tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81634386761980815932024-03-06T03:14:49.147+11:00Plan AMy evil scheme to take over Australia... and the world!phillipdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08230708396231391641noreply@blogger.comBlogger327125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163438676198081593.post-4546525099089533312020-06-02T22:52:00.000+10:002020-06-02T22:52:55.049+10:00Ushuaia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ushuaia was the departure point for our Antarctic cruise
(side note:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>AHHHHHHHH!!!!) and I arrived
the night before the rest of my friends did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The city was small but heaving with tourists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were tons of shops and restaurants the
whole way down their very long main drag, and lots of ships in the harbour,
including cruise ships of all sizes (from small expedition vessels like the one
we’d be taking, to giant cruise ships with thousands of passengers).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I checked into Hotel Las Lengas – chosen by
the cruise company, G Adventures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
room was pretty basic and lacked power outlets, but the staff were beyond
helpful and the views from the reception and lounge area were fantastic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Because it is the capital of the region which Argentina
thinks the Falkland Islands belong to, there is a ton of stuff about the
Falklands (or “Malvinas” as they call them) in Ushuaia:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>various monuments to the war they started,
murals on walls, and random signs in random places (like in the parking lots at
viewpoints in the nearby national park).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It all seemed a bit desperate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Get over it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I had the next morning free to explore, but opted to take it
easy instead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I slept in, dropped off
laundry, did some souvenir browsing, got a haircut, and found brunch at a café
called Ana & Juana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I went
there five times over the course of three days (including the morning we got
back from the cruise).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had the best
alfajores I’ve had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My friends Simon and Alyson arrived in the early afternoon
with Simon’s dad, Tony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They went for a
little hike while I waited for my friend Lenora to arrive in the early
evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lenora had a little fall on the
flight from the U.S. and needed a bit of medical attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had given me a heads up on her layover
and I sprung into action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Upon her
arrival, we went around the corner to the local hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was a bit nervous with it being Argentina
and all, but the experience was really impressive for a hospital – especially
when compared to the U.S.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were in and
out in 90 minutes, and in that time she had a tooth re-inserted, was examined
by a doctor, and saw a nurse for antibiotics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The staff were lovely and were very patient with our limited
Spanish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it was all free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even for tourists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brilliant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A+ to Argentina.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Unable to secure a rental car to head out to the ranch I
wanted to take my friends to, we opted for a museum day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Maritime Museum of Ushuaia was much more
than just a maritime museum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Set in an
old prison, the museum included information on the anthropology of the region,
history, art, wildlife, and a section on Antarctica.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were old maps (which I LOVE) and, of
course, information on the prison itself and Ushuaia’s time as a penal
colony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was all very reminiscent of
Australia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After lunch, we visited the Museo del Fin del Mundo (Museum
of the End of the Earth – referring to Ushuaia’s location at the very bottom of
the planet).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a much smaller
museum situated in an old bank building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It had some random things including some cool stuffed birds and a
beautiful ornament of a woman which used to grace the bow of a ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The museum also had an annex a few blocks
away at the Casa Antigua, the old legislative chamber.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After a delicious dinner of lamb meatballs, my friends and I
went down to the waterfront to get our first glimpse of our ship which had
arrived that evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was dwarfed by
the much larger ships around it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As our ship was due to depart late in the afternoon, we had
booked in a half-day tour of the Tierra del Fuego National Park on our departure
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tour took us to two very scenic
viewpoints – Mirador Puerto Arias and Lago Roca – and offered a scenic train
ride with excellent scenery and a stop at the Macarena Waterfall. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had booked the tour through G Adventures to
ensure we got back in time to make the ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The tour was a bit of a rushed typical tourist bus tour and we didn’t
really get to dig into the park at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If I could do it over again, I’d take a smaller 4x4 tour for a full day
and avoid the typical tourist route.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After that, we got our obligatory picture in front of the
Ushuaia sign…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And then boarded the G Expedition!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next stop:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>ANTARCTICA!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But first, let me
take a selfie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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phillipdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08230708396231391641noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163438676198081593.post-44018159237270659702020-05-31T15:34:00.000+10:002020-06-02T22:35:47.273+10:00El Chalten<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I departed El Calafate on a reasonably comfortable, spacious,
and on-time bus for the 3-hour drive to the smaller town and tourist mecca of
El Chalten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The drive was gorgeous,
trailing along the side of Lake Argentino, and then picking up views of Lake
Viedma and the Viedma Glacier a bit later on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>El Chalten basically sits within the Glaciers National Park, which extends
from down near El Calafate (including the Perito Moreno Glacier) all the way
north to here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is known for its excellent
hiking trails, and a mandatory induction at the national park’s visitor centre
helped me plan out my four nights / three full days there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Mount Fitzroy towers over the small town and it was out in all
its glory upon my arrival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately, it decided to hide behind the clouds after that until the
morning of my departure, but I didn’t let some cloud cover stop me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">On my first full day, I went out for a 20km hike to the
Laguna de Los Tres (Lake of the Three).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I opted to take a bus from the town to another entrance to the trail
some 30 minutes away so that I could see different views on the walk to the
lookout and the walk back to town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first
9km of the trail was relatively flat and manageable, with views of the Piedras Blancas
Glacier hanging off the mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last
1km up to the look was indeed just that:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it was a doozy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Steep and a bit rocky, I made it up to the
top out of energy, but had some snacks to refuel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The viewpoint at the lake was very pretty, but
Mount Fitzroy – the highlight of the lookout point – was completely behind the
clouds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bah!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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At least I burned some calories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And at
least it didn’t rain!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I awoke on my second full day to some light rain, but I wasn’t
going to let weather dampen my trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got
dressed, but on my hiking boots, and trekked the twelve minutes into town for a
2.5 hour spa treatment featuring an hour-long full body massage, a half-hour foot
massage, a foot regeneration treatment, and a decongestive treatment for my
legs, where they were wrapped in freezing cold towels for quite some time to enhance
circulation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or something like that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And by the time my treatment was finished, the
sun had come out and I had time for a short hike (around 7km round trip) to
some lookouts just on the edge of the town.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Mirador Condores (Condors Lookout) had views over El Chalten,
and true to its name, it had heaps of condors flying overhead, including one
that came super close to me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The nearby
Mirador Aguilas (Eagles Lookout) had stunning views over Lake Viedma and its
floating icebergs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My third and final full day featured a hike that was equally
as long as the first hike, but much flatter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The destination was the viewpoint at Laguna Torre, featuring Cerro Torre
towering over the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just like Mount
Fitzroy on day 1, Cerro Torre was also covered in clouds the whole time, but
the hike was pleasant anyway, with some lovely viewpoints of lakes and
waterfalls.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Of course, the morning I left was sunny and clear and everything
was out in full view.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that’s ok – at
least it didn’t rain too much and at least I had beautiful days the week before
in Torres del Paine National Park.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I should, of course, mention the food in El Chalten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was some fantastic culinary options for
all sorts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a beautiful lamb ravioli
on my first night, and an incredible wild risotto on my final night at a little
restaurant and wine bar called La Bicicleta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I treated my self to a pizza and brownie a la mode after my big strenuous
hike on day one, had some (lacklustre) nachos, and some delicious empanadas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I may or may not have visited the Domo Blanco
ice cream shop three times in four days, and I even found a little Colombian café
with arepas and good coffee!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I would definitely recommend El Chalten as a great place to
come hike and relax.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From there, I took
the bus back to El Calafate to catch a flight down to the “End of the Earth”, Ushuaia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More about that next time, but first, let me
take a selfie!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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phillipdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08230708396231391641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163438676198081593.post-87446607247303417672020-04-26T14:32:00.003+10:002020-04-26T14:32:56.455+10:00El Calafate & Perito Moreno Glacier<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The bus from Puerto Natales, Chile to El Calafate, Argentina
was on-time, comfortable, and inexpensive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The five-hour journey included a fairly straight-forward border crossing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But crossing the border was noticeable:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>roads on the Chilean side were nicer, as was
the immigration building, and even the rest stop on the Argentinian side of the
border was a wee bit dingy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite
those little differences, Argentina is mostly just as nice as Chile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The country has similar beautiful scenery, a
European vibe, is very gay-friendly, and seems to have an abundance of gluten-free
and vegan options touted at all restaurants. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I didn’t go to those restaurants.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The town of El Calafate was super cute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite being roughly the same size as Puerto
Natales, El Calafate was a lot busier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
were more shops, more restaurants, and just more stuff going on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I accredit this to the fact that many travellers
base themselves in the town and do day trips out to the sights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Puerto Natales, on the other hand, is more of
a stopping point for just a night before travellers make their way to spend a
few nights in the national park.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The most noticeable inconvenience about being in Argentina was
cash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s hard to come by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Argentina’s economic woes mean that the
government and financial system have implemented cash restrictions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The maximum withdrawal I could find at an ATM
in town was for roughly AU$48, plus an 18.9% fee (WTF?) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew this would be a problem in advance, so I
brought actual cash and converted that to pesos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>USD – and even AUD – were like gold, and I
got a fantastic rate by exchanging my AUD for pesos with some dude in a little
room upstairs from a restaurant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It all seemed very sketchy at first, but it was actually really
easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What an odd place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I arrived in the evening, and I knocked off to sleep early
as the next day was a big day for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
about to check-off one of my 103 Things:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>the Perito Moreno Glacier!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I booked a fancy tour with Glaciar Sur because it was a
special occasion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not just solely the
glacier, the tour also visited an estancia (ranch).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Estancia Nibepo Aike was the one on the
agenda, and despite the pouring rain at the very start of the day, the estancia
was truly gorgeous:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it had beautiful
flowers, horses in big fields, and a real taste of Patagonia:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>gauchos on horseback and border collies
herding cows into a paddock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
sheep-shearing demonstration was performed and I was shocked that they take the
wool off all in one big pelt!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There were tons of historical photos to look at about the sheep
industry in Patagonia, along with plenty of old photos of the family who own
the ranch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The highlight, however, was
the lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What must have been the best
meal of my trip, they served us lamb straight off the spit, with a whole buffet
of fresh salads, and the most delicious bread which seemed as if white bread had
an affair with a sopapilla and out popped this deliciousness nine months later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most delightful malbec was supplied to
wash it down, and flan with dulce de leche was served for dessert.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Fuck, it was all soooo delicious.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">From there, the tour embarked to see the main event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of the world’s
most stable glaciers – it’s not shrinking – and it’s also one of the world’s
fastest glaciers, moving about 2 metres per day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It empties out into Lago Argentino (Argentino
Lake).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The tour started off with a little boat ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We rounded a corner to see a bit of the
glacier at a distance, but then veered back into a cove to step ashore for a
short hike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hike ended at a great
viewpoint of the glacier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From there, we
re-boarded the ship and were served a bit of whiskey in a glass with glacial
ice (or so they said) as we approached the glacier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The glacier is truly spectacular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The glacier face is about five kilometres
wide, though we could only see about half from where our little boat was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the water level, the glacier didn’t look
enormously tall, but then I noticed the triple-decker tourist ship right in front
of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ship – which was many times
larger than the little boat I was on – was dwarfed by the glacier towering over
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ranging from 40 to 70 metres high,
the glacier suddenly became immense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
one point I guessed that we were 300 metres from it, but in reality, we were
two kilometres away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s just so enormous
that it plays tricks on your mind!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After cruising on the lake for a bit, we docked and then
took a minibus to the main visitor centre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are kilometres of viewing platforms to walk around: some way up
atop a hill; others almost at lake level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We had less than 2 hours here which was disappointing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could have spent all day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the time I did have there was amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went toward the right, which was away from
the side of the glacier that we saw from the boat, and gained a whole new perspective
on just how massive it was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the
upper platforms, you can see the glacier reaching far, far back into the
mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looks like it never ends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, out of the silence, came a big crash
and splash as a chunk of glacier calved into the lake and became an
iceberg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This happened every few minutes,
though none of the calving I saw was notably large compared to videos I had
seen online.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The drive back to town featured creatures that I had
forgotten about after living in Australia for a decade:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>skunks!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some car hit a skunk or two in the road, and a whole bunch of other
skunks were in the road mourning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Everything just smelled terrible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I had a whole day and a half more in El Calafate, so I
visited the Glaciarium the next day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
basically a museum dedicated to snow, ice, and glaciers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has a ton of information on the impacts of
climate change (including terrifying maps of glacier recession in the Southern
Patagonian Ice Field), and overall it was arranged logically and in a digestible
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent a few hours there and
really enjoyed it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Aside from that, I spent quite a bit of time checking out the
plethora of souvenir shops, boutique alfajor shops, and restaurants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I even ate guanaco tacos!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then it was time to travel a wee bit north,
a bit deeper into the mountains.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But first, let me take a selfie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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phillipdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08230708396231391641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163438676198081593.post-34116281951972783012020-04-19T16:36:00.001+10:002020-04-19T16:36:52.535+10:00Torres del Paine National Park<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">From Punta Arenas, I headed north to the smaller town of
Puerto Natales – jumping off point to Torres del Paine National Park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The town itself is very cute:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>with nice shops, a small historical museum,
and lots of colourful flowers everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Puerto Natales is built along a lake with gorgeous views of the
mountains beyond and quite a few birds to see as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But enough about the town:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>the Torres del Paine was the main event!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Torres del Paine National Park contains mountains, glaciers, rivers, and
lakes, all with a very well-maintained trail network.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was there for the W Trek – a trek that is
shaped like… you guessed it:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a “W”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trek takes 4 to 5 days to complete, and
we did 4 full days so I think we ended up skipping a wee bit of it, but we got
most of it done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I say “we” because I joined
a group tour for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t want to
have to deal with tents and sleeping bags and logistics so I just booked a
group tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was great to have local guides
and have everything arranged for me, so I’m glad I did it, but I must say that
the trek would have been just as easy doing it on my own.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The facilities along the trek were superb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are well-placed campsites all along the
way, with dedicated camping for people who insist on carrying their own tents,
pre-pitched tents available for hire, and even dormitory beds (and I assume
private rooms too) in some of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each
site has a restaurant which serves breakfast and dinner, and they sell bagged
lunches for your daily trek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are kitchen
facilities which you can use if you insist on cooking yourself, and the bathrooms
were largely clean with warm showers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
rent out sleeping bags and towels, so really, if you have a reservation, you
can rock up with your hiking clothes and a small backpack and you’re set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t need to worry about anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The whole operation of the national park is
truly impressive, and I might even throw it out there:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>luxurious.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It wasn’t 5-star accommodation, but compared to the Inca Trail
a few years ago, the Torres del Paine was pretty luxurious!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The first day of the trek was by a long mile the most rigorous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We left our hotel in Puerto Natales at an
ungodly hour, but at least the drive was pretty:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>with Andean condors flying around, lesser
rheas (sort of like an emu or ostrich) roaming about, and guanacos (essentially
undomesticated llamas with very pretty eyelashes) along the side of the road
(alive, not roadkill).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stopped at
Mirador Lago Sarmiento (Sarmiento Lake Viewpoint) for our first views of the
famous Torres del Paine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Torres” is Spanish
for “towers”, and Paine means “blue” in a local indigenous language, the Torres
del Paine roughly translates to “Blue Towers”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They are three steep granite peaks which – despite the myriad of other beautiful
sites in the national park – are the true highlight of the trek.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After 11km of trekking, much of it uphill, we made it to
Mirador Las Torres (Towers Viewpoint).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
sky was absolutely clear and everything was gorgeous!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We had a bagged lunch for the day, which ended up being a
vacuum sealed chicken burrito – and it was still warm despite us leaving super
early that morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was in burrito
trekking HEAVEN!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After doing the same exact trek back, we had a campsite for
the night just outside of the national park, at a place called Laguna Azul (Blue
Lake).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My tent was just a few metres
from the water, and the views were stunning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We also got our first glimpses of some Chilean flamingos
roaming about the shore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Day 2 started with a few stops at two lovely viewpoints:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mirador Cascada Paine (Blue Waterfall Viewpoint)
and Mirador Nordenskjold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We then took a
ferry across one of the big lakes to reach our campsite for the night – Paine Grande
– and to do a day trek to a viewpoint overlooking Lago Grey (Grey Lake) and the
Grey Glacier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The glacier ends in the lake
so there were quite a few icebergs that had calved off were floating south through
the lake, being pushed by the winds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And by winds, I mean tropical storm force winds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We only stayed at the beautiful viewpoint for
a few minutes because the winds were literally tropical storm force.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if that’s the worst weather we had on the
entire four-day trek, then I’ll take it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Day 3 started out from the Paine Grande campsite, ending at
Los Cuernos campsite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unlike the previous
day, the wind was completely still, which meant Lago Skottsberg was acting as a
sort of mirror for the stunning scenery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We also stopped at Mirador Glaciar Frances to see the
hanging glacier of the French Valley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
glacier just hangs on the side of the mountain, and bits and pieces fall off below
with a thunderous roar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These avalanches
happened quite frequently here and at a bunch of other hanging glaciers that
dot the park, but they were indeed more common on Day 4.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After spending New Years’ Eve at Los Cuernos campsite, I promptly
made my way back to my tent and was in my sleeping bag by about 12:05am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was my fifth continent bringing in the new
year – I just need to do it in Africa and Antarctica at some point!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Day 4 was a flatter, easier day, and while it wasn’t nearly
as exciting as the first three days, it was still gorgeous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After our trek – totalling around 60km in 4
days – we made our way by minibus back to Puerto Natales for a group dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rest of the group left very early the
next morning to make the treks back to either Punta Arenas or El Calafate (Argentina)
for their flights back to Santiago or Buenos Aires, and beyond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I, on the other hand, wasn’t going too
far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I did what any reasonable
person would do:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I booked in a 10am
massage, then had brunch and did some souvenir shopping before catching a 2pm
bus for the 5-hour journey across the Argentine border to El Calafate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">More on that in the next installment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But first, let me take a selfie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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phillipdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08230708396231391641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163438676198081593.post-59318475265992202932020-03-21T10:52:00.000+11:002020-03-21T10:52:52.817+11:00Punta Arenas, The Sequel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I visited the southern Chilean city of Punta Arenas in 2016,
and I kissed the toe of the statue in the main square.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Legend says that if you kiss the toe, you’ll
be sure to return to Punta Arenas one day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And… voila!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There I was!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The city didn’t appear to have changed too
much, though they installed a big “Punta Arenas” sign on the waterfront.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took a selfie with the view from the Cerro
de la Cruz lookout point, and the biggest difference from the same photo I took
in 2016 was that I grew a beard.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I do have to mention that the protests that started in
Santiago had spread all the way south to Punta Arenas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was more graffiti, but it wasn’t as
terrible as in Santiago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also got to
witness a Friday night protest, which was more of a rally than a riot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a speaker and lots of flags in the
crowd from various different movements that had come together, including the
gay pride flag, trans pride flag, anarchist flag (yikes), and the Mapuche flag
(the indigenous people of the country), alongside the Chilean flag and the
regional Patagonian flag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It all seemed
very civilized, and didn’t really have an impact on my travel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The real biggest difference was that the days were longer
and stuff was open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had visited Punta
Arenas in June – winter – in 2016, which is very much the low season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s also the season when the penguins go
away, so this time I wanted to come back and see them (because they certainly
wouldn’t have been impressive after going to Antarctica!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was pretty much the only touristy thing
I did in the day and a half that I spent there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The penguin colony is on Isla Magdalena and a group tour is
required to get there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I arrived for my
reserved spot on the 6am tour to find that it had been rescheduled for 3pm due
to wind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grrr.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Morning Phill is not a happy Phill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily, the wind calmed and the 3pm tour proceeded
(YAY!) despite some rain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was put on a
bus to a boat to travel to the island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The boat ride there was great for birdwatching, with sightings of
imperial cormorants and petrels, along with swarms of birds likely feeding on
sardines just below the water’s surface.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Upon arrival at the Monumento Natural Los Pinguinos, I was
greeted by 15,000 breeding pairs of penguins – many with their chicks!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Penguin colonies are measured in breeding
pairs rather than by individuals (I don’t know why… they just are.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hadn’t really made the effort to talk to
any of the other tourists in my boat – most of them were Brazilian – so I just
wandered onto the island and stood there staring in excitement at the little
Magellanic penguins in their little Magellanic penguin burrows!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That’s when I heard a voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This man came up next to me and started explaining to me how the
penguins make their burrows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
understood most of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I looked
over at the stranger and there was this big, juicy hunk of gorgeousness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This guy was tall, handsome, and talking to
me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was odd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wasn’t a model or anything, but there was
just something about him that was very sexy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was a complete silver fox, but not yet silver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did my best to respond, but as soon as I
opened my mouth, gringo came out, and he knew it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a good 20-second interaction with this
delicious looking specimen before he wandered off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More to come.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I started to walk around the island, watching the penguins
frolicking about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were so many
cute penguin chicks, and I got to observe them being fed and cleaned by their
parents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were also plenty of
seagulls in the mix, and they too had little chicks with them!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think the seagull chicks were actually
cuter than the penguin chicks, but that’s just because they were so small, and
small things are generally cuter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
surprised that at only 3-4 weeks old, the penguin chicks seemed nearly as big
as the adults!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were also several
skuas hanging around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Skuas are nasty
brown seabirds that like to eat penguin chicks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Skuas are evil and they need to be destroyed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A bit later on, I encountered one of our guides and started
walking and chatting with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were
forced to stop when we approached a group of people on the highest part of the trail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It appears it was a group filming a
documentary, and the host was the hunky daddy type who spoke to me right when I
got on the island!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course he was the
host – you have to put someone that pretty on television.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His name is Francisco Saavedra.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He hosts a show called “Lugares Que Hablan”
as well as a bunch of other stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s
pretty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s gay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has a hot, younger husband.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course he does.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Photo courtesy of the interwebs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For the Americans reading this, he’s basically the Chilean
equivalent of Anderson Cooper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the
Australians reading this, he’s basically the Chilean equivalent of… Anderson
Cooper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or maybe Hugh Jackman if we can
count that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the straights or
lesbians reading this, I don’t know how to convey this to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But he’s a big deal!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s beloved in Chile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With all of the protests and political
change, he’s apparently been encouraged to run for president.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve not met many famous people in my life –
hardly any actually, unless you count a few Australian politicians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Francisco Saavedra is probably the hunkiest,
most famous person I’ve met, and I didn’t even know who he was until it was too
late!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I missed a prime selfie
opportunity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life is unfair. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The boat stopped at Isla Marta on the way back to land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Isla Marta is famous for sea lions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were lots of them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were nowhere near as enjoyable to look at
as Francisco Saavedra.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It was then back to the mainland to prepare for the next
part of my trip:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a hike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Details to follow in the next blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But first, let me take a penguin selfie!</span></div>
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phillipdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08230708396231391641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163438676198081593.post-62298085881417377632020-03-17T22:06:00.000+11:002020-03-17T22:06:59.055+11:00Santiago, The Sequel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I began my seven-week trip in Santiago, Chile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had visited Santiago in 2016 on my gap
year, and spent a good amount of time there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I fell in love with the city:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>modern and clean with efficient transport, great restaurants,
world-class museums, and a level of safety likely unrivalled anywhere else in
Latin America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None of that has changed
for the most part, but there have been some other events that have altered the
city.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For those who don’t keep up on the news, there have been
protests in Santiago and around Chile since mid-October.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The protests were triggered by a nominal hike
in the price of their metro (subway) fares.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Despite being a small increase, it appears to have been the straw that
broke the camel’s back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chile is a very
successful country, but with success has come problems, most notably a growing
level of inequality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chile is the most
unequal country in the OECD.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
quite a few friends in Santiago, and they all seem to agree that there are
problems and that many – but not all – of the protestors’ demands are
reasonable, and it appears that change is on the way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The protests, however, have often turned violent – more
riots than protests, complete with looting, arson, vandalism, and several
deaths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many argue that they wouldn’t
have gotten anywhere without the violence, which very well may be true, though
the extent of the violence seems unnecessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Metro stations were destroyed and buses set ablaze across the city, leaving
people unable to get to work (often those who most need the income).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other buildings have been torched and some riots
have certainly gotten well out of control.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Despite all of this, Santiago remains safe for tourists,
though a bit of extra vigilance is warranted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had ticked off many of the big-ticket tourist items on my last visit,
but there were a handful that were new or that I didn’t get to last time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Bahai Temple<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Bahai Temple of South America has newly opened since my
last visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had visited the main Bahai
Temple in Haifa, Israel, back in 2008 and toured its exquisite gardens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, it’s the dry season in Chile –
compounded with a drought – so the gardens here were lackluster, but the temple
itself was absolutely stunning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s an
architectural marvel, perched gloriously on the side of a mountain overlooking
the entire city.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Museo Ralli<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This art museum – which also has locations in Uruguay,
Spain, and Israel – focuses on works by Latin American artists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The collection had some brilliant pieces, and
was neither too big nor too little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
don’t know how I missed this last time around…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cajon del Maipo<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Wanting to get out of the city a bit, one of my Chilean
mates – Ronny – drove my cousin and I out to the Cajon del Maipo – a gorge just
outside Santiago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The area has some
great hikes, but at nearly 40 degrees Celsius, we opted to skip those.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We attempted to drive to a major dam and
reservoir which is apparently very scenic, but it was unfortunately closed due
to rock falls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The restaurant we wanted
to eat at was also closed, but we found ice cream so at least that was
something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will try to visit again on
a future trip, maybe in a cooler season.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Food<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I had done pretty well with local food last time, but there
were still some things to be eaten!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of
course, I had an empanada, and visited my favourite ice cream joint: Emporio La
Rosa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My opening meal was at a brilliant
Peruvian restaurant called Sarita Colonia (Peruvian food is super popular in
Chile as it’s considered the best in South America).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The décor was eccentric and fabulous, and the
food delicious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They even did a little
Aussie-Peruvian fusion with a pavlova de chicha morada (a purple corn
drink).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yum!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elsewhere, I had pollo a pil pil (a spicy
chicken dish), sopapillas (which are similar to the ones in the USA but not
sweet), and even a new type of wine:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>carmenere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was too sweet, but
when in Rome…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Family and Friends<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I actually have a cousin in Santiago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How random!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She and her husband moved there from San Francisco nearly a year ago and
are enjoying it despite the protests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was brilliant getting to hang out with them every day and getting the expat
view of things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also have a few good
mates in Chile whom I hung out with:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Claudio (and his mother!), Ronny (and his mother too!), and Sebastian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Claudio’s mom was sort of my “host mom” when
I visited last time, and she continued to fulfill her duties by feeding me a
full lunch (just after I had had lunch).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ronny’s mother was also very motherly and provided some outstanding
Christmas cookies!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did not meet
Sebastian’s mother but she surely would have loved me too!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Jewish Christmas<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Speaking of Christmas cookies, it was indeed Christmas while
I was in town, which meant traffic was heinous and the main mall was a
zoo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lucky for me, I wasn’t on my own
while all of my Chilean friends spent time with their families:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Karen (my cousin), Matt (her husband), and I (me)
had a very traditional Jewish Christmas… with Chinese food!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had Chinese on Christmas Eve (because
there was literally nothing else open), and then booked ourselves into a very
fancy Chinese-American restaurant on Christmas night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel like the Jews of Australia don’t have
this tradition – likely because the Chinese food down under is too authentic –
but I was happy to keep the Jewish-American Chinese-food-on-Christmas tradition
alive while with other Jewish Americans in South America.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Next stop:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Punta
Arenas!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(not to be confused with Puta
Arenas!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But first, let <s style="text-line-through: double;">me</s> Claudio take a selfie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEmA6qFgVOgKDphu1hefuA-wD-bXpvF5BfmHuMsVkuWzLwBU5CmsBxjoy94hRlSHhOgMqpMRmxSTLgCCBS_Lo4hWBhCNwYy68kxt-sy_6Z3jdxPGEnFsgXUfaPF_bVTwXxLLHMDK5IUZiF/s1600/IMG_3479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEmA6qFgVOgKDphu1hefuA-wD-bXpvF5BfmHuMsVkuWzLwBU5CmsBxjoy94hRlSHhOgMqpMRmxSTLgCCBS_Lo4hWBhCNwYy68kxt-sy_6Z3jdxPGEnFsgXUfaPF_bVTwXxLLHMDK5IUZiF/s400/IMG_3479.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Me with Claudio’s
mother, Claudio’s brother, and (of course!) Claudio on Christmas Eve.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, Facebook has now disabled the links to share a photo
album with the public, which is really annoying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I won’t be sharing any more albums
apparently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe I’ll switch to a
Google option in the near future. If you're my Facebook friend, you can view my photos there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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phillipdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08230708396231391641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163438676198081593.post-82325835875163924842019-12-28T13:03:00.000+11:002019-12-28T13:03:00.130+11:00A Grand Adventure<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Soooo… it’s been a while since my last blog. No surprise there. But I’m on a big trip now and thought I’d do
my best to keep up with this one since it’s rather exciting. With that, I will skip over all of the other
trips since my gap year, but I will go back and get to them… eventually. Just so you have an idea of what you’ve missed
(because I’ve been a slacker), my last three years of travel have included some
new places – Vanuatu, Sint Maarten, and Saint Barts – and some repeat visits
too: South Korea, Taiwan, New Zealand,
Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, and London.
I’ve also done a wee bit of domestic travel, with some repeat visits to
Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, and the Great Ocean Road, plus some new
places: Ballarat, Bendigo, Byron Bay,
Sunshine Coast, Hervey Bay, and Fraser Island.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But for now, I’ve embarked on an adventure to rival my gap
year (though, sadly, not nearly as long).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I departed Sydney just before Christmas on a seven-week trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My itinerary includes Chile and Argentina –
repeat visits but seeing new places in both!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The highlight, however, will be my seventh and final continent:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ANTARCTICA!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I will soon be embarking on a three-week expedition to the
Falkland Islands (country # 73), South Georgia Island, and the Antarctic
Peninsula, along with one of my most trusted travel companions, Lenora.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She and I are friends from high school and
Antarctica will be our sixth continent travelling as a duo, previously visiting
all but Africa together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll also be
joined by my friends Simon and Alyson from Melbourne, along with Simon’s dad
from the UK.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Throughout these seven weeks there will be friends, cousins,
Jewish Christmas, lots of hiking, a big anniversary, a not-so-big birthday,
camping, empanadas, glaciers, penguins, more empanadas, more penguins, whiskey,
museums, hot Latin men (I hope!), alfajores, three of my 103 Things, and
utilization of the arsenal of seasickness medications that I’ve acquired…
enough to kill a horse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It is going to be painful going back to work in February.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Details to follow as they happen, but first, let me take a
selfie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHcmw5DAThCEJvLjglko4HKDdii5xjMJG6Tc3KBTrlJ-QQV1fihtQvw_xv95Ljap7WRsDww81kHrhp91Mu9Qsm95CePA3XfffMhurZQx1iMKX5e55ZaMAzlaxcBybkhWfQ543F6tQkBCMa/s1600/IMG_3371+-+cousins%2521+Matt+%2526+Karen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHcmw5DAThCEJvLjglko4HKDdii5xjMJG6Tc3KBTrlJ-QQV1fihtQvw_xv95Ljap7WRsDww81kHrhp91Mu9Qsm95CePA3XfffMhurZQx1iMKX5e55ZaMAzlaxcBybkhWfQ543F6tQkBCMa/s400/IMG_3371+-+cousins%2521+Matt+%2526+Karen.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>In Santiago with my cousin, Karen, and her husband, Matt.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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phillipdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08230708396231391641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163438676198081593.post-86772288407253072852018-09-01T16:28:00.001+10:002018-09-01T16:28:53.018+10:00Canberra: The Sequel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">I took a little long weekend trip to Canberra last
year.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">It was my second trip to Australia’s
capital city.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">As I mentioned in my first
blog about Canberra all those years ago (</span><a href="http://phillipdavid.blogspot.com/2013/04/canberra-nations-capital.html" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">http://phillipdavid.blogspot.com/2013/04/canberra-nations-capital.html</a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">),
many Australians mock Canberra for being a boring little backwater.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">But on this second trip there, I really
enjoyed my time.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">The city’s population
is fairly young and progressive, a new light rail is set to make getting around
easier, and there is actually a fair bit to do and see (and even eat!) in
Canberra.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I ticked off some of the big-ticket items on my first visit
four years prior, such as Parliament and the Australian War Memorial, so I was
keen to see what else was on offer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Australian Institute of Sport<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My travel companion visiting from the USA is an Olympics
enthusiast and he requested we visit the Australian Institute of Sport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wouldn’t have normally been on my list
(and it wasn’t even in the Lonely Planet guidebook), but I’m actually super
glad we went.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The AIS is where many of
Australia’s elite athletes come to train in advance of the Olympics and other
competitions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s a smallish
interactive museum inside the visitors’ centre, and a guided tour takes you
around to check out the facilities, including athletes’ gyms, a giant Olympic swimming
pool, and gymnastics facilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
best part:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the tour was led by a current
athlete, in our case, a super cute male gymnast from Western Australia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yummy!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">National Gallery of Australia<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The excellent National Gallery of Australia contains heaps
of art from Australian artists, both indigenous and non-indigenous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was also other eastern and western art,
including a creepy installation from Filipino artist Rodel Tapaya featuring the
upper half of humans flying away with their suitcases.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it appealed to the traveller in me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">National Portrait Gallery<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I’m so glad I didn’t visit the National Portrait Gallery on
my first visit to Canberra, because it gave me four extra years of knowledge
about famous Australians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The gallery
features portraits of all sorts of famous Australians – historical and current –
from the worlds of politics, business, sports, arts and entertainment, and
more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were many portraits of super
famous people that I knew before hand – such as actresses Cate Blanchett and
Nicole Kidman, and Harold Holt (the Prime Minister who famously disappeared
while swimming) – but had I gone on my first visit, I wouldn’t have recognized
many of the names and faces that are famous in Australia but not so famous
around the world – such as Lee Lin Chin (news presenter), Cadel Evans (cyclist),
Princess Mary of Denmark (who is actually Australian), Gough Whitlam (former
Prime Minister), Sidney Myer (founder of the Myer department store), and more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Royal Australian Mint<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Royal Australian Mint is where Australia makes its coins…
and more!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The museum inside has great
information on the history of Australian coins, details of how they make them,
and plenty of fun facts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The old 1 and 2
cent coins were on display, as well as the medals from the 2000 Sydney Olympics
which were also made at the Royal Australian Mint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you know that the 1 and 2 cent coins that
were retired in Australia were melted down and made into the bronze medals?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How cool is that?!?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mint also mints coins for other
countries, particularly the small Pacific island nations which can’t mint their
own, and some of these were on display too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I also re-visited some places in Canberra, like the
viewpoint at Mt. Ainslie and the weekend Bus Depot markets, plus new cafes and
restaurants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My favourite thing in
Canberra, however, was…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Driving<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Driving in Canberra is a dream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A dream!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the 8.5 years that I’ve lived in Sydney, the traffic has become increasingly
heinous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It used to take about 35 or 40
minutes to get out to Costco.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now it’s
well over an hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s ridiculous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Canberra was modelled after Washington DC,
with wide lanes, long stretches of road, and roundabouts to help the traffic
flow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And by “help the traffic flow”, I
really mean, “help the four or five cars flow”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is hardly any traffic in Canberra because it’s just not a big
enough city yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things are quite spread
out, but it hardly takes any time at all to get around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s joyful!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I took a few other trips last winter (North American summer)
with my mate, Tyler, from the USA, and I’ll blog about those in the next few
weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hopefully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But first, let me take a… oh wait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t take any selfies in Canberra.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not a single one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ugh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here’s a picture of me at the Australian Institute of Sport instead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I won a gold medal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can only guess what in!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">To see more photos of my time in Canberra, follow this link:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100728387602231&type=1&l=b1f084af46">https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100728387602231&type=1&l=b1f084af46</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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phillipdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08230708396231391641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163438676198081593.post-69217319466874010992018-08-28T22:30:00.000+10:002018-08-28T22:30:25.779+10:00England & Wales 2016<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The last time I blogged I said that I’d start blogging about
more trips soon-ish… well, I’ve had like three overseas trips and one big
domestic trip since then and now I’m even further behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I’m going to give myself a pass because
it’s been under a year so I’m going to count that as soon-ish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I’ll begin with where I left off:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>right after my gap year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I mentioned in my last post, I hung out in
London for a few weeks trying to figure out if I could get a job and a
visa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Job: Easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Visa: A stern “Hell No” from Theresa and the
Brexit Bunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once I realized that, I
made haste to try to tackle as much of London as I could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had seen a few things when I passed through
earlier that year, but there was so much more to be experienced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With that, here are my top five favourite attractions
(in random order) that I saw in London:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>London
Transport Museum:</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clearly my first
stop, I love all things transport-related because I’m a transport nerd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was slightly disappointed (but not
surprised) that airports were only a small part of the museum, but all of the
stuff about the tube and double-decker buses was fantastic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, A+ on the gift shop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>Museum of
London:</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Outside of transport, the
Museum of London was an overload of information, but in a good way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Detailing the history of the city from way
back when all the way to modern day, the museum was thorough but never
boring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I particularly enjoyed learning
about London during and just after WWII.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This one also had a strong gift shop game.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>British Museum:</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took me three attempts to conquer the
British Museum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s so big and the
first two times were just a bit overwhelming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Where do I start?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How am I going
to ever see all this stuff?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I should
just leave and get Chipotle instead.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Finally, on my third attempt, I forked out some money for a “Highlights
Tour” of the museum which was clearly the way to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tour featured a little bit of everything
and all of the most important pieces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was then able to go at my own pace and re-visit a few select exhibitions that
really grabbed my interest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The size and
scope of the collection is just unbelievable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>Tate Britain:</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like new things, so I just assumed I’d
prefer the Tate Modern to the Tate Britain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But you know what happens when you assume?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Tate Britain had hundreds of years of
British art, arranged chronologically throughout the museum. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Getting to experience the changes in art over
time was brilliant, and this one goes down as one of my absolute favourite art
galleries on the planet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>Wellcome
Collection:</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This little museum
contains the private collection of one Sir Henry Wellcome, and a bit more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An avid traveller, Henry picked up some
insane souvenirs along the way, like Napoleon’s toothbrush, Florence
Nightingale’s slippers, a whole mummified person from Peru, Japanese sex toys,
anti-masturbation devices, chairs with spikes, chastity belts, and so much
more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The museum itself isn’t all that
big, but it’s one of those museums where you just have to look at each piece on
display and read each caption.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Of course, I did a lot more than just these… but I won’t
give my full comments on every single one because you’ll fall asleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But here are the brief comments, where
warranted, just in case you are planning a trip to London:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew (glorious and
beautiful!), Tower of London (do one of the Beefeater Tours), The Monument (I
climbed the steps to the top for my annual workout), The Royal Observatory at
Greenwich (I straddled the Prime Meridian and added to my collection of
straddling famous… imaginary lines), St. Paul’s Cathedral (with splendid views
from the dome), the Lloyd’s of London building (formally checking off one of my
103 Things), The Churchill War Rooms (where I learned everything I needed to
know about Churchill and his tenure during WWII), Kensington Palace (which
wasn’t all that big but had a great exhibition on the fashion of HM The Queen,
Princess Margaret, and Princess Diana),<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hampton Court Palace (which was all that big and super interesting and a
must see it you have time for a day trip just a bit out of London), the Geffrye
Museum (which explores British homes from 1600 until today), and the Jewish
Museum London (because I’m a big gay Jew).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But wait there’s more!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I also visited the Natural History Museum (which wasn’t that
much different than other natural history museums… just more British…), Houses
of Parliament (because I’m a politics nerd), Westminster Abbey (because you
have to, right?), the Queen’s House (not the actual Queen’s house, but like, an
older queen’s house – it wasn’t furnished. Odd.), the National Maritime Museum
(which had really interesting/depressing information on the slave trade and
other maritime stuff), and the V&A (Victoria & Albert Museum, which had
a lot of stuff in the permanent collection, and a lot of it – like, how many
bowls do you need? But the temporary exhibition on underwear was super
interesting!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also visited parks and
neighbourhoods and stuff.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Outside of London:<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I visited Bristol and Oxford on my first trip to London, so
I had to see a few new non-London places this time too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I visited my friend Jemma in Cheltenham
(which was a super cute little city but didn’t have any super outstanding
tourist attractions) and we did a day trip to Cardiff in Wales (hence the title
of this blog includes Wales because of the few hours I spent there).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We visited the Cardiff Castle which was
great, and the National Museum Cardiff which seemed to be half closed for
renovations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that kept with the
theme of Cardiff on a Sunday:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>mostly
closed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also visited my mate James in
Cambridge where he showed me around some of the colleges and the Fitzwilliam
Museum which was like a smaller version of the British Museum.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Food:<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clearly there
was food involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because there’s
always food involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Except when I have
food poisoning (like the Great Nepal-Malaysia Disaster of 2015) or when there’s
only shellfish and pork (refer to my point above about being a big gay
Jew).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ate meat pies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I ate fish and chips.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because
Britain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went to the Harrod’s Food
Hall more times than one should.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their
brownies are ridiculous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also had an
afternoon tea at Harrod’s because I’m posh like that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went to nearly every Australian-owned cafe
in London in search of good coffee and Aussie-style brunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went to the Borough Market to eat the
orgasmic cheese toasties from this cheese place there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So much cheese.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So much delight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stayed with my mates Ross & Jon in
Highbury and they were conveniently located not far from an Ethiopian
restaurant, something that isn’t all that common in Australia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, obviously, I ate there a bunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lady knew me by the end of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think she misses me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I miss her food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, of course, Chipotle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>London has Chipotle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I knew I’d be going back to Australia
soon and Australia’s Tex-Mex scene is pretty piss poor so I just ate ALL of the
Chipotle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think three times per week
at the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s how dire it is in
Australia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was relishing burritos in
Britain!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">British TV:<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I had time to watch some British TV, and I loved it (but to
be fair, I’ve always loved British TV).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
new show (well, new to me) that I just fell hard for was The Great British Bake
Off – which features amateur bakers in an intense competition with crazy hosts
and judges and all sorts of sexual innuendo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>LOVE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also watched lots of
First Dates which follows people on blind dates in a restaurant (the whole
restaurant is there on a blind date).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s brilliant and surprisingly classy unlike most dating shows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are international versions of the show,
including one in Australia, but they’re just not as good as the original
British version.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Less classy but equally
as entertaining is a show called Naked Attraction where all of the contestants
are naked and one person starts eliminating people based on what’s below the
waist, the torso, the face, and then the voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They show full frontal on TV in prime time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I belong in Britain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Giggles:<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And finally, I spent a good chunk of my time in London just
giggling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d giggle every time I rode
the Piccadilly Line because the line ends at Cockfosters and every announcement
was “This is a Piccadilly Line service to Cockfosters.” Hehe!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone is fostering cock!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, of course, I just had to be staying
around the corner from a pub called “The Famous Cock” (hehehehe!) which I would
see every time I went to the tube station, so it was just a constant
gigglefest. Because I’m mature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
mature.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cockfosters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I’ll blog again… soonish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But first, let me take a selfie (on the Prime Meridian!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFnzyWY46fpExCGM7QnJ_CjO5fxgVPkNxxYsFQRmGLhDcAIblY-KrqnUMtYP7CAv00rvf0FcQUotajemtBIgQ8dIAH44DHoMSgahcazCoE5ofZgAWfPmBVNl5p8ayzR-YlzejrdRg3-k8_/s1600/DSC06857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFnzyWY46fpExCGM7QnJ_CjO5fxgVPkNxxYsFQRmGLhDcAIblY-KrqnUMtYP7CAv00rvf0FcQUotajemtBIgQ8dIAH44DHoMSgahcazCoE5ofZgAWfPmBVNl5p8ayzR-YlzejrdRg3-k8_/s320/DSC06857.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To see more photos of my time in England AND Wales, follow
this link:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100708771702651&type=1&l=636dcaad9e">https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100708771702651&type=1&l=636dcaad9e</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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phillipdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08230708396231391641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163438676198081593.post-65462695135920340672017-11-27T20:11:00.000+11:002017-11-27T23:06:15.255+11:00Life After the Gap Year<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">OMG it’s been a year since my last blog! What have I been doing whilst I’ve not been
blogging?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Answer: Not travelling
nearly as much as I wish I were. But
that’s usually always the case.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">After my gap year finished with a little jaunt around the
USA, I semi-covertly headed to London to see if I could get a job. I didn’t really tell too many people I was
there so that I could focus on securing employment (because at that point the
money was starting to dwindle). After a
few weeks and what seemed like countless coffee meetings with lots of insurance-y
people, it became apparent that the whole Brexit business meant that the UK was
closed to outsiders until further notice.
And I was like “But I’m totally white and educated and English-speaking –
even the Brexiters would probably love me!”
No dice. The UK wasn’t issuing
visas no matter how pale and pasty my skin, and I didn’t have strong enough
connections in other parts of Europe to feel confident that I’d find something somewhere
else if I stuck around a little longer.
So, I booked a flight out and then entered extreme tourist mode: I tried to do EVERYTHING in London in a few
short weeks. It was very hectic. I made exceptional progress, but I still have
plenty left to do because London just has so much stuff. So much.
London is like the world’s largest cornucopia of attractions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And then it was back to Australia for me. I was banished to the other end of the Earth
like so many people in England before me.
Luckily, I didn’t have to sit on a four-month boat ride like those
peasants, though the flights did seem to go on FOREVER. At least economy on Etihad was mildly better
than a long boat voyage with scurvy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And now I’m back in Australia dealing with all of the
terrible things that plague Australia, like free healthcare and beautiful
scenery and the world’s best coffee and no guns. It’s such a nightmare living here! Ahhh!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But in all seriousness, I came back at the beginning of last summer
(already a year ago!) and I was melting.
Severely melting. And I was
cranky about it. But I had friends put
me up for free – thank you Jess and Guy and Barry! And it all flowed pretty quickly from there: I found a really good job super quickly, and
then a rockin’ apartment super quickly, and then I filled that apartment with
all sorts of furniture and goodies which I didn’t have the money for at that
point because of all the travel I spent money on. But credit cards. Yay for credit cards! And then I started working and slowly paying off
those credit cards and adjusting to life back in the real world. And then once I was mostly adjusted and had
paid off my credit cards, I thought to myself:
“It’s time for a trip!” Because
that’s what I’m usually thinking (except when I’m thinking “Tacos!” or “It’s
time for some ice cream!”)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So I started looking at options.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And planning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And making spreadsheets full of ideas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Because I love spreadsheets!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And then I went to Canberra because that’s obviously the top
of the list, right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ok, maybe not, but it’s nearby and I wanted to have some
nerdy museum time. I took a few more
domestic trips after that – retracing a few past adventures and exploring some
parts of the country that were new to me.
And then I – being all inspired after my trip to Easter Island – decided
to start conquering the Pacific islands one archipelago at a time. Unlike pretty much every other part of the
world, the Pacific islands are… nearby!
And affordable, for the most part, and the flights are relatively short
compared to traveling to other places (other places = anywhere else in the
world except New Zealand). So my plan is
to do at least one archipelago per year from now on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I also crossed off another of my 103 Things this year (yay!)
so the travelling is still coming along, albeit at a much slower pace.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There are a few more trips on the horizon and a lot more
ideas in my head. I’m just waiting for
the bank account balance to build back up a bit before I can go completely
nuts, but it will eventually, and I will eventually. In the meantime, I’ll start blogging about a
few of this year’s trips soon-ish. And I’ll
keep daydreaming about more trips (and about winning the lottery so I can pay
for the trips).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">p.s. Colleen, does this blog make you happy?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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phillipdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08230708396231391641noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163438676198081593.post-89003100427758552392016-11-12T11:24:00.000+11:002016-11-12T11:24:16.555+11:00103 Things - 47.6% Update<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once upon a time, I lived in Seattle. And once upon a time I left Seattle to move
to Sydney. It was a big move, and one of
the main drivers for it was that I’d get more vacation time living in another
country. While I had travelled a bit
before, I hadn’t had the opportunity to travel nearly as much as I wanted
to. I started thinking and thought it
would be a good idea to compile a list of things I’d like to do around the
world. It wasn’t a bucket list per se,
but it was sort of similar. My plan was
to accomplish the 100 things on the list before I turn 40. Or maybe when I’m 40. Either way.
It took me a while to research and compile the actual list, and during
that time, I crossed off 3 of the things I added. I wanted to start from an even 100 things
undone, so I added 3 more to the list for a grand total of 103 Things. I posted the list to my blog about a year
later when I finally finished putting it together. You can read more here: <a href="http://phillipdavid.blogspot.com.au/2010/10/103-things.html">http://phillipdavid.blogspot.com.au/2010/10/103-things.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, the question is, particularly after this big year of
travel, how are my 103 Things tracking?
I’m pleased to report that I’m just about half way there – 49 things
checked off the list since leaving Seattle nearly 7 years ago (47.6%). That puts me only slightly behind the rate
I’d need to be going to actually finish all this off before 40. Unfortunately, the half that remains includes
some of the more difficult ones to check off, such as things in expensive
Antarctica, far away Greenland, not-so-touristy Gabon, and recently war-torn
Mali. Political situations can change
rapidly in countries, and hopefully I’ll make enough money one day to take the
expensive trips. I’ll get there –
whether by 40 or not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One important thing to note is that my travel plans aren’t
dictated by this list. While many of my
trips have centered around checking off one or more of these items, that’s more
because those things were ones that I’ve always wanted to do or places I’ve
wanted to go. I’ve taken plenty of trips
that didn’t involve any of my 103 Things, including many domestic trips in
Australia and even Myanmar in 2014. On
my gap year, I visited Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Swaziland, Rodrigues, Nepal,
Malaysia, Cuba, Ecuador, Paraguay, Easter Island, and plenty more places which
aren’t on the list. People have asked me
in the past “Why isn’t ___ on your list?”
The answer: my list is set in
*stone but my travel plans aren’t.
(*stone = spreadsheet)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here’s a little recap of my 103 Things and a few statistics
just for fun!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>103 Things by Continent</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Europe: 26 (25.2%);
4 completed (15.4% of Europe;
8.2% of total done)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- North America: 23 (22.3%);
10 completed (43.5% of N. America;
20.4% of total done)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Asia: 21 (20.4%);
16 completed (76.2% of Asia;
32.7% of total done) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Oceania: 11 (10.7%);
9 completed (81.8% of Oceania;
18.4% of total done)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Africa: 11 (10.7%);
5 completed (45.5% of Africa;
10.2% of total done)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- South America: 10 (9.7%);
5 completed (50.0% of S. America;
10.2% of total done)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Antarctica: 1 (1.0%);
0 completed (0%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>103 Things by Regions (mostly defined by the UN
Geoscheme)</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Northern
America: 13 total; 5 done<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Northern
Europe: 12 total; 4 done<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- South America: 10 total;
5 done<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Australasia: 9 total;
all 9 done – yay!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Eastern Asia: 7 total;
all 7 done – yay!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Southeastern
Asia: 7 total; 6 done<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Southern Europe: 7 total;
0 done<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Caribbean: 6 total;
1 done<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Western Asia: 5 total;
1 done<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Central
America: 4 total; all 4 done – yay!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Eastern
Europe: 4 total; 1 done<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Southern
Africa: 3 total; all 3 done – yay!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Eastern
Africa: 3 total; 2 done<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Western
Europe: 3 total; 0 done<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Northern
Africa: 2 total; 0 done<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Western
Africa: 2 total; 0 done<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Southern Asia: 1 total;
all 1 done – yay!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Central
Africa: 1 total; 0 done<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Central Asia: 1 total;
0 done<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Melanesia: 1 total;
0 done<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Polynesia: 1 total;
0 done<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Antarctica: 1 total;
0 done<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Micronesia: 0 total;
all 0 done - boo!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I am severely kicking myself for not ensuring that my 103
Things covered every region of the world.
I’m so sorry, Micronesia. I
promise I’ll visit you anyway one day!
Guam has all those studly military men so obviously I want to go there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Obligatory Map</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Of course I made a map of my 103 Things and everything is
colour coded and numbered by order completed.
Click to enlarge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkHirbt4t1-otyeAR0bWFcyY0HK0EwRpB7rHOfzw45Oa33g_G9JSLo_zRphvyO_ugx2khr7xfzkzcuNWR2r-4QrQ1G7Wo57gmmUSduOqP5cphdVRdwQoAuT4rKbqKMlNMR8iy-znpP5z3h/s1600/103+Things+Map+-+Checked+Off.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkHirbt4t1-otyeAR0bWFcyY0HK0EwRpB7rHOfzw45Oa33g_G9JSLo_zRphvyO_ugx2khr7xfzkzcuNWR2r-4QrQ1G7Wo57gmmUSduOqP5cphdVRdwQoAuT4rKbqKMlNMR8iy-znpP5z3h/s400/103+Things+Map+-+Checked+Off.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>49 Things Completed (in order of completion)</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2009 (2 done):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">78. USA – Grand Canyon (AZ)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">81. USA – Paula Deen’s Restaurant (Savannah, GA)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2010 (1 done):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">88. AUSTRALIA – Sydney Opera House (NSW)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2011 (7 done):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">89. AUSTRALIA – Tree Top Walk (Walpole, WA)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">83. AUSTRALIA – Barossa Valley Wineries (SA)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">86. AUSTRALIA – Penguin Parade (Phillip Island, VIC)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">90. AUSTRALIA – Uluru (NT)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">15. CHINA – Great Wall of China<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">16. HONG KONG – Star Ferry to Kowloon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">23. MACAU – Casino Lisboa<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2012 (4 done):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">87. AUSTRALIA – Port Arthur Historic Site (TAS)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">62. CANADA – Beaudry Street Metro Station (Montreal, QC)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">63. CANADA – CN Tower (Toronto, ON)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">74. USA – Ancona Pizzeria (Valley Stream, NY)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2013 (7 done):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">85. AUSTRALIA – Parliament House (Canberra, ACT)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">84. AUSTRALIA – Great Barrier Reef (QLD)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">42. ESTONIA – Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (Tallinn)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">44. FINLAND – Temppeliaukio Rock Church (Helsinki)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">27. RUSSIA – Trans-Siberian Railway<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">24. *MONGOLIA – Museum of Natural History (Ulaanbaatar)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">29. SOUTH KOREA – Demilitarized Zone<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2014 (1 done):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">91. NEW ZEALAND – Rotorua<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2015 (14 done):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">18. INDONESIA – Uluwatu Temple (Bali)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">28. SINGAPORE – Singapore Zoo Night Safari<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">11. ZAMBIA – Victoria Falls<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. BOTSWANA – Chobe National Park<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">6. NAMIBIA – Quivertree Forest<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">8. SOUTH AFRICA – Table Mountain (Cape Town)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5. MAURITIUS – Dodo Bird Exhibit at the National History
Museum<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">32. UAE – Burj Khalifa (Dubai)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">17. INDIA – Taj Mahal (Agra)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">22. LAOS – Nam Song River Tubing (Vang Vieng)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">33. VIETNAM – Halong Bay<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">31. THAILAND – Full Moon Party (Ko Pha-Ngan)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">14. CAMBODIA – Angkor Wat<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">30. TAIWAN – National Palace Museum (Taipei)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2016 (13 done):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">20. JAPAN – Todai-Ji Buddhist Temple Complex (Nara)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">40. ENGLAND – Harrod’s Food Hall (London)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">67. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – Catedral Primada de America<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">69. MEXICO – Teotihuacan<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">65. COSTA RICA – Monteverde Cloud Forest Zip Line<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">70. NICARAGUA – Isla de Ometepe<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">71. PANAMA – Panama Canal Locks<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">100. COLOMBIA – Museo de Oro (Bogota)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">103. URUGUAY – Plaza Independencia (Montevideo)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">94. ARGENTINA – Cementerio de la Recoleta (Buenos Aires)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">99. CHILE – La Piojera (Santigo)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">102. PERU – Machu Picchu<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">41. ENGLAND – Lloyd’s of London Building<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">*The worst thing ever: sometime in between booking my trip
and arriving in Mongolia, the Natural History Museum was condemned. That didn’t stop me: I walked straight inside, got yelled at in Mongolian,
and promptly left. But I went inside and
that’s the key thing, though I didn’t quite see the dinosaur exhibit that I
really wanted to see there. I’ll
probably go back one day. Until then,
I’m counting it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>54 Things Still To-Do</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. EGYPT – Pyramids at Giza<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. GABON – Loango National Park<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. MALI – Great Mosque of Djenne<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">7. SENEGAL – House of Slaves Museum (Dakar)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">9. TANZANIA – Stone Town (Zanzibar)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">10. TUNISIA – Ruins of Carthage<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">12. ANTARCTICA – The Antarctic Peninsula<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">13. ARMENIA – Tsitsernakaberd Memorial (Yerevan)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">19. ISRAEL – Yad Vashem (Jerusalem)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">21. KAZAKHSTAN – Bayterek (Astana)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">25. PHILIPPINES – White Beach (Boracay)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">26. QATAR – Al-Corniche Promenade (Doha)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">34. ANDORRA – Caldea Spa<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">35. BELARUS – Town of Pruzhany<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">36. BOSNIA – Mostar Bridge<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">37. CROATIA – Diocletian’s Palace (Split)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">38. CROATIA – Dubrovnik City Walls<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">39. DENMARK – Carlsberg Brewery (Copenhagen)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">43. FAROE ISLANDS – Vestmanna Bird Cliffs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">45. FRANCE – Palace of Versailles<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">46. GERMANY – Neuschwanstein Castle<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">47. ICELAND – Blue Lagoon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">48. IRELAND – Blarney Stone<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">49. ITALY – Grand Canal (Venice)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">50. NORWAY – Mack Brewery (Tromso)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">51. NORWAY – Viking Museum (Oslo)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">52. POLAND – Auschwitz<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">53. ROMANIA – Bran Castle<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">54. SCOTLAND – Loch Ness<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">55. SLOVENIA – Lake Bled<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">56. SPAIN – Guggenheim (Bilbao)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">57. SWEDEN – Volvo Museum (Goteborg)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">58. SWITZERLAND – Matterhorn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">59. TURKEY – Hagia Sophia (Istanbul)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">60. BAHAMAS – Atlantis Paradise Island Resort<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">61. BARBADOS – Andromeda Botanical Gardens<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">64. CANADA – West Edmonton Wall (Edmonton, AB)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">66. CURACAO – Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">68. GREENLAND – Air Greenland Helicopter Ride<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">72. ST LUCIA – Castries Public Market<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">73. ST MAARTEN – Princess Juliana International Airport<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">75. USA – Biltmore Estate (Asheville, NC)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">76. USA – Carlsbad Caverns (NM)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">77. USA – Gateway Arch (St Louis, MO)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">79. USA – Grand Ole Opry House (Nashville, TN)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">80. USA – Hot Air Balloon Ride (Albuquerque, NM)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">82. USA – Wall Drug (SD)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">92. USA – Hawaii Volcanoes National Park<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">93. VANUATU – Mt Yasur Volcano<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">95. ARGENTINA – Perito Moreno Glacier<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">96. BOLIVIA – Salar de Uyuni<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">97. BRAZIL – Avenida Paulista (Sao Paulo)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">98. BRAZIL – Christ the Redeemer (Rio de Janeiro)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">101. FALKLAND ISLANDS – Falkland Islands Museum (Stanley)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Who wants to come along?</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
phillipdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08230708396231391641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163438676198081593.post-78739429378498850412016-11-05T11:15:00.000+11:002016-11-05T11:22:11.741+11:00Full Year Recap: Final Lists & Maps<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I made up a few more random lists but couldn’t really fit
them into any of the other blogs. These
are the last lists of the gap year… noooo!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Best Beaches</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1. Pointe Coton
(Rodrigues, Mauritius; Indian Ocean):
Every beach on Rodrigues seemed abandoned. I went to several beaches where I was the
only person there… crazy. The beach at
Pointe Coton did have a couple and a family of three further down the beach,
but I barely noticed them since they were quite far away. The sand was soft and the water was
gorgeous. It was my favourite of the
trip!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2. An Bang (Hoi An,
Vietnam; South China Sea): The
Vietnamese beaches are surprisingly gorgeous.
My friends and I sat down on some lounge chairs and had waiters to
attend to our food and drink desires.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3. Anakena (Easter
Island, Chile; Pacific Ocean): The water
was cold but swimming with the moai behind me on the beach was pretty frickin’
fantastic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">4. Cayo Jutias (near
Vi<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">ñ</span>ales, Cuba; Gulf of Mexico):
This gorgeous semi-island has a stunning strip of white sand along its
northern edge. The water was fairly
temperate and comfortable if I recall correctly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">5. Playa Negra (Floreana
Island, Galapagos, Ecuador; Pacific Ocean):
This was the first time I’d swam off a black sand beach. Because of the dark sand, the water wasn’t
translucent like at other beaches, which gave it a bit of a creepy feeling, but
the sunsets were gorgeous so that brings it back on the list.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Best Internet</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1. Taiwan: Wherever I went, the internet just seemed to
be instantaneous. I’m sure it’s partly
because I had been in Africa and Asia for so long and became accustomed to
slow, but it was such a treat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2. Japan: Japan actually seemed slower than Taiwan, I
think mainly because many of my Airbnb accommodations had these portable wifi
connections which were very popular there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3. New York: My friends in New York seemed to have much
faster wifi than other parts of the US.
Maybe it’s because Manhattan gets special treatment or because my
friends are rich. Either way, it was
good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Worst Internet</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1. Lesotho and Swaziland: These are the only two countries where I did
not have access to the internet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2. Cuba: I was actually surprised that I could get
access to the internet in Cuba, but it was a process. It’s super rare that a home or accommodation
will have internet access so you have to buy an internet card which gets you an
hour of internet time. Then you can sit
in the main plaza of whatever town/city you’re in and there’s usually one wifi
hotspot which everyone is connected to, so it’s not super fast. I think the internet cards cost about $3 for
the hour if I recall correctly. That’s a
reasonable price for tourists, but keep in mind that the average wage in Cuba
is $19 per month. One hour of internet
time can take the place of quite a few meals.
Plus, you have to have an internet capable device, which most people wouldn’t
have. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3. United Arab
Emirates: Internet wasn’t slow, but it
was pretty terrible with respect to censorship.
They are watching everything and it’s really unnerving. Facebook and other social media sites are
monitored for profanity, and if they see something they don’t like, they take
it down and warn you. Anything
gay-related is blocked. And Wikipedia
appeared to be blocked as well (WTF?) It’s
not really a free place by any definition, despite what that guy at the
cultural centre tried to tell me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Countries I was saddest to leave</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1. Colombia: I had such a nice time here and met some
amazing people. I was all pouty at the
airport when I had to go and I wish I had the chance to stay a bit longer and
explore more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2. Taiwan: Did I mention that I love Taiwan? Of course I was sad to go, especially because
my short time in Taipei just wasn’t sufficient.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3. Argentina: Taiwan was my favourite country, but Buenos
Aires was definitely my favourite city.
It was another reluctant trip to the airport for me…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">4. South Africa: I had such a nice time in Africa, and the
camping part wasn’t nearly as rough as I was expecting. Leaving the continent and saying goodbye to
my travel buddy was a sad morning for me, especially when I realized I’d be
heading to Mauritius with no tour, no friends, and no hostel scene to meet
other travellers in.<br />
5. Japan: I had such a nice stay with my friend Elcid,
and everything about the country was beautiful.
The hour-long train journey to the airport and the prospect of 30+ hour
journey to my destination made me very sad to go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">6. Costa Rica: Costa Rica was fabulous and with a great
travel buddy with me for nearly all of it, I was so sad to see my time in the
country end.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Countries I was happiest to leave</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1. Thailand: After experiencing the dark side of Thailand
on Koh Phagnan, I was ready to GTFO.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2. United Arab
Emirates: There’s just something unnerving
about being in the UAE. It’s actually a
really safe country but it just feels so unsafe in so many ways.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3. Cambodia: I loved Cambodia. I really did.
But it was so fucking hot – especially after being in the heat of the
Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia for around 11 weeks. I was ready to get to Taiwan where the
climate was to be more tolerable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">4. India: It’s dirty, loud, and everybody is out to get
you. Get me out! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">5. Cuba: Creature comforts aren’t a thing in
Cuba. In fact, many things aren’t a
thing in Cuba. I was definitely ready
for some civilization.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">That’s a wrap, folks.
I hope you’ve enjoyed following me on this trip around the world! Here are a few more maps to see me out. Click to enlarge any map!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Here are the passport stamps I’ve received. I’ve never received a stamp for the same
country in two different passports. The
US no longer stamps US passports so my newer US passport doesn’t contain a
stamp from its home country. Similarly, Australia
and New Zealand don’t stamp Aussie passports – it’s all automated and I can use
the self-service machine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd7lgF21lSI5pyQTWSUEozB94wt1Rk2CASv-m-W60_1WB12ZMyDKz7C0oqPOaUC74tFbWzuHtPGq1sxGYGbbO_WKNS4BGQ-pKsIhLNDTact1kDs6r6sGyVTbUj6TzUzhfiEVkVpeKh9Jt2/s1600/Passport+Stamps.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd7lgF21lSI5pyQTWSUEozB94wt1Rk2CASv-m-W60_1WB12ZMyDKz7C0oqPOaUC74tFbWzuHtPGq1sxGYGbbO_WKNS4BGQ-pKsIhLNDTact1kDs6r6sGyVTbUj6TzUzhfiEVkVpeKh9Jt2/s400/Passport+Stamps.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Here are the countries where I’ve driven – both cars and
motorbikes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM0D9LDRa7XaZXagfIsCDO_0JlMt3be7QRy91eU4C3cmCkQe7ARklDhtn_RQZttSMH1BAU4ByKDfX8lC24Y1KallJsoJG9hB2EcHmKCmynpNlSmconNo86pKOfTLd_1uRA1T8srSPUcVhJ/s1600/Driven.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM0D9LDRa7XaZXagfIsCDO_0JlMt3be7QRy91eU4C3cmCkQe7ARklDhtn_RQZttSMH1BAU4ByKDfX8lC24Y1KallJsoJG9hB2EcHmKCmynpNlSmconNo86pKOfTLd_1uRA1T8srSPUcVhJ/s400/Driven.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When I couldn’t drive, here’s a map of the countries where I’ve
used Uber. I was surprised at just how
many countries they are actually in!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRO_J9anbK91NXuHHQHP3GlI4HZ8xet0bXQ1H2gl4nXxTFdB4KJ69YnMbZSZSVgJEJLdVI-jY2zxxZf-K8VPMhRcJ0i5e-D5Ueri37VRGAV6S-rMmD0CNZLIS7Edn3EFbOB4ufSZ77Vf3i/s1600/Uber.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRO_J9anbK91NXuHHQHP3GlI4HZ8xet0bXQ1H2gl4nXxTFdB4KJ69YnMbZSZSVgJEJLdVI-jY2zxxZf-K8VPMhRcJ0i5e-D5Ueri37VRGAV6S-rMmD0CNZLIS7Edn3EFbOB4ufSZ77Vf3i/s400/Uber.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Thirsty? Here’s a map
of where I’ve had Starbucks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmTmbPEjkhmXMGG8ZrZSpJdGHkDF2Xx0rPK2gqY_T5W0pWdM3m-E5rligLwj1xop1S0bsMZ_Cx7xK21ZW5oC4tsxmQjIBBprYeck4o_G32f-5P574TpzWqiIFiuyqJJCdurTISa63vCfic/s1600/Starbucks.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmTmbPEjkhmXMGG8ZrZSpJdGHkDF2Xx0rPK2gqY_T5W0pWdM3m-E5rligLwj1xop1S0bsMZ_Cx7xK21ZW5oC4tsxmQjIBBprYeck4o_G32f-5P574TpzWqiIFiuyqJJCdurTISa63vCfic/s400/Starbucks.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Finally, here’s a map of the asshole countries that have
given me food poisoning.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I’m not talking
about a little upset tummy – I mean a proper case of food poisoning including
fever, terrible bathroom episodes, and – usually – vomiting.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The list is actually a bit surprising and
makes me feel like my stomach is stronger than I think it is.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjsUw8qN8NQwQy9yx_815hxhLVQutJ3pA99dYb4SzgfQqZoZcyGpNKWvmuDnsVUejvaT0P0IiQeFHwfeXABa3iJVT_lj8Y0m00LWSqOdR2YcT3jMjPwarKF11MRt18-WF1HivnEtY0Iy3L/s1600/Food+Poisoning.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjsUw8qN8NQwQy9yx_815hxhLVQutJ3pA99dYb4SzgfQqZoZcyGpNKWvmuDnsVUejvaT0P0IiQeFHwfeXABa3iJVT_lj8Y0m00LWSqOdR2YcT3jMjPwarKF11MRt18-WF1HivnEtY0Iy3L/s400/Food+Poisoning.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
phillipdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08230708396231391641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163438676198081593.post-58424053484478317662016-10-30T08:51:00.000+11:002016-10-30T08:51:38.295+11:00Full Year Recap: Museums & Monuments<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My gap year wasn’t just about all of flights and types of
accommodation and luxury toilets and offensive toilets. I also did actual things too. And just like my flights and accommodations
and toilets, I also kept track of these things.
Below I’ve included my Top 10 Museums and my Top 10 Non-Museums. I’ve compiled the list not based on the
absolute best things, because the lists would just be the big ticket items like
the Taj Mahal and Machu Picchu and the Apartheid Museum, but rather based on a
combination of how far my expectations were exceeded, how different or unique a
museum or activity was, or just how unsuspectingly cool or thorough something
turned out to be. Many of these places
were ones that I didn’t really plan on visiting beforehand, but ended up there
through a last minute glance through Lonely Planet or by word of mouth. I’ve also included the top monuments, because
I saw a lot of monuments, though not many of them really stood out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Top 10 Museums (in chronological order)</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Singapore City
Gallery (Singapore): This museum is all
about Singapore’s urban planning, and I am all about nerding out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Miniatures Museum
of Taiwan (Taipei, Taiwan): Quite
possibly the biggest “museum” surprise of my trip, this whimsical miniatures
museum was small but I was there for ages.
So cool!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. Mazda Museum
(Hiroshima, Japan): This museum combined
with the Mazda factory tour – containing the world’s longest assembly line –
was a super cool glimpse into how cars are designed and made.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. Edo-Tokyo Museum
(Tokyo, Japan): I love a good history,
and I love when it’s presented well. The
Edo-Tokyo Museum gives a VERY thorough but not boring history of Tokyo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5. Brunel’s SS Great
Britain (Bristol, England): This museum
about a ship was fascinating – charting the ships innovative beginnings, grand
voyages, abandonment, and recovery from the Falklands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">6. Museo Guayasamin
(Quito, Ecuador): I was not familiar
with famed Ecuadorian artist Oswaldo Guayasamin, but this house-turned-museum
and his massive Chapel of Man next door are a grand tribute to his incredible
works.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">7. Museo Botero
(Bogota, Colombia): My favourite
artistic discovery of the gap year, still-going-strong Colombian artist
Fernando Botero has a whole museum devoted to his voluptuous, disproportionate
works.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">8. Museo de Arte
Moderno de Buenos Aires (Buenos Aires, Argentina): This one was pretty good as far as modern art
museums go, but it was the La Menesunda funhouse-type special exhibition that
threw this one to the top of the list.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">9. Museo Nacional de
Bellas Artes (Santiago, Chile): Most
fine arts museums eventually bore me, but Chile’s edition displayed select
pieces from their permanent collection around themes of sexuality. The presentation was atypical and I loved it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">10. Museo de la Moda
(Santiago, Chile): Set in the curator’s
mother’s old house, the Museum of Fashion was something unique and unexpected
in Santiago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Honourable mentions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- National Palace
Museum (Taipei, Taiwan): This is one of
those big ticket museums. I had great
expectations and they were met. This one
gets an honourable mention because it pisses off China.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Mori Art Museum
(Tokyo, Japan): I LOVED the special
exhibition at the Mori Art Museum, and the roof-top open-air
helipad/observation deck was the icing on the cake.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Museo de los Andes
(Montevideo, Uruguay): This little
museum outlined the real-life crash of a rugby team’s plane in the Andes – the
one that the film “Alive” is based on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Top 10 Non-Museums (in chronological order)</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Singapore Zoo
Night Safari (Singapore): By far the
best zoo experience I’ve ever had, the Night Safari was something totally unique
– getting to see all the animals at their nocturnal best.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Table Mountain
(Cape Town, South Africa): I love a good
hike, and Table Mountain lived up to and beyond its reputation. The views were amazing and I earned my
chocolate cake after.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. Kruger National
Park Safari (South Africa): I was pretty
safari-ed out by the end of Africa, but my last safari in Kruger was a
showstopper: all big 5 in one morning
and a ton of other sightings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. Rault Biscuit
Factory (Mahebourg, Mauritius): It’s not
often you get to go right into the heart of a biscuit factory and have each
worker show you how they do what they do.
I loved the tour… and the free samples!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5. Reunification
Palace (Saigon, Vietnam): After suffering through one propaganda-filled museum
after another in Vietnam, the now-terribly-named former South Vietnamese
presidential palace was left largely intact from when it fell during the
Vietnam War, and propaganda wasn’t the main menu item. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">6. Choeung Ek
Genocidal Centre (Phnom Penh, Cambodia):
The saddest thing I did on my gap year, I didn’t know much about the
Cambodian genocide, but this historical site – often known as “the Killing
Fields” – gave me an education and helped me better understand my favourite
Southeast Asian nation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">7. Monteverde Cloud
Forest Zip Line (Monteverde, Costa Rica):
I’m a chicken but I absolutely loved the zip lining at Monteverde… after
the first few zips at least!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">8. Palacio
Legislativo (Montevideo, Uruguay): Not
many tourists hit up Uruguay’s parliament building – especially not many
English-speaking tourists – so my tour was me plus 2 Austrians and an extremely
knowledgeable English-speaking guide who took us all around and answered all of
my questions. I think the small size
made it one of the best parliament tours I’ve ever done.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">9. Palacio Barolo
(Buenos Aires, Argentina): I visited
this old 22-story skyscraper when I realized I’d have to wait ages for a tour
of Argentina’s Congress. I’m so glad I
did! The story of the architecture was
fabulous and the little lighthouse on the top offered stunning views of the
city.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">10. Inca Trail
(Peru): I thought Machu Picchu would be
the highlight of Peru, but it was actually the Inca Trail. It wasn’t as strenuous as I was thinking it
would be, and the views and cultural interactions were great. It must be true: it’s not about the destination, it’s about
the journey to get there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Honourable mentions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Bois Cheri Tea
Plantation (Bois Cheri, Mauritius): Just
like the biscuit factory, the tour of the tea factory was fantastic, as was the
tea plantation setting and the on-site museum.
My tour included all of the tea I could taste (and lots of trips to the
bathroom) and the on-site restaurant fed me delicious tea-inspired dishes. Win.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Poas Volcano (Poas,
Costa Rica): I took a bus up to the top
of an active volcano and got to look down into the crater. Did I mention I was a geology nerd back in
the day? And still…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Real City Tour
(Medellin, Colombia): The best walking
tour I did, the Real City Tour shies away from Medellin’s famous drug kingpin
and tells the story of… the real city.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Top Monuments (in chronological order)</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Hachiko Statue
(Tokyo, Japan): It’s a statue of a dog
that the locals erected to commemorate a dog that used to meet his owner at the
station every day. Amazing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. National Peace
Hall of the Atomic Bomb Victims (Hiroshima, Japan): The atomic bomb memorial’s every detail had a
specific meaning. It also didn’t blame
the US for the events that led to this disaster, but rather acknowledged that
they themselves started the war. The
whole thing was a touching, moving tribute.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. Monument to
Ferdinand Magellan (Punta Arenas, Chile):
I got to kiss one of the toes on this statue to ensure I’ll go back to
Punta Arenas one day. I love it!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I’m running out of things to blog about now… I’ll have one
more blog coming up which covers the best beaches, best internet, and a few
other random bits of information.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">If any
of you, my four readers, are curious for a specific list, then please let me
know and I’ll include it in the next installment.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Woooo!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
phillipdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08230708396231391641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163438676198081593.post-27125698307445816322016-10-21T09:49:00.000+11:002016-10-21T09:49:52.932+11:00Full Year Recap: Accommodation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I’ve blogged about food and transport already, so
accommodation is the obvious next installment.
Without further ado, this is all about the accommodation during my gap
year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Final Numbers</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- # of beds slept in:
134<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- # of accommodations slept in: 146<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- # of cities/places slept in: 122<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The first two numbers do not include seats on planes or
buses, but do include the train and the cargo ship because I had flat beds. The third number (# of cities/places slept
in) does not include any form of transport as I was going between two
cities/places. The number of distinct
accommodations is higher than the number of beds because of my camping
tours: each campsite counts separately
but my sleeping bag only counts as one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Accommodation Types</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Friends &
family: 118 nights (29.3%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> - Friends:
77 nights (19.1%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> - Family:
41 nights (10.2%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Guesthouses: 68.5 nights (17.0%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. Airbnb or similar: 57 nights (14.1%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> - Private:
38 nights (9.4%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> - Shared with host: 19 nights (4.7%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. Hostels: 50.5 nights (12.5%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5. Camping: 38 nights (9.4%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">6. Hotels: 37 nights (9.2%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">7. In transit: 12 nights (3.0%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> - Airplane:
6 nights (1.5%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> - Bus:
2.5 nights (0.6%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> - Cargo ship:
2 nights (0.5%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> - Train:
1 night (0.2%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> - Airport:
0.5 nights (0.1%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">8. Lodge/resort
(terms used loosely): 11 nights (2.7%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">9. Homestay (incl.
casas particulares in Cuba): 10 nights
(2.5%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">10. Boat (not in
transit): 1 night (0.2%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Bathrooms</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Private Bathroom: 283 nights (70.2%) – includes sharing a
bathroom at a friend’s or family’s house<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Shared Bathroom:
99.5 nights (24.7%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Shared toilet w/ no shower: 16 nights (4.0%) – overnight trains and
airplanes, Inca Trail, and the cargo ship<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- No bathroom: 4.5
nights (1.1%) – overnight buses and some campsites<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Longest Stays</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Coral Springs,
Florida, United States: 29 nights (my
mother’s house)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Santiago,
Chile: 17 nights (I have a friend here)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. Tokyo, Japan: 14 nights (I have a friend here too)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia: 9 nights (I was stuck here
with food poisoning)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. London, England,
United Kingdom: 9 nights (I have friends
here)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. Bogota,
Colombia: 9 nights (I was here for a wedding)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And now for some less listy lists. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Best Campsite</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Drakensville ATKV
(Drakensville, South Africa): This made
the top accommodation list for Q1 because of its clean bathrooms and massive
indoor heated pool. WIN.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Honourable mention:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Camping Tipanie
Moana (Easter Island, Chile): This
“camping hostel” was a novel idea. The
staff were super helpful, the bathrooms were clean, the location was great, and
the common areas were super social… even if I had terrible Spanish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Best Hostel</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Mini Voyage Hostel
(Hualien, Taiwan): This place was super
clean and fancy, and the staff were very nice and helpful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Honourable mention:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Bob’s Bunk House
(Johannesburg, South Africa): The lady
who runs the place is super sweet. The
place was clean, had a nice little pool, bottomless rooibos tea, and was
conveniently located between the airport and the main tourist attractions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Best Guesthouse</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Villa Mon Tresor
(Rodrigues, Mauritius): I think I’ve
already raved about this place enough.
Marie Louise’s hospitality was unequalled anywhere along the way. A++!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Honourable mentions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Lina’s Tango
Guesthouse (Buenos Aires, Argentina):
Great location, cute decor, and very helpful Colombian owner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Golden Lotus (Luang
Prabang, Laos): The guy who runs the
joint – “Bill” – was super attentive and totally adorable. The breakfast was delicious and the location
couldn’t be beat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Hostal Monte Cristi
(Managua, Nicaragua): I wish I had
booked a relax day at this cute little guesthouse in a nice gated neighbourhood
of Managua right near the airport.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Best Other Accommodation Experiences</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Airbnb: I used Airbnb in South Africa, Mauritius,
United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan, Colombia, and the United
States. It has proven amazing. I am quite particular with hosts and have
always had absolutely amazing experiences.
I highly recommend Airbnb to anyone travelling!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Honourable mentions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Tambopata Lodge
(Puerto Maldonado, Peru): This lodge was
great – no air conditioning but the windows were just screens so a lovely
breeze came into our room and we could hear the sounds of the rainforest. Our guide there was also fantastic and there
were a few discoveries just walking around the actual grounds!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- MS Mauritius
Trochetia: This was the cargo ship that
I took for 2 nights and 1 day from Mauritius to Rodrigues. It wasn’t glamorous – it was about what I
expected from a cargo ship. The food was
a bit meh, no other passengers spoke English, and I got seasick. BUT – it was the same price as the quick
flight, included two nights of accommodation and five meals, and everyone was
really friendly even if they couldn’t talk to me. The main reason this is on this list is
because I took a frickin’ cargo ship.
How awesome is that?!?!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Worst Other Accommodation Experiences</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Expedia.com: I won’t ever use Expedia (or an Expedia owned
company) again. I had problems on flight
bookings and accommodation bookings and getting it fixed was a complete
hassle. Expedia overcharged me for one
night of accommodation but blamed it on the guesthouse. I took a game of ping pong to sort it out. Also, the cargo ship schedule changed at the
last minute so I had to fix my return flight.
It was just so much cheaper and easier to cancel the whole thing and
start from scratch than it was to deal with Expedia and pay their fee to change
it. It didn’t make any sense.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Dishonourable mentions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Silvermoon Beach
& Jungle Resort (Koh Phangan, Thailand):
Here is an excerpt from my Tripadvisor and Booking.com reviews: <span style="background: white;">The road down
to the resort is terrifying - it's not car-worthy and it's steep and slippery
even when it's dry and you're wearing hiking shoes - forget trying it in the
rain. I slipped and slid/skid down the hill twice. The staff were a bit too
nonchalant about this. They also didn't take out our trash at all or even check
to ensure we had new toilet paper - we had to ask when we ran out. The
food from the restaurant was pretty mediocre and overpriced for the island (the
exception being the family dinners). They staff were nice, but they
seemed to forget that they had paying customers - they were just a bit too
relaxed.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- La Posada del Tope (Liberia,
Costa Rica): Here is another excerpt
from my online reviews: <span style="background: white;">The furniture looks like it came off the back of a
garbage truck. There were holes in my sheets and in the mosquito net - I woke
up with a bunch of bug bites. The staff didn't show me where the bathrooms
were. When I found it, the toilet seat had a weird texture on it (maybe paint?)
The walls were thin and didn't go all the way to the ceiling so I could hear
everything coming from neighbouring rooms. The staff also gave me
misinformation about the bus schedule for the next day.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Best Bathroom Experiences</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Japan and
Taiwan: many of the toilets here will
wash your bum and some even will blow dry it for you. Luxury.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Worst Bathroom Experiences</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now, to be fair, all of the three campsites below were nice
EXCEPT for the bathrooms.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Aba Huab Camp (Twyfelfontein, Namibia): I understand that I went camping, not
glamping. Some of the campsites didn’t
have any bathrooms, which is totally fine – they were advertised that way and I
could plan ahead with respect to my meals so that I wouldn’t need to dig myself
a hole to do my business. But if a
campsite says they have bathrooms, I expect bathrooms – not windowless rooms
with no working lights, and with walls all painted black to make it even
darker. I also expect an actual seat on
the toilet. Little things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Sugarloaf St. Lucia
(St. Lucia, South Africa): Another
bathroom culprit here. Yes, there were
big bathroom blocks, but they mostly didn’t have any running water. Good luck with the flush.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Campo Duro Eco Lodge
(Isabela Island, Galapagos, Ecuador):
The actual campsite was lovely, but the bathrooms, particularly the
showers, were FILLED with giant spiders.
It was the quickest, most terrifying shower of my life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Next time I’ll be talking about museums and other attractions
from around the world. There are only a
few more blogs of the gap year left.
What will I blog about after that???
Maybe I’ll just post pictures of kittens. Or ice cream.
Probably ice cream.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here are two maps relating to accommodation. Woo! Map
1 is countries where I’ve used Airbnb.
Map 2 is countries where I’ve gone camping or used Couchsurfing. Click to enlarge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5310j_0udqKUzHmSE-i9OaOHHRv5yKxPdSq2gU0zYwFHLD5iaV7e2ZthbOWI7u5dhSmKPJ6xxCHat1J008qJk1Kjl5ptVBTePCDylaWHqmzdf2kOkyXezlNnANFPu7AYNiEggKE0Q_TsU/s1600/Camping.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5310j_0udqKUzHmSE-i9OaOHHRv5yKxPdSq2gU0zYwFHLD5iaV7e2ZthbOWI7u5dhSmKPJ6xxCHat1J008qJk1Kjl5ptVBTePCDylaWHqmzdf2kOkyXezlNnANFPu7AYNiEggKE0Q_TsU/s400/Camping.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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phillipdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08230708396231391641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163438676198081593.post-25936233184483865352016-10-04T21:16:00.003+11:002016-10-04T21:17:32.969+11:00Full Year Recap: Favourite Foods<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I WANT TO EAT IT ALL!
And I did! Ok, well, not
everything, but a lot of things. And all
was good. Ok, well, some was good. And
there was much rejoicing! Except for
that time I got food poisoning from Nepal and it ruined Malaysia. Thanks, Nepal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Here are some lists of bests and favourites and honourable
mentions and dishonourable mentions for all things food related. Note that this entire blog excludes the USA
because my time there was basically spent going to all of my old favourite
joints so it gives them an unfair advantage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Animals</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I thought I’d just start off with a list of animals that I
ate. I’ve had a few questions on this so
I’ll just get it out of the way. There
are the usual suspects and some unusual suspects.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- The basics: cow,
sheep (lamb), turkey, duck<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Chicken: including
hearts and hips (Japan). They were good
but I could see the arteries and it just didn’t look pleasant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Fish: various
species including swordfish/marlin (Mauritius)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Ostrich: in burger
form (South Africa)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Zebra: a little bit
of steak on a skewer (Namibia)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Various antelope: oryx,
kudu, and springbok prepared various ways (Namibia, South Africa) and impala
cooked as a stir-fry (Swaziland)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Crocodile (Namibia, South Africa)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Mopane worms:
dried, crunchy, and nutty (Zambia) and fried, greasy, and disgusting
(Namibia)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Red tree ants: they
only tasted like the soup they were in (Cambodia)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Alpaca: in various
forms (Peru)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Guinea pig: I could
see its little claws as I brought the leg up to my mouth (Peru)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I also had my first beef steak during my trip (I’m not a
huge meat eater and only started eating beef, lamb, and fish in 2013). I also had ice cream and a latte made using
camel’s milk. The ice cream was
fine. The latte tasted off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Favourite Overall Cuisines</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1. Mexican: if you
know me or have read one of my past blogs, you know this is obviously my
favourite.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2. Thai: with noodles
and curries and stir-frys and street food and mango sticky rice, Thai food
provides great variety at affordable prices.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3. Malaysian:
combining local foods with influences from India, China, and beyond, Malaysian
food is YUMMY!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Honourable mentions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Costa Rican: the
local cuisine was standard boring Latin American food, but Costa Rica’s variety
and quality of cafes and other international restaurants was the best in Latin
America.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Japanese and Taiwanese:
I love aspects of both of these countries’ cuisines, but they also eat
some weird shit…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Indian: Yes, Indian
food is delicious, but it didn’t seem to have as much variety as some of the
others. Or maybe I just order the same
damn curries all the time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Dishonourable mentions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Cuban: Being from
near Miami, I do love a bit of Cuban food, and Cuban cuisine in Miami is
delicious. But Cuban cuisine in Cuba was
terribly disappointing, mainly because they have limited access to most
ingredients. Even if I hadn’t had high
expectations, Cuba would have failed miserably.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Favourite Restaurant Experiences</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1. Cabrera 7 – Mexico
City, Mexico: Mexican food is my
favourite cuisine, so it’s only fitting that my favourite restaurant would be
in Mexico City. Dreams are made of mole
enchiladas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2. Hanamaru –
Sapporo, Japan: Delicious sushi,
reasonable prices, mochi dessert on the conveyor belt, and an English
menu. What more could I ask for?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3. Ba Fang Yun Ji
Dumpling – Kaohsiung, Taiwan: This
little chain restaurant serves dumplings and noodles with black sesame sauce
and I ate there several times across four cities in Taiwan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">4. Madam Kwan’s –
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Madam Kwan is a
real person and I think she’s like the Jamie Oliver of Malaysia. The menu is expansive and has every Malaysian
dish ever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">5. Makphet –
Vientiane, Laos: Part of the Friends
International training restaurant network, my friend and I ordered way too much
to share and it was all delicious. We
overate for charity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">6. Sushiroll – Mexico
City, Mexico: This chain restaurant
serves up a Mexican twist on sushi, including a manchego roll. They also have sake sangria!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">7. Cocina Cartel –
Phnom Penh, Cambodia: This is the best
Mexican food I’ve had outside of the United States and Mexico. Who would have thunk?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">8. Crepes &
Waffles – Bogota, Colombia: This
fast-growing empire fed me across four countries. Excellent crepes. Excellent waffles. Excellent prices. Happiness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">9. Pier 21 – Bangkok,
Thailand: This is really a food court
but it counts as a restaurant because there’s only one cashier. Stir fry, mango sticky rice, and Thai iced
tea for $3. WIN.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">10. Chez Jeanette –
Rodrigues, Mauritius: Huge portions,
great flavour, excellent attention, and a lovely setting really let the light
shine on a cuisine that is delicious but rather unvaried.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Honourble mentions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Villa Mon Tresor –
Rodrigues, Mauritius: It’s not a
restaurant, but breakfast and dinner were included at this guesthouse and the
proprietor, Marie Louise, is an extraordinary chef.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- African cooking by
Jess – Livingstone, Zambia to Cape Town, South Africa: our trusty guide, Jess, somehow created
delicious meals for us while camping even in the middle of the desert.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Neighbourgoods Market (Cape Town, South Africa) and
Borough Market (London, England): these
were the top 2 fancy market visits of my gap year. Many options.
Much joy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Favourite Cheap Eats</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1. Taiwan’s night
markets: every Taiwanese city has a ton
of night markets offering cheap eats of all sorts, including some western
options and the ubiquitous soft-serve machines.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2. Thailand’s fried
noodle stands: cheap pad see ew or other
noodles are available from little stands all around the cities. You can feast for 40 baht (under $2).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3. Vietnam’s banh
mi: The best was hole-in-the-wall Banh
My Phoung in Hoi An. It serves glorious
banh mi at CHEAP prices despite being made famous by Anthony Bourdain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">4. Mauritius’ curry
wraps: faratas and dholl puri are two
types meals consisting of Indian flatbread filled with vegetable curry and
rolled up. They cost about $1 each and are
everywhere.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">5. Chile’s
empanadas: Originally from Chile but
found all over Latin America, this fried or baked stuffed pastry fills you up
like a full meal… for couch change.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Favourite Dessert Restaurant Experiences</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1. Ice Monster –
Taipei, Taiwan: the most well-known
Taiwanese shaved ice chain provides heaping portions (probably meant to be
shared but I would never share dessert) in all flavours.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2. Brunch – Salento,
Colombia: famous for their chocolate
peanut butter brownie a la mode. I don’t
need to say anything more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3. Takano – Tokyo,
Japan: this “fruit parlour” serves up a
long menu of desserts incorporating fruits. I normally go for chocolate or
caramel, but my strawberry dessert was sinfully good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">4. The 2nd Delicious
Melonpan Ice Cream in the World! – Osaka, Japan: I don’t know if this is the actual name, but
it was so on the sign. If this was 2nd,
I’d surely like to taste the 1st!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">5. Granclement –
Panama City, Panama: On reflection, I
think this was one of the best gelatos of my trip. It’s not Gelato Messina in Sydney, but it hit
the spot on a hot day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Honourable mentions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Mango Sticky Rice – Thailand and Laos: My love for mango sticky rice was cemented as
soon as I entered Thailand. I had it all
across Thailand and Laos. PUT IT IN MY
MOUTH!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Soft Serve – Taiwan and Japan: wherever you turn, there’s an old Asian
couple with a lucrative soft serve ice cream machine, always serving vanilla,
matcha, and black sesame. FEED ME!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Churros – Latin America:
This isn’t a place, it’s just churros.
Street vendors sell them in Mexico and all over Latin America. I LOVE THEM!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Crepes &
Waffles – Colombia and beyond: Obviously
the above-mentioned place has desserts too and they even have ice cream shops
in addition to their restaurants. I went
a lot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Emporio La Rosa and Heladeria Mo – Santiago, Chile: I had a hard time choosing which of these two
famous Santiago ice creameries was best so I ended up trying them a lot just to
confirm…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- San Giorgio Trattoria – Bogota, Colombia: This is more of a proper Italian restaurant,
but they have a takeaway ice cream counter and their Limoncello gelato was
unreal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And that’s a wrap on food!
Months later and I’m still digesting… Here are some food-related maps. I’ve eaten Mexican food in 35 countries…
that’s exactly half the number of countries that I’ve been to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1XygO-WuxDXAJ2IJYxW6ezcNk8-0H22uYiDx4XIRAZSkJWPyMKvgcOOv3BFMrYBER9l7LluXJ5Rfy8rm_JbKTNJJODp0SqgKGQj8SawLpEJ-CPf_9vL0ZGymK4rwdWU8MDM-JFGKB4SQ/s1600/Mexican.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1XygO-WuxDXAJ2IJYxW6ezcNk8-0H22uYiDx4XIRAZSkJWPyMKvgcOOv3BFMrYBER9l7LluXJ5Rfy8rm_JbKTNJJODp0SqgKGQj8SawLpEJ-CPf_9vL0ZGymK4rwdWU8MDM-JFGKB4SQ/s400/Mexican.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And because sometimes we all get desperate, here’s a map of
countries where I’ve eaten McDonald’s (13) and Burger King (only 1). To justify this, I’ve had McDonald’s only
twice in Australia – once when I was super hungover away from the city and once
when I first arrived and was tipsy and just wanted to eat and go to bed. In Morocco, the McDonald’s had just opened and
it was the first and only restaurant in Fes to have air conditioning. In Mexico, it was late and I hadn’t had dinner
and I didn’t feel like walking too far at night on dodgy streets. So sometimes it’s necessary or an appropriate
spectacle. For Burger King, I’ve only
eaten there at the Saigon Airport because the food options were terrible and
that’s all I could afford with my leftover dong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKFHNlDoukyFJ6hw0Fs29M3OsoFpujfdDXW9pJaoP0v0qlHKUdqINsI8i_byL30Lq8xMauNp3phrfJh_OniZEjHLMlDEEGriw4lXdtcw1ENMYZ2N8Ig39c0O0KuyDZNM6gfQOQJGqG_yUN/s1600/McDonald%2527s+%2526+Burger+King.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKFHNlDoukyFJ6hw0Fs29M3OsoFpujfdDXW9pJaoP0v0qlHKUdqINsI8i_byL30Lq8xMauNp3phrfJh_OniZEjHLMlDEEGriw4lXdtcw1ENMYZ2N8Ig39c0O0KuyDZNM6gfQOQJGqG_yUN/s400/McDonald%2527s+%2526+Burger+King.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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phillipdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08230708396231391641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163438676198081593.post-91703820134873049482016-10-02T01:39:00.000+10:002016-10-02T01:41:38.176+10:00Full Year Recap: Route Maps<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The little route map at the bottom of my last blog wasn’t
really zoomed in enough to give a clear view, so I decided to include a few more
route maps here to paint a better picture of my path. Click on any to enlarge. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Starting with…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Southern Africa</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Entered via Johannesburg, South Africa, then travelled to
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, and then continued counter clockwise through Zambia,
Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa (including stops in Lesotho and Swaziland)
and ended up back in Johannesburg before flying to Mauritius.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDc_kvnThoGX4O9oGDYH6a-K2RWoivCY74QbDp1mfFa3bUx3loY-uv8EgbiKQL3n9dRVF67j4antiU_nwgo969Y91MIwo2PSL6K2k2G-XM8BaYz9pXJ2R9rdeCjZUjePQSZm18iAOcm5C/s1600/Route+Map+-+Africa.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDc_kvnThoGX4O9oGDYH6a-K2RWoivCY74QbDp1mfFa3bUx3loY-uv8EgbiKQL3n9dRVF67j4antiU_nwgo969Y91MIwo2PSL6K2k2G-XM8BaYz9pXJ2R9rdeCjZUjePQSZm18iAOcm5C/s400/Route+Map+-+Africa.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Mauritius</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Entered via the only airport on Mauritius, and then
travelled around the entire island (but I’ve only put one dot because the
island is tiny and they would look all jumbled together anyway). I then travelled 600km east to Rodrigues by
cargo ship and back by airplane before flying to Dubai. I’m showing this map just to give an idea of
where Mauritius (left dot) and Rodrigues (right dot) are located in relation to
Africa.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZ-Da10SlqOIywxOE0S5TWwE6XOxcMyYLTYUhOya9_5IhuVUli2B3qEEC7nrn6afC7DUlNTDfCiYFl124ZbFykyaTplts7I0ACEa8ZR3O7XANW6P3Q2dKl0q-0h4x696MsoLNqGtv9N3l/s1600/Route+Map+-+Mauritius.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZ-Da10SlqOIywxOE0S5TWwE6XOxcMyYLTYUhOya9_5IhuVUli2B3qEEC7nrn6afC7DUlNTDfCiYFl124ZbFykyaTplts7I0ACEa8ZR3O7XANW6P3Q2dKl0q-0h4x696MsoLNqGtv9N3l/s400/Route+Map+-+Mauritius.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Middle East & South Asia</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Entered via Dubai, United Arab Emirates, then travelled to
Delhi, India, and then zig-zagged through India and Nepal before flying out of
Kathmandu to Southeast Asia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6yZmL_qU-RzcgalPPHQxv9JDwJAK3ukosuKJ1HhIYT9HWSHumpLls8XF8nLkZ08RDYeuBryHXr0DLqqOUX3iyek18hUN_sUoQRhegJn6IUo0vJZ70jX-v0JRbvqkH2TR66b_QpGnTBu8-/s1600/Route+Map+-+Middle+East+and+South+Asia.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6yZmL_qU-RzcgalPPHQxv9JDwJAK3ukosuKJ1HhIYT9HWSHumpLls8XF8nLkZ08RDYeuBryHXr0DLqqOUX3iyek18hUN_sUoQRhegJn6IUo0vJZ70jX-v0JRbvqkH2TR66b_QpGnTBu8-/s400/Route+Map+-+Middle+East+and+South+Asia.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Southeast Asia</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Entered via Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, then travelled north to
Chiang Mai, Thailand, before travelling more-or-less clockwise through Laos and
Vietnam, then skipping over Cambodia to go to Bangkok and Koh Phangan,
Thailand, then back via Bangkok to Cambodia before flying out to Taiwan. Notice the stop in Singapore at the very
bottom. This was earlier on my way from
Australia to Africa.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4fgZk5rWedItLpAMVukxaC-rPL1ROJ4jhpFXtbcL1kKbfXISCaVlyMf5h2bgcfZbGMK2uoT9M6Ug0YQ0UTyutcJawi4feIO3sFvWJEcf6j3GtrpICIpUqJAU7eqtftP5RCvUCb8d40Y0T/s1600/Route+Map+-+Southeast+Asia.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4fgZk5rWedItLpAMVukxaC-rPL1ROJ4jhpFXtbcL1kKbfXISCaVlyMf5h2bgcfZbGMK2uoT9M6Ug0YQ0UTyutcJawi4feIO3sFvWJEcf6j3GtrpICIpUqJAU7eqtftP5RCvUCb8d40Y0T/s400/Route+Map+-+Southeast+Asia.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Taiwan</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Entered via Kaohsiung, then travelled north to Tainan before
heading to Hualien and Taroko Gorge National Park on the east coast, and finishing
in Taipei before flying to Japan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyAeSOTNBSEG4RuXkw8K-q7WTUbPe9cRgKsaAQfUTvKn9P_CgEgrcq-HvPSo9GVdXiyb9gLjvRpQihUbLJTj4f82HCbfrbAQYqDWdXRNtjleapwMunElU-sU8MZXhpi7-8hB6-9JCq9iou/s1600/Route+Map+-+Taiwan.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyAeSOTNBSEG4RuXkw8K-q7WTUbPe9cRgKsaAQfUTvKn9P_CgEgrcq-HvPSo9GVdXiyb9gLjvRpQihUbLJTj4f82HCbfrbAQYqDWdXRNtjleapwMunElU-sU8MZXhpi7-8hB6-9JCq9iou/s400/Route+Map+-+Taiwan.png" width="361" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Japan</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Entered via Tokyo, then travelled all the way up to Sapporo
and back, and then all the way down to Fukuoka and back, before flying to the
UK.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPLCf_l0Kmmfrmd883uxh3H0aDFh0zGai1rALiFVoAJ6fO2u33d6N8dXS29N37BF6BUcfhNhKwME-xTVtWhot8AWGtLzIpKiXzTS-nzVC6WNYXc0xGG1ZYYLHyzjz1CvmPf6rKyu_Sdm3/s1600/Route+Map+-+Japan.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPLCf_l0Kmmfrmd883uxh3H0aDFh0zGai1rALiFVoAJ6fO2u33d6N8dXS29N37BF6BUcfhNhKwME-xTVtWhot8AWGtLzIpKiXzTS-nzVC6WNYXc0xGG1ZYYLHyzjz1CvmPf6rKyu_Sdm3/s400/Route+Map+-+Japan.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>UK</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Entered via London and took two side trips before flying to
the USA.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwd08atzrDLhfDzuQOyWJknWsYHjzOMZegukq9tMAJz3fswfHHZbPfmP1NJsoJcpBc-GVYWa9FtX55sV9nyEg5kqTsGOLTZW9g7gaTJgvlbC3tla7gwzXHAHZQP7W96ow4WyWKRHbDHz_b/s1600/Route+Map+-+UK.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwd08atzrDLhfDzuQOyWJknWsYHjzOMZegukq9tMAJz3fswfHHZbPfmP1NJsoJcpBc-GVYWa9FtX55sV9nyEg5kqTsGOLTZW9g7gaTJgvlbC3tla7gwzXHAHZQP7W96ow4WyWKRHbDHz_b/s400/Route+Map+-+UK.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Caribbean/Gulf Region</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Entered via Fort Lauderdale, United States, then did a side
trip tour of Texas, followed by another side trip to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic,
before heading off to Mexico City and doing a clockwise loop of western Cuba
starting and ending in Havana before flying to Central America.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZ0pBMSlF12oFLOh19haH3pHjes3oqDAJo46zoQf9qYg4OovGWA_Ips9qMSLBcaP7uMMgURTcGi4KouoEEpGuf9a-LUz4w3rhZAGP4MWrVUj9XMueKRmGt0Dx0-DOgDberSCXNVCmmats/s1600/Route+Map+-+Gulf+of+Mexico.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZ0pBMSlF12oFLOh19haH3pHjes3oqDAJo46zoQf9qYg4OovGWA_Ips9qMSLBcaP7uMMgURTcGi4KouoEEpGuf9a-LUz4w3rhZAGP4MWrVUj9XMueKRmGt0Dx0-DOgDberSCXNVCmmats/s400/Route+Map+-+Gulf+of+Mexico.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Central America</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Entered via San Jose, Costa Rica, and then slowly headed
north overland to Nicaragua. After
departing Central America for Ecuador (shown below), I later stopped in Panama
City for a few days before flying to Colombia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM7b4mXJJ4loQOKuYBiCPpoOaGmrMDJsmC7IRIJI8x5jP-AM7GAYmEsAg6YZ9gaer6hnpK62-EW8q4TGScmonnKGqe6fYqECn9on9FdOEODO9fG3kOMsh1QdOESs-uqQpWtdMiOnV5U8dw/s1600/Route+Map+-+Central+America.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM7b4mXJJ4loQOKuYBiCPpoOaGmrMDJsmC7IRIJI8x5jP-AM7GAYmEsAg6YZ9gaer6hnpK62-EW8q4TGScmonnKGqe6fYqECn9on9FdOEODO9fG3kOMsh1QdOESs-uqQpWtdMiOnV5U8dw/s400/Route+Map+-+Central+America.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Colombia</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Entered via Cartagena, then travelled south to Medellin (and
surroundings) before heading south to the coffee region, and finally east to
Bogota (and surroundings) before flying to Argentina.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1beA7SmxOmeMUXVZ7ShqdFa9-0oTXFhRobWn_K8uoRZbjJsR_kokv17LGSwODSPG3-d2CLf5DMjgZQjTQyKHNrD8kHK52sxspCv38B5-oRICwfq-s7o_Rq026s8PPisTlHAqas6Fgty5/s1600/Route+Map+-+Colombia.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1beA7SmxOmeMUXVZ7ShqdFa9-0oTXFhRobWn_K8uoRZbjJsR_kokv17LGSwODSPG3-d2CLf5DMjgZQjTQyKHNrD8kHK52sxspCv38B5-oRICwfq-s7o_Rq026s8PPisTlHAqas6Fgty5/s400/Route+Map+-+Colombia.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Southern South America</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Entered via Buenos Aires, Argentina, and immediately took
side trips to Montevideo, Uruguay, and Asuncion, Paraguay, before spending a
few more days in Bs As. After that, I
flew to Santiago (and surroundings), Chile, before taking two side trips to
Punta Arenas and Easter Island, before flying to Peru.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMnNyERdOaI2FZZiyzrx5-Iffd2xoLtihz4WcwhTbRLETz22A-KUSRQjnn6lPKN9xgtBBAElXc0qAF9Q3jt0oLrhwkMt-QpEiBgw2VoDwEIt9TCXZ7xvpXn34rhwllH8kbONR0bAqxi4gr/s1600/Route+Map+-+Southern+South+America.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMnNyERdOaI2FZZiyzrx5-Iffd2xoLtihz4WcwhTbRLETz22A-KUSRQjnn6lPKN9xgtBBAElXc0qAF9Q3jt0oLrhwkMt-QpEiBgw2VoDwEIt9TCXZ7xvpXn34rhwllH8kbONR0bAqxi4gr/s400/Route+Map+-+Southern+South+America.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Peru & Ecuador</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Entered Ecuador via Quito and then did a side trip to the
Galapagos before flying to Panama. Two months
later, I entered Peru via Lima and travelled counter clockwise around the
southern half of the country before flying to the USA.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_EXSyOAiLz86MRryK4mnzGL95uhaIhLLDVXU5EJEgngALDVoiyJhq3RTtPgrr2dQ-1mSUFPg8XMOgBje9b_l-3GTDH441R8QPp03RkX-fpIIJpRxIKczm_BW4zKvFeidLhmyR8CUjCHM_/s1600/Route+Map+-+Peru+and+Ecuador.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_EXSyOAiLz86MRryK4mnzGL95uhaIhLLDVXU5EJEgngALDVoiyJhq3RTtPgrr2dQ-1mSUFPg8XMOgBje9b_l-3GTDH441R8QPp03RkX-fpIIJpRxIKczm_BW4zKvFeidLhmyR8CUjCHM_/s400/Route+Map+-+Peru+and+Ecuador.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>USA</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Entered via Fort Lauderdale (again) and did two side
tours: one to Seattle, Denver, and Fort
Worth, and the other to Washington, New York City, and Boston, before once again
flying to London – this time to end my gap year. Sad panda.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">Those are the maps, ladies and gentlemen. Next blog: Food! FOOODDDDD!!!!!!!</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
phillipdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08230708396231391641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163438676198081593.post-10886323515683979112016-09-27T01:59:00.000+10:002016-09-27T01:59:17.541+10:00Full Year Recap: Air Travel Statistics<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you’re into airports and airplanes and random transport
stuff, then brace yourself to be shocked at how much work I put into
calculating these statistics that only like three people might actually
appreciate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Total # of flights</u>:
58<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- 56 commercial
flights (22 domestic and 34 international)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- 2 scenic flights
(note that I have only included these flights in the below statistics where
possible)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Total # of take-offs and landings</u>: 63<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- 56 regular
commercial flights<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- 4 of my flights had
scheduled stops en route but the flights had a single flight number and I did
not disembark<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- 1 of my flights had
to land to refuel because India was acting like a petulant child<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- 2 scenic flights<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Estimated distance flown</u>: 126,717.42 km (78,738.55 miles)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- 72.6% international
vs 27.4% domestic<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- This is equal to
3.16x the length of the equator<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Time spent in air</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Scheduled: 8:07:38 (d:hh:mm)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Estimated actual: 8:04:04<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Longest journey: Tokyo
to London Heathrow via Abu Dhabi: 13,604
km / 1:00:40 incl. layover<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Longest single flight by distance: Singapore to Johannesburg: 8,655 km<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Longest single flight by time: Tokyo to Abu Dhabi: 11:43<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Longest domestic flight:
Fort Lauderdale to Seattle: 4,367
km / 6:25<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Shortest flight: Armenia
to Bogota: 182 km / 0:43<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Shortest international flight: Siem Reap to Saigon: 422 km / 1:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Airports visited</u>:
58 in 29 countries<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- 53 on normal
commercial flights: Sydney, Singapore,
Johannesburg, Victoria Falls, Mahebourg, Rodrigues, Dubai, Delhi, Kathmandu,
Kuala Lumpur, Chiang Mai, Vientiane, Hanoi, Danang, Saigon, Bangkok
(Suvarnabhumi), Koh Samui, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Kaohsiung, Taipei (Taoyuan),
Tokyo (Narita), Abu Dhabi, London (Heathrow), London (Gatwick), Fort
Lauderdale, Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, Santo Domingo, Mexico City, Havana,
Panama City (Panama), San Jose (Costa Rica), Managua, Quito, Baltra
(Galapagos), Cartagena, Medellin, Armenia, Bogota, Buenos Aires (Ezeiza),
Buenos Aires (Aeroparque), Asuncion, Santiago, Punta Arenas, Easter Island,
Lima, Cusco, Puerto Maldonado, Seattle, Denver, Washington (National), Boston<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- 2 for sightseeing
flights: Maun, Nazca<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- 3 additional airports
where I did not disembark: Kolkata,
Guayaquil, Puerto Montt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Total # of airport visits:
107 + 5 where I didn’t disembark + 2 for scenic flights<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Most visited airports</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Fort
Lauderdale: 12 visits<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Santiago: 6 visits<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. Panama City: 4 visits<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. Quito: 4 visits<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This brings my lifetime airport count to 120. My 100th airport was Mexico City. And yes, I have a spreadsheet for this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Total # of layovers</u>:
5 (only 5!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Airports where I had layovers: Bangkok, Saigon, Abu Dhabi, Panama City (x2)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Abu Dhabi is the only airport where I had a layover that I
didn’t fly into or out of on another visit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Airlines flown</u>:
28<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Singapore Airlines, British Airways (operated by Comair), Kavango
Air (scenic flight) Air Mauritius, Emirates, AirAsia X, AirAsia, Vietnam
Airlines, VietJet, Bangkok Airways, Cambodia Angkor Air, Vanilla Air, Etihad,
Norwegian, Southwest, American, Spirit, Volaris, Aeromexico, Copa, Avianca,
Aerolineas Argentinas, Sky Airline, LATAM (formerly LAN), AeroNasca (scenic
flight), JetBlue, Alaska, United<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Most flown airlines</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">By # of flights:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Copa: 6 (10.7%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Avianca: 6 (10.7%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. LATAM (formerly
LAN): 4 (7.1%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">By distance:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Singapore: 14,949 km (11.8%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Norwegian: 14,202 km (11.2%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. Etihad: 13,604 km (10.7%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">By time:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Etihad: 20:02 (10.2%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Singapore: 19:43 (10.1%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. Norwegian: 18:16 (9.3%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Etihad and Singapore were both transcontinental, long-haul,
overnight flights. Norwegian was two
trans-Atlantic flights. LATAM was 4<sup>th</sup>
by both distance and time despite being only domestic flights from Santiago to
Punta Arenas and Easter Island.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This brings my lifetime airline count to 51 (or 53 if you
include the two scenic flights).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Aircraft</u>: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is where shit is about to get super super nerdy! I kept track of all of my planes along the
way and sourced publicly available data regarding distance between airports and
actual flight time for each flight. I’ve
obviously had some spare time while I look for work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Aircraft makers flown</u>: 4<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Airbus: 31 flights (55.4%) / 66,387 km (52.4%) /
4:12:28 (55.3%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Boeing: 24 flights (42.9%) / 59,733 km (47.1%) /
3:13:56 (0.9%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. ATR: 1 flight (1.8%) / 598 km (0.5%) / 1:40
(43.8%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. Cessna: 2 scenic flights<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Aircraft models flown</u>: 18 in 9 different series/families of aircraft<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Airbus A319-100,
A320-200, A321-200<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Airbus A330-300<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Airbus A340-300,
A340-600<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Airbus A380-800<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- ATR 72-500<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Boeing 737-400,
737-700, 737-800, 737-900<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Boeing 777-200ER,
777-300ER<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Boeing 787-8, 787-9<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Cessna U206G, 207A<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Aircraft series/families flown the most (by # of flights,
distance, and time)</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Airbus A320
series: 25 flights (44.6%) flown
33,439,05 km (26.4%) in 2:13:19 (31.3%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Boeing 737
series: 18 flights (32.1%) flown 27,187
km (21.5%) in 1:19:37 (22.2%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. Boeing 787
series: 4 flights (7.1%) flown 21,706 km
(17.1%) in 1:04:06 (14.3%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Aircraft models flown the most</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Airbus
A320-200: 12 flights (21.4%) / 17,787 km
(14.0%) / 1:08:40 (16.7%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- By # of flights,
the Boeing 737-800 and Airbus A321-200 are #2 and #3, respectively.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- By distance, the
Airbus A380-800 and Boeing 737-800 are #2 and #3, respectively.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- By time, the Boeing
737-800 and Airbus A380-800 are #2 and #3, respectively.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And now, for some less statistical lists…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As I went along, I didn’t make a list of best airports or
best airlines, because it was hard to compare.
Sometimes I only arrived at an airport and promptly left. For departures, sometimes I was hours early
and sometimes I didn’t have much time to explore the airports at all. Some flights were peak hour and sometimes I
flew out in the middle of the night when the airport was a ghost town. Some airports were huge (Tokyo Narita, London
Heathrow, etc.) while others were tiny (Rodrigues, Easter Island, etc.), and
some were located in wealthy countries and some were located in not-so-wealthy
countries. So it’s definitely hard to
compare and make a proper list. But,
these are a few of the more memorable air travel experiences, both bad and
good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Best flight experiences</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Santiago to Easter
Island on LATAM (formerly LAN): It was my
second Boeing 787 Dreamliner and I had a window seat to take in the views of
Easter Island on approach. The only
window seat when I checked in was the very last row which was disappointing at
first, but worked out so well in the end.
There was actually no bathroom behind me, nobody sitting next to me, and
the row was completely different than the other rows. Instead of the 3-3-3 configuration, the last
row has a 2-3-2 configuration, and the seats are the reserve seats for the crew
to rest in. I had double the leg room, a
wider seat, two tray tables, a foot rest, extra recline pitch, and enough space
between my seat and window to place my little backpack. AMAZING.
I got the back row again on my return leg.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Sydney to
Singapore on Singapore Airlines: It was
the first flight of my gap year AND my first Airbus A380 ever! I was also super stoked about my flight from
London (Gatwick) to Fort Lauderdale on Norwegian as that one was my first
Boeing 787 Dreamliner ever! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. Fort Lauderdale to
Seattle on Alaska: I used to make this
trip twice a year when I lived in Seattle, but there was never a direct flight
during my time there and I always had to stop and change planes somewhere. I was super pleased that this non-stop route
now exists and I even paid a little more just to take it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Worst flight experiences</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Kathmandu to Kuala
Lumpur on Air Asia X: The turbulence was
long and unbearable. Unbeknownst to me,
I was also just hours away from my massive food poisoning episode so my body
wasn’t handling anything well. At least
I had my own row to lay down in and try to drown out the shaking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Saigon to Bangkok
on VietJet: The flight was fairly smooth
for most of the journey, but the approach down through the clouds into Bangkok
was super rough including a big drop that probably only lasted about a second
and a half but caused about half of the passengers to scream. Fun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. Bogota to Buenos
Aires (Ezeiza) on Aerolineas Argentinas:
The flight itself was ok, but my row had didn’t have functioning
televisions, reading lights, or attendant call buttons. It was an overnight flight and the business
lady next to me wanted to read her documents and I wanted to watch a movie to
try to fall asleep. I know things break,
but the flight attendant’s attitude toward the issue was the bigger
problem. He just didn’t seem to care at
all and he was very dismissive when the lady next to me asked about it. That being said, I had another flight on
Aerolineas Argentinas the following week when the flight attendant gave me an
extra alfajores because I declined the ham sandwich meal that is offered on all
airlines based in Latin America. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Cheapest flight</u>:
$22<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Cartagena to
Medellin on Avianca: I don’t know why or
how, but it was cheaper to fly the hour than to take a 14 hour bus on hellish
roads. BEST. DEAL. EVER.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Oddest flight experience</u>: being the only white person<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Saigon to
Kaohsiung on Vietnam Airlines: I was
literally the only white person on the plane.
The flight was also predominantly male – like, there may have only been
3 or 4 female passengers on the full flight.
I am also pretty sure that I was the only person the flight attendants
could speak to as they all spoke a little English. Everybody but me seemed to get a written menu
from one little stack on the service cart.
I glanced at the one next to me.
It had no Vietnamese on it – only Chinese. So basically they were ALL Chinese
businessmen heading to Taiwan to do business.
This is what happens when you fly into a manufacturing hub like
Kaohsiung which isn’t on the radar of most western tourists (but should be).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Longest delay</u>:
roughly 4 hours (if I recall correctly)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Baltra (Galapagos)
to Quito on Avianca: This was by far my
longest delay, but in all fairness, they don’t have spare planes sitting around
in the Galapagos and if the incoming flight or airport has a problem, there’s
pretty much nothing that can be done.
Most of the airport was closed for the duration of the delay because
most of the flights come and go around the same time, but I was with our entire
tour group so I had company. This
actually felt shorter than my 1-2 hour delay in Saigon, but that’s because I
already had a 4 hour layover scheduled and my incoming flight was surprisingly
early and there isn’t much to do at the Saigon airport.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If that was my longest delay and I had no cancelled flights
or lost luggage, then I’ve been pretty damn lucky this year!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Best airline experiences</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Singapore
Airlines: The staff were super friendly,
the food was good, and everything went smoothly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. LATAM (formerly
LAN): The staff knew I was an English-speaker
but talked to me in clear, slow Spanish so I could practice. The food was also good and everything went
smoothly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. Bangkok
Airways: The airline provided a free
snack and drink station at the gate at the Koh Samui Airport. How nice of them!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Honourable mentions:
I was surprisingly impressed with the two Mexican airlines I flew –
Volaris and Aeromexico. Southwest
continues to be the best in the US.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Dishonourable mention:
I was surprisingly disappointed by the food on Etihad. For a flagship carrier, I expected better,
but my flight was actually really cheap so I’ll let it slide.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I’m not going to list the worst airlines. I avoided notoriously bad ones when I could
and the few discount carriers that I flew on met or exceeded my low
expectations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Best airport experiences</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It’s hard to rank the best airports as I mentioned
above. But I’ll give a few
shout-outs. These aren’t the best per
se, but they deserve an honourable mention.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Danang was the most
surprising by a long mile. I was
thinking it might be a shed, but Vietnam’s third largest city has a proper,
big, modern, new airport – better than Hanoi or Saigon!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Buenos Aires
(Ezeiza) and Santiago also both exceeded expectations with their modern looks,
ease of navigation, and cute baristas at the airport Starbucks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Easter Island has
the breeziest airport with a lovely outdoor patio waiting area overlooking the
taxiway.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Seattle continues
to impress in the group of American airports.
A big food court right in the middle and nice shops always make it a
pleasant airport experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Worst airport experiences</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Delhi: there is minimal signage for the immigration
process and I only got in the right queue on the third try. The duty free salespeople were also extremely
aggressive… tragic foreshadowing of the trip to come.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Havana: Immigration was an ornery lady at what
appeared to be a picnic table and the rest of the staff just seemed to be
sitting around. Luggage took about an
hour to hit the conveyor belt. What were
they doing with it? On a positive note,
the staff wear tight little uniforms and some of the men were the epitome of
hot Latin lovers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. Victoria
Falls: They should really have more than
two staff at the immigration counter when two flights come in. I waited in line for ages.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There were other crappy airports just by pure aesthetics and
facilities. One example is
Kathmandu. I had almost no expectations
for an airport in a place like Kathmandu, so I guess it met my
expectations. It was quite basic, fairly
dirty, and many of the chairs seemed a bit damaged. But overall, it was sufficient and didn’t
shock me. Though I am pretty sure I
waited until I boarded the flight to use the bathroom. Just in case.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Dishonourable mention:
I’ve always had a gripe with the food options at Sydney’s international
terminal. The two domestic terminals
have good options, and the international terminal has good options outside of
security, but once you go through immigration, the best thing is a McDonald’s.
WTF? Sydney is full of amazing restaurants and cafes. Why don’t they get one or two to open
branches in the airport?!? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Congratulations: you
made it to the end! You’ve earned your
nerd badge and if you’re a decently attractive single gay man aged 26-38 and
you actually enjoyed reading this then maybe you’re my soulmate and should get
in touch with me ASAP.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here’s a rough route map of my trip. Click to enlarge if you’re not sick of this
yet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2qpI2sG94PzrPYR1szAjoNh_F0r018I1CGJ1Rlvs-5OISiJCSQlOhBUFSw6Ig57jMAKTLVJha2aNTRAZF-W_honn2OUl6bj9pzSTbFhhZ7V-slEOrebr55Ss4oMbLeH7x32ZEcU2WjLQ/s1600/Route+Map+-+World.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2qpI2sG94PzrPYR1szAjoNh_F0r018I1CGJ1Rlvs-5OISiJCSQlOhBUFSw6Ig57jMAKTLVJha2aNTRAZF-W_honn2OUl6bj9pzSTbFhhZ7V-slEOrebr55Ss4oMbLeH7x32ZEcU2WjLQ/s400/Route+Map+-+World.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
phillipdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08230708396231391641noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163438676198081593.post-71554538606158982912016-09-22T20:57:00.000+10:002016-09-24T21:38:11.817+10:00Full Year Recap: Initial Statistics<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The gap year is over (Noooooo!) but the statistics are just
beginning. I’m still unemployed and
homeless but I’m working on that. In the
meantime, the little gnomes that compute my statistics have been hard at work
making all sorts of lists for your reading and nerdy pleasure. There will be several parts to this, but if
you have any requests for specific statistics or lists of favourites, then
please let me know. I’m open to
suggestions!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Total time spent</u>:
403.5 days and 403 nights<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Start: Morning of
Sunday, July 12, 2015 at Sydney Airport<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">End: Afternoon of
Thursday, August 17 at London Gatwick Airport<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Continents visited</u>:
6<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1. Asia: 115.8 days (28.7%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2. North
America: 114.1 days (28.3%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3. South
America: 85.2 days (21.1%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">4. Africa: 67.7 days (16.8%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">5. Europe: 11.9 days (2.9%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">6. Oceania: 4.0 days (1.0%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In transit between continents: 4.7 days (1.2%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I will get to Antarctica one day… maybe on the next gap
year!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Regions visited</u>:
13<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1. South
America: 85.2 days (21.1%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2. North
America: 76.9 days (19.1%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3. Southeast
Asia: 58.9 days (14.6%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">4. Southern
Africa: 44.6 days (11.0%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">5. East Asia: 37.8 days (9.4%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">6. Mascarene
Islands: 23.2 days (5.8%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">7. Central
America: 21.9 days (5.4%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">8. Caribbean: 14.5 days (3.5%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">9. South Asia: 13.8 days (3.4%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">10. Northern
Europe: 11.9 days (2.9%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">11. Polynesia: 4.0 days (1.0%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">12. Middle East: 1.0%<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In transit between regions:
6.9 days (1.7%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Countries visited</u>:
34<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1. United
States: 69.9 days (17.3%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2. Japan: 27.0 days (6.7%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3. Chile: 24.7 days (6.1%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">4. Mauritius: 23.2 days (5.8%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">5. South Africa: 22.6 days (5.6%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">6. Peru: 22.2 days (5.5%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">7. Colombia: 21.8 days (5.4%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">8. Vietnam: 15.7 days (3.9%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">9. United Kingdom: 11.9 days (2.9%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">10. Thailand: 11.6 days (2.9%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">11. Laos: 11.1 days (2.8%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">12. Ecuador: 10.9 days (2.7%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">13. Namibia: 10.8 days (2.7%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">14. Taiwan: 10.6 days (2.6%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">15. Cuba: 10.4 days (2.6%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">16. Costa Rica: 10.0 days (2.5%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">17. Malaysia: 8.6 days (2.1%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">18. India: 8.1 days (2.0%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">19. Cambodia: 7.9 days (2.0%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">20. Nicaragua: 7.8 days (1.9%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">21. Mexico: 6.8 days (1.7%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">22. Nepal: 6.0 days (1.5%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">23. Botswana: 5.0 days (1.2%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">24. Panama: 4.1 days (1.0%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">25. Argentina: 4.0 days (1.0%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">26. United Arab
Emirates: 4.0 days (1.0%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">27. Dominican
Republic: 3.9 days (1.0%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">28. Singapore: 3.2 days (0.8%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">29. Paraguay: 2.8 days (0.7%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">30. Uruguay: 2.0 days (0.5%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">31. Zambia: 1.9 days (0.5%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">32. Lesotho: 1.8 days (0.4%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">33. Swaziland: 1.0 days (0.2%<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">34. Zimbabwe: 1.0 days (0.2%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In transit between countries: 9.1 days (2.3%)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And just for fun – time spent in countries that drive on
the:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1. Right side of the
road: 63.2% <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2. Left side of the
road: 36.3%<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In transit between countries driving on opposite sides: 0.5%<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Hemispheres</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And just for more fun – time spent in the hemispheres:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1. Northern
Hemisphere: 65.9%<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2. Southern
Hemisphere: 33.5%<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In transit between the two hemispheres: 0.6%<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Only country where I’ve been both north of, south of, and on
the equator: Ecuador!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3. Western Hemisphere: 54.0%<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">4. Eastern
Hemisphere: 45.7%<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In transit between the two hemispheres: 0.2%<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This assumes the division between the hemispheres is at the
Prime Meridian which places the parts of the UK that I visited totally within
the Western Hemisphere.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I changed between the northern and southern hemispheres
seven times not including jumping back and forth across the equator like a stupid
tourist. I changed between the eastern
and western hemispheres only once.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Border crossings</u>:
43<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- 30 border crossings
by air<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- 10 border crossings
on land (8 in vehicles and 2 on foot)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- 3 border crossings by
ferry<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Time zones:</u> 33
(based on governments’ classifications)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- 15 different time zones based on times in relation to UTC<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- 39 times I had to change the time on my iPhone<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Biggest time zone changes:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">-9 hours from Tokyo to London via Abu Dhabi<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">-6 hours from Singapore to Johannesburg<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">-5/+5 hours from London to Fort Lauderdale and back again<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Smallest time zone change:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">+15 minutes from India to Nepal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Landmasses stepped on</u>: 39 (I think)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1. Singapore<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2. Afro-Eurasia<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3. Robben Island (South Africa)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">4. Mauritius and Rodrigues + 6 small offshore islands<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">12. 2 artificial islands in Dubai<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">14. 1 small island in a lake in Vietnam<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">15. 3 islands in Halong Bay (Vietnam)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">18. 2 terrible Thai islands<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">20. Taiwan + 1 offshore island<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">22. Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu + 2 small offshore islands
(Japan)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">27. Great Britain<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">28. America<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">29. Hispanola<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">30. Cuba + 1 small offshore island<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">32. Isla Ometepe (Lake Nicaragua)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">33. 4 islands in the Galapagos<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">37. Rapa Nui (Easter Island)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">38. Isla Taquile (Lake Titicaca, Peru)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">39. Long Island (USA)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And now, for a few less statistical lists…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Top Overall Countries (in chronological order)</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1. Mauritius (<a href="http://phillipdavid.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/mauritius-introduction.html" target="_blank">read more</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2. Taiwan (<a href="http://phillipdavid.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/introducing-taiwan-japan.html" target="_blank">read more</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3. Japan (<a href="http://phillipdavid.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/introducing-taiwan-japan.html" target="_blank">read more</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">4. Costa Rica (<a href="http://phillipdavid.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/costa-rica.html" target="_blank">read more</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">5. Chile (<a href="http://phillipdavid.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/santiago-de-chile.html" target="_blank">read more</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I would elaborate on why each country was amazing, but I
think my past blogs should sufficiently cover it. Feel free to ask me in person if you want
more details! Also, note that I didn’t
have a whole lot of time in some countries.
I had limited time, for example, in Argentina, and it definitely
warrants a more robust visit in the future to better make a determination on
its inclusion in a list like this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Top Overall Cities (in chronological order)</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1. Cape Town (</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"><a href="http://phillipdavid.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/cape-town.html" target="_blank">read more</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2. Taipei <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">(<a href="http://phillipdavid.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/taipei-hualien-taiwans-food.html" target="_blank">read more</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3. Sapporo <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">(<a href="http://phillipdavid.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/sapporo.html" target="_blank">read more</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">4. Buenos Aires <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">(<a href="http://phillipdavid.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/typical-gushing-about-buenos-aires.html" target="_blank">read more</a>)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">5. Santiago <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">(<a href="http://phillipdavid.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/santiago-de-chile.html" target="_blank">read more</a>)</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Again, ask me about these in person if you want more
details, but I think the previous blogs should paint a good enough picture of
why I really loved these cities!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Best & Worst Passport Stamps</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Best: Mauritius because it’s big, has a dodo bird
on it, and perfectly filled in blank space at the front of the passport.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Honourable
Mention: Cuba for its super gay hot pink
colour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Worst: Mexico.
Why would you stamp on page 50-something on my passport when every other
country stamped in the first 20 or so pages?
Ugh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">That’s enough for now.
Stay tuned for my next installment when I get super nerdy with airplanes
and airports and other sorts of travel.
Brace yourself for the nerdgasm to come!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">For the stats blogs, I will switch to maps because you’re probably
sick of all my selfies. Here’s a map of
my travels both before and during the gap year.
You can click to enlarge if you’re nerdy enough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCWlMNQynk-iM0pqZstG4yftsagst6q-U_ADbVh2vDJOy4JsNrh0aOy5GMXkwwDeNEX6Z35p0UbKWzXk2m7lYca2wTU2H6dx1KN7v-Px2dTUEzNgsrwmgGcKRwUADrHFgSRflcQ0NJ1JK/s1600/Travelled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCWlMNQynk-iM0pqZstG4yftsagst6q-U_ADbVh2vDJOy4JsNrh0aOy5GMXkwwDeNEX6Z35p0UbKWzXk2m7lYca2wTU2H6dx1KN7v-Px2dTUEzNgsrwmgGcKRwUADrHFgSRflcQ0NJ1JK/s400/Travelled.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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</div>
phillipdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08230708396231391641noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163438676198081593.post-10091667508476764902016-09-21T00:09:00.000+10:002016-09-21T00:09:26.355+10:00'Murica, Round 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After Peru, I headed back to the United States for a
whirlwind tour of the country to visit friends and family that have been long
neglected by my Australianess.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A few highlights of my time en Los Estados Unidos:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Florida</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I hate Florida. There
is nothing to do in Florida and all but two of my friends escaped after high
school. Because Florida is fucking
terrible. So, I saw some family. I saw the two friends that I still have
there. I unpacked and repacked a few
times. And that is all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Seattle</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I was long overdue for a visit to my ex-home, and I realized
how much I missed Seattle. It was so
amazing to catch up with all of my old mates and hit up my old stomping
grounds. I went to most of my old favourite
restaurants and reunited my trivia team for a trivia night at our favourite
dive bar. Elcid – another American
friend of mine that I know from Australia but now lives in Japan – also came to
visit me in Seattle with another friend of his.
It was his first visit to the Pacific Northwest so I also got to do a
lot of touristy things that I would normally have missed out on in my mad rush
to see everyone: Kerry Park, Fremont,
Gas Works Park, Ballard Locks, Olympic Sculpture Park, and Pike Place Market,
where Elcid was unimpressed by the original Starbucks but totally impressed by
the piroshkies. I consumed proper craft beer
and ate proper brunch (not together, of course) including proper breakfast
burritos. Oh, breakfast burritos, how I
have missed you!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I also did two other key things in Seattle. The first was a tour of the Theo Chocolate
factory! I took Elcid and his friend for
the tour and then bought a substantial amount of chocolate afterward. It’s my favourite chocolate in the world and
the whole thing was a chocolate-flavoured orgasm. The second was to take part in some new key
laws that had passed since I’ve left.
No, no, I didn’t get married, but I did go to the store to do some
shopping. I still vote in Washington
state. I voted for the law and I had to
test it out just to make sure it was the right decision.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It certainly was. I
was sort of thinking I should move back to Seattle based on this alone!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Denver</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My good friends Della and Eric were getting married in
Denver and I knew I couldn’t miss the wedding.
I planned my time around the event. I came in early to have a bit of
time with Della and Eric before everybody else arrived. I know the bride and groom from university,
and nearly all of our old friends flew in for the occasion. It was so great to see everyone all together!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On my second night in the city, Della arranged a big group
of us to go to Casa Bonita – a giant Mexican restaurant made famous by an
episode of South Park. And yes, South
Park was accurate in their portrayal of the place. There are actually cliff divers doing a show
in the middle of the restaurant. WTF?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I had been to Denver twice before. The first time was for a big math competition
in high school (yes, I’m a nerd) and the second was to visit Della over one
summer break when we were in university.
I didn’t really like Denver then, but I was excited to see if my opinion
of the city would change. It definitely
has. We had some good ethnic food while
in Denver, including Ethiopian cuisine and Taiwanese shaved ice, and I also
found proper coffee. Denver still needs
to badly fix their crap transport system, but at least they also have a law
similar to the law I was talking about in Washington state. Oh yes…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Fort Worth</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There is absolutely nothing to do in this shit city. I visited my grandma and ate some Mexican
food and BBQ and a bit more Mexican food and got fat. Texas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Washington</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My trip to Washington was all about visiting my friend
Lenora, but I did manage catch-ups with a few other friends while I was
there. In true Phill/Lenora style, we
also went bowling one night and played board games and cards. It was good chill time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>New York</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As with Washington, my trip to New York was more about
visiting friends and family than it was about doing anything touristy, though I
did manage to do two touristy things. I
met up with a friend of mine who had his parents visiting from Texas and we
took them out to Coney Island. It was surprisingly
my first time there. We ate Nathan’s,
did the bumper cars, and rode the Wonder Wheel.
Check. I also went to the Central
Park Zoo with a friend from Connecticut who came into the city to meet me with
her two small children.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Aside from that, I hung out with some cousins and a lot of
my friends from high school and other places.
The gang took me for my first escape room, which we conquered in near
record time (though it was more them conquering it and me just looking
confused). I had Jewish deli, pizza,
bagels, and – and this was key – I got to sample several of the
Australian-style cafes that have popped up in New York in recent years. The coffee tasted like home!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Boston</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I saw some of my mom’s cousins in February when we all
happened to be in Florida at the same time.
They invited me up to Boston and I gladly took them up on the invitation. While in Boston, I visited with my family and
met up with a few friends (mostly from university) who moved to the city. I also wandered around some of the historical
areas of the city, but as with the other cities, I wasn’t really here to be a
tourist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Food</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In addition to the food mentioned above, I just have to add
that Dairy Queen now serves their famous Blizzard in a waffle one, which is
about the fattiest and most American thing that could ever happen. Also, I had my favourite salad which is called
the Quesadilla Explosion salad from Chili’s.
It a salad with big wedges of quesadilla in it and covered in cheese and
beans and tortilla strips and it’s basically the least salad-like salad in
existence but it’s delicious and everything America is supposed to be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And that’s a wrap.
That’s the gap year. That is the
end of the travels. What’s going to
happen next? I’m still figuring that
out. More to come when I figure out
life. Until then, I’ll have all sorts of
blogs coming up with facts and figures and top lists of all sorts of things
from my gap year. But first, let me take
a selfie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYYIyO6M5Lrgg-Ed1ofV_h6c0CsHPdaoGoMWpiSdtM0_b7aWwkYa_-KBQOGxUkVT8UgktvC5nrWTX95u9Qae2LHXRXr_GD3_bT1Ft2BNQCaW9pTTUdQ8xmd7ZsKcvvgf_PxgkhYP1yQtl/s1600/IMG_0982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYYIyO6M5Lrgg-Ed1ofV_h6c0CsHPdaoGoMWpiSdtM0_b7aWwkYa_-KBQOGxUkVT8UgktvC5nrWTX95u9Qae2LHXRXr_GD3_bT1Ft2BNQCaW9pTTUdQ8xmd7ZsKcvvgf_PxgkhYP1yQtl/s400/IMG_0982.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To see more photos of my time in the United States, follow
this link:</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100445056829371.1073741934.3000370&type=1&l=a4ebd0eebf"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100445056829371.1073741934.3000370&type=1&l=a4ebd0eebf</span></a></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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phillipdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08230708396231391641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163438676198081593.post-41538077329571728822016-09-19T21:30:00.000+10:002016-09-19T21:31:33.903+10:00The Amazon & The Erotic Palm<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My final new stop of the entire gap year (nooooo!) was the
Amazon! Not just confined to Brazil, the
Amazon actually stretches across nine countries, including Peru, and oddly
enough, France (I’m not joking). After
being high up in the Andes for the past two weeks, it was refreshing to get
back down to an altitude with oxygen. It
was a quick flight from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado, our gateway to the
Amazon. Looking out the window, the
scenery rapidly changed: the mountains
just stopped and all of a sudden there was thick green jungle. It was an incredible transition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our flight landed in Puerto Maldonado and we boarded a bus
to a little dock to hop on a boat down the Tambopata River, which is a tributary
of the Madre de Dios River, which itself merges with another tributary to
become another river all together, which then flows into the Amazon River, and
eventually into the Atlantic Ocean. Our
lodge was lovely – despite being super hot and humid outside, we had no air
conditioning. The rooms actually cooled
down quite well at night and the “windows” were big screens – letting fresh air
circulate in while keeping the insane amount of bugs out. We only had two days to explore this tiny
little slice of the Amazon and nearly everything we did revolved around the
flora and fauna.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A few highlights of my time in the Amazon:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Caiman-spotting night cruise</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Caimans are smaller cousins of alligators and crocodiles,
though smaller doesn’t mean cuter and I’d still be deeply terrified if I saw
one anywhere near me. We saw white
caimans during our time in the Amazon, though black caimans also exist
there. Our first caiman spotting was on
the initial boat ride to our lodge during the daytime, but the next night we took
a boat ride down the river with the explicit purpose of spotting more caimans
at night. We saw some adults as well as
little baby caimans which were about the size of burritos. Yummy!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Night walk and bugs</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our first night including a guided night walk through the
jungle. It was just a small trail that
extended out from the lodge so it was perfectly safe and not as scary as
“walking through the jungle at night” sounds.
It was here that we saw various insects including leaf cutter ants,
bullet ants, a golden silk spider, an owl butterfly (so named because the
design on its wing looks like the eye of an owl), stick insects, hunting
spiders, crickets, and the wandering spider.
The next day, we also saw the chicken spider tarantula. That’s what our guide called it so I’m just
going with it. His name was Elvis (the
guide, not the spider) so the whole experience was meant to be a little crazy I
think. Elvis poked a stick into the
spider’s hole to lure it out. Not at all
crazy. We also saw a big ass beetle and
the skeleton of a spider that had been killed by wasps, just like the ones I
learned about previously in Costa Rica.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Day walk with a penis tree</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our morning walk took us through some trails further up the
river. It was here that we learned a lot
about the local plants. My favourite
plant was the “penis tree” or “erotic palm” so-called because of its dildo-like
roots that shoot out from the base above the ground. Hehe! We
saw several strangler figs, which I had seen in other parts of the world as
well. The kapok was a less funny tree
with a fibrous cotton-like substance in the seed. The tallest we saw was about 45 metres but
they can grow up to 60 metres in height.
The local custom is to walk around the large base of the tree three
times: once for health, once for love,
and once for money. I walked around
three times but it didn’t work. I feel
fatter than ever after spending six weeks in the USA and not having gone to a
gym in well over a year. I’m still
single as usual and my bank account is slowly draining (I need a job
fast!) Our day walk also consisted of a
jaunt around Lago Condenado (“condemned lake” in English). The lake is an oxbow lake, the arc of a
winding river that has been cut off from the main river. It will eventually dry up, hence the
name. I had a moment of unleashing my
inner geology nerd and I’m sure the rest of the group was just like “shut up
now please but do still be on our trivia team”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Birds birds birds</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If you’ve been following my travels and looking at my
pictures, you’ll notice that I’ve taken a lot of pictures of birds along the
way. This is because of James, a young
Englishman I met on my first Africa tour.
James seems cool at first, but he’s actually a huge bird nerd, and he
spread his bird nerdiness around to the rest of our safari group. In Zambia we are all like “Whatever, James”,
but then by Cape Town we were all like “Did you see that fucking bird?!?!? So
cool!”. So, yeah, thanks James for
destroying twenty seemingly cool people.
Anyway, the whole point is that I saw a shit ton </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">of birds in the Amazon.
The red and green macaw was colourful like Christmas, and the mealy
parrot (the largest of the Amazon parrots) wasn’t disappointing either. We saw a lovely photogenic white-winged
swallow, an ugly vulture, and an even uglier bird: the hoatzin.
The hoatzin is more colloquially known as the “stinky bird” because its
particular leafy diet gives it a bad smell which therefore makes it
unappetizing to eat which means it has no natural predators. So this ugly ass bird is basically the lion
of the Amazon. The birding highlight,
however, was an AMAZING juvenile crested owl sitting on a branch only a few
metres from where our group was walking.
My university’s mascot is the owl so I made sure to snap a great
close-up photo of this beauty.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>At the lodge</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The lodge itself has an array of wildlife for viewing
pleasure. Our guides began calling us
all over one afternoon to see two species of monkeys just swinging around in the
trees next to the dining room. The red
howler monkeys were everywhere, but I think the saddle-back tamarins are way
cuter. There were quite a few common
lizards running around. Their colouring
– bright green body and tail with a brownish-grayish head – was anything but
common. We chopped some brazil nuts
which led to the appearance of some brown agoutis hoping to have a little
snack. They are decent-sized rodents but
actually super cute – not ugly and scary like mice and rats… and squirrels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Elsewhere in the Amazon</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If we thought the brown agouti was a large rodent, then the
capibara was a shocking surprise. The
largest rodent in the world, the capibara is as big as your good-sized
dog. Ewwww! Surprisingly, they actually look super
cute! We also saw beautiful butterflies
licking salt out of the eyes of turtles (so cool!), fruit bats, and tapir
tracks. The tapir is a big mammal related
to nothing really, but closest to horses, donkeys, zebras, and rhinos, though
it looks sort of like a pig crossed with an aardvark. I was hoping to see a tapir on the trip, but
I had to settle for its footprints.
Sadness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I do plan on getting back to the Amazon one day, with one
trip to the Brazilian Amazon, and one trip to cover the Amazon in Guyana,
Suriname, and French Guiana (that pesky part of France that is actually in
South America).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And that’s it. That’s
the gap year. Mostly. We flew back to Lima from Puerto
Maldonado. After one more day in Lima, I
flew back to my hometown in Florida.
Despite doing a mini-tour of Texas and Florida back in January and
February at my halfway point, I still hadn’t seen many of my friends in four
years (I’m a neglectful American). So,
the final journey of the gap year was a grand tour of the USA. But first, let me take a selfie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JtiFaYNyvfPdPYUhm07eiZnHE5maFOgBcBjssuNIK3Jo3VcvW9AB8I5s28bfGScMEQvdiVAWjC03t6dNbhqHmCUAcd_jDUxxb3-L4Ha3mcaDuiknPk-Ee3mlHwt6eLCk-IqquR7mem2S/s1600/DSC06434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JtiFaYNyvfPdPYUhm07eiZnHE5maFOgBcBjssuNIK3Jo3VcvW9AB8I5s28bfGScMEQvdiVAWjC03t6dNbhqHmCUAcd_jDUxxb3-L4Ha3mcaDuiknPk-Ee3mlHwt6eLCk-IqquR7mem2S/s400/DSC06434.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">To see more photos of my time in the Amazon, follow this
link:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100431422597481.1073741933.3000370&type=1&l=7bf8d98755"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100431422597481.1073741933.3000370&type=1&l=7bf8d98755</span></a></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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phillipdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08230708396231391641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163438676198081593.post-6349403491285962662016-09-17T23:26:00.000+10:002016-09-17T23:26:26.697+10:00Cusco, Machu Picchu, & the Inca Trail<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Undoubtedly the highlight of Peru, and one of the highlights
of the entire gap year, was the Cusco region, including Machu Picchu and the
Inca Trail. The first thing tourists
notice about Cusco: its flag is super
gay. It’s the same rainbow as the gay
pride flag except it has a seventh stripe of sky blue. This previously caused some problems in
conservative Peru, with some calling for the city to change its flag because
too many tourists were thinking the area was just one big gay-friendly jizz
fest. But, most have finally gotten over
it and the traditional flag has remained.
I like it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A few highlights of my time in and around Cusco:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Cusco</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The tourist centre of the city is the Plaza de Armas with
its statue of Pachacuti displayed prominently in the centre of the square. Pachacuti was the ninth Inca king. He had 200 children. His official motto was “Don’t hate the
player; hate the game.” Surrounding the
plaza are several churches, including the main cathedral and the attached
Iglesia del Triunfo. The cathedral has
an excellent videoguide that took me around the expansive building all the
while providing immense detail about the structure, artwork, and history of the
area. This was definitely the best
cathedral tour that I took in all of Latin America (and believe me, I saw
plenty of cathedrals…) My favourite part
was an educational one, and probably the only cool thing I’ve ever learned
about the Catholic religion. Did you
know that there’s a patron saint for women who want to marry? There’s also a patron saint for men who want
to rid themselves of these women.
AMAZING!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Also near the Plaza de Armas is the Museo Inka, though I
visited that after doing the Inca Trail, Machu Picchu, and all of the other
sites, so I quickly breezed through the collection. Also nearby sits a prime example of an old
Inca wall, stretching down one long alleyway known as the Lareto. It leads to Qorikancha – Inca ruins located right
in the city. Sacsaywaman (pronounced to
tourists as “sexy woman”) are another set of Inca ruins located on a hill above
the city. While we didn’t do a formal
tour of those ruins, the site offers great views over the whole of Cusco. There’s also a big statue of Jesus because…
Catholicism.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Ccaccaccollo</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Best of luck to you in pronouncing the name of this
place. Ccaccaccollo is a small weaving
community outside of Cusco. There we
stopped to learn how the women make wool from alpaca fur. They use natural elements to dye the wool,
including using imported eucalyptus from Australia to get a gray colour. They had alpacas on site and I got to feed
them!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Pisaq & Ollantaytambo</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">These two sets of Inca ruins we visited on our way toward
the start of the Inca Trail. Pisaq features
the typical Inca terraces along with interesting burial holes dug into the side
of the adjacent mountain. Ollantaytambo
is a major tourist town and base camp for many who start the Inca Trail. Though much of the ruins there are still
under excavation, the Temple of the Water is mostly unearthed featuring various
fountains and canals. There are of
course plenty of terraces, as well as a giant face carved into a nearby
mountain and a colca – a cool place on the mountainside where the Inca could store
potatoes and other crops for 20 or even 30 years. The Pachamama Stone – a large rock at the
site – has crystals inside to capture energy from the sun. When you touch it, you get the energy from
the rock. I desperately needed the
energy for the next day’s challenge!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Inca Trail</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Most tourists to Machu Picchu take the train from Cusco or
Ollantaytambo to the most famous of the Inca ruins. I, however, wanted the full experience, so I
booked early and secured one of the very limited spots on the Inca Trail. The four-day hike sounded daunting: camping is the only option, bathrooms are
rudimentary, showers are mostly non-existent, and the elevation gain can be
more-than-challenging on some days, including over one kilometre of elevation
gain on day 2 alone. Oxygen levels are
lower and altitude sickness is a major concern.
Luckily, our tour gradually increased in altitude from Lima to Nazca to
Arequipa and the highest stop at Puno, so I had ample time to adjust. I figured now was the time to do it – while I’m
still relatively young. There’s also the
threat of the Peruvian government closing down the Inca Trail and access to
Machu Picchu as years of tourism has taken a bit of a toll on the ruins. I wanted to make sure I got in while the
getting was good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I was prepared the best I could be: plenty of water, Gatorade, rehydration
tablets, medicines, snacks, a poncho, walking sticks, and various layers of
clothing to adjust to the changing climate (and thank god I brought that – it went
everywhere from hot and sunny to cold and rainy). The tour company provided tents and meals,
and plenty of cooks and porters to bring the heavy stuff along the trail for
us. The porters were fucking
ridiculous: the ranged in age from 20 to
their 60’s and they could carry up to 25kg (over 50lbs) of stuff in a big sack
on their back while doing the trail in half the time as the gringos. These men should be Olympians. Half of them were wearing sandals too! WTF???
They are MACHINES. The cooks made
delicious meals despite having to cook in a tent. It was insane.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Despite being showed up by 60 year-old men, I actually did
quite well on the Inca Trail. Let’s be
honest, I’m not the most fit of the bunch, but years of treating my body like
crap has made it able to survive and prosper in harsh conditions. At least that’s what I’m telling myself. I was relatively quick on the up parts, though
fairly slow on the down parts due to me not wanting to hurt my dodgy knee. I am old.
Rain on the afternoon of day 1 and morning of day 2 was annoying (it
hadn’t rained in months!) but the sun came out in all its glory on days 3 and
4.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Day 1 was the easiest of the days – relatively flat and with
stops at various archeological sites including Llactapata. The locals also had little stands along the
way to provide some very expensive provisions.
Thank god I stocked up in advance!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Day 2 was the highest day with a steep climb up to Dead
Woman’s Pass. At a whopping 4,215 metres
above sea level, the pass is 1,115 metres higher than our start point that
day. It was a tough climb up, but
rewarding at the end. The rain stopped,
the views were great, and I totally felt like Rocky after climbing all those
steps.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Day 3 featured the Runcuracay ruins and Runcuracay Pass
where we placed wishing stones on the mountain.
We also visited ruins at Sayacmarca, Phuyupatamarka, and Intipata, along
with various old Inca messenger stations along the way. Our lunch stop was near another smaller pass
and it was beautiful – overlooking a valley and actually above the clouds! Llamas wandered through our lunch site and I
got some great photos of them. Walking
to the campsite from the terraces at Intipata, I had the pleasure (along with
Lenora and another girl from our trip) of witnessing a llama block the trail
off and proceed to squat down to take care of some business. And yes, I got a selfie with a llama taking a
shit and piss. ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Day 4 began at… 4am.
Ouch. We climbed another pass up
to the Sun Gate where we were surprised by an incredible view of Machu
Picchu. Though we arrived just after
sunrise, the sun had yet to climb high enough to get into the valley, and we
got to see the whole Machu Picchu site be slowly illuminated a short time
later.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Machu Picchu</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After about another hour of hiking, we were down in the
valley and at Machu Picchu. The
once-important city of the Incas featured various ruins, including the main
temple, the Temple of the Earth, the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Three
Windows, a quarry, an urban area where people lived, and Intihuanatana – a stone
structure likely used by astronomers to predict the solstice. This is a rare survivor of colonial times
because the Spanish destroyed most of these things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Machu Picchu is one of my 103 Things, and I was super stoked
to check it off my list. Going into the
trip, I thought the Inca Trail was all about getting to Machu Picchu and that
Machu Picchu would be the culminating highlight of the journey. But I must say: the actual Inca Trail was more of a
highlight. It was up and down
(literally) and featured so many other ruins and gorgeous landscapes along the
way that Machu Picchu was more of a complement to the incredible journey than
it was the star of the show.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After weeks of being at high altitude, after an amazing journey
exploring one of the new world’s most prominent ancient civilizations, and after
undoubtedly experiencing one of the best parts of my entire year, it was time
to do something a little different. So,
off to the Amazon I went! But first, let
me take a selfie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyEUjbgdKHb1eu_Vyk1qWnMSKlIOO8am7_DPxtNDPBCsw2qCY9Yz5FTtMIGYUSf7RRdnYTj567txjZev5jQVjgy58qImFmhXZ97QdylZbbZyA3r_eMNWOcwbhE2WXJ1fFwOpY8UtrErQ8/s1600/DSC06286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyEUjbgdKHb1eu_Vyk1qWnMSKlIOO8am7_DPxtNDPBCsw2qCY9Yz5FTtMIGYUSf7RRdnYTj567txjZev5jQVjgy58qImFmhXZ97QdylZbbZyA3r_eMNWOcwbhE2WXJ1fFwOpY8UtrErQ8/s400/DSC06286.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To see more photos of my time in and around Cusco, follow
this link:</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100430091619771.1073741932.3000370&type=1&l=2bb31568fb"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100430091619771.1073741932.3000370&type=1&l=2bb31568fb</span></a></div>
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phillipdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08230708396231391641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163438676198081593.post-50541228721138751732016-09-13T02:57:00.000+10:002016-09-13T03:01:03.911+10:00From Arequipa to Titicaca (hehe!)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I cut off the last blog at Nazca. After the nausea from the scenic flight
subsided, our little group boarded an overnight bus and ended up a few thousand
feet higher up in the Andes. Why can’t I
breathe?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A few highlights of my time in Peru… part 2:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Arequipa</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Though substantially smaller than Lima, Arequipa is Peru’s
second largest city and one that I wish I had more time to explore. With only 24 hours to play with, Lenora and I
left the group and made our own way around the city on one of my classic “I
must see everything” tours. We started
in the Plaza de Armas, where the city’s cathedral takes up one entire side of
the square. It’s the largest cathedral
facade in Peru. Nearby, the Museo
Santuarios Andinos houses the famous Juanita – a mummy that was found high up
on a mountaintop in the Andes, nearly perfectly preserved by the freezing cold
temperatures. We took the compulsory
guided tour and learned about ancient cultures of Peru as well as plenty of
details on the mummy herself. Sadly, no
cameras were allowed. Finally, we hired
a guide and walked around the Monasterio de Santa Catalina. Big enough to be its own little city, the
monastery used to house hundreds of nuns and operated for hundreds of years as
a convent, school, church, shelter, and more.
A few nuns still live in the compound today, though we didn’t see
any. A short climb up the tower gave us
great views of all of Arequipa below.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Vicu</u><u><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">ñas</span></u><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">:</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Outside of Arequipa, on our way to the town of Chivay, we
pulled to the side of the road in the Reserva Nacional Salinas y Aguada Blanca to
view a big ass group of vicu<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">ñas – the smallest camelids. The v</span>icu<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">ña is the little cousin of
the llama and alpaca, and one of four camelids found in South America (the
fourth being the guanaco, the largest of the lot found down in Patagonia). V</span>icu<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">ñas are not domesticated like
llamas and alpacas are, and locals must sneakily corner the animals in order to
sheer them for their wool. This only
takes place once per year. Incidentally,
their wool is the finest of the camelids.
This combination makes for an expensive sweater. A sweater made of alpaca wool could cost
$400, but the same one made of v</span>icu<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">ña wool would be thousands of
dollars.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>My highest point ever</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Also en route to the town of Chivay was the highest mountain
pass that I’ve ever been over, making it my highest elevation ever. The Mirador de los Andes rests at a prime
4,910 metres above sea level, or 16,109 feet.
That’s over half of the height at which some commercial airliners
fly. Oxygen levels are low, but luckily
I had been on the coca tea that morning, was sucking on my coca candies, and
was doing my best to stay hydrated.
Speaking of being hydrated, the Mirador de los Andes is home to the
highest toilets in Peru. That’s one for
the record books. Note: I didn’t trust them so I didn’t use them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Chivay</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The little town of Chivay was our base for our visit to
Colca Canyon. We did have a little time
to wander around the town, where we checked out their local market full of
colourful corn varieties, lots of potatoes, and plenty of dead alpacas ready to
be cut up, cooked, and eaten. Yummy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Or not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We went down to the nearby thermal baths for a dip in the
warm waters. It also happened to be the
time of year for the largest of the Inca festivals, Inti Raymi, or the festival
of the sun, celebrated near or on the summer solstice. We watched the pre-festival activities and evening
procession, though I was sadly too tired to go watch the big celebration and
fireworks at night. The elevation was
knocking me out and I needed my sleep for the next day’s early start to…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Colca Canyon</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">While not the widest canyon and not nearly as grand as the
Grand Canyon, or even the Fish River Canyon that I visited earlier in the trip
while in Namibia, Colca Canyon is one of the world’s longest and deepest
canyons. Our group took a short hike
along the side, visiting various lookout points, but most of our time was spent
at the super-touristy Mirador Cruz del Condor.
Its name comes from the fact that it’s quite easy to see Andean condors
at the site. The Andean condor is the
world’s largest flying bird. We probably
saw around ten or twelve different birds which is apparently quite a lot for
one day and one spot. It was a bit
unnerving being near them while walking down the paths. The Andean condor is a scavenger, meaning it
eats carcasses of animals that are already dead. If the birds can’t find a carcass, they have
been known to fly into smaller animals (like young cows) on the side of the
cliff so that the prey loses its footing and falls to its death in the canyon
below, providing some good eating for the shifty condors. I don’t think they’d likely go after
tourists, but still…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Maca</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Situated down in one end of the canyon, the little town of
Maca is mostly deserted. Devastating
earthquakes that haunt the area destroyed the town two times, prompting the
Peruvian government to relocate most of the residents to another town
nearby. A few residents refused to leave
and remain in the town, taking care of their restored church building (paid for
by a donation from the Spanish government) and mostly making their living from
tourists who give a few soles to take a photo with a baby alpaca. I took a selfie with a beautiful five-month-old
alpaca named Mateo. Awwww!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Puno</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The city of Puno has a few nice plazas and such, and plenty
of tourist amenities like restaurants and cafes, but doesn’t really offer much
in the way of attractions. It does,
however, serve as the launching off point for the world’s most hilariously
named lake…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Lake Titicaca</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">One of the world’s largest lakes, and arguably the world’s
highest navigable lake, Lake Titicaca is certainly the funniest sounding lake
(hehe!) It would have been a fantastic
day trip from Puno, but sadly turned into an awkward overnighter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The lake is split between Peru and Bolivia, though we stayed
only on the Peru side. The edges of the
lake are full of reeds, and local islas uros (aka floating villages) are built
on these reeds. We took a tour of one of
the villages, got dressed up in their traditional garments, and even went for a
ride on a traditional reed boat. The
village ladies happily serenaded us with “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” after we
boarded. That’s the only English they
know. We also stopped on Isla Taquile,
one of the largest islands in the lake.
We did a hike up to the town and had a trout lunch high up on a hill
overlooking the lake.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our final stop was Luquina Chico for our overnight homestay. Situated on a peninsula that juts into the
lake, the local villagers house tourists for a bit of extra cash. We played soccer with the locals, watched the
sunset over the lake, and got dressed up yet again in their traditional
garb. Our little homestay was basic with
a family of farmers. The family grow
potatoes and raise sheep. We witnessed
one of their chickens lay an egg.
Exciting! The family didn’t speak
much Spanish (they speak the local Aymara language) so the whole thing was a
bit awkward. We were tasked with helping
to herd the sheep in the morning, but seeing as we couldn’t really communicate
with their daughter who was in charge of that job, we mostly just watched
her. I asked her a few questions in my
basic Spanish, but it quickly became clear to me that my Spanish was far more
advanced than hers. Eeek!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">From Lake Titicaca (hehe!) we headed a bit north to the old
Inca capital and the current tourism capital of Peru: Cusco.
More on that in the next installment.
But first, let me take a selfie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ2xuqJ8nUngKXYaZvkVDD34qhGU8QvXJCEcH6SFWU8BYlW6keqkkGoozlbk7HBDIer8SusOXcWOzjAI7dtFXnMilJNTXMKclwo5_aMdn0RXX02LzuT3eD6I6D867IOoi2bhiJ7yw0H8p-/s1600/DSC05285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ2xuqJ8nUngKXYaZvkVDD34qhGU8QvXJCEcH6SFWU8BYlW6keqkkGoozlbk7HBDIer8SusOXcWOzjAI7dtFXnMilJNTXMKclwo5_aMdn0RXX02LzuT3eD6I6D867IOoi2bhiJ7yw0H8p-/s400/DSC05285.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">To see more photos of my time in and around Arequipa and
Colca Canyon, follow this link:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100426308166841.1073741930.3000370&type=1&l=72beee81a2">https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100426308166841.1073741930.3000370&type=1&l=72beee81a2</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">To see more photos of my time in and around Puno and Lake
Titicaca, follow this link:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100427630157561.1073741931.3000370&type=1&l=3e237079bd"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100427630157561.1073741931.3000370&type=1&l=3e237079bd</span></a><br />
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phillipdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08230708396231391641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163438676198081593.post-10159168171148194792016-09-10T20:40:00.000+10:002016-09-10T20:40:25.331+10:00Lima, Lots of Bird Poop, & the Nazca Lines<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I’ve already discussed the food and a brief introduction to
Peru in the last blog, so I’m just going to jump right in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A few highlights of my time in Peru… part 1:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Lima</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My tour of Peru both started and ended in Lima. I had about two and a half days in the
beginning and one day at the end, which I think was sufficient to see the main
sights and do some souvenir shopping.
Lima is an interesting city. Much
of the city is big, poor, and dangerous for tourists. Traffic is terrible and mass transit is
useless. But the hub of tourism – the
Miraflores neighbourhood – is swanky swanky swanky. It feels like a scene right out of the nice
parts of Miami. Perfectly safe to walk
around even at night, my accommodation and most of my meals were located in
Miraflores and the adjacent neighbourhoods.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I visited the historical centre of the city, exploring the
catacombs beneath the Monasterio de San Francisco and Lima’s cathedral, where
the remains of Francisco Pizarro are buried.
Pizarro was the Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca empire. He had been buried there for ages, but in
1977 another set of bones was found during excavations and DNA testing proved
that the newly found bones were actually Pizarro’s bones. The bones were switched out. Not at all a hot mess…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Lima doesn’t disappoint in the museum arena. The Museo de Arte de Lima (oddly shortened to
MALI) houses a great and not-too-overwhelming collection of mostly older
artifacts and artworks spanning the history of Peru. Further away from the centre of the city, the
Museo Larco is a massive private
collection of artifacts of the ancient cultures of Peru. The main draw: the Erotic Gallery, featuring all sorts of
sculptures, vessels, and more depicting penises, vaginas, and all sorts of sexual
acts. The ancient Peruvians – Inca,
Nazca, and the rest – were a kinky peoples.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Circuito Magico de Agua is an awesome fountain, music,
and light show. It cost 4 soles – less
than $2 – and was by far the best fountain, music, and light show I’ve seen –
even better than the one in glittering Dubai.
The Choco Museo – a chain of chocolate restaurants and shoppes (each
with a small museum inside) around Latin America – has a location in Lima and
we decided to finish off our travels with a chocolate making class. Yummy!
And fatty! Lima also had plenty
of souvenir shopping, though I bought the majority of my souvenirs in
Cuzco. Details to follow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Paracas</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A few hours south of Lima lies Paracas – a small coastal
town with two claims to fame. The first
is a giant geoglyph in the shape of a Candelabra carved into a hillside in the
desert just down the coast.
Archeologists are unsure of its origin, but many believe it is likely
related to the Nazca Lines. A bit
further out are the Islas Ballestas.
Though uninhabited by humans, this island group is inhabited by any and
every type of bird you can think of:
penguins, boobies, terns, cormorants, pelicans, seagulls,
oystercatchers, vultures, and more. The
birds practically cover the islands like carpet. With that many birds in the area and that
many birds flying overhead, it felt like an Alfred Hitchcock movie. I was also concerned about getting pooed
on. Speaking of poo, the island’s main
industry is guano mining. The bird shit
builds up and up and up, and every few years humans come over and mine it for
fertilizer. We also saw sea lions and so
much krill that parts of the water looked red.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The only other attraction in Paracas is an odd “museum” that
we went to. Our group entered an
elevator with seats in it, which then took us up and down showing us various
dioramas of life in the area. The
entrance is through a restaurant. The
whole thing is mind-blowingly odd. I’m
also unsure of just how safe it is… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Ica</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our group stopped in the town of Ica on the way from Paracas
to Nazca. There, we visited a Pisco
winery – a type of brandy made by distilling wine. We did a sampling and then realized that we
hadn’t had lunch yet. Who’s ready to party? Not far down the road is the Huacachina Oasis
– an actual oasis in the desert. These
things actually exist! Who knew??? Giant sand dunes surround the whole area, but
this little spot has a lake and lush vegetation all around it. It is quite built-up with tourist
accommodation and restaurants and adventure sports like sandboarding. I decided to just have lunch and watch the
topless men try to walk the tightrope that was installed over the lake.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Nazca</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Home of the famous Nazca Lines, this is definitely the most
mysterious site that I’ve visited on my gap year. Giant lines and figures are carved into the
desert and they weren’t discovered until the 1960’s when someone took the first
flight over the area. They are believed
to have been carved by the ancient Nazca people (before the Incas) as a way to
appease the gods during a great drought which brought the downfall of their
civilization. There are plenty of
straight lines carved into the earth as well as a series of trapezoids. But more elaborate figures are the
showstoppers here: a whale, monkey,
spiral, dog, hummingbird, condor, spider, parrot, heron, and more. There’s even an astronaut! Well, it’s not quite an astronaut but it sort
of looks like an astronaut so that’s how it’s called these days. Carvings of a tree and a pair of hands are
visible from a viewing platform, but the rest are only visible from the air on
scenic flights. We had a tiny 8 seater
plane and just like my tiny sightseeing plane in Botswana, I was moments away
from spewing uncontrollably. The plane
rotated almost 90 degrees to the left to give that side a good view, and then
90 degrees to the right to give the other side a good view. And that happened for every geoglyph that we
saw. I’m getting too old for this shit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Nazca people are famous for more than just the Nazca
Lines, though the lines do steal the show.
Our group visited a pottery workshop where old Nazca pottery is restored
for museums, and new pottery is made for tourists. Just like in the gallery in Lima, there was
plenty of erotic pottery on display for tourists to buy. More impressive was the Chauchilla Cemetery
which features a remarkable collection of mummies from the Nazca era. Grave robbers took a lot of the relics in the
past, but guards now protect the site and plenty of remains are still on
display. Finally, Cahuachi is believed
to be the most important Nazca site and was only discovered relatively
recently. The pyramids at the site are
currently being excavated. It was
interesting to see how similar styles stretched down to South America from
ancient Mexico and Central America, but to be honest, these aren’t nearly as
impressive as the Aztec pyramids at Teotihuacan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My tour of Peru continued from Nazca up into the highlands
of the Andes, starting with Peru’s second largest city and onto the world’s
most hilariously named lake. You can
guess it. More about those locations in
the next installment. But first, let me
take a selfie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6Wkls_A_opaRGSJJN4JJ92S2QUkrelW6ZjJ9SQZV4IMY87znkdcDZwd-y9V-LsT-B_4qs3CzFfEMqg34u6zZgGD6etxnvGfSlDKX5fLFUE3mJ2XmCEOf2MuM0eR2IqTcxptxE71NF9DC/s1600/DSC06612+-+Denise+came+with+us+to+our+chocolate+class.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6Wkls_A_opaRGSJJN4JJ92S2QUkrelW6ZjJ9SQZV4IMY87znkdcDZwd-y9V-LsT-B_4qs3CzFfEMqg34u6zZgGD6etxnvGfSlDKX5fLFUE3mJ2XmCEOf2MuM0eR2IqTcxptxE71NF9DC/s400/DSC06612+-+Denise+came+with+us+to+our+chocolate+class.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">With Denise and Lenora at our chocolate-making class!</span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To see more photos of my time in Lima, follow this link:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100421835200701.1073741928.3000370&type=1&l=2002f2e270">https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100421835200701.1073741928.3000370&type=1&l=2002f2e270</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To see more photos of my time in Paracas, Ica, and Nazca,
follow this link:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100422481834841.1073741929.3000370&type=1&l=c83400d2d4"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100422481834841.1073741929.3000370&type=1&l=c83400d2d4</span></a></div>
</div>
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phillipdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08230708396231391641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163438676198081593.post-28661781881414655022016-09-07T23:54:00.000+10:002016-09-07T23:54:18.614+10:00Intro to Peru, Peruvian Cuisine, & an Alcoholic Drag Queen<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The final new country of my gap year: Peru. The fabulous Lenora – my eternal friend and
regular travel companion – again joined me for this leg of the tour. Peru is unlike many of the other Latin
American countries I had visited in that it has a high percentage of indigenous
people. While a few other countries have
higher, I mainly stayed in the capital cities in those places so I didn’t get
to see as much indigenous culture as I would have liked. Being at the end of my time in Latin America,
my Spanish was getting pretty decent, and I was surprised to find that it was
almost useless in some places in Peru where the local Quechua and Aymara
languages are much more common.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Despite having a similar amount of time as in Colombia and
in Chile, I feel like I saw a LOT more of Peru, mainly because I was on an
organized tour which whisked me, Lenora, and seven other random travellers
around the southern half of the country.
We started along the coast in Lima before moving into the desert, the
snowy Andes, and the Amazon rainforest.
Every day was something new. The
elevation in parts of the country was ridiculous – more so than in Colombia or
Ecuador – and I had to actively fight off altitude sickness by staying super
hydrated, drinking coca tea, and mostly abstaining from alcohol.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Also, Peru wins the award for worst driving in Latin
America. It wasn’t as bad as most of
Asia, but it could give a few of those countries a run for their money.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I usually finish off blogs for any particular country with a
talk about the food, but I’m defying the trend here and starting with the good
stuff. Mainly because the one question I
keep getting asked is: “Did you eat guinea pig???”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The answer: Yes, yes
I did. Come on – I’ve eaten worms and
ants on this trip so why say no to guinea pig?
Cuy asado (roasted guinea pig) is a popular dish so I had to try it
once. Luckily, one was ordered for our
whole group to share so I didn’t have to eat a whole one (or pay for a whole
one) by myself. It came out whole just
like I expected and it looked gross just like I expected. I got a leg piece. I could see its tiny little foot with its
tiny little claws on my plate. I had a
few bites, but there wasn’t too much meat on it. Maybe it tasted like chicken, but I’m not
entirely sure. It’s hard to determine
the taste when you know exactly what you’re eating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Alpaca is another common meat for tourists to try. And only tourists. Locals don’t eat alpaca. It’s sort of like Fosters in Australia: nobody knows where to even get it but
tourists manage to find it, drink it, and think it’s cool. Anyway, I had alpaca meat cooked a variety of
ways. Some of the more interesting meals
I had were alpaca ravioli, alpaca meatball pizza, and – the best – an alpaca
burger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Breaking away from the weird animals, a lot of the meals I
had were pretty basic and pretty similar to other Latin American foods, mainly
consisting of grilled chicken with rice or French fries. While there are some very typical Peruvian
foods, the locals (especially those outside the cities) really only have access
to the basics. We made fried bread
during our homestay at Lake Titicaca. It
was sort of like a sopapilla. Aside from
this bread, the other bread we had almost everywhere around the country wasn’t
all that great. Another great thing we
had in the homestay was fried cheese. It
was almost like haloumi and when I asked what type of cheese it was, I was told
it was just “fried cheese”. I’m ok with that. Rice is common, and quinoa is a very popular
grain as well, often cooked into a soup.
They eat lots of vegetables, and lots of corn. There are dozens of types of corn
available. If you think that seems excessive
then let me share this bit of information with you: Potatoes.
Lots of potatoes. There are
something like 4,000 types of potatoes grown in the Andes of Peru. FOUR THOUSAND. So, basically, in summation: fuck you, Idaho.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Potato is the main ingredient in the causa – a big chunk of
peeled, cooked potato with toppings like chicken and vegetables. I think this is their equivalent to the baked
potato in the USA, but obviously without all of the butter and cheese and bacon
and other things that transform a somewhat basic and healthy food into an
artery-clogging masterpiece.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Trout is a common fish in the country and is abundant thanks
to it being introduced into Lake Titicaca.
I tried my first ceviche in Peru.
Most ceviche includes shellfish which is a no no for me, but trout
ceviche is quite common and Phill-approved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My absolute favourite dish in Peru is aji de gallina. I had my fist aji de gallina in Santiago,
Chile (Peruvian food is super popular in Chile) and I thought I was going to
die from how heavy the dish was. It’s a
chicken dish served with huancaina sauca, a spicy, creamy, thick yellow sauce,
over rice. Some of the fancier tourist
restaurants play with the recipe and make it into a fusion dish, such as aji de
gallina ravioli, but the traditional aji de gallina is delicious without the
gimmicks. The aji de gallina in Peru
didn’t seem as heavy as in Chile, which means that either it was cooked more
authentically or I was just getting used to it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Every meal deserves a drink, and I had a few good ones. Inca Kola is a popular soda, but it is too
sweet for me (how old am I???) It sort
of reminds me of a mix of bubble gum flavour and Mountain Dew. Mate Inca is a tea that helps with altitude
sickness, as is coca tea – made from the same leaves that are processed to make
cocaine. Apparently I’ll probably fail a
drug test now that I had a lot of the tea, but it doesn’t have any effect like
cocaine when you chew the leaves, drink the tea, suck on the coca-infused
candies, or eat the coca-infused biscuits and chocolates. Pisco Sour is a common cocktail made from
pisco – a brandy made by distilling wine.
Every city seems to have its own beer, but I had only two of them during
my time in Peru: the Arequipe<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">ña
(from Arequipa) and Cusqueño (from Cusco).
Very creative naming. Finally, my
favourite is chicha morada, which aside from being a fermented purple corn
drink, would also be a great name for a drag queen. And just like the drag queen, the chicha
morada drink can be alcoholic or not.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For fruits, I tried a granadilla which is reminiscent of a
passionfruit but sort of looks like a cross between a red apple and an orange
and a coconut. Or something like
that. Lucuma is a popular tropical fruit
that tastes like caramel and therefore I only consumed it in milkshake and ice
cream form. And speaking of dessert, I
have two words for you: queso
helado. It translates to “cheese ice
cream” but it was not cheese ice cream.
It’s only called that because it looks like cream cheese. It is actually flavoured with honey and
cinnamon and happiness and is a specialty of Arequipa. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Finally, it wasn’t all about Peruvian food, but it sort of
was. Peru has a large amount of both
Chinese and Japanese immigrants and their cuisines have evolved and merged with
Peruvian cuisine. Chifa is the name for
Chinese-Peruvian cuisine which consists of a lot of stir-fried noodles and
rices. I had a lot of this. Nikkei is the Japanese-Peruvian cuisine but I
had a ton of sushi in Chile and was sort of out of the mood for this in
Peru. Sad. Of course I had Mexican food, which was
decent in Lima, but everywhere else insisited on making tortilla chips out of
wontons. WTF? Peruvians:
you are surrounded by dozens of types of corn and you make Mexican-style
chips out of wontons? Ugh. I guess the Asian influence extends deeper
into Peruvian cuisine than I thought.
Last (literally our last meal in Peru) but certainly not least: CREPES & WAFFLES! I had it in Panama and Colombia and Chile,
and I got to go to Crepes & Waffles one last time in Peru. I had my favourite Mexican chicken crepe and Colombian
coconut lemonade, and got a sweet manjar blanco (Peru’s version of dulce de
leche) waffle for dessert. YESSSSSS!!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ok, that’s all for the introduction and food. Next up, details of my travels around
Peru. But first, let me take a selfie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmAA51vx4bNiZgYl0J1WLEvEJTo7CNnNPqnxTYPU5dT54pUJ3-MHWgWdRTmt3VZKtnBS9FX9n7iPyaz8Z2em4SECjqvZ-BaQmawZ0TZ0P_Vn8J-oSv1Py5VRGYWHKdemP4Hk_emW3O6KOc/s1600/IMG_0811.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmAA51vx4bNiZgYl0J1WLEvEJTo7CNnNPqnxTYPU5dT54pUJ3-MHWgWdRTmt3VZKtnBS9FX9n7iPyaz8Z2em4SECjqvZ-BaQmawZ0TZ0P_Vn8J-oSv1Py5VRGYWHKdemP4Hk_emW3O6KOc/s400/IMG_0811.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I took a selfie with a 5-month old alpaca named Mateo. What cool things have you done with your life?
That’s what I thought.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Links to more photos of my time in Peru will follow in the
next blogs.</span></div>
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phillipdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08230708396231391641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163438676198081593.post-57269829620340309962016-08-19T23:54:00.001+10:002016-08-20T00:11:14.656+10:00Easter Island (Rapa Nui)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I don’t even know where to start. Every time I blog, I first go through all my
notes and pictures and make an outline to help me draft my entry. Of all of the blogs I’ve written on this
trip, this outline is by far the longest.
Funny enough, the place I’m writing about is the tiniest of the places
on my gap year. So, I’m just going to
get into it. There’s a lot to cover.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Easter Island – famous for its large statues called “moai”
sitting on their platforms called “ahu” – is known as Isle de Pascua in Spanish
and Rapa Nui in the local Polynesian language.
Rapa Nui is not, however, the original name for the island. Its original name in the local language is actually
a longer name that means “naval of the world”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Rapa Nui is part of Chile, but it is anything but
Chilean. Not that Chilean is a bad
thing, but Rapa Nui is just not Latin American in the least bit. It’s Polynesian – just like Tahiti, New
Zealand, and Hawaii. Rapa Nui sits at
the southeastern corner of the Polynesian Triangle that spreads across the
Pacific Ocean and is considered a part of Oceania rather than South
America. While its closest major
landmass is indeed South America, it’s actually a six-hour flight from the
nearest airport: Santiago. This makes the airport on Rapa Nui the
world’s most remote. The fact that Rapa
Nui is part of Chile seems like an accident of history. The island was first settled by a Polynesian
king from a nearby island well over a thousand years ago. I use the term “nearby” extremely loosely as
the Polynesians were excellent seafarers and would have travelled at least two
and a half thousand kilometres in wooden boats just to get here. There’s even evidence that the Polynesians
interacted with the Inca of Peru.
Whether the Inca travelled to Rapa Nui or the Rapa Nui people travelled
to the Inca empire is unknown.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Dutch were the first Europeans to discover the island in
1722. It was Easter Sunday when they
first set eyes on the landmass, so they named it Easter Island and that name
has stuck. The Dutch arrived to find the
island in a bit of disarray. Historians
and anthropologists believe that the tiny island became overpopulated –
possibly with as many as 15,000 or maybe even 25,000 inhabitants (there are
currently only about 7,000 people there including seasonal workers). This overpopulation led to competition for food,
land, and other resources, which then led to intertribal war between the Rapa
Nui people. The Dutch explorers
estimated that the population of the island was only 2,000 – 3,000 when they
arrived. As part of the war, the massive
moai statues that surrounded the island were toppled down one by one during the
conflict. A passing French ship recorded
the last standing moai – the largest – in 1838.
The island’s population was further decimated by a series of raids by Peruvians
where they captured natives to be deported as slaves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The English visited Easter Island, as did the Spanish, naming
it San Cristobal Island. Much of the island
was privately owned by this time. The
island was annexed by Chile in 1888 and later leased to a British wool company
which basically acted as the island’s government for many decades. Chile came back into the picture in
1953. The Rapa Nui people gained Chilean
citizenship some time later and finally gained some level of autonomy as
recently as 2010. While economic
dependence on Chile has quelled any push for independence, there are plenty of
disputes between Rapa Nui and Chile, most notably those concerning land rights,
tourism controls, and an influx of Chilean migrants. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Today, tourism is booming despite the cost and
distance. As mentioned before, all of
the moai were toppled during the war, but many have now been raised and
restored to their (almost) former glory.
The island has only one town – Hanga Roa – but I was easily able to venture
outside the town and around the island in various different ways. I did an organized tour one day, rented a
bicycle another day, and rented a van with a group of people from my
accommodation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A few highlights of my time on Rapa Nui:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Camping hostel</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I stayed at a camping hostel. It is a unique concept and executed very
nicely. I had my own little tent and
there is very clean bathroom block and fully-equipped kitchen on the
premises. I also hung out mostly with
some of the people that were on my flight (we all had shared transport from the
airport). There were six Chileans and
one Peruvian and only one of them spoke a little English (but not too
much). It was good Spanish practice. Hola Jean Carlos, Alexis, Elcira, Javier, y Lisette
(y tus padres!) Espero que ustedes estan
leyendo este articulo con la ayuda de Google Translate!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Hanga Roa</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The little town has only a handful of attractions. There are various maoi that have been
restored within walking distance. As the
town is on the west side of the island, the coastal area where the moai are is
a perfect place for watching sunset, which I did on three of my nights. The pink and red colours were stunning. The museum in town is exceptional and was a
great starting point for my tour of the island.
It has a rare female moai on display, as well as excellent signage and
displays on Polynesian culture (including something like a hangi dinner and
many other similarities with New Zealand), geography, and wildlife (with
several similar birds to the Galapagos).
The airport is right near town.
You may not know this but I’m an airplane and airport geek. The runway was built long enough to be an
emergency landing spot for the space shuttle and it was so eerie to see this
long ass runway totally empty – not a plane in sight – after the daily flight
came and went. Also in town is a church
and some fairly lacklustre souvenir markets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Rano Raraku</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This archeological site was one of the first major sites I
visited. It’s actually a volcano and was
the quarry where the giant moai were carved.
As the carving ceased during the war, the volcano exhibits many moai in
different stages of construction – many still attached to the rock and not yet
carved out of their initial spots. This
is the only place on the island where some moai were technically left standing
– though they weren’t finished yet so it doesn’t quite count. One of the moai that was a work in progress
would have been the largest on the island had it been finished, coming in at
20.5 metres tall and likely weighing between 190 and 200 tonnes. It is still attached to the volcano on its
backside and was never lifted. The
inside of the crater features more moai being carved, which means they had to
get these giant statues first out of the crater and then down to the
coast. How they did it back in the day is
a guess, though many scientists have theories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The site is also home to a seated moai. The seated moai is super rare as there are
only three. Nobody knows if these are
primitive moai or if these were more advanced at the end of the moai era just
prior to the war.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Tongariki</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Quite possibly the most famous site on the island, Tongariki
features fifteen restored, standing moai on one long ahu. The tallest of the lot is 9 metres high and
weighs 76 tonnes. One of the moai even
wears its topknot (possibly representing a hairstyle or hat). The topknots are separate pieces that go on
top of the heads and are carved out of a different volcanic rock. The Japanese archeologists that restored the
site did not want to put the topknots back on the moai as they had been badly eroded. The local workers decided to take it upon
themselves to use their big machinery after hours to reattach one of the
topknots as they wanted to see what it would look like. The archeologists discovered it the next
morning and let it stay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Aside from my organized tour here, I also went back super
early the next morning with the hostel crew to watch sunrise over the giant
statues. It was here that I saw one of
the most remarkable sights on the island:
a guy smoking weed while laying down and pitching a tent in his little
shorts if you know what I mean. Later,
he began doing yoga, took off his shirt, and blasted music. Terrible tourist. But he was pretty hot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Anakena</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This archeological site is actually on a gorgeous beach. I went with my tour to learn about the
history of the site. The row of restored
moai on the main ahu on the beach are the best preserved of any on the island
because they were buried underneath the sand and thus protected from the
elements. They all still have their
topknots and well-defined facial features.
Another moai further down the beach stands alone. At 3 metres tall and 45 tonnes, the solo moai
is shorter and wider than most of the others – leading experts to believe it is
more primitive. This moai is special
because it was the first to be lifted back to a standing position in 1956. Dubbed the “Norwegian experiment” (because it
was led by a Norwegian team), it took 18 Rapa Nui men a total of 16 days to
lift the statue without machinery. It
was an experiment – not a true restoration.
The first true restoration on the island was in 1960.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I also went back to Anakena beach the next day with my new
friends to take a swim in the gorgeous Pacific waters and have lunch on the
beach.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Te Pito Kura</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Another archeological site, Te Pito Kura hosts the tallest
statue moved from the quarry – a 9.5 metre moai (12 metres if you include the
topknot) weighing in at 88 tonnes. It
sits a distance of 7 km from the quarry.
How did these people move it? This
statue – being the tallest – was the one that was the last to be toppled during
the war. The site also includes the
“magnetic rock”. This large, smooth rock
has a magnetic element and will mess with your compass. Locals believe it has what they call “mana” –
like a good life force – and that touching the rock can help you gain fertility
or cure ailments. Unfortunately, the
rock has been walled off because some tourists are fuckwits. I’m looking at you, aroused stoned topless
yoga guy. The local legend is that the
first king brought the rock with him from his previous island, but scientists
believe the rock is likely from Rapa Nui based on its composition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Orongo</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The most unique site on the island consist, Orongo consists
of a big ass volcano crater and ruins of the only religious ceremonial village
on the island. The village – built on
the super steep volcanic rim – was built for the followers of the bird-man cult
which dominated the island through the warfare time. Part of the village ruins have been
restored. A small museum talks about the
bird-man cult and the annual bird-man competition, were the Rapa Nui men would
swim out to nearby islands and wait for migratory birds to lay their eggs. The man who got the first egg won. The islands are visible just offshore, though
getting too close to the edge is scary given the 300 metre drop off from the
rim of the volcano to the ocean below.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Other archeological sites</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I visited a few other sites on my organized tour and my day
with the bicycle. Akahanga is a site
with a lot of toppled moai. Vaihu also
has toppled moai with scattered topknots and a circular ceremonial centre. Vinapu features a wall built in the style of
the Incas and provides some of the strongest evidence of encounters between
these two ancient civilizations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Pure sex</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Wait – did I just say “pure sex”? I don’t know where that came from. I meant to say “traditional dance show.” Sorry.
On my first night, I went with my little group to the Kari Kari
“Cultural Ballet”. The show is sort of
like the one I saw in the Maori village in New Zealand, and I imagine it’s not
too far removed from a luau (I’ll get to Hawaii one day). The only difference: the Rapa Nui men are hot. HOT.
FUCKING HOT. Like, OMG HOT. How have these men been kept a secret? Now, I don’t recall the Maori in New Zealand
being all that impressive, but that may be because a lot of them have rugby
player builds and I’m just not into that.
But these men – these men were thin but toned. They were sweating while they did their
traditional dance. Also, I saw
balls. BALLS! Do you know why I saw balls? Because these men were barely wearing
anything at all. No shirts. No shorts.
Just little coverings on their man parts. While some had underwear on underneath, at
least one was freeballing under his little covering. With all that dancing and all that flopping,
the berries were bound to pop out to say hi.
I also saw buns. Like, the back
was a thong. OMG.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">One lucky bitch got pulled up from the audience and these
gorgeous men all danced around her in a circle.
I hate her. At the end, there were
opportunities to take photos with the dancers.
Many of the men lined up to take pics with the lady dancers (yes, there
were lady dancers in skimpy underwear and coconut bras but fuck if I was paying
any attention to them…) and all the women were lining up to get pics with the
male dancers. I debated it, but it’s not
as liberal as other places and I didn’t want to be that creepy gay guy. In hindsight, fuck all that. I should have done it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">All those men.
Polynesia has shot up my rankings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Food</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Like everything else on the island, food is super
expensive. Unfortunately, that means I
didn’t spring for one of the traditional Polynesian dinners which seem to be
exclusively at the swankier places.
There are a handful of reasonably priced little restaurants on the
island, and I did end up eating at the same few places more than once during my
four days there. The only real
traditional food I ate was a poe – a banana brownie that has no chocolate. It was good, but I was disappointed. The guy said brownie so I was expecting at
least some chocolate. The poe can also
be made with pumpkin or other fruit or vegetables… but not chocolate. I also had a beer from the Mahina brewery
which is local to Rapa Nui.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Transport</u>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I just want to say that my flights to and from Rapa Nui on
LAN’s (Chile’s main airline) Boeing 787 Dreamliner were wonderful. I had a window on the way in and got amazing
views of the island on approach. I also had
the last row, which I chose because it was the only window seat available. The last row was actually a 2-3-2
configuration rather than a 3-3-3. I had
a ton of extra legroom, a foot rest, more of a recline angle, room on the side
of my seat where I could set my bag, and two tray tables (one on the chair in
front of me and one in my armrest). I
could keep my laptop out during meal service.
The staff were super friendly in both English and Spanish and the food
was pretty good too. After that
experience, I opted to choose the back row for the return leg too when I
checked in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I had originally thought that I wouldn’t need much time on
Easter Island because it’s small and it’s basically just moai after moai of
archeological sites, but there’s a lot I didn’t get to do: a bunch of hiking, one whole side of the
island, different beaches, and more.
Maybe I’ll go back one day or maybe I’ll opt to explore different
Polynesian islands first. Who knows.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">After Easter Island, I headed back to Santiago for a few
more days with Claudio before jetting off to my last new country of the gap year: Peru.
But first, let me take a selfie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMd-rXPP3fvB7WSGrojKuyobdsLap6ATNw-hQ8nqSJ_C5budvktqfUy7sd5LAP6N0vRX6stROnKaFdib1YtzS7yxklvZSlHe2Xr0wNwE6QXNeJnyODCwKPefo96izK_pl4S1veuK3G8Ed/s1600/DSC04461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMd-rXPP3fvB7WSGrojKuyobdsLap6ATNw-hQ8nqSJ_C5budvktqfUy7sd5LAP6N0vRX6stROnKaFdib1YtzS7yxklvZSlHe2Xr0wNwE6QXNeJnyODCwKPefo96izK_pl4S1veuK3G8Ed/s400/DSC04461.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">To see more photos of my time in Easter Island, follow this
link:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100414063140971.1073741927.3000370&type=1&l=56086734ec"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100414063140971.1073741927.3000370&type=1&l=56086734ec</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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phillipdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08230708396231391641noreply@blogger.com0