flight, and we have to sell the laser, so we have no choice, but hang out here until Tuesday. 5 days. I'm dreading it.We arrived pretty late and checked into the YHA - a decrepid old school where the rooms are just tiny classrooms and the foyer smells of

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1161421872160744432006-10-11T09:10:00.001Z2009-05-25T16:20:56.504Z

Now, I missed most of this journey, because I was either (a) eating Burger Rings in the back of the car, (b) sleeping, or (c) complaining because my head hurt from the amount of beer I drank in Queenstown the night before. BUT, I'm told that the journey from Queenstown to Lake Tekapo was literally COVERED in beauty. Draped in the stuff.Clouds that looked like walnut whips, mount cook looking

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1161343800171600172006-10-08T11:24:00.001Z2009-05-25T16:20:26.417Z

Now, Queenstown is a popular place in New Zealand. And rightly so. You can bungy jump, sky dive, canyon swing, lunge race, ski, snowboard, raft and kayak. You can jet boat down valleys. You can sift rivers for gold. You can drink more alcohol than you ought to for free. And you can do it ALL surrounded by the AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL mountains, known around here as The Remarkables. And

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1160745829013183192006-10-06T13:23:00.001Z2009-05-25T16:20:12.488Z

I had an AWESOME time in Dunedin. It was one of those towns that i will always remember fondly. It was great.Anyway, Dunedin is a cute town on the east coast of the south island. Its loosely based on a scottish town, so feels kinda familar, and its a student town, so there's loads of young people littering the streets and making the place look fun to hang out in.About 2 weeks before getting

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1160745093679149102006-10-04T13:04:00.001Z2009-05-25T16:19:51.879Z

Milford Sound is pretty special. In fact, its very special. I've been increasingly impressed with what New Zealand has to offer in terms of natural beauty. A bit rubbish up until the south island, its got increasingly better as we have journied further south. But Milford Sound tops the lot.The real special stuff is the drive into the sound. Its about an hour of sheer beauty. Cliff faces

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1160384065894471412006-10-03T08:54:00.001Z2009-05-25T16:19:33.848Z

Wanaka is pretty sweet. As far as little snowboarding towns in the mountains go, its BEAUTIFUL. shockingly beautiful. On the drive there, we were passing a lake (not an uncomman thing to do in new zealand), but we stopped to take photos, and check these out...The lake was amazing. It had a magic. We threw some stones in the water, and the ripples went on forever. perfect. still. amazing

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1159997112498965212006-10-02T21:24:00.001Z2009-05-25T16:19:17.201Z

Check me out...Ok, so the night before a skydive is pretty mental. if you're me, that is. I wasn't *nervous*, just maybe a bit subconsciously anxious. And it showed through in my nightmares and almost sleepless night. But in the morning, we got up, got dressed, I avoided breakfast, and we walked down to the airstrip on the other side of the very small town. I felt like I was going to a job

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1159855843075610872006-09-30T06:10:00.001Z2009-05-25T16:19:02.818Z

how I love glaciers...There's not many words, sorry guys. Not this time. 35 quid to hike on a glacier for a day (good level of fitness warning ignored). And it was beautiful. Icy blue, craggy, magical. At one point, a chunk of ice the size of a house fell off the glacier and exploded against the ground, sounding like an atomic bomb. This place blew my mind. enojy the photos guys, and if

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1159702260930667332006-09-29T11:23:00.001Z2009-05-25T16:18:45.147Z

We spent the night in Westport - a cute village in the northern reaches of the west coast of New Zealand. After an early rise at 10 (ha! early rise - sorry you workaholics), we jumped in the laser and headed to the first of 3 stops on today 6 hour coastal road - the seal colony. FYI, the colony is located at Cape Foulwind. Yep.The beach was nice, and the seals were CUTE. My personal

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1159680050936655302006-09-28T05:19:00.001Z2009-05-25T16:18:26.761Z

After staying in one of the best hostels ever - including free pumpkin and coriander soup when you arrive - we jetted off to the Abel Tasman National Park which was just 30 minutes down the road. After arriving in Motueka we jumped out and had a wander on this cute little beach, then Anna tucked into some Beer Battered Fish and Chips (SO jealous). I'm trying to keep an eye on my weight and

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1159679810883798412006-09-27T05:01:00.001Z2009-05-25T16:18:10.711Z

I love ferries. There's something about them that is properly grim. I dunno what it is, but its a bit sick. They smell of petrol. They're rusty. They're dirty. They're noisy. But I love them. And this one, after 2 hours at sea, was amazing. An hour heading through Picton Sound (I might have just made that name up, but it makes sense), and the landscape was spooky. The calm turquoise

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1159440196836863962006-09-24T10:42:00.001Z2009-05-25T16:17:36.728Z

Wellington was fun. After a 4 and half hour drive down through national parks, past volcanoes, desert valleys, through rain and along coastal roads in the dark, we made it to Wellington - capital city and most awesome town in New Zealand (so we are told). And we had fun.We stayed for just two day - rushing along to catch Anna in the south island - so on arriving on a sunday night, we hit the

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1159389788826132202006-09-23T20:40:00.001Z2009-05-25T16:17:17.149Z

I LOVED Taupo. Its nothing very special, but for 24 hours we laughed, cried, ate, and took photos. It was VERY special. After what seemed like a string of dissappointing days on the new zealand tourist trail, we had one last day to play with in the north island before heading down to Wellington to meet up with Phil.We arrived just after dark and checked into our hostel. Then after sam was

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1159270477555071432006-09-21T11:33:00.001Z2009-05-25T16:17:00.780Z

Gisborne is a BEAUT. After a tiring but beautiful drive (through what looks JUST like Cornwall/Devon), twisting around hills and scooting through valleys, we arrived in Gisborne. The YHA (youth hostel association) hostel was a beaut, the man who ran it was super cool, and we settled down in the final hour of beautiful sunshine to drink cider on the decking and got drunk. Gisborne itself is

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1158757303894224842006-09-19T13:00:00.001Z2009-05-25T16:16:37.401Z

Today is not just any ordinary day. Its not just any old, get-in-the-car, drive-somewhere-new, do-something-exciting kinda day. Today is special. Today, is my birthday.But, before we get to that, we need a quick recap. Monday morning, and after hitting Macdonalds for lunch (sick, this country is killing me), we headed the 100odd kilometres across the Coromandel peninsula, along winding

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1158303919208839772006-09-13T07:04:00.001Z2009-05-25T16:16:10.526Z

Kerikeri is sweet. Its nothing special though. Recommended by Justin and Chloe (see them here) fame, as their hometown, we were expecting a cool surf town. But it wasn't really. Its cute though. And nearby are a stack of amazing islands (within the Bay of Islands), complete with dolphins and caves. So we jumped on a boat tour that takes the lot in, and wowed at the posey dolphins and

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1158127195709777722006-09-11T05:59:00.001Z2009-05-25T16:15:48.433Z

I don't really get WHY we went to Whangerei. I think its because it was 'on-the-way' to Kerikeri, but it wasn't in our guidebook, and I don't remember what made us want to go there. but we did. And it was alright.We checked into a weird hostel with a host who looked like Noel Edmunds, who had a bilingual dog and told us off every 2 hours for being noisy/messy/intrusive. He also had a ferral

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1158126155887932652006-09-08T05:42:00.001Z2009-05-25T16:15:33.355Z

Auckland is *weird*. Right, leaving south america was hard. I have properly fallen in love with that place. The people, the language, the street crime. Its all amazing. So coming to New Zealand feels a little too 'easy'. I have no idea how it will pan out, but right now, it just feels a little too much like home to be really special. Anyway, that said, we arrived in Auckland, a seemingly

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1157664247389050312006-09-05T21:07:00.001Z2009-05-25T16:08:32.411Z

All good things have to come to an end. And sadly, today was the day when my boyfriend of 4 and a half amazing months checked out of our hostel and boarded a plane back to the UK. gutted. No really, I'm SO gutted. Like I've been drugged up and had a kidney stolen, then left for dead on the street outside a harley street doctors. Devastated.Anyway, I'm seeing him in 4 months in china, and

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1157324352261443372006-09-03T22:53:00.001Z2009-05-25T16:08:17.710Z

Holy Land is *UNREAL*...After another mammoth bus ride (20 hours this time), we arrived at 8am back in the capital of Argentina, our final destination in south america before we head to New Zealand. It was sunday, God's day or rest, so we went to visit 'Tierra Santa', the world's first religious theme park. And *what* a theme park it is.This place is nuts. Its a fibre-glass city re-enacting

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1157323998596596232006-08-31T22:52:00.000Z2006-09-17T06:53:38.360Z

There's not much to report from Iguazú. Its pretty self explanatory. After the 36 hour bus ride, which became 40 hours because some kid threw a brick through the bus window after 28 hours (no one got hurt guys, its fine), and after having an AMAZING steak in a super fancy restaurant the night before, we hopped on the wrong bus (one heading to Brasil), jumped off at the border, and hopped on

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1157323954984472162006-08-28T22:51:00.000Z2006-09-17T06:53:47.286Z

Mendoza is NICE. It has parks, it has shops, it has museums, and its small enough to walk around in the two days we had. Perfect.We arrived at 8am, grabbed a cab to a hostel, had some breakfast and laughed at Nicki, one of the hostel residents, who appears in numerous hilarious photos on the hostels photo-wall. We headed straight out, and caught a student show at the local modern art museum,

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1157323822118028232006-08-25T22:48:00.000Z2006-09-17T06:53:56.193Z

Argentina is BIG. Its huge. And whilst it was ok to do just a tiny bit of Brasil, for my last south american country I wasn't accepting any old little trip. With plans still to visit Córdoba, Iguazú and even Uruguay in just 2 weeks, we had a steep mission on our hands. 22 hours after leaving Puerto Madryn, we arrived in Córdoba and went on search for a hostel.Everyone said Córdoba was

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1157212810284973352006-08-23T15:59:00.000Z2006-09-17T06:54:04.043Z

20 hours on a bus might sound pretty horrendous, but these days its second nature to us. After boarding at 8pm at night, half-sleeping at a 45 degree angle unable to get comfortable and playing bingo in spanish at 11am, we found ourselves in Puerto Madryn, on the Atlantic coast of argentina in the middle of Patagonia. Nothing much to do here, except to watch whales bobbing around near the

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1157209065657468712006-08-17T14:56:00.001Z2009-05-25T16:07:51.881Z

Today was nuts. After spending 3 and a half months texting and emailing Tristan every day, we would finally be face-to-face again. Nervous, yes. Excited, yes. Horrendously tired when my alarm went off at 8am, yes. Got a bit emotional 15 minutes before he landed, yes. Waited for a hour for him to come through the gate, yes.But was it worth it? Of course. We spent the first 4 hours

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1156785626149505112006-08-15T17:19:00.001Z2009-05-25T16:07:31.908Z

There's two things that EVERY traveller to south america will tell you. The most popular is that Columbia is the most amazing country to visit in the world. Whatever, we didn't go, so we don't care. But the second? The second is that argentina is land of good steak, good wine, cheap prices and beautiful people. And this, my friends, is not a lie.Its hard to remember you're in south america

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1156381435903554282006-08-13T01:03:00.000Z2006-09-17T06:54:45.320Z

Now, to put the record straight, Sao Paulo doesn't have the best reputation. Police are armed and very ready to use their weapons. The city is huge (the biggest in south america) and is loaded with high-rise blocks and dark, shadowy streets. And they recently passed a law to let people drive through red traffic lights to reduce the amount of car-jackings as people stop their cars at night.

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1156380361057569512006-08-11T00:45:00.000Z2006-09-17T06:54:55.930Z

Since we were working our way to Sao Paulo, and the place is known for gun-crime against tourists, we didn't want to head there IMMEDIATELY, so decided to stop off for a couple of days in the island paradise of Ilhabella. Island paradise? whatever.For starters, the ferry drops you an hour from the town centre, which isn't even really a town centre, more just 4 restaurants next to a plaza.

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1156377209524013402006-08-08T23:52:00.000Z2006-09-17T06:55:04.883Z

Paraty was the place to be in Brasil this weekend. The place was rammed, the hostels were booked up, the streets were full and the plaza was overrun with massive papier-maché figures from nursery rhymes. This weekend is FLIC, the internation literary festival that turns this sleepy cobbled village into a haven for publishers, authors and poets for one long weekend of partying.We spent the

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1155280309490791012006-08-06T07:07:00.000Z2006-09-17T06:55:14.473Z

Still on Ilha Grande (which is wicked, by the way), we had a few more days of sun to soak up, so did the only thing you can do on an island with no cars - walk to the beach, or walk to the jetty. So, since sam doesn't hike, we jumped on a huge boat and sailed around the north of the island. It wasn't AMAZING. But it was good. The sun shone hard, the fish danced around the boat, and we

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1155275198967766542006-08-04T05:38:00.000Z2006-09-17T06:55:28.116Z

So, before I ditched Rio, which I love by the way, we had to have one final big night out. Despite getting a cab all the way into the centre just to head straight back because the club there was rubbish, we found a place near our hostel which was playing good music and selling Skol beer. Everyone except Justin was out, and almost everyone except me managed to get a snog. It was dirty, but I

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1154630260728429542006-08-03T18:29:00.001Z2009-05-25T15:44:52.256Z

So, the last 4 days have been pretty rubbish. Since the pride march, the heavens have been opened - constantly. Its grey and rainy and there is VERY little to do in Rio when it rains except watch hollywood movies dubbed in Portuguese, write postcards or play cards. DULL.Thing is, you don't wanna go out, because you don't want to take photos of grey skys. This place SUITS the sunshine, so

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1154532312510322912006-07-30T15:13:00.000Z2006-09-17T06:55:45.790Z

So, Rio Carnival would have been amazing. But, leaving england in May meant it was never gonna happen. So, picture me, lying on my dorm top bunk, flicking through the rio guide, when I happen to spot that its RIO GAY PRIDE this very weekend! Love it! After attempting to round up most of the hostal, but failing, Sam and I headed down to the beach where about 10 floats, decked in rainbow

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1154445108173749012006-07-29T14:25:00.001Z2009-05-25T15:44:29.133Z

After a lazy day soaking our hangovers in the slighty-overcast sun (COME ON, its supposed to be scorching here!), we decided to catch the favela tour here for 15 quid. Sam, as usual, was properly nervous - this time not because the favela kids carry guns, but because we had to ride on the back of a motorbike for 2 minutes - and I was generally quite interested, since we studied this stuff in

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1154411640413531472006-07-27T05:38:00.001Z2009-05-25T15:44:13.761Z

Today is Sam's birthday, and after having sat up for most of the night drinking Caipirinias, she was rudely awoken at 10am and presented with breakfast and THE birthday, which I painstakenly handwrote last night from the 60-odd emails I had gathered from people who know her. She was touched - more so by the 100 quid she had been 'donated' by people she cares for. Guys, its my birthday on

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1154409944569587982006-07-25T05:17:00.001Z2009-05-25T15:43:53.195Z

Right, if you are under ANY misunderstanding that I came away to get a tan, you are sorely mistaken. South America is NOT hot all year. Sunny, yes. But NOT tanning weather, much to Sam's disgust. That said, after a torturous 5 hours on a plane with annoying kids binging the hostess button all day, we landed in Rio, and IT WAS HOT. We sweated our way through the hoards of taxi drivers, got

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1154408096614287302006-07-24T04:49:00.000Z2006-09-17T06:56:40.693Z

Our flight got put forward by an hour, so after much prep to arrive 2 hours early for our flight, we were pleased to be told we almost too late and had to run to departures. That said, we paid our 30 dollars to leave the country (sweet) and headed on a quick flight to Santiago de Chile, via Iquique in the north of Chile. For the first time ever, I was sat next to an exit, so had to be prepped

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1154406853918080682006-07-21T04:25:00.000Z2006-09-17T06:57:04.913Z

We decided to be super posh today and instead of taking a 3 hour bus to Sucre, we hopped in a cab for just a little more cash. 2 and a half hours in a cab, breaking the speed limit for most of it, we passed dogs, cows, sheep, lone bolivian women miles from civilisation, and a hoard of kids playing in the road. We also pased a small town with a PLAN UK banner at the entrance. Without being

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1154213795351939062006-07-19T22:35:00.000Z2006-09-17T06:57:14.426Z

Potosí is awesome. A total mining town, this place is cobbled, narrow and beautiful. We checked ourselves into a wicked hostel, went and played some video games in the local arcade (despite beating sam easily, some bolivian dude came and 2-playered me and beat me SO shamefully). The town is huge, and VERY high on the altitude stakes, being the highest city of its size in the world. You can

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1153434344965219922006-07-14T22:25:00.000Z2006-09-17T06:57:24.836Z

14 hour bus ride to Uyuni. You'd think we would be getting used to it by now. But no. They gave us a blanket this time, but it was still STONE COLD. Killer. But we arrived in town at 6am, below freezing (I had a club foot because it was touching the inside wall of the bus) and we fought off the hoards of tourist operators to get some breakfast. We had survived (there are reports of drunk

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1153691549689171392006-07-12T21:51:00.000Z2006-09-17T06:57:34.766Z

Despite a huge amount of hype, and Sam's constant whinging that she doesn't "want to go home on a plane alone", I decided to brave the worst, and took a mountain bike ride down the "world's most dangerous road".Apparently 80 people die on the road every year, and whilst I wasn't sure what to expect, I was pretty sure that it was relatively safe due to the huge number of people I know who had

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1153434313517389272006-07-09T22:24:00.000Z2006-09-17T06:57:43.790Z

How much do I LOVE La Paz? THIS MUCH. Right, I don't particularly have a thing for capital cities. Yeah, they are bustling and exciting and you can buy just about anything, and see parades and stuff. But usually, I'm more of a small town boy, where you can meet the locals and experience things a bit slower and quieter. But La Paz is SO different.Right from the first moment our bus

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17177938.post-1153433585500940032006-07-06T22:08:00.000Z2006-09-17T06:57:53.000Z

So, today I had the first proper fearful bus journey of the trip. We were attempting a border crossing, something that EVERYONE says is horrendous. Reports of fake police men, stolen bags, threatening money changers and forced bribery to the border crossing guards. BUT, we survived. With little to report. They stamped our passports out of Peru and into Bolivia, nobody hassled us, and we

Senor Dunchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800253407335767672noreply@blogger.com0