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My last days of travel - Tulum

After 2 years and 2 months of being away from home, this was a perfect way to end, I really wanted to delay my flight and spend a week more! I will be updating my blog slowly, including some great stories from Cuba and Guatemala. I will also add some more stories to all the countries I visited.

Cuba - The Cycle Route

(Map to Follow) - Geektastic!

Section 1

Day 3 - Havana to Las Terrazas           75km (10.00 - 16.00)
Day 4 - Las Terrazas to Palma Rubia      65km (09.30 - 16.30)
Day 5 - Palma Rubia to Puerto Esperanza  66km (10.00 - 15.30)
Day 6 - Puerto Esperanza to Cayo Jutios  90km (return) (09.00 - 19.30) 3 hours spent on beach
Day 7 - Puerto Esperanza to Vinales      30km (12.00 - 14.30)

Section 2

Day 11 - Bayamo to Niquero                136km (08.30 - 20.30) 12 hours of cycle!
Day 12 - Niquero to Los Colorades         40km (return)
Day 13 - Niquero to Villa Punta Pliya     50km (10.00 - 14.00) approx
Day 14 - Villa Punta Pliya to La Mula     62km (08.30 - 16.30)
Day 15 - La Mula to Caleton Blanco        85km (08.30 - 20.30) 12 hours of cycle!
Day 16 - Caleton Blanco to Santiago       32km (06.00 - 10.00)
Day 17 - Santiago to Guantanamo           90km (11.00 - 16.00) approx
Day 18 - Guantanamo to San Antonio        64km (08.00 - 16.00)
Day 19 - San Antonio to Baracoa           91km (08.00 - 17.00)
Day 20 - Baracoa to Maguna (part way)     30km (return)
Day 21 - Baracoa to Boca De Yumuri        56km (return)

Section 3

Day 26 - Sancti Spiritus to Trinidad      70km (08.00 - 15.15)
Day 27 - Trinidad to La Boca to Pl. Ancon 29km (return)
Day 28 - Trinidad to Rancho Luna          85km (08.00 - 15.00)
Day 29 - Rancho Luna to Jaguey Grande     102km (?)
Day 30 - Jaguey Grande to Matanzas        144km (08.30 - 19.00)
Day 31 - Matanzas to Playa Jibacoa        40km (?)
Day 32 - Playa Jibacoa to Havana          62km (08.30 - 14.00)

Total 1624km (1015 miles)

Cuba is a big red star

to be lost is the best way to see, to be removed from what you are supposed to be doing is the only way to know what you should be doing - c.h.

Pre-Cuba Planning

I buy my bike in Guatemala for $100, I'm pretty happy with it, I'm sure it will get me round Cuba. In Xela I put it on a local 'chicken bus' and start on my journey to the Mexican border, about 4 hours in we stop to pick up a family and their 4 massive crop bags, I can see in the shadow that the lad in charge of strapping goods to the roof is struggling, the bus driver zooms off and the young lad thumps on the roof for him to stop, I can see him kicking things on the roof to make way for the bags and I fear for my bike! When I transfer buses in Huehuetenango I find that my bike has got two severely bent wheels from the loading of the crop bags, the young lad has the cheek to ask me for 10Q for transport of the bike, he gets pissed off when I refuse, he rubs his fingers in my face, I get pissed off at this and ask him for 100Q for my bike and get ushered onto the new buss. I arrive at the border town at night and get an overpriced room for the night and have a shitty nights sleep. In San Cristobal I get my bike fixed by a very honest mechanic and buy tools, spare inner tubes (unknown to me, they have a different sized valve to my pump) and some new slick tyres. I meet Daisuke, a Japanese cyclist I first met in Oaxaca and he gives me some good advice.



I need to build a bike box for my flight, which I enjoy immensely. I eventually find some cardboard from a supermarket after much searching and luckily spot some bubble wrap in a shop near the train station. I get some odd looks as I cycle the streets of San Cristobal with a massive roll of bubble wrap under my arm.

Luggage and My Bike



I traveled very light round Cuba, 4 t-shirts, trousers, two shorts, trainers, flip flops, 4 bags of granola, peanuts, lots of cookies, scuba mask and snorkel, camera, small tripod, phrase book, map, guide book, bike tools, bike oil spray, 2 spare inner tubes, guitar strings, note book and pen, toiletries, towel, compass, torch, tent, rope to tie bag to bike, 2 rolls of strong tape, water purification tablets, bowl and spoon, fiction book, sun cream, soap, tooth brush. (that's all I remember for now!)

My bike was not the best but a hell of a lot better than the old bikes Cubans use. I had a few mechanical problems, which could have caused me major issues if it hadn't of been for people helping me.

Habana - The First Days
At the airport in Cancun I make a slight mistake on my tourist card so I have to buy a new one for $25, I have not entered Cuba yet and I am already puzzled.

I arrive in Cuba a little nervous and wait patiently for my bike, it does not arrive and after wandering around a while trying to communicate, I get directed to the lost and found window, a nice lady who has just been verbally abused by the previous tourist tells me that my bike will arrive tomorrow and gives me a number to call. I get a taxi and wizz through the streets of Habana, we pass an old man about 70, decked out in an Adidas tracky top, driving a suped up Lada, he is the coolest person I have ever seen, welcome to Cuba!

I head to the casa particular on a vibrant street in Old Habana, my heart is pumping being in this alien environment, the family are super friendly and they call the airport for me the next day. I head to the airport on a bus to save money, a guy on the bus tells me where to get off but I end up at the wrong terminal. I wait with an old guy from Spain for a bus to the correct terminal, he is an interesting fella, people always are, after waiting 3 hours we are told the bus is not running today, so we take a taxi, on arriving at the correct terminal I find out that I need my passport to collect my bike! So I walk 20 minutes from the airport to the main road, get the bus back to the casa, collect my passport and get the bus back to the airport, collect my bike, and take a taxi back as it is getting late and eventually arrive at 5pm, a full day to collect my bike!

At least the night goes better, we have rum in the casa with some other people staying there and learn a bit of salsa.





The next day I hang with some Spanish people staying at my casa, they fill me in on the nuances of Cuba, it is also valentines day, twice two different ladies say felicidades! (congratulations), because they think we are together and in love! I change my money, I get 435CUC (approximately $435), the average wage in Cuba is 10CUC ($10) a month, so what I will spend in 2 weeks would take an average Cuban 3.5 years to earn, it makes me feel weird, it is the first time where what I spend in a country sharply contrasts what people earn.







Dagoberto helping me fix my bag to my bike just as I am about the leave Habana on my first day of cycling. I was incredibly excited about heading out on that first day on an unknown journey, being my own boss. Dagoberto is genuinely worried, mainly because I am a little flippant about my journey and tells me to call if I ever get in any trouble on my journey.

Habana to Las Terrazas - Chickens in Tree's - The first day on the bike
Distance: 77km Duration: 6.5hrs (10.00-16.30)



As soon as I start, I realise riding the bike with all the extra weight (not much compared to other cyclists) is much harder than I thought. I pass through the rich part of Habana and onto the fringe of the city and through an interesting coastal area with wooden houses. Chat to a friendly chap there and then join a wide road heading west with absolutely no vehicles, cycling heaven!



Pass through Mariel, an interesting but a little depressing industrial town, there are big accommodation flats with not much else around until the town about 3km after. On my way out of Mariel I see a lad on a bike hitching a ride by clinging onto the back of a slow moving truck, I am struggling on a slight incline, so I race to catch up the truck and cling on for about 2km until I catch up a dutch couple who had raced paced me about 30minutes earlier. I let go of the truck and they quickly race ahead of me again! I finally arrive at the casa where the dutch couple are relaxing with another dutch couple. I have evening tea with them and get some good advice from professionals.



Chickens in trees. It was an eerie sight to see these large chickens sitting on some tint tree branch's at dusk. I think they were chickens, they could fly a little.

Las Terrazas to Palma Rubia
Distance: 65km Duration: 7hrs (09.30-16.30)



I modify my bike by making a plastic pouch to put all my essential items in, such as tools, map and guide book. The first section is tough, mainly uphill, we pass a section of road that has been severely damaged by the hurricane. Just before Bahia Honda I ask for some water at a roadside stall and get invited onto the porch, I end up sitting there for a good 30 minutes, I communicate fairly well with the aide of my map, this was the highlight of my day, it would be nice to be able to communicate better. I would not have had this kind of experience if I was using buses or driving a car, it is definitely the best way to see the real side of a country. I pass a boarded up house with a sign on it stating 'Revolution Dissident', this is the name given to people who speak up against the Government. One hundred Cubans are currently in jail for being a 'Revolution Dissident', this house would have belonged to one of them and most likely acts as a deterrent.



I pass one casa particular between Las Pazas and Mirian but decide to race on, which was a mistake! I soon become very tired and realise that making the next accomodation as detailed in my guide book is going to be tough, luckily 50 minutes later I meet a cuban cyclist who takes me to a casa that I would not have found on my own. He has no brakes and uses his feet to stop, he nearly crashes into some people as he is travelling too fast for his feet(brakes) to work. He trades the bike with a friend for a better one at a petrol station, we pass a house that has been destroyed by the hurricane and tells me it was his, we make it to the casa where there is a group of Norwegian people also staying. I offer the guy some money but he refuses, he tells me he got money off the family for bringing them business. I find that I have two blisters on my bum cheeks! Padded cycling shorts would have been good to have. It was a tough days cycle, for me anyway.

Palma Rubia to Puerto Esperanza
Distance: 66km Duration: 5.5hrs (10.00-15.30)



I did not sleep well the night before, numerous mosquito's, a grasshopper thing and a mouse trying to eat my food, and I got electrocuted by the light switch twice trying to see the mouse. Then at the start of the ride I get stung by a wasp who had been chasing me for a few metres. I stop for some bread and mayonnaise in La Palma, I like this place.


One of the many random people I stop and chat too.


Pineapples!






Happy.


Valle de Vinales



I love the days cycle, the scenery and the people I met. Perfect.

Puerto Esperanza


After the cycle, I head out into the small coastal town of Puerto Esperanza and instantly meet Chichi and his friends, get crazy drunk on rum in the local booser, which is a fenced in cafe.



Puerto Esperanza to Cayo Jutias and back again!
Distance: 90km Duration: 10.5hrs (4 hours on beach, 09.00-19.30)

I miss read the map and what I thought to be an easy 23km to Cayo Jutious, becomes 45km. I left my belongings in PE, so this only gives me 4 hours on the beach before having to head back.












I meet a group of girls on the beach and hang with them a while, they all work on oil rigs, German, English and Spanish. I am totally blissed out and don't fancy the ride home, I delay it so much that the end of my journey ends up being in the pitch black night. The night seems to fall quickley and there are no street lights, the bikes have no lights, the horse and carts have no lights, I have no lights! It is a heart thumping ride, I try to overtake a horse and nearly hit an oncoming bike I only just see at the last minute. A giant moth flys at me and scares me shitless, I thought it was a bat!

Puerto Esperanza to Vinales





The Scooter Diaries





Bayamo





Bayamo to Niquero





Niqero to Los Colorades and back again.

Niquero to Villa Punta Pliya







Villa Punta Pliya to La Mula





La Mula to Caleton Blanco

Caleton Blanco to Santiago de Cuba

Santiago de Cuba



Santiago de Cuba to Guantanamo



Guantanamo



Guantanamo to San Antonio





San Antonio to Baracoa



Baracoa







Baracoa to Maguna Beach (Part Way)


Baracoa to Boca de Yumuri and back again.



Baracoa



Santiago de Cuba





Camaguay



Sancti Spiritus to Trinidad

Trinidad











Trinidad to La Boca to Playa Ancon and back to Trinidad


Trinidad to Rancho Luna



Ranco Luna to Jaguey Grande

Jaguey Grande to Matanzas



Matanzas




Matanzas to Playa Jibacoa



Playa Jibacoa to Havana



Havana - The Last Days

San Cristobal - Again

(lost and found in..) Guatemala

To be lost is the best way to see. To be removed from what you are supposed to be doing is the only way to know what you should be doing.

Lake Atiitlan

Xela

San Cristobal

Oaxaca Again - NYE

Pueblos Mancomunados

Words to follow................

Puerto Escondido (Franks Photos)

Beach life!

Oaxaca

Mexico City - Awesome!

Teotihuacan

A Market Town - Forgot the Name!

Sotano De Las Golondrinas a.k.a. Adventures of the Gringo

This has been one of the best experiences since I started my travels. I headed to Aquismon to arrange transport to head the 14km to Sotano De Las Golondrinas, a 300m vertical deep cave where approximately 10,000 swallows live and maybe 500 parakeets based on what I saw. People have also gone there to base jump!





There was no much sign on shared vans going up, so I started to walk the 14km, hoping that I would get picked up along the way. Although the walk was along a main road, it was beautiful. I eventually got picked up by this van, with all the hitcher hikers standing up in the back, it was a super bumpy thrilling ride up to my drop off point.



I got greeted by a young boy who took me to where I would be camping and where the big 300m pit was, we headed along this cobbled path,. Through someone’s back yard where they were drying coffee and up to the camp ground.

I saw some Parakeets slowly descend into the cave to there various holes in the wall, they descended by flying circular round the edge of the pit in about groups of 5 to 20. I did not see many swallows return, I was either too late or according to one lady, the day had been too cold for them to leave the cave. The swallows didn’t mess about, they just dived straight into the pit, I could barely see them, but could hear the swish as they dived past my head, was awesome.



The lady at the tourist office told me that I could probably get a blanket from the nearby town of La Union, as she said it was super friendly there. I mentioned this to the guy selling tickets at the pit, he told me I could stay with one of his friends in La Union, I didn’t fancy I cold night in a tent, so I accepted. When dusk came and the last of the birds had entered the pit, we made our way up the mountain. The night was lit by a full moon and we meandered up the mountain along a cobbled path, as we entered into the town, the church bells were ringing for the start of the religious festival of the Virgin de Guadalupe and I felt like this was going to be a fantastic experience, the hairs on the back of my neck went up.



The view at dusk from the village was awesome. We headed up to his friends house, and after a conversation with a young lad, where I heard him say Gringo (a person who speaks a strange language), we headed up to the church to find Philippe. A rather stoned looking Phillippe was dragged from the church and agreed to let me stay in his side room to his house. The room was locked and he had lost the key, so he lowered his screaming and giggling daughter through the window to let me in. I got settled and headed back up to the church, the church was tiny but beautiful, with colourful flowers on string hanging from the insides, the singing by the people was awesome, it was more like African music, with a few different people singing different sections. I got bored so headed off down to the local store where my friend from the pit was getting drunk wit his friends, I had a fews beers and watched a happy but slightly crazy guy play a home made harp, with flashing bike lights on it, he had a maraca tied to each knee and did a little jig while sitting down, inspirational!! The beer ran out so I got taken round the village, people seemed to find it funny there was gringo in town at night. Everyone was so good to me, and we find more beer!

This is why I travel, for moments like this.

Chai Tea Recipe

Well, it is a rainy day, so I am hibernating in an internet room, and promissed I would do my chai tea recipe that I found on the net and addapted a little.

Ingredients (provides 4 cups)
1. Water 3 cups
2. Milk 2 cups (50/50 cream is real good for this too, but use 1 cup)
3. Cloves 3-4
4. Cinemon sticks 1 or 2
5. Cardomen pods 4 (1/2 tea spoon if powder form)
6. Black Pepper 4-8 corns (dependent on taste)
7. Ginger (fresh) 8 pea sized amounts (I used way more just for personal taste)
8. Tea 1 or 2 tea bags or 2 tea spoons of black tea. (I find one tea bag is enough)

(If you can find the following ingrediants at an Indian Supermarket, Jhopadpattis, Tamasuic, Shree Ram, then add them! I could not find them)

Instructions

1. Crush spices (items 3-6) together. I used a bean/soup can against the base of the pan because I did not have a pesstle and mortar.

2. Grate ginger into pan, I love to add lots but try just adding 8 pea sized amounts to begin with, approximately a table spoon.

3. Add water and sugar. Sugar is a must even if you generally do not have sugar in your tea. It brings out the flavour in the spices. Boil, then simmer for 2 minutes.

4. Add milk and tea and simmer for 15 minutes, although I got impatient and only simmered for 5 minutes but longer is better.

When I was a loner liveing in my caravan I would not add the milk but simmer the water for 15 minutes with the tea and sugar. Then I would put the tea in a flask, so that I could get instant chai by microwaving some milk and then adding some chai mixture from my flask. For some reason the tea tasted better when I left if for a few hours in the flask.

5. Cieve the chai mixture into cups and drink!

The spell check is in spanish, so can not find my spelling errors, I know there will be some!

Xilitla & Edward James Residence

Salvador Dali said of his friend Edward James, ´Edward James is crazier than all the surrealists put together. They pretend, but he is the real thing.´









Parakeet Cave


squwark, squwark, squwark! (sound effects for picture)


Actualy had a conversation of sorts in spanish, probably my first ever conversation in a foreign language other then school french, we covered such vast topics as england being cold and me being a civil engineer, that is about it!

Zacatacus

Don´t have time for words at moment, as using most of my net time trying to plan my cycle trip for cuba, hopefully will add a few words soon : )

Copper Canyon Train Journey - Creel & Batopilas

Copper Canyon Train Journey







Creel



Batopilas

Mexico - The Start - Mazatlan & Alamos

Leaving Canada

I reluctantly left Canada, my search for cash in hand work failed. Spent a fun week back in the good town of Nelson. Drank a bit with my good friend Ben and hastily booked a Mexico flight for a week laeter, thinking that would be enough preparation time. I got drunk for the last 4 nights I was in Canada, so I got very little done. I did manage to sell my car for $200, but I did not manage to post extra bellongs as the post office was closed. Gave a lot of my things away to Salvation Army and I am carrying some other things which is a bit of a pain.

I took a greyhound to Calgary, where my flight was from. I was a little tense about going to Mexico, everyone seemed to get me anxious about going, like my friend Bryce! I sat next to this nice but strange lady on the greyhound, she had me convinced that I would die out here, I had to text Chris for reasurance that I would be OK. I have found Mexico to be totally cool and safe, all the reports of drug killings are mainly just gang to gang killings in the North.

Mazatlan


My hotel in Mazatlan, the cheapest place in town, which attracts the usual colourfull characters that decide to stay in a $10 a night hotel in a place where the rich stay on the sea front in expensive swish hotels. Our hotel was in the Old Town, which was super cool, loads of hustle and bustle, just enjoyed getting to know the mexican way of life and trying to speak spanish. Spent a few days on beach recouperating from my partying in Canada.


Some of the people I hung with at the hotel. Lloyd on the left was a legend, I loved chatting to him, kept me entertained. He lives in Mazatlan, but originally from the States. His girl took off with all his clothes as she wanted to leave and hoped that he would follow, but he just stayed put. He would ask me some funny questions:

'Where can you drive to from England?`
`Only Scotland and Wales, we are seperated from mainland Europe` so I went to get a world map to show him.
`Well I`ll be, that`s amazing!`. He was honestly surprised to see GB as an Island!

`Does everyone drive Bentleys and Mercades in England?`

`Do people plays sports in the UK?`
`Yeah, cricket, football and golf orginated here`
`Well I`ll be, but the UK is so small`

He was also obsessed with the Royal Family, and he must have ask me questions non stop for an hour about the workings and power of the royal family. Sure beats small talk, if only all people could be this cool!

Alamos



Finally left Mazatlan after and early morning swim. Left around noon and arrived in Alamos near midnight, the cheapest hotel in town was closed, so I had to spend a cold night sleeping on a wooden bench in there porch way.



Unfortunatley there was a massive flood here about 4 weeks before I arrived, around 68 people died. The main people that died where market stall owners sleaping in the stree waiting to set up for the Sunday Market. It destroyed the nearby park which I intended to go to, hopefully if will recover as it is home to some rare species of birds. No other travllers here but the hotel was amazing, had it`s own courtyard, spent a good 3 days relaxing and reading and drinking with a couple of older people from USA.

Spell check is in spanish, so ignore my spelling!

The Whaleback Treck a.k.a The 'Cooler' Treck, Yoho National Park

I got recommended this treck from a hitchhiker I picked up. I found it more beautiful than the more popular Jasper and Banff National Parks. The park contains some of the highest peaks in Canada, it has 28 peaks over 3000m.



This is our final camp spot. We originally intended to camp at the site by the parking area, so we brought loads of gear and loaded it onto a handy cart provided by Parks Canada. When we got to the first site it felt too safe and not proper wilderness, so we decided to head to the next camp spot about 4km away. We originally intended to take the cart to the next spot, after 100m we got told by a friendly set of hikers it would be impossible, so we re-hashed our plans. As we were unloading the cart with all essentials and ready to take the cart back to the car park, a set of annoying hikers started giving us shit. Even though I told them we were changing plans they carried on rabbiting on, the most annoying 'perfect' people ever! Because we were initially intending to stay at this easily accessible site we went equipped with luxury items, most had to be left, but some remained, like our steaks and beers. The food was a little smelly, so we decided to keep it in the cooler and not transfer to our packs due to beers. So off we head with this massive cooler on our treck. We finally ended up at a camp spot



The camp spot was amazing, it was by an awesome little stream, the night was cloudless and you could see the stars and galaxies. Tried to stay up late drinking beer but then we got spooked by noises in the forest so headed to the tent. Pretty spooky when you can't see shit, I kept having visions of a beer bounding out of the darkness!



OK.....the cooler was a big pain, on the first section where the track was wide it was fairly easy because we could carry one handle each. Then when the track got steep and narrow it had to be carried solo. I tried to carry it on my back but it was too heavy and I felt like a mule. The treck wasn't the longest I have done but definitely the hardest just because of the damn cooler!



This is twin falls, we hiked to the top of it along a switchback trail, the elevation gain was approximately to the base of the falls is approximately 300m from the parking lot.



Lunch spot at the top of twin falls.



This was just by twin falls, from here we thought we had no more climbing but had about another 70m elevation to get past.



This is the absolute highest spot on the Whaleback Trail, an elevation of 2633m, the elevation gain from the base of twin falls was 350m. This photograph doesn't do the views justice. It was amazing, you could see nearly 360 degrees and too many mountains to count. There were no people from twin falls to the top of Whaleback mountain, which is weird as it was the best section.



The infamous cooler.

The Helicopter Tour

Awesome!!!! Got a free 1 hour helicopter tour, one of the perks of my current job. Went and flew around the rocky mountains and over the icefield near where I work. We also landed for about 30minutes and did a small hike while our paying passengers got to eat a picnic.








Glacier flowing from the icefield.


The icefield.







Amys Birthday - Yoho National Park - Iceline Treck

A Weird but Humbling Thing Happened The Other Week

A weird thing happened today. I was working on the hotel front desk, taking a hotel enquiry over the phone, when I saw in the distance Wim and Petra approaching the hotel front desk. I met Wim and Petra on a rafting trip in Nepal. They are an awesome couple from Holland, they have been cycling round the world for a while now, their blog is linked on my page. I was on the phone, but started laughing and shaking a little bit, it was such a weird emotion to see them again, totally different to when I saw friends and family back home. I always knew I would see people back home again, like you take them for granted. It was also the unexpected. Wims sense of humour was still there, was very humbling.

The story gets even more coincidental. I was telling my work mates back at camp about seeing them both and Emilie told me Mathew met a dutch couple just like I described in Japan. So after chatting to Mathew, we realised that they were the same people, he went up to a nearby campsite to see them.

They have travelled the world and have also decided that Canada may be the country for them to be! They are getting a job in Calgary driving trucks, no better place to do it really. I wish them all the luck in that and maybe I will see them again. They also talked about going travelling again once they obtain residency, it's hard to stop, too much fun and experience to be had.


Wim and Petra - 3rd and 4th Left

Bunac Work Canada - Summary of My Jobs

Summary
I thought I would do a quick summary of my jobs and time in Canada. For a country that would take 3 full days of car travel to cross, It would only take 8 hours to drive from my current job to my first location in Fernie. My jobs have been localised to the East Kootney region, B.C. and Jasper National Park, AB. This may seem like I haven't really explored Canada much, which is true, but I have been in one of the most beautiful parts. I have also avoided large towns, which has focused my stay here on nature and outdoor activities. I have lived all my life in towns, so for me, living in remote places has been a new and fun experience.

Fernie, East Kootneys, B.C., Population: 6,200, November 2007 - April 2008
Beautiful small town, worked as a ticket checker at the local ski hill and got a free ski pass. I also sold my soul and worked at Subway!

Skookumchuck,East Kootneys, B.C., Population: 66, April 2008 - July 2008
Tree planting on a small farm, got free board in the form of a caravan. Beautiful remote place.

Jasper National Park, Alberta, Population; Staff: 120, Campers etc: 150, August 2008 - October 2008
Got a job working in a National Park on a hotel front desk, my choice of home keeps getting more remote. We have staff accommodation and food provided, so very easy to save money, spend most of my time hiking and camping, absolutely love it. Get other perks, like free tourist tours in Jasper and Banff. Got a free 1 hour helicopter ride the other day, with a 30 minute hike to a waterfall. And people ask me why I would chose to live and work here rather than being an engineer in a city. Nothing is better than mountains!

Animals I have seen in Canada

I thought I would make a list of the animals I have seen in Canada, most of them when living in Skookumchuck:

5 black bears (2 in the wild, 3 at side of the road), 2 moose (one walked 1m from me), 2 owls, 2 beaver, coyote, elk (tonnes!), mountain goat, bighorn sheep, skunk, hoary marmot, turkey vulture (a vulture that looks like a turkey!), woodpecker (massive!), eagles, mule deer, white tailed dear, pine martin, porcupine, ground squirrel, chipmunk, maybe a bobcat (saw a weird creature at night, that moved funny, looked like a large cat and had big reflective cat like eyes).

My 1989 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera

My wheels to get around Canada. The only famous fact I could find about Oldsmobiles, is Jackson Pollock died in one. There was a mouse living in my boot(trunk) for a while, didn't really want to kill him, so let him stay. He seems to have left now, I think I played my music too loud. The engine coolant also leaks into the car, I have set up a funnel and container to collect the drips. I tried to fix it by disconnecting the the heater core, but then massive amounts of steam poured through the air vents which turned the car into a mobile sauna, so I reconnected that and my days as a DIY mechanic were over!

Two Big Black Bear Encounters - Fortress Lake, Hamber National Park, B.C. / Jasper National Park, AB

Fortress Lake Treck. Location: Jasper National Park/Hamber National Park. Distance: 26km (16 miles) one way to the Lake, 52km (32 miles) covered over two days. Total other treckers seen on route: 5 on the way, 3 on the way back and 2 at the camp spot.

I decide to do this treck alone as no one else had the days off work for a 2 day hike. I take my fishing rod and camping gear and head off into the forest along a defined trail. I walk my first 6km with a old guy who is walking to the first lake, then I head on alone. For the rest of the treck I see only 3 people until I finally set up camp with Richard and Craig. There are many signs of bears along the trail; dung, berries, bear tracks. This does spook me a bit as there is always that rare chance of an attack, I am prepared with bear spray (mase) and I have a good knowledge on avoiding bear contact (which I stupidly ignore). Cougars (mountain tigers) especially scare me, they say if you hike in the Rockies often, a cougar has observed you, they also say that if you do get to see a cougar your time is up!

The trail mainly stays within the forest, but does occasionally open up so you can see the beautiful mountains all around the trail. The treck is flat but the distance I have to cover is tough with my backpack.



To get to the lake, you must ford a cold river, with the water level coming to just below your knees. I get to the first camp site at Fortress Lake, but no one is there, but I can see across the way someone is camped on a beach with a fire and tepee. I don't fancy camping alone, so I head to the other camp spot.


This is looking from the first camp spot. You can just see the tepee at the right. This photograph doesn't justify the beauty of the location, my camera died after this shot. The view from my camp spot was far more striking, you could see the mountain that looks like a fortress. Hopefully Richard and Craig will send me on some pictures.

I meet Richard who is very friendly and has a neat camp set up, they have a 6 man tepee tent with a heater inside running on wood, a huge chimney expels the smoke out of the top of tepee. The views from this camp spot are the best I have seen in Canada, in a country that is hard to beat for views. There are varied mountains, with a beautiful lake in the foreground, the mountains have a covering of snow at the top and two glaciers are also visible. (My camera is broken at this point, so I get no snaps at this location). Richard and Craig are here to fish, unfortunately on the half day that I am there, they catch nothing, I catch nothing as well. I only have two blankets and the temperature can get to near freezing, thankfully they let me stay in there tent, but I am still cold but much better off.


Equipment I took: tent, sleeping mat, 2 blankets, bear spray, fillet knife, fishing rod, fishing flies, water container, 2 cans of beans, 2 packets of noodles, 4 cereal bars, small gas stove, small pan, spoon, 2 lighters, dish scourer, camera, 20m rope(to hang food in tree away from bears), maps, head torch(flashlight), 2 t-shirts, trousers, water proof jacket and trousers, 2 more warm jackets for sleeping at night, thermal pants, socks, walking shoes. (forgotten item: can opener)

I have to leave the lake early to get back for my afternoon/evening shift at 3.30pm, I say my good bye's and head off on the trail alone. Meeting good people for brief periods is what I love most about travelling alone. For a quiet person I find it quite easy to approach and chat to people, it is easy in Canada to be friendly!

10km from the lake, I come to a fork in the path, straight ahead is a more defined path or I could take the path to the right that looks less travelled. I seemed to remember coming on the less travelled path on the way and looking at the map it would be the quicker root, so right it is. The journey on the less travelled path started out OK, there were fallen tree's blocking the path and it was very overgrown but manageable. After about 20 minutes I totally lose the path and I am just wandering through forest and walking on the moss, at this point I should have turned back! I eventually find the path again, but there are 6ft sapling trees growing on it and my visibility on the track is very limited, I should definitely have turned back at this point! I bash two rocks together to make sound so as to alert any potential bears further up the track of my presence*. A large owl flies out of a tree ahead, I stare at it for a while, then look back onto the overgrown track. About 120m ahead there is a black bear poking its head above the trees and staring at me, it must be at least 7 feet tall, I have a massive rush of fear. Its ears are standing up on end like a dog wanting a treat, I don't want to be the treat so I back up 3 steps, it is still looking at me, so I head down into the forest to intersect the more defined path, I quickly come to the correct path and I feel relived but shaken. Just 30 minutes later I am walking along the more defined path, making noise, when a bear walks out onto the track from the forest and stops on the track about 150m ahead, I say 'oooohhh fucking hell' and my heart sinks, he stares at me for 2 seconds and then runs into the Forest. He filled the whole track, probably slightly longer than the width of a large car. I wait for 2 minutes then head up the path to where the bear was. I have no choice but to carry on along the path as I don't want to enter the dense forest to the left, I am reassured by the fact that it was on its own and was scared of me. I get out my bear spray (mase for bears) and keep it ready to fire, my heart is racing at 100mph, I look into the forest where I last saw the bear but it is long gone. I want to be away from this trail at that moment, 'Beem me up Scotty!'. The sight of the bear on the track was an awesome one, really beautiful to see this big black mass suddenly appear, stare at me and then disappear just as quick, it felt good to see one in the wild but I hope not to again! I noted how differently the two bears acted when they saw me, one was scared and ran, which is common, but the other one just stared at me!. Because the first bear seemed unafraid I had to leave the area, without running. The lack of vision on the track was also bad, if he did decide to leave the trail or run at me, I Wouldn't have been able to see which way he went, the lack of vision could also have spooked and provoked him.

I see a variety of animal prints along the way which is interesting. On another treck I saw either a bobcat or a lynx. I love been observant on trails and finding evidence of animals.


This is a fore paw from a Grey Wolf. This could also be a dog, but based on the size and location I would guess at a Wolf, I wish I had taken a ruler so as to be more sure. We have an animal tracks book at work, this track is also very similar to a Coyote and Grey Fox, both of which are a lot smaller, with a different shaped back pad, the claw imprints are also different. There were at least two different Wolf prints at this location, one set slightly smaller than the other. Wolfs are definitely misunderstood, not the man eaters people think!.


This is the left fore paw of a Black Bear. I Wish I had put something next to it to show the size.

*Some bear information: It is unlikely that a bear will attack you unless it is startled, hence why you make a lot of noise when trecking and also stick to clear paths (like I did not!). They can become less weary of humans and become more bold and enter towns, etc. It has been known for bears to eat people when hungry but this is rare. Grizzly bears are the most unpredictable, especially if they have young or you enter their habitat, hence why it is also important that people stick to defined trails. You should also never run! Check out www.pc.gc.ca for more accurate detailed bear info.

Check out this video from Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7MuFDVEUro

Week 76 - Onwards, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

I am going to start updating my blog and photographs from all the past places. Currently started at Job on a hotel front desk in Jasper National Park, I have 3 shifts from 3.30pm-11.30pm, so plently of time on my hands to update this fella!

words to follow, my camera is on it's last legs, so images are blured at times and colours seem a little orange, but here are some pics...




Ice Walk on the Athabasca Glacier








Moraine Lake Hike










Saskatchewen Glacier Hike/Cycle

Week 76 - 78 The Quest To Find Work - Nelson, B.C., Canada

Week 60 - 76 Skookumchuck, B.C., Canada (and Fernie on Weekends)

Skookumchuck, Population: 66

The Tree Farm


I am a redneck! This is my caravan, my home for 14 weeks. I loved it to begin with. To have my own space after living in a shared house in Fernie with 9 other people was awesome. Everything I needed was within 20feet, I could sit at my reading table and reach to my stove for my chai or to the fridge for a snack. I learnt to make my own chai while in my caravan, I will put recipe on here! But then as time passed being on my own in the caravan got to me a little.


This is the truck I used to drive round, I also got to drive a big tractor on my final day which was awesome.


These are the trees after their root balls and branches have been rapped.


Dustin on small tractor.


These cars are the neighbours next door. He no longer lives there but every car he ever owned still resides there. There would be some bute cars to work on as projects. His house(shack) seemed a little overrun with pests.


This belongs to Jim, the farm owner, it still works and is used occasionally.


This out the back, a big grizzly was near here. It ate a dead cow from the next door neighbours farm. So much wildlife round here, at night you could hear the eerie screams of coyotes. Hated coming back to the farm late at night after the weekend, kept thinking something would pounce out of the darkness!


The bridge out of Skookumchuck, I'm stuck!

Premier Lake Fishing
I absolutely loved coming here after work, caught quite a few fish. Started swimming in the lake towards the end of my stay when the weather got nicer. Met some cool people down here. Such a beautifull place




Canada, a good place to be, put Neil Young on your headphones, peddle to the lake and fish and be happy.

Week 39 - 60 Fernie, B.C., Canada

Fernie Winter













Fernie by Night





















Work Fernie





Snowboard Road Trips - Rervelstoke, Kicking Horse (Golden), Lake Louise and Sunshine (Banff)













Fernie Summmmmmer

Week 37 - 38 New Zealand, North Island

Photographs and words to follow (19/08/08)

Week 30 - 37 New Zealand, South Island

A mishmash of NZ South and North Islands, will re-hash when time. Loved NZ so much, best place to Holiday ever!!















































































Stewart Island



I went to Stewart Island to see a Kiwi in the wild. My trecking partners went on ahead and I hung back to do the last 3 hours of the days walk in the dark. I was pretty spooked but it was really atmospheric and I plugged in my MP3 and listened to Sparklehorse and Stufjan Stevens for the twilight hours.



This building freaked me, it was like something out of texas chainsaw massacre, I thought the island was unpopulated, wasn't ready to meet the local farming community!



I walked through a track that had dense tree's cutting out any moonlight, I nearly stood on the poor kiwi, it scared the crap out of me, the weirdest creature I've seen, ran off making a right sound with its big feet. stay well kiwi!

Hangliding - Queenstown



The Kepler Track

Week 23 - 29 Australia

Australia, in Australia
I want to fly and run till it hurts
Sleep for a while and speak no words in Australia
In Australia
In Australia
In Australia

Manic Street Preachers - Australia

Photographs and words to follow (19/08/08)

Week 19 - 22 China - Sechuan, Chengu, Beijing

Photographs and words and video (!) to follow (19/08/08)

Week 17 - 19 Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Halong Bay, North East Motorbike Trip

Words to Follow

Ho Chi Minh City





Hanoi







Halong Bay





North East Vietnam Motorbike Tour

Racheal and Craigs photographs...




















My photographs...

Week 16 Cambodia

Photographs and words to follow (19/08/08)

Photo Links

Still not got the energy to update blog and lost some of my best pics of China, Aus and NZ so probably won't do it now. But here is a link too some of my NZ pics.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=69515&l=7c942&id=804890380

Week 14 - 16 Pokaraha, Bandipur, Old Delhi, Bangkok

Pokaraha



Another visit to Pokarah to pick up my bag after rafting, end up staying longer than I wanted. Pokarah is like a Sunday afternoon. I go fishing with the motel owner, I stayed with him the last time, he tells me many interesting stories on our trip. He tells me of land he has bought for foreign friends and wives that he has found for others, he tells me of his french friend who is very happy with his two wives! Monogamy is now illegal in Nepal. He tells me of his friend who sunk to the lake floor a week ago and has not been found. He tells me of a Buddhist friend he helped build a house but now the Buddhist refuses to be his friend because he catches fish, says he he doesn't want the devil in his house! He tells me of a couple in their 20s who committed joint suicide by tieing a rock round their waist, they were from different castes and one family refused marriage.



I usually head left into town but this day I decide to head left towards the mountain of Serangkot (spelling?) and things turn a little twilight. I pass a German man who is dressed in pyjamas and is off his head speaking to himself. I get offered mushrooms all along the road. A strangely aggressive man tries to sell me mushrooms and weed, when I decline and walk away he tries one last time to sell me something and asks me if I would like a Nepali marriage! No thank you sir, marriage is far from my mind, although by Nepali standards I should have been married for 8 years and have 3 kids by now. Everyone enquires about your marital status, it seams quite popular for people to come to Nepal to find a bride.

Journey from Pokaraha to Bandipur
I get this large Jeep to Bandipur from a nearby town. I am awkwardly on the back shelf, with half my body hanging out the back and one arm pit in some poor chaps face. I think I am slowly killing him as I ditched my deodorant a week before in order to save space in my backpack. I think he is complaining about me, I feel embarrassed, so I brake the ice and motion to them that I smell and everyone on the jeep laughs at me. This seems to open up a discussion with the other passengers about me, they talk in Nepali and look and me and then laugh, I just laugh too!

Bandipur
Incredibly relaxing place, an old town with beautiful architecture situated in the hills.



There is about 8 other tourists in this town, i hang with 5 of them. Alex, a French man living in Malaysia about 35, French, a German man about 40, Marrie, a French girl about 24, Tadeus a Dutch man about 20. It is great to hang out with such a diverse set of people, we just relax outside in the evenings and drink chai.



I do a couple of walks around Bandipur, very atmospheric. I head to Mukundeswari to a Magar shrine with my new friends. The walk goes through some dense forest and it is difficult to make any ground, we soon get split up but we finally make it and the temple looks like a stone shed, quite funny. People have left offerings, all I have is a biscuit, so I throw that in and Alex throws in a cigarette.



We hang with this old lady in the small farming town of Mukundeswari, very entertaining. She gives Alex and French a big bag of potent weed, so they are very happy!



Journey from Bandipur to Old Delhi
I leave Bandipur Thursday at 10am and arrive in Old Delhi Friday at 6pm. A total of 32 hours spent on 3 buses. I get on a bus in Bandipur, the conductor tells me he is going to the border town and takes my money, half way there he tells me that he is not going there anymore and that I need to transfer onto another bus, after I share a joke with him about being a liar he gets me onto a new bus for free. I finally make it over the border and get some beautiful cheap Indian food and head towards the bus stand, a man outside the bus says that I need to buy a ticket from his office, I sense that I am potentially entering some sort of scam. I try to get on the bus but a man who looks like 50 Cent is blocking my way. I try to ask a guy who was on my Nepal bus whether he paid already but he does not understand me, I also ask the bus driver and he just shrugs. I follow my con man and he trys to make me pay 1000 rupees for the bus ticket, I know this is way too much, I shout at him that this is a commission scam but as I am doing this the bus starts to pull away and he tells me that I won't be getting on the bus at all. I manage to get him down to 500 rupees and board the bus. 50 cent boards the bus and takes my fake ticket and swaps it for a real ticket, with a cost of 350 rupees written on it. I Didn't lose too much in the end and under the circumstances I did well to get on the bus at all! When the guy from my Nepal bus understands what happened and that I have not much money left, he buys me food all along the way, I say no but he insists, he feels bad that I got ripped off. I trust this guy, so I accept him buying me food, after 9 weeks of travel in India, I can instantly tell who is good and who to avoid. He also travels all the way to Delhi and even gets me a good deal with the little money I have left on a rickshaw to Old Delhi. My journey on the bus travelled through some of the poorest parts of India. Every time the bus stopped I would get attacked by mosquito's, but thankfully they disappeared when the bus moved and air was flowing through. The whole journey was surprisingly not that bad, I drifted in and out of sleep and had about 10 different people sit next to me. If you had one of those speeded up videos, I would be in the same spot for 24 hours, while people all around the bus would be whizzing on and off.

Old Delhi
Arriving in Delhi was my most nervous experience, just because of all the horror stories I had heard. Two friends from Nepal told me to go to Old Delhi away from the tourist area and I never regretted it for a moment. I arrive at the Jama Masjid, a Muslim temple, designed by the same architect that designed the Taj Mahal. It is a large square surrounded by 4 storey buildings housing hotels, shops and restaurants, there are little alleyways spurring from the square, selling the most delicious cheap food that I have found in India. This is the most vibrant place I have been to ever! On my arrival at night, my eyes are wide open with all the life this place contains, there are pig heads and kebabs being cooked on large flames and just a mass of people everywhere. I find a hotel, take off my shoes and my feat are badly swollen from the travel, it takes 2 days for the swelling to go down. I wake up early and look out onto the square, two men are throwing old meat into the air and a group of eagles swoop down to collect it. all around the square people are walking up from a night of sleeping on the street. After staying here for 3 days I realise these are workers who have no homes, they have most likely come from surrounding areas. The people sleep rough but in a good, non threatening, non drunk/drugged up way, just a thing they have to do to get by before they start another day of work the next morning.



My whole stay in Old Delhi is based around food, it is all I think about, it is the best way I can become part of this place, even for a short while. The food here is so cheap but absolutely amazing, the restaurants are mainly for the poor workers who sleep around them, but they accept me when I eat with them, they make sure I pay the right sum of money, that I get a free top up of food if I am entitled and they order the waiters around for me! The owners dislike me, but I don't care as the customers make me feel at ease and welcome. My favourite place is a chai shop, like a Muslim version of a pub, I go there twice a day and start to get to know the regulars and the young waiters smile on my return, I can't communicate at all, I get friendly with an old Muslim man, he is maybe 70 and I feel frustrated that I cannot understand him, he could tell me so many fantastic story's from his time in India, he also gets frustrated at not being able to communicate. We communicate through gestures, he buys me chai and offers me a beadie (small cigar type thing), I buy him chai. Learning a language is key, I want to learn Hindi so much. My typical breakfast is big, I eat poori (puffed pastry/bread) with pea and potatoe curry, masala chai, sweet banana's, lassi (a beautiful yogurt type drink). I am stuffed and content. Meals typically cost me 12rs, that is 15p (30cents).



I do leave Old Delhi occasionally and get the underground, I head to a bar with an American to New Delhi. The underground tannoy tells me, among other things, not to make friends with strangers, I find this baffling, is this just while using the underground? or is it everywhere? I feel I need more information on this statement, how am I supposed to get along if I don't make friends with strangers, all friends start out as strangers.

It happens to be FA cup night, didn't even know it was on or that the new Wembley was finally complete, the bar had some drunk English people it it, it felt wrong, all the Indian people where staring at the leery English! Wanted to be back at my chai shop! I buy Time Out and try to do other things in New Delhi, but seam to fail each time. I try to see a famous Indian musician but it is sold out, I chat to some rich Indian ladies outside, they make me laugh, they are so snobby. I try to go to a free painting class but I arrive late, I try to go to the modern art museum but it is closed on Tuesdays, ahh well! When I am away from Old Delhi, I just constantly think of its food, each time my new adventure in New Delhi fails I scurry back to the safety of Old Delhi. I spend a Sunday at the Old Red Fort (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Fort), get a little board so head to a Sikh Temple, spend the afternoon listening to awesome tabla music, there is food and the floor is comfy, before I know it, the day is over.

I want to stay in Old Delhi much longer, it is a short romance, but like short romances it ends on a high.

That's it for India. Wooops, I forgot to go to the Taj Mahal!!

Bangkok

Bangkok is much better than I thought it would be, it's great being in a modern place again. Finally buy a charger for my MP3 player and a new camera and some DEET mozzie spray, finally!. Hang with some english and danish people and watch some covers band, skoot round town with them in this noisy tuk tuk thing. My room is the size of two single beds and has no windows but I love it and it's cheap.

It feels like a mid trip re-charge, I spend a lot of time at malls and do most of the tourist sights and watch some kick boxing, outdoor markets and eat crab for breakfast at a floating market.

Week 10-14 - Jomson Treck, Karnali Rafting and Bardia

JOMSON TRECK
Arrive in Pokarah, fealing sh*te from the previous night, its 2pm, I have a 7am flight the next day to start my treck, my brain is not functioning, I have too much to do. Arrive at my rafting agency at 6pm, they send me into a panic, I have no trecking permit, walking shoes or guide. They convince me to get a guide, only $US10 a day and sort me out to pick up a permit at 6am the next day before my flight. Its 6pm, I still need boots, pack a small bag for the treck and I need to change my flight to Bangkok which departs while I am on my treck. I decide to get my Mum to sort the flight for me, I can't function enough to make a phone call. I have 5 hours sleep, then get up at 4am to pack my bag.

Day 1 - Jomson Village to Kagbeni
Turns out to be my loneliest day since being away. We head to the nearest village, after one hour I have blisters and by bag hurts from my rucksack, I start to sing Lemonheads 'I lied about being the outdoor type' to myself. Arrive at 11am at a quiet town where I will spend the rest of the day, wonder around, then head to hotel. There is a squabling english family and a group of French girls, the girls seem the best option, my 'bonjour' hangs in the air like an unwanted fart so I sit alone, drink masala tea and go to bed at 2pm. I sleep right through to the morning and get a lovely 15 hours in bed.



Day 2 - Kagbeni - Muktinath
I feal much better the next day, the french girls are more friendly and the english family have stopped squabling. The days walk is fantastic. My guide takes me to a guest house where I am the only guest, there is a lively young place up the road but I have no money to get a beer. I adjust to my solitary life, for entertainment I sit on a wall and watch an old lady throw stones at some escaped chickens. I ring my mum, she can't change the flight for me, I'm screwed. I have little cash and the phone calls on the treck cost a bomb. People say there are no cash points on the treck, but maybe there is one when we loop back to Jomson. I have 2 plans. I estimate the phone call will take 20 minutes, which means if I sleep rough under the stars and only eat one plate of boiled rice a day and drink boiled water I will be OK to carry on with the walk. The rain doesn't figure in this plan. The other plan is to fly back to Pokaraha, abort the walk and make my phone call. I like the thought of option one and surving real basic, it will be a test.



Day 3 Muktinath - Martha via Lubrah and Jomson
My favourite days walking on the trip, 7 hours total. It is a side route not manny people take to the Tibeten settlement, Lubrah. My guide says these settlements existed for ages before the Nepelease goverment found them. I enjoy the walk and try forget about the flight till I get to Jomson.



I get to Jomson, the sight of the ATM is the best thing I have seen on my entire trip, better than any temple. Things will be OK! I can make my phone call, drink beer and eat well.


When I saw some wheat crops swaying and swirling round a group of apple tree's, I instantly thought of Van Gough's paintings. It was better than seeing the ATM! My next town I stay at is real social, the rest of the treck becomes a lot more fun after the initial bad start.

Day 3 - 9 - The Rest of The Treck
The rest of the treck consists of about 7 hour days of walking but is incredibly fun, at times we hike up for ages only to walk back down the other side, makes the previous days efforst feal undone.






The lead donkeys wear this big tasstle thing. The naughty donkeys that veer off track are at the back where they seem to get constantly whacked.




My mountain pictures turned out a bit naff, they were beutifull.

POKARAHA
My base for walking and rafting trips, my guest house was fantastic, CBB MoMo. The owner took me fishing and played ping pong with me. Hung out with an english chap who took my bus from Kathmandu. My days basically consisted of: brakefast, walk/fish/cycle, read, lunch, siesta, read, ping pong, beer, dinner, beer, pool and then sleep to repeat the next day! Nice and relaxing. Feal a bit guilty when I hang in the chill out places, feal I should be out experiencing things.


Hindu wending in Pokaraha.

KARNALI RAFTING
I wait for the rafting team in a town called Mugling and chat to an Old Gurka, the nicest person I have met in Nepal. He wears a Never Ending Peace And Love (NEPAL) t-shirt. The bus rolls up, it reminds me of the Scooby Doo bus, 8 young Nepelease kids fall out of the bus, that must be the team! There is also and Aussi, Scott and a Canadian, Kynan. As dusk falls, 2 of the nepealease lads sing and it starts to feal like Cliff Richards summer holiday bus, I start to get excited like a school kid going on an excursion. When night approach's the plastic shiva god at the front of the bus automatically flashes and insense sticks are burnt and 2 of the lads start to pray. I am a little confused but then figure it is to protect us on the roads at night as they are extrememely dangerous.


Half the dyas are spent chilling on secluded beaches, just as good as the rafting.


My, Scotts and Kynans tent. It feals like Ray Mears, I absoultly love it, we also catch a fish.









Buy chickens from a local village and strap 'em to the boat. Sorry vegetarians.

BARDIA NATIONAL PARK
It is surprising that something so chilled and perfect for tourists is so void of tourists. Good for us but the hotel owners desperately need people. Most likely due to Moaist activity in the area and Lonely Planet doesn't do it any justice by sugesting that it is a ghost town. The town life and people within the park is a great attraction in itself. Everyone is happy and peacefull, the village tour we did of the Nehru villages highlighted this.



Me and Kynan go on a Tiger Safari on foot! We only had large sticks as protection and one guide. We enter the national park and I am extremely scared but excited, I ask our guide if I should hit the tiger with my stick if it starts attacking him, he says, 'yes, please try!' My heart races, we head to a likely spot and wait, I soon calm down when I realise that the tigers are located across a river. We head to a large high up platform, on the way we walk through a mob of monkeys, one makes a noise that I thought was a tiger, which scared me massively, I ran to the guide for protection and realised my error as he laughed at me! When I arrive at the high platform I suddenly feal realy sleepy from all the previous fear, my legs are pretty weak after that and I just want to sleep, a few other people laugh at me for being so sleepy and mellow!



The baby orphan elephant that wanted to play. He was a strong bugger! He got washed down the river away from his parents.





I spend a lot of time cycling round the park on a bicycle and chat to a lot of the local people. I chat to a hotel owner who has had no customers for 10 days, he blames the army base oposite his hotel, would rather it be on the outskirts where it would provide more protection to the park and the tigers that get poached. I chat to an owner of a restaurant, he says he only has one daughter and no son, so his daughter does the work of both a son and a daughter!



On departing Bardia, me and Kynan ride the bus on the roof, good fun although I feal I may get decapitated by the low telephone cables, some are proped higher with long bamboo poles, I duck to make sure I keep my head! In the evening we head inside the bus, the back of the bus makes me feal sick due to the bad suspension, so I try to sleep on a buffet in the isle, but it cuts my circulation and I keep jumping up with cramp. A kid on the bus rabbits on at me as I try to sleep, everytime I tell strangers that I am 27 and single, they think I am some sort of Huge Hefner, he asks me if it is true that love is free in england! wtf! On a more serious note, the bus seams to double up as an ambulance. There is an incredably sick lady at the front of the bus, she ends up coming near to Pokaraha to a hospital, after spending around 15 hours on that bus. There is also a malnurished baby to my left which is very upsetting, I'm not sure what hospital the baby went to, if at all.



Other


Check out www.secretgardenparty.com and the 2006 photos, see if you can spot me dressed as Hunter S Thompson. Gonna miss the festivals. It takes me bloody ages to do this blog, so leave a comment so I know people are reading it.

shanti.

Blog Update

Hello,

Not been purposefully lame in updating the blog, net has been too slow to update pics and with the walking and rafting not had time. Will update with pics and videos verry soon when I get to India or I may try here again.

check out these from people I met rafting:

www.wimenpeetzerereet.nl - Holland couple cycling round the world

www.horizonsunlimited.com/forwood - an aussie couple been on the road for 10 years!

Flying cockroach's, i'm outta here!

Hope all is well.

Week 9 - Nepal - Kathmandu, Bhakatapur, Thimi

Kathmandu

I like Nepal, a lot. It's the Nepalese New Year tonight, so I will be seeing in 2064 with my Aussi mate Paul, I won't be 84 till I see 2064 again! Should be a good night, as loads of young people kicking about here.



On my first day in Kathmandu I get lost. I have some food in a small room with a low ceiling, the food is laid out like a buffet, I point at a few dishes and get some great tasting chewy meat and spicy veg, I love it. I wonder further down the street and walk past a big steaming pot with what looks like an upside down dog inside it, I tell myself it is being de-fleed. I walk further and after getting directions, head back on myself. I pass the steaming pot again, the dog now has no fur and I can see it has had its head chopped off. I now realise that it is being cooked. I start to think of the chewy meat I ate just 500m up the road! I have asked a lot of people about what I saw and most say it cannot of been a dog, some say it is illegal, some say it is legal but not done, I am not sure what animal it was, but it was gross!



Bhakatapur Festival
Paul had a good effect on me in a bad way. I was scared of motorbikes and foreign roads but we both decide to explore the valley on bikes. Was my first time on a scooter and first time on crazy foreign roads. We head off to the main road after a brief tuition, our plan is to stop occasionally in order to make sure the other is still around. At the first junction I turn right, for some reason Paul heads straight. I do a few loops and can't see him, I start to think we should have had a better plan. We have no hotel booked and the only directions I have is when Paul pointed the general way to our next town. I decide to head to Bhakatapur alone and try meet Paul there. On the way I sh*t it loads, but soon learn it is safer to go fast as the buses don't hogg your ass that way. I ask for directions and pick up one guy going to the same town but the bike wobbles like crazy with the extra weight and he gets off. I hit the Arnko Highway and finally get there, somehow. I fealt bad getting a bike, as my Grandad always told me never to ride one, as his brother Charlie died on one.

I arrive for a Chariot pulling festival, it is a competition between the West and East of town, the side to pull the chariot to their part of town wins and gets good luck for the crop season.



At 9.00 I am shattered so head off to my hotel, there is still no sign of Paul, there is a mob of kids ahead of me and a buzz in the air, not sure what is going on. The youths all start charging in my direction, I hide behind a temple wall to avoid the stampede and I somehow end up in the middle of a rock throwing riot. There are four Nepalese fella's perched by the temple wall with me and they all look as petrified as I am. Some youths with corrugated iron shields launch rocks over our heads to the east side of town behind us, there are also some shielded youths to the right, rocks started landing around us, I shout at them to chill! A squeaky voiced Nepalese guy helps me and we head down behind the protection of the shields. My heart is pounding like crazy. We watch for a while and decide to head off, I go down dark alleys with the squeaky dude, there are enough people about so I follow, all the ways to my hotel are closed off by the rioters, he invites me to stay at his house with his parents, I don't trust no one when travelling so I decide I will head back to the safety of town, where the old folk are chilling away from the riot. I wait for the riot to die down but then I get bored, so I walk about, taking safer looks at the rock throwing and run when everyone else does. I get worried about my bike getting damaged as I signed a waver that stated the bike is not insured and I would have to pay for any damage. I hang with another Nepalese guy, who helps me move the bike to a safe place. We walk past riot police after trying to find a way to my hotel, there are about 100 of them just north of my hotel, they have cleared a route and I get back to my hotel about 11 after two hours wondering about this crazy old town. I fealt safe in this town even with this strange festival going on and it sure did get the andrenalin going again, after having my first dose of the day on the moped!

The next day I have an email from Paul saying he went back to Kathmandu to try find me and would be heading to Bhakatapur the night I arrived. We finally meet up and swap story's of the crazy riot (Check out Paul's site linked at the right). Paul got a little injured as did my Nepalese friend who helped me move the bike.

We head off on the bikes the next morning to what is one of my favourite things I have done on my trip, we ride past army bases, paddy fields and do a big circle on dirt and tarmac roads, brilliant having the freedom of the bike.

A polish chick told me she also went to Bhakatapur for a festival, which consisted of all people, children to old men, slaughtering goats and chickens for the gods. She said the streets were awash with blood. Good old Nepalease festivals!

New Years Day - Kathmandu / Thimi
On my own again, Paul headed to Delhi. The worst hangover I have ever had, combat it with a trip to the Monkey Temple (forgot its proper name). The place heals me.







Had a good vibe, everyone was there to celebrate the New Year, there was a soundsystem and people were dancing and singing to 'By the River of Babylon' among other greats. Buy loads of fake outdoor gear from Kathmandu, which is slowly falling to piece's.

Thimi Bisket Jatra Festival
Head to Thimi for New Years Day evening for another strange but wonderfull festival. The Nepalease men are drunk on a potent homebrew called roxy, they are charging round town carrying a Khat (Palaquin), being pushed away by the surrounding croud.





I head back to Kathmandu and get drawn into a local bar by a covers band, turns out to be a bad mistake, get drunk, have 2 hours sleep, pack my bag and leave hotel at 6am for bus to Pokaraha.

Shanti.

Week 9 (I think) - Bye India - Varanasi

Varanasi

What to say. I lay on my bed after the first day exhausted, thinking "what the f*ck!". The people here are intense, really spoilt my karma, there were good bits but I could only take one day of harassment before leaving early for Nepal.

Watching the morning pilgrims was excellent, but I fealt I was intruding on something very important to them, there were a mass of tourist boats watching the Indian pilgrims wash away their sins in the River Ganges.



I get dropped off at the Burning Ghat and get greeted by a guide, he takes me into the thick of a cremation ceremony, I don't look at anything, just the guide, I feel like I should not be here, a family is carrying a body to a fresh pale of wood, the guide says "look, a burning foot". No woman are allowed at the Ghat as if there is any crying then this will effect the spirit achieving nirvana. The guide also rips me off, this is the first time in my ten week stay. He is a nice chap and takes me upstairs to a building by the Ghat to see some old folk, he tells me that they stay here until they die and cannot afford to pay for their cremation, so he asks for a donation, I am emotional from seeing the cremations and even though I question it in my head I decide to give him the benefit of the doubt. I find out later that this man has been doing this for ages and bribes the police. Pretty low. I walk past him later and he comes after me asking to talk, I call him a "lier" and he says "that is what he wanted to talk to me about", I repeat "liar", he eventualy goes away. Later a holy man trys to con me, really persistent in me going with him. I hate Varanasi and I hate India at this point.



A pilgrim (alive)

The best bit of the whole town was using the crazy cycle rickshaw drivers, I had one old dude who had a red stained smile from all the chewing tobacco, I instantly like this comical fella. The old fella nearly takes out a cyclist who veers into our path, the rickshaw driver abuses him while laughing for extra effect, I join in with the laughter at the cyclist, the cyclist gets pretty angry which makes us laugh more. All the way home the driver sings and cackles as he cycles, he turns around occasionally to speak to be in Hindi, I only mutter "acha". My favourite person in India in my least favorite place in India.



Goodbye India
India has been fun, messed up, tiring, spiritual, enlightening, annoying, beautiful, ugly. It has had the most friendly people I have ever met but also some of the worst people I have ever met. India is contradictory but I have loved all places even Varanasi in parts. India has had a really good effect on me, especially the people, culture and religions.

Week 4 - 8 Indore, Guruyavor Festival, Kollam Backwaters, KodaiKannal, Hampi, Hyderabad, Ajanta, Ellora, Kandwar, Maheshwar

Guruyavor
Headed back north for a festival. Elephants, dancing, music and chanting, was a great town too, no tourists so no hastle. The photo's of the festival didn't come out, but this is at the elephant sanctuary, where they keep all the temple elephants for the area. At the festival I met a police man, he started asking me loads of questions, do you work? no. Are you married? no. Are you here with family? no. Are you here with friends? no. The more questions he asked, I sware the more he thought I was the devil!



Had the hottest food of my trip here, with the first one for breakfast, really gave the day a kick start, so much better than caffeine. I nibbled on a chili which was with my thali at lunch, thought it was mild, so ate it whole, I lost vision for a while, I fealt my eyes dilate and lost myself for a couple of seconds!

Got on a bus to the next town. Two minutes into my 8 hour journey and I got the same fealing I get when I decide to ride a rollercoaster, I really wanna get off! Somehow the big lime green bus is faster than everything on the road, the driver doesn't seem to care that he can't see round a corner when overtaking. He bulldozes his way through the crowded road, I notice that there is a sign at the front of the bus that states 'Super Fast', no shit! In future I will pass on the super fast lime green slugs. We pass other buses that only have fast written on them, they seem the better option. The fat man next to me falls asleep on my shoulder, not sure how he can. We start to make ground on another Super Fast green slug, I get excited and start to enjoy the chase, we lose him and the driver seems upset, but we approach a fast looking saloon. We soon pass the saloon as the saloon uses his brakes, my bus driver does not, he only uses a horn that is permanently being pressed. I hope the horn will wake the fat man as my shoulder hurts. I got used to the bus journeys but nothing has been as fast as the first, little disappointing!

Kollam
Headed here for a boat trip, good little trip and met some really nice people, was sad to say goodbye. Travelling is strange, everything is fleeting, nothing is final.



Wanted to leave Kollam ASAP, so got the next train to Madurai. Due to language problems I never get the full details of my transport trips, I am happy just to get a ticket with the correct destination on. I thought it would just be a 4 hour journey east by doing rule of thumb on the map, but the train heads all the way to the tip of India and back up to my stop in a big U shape, so I end up being on my wooden chair from 5pm to 6am, not sure why it was not a sleeper train, ended up being a fun trip trying to communicate with the local travellers, would love to find out their storeys.

Madurai
I hated this town, like some others to begin with, but places grow on you and you leanr to deal with the new environment. But I end up loving the place. It is famous for its beautifull architecture. Language here is a big problem, all the hindi food words I learnt are no use, not sure what language is spoken here.



There are very few street lights, so the walkways are lit by flourescent lights from shops, which makes you feal like you are walking through a Bollywood film set, makes the twon feal warm and exciting.



The room I rented here, was probably the worst I have ever been in. If you were to eat marzipan for two weeks solid and then if at the end of the two weeks you were to have a shit, that is what my room smelt like!
I went to open the window, but this opened onto a small area bound by other hotel rooms/windows, in this small area, 3 floors down, was a mass of rubbish and a mass of mosquito's. I slept with the window closed. The saving grace was a balacony, where met other travellers and had a drink with them, at times India can be lonely for a single traveller, so this was a nice change.

The hindu face paint is a lot more dramatic here than in other towns, I like the style, some have triangles, some flag like rectangles and the bets is four stripes smeared with the fingers, again I didn't take photographs. I would become religous, just so I could dress like this.

KodaiKannal
My favourite place so far, wicked nature and loads of chilling, spent a week here, was really cold at night and all the Indian people wore retro jumpers and bobbles hats. There were so many retro clothes here, better than Camden, was like a little clothes gold mine on this Indian hill, was sad I did not buy more than a jumper and cardigan, forgot to get a Yamaha anorak thing





Hampi
Nice chill out place and nice old things! Some good signs of civil engineering to, always nice to see!



Hyderabad
Liking this place, the bits I love the most about India but also the bits I hate most. Hung with a lass from Denmark here and then onto Ajanta with her, was good to have company for the big towns.






Jannes photo of me sharing a joke with the traffic police!


Jannes photo of some young lads at Makkah Masjid Mosque. Unfortunately there was a bomb here just 10 weeks after I left killing 5.

Ajanta/Ellora
Great places, temples cut into rocks, my photo's were naff though.



Kandwar
I stop in Kandwar for the night on the way to Maheshwar. Kandwar is not in my guidebook but is in bold on my map so I decide it should be ok. Arrive quite late, when I depart from the train there is a cow waiting on the platoform, I love the urban cows, they are so chilled. I get the cheapest room in a local hotel, a shoe box size room with no external windows, but I have about 12 mosquitto's for company. I put up my mozzie net using the room door, it takes me a long time and a lot of gaffer tape to get the net into a semi-decent state. I start to drift off, at midnight there is a knocking at my door, I open the door, the mozzie net collapses and a fat cop with a tash greats me. The cop and the hotel manager enter my room, they ask a lot of questions, make a phone call, look at my passport. Then there is a powecut, so a fat cop, the hotel manager and me occupy this shoe box room in the pitch black. I am confused. They finally seem satisfied and leave. The only explanation I get is "safety". I don't sleep well that night!

I get my train ticket to Barwaha the next day, which is halfway to Maheshwar, there is a heavy armed police presence on the streets, after a few enquiries I find out that there is a Muslim festival on and last year there was a fight with the Hindu's and Muslim's. This year things seem good though and there is no trouble, I get a few smiles and waves. I chat to a hotel worker, he is working at the hotel and teaching himself to pass a degree, he pays for his books, a copy of syllabus and the exams, lots of respect for that, he teache's me a lot about indian hoistory and the segregation of india in 1947 into India and Pakistan when the Brits left. He says the cop was extra cautious with me due to the trouble last year. Note the green Pakistan flags in the march.



Maheshwar


My new favourite place, so chilled and weird, ate at a small house each day, which had converted it's patio into an eating area, the best food I have had so far, probably because it was home cooking. Spent a lot of time chilling in the patio area with the family.

The main focus of the town is a big fort with loads of temples and house's within it.

There are a lot of Indian people here for a pilgrimage to the River Narmada, as I head up the river the atmosphere change's, smoking chillums seems to be the main focus of the day. Thier eyes are so cloudy, there is no pupil or iris just mist!



This guy was ace, lived in this little space in the fort's walls by the River. Cosy little place, offered me some Lassi.



In the evening there was a festival for Hanaman's birthday, it was a full moon and the festival was just a load of teanagers going a bit crazy. I got dragged into the mob, got water and red paint dust thrown at me and was made to dance, a circle formed aroud me, eventualy escaped. Kinda fun!



IndoreJust arrived in Indore, had to look at my bus ticket to remember! starving, so will keep it short, a little tired so may be dull. things going well, got a little bored in south India but as I headed north I started to enjoy myself again. Indore is just a stop over but cool place.

bye, email!

and a sign....

2nd/3rd Week - Gokarna, Udupi, Fort Cochin

Gokarna


Went onto Gokarna from South Goa. Loved this place, should have stayed longer. my shack was 50 rupees a night (60p), great atmosphere, loads of people just chilling and chatting, mainly English and Israeli's (spell?). It was run by this wicked guy called shanka and he had this old worker who danced to techno and slept in the corridor. There were some strange characters, one Indian bum who gets stoned all time, has one front tooth missing and the other wobbles as he speaks. He really annoys people and speaks a lot of crap but watching him is highly entertaining. The town of Gokarna was a nice escape from the beach with nice local people and temples.



Forgot to get a pic of gokarna beach, this is south goa. left ohm beach(gokarna) with a drum i traded for 100 rupees and my towel, good deal, gonna try get a drum lesson today.


Udupi
my favourite place so far, only saw 2 other tourists the 4 days I was here, a little lonely in that respect. Got recommended it by Pablo, an old aussy who was on ohm beach. There was no info in my guidebook other than a small paragraph, so the first time I did not have the rough guide holding my hand. Due to minimal tourism i was not bothered at all, as they are not dependent on tourist money, a lovely change. Saw a traditional Indian play with dancing, Hindu festivals, Indian art and some classical Indian music from famous Indian musicians, bought the cd of Ali Akbar Khan the previous day, who played. Amazing concert in the grounds of Monipal University. All these events were free. Going away from tourist areas certainly in this case has been what I was looking for, real Indian as people tell me.



This is Varanga, east of Udupi, chose it from a local guide book, hired a local guide and we got buses to the temple as I was to tight to hire a car. This has been the best temple so far, there were two, both as beautiful as each other. I liked this the most due to the tranquil setting and the surrounding area, temples that attract tourists are hard to enjoy due to the people and the scruffy surrounding area. The keeper of the temple said I was the first tourist in a year to visit, all other visitors have been Jain Hindu. The bus journey on the way back scared me as much as Rorys driving, even the beautiful Indian girls on the tv could not help, gripped the seat in front for the 40 minute journey, when I eventually arrived at my destination, I removed my hand and my fingers would not straighten, they ached bad, think i must have starved them of blood, my hand eventually came back to life.



This was a Krishna Festival, so lively and void of any health and safety regulations, fireworks going off all over the place, with sparks flying onto people, the big Gargantuan chariot is pulled round the square, it nearly took out a local market stall, with the people frantically trying to get it back on track, there was an elephant leading and clearing the way for the chariot. The previous night some young Krishna's studying dentistry tried to get me to go to thier place to study the religion, they were a little to religious for me, so I showed them my two gold teeth and that seemed to disturb them and they soon left!



At first I thought this was a town with no tourist purpose, there was no obvious things to do and see. i took the advice of the local guide book and went to the port, this was the only photo I took. There were so many great photo opportunities but everyone on the port was staring at me, i wanted to find a corner where i could hide and take photo's, some people smiled and laughed at me, supposed it is not a typical tourist spot. There were about 50 birds of prey in the air all looking for scrap, some big, some small, not sure the type.

Fort Cochin


Typical tourist photo. In Fort Cochin, had a mixed start here but determined to enjoy it today, gonna hop on my bicycle and see some art. Too many people trying to extract my cash, feels fake compared to Udupi. The journey down here was hard, thought this place was closer to my last town, so just got a local train rather than express, left my hotel at 4am and got to Fort Cochin at 8pm. The seats on local trains are hard and my skinny bony ass suffered. There are 6 people squashed on a 4 person seat with some people sitting on the luggage racks. It was pure endurance, the SAS would do well to use this in their training, everyone looked to be suffering. I gave up my seat and stood, every so often a blind man or a little girl singing would pass through trying to earn money. It was my intention to get off the train 4 stops b4 but i couldn't leave, i needed an easier town, i was drained. Gonna head back.

Take care.

First Week - Mumbai, Matheran, Palolem

Having a wonderful time, met so many people both local and international, they make me feel so dull in comparison. Met one french man in Matheran, Nico, who was gong back to Paris to become a qualified clown, he does it currently as a job, he said it is like a slap stick performer, it is quite respected.

Currently in Palolem in south part of Goa state, bypassed the north as that is where all the raves and stuff is, didn't fancy that, may head back north for a day to see old Goa town. I have just mainly been chilling since I got here and ended up at this beach place. Hated it to begin with as it isn't real India, but has great sea food, bars and the scenery is pretty good too! I am in a shack on the beach front, costing only 2.50 pounds. Thought the beach resorts of India would be horrible due to traders but hardly been hassled, so pretty easy.

I think I have figured out a way that I can live in India and still have a relaxed life, I can buy textiles, silk rugs and jewelry at India Price then sell it on Ebay to Europe at their price, just need to try get a working visa!

Mumbai
I wondered why so many people looked at my suede shoes when I first got here but then I realized that the cow is sacred to hindu's, so I may have to send em home and get a new pair here. Gonna learn more about hinduism, really intriguing history to the religion

cricket in front of old colonial architecture - Mumbai. There were better things to take photo's of, but don't like the imposing nature that tourist photography seems to be, the back streets in the day and night had great character and energy. Loved Mumbai, looking forward to the other big cities.


washing in Mumbai


This chap showed me round his village, they were all real friendly


my room in mumbai

Matheran
Matheran felt like Blackpool, it is a weekend retreat for Indian people, has horse riding games and the like. No cars are allowed in the village. Didn't know what to expect as got recommended it by someone but didn't really read the guide book, in the end had great fun due to the people i has hanging with.




stayed with Ryo(japenese) and Syleve (French) in Matheran. Ryo arrived in India with only once change of clothes and had to buy a bag when hotels would not accept him due to terrorism reasons

Palolem
each small town i go to has a cow/ox thing, local people told me the sacred cows mostly belong to people



Hello from Palolem!

The Route

Being geeky, I have made a little map with my route and a key! The numbers in brackets are the weeks at each place. Geektactic!

India - 6 Weeks
Nepal - 4 Weeks
North Thailand - 1/2 Week
Laos - 2 Weeks
Vietnam - 2 Weeks
Cambodia - 1 Week
South Thailand - 3/4 Weeks
Malaysia - 1 Week
Indonesia - 2 Weeks
Australia - 8 Weeks
New Zealand - 3 Weeks
Canada - 1 year
USA - cash dependent!

That's the plan anyway, fingers crossed!