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By admin, January 13, 2010 7:52 am

Where to visit in Bolivia

When in Sucre cheesy as the ‘dino mobile’ looks a trip to the dinosaur footprints will exceed your expectations.  The cost of a visit is cheap and the prints are extensive – it’s just such a shame & quite unbelievable that such a treasure is still part of a working quarry.  The prints scale a sheer rock face which shakes with dynamite explosions from the base even as you watch - let’s hope that UNESCO win their battle and these footprints are preserved for future generations.

Do not miss the world wonder which is the salt flats of Uyuni.  There are 2 choices of trip – either a 1 day trip out to the salt flats & back or a 3 day trip across the salt flats and on in to San Pedro De Atacama – Chile.  If Chile is on your travel path then this is proably the best trip to take as you will see all the attractions of the salt flats along with the red & green lagoons & flamingos.  The 1 day trip will however cover the salt flats element and from Uyuni you can get an overnight train down to the border with Argentina.  These trains do not leave every day though so worth checking before you arrive to avoid a prolonged stay in Uyuni.  Once in Uyuni every shop is a travel agent and trying to choose who to go with blows your mind – all offer pretty much the same thing the decider needs to be how good their English is and the state of their vehicles.  All operators have books with reviews from previous travellers so have a read of these before you decide.  We did it with Oasis tours (www.oasistours-bo.com)

La Paz is the unofficial capital of Bolivia and  the biggest city at high altitude in the world.  It´s a fascinating city, full of markets .. including the notorious witches market where Bolivians buy llama foetuses which hang in the doorways of all the shops – they´re believed to bring good luck if placed in the foundations of a building. For all those that have read ´Marching powder´ – yes the prison is still there but unfortunately when we were there nosy backpackers were no longer permitted access (although in Bolivia money talks so if you’re feeling brave it could be worth a try!).

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By admin, January 8, 2010 7:35 am

Orient Express The orient Express began trips from Pars, France, to Bulgaria on 5 October 1883 and from 1889 went as far as Constantinople (now Istanbul), Turkey. It was the first trans-European train and traveled a total of 2,736km across six countries in great style. It stopped running in 1977, but was re-launched five years later.

20th Century Limited The luxurious 20th Century Limited ran between New York and Chicago from 1902 to 1967.

Trans-Siberian Express The Trans-Siberian Express travels 9,297km between Moscow and Vladivostok. The line opened in 1914 and is the world’s longest continuous rail line.

Flying Scotsman The Flying Scotsman provided a luxurious non-stop journey from King’s Cross, London to Edinburgh, Scotland. It ran for 40 years, from 1923 until 1963.

Golden Arrow From 1929 to 1971, the Golden Arrow ran from Victoria, London to Dover. From there passengers could sail across the Channel and then take the French Fleche d’Or to Paris.

Blue Train This is one of the world‘s most luxurious trains and it has operated between Cape Town and Tshwane (Pretoria), South Africa since 1939. The train, carriages and décor are mainly blue-hence the name.

Bullet Train Japanese bullet trains (shinkansen) are the world’s fastest scheduled rail services. They were introduced in 1964 to coincide with the Tokyo Olympic Games.

TGVThe French TGV (train a Grande Vitesse, or high speed train) was launched in 1981 and is an electric train service between Paris and Lyon. A specially modified TGV the Atlantique, set a world speed record of 515.3km/h on 18 May 1990.

Eurostar The Eurostar serviced was launched on 14 November 1994 to carry passengers between London, Paris and Brussels through the Channel Tunnel. It can reach speeds of 300km/h. in its first ten years it carried a total of 59 million passengers.

                 Ghan                                      The Ghan is the first rail service from Adelaide to Darwin on the north-south route across Australia. It was named after the camel trains that were once the only way to cross the desert. The first train ran in 2004. It had 43 carriages, measured more than 1km in length, and carried 330 passengers.

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By admin, January 4, 2010 7:35 am

Preparations for a backpacking trip

Vaccinations

Make sure you have seen a travel doctor at least 3-6months before your trip as with a lot of vaccinations you need them over three courses with a month’s gap in-between.

Remember to take your vaccination book with you travelling as it may be needed as there are different types of vaccines for different diseases so if the worst was to happen the doctors will know what you have had.

Backpack

You will need a good quality backpack for your trip. About 60 litres should be sufficient as you do not want your pack to be too large as you do have to have this with you constantly and if it is too big you will have problems when getting on buses and trains etc.

Along with your backpack you will also need to take a day pack. This is a very useful piece of equipment. If you have any valuables you can keep them in your daypack whilst on bus/train journeys and know that they are safer with you than hidden away with your backpack.

They are also very handy when out for the day to put any purchases in and for general items you always like to have to hand.

Clothing

T-Shirts – 2/3 will be enough. You will get bored of wearing these very quickly if you’re on a long trip but these will wear out but you can always find cheap replacements wherever you are in the world.

Shorts – Shorts are essential if you’re going to warmer climates. Again only around 2 pairs will be fine as you do not want to overload your backpack. Boy’s the best thing for you is just to have swimming shorts then you’re always ready to take a dip wherever you are.

Trousers – 1 or 2 pairs of lightweight trousers is recommended. They are good for the evenings to protect yourself from mosquitoes and if it does get a little chilly outside. Jeans are a good idea if you’re going to go to colder climates as they keep you warm and are hard wearing.

Swim wear – A couple of pairs of swimming shorts for the boys will be fine and a couple of bikinis for the girls – but remember where you are girls. Touristy areas of South East Asia are fine for bikinis but only on the beach; cover up when going into town.

Waterproof jacket – A lightweight waterproof jacket is always recommended. When you get caught in a monsoon you will soon realise why.

Sandals/Flip Flops/Thongs – I find that this is all I wear when I’m away as it’s usually so hot. Take a couple pairs incase of breakages or if they get stolen which they tend to do in SE Asia.

Trainers – Take a good pair of trainers, if you’ve got a day of walking round a city or temples a nice pair of comfy trainers will be of great help.

Hiking boots – If you are going to go hiking then taking your own pair maybe beneficial. A good pair which will last in the tropical forests and monsoons will be ideal.

Towels – I also think to take 2 towels. One for the Beach and one for showers. You can never rely on your hostel/guesthouse to supply a towel so it’s best to have your own. Try to get lightweight ones that should dry quickly. You don’t want a wet towel in your backpack with all your other clothes.

Essentials

First aid Kit – A good well stocked first aid kit is essential for any trip. You never know when you may need this. Also some needles and syringes would be good to have as you know that in case you need an injection that the needles will be clean.

Deet/Mosquito Spray – Keep them mozzies away with some repellent.

Mosquito net – You may not use it very often but trust me when you do need it you will be happy as Larry that you brought one.

Toiletries – Shampoo, deodorant etc, you can by these when you are travelling but it’s good to bring some with you to start.

Recommended

Passport sized photos – when crossing borders and obtaining visas you usually always need at least 2 passport photos. Take a good supply with you as it will save you searching around to try and find somewhere last minute.

Camera – Obviously a camera is great to take along so you can keep a memory of your trip forever. Also put them on your fave social website to show off and make your friends and family jealous.

Money belt – For security its best to wear a money belt to keep your money, bank cards and passport safe and away from sneaky hands.

Alarm Clock – You will need one of these to help you get up for your bus or train as well as if you need to go on a tour and meet at a certain time.

MP3 Player – Always good on long journeys. Good to get a lot of music on it before you go as you will get bored of your music quite quickly.

Playing Cards – Good at all times, for passing time of long journeys or rainy days. Also good for drinking games with your new found friends.

Torch – Depending where you go electricity might be a commodity that is in short supply. Also good for finding your way back to you hostel or to the toilet in the dead of night.

Reading books – Like with the MP3 player a book is a good way to pass time on long journeys and relaxing down the beach. Once you’re finished with it you can swap it with other backpackers you meet.

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By admin, December 20, 2009 7:43 pm

Independent travel advice for Peru

IF you are travelling over land from Ecuador in to Peru you will probably arrive first in Piura a fairly uninteresting border town.  From here it is a further 4 – 6 hours to Chicalayo which has a few half decent places to stay (try www.hoteltumbasreales.com).  From here you can travel on to Huanchaco – a beach side resort where you can watch the local fishermen bring in the catch on their straw boats.  There are some good restaurants along the sea front and good hostels here.  Near Hunachaco is the town of Trujillo with some interesting architecture and also the Chan Chan ruins (very reminiscent of star wars).

Lima is the capital and transport hub for the country so difficult to avoid. The capital doesn’t offer much to stick around for but if you’ve been backpacking on a shoestring for a bit and want some creature comforts – head to Mina Flores for some decent accomodation, bars & restaurants.  Most of the hostels are on this modern island with in the city but you will find significantly cheaper prices in the old part of the city.

Peru is a great country from which to explore the Amazon.  You can fly direct from Lima to Iquitous in the centre of the Amazon – this rainforest town is only accessible by air or water.  You will be swamped with taxi drivers offering you their recommendations for accomodations and tour companies so be prepared to defend your personal space upon exiting the terminal.  Shop around and negotiate when choosing the tour company to go with – local guides will offer you authentic experiences in isolated villages (often involving all night ferry journeys down the Amazon river accompanied by all kinds of animals, livestock, fish & produce) …. a fantastic experience but be prepared to rough it – no running water or electricity!  Alternatively there are lots of luxury options available which may be don’t provide the authentic Amazon experience, & the treat of getting to know the locals, but are perhaps more suitable for the squeamish (expect to be getting up close & personal with all things that creep and slither)!  Remember to bring tons and tons of very strong deet insect repellent with you – the mosquitos are every where, love the blood of a ‘gringo’ & are strong enough to bite through clothing … even jeans!

Highlights of the Amazon include fishing for Piranhas in little wooden canoes with your fishing rod / twig & string – these canoes are very flimsy so don’t rock the boat!  For the very brave a swim in the Amazon is an amazing experience and if you’re with the locals expect some mud slinging matches – if you’re very lucky you will get up close to the famous pink dolphins, but unlike their salt water cousins this rare breed are pretty shy.  Obviously the Amazon offers many an encounter with wildlife of all shapes & sizes – snakes, spiders, toucans, monkeys are some of the most common spots.  On our trip we actually camped a night under the stars in the heart of the Amazon jungle with nothing for protection but banana leaves under our sleeping bags – with the fireflies for nightlights it was truly spectacular but definitely not an experience for the faint hearted!

The Inca trail is undoubtedly a highlight of any visit to South America and is certainly the jewel in the crown of any backpackers visit to Peru.  While it is certainly hard work it is entirely possible for any one of average fitness and doesn’t demand any specific training – just take your time, pace yourself and if you’re worried about altitude sickness invest in some pills before you depart Cusco.  The trail is very peaceful – walkers are limited to only 200 people a day so you can walk for quite long distances with out seeing any other tourists.  It is an amazing feeling to tread the path of the Incas, witness some of the most incredible views on this earth and almost feel alone while doing so.  The access limitations do mean that you need to book your place on the trail well in advance however.  Tours differ in price from the very basic ‘carry your own backpack’ (only for the very fit) to the norm of basic food & accomodation with porters to carry all camping, food and personal luggage, all the way up to the very luxurious camping and food options.  We took our tour with the midrange option – Gap Adventures, enjoyed every second and would highly recommend them.  Day 2 is the hardest of the 4 – the ascent of ´dead womans pass` – but the views at the top are well worth it and you will feel a great sense of achievement once you reach them.  The porters are an integral part of the Inca Trail experience, there are a total of c. 300 of them per day on top of the 200 walkers .. we had 12 porters for 6 of us in our group.  Each porter carries about 25 kilos on their backs and they lug this up literally vertical slopes and then back down again … at a run and in flip flops!!  It´s unbelievable to see … apparantly one of the porters actually managed to complete the whole Inca trail (with out any weight on his back though) in 3 hours 45 minutes … this is a trail which takes all the tourists 4 days!  The porters run ahead of the walkers and then set up camp for lunch, then go ahead again to set up camp for dinner and tents for the night.  When we walked it there were porters as old as 58 in our group and apparantly there were 70 year old porters still working the trail!  Having a very knowledgable guide who speaks good english makes a big difference to the experience so do your research when picking a tour company.  The last stretch of the trail is begun at 4am on the 4th morning to ensure you’ll arrive at the sun gate in time to see the sun rise and mist roll off the valley to reveal Machu Picchu. East of Cusco on the border with Bolivia is Lake Titicaca – the highest navigable lake in the world.  Take a boat tour out on to the lake to visit the amazing floating reed islands of the Uros people.  The community here have been making their homes from the reeds of the lakes and living upon them since pre incan times.  Walking on the islands as they bob up and down is a very strange experience but the reeds are layered up very thick as the islanders simply add a layer every time they feel concern over sinking!  It is also possible to stay in home stays on some of the bigger non reed islands of the lake – very basic accomodation with no running water or electricity but a real chance to witness the local way of life which has remained unaltered for generations.