ROBLOG

2005-03-31T14:40:00.000-04:00

40,000 miles with no leg room and 200 nights with no bed springs later.....

Firstly. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and write here while I've been away. Its meant a lot. I hope you've enjoyed reading as much as I've enjoyed writing, about just a few of the things that have happened along the way.

Normally with conclusion comes meaning.But not in this case. The cliche stands that, the more of the world you see and experience, the more you realize what, and that, you haven't. It would seem that it is bigger, and smaller, than i every imagined. From the leeches, to the beaches. The poverty and wealth, justice and injustice, the real, and the very fabrication of it. Its been an adventure, and a complete saturation of the senses, albeit some more pleasant than others. But when you start to consider 9 hour bus trips as just down the road, its time to get a little perspective. Tune the piano, I'm coming home.

It is good to have an end to journey towards, but it is the journey that matters in the end.
--Ursula K. LeGuin

2005-03-24T18:00:00.000-04:00

I would love to enchant you with tales of voodoo and Inca weirdness but the truth is i haven't been up to a great deal over the last few days. With all my transport sorted as far as the Windmill Pub in Ormskirk (thanks Dad, as i mentioned i don't think there are too many llamas offering lifts outside Manchester arrivals) i can now relax, wind down, and possibly visit a ruin or two before taking a mind boggling series of flights back. Back to some cafe to drink yet more coffee.

2005-03-22T14:28:00.000-04:00

The Cusco Cut – A lesson in international haircuts.

Unlike a large number of people I’ve seen. I try to keep myself relatively smart whilst on the road. It is for this reason that you haven’t seen me sporting insect infested dreadlocks, ethnic tattoos and lead based face piercing. If your like me, and like to return from a trip looking vaguely the same as when you left, you will at some point need to see a barber. Here are a few personal experiences on what it might be best to expect.

Generally speaking you will have to wake the barber vigorously. Where the rest of town goes for their trim is a mystery, but you can guarantee its not the place you’ve found, and probably for a very good reason. So sit down, and accept the fact that you are probably his first customer since he bought his new pair of kitchen scissors with the orange handles.

Now is a good time to weigh up your surrounding, and decide just how much you would like to be banjaxed. Those displaying an arsenal of tools that look more suited to the days when barbers performed amputations are best avoided. Shed the cape and aim for the door pointing at your watch and making foreign noises. Instead try and find a guy with a solitary pair of cut throats, he’s generally a safer bet, despite his frail and shaking hands.

Depending on your location, and hence the size of the language barrier, now comes the tricky bit. Describing what you want. On the whole the most effective method by far is, using a faded and dated copy of the local paper, to point at a series of disgraced politicians and indistinguishable celebrities to aid your plight to the perfect trim. Now sit back, relax, and its probably best to close your eyes.

Try not to be alarmed by the fact that he’s liberally spraying water in the direction of two sparking wires powering clippers he shaves his llama with at the weekend. Or by the stray dog that has just wandered in off the street, and is yapping at your feet not exactly adding to your customer satisfaction. Within a time window of one minute to sixty minutes it will all be over, except for that is in Laos.

Compulsory to the conclusion of every haircut in Laos is a quick shoulder massage. Pleasant. And then without the slightest warning, a full 120 degree neck crank. The decibels of the “crunch” always being directly proportionate to the size of his smile.

Well, its still raining outside and so I am taking the opportunity to set up an online shop. Think of it as the real “Amazon”. If you spot anything you would like in the photo below, drop me a mail and I’ll see what I can do.

2005-03-21T12:35:00.000-04:00

After a quick stop in the lake side town of Copacabana, i decided to bus it straight through to Cusco. It means missing a bit of south Peru (Colca Canyon etc) but I've had enough of unpleasantly fragrant buses, and roads in various states of disrepair.

And so it seems that this is where i will stay untill i head over to Lima and fly home. There is plenty to do in the historic Inca town of Cusco, even wandering its montage of Inca/Spanish architecture is a pleasure. Obviously this is also the base for the famous Machu Picchu (pronounced in a myriad of incorrect ways) and also the ruined fort of Sacsayhuaman (definitely pronounced "sexy woman").

I'm hungry, so more later.

2005-03-19T12:17:00.000-04:00

A full day of rest, a full day of feeling ill and a full breakfast later, im ready to leave La Paz, and Bolivia. Im going to head for a small town on the border of Peru called Copacabana which sits at the edge of Lake Titicaca, but still on the Bolivian side. From there it should be relatively easy to make my way up to Cusco in Peru.

Before i go, here are a few silly photos from the last few weeks on ¨Being bold in Bolivia¨

Viva la Revolution - Frederic and I tackle the nations blockades

Railway Sleepers - Don't worry its not used any more....i think.

Dabble with dynamite - Shopping in Potosi.

¨I said....I can hear a truck coming¨ - Biking outside La Paz

2005-03-17T18:45:00.000-04:00

Into Thin Air

Huyana Potosi sits one hour out from La Paz and its glacial 6088m peak is one of the highest in the Cordillera Real. The altitude of the summit is not only higher than that of Everest base camp, but also some 200m higher than Everest Camp 1. Climbing Huayana Potosi was the most physically challenging thing i have ever done.

Day 1 - Base Camp

After arriving at base camp we unloaded all the equipment, food tents etc and headed off to a nearby glacier to practice our ice climbing and crampon technique. The 10m vertical wall of ice was nothing in comparison to the so called Little Fella and Big Fella that we would encounter once on the mountain, but gave us a little more time to get used to the altitude, temperature and equipment. Its pretty tough doing anything once you get over 3500m and so after a few hours we headed back to camp to rest and sleep.

Day 2 - To High Camp

In the morning the weather looked good (unlike Day 1) and a porter had joined us to help carry some of the extra equipment and food up to high camp. The walk up to the 4800m camp largely consisted of walking on very steep loose rocky ground, all the way to the snow line. It wasn't enjoyable, and due to the altitude, each step up the mountain felt like you were sprinting a hundred. We finally made it and set up our tents, with great views over the lower peaks of Huyana Potosi. After a quick bite to eat we went off to bed at 5.30pm, breakfast was to be at 11.30pm that evening.

At 9pm i woke with my first symptom of hypoxia, a very severe headache. Other symptoms include dizziness, confusion, loss of appetite, nausea and impaired judgement. Different people are affected in different ways and at different altitudes. 800mg of Ibuprofen and 250mg of Acetazolamide (a body regulator often used for altitude problems) later and i finally got back to sleep.

Day 3 - The Accent

We wake up. Early starts are needed due to the deteriation of the snow which can create dangerous conditions on the mountain. Its 11.30pm, its freezing cold, pitch black and the stars look incredible. A clear sky is good news for the climb ahead. From here on it will be head torches to the summit. We drink coffee, eat chocolate and do a quick kit check before throwing on the crampons and heading off. My walking partner is Frederic, a French Canadian chap that i have known for over a week, our guide is Pedro, he gives us the nod and we set off into the dark.

Around 2am we arrive at a place known as Camp Argentina. There is nothing there but it was a location used on a past accent by the Argentineans (hence the name). I remember feeling very sick at this point, but thankfully it passed quite quickly. At this point due to the steep snowy drops the three off us roped ourselves together so that if one slipped the others could break and save the fall. All this and its pitch black and bitterly cold. We were making good time and continued on to Little Fella. Little Fella is a steep wall of snow and ice at an increment of between 70 and 80 degrees. With ropes, pics and much effort we climbed its 30m face and continued. From this point on it was pure hard work, negotiating crevices and steep climbs.

At 4.30am we reached the foot of Big Fella. Big Fella is the final Climb to the summit and the final test. It consists of a 200-250m wall of ice at an angle of 70 degrees. We had made fantastic time and would be at the summit for sunrise for sure. Climbing Big Fella was hell. At this altitude its almost impossible to get your breath doing anything physical. First you run out off oxygen, then adrenaline, then all your energy, determination is the only source of movement.

The Summit

At 5.35am on Wednesday morning we arrived at the summit with nothing left to give. The sun would be rising over the next 30mins, all we could do was keep warm, watch and feel proud of what we had achieved. It was perfect. Far above the clouds at 6088m the three of us balanced on the knife edge peak, watching in awe as the sun began to throw beams of gold across the peaks of the Cordillera Real.

Here are a few photos, but due to the cold my camera kept packing up. I have also added a link to a video clip at the end of me biking on The Worlds Most Dangerous Road.

At the summit at 5.35am

Sunrise

On the decent

More on the decent

High Camp, and yes, that was the best place we could find to pitch a tent.

Frederic and I have a victory handshake at the summit.

Worlds most dabgerous road video clip HERE

2005-03-12T23:49:00.000-04:00

Today was good but a little terrifying, the worlds most dangerous road really deserves its name but makes for a good days mountain biking. Only fell of once and have managed to escape with a few cuts and bruises, good job i was going real slow at the time. Which is more than i can say for another gentleman in our group that managed to knock his front teeth out.Ouchh.

Basically im shattered and am going to take full advantage of a rest day tomorrow before the walk starts on Monday.

Very tired so im off to bed. Will upload some photos and maybe some video clips (whoo technology) on Thursday.

2005-03-11T18:56:00.000-03:00

La Paz (3500m), the de facto capital of Bolivia is in a bizarre location at the base of the Cordillera Real mountain range. The city sits in an amphitheater like basin shadowed by snowy peaks and church spires.

Tomorrow, Seema and Dan (who where in the 4x4 from San Pedro) and myself will mountain bike down officially "The Worlds Most Dangerous Road". The road has 1000m drops of unguarded edges over a 65km stretch and descends over 3500m in a few hours, with a reputable company of course. More on that when i get back.

Monday... Now Monday is the big one, and one of the main reasons I´m in Bolivia, to climb Huyana Potosi on the Cordillera Real. At 6088m (20,000ft) it will be the highest mountain ive ever been on, a challenge and an adventure. We set off for base camp on Monday, stay at high camp on Tuesday night. Then at 1 am on Wednesday morning we will walk through the early hours for a summit attempt at sunrise. Im excited, but also kinda terrified. Obviously...more later

p.s Not one of my photos...obviously.

2005-03-10T16:24:00.000-03:00

The situation in Bolivia.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4335107.stm

2005-03-09T19:00:00.000-03:00

This morning a few of us got in a taxi to go to Sucre, its 160km but taxis are cheap, very cheap. About 15 km into the journey we hit one of the road blocks we had been warned of, massive boulders down 300m of road, impossible to pass. After some negotiation between drivers and protestors a number of cars were allowed to drive through the river bed and continue. As transport is such a hassle at the moment im taking a flight to La Paz on Friday to avoid all the troubles, obviously if things flare up like in 2003 i´ll leave asap, but for now everyone is peaceful. As for now, Sucre looks like a nice city at first glance so im off for a look around.

2005-03-08T18:48:00.000-03:00

The silver mines where a major shock. The conditions that the miners have to put up with in terms of heat and dust are far worse than i imagined, and the age of some of the workers was also a concern. With a bag of TNT bought from the local market as a gift (this is there biggest expense as they are working for themselves) we descended deep into the mines, dodging speeding mine trollies and scrambling through impossible spaces. I will never complain about a job again.

With the resignation of the president here yesterday, things are a little out of the ordinary. There are talks of the roadblocks letting up and hopefully i should be able to make it over to Sucre tomorrow. Sucre is the actual capital holding the seat of the senate. La Paz on the other hand is more the de facto capital, getting there may currently be a little awkward but is essential for onward travel to Peru.

2005-03-07T17:23:00.000-03:00

Im now in Potosi, the highest city in the world at 4100m, and at one time the richest, although you wouldn't guess by looking at it. The journey over from Uyuni was a little hair raising with steep drops and dirt track roads, but a group of us have arrived in one piece. Tomorrow a couple of us are off to the silver mines, ive just signed some form that means you are aware of the dangers. Arsenic, speeding mine trollies, explosions. The mine is still active but the guides are very experienced...apparently, this is Bolivia after all.

Although a challenging country it is also very rewarding. Scenery, tradition, clothing. The local costume is a bizarre mix of a rag doll clothes topped with a laurel and hardy style hat, and llama cheese and meet are always on the menu

The only problem im currently facing is a series of road blocks across the country which may make travel a little awkward. You can pass the blockade if you wish but only if you don't mind having your bus set on fire. Yes, this is actually happening. So hopefully i can get to either La Paz by road, or take a cheap flight from Sucre (the capital) to La Paz in the next few days.

2005-03-06T17:05:00.000-03:00

Its hard to know where to begin to tell you about the last few days. All the best photos, all the best wildlife and all the best scenery has been over this period. A group of five of us set off on Friday up into the Andes and onto the Southern Altiplano. Vast barren areas, red and white salt lakes, thousands of flamingoes, gysers, mirror lakes, wild llamas, snow capped giants...everything you would and would not expect to find driving at altitudes between 4000-5000m. All in an area known as "Reserva de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa". Sickness was a little problem on the first night, but coca tea takes away the headaches, a few days later and we are all aclimitized to the height. We are now in Uyuni and today went out onto the worlds largest salt flat, The Salar de Uyuni. Again incredible, and again one of the highlights of my entire trip. In this alien world there is no sky and no ground. The few inches of water covering white salt and over 8000sq km create a mirror that reflects everything on its surface and the entire sky as far as you can see.

Sticking with some of the people from the journey, we are off to Potosi, the highest city in the world, and at one time the richest. This displayed in some of the 18 churches that occupy the small town.

More Snaps.

2005-03-03T15:17:00.000-03:00

On Monday I said farewell and returned to Santiago to take a bus north. The journey takes 24 hours and goes via La Serena, Antofogasta, amongst other places before finally arriving in Calama, about 100km from San Pedro. The town I was trying to reach. What started as a small sniffle on boarding the bus metamorphosised into some fully blown fever, head cold and bad chest, making the journey absolute hell (although it’s a little better now).

Once in Calama I checked into the second hostel I found, the first only having a room that looked like a set piece from “Psycho” . Call me fussy, but I find it hard to get a decent night sleep on a bed saturated in blood. I slept. I woke. I took a pus to San Pedro.

As with most of the town in north Chile San Pedro is in the middle of the Atacama desert, the driest in the world. There are places here where rain has never been recorded. The journey from Calama to San Pedro cuts through the Atacama with a beautiful backdrop of the Andes. The 6000m peaks seem to jump out of the flat barren land and the sight is quite spectacular.

San Pedro is small. Very Small. Picture a few white old houses, some cobbled streets and the odd cactus and your are there. Its very close to the Bolivian border (which is why Im here) and also to some of the strange geology of the lower Andes. Vast lunar landscapes, sometimes with a blanket of crisp white salt, and alien looking rocks surround the area in a national park known as “Valle de la Luna” which I need not translate. I took a 4X4 around some of the best bits before returning to the hostel.

So im in the hostel talking to a Swiss couple when some locals invite us to a party. “Sure” we say, thinking a bar, someone’s house, whatever. We hop in the back of a pick-up truck with about 10 others and set off. The purpose of the vehicle was a bit of a mystery at first, you can drive across San Pedro in under a minute downs its narrow cobbled streets. 20mins later the town is out of sight and we are off road in the middle of the Atacama desert, the sky looks fantastic, its freezing cold and we are headed god knows where. The truck stops. Someone has carted a generator, stereo, gallons of Pisco and Cola (Piscola) into the middle of the desert, lit a big fire, and invited town (about 100). It was quite a surreal and special evening, despite the cold and the fact we couldn’t leave until we were taken. We got back around 4 and went to bed.

Tomorrow the same couple and myself are taking a 4X4 over to Uyuni in Bolivia, it will take 3 days with a hired driver and go via geysers, salt plains and other curiosities. Parts of the drive are at 4500 and so Soroche (Altitude Sickness) is always a concern but a careful diet and the local coco leaf tea should make all well. See you in Bolivia. Here are a few snaps.

Summit of Volcan Villarica - Pucon

Inside the volcano - Pucon

With Pablo - Vina del Mar

A few pictures of the Valle du la Luna and the geography of the surrounding area.

2005-02-26T18:54:00.000-03:00

After some catching up and exploring Vina Del Mar and Valparaiso ive booked a bus up to San Pedro in the Atacama on Monday evening. At 24 hours its a hell of a bus ride but has to be done. This part of Chile is famous for having the clearest night sky in the world due to the very dry air and lack of light pollution, but i wont be hanging around. Im planning to get a 4WD to go for 3 days across Bolivia´s Salar De Uyuni, an endless alien landscape of salt flats that will eventually lead to the town of Uyuni. More when i get to San Pedro.

2005-02-23T12:17:00.000-03:00

Pablos parents have very kindly been letting me stay at their house until he returns today from Argentina. Valperaiso is a great city with thousands of houses ingeniously built across the surrounding hills. Dozens of funiculars throughout the city give access up the steeper parts with terrifyingly angled roads serving everywhere else. Im probably going to stay here a couple more days and then head straight up to San Pedro in the Atacama desert. A hopping point to get to Bolivia.

2005-02-19T06:09:00.000-03:00

Ive just been out doing a spot of white water rafting on the Tanctura river a short distance from here, although it was fun with 4m waterfalls in part it was fairly tame compared to the full on rapids of the trip i did in Thailand.

Im heading up to Valparaiso soon for a beer with Pablo so i´ll put up a post when im there.

2005-02-17T08:57:00.000-03:00

Now the thing i love about non westernized countries is their approach to health and safety. If you´re stupid enough to stand on the edge of a cliff, jump in a boiling spring, or sit on the roof of a train, no ones going to stop you. Just be prepared for the consequences. These places still issue life jackets, crash helmets, or whatever equipment you need. They just don't hold your hand to cross the road. All to often, especially in NZ, you were are always being told. "Don't climb that mountain, its to windy", when in fact you couldn't have flown a kite. Or "Don't swim in the lake its deep, in parts"...Hmmm. After all, in adventure sports and outdoor activities its often the small element of risk that makes them fun, and out of the ordinary.

As i mentioned, Pucon is shadowed by Volcan Vallarrica. At 3000m its small by Andes standards, but higher than most European peaks. It last erupted in 71 wiping out a neighboring town, and is still bubbling away fiercely. At night the peak glows against a backdrop of stars as a funnel of smoke rises into the sky. Oh, and you can climb it if you want.

Early this morning i put on some crampons, grabbed an ice pick and set off to do so with my guide, Rodrigo. The first stretch is by chair lift to carry you over the rocky debris that litters the base, then on foot up the snowy slopes to the summit. I had no idea what to expect at the top. The volcanoes i climbed in NZ where all dormant or extinct.

Gazing into what appears to be the center of the earth is mesmerizing and hypnotic. The heat and fumes are almost unbearable, and the situation obviously quite dangerous. You really got the feeling that you couldn't get away with it in most countries. Every now and then the fiery red crater would roar and through bright red lava into the air some 30m from where we stood. The smaller fragments of rock and ash would then rain down even closer, sometimes we´d move to avoid it. Incredible.

There are easier ways of getting down a snow covered slopes than walking. After hanging around at the top for a while, it was time to get on my arse and slide to the bottom, using the ice pick as a brake. Tremendous fun, but kinda painful.

Off for some food.

2005-02-15T01:21:00.000-03:00

After a few days walking around some of Santiagos quarters ive headed south 14 hours on a bus down to the small town of Pucon. This is home to Volcan Villarrica, a massive 3000m active volcano that dominates the skyline pouring clouds of smoke into the air. I couldn't get a hostel and so im staying in a house belonging to a local lady, who´s very fond of saying "No Problema!!".

Tomorrow, weather permitting, the plan is to climb up to the top of the volcano with a trekking guide and look into the bubbling lava from its snowy peak. Its more crampons and ice picks, which are hard work, but will definitely be worth it. There´s quite a lot on offer here due to its location on the edge of a national park, but after 3-4 nights im going to have to head back on the bus to meet Pablo in Valparaiso.

2005-02-12T06:10:00.000-03:00

Ive arrived in Santiago after a long flight. Its quite strange landing before you take off, but im reasonably accustomed to having my body clock squeezed, stretched and shattered, and feeling the similarly named consequences that it then brings. Im meeting up with an old friend of mine and my brothers from the uni days in just over a week, he lives in Valparaiso on the coast, but is currently in Argentina. And so in his absence I'm heading south down to the Lake District (at least i think am) to a place called Pucon.

Right!!...Now where did i put that "Teach yourself Spanish" book.

2005-02-10T23:08:00.000-03:00

Auckland isn't the urban sprawl I'd been warned of. Its worse, and barely merits a mention. My flight to Santiago is tomorrow afternoon and so its just a matter of killing time until then. Once there I'll try to sort some kind of route up to Peru, probably through Argentina and Bolivia. Will be in touch in a few days.

2005-02-08T05:40:00.000-03:00

Apart from the odd patch of interest the North Island of NZ is relatively plain in comparison to the grandeur of the south. Scruffy charmless towns and endless rolling grassy hills fill the majority of the island, the remainder being filled with rather home sick looking sheep.

The Tongariro crossing was a good walk. A steep accent to the edge of the crater was followed by stretches of other crater crossings. It was particularly cloudy that day and so the majority of the views where obscured with broken cloud. The area was used extensively in the filming of Lord of the Rings, the volcano itself playing the part of Mt.Doom (minus the fiery eye of course). A lot of geothermal activity still exists around the area with many steaming vents, hot streams and mineral stained lakes. Although this added an extra dimension of interest to the walk it also made it rather pungent. Sulphur, does not smell good.

After departing the national park i headed for Rotorua, the giza capital. How anyone lives here is a mystery. The entire place reeks of sulphur, and the majority of the population seem to spend their time trying to charge you vast amounts of money to see why. I've never in my life had to pay to see unguided, naturally occurring and maintenance-free phenomena and I'm not going to start now. Call me stubborn, but they can sit on their gizas for all i care.

Instead i went down the local park, massive steaming lakes and bubbling mud would normally be quite entertaining if it weren't for the local council permanently retrieving crispy fried duck from the surface. Despite all this, I've actually just been relaxing here for a few days, reading, walking etc. Mainly in an attempt to put off going to the reputed sprawl of Auckland.

The hostel owner here is a Jordy, and one of those "people say I'm crazy" characters that terrorize the work place. He's made over the entire hostel as an American western style town. Currently I'm staying in 'Jail'. I joked with a Japanese man from my dorm that it would be my first night in the cells since being away.

"Ohhhh..For me seventh" he said
"So you've been staying here a week?" i asked
"No No. First night"

I decided not to pursue the conversation any further, padlocked my backpack, and fell asleep.

2005-02-03T22:41:00.000-03:00

As the city packs out and goes mad, i seem to be the only person leaving as everyone prepares for todays Rugby Sevens match in Wellingiton.

Im getting a bus to Tongariro National Park this morning so that i can set off early tomorrow for the walk across the Volcano. Its only a day walk but very popular for obvious reasons. Hopefully the weather will improve a little as it has been very foggy everywhere recently.

I had a good day yesterday and took a visit to Karori Sanctuary, an epic project to restore 250 hectares of native plant and wildlife back to its original state, all behind a predator proof fence. They say it will take 500 years to complete the project but already its recovering well. I was quietly amused at the entrance where i had my bag checked, not for guns, but for mice. Shockingly, there weren't any!

2005-02-02T06:31:00.000-03:00

After a quick 4hr trip on the ferry across from Picton i have arrived in Wellington. The boat trip would normally be very pleasant, but thick low cloud prevented views of the thousands of islets creating what is known as the Marlbarough Sounds.

Wellington is a very cosmopolitan capital, and also very small. Im staying here a few nights just to take a quick break from what seems like endless transport before heading into the center of the North Island, the home of all the volcanic landscapes.

2005-01-31T07:22:00.000-03:00

It turns out i was quite wrong about the species of whale hanging around the shelf. Sperm whales can be found here all year round whilst the humpback tends to swan in for the winter, orcas (killer whales), dolphins and many species of shark are also common to the waters of Kaikoura due to its massive depths close off shore and the complex currents that bring rich nutrients to the waters.

The whale watching was excellent. Not the spectacular jumping that some might expect. More surface feeding and breathing. We managed to get close to 4 large sperm whales and saw two of the classic tale flips, not bad for only 2 hours on the water. Impressive and beautiful.