So my final post summing up my six months of the most amazing travelling experience (for me anyway)!
After 27 flights, 17 boat trips, 7 trams, 6 push bikes, 5 train journeys, 4 cable cars, two motorbike taxis, two hire cars and far too many buses to mention my travels have finally come to a close. After reading 8books (not all of which were about the countries I was travelling in though the majority were), consuming 7 tubes of toothpaste, 6 bottles of suntan lotion, 5 insect repellants, and 1 packet of malaria tablets how can I answer the questions I posed to myself in my last post?
Firstly I don't feel that I have changed dramatically from when I set off on 7 April, nervous and excited. I think I'm old enough to pretty much know my own mind and personality unlike some of the younger travellers I've encountered fresh out of school or university. I'm sure it has altered me in many ways, made me more confident and outgoing, hopefully made me a better person in others but ultimately I didn't go travelling to 'find myself' in a cheesy 'Eat, Pray, Love' sense. For me it was about taking a break from work, perhaps figuring out what I want to do next and having an incredible experience that I would never forget. Box ticked, mission accomplished in that sense. Well, apart from maybe the 'what to do next bit'. Earn some money is the main priority now!
As for the highlight of my trip, that is harder to nail down. The country that stands out is undoubtedly China as the most fascinating, culturally challenging and memorable. I didn't love everything about it and the people are probably the most unfriendly that I encountered but I find the past and future of China incredibly interesting. I would love to return and see more, perhaps even live and work somewhere like Shanghai and immerse myself in the culture even more. In terms of activities, despite all the thrilling things I've done (Sydney harbour bridge climb, black water rafting, jet boating, snow shoeing, flying in a small plane over Fraser Island, sea kayaking, tubing, lugeing, scuba diving) the one that stands out the most is definitely walking the Great Wall. Fulfilling a childhood dream of seeing such an impressive structure and spending six days doing so was really a highlight for me. I thought the Galapagos would be right up there and although it was a fantastic experience, I met some great people and felt privileged to be part of the conservation work there I think I was at the beginning a little disappointed at how normal life on the islands seemed. The wildlife is unique but maybe if I'd gone at the beginning of the trip or spent more time exploring it would have eclipsed all else and sneaked into the number one spot.
In terms of meeting great people and making great friends though the Galapagos would be up there with the cyclling trip across Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. I know many of my fellow cyclists have met up in London since the holiday so I hope to catch up with them soon. And the fact that I caught up with the ladies in Hong Kong and stayed with Ruth and Andrew in Christchurch was testament to what great friendships I made. New Zealand would probably come third on the list as I've kept in touch with a fair few of my bus buddies. I may have future trips to Sweden, Italy, Germany and other foreign destinations to look forward to, who knows! I'm lucky enough to have made a few (hopefully) lifelong friends on the China trip too. There's already a date in the diary to catch up.
What did I learn about myself? Well I guess I'm not as big a homebody who hates change as I thought I was. I really didn't struggle as much as I thought I would to be away from home and family and friends. It's not that I didn't miss you all but I was perfectly happy living in the moment, experiencing new people and places on a daily basis. Perhaps I need to inject a lot more of that into my life at home to keep on an even keel from now on.
But careerwise where I had doubts about the direction that I was going in, being away from work made me realise that I did enjoy what I did before, working in communications, that I'm good at it and would be quite happy to return to a similar role though perhaps for an different type of organisation. Something I'm more interested in and that perhaps fulfils my continuing passion for travel or wilflife/conservation. But I guess the current climate for finding jobs means I may have to take what I can get for the time being.
If I had my time again and could do thing differently I would, not that I regret the way things worked out but the places that I felt most in tune or at home were in the developing countries, with like-minded travellers. Australia and New Zealand were great for many reasons and it was great to catch up with friends and family. But I felt much more out of place visiting friends with lives similar to back home, working and socialising with friends when mine was wholeheartedly different. And also the type of traveller I encountered in hostels did make me feel I should have done that sort of thing about ten years ago! They were lovely but I didn't always feel like I had that much in common and didn't always want to go to some sh*tty Irish bar for a cheap pint like a university student.
My biggest regret though is that I didn't have enough money left to do South America justice. It was the continent that I was most looking forward to and saw the least of really. But it's always good have something to go back for, a travelling goal to work towards. It did scare me somewhat when I arrived (perhaps after the whole near-miss mugging experience in Buenos Aires) the thought of travelling around on my own with so little Spanish and the safety issues you hear so much about from fellow travellers. It was hard to know how bad it really was in Quito but at times you did feel a bit of a caged animal, fearing going out on your own or taking any possessions with you. But I felt much more at one with the kind of travellers there, a more mature kind of person even if they weren't actually any older than travellers elsewhere. You've got to have a certain amount of savvy about you to travel there I think. I definitely have a lot more places in mind that I want to explore.
Finally, what wisdom do I have to impart on travelling? Well, don't go to Australia at the moment unless you have a small fortune to spend! Asian people (apart from the Chinese) are by far the friendliest I encountered. You really do need to understand even the most basic Spanish to feel comfortable travelling around South America. You really don't need guide books in Australia and New Zealand as the volume of information you can pick up in information centres is pretty fantastic and all free. And cycling is just an amazing way to experience a country.
My best buys for travelling were a Platypus foldaway water bottle, my Osprey rucksack with detachable daypack, a USB charger and plug adaptor in one, three Eagle Creek compression bags, and a waterproof bag for my best friend - my SLR camera which allowed me to take some pretty fantastic photos with very little skill of my own. My iPhone was incredibly useful in places with free wifi but I do wish that I'd bought and taken a netbook with me to back up photos, music and tv programmes. It was also often cheaper to get online with your own laptop than using a hostel computer in the long term. But mostly I'm glad that I learnt to live with a lot less and have come back slightly ashamed of the volume of material possessions I have stashed away in my parents' loft at the moment. Which was part of the reason for going. Curb those shopaholic tendencies of mine!
A huge thanks goes to all of you who have read my blogs with interest and posted comments or got in touch as a result. I've probably ruined all chances of having a conversation if and when we do catch up with all my ramblings but there should still be plenty of nuggets, observations and experiences that I haven't included. I checked my stats the other day and was pretty chuffed that I'm nearly up to 2,000 page visits in the whole six months that I've been away. Experience tells me that they aren't all from my friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances but even half that amount would have sufficed.
Enough of my ramblings anyway. You'll have to text, email, facebook, tweet or call me from now on to find out what's going on in my life. Or ask my parents! And if you'd like to give me a job writing, editing, travelling more of the world etc that would be pretty damn fantastic... End of an era it feels... over and out. Speak or see you soon I hope.
Monday, 10 October 2011
Sunday, 9 October 2011
Remains of the day(s)
After our sojourn in the 'city' as we liked to call it (really only the size of a big village or small town) it was time to go back to work, back to simple living and back to the mosquitoes. But it was a good week overall, settling into life at the station. On the Monday we set to work in the kitchen garden, digging shallow trenches to plant lettuce and broccoli, weeding the rows of carrots and other edible flora. It was a tough and knackering full day's work and I hadn't realised how much the mosquitoes were attacking me until I noticed all the blood spots on my hands where I'd removed my gloves to pull up some more delicate plants. Thank goodness I'd been wearing my head net otherwise they would have gone to town on me. By far the hardest part about being at the station was keeping the mozzies at bay. Luckily the temperature was moderate so it was easy to remain covered up most of the time but occasionally working up a huge sweat underneath all those layers was a hindrance.
But there wasn't too much to complain about as we set about attacking some of the mora bushes in a local farmer's field the next day. Again, tough work but rather therapeutic to hack a whole load of thorned, overgrown bushes with a machete. I'm convinced I had the toughest corner of the field with about seven small trees to negotiate where the blackberries had grown up, over and around the branches so not only did I have to cut from the bottom but above my head to disentangle the masses. It's a wonder I didn't take a chunk out of myself once my arms got tired! A job well done but we left plenty more to attack at a later date. I think I will view blackberries in a whole different light from now on.
With the rest of the afternoon off, we just chilled in the hammocks and snoozed or read books for the remainder of the day. A well earned rest. That evening was Sheil's last night so a few of us headed off to the bar down the road for drinking games, pool and a spot of salsa. It turned out to be a bit of a drunken one with an inebriated Sheil returning to the station on the back of the local farmer's horse and slumping to the floor after the bumpy ride back. I had the misfortune of being on breakfast duty the following morning nursing my cheap rum hangover and squeezing about 30 oranges for the fresh juice, a staple at every meal.
Then followed coffee picking in the local farmer's field and an education in how to prepare, roast and grind the beans throughout the day. The picking itself wasn't so much fun but the previous night's drinking might have had a lot to do with it. I made the mistake of trying to climb up and over a log in muddy boots and found myself lying flat on my back as fast as my coffee beans could fly off into the brown sludge around me. So then I had to pick them all over again, up out of the mud and back into my bucket! The rest of the process that afternoon was pretty enjoyable though as Shannon and I made a good fire-starting and roasting team. Fascinating to see the process through from start to finish and would have been even better if I actually liked to drink the final product. The fresh stuff smelt pretty good though.
The next day we were back at the national park digging holes and planting trees but there wasn't too much for us to do so after another visit to the giant tortoise sanctuary it was another afternoon of chilling out in the hammocks, snoozing and chatting amongst ourselves. On Friday we revisited the national park but this time the nursery to replant seedlings for an hour or two. An easy morning and I had to laugh when the rest of the group were showered with a fine spray of water as Jefferson turned on the wrong sprinklers while I was in the safety of a dry section of the nursery.
We walked to the nearby Puerto Chino beach for a barbecue lunch, a spot of surf jumping in the cold sea and more insights into the local wildlife. A great way to kick off the weekend. It was good to all be back in town and treat ourselves to a nice meal, a few cocktails and some more salsa at the local nightclub that evening. Then it was up early the following morning with Brenda and Shannon to get another seasickness-inducing ride, this time to Santa Cruz for a few days. It was good to see another island, busier and a bit more touristy but still pretty quaint and small. It was a quiet day as we were all feeling a bit sleep-deprived and delicate.
The next day was packed with visiting the stunning locale of Tortuga Bay to soak up the sun, sea and sand as well as marine iguanas lining the beach. They were pretty prehistoric-looking creatures and a couple of them reminded me of a mean-looking 80s punk. I think it was the spikes that did it. You'll hopefully see what I mean by the photos.
Then ensued a tour of the highlands to see two huge volcanic craters, lava tunnels and more giant tortoises. I felt happier to have seen a bit more of island life, having wondered if I was missing out by being stationed in one place. I accept that I probably saw a lot less than those who've travelled around on a cruise but overall I did really appreciate that the volunteering was a rich experience in many ways. I saw a different side to the islands and although I'm not sure how much I really contributed in such a short space of time I'm glad that I have made even a small mark on the conservation of such a wonderful environment that should endure for generations to come.
All that remained to do after we returned to the station was pack up and have a last night celebrating with my fellow volunteers at the bar. I resisted drinking any more dodgy, cheap rum especially as some of the others were playing drinking games again but still managed a fun, late night playing pool, dancing and saying a final farewell to my new-found friends.
Before I knew it I was back in Quito planning a trip to Cotopaxi, the highest volcanic peak in Ecuador, to round off my travels before returning home. It was a great way to spend my last few days away, chiling out in the jacuzzi, finishing off my latest book curled up in front of the fire and playing cards with my hostel companions. It was a beautiful place and as I hiked up to the glacier partway up the peak (about 4,100m above sea level) I got a good view of the surrounding terrain once the clouds cleared. It was only a short hike but pretty hard work at that altitude without much acclimatisation. But the fun was to be had in mountain biking our way down until it started tipping it down and we got covered in mud and grit.
I was a bit subdued with thoughts of returning home but caught up with Ian, a guy I'd met in Quito a few weeks before who had been waiting to head off to the Galapagos. Think he may be heading to the same place that I was at but he wasn't sure what it was called so it will be interesting to see how it pans out. I ended up staying an extra night at the hostel as it was difficult to head back without enough people to fill private transport, it really was in the middle of nowhere. But I returned to Quito in time to have a final supper and head off to the airport to catch my flight home.
So now that I've returned to English soil there might be some burning questions to answer. Have I changed? What was the highlight of my trip? What did I learn about myself? What wisdom do I have to impart on travelling? How would I do things differently knowing what I know now? Well I think I've got one more post in me to answer all these and wrap things up apart from a million and one photos still to share. But I'll save that for tomorrow when I'm a little less jet lagged and have had a little more time to pull together my thoughts.
But there wasn't too much to complain about as we set about attacking some of the mora bushes in a local farmer's field the next day. Again, tough work but rather therapeutic to hack a whole load of thorned, overgrown bushes with a machete. I'm convinced I had the toughest corner of the field with about seven small trees to negotiate where the blackberries had grown up, over and around the branches so not only did I have to cut from the bottom but above my head to disentangle the masses. It's a wonder I didn't take a chunk out of myself once my arms got tired! A job well done but we left plenty more to attack at a later date. I think I will view blackberries in a whole different light from now on.
With the rest of the afternoon off, we just chilled in the hammocks and snoozed or read books for the remainder of the day. A well earned rest. That evening was Sheil's last night so a few of us headed off to the bar down the road for drinking games, pool and a spot of salsa. It turned out to be a bit of a drunken one with an inebriated Sheil returning to the station on the back of the local farmer's horse and slumping to the floor after the bumpy ride back. I had the misfortune of being on breakfast duty the following morning nursing my cheap rum hangover and squeezing about 30 oranges for the fresh juice, a staple at every meal.
Then followed coffee picking in the local farmer's field and an education in how to prepare, roast and grind the beans throughout the day. The picking itself wasn't so much fun but the previous night's drinking might have had a lot to do with it. I made the mistake of trying to climb up and over a log in muddy boots and found myself lying flat on my back as fast as my coffee beans could fly off into the brown sludge around me. So then I had to pick them all over again, up out of the mud and back into my bucket! The rest of the process that afternoon was pretty enjoyable though as Shannon and I made a good fire-starting and roasting team. Fascinating to see the process through from start to finish and would have been even better if I actually liked to drink the final product. The fresh stuff smelt pretty good though.
The next day we were back at the national park digging holes and planting trees but there wasn't too much for us to do so after another visit to the giant tortoise sanctuary it was another afternoon of chilling out in the hammocks, snoozing and chatting amongst ourselves. On Friday we revisited the national park but this time the nursery to replant seedlings for an hour or two. An easy morning and I had to laugh when the rest of the group were showered with a fine spray of water as Jefferson turned on the wrong sprinklers while I was in the safety of a dry section of the nursery.
We walked to the nearby Puerto Chino beach for a barbecue lunch, a spot of surf jumping in the cold sea and more insights into the local wildlife. A great way to kick off the weekend. It was good to all be back in town and treat ourselves to a nice meal, a few cocktails and some more salsa at the local nightclub that evening. Then it was up early the following morning with Brenda and Shannon to get another seasickness-inducing ride, this time to Santa Cruz for a few days. It was good to see another island, busier and a bit more touristy but still pretty quaint and small. It was a quiet day as we were all feeling a bit sleep-deprived and delicate.
The next day was packed with visiting the stunning locale of Tortuga Bay to soak up the sun, sea and sand as well as marine iguanas lining the beach. They were pretty prehistoric-looking creatures and a couple of them reminded me of a mean-looking 80s punk. I think it was the spikes that did it. You'll hopefully see what I mean by the photos.
Then ensued a tour of the highlands to see two huge volcanic craters, lava tunnels and more giant tortoises. I felt happier to have seen a bit more of island life, having wondered if I was missing out by being stationed in one place. I accept that I probably saw a lot less than those who've travelled around on a cruise but overall I did really appreciate that the volunteering was a rich experience in many ways. I saw a different side to the islands and although I'm not sure how much I really contributed in such a short space of time I'm glad that I have made even a small mark on the conservation of such a wonderful environment that should endure for generations to come.
All that remained to do after we returned to the station was pack up and have a last night celebrating with my fellow volunteers at the bar. I resisted drinking any more dodgy, cheap rum especially as some of the others were playing drinking games again but still managed a fun, late night playing pool, dancing and saying a final farewell to my new-found friends.
Before I knew it I was back in Quito planning a trip to Cotopaxi, the highest volcanic peak in Ecuador, to round off my travels before returning home. It was a great way to spend my last few days away, chiling out in the jacuzzi, finishing off my latest book curled up in front of the fire and playing cards with my hostel companions. It was a beautiful place and as I hiked up to the glacier partway up the peak (about 4,100m above sea level) I got a good view of the surrounding terrain once the clouds cleared. It was only a short hike but pretty hard work at that altitude without much acclimatisation. But the fun was to be had in mountain biking our way down until it started tipping it down and we got covered in mud and grit.
I was a bit subdued with thoughts of returning home but caught up with Ian, a guy I'd met in Quito a few weeks before who had been waiting to head off to the Galapagos. Think he may be heading to the same place that I was at but he wasn't sure what it was called so it will be interesting to see how it pans out. I ended up staying an extra night at the hostel as it was difficult to head back without enough people to fill private transport, it really was in the middle of nowhere. But I returned to Quito in time to have a final supper and head off to the airport to catch my flight home.
So now that I've returned to English soil there might be some burning questions to answer. Have I changed? What was the highlight of my trip? What did I learn about myself? What wisdom do I have to impart on travelling? How would I do things differently knowing what I know now? Well I think I've got one more post in me to answer all these and wrap things up apart from a million and one photos still to share. But I'll save that for tomorrow when I'm a little less jet lagged and have had a little more time to pull together my thoughts.
Friday, 7 October 2011
Homeward bound
I'm sitting at the airport waiting for the long flight home as I write. It will be weird but I'll have to finish off my stories when I return home. Still got a fair bit to fill you in on but it will be so odd to write it from home instead of some Internet cafe or hostel computer. I'll save my insights and impressions of travelling for the final post. But for now this is to say Hasta luego until I reach English soil.
As an aside, had a random experience at the airport of being carted off to some little room by plain-clothed narcotics policemen to be tested for drugs on a little machine. Like a little conveyor belt. One of those moments where you imagine something totally dodgy happening but then remind yourself you're in a high security place and they're probably just bored!
As an aside, had a random experience at the airport of being carted off to some little room by plain-clothed narcotics policemen to be tested for drugs on a little machine. Like a little conveyor belt. One of those moments where you imagine something totally dodgy happening but then remind yourself you're in a high security place and they're probably just bored!
Wednesday, 5 October 2011
Island explorer
It's been a while since my last post but with no internet at the station and lots of exploring to do on the islands when not there, there hasn't been a lot of time to devote to writing to all of you about what I've been doing. My time in the Galapagos has now come to an end so I'm back in Quito briefly before heading off later today to Cotopaxi to the sister hostel of the one I've stayed at in the city. There's walking, waterfalls and volcanoes to squeeze in before I fly home this weekend. Yes, that's right my flight is booked (thanks Mum and Dad) and I'll be home before you know it. I have mixed feelings about coming home. After living a basic life for a few weeks and not having all the mod cons in South America I'm looking forward to some home comforts and seeing all my friends and family. But I'll definitely miss the excitement of travelling, meeting new people and having such amazing experiences on a daily basis.
But first there's the last week and a half to cover. I'll only get so far and then I'll have to come back and tell you more. Got some packing to do (an almost daily occurrence). So the weekend before last, when we were staying in town on San Cristobal island, we booked a day tour around the island on a boat. The first boat trip in a long time that didn't make me feel horrendously seasick so that was a bonus. We went snorkelling on Islas Lobos and saw lots of fish, sea turtles, rays, sealions (but they're everywhere here anyway). I however bottled the second snorkel as I still can't bring myself to swim in shark-infested waters. This was by Kicker Rock, further out at sea in very dark, deep waters. I was pretty cold on the boat by this point as we didn't have any towels with us, not having realised that snorkelling was included in the trip. So some of us stayed on the boat while the others went diving and swimming. Gave me an opportunity for a bit of a sunbathe though and also to get my first sight of some of those blue-footed boobies that are so famous in these parts.
There were some really interesting people on the boat too, mostly guys. Two pilots from Las Vegas who work for a casino owner and fly round the world at their boss's whim. A crazy Brazilian guy who only really wanted to talk to one of the pilots he took a liking to but would quiz anyone who had been to interesting places on their travels or had an interest in diving. And a couple of really nice Israelis, one of whom had a phobia of sharks and kept telling us where his insurance papers were, his phone and how much he loved his mum before diving into the water. After the snorkelling we headed to Manglecito beach for a little wander and to check out Darwin's finches, which are so tame they come and land on you while you're lying on the sand or just hop around you checking out whether you have any food.
Then it was back to the station later that day, back to the cold showers, mosquitoes, spiders and cockroaches. But the week went quickly and some more volunteers arrived so we kept ourselves busy and had fun going to the bar down the road for Sheil's last night. I'll tell you more in the next post about what we got up to and our island hopping over last weekend.
But first there's the last week and a half to cover. I'll only get so far and then I'll have to come back and tell you more. Got some packing to do (an almost daily occurrence). So the weekend before last, when we were staying in town on San Cristobal island, we booked a day tour around the island on a boat. The first boat trip in a long time that didn't make me feel horrendously seasick so that was a bonus. We went snorkelling on Islas Lobos and saw lots of fish, sea turtles, rays, sealions (but they're everywhere here anyway). I however bottled the second snorkel as I still can't bring myself to swim in shark-infested waters. This was by Kicker Rock, further out at sea in very dark, deep waters. I was pretty cold on the boat by this point as we didn't have any towels with us, not having realised that snorkelling was included in the trip. So some of us stayed on the boat while the others went diving and swimming. Gave me an opportunity for a bit of a sunbathe though and also to get my first sight of some of those blue-footed boobies that are so famous in these parts.
There were some really interesting people on the boat too, mostly guys. Two pilots from Las Vegas who work for a casino owner and fly round the world at their boss's whim. A crazy Brazilian guy who only really wanted to talk to one of the pilots he took a liking to but would quiz anyone who had been to interesting places on their travels or had an interest in diving. And a couple of really nice Israelis, one of whom had a phobia of sharks and kept telling us where his insurance papers were, his phone and how much he loved his mum before diving into the water. After the snorkelling we headed to Manglecito beach for a little wander and to check out Darwin's finches, which are so tame they come and land on you while you're lying on the sand or just hop around you checking out whether you have any food.
Then it was back to the station later that day, back to the cold showers, mosquitoes, spiders and cockroaches. But the week went quickly and some more volunteers arrived so we kept ourselves busy and had fun going to the bar down the road for Sheil's last night. I'll tell you more in the next post about what we got up to and our island hopping over last weekend.
Saturday, 24 September 2011
Wildlife watch
So here I am in the Galapagos. The flight over wasn´t too bad, a little delayed and the person who was supposed to meet me at the airport and get me through check-in didn´t arrive. But I managed to figure things out by myself and got on the plane without too much fuss.
At the other end there were two other girls also heading to the same biological station for the voluntary work. Brenda, a kiwi, and Shannon, a yank. We chatted in the truck on the way about where we´d come from, how long we were staying etc. Nice girls. When we arrived we met some of the rest of the team, mostly German speaking though their English (and Spanish) is pretty good, and were taken to the room that we would be sharing. Shannon´s unpacking made me laugh as she´d bought everything and the kitchen sink. But I´ve already borrowed her spare watch as mine packed up on me (my second one so far).
That afternoon we got acquainted with where things were, had a briefing from the station coordinator (translated for us by one of the German girls from Spanish to English) and then went into the forest to pick some oranges for the week´s juice. The station is pretty basic, as I expected, but comfortable enough. There´s one shower with hot water though it comes out at a trickle, the beds are reasonable and the mosquito nets are pretty good. Which is a lifesaver as there are plenty of little bloodsuckers around to make your life hell. Especially when it rains, which is does frequently. They all hide inside and drive you mad. But everyone keeps each other going.
We went to a little bar down the road on our first night as Wednesday´s are usually the day for a little light relief. For which I was grateful as otherwise there isn´t that much to do in the evening after an early dinner except play cards or go to bed early. And it was good to get to know everyone a bit better over a beer or two.
The next day was our first proper day of work and after breakfast we were taken to Galapaguera, the national park, to dig holes and plant scalesia trees (endemic to the Galapagos) all morning. It was hard work but rewarding to see the areas on the opposite hills that had been cleared and reforested. Mora (or blackberry bushes as we know them) are the biggest pest here and spread like wildfire, taking over all the vegetation.
Later that morning, after our work was done, we were taken to the giant tortoise sanctuary to see them with our own eyes and take some photos - a reward for our hard work. Then we had the afternoon off so I settled into a hammock and read some of my book, fighting to keep the mozzies at bay. A quiet and early night followed, ready for the next day.
Friday´s are a day off, as is the rest of the weekend, and unbeknown to me before arriving on the island, everyone heads into the capital city for the weekend. I say ´city´ but really it is a teeny tiny town by the airport on San Cristobal. We checked in first thing and then the workers took us to the beach to snorkel with sealions, turtles and lots of fish in a nearby bay. It was pretty freezing cold but after I´d stopped hyperventilating and the ice cream headache from the low temperatures went away it was actually quite ok swimming around and checking out the marine wildlife. The beach was covered with snoozing sealions. They are everywhere in town too, draped over the local swings and slides, walkways, boats and platforms out to sea.
After an afternoon siesta we went for a walk around town and then headed out for dinner in the evening. A few drinks in the local bars followed and finally got to bed about 1.30am. A good night. This morning we headed to another beach on the other side of town to chill out with more sealions and turtles. It´s nice to experience some warmer weather and feel like you are on holiday again with some beach action.
All in all the islands are living up to expectations so far. Next week working the whole time is going to be a physical and mental challenge but that will be my only full week so I´m sure I´ll survive. The mud and rain can get you down a bit but it´s not forever so perfectly bearable.
As I´ve incurred a few unexpected costs lately (whoever said travelling could be cheap!?) it looks like I might be flying home soon after I finish here in the Galapagos. Shame to be heading home earlier than expected and not have done all the things I´d hoped in South America but I´ve had such an incredible journey I really can´t complain or be disappointed. I think after this I will be ready to come home too. The constant moving around and adapting to new environments can get tiring after a while and I´d rather return home on a high than drag it out to the point of being unhappy with where I am. So it looks like I´ll be home towards the beginning of October. You lucky things!!
At the other end there were two other girls also heading to the same biological station for the voluntary work. Brenda, a kiwi, and Shannon, a yank. We chatted in the truck on the way about where we´d come from, how long we were staying etc. Nice girls. When we arrived we met some of the rest of the team, mostly German speaking though their English (and Spanish) is pretty good, and were taken to the room that we would be sharing. Shannon´s unpacking made me laugh as she´d bought everything and the kitchen sink. But I´ve already borrowed her spare watch as mine packed up on me (my second one so far).
That afternoon we got acquainted with where things were, had a briefing from the station coordinator (translated for us by one of the German girls from Spanish to English) and then went into the forest to pick some oranges for the week´s juice. The station is pretty basic, as I expected, but comfortable enough. There´s one shower with hot water though it comes out at a trickle, the beds are reasonable and the mosquito nets are pretty good. Which is a lifesaver as there are plenty of little bloodsuckers around to make your life hell. Especially when it rains, which is does frequently. They all hide inside and drive you mad. But everyone keeps each other going.
We went to a little bar down the road on our first night as Wednesday´s are usually the day for a little light relief. For which I was grateful as otherwise there isn´t that much to do in the evening after an early dinner except play cards or go to bed early. And it was good to get to know everyone a bit better over a beer or two.
The next day was our first proper day of work and after breakfast we were taken to Galapaguera, the national park, to dig holes and plant scalesia trees (endemic to the Galapagos) all morning. It was hard work but rewarding to see the areas on the opposite hills that had been cleared and reforested. Mora (or blackberry bushes as we know them) are the biggest pest here and spread like wildfire, taking over all the vegetation.
Later that morning, after our work was done, we were taken to the giant tortoise sanctuary to see them with our own eyes and take some photos - a reward for our hard work. Then we had the afternoon off so I settled into a hammock and read some of my book, fighting to keep the mozzies at bay. A quiet and early night followed, ready for the next day.
Friday´s are a day off, as is the rest of the weekend, and unbeknown to me before arriving on the island, everyone heads into the capital city for the weekend. I say ´city´ but really it is a teeny tiny town by the airport on San Cristobal. We checked in first thing and then the workers took us to the beach to snorkel with sealions, turtles and lots of fish in a nearby bay. It was pretty freezing cold but after I´d stopped hyperventilating and the ice cream headache from the low temperatures went away it was actually quite ok swimming around and checking out the marine wildlife. The beach was covered with snoozing sealions. They are everywhere in town too, draped over the local swings and slides, walkways, boats and platforms out to sea.
After an afternoon siesta we went for a walk around town and then headed out for dinner in the evening. A few drinks in the local bars followed and finally got to bed about 1.30am. A good night. This morning we headed to another beach on the other side of town to chill out with more sealions and turtles. It´s nice to experience some warmer weather and feel like you are on holiday again with some beach action.
All in all the islands are living up to expectations so far. Next week working the whole time is going to be a physical and mental challenge but that will be my only full week so I´m sure I´ll survive. The mud and rain can get you down a bit but it´s not forever so perfectly bearable.
As I´ve incurred a few unexpected costs lately (whoever said travelling could be cheap!?) it looks like I might be flying home soon after I finish here in the Galapagos. Shame to be heading home earlier than expected and not have done all the things I´d hoped in South America but I´ve had such an incredible journey I really can´t complain or be disappointed. I think after this I will be ready to come home too. The constant moving around and adapting to new environments can get tiring after a while and I´d rather return home on a high than drag it out to the point of being unhappy with where I am. So it looks like I´ll be home towards the beginning of October. You lucky things!!
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Garden party
Well it's been a great few days at the Secret Garden hostel in Quito. I've not stayed anywhere quite so fantastically friendly. Met some wicked people, including someone from the Audit Commission weirdly enough. Girl on the bunk below me in the dorm, I found out after a couple of days, was an auditor in Northern and London region. Such a small world but then I suppose with so many of us being made redundant the percentage of people who headed off round the world was perhaps higher than average!
Maybe people are more friendly in South America because there's safety in numbers and the language barriers, we shall have to see. Have a lot of new friends on Facebook and some people to possibly catch up with further along the line of travelling {if I get very far that is, more dosh is being eaten up at far too rapid a rate, I thought it was supposed to be cheap here!!}.
So what have I been up to since I've been here apart from partying? Went for a wander round the old town with a guy from the hostel, Darren. We'd been warned quite heavily by the staff not to wander round on our own, take taxis and not take out anything valuable. After Buenos Aires and my brush with another mugging I wasn't taking any chances. We visited a few of the old sites, went in a few churches, grabbed a locally flavoured bite to eat and did a bit of shopping round a black market shopping centre. That night everyone hung out on the rooftop terrace soaking up the views and the local booze.
A great guy Dan turned up at the hostel and kept us all entertained. We stayed up talking in the dorm and kept getting busted by the overzealous security guard. It was like being at boarding school or something. Slightly nuts but did make us laugh.
Next morning was an early start to go to the Otovalo markets a couple of hours from Quito. First we went to the animal market where all sorts of creatures were offered up by the locals. Kittens, puppies, pigs, ducks, calves, turkeys, rabbits, guinea pigs. Dread to think what was going to happen to them all. I overhead one American woman wanting to take a $15 puppy home to the US. Got some fantastic photos of some of the indigenous people though. Such amazing faces and most of them in traditional dress.
Next we went to the regular Saturday market, mostly selling souvenirs but also some food, clothes and other bits and pieces. More interesting people watching and having a laugh with Darren as he bought a luminous green cyclops woolly hat. I bought a couple of presents (ah you'll have to wait and see if you're a lucky recipient) and a little pair of earrings for myself.
Then it was time for lunch in the nearby town of Cotacachi and a visit to the Peguche waterfall. Then back to Quito for a crazy night out with a big crowd from the hostel. I managed to stay out all night and not get to bed until about 7am but it had been a mission to stay up and see the sunrise at some point on my trip. Shame the sunrise wasn't more impressive! No fabulous colours or dramatic effects, or maybe I was too tired by that point to appreciate it.
Spent most of the next day knackered and trying to recover so missed a trip to the Ecuator. Will have to see if I can fit that in before I leave Ecuador. It was a quiet day and night all round with everyone feeling the after effects of the night before. To make up for it the next day I headed out to the cable car to go up to the volcano overlooking Quito with Cath and Camilla. Quito as at a pretty high altitude so the cable car took us up to a height of 4,100 metres. Just a short walk and we were getting pretty out of breath very quickly so didn't go too far. In need of acclimatisation to climb the volcano itself. Some of the lads did it the other day stupidly with no warm clothes or supplies in a blizzard. They made it but only just!
Yesterday I checked out of the hostel and moved to a hotel across the city to start my trip to the Galapagos. There didn't seem to be anyone else staying here as it was very quiet but people have been coming and going. Nothing like the hostel though I have been enjoying my own room, TV and bathroom. Luxurious compared to what I've been used to over the last few months. I had such a great night's sleep. Today I went for a briefing about volunteering. Think I'd underestimated quite how remote and tough it was going to be. Had to go out afterwards and spend more than I'd like on supplies like wellies, sleeping bag, mosquito head net etc. I hope it's not too rustic living out in the hills on the islands. I seem to be the only person heading over there at this time so I'm hoping there's a good group to hook up with already there.
It's been a challenge so far getting by on my own without speaking any Spanish. Lots of people here are having lessons and I hope I might be able to do that after my two weeks or at least try and learn as much as I can while I'm here. I had to abandon a taxi earlier as the driver and myself just couldn't communicate with each other. A simple matter of me pronouncing something in more of a French accent than a Spanish one. I hate feeling so useless.
There's no internet at the research station that I'll be working at so this may be my last post for a little while. Over and out.
Maybe people are more friendly in South America because there's safety in numbers and the language barriers, we shall have to see. Have a lot of new friends on Facebook and some people to possibly catch up with further along the line of travelling {if I get very far that is, more dosh is being eaten up at far too rapid a rate, I thought it was supposed to be cheap here!!}.
So what have I been up to since I've been here apart from partying? Went for a wander round the old town with a guy from the hostel, Darren. We'd been warned quite heavily by the staff not to wander round on our own, take taxis and not take out anything valuable. After Buenos Aires and my brush with another mugging I wasn't taking any chances. We visited a few of the old sites, went in a few churches, grabbed a locally flavoured bite to eat and did a bit of shopping round a black market shopping centre. That night everyone hung out on the rooftop terrace soaking up the views and the local booze.
A great guy Dan turned up at the hostel and kept us all entertained. We stayed up talking in the dorm and kept getting busted by the overzealous security guard. It was like being at boarding school or something. Slightly nuts but did make us laugh.
Next morning was an early start to go to the Otovalo markets a couple of hours from Quito. First we went to the animal market where all sorts of creatures were offered up by the locals. Kittens, puppies, pigs, ducks, calves, turkeys, rabbits, guinea pigs. Dread to think what was going to happen to them all. I overhead one American woman wanting to take a $15 puppy home to the US. Got some fantastic photos of some of the indigenous people though. Such amazing faces and most of them in traditional dress.
Next we went to the regular Saturday market, mostly selling souvenirs but also some food, clothes and other bits and pieces. More interesting people watching and having a laugh with Darren as he bought a luminous green cyclops woolly hat. I bought a couple of presents (ah you'll have to wait and see if you're a lucky recipient) and a little pair of earrings for myself.
Then it was time for lunch in the nearby town of Cotacachi and a visit to the Peguche waterfall. Then back to Quito for a crazy night out with a big crowd from the hostel. I managed to stay out all night and not get to bed until about 7am but it had been a mission to stay up and see the sunrise at some point on my trip. Shame the sunrise wasn't more impressive! No fabulous colours or dramatic effects, or maybe I was too tired by that point to appreciate it.
Spent most of the next day knackered and trying to recover so missed a trip to the Ecuator. Will have to see if I can fit that in before I leave Ecuador. It was a quiet day and night all round with everyone feeling the after effects of the night before. To make up for it the next day I headed out to the cable car to go up to the volcano overlooking Quito with Cath and Camilla. Quito as at a pretty high altitude so the cable car took us up to a height of 4,100 metres. Just a short walk and we were getting pretty out of breath very quickly so didn't go too far. In need of acclimatisation to climb the volcano itself. Some of the lads did it the other day stupidly with no warm clothes or supplies in a blizzard. They made it but only just!
Yesterday I checked out of the hostel and moved to a hotel across the city to start my trip to the Galapagos. There didn't seem to be anyone else staying here as it was very quiet but people have been coming and going. Nothing like the hostel though I have been enjoying my own room, TV and bathroom. Luxurious compared to what I've been used to over the last few months. I had such a great night's sleep. Today I went for a briefing about volunteering. Think I'd underestimated quite how remote and tough it was going to be. Had to go out afterwards and spend more than I'd like on supplies like wellies, sleeping bag, mosquito head net etc. I hope it's not too rustic living out in the hills on the islands. I seem to be the only person heading over there at this time so I'm hoping there's a good group to hook up with already there.
It's been a challenge so far getting by on my own without speaking any Spanish. Lots of people here are having lessons and I hope I might be able to do that after my two weeks or at least try and learn as much as I can while I'm here. I had to abandon a taxi earlier as the driver and myself just couldn't communicate with each other. A simple matter of me pronouncing something in more of a French accent than a Spanish one. I hate feeling so useless.
There's no internet at the research station that I'll be working at so this may be my last post for a little while. Over and out.
Friday, 16 September 2011
An elaborate ruse
So South America and I didn´t get off to the greatest of starts! It was an easy morning packing up my stuff and sorting my belongings out back in Auckland. Then I went back to the cinema to see Tree of Life on bargain Tuesday. Strange film, wasn´t sure about it at first, a bit overstylised and arty with lots of long, lingering shots etc. But I got into it eventually and quite enjoyed it in the end.
Then it was off to the airport to catch my flight. It´s a while since I´ve got a long haul flight without your own tv screen and I nearly panicked when I got on the plane thinking what on earth I was going to do to occupy myself for the 12-hour duration. But I chatted to the Aussie next to me and then watched some films on the big screen for everyone (though the sound was appalling). That´s what you get on a cheap flight I guess. Didn´t get much sleep though so I was pretty exhausted when I arrived in Buenos Aires.
I didn´t take to the city at first, which surprised me as I was so looking forward to going there. I caught a private bus into the city and then transferred to a taxi to find my hostel. I´d booked a place described as ´cool´ in the area of Palermo. With hindsight it would have been better staying closer to the centre as I had such a limited amount of time. Plus the hostel was really quiet with hardly anyone staying there. I had a dorm room all to myself, which under different circumstances would have been fantastic but on this occasion I really wanted to meet people to venture out into the city with. But it did at least mean that I could go straight to bed when I got there and catch up on my sleep and potter around when I woke up at 4am.
Waking so early meant that I was up and out to explore with plenty of time to cram in as much as possible. I walked to the nearest metro station and caught a train into the city centre with the commuters. The train was rammed, haven´t experienced that for a while. I wandered around for a while to find the Plaza de Mayo, the heart of the city. I was a bit nervous about flashing my camera around and I sensibly carried my rucksack on my front, aware of the perils of travelling in South America. So I stopped, took some photos and then put the camera straight back in my bag.
But this is where things took a slight turn for the worse. A couple of women approached me outside the government buildings trying to tell me in Spanish that I had something on my back. It seemed that someone had sprayed shaving foam all over my back (luckily I had my waterproof jacket on). So I took my rucksack off and put it at my feet while they helped me wipe it off. But then a third person tapped me urgently on the shoulder and distracted me pointing to something in the sky. I knew something was up and had a horrible feeling that when I turned back my bag would be gone. Which it was. I saw a man walking off in the distance so started shouting and running after him. I nearly stopped and gave up as I couldn´t quite see what he was carrying in his hands. I looked back at the women who shrugged their shoulders but looked somewhat apologetic. This somehow renewed my strength and I shouted some more and ran after him further. At this point, thankfully, he decided I was making too much of scene and dropped the bag and walked off.
By this time a couple of very kind people had stopped to help me and although we couldn´t understand each other, the lady wiped off the rest of the shaving foam and the older guy called over a policeman. The policeman and I couldn´t understand each other either so I gave up and went on my way. I was a bit shaken up but determined not to let it ruin my time there.
I took refuge in a cafe and figured out what to do next, so grateful that I still had all my belongings. Only that morning I´d wondered what on earth I´d do if I lost everything to a mugger or pickpocket! But things started looking up after I wandered down the main shopping streets (nothing like a bit of window shopping to perk me up) and decided to spend the afternoon on a bike tour of the city.
I´m so glad I did as this is when I started to fall in love with the real Buenos Aires. It was a nice group that set off on our bikes together, some English people on a Gap Adventures tour and a couple of Dutch girls. We cycled through a few of the main squares and saw the regeneration of the dock areas, very similar to many other European cities. Then we spent some time in La Boca, home of the famous football team and some very vibrant and colourful streets.
After the tour the Dutch girls and I wandered round to find a tango show and dinner to entertain ourselves for the evening. We ended up walking for ages and found this little bar in my guide book that wasn´t opening for another hour or so. So we refreshed ourselves in the quaint little cafe over the road, very atmospheric and old-fashioned. Just how I pictured the city to be. We were the only ones in the bar later apart from a guy from Hong Kong but that didn´t matter as the musicians started playing and the dancers came on to show us how the tango is really danced in the city that it originated from. It was amazing to watch and we got so excited about witnessing such a spectacle. After a few dances I got to try my hand at a few steps with the male dancer. I wasn´t too bad!
We tucked into a few glasses of my longed for Malbec and had a nice meal (not the steak I was after but ah well you can´t have everything now can you). I headed back to the hostel to grab a few hours´ sleep before heading back to the airport for two more flights taking me up to Quito, my new home for a while.
More exhausting flights later (I felt like I was on the brink of losing it by the time I got to Quito, I´d had so little sleep) and I took to Quito straight away. There´s a stunning view of the city from my fabulous hostel that came highly recommended online. The staff are great, mostly English so no language barriers here, and the residents are great fun and so easy to talk to. We had dinner and a pub quiz on the rooftop terrace last night, a great introduction.
Hoping to head out and explore the city later and then figure out what to do with the next few days before I join my group and start my volunteering in the Galapagos.
Then it was off to the airport to catch my flight. It´s a while since I´ve got a long haul flight without your own tv screen and I nearly panicked when I got on the plane thinking what on earth I was going to do to occupy myself for the 12-hour duration. But I chatted to the Aussie next to me and then watched some films on the big screen for everyone (though the sound was appalling). That´s what you get on a cheap flight I guess. Didn´t get much sleep though so I was pretty exhausted when I arrived in Buenos Aires.
I didn´t take to the city at first, which surprised me as I was so looking forward to going there. I caught a private bus into the city and then transferred to a taxi to find my hostel. I´d booked a place described as ´cool´ in the area of Palermo. With hindsight it would have been better staying closer to the centre as I had such a limited amount of time. Plus the hostel was really quiet with hardly anyone staying there. I had a dorm room all to myself, which under different circumstances would have been fantastic but on this occasion I really wanted to meet people to venture out into the city with. But it did at least mean that I could go straight to bed when I got there and catch up on my sleep and potter around when I woke up at 4am.
Waking so early meant that I was up and out to explore with plenty of time to cram in as much as possible. I walked to the nearest metro station and caught a train into the city centre with the commuters. The train was rammed, haven´t experienced that for a while. I wandered around for a while to find the Plaza de Mayo, the heart of the city. I was a bit nervous about flashing my camera around and I sensibly carried my rucksack on my front, aware of the perils of travelling in South America. So I stopped, took some photos and then put the camera straight back in my bag.
But this is where things took a slight turn for the worse. A couple of women approached me outside the government buildings trying to tell me in Spanish that I had something on my back. It seemed that someone had sprayed shaving foam all over my back (luckily I had my waterproof jacket on). So I took my rucksack off and put it at my feet while they helped me wipe it off. But then a third person tapped me urgently on the shoulder and distracted me pointing to something in the sky. I knew something was up and had a horrible feeling that when I turned back my bag would be gone. Which it was. I saw a man walking off in the distance so started shouting and running after him. I nearly stopped and gave up as I couldn´t quite see what he was carrying in his hands. I looked back at the women who shrugged their shoulders but looked somewhat apologetic. This somehow renewed my strength and I shouted some more and ran after him further. At this point, thankfully, he decided I was making too much of scene and dropped the bag and walked off.
By this time a couple of very kind people had stopped to help me and although we couldn´t understand each other, the lady wiped off the rest of the shaving foam and the older guy called over a policeman. The policeman and I couldn´t understand each other either so I gave up and went on my way. I was a bit shaken up but determined not to let it ruin my time there.
I took refuge in a cafe and figured out what to do next, so grateful that I still had all my belongings. Only that morning I´d wondered what on earth I´d do if I lost everything to a mugger or pickpocket! But things started looking up after I wandered down the main shopping streets (nothing like a bit of window shopping to perk me up) and decided to spend the afternoon on a bike tour of the city.
I´m so glad I did as this is when I started to fall in love with the real Buenos Aires. It was a nice group that set off on our bikes together, some English people on a Gap Adventures tour and a couple of Dutch girls. We cycled through a few of the main squares and saw the regeneration of the dock areas, very similar to many other European cities. Then we spent some time in La Boca, home of the famous football team and some very vibrant and colourful streets.
After the tour the Dutch girls and I wandered round to find a tango show and dinner to entertain ourselves for the evening. We ended up walking for ages and found this little bar in my guide book that wasn´t opening for another hour or so. So we refreshed ourselves in the quaint little cafe over the road, very atmospheric and old-fashioned. Just how I pictured the city to be. We were the only ones in the bar later apart from a guy from Hong Kong but that didn´t matter as the musicians started playing and the dancers came on to show us how the tango is really danced in the city that it originated from. It was amazing to watch and we got so excited about witnessing such a spectacle. After a few dances I got to try my hand at a few steps with the male dancer. I wasn´t too bad!
We tucked into a few glasses of my longed for Malbec and had a nice meal (not the steak I was after but ah well you can´t have everything now can you). I headed back to the hostel to grab a few hours´ sleep before heading back to the airport for two more flights taking me up to Quito, my new home for a while.
More exhausting flights later (I felt like I was on the brink of losing it by the time I got to Quito, I´d had so little sleep) and I took to Quito straight away. There´s a stunning view of the city from my fabulous hostel that came highly recommended online. The staff are great, mostly English so no language barriers here, and the residents are great fun and so easy to talk to. We had dinner and a pub quiz on the rooftop terrace last night, a great introduction.
Hoping to head out and explore the city later and then figure out what to do with the next few days before I join my group and start my volunteering in the Galapagos.
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