tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42507861274781644042024-03-21T12:27:29.067-07:00Canada and South AmericaOur planning has come to fruition - me and the missus are travelling around South America for 4.5 months, then working in Alberta, Canada for 7 months. Get in!Sam Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246899550087729659noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250786127478164404.post-39758854655301520822010-06-26T17:10:00.000-07:002010-06-26T21:49:47.892-07:00Canada v EnglandLong time no see. How are you?<br /><br />I haven't written an entry to my blog for a while as I didn't feel I had anything new to contribute. Now I do, so here I am.<br /><br />I feel inspired to write again as a result of my recent trip home to see family and friends. I had been dying to see them and my short holiday quenched my thirst, however it also made me realise what miserable b*stards the general public are in the south east of England. <br /><br />Everyone has a tendency towards nostalgia and idolising home when they've been away for a while, and I am no different - I was desperately looking forward to seeing quintessentially English things like green grass, oast houses, red letter boxes, good quality television programs etc and I certainly had my fill. It was amazing to see my family and friends too and it makes me really happy to realise what a thoroughly nice bunch of people I know. However, I was surprised at my surprise at things that I accepted as part of day to day life but now found uncomfortable and displeasing i.e. busy and crowded roads, shops and towns and the general public (in the south east) having a "what do you want from me?" and "please keep your distance" approach to life when dealing with other members of the public. <br /><br />I was terribly home sick when I first arrived in to Jasper and could not invisage myself living happily here for a sustained period, however now I've had time to settle in and groove a nice social, work and leisure lifestlye I feel very content. There are aspects of this life which I now cherish i.e. the willingness of the average person on the street to meet my eye contact and exchange pleasantries, the helpfulness and competence of every day workers and serving staff and strangers' apparent happiness to have an amiable conversation with me. I will give an example to illustrate my point. I was cycling past the playing field the other day when there was a group of blokes kicking a ball around and it just so happened that I was wearing a Brazil football shirt at the time. One of the men saw me, and I assume as a result of seeing me wearing a football shirt, shouted over, "hey, come and join us, do you want to play football?". I thought it was a really friendly thing to do and made me feel very happy. Could I imagine this ever happening at home? In short, no. I think it is more likely a catholic priest would stay celibate.<br /><br />In response to what I imagine will be the questions raised as a result of me saying this, no, I don't want to live in Canada permanently. Maybe were my situation different, and my family happened to relocate here, I could imagine doing so. But that won't happen and there are many reasons why I will be very happy to return living in England. <br /><br />I have found that travelling to different parts of the world makes me appreciate England more each time I leave. I believe us to be a nation far advanced in terms of human rights, ethics, justice, political fairness and stability (well, I actually believe all politicians are cheating, self promoting w*nkers, but ours are slightly more covert with their dishonesty and cheating in comparison to the rest of the world I've seen), technology and the countryside is beautiful. Furthermore, stuff works and our climate is 'mild'. We don't have riots in parliament, tornadoes, tsunamis, droughts (well, councils do have a penchant for premature hosepipe bans) and we actually have a transport system that (a) exists (b) works for the most part and (c) is fairly priced. Here in Canada, if I want to travel from Jasper to Vancouver, which is about 500 miles away, I can do so, however it takes approximately 14 years to do so and I will have to take out a 25 year loan to pay for my journey. Also, there is a charge for EVERYTHING. I farted the other day and a local official came over with her hand out asking for money. If you want to receive a call on your phone, you pay for it. If you want to receive a text, you pay for it. If someone pours you a drink and does you the service of taking your money from you, they expect a tip. What a load of old shite I say!<br /><br />In summary,I propose the simple solution of importing a few jolly Canadians in to England, particularly the south east, whereby I will have them interbreed with the miserable, incestuous miserable b*stard general public, and then everything will be grand. Our national sports teams will suddenly develop a sense of competitiveness and pride and people will actually start saying, "good morning" to each other.<br /><br />The only problem is that I will have to pay excess baggage fees to bring them back. Any contributors to help fund my plan?Sam Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246899550087729659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250786127478164404.post-6850467361197289682010-04-27T19:23:00.000-07:002010-04-27T20:11:44.980-07:00Jasper, Alberta<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZuT-iRxh0ITb-VyEzHMI1rF_Fz9acvcIoLYGoFl09TCinQ3XJCBQmCF6Hc1_oALjvQ0Tkh4lQwNeR5gYjnhTAD0myHFtt4Z0Nw-XDIzqpQISNJwXpbTUUqtSfoX5ZWjvDHF2hKwkn6PJ/s1600/DSC03160.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZuT-iRxh0ITb-VyEzHMI1rF_Fz9acvcIoLYGoFl09TCinQ3XJCBQmCF6Hc1_oALjvQ0Tkh4lQwNeR5gYjnhTAD0myHFtt4Z0Nw-XDIzqpQISNJwXpbTUUqtSfoX5ZWjvDHF2hKwkn6PJ/s320/DSC03160.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465020382418316642" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7O1FCXKDLKY8b2QtQAVqMFSJnK16B7-7WuwSKGDhVI_BmWsUIDgyW5VAwSluHijNRQiedz3EXyLzOeRAtgsKZIS7ea1zKnH-oCq2Z2KnfE0HpkD72fmn1hFyhsZyTocXJkXHnLfrC1iDi/s1600/DSC03156.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7O1FCXKDLKY8b2QtQAVqMFSJnK16B7-7WuwSKGDhVI_BmWsUIDgyW5VAwSluHijNRQiedz3EXyLzOeRAtgsKZIS7ea1zKnH-oCq2Z2KnfE0HpkD72fmn1hFyhsZyTocXJkXHnLfrC1iDi/s320/DSC03156.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465020096228329506" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhO_CUUPBnbOCYt4oo6S5XD1cf7XH6SrkSI15eOv7oDzGVw26QlHYTxaFDmB528cCsQMwkwBpka0IRyTL7fk8XPHdDp44Ef12Tg33aPBGXRuVbE_02KumQSx1V9B7pSMzCxCopOfXc911R/s1600/DSC03153.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhO_CUUPBnbOCYt4oo6S5XD1cf7XH6SrkSI15eOv7oDzGVw26QlHYTxaFDmB528cCsQMwkwBpka0IRyTL7fk8XPHdDp44Ef12Tg33aPBGXRuVbE_02KumQSx1V9B7pSMzCxCopOfXc911R/s320/DSC03153.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465019767642734866" /></a><br />We are here and one week into working for our new employers!<br /><br />I will start from the beginning as to give the most accurate description of the events that have passed since our arrival.<br /><br />We took the Greyhound Bus from Vancouver, and I was unpleasantly surprised at just how SHITE it was! I never imagined the scenario where I would be comparing buses in Canada to those in South America (on the large part in Brazil, Argentina and Peru, admittedly) and turning my nose up at them! The seats didn't recline, it was cramped and the bus was old. Yes ladies and gentlemen, that is Greyhound for you.<br /><br />However, the ride was quick and smooth and the driver was very helpful. The view from the window was stunning too - tall pine trees, trickling glacial rivers and tall mountains capped with snow. For ten hours, all I saw was the above. As you can imagine, looking at the same thing, whether beautiful or not, for 10 hours becomes tedious. Furthermore, given that we passed very few signs of life on the way into Jasper during the journey, I was struck by a scary feeling of remoteness - it felt like I was being led into isolation! I had one vivid and worrying thought - 'what if Idon't like the place / the people / the job?'. It stuck with me for the remaining 2 hours of the journey and shaped my mood until the day after our arrival.<br /><br />When we arrived into the bus station, or rather got dropped off at the bus stop (Jasper is SMALL), a lovely guy called Dwight was waiting there to meet and greet us. He was instantly likeable and we've had good banter ever since. However, he wasn't instantly recognisable. All I had been told through e-mail was that his name was Dwight and he was head of maintenance. Thus, when I descended from the bus and saw a portly gentleman in his 60s with a grey beard, I was certain this would be Dwight. I know that if my name was Dwight and I was head of maintenance, I would be portly and have a grey beard. Even if I didn't have grey hair!<br /><br />Following this initial shock, Dwight loaded our bags into the van and took us of a quick tour of Jasper. Now, as I mentioned, Jasper is small. I'm not sure there is anything other than a quick tour therefore. I am certain there are some Wetherspoons' in England that are bigger. All the same, we were guided to all the main points of interest.<br /><br />We arrived at our apartment block and again I had mixed feelings - the outside of the building was quite impressive, however the corridors were hideous - they would not look out of place in The Shining. Once the door to our apartment was open, I realised we were on to a sweet deal. Uninterrupted view of the snow capped Rocky Mountains, plenty of space and a nice new bathroom - perfect!<br /><br />Despite the great apartment, my feeling of unease and slight sadness persisted. <br /><br />On our first whole day in Jasper, Cressy and I got busy making ourselves acquainted with all the local facilities that we'd be using, i.e. library, gym, grocery shop, second hand shop etc. They were all excellent. Further to that, we were introduced to the other members of our chain gang for the next 6 months, and they all seemed normal and nice! I started feeling a lot happier, and since then, I definitely feel like this is a place I can happily call home for 6 months!<br /><br />One last thing about Jasper - in spite of its minuscule size, there is an incredible amount of things to do here to keep oneself entertained. For example - plenty of good pubs with regular special offers, countless walks to explore the beautiful surrounding countryside, green / blue lakes with ample sized beaches to swim in and bbq around, excellent leisure centre and a library with a fantastic stock of good books and fast internet access. <br /><br />I should mention the job too. The staff seem like the nicest people you'll ever meet in your life (apart from me obviously), the location, log cabins and grounds are in fact even MORE beautiful than the pictures on their website, which is a first for me and I have variety in my work. I am The Maintenance Man (in capitals as I am sure they will release a film about me in this role in the future) and have already checked smoke alarms, made sure TVs are working, shifted tonnes of dirt and driven a big manly truck that has the ability to tilt its back end and dump stuff. In addition to this, I get to ride a 3 wheeled bike with a basket on the back (I challenge any male to ride one and NOT look camp) next to a glacial river and look at the mountains whilst moving from job to job. I literally ride along whistling, smiling and wondering what my friends and family are doing at home!<br /><br />This last section will be reserved to revere Dwight. He already has gained legendary status, for a few reasons. Firstly, all inanimate objects are female. For example, when referring to a garden rake, 'oh, just chuck her over there'. In addition, he calls his truck, 'the old girl'. Finally, he says very often, in a southern USA accent, 'Ooh heck'. Need I say more?!<br /><br />I look forward to the next six months, and in particular the visits of my parents, some friends, and Cressy's family. I still dearly miss my family at home that I won't see until November and hope they can make it out before then if possible! Big up to the T Wells crew and Darren.<br /><br />Keep it real homies and don't let David 'I'm an arseh*le' Cameron win the election!!Sam Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246899550087729659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250786127478164404.post-86484133247820824362010-04-18T17:37:00.000-07:002010-04-18T18:18:51.642-07:00Island LifeS'up!<br /><br />So, here I am, back where I started, in Brian's chair in his apartment in Vancouver, using his computer and mouse that has a lead that is a fraction too short to be convenient - the perfect length to rile me but not short enough to incentivise me to do anything about it. I believe the formula is "perfect length / the square root of annoyingness".<br /><br />Today is a sad day - Brian beat me at squash. Correction, he whooped my sorry, tired, lazy traveller arse. Admittedly I had a turd racquet and we used a blue dot ball which made my task all the harder, but a whooping still it was. My tail is well and truly between my legs. A rematch is defo on the cards!<br /><br />Canada - we're back. And my god is it expensive. It literally pains me in my chest when I now pay $5.50 for a beer, having paid on average $1 for the last 4.5 months in South America. Thus, Cressy and I have resorted to shopping in what they call Thrift Stores (charity shops) for clothes, and convincing ourselves that the items do infact look excellent on us. I did get a Jansport jumper for $5 that looks in perfect condition - you have to see it to believe it.<br /><br />Vancouver Island was heaven like. Our plan was to head to the west coast to a town called Ucluelet, or Ukee as the locals call it to surf, then head across to Mount Washington to snowboard. I spoke to the guy I know (Mike) who runs the hostel in Ukee, and he told me that hitchhiking is very common on the island. Cressy and I decided to do it, and along the way ended up saving ourselves over $150 and met some incredible people. <br /><br />We must have travelled in excess of 500 miles just hitching, and every person who picked us up felt like our friend after a short period. The Vancouver Islanders are such a warm and friendly bunch - we were even invited into two of their houses, introduced to family and shown around like we'd known them for years. Each one said they'd hitched in the past and just wanted to help us out.<br /><br />On a sadder note, having taken lifts from a couple of people who were Native Canadians (or First Nations people as they preferred to be called) I learnt about the atrocities the British committed against their ancestors in the past. First Nation children were forcedly removed from their families and sent to 'residential schools' where their culture and language was essentially beaten out of them. Physical punishments, brain washing and sexual abuse was commonplace. My heart literally felt heavy upon hearing the stories and at times I felt ashamed to be British. The situation has improved today to some extent, as they are allocated reserves where they can live tax free, but it is scant reparation considering the ethnic cleansing that occurred.<br /><br />The time has finally come - we're off to Jasper tomorrow to start work! It's been a long journey, we've met some amazing people along the way and had lots of fun. I'm looking forward to having a routine again, and most of all, a uniform. Actually, I will be the resort's handyman, so in fact the most exciting thing is that I will have a tool belt. All I need is some stuff to put in it! I am already imagining the phone calls from guests - "yes Mrs Smith, I'll be right over, but this is the FOURTH time I've fixed your fan this week, are you sure you're not trying to seduce me?". We will see!!Sam Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246899550087729659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250786127478164404.post-51071347425184530972010-04-09T21:53:00.000-07:002010-04-09T22:44:37.916-07:00BABY RUTH!The Lost City is so 2009!<br /><br />So, it's all done with now. The verdict on our final trek: the jury is still out. There were parts I enjoyed, and other parts I didn't enjoy, and actually found annoying.<br /><br />I'll start with the parts I enjoyed. Firstly, I loved the physical exercise - the challenge of walking uphill in temperatures exceeding 30 degrees centigrade at a fast pace was excellent. I've definitely discovered that the bigger the challenge, the more I enjoy it. I couldn't imagine anything more boring than a life without challenges and variety - if it hurts it is doing you good! Secondly, the scenery was beautiful - jungle and pristine waterfalls and rivers to cannonball into and then swim in. Made some nice friends too - Roddy, a nice chap from Northern Ireland was good banter and Julian from Adelaide was a laugh - the highlight of our exchanges was helping to locate the tics on his body and smothering them with Vaseline (not because they had dry lips, but because it suffocated them).<br /><br />Now onto the things I didn't enjoy. For the first time, I think we got a sh*t group. There were two Swiss girls who made scant attempt to befriend others, with the exception of Julian whom they fancied, and spent the majority of their time just mumbling to each other in Cherman and letting out a constant fake laugh which was the audio equivalent of someone scraping a cheese grater on my face by the end of the 5 days. Also, I attempted general chit-chatter with them (which I am averse to) a couple of times, which was greeted by silence and a look on their faces which would normally result if I'd just farted and wafted it in their direction. There was a British guy who tried to make a joke out of literally EVERYTHING which got very tiring and a miserable git from Ireland who became irritable if anyone dared complain about anything, e.g. 'it's only a feckin' hammock, just pick one and feckin' get on with it'. In summary, I felt like the atmosphere sucked for about 60% of the time. For an unknown reason, I suffered my highest count of tumbleweed moments EVER in 5 days - I may not consider myself to be of Jonathan Ross' calibre (well, actually...) but I am 9/10 content with my level of banter. It's like they'd been paid to shut up when I said anything. To quote Eddy Murphy in Coming to America ("taste the soup!") 'aah, wha'd ya know about funny?'<br /><br />By the end of the 5 days, I was happy to see the back of the majority of them and looking forward to having fun again, and most importantly HAVING MY EXCELLENT JOKES LAUGHED AT.<br /><br />Following our return to Santa Marta, I returned to my modus operandi i.e. laying next to a pool and sunbathing. On occasion, for variety, I would get into the pool, then get out to dry off. If I was feeling wild I would leave the hostel premises and buy an ice cream. It's as energetic as I got. <br /><br />Cressy and I met a lovely Colombian guy in our hostel called John Freddy, who had travelled all the way from from Medellin (the double 'L' in Medellin is pronounced like a soft 'J') on his Vespa moped. We are talking in excess of 800 km - in short, he is a complete legend. He walked and talked with a Caribbean-esque pace and oozed friendliness. We spent a day with him visiting a waterfall and he helped me to practise my Spanish and in return I helped him with his English. He bought us beer and food and told us a lot of interesting information about the surrounding nature and Colombian history. It's his dream to come to England and I intend to help him do so. The poor chap's Dad died only a few months ago and it was very evident how close to him he was. My favourite moment was when he told me a phrase his Dad had often told him when growing up, 'es mas importante para tener amigos que dinero', i.e. it's more important to have friends than money. Right on!<br /><br />Now to Cartagena. I won't mention the bus journey where our driver crashed into the front of a taxi (albeit at only a few MPHs), neglected to stop, then got chased by the driver of the taxi, who promptly boarded the bus when it next stopped and started punching the driver of the bus and looked like he was trying to pull a gun out of his - to say I nearly cacked myself would not be far wrong - it would take too long.<br /><br />Playa Blanca - what an experience! It's an idyllic beach approx 45 minutes from Cartagena and most easily reachable by boat. More or less, it is heaven on earth. As we approached I noted the white sand beach, clear turquoise sea (forgive the oxymoron), hammocks to sleep in and the bars selling beer. I was contented. We duly spent the next couple of days doing virtually nothing except sunbathing, relaxing, eating, swimming in the sea and tanning. And oh yes, I have a tan! Photos to follow. Several times I said out loud, "this is a hard life".<br /><br />Now we're in Cartagena, following a one hour flight which cost less than $50! Perfic. On the plane a good looking Colombian girl stopped me as I was going to toilet and asked if I wanted to sit next to her. I politely declined, so she settled for two photos with me. She obviously has very good taste.<br /><br />3 days until Canada. WEIRD!!Sam Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246899550087729659noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250786127478164404.post-41886867431813303332010-03-22T21:18:00.000-07:002010-03-22T21:52:15.223-07:00Colombia - Supermarkets and WaterfallsSorry I haven't called in a while, but I have been busy. Why? None of your business! <br /><br />Well, Ecuador was a rush! Not in the adrenaline sense of the word (well at times it was, actually) but in the sense we only had 2 weeks in total! We were on the move the whole time pretty much! <br /><br />The first week we went to Ban(y)os and I hurled myself off a bridge, for no particular reason! I was feeling a bit wussy that day so I agreed when they insisted Iattached rope to myself at one end, and the bridge at the other. We then booked our trip to the chungle and went!<br /><br />It was amazing - we saw loads of animals, including the common house emerald Boa Constrictor which decided to reside a lado to my bed! The bastard! I was understandably concerned at first but then we came to an agreement - he eat the insects that were trying to bite me and I allow him to stay on a temporary basis. He was silent on the matter but I took this as a sign of his acquiescence. In addition we saw tarantulas (an excellent word for the letter 'T' in I-Spy), poisonous snakes, pink river dolphins etc. <br /><br />I then took a week Spanish course in Quito. I had some contacts to call upon for assistance and they very kindly gave me and the missus a free en-suite room for the week - sweet - and a discount on the tuition. How did it go? - I hear you asking - excellently! Without doubt my ability doubled in the 5 days I studied and I managed to practice a lot too. It was excellent spending time with Diego, Patty and Sandra and the rest of the crew. Made some good friends in the student residence too - more to heap onto the pile!<br /><br />Now we're in Columbia and it is blaady hot! The humidity is like a fat, hot, sweaty man hugging you all day and never letting go! Just as I would with a hot, fat, sweaty man hugging me all day, I got used to it after a while. I actually started to like it...<br /><br />To cool off we went to a waterfall today. On the walk back a very friendly Columbian family offered us a cold beer. Well, it would have been rude to say no! As they drove past us on the way down, they insisted we jump in to get a lift back. Very kind! A party inside the car then ensued, including necking shots of whiskey, dancing to the same song about 15 times and sh*tting myself wondering why the old geezer in the back had a pistol in his belt! 'For protection' he claimed. So I turned back to the whiskey!<br /><br />On Wednesday we're doing the Lost City trek, though I'm not sure we'll find it....<br /><br />There is an excellent cat here!<br /><br />Ciao for now brown cows<br /><br />Spread the loveSam Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246899550087729659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250786127478164404.post-47483881270795921422010-03-01T07:17:00.000-08:002010-03-01T07:39:05.461-08:00Santa Cruz Trek - The Most Beautiful Thing I've Ever Seen!The title says it all.<br /><br />We just finished a 4 day trek in Santa Cruz Valley, Peru, having started from the city of Huaraz which sits approximtaley 3,100 metres above sea level in the Peruvian Andes.<br /><br />Without hesitation, I can say it was the best thing I have ever done and the scenery was the most spectacular I think I'll ever see. Having already done tours in Colca Canyon and Grand Canyon it is some feat, but I am adamant in my exclamation! Check out my images and videos on Facebook and you'll see what I mean.<br /><br />The altitude was the first obstacle to overcome - on the first day alone we reached heights of over 4,800 metres above sea level. Just walking and breathing were a challenge whilst my body was still aclimatising. Our walk started with an ascent for approximately 1 hour and it felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest! The lack of oxygen in the air means your heart has to work much harder to pump the blood around to afford your organs the oxygen they need to function. Luckily I had a piano with me so there was no promblem there.<br /><br />We arrived at our camp approx. 5 hours later and our tents had already been set up by the young chap who was guiding the donkeys that carried our equipment. Within half an hour lunch was being served and I was amazed at how resourceful the guides were with limited cooking facilities and ingredients - the food was always fresh, filling and nutritious.<br /><br />Day two was the hardest slog in the world, ever - official! We ascended 1,100 metres up to 4,700 metres above sea level via a rocky path, avoiding bad tempered bulls (well, slightly agrieved) and the occasional donkey. I took my pulse at one point and it was over 140 bpm! I have come to realise I love hard challenges - there is a very fine line between be exhausted and ecstatic I believe. When we finally reached the pass through the mountains the views were breathtaking.<br /><br />By days three and four my chicken legs had grown meagre amounts of muscle and my poor heart has started to aclimatise so the walking became easier - I am a machine!! The scenery continued to delight and we had so much fun. At one point were were transcending a valley that was criss-crossed by small rivers, and I took it upon myself to cross them long-jump style. I duly obliged to entertain the group and fall arse-over tit into mud (and possibly horse shit). <br /><br />Our group was fantastic - a German, an Italian, an American, 2 French (yes, they ate garlic) and two Peruvians. And yes, of course, I was the most handsome!!<br /><br />We head to Ecuador tonight and then after 2 weeks to Colombia - WHERE HAS ALL THE TIME GONE??! <br /><br />Ciao for now.Sam Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246899550087729659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250786127478164404.post-35455533058230833952010-02-22T07:00:00.000-08:002010-02-22T07:13:53.361-08:00Sandboarding and Peruvian Wine ToursOur latest point of call to note was at a place called Huacachina (easy for you to say). It is a very small town approx. 5 hours south of Lima that exists only due to an oasis lagoon that sits amongst the rolling sand dunes.<br /><br />The main focus was sandboarding, but we found out we could also do a tour of the Ballestas Islands (known as the poor man´s Galapagos), which are excellent for spotting sea lions, boobies (yes, I did giggle and wink each time the guide said that word) and pelicans and also do a tour of the local vineyards.<br /><br />Ballestas Islands were good - I refer you to photos on Facebook. Sandboarding was also good, but as I´d done a day of snowboarding before it felt pretty lame! Wine tour was definitely a highlight. We visited 3 ´bodegas´and each for each ´tasting´ they pretty much gave us half a glass! I was hammered by the end! Kept my composure as always though and held fort!<br /><br />We´re back in Lima but heading to Huaraz to climb some moontains - we both feel like we have excess stores of energy so are looking forward to it!<br /><br />Ciao England.Sam Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246899550087729659noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250786127478164404.post-74774958876873965972010-02-09T13:21:00.000-08:002010-02-09T14:02:02.843-08:00Copacabana, Puno, Arequipa and Colca CanyonI will start this post with a brief description of Copacabana in Bolivia, which nestles beside the majestic Lake Titicaca - it is shite. It is a dirty little town that had a 'carnival' going on for the whole time we were there. I will describe the scenario so my pain may be dissipated vicariously - a 'band' 'played' their instruments for approximately 14 hours a day outside our hotel, but it appeared they were briefed with the following instruction, "bang your instrument as loudly as you can and pay no particular attention to timing, rhythm or melody. As for dancing, have a p*ssed off look on your face and just do a 130 degree turn in one direction and then switch to the other direction (like an AC circuit) whilst twirling your skirt, and under NO circumstances try to improvise". I trust I have conveyed the message that I thoroughly enjoyed this local spectacle.<br /><br />Thankfully the town also lacked a cash machine, meaning we couldn't withdraw the bunse to do a tour to Isla Del Sol (which by all accounts is actually beautiful) which hastened our premature exit to Puno, on the Peruvian side of the lake. What a relief! Cash machines, internet, excellent vegetarian restaurants, nice people and an abundance of good quality artisan items. We did a tour to the floating Uros reed islands which was interesting enough to occupy us for a few hours. We didn't stick around long though and made our way to Arequipa, which is the base city to explore Colca Canyon (deepest canyon in the world, twice as deep as Grand Canyon) from. <br /><br />Arequipa is big! When we approached it at night in our bus it looked as big as LA or London! Quite surprising. It's a pleasant and vibrant city and - wait for it - Cressy and I went to a museum! Second shocking fact - it was actually interesting! There are the mummified remains of a female Inca teenage sacrifice victim on display, preceded by a very informative and captivating National Geographic video. An excellent guide furnished us with the perfect quantity of pertinent information and the whole experience only lasted about 40 minutes. In brief, the Incas believed that the volcanoes were actually gods and an eruption signified that they were angry. In order to appease them, human sacrifices were offered and it was considered a privilege to be chosen as the sacrificial offering. When the guide told me that I actually thought, "bullshit!" but according to the literature the claim holds true! The main mummy (Juanita) was behind screens being restored as part of an annual conservation program but the replacement was still an excellent example of a child body preserved by the extreme cold at the top of the volcano.<br /><br />Enough history now. 3 days ago we set off on our trek of Colca Canyon, which was bloody hard! The scenery was stunning and there were two ascents, the longest of which was 1,100 metres on the last day up a steep rocky path in the pouring rain. At over 3,000 metres above sea level breathing was very difficult and at times Cressy and I declared that we reached 7 out of a possible 10 on the fed up scale! When we reached the summit I literally screamed (note 'screamed', and not shouted) with delight and felt like hugging everyone. To add to my delirium the hostel had the best shower in the world (ever, officially) and I could have spent the whole night in it. We toasted our success with a few Mojitos in the local bar and all agreed that I was in fact the best climber despite my apparent lack of quadricep muscles and legs that look like arms.<br /><br />As it was such an achievement, we decided to celebrate again upon our return to Arequipa by having Mexican food, drinking beer then going to a karaoke bar and drinking lots of good quality rum and Coke. I was horrified by the version of Bill Withers' 'Lean on Me' they had and duly refused to sing, but was quietly amused by the inexplicable soft porn video they had to accompany it.<br /><br />We head to Cusco tomorrow evening to seek pastures new and further adventure.Sam Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246899550087729659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250786127478164404.post-59260490630684457822010-01-29T17:52:00.000-08:002010-01-29T18:06:49.329-08:00La PazWe´re in La Paz, Bolivia, hence the title of this entry.<br /><br />It is boring! I think I´ve come to realise that cities in general are quite boring - generally the focal points tend to be churches and museums, which by their very nature are intended to inflict boredom and a desperation to leave on the poor souls that enter.<br /><br />Cressy is going to do the DEATH ROAD cycle route, also known affectionately as ´The World´s Most Dangerous Road´ tomorrow. Can you imagine why I won´t be joining her?! To be fair, lots of people do it every day and only about 60% die, which is a favourable statistic. It does not appeal to me at all! I am a complete wuss and not great on a bicycle, so it would have been a pointless exercise and a waste of money if I joined her. Luckily there is another person from our hostel who will be accompanying her. I will be thinking of her as I sit in the comfort of the hostel bar and watch football ALL DAY!<br /><br />I must have eaten something dodgy last night as I felt absolutely turd last night and this morning and was sick! Imodium is officially a life saver. Whoever invented it deserves the Nobel Peace Prize I think. I can´t think of anything it won´t fix - water leak? Imodium. Diarrhea? Imodium. Unemployed? Imodium. I challenge anyone to suggest a situation that Imodium cannot fix!<br /><br />We´re looking forward to moving on to Lake Titicaca, Peru and the Inca Trail in particular. It´s terrible what has happened there and we know someone who is still stranded in Aguas Calientes, the small town at the foot of Machu Picchu. Selfishly, I hope everything is ok by the time we come to do the walk, but more importantly I hope normality returns to the lives of those affected by the flooding and landslides.<br /><br />Rafael Benitez is the bane of my life. I am having sleepless nights and am totally unable to enjoy my holiday because of him - can someone please inform him of this and ask that he resigns as a result? Thanks.<br /><br />Keep it real and spread the love people.Sam Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246899550087729659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250786127478164404.post-79603842133321879792010-01-21T11:10:00.000-08:002010-01-21T11:27:37.463-08:00Electricity and Internet - Hallelujah!We just arrived into Uyuni in Bolivia after a 4 day tour of the salt flats in Bolivia, which was amazing! The scenery was spectacular and we had great banter with our compatriots from Nueva Zelanda who were lucky enough to have a sense of humour and demeanour which was approcaching the quality of ours! Mine in particular...<br /><br />It is relieving in a way to be back to ´civilisation´ i.e. to have internet, telephone, and running water again. I am surprised by how little I missed it actually - I suspect it is because we were kept so busy and the altitude took a lot to get used to - at times we were nearly 5000 metres above sea level! <br /><br />On the first day of our tour we arrived into our accommodation, which was possibly the most remote town / settlement I have ever seen in my life. Imagine driving through dusty desert for about 7 hours, passing literally no sign of life other than flamingoes and the odd llama on the way to then arrive at a collection of 20 or so houses made from mud bricks. The altitude was 4,400 metres above sea level, so of course we did the sensible thing and played basketball with local kids, to discover that we ran out of breath just walking on to the court. We were outclassed by a group seven year olds, so of course I did the sensible thing and bullied on account of their inferior height and weight.<br /><br />The final day was fantastic and we did the mandatory perspective photos on the salt flats, which was amazing fun! Soon they will be added to Facebook, much to my delight.<br /><br />These four days have been fantastic and it was fun, fun and more fun. <br /><br />Looking forward to the next part of our adventure with great anticipation.Sam Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246899550087729659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250786127478164404.post-42028567476007003242010-01-16T14:30:00.000-08:002010-01-16T14:56:02.131-08:00Fush and ChupsWe are in Bolivia!<br /><br />I felt a sense of elation when we arrived here because I think I had reached my limit with Argentina - I was sick of people who worked on buses doing their, " I couldn´t give a sh&t that you´re vegetarian, just scrape the ham off" face. We even had to queue for 2 hours just to leave the country!!<br /><br />Bolivia is a world apart. For a start, everyone is a lot shorter and it is apparent that poverty is commonplace. I was so pleased to find our bus we were taking to Tupiza was old, horribly painted, uncomfortable and only just fit for the job - that is what travelling is about! However, I also felt guilty and slightly voyeuristic - whilst everything seemed more ´South American´ and ´cultural´it is simply because people are poorer and have fewer of life´s luxuries. What is a novelty for me is reality for these people every day and I am certain it is not pleasing for them. The only solution was to flog myself and apologise for my conduct during the war - I feel a lot better now.<br /><br />We bumped into a lovely couple from New Zealand (Nuck and Keem, aka Nick and Kim) on the bus whom we´d chatted to for a wee while in Mendoza and we´ve been hanging around with them ever since. We all went on a jeep tour, mountain bike descent of 800 metres and horse riding tour in the desert yesterday and we´re going on a 4 day tour of the salt flats and surrounding area tomorrow. We were due to leave today but poor old Nick got sick so we delayed for a day - the good news is that I got to see some Premiership football! Every cloud...<br /><br />We´re at an altitude of about 3000 meteres and it is weird how the smallest of actions require me to summon a lot of energy! Today has been knackering - walking to the post office of course required a rewarding trip to the ice cream shop and I imagine to stay true to form we will drink beer later.<br /><br />I am considerig writing a small book called, ´Cressyisms´. Entry 1: "Is Holland in Denmark?"<br /><br />More to follow...Sam Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246899550087729659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250786127478164404.post-45470701981329540472010-01-10T12:52:00.000-08:002010-01-10T12:56:24.981-08:00Good Times Coupled with Organised ChaosWe have been kept busy over the last week or so meeting Realgap's partner in Buenos Aires. It was excellent fun to spend time with them as they are very professional, efficient and hospitable. They showed us around very worthwhile and challenging volunteer projects, their fantastic Spanish school and some of the extra activities they organise for the participants. They paid for literally EVERYTHING, which of course means that they received a very favourable write up in my report. The moral of the story – bribery is not dead! My highlight was playing in a mini football tournament and the partner paying for my participation – in my eyes it doesn't get better than that!! Oh and they took us to a vegetarian restaurant where the food was delicious – 'bags of flavour'!<br /><br />It was a welcome change to be busy and have an itinerary again – I feel lost, slightly panicky and clammy when I don't have a schedule of activities much like when you remove routine from an old granny. Gaston's was great as he is incredibly hospitable and generous and organised lot of fun things to do, but in the last few days it felt to me like a majority of our time was just spent sleeping in late and eating – I almost felt suffocated at times and just wanted to run around and scream! <br /><br />Something I've been very happy with is at least 95% of the people we've encountered on our trip have been very friendly and we've collected some new friends along the way. I find it really pleasing and refreshing that I can spend only a couple of days with a person and already feel a friendship forming. It reminds me that the vast majority of human beings are nice and do want to be friendly with each other, and it's only when bullshit like politics, money and religion get in the way that things start to go pear-shaped. Stick it to the man!<br /><br />In a way I will also be glad to see the back of Argentina. I think you have to come here to know what I mean when I say that even buying a bottle of water is an arduous task at times. There exists a level of inefficiency, stupidity, apathy and bureaucracy in their business operations that would be hard to replicate anywhere, even if a new country was started whose sole inhabitants were from O2's customer service call centre. <br /><br />Exhibit A: Cressy and I planned to meet Gaston at his house in San Miguel, which is about 50 mins from the centre of BA. We walked from our hostel to the correct bus stop and waited half an hour. The bus arrived, I tried to pay, but was informed that the ticket machine on board only accepts coins. So we duly ran off the bus, tried to buy something from the kiosk next to the bus stop, to be greeted with the response from the belligerent shop owner, 'no moneda!', which means 'no coins'! So of course, the bus pulled away and left without us. I was subsequently informed from several reliable sources that there is a national shortage of coins and some businesses have to pay 5% above their face value to obtain them. SO WHY BLOODY MAKE BUSES ONLY ACCEPT COINS?! The answer from most locals is, 'this is Argentina'.<br /><br />Exhibit B: Cressy and I wished to be efficient and save a journey to the bus station so decided to buy our bus tickets from Buenos Aires to Salta online. We discovered what a foolhardy decision this was in time! We duly turned up to the bus station half an hour before it was due to leave as advised, and I went straight to the desk to inform them that we are both vegetarian hence would like our dinners to be meat free. It is guaranteed that I will then have to answer, “no, we don't eat chicken or ham”, to an attendant showing a bemused and amused expression. We waited, stood vigilantly in front of the screens displaying the bus departure information, and started to become a little bit worried when it was 5 mins before the departure time and still there was no sign of our bus. I reminded myself, “this is Argentina” and had faith that it would still be on time, which roughly equates to half an hour late when translated into English. When it was 30 mins late, I went to the desk to check on whereabouts of our trusty steed, to be told, “oh, it left 15 minutes ago”. “Fantastic” I thought! But it got even better. The bus company that was running the service was changed as was the departure time on the same day it was due to leave, but there was no information anywhere to reflect this on the screens. When I asked how I was supposed to know about the changes the response I was met with approximately 20 times was, “you should have checked” and “it's not my problem”, accompanied by a shrug of the shoulders and a “please stop talking to me” look on their faces. So the good news was that we missed our bus and lost our money! Bastards (said in the voice of Rab C Nesbitt).<br /><br />However, on the plus side, a lovely Argentinian family who witnessed our demise donated two hours of their time to try to help us get our money back from the waste-of-space and oxygen employees of the bus company (Andesmar, in case anyone needs a recommendation of who NOT to travel with in Argentina). It was an unsuccessful and thankless task but it was incredibly generous of the family (Sonja and Miguel with two children, in case anyone needs a recommendation of an Argentinian family to help you in a bus station).<br /><br />Now we approach Salta with a cruising altitude of 15 feet (upstairs of the bus) and south westerly wind with approximate time of arrival of 'whenever they feel like it'. Bungee jumping, wine tasting (again), horse riding and general folly awaits.Sam Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246899550087729659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250786127478164404.post-49108192281380598302010-01-01T15:23:00.000-08:002010-01-01T15:41:42.622-08:00Back in BAAs the title suggests, we`re back in Buenos Aires. <br /><br />We returned to spend NYE with Gaston, his family and friends. It was a great evening spent with lots of nice people. Unfortunately, Gaston is both a sadist and a slave driver, so we stayed up until 6 a.m. drinking, dancing and singing (very badly). I knew the evening / morning was ready to come to an end when I looked at Gaston and thought he resembled a dribbling, disorientated baby. I am sure he thought the same about me.<br /><br />Today I rose from my bed at 3:30 p.m. I soon realised this was a mistake, so returned for a little longer.<br /><br />We just went for a walk for an hour, again decided it was a bad idea when it was nearly over, and now reside in our den with fizzy drinks, Sky+ and crisps.<br /><br />2010 here we come!Sam Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246899550087729659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250786127478164404.post-48210302988089819482009-12-25T08:44:00.000-08:002009-12-25T10:02:32.903-08:00Paragliding on Christmas EveI am back!<br /><br />Buenos Aires was a mixed affair. I reminded myself why I tend to avoid cities, as at first it seemed the same as every other with its ornate plazas, long streets, busy traffic and hoards of people. The thing that distinguishes it from any other place I've visited in my life is the sheer volume of dog sh*t - I practically had to play hop scotch to avoid the brown stuff. Not pleasant! Further to that, our hostel was festered with a bunch of absolute wieners for the first day or so - no one was interested in chatting and just spent their time sitting and gawping at a television - I found it a claustrophobic environment and one that I wanted out of! The two stand-out characters who particularly induced my wrath were a couple of German girls travelling together who just sat and ate cereal all day and were as welcoming as a fart in a space suit (Connolly, 1993). When talking (painfully) to them over breakfast one morning they commented that they hadn't been out much in the evenings as "the places they had been to weren't safe for two European girls". Upon questioning them about which places they were referring to, they said, "Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia". So they weren't referring to individual cities or specific areas, oh no, they insinuated that entire countries were too dangerous for them! Their prejudices and inaccurate judgments irked me and from that point onwards, if I was in a room with them and their backs were turned, I would reel off a variety of rapid, silent and rude hand gestures, which, of course, is the adult thing to do. That taught them!<br /><br />Now we're in Mendoza, which is a smaller and prettier city than BA in the mid/south of Argentina, famous for its fine red wine production and accompanying vineyards. Yesterday on Xmas eve Cressy and I did paragliding, which was excellent fun! We had to wait a few hours for the right conditions with wind etc ( I had a curry the night before) but once I got up there it was amazing fun!! With about 5 minutes to go during the flight, the pilot asked me if I was adventurous and would like to try some aerial acrobatics. My answer, of course, was, "no, because I am a wimp"! Eventually I relented and we did some steep turns on the way down which completely turned my stomach and made me feel rough, but it was a fantastic experience! However, the highlight of the trip was finding out that Alejandro's assistant, who helps him with preparing the parachute, was in fact a stripper and made more money in one weekend stripping than he does in one month with the paragliding! He also shaves his entire body, and even dropped his trousers to prove he shaves his legs. To be polite, I also dropped my trousers, to show what a proper set of hairy chicken legs should look like.<br /><br />Now it's Christmas! It certainly does not feel like it as the weather is fantastic and I am in a hostel. I miss my family a lot, more than I thought I would actually, and am jealous of the fun and festivities they're having. Miss my friends too, all 757 of them!<br /><br />Today will be a tranquil affair I believe but tomorrow we hit the vineyards and will rent bikes from a man called Hugo. Who wouldn't?Sam Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246899550087729659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250786127478164404.post-9517547922997498422009-12-19T07:39:00.000-08:002009-12-19T07:57:19.288-08:00Long-nosed racoons bite!Let me explain the title. On my final morning at the rescue centre in Florianopolis, I helped with the feeding of the animals again. Despite their innocent appearance the Cuachis (things that look like a cross between a racoon and an anteater) are little b%stards!! I was placing food around their shelter for them to find & eat later, and then one of them jumped on my arms and scratched and gave me a little bite! Immediately I was thinking ´do I need to get a rabies jab?´ but all the staff at the centre reassured me all the animals are vaccinated every month and have no contact with any wild animals (apart from illicit jungle parties). So the only thing damaged was my pride! My relationship with the animals wasn´t the same following the incident and I wanted to bite them back. I decided against this in the end.<br /><br />We´ve been at Iguazu falls for the last 2 days and it is definitely the most spectacular thing I´ve ever seen. The national park around it on the Argentinian side is fantastically arranged & maintained and you´re able to walk on eco-friendly bridges right up to the edge of the falls. In my opinion, it is much better than both Niagra & Angel Falls down to its size, beautiful setting and the ferocity of the water as it cascades. Fortunately, my camera battery died just as we got to the perfect place to capture all this imagery. There was a nice chap at the spot who takes pictures professionally so we gave him our business - less than 5 pounds for the pleasure!<br /><br />Now we head to Buenos Aires on an 18 hour bus journey. This is no ordinary bus though, oh no! We have fully reclining leather seats, food served to us, drinks served (including wine and whisky), private toilet and movies all the way! All for just 40 quid. I would take that over the plane any day!Sam Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246899550087729659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250786127478164404.post-38185969106842961122009-12-15T16:18:00.000-08:002009-12-15T16:44:50.895-08:00Feeding OttersFlorianopolis has been a interesting affair! At first, though our surroundings are beautiful and the weather is great, Cressy and I almost felt like there wasn't a great deal to do and were a little restless. Au contraire Rodney!<br /><br />Marcelo and Junior (the people who run the wildlife rescue centre) insisted we stayed for longer than 2 days, so we obliged and ended up being here for 5. Well, we didn't want to be rude!<br /><br />Today is a perfect example of why we now think it is great here!I got up at about 7:45 a.m. to help Edu, a lovely guy who works here, prepare the food for the animals and then actually go into their enclosures and give it to them. This was interesting on two accounts - firstly, some of them are officially mental and secondly I don't actually know what type of animal they are! The ones we first visited seem to be a cross between a raccoon and an anteater, but either way, they were very grateful for the food and I was grateful to come away with my eyes in tact (but 3 limbs missing). In total, it took about 1 hour and a half to feed all the animals, including some otters, which, incidentally are hilarious! They huff like dogs and quarrel with each other, but most of all love eating fish.<br /><br />Following this, the corned beef and I 'chilled out' on the beach (which is amazing and only 10 mins walk from here) for a couple of hours and then gorged ourselves at the vegetarian buffet restaurant which is next to the path that leads down to the beach. For a kilo of food I paid just over £3. I didn't have my own set of scales by the way, a common thing here is for a restaurant to advertise a price of food per 100g and then charge accordingly.<br /><br />Later in the afternoon, Edu offered to take us on a 10k hike into the forest to a spot that had a gorgeous waterfall and a natural pool for us to swim in. So we did just that - we hiked into the forest and we swam in a secluded natural pool deep into the forest. I had to wrestle a few poisonous snakes and spiders but that's all in a day's work.<br /><br />The word 'cerveja' ( Brazilian for beer) was used approximately 45,000 times on the walk back and we fully deserved the ice cold beauties that awaited us upon our return. Except for the joker 'only 1/3 full' can that managed to find its way into our 12 - the supermarket will be hearing from my lawyer.<br /><br />So all in all it was a fantastic day - my favourite so far! But what was the best thing of all? Cressy actually wore a pair of shorts that showed more than her ankles!<br /><br />Therefore, Florianopolis has been great for all of the reasons above. There are actually some poisonous snakes and spiders around the place, but as long as you make an effort to speak Portuguese they're usually quite friendly.<br /><br />Tomorrow we head for Foz Iguassu (Iguassu Falls) by bus with slightly heavy hearts but looking forward to everything that awaits.Sam Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246899550087729659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250786127478164404.post-22312590334208215352009-12-12T07:28:00.000-08:002009-12-12T08:05:06.475-08:00Florianopolis<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8cs6if8f2FcuO582rr-qv-Qd8cSvRJfl8p3O4jrH0mUZvjuF620pIc-Lao_ZCHXAJMA6TRNjhfwRgEZWCaj-Xq9HM7z_rUPx3ctrZB01qNf3M-uV9cmcUkVh-DGTr2dYai5CvRtVC3SJ/s1600-h/DSC01709.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8cs6if8f2FcuO582rr-qv-Qd8cSvRJfl8p3O4jrH0mUZvjuF620pIc-Lao_ZCHXAJMA6TRNjhfwRgEZWCaj-Xq9HM7z_rUPx3ctrZB01qNf3M-uV9cmcUkVh-DGTr2dYai5CvRtVC3SJ/s320/DSC01709.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414381330612823922" /></a><br />Here we go again.<br /><br />I have some interesting items to discuss!<br /><br />Firstly, the integrity of my blog. I am frank and honest with it, as it is a true reflection of what I am like and it acts as a diary for my thoughts. However, there may come a time when people who read my blog may be offended by some things I write. I did consider this and despite protestations from the missus, I wont (there are some characters missing from this keyboard like the apostrophe and question mark so just bear with the erroneous grammar please) be editing it to keep the peace. I never have done and never will! The situation arose because I found one person in our hostel in Salvador annoying, as explained in my previous post. Cressy pointed out that there is a good chance she will read it, and may be offended. Whilst I agree with this, I decided it wont change my tack. Im sticking with it! This is, after all, for the benefit of myself, loved ones and friends!<br /><br />Secondly, I can~t remember. Oh yes, maybe I can! I watched the internet movie Zeitgeist last night, and, oh my god, found it incredibly scary. It completely confirmed what I have suspected all along! The world is run by a bunch of evil b*stards who keep rich people rich and poor people poor. There are some fascinating highlights like proof that Christianity is a hoax that has been copied from previous ancient religions and Pearl Harbour was completey anticipated, expected and that it was used as an excuse to enter the war, so that the US economy could boom from the production of arms. There is compelling evidence that September 11th(and the London bombings) were planned by the secret services to brainwash the public into supporting the 'war on terror'. Almost makes me think,'why do we bother', but then I think the world will become a better place when everybody just focuses on helping each other and forgets making rich people richer. Power to the people!<br /><br />To head in a different direction altogether, what does 'urbane bons mots' mean..I will be researching that. I love learning new words.<br /><br />Cressy and I are in Florianopolis now at a beautiful wildlife rescue centre. So far we have been very warmly welcomed by Marcelo (who looks a little bit like Frodo's father from Lord Of The Rings) and Junior (who looks like Billy Bob Thornton - no doubt). Very nice people who are very hospitable, warm, welcoming and humourous. The centre is fantastic too and I look forward to finding all the information about it. I find it inspiring to meet people who dedicate their lives to helping people or animals. That is the course for me!<br /><br />Right..will attempt to upload some photos now. There's not many as Salvador was a bit too dodgy to flash the old camera. <br /><br />Keep it real homies and stick it to the man!Sam Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246899550087729659noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250786127478164404.post-54040908747322886052009-12-09T08:15:00.000-08:002009-12-09T08:24:06.812-08:00Big breakfasts and beachesThe good news is me and the missus are friends!Ilike the fact we can be p*ssed off with each other for a couple of hours but then chat about it like adults. Of course I am always right though!<br /><br />The breakfast at the hostel is amazing!! Warm bread rolls with cheese, cucumber and tomato is standard fare (a fried egg was a welcome surprise addition today), normally to be washed down with fresh mango juice. My tactic is to fill up on that, burn it off for a couple of hours, then do very little during the time of day that only mad dogs and Englishmen venture out in. Evenings are usually spent having a laugh at the hostel with the other travellers. Note, we are travellers, man.<br /><br />Last night was good fun - we went out with a nice couple from the hostel from Australia to watch some samba parties. He's originally from Israel but has lived in USA, Oz and is moving to UK. Truth be told she seems a little bit mental and controlling, but nobody's perfect hey! Typical ex-school teachers!!<br /><br />This arvo we're going to the beach and then this evening, who knows!Sam Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246899550087729659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250786127478164404.post-37154942720054468092009-12-08T11:52:00.000-08:002009-12-08T12:14:36.173-08:00Angry blog!There was a wicked street party we went to in Salvador today. The sun was blazing, the beer was flowing and the street food was excellent. Then some b*stard decided to stick his hand in my pocket to try to take my money - luckily I noticed him doing it immediately and pushed his hand away. At this point I felt like I wanted to knock the cheeky b*stards' teeth out, but that was never going to happen.<br /><br />He hung around in the same area for a while and I was looking at him, probably transmitting the message that I would like to disembowel him (in a nice way). He then walked over and said something in an aggressive way, and I felt on edge from that point onwards. Fortunately he carried on walking, but the fun was over for me.<br /><br />I considered telling the police to have him apprehended, but decided it was going to be more hassle than it was worth, as he was in a group of blokes who looked pretty shady. <br /><br />At this point, as I was worked up and still on edge, a sympathetic and understanding ear is what was I wanted and it didn't feel like that's what Iwas getting. Essentially, it felt like the missus was saying, "the police wouldn't be interested as he didn't take anything" and just generally that they wouldn't be interested because they don't care about stuff like that. I tried to make the point that with the Olympic Games and World Cup coming the tourist police were on our side and very keen to stamp that stuff out. Felt like it fell on deaf ears! Like I mentioned, I just wanted a supportive and understanding presence and it did not feel like I was getting that! Therefore, argument number 2 ensued, and continues at this very moment.<br /><br />On a more positive note, we booked our flight from Salvador to Florianopolis yesterday to visit the wildlife rescue centre (it would have been a 40 hour bus journey and my flat arse can't take that anymore) and also spent a few hours on a gorgeous beach about 40 mins from the centre. White sand, blue skies, warm weather and chilled beer for just over £1 a pop. The evening was spent drinking Caiparinhas (something worth noting - the predicted text offered the suggestion 'Cheesepairings' when I typed in the name of this drink) and having a laugh with some nice people from the hostel. Brazil is great but too expensive so we have decided to bail out a week early, to move on to Argentina.<br /><br />Tonight there's a free party just around the corner with local bands playing, but I haven't decided if I feel like going yet.<br /><br />Keep it real and keep your hands on your pockets!Sam Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246899550087729659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250786127478164404.post-80898684722414683522009-12-06T17:37:00.000-08:002009-12-06T18:08:37.891-08:00Salvador - Nous sommes arriveeI officially have a flat arse now, as our bus journey from Rio to Salvador was 28 hours long. I must have woken up about 25 times and thought, 'are we there yet?'. Now we are! <br /><br />The good news is I only ate beans and rice 3 times today. Shockingly, it cost me £3 for each dinner, as cooking facilities were at a minimum on the bus. To make up for it, the toilet smelt of p*ss, which was a nice and helped me doze off. <br /><br />The films were pretty good - one was about Christopher Columbus and his conquering of the West Indies (as they are now). It enraged me slightly as it painted too innocent a picture of him - he was after all a savage who pillaged his way across a continent who greeted him with open arms!<br /><br />One point I feel I neglected to pay sufficient attention to was how fun it was to hang around with Felipe, the guy who arranges the volunteer programs for Realgap in Rio. As always, it was great to meet with someone who was local to the area and can take us to places off the beaten track. For example, we visited a couple of social projects in the favelas and met some really nice people. It completely cemented my intention to run a charity full-time when I'm older (and richer).<br /><br />I'd like to pay homage to Bill Bryson. I downloaded one of his books (I'm a Stranger Here Myself) just before we left, partly because I didn't recognise many of the other authors who were available to download to my book reader. And I think I am in literary love with him! He is so funny and sarcastic and entertaining - completely unexpected as I thought he was just a travel writer. I will definitely be buying more of his books and recommend him highly.<br /><br />Tomorrow we aim to book our flights back to the south of Brazil (it's the same price as getting the bus, but much faster, bizarrely) and then sit on the beach. I don't like to rub it in, but it is over 30 degrees again.<br /><br />Liverpool drew 0-0 with Blackburn I see. Can someone please inform me when the incompetent, whinging Spaniard gets sacked please? Tell him I threaten to phone Radio 5 again!Sam Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246899550087729659noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250786127478164404.post-60321565307368152482009-12-03T18:08:00.000-08:002009-12-03T18:18:43.543-08:00Heeo Ja JaneiroThe reason for the title is that we are now in Rio (it is 35 degrees and sunny, not that I want to rub it in) and in Portuguese it seems you think of the most logical way to pronounce a word, then do the opposite, and he presto! You sound Brazilian!<br /><br />This will be a quick one as internet is not reliabe and I am sweating my proverbials off.<br /><br />Plane journey over sucked a*se - I think they picked me the worst seat on the plane due to jealousy over my good looks - it didn't recline so I was sat upright for 10 and a half hours! Was glad to get here in the end.<br /><br />So, we're here in beautiful Rio. The weather, and people, are gorgeous. Sun, sand and cheap food. It's actually quite expensive here but Cressy and I have been good for a couple of nights now and cooked in the hostel. Tonight's dinner cost a whopping 30p! (Pasta with tomato sauce for anyone that is interested - "bags of flavour!")<br /><br />We visited a lovely project in the favelas here today called Fight For Peace, with Felipe, the local partner here. He is a real character and great fun - and, he has a beard!!<br /><br />Tomorrow we head to Salvador, which is the African capital of Brazil. It's where the slaves all landed on the continent and over 80% of the population is black. Loking forward to it!<br /><br />Right, off for a late night shower and a shave. <br /><br />Keep it real homies - Tudo Beleza!Sam Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246899550087729659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250786127478164404.post-80625016458027850962009-11-29T20:13:00.000-08:002009-11-29T20:24:34.250-08:00Leaving VancouverThe days seem quite short here at the moment, as we get aboot (sic.) 5 hours of sunshine. For anyone reading this in the UK, you'll be pleased to know the weather SUCKS, so I am looking forward to some sun in Rio!<br /><br />We met Brian for lunch today at one of the restaurants he works in and it was great. It has a spectacular view overlooking the city and is set in pretty surroundings. All his work colleagues were very friendly and funny to talk to and we had good times chatting over dinner, which, incidentally, was delicious! Nice bottle of Canadian Riesling to wash it down with too.<br /><br />Cressy and I had our first journey on Canadian public transport to head back to the apartment, which was AMAZING. It was a metal tube-shaped object balanced upon wheels which travelled at close to the speed of sound UNDER THE GROUND. What next? <br /><br />We had our first tiff over selecting a bottle of wine to give to Brian as a thankyou gift. I would have preferred to discuss which colour, what variety, why we're buying it, but it seemed the missus had already made her mind up, which led to a set-to! Going forward, conversation between the two warring factions has been limited but a UN peacekeeper is being flown in to resolve the dispute. Watch this space!<br /><br />Rio here we come...Sam Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246899550087729659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250786127478164404.post-29388491359806043472009-11-28T20:14:00.000-08:002009-11-28T20:25:37.245-08:00Vancouver Day 2Stanley Park inline skating yeah?! Nope. Autumnal weather put a stop to that.<br /><br />Mole and I walked a good few miles again, crossing over into southern parts of Vancouver to get some camping gear and buy Brian a gift for being so hospitable. We decided on Howard Zinn's book called 'People's History of America - from 1492 to Present' as Brian and I had discussed it for a wee while and he seemed keen on it. I loved it and got the impression he shared my leftist 'let's stick it to the man' attitude so thought it would be ideal!<br /><br />The weather absolutely sucked today, so we were just desperate to get in, get warm and have a cup of tea. Of course I am now sitting here typing in my boxers, as my jeans were soaked through and I haven't summoned the energy to put anything else on. Cressy is hardcore and has been asleep on the sofa for approx. 1 h 30 mins, and it's only just after 8 p.m.. I may be adventurous and walk around the corner later to buy some beer, but that is yet to be confirmed.<br /><br />Tomorrow we're going to meet Brian for lunch at the Queen Elizabeth Park and then who knows what may happen. For a change, I may eat some pizza and drink some beer. Hard life!Sam Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246899550087729659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4250786127478164404.post-49789825541954518572009-11-27T17:49:00.000-08:002009-11-27T18:08:52.454-08:00VancouverSo, not sure how to start this. As it's my blog, do I say hello? Well, anyway, this will suffice.<br /><br />Me & the missus are in Vancouver! Flight was nice and easy and flew by (excuse the pun). Cressy's friend Brian picked us up from the airport and is putting us up in his flat. What a legend! Really nice guy, funny, friendly and very hospitable. His place is slap bang in the city centre and is really nice. A wicked batchelor pad, complete with frosted screen on the outside wall of the shower, which means we're all getting to know each others' silhouettes!!<br /><br />First night we were jet(s)lagged so just went for a few beers (14) then went to bed at about 8 p.m. . Brian came in from work at 2 a.m. ish so we stayed up talking and putting the world right for a couple of hours. I think Obama will be on the phone any day now.<br /><br />Today, on our second day the corned beef (Cressy) and I had our orientation meeting in the city and then followed it with loads of walking, puncuated by regular stops for pizza, falafel, hash browns, tea and coffee. So we're sticking to the 'healthy eating' target religiously so far. We took a trip up the skytower and I coped magnificently with both the glass fronted lift and at the top of it. I even struck up the courage to walk towards the windows and look out. <br /><br />Vancouver feels like a sober version of California to me - people are down to earth, friendly, have funny accents, say 'aboot' and the men generally have goatee beards, which is of course a sign that they shouldn't be trusted. There are lots of trendy small dogs with jackets on, generally accompanied by owners who also have jackets, incidentally.<br /><br />Tonight we intend to walk into the city, have a few bevvies and go up the skytower to see the night lights.<br /><br />Day count: 2.<br />Argument count: 0<br />Me being right count: 475,000<br />Me being excellent with directions: as above.<br /><br />Tomorrow we plan to hire roller blades, explore Stanley Park and visit the aquarium.<br /><br />More to follow.Sam Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246899550087729659noreply@blogger.com0