(I've had troubles uploading the photos with this I've out ohotos on Facebook if you want to see some colour)
Arriving in Bogota was a little confronting to say the least. We pulled up at our hotel in La Candelaria (the old district) to open the taxi doors to a man in uniform with a very large gun who took our bags. With some sense of relief we realised he was the security guard who also acted as the doorman and he had taken our bags to our room! We soon became somewhat comfortable with the fact that everywhere we went in Colombia there were people in uniform with big guns and dogs.
They were all very friendly, helped with directions (when they could understand what we were asking) and essentially were part of the police and military protecting the city. This outward facing presence was just one part of the Colombian kaleidoscope.
Between Susan and I we had read a couple of books on Colombia ('Killing Pablo' and 'Even Silence Has An End' which are both interesting reads for anyone interested) which had given us some perspective on the recent history of Colombia including the violence, drug cartels and kidnappings. The presence of the military and police was indicative of the 'crack down' from the government. There is still some guerilla warfare going on in Colombia but certainly not in the areas we visited. We loved Colombia, the people are very friendly, sights and scenes amazing and food fresh and fantastic.
We spent four days in Bogota in La Candelaria - we did venture to Zona Rosa on one occasion which is in the north and where the more wealthy people live. It had everything in the way of shopping malls, designer shops, restaurants, bars, apartment blocks and traffic but we didn't love it. It was what you could see in any large city (Bogota has a population of 8 million). La Candelaria had a real spirit to it, lively, bustling, small narrow streets full of tiny restaurants and bars where the menus were in Spanish and we had to point at what other people were having to work out what was what on the menu!
On our first morning we went on a bike ride with Mike from Bogota Bike Tours, what a treat. It was a Sunday and the sometimes forward thinking Government closes the main street every Sunday and public holiday for 'Ciclovia' when thousands of people get out on there bikes, roller blades, skate boards and feet and cycle, skate, walk or jog through the city. It is very impressive and we saw all sorts of colourful sights.
Mike took us to places you wouldn't normally visit as a tourist - slums, red light district (prostitution is legal in Colombia), cemeteries, tasting all types of exotic fruit a the markets and into torrential rain in the middle of the tour which caused the streets to flood and us to get absolutely saturated - it was great fun!
There are numerous museums and sights in Bogota, many of them free, which gives you a real sense of the city. Without a doubt my top three museums were
The Botero Museum, probably Colombia's most famous artist and I think now my fabourite artist. The free museum was not only full of his works but also his collection which included Picasso, Monet and Renoir to name a few.
The Bogota Gold Museum full of absolutely exquisite cold, copper and silver pieces also giving an interesting overview of Colombian history
The Police Historical Museum - here our 18 year old guide (all guys once they finish school have to do 18 months service unless they can afford to pay not to have to do it - that in itself gives sn indication off the level of people serving) gave us a very interesting tour and told us some amazing stories about the pointe and military in Colombia. He was working there as he was injured during his time fighting the guerillas in the jungle, the guerillas (FARC) are very closely associated with the drug cartels so it is an ongoing battle. Of course what we had read and the stories we were told didn't always match up but I was particularly interested in the perspective and section on Pablo Escobar, who was one of the worlds most wanted men For drug running and killing hundreds of people when he was finally killed by the police s age 44!
The view over Bogota from Mont Serat was stunning (we were lucky enough to go up there with blue skies). Interestingly, and very different to most other cities in the world, the poorer people live on the hills and the wealthier the flat areas of Bogota.
Probably a real highlight for us was a cooking class we did with Elsa. Elsa didn't speak English, my Spanish is very basic and Susan's is non-existent so we had a very funny time going to the markets to get ingredients, following instructions and having conversations but it is amazing how you can work things out through miming, cooking and laughter and the 'Sopa Ajiaco' we made was sensational, even if I do say so myself!
There are mayoral elections for each province across Colombia this weekend. The current Mayor of Bogota is in gaol for taking a bit of a kick back on a major road building project in the city and there have been a few murders and kidnappings across the country of some candidates. Again we didn't see any of this but I have again been reminded about how lucky we are in Australia not experiencing the violence or upheaval so many other countries do.
Cartagena was such a different view of Colombia - full of life and action and street sellers. It was hot and humid, the jumpers and jeans were quickly put away away and shorts and t-shirts out. We arrived to a torrential tropical storm and as I write just before we leave for Cuba there is another torrential downpour hammering the roof.
We again stayed in the old town. Cartagena is quite touristy as it is on the Caribbean coast. We managed to hunt around a little and find a few restaurants and shops that catered for the locals. The walking tour we did of Cartagena was again insightful and provided us with a behind the scenes view of people, festivals and customs. The old city of Cartagena is a walled city and is a UNESCO world heritage city - certainly with the visit.
Colombia has been wonderful we have only seen a few of the views of this amazing country, of course there are many different views to it and as a tourist you only see some of them. Off to Cuba next who knows what stories we'll have to tell from there....adios
Saturday, 29 October 2011
Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Enchanting Ecuador - Breathtaking Banos
Banos is about 1,800 metres above sea level and is situated in a valley of green mountains the most dominant being the volcano Tungurahua. Little did we know that it had rumbled away as recently as six months ago and DFAT had only lifted warnings about travelling there a week or two before we visited. But the beauty and volcano activity wasn't our first breathtaking experience in Banos - it was simply the task of getting there.
We had organised transport from Cotopaxi to Banos - roughly a three hour trip which turned into four and a half hours as the bridge about 10 minutes outside Banos was closed for roadworks. Not knowing any of this before setting off the driver (thank goodness he brought a mate along for the ride) had to negotiate a goat track that would never have been allowed to be used by vehicles let alone as a detour back home.
There were sheer drops off the side of a crumbling road which did nothing for Susan who doesn't like heights at the best of times!
There was no way of passing another vehicle, one or other had to back up until a passing spot could be found. The bridges weren't over streams rather over where lava flows had been and there was a lot of volcanic ash around! But never fear we eventually made it to Banos, much to the surprise of the owners of our accommodation - they in fact had sent us an email saying the road was closed and to perhaps delay our trip for a day....we hadn't seen the email.
And once we caught our breath again we were soon mesmerised by the amazing location of La Casa Verde, an Eco lodge situated about 2 kms from town and our home for the next two nights. Doug an Aussie and his Kiwi wife Rebecca have built the lodge over the last four years or so and it was like a home away from home, with some great crafty decorations and vistas to die for. And another great feature of the hotel is that it is in the evacuation area should Tungurahua get a little active again.
Doug helped us sought an action packed day where we got to go into the jungle (well the edge) experiencing canoeing in a dugout,
hiking in mud, climbing hills to see the most amazing views over the jungle, walking to and swimming through waterfalls, visiting a monkey refuge and for me traveling across a gorge in an open cable car to another waterfall.
And that's not to mention the drive down to Puyo and back with Carlos who thought he was racing in the Bathurst 1000 - we haven't struck too many cars with seat belts here although we have been looking!
The next day we went into Banos itself - the town has a really lovely feel even though a lot of tourists pass through and stay as it is the main road beaten Peru and Ecuador and the gateway to the Amazon. Again we had our breath taken away when we stumbled across a mass in the Basilica. The church was full, the singing amazing (I was able to hum along to two of the hymns one using Sounds of Silence and the other Ode to Joy. It turned out they were celebrating the feast day of the holy rosary and after mass, and the blessing of a number of ........a procession around town began led by a band with the woman carrying flowers tottering by in their heels and fhe men carrying what looked like a very heavy Mary behind.
But that wasn't all outside the Basilica a real battle of the bands was taking place! There were 7 small bands playing local folk tunes in battle against one another - at first they played against one another then a sense of politeness took hold and as one band finished the next one started louder and faster. It was something else.
Seeing guinea pigs roasted (a traditional dish) didn't really excite us for lunch but we did eat in the local markets for the pricey amount of $3.50 for a yummy bowl of chicken soup (too much to finish) washed down by a beautiful freshly squeezed juice. You can't beat eating with the locals in
the markets when travelling.
We never actually made it to the hot pools which is one of the things Banos is famous for although we did see at least two cars (yes cars) that had been blessed with the holy waters which perhaps explains why they all drive like maniacs in Ecuador - fast and furious. This vehicle is not a wedding car rather a blessed car!
And thankfully the bridge was open by the time of our departure so our only breathlessness was from laughter at our exploits and a desire to have had more time in Ecuador. I'm sure I'll be back again for another visit....
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe Harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”. Mark Twain
We had organised transport from Cotopaxi to Banos - roughly a three hour trip which turned into four and a half hours as the bridge about 10 minutes outside Banos was closed for roadworks. Not knowing any of this before setting off the driver (thank goodness he brought a mate along for the ride) had to negotiate a goat track that would never have been allowed to be used by vehicles let alone as a detour back home.
There were sheer drops off the side of a crumbling road which did nothing for Susan who doesn't like heights at the best of times!
There was no way of passing another vehicle, one or other had to back up until a passing spot could be found. The bridges weren't over streams rather over where lava flows had been and there was a lot of volcanic ash around! But never fear we eventually made it to Banos, much to the surprise of the owners of our accommodation - they in fact had sent us an email saying the road was closed and to perhaps delay our trip for a day....we hadn't seen the email.
And once we caught our breath again we were soon mesmerised by the amazing location of La Casa Verde, an Eco lodge situated about 2 kms from town and our home for the next two nights. Doug an Aussie and his Kiwi wife Rebecca have built the lodge over the last four years or so and it was like a home away from home, with some great crafty decorations and vistas to die for. And another great feature of the hotel is that it is in the evacuation area should Tungurahua get a little active again.
Doug helped us sought an action packed day where we got to go into the jungle (well the edge) experiencing canoeing in a dugout,
hiking in mud, climbing hills to see the most amazing views over the jungle, walking to and swimming through waterfalls, visiting a monkey refuge and for me traveling across a gorge in an open cable car to another waterfall.
And that's not to mention the drive down to Puyo and back with Carlos who thought he was racing in the Bathurst 1000 - we haven't struck too many cars with seat belts here although we have been looking!
The next day we went into Banos itself - the town has a really lovely feel even though a lot of tourists pass through and stay as it is the main road beaten Peru and Ecuador and the gateway to the Amazon. Again we had our breath taken away when we stumbled across a mass in the Basilica. The church was full, the singing amazing (I was able to hum along to two of the hymns one using Sounds of Silence and the other Ode to Joy. It turned out they were celebrating the feast day of the holy rosary and after mass, and the blessing of a number of ........a procession around town began led by a band with the woman carrying flowers tottering by in their heels and fhe men carrying what looked like a very heavy Mary behind.
But that wasn't all outside the Basilica a real battle of the bands was taking place! There were 7 small bands playing local folk tunes in battle against one another - at first they played against one another then a sense of politeness took hold and as one band finished the next one started louder and faster. It was something else.
Seeing guinea pigs roasted (a traditional dish) didn't really excite us for lunch but we did eat in the local markets for the pricey amount of $3.50 for a yummy bowl of chicken soup (too much to finish) washed down by a beautiful freshly squeezed juice. You can't beat eating with the locals in
the markets when travelling.
We never actually made it to the hot pools which is one of the things Banos is famous for although we did see at least two cars (yes cars) that had been blessed with the holy waters which perhaps explains why they all drive like maniacs in Ecuador - fast and furious. This vehicle is not a wedding car rather a blessed car!
And thankfully the bridge was open by the time of our departure so our only breathlessness was from laughter at our exploits and a desire to have had more time in Ecuador. I'm sure I'll be back again for another visit....
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe Harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”. Mark Twain
Location:Banos, Ecuador
Saturday, 22 October 2011
Enchanting Ecuador - Captivating Cotopaxi
Adventuring outside of Quito and exploring some of the countryside was also a great treat although we didn't actually know what we had actually organised as we headed off to Cotopaxi National Park. This started when we had a call to our room at 7.30 am saying the transport was there to take us to Cotopaxi and we responded with no they're coming at 9.30. The timings had been changed we just didn't know about it but being the intrepid travellers that we are we were packed and out the door by 8 with much mirth as we actually had a guide and were off on a tour of the national park that we had no idea we had booked! Mind you this wasn't a problem at all as we sped down the 'avenue of volcanoes' with both active (has erupted in the last 3,000 years) and non-active volcanoes on either side, some snow capped and ever changing landscape.
Cotopaxi National Park is only about an hour a a half drive from Quito and we were blown away by its beauty. There are lots of cattle and wild horses throughout the park and apparently there is a two week rodeo where they drive the cattle from around the park back to the haciendas for counting and marking. The local Chagra community assist the hacienda owners with the rodeo, wearing colorful ponchos and often sleeping out in the high country overnight. They also have amazing chaps and spurs made from native product - this guy was coming home from the markets when we met him.
Many tourists climb Cotopaxi which at 5,800 metres is the second highest volcano in Ecuador. Susan and I were happy with a walk around the lake at 3,800 metres and a visit to the inca ruins in the park. We were actually on the Inca Trail - none of this going to Peru to climb for us! It's quite unsettling as to how breathless you become walking around at this altitude - we weren't really climbing any height maybe 500 metres max and there was a fair bit of heavy breathing going on!
And then to Hacienda Santa Ana our accommodation for the night which at this early part of our trip I predict will be hard to beat for the best accommodation. Located just outside the park we felt relaxed from the moment we set foot on the hacienda. Miguel, the owner gave us a brief history of Santa Ana which his family had originally purchased as a 'weekend' escape from the city. Through an amazing coincidence his mother learnt of its history from a Jesuit priest. It used to be a Jesuit retreat (the Jesuit's owned many haciendas through the Andes until they were expelled by the Spanish King in 1767) and as a result when they developed it into a hotel (it only opened in February this year) they wanted to keep a sense of quiet and relaxation for their guests. It certainly had that and we loved it!
Possibly one of the highlights of our Cotopaxi visit was a walk to the local waterfalls with Patricio, a member of the local Santa Ana community, a Chagra and sensational staff member at the Hacienda. We got to meet people in the local community, hear their stories, check out their crops, follow their trails and visit the local school. We got to the school at lunch time and there was a group of kids out cleaning their teeth, they got very excited by our visit once we showed them photos of themselves. That's Patricio on the right telling us a story about his rodeo experiences - using his poncho like a toreador to catch some wayward bull. It was such a beautiful morning and apart from a little breathlessness as we climbed up for an amazing vista and apparently the blue clear skies were a treat.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe Harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”. Mark Twain
Location:Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador
Thursday, 20 October 2011
Enchanting Ecuador - Colourful Quito
Ecuador is a country full of a diverse range of landscapes from the
Galapagos Islands to the Amazon, the Andes mountains to coastal regions and farmland in between. What was originally going to be one blog has now had to be broken into three parts as there is so much to tell in so little space....we were in and out of Quito a number of time during our visit to Ecuador and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
The capitol city, Quito sits at an altitude of 2,800 metres stretching for 60 km in a valley between volcanoes and mountains on other side. Coming into the airport, which sits at the northern end is quite spectacular as you descend through the avenue of volcanoes but it was somewhat disconcerting when our plane suddenly ascended steeply (after the wheels were down) to circle the volcanoes and city for a second attempt at landing. No idea what that was about but we did land safely! This photo was taken from the plane.
There is loads to do in Quito and we only scratched the surface. Once you get your bearings in the maze of streets it is a pretty easy place to get around and we always felt safe walking around. We took the Teleferiqo (cable car) up the side of Volcano Pichincha - not totally ideal for someone a little nervous of heights which Susan is! You are at an altitude 4,100 metres when you get off which we certainly felt the effect of as we ventured up on our first day in Quito. From the top there were spectacular views over Quito and whilst we didn't venture too much further up the trail, that leads to the peak of the volcano (a three hour walk at altitude) we did explore a little finding a quaint church nestled in the hills (the Catholics always have to build at the top of the hill), streams and trails across the rugged landscape.
We also explored the 'old town' meandering through the busy narrow streets to explore the Plaza Grande, Presidential Palace, Archbishop's Palace, La Compania de Jesus (a baroque style highly ornate church covered in gold leaf), Monastery de San Francisco and La Basilica. We went to the Basilica with much anticipation of enjoying a coffee at the cafe located towards the top of one the towers. We arrived 15 minutes after the cafe had closed at 2 pm somewhat disappointed we still climbed to the top of the tower (well Susan didn't quite make it all the way up) and not only were you inside the clock face but from the top of the Nell tower there were the most amazing views over Quito. We did try to explore a number of the museums around town but every time we went to one we had picked a day it was closed (the advertised opening times didn't always match up!)
We enjoyed Quito - it is a capital city so loads to do, busy traffic, bustling people and full of life. Before arriving, there were numerous warnings about safety and crime we didn't experience any of this.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe Harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”. Mark Twain
Galapagos Islands to the Amazon, the Andes mountains to coastal regions and farmland in between. What was originally going to be one blog has now had to be broken into three parts as there is so much to tell in so little space....we were in and out of Quito a number of time during our visit to Ecuador and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
The capitol city, Quito sits at an altitude of 2,800 metres stretching for 60 km in a valley between volcanoes and mountains on other side. Coming into the airport, which sits at the northern end is quite spectacular as you descend through the avenue of volcanoes but it was somewhat disconcerting when our plane suddenly ascended steeply (after the wheels were down) to circle the volcanoes and city for a second attempt at landing. No idea what that was about but we did land safely! This photo was taken from the plane.
There is loads to do in Quito and we only scratched the surface. Once you get your bearings in the maze of streets it is a pretty easy place to get around and we always felt safe walking around. We took the Teleferiqo (cable car) up the side of Volcano Pichincha - not totally ideal for someone a little nervous of heights which Susan is! You are at an altitude 4,100 metres when you get off which we certainly felt the effect of as we ventured up on our first day in Quito. From the top there were spectacular views over Quito and whilst we didn't venture too much further up the trail, that leads to the peak of the volcano (a three hour walk at altitude) we did explore a little finding a quaint church nestled in the hills (the Catholics always have to build at the top of the hill), streams and trails across the rugged landscape.
We also explored the 'old town' meandering through the busy narrow streets to explore the Plaza Grande, Presidential Palace, Archbishop's Palace, La Compania de Jesus (a baroque style highly ornate church covered in gold leaf), Monastery de San Francisco and La Basilica. We went to the Basilica with much anticipation of enjoying a coffee at the cafe located towards the top of one the towers. We arrived 15 minutes after the cafe had closed at 2 pm somewhat disappointed we still climbed to the top of the tower (well Susan didn't quite make it all the way up) and not only were you inside the clock face but from the top of the Nell tower there were the most amazing views over Quito. We did try to explore a number of the museums around town but every time we went to one we had picked a day it was closed (the advertised opening times didn't always match up!)
We enjoyed Quito - it is a capital city so loads to do, busy traffic, bustling people and full of life. Before arriving, there were numerous warnings about safety and crime we didn't experience any of this.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe Harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”. Mark Twain
Sunday, 16 October 2011
Gorgeous Galapagos
Eight days on the Galapagos Islands just isn't enough - what a magical place. We have snorkelled, hiked, mountain biked, caved, boated, walked and swum around the islands seeing the most wonderful bird, sea and animal life.
Susan and I were on an Intrepid Active Galapagos' trip with 9 other adventurers and we quickly realised active didn't mean there were active volcanoes on the islands rather we were going to be very active. Oswaldo our wonderful guide kept us informed, on time, entertained and even gave us salsa lessons - watch out for his campaign to become Mayor of Isabella Island within 3 years (he's only 29 now and absolutely passionate about the Galapagos Islands, particularly Isabella his home).
97% of the Galapagos Islands are natural parks and therefore protected. Only four of the other 100 islands and islets have people living on them and this is very tightly controlled. You can not move to the islands unless you are a descendent or you marry an islander. This of course was not always the case and there are some real problems wit introduced flora and fauna which is competing with, and in many cases overtaking, native flora and fauna. Some of the fauna included tiny penguins and the blue footed booby.
We visited all four of these islands staying on three of them which was great. Close to 90% of tourists who visit the islands do so cruising between the islands and staying on board. There are some interesting questions around tourism benefits including economic development which staying on the islands supports far more versus conservation with some arguing the cruising is more conservation friendly.
I'm glad we did it the way we did although our transport from island to island was not quite so luxurious and after donating to the marine environment on our first long trip I quickly learnt to take 'magic pills' to survive the other journeys.
Snorkeling was an absolute highlight even thought the water temperature was at time only 14 degrees! We swam with sea lions, sharks, penguins, stingrays, marine turtles, marine iguanas and loads and loads of fish it was phenomenal. Putting on the wetsuits, flippers, mask and snorkel each time was a wee challenging as was jumping into the water from the boat but once in we all loved it. We snorkelled between these two rocks swimming with sharks it was exhilarating!
Other activity included mountain biking down from the highlands in San Cristobel island, waving and laughing with locals on the way and seeing ever changing vegetation along the way. We ended at one of the many marine parks where we were lucky enough to see a huge colony of sea lions with their babies - one just a week old and learning to walk and suckle.
We went on a 16km round hike up to the crater of Volcano Negro - the second largest crater in the world after Ngorogoro. This crater is much younger and therefore still full of lava rock, waves and tunnels and in fact is still active. The landscape was quite dramatic at times desert like with cacti and really hot as the basalt rock radiated heat.
Of course a highlight was seeing the Galapagos Tortoise both in breeding centers but more excitingly in the wild. (It was very different to seeing them in Western Plains Zoo at Dubbo.) They are amazing animals, life expectancy to around 150, slow, steady and interestingly the mothers leave the eggs once nested and the baby tortoises are left to survive on their own from the moment they hatch.
The sun has now set on this part of our adventure I think the Galapagos will be with me forever - I could have stayed much longer! Of the many things I will take away with me one is this quote from Charles Darwin. "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change."
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe Harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”. Mark Twain
Susan and I were on an Intrepid Active Galapagos' trip with 9 other adventurers and we quickly realised active didn't mean there were active volcanoes on the islands rather we were going to be very active. Oswaldo our wonderful guide kept us informed, on time, entertained and even gave us salsa lessons - watch out for his campaign to become Mayor of Isabella Island within 3 years (he's only 29 now and absolutely passionate about the Galapagos Islands, particularly Isabella his home).
97% of the Galapagos Islands are natural parks and therefore protected. Only four of the other 100 islands and islets have people living on them and this is very tightly controlled. You can not move to the islands unless you are a descendent or you marry an islander. This of course was not always the case and there are some real problems wit introduced flora and fauna which is competing with, and in many cases overtaking, native flora and fauna. Some of the fauna included tiny penguins and the blue footed booby.
We visited all four of these islands staying on three of them which was great. Close to 90% of tourists who visit the islands do so cruising between the islands and staying on board. There are some interesting questions around tourism benefits including economic development which staying on the islands supports far more versus conservation with some arguing the cruising is more conservation friendly.
I'm glad we did it the way we did although our transport from island to island was not quite so luxurious and after donating to the marine environment on our first long trip I quickly learnt to take 'magic pills' to survive the other journeys.
Snorkeling was an absolute highlight even thought the water temperature was at time only 14 degrees! We swam with sea lions, sharks, penguins, stingrays, marine turtles, marine iguanas and loads and loads of fish it was phenomenal. Putting on the wetsuits, flippers, mask and snorkel each time was a wee challenging as was jumping into the water from the boat but once in we all loved it. We snorkelled between these two rocks swimming with sharks it was exhilarating!
Other activity included mountain biking down from the highlands in San Cristobel island, waving and laughing with locals on the way and seeing ever changing vegetation along the way. We ended at one of the many marine parks where we were lucky enough to see a huge colony of sea lions with their babies - one just a week old and learning to walk and suckle.
We went on a 16km round hike up to the crater of Volcano Negro - the second largest crater in the world after Ngorogoro. This crater is much younger and therefore still full of lava rock, waves and tunnels and in fact is still active. The landscape was quite dramatic at times desert like with cacti and really hot as the basalt rock radiated heat.
Of course a highlight was seeing the Galapagos Tortoise both in breeding centers but more excitingly in the wild. (It was very different to seeing them in Western Plains Zoo at Dubbo.) They are amazing animals, life expectancy to around 150, slow, steady and interestingly the mothers leave the eggs once nested and the baby tortoises are left to survive on their own from the moment they hatch.
The sun has now set on this part of our adventure I think the Galapagos will be with me forever - I could have stayed much longer! Of the many things I will take away with me one is this quote from Charles Darwin. "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change."
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe Harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”. Mark Twain
Location:Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Friday, 7 October 2011
Sally Does Dallas (not quite like the film)
I am now officially on holidays and jobless.....I cut up the work credit card, despatched all my gear back to Sydney and have signed off from Events NSW - let the adventures begin.
Dallas is certainly different to Fort Worth even though it's just down the freeway! Arrived here on Wednesday afternoon to be met by Susan who had just flown in from Sydney.
Headed out to the Sixth Floor Museum which is a display on what happened when John F Kennedy was shot as he arrived in Dallas back n 1963. The museum was really well done using lots of photos, audio and footage from the time which gave you a good understanding why there was some unrest at the time as well as the number of people out cheering the President and Mrs Kennedy as they arrived in town. The museum is actually in the old book depository, the building where the shots came from (whoever did it was a pretty good shot). They explore the conspiracy theory and whether or not Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone or not (I'm not convinced he did) but we will never know. The window is the top floor right hand window in the photo below.
Bishop Arts in South Dallas was the next stop which had a few blocks of independently owned shops, no chains or malls, with some really interesting artisan shops and galleries. We actually saw people on bikes and walking, lots with dogs, which was something of a novelty in our time in Dallas (we later learned everything is so spread out people drive everywhere there are few footpaths and no cycle (or bus) lanes). Lots of groovy little restaurants there full of locals.
We were staying at the Belmont Hotel in South Dallas which is apparently experiencing a bit of revitalisation (Susan's taxi driver had told her no one stays in South Dallas). It's a restored art deco motel which used to be on the main Fort Worth - Dallas road. It was great, the service and staff were great and the hotel really quiet and pretty reasonable - just in case anyone is coming to Dallas. Oh and we even got to see the NBL trophy which was supposedly very exciting. That's the trophy on the left with the Dallas skyline in the background.
But the best was to come the following day - the Texas State Fair! Hot diggety dog.....from the moment we got to the train station we knew were in for a treat. Everyone on the train was so friendly and of course as soon as we opened our mouths they knew we weren't from Texas and by the time we arrived at the Fair everyone knew that there were two Australians aboard and we had all sorts of tips on what to do for the day. Not dissimilar to the Sydney Royal Easter Show there were arts and crafts, animals, shows, rides and games and expensive food and drinks - just no show bags.
Donna, my new best Texan friend who I had met at the Conference, was participating in the Cobbler cook off (a bit like master chef in ways 16 participants, a bench and an oven each and off they go) so we raced off to see the end of the competition and hear the results, and what do you know her peach cobbler got a highly recommended and her blackberry cobbler won champion cobbler of the show. And then because we were part of her crew we got to taste them and they were sensational a bit like a crumble.
Here's Donna with her Championship Cobbler.
The Texas State Fair was really something else, we literally had people welcoming us to Texas with a yee ha or three. As it was seniors and pension day so they all got in free and also junior judging day at the livestock pavillion there were some very interesting people around. We saw kids leading steers more than twice their size, kids showing all varieties of 'swine' and all the girls with either bling in their hair, on their belt or on their vest, it appeared to be a dress requirement!
But really the highlight (or lowlight) was the fried food. It is just amazing, there is a competition each year for new fried foods and you can find everything fried here. Lemonade, butter, tacos, moonshine pie, pumpkin pie and the winner of the most creative for this yea bubblegum!! We were Only brave enough to try the pumpkin pie which wasn't as bad as expected but chatted to and watched people with interest sampling the butter and bubblegum.
We finished off out Dallas experience by jumping off the train in downtown and it was the most unusual experience, all these very tall shiny buildings, lots of cars on the road but no people. it was quite bizarre basically there are no pedestrians as Dallas is so spread out everyone just drives, there aren't many footpaths and no taxis cruising the streets. The deserted feel didn't do much for us.
Ending my Texan experience I have to say it was quite something and better than I had expected. Everyone was particularly friendly and I got to see and do some amazing things. Flew out of Dallas this morning and now on route to Ecuador for the start of the South American adventure - shame my Spanish is so poor.....
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe Harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”. Mark Twain
Dallas is certainly different to Fort Worth even though it's just down the freeway! Arrived here on Wednesday afternoon to be met by Susan who had just flown in from Sydney.
Headed out to the Sixth Floor Museum which is a display on what happened when John F Kennedy was shot as he arrived in Dallas back n 1963. The museum was really well done using lots of photos, audio and footage from the time which gave you a good understanding why there was some unrest at the time as well as the number of people out cheering the President and Mrs Kennedy as they arrived in town. The museum is actually in the old book depository, the building where the shots came from (whoever did it was a pretty good shot). They explore the conspiracy theory and whether or not Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone or not (I'm not convinced he did) but we will never know. The window is the top floor right hand window in the photo below.
Bishop Arts in South Dallas was the next stop which had a few blocks of independently owned shops, no chains or malls, with some really interesting artisan shops and galleries. We actually saw people on bikes and walking, lots with dogs, which was something of a novelty in our time in Dallas (we later learned everything is so spread out people drive everywhere there are few footpaths and no cycle (or bus) lanes). Lots of groovy little restaurants there full of locals.
We were staying at the Belmont Hotel in South Dallas which is apparently experiencing a bit of revitalisation (Susan's taxi driver had told her no one stays in South Dallas). It's a restored art deco motel which used to be on the main Fort Worth - Dallas road. It was great, the service and staff were great and the hotel really quiet and pretty reasonable - just in case anyone is coming to Dallas. Oh and we even got to see the NBL trophy which was supposedly very exciting. That's the trophy on the left with the Dallas skyline in the background.
But the best was to come the following day - the Texas State Fair! Hot diggety dog.....from the moment we got to the train station we knew were in for a treat. Everyone on the train was so friendly and of course as soon as we opened our mouths they knew we weren't from Texas and by the time we arrived at the Fair everyone knew that there were two Australians aboard and we had all sorts of tips on what to do for the day. Not dissimilar to the Sydney Royal Easter Show there were arts and crafts, animals, shows, rides and games and expensive food and drinks - just no show bags.
Donna, my new best Texan friend who I had met at the Conference, was participating in the Cobbler cook off (a bit like master chef in ways 16 participants, a bench and an oven each and off they go) so we raced off to see the end of the competition and hear the results, and what do you know her peach cobbler got a highly recommended and her blackberry cobbler won champion cobbler of the show. And then because we were part of her crew we got to taste them and they were sensational a bit like a crumble.
Here's Donna with her Championship Cobbler.
The Texas State Fair was really something else, we literally had people welcoming us to Texas with a yee ha or three. As it was seniors and pension day so they all got in free and also junior judging day at the livestock pavillion there were some very interesting people around. We saw kids leading steers more than twice their size, kids showing all varieties of 'swine' and all the girls with either bling in their hair, on their belt or on their vest, it appeared to be a dress requirement!
But really the highlight (or lowlight) was the fried food. It is just amazing, there is a competition each year for new fried foods and you can find everything fried here. Lemonade, butter, tacos, moonshine pie, pumpkin pie and the winner of the most creative for this yea bubblegum!! We were Only brave enough to try the pumpkin pie which wasn't as bad as expected but chatted to and watched people with interest sampling the butter and bubblegum.
We finished off out Dallas experience by jumping off the train in downtown and it was the most unusual experience, all these very tall shiny buildings, lots of cars on the road but no people. it was quite bizarre basically there are no pedestrians as Dallas is so spread out everyone just drives, there aren't many footpaths and no taxis cruising the streets. The deserted feel didn't do much for us.
Ending my Texan experience I have to say it was quite something and better than I had expected. Everyone was particularly friendly and I got to see and do some amazing things. Flew out of Dallas this morning and now on route to Ecuador for the start of the South American adventure - shame my Spanish is so poor.....
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe Harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”. Mark Twain
Location:Dallas, Texas
Monday, 3 October 2011
Fun in Fort Worth
What can I say but everything is BIG here in Texas. Fort Worth is the home to Butch Cassidy and the Sun Dance Kids and I am conveniently staying on 'Sundance Square' where there are many restaurants, bars, music venues, huuuuge pick up trucks and men with very large hats on.
I initially wondered how much of it was for show but quickly realised that this was for real, these (mostly) men in jeans, huge belt buckles and big hats strode around town like this all the time.
The Texans are very friendly people, even when you look only slightly hesitant they are there asking if they can. Help and I have struck up the most amazing conversations with people on buses, in elevators, bars, in the the hotel lobby and just ambling down the street. Most amazing thing is they all think I am British.....
And this of course is all in between me doing this events and festivals course with other participants mostly from the States. Their worlds are so small compared to ours emphasised to me on the first day when the guy sitting next to me told me all about himself and Daytona Beach, Florida and then saying with something close to pride tha he had never been out of the USA.
My favorites in the course have been
Mary-Margaret from Arkansas who's events name I still don't know but I'm calling the Toad Sucking Festival, she lives in a dry county but the whole premise of the festival (of which the highlight is toad races) originated in people getting drunk (now there's no alcohol)
And then there's Candy from Sugarland Texas who is as sweet as can be and has the sugar festival (I did just make up the festival but not where she is from)
And after day three the other notable festival is the 'Maizy Daze Festival' again somewhere in Texas and accordingly they promote themselves as the 'corniest festival in Texas'
Whilst all this was happening there's a myriad of events going on in Fort Worth and surrounds whilst I am here which I can't get to see as I've been stuck inside some of them were
Dallas Cowboys
Texas Rangers
Texas State Fair
Fort Worth Music Festival and
The local Gay Pride March - not quite Sydney Mardi Gras but full of enthusiasm
And to top it all of Sydney was announced as the best global festival. And events city for the second year in a row a the conference - yay Sydney!!!!!
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe Harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”. Mark Twain
I initially wondered how much of it was for show but quickly realised that this was for real, these (mostly) men in jeans, huge belt buckles and big hats strode around town like this all the time.
The Texans are very friendly people, even when you look only slightly hesitant they are there asking if they can. Help and I have struck up the most amazing conversations with people on buses, in elevators, bars, in the the hotel lobby and just ambling down the street. Most amazing thing is they all think I am British.....
And this of course is all in between me doing this events and festivals course with other participants mostly from the States. Their worlds are so small compared to ours emphasised to me on the first day when the guy sitting next to me told me all about himself and Daytona Beach, Florida and then saying with something close to pride tha he had never been out of the USA.
My favorites in the course have been
Mary-Margaret from Arkansas who's events name I still don't know but I'm calling the Toad Sucking Festival, she lives in a dry county but the whole premise of the festival (of which the highlight is toad races) originated in people getting drunk (now there's no alcohol)
And then there's Candy from Sugarland Texas who is as sweet as can be and has the sugar festival (I did just make up the festival but not where she is from)
And after day three the other notable festival is the 'Maizy Daze Festival' again somewhere in Texas and accordingly they promote themselves as the 'corniest festival in Texas'
Whilst all this was happening there's a myriad of events going on in Fort Worth and surrounds whilst I am here which I can't get to see as I've been stuck inside some of them were
Dallas Cowboys
Texas Rangers
Texas State Fair
Fort Worth Music Festival and
The local Gay Pride March - not quite Sydney Mardi Gras but full of enthusiasm
And to top it all of Sydney was announced as the best global festival. And events city for the second year in a row a the conference - yay Sydney!!!!!
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe Harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”. Mark Twain
Location:Fort Worth, Texas
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