.... any way the wind blows ...

Winding Up Colombia

2012-01-25T03:05:00.000+11:00

21 to 25 January, 2012 – Barichara, Bogotá (Colombia)

So, it happened again. Avianca flight from San Andrés to Bogotá was running late, leaving us with an extremely shortened connection for our flight to Bucaramanga. Huffing and puffing our way through Bogotá airport is becoming the norm, for us! Off the plane, out of arrivals, around, in we go, and straight on.

Landing in Bucamaranga was amazing. The city sits in valleys, while the airport is on a "meseta", hundreds of metres higher in altitude. Coming in, at dusk, we were admiring the city, when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, land appeared just off from the wing. As I was about to comment to Jo that we were passing a mountain awfully close, we landed on that very piece of land.

The drive between Bucamaranga and San Gil is also amazing. Winding down into a cavernous canyon and ascending the other side. Beautiful, but hairraising. Our nerves were not helped by the fact that in Colombia, double lines are treated as a suggestion to not pass...

From Our Delightful Room - Barichara, Colombia
The hotel is almost 300 years old, and the room was decorated with antiques. But the best thing? Hot water! Haven't had hot water for about a month. And here, it ran very hot, very steady. I had the longest shower I've had on this trip.

Filet Mignon - With Ant Sauce
Yes, that's right. Hormigas culonas, or fat bottomed ants. Steak, with an ant sauce, topped off with a handful of fried ants. Actually, it was a tasty dish. Although, the fried ants themselves actually resembled, in both taste and texture, burnt peanuts. Barichara, Colombia.

A Close-up of an Ant on My Steak
One of the fried fat-bottomed ants on my steak. Hormigas culonas are a regional culinary tradition, around Barichara (Colombia). Apparently, they are quite the aphrodisiac...

A gorgeous, non-touristy Colonial village in Colombia. An enchanting place to stay.
A gorgeous, non-touristy Colonial village in Colombia. An enchanting place to stay.

Snapped From a Hurtling Bus...
While rocketing between San Gil and Bucaramanga, we wound to the bottom of this canyon and followed a river out of it again. An incredibly beautiful part of Colombia, and it allowed us to take our mind of the erratic driving for a bit. Did you know, for instance, that double lines in Colombia indicate that you have to drive faster to overtake another vehicle? "High accident zone" on a sign indicates that you must drive in a fashion that allows this zone to hold on to it's title. And numbers on signs with red circles, while elsewhere in the world this may indicate a limit of some sort, here it indicates a bare minimum speed.

From Reggaeton to Calypso

2012-01-21T10:50:00.000+11:00

17 to 21 January, 2012 – Isla San Andrés (Colombia)

Did Two Letters Fall From the Sign
"I drive really slow in the ultra-fast lane; While people behind me are going insane."

A very unfortunate name for a business, methinks. Isla San Andrés, Colombia.

Now, on to more serious things... San Andrés (and nearby Providencia) are politically part of Colombia, although geographically much closer to Nicaragua, and historically part of the English empire. Thankfully we missed the highest point of high season, and still found it as paradisical as expected, although if a few more tourists had been thrown in to the mix at remoter places around the island, then we may have lamented at paradise lost. Nearby islets, Johnny Cay and Acuario, could not have held many more people when we visited. But in contrast, we still found some little spots that we could call ours for a couple of hours. There were opportunities for snorkelling, and while it was fun with the fish, there really was not much coral to be seen.

Happy Fishies
Acuario Cay, Isla San Andrés, Colombia.

I Never Thought I'd Get a Cuddle From a Sting Ray
They told us that we would find manta rays here. I am no expert, but am fairly sure this is not a manta ray, but rather a variety of sting ray. In any case, it had no qualms about being handled, and was very gentle when held. Acuario Cay, Isla San Andrés, Colombia.

"We Like To Do Everything Together"
A fish couple. Acuario Cay, Isla San Andrés, Colombia.

An Iguana on Johnny Cay
Johnny Cay, Isla San Andrés, Colombia.

Cool Camouflage
Another iguana on Johnny Cay, Isla San Andrés, Colombia.

Throw a White Cap On Him and Call Him a Smurf
An incredibly blue lizard. Another reptile resident of Johnny Cay, Isla San Andrés, Colombia.

The Oldest Church on San Andrés
A 170 year old Baptist Church. A beautiful wooden structure in the English speaking part of Isla San Andrés, Colombia.

Guess Who?

We Can Never Resist a Cute Pair of Kittens

View of Johnny Cay, Isla San Andrés
Johnny Cay sits about 1.5 kilometres from the beach at San Andrés, Colombia. A popular day trip takes you out there to sunbathe with the iguanas. It is a picturesque place.

Incidently, while most people come here for the sun, the sand, and the sea, another attraction is all the duty free stuff. For us, this equated to really cheap beer. 50 cent cans, and that was from the 24 hour mini-market. Buy them from the shop, head down to the beach, park yourself within 300 metres of a club, and enjoy the music for free. Incidently, no person in Colombia plays music at a level below ear-splittingly loud, so you can be certain of hearing a club's music from this kind of distance. The only real problem, is that wherever you sit, you are within 300 metres of many clubs, so you have many tunes at varying levels that you need to perform audio gymnastics to separate. Still some reggaeton, which dominated the mainland coast, some calypso which always makes an appearance on Caribbean islands, and some other more traditional styles of the Latin region. We were, however, surprised to not hear any Bob Marley.

Getting here involved us making the second shortest air connection we have ever done. Co-incidentally, the shortest connection ever for us was at the same airport, but in 1997. Then, we ran through the airport with blank boarding passes and had the door of the plane closed behind us as we wandered up the aisle looking for any empty seats. This time, it was slightly more organised, only in-so-much as we had proper boarding passes with allocated seats. Even so, ten minutes is not a long time to exit one aircraft, leave the arrivals area through baggage claim, make your way past all the check-in counters, go through security, in to the departure lounge, and board your next flight!

The Extreme North of the Continent

2012-01-16T12:51:00.000+11:00

13 to 16 January, 2012 – La Guajira / Punta Gallinas, Santa Marta (Colombia)

We got whipped by the wind and drenched by the waves. Ploughing along the northern coast of Colombia, heading to Punta Gallinas, the northernmost point of the continent. Our tiny boat was tossed around. Salt water crashed over us, almost like somebody was standing above us emptying one bucketload after another. Looking at each other, we hung on to the belief that in this particular instance, it was all about the destination, not the journey. This was a bit more adventure than we had thought we needed.

Thankfully, we were right. The destination is magnificent. It's remote. It's wild. It's barren. It's so beautiful.

Early Evening Light
The rugged landscape near Cabo de La Vela, Colombia.

Inlet Beach
Near Punta Gallinas, just 50 metres from where we were staying, is this lovely beach. Mangroves...

The Northernmost Point of the Continent
Punta Gallinas, Colombia, as far north as you can get on the South American landmass. Wild, remote, and totally otherworldly.

Climbing the Dune
Ascending on the landward side of the dunes at Taroa Beach, near Punta Gallinas, Colombia.

Slide Down the Dune, Straight Into the Sea
Gorgeous windsculpted dunes at Taroa Beach, Colombia. Perfectly formed and positioned hard up against the water's edge.

Beach Goats
Early morning. The farmers have let their goats out to roam and feed. They descend over the cliffs on to the beach below. Punta Gallinas, Colombia.

Caracara
Perched on a windswept tree, surveying the land for a meal. Punta Gallinas, Colombia.

"Langosta"
The locusts of "La Guijara", Colombia, (nicknamed langostas - lobsters), leap wildly in...

Locust - Close-up
Climbing on a cactus...

Cactus Spines

Lobster for Every Meal
Actually, on the last day at Punta Gallinas, I chose to have the prawns. I had eaten lobster for pretty much every other meal.

The return boat trip was much more sedate. It was a very pleasant crossing, with the wind and waves coming from behind. This made the boat crossing over an hour shorter.

But the adventure was not over. The 4WD journey had its hiccups.

Flat Number Two
This was the spare. We had already had a flat tyre, and a few kilometres down the road, this is what happened to the replacement.

We stopped in Uribia on the way back. It is the capital of the region. It only numbers a few thousand residents, but swells every day with locals from the surrounding countryside. Organised chaos.

A Goat Transported by Bike
At the market, there were a couple of guys who seemed to have the job of getting goats on to bicycles. Uribia, La Guijara, Colombia.

Tax-free Black Market Petrol
Smuggled over the border from Venezuela. No bowsers, though, just syphoned directly from cans. La Guijara, Colombia.

And here's a lovely photo to finish on.

My Beautiful Wife
At Punta Gallinas, the northernmost point of South America.

Reaching the Colombian Caribbean

2012-01-12T13:11:00.000+11:00

5 to 12 January, 2012 – Tolú, Cartagena (Colombia)

After a long haul on the bus, we arrived at the Caribbean coast, at a town called Tolú. Largely bypassed by foreign visitors, but a popular place with Colombian tourists, the town partied till all hours. Tolú is a base for boat trips to the Islas San Bernardo, tiny Caribbean islands with white sand beaches surrounded by mangroves. Despite the disappointing snorkelling, we had a great day trip, enjoying some sun, some swimming, and a beer or two.

Wonky
A pier on a tiny island in the Caribbean archipelago, Islas de San Bernardo, near Tolú, Colombia.

Those parties? They happen anywhere and everywhere. Even at our hotel! One guy had a pair of speakers, about a metre high, in the doorway of his room, plugged in to his laptop. A variety of music blasted out for many hours, on to the terrace and across to all the rooms. Surprisingly, this is not something that a Colombian hotel thinks is a problem. At one point, amongst the random tunes, a couple of tango numbers made an appearance. Jo commented that "Unless they are actually doing a tango, there is no excuse for the music to be that loud." I had to look - and yes, a few couples were out of their rooms and on the terrace, tangoing!

But, it was a nice place to be to celebrate 22 years of marriage – you can't complain when you are at the Caribbean, can you. We did have to leave our anniversary dinner until we were in Cartagena. Limited options in Tolú meant that, despite our seafood stew there being one of the most amazing dishes we have ever eaten, the atmosphere was lacking somewhat.

Cartagena, on the other hand, overflows with atmosphere. The centre is full of centuries old Colonial architecture, photogenic on every turn. It turned in to nearly a full week. Much of that time was spent wandering, exploring, discovering.

Luna Llena
The full moon rises, Cartagena.

Hamburger Flavoured?
The picture implies it is not just mince meat flavour, but tomato, lettuce, cheese, and bun. That's a lot of tastes to cram in to a chip.

Cheeky
A bat in the old storerooms of a fort near Cartagena, looking up to pose for the camera.

Cartagena
A plaza in Cartagena, Colombia.

Saintly Skull
A monk, known for devoting his life ministering to the slaves of Cartagena, now entombed in a glass coffin in the church altar.

Iguana Door Knocker
Cartagena, Colombia.

Smiling Wife

Cartagena, Colmobia.
Cartagena, Colmobia.

Cartagena Street-lamp

A One-eyed, One-armed, One-legged Hero
Statue of Blas de Lezo. In previous battles, he lost an eye, an arm, and a leg, Despite this, and against all odds (25,000 to 2,500), this Spaniard successfully led the defence of Cartagena from a British naval attack. In the process, he lost his other leg, and ultimately his life. But he did get to become a statue!

Part of the Maze
One of the many tunnels that twists and winds underneath Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas. This clever network includes dead ends and false passages to confuse attackers, and runs at multiple levels.

The Magnificent Castle of Cartagena
The Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas, an impressive fort of Cartagena. This view is from a nearby shopping centre food court, a nice air conditioned spot for a break and a bite after a few hours exploring.

Cartagena, Colombia

Cartagena, Colombia

There were a couple of day trips, too.

Three Adults Share the Front Seat in a Taxi
After a convoluted sequence of transport changes, we ended up in an overloaded and cramped taxi, which then stopped to pick up two more passengers! I really didn't think there was space, but apparently I was wrong.

Mudding Up
This was in Volcán de Lodo el Totumo., Colombia. After ascending this tiny volcano of mud, we joined the hordes of Colombians and immersed ourselves. The mud was thick, almost like a gel, and kept us extremely buoyant. The bottom could not be touched, but sinking would not even be possible. The biggest danger was letting your feet get near the surface, because the most difficult thing was fighting the tendency to float, and get your legs and feet back down.

Everyone Gets In The Mud
Fun for all the family. Volcán de Lodo el Totumo, Colombia.

Rinsing Off
After the mud bath, it is down to the river to swim yourself clean. Volcán de Lodo el Totumo, Colombia.

On an entirely different note, there are the odd products one finds for sale in foreign countries. I'm not just referring to hamburger flavoured chips, but how about hair products with sheep placenta to help stop hair falling out and encourage regrowth. Or bottles of treatments made from "real duck embryos". Hmmmm....

Gorditos y Casas con Colores

2012-01-04T12:03:00.000+11:00

2 to 4 January, 2012 – Medellín, Santa Fe de Antioquia, Guatapé (Colombia)

Toilet Paper Vending Machine
We have encountered places where you are required to pay for toilet paper, before, but toilet paper vending machines are common, and in fact, the norm, in Colombia.

Medellín turned out to be a very pleasant city to pass a few days, particularly with the day trips to be had.

Again, as in Bogotá, an appreciation of all things fat is garnered by numerous artworks by Botero. His gordo paintings and sculptures can be found in many nooks and crannies in town, including advertising, but especially in the sculpture park, which is entirely dedicated to him.

Kids with Botero
Medellin has a sculpture park full of Botero's gordos (fatties).

A Random Corridor
A nice building, open, and we wandered through.

Looking Down - Sculture Park
Looking down to the park full of Botero sculptures, Medellin.

Candles, Church, Medellin, Colombia

Monumento a la Raza
Impressive and dramatic sculpture in Medellin.

Perhaps typical of cities in this part of the world, we encountered great difficulty in finding somewhere to eat in the centro, particularly later. At 8 p.m., we wandered the streets to find no restaurants open, and the majority of snack bars pulling down their shutters and washing their floors. Finally, one little bar took pity on us. Despite having most chairs on tables and counting the till, they invited us to a table and sold us some empanadas.

The first of two great day trips we made from Medellín was to Santa Fe de Antioquia, and the nearby Puente Occidente. The main transport around town, and to the bridge, is provided by a fleet of seemingly out-of-place Indian styled moto-taxis. Back in Santa Fe, we discussed who might come and visit us in this remote Colombian village if we bought that cute place that was for sale right on the plaza.

Distraction...
Some locals, just out of frame, started telling their friend off for walking in to the shot. They berated him, pointing at Jo and myself, and highlighting his complete lack of awareness!

Puente de Occidente
An impressive 19th century suspension bridge, one of the first on the continent. Now a national monument and closed to traffic.

Church in Santa Fe
Santa Fe de Antioquia, Colombia.

Santa Fe Streetscape
Santa Fe de Antioquia, Colombia.

Church and Plaza
Santa Fe de Antioquia, Colombia.

Comfortable Enough to Sleep
But with dolly to keep you company, anywhere can be bed...

Our second full day excursion had us climbing a monolithic rock before heading in to the nearby village of Guatapé. Excuse the large number of photos we have decided to include, but seriously, Guatapé was just too cute for words!

Heading Up to La Piedra, or "The Rock"
The approach to La Piedra, from the highway. The greater part of the climb lies ahead.

View From La Piedra
The island filled lake spread out below La Piedra, Guatapé, Colombia.

A Couple at the Top of "The Rock"
Matching blue shirts for the day.

Two Dogs in Gatapé
The shadow of a street lamp, two dogs, and some painted reliefs, Guatapé, Colombia.

A Music Shop in Guatapé
Almost all houses and businesses in town have painted reliefs and colourful doors. Guatapé, Colombia.

A Lounging Gatito
A wriggling and sprawling Colombian cat.

House Decoration
Guatapé, Colombia.

The House Next Door, Guatapé
Another beautifully decorated home, Guatapé, Colombia. The uniqueness of each home's patterns and colours shows much thought on the part of the residents. Barely a single building lacked some such adornment.

Typical Streetscape
Looking down an average and typical street in Guatapé, Colombia.

Another Guatapé Door – Another Guatapé Animal Lounging
Sailboats decorate this home, representative of the lake which Guatapé sits beside.

Guatapé Children Doing Homework
Christmas decorations yet to be taken down, but it's hard to believe they even feel a need to put any up! The colourful town must always feel ready for a party of some sort.

Guatapé Museum
These painted reliefs decorate the building housing the Museum in Guatapé, Colombia.

Street Lamps
The glass of the street lamps have been changed to cast Christmas motifs. Guatapé, Colombia.

Colourful Apartment Buildings
Even the apartment buildings in Guatapé get in on the action.

A Dozen Grapes and Some Whiskey

2012-01-01T14:07:00.000+11:00

28 December, 2011 to 1 January, 2012 – Bogotá, Zipaquirá (Colombia)

Bogotá. Contrary to all probable preconceptions, we found ourselves feeling both very safe and very welcome in Bogotá. We are staying in an area north of the centre, about 30 minutes in the "Transmilenio", Bogotá's version of a metro. Couchsurfing courtesy of Isabel.

Downtown Bogotá

Bogotá Streetscape

A Random Courtyard
We spent most of our time in Bogotá in aimless and random wandering. We came across this lovely courtyard, enticed in to the building by an art exhibition.

Me and a Fat Hand
At the Museo de Botero, Bogotá. One of Botero's famous gordos.

Monseratte from Museo de Botero
Visible from many places in Bogotá, Monseratte tends to pick up the afternoon sun.

Three Characters
In a small plaza in Bogotá. I felt they were an almost unlikely trio of friends. And yet, a fantastic and harmonious company.

Looking to Monseratte
View from Plaza Bolivar, Bogotá.

Bogotá, from Monseratte
We joined the hordes on new year's day, and climbed to the white church which watches over the entire city.

One of the best things when travelling is sampling the local delicacies...

Dipping Cheese in Hot Chocolate
A very bogotano dish. It was quite a weird combination. This was in the best place to try such a dish, La Puerta Falsa. The cafe has been in business since 1816.

Another Strange Bogotano Dish
Squeaky white cheese, with dulce de leche (caramelised sweetened condensed mild) and strawberry jam. Jo's expression probably sums it up for us.

We made an extremely worthwhile daytrip to nearby Zipaquirá.

Inside the Salt Cathedral
The cathedral is carved out of an old salt mine, at Zipaquirá. It is a beautiful place to visit. Unfortunately, the photo does not do justice to the scale.

Church Interior
Zipaquirá, near Bogotá.

Zipaquirá Plaza
A day trip from Bogotá.

One of the best things about couchsurfing is the opportunity to gain local knowledge, inside tips, and even be taken to places that you would never get to when passing through as a traveller.

With Isa and Guillermo
Isabel is our Bogotá couchsurfing host, and Guillermo is her novio.

Night View Over Bogotá

Oh, and those 12 grapes and whiskey? New Years Eve with a Colombian family is going to be different to New Years Eve in Australia. Knowing that we were invited to spend the night with Isabel and her family, and not knowing the way things normally happen, we decided it would be important to not fill up. Parties always have food, and if there is no dinner, we can probably fill up on nibbles, verdad? When we arrived, we could smell delicious odours from the kitchen. We were introduced to the extended family and friends in attendance, and spent some time chatting. But no food. Drinks were offered - whiskey or a soft drink. After a couple of whiskies on our empty stomachs, we both felt we better not drink more before food, otherwise our Spanish would get better, but only for the two of us... Hours later, we counted in the New Year, still with stomachs containing nothing but whiskey, and yet with delicious aromas coming from the kitchen. But, at midnight, there was something that had to be eaten first. A dozen grapes. Nobody told us the significance, but we were just told it was traditional. And then, minutes later, the food began coming out of the kitchen. And what an amazing feast we had. A traditional Colombian stew, to which one could add from a range of bowls. Chicken, corn, avocado, cream, capers. I skipped the capers. It was a wonderfully memorable New Years Eve.

When My Baby Smiles at Me I Go To ...

2011-12-25T11:31:00.001+11:00

20 to 28 December, 2011 – Rio de Janeiro (Brasil)

Did you here about the uproar, the commotion in São Paolo airport, caused by an Australian fellow? Surely, it was so dramatic, it must have made the news! It seems that he had a tomato in his bag. Oh, he did declare it. Left overs from a picnic. Fearful of losing the lot on arrival, he ate the salami and cheese, but the lesser valued tomato was not worth consuming. However, not wanting to waste it, the said tomato made it on the declaration rather than the bin. "No, no, no!" exclaimed the custom's officer. Dramatically, he carried it, outstretched, as if it was biohazard waste. "You cannot bring in a tomato!" This was exclaimed so loudly that almost everyone in the customs hall turned to see what was going on. "No tomatoes allowed!", he re-iterated. Surely this international scandal was on the Australian news?

As to our Rio accommodation, it's not a story worth sharing, but the end result is. We had booked an apartment in Rio to share with Lisa and Andrew, as well as Kristy who ended up being on the same flight out of Paraguay. Due to a number of circumstances, and after a bit of negotiation, we upgraded to the penthouse. There was a lot more than the beautiful view. Spa, balcony, barbecue, rooftop terrace, and a sauna, which none of us had any intention of using, given Rio's climate. The main view included nearby Pao de Acucar, with its distinctive shape and cable cars to the top, and all the way to the other side of the huge bay, with mountains in the distance. We could watch the cruise ships sail out of Rio, and the planes making their final turn and approach to land at Rio's second airport. From the rooftop, the view was even wider, including the yacht club and beach, and even the statue of Christ the Redeemer looking down, (although you did need to stand and look the other direction to include that in the vista). The way it all happened, there was little doubt about us feeling very blessed.

Lisa and Andrew have been living in nearby (well, sort of) Belo Horizonte. They have been doing mission work, and volunteer to work in areas of children at risk. Brazil has a significant problem with child exploitation and this is a challenging and intense calling for them. Them joining us in Rio was a way to have a small break from it all, as well as a chance for us all to spend Christmas with people from home.

Rio weather is supposed to be quite variable at this time, with a fair amount of rainfall. So, when we awoke to clear skies, we decided that our first day should include ascending Mount Sugarloaf, or more correctly, Pao de Acucar. After all, we see it every time we look out from our penthouse ;)

View Over Rio from Pao de Acucar
After two cable cars - sunset approaching.

Big Jesus Watching Over Rio

Sunset

Sunset Over Rio
Using sunglasses as a makeshift filter during sunset, from Pao de Acucar.

The next day, we hit centro. A wander through the main squares and streets of "downtown" Rio.

Catedral Metropolitana
Stained glass in Rio's Catedral Metropolitana.

St Francis
Silhouette in Catedral Metropolitana.

Sunlight Through the Dome
Igreja de Nossa Senhora de Candelaria, Rio de Janeiro.

Art Nouveau Afternoon Tea
Confeitaria Colombo, Rio.

On our third day straight of beautiful weather, we went up to visit Christ the Redeemer, Cristo Redentor, or Big Jesus as we started calling him. "How can I get to Christ the Redeemer?" someone asked on an internet page. One reply, "Do you mean the STATUE of Christ the Redeemer, or Christ the Redeemer. I can tell you either, but one answer may make you uncomfortable."

Riding the Cog Railway
Ascending to Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro.

Jesus Close-up
Christ the Redeemer, watching over all of Rio.

Cristo Redentor, and Us
It was a long wait to get a photo with so few others in it.

Things got nasty on the way back to town. Preparing to get off a crowded bus, we all had to squeeze through. After begrudgingly letting the other 4 past, one older guy decided he was going to make some sort of point. He refused to squeeze in that last bit to allow me past - in fact, I think he was pushing out. He pointed at some others to make room, but they were all doing their best to make a path through. I requested that he make space so I could pass, but he started yelling something in Portuguese, but included the word Brazil a few times. I finally just ploughed past him, to ensure I didn't miss the stop. Later, we made up our own interpretations. "When you come to Brazil, learn to use the bus." "Busses in Brazil should not allow foreigners on board." "When you sit on a bus in Brazil, you have to stay on till the end of the line." Certainly one of the few times ever we have encountered someone who will actively try and be nasty or rude.

Lisa and Andrew Introduced Us to Frozen Acai
It's sort-of like a slurpee, and it's a great way to cool off after pounding the streets in high 30's. Almost every snack bar sells it.

Preferential Seating for "Obesos"....
"Sorry, you can't sit here, you're just fat, not obese!"

An encounter with crime on our trip to the beach. The girls decided to swim at a different part of the beach, leaving Andrew and I to keep an eye on our things. Kristy kept an eye on her towel, which she had folded on the sand. With good reason, as it turned out. They had not been in the water long when a man walked up to the towel, looked around, and he proceeded to purloin said towel. He then went to a beach chair, draped it over, and then lay on it. By now, Kristy was charging up the beach. She confronted him with an accusation about the towel being hers. He mumbled an apology, and sheepishly handed it over. The nerve!

Rio Sunset
We watched sunset from Ponto do Arpoador.

Lisa and Andrew
At Devil's Beach, Praia do Diabo.

Santa Takes the Metro
Christmas Eve, after spending a day on the beach, we encountered Santa taking the Metro. We still think that donning such an outfit is just so he can go up to random women and give them a hug.

Did you know that Rio is famous for its giant floating Christmas tree? The "lighting of the tree" ceremony even makes the Australian news (as opposed to tomato carrying visitors).

Cute Brazilian Nativity
Donkey drinking from a coconut, with sunscreen, and an "ola". Even the gifts of the wise men have been interpreted slightly.

Giant Floating Christmas Tree
Lago Rodrigo de Freitas, Rio de Janeiro.

Christmas day was beautiful. It was so special to share an overseas Christmas with friends from home. Sometimes, Christmas on the road can feel a bit flat. But not this year! We didn't even leave the apartment!

Two Men, a Barbecue, and a Fish
Sounds like a great name for a new sitcom, hey. For Christmas lunch, we fired up the barbecue. Hot coals, and sea salt. The fish was beautiful.

A Magnificent Christmas Feast
Barbecued fish, chicken, steak, and prawns, potatoes, pumpkin, beans, carrots, snowpeas, and a great dish Kristy whipped up with tomato and onion and breadcrumbs. I still may have missed something? Merry Christmas.

Working Off Our Christmas Meal
A workout in the spa after lunch, with coffee and cake.

Picking up Kristy in Paraguay, and Border Problems

2011-12-20T13:23:00.000+11:00

16 to 20 December, 2011 – Asunción (Paraguay), Ciudad del Este (Paraguay), Foz do Iguaçu (Brasil), and Puerto Iguassu (Argentina)

Kristy, from our church, is currently living in Asunción, Paraguay. She was waiting for us at the airport, and it was like we had only seen each other a week ago, not seven months. We met the nuns she is staying with, and headed for a dinner being put on by the nun's church. A great start to our Paraguayan interlude.

Lots a Meat for Jo and Kristy
Kristy came to the airport to pick us up. Back to her house, and then out for a meaty dinner.

BTW, this meat was for more people than just the three of us....

The next day, Kristy's wonderful Nigerian friend, Emanuel, took us out for one heck of a slap up lunch. He ate nothing but meat, while we added a small amount of vegetables and salads to our predominantly meat intake.

The rest of the day and evening, we spent wandering the streets of Asunción, finishing with drinks in a downtown bar.

Arches in Downtown Asunción
The building is now one of Asunción's museums.

We bussed our way across Paraguay, to Ciudad del Este. Sunday afternoon. Very little local transport, but after a while, a bus came to take us in to Brazil. Before we knew it, we were over the border. We didn't stop. No exit stamps from Paraguay, no entry stamps to Brazil. Would this turn in to a problem? Probably not. People wander across the border all the time. No imigration, no customs, just masses of people coming and going. This must happen all the time. We'll sort it out later, in any case.

We ended up at a picturesque hostel in Brazil. From here, we made an early start to the falls. First the Brazilian side, then the Argentinian side. We went with a boat under the falls, and appreciated many different angles. The day turned out not to be as rushed as we thought it might, trying to see both sides in one day. The hour time difference between the two countries helped.

Looking into the Devil's Throat, with a Cloud Forming
El Garganta del Diablo, the Devil's Throat. The most intense and thunderous parts of Iguassu Falls, with a cloud forming above. View from the Brazilian side of the falls.

Another View of the Devil's Throat
Maybe, just maybe, this photo gives some idea of the power and magnificence of Iguassu's main falls.

Jo, Kristy, and I
A happy photo in front of Iguassu.

At the Rim, Brazilian Side of Iguassu

Lizard Pretending to Fly
No idea what this lizard was thinking about as he held his feet out in a strange way. He also seems to be in the process of growing a new tail - maybe the survivor of a close encounter with a predator.

Some Minor Falls of Iguassu
From the Argentinian side, some of the minor falls.

A Short Video Going Under the Falls
A boat into the heart of one of Iguassu's falls.

Rainbow at Iguassu
We saw so many rainbows, single and double. All that sun and spray.

Looking Out of the Devil's Throat
Standing at the rim, Argentinian side of Iguassu Falls. Looking out of El Garganta del Diablo.

Us and Water
About to be kicked out of the park, we had time for a final snap for the day. Iguassu thundering behind.

And after all of this, we headed back to Paraguay, to catch our flight from Ciudad de Este. Oops. Now, apparently, it matters that we did not stamp out when we left. "The bus did not stop", we explained to the officer. "No, it does not stop" he replied in an accusing voice, implying that a) we should have known, and b) known what to do about it. "Yes, it did not stop - oh and you have another problem - you only have a single entry visa for Paraguay - and this is a second entry". Well, that is our problem, admittedly, but if the Argentinians hadn't stamped us in and out, nobody would have known we were out of the country for three days. "You have to pay a fine" he explained, showing us the schedule of fines. But then, the options - "either now, or at the airport when you leave - either way, you will have to pay". It took us no time to decide that we would take our chances at the airport with another officer - we certainly could not be worse off.

So, at the airport, while queued, praying, trying to work out if there was better strategy in going through earlier or later, we realised we had no option but to trust God that it would all go smoothly. The officer looked at our passports for around 30 seconds, stamped our pages, and we were through - the three of us. Almost like he was blinded to the Argentinian stamps that highlighted our exit...

On the Way to a New Adventure

2011-12-15T10:00:00.001+11:00

9 to 12 December, 2011 – Auckland (New Zealand), Los Angeles (USA)

So, we found this cheap fare to get us across the Pacific, from Auckland to L.A. So, all we have to do is tag on a Melbourne-Auckland flight, and from L.A, some flights through the key places we want to get to in South America... So the total price is still not bad, but we have something like 16 flights on our itinerary, now.

So, friends and family catch ups are in order. Can't afford to have our connections too tight, now, just in case.

So, first to Auckland.

A Flower Along the Path
Just by the path, along the cliff top, Auckland.

Icecream with Amy and Karyn
Karyn is Jo's cousin - they have not seen each other in about 30 years. Amy is Karyn's daughter.

Auckland - With Shirley, Tibi, Thomas, and Milo
Great to catch up with friend, formerly of Melbourne.

And then, it was on to Los Angeles. Very good friend, Adam, who we have now met up with on five different ocassions.

Sunset at Crystal Cove

Clark Griswold - Eat Your Heart Out
No, this is not Adam's house, but is not far from where he lives. This house is in a street where all but 2 or 3 have gone close to this crazy with Christmas decorations.

Breakfast Burritos With Adam
It was raining. So breakfast burritos at the beach was turned in to breakfast burritos "eat-in".

Bottled Sunshine
Now we know why the weather has been so crap in Melbourne recently - the Americans have come and stolen our sunshine for their shampoo!

Jo with her Final LA Meal
Chilli cheese fries!

Wrapping India Up

2011-01-31T21:32:00.000+11:00

19 to 21 January, 2011 – Mumbai, India

First, a couple of photos that should have been in the last blog entry, but missed because I wrote it early ;)

Just Before Sunset
During beer o'clock, from our hut verandah, Palolem Beach.

Just After Sunrise
During breakfast, from our hut verandah, Palolem Beach.

Two nights in Mumbai before our flight. One full day, for which we had left a trip to Elephanta Island for. The island is 9 kilometres from Mumbai by frequent ferry. It was nice to have a focus for the last day. The island has a number of caves, which were turned in to temples many centuries ago with some impressive carvings. This, along with plenty of opportunities to spend money on souveniers, watch monkeys play, watch monkeys steal, eating, drinking, and suddenly our day was full. In the evening, we went out for a bit of a nicer dinner, and our final Indian curries, with our couch-surfing host Helene.

Thirsty Monkey
The monkeys on Elephanta Island steal food and drink from anybody who doesn't hold on to it well enough. They then sit close by and taunt the victim by consuming their ill-gotten goods with much gusto and little respect.

Cave Temple, Elephanta Island
Some of the centuries old carvings in the cave temples on Elephanta Island, not far from Mumbai.

Shiva Bust, Elephanta Island
A large and impressive bust, perhaps a thousand years old, in the cave temples on Elephanta Island, not far from Mumbai.

Sea Eagle
A sea eagle hovers on a draft, scanning for food. Elephanta Island, Mumbai.

Helene
Our Mumbai couch-surfing host, the beautiful Helene of France. No, she and Jo did not deliberately choose to wear red on red cushions...

Finally, Some Sun

2011-01-16T23:20:00.000+11:00

13 to 19 January, 2011 – Panaji and Palolem, India

OK, so maybe I have jumped the gun by writing a blog about Goa while we are still here, but ideally, there is not much happening. We decided to get down here to get some sun, and it hasn't disappointed - 31 or so for the 3 days so far. We did spend the first nights in Panaji, capital of Goa state, and did a day trip to Old Goa (which was abandoned after epidemic upon epidimic, like cholera.

Now we are in Palolem - beach front hut, cows wandering past, and perfect sunsets.

A Church In Old Goa
One of a number of churches in Old Goa, no longer in regular use. The settlement of Old Goa was abandoned a couple of centuries ago after the population was desisimated by one epidimic after another.

All That Remains Of One Cathedral In Old Goa
Only recently have efforts been made to stop further deterioration of this cathedral in Old Goa.

Me On A Beach
I did protest, but Jo wanted this photo included. Palolem beach, Goa.

Palolem Beach, Goa
Goan beaches are not exempt from the usual sight of cows wandering at will.

Always Capitalise on a movie Connection, Particularly Bond

2011-01-16T19:20:00.002+11:00

9 to 13 January, 2011 – Jodhpur and Udaipur, India

Jodhpur - home of the riding breeches bearing the same name, and yet another magnificent Rajasthani fort.

Rooftop View
The mighty fort of Jodhpur, behind. We had coffee on this rooftop. And breakfast one morning. And dinner one evening. Had chai while waiting for our bus...

Jodhpur Fort
Approaching the main entrance of Jodhpur, the palace rooms look down from above.

Inside Jodhpur Fort
One of the richly decorated palace audience halls in Jodhpur fort.

Architectural Detail
Jodhpur fort.

Architectural Detail
Jodhpur fort.

Two days was a good amount of time, with an overnight bus booked to Udaipur. Although, we did fill some of the time up with an Indian cooking class! It should also be mentioned that Makhani Lassi, lassi with saffron, a speciality of the region, is just magnificent.

Jodhpur, the Blue City
The blue used in the majority of Jodhpur buildings is made by mixing Indigo with the paint. It is said to be cool and repel mosquitoes, as well as being aesthetically pleasing.

Now, There's Something You Don't See Every Day!
Even in India, the sight of the working elephant in the city streets is not too common. Nice that he struck a pose, with the fort in the background! Very obliging.

Cooking In Jodhpur
I don't have to don a hat and apron to be a master chef. We did an Indian cooking course while in Jodhpur and had a ball. It was run in someone's home-cum-spiceshop-cum-kitchen.

Then, we had a couple of days in Udaipur before our Goa flight.

Udaipur
By the lake shore of Udaipur.

The Setting of Octopussy
Udaipur is where the majority of James Bond's Octopussy was set and filmed. Many cafes and restaurants screen the movie every night, so we did sit down and watch it again. It was great, after having been around the town for a day, to recognise everything and how it all fit (or didn't, as the case may be!) The principal buildings used in the movie are not quite visible here, (although some are), but I think that may even be Octopussy's barge out there. We thought about going to the island only inhabited by beautiful women, but that may have just been a movie fantasy. I know the best way to get there, in a fake crocodile. That's how Roger Moore did it, anyway.

Jaisalmer, In The Desert

2011-01-13T14:28:00.000+11:00

8 to 9 January, 2011 – Jaisalmer, India

Jaisalmer is a desert city. From atop the fort, in any direction you look, you can work out where urban finishes and desert begins. Not barren dunes, but a scrubby sand expanse that supports a surprising amount of life and a lot of people.

Jaisalmer Fort

Often compared to a sand castle, Jaisalmer fort is just stunning, and many people still live within it. However, it is under threat, primarily because the plumbing was never designed for so many people, particularly hotels and the strain Western tourists place on the water resources.

Water is an issue. Not enough, yes, but also too much. While it is barely enough to support all the people who live and visit Jaisalmer, even what there is may be threatening to erode their beautiful fort away. The plumbing was never designed to carry a lot, and there is so much sand - some say it is exactly like pouring a bucket of water over a sand castle!

The Jain religion was a reformation movement of Hinduism from around 1500 years ago. We visited some of their temples in Jaisalmer, which were perhaps a little more sedate than the average Hindu temple, but largely indistinguishable to the untrained eye (like ours).

A Jain Monk
Inside the Jain temples of Jaisalmer.

Jain Temple Carving
Interior wall decoration in the Jain temples of Jaisalmer.

Temple Interior
Inside one of the Jain temples of Jaisalmer.

There was some wandering, some museums, much eating, and even some shopping. And the nicest room we have stayed in while in India! But you know, it was all about that magnificent fort.

Tractor Driver
Turbaned, moustached, and very Rajasthani. Streets of Jaisalmer.

Hotel Balcony
This was our gorgeous balcony in Jaisalmer. It is not wooden - it is entirely made of stone! It is not for chairs and a barbecue, but more ideal for cushions. Cute, hey!

Our Gorgeous Room In Jaisalmer
We loved this room. So many nice touches. And the stone sitting balcony just topped it off nicely.

Jaisalmer Fort
Jaisalmer fort at dusk.

Hope You Don't Mind Rats

2011-01-12T02:20:00.000+11:00

7 January, 2011 – Bikaner and Deshnok, India

If you have a rat phobia, then don't visit Karni Mata, the rat temple of Deshnok. Here, the rats are revered, and locals believe them to be reincarnations of their ancestors. Around 600 families in Deshnok claim lineage from Karni Mata, and that entitles them to be reincarnated as kabas, or rats. They offer food and milk to the rats. Wire covers the open courtyards to keep predators out. It is considered good luck and auspicious to have a rat run over your feet - Jo should be in for a good 2011, then, if you check out the photo below!

An Offering At The Rat Temple
A man makes an offering of sweet balls at the rat temple of Karni Mata, Deshnok.

The "Watering Hole"
Lots of sweets, lots of grains, and lots of milk. The rats are well fed at Deshnok's Karni Mata.

Little Content Fatty
One of the residents at Karni Mata rat temple, Deshnok.

So, What Now?
Hmmm, it is supposed to be good luck to have one of the rats run over your feet, so what does it mean when it climbs your leg? At this point, not sure if Jo or the rat knew what to do! Luckily, it was the rat who decided enough was enough, and turned around and scurried off. It would not have reflected well on us if we had needed to physically hurt the rat to stop it, being revered and worshipped hiere. Karni Mata rat temple, Deshnok.

Don't worry if you come to Bikaner and don't want to see the rats, there are other things to do!

One of the Many Courtyards
The fort of Bikaner is really just a series of courtyards and palaces built by successive Maharajahs. Junagarh, Bikaner.

A Laquered Appearance
Inside Junagarh (the fort) of Bikaner.

Wall Details
Inside Junagarh (the fort) of Bikaner.Inside Junagarh (the fort) of Bikaner.

More of Those Arches
Inside Junagarh (the fort) of Bikaner.

The Tiger Hunt

2011-01-10T15:27:00.000+11:00

1 to 6 January, 2011 – Jaipur and Ranthambhore, India

You Know You Are Not In Australia When …
You know you are not in Australia when one of your co-passengers carries a sword because it is part of his cultural heritage, and he just wouldn't feel “dressed” without said weapon by his side. In the waiting room, he decided to adust his turban. It was about ten minutes of flattening and patting the strip of cloth in to place. We realise this was entirely necessary, as his turban is held in place with a metal ring around his head, so I'm guessing if it isn't right, it will create pressure spots on his skull!

Indian Train – General Class
Everyone's friendly on Indian trains. In the unreserved seating areas, people squeeze up and make room, because they all know when they are standing, they expect people to make space for them. Six, seven, or even eight if there are a few kids is not a rare sight on a bench for four people. Then there are always one or two people sitting or lying on the luggage rack above.

Jaipur. A little bit reverse of the usual. The old town is planned and orderly with wide streets laid out in grids. The new town, outside the walls, is where the randomness takes over. Forts and palaces, and another observatory by Jai Singh II. Sunsets and souvenir shopping, posh tiffin in maharajah style luxury and dinners in the street with the cows and dogs looking on. We did enjoy Jaipur.

Hawa Mahal
At Hawa Mahal, “Palace of the Winds”, Jaipur.

Jaipur's Jantar Mantar
The sundial at the 18th century observatory at Jaipur.

Amber Fort
A few kilometres from Jaipur, Amber Fort is more of palace. Morning light is the best for getting lake reflection photos!

Amber Fort
Jo likes taking photos through nicely shaped archways.

A few hundred kilometres south of Jaipur is Ranthambhore National Park. Formerly, it was a favourite hunting area for the maharajahs and big wigs, but in the 1950's was declared a wildlife sanctuary and later gained National Park status.

Ranthambhore National Park
A 500 year old banyan tree integrated with an old fort gate, inside what is now the Ranthambhore National Park.

Spotted Deer
The chital, or spotted deer, Ranthambhore National Park.

Samba Deer
A samba deer attends his itchy scalp, Ranthambhore National Park.

Chatting Away
A pair of black faced langurs, sitting like a pair of old men sharing opinions. Ranthambhore National Park.

Female Nilgai
The nilgai, or blue-bull antelope, (although it is the male which gets the blue colour). From differing angles they appear to be shaped more like a horse, or even a cow, than an antelope. They are large and very beautiful. Ranthambhore National Park.

Samba Deer
The samba does not mind being in the water, and sometimes feeds on surface vegetation. Ranthambhore National Park.

We saw some beautiful scenery, and some beautiful animals. It was an open topped jeep, and as the following photo shows, it was pretty cold!

A Friendly Tree-Pie
On a cold safari in Ranthambhore National Park, and a rufous tree-pie decides to join us.

While all this was great to see, they were not our reason for enduring the cold dawn and dusk in a jeep. Our reason was similar to the maharajahs. We were on the trail of the tiger! At times, things looked grim, and at others, there was hope and confidence.

She's Been Here Recently
Ranthambhore National Park. These tiger prints are (apparently, because we had to be told, not being experts ourselves) a few hours old. Is she still around? Is she lazing in the sun nearby after a recent kill? Is she long gone and far away?

Considering that the statistics for a sighting at this time of year were not in our favour (about 20% we were told) we were careful not to count on it. However, when we were close to giving up, and the jeep had begun to make its course towards the exit, we were blessed with a close and clear sighting.

Yay! A Tiger!
Sorry about the wrong ISO setting. It was getting late, the light was fading, and we had pretty much given up seeing a tiger. And suddenly there she was not running, but on the move, through the grass, heading to the trees. No time to stuff around, just snap a couple of photos, and enjoy the moment of seeing a tiger in the wild. Ranthambhore National Park.

We actually made three trips in to the park to start getting the odds in our favour a little, and could possibly have squeezed a fourth one in had we not seen a tiger by then, but were glad to have an excuse to not face another 5 a.m. wake up and crawl out of a nice warm bed into the chilly morn.

The Capital and the Taj

2011-01-06T15:17:00.002+11:00

26 December, 2010 to 1 January, 2011 – Delhi and Agra, India

Ah, Foster's, Australia's Favourite Water!?
Hmm, not sure correct licensing has been obtained. According to the label, you should “Enjoy the Real Taste of Foster's”. Not from this bottle, you won't.

A few days in Delhi seemed the way to go. Time to see a few sights. Time to get into the swing of travelling. Time to adjust to the cold! Oh, how unexpected was the cold! Sure, we knew it was winter and did know it would drop at night, but we ended up shopping in Delhi for warmer things.

Our highlight for Delhi was definitely Jantar Mantar. (And buying funky pants!)

Jantar Mantar
No, it's not a skate park. And it's not modern art. These are all centuries old astronomical instruments. Built under the direction of Maharajah Jai Singh II in 1725, there are a multitude of structures designed for taking accurate measurements of the sun, moon, and stars. This giant “staircase” is one of the simpler, being primarily a sundial.

Jantar Mantar
I have no idea what can be measured on the instruments visible here, but I know, it really does look more like a children's playground than scientific measurement.

You know you're doing well with bargaining when you are paying close to what the locals pay, and really well when it's the same. But it us actually a fraction embarrassing when you hold out for a cheaper price than the Indians! Visiting India Gate, I must admit my thoughts did consider the possibility that the chai salesman was not ripping-off us specifically, but it was usual mark-up for items sold where crowds of families gather. However, the thought was fleeting and we stood firm, confident in the knowledge that many prices are set higher for unsuspecting foreigners. We're not fools! We're suspecting! We stood, chai in hand, having given the salesman half the requested amount, arguing, when all of a sudden, he grabbed his things and ran away. In fact, they were all running away – chai, popcorn, balloons, every salesperson scattered. A policeman had entered the square, and we soon worked out the salespeople were not allowed to be in that area. Happy that we had only paid half the asking price, we enjoyed our chai. But as you have probably worked out, we later ascertained that they were charging everyone the inflated price! Can you blame us for being sceptics?

A few hours from Delhi, and we reached Agra. Ultimately, there was one main reason to be here, but Agra has a lot more than the Taj Mahal! Most visitors spend some time at Agra Fort, and some of the other sights of town.

Amar Singh Gate, Agra Fort
The public entrance to Agra Fort.

Cute Arches
One of the audience halls within Agra Fort.

Looking Out
Within Agra Fort, peering out to one of the large courtyards through a stone lattice screen.

Flower Motif
Beautiful inlaid details abound. Agra Fort.

A Doorway In Agra Fort
Do you think anyone would notice if the doors went missing? Would we really build our own house just so we could incorporate them? These questions are yet to be answered!

Squirrel Strikes A Pose
Squirrels can be spotted in most public spaces.

Please Take Our Photo
A group of locals ask to be included in our shot, outside Itimad-du-Daulah, nicknamed the Baby Taj.

But let's face facts. Competition is hard when you're up against the Taj Mahal. This is what Agra is all about.

Morning Taj, Emerging From The Mist
From the gate, there was nothing to see. You could have been standing on a Scottish moor, the mist was so thick. At the end of the famous watercourse in front, still nothing. But as we got nearer, the form of the Taj emerged from a dark shadow and took shape. It was a fraction eerie. It was very surreal. It was certainly not how we expected to see the Taj that morning!

Carved And Inlaid
A tiny glimpse of the marble work that adorns the Taj Mahal.

A Photo For Scale

Afternoon Taj
Taken from the other side of the Yamuna River, late afternoon.

The Taj Mahal, From Our Room
We were rapt to get a room with a view. They said on the phone you could see the Taj, but until you are in the room, you speculate. “Surely, at that price, it means you need to be standinga on the toilet or something.” Nope, could see it from bed!

Rejoice, For The Lord Has Come

2010-12-29T04:35:00.004+11:00

16 to 26 December, 2010 – Koraput, India

An Under-utilised Indian Jeep
Yes, it's only half full, but we couldn't resist taking a photo after being gestured over.

A Better Effort at Jeep Utilisation
Although, there's still space I can see for at least another 8 or 10 people.

Our reason for coming to Vizag was to make the 5 hour trip up to the Rejoice children's home. We spent nine days here. We sponsor one of the children (and have now added a second).

What originally began as a water provision project, sinking water bores for needy communities, has gradually grown in to a significant small organisation. Jacob's Well Foundation currently operates three boring rigs, which are provided to communities at no charge with skilled operators, while the village provides sundry labour, and possibly food and accommodation.

The real explosion in the operation has been the establishment of the Rejoice children's home. With 12 staff, and currently home to 77 children, there is always something waiting to be done and eager hands are always welcome. However, while it may bring some pleasure to paint a wall in need of a new coat, the real joy comes from the many wonderful interactions that can be had. From telling stories and teaching songs, through leading an evening devotion and being blessed by witnessing the wonderful worship of singing and dance. We hung Christmas tinsel, and put everyone's hand print on a wall. We conversed in English, or swung them round like a helicopter. It was all great.

One Resident at Rejoice Introduces Another One To Us
We are introduced to Tick. This little puppy receives a lot of love from the kids at Rejoice! He's extremely tolerant, too.

Music
Accompanying the singing during evening devotion at Rejoice.

Lots of Dancing
There was dancing by all at various times, but a number of kids showed exceptional talent.

This Could Be My Full Time Job
The younger kids at Rejoice seemed unable get enough of being spun, carried, somersaulted, or thrown (and caught, I should add). It only stopped when I could not physically continue.

Some of the children call us “brother” and “sister”, while others have taken to calling us “uncle” and “aunty”. Both variants are frequently called out. After we get up, and as we walk along the verandah to the communal areas, “Good morning uncle! Good morning aunty!” is excitedly called out.

One evening, we were acting a story out. Jo chose two children to participate, and we set a scene where I was knocking at the door calling out to my “neighbour”. “Go to the door and see who it is”, Jo asked our young actors. They opened the fictitious door to see me, and turned to Jo. “It's uncle!”

One of the tasks we set for ourselves was to decorate a wall in the communal room with a hand print of every child. We feel that activities like this can help foster a sense of belonging and identity in a crowd. Along with a couple of bible passages about uniqueness and purpose, it helps the kids to not feel lost in such a large group. They loved it. In the days after doing it, we frequently caught kids and staff looking at the wall for their hands, or finding their friends, or showing their prints to other people. We were thrilled with the results! In fact, it was the staff reaction and excitement that surprised us. Some of the staff cannot read or write, so it was wonderful to watch them repeatedly returning to the wall, to their prints, and finding their names.

Helping Hand
Richard helps a younger child get his handprint high on the wall.

Intense Concentration
Focusing on keeping her hand nice and still for a clear print. Maybe a touch too much paint on her hand, though, as evidenced by the green dribble down the wall.

Jo Adds the Names
Every current child and staff member at Rejoice had their print on the wall, as well as Tick and Jack the puppies.

Showing Us Where Her Handprint Is
She was one of many who ran to the wall often to revisit their print.

Joan, known to children and staff alike as “Mum”, suggested that we bring balloons over. One evening, after doing a class about parts of the body in English, followed by a couple of enthusiastic renditions of “Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”, we gave out some balloons for them to write their names on and inflate. The first few minutes saw balloons flying around the round as they deflated, children chasing them to blow them up again. Soon, some were being tied and further decorated with markers, while the distinctive bang caused by over inflation popped around the room. They were volleyballed and soccerred, punched and tapped. The ones which popped were tied with tiny bits of rubber and turned in to mini balloons, or stretched over things and turned in to drums. For the next few days, we were surprised every now and then to see someone running with one that was still intact.

Balloons at Rejoice
Staff show us that even adults can have lots of fun with balloons.

Although staying on site at the home, we managed a couple of trips in to the nearby town of Koraput. I can now say I have negotiated Indian traffic on a motorbike – no mean feat. Although, for our first trip in, we rode with Sangram as three on a bike - “true Indian style”.

Illegally Parked
A cow parked in a motorbikes only zone, Koraput.

Within a few kilometres, not too long a walk, we were able to visit one of the current bore drilling sites. It is such an impressive and worthwhile project. The people of the village were friendly and came out to meet us. The village is quite basic – no electricity, and until now, no running water!

Sinking A Water Bore
In this village, a diesel motor and a lot of man-power is being used to drill for water. This village has no fresh water, and the ladies have to walk 10-20 minutes to collect water whenever they need it, carrying 10 litre pots on their heads.

We also got to visit a couple of villages where the project has been completed and the bores are in full operation. This reinforced how much of a positive impact this enterprise is making, and really hit home how worthwhile it is to support such an organisation.

Tribal Woman and Child
In one of the villages where Jacob's Well Foundation have sunk a water bore.

Village Girl
We visited a couple of villages where Jacob's Well Foundation have previously sunk water bores. The reception given to us showed that a great relationship had been established between the tribal villagers and the providing organisation.

Hard Enough Without A Child At Your Hip!
Jo needs to learn this. She could then free her hands while carrying things around. Imagine how handy that could be at Richmond Coles.

We had planned our timing for this part of the trip so as to be here for Christmas, and it was special. The children got new clothes, a man in town donated a cake, and we went to church. We had brought over some little souvenir items from Australia and made up little present bags for them all. In the evening, we said our goodbyes as we had an early departure the following morning. I am glad we didn't have to say goodbye when they were awake and at the car waving – it would have been too emotional and teary.

Showing Off Their New Outfits
The Rejoice kids all received new outfits, including earwarmers (yes, it can get quite cold here, especially at night). Joan, who started the Jacob's Well Foundation and projects, and known to the staff and kids as Mum, spent many hours sorting through the delivery of poorly labelled shirts, trousers, and dresses. In the end, everyone was accounted for. They dressed in some of the new finery for the Christmas day church service in nearby Mastiput.

Merry Christmas!
We made a bag for all the Rejoice children. Each bag contained a clippy koala, or a kangaroo keyring, or an Australian pen. They also contained a couple of sweets, a balloon, and a number of stickers. Five minutes later, sticker covered children were chasing deflating balloons around the hall.

Overall, it was a wonderful and rewarding visit that we made. The children have asked when we are coming back again – we certainly feel that we would love to make it happen sometime. The visit works both ways. Do you just go because it makes you feel good? Of course not – you feel good because they get something from your visit too. But you also feel good because you see and interact with kids whose lives are on a better course because of this. You feel good because you see villagers who now have access to fresh water. You feel good because you see what a great impact the Jacob's Well Foundation is having in so many ways. A highly recommended experience for anyone.

As you can imagine, we took a huge number, even by our standards a lot, of photos. Here are a sample...

A Little Cutie
One of the youngest children at Rejoice. She was always on hand to brighten our day.

Smiles And Cuddles

Keeping The Ring Rolling
He makes it look easy, but it really is a lot harder than it looks!

Can't Resist Photographing Such Gorgeous Smiles

"Now You Go All Shy!"

Friends
In front of the Rejoice Christmas tree.

Jo With Some of the Rejoice Children
One intact balloon left here.

Showing Off
While not always necessary, as Rejoice has a good water supply, the kids love coming to the river to bathe and do their washing. At the river, bathing is a lot more fun.

Showing his Catch
While swimming, the kids create fish traps with tree foliage. This is not because they need the fish, but because kids being kids, they just love doing it.

Snapped On The Move!
I was sitting pillion on a 140cc bike behind Ramesh, and I really thought it would not turn out. But if I asked him to stop and then I got off and ran back, blah blah blah, the moment would probably have passed. It just worked.

Studying Without Electricity
At Rejoice, as with most of rural India, electricity supply is not the constant we know and rely on in Australia. It is a fickle thing that can be off for days at a time. Most power interruptions last less than a couple of hours, but sometimes it only comes back for a few minutes and then it's off again. Even Koraput,(with I'm guessing somewhere around 100,000 residents), was without supply during one of our trips in to town.

Spotted Us Sitting A Row Behind
Looking over his father's shoulder at Mastiput church.

Henna Tattooed Hands
Some of the Rejoice girls did some henna tattoos on Jo's hands and feet, as well as their own.

The Artist And Her Handiwork
She is very talented, and did a beautiful henna tattoo for me.

Looked After In Vizag

2010-12-23T20:57:00.003+11:00

14 to 16 December, 2010 – Vishakhapatnam, India

Tuesday morning, we arrived nice and early at the airport for our flight to Vizag, very appreciative of the fact that Vizag is a common and accepted abbreviation of the far less pronounceable Vishakhapatnam. Our early arrival was partly because of an alarm clock which was inexplicably on the wrong time (by 40 minutes), but thankfully it was wrong in favour of us making the flight rather than missing it. A hitched lift to the airport with an ex-pat English engineer, and short queues had us at the Jet-Lite counter almost two hours before our flight. The puzzled look by the lady at the counter was soon converted in to words. Our flight had been cancelled. They had left a voice message on our phone. Yes, that phone back in Australia which we had not brought with us. There seemed little point in querying why they had not attempted an email, as she was actually apologetic and had already begun looking in to options. We soon worked out that this airline no longer flies to Vizag. We don't know how long ago they knew it was cancelled, and what that actually meant (was there supposed to be a refund, and we had to go looking for other options?). Anyway, we were there, in their faces, and she was fantastic because she was not trying to get rid of us. Soon, we were on a flight with another airline. Flying direct rather than stopping, we arrived about the same time. We are thankful that we did not know it was cancelled, or we may have spent hours (not to mention more money) trying to get another flight, and maybe not getting one – the one we were on was chockers! So, not knowing worked for us... God is good.

We were greeted at Vizag airport by Surya, a host we connected with via couchsurfing. He took us to town where we had our first “thali” - an all-in-one plate with a number of different dishes to be had. Then, we headed to his beach house, a few kilometres out of town. He generously lets guests use this property, which is set up with all the basics for a comfortable stay.

Surya Introduces Us To Thalis
A Thali is an all-in-one plate for lunch. They can be basic (with just rice, dhal, and some vegetables) or quite fancy and extravagant, like these..

The next morning, he came with his driver and took us to see the sights close by. Bheemli beach, the dolphin's nose, and a number of viewpoints. We also visited his country property (where he and his wonderful wife, Syamala) plan to retire. What a fantastic place for a family get together, with a small waterfall, minigolf, cricket nets, and so much more. Accommodating more than 20 (two bungalows for 5 children each), we need to come back with a handful of friends!

A “Yet-To-Be-Identified” BirdQuite a few were about, and extremely shy. But one solitary bird happily sat on a lamp while we snapped a few pics.

We finished the day with a lovely dinner at an exclusive Vizag club, before being driven back to the beach house. So looked after!

India - At Last!

2010-12-20T21:44:00.008+11:00

11 to 14 December, 2010 – Mumbai, India

Flying. You can get all philosophical and romantic, but in the end, it's just a long boring sit in a plane between destinations. Oh, things aren't so bad with modern entertainment options I personally caught up with five movies (including finally seeing Inception) and a few episodes of Modern Family, and Jo managed a couple of hours sleep. The meals and snacks were pretty good, providing short and appreciated interruptions to the dreariness.

But, my goodness. What an amazing sunset. At first, we were wedged between two layers of clouds, with a pink hole in the distance. Soon thereafter, the bottom layer thinned, and as the sun got lower, it illuminated the breaking sheet from below. Far lower again, the coast of northern Western Australia provided a subtle backdrop.

Sunset, as Viewed From QF004 to Singapore
Sun setting between two layers of clouds.

Sunset Beneath a Sheet of Clouds
Minutes later, the sun goes below the lower clouds.

By the time we arrived in Mumbai, in the middle of the night, it was well over 24 hours with almost no sleep. Despite this, we only slept about five hours and got up at breakfast time. This is the best possible way to beat jet-lag get in to the local timezone as quickly as possible. In the light of day, we finally had a chance to meet Heléne properly, our couchsurfing host from France now living in Mumbai. Our brief encounter in the middle of the night had only consisted of brief introductions and directions to the bed and bathroom.

Taking a Break
A cow relaxes in front of an official government building in Mumbai.

A couple of hours later, we decided to brave the sardine experience of second class Indian trains. One statistic we saw quoted that Indian trains generally carry around 7,000 passengers when designed for 1,400. I totally believe it. For some sectors, there was no possibility of even lifting my hand from beside my side to scratch my nose. Eight or ten people hung out of each and every door. Getting off requires pre-planning, for those not close to the door. One guy wanted to get his boxes off the train, and he was too far back, so as the train slowed, he began forcing his way through holding a box in front of him as a ram, pushing a dozen or more people out on to the platform, whether they were getting off or not! Thankfully, the train was not moving too fast, but it was moving!

So, we spent two days in Mumbai seeing the sights, and eating some great meals.

A Little Bit of Washing
Hundreds of people live around the concrete washtubs, and wash clothes collected from all over Mumbai. This is area is known as Dhobi Ghat and is near Mahalaxmi station.

Washing Clothes
In Dhobi Ghat, Mumbai, a man puts the washing through an agitation cycle.

Pani Puri
Like pappadum balls full of rose water and chick peas.

The Best Kulfi Ever
At Chowpatty Beach, Mumbai. I had pistachio, and Jo had butterscotch. Both extremely yum.

Cooking Up A Storm

2009-10-09T15:01:00.002+11:00

8 to 9 October, 2009 – Bangkok, Thailand

To avoid a flat afternoon in Bangkok, waiting for our trip to end tomorrow, we decided to jump in to a Thai cooking course. It was fantastic. We went to market first to buy a lot of the required ingredients, and learnt a heap about Asian vegetables and spices. Then, we cleaned and chopped and prepared four main courses and a dessert. We made our own curry paste, too. Green curry. Yummo!

Ready To Go
We started the afternoon with a trip to the market to buy fresh vegetables and spices. Now, ingredients washed, cleavers in hand, we are ready to be let loose on some Thai dishes.

Thai Cashew Chicken
Dish number two – Thai Cashew Chicken. The highlight of this dish was the fabulous aromatic dried chillies.

Grinding Chilli Paste
Green chilli paste being made from scratch. This was hard work, especially given the weight of the pestle.

Jo got into trouble for eating too slow, while I asked my questions too early (and began chopping before he told us to)!

Catch Up In Hanoi

2009-10-09T14:59:00.000+11:00

6 to 8 October, 2009 – Hanoi

Both Mark and Monica were colleagues of Jo's a few years ago. Mark also became my footy cheering buddy, as he is even more passionate about the Kangaroos than I am. So, when we found a cheap Air Asia flight from Bangkok to Hanoi, where they are now living, we couldn't possibly not go. It was so exciting to see them, especially since Monica is 7 months pregnant! Also, what a great excuse to go back to Hanoi for a couple of days.

Oh, and thanks guys for spoiling us rotten!

This Is One Of My Favourite Things
I love getting a shave with a cut-throat razor. It must be quite the task for them to do me, too, as they have this soft facial hair that takes months to grow, while us Western men have our stiff whiskers that grow almost as quickly as we remove them.

Mark and Monica
On the streets of Hanoi, Mark and Monica on their typical Vietnamese family vehicle. Monica looks so well, really healthy. It was special to drop in on them so close to such an exciting occasion.

Fantastic Street Barbecue
In Vietnam, street food is only authentic street food if you have to sit on tiny plastic stools with your knees up around your ears. We know this street food was cooked fresh, as we had to cook it ourselves. A large platter of beef and vegetables, a little stove and hot plate, and a few blocks of paraffin. Vietnamese barbecue.

A Typical Load
Actually, it is quite unladen compared to some, but I like the shot. We assume that is the man's wife, and note there is ample space for some children on there with them.

I decided to get my shoes cleaned and shined. Two boys gave me some plastic slippers so I could stand while they furiously worked my shoes. They also applied a dab of glue here and there where my worn out footwear showed some signs of age, all the while muttering and mumbling about how dirty they were. “No clean long time”, one of them scolded me. “We fix!” However, I had to intervene when they began to cut a piece of tyre to “re-sole” my shoes. And, I had to be very forceful, as they were very insistent!

High Life in Bangers

2009-10-09T14:55:00.001+11:00

4 to 6 October, 2009 – Bangkok, Thailand

Plan A was to come to Thailand for a few days, and head out to an island beach. Plan B was to go to Hanoi for a couple of days to visit some friends, and go to a Thai beach for the remaining time. When that seemed like too much running around, Plan C came in to action. Treat ourselves for a couple of really nice nights in Bangkok. We didn't do much, sights wise, but we are losing track of how many times we have actually come through this city, so doing particular things was out of our minds.

We stayed in Chinatown, We walked a few kilometres to absorb a bit of where we are. We ate meals in the streets to really remind ourselves where we were. That was our stop.

We Could Get Used To This!
A luxurious splurge in Shanghai Mansion in Chinatown, Bangkok.

Cleaning Fish
At least they put a plastic sheet down before cleaning fish in the gutters outside the restaurant. Chinatown, Bangkok.

Spare Parts
“I'm looking for a ... for a 1981 Nissan Sunny?” “Yes, I'm sure I have one in here somewhere!”

A quick note about the importance of correct pronunciation. King Kaeo was the name of a road we had to get to. If not pronounced correctly, it apparently sounds like Thai food. Our taxi driver found this hilarious, once he worked where we wanted to go was NOT a Thai restaurant.

But Wait, There's More!

2009-10-07T12:34:00.005+11:00

29 September to 4 October, 2009 – Shobak, Karak, Madaba, Jaresh, and Amman, Jordan

OK, before we get stuck in to this entry, I have created a photo especially for Courtney, who suggested we need some help finding Jo at the Monastery in Petra.

For Courtney - There's Jo
Jo in front of the Monastery at Petra.

Now, down to business. I do really want to make a point that we think Jordanian people are wonderful. We encountered amazingly friendly and hospitable people everywhere, both Muslim and Christian. We had invitations to tea, and invitations to meals. We had friendly dealings (almost) every time with people who wanted to sell us things. This is one corner of the world where most will accept “no” for an answer. Thumbs up to Jordan.

Minor thumbs down for signposting. Usually, we found enough signs to get us most of the way to places we were looking for, but there always seemed to be one or two intersections where the place names marked would change, and the destination we were heading to would just disappear. Or, they would signpost for people coming the other way. Had us doing a few U-turns during the week.

We came to Jordan for one thing – Petra. We planned the stopover many months (almost a year) ago, but only started reading what else Jordan had to offer about a week before flying in. Wow. We did not realise just how many things there would be to keep us occupied. So, with Petra down, we decided a couple of things would not be achievable, and to focus on sights between Petra and Amman. This, thankfully, covered many of the Biblical sights. It also included a few of the better archaeological places.

We did three significant castles. Two were important and well preserved Crusader castles, while the third has historical meaning.

Descending In To The Secret Passage
Shobak Castle, Jordan. This secret passage descends almost 400 steps, in pitch darkness, with many steps worn or missing. It starts in the castle, at the hilltop. Eventually, after walking or sliding down, listening to loose gravel bounce away from us in the darkness, we emerged at the base of the hill, a few hundred metres away from the walls. This secret passage could be used to bring supplies in to the castle during times of siege.

The Crusader Gallery
Karak Castle, Jordan. The Crusader Gallery, formerly the stables. One of the beautiful Crusader forts in Jordan.

Herod's Castle
The pillars stand around the Triclinium, or dining area. This is Herod's castle, so that triclinium is, in all probability, where Salome danced for Herod Antipas (successor to Herod the Great). Bewitched, Herod asked Salome what she wanted. She asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. This wish was granted, in this castle, although the hypothesis is that the beheading would have been performed outside of the castle.

We (well, I) did wonder about including sodomy in the blog title, but Jo convinced me that would be inappropriate. She is right, you know. Bad signage (see above) meant we never did find Gomorrah, but we found what was left of Sodom.

The Remains of Sodom
A layer of ash, a foot or so, covers all that remains of what was once a major town. While no records survive, some historians believe this to be Sodom (Gomorrah is just down the road, in a similar state). These towns were destroyed about 2300 BC, probably ending in a great blaze.

Other sights of Biblical note that we visited included Lot's cave, and Mt Nebo (where Moses stood when he viewed the promised land). We drove through a canyon that was once the border between the Amorites and Moabites, and we saw a number of towns and villages (both in ruins and currently occupied) that were mentioned in the bible.

Gorgeous Mosaic Detail
Floor detail from the middle of the first century. Church of SS Lot & Procopius, near Mt Nebo.

Some “on the way” photos.

Common Road Sign, Jordan
If Germans and Americans can run around Australia photographing kangaroo warning signs, then we can do the equivalent when we travel.

Tea With A Bedouin
Invited by a Bedouin to stop for tea by the road.

We spent a couple of nights in the town of Madaba. We will remember that stop mainly for the hospitality of the hotel owner, which was just the start. The Queen Ayola hotel (remember that name, if you ever go to Madaba in Jordan). After giving us a discount for no apparent reason, we were invited to dinner that night (along with a German couple who were also staying) at his home. We met Khalil's wife, Deema, and soon the party grew with some other relatives dropping in. His aunt and uncle, Janet and Osama, were a fantastic and fun couple, too, and the 8 of us got along very well. Khalil made us “upside down”, which is apparently a very popular Jordanian dish. By the end of the evening, Janet had organised us all for lunch on Friday. She was going to make pizza.

Friday came, and we went for lunch. Lunch was actually about 12 or 14 people, and she made 18 or 20 pizzas! A giant pizza and bread oven sat on her balcony, and she is apparently renowned through the family and friends circles there for her pizzas. Fantastic.

Khalil and Deema
Khalil owns the Queen Ayola Hotel in Madaba, where we stayed. He invited to his home, and he cooked a Jordanian dish, roughly translated as “Upside Down”. This is a great example of the Jordanian hospitality that we encountered continually.

Osama Delights In Being Surrounded By Beautiful Women
Deema, Michaela, and Jo were posing for a photo on the swing chair. Osama thought the photo would be enhanced with his presence. Happy photo!

Janet Made Us Pizza
Yes, Jordanian hospitality extended again, as we ate pizza at the home of Osama and Janet, uncle and aunt of Khalil from the Queen Ayola Hotel.

We made it down to the Dead Sea (last time, I was photographed floating, so this time it was Jo's turn). We turned our back on the resorts and official beaches, and just found a place on the road where we could drive down and park the car, and then walked down the rocky slope to the shore. There, we applied our Dead Sea mud (bought, we didn't just slap on our faces stuff from the shore), dried off, and washed off in the highly saline water. Then, salty as all-get-out, we drove to some hot springs to wash off properly. Oooh, our skin felt so good!

Dead Sea Mud
Our Nephew saw this photo. “Will you still have mud on your face when you come to Perth?” No Ben, we did wash it off. And our skin felt magnificent.

Dead Sea Float
Ben, this is how we washed the mud off. In 39% saline water. We then went to some hot springs (see next photo). And then, we did shower as well! So, lots of chances to get clean. In 1993, we were on the other side, and I had to pose while Jo took the photo, so it was Jo's turn this time.

A 50 Degree Waterfall
This waterfall is 50 degrees – that's Celsius, not Fahrenheit. In Fahrenheit, that's over 120. We swam here. It was hard going. It was very hot. We didn't swim in the next one. It was 65 degrees! Hot hot hot!

Jerash, north of Amman, one of the major Roman towns of New Testament times, was a wonderful stop. The photos speak volumes. Pity the accommodation options were not better, but at least we had our tent with us. Oh, we also got a cheap lunch by playing hard to get. Not deliberately, but after eyeing off the amazing buffet and almost being tempted, we thought we might check one of the other options. The manager ran out after us and, very quietly, suggested we might like to consider eating if the price was a little lower. We did consider, and we stuffed ourselves on some really good grub!

Roman Forum, Jerash
The colonnaded oval plaza of the Roman city of Jerash, in northern Jordan.

Steps Of The Roman Theatre, Jerash
Late morning on the steps of the South Theatre, Jerash.

Temple of Artemis, Jerash
11 of the 12 pillars at the Temple of Artemis in Jerash. The temple went through a number of different incarnations, but the pillars remained in each of the different eras.

A Stretch Of Roman Road
This street in Jerash was lined with columns, behind which would have stood all sorts of buildings, and under which would have traded all sorts of goods. The paving stones are rutted by the passing of thousands of chariots. This would certainly have been one very impressive street.

One Jerash sight deserves singling out because of its slightly surreal nature...

Jordanian Bagpiper and Drummer
A sight (and sound) we did not expect in Jordan. A nice demonstration of the acoustics of the Roman theatre in Jerash. They belted out tunes like “Ode to Joy”, “Amazing Grace”, and “Yankee Doodle”.

It was a long day. We had camped, so woke reasonably early. Spent 5 hours wandering around Roman ruins, ate a huge buffet lunch to keep us going, as we had a 2 a.m. flight to catch. All that was fine, but we still had some hours to kill. We decided a stop in Amman, Jordan's capital, would be just what we needed, especially since it was really not out of the way.

A Cute Pair In Amman
A pair of kittens to win the hearts of anyone and everyone.

Modern Café Culture Meets Traditional - Internet And A Nargileh
We sat down in a typical café in downtown Amman to smoke a nargileh (peach flavoured in this instance) and drink some mint tea. It turned out the café had wifi, enabling us to check our emails. A classic merging of the traditional and the progressive.

And soon we were on our flight to Bangkok. Really feel like we are on our way home, now, as Asia is next door.

Every Bit As Amazing As Expected, And Then Some!!!

2009-10-02T15:19:00.002+10:00

26 to 29 September, 2009 - Petra, Jordan

Not too many words needed with these pictures. Enjoy.

The Siq
The Siq is a 1.2 kilometre rift in the mountains that provides the approach to Petra. It is beautiful rock, weathered to a polished sheen in places, and at some points, it is possible to match the rock patterns from each side. Narrowing down to only a couple of metres, with walls that rise up to 200 metres in places, it would be a fascinating and beautiful walk in its own right. However, the experience is enhanced by the anticipation of where you are headed. Additionally, there are some tombs, niches, and carvings to be seen along the way, and the remains of two aqueducts (one down each side) which were quite the engineering marvel of their time.

Petra – The Treasury
Rounding a bend in the Siq, suddenly you encounter Petra's signature facade, The Treasury. I'm in there for scale. Tucked into a nook, it is an amazing piece of craftmanship. Just note that none of this is “built”, the entire facade is carved out of the sandstone. Actually created as a tomb, the name “Treasury” came from a legend that Pharaoh had hidden treasure in the urn at the top when he was in pursuit of the Israelites. Bullet holes riddle the urn, from vain attempts at shattering the urn and causing said treasure to spill out.

A Desert Cat
A delightful cat amongst the ruins of the High Place Of Sacrifice, Petra.

Looking Out
From the Garden Tomb, looking out to one of the rocky ravines around Petra City.

A Camel, Masticating
One of the many animals amongst the Petra sights, waiting for a fair to the next group of tombs.

Another Carved Facade In Need Of Scale
This time, it's Jo in there for scale. The Monastery, not quite as ornate as the Treasury, but larger. Although carved as a tomb, it was used in the first millennium as a church. The amount of stone that needed to be removed to create this is truly phenomenal. You can see on the sides how far recessed in to the mountain this is.

Looking Up At The Monastery
No crouching, no kneeling, no tricks. This is looking up at the carved entry. Yes, the whole building is effectively carved from a single block of stone.

The Royal Tombs
Many of the hillsides and gorges of Petra are riddled with tombs, but this stretch has some of the more elaborate facades. The group are dubbed the Royal Tombs. In the foreground is another working animal of Petra.

The Silk Tomb
One of the Royal Tombs, the Silk Tomb. The rock colours here are extemely beautiful.

Looking Down At The Treasury
On our second day at Petra, we climbed to one of the lookouts high above the Treasury. Over the edge, this was the view. I sent a “coo-eee” down, but my voice cracked part way and we just laughed so much that I was unable to do a proper one.

The Palace Tomb
Most of the tomb interiors are undecorated, and are only coloured by the natural rock. The Palace Tomb, one of the Royal Tombs, is especially beautiful.

Petra Vista
In the foreground, the remains of Petra city. Most prominently, the great temple and the colonnaded street. In the background are the Royal Tombs. This photo is taken from a hilltop with the ruins of a Crusader Castle.

The Great Temple, Petra
Looking across to the Great Temple in Petra. This structure was only discovered in the 1990's. It has some great nooks and crannies for exploration, and even had its own theatre.

Outside The Treasury
Early evening in front of the Treasury, Petra.

Moon Over Obelisks
Leaving the archaeological site, we captured the moon over the Obelisk Tomb, near the main entrance to Petra.

The North Of A Divided Island

2009-09-28T05:08:00.001+10:00

20 to 25 September, 2009 – Kyrenia and the Karpas Pennsula, Northern Cyprus

It is very hard to make references to the north without sounding political, particularly when it comes to place names. So once again, apologies if we say something which sounds like we are making assumptions about right and wrong for Cyprus – we really are not in a position to make conclusions or implications.

Our first base for the north was Kyrenia, also known as Girne. From here we were able to explore the northern mountains known as the Kyrenia Range, and the castle ruins this range holds. A magnificent trio of castles.

A View in North Cyprus
Taken from a castle called Buffavento. The city visible down by the coast is Kyrenia. Buffavento was one of three castles in the mountain ridge known as the Kyrenia Range along Cyprus' north. The three castles were built in line of sight of each other, allowing them to send warnings with beacon fires. This one required a bit of effort to reach, being a 30 minute steady climb in the sun from the car park. Little fortification was required as the natural rock provided considerable protection already.

Same Place, Different View
This photo is also taken from Buffavento Castle. This is looking to the south of the Kyrenia Range, over the plain of the Mesarya. It is quite a contrast from the north view in the other photo. Visible here is one of the castle's lower structures.

Snacking At St Hilarion Castle
In anticipation of a big late lunch, we had a light early snack. So healthy, hey, with our fruit. We found this cute little perch in the royal quarters of St Hilarion Castle. This is another of the three castles that I referred to earlier. A bit of climbing was required for this one, too.

St Hilarion At Night
Viewed from our rooftop terrace in Kyrenia, you can make out the castle structures of St Hilarion on the rocky peak. The moon completes the picture.

Kantara Castle
This is the the view from the third castle, Kantara, in the Kyrenia Range.

Kyrenia was also a great place to stay as it has a picturesque old town and harbour, along with its own incredible castle.

Dusk At Kyrenia Harbour
The massive walls of Kyrenia Castle create a beautiful backdrop to the tiny harbour. The very late sun throws a nice glow over the scene.

And This Was Just Entrée
This was the start of the big late lunch I referred to. This shows the dips and salads. Soon, we were to start receiving the meats and hot dishes. This meze had about 25 different dishes! No dinner needed that night.

We headed in to the wild eastern peninsula of the country. Great beaches, and a few other sights worth a visit. Nice people, too!

Jo and Tayfun
Fantastic and generous restaurateur, Tayfun. This is his self decorated place in the village of Yenierenköy. After getting us in to his place with a good deal and a great atmosphere, he thrust a bunch of freebies on to us, too. Coffee, which is not an unusual “extra”, but also a bag of fruit from his own garden – pears and enough grapes to sink a ship.

Columns at Ancient Salamis
Ruins of one of Cyprus' city kingdoms, Salamis.

Looking Across Famagusta
Modelled on the cathedral of Reims (Rheims), France, this used to be the Cathedral of Agios Nikolaos. In 1571, the towers were severely damaged during an Ottoman siege, and after Famagusta fell, the conquering Ottomans stripped the inside and added a minaret. Since then, it has been the Lala Mustafa Paşa Mosque.

Western Facade Of Cathedral And Minaret
Gothic features of the once-upon-a-time-it-was Cathedral of Agios Nikolaos, Famagusta, modelled on the cathedral of Reims (Rheims) in France. The added minaret (when it was converted in to the Lala Mustafa Paşa Mosque) does not blend in all that well.

An odd road sign from on the way.

Please Drive Slower If Your Car Is Exploding...
A “not so obvious” sign from Northern Cyprus. Our interpretation was that cars have one speed limit, trucks and heavy vehicles another, and cars that are on fire or are exploding should drive slower again.

We did return to Kyrenia, to go wandering up a nearby turtle beach in the hope of seeing a late hatchling or two, but it is very late in the season, and the volunteers did express that they were not holding much hope for the remaining nests to produce live young.

And then, through Lefkosia and back to the south. On the way, I decided to get our own photo of the map of Lefkosia to show the shape of the walls, so here it is:

Map Of Lefkosia (Nicosia)
This map shows the walled town section of Lefkosia (Nicosia) leaving out the north/south division. It is a good map to show the shape of the Venetian built medieval walls – sort of like a snow flake, or a cross section of plant on a microscope slide.

“The World's Last Divided Capital”

2009-09-22T19:04:00.006+10:00

18 to 21 September, 2009 – Lefkosia, Cyprus

We've used the cliché line to title this blog entry, but it is a significant point. Lefkosia, or Nicosia. Capital of Cyprus. Not so neatly divided in two. Streets that feel like they will lead somewhere just stop. Abandoned buildings fill the gap between the part of the city which is controlled by the “Republic of Cyprus” and the other half, the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”. This is the “Green Line”. The division created when a United Nations major decided a temporary division was needed, and he used a green pencil to draw a split for the city. 40 years later, and the line feels as unnatural today as it must have when first created.

We spent a couple of days here. We followed the line as much as we could. On Saturday, we walked the southern side. On Sunday, we traced the north. Few photo opportunities presented themselves, as none of the three military presences appreciate being photographed. The Republic Greek forces, behind their blue stripes, the Northern Turkish forces with their red, and the UN looking so pure in their white posts.

A Fortified Position
Atop one of the original gates in the medieval walls, the southern (Republic of Cyprus) forces have created a strengthened position. The passage under the wall can be used. The paths and steps up the walls end abruptly at solid walls with firing slits for guns. The Turkish side, over the “Green Line”, is actually off to the right side of the photo (i.e. walking under the wall has you still on the same side of Cyprus, but outside of the old city, if that makes sense). But, this is a very significant point, as both sides hold their positions strongly, the buffer zone between them is almost non-existent, and this puts the foes within spitting distance of each other. Four flags flutter at each other here – Greek and Cyprus versus Turkish and North Cyprus. Sorry, couldn't get the flags in a photo as they were in the “do not photograph here” zones.

Temporary Barricades On The Green Line
Well, when these barrels were put in place, there were assumptions they would only be temporary. After all, how long could Lefkosia remain divided? 30 something years later... The building behind is abandoned, and lies in no-man's-land.

A UN Watchtower
There is a soccer pitch in the foreground, and then barbed wire and barrels and the United Nations watchtower, marking the buffer zone of no-man's-land. The imposing wall on the left is one of the impressive spade shaped bastions on Lefkosia's fantastic Venetian medieval walls.

If you get a chance, check out a map of Lefkosia (Nicosia). That fantastic pattern is the medieval wall that surrounds the old city. Built by the Venetians, it is a beautiful and distinctive wall with spade shaped bastions. Unfortunately, they were not enough to protect the city, but they do remain largely intact, and the shape is a work of art as much as a military strategy.

Actually, here are a couple: Nicosia Maps

Or try this one: Nicosia Walking Tour

We knew the north of the city would feel different to the south, but really, it is another piece in a giant puzzle, and to experience only one half would leave you with a distorted picture of what this city is all about. That said, seeing both halves does not fill you in on everything, it just leaves the incomplete image you get a little more balanced. Crossing is relatively painless, just as long as you use one of the legal crossing points. Remember that it's a different currency in use, re-learn “hello” and “thank you”, and that's really about it. Then wander and absorb and the subtleties that distinguish one side from the other only rise to recognition when you stop to think about it.

Once-Was-Church, Now-Is-Mosque
In the northern part of Lefkosia (Nicosia), there are a number of buildings that were built as churches but have since had their function changed. This is the Haydarpasha Mosque, formerly the Church of St Catherine.

Meow!
Nothing beats a lovely cat. Just as prevalent north of the Green Line as south. Just as cute, too.

The South Of A Divided Island

2009-09-20T01:27:00.003+10:00

11 to 18 September, 2009 – Deryneia, Pyla, Lemesos, Troödos, Polis, Pafos, and Larnaca, Cyprus

I have said it in our photos commentary, and I will repeat it here. We are going to try and avoid saying anything that may appear to be political. There are no implications if we word something badly. If you don't know, the island of Cyprus is currently divided. The northern third or so currently Turkish. Whether this is a legitimate situation or not is something we currently hold no strong opinion about.

We arrived in Larnaca, Cyprus, early on the morning of the 11th. Around 4. We decided it was not an appropriate time to go checking in to a hotel, so headed straight out to some sights. In fact, two sights that showed a different side to the same situation.

Deryneia is a place where the north south division is felt very strongly. The photo captions describe it a little.

“The Border”
We are going to try and avoid getting political. In fact, we can't, because truth be known, we don't really hold an opinion as to what is “right”. The northern third of Cyprus call themselves an independent country, “The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”. The rest of Cyprus stands by the statement that the area is part of the “Republic of Cyprus” and calls the northern part the area currently held by Turkish forces. If we inadvertently anywhere make some sort of statement that implies we support the legitimacy of one over the other, then we apologise now. This photo is taken near a town called Deryneia, where the tensions are still perhaps a little higher than elsewhere.

View from Deryneia
Spread out from our photo location through to the city on the other side are abandoned houses that now sit in “No Man's Land”. These were abandoned when the Turkish troops were advancing in the north. Now, they are in the United Nations Buffer Zone, a strip patrolled by white helicopters and men in blue berets. This particular spot was the scene of particularly events. An unarmed man from the Republic was kicked and beaten to death in the late 90's. And a week later, a man protesting about the event was shot climbing a Turkish flagpole. Both events were witnessed by many, and captured in many photos and videos.

In contrast, Pyla is a town in the middle of the United Nations Buffer Zone. The town is a mixture of Greek and Turkish people. The main square has businesses from both ethnicities, and a small UN post overlooks the whole thing. Sorry, no great photos, as photographing the UN post is a bit no-no.

Our first nights were in Lemesos, aka Limassol. While not a particularly significant sight in its own right, it was a good place to base ourselves and explore some of the surrounds.

Beautiful Floor Mosaic
A section of floor from a house that was destroyed many centuries ago in an earthquake. It is now known as the “Gladiator's House”, for obvious reasons.

A Rare Photo With Both Of Us
Why are we laughing? Because I had to start the timer and run to get in the shot, and nearly didn't make it! The pillars are the remains of the Temple of Apollo.

Time for an introduction to the Cyprus cats. Cats everywhere. There does, in fact, feel like there are more cats here than in Greece (and anyone who has been to Greece knows they have a lot there). Cats peer down from windows and out of doorways. They dart across roads and up alleys. They climb rocks and ancient ruins and live contented lives in monasteries. They rummage through the rubbish, and graze under the tables at restaurants where they fatten themselves on the scraps from mezes. Kittens apprehensively eye you from around corners, and braver cats come up to you at random and rub your leg. You find felines on the beaches and in the parklands. Everywhere!

So, we felt we had to visit the cat monastery. Cats were introduced here, centuries ago, to help keep the snake problem under control. Now, they just wander around like they own the place.

The Cat Monastery
The Holy Monastery of St Nicholas of the Cats. What did I say about Cyprus and cats? Cute, hey.

Also near Lemesos is one of the “S.B.A.”s. There are a couple of British zones in the Republic of Cyprus – Akrotiri and Dekalia are both reasonable chunks. These are known as Sovereign Base Areas. Technically, when in these areas, you are on British territory, although the transition from them to Cypriot territory is not even noticeable. Although we drove through Dekalia, we didn't find any particular reason to stop. However, in Akrotiri, we stumbled across:

Cyprus – A Land For Cat Lovers
Sit down for a few seconds in the cat sanctuary, and felines are quickly arguing over who gets to occupy your lap. This sanctuary is near the town of Akrotiri, in one of the British Sovereign Base Areas.

From Lemesos, we headed up in to the mountains. Reasonable mountains, too. Mt Olympus, the highest in Cyprus, has skiing most years which is weird to think of when you consider that you are on a Mediterranean Island. We camped at Troödos, high up, and felt the difference. The temperature was something like 8 or 9 at night, and perhaps 14 or so in the day, compared with 30's down at the coast. It became our base for hiking in national reserves, as well as a couple of drives through mountain villages. Also, the mountains were where the Orthodox Christians went to create their monasteries when the country was effectively ruled by the Catholics. Many of these Byzantine monasteries are now Unesco listed because of their fantastic construction or their well preserved murals and mosaics. Even the newer churches and monasteries up in the hills were worth a stop. No photos allowed of the old murals – so sorry if you are holding your breath for them.

A Cyprus Pine
Short pine trees near the top of Mt Olympus, near Troödos.

Lady-Bird Beetles
These Lady-Bird Beetles have markings which look almost like pig faces! The trail we walked around the summit of Mt Olympus had thousands of them.

A Venetian Bridge in Cyprus
Cyprus was once ruled by the Venetians. The interior is (was?) rich with copper. The Venetians used camels to transport this rich resource to the coast. They built a series of bridges, which remain, although the trails themselves have long since disappeared. They are beautifully proportioned medieval structures.

A Priest From a Cyprus Monastery
A priest and a monastic dog peer down from a balcony.

Kykkos Monastery
A richly decorated cloister. The passages have murals and frescoes and mosaics with Biblical stories as well as the tales of many saints.

“Zaccheus Was A Very Small Man”
“He climbed to the top of a Sycamore tree, For the Lord he wanted to see!” A mural from one of the passages of the highly decorated monastery at Kykkos.

After our chilly time in the mountains, we embraced the coast with much gusto, particularly the fantastic camp site right on the beach. Bizarrely (and almost surreally), the camp ground at Polis is set amongst Eucalypts. Wake up, stick your head out of the tent, and for an instant, you forget you are in the Mediterranean. It was home for three nights. Walks in the hills, drives along the coast, and dips in the sea.

A Flower
I am not a botanist. It is a flower. It is in Cyprus. It is pretty.

A Stunning View
Looking down from the Aphrodite Trail on to the Akamas Peninsula in western Cyprus.

A Very Old Olive Tree
Did you know that olive trees live this long? A 700 year old tree in the heart of Polis, western Cyprus. There are some groups who fight to keep these old trees listed as national monuments to protect them. They are truly beautiful trees.

We finally took the plunge and had a meze, a “meat” meze, a “full-on, meat” meze”, a “full-on, you've got to be joking, there is no way I could eat another thing, meat” meze. I lost count, but I believe we received somewhere in the order of 16 dishes. Starting with dips, breads, and salads, we progressed through many courses of meats and stuffed vegetables, including grilled delicacies and stews. My goodness, when we thought we were full, the waiter brought out more food, in proportions that justified calling them main courses in their own right! Then, when we were really full, he brought out another plate or two. And when we were really, really full, he brought out a plate and told us that was the last. You get the idea. We ate no dinner that night, only a small breakfast the next morning, and snacked for both lunch and dinner the following day. And we still felt full!

After Polis, we headed down the west to Pafos, for more significant archealogical ruins. We were in the footsteps of Paul (formerly Saul), who also did the sights of Pafos nearly two millennia ago. (See Acts 13, particularly Acts 13:6.)

Tomb Carvings
Called the Tombs of the Kings, there is an area near Pafos where hundreds of graves were created over a 600 year period. They are called the Tombs of the Kings because some were obviously resting places for important or wealthy citizens.

Another Tomb
Some tombs near Pafos recreated buildings for the living, with columned courtyards.

Who Could Resist Such A Cute Face
Pussy cat lounging in the ruins of the Pafos Archaeological Site.

Beautiful Floor Mosaic
From the House of Dionysus, Pafos. This mosaic is from the story of Pyramus and Thisbe, a Greek tragedy, where Pyramus discovers a tiger with Thisbe's veil and assumes that his love has been devoured, so kills himself. Thisbe is actually in hiding from the tiger, and when she comes out to find her lover dead, uses his sword to kill herself also. They ain't called “tragedies” for nothing!

Theseus and the Minotaur
Another beautiful mosaic with another Greek tale, of Theseus and the Minotaur.

Our last day with our hire car saw us returning to Larnaka. As we were there at a much more respectable hour, we got to see the city active, and sights were open.

Church of Agios Lazaros
Church of Agios Lazaros, Larnaka. For those who are not familiar with your Bibles, Lazarus was a friend of Jesus. When he died, his sisters said to Jesus that he would have been able to cure Lazarus from his illness and stop his death. Jesus called Lazarus to rise from his grave, which he did. Now, for everyone, Lazarus went on to live a long and fruitful life, and when he died (the second time, at a riper age), his body was laid at this site in Cyprus. The remains were taken to France sometime in the Middle Ages by Crusaders, but the tomb where he was first laid is still visited in the crypt here.

A Stint In The South

2009-09-10T23:09:00.003+10:00

6 to 10 August, 2009 – Pécs and Budapest, Hungary

This is our first time in the south of Hungary. And Pécs (pronounced more like Paych) was a fantastic place to represent this region. The town was beautiful and interesting, in itself, and we did manage a day trip to yet more thermal mineral springs in nearby Harkány. (Unfortunately, their boasted about extremely high mineral content was a claim that proved true, as evidenced by our discoloured jewelry!)

4th Century Tomb
Pécs has a huge number of graves and tombs under one section of the town. These date from Roman times, and some have been excavated. This tomb with sarcophagus was excavated last century, but dates from the 4th Century. The paintings on the walls are original. Adam and Eve, and Daniel in the Lion's den are the best preserved Biblical scenes on the walls.

Love Locks
We eventually found out what these were about. There are two corners in Pécs with thousands upon thousands of locks, all connected. Apparently, couples come here and leave a lock, to seal their love.

Pécs
Despite the mess and chaos in the streets, the beauty of Pécs architecture is very hard to deny. The coloured tiles on the roof are quite the local feature.

Porcelain Fountain in Pécs
The local porcelain is held in pretty high regard. It catches the light in beautiful ways, morphing through multitudes of shades of blue, green, and purple, depending on what the sun is doing.

A highlight, however, was the unexpected hospitality shown by Pécs resident, Judít Csaplár, who turned a “meet for coffee” in to a wonderful afternoon trip around the southern sights near Villány.

Sculptures
Near Pécs, well, actually closer to Villány, there is a hill. Sculptors come from all over central (and eastern) Europe to create works here. It is a hill side site, with a small quarry, and maybe approaching 100 sculptures lying around.

More Wine Cellars ;)
These are the wine cellars of Villány, near Pécs. We were so glad to find that our cellar crawling in Hungary was not yet over.

Tasting The Local Drop
Thanks so very much, Judít. We met Judít via a website, couchsurfers, and it started with having a coffee. That afternoon, she drove us out in to the surrounding area. The sculpture park (which we had no idea about, and in fact, nobody we asked knew about) was a beautiful and amazing stop (see other pic). And then to Villány for wine tastings. And yes, Judít, I think we agree (well I (Richard) do), despite the area being best known for its reds, the white here was amazing. The cellar was Günzer Tamás. It is quite the feat to convince me to choose a white wine over a red! And the mushrooms from her mushroom farm – they were fantastic on steak with a blue cheese sauce! Oh, and she bought us some delicious regional pastries that went down a treat. Judít, since you couldn't make it for dinner that night, the offer still stands! We expect you one day in our home in Melbourne. :D Let's see if you prefer Australian whites or reds!

Our final day in Hungary is set to be a looong one. Up relatively early to catch the train to Budapest, and flying out tonight some time close to midnight. Definitely excited about going to Cyprus. Not looking forward to the hanging around that is inevitable on days like these. What's more, they invariably end up being strange days with weird things happening, something like a full moon...

Back To Our Favourite Pocket In The World

2009-09-07T19:46:00.002+10:00

30 August to 5 September, 2009 – Ptuj, Ljubljana, Piran, and Zagreb, Slovenia and Croatia

People who know us, know that we love Slovenia. This is the fifth trip we have made that has included Slovenia.

We started in Ptuj, partway between Hungary and the capital, Ljubljana. Gorgeous town with no real stand-out reasons to come, except that it is soooo damn pretty!

Beefsteak With Stuff
Before ordering, I think I'd like to know what stuff came with the beefsteak!

Our Favourite Town In Slovenia
Ptuj. Sounds a bit like a sneeze when you say it correctly. What a pretty town, hey?

From The Castle, Ptuj
Looking down at Ptuj from the castle on the hill above.

Then by train to the gorgeous town-sized capital. We camped on the outskirts of Ljubljana, and spent a couple of days in the centre.

The Dragon Bridge, Ljubljana
We love Ljubljana. They say if you touch the dragon on Dragon Bridge, then you will return to the city. It has worked so far. It is our fifth trip to Slovenia, and we have been to the Dragon Bridge every time...

Beering With Alenka and Jure
We met this delightful couple in Trinidad, Cuba. Alenka offered us some birthday cake out of the blue while we enjoyed some Cuban music in the streets. So, here we are with them in their home city of Ljubljana.

By bus to Piran ...

Piran
Obvious Venetian influences stamped all over this lovely coastal town in Slovenia.

... and back to Ljubljana to visit Peter and Paulona and their family.

The Ever Growing Kovac Family
Peter and Paulona, who we met ten years ago in the Falkland Islands. They now have three daughters – Lucija, Anja, and two month old Julia. They live on the outskirts of Ljubljana, and fed us goulash and strudel and lots of home grown goodies. We stayed in their parents' house – they were away on holidays. Everyone had their turn at looking after us. Peter's brother and sister-in-law were often on hand, and his sister and her family came over one evening, too. But special thanks to Peter who picked us up, ran us around, took us to the mountains, and so on.

Peter, Jo, and One of the Dragons
Dragon bridge, again.

Finally, a day in Zagreb before we returned to Hungary.

Should Drinking Men Be Allowed To Grind Street Organs?
Zagreb. The organ grinder looks on while somebody else gives his job a go.

Zagreb
This is our third visit to Zagreb. The previous two times, we have arrived in the evening and left the following morning. So, we finally got to see the sights of Zagreb in daylight.

Jo Wanted This Photo To Be Included
Let's just call it “Drinking In Zagreb”.

Western Hungary

2009-08-31T19:23:00.002+10:00

24 to 30 August, 2009 – Fertőd, Sopron, Balatonfüred, and Hévíz, Hungary

Eastern Hungary. Almost Austrian. Lots of German, and some more Germanic influences. The photo captions tell most of the stories. We got in some serious camping, and a little bit of hiking, too. But still, most of it seems quite hedonistic, hey.

Our Palace For The Night
This beautiful palace is in Fertőd in the east of Hungary. It is, like many palaces, open during the day for tours. Unlike many palaces, they have some rooms on the top floor of one wing which are available to stay in. We decided to spend a night. We were the only guests the night we were there. Our palace. :D

Oh No!!!
A cherub in Sopron realises that he has come this far and left something at home.

Sopron
The fire tower in Sopron. Built on an old Roman gate, the base is 12th century, the middle is 16th, and the top is late 17th.

Hoeing In To A Langos
Langos. Fried dough, topped with sour cream, cheese, and plenty of garlic. Fantastic!

View of Tihany
We went for a bit of a hike around the Tihany Peninsula on the shores of Lake Balaton. This was one of the views.

Everyone Understands the Language of Alcohol
Our Slovakian neighbours when we were camping. We could not manage much communication, but their firewater was fantastic! Homemade by the grandfather of one of the boys.

More Beautiful Thermal Waters
A fantastic lake, at 36°, and not too strong on the sulphur. We spent over 5 hours here, and added a massage to the experience. We were here 14 years ago, too.

Cellar Crawling In Hungary's East

2009-08-26T04:50:00.003+10:00

21 to 24 Aug, 2009 – Eger and Tokaj, Hungary

Legend has it that in 1552, István Dobó fortified his troops with red wine. They were seriously outnumbered, defending Eger from the advancing Turkish army. Rumours circulated amongst the Ottomans that the red-stained beards were from drinking bull's blood to gain strength. The defenders were successful, and the local red became known as Egri Bikavér – Eger Bull's Blood.

The Eger cellars line both sides of a valley, only a couple of kilometres from the town centre. We crawled from one to the next, tasting two or three wines from each cellar that we visited, buying a full glass here and there where it was exceptional. Glass prices range from 40 cents to one dollar (Australian). Over 2 days, we visited between 15 and 20 cellars, and left with one refilled Coke bottle full of red. People who come to buy wine to take with them generally provide their own bottles. Take away prices range from $2.50 to $6 a litre! Mind you, we would have comfortably taken a lot more had we not had to carry it all with us!

Against The Trend
Although Eger is known for its red wines, we revisited this cellar a number of times because of its magnificent Chardonnay. Cellar number 19 if anyone else ever tries to find this wonderful nectar of the gods. The 2005 was possibly one of the best white wines I have ever drunk. It was a little pricier than the other wines, at a staggering $1 per glass, but our budget does stretch that far.

Another Atmospheric Cellar
Each cellar has its own character, but few lack charm and atmosphere. Naturally, they are relatively chilly when it is in the high 20's outside, but they are delightful places to be, and very appropriate places to while away an afternoon with a glass of good stuff. Not too sure about the traditional Eger food accompaniment of bread with turkey fat, onion, and paprika.

And Another Cellar
Who can remember which one was which? They were all pretty special.

The Choice Red
This red stood out. 2006 Egri Vörös Cuveé from cellar number 27. We bought a litre and a half which was siphoned in to our empty plastic bottle. We noted the details thinking that would then allow us to find it again, should we be looking in a bottle shop. What was that grape variety? Vörös? Forget it. This is a one off! Egri = Eger. Vörös = Red. Cuveé = Mix. We were drinking Cellar 27's Eger Red Blend from 2006. If anyone should desire to try and recreate it for us, the principal varieties are Cabernet, Kékfrankos (Blue French), Melot, and there is some Pinot Noir.

We continued the crawling, tasting trend when we got to Tokaj. Home of some world acclaimed fortified whites, we just braced ourselves for greater sweetness. No bracing needed. Yes, sweet. As good as claimed? Definitely.

Tasting Sweet (Dessert) Whites
One of the private little cellars in Tokaj. Start from dry, and work your way through to sweet, and then to very sweet. Fantastic dessert whites.

Soaking Away In Budapest

2009-08-24T15:31:00.003+10:00

17 to 21 August, 2009 – Budapest

Most people know that Budapest has some wonderful architecture. Great cafés, a fantastic art scene, and a party spirit that really knows how to turn it on complement this to create one of Europe's great cities.

Looking Down At Budapest
Budapest, as viewed from Gellért Hill. Parliament is in the background.

The Páli Boys
A famous Hungarian novel, first published over 100 years ago, was about the Páli Boys. These statues recreate the most popular scene from this novel.

Living It Up
Coffee in Lukács.

Spot The Mistake!
Some businesses should not be allowed to create their own signage!

Fireworks Over The Danube
The 20th of September is THE big day in Hungary. Fireworks on the Danube are a highlight.

Most people know that Budapest has some great thermal baths. Some are Turkish in origin and still retain much of their very old character. Some are modern and built for function primarily. Some are in between, from the centuries in between. Soaking in some baths was one of the things we were really looking forward to in a return trip to Budapest.

Gellért Fürdö – The Gellért Baths
Art Nouveau styled baths and thermal springs, in Budapest.

Most people DON'T know that Budapest is one city on the Red Bull Air Race tour. We didn't until about half an hour before arriving. And our timing was brilliant, as we got to see bits and pieces of all 4 days. The beauty of something like this is that you don't have to be somewhere in particular to see it. Any time you are anywhere near the river, you get to see something. Even while at the thermal baths we got to see some planes passing and some formations. On race day, though, we did set ourselves up at a good spot for a few hours.

Red Bull Air Race Practice
Practice day number two. A competitor lines up his exit from the course, underneath Budapest's Chain Bridge.

Red Bull Air Race – Budapest Parliament
Race Day. An early competitor passes the Budapest Parliament building.

Jets In Formation
In between rounds, various entertainments were provided above the river. These jets created various spectacular formations and stunts.

Entering The Circuit
A competitor begins his run on the Red Bull Air Race course.

Aussie Aussie Aussie!!!
Matt Hall, Australian competitor in the Red Bull Air Race. Budapest.

Vintage Aircraft, Budapest Parliament
On e of the entertainment aircraft climbs from the river level past the Budapest Parliament Building.

Stunt Helicopter
A stunt helicopter as part of the Red Bull Air Race entertainment.

Belgium, Netherlands, Belgium, Netherlands

2009-08-21T04:06:00.002+10:00

14 to 17 August, 2009 – Gent, Goes, Grou, and Utrecht

You can't drive this close to Gent and NOT stop for a coffee, can you? What's the harm? Well, the harm is that you could leave a bag at the waterfront café. OK, so Gent is gorgeous by anyone's standards. We parked (which was an event in itself), walked through town, and decided we needed longer still, so re-parked. Then we had coffee and enjoyed even more of the historical centre. Then we drove to Goes, in Holland, to visit some of Dad's side of the family.

Gent
Some of the beautiful spires and towers which create Gent's magnificent skyline.

Gent
Driving from France to Holland had us necessarily passing close to Gent. Who could resist stopping for a coffee in such a pretty city?

Jo With New Hair
Style: Madrid. Colour: Richard.

Upon arrival in Goes, we realised one bag was missing, 90 minutes drive, across the border, back in Belgium. We found some photos on the internet of the waterfront cafés, found the place we had coffeed, Googled them, rang them, and they went to the table where we had sat and found our bag, still there. So, our drive the next day ended up being via Gent.

Extended Family In Goes
Family from my father's side. Karen, Inez, Kees, and Didi.

With Inez
Along the Goes waterfront.

Our destination that day was a town called Grou, in Friesland, in the north of Holland. This is where Sepkje and Anne live, the wonderful couple who generously let us use their car for the last week and a half. They ensured that our last full day in Holland was spent doing some wonderful things!

Yet Another Great Meal
Anne and Sepkje, BBQ in Grou. These wonderful friends went over and above the call of friendship and lent us their car for the last week, allowing us to cover so much ground. All the rellies, and friends in neighbouring countries. Thanks guys, you are our heroes!

On The Water, Grou, Friesland
We spent our last day in Holland on the water in a sloop. This was one of the great wooden boats that graced the water. It was Sunday, and the weather was great, so many families were out, putting through the waterways and canals. It was beautiful, and a wonderful last day.

A Cute Boat Out On The Water
Beautiful wooden boat flying the Friesian flag.

And A Cliché To Finish With
What is a visit to Holland without a windmill photo?

And finally, a night in Utrecht again with Rianne and Paul, before our flight to Budapest. There must be something about that bag at the moment, because we had forgotten to take out our pocket knife and sunscreen (liquid, of course). Lucky we were at the airport early, so we had time to go back and check them in. Otherwise, we would have had to say goodbye to some things.

Trailing Through Luxembourg And France

2009-08-21T04:05:00.005+10:00

8 to 14 August, 2009 – Luxembourg, Nancy, Metz, and Reims

Having met some wonderful people on our travels, both recently and some from the more distant past, we created a little loop. This was made possible due to one particular couple, Sepkje and Anne, who we met in Cuba. They lent us their car, meaning we were not public transport dependent. Thanks so very much, guys!!!

So we drove to Luxembourg, where we were the first guests of Maren. She moved from Germany four days before our arrival, so is a “newbie local”. We met Maren in Burma (Myanmar) some years ago, and have stayed with her once before in Germany. Being new to Luxembourg herself, she was more than happy (if not down-right keen) to take us to the forests to explore some of Luxembourg's trails. This suited us perfectly, having done almost nothing else but eat in the last few days.

Maren
From Germany, living in Luxembourg, met in Burma. Great coffee in great coffee cups.

Triple Waterfall
In the hills of Luxembourg.

Hiking With Maren
Discovering Luxembourg's wild side.

A Face In The Rock
Chewing grass.

Luxembourb City
A view from one of the old stretches of wall.

After this, we had a few days to ourselves, and so we camped near Nancy in France. We visited Metz as well. Enjoyed mussels, looked at Art Nouveau and medieval architecture, wandered the lanes, and absorbed the atmosphere. We became French through osmosis.

Mussels - So French
One pot has mussels with white wine and onion. The other, with Roquefort. We were not expecting such generous serves - somewhere in the vicinity of 80 to 90 in each pot!

Coffee At L'Excelsior
L'Excelsior, Nancy, a fine example of Art Nouveau.

Nancy
Flowers in a square in Nancy.

Medieval Gate
One of Nancy's oldest gates.

Overwhelming
The cathedral in Metz, making every visitor feel very, very small.

Metz Cathedral
It was surprisingly light inside the cathedral, with so much glass filtering the light in.

Then to Reims, in the heart of the Champagne. Again, by invite, we found ourselves in a house of a pair of gorgeous and hospitable locals, only too keen to ensure we left thinking their town was the best in Europe. A perfect visit, with them both falling over themselves in attempts to ensure we were well looked after.

Reims Cathedral
A side aisle of the cathedral in Reims. These cathedrals really make you feel so incredibly small.

A Toast To The French
Why wouldn't you toast the French? When you have food and wine and champagne this good, then they deserve acknowledgment. Actually, it began in Costa Rica when a poor translation on a menu ended up with “Toast To The French” instead of “French Toast”. We met these two lovely French people, Amelie and Gauthier, while in Costa Rica. They lured us to their apartment in Reims with the promise of a good champagne tasting! They wined us, dined us, and showed us the sights.

Domaine Pommery
One of “the things” to do in Reims is visit the cellars of the champagne producers. Hip and groovy Domaine Pommery was the one where we ended up.

A Glass Of Pommery
A cellar tour includes a glass of the good bubbly stuff. Domaine Pommery, Reims.

A Burst Of Rellies

2009-08-14T18:02:00.002+10:00

2 to 8 August, 2009 - All over Holland

We flew in to Amsterdam, and my uncle was waiting. And so began a short string of catching up with family. We had a series of excellent visits, with wonderful catch ups all round. Photos from all the catch-ups included, except unfortunately with Jan and Nora! We forgot to take any photos there!

Amsterdam
Typical street scene in Amsterdam. A little cliché, perhaps.

Another Dutch Cliché
A multi storey bicycle garage in Amsterdam.

Daniel, Dion, and Vera
My cousin, with new husband and very new son!

More Family, More Eating
Beautiful soup by Tante Riet. Wim, Joke, and Marc with us.

The Unnamed Mole
We thought the talk about the 11 metre mole was either a joke or something metaphoric. We were wrong.

Walking With Oeds In Rotterdam
We had to do some sort of exercise to work off the pancakes!

Paul, And My Cousin Rianne
People should be careful when pulling faces for the camera. The picture just may end up on the internet.

Castle De Haar
Near Haarzuilens.

Castle De Haar
Lion along the main entrance.

Spain

2009-08-14T17:22:00.002+10:00

28 July to 2 August, 2009 - Madrid and Toledo

It is nice to ease ourselves out of Central American travel by going via Spain. It sort of helps that we feel a bit in touch with where we left, particularly with the language connection.

Our main reason for flying from Central America to Madrid was to avoid Heathrow. We have become loathsome towards travelling via that nightmare of an airport.

Madrid seemed a good choice as we could catch up with our good friend, Iosu. We met him some years ago in Peru, and then stayed in his apartment in Madrid a few years later. Note there are no photos of him below - HE WASN'T THERE! Iosu was in Costa Rica/Honduras/Nicaragua/Somewhere like that. No problems, a flatmate let us in, furnished us with some keys, and over the next few days managed to bump in to all the people who live in the apartment - Alberto, Sanchi, and Carlos. It seemed easier to leave our body clocks on Cuba time. We sat up drinking and talking with whoever was around until odd hours of the morning, and rose late to find the place empty, or encountered someone coming home / going out / passing through. It was all super casual, which suited us.

We did something every day, but kept it low key. A museum or an exhibition, beer and tapas, a walk in the park, that sort of thing. Being a third visit to Madrid, we didn't feel obliged to do too much more than just absorb some culture and atmosphere. We took the train to nearby Toledo on one day, and it was 42˚, but being so much dryer than Cuba, we didn't seem to feel the heat, and we enjoyed deserted streets.

We shopped - plenty of new clothes for both of us. We ate - mainly tapas, jamon serrano, cheeses, calamari, salami, patatas bravas. We drank - beer, good cheap European wines, and a funny local spirit made from berries and aniseed. We internetted - big catch up after being almost totally cut off in Cuba. We arted - known and unknown painters, sculptors, and a fantastic on-the-road Islamic art exhibition from the Aga Khan. And we walked almost everywhere.

Oh, and those flatmates of Iosu? They more than made up for him not being there. So hospitable and friendly. We partied with them, and on the last night, even hit a cool tapas market with their friends who had never met us. Right at home!

Toledo
Approach to Toledo.

Toledo
One of Toledo's gates.

Apparently, A Weeping Woman
By Picasso. Most women would weep if this is what a man thought they really looked like!

¡Que Calor!

2009-07-30T06:56:00.002+10:00

19 to 27 July, 2009 – Viñales and La Habana, Cuba

¡Que calor! The common greeting of Cubans at this time of year. How hot! Really, I don't need the reminder. Trickles of sweat down my spine are one reminder. Drinking three to four litres of water a day (and the subsequent need to find toilets) is another. The magnetism I feel to fans and air conditioners is yet another. We aren't going to miss this aspect of Cuba.

We have come to know Cuba as the land of lobster and pork. You work it out. Yum! Ye will miss this aspect of Cuba.

We ended up spending almost a week in La Habana the second time. What a city. We sat most evenings on the roof of our building, cigars and rum, enjoying the views and the breeze and on one occasion, a storm that glanced past us. We walked a lot, and started to establish some regular haunts. On the last day, we went back to some of our favourites. Pork sandwiches, oyster cocktails, peso coffees, Bucanero beers, and half litre tubs of icecream.

And a final collection of photos.

“Always Towards Victory”
Che looks over the Plaza de la Revolución in La Habana.

Approach To Viñales
Limestone formations create a backdrop to Viñales.

Very Cute And Very Tolerant
Lizard on a fence post.

Beer O'Clock
On the roof of our casa, with our Cuban regular beer, “Bucanero”.

Three Peso Note
Che graces the Cuban 3 peso note. This is the “Moneda Naciónal”, the local currency, as opposed to Convertible Pesos for foreigners.

The Forts
On the other side of the bay from downtown La Habana, the twin forts of Morro and Cabaña.

Diving From The Malecón
From the the sea wall of La Habana.

A Cuban Feast
A visit with a great Cuban family – friends of some very good friends (most of you know, or know of, Ombi and Alex – they insisted we go and visit this family). Succulent roast pork, tamales, pasta salad, avocado salad. ¡Que Rico!

Monument To The Firefighters
A very beautiful monument to fallen firefighters inside La Habana's necropolis (3rd largest cemetery in the world, I heard – about 1,000,000 people buried).

Graves In The Necropolis
The necropolis of La Habana is a beautiful sculpture park. Many marble and granite graves, with a heavy emphasis on angels, and overall in a pretty good state of repair.

Street Music
Music, singing, and dancing. La Habana.

Fidelling With Ourselves, Fidelling With New Friends

2009-07-30T06:22:00.003+10:00

10 to 19 July, 2009 – Bayamo, Santiago, and Playa Girón, Cuba

There are a lot of dogs in Cuba. Outnumbering all others, though, is the Dachshund. Maybe they are especially loved because they look like cigars with legs?

I did talk in the last blog about rationing, and shortages. This time, I want to talk about buying things from peoples houses. A number of things, well a lot, are bought from front windows and doorsteps. Often unadvertised, and sometimes (we think) illegal. To find these things, you need to ask around, or be asked in. At the simple end, it is things like coffee. In some cases, we have been invited by the seller to come in to their lounge room, pull up a rocking chair, and enjoy our peso coffee. The time we bought beer from a house, it was a little more hush hush, wink wink. We were invited to come in and sit with the family watching television while we consumed our beverages, but we declined as we were waiting for a bus. In any case, we really thought it was not supposed to be sold in this way. The cigars, that was a bit more of a production, but no less bizarre. In to their house, through the living room, and a bed room, out in to the dining room where boxes of cigars were laid out. (Cheaper cigars packaged as expensive, known brands; not a problem as long as we are all well aware what is going on). We wheeled and dealed as per normal. They pretended they had little margin to work with, but managed to come down “just for you”, while we feigned some disinterest and a need to think about it, when we were pretty sure we were going to buy. We bought. Everyone smiled and shook hands. One of the sellers gave us a rendition of the “Skippy” theme song (including whistle), as it was his favourite show when growing up. We left via the bedroom again.

We have been Fidelling. First, near Bayamo. Castro ran the revolution from a hideout in the mountains. Although not easily accessed, it can be visited.

The Steepest Road In Cuba
This is not an angled photo. That really is how steep the road is. It is known as the steepest road in Cuba, and certainly one of the steepest in the world. It has a slope of over 40 degrees. This is in Gran Parque Nacional Sierra Maestra, climbing to Alto del Naranjo.

Bullet In A Tree
During the late 50's, when Fidel Castro and his men were based in the Sierra Maestra, fighting, they established a base. Comandancia La Plata. It is said that Fidel personally tested every weapon before letting it be used by his men. A tree near his hut, still alive, was his usual target. It is riddled with bullets.

Fidel's Place
The Commander's hut, largely as it was. This was where Fidel lived when the Cuban revolutionaries created a base in the mountains. The refrigerator is the one he had there (and I believe it still works). We don't know the story about how it got a bullet hole in it. This location remained undetected by the army, and Fidel lived and commanded from here until the revolution succeeded.

The second trip we made was to his childhood home.

A Day Trip With New Friends
Sorry to anyone who cares, but I forget exactly which brand of Russian car the body is. Our driver for the day was quick to point out that the motor was, however, a Lada. We did a trip to the property where Fidel Castro was born and spent his youth. We did it with some new Dutch friends, Anne and Sepkje.

Fidel As A Toddler
Fidel Castro. Age: 1 year and 10 months. Cute ringlets, Fidel.

And finally, some general pics.

Our New Cuban Friends
Okay, so they had been hitting the rum pretty hard. Then they wanted us to have a shot or two. When I started to take a photo of the motorbike, two jumped up. They were certain they would enhance the photo.

A Revolutionary Ride
Complete with Cuban revolutionary star.

Mangoes For Breakfast
On the rooftop of our Casa Particular, with the cathedral of Santiago poking out in the background.

A Cuban Supermarket
These shelves looked well stocked. In reality, they are all stocked with tinned milk. There are a few other products available, but 3 or 4 kinds of tinned milk are stacked on about 16 shelves. In total, excluding the alcohol, there were no more than 10 or 12 products available in this supermarket. And this is an upmarket one, hard currency only, and no ration books needed.

“A Toast To Cuba And All Its Quirks”

2009-07-29T20:21:00.003+10:00

4 to 10 July, 2009 – Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Santa Clara, and Camagüey, Cuba

Sometimes you feel you want to laugh. And then there are the moments you feel you could just about cry. Cuba thrusts many trying moments upon you. However, when they are at their worst, it is necessary to remind yourself that they are only passing annoyances for us, while the Cuban people live with things day to day.

Rationing is enforced on many products. Not rum or beer, which flow freely from every shop at every hour. Walk into a small grocery shop, and you are sure to find shelves of alcohol, and cheap, too. Nobody would look at you twice if you bought a bottle of rum at 9 in the morning. In fact, they get taken aback if you ask for something else, like water, and they gesture at their shelves telling you that there is no water, but surely a bottle of something stiffer will compensate.

Aside from alcohol, and a few other select products, almost everything else seems to be rationed or in short supply. Rows of empty shelves, or full of the same products. Just today I went in to a “supermarket” with pictures on the windows of dozens of fancy items. Aside from the alcohol, there were only 5 or 6 other products available, spread out so that each one took up an entire counter or multiple shelves. There was a queue out the door and down the street of people lining up for galletas – crackers.

Why do scenes like this seem to be synonymous with Communism? It's almost expected in countries with full-on Socialism. We have wandered the streets for hours looking for things which should be easy to locate in most countries. Fresh milk is impossible to find. Powdered milk is only available with a ration book.

Service standards are appallingly low. Service is not generally offered, you need to ask for assistance. There are exceptions, but most shop attendants and wait staff seem less than interested in performing their functions. They don't complain, but they don't go on a limb. Stand at a counter and look expectant, and you will be ignored. “Disculpe”, and someone will turn to you and smile. Ask a question, and they will answer. It is an uphill battle to get to this point, but you finally have them engaged. In most countries, they would now wait until you have indicated you have no more questions, that you need no more assistance, before they would leave you. They would probably confirm it with a “Can I help you with anything more?”, but not here. They answer the question you ask and turn or walk off, requiring effort on your part to re-engage them. In a restaurant, if you want to ask about three dishes, you may lose your waiter while taking a breath between questions.

It is so draining. And after three or four incidents in a morning, you feel wrung out. Do you laugh? Do you cry? No, you sit with your spouse and vent over an espresso. These are generally available, and generally very cheap (like 6 cents, or as low as 1.5 cents). This in itself starts restoring and revitalising, and after a bit of venting, things seem to slip back in to some sort of perspective. Except, of course, if the 24 hour coffee bar which only sells coffee and cigarettes, has run out of coffee. Yes, that happens too. Then you are just about pushed over the edge.

Coffee bars without coffee. Bars without beer (or only warm beer). Restaurants with twenty choices on the menu, but “we only have the fried chicken”. These we have encountered not just once or twice, but often. The extensive and useless menu is actually par for the course – we have now come to expect that the dishes we have decided upon will be unavailable. The waiter doesn't tell you this when you order. No, you start to imagine that you will actually get those oven baked ribs you chose. And then, five minutes later, the waiter wanders out from the kitchen, and you know they are heading your way. Sorry, there are no ribs. There is roast chicken or fried chicken. Yep, should've known.

Ooh, that restaurant looks popular – look at the queue. Hmm, ten tables, and only four occupied. Door is locked, but nobody minds. They wait. A couple leaves, and a waiter lets a few more in, and the queue shortens a bit. Later, some more leave, nobody let in just yet. Then randomly, five minutes later, some more go in. This is definitely one to make you laugh.

Only in a Communist country can you serve a plate of dry chopped cabbage and tell the customer that it's the salad.

30 cent street pizzas. These never run out. A slab of dough with tomato sauce and cheese. For a bit extra, some ham or chorizo. No cutting these. Fold them in half and start. 3 cent icecream scoops. Give me 4. The queues for these go half a block. The line seems disorderly. “¿Ultimo”, “Who's last?” you ask as you approach. Someone will smile at you, or raise their hand. They may not be at the back of the queue, as it is not a strict line, everyone just mills about. Anyway, you just keep your eye on them, and when someone else arrives, let them know you are the end of the queue. It just works.

So, a lot of the street food can be bought in street money, or monedas nacionales. When you deal in these pesos, expect everything to be cheap. Cuba, however, has two currencies. The second currency is known as Pesos Convertibles, or CUCs. These are for foreigners, and this is where you can watch your money disappear. Technically, foreigners are expected to pay for everything with convertibles. And sometimes it is quite clear. Entry to a museum – 3 pesos for locals, 3 CUCs for foreigners. Oh, a CUC is worth 24 to 25 pesos. Some waiters will try and insist that the price of the coffee must be paid in convertibles – 1 peso for locals, 1 CUC for foreigners, effectively trying to force us to pay 25 times what locals pay. You need to be clear before you begin that you are expecting to pay in pesos. Sometimes the CUC makes something sound cheap. A taxi for 3 kilometres – only 5 CUCs! Bargain hard, and still expect to be paying way too much. If you get him down to 2 CUCs, and sometimes you can, you know that locals probably pay 5 to 10 pesos. At least you are only paying 4 or 5 times what they are, not 15 or 20.

Sometimes you can't do much to avoid paying the inflated price. Locals pay a fraction of what foreigners do for buses. Many routes have one or two buses a day with tickets payable in CUCs only. When these buses exist, you are not just steered away, but practically barred from taking the bus with the locals. There is not a lot you can do in this situation, but then when the person putting your bag on wants a tip, and asks brazenly for a CUC per bag, which is hours work for most Cubans, ooh, that gets my back up. I politely decline, but most foreigners seem happy enough to hand it over.

Some locals seem to have the attitude we are made of money, or that value for money is not a priority for us. That we should be just willing to hand out what they ask, because it is only money, and we are not discerning. Some pout at the tip which you know is a decent amount.

And foreigners handing out small bits of money here and there, small to them and big to locals, have created an interesting by-problem. We read somewhere that a beggar in a touristy spot, particularly in Havana, can make more money than a Cuban teacher or doctor. No wonder they come out in droves to hassle us when we are trying to enjoy the sights. “Just one CUC?' they ask. They only need 4 or 5 a day and they are doing very well.

My goodness. Sorry about all that. Time for a change in topic. Better keep it brief, hey.

Che. Ernesto Che Guevara. Oh, maybe I'll let the photo captions say it, as I have already put some thoughts down. Let me just say that he pops up everywhere, on all sorts of things. I'm sure he wouldn't mind that his image and his memory are used to continually promote the revolutionary cause. However, the amount of commercialism that uses his image, and that one particularly famous high contrast image, they may be considered counter to what he stood for.

This week has been about Colonial towns, music and dance, food, and history. The photos tell some stories.

The Ubiquitous Che
Poster boy for propaganda everywhere. “Your example lives. Your ideas endure.”

Slave Watchtower And Bell
Manaca Iznaga, in the Valle de los Ingenios.

View From Slave Watchtower
Manaca Iznaga, in the Valle de los Ingenios.

Trinidad, Cuba
Above Plaza Mayor, in Trinidad, on Cuba's south coast.

Music And Dance On The Streets Of Trinidad
Various bands, various styles, lots of rhythm.

Taxi, Santa Clara Style
Public transport in many Cuban towns relies on horse drawn vehicles, or trucks for longer stretches. It is hard for us to not romanticise these sorts of things.

Monument To Che
When Che's remains were recovered from a secret grave beneath a Bolivian airstrip , they were placed in a crypt beneath this memorial. It is a very moving and beautiful memorial with an eternal flame. There is also a small museum with photos of Che from childhood to the last days of his life, as well as many personal effects.

Che
Ever determined.

Towards Victory, Always!
Santa Clara was where the revolutionary forces one a significant and decisive battle, with a 18 men under the leadership of Che Guevara taking a 22 car armoured train defended by 350 soldiers, in a battle lasting just 90 minutes. Che became synonymous with Santa Clara, and there are monuments and posters of him everywhere, much more-so than in the rest of Cuba. It is why his remains were eventually brought here, too.

Revolutionary Training
Maybe I've found a cause! (BTW, 20 shots for 6 cents).

Revitalisation By Caffeine
Street coffees cost about 1.6 cents. Espressos with a dash of milk in a coffee bar like this cost about 5 or 6 cents. Sometimes we splurge.

Kissing Couple
A bronze man kisses his bronze lover in the streets of Camagüey, Cuba.

A Typical Cuban
Difficult to understand, hospitable, and always with a cigar in his mouth. Maybe that's part of what makes Cubans difficult to understand!

Of Classic Cars And Cigars

2009-07-29T19:00:00.002+10:00

1 to 4 July, 2009 – La Habana, Cuba

We nearly didn't get here, to Cuba. Well, not on our booked date. The day before flying, I seriously thought I may have had the flu. Well, I certainly was displaying some flu-like symptoms. We took my temperature, and it was a little high, not worryingly so, not fever, but higher than normal. And there was my nose and throat and all that... I felt like a train had hit me. Oh, not sleeping the night before didn't help, but was that because I was sick which made me feel hot, or because I was hot which made me feel sick? Suffice to say this is not a great time to hop off a plane from Mexico with flu-like symptoms. We prayed.

I woke up feeling like a new man. No temperature, no throat pain, no aches, just a bit of a runny nose. We caught the flight, and we filled in our health cards on arrival. I didn't lie or exaggerate, just ticked the boxes to yes or no in terms of which symptoms I had. And soon we were on our way to La Habana.

La Habana, (or Havana to us English speakers). What a fantastic city. It has been a while since we have been in a city with this much soul, this much character. We wandered for hours, each day, aimlessly at times, just snapping photos and drinking in the atmosphere. No agenda, no sights to “tick off”, just a city to be experienced. Bars and cafés and restaurants, squares and parks to sit in, peso pizza and ice cream, churches and palaces and museums.

Capitolio Nacional
There are a number of picturesque parks and plazas in downtown Havana, and many beautiful buildings. This building, formerly the seat of Cuban Congress (i.e. before the revolution), is quite stunning. Many families come out of the claustrophobic backstreets to enjoy the open spaces around it, just sitting and sunning. There was often a game of soccer in one corner or another, but the biggest surprise was late afternoon, when there were a number of group exercises occurring. Some appeared to be practicing Tai Chi, while younger groups worked through combinations of stretches, martial art moves, and dance steps.

Statue Of The Republic
17 metres tall and weighing 49 tons, she's a big bronze woman.

Feeling Like Jack
Feeling like Jack, of beanstalk fame. Side entrance to Havana's cathedral.

A Colonial Courtyard
Beautiful and fairly typical.

Palacial Interior
Apparently Tiffany had a hand in the interior decoration tips of this palace in Havana, now a museum of the revolution.

In Havana, there are some newer cars and buses on the road. Some. There are some modern(ish) motorcycles and moto-taxis (called coconuts because they have a round shell). There are a lot of older vehicles. In the mid-age, there are Ladas and Trabants, with a few Fiats and an occasional Toyota. Then there are the old cars. Most of these are from before the revolution. And Cubans just keep them going. I guess about 40-50% of Havana's collectivo taxis, plying fixed routes, are Buicks, Chevrolets, Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs, Fords, and so on, all from the 1940's and 1950's. Every now and then, maybe twice a day, a car from the 1920's rolls by, or is found parked on a side street. Motorcycles are generally from the 50's through to the 70's, and all bar a handfull have sidecars. Those 1950's taxis are the eye catchers. Some are barely road legal and have seating for 10 or more. They are kept rust free and running and that is all that matters. While others are lovingly maintained, polished and gleaming, a car enthusiasts dream purchase. Most owners seem happy enough to let you photograph their car, no matter what condition it is in. Many of these cars are parked for a stint in an area on Prado. This stretch is sometimes affectionately referred to as “Jurassic Park”.

A Cuban Taxi
A collector's item in most of the world, but an economic necessity in Cuba. Pre-revolution cars of U.S. origin ply the roads.

A Well-Cared-For Cuban Taxi
Some of the taxis are given more love and attention than others.

An Older Beauty
One of the occasional older cars that can be found on the streets of Havana.

A Typical Havana Motorcycle
Few and far-between are motorcycles without sidecars in Havana. Often with a spare wheel strapped on the back, and usually ridden with a pillion and one or two passengers in the sidecar, they are a common sight in downtown.

Taxis Wait In Jurassic Park, Havana
Affectionately known as Jurassic Park, many old taxis wait in this stretch of Prado (Paseo de Martí), Havana.

We are staying in a “casa particular”, which is a private home which rents out rooms. So, it is in a residential street, although we are only two minutes walk from some of the major downtown sights. Almost all streets are residential to some extent, here, or at least there are apartments within a block. So, when walking around, you always get some great insights into the lives of Havañeros. Communicating with neighbours, for instance, rarely seems to be a private affair. Sitting or standing on their balconies, residents bellow to people on other balconies, above, below, or on the other side of the street. Sometimes a rope is dropped in to the street. There, somebody will tie on a basket of things, a bag of stuff, or a bottle of something. A whistle or a wave, and the resident above pulls it up, avoiding trips up and down stairs. Door keys are a hazard, being tossed down to friends or relatives who have yelled up to announce their arrival. Kids play in the streets, and sometimes their games seem to include rules to allow for traffic. Hitting a tennis ball up against a wall on a narrow street, for example. I would have thought this was a game that would stop when a pedestrian, motorcycle, or car needed to pass. However, the game we observed seemed to have a rule that you were required to hit bigger or wider so that there was no interruption. I did pass with concern we might be hit, but there was no such incident. Marbles is still a big hit, with pairs of children flicking those little glass balls in all sorts of places. Amazingly nostalgic just to watch some of the simple things.

Music. Music of one sort or another filters out to most streets at most times of the day. Thankfully, we are getting a break from the 80's soft rock that we were bombarded with in Central America (although we did here Toto's “Africa” once today). We assume a lot of what we are hearing is local. Sure, there are some big Latin names that we can identify, but beyond that, there are many well known rhythms and styles that evolved here and are Cuban through and through. Music is a big part of Cuban lives.

Cigars. They are a part of everyday life for many Cubans. Overall, Cuban people are fairly heavy smokers. To see employees in service industries smoking even a cigarette is a sight we are not used to. This is certainly the first time we have seen waiters smoke cigars while standing in front of a restaurant, trying to get potential customers to frequent their establishments. We have seen fathers smoking cigars while walking hand in hand with their children in the street. We witnessed a woman smoking a cigar while hanging her washing out. Couples smoke cigars in the squares. Groups of men drinking bottles of rum in cafés – well, that is at least one place you expect to see Cuban cigars being smoked.

Smoking A Cuban
We snuck out on to the roof to have our first Cuban since arriving in Havana. It was a gift from the restaurant where we dined, so it was probably not an expensive one. It was pretty damn good, still.

And to finish our blog on Havana, a photo to make you laugh.

The Unknown Story Of The Blue Dog
Downtown Havana. Jo didn't believe me at first. “Look, a blue dog", I had said. Had she misheard me? Was I exaggerating or referring to something other than a living animal? Was I majorly confused or delirious in the heat? Or was there a sad canine to be seen? No, it was a blue dog. Obviously the blue all over the pavement is part of the story – but the sequence of events that ended with a blue dog and a blue pavement are a mystery. If this dog could talk, it would have had a great story. Maybe we should have a story competition?

We Don't Mayan A Few Ruins

2009-06-30T11:05:00.002+10:00

22 Jun to 1 Jul, 2009 – Tulum, Valladolid, Isla Holbox, Cancún, and many spots surrounding those

This may be our last blog entry for a while. We are flying to Cuba on Wednesday, and will be there until late July, and while internet is definitely going to be available, we think it may not be accessible enough for us to maintain the blog and photos, etc. So next update is due after that.

We crossed from Belize in to Mexico knowing that we only had a short time to get a little taste of this country. So we chose the main things in Quintana Roo and Yucatan provinces, and that meant quite a few Mayan sites.

Tulum was our first stop. Known for both a beautiful beach, and for Mayan ruins, and for the fact that those ruins are picturesquely situated above that stretch of beach.

Mayan Ruins At Tulum
I think this particular structure may have been one of the temples in Tulum (sorry, can't quite remember). It shows what a beautiful stretch of water the city looked over. There are a few beachy stretches and coves beneath the rocks.

An Iguana Looks Out
Maybe the iguana is shaking his head at the crowds, or maybe he's just taking in the overall vista of the ruins. There were many iguanas wandering about, and with such crowds almost daily, they are quite accustomed to people.

Cocktails On Tulum Beach
Less than a kilometre from the ruins and the rocky cliffs they are built atop, the beach opens to many kilometres of powdery white expansive beaches with gentle and warm waters of perfect turquoise for great swimming. Beth and Ben from Wales joined us for some cocktails.

En-route from Tulum to Valladolid, we stopped at a more overgrown Mayan site, called Cobá.

Nature Integrated
Tree roots hold together the roof structure of a passage leading under a Mayan pyramid in the ruins of Cobá.

Cute Pyramid With Rounded Corners
The rounded corners appear to be far less common. In my opinion, they soften the appearance of the structure considerably. This structure is in the Mayan ruins of Cobá.

Valladolid was our base for a few days, which was nice for Jo's birthday, as we weren't moving around. We began celebrating on birthday eve, and why not, as it was already the next day back in Aus. Cocktails, and a Mexican style “fondue”. This was like a pizza without a base, or more correctly, a pizza with a base of melted cheese!

For the actual day of her birthday, we headed to Chichén Itzá, one of the seven wonders of the modern world.

A Magnificent Mayan Pyramid, Pyramid Of Kukulcán
This structure is the principal attraction of Chichén Itzá. Beautifully constructed, with many significant connections with the Mayan calendar, the temple on top was where priests would determine the best times to do things, from planting crops to invading neighbours. This structure apparently shows some Toltec influences.

Decorations On A Platform For Sacrifices
The “Platform Of Skulls”. A place of sacrifice. The Mayans were not that big in the sacrifice department, but Chichén Itzá was a mixture of Mayan and Toltec culture, from the north of Mexico. It appears the Toltecs were sacrifice obsessed, with many sculptures showing decapitations and human heart offerings.

The Observatory
Also called El Caracol (the snail) because of the spiral stairway inside. A very interesting building in the ruins of Chichén Itzá.

The birthday eating/drinking continued in to the night. Pre-dinner cocktails at one of the oldest colonial mansions in town, followed by a return to the restaurant from the night before. We stuffed ourselves on a couple of regional specialities. As the evening progressed, the singer found out, from me of course :D, that it was Jo's birthday. Minutes later a cake with a candle appeared, along with a rendition of Happy Birthday in Spanish. Followed by a Mexican birthday song. Jo did blush!

Pre-dinner Drinks With Ambiance
In a beautiful colonial mansion. The candelabra behind Jo was a lovely touch.

Strawberry Cake For Jo
Happy Birthday! The restaurant provides a birthday cake with no notice or prompting.

Another trip from Valladolid had us at yet more Mayan ruins, and our last ones for this trip at least. Ek' Balam.

A Mayan Winged Figure
Sometimes called a Mayan angel, although angels are not at all a part of Mayan religion. An intriguing figure on the main pyramid of Ek' Balam.

View Over Ek' Balam
We didn't realise how far we had climbed on the main pyramid, but the view back down on the main plaza was pretty good and well worth the effort.

Another Interesting Mayan Sculpture
This expressive figure graced the main pyramid of Ek' Balam. The overall style (although not the facial features) reminded us of something so very Asian.

Check out this place for a cool place to swim, only a few kilometres from town.

Swimming In A Cenote
One of those blurs is Jo. This fantastic pool in a cave is Cenote Dzitnup, near Valladolid. The water is crystal clear, due to the natural limestone filtration that occurs. There were some fish in there, too. In fact, quite a lot.

And a great convent slash fortress from Valladolid.

Convent Interior, Valladolid
Soft light filters in to the cloister.

Convent Exterior, Valladolid
Built with a dual purpose – church and fortress.

Here is a lovely sunset from Isla Holbox.

Sunset At Isla Holbox
The colour stayed in the sky for a very long time.

Anyone who has been following this blog knows that we were hoping to snorkel with whale sharks in Honduras, and it didn't happen due to the bad weather. Well, we didn't really want to hold our hopes up too much, but we thought there might be another opportunity, here in Mexico, at Isla Holbox. And it happened. And it was amazing. The biggest sharks known, and they only eat plankton. Go figure. Anyway, these amazing gentle giants were breathtaking. And to snorkel along with them, being eyed off by those spotty fish of immense proportions, that is something we will never forget.

Whale Shark, Side On
We were not the only ones swimming with the shark. I don't think any of the fish had cameras, though.

Whale Shark – The Mouth
Gorgeous, isn't she. And not just tolerant, but seemed to almost enjoy our company. She surfaced while we swam with her, and stayed close to us for at least 45 minutes.

A Photo For Scale
David swims on the other side, taking some video. A beautiful little clip it turned out to be. Unfortunately, far too big to upload without editing, so that will have to wait. Anyway, we thought this photo was fantastic to show just how big this awesome creature was. We think about nine metres.

And not just whale sharks, we saw heaps of dolphins, and some incredible manta rays. These rays were about two or so metres across, and when they leapt from the air and slapped back in to the sea, less than five metres away, it was almost too good to be true. Even the captain said he had never had that happen in such close proximity to the boat. Unfortunately, no photos available of leaping manta rays.

A Manta Ray Waves Us Over
On its back, “wings” arced over. This was confirmation we were approaching a manta ray.

The Manta Swims Past
Maybe two metres across, the manta glides past our boat.

From Isla Holbox, to Isla Mujeres and Cancún. And as stated, we will fly on to Cuba. Stay tuned.

We SNORKELLED With A Manatee!

2009-06-23T11:04:00.002+10:00

16 to 22 Jun, 2009 – Dangriga, Belize Zoo, Belize City, Caye Caulker, Orange Walk, Lamanai

Alternate title: “As you step off the boat, please watch your head. If you hit your head, please watch your language.”

We spent a day in the Garifuna coastal town of Dangriga, where we had a strange visit to what was advertised as a “cultural centre”. There we found a guy who makes traditional Garifuna drums. He seemed rather puzzled that we were there, so we asked if we could look around. He said yes, and 30 seconds later we had looked around. There were a dozen or so drums in different stages, wood shavings everywhere, and that was all. He offered no information, he didn't point out things for us to look at or admire, and he certainly had very little to qualify being called a “cultural centre”.

On our way to Belize City, we stopped at the Belize Zoo. Jo had a riddle for me on the bus – What's worse than hearing a number of Mariah Carey songs in a row? Hearing the same Mariah Carey song over and over again. I don't know if the girl who was listening to that song on her mobile phone was consoling herself or something, but as the song finished, she would replay it... Anyway, on to the zoo. We had only been there a half hour or so when the light drizzle turned in to full on pelting rain. So we took shelter for an hour or two, but the rain was not showing any signs of easing up. Time to brave the weather. At least most of the animals were braving the elements, too, so we looked at a heap of soggy animals. Kudos to the zoo, though, for some excellent animal exhibits. We chose to go, although we normally steer clear of zoos, due to its reputation for only keeping animals which can't be released, and for the humane way they are kept and displayed. In the end, though, we rushed the last half dozen or so enclosures, and headed on our way, wet.

Arriving in Belize City, we potentially could have continued, aiming for the islands. Being a bit weary, we decided to hole up instead. It was nowhere near as bad as we had been warned to prepare for. There were a couple of unsavoury characters about, but moreso because of their state of inebriation than their general demeanor. Still, it is a long way from being a pretty city, and it does lack tourist oriented sites. It is not a bad base for some trips, but most people choose to base themselves elsewhere. On a tight time-budget, it is a city worth skipping...

Caye Caulker is accessible by boat from Belize City. Caye Caulker is one of many spots that can be used as a base for diving and snorkelling. However, Caye Caulker is the most budget oriented spot for said diving and snorkelling. So, we ended up in Caye Caulker. And we ended up snorkelling. And renting an underwater camera. It was a no-brainer, really, when we knew what we were likely to see. And we were still blown away!

A Manatee Swims Below Us
Caye Caulker, Belize. Snorkelling in the marine park, we were privileged to be visited for a few minutes by a magnificent manatee!

Spotted Eagle Ray Swims By
A Spotted Eagle Ray flaps his "wings" and glides past us as we snorkel near Caye Caulker.

Loggerhead Turtle
I really had to back up to get out of the way of this beautiful turtle who was coming through, regardless of our presence.

Jo And The Stingrays
Jo admires some Rough-Tailed Stingrays as she snorkels over them.

Being Chased By An Eagle Ray
That Eagle Ray really had no issue with us. It was all we could do just to stay out of his path.

School's In
Although, there appears to be some misfits in amongst these.

Another Turtle
I know he doesn't look so green, but it's a Green Sea Turtle.

Oh, and the lobster season just began! Lobster, lobster, and more lobster. Yummo.

Our last stop was in a northern Belizean town, Orange Walk, which was a base for a trip upriver to the Mayan city of Lamanai.

A Character From Mad?
An ancient pottery fragment at the Mayan ruins of Lamanai, looking a bit like a drawn character from Mad Magazine.

Belize's National Flower
The Black Orchid.

Looking Up ...
The tallest structure at Lamanai, build around 100 BC.

... And Looking Down
Surrounded by forest, an amazing view was to be had from the top.

I Belize We're Having A Good Time

2009-06-20T13:40:00.001+10:00

13 to 16 Jun, 2009 – San Ignacio, Cockscomb Basin

Can't decipher Creole. Don't know a word in Garifuna. My Mayan is non-existent. But Spanish is spoken a fair bit. The official language is English. Don't be surprised to hear Mandarin or Cantonese or something random like Indian or Thai. Welcome to Belize.

The day we crossed the border, nothing could have come between Jo and her lamb chops. Not that I complained – I went for the lamb curry. My, we have missed our lamb! Food choices are delightful, and thankfully, they are not put on just for the tourists. Oh yes, the typical dish is still built on a base of rice and beans (or beans and rice, which IS actually prepared differently). However, options exist. And we use them! Indian another night, and it was an authentic curry made from fresh spices. In a town called Maya Centre, we stayed with a Mayan herbal doctor and her husband. She made us some Mayan dishes using many ingredients picked fresh from her herbal and medicinal garden. Those of you who know us know that we do place a great emphasis on god food in relation to enjoyment of a particular region.

We filled in our afternoon in San Ignacio with a visit to a project trying to revive the Belizean population of the endangered Green Iguana.

Who's Having More Fun?
Iguanas like to climb, apparently...

The next day, though, was the adventure. Actun Tunichil Muknal, frequently called ATM, and thankfully so, as I didn't want to have to keep stumbling through its full name. A drive of an hour and a half, followed by a wet 45 minute walk (because we had to walk through the river three times) and we were at the cave entrance. A bite of lunch, and then in to the river, to swim in to the cave, as the entrance is flooded by a pool in the river that flows out of the cave. Not a long swim, though, and then we walked upriver in the cave for a bit under an hour. Sometimes ankle deep, sometimes up to our chest, and occasionally requiring a few strokes where it was very deep. Finally, arriving at the main cavern, nicknamed the cathedral for all the beautiful formations. We were, however, not here just for the columns, stalactites and mites, flowstones and curtains and candelabras, although impressive and beautiful, we were here because it was sacred to the Mayans about a thousand years ago. And they had left behind many pots. And a few skeletons to boot.

Mayan Pottery
Thousand year old pottery pieces, lying about a cave. The main cavern of Actun Tunichil Muknal is littered with hundreds of pottery pieces and thousands of fragments.

In The Cave
Some of the beautiful formations (behind us, that is), in the main cavern of Actun Tunichil Muknal. This cavern is called “The Cathedral”.

The Crystal Princess
The calcified skeleton of a teenage girl, found in the far reaches of Actun Tunichil Muknal.

ATM Entrance
Jo swims across the pool of water that flows through the cave entrance of Actun Tunichil Muknal.

I mentioned the Mayan herbal doctor earlier. Good timing to stay with her, as Jo was feeling a bit of a cold coming on. So she had a consultation, and she was soon stocked up with a decongestant, a herbal tea she picked fresh, and a cream for the bites on her arm which have not settled down from many weeks ago.

We got up at 3:45 the next morning to head in to a Wildlife Sanctuary, Cockscomb Basin. Primarily created as a jaguar preserve, we knew our chances of spotting one were slim at best. We saw some claw marks, and some very fresh jaguar shit, but no felines were to be seen. We saw a lot of birds, some lizards, and a kazillion frogs.

A Helmeted Lizard.
Possibly Hernandez' Helmeted Lizard.

Jaguar Scratching Post
Like big domestic cats on furniture, jaguars sharpen their claws on trees. Although, it is probably more likely that domestic cats are trying to be like their bigger wild cat cousins.

Cute Little Cricket Tree-Frog
Almost cheeky. In a "frog pond" with thousands upon thousands of frogs making a deafening roar. He was one of the few that we found that was staying still! In the full resolution, when you zoom in on his eye, you can see the reflection of trees and the horizon.

Two Frogs Having "Special Cuddles"
Cricket Tree Frogs share an intimate moment.

Large And Colourful Caterpillar
Thought I better get a finger in there for scale.

“We Come In Peace”

2009-06-16T02:18:00.003+10:00

8 to 13 Jun, 2009 - Guatemala City, Semuc Champey, and Tikal

Ambassadors Of Peace. It is now official, and we have certificates to prove it. I mentioned in an earlier blog entry how we had wanted to visit the National Palace of Culture but couldn't due to the visit by the president (prime minister?) of Taiwan. We had written it off, but after our bus debacle, we found ourselves back in Guatemala City, and doing a tour of said palace.

Reception Hall
The beautiful reception hall of the Palacio Nacional de la Cultura, Guatemala City. The chandelier allegedly weighs in at two tonnes!

One of the things that we really wanted to catch was a daily ceremony at the monument for peace, which is in one of the courtyards of the palace. This short and simple ceremony involves a military guard who takes yesterday's rose off the monument and replaces it with a fresh one. Not wanting to risk missing it, we asked a couple of people about it. Before we really knew it, Jo was asked if she would like the honour of performing the ceremony. She naturally accepted, and some minutes later was humbly carrying in a tray with a fresh rose. There was a small group of onlookers, from the general public, and we were both asked if we would like to say a few words. It was an extremely moving experience.

Jo Brings In The New Rose
Jo carries in a tray with a fresh rose, to be placed on the Peace Monument in Guatemala City. It was an honour for us to be chosen to perform this ceremony. It is usually performed by a guard, and sometimes by important visitors (e.g. the Dalai Lama, or visiting Heads of State), so Jo is now in some very good company. We also received certificates declaring that we are Ambassadors of Peace in Guatemala.

Jo Places A Fresh Rose
A fresh rose is placed on the Peace Monument in The Palacio Nacional de la Cultura, Guatemala City.

OK, so I've recently been talking about buses and pickups. In today's blog we'll cover minibuses and pickups. Why? Because our minibus broke down and we transferred to a truck! :D OK, so minibuses don't vary from chicken buses by a lot. They are just as slow in town, and just as fast on the road. The significant difference is that you NEVER have much room. Even if they are only half full, you still have your knees around your ears. Even more-so if you have to sit on the folding seat, and then are expected to squeeze four on to the three seats. The assistant still has similar functions, but he spends more time hanging precariously out of the open door, and sometimes that's the only space left for him. Trucks are a new domain. Adult male dominated, they are usually taking workmen to or from town, and may make room for others, but that is just bonus income for the driver. They are generally not so crowded – most men just sit up on the sides, while others sprawl out on the floor. These trucks are about the slowest way to get from A to B.

Yes, our minibus died. Upon hearing awful sounds from the wheel, we pulled over. Twenty minutes later, there was a mess. The wheel mount was completely disassembled, with tools and parts spread all around the poor driver, who couldn't undo a few nuts and bolts due to poor tools. A truck appeared, going our way, so we bailed on the poor guy, and thanked him, while he needlessly apologised. Jo got offered a seat in the front of the truck, while I was expected to find my own space in the rear. I must say, I was rather surprised that Jo was so comfortable with hopping in to a truck with over 30 men. She must have been OK with it due to my being there to keep an eye on the situation.

First Class Travel
Well, only class travel. A few stay in the truck, the rest ride on the walls. With transport, sometimes beggars can't be choosers, but they just have to make the best with what comes along.

Good Friends
Good friends, or at least we hope so. If you can't find something comfortable to sleep on, find someone comfortable.

Scenery En-Route
Taken while riding on a truck to Lanquín.

Semuc Champey is a series of beautiful pools formed in limestone, connected by little waterfalls. Most are swimmable, and all are picturesque. There were lots of little fish that enjoyed our company, or at least enjoyed us. They swam around, darting in to bite at the hairs on my arms, legs, and chest. They even took little nips at Jo (who is not hairy, I should point out). I think they were eating flecks of dead skin, sort of like a natural fish exfoliation.

Swimming At Semuc Champey
Swimming in one of the numerous turquoise pools at Semuc Champey.

Semuc Champey, From The Mirador
This is the postcard angle. It took about 15 to 20 minutes to climb from the pools to this breathtaking viewpoint.

Fish were not the only wildlife encounter. A long green snake caused quite a stir and became the centre of attention for a while.

Snake, Posing
OK, the debate is raging. We were told on site that this was a poisonous snake, either a viper or a vine snake. Later, someone who seems to know a lot about snakes identified this as a parrot snake, which he said was not venomous, but was “all show”. He seemed to be the most knowledgeable, so we'll stick with that for the moment. This beautiful creature was certainly quite the showman, and quite a long beast, too, approaching two metres in length. He stuck his head up and remained in a strike pose, for a few minutes, then quickly shimmied somewhere else, where he would go back in to his defensive (or offensive) posture. Then down again, under some branches, and his head would just pop out from somewhere unexpected. This he managed to keep up for about 15 minutes. All the while, we kept a healthy distance, especially when we saw just how quickly he was capable of moving when he wanted to.

After a horribly long trip of multiple buses, we arrive in Flores, in the north of Guatemala. This is the base for trips to the magnificent Mayan ruins of Tikal.

Jo, Dwarfed
Some of the imposing structures at Tikal.

Watch That First Step, It's A Doozy!
They're steep, and they're hard. Steps up to the top of one of the Mayan temples in Tikal. You really don't want to miss your footing!

Lazy
This black howler monkey came down to check us out. The ruins of Tikal are still in thick jungle, with very little vegetation cleared. The wildlife around the temples was a highlight.

A Picturesque Mayan Temple
One of the outer temples of Tikal.

Temple I
Relaxing in the Great Plaza of Tikal.

Boom!

2009-06-13T09:14:00.002+10:00

4 to 8 Jun, 2009 – Quetzaltenango (Xela) and surrounding sights

We finally got to Xela, and our hotel. A number of buses, and a desperate taxi ride. I had a mild case of diarrhea, and was glad to be close to a bathroom with no need to move. It turned out to be not so mild, and by morning I knew it. Ten or twelve visits to the bathroom during the night, but the most worrying symptom (sorry everyone) was that I was crapping blood. OK, that's the most graphic this is going to get. I started antibiotics and prescribed myself a day of rest. Jo turned professions for the day and became my nurse, running out to buy me suitable food stuffs, running around making me drinks of rehydration salts, and helping me to stay as comfortable as possible. Those antibiotics worked a treat, and 24 hours later, we were out sight-seeing again! Yay for pharmaceuticals!

Not far north of Xela, but a minibus, chicken bus, and pickup ride away, was the village or San Andrés Xecul. A pretty setting with some nice views down the valley, but our reason for coming was the, umm, slightly outrageous facade on the church. Why try and describe it when we have photos!

Interesting Symbology
Again, probably some Mayan influences, but certainly there are some interesting symbols (not to mention colours) in use on the facade of this church of San Andrés, near Xela.

Striking Colours
Hmm, really stands out, doesn't it!

Leaving San Andrés, we hopped in the bus. Like most local buses, it sat for a long time, engine running, while a trickle of people got on board and slowly filled it. Every two or three minutes, the driver would get on board, blast the horn a few times, and climb off again. After 10 or 15 minutes, when the driver had not been back on board for a while, I got out of my seat, and went to the front of the bus, and blew the airhorn a few times. I didn't look at anyone, but just returned to my seat. Jo assures me that most people on the bus were laughing or smiling at my joke.

As we left town, the assistant came down. Conductor is a bit of an exaggerated description for the guy who squeezes through the crowded buses to collect fares, as there are no tickets or receipts. He doesn't wear a uniform, or identification, he's just a bloke who walks down the aisle asking for money from everyone, and everyone obliges. He has other tasks. These include hanging out of the bus door as it races through intersections, shouting the destination, and waving or whistling at every potential passenger, enticing them to consider this particular bus. He also patrols the aisles to ensure that every seat has a minimum of 3 adults squeezed on to it. One important job is trying to hang on to the roof while tying down large bags of fruits and vegetables, and our packs which are almost always thrown up there, as the bus drives out of the terminal and lurches violently through chaotic streets as it heads out. Anyway, enough about who he was and his function, he came to us and asked where we were heading. We told him and he told us that it would be two Quetzals each, which is something like 35 Aussie cents. A lady across the aisle, (beautiful in her indigenous outfit, btw), queried him. Why was he overcharging us? OK, so he wasn't – she thought we were going to a closer town – but it was so thrilling to have a tiny little reminder how people really do look out for and look after visitors. I thanked her, and she smiled.

Our destination was Salcajá.

The First Church In Central America
I don't really know if that is true, as it is an odd place for the first church, not being in the first population centres. Oh well, let's go with it. It is certainly amongst the first, being dated from 1524! Iglesia de San Jacinto, in Salcajá. Just a pity it was not open for viewing.

In Zunil, yet another nearby village, we visited San Simón. If you have been reading this blog, you may remember my earlier description of the smoking, drinking, sort-of deity known as Maximón. San Simón is Maximón, again, but with slight regional variations.

San Simón - A.K.A Maximón
See our description of Maximón against another photo of a different Maximón. This one was quite the cowboy, and didn't seem to smoke as much, but was tilted back by worshippers who would then pour alcohol into his open mouth (which would then empty straight in to one of the bowls below him).

We met two nice Canadian girls, Fiona and Evelyn, when we went up to some hot springs, Fuentes Georgina. The springs were beautifully set, and the mist and rain that enveloped us while we were there only added to the atmosphere. Thankfully there were a couple of cooler baths, as we only lasted a few minutes in the first (and hottest) pool. Anyway, we were so pleased, as they decided to join us the next day.

Just A Pretty Shot
Cobwebs in a tree in the mist.

If Fiona and Evelyn had not agreed to join us, we may not have done the hike we planned, needing a minimum of four. And, we may never have known what a wonderful experience we would have missed. In fact, it has to be one of the trip highlights. Really, we were not expecting it to be THAT good, just good. The book had not talked it up, and we have not met anyone else that did it (or at least nobody that talked about it).

Santiaguito. BOOM! Erupting a couple of times every hour, and in such a dramatic fashion!

Santiaguito Blows
Every 20 to 40 minutes, Santiaguito erupts. This fantastic sight, an ash laden plume billowing in to the sky, is accompanied by a roar akin to an aircraft, and the sound of large rocks crashing into the ground. Even from this safe viewing distance, clouds of sulphur laden gasses would blow over us. We watched for about 2 hours (maybe a bit more), and witnessed four eruptions.

Palmar Viejo – Old Palmar. Yes, there is a Palmar Nuevo, but the old one is not that old. It was abandoned, after a mud slide ripped a new ravine through the centre of town in the 1990's. And it was an amazing sight. Firstly, the size of the ravine. It looks like it would need a few millenia to erode such a formation. Secondly, and most striking, is the church.

Church Split
A mud slide ripped through town, split the church, and deposited two parts on opposite sides of a newly created ravine! Nature is powerful, hey.

Back on to transport, for a bit. First, another couple of "observations" about chicken buses. Oh, how frustratingly long they can take. Oh, once moving, never fear, there's nothing on the road faster. The engines roar, the tyres squeal, and the brakes smell. Yes, once moving, the worry is how quick they can be. But, before that, you can sit in a terminal for an eon, and then crawl through the streets for an age looking for some more passengers, then stop at an unremarkable intersection for an eternity, squeezing every person possible in. And as alluded to before, squeeze is not over exaggerating. Three adults to a bench, two benches to a row, 10 or 12 rows in the bus. There's 60 to 72 seated adults. Throw in one or two children per seat, so that makes another 30 or so. Another five or ten standing. We have been on buses that full! Quick maths puts us close to, or over, 100 people. Plus driver, assistant, and maybe one or two friends with him.

The most fun transport is the pickup. Hailing at an intersection, leaving instantly, and covering relatively shorter distances, they are often the only way to get to some villages. They carry produce, people, and sometimes even livestock. When crowded, only the driver and a couple of passengers get to sit. Everyone else stands.

Our Transport
After we got out and waved goodbye to our travel companions. There were about 18 adults in the back, plus us, and some children and infants, about 160 kg of vegetables and fruits, and 3 or 4 people in the driver's cab!

All these things, out and about, may have left you wondering about Xela (Quetzaltenango) itself. Yes, it is a town of pleasant character to stay in. A very beautiful square, an old cathedral facade (with a new cathedral behind it), and an arcade with character (despite a slightly neglected feel). Sunday's once-a-month market was a nice way to dine for our last night in town.

Cathedral Of Xela
Beautifully lit cathedral of Quetzaltenango (also called Xela).

And now, I am writing this blog, sitting on a bus, many hours later than we should have been. Blockades have come to Guatemala. There was a protest somewhere, so our 8:30 bus was rescheduled for 12:30. Then cancelled for tomorrow. Undeterred we have headed in a different direction, changed buses, and skirted around the area of trouble. However, we are now hours behind, with no hope of making our connection in Guatemala city.

And the reason for the protest? Motorcyclists are protesting a change in the law, which would make it illegal to carry two or more passengers. Imagine that, an oppressive rule meaning you can't take your whole family on your motorbike!