And then...

Yes I know Im bad at updating. If you want to read someone that updates regularly check out my sister's blog.
As for me I am after all travelling and computers arent always plentyful here in Bolivia.

Since the Inca Trail I have done loads of things!

I have visited Lake Titicaca
Were we did 2 nights of homestays.


Joined my new group and gone to the Salt Flats were we spent Xmas.


The hostel on the first night was brilliant and all made of Salt.
But the place we were at on xmas (the 24th) wasn't as fancy but we made it as xmassy as possible.


Visited some silver mines (were I was forced to climb down a rope which I did with as little grace as possible and a lot of healthy fear)


And now enjoying a lovely town called Sucre.

For New Years we are supposed to be in Santa Cruz in Bolivia and supposedly spending New Years in a waterpark (if open)

Inca Trail!

Yay! I survived the Inca Trail! Now Im off to eat Guniea pig. Will do proper update later and see if I can get some images uploaded somehow.

Update....Inca Trail.

In Arequipa now. The Inca trail is getting nearer and nearer. On saturday I start the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. And I have been warned that it´s murder!

At the highest point I will be 4,215 metres (13,830 ft) above sea level.

Apparently day 2 is the worst because all you do all day if walk up steps, thousends of them :-(.

Only rainclud on my sky is the fact that I have been sick for over a week and still are. My stomach is shot and I keep feeling nauseas. But spoke to doctor over the phone and on medication now so should hopefully be OK. Will go see the doctor in Cuzco before the trail if still sick but hopfully there will be no need.

Also no shower for 4 days sounds a bit staggeing ;-)

But yeah I am looking forward to it and will enjoy seeing Machu Picchu at the end!

Ecuador!

Today is my birthday! And I´ve just spoken to my boyfriend, my best friend and my parents. Before that I was feeling a bit down not having any of them here but now I´m happy!

I also checked my Facebook and all the lovely people whose wished me a happy birthday. So now all is fine.
Tonight I am going out for dinner with my gap group to celebrate my birthday, which wont be as fun as if my friends were here but should hopefully still be a great time.
I can wait to post pics of the stuff I have done so far thou anything water based I dont have pics since my camera isnt waterproof.
I´ve been Paragliding and Rafting and Tubing, I also had the chance to do a bungyjump but I chickened out! :-)

Picutures will follow in due time. I still have pics of Vegas I can post. But wanted to just do a quick post today.

Tomorrow it´s onwards to Peru!

Grand Canyon

Right now I am in Ecuador in an Internet Cafe. Tonight I will meet the rest of the group Im going with and they it´s of to the Amazon.

I succeded in uploading some pics from The grand Canyon, Vegas and New York. So thought I´d do a quick post with some pics form the Grand Canyon atleast, to start with.

Sunrise over the Grand Canyon

Me and my fellow band of very cold explorers!

Like I said, it was cold...

Steph and Markus looking over the edge

Markus up a tree

Steph admirering the vieu

Me

And on the way back we stopped at the hoover dame.

Hopefully I will get more pics but I wont worry about that until I get home.
The Grand Canyon was beautiful and if you have to decide between seeing the the Grand Canyon or the Niagara Falls I would vote for the Canyon.

Last week in the states

OK, now I am in Las Vegas. I'm afraid this town might be slightly wasted on me since I am not a gambler and don't understand why anyone would build a town in the middle of the desert just for gambling.
But I am looking forward to seeing the Grand Canyon which I am driving to tonight with a bunch of couchsurfers.Then we are staying there for the night and will look at the Canyon in the morning.

Then Monday I an going to LA which will be my last stop before South America. Which I am flying to on Wednesday night/Thursday morning.

I had a great time in New Orleans (Halloween was interesting).
Then I flew to Seattle where I had nice weather for 1 1/2 days before the rain and thunder started making the rest of my visit there were grey and dull.

Then I flew onwards to San Fransisco, flying into SF as great with the sun shining. My time there was absolutely fabulous and I definitely think it as one of the highlights of my trip. Then I took the greyhound bus to Las Vegas then once in Vegas public transport to my couchsurfing host. At this point I wanted to kill someone! All in all I travelled for approximately 18 hours! IT WAS HELL!.
If the bus hadn't been so full it might have been slightly better but you never know beforehand do you.

Some people have warned me about the greyhound and the dodgy people on it but I had no real issues, I mean some of the bus depos were a bit dodgy but there was never any problem on the bus, thou the guy that sat beside me from SF-LA went to smoke weed every time we stopped then dozed himself in perfume to hide the smell, meaning I had the stink of weed and way to much perfume, sitting just beside me. Not very pleasant.

But no one was scary or really annoying or anything so for that reason I don't mind going on the Greyhound, But the seats are quite uncomfortable and when you are stuck there for hours it can be a bit tough. Also there depos can be locate pretty much anywhere. So sometime you are close to town and public transport whilst sometimes it's a bit of a trek with your bags.


So on Monday day/evening I shall be in LA, thou I guess I want get to do much since I wont have much time there before I leave for South America. Thou I would like to see the big Hollywood sign and perhaps go to the beach. We shall see,oh and I need to post some stuff home. Other then that I shall be taking it slow before part two of my trip starts.

Trip part 2 or is it 3...

In New Orleans.

Sorry I haven't been writing much (not that it matters since no one is reading it but still ;-)). But apparently the states is not a good place to go for Internet cafe's. Brilliant for free wifi points thou but since I haven't got a laptop a bit pointless for me. I've had access in a couple of places but things have been pretty much manic since I started this trip.

Now I am in New Orleans (like the first line states). I like it here!
The swamps are beautiful and I've seen alligators, snakes, turtles, birds etc.
If you like drinking it's also a great town, thou I must admit that bores me after awhile. Got some nice streets and areas and most people are friendly and helpful. I've meet some great people!
They also have loads of great food. Oh and live music which I love.

Halloween was quite a culture shock for someone like me that don't generally celebrate Halloween, and I got some amazing pics that I can't post because I didn't bring the camera led (sorry) and the computer I'm on can't take XD cards.

Anyways that is all for me for today. I'm sleepy and need to hunt for food ;-)

Last day in Boston!

Today I feel knackered, don't know why.

Yesterday I did a tour of the Freedom trail and went to the museum of fine arts. Both were great but by the time I'd been in the museum for 2hours (it was BIG) I was having problems keeping my eyes open.

On the way to the hostel I had one of does strange moments. You know how you can remember thing by their smell and then you always associate that thing with that smell. Well I was walking down the sidewalk when I felt this smell, and first I couldn't remember what it reminded me off only that it was a pleasant memory and then it hit me. When I was little I collected porcelain dolls and I used to have a favorite with black curly hair that I would drag around, and i would snuggle up to her and the nap of her neck smelt just like that.
Yes I know that's weird and all but it's what it reminded me off.

I think it's a pity I have to leave Boston today but I don't have time to stay any longer and I don't want to miss out on everywhere else! Hopefully the greyhound buses wont be too bad.

Turns out STA in the UK didn't know what they were talking about, they said I could just go in and give them the voucher then book the date & time I wanted. Turns out I can't book in advance just have to show up and get it done there and there if available and if the bus transfers anywhere then that's a new booking meaning tonight when I go to Niagara Falls I might get stuck in Buffalo. So not amused with STA. I mean it's quite important details to mention, especially to a woman travelling alone in a country where she knows no one. Also so far everyone has been really helpful except the Greyhound bus people. So far I've spoken to 4 representatives at the station and they were all really rude!

When I get to Niagara Falls I am doing my first time ever couchsurf! What that means is I am staying on someones couch. It's this brilliant website that lets you try and find people who you would get on with in the town where you are going and then stay at theirs (and vise versa). I look forward to it and think it will be a good thing. Hopefully I will find someone in NY too but I doubt it since it's a bit last minute now.

OK will get on with stuff now :-)

In Boston now!
Have booked in to the hostel where I'm staying and had a shower. They got some activites on tonight (bowling or comedy evening) so am just deciding what/if I should join.
Should probebly go hunt for food first thou.

Apparently my mobile don't work here at all, can't even receive or send texts :-( Will need to hunt for new mobile tomorrow.

Miss home already, which I realise it quite sad, but I'm tired and lonely in a new town so I'm allowed to feel that way. Tomorrow will be more woho I think :-) But not being able to text my friends are more annoying then I would have thought it would be, quite sad how used you get to does old things.

Using internet at the hostel. Facebook wont work proberly so can't even say hi to everyone that way.

Wondering what would be most fun, bowling or listening to comedy. Think I'm probebly to tired to bowl, but then again I might fall asleep if watching comedy :-)

OK well that's all for today will updaye once I have more.

Oh and so far Boston seems like quite a beautiful town, and thou it is quite busy, it's not as busy as I thought it would be :-)

To do:

Move (have to be out by saturday)
Finish jewellery order (should have been finished today but I appologised and extended it but need it done before I move out since then I can't make anything.
Get travel insurance
Finish Packing for trip
Get some proper sleep (not looking likelty)
Sort our bank transfers & direct debits
Sort out pay that agency got wrong
Clean room
Go to dentist
Get time at doctor (for a shot *brrr*)
Update blog

Well atleast I kind of did the last thing...

Tickets are now booked!

I am leaving the UK on the 13 October and will not be back until the 25 January!

Unless I get killed or something in which case I might be back sooner...or not at all.

But yay! I'm going :-)

Need input!

As a female about to travel thru North America I do have somethings I wonder about.

How safe it is to travel on my own? I have common sense so know not to trust strangers or walk down dark alleys at night etc, but I do still want to go out in the evenings and meet people so if anyone knows what towns I'm safest to go out in and what areas I should avoid etc please let me know.
Also suggestion of bars etc that would be fun for a single woman to go to are appreciated!

I'm am wondering about the following places:

Boston
New York
Washington DC
New Orleans
Los Angeles
Las Vegas
San Fransisco
Seattle

Bad day today!

In a foul mood today! So I'm watching DVD's to cheer myself up, and listening to music, and eating crap...
Right now I've finished wathing a movie so having a break. Listening to music and decided to post some pics of men I find attractive. For no other reasen then looking at attractive men cheers me up! And I need cheering up.

This is the man of my dreams!

Sadly he's not real :-(

But he does have a real life counterpart! Mr Hugh Jackman


And he's number one on my list (well after the real Wolverine ofcourse)


Richard Armitage (who does look a bit like Mr Jackman)




TJ Thyne, he might play a geek in Bones but I have a thing for geeks (atleast really sexy geeks)


Anglina Jolie, yes I am aware she's a girl but she's sexy


John Barrowman and yes I know he'a gay but he is still dead handsome and it's not like i'm likely to get any of the other guys just because the're straight so who cares.


I have no idea who this guy is except for the fact that he looks really hot in a Gambit aka Remy Lebeau outfit (I found it on the net)

I do have a thing for made-up characters, here is a list:

Mr Jack Sparrow aka Johnny Depp (thou I don't find Depp attractive, only Sparrow)


Spike aka James Marsters who I do find attractive both as Spike and himself.


Riddick aka Vin Diesel



Well that's all from me :-)

It's getting closer!

I am making my trip come together. This is how it's most likely going to look.

Land in Boston:

Spend 2-3 days in Boston, maybe 3 if I can go from there to Niagara falls & then back, otherwise 1 night in Niagara falls as well.

Then Greyhound to New York. Spend 3-4 days in New York.

Then Greyhound to Washington DC. Spend 3-4 days Washington DC 3 days

Then Greyhound to New Orleans thou I will probably need to stop on the way and sleep somewhere, unless I can stay on the bus the whole time. Spend 5-6 days in New Orleans.

Then either the Greyhound to Houston and spend 1 day there or fly (via Huston) straight to Los Angeles. Spend 3-4 days in Los Angeles.

Then Greyhound to Vegas. Spend 2-3 days in Las Vegas

Then Greyhound to San Francisco. Spend 3-4 days in San Francisco

Then Greyhound to Seattle. Spend 5-6 days in Seattle

Then fly from Seattle to LA & then over to South America (because for some reason that's cheaper then flying straight from Seattle).

Now I will work out how many days I will actually get everywhere and how much rooms (or dorms) will cost. And also how long I need everywhere since that depends on what I want to see. So next I will post list of thing I want to do etc.

Trek part 2

Yay! I just had some great news. Someone didn't pay for their reserved space on the south America trek so I have it instead!
Meaning my plans are back on track and if everything goes OK I will be leaving the country early October :-)

Florence And The Machine

One of my new favorites! Florence And The Machine are brilliant!

Trek

My trek might be delayed to next year!

Something went wrong when the travel place reserved my seat on the South America trek so I probably wont get a seat.
I find out Monday or Tuesday :-(

Which means that I could still go but not do South America which seems like a waste. Or spend money on another trek that I might not like as much.

So if I can't get this space I will wait and go next year instead, that does shake up my plans quite a lot but at least I should have more money when going so might do more.

I guess there is an upside to everything :-)

But like I said I will find out in a couple of days.

Bad day!

Had a bad evening yesterday followed by a bad day today because I'm still upset about yesterday! But such is life I guess and I am trying to see past it.

But still it's hard.

Think I will go for a swim after work, for some reason that usually makes me feel better.
Also will try to make some posts tonight, that might cheer me up, and for dinner I am making myslef blueberry pancakes. Wish I wasn't staying off sweets for 2 weeks (different story) or I would add cream & chocolate to the pancakes.

Richard Armitage

Watched North & South on Sunday. All 4 episodes in one go.

Had never seen it before and now I'm sold on Armitage. I mean the guy is sexy in Robin Hood but I never really watched it and didn't like his character.

But now...

The guy is sex on legs!

And he's a really god actor in North & South, the character suits him down to a tee.

Me jealous...

Ok will stop drooling now...

India!

Was deleting pictures because my computer is too clogged up, and found some (well loads actually) of pictures from the second time me & Jeff was in India.
So I decided to post some, due to the amount I will split it into sections and do It as more then 1 post.
I wish I could show pictures from my trip around Europe or the first trip to India but that was my pre-digital camera era :-)

First time we went we were with Indian friends the whole time so this time we wanted a week without them, which we spent in Delhi.
We were planning on travelling further away but British Airways lost my luggage and it took them a week to get it back to me.
When they did they delivered it to the wrong hotel and had ruined half my clothes by getting the bag wet somehow (before putting it into a plastic bag whatever the logic in that might have been). Also there is no one you can call whilst waiting for your bag, we had to travel all the way back to the airport to get any kind of answers.

And BA refused to pay me back for the ruined clothes! This is why I these day try to avoid travelling with them if possible, because I can live with them losing the bag but the way they treated it was appalling.

Also since I am a tall and broad shouldered woman I couldn't by any clothes that fit me. So the first week I wore tops that where too small and bought a pair of trousers for men. Also I could get hold of nickers but no bra my size so kept having to rewash it by hand every day. It did put a downer on the tip since we were hoping to go to Jaipur and ride on Elephants which we didn't get time to in the end because of British Airways.

Busy streets of Delhi. We lived in whats supposed to be the dodgy area. Well I think their dodgy area is safer the our nice areas.
Look at all the cables, that's how they get electricity :-)




Me in gemstone heaven! The first time we went we couldn't really find any, but this time we found a whole street full. Also as you can tell the top was a bit on the tight side, not my fault all their woman are so small :-)


A rooftop restaurant where I could actually get some food. To elaborate, thou I am quite willing to try all foods once, spicy food really don't agree with me. First time in India I lost 2 dress sizes because I lived on rice & water. Also Jeff liked it because they sold beer (not all places sell alcohol).


Our street at night.


Then we went to Derhadun where a friend of mine is from.
As soon as we could we borrowed a small motorbike and drove up Missouri Mountain. We both love it there, and whilst Delhi had still been hot we were going in late Autumn so the mountains were quite chilly.

Going up the mountain




And almost at the top looking down.


The first time we took lot of pictures of the town on the top, sadly we didn't this time so unless I scan some of my other pics onto the computer you will just have to imagine it.
And this is on the way down.
Also on the way down Jeff made noises at a monkey which pissed him off and made him chase us halfway down. Sadly the camera was packed down in my bag so no pic :-(

Me looking over the edge.


Some beautiful scenery when going down.


When also visited this place one day. I can't remember what it's called but they are like an organisation looking after the forests. Had a nice museum inside. And the building was so big It wouldn't fit into the picture.


Late cup of Coffee in a Cafe with friends.


Me learning how to ride a bike. I was a natural! Didn't fall once. :-)


As we where there my friend's cousin was getting married so we were invited to the wedding. The first time we went we were also invited to a wedding which is actually why we went. This time it just happened to be at the same time.

So this is me going to be measured for an outfit for the wedding. Apparently I'm not gracious enough to get to wear a sari so I had to go for what they call a suit.
Also as you can see I now have my own clothes to wear that actually fits!


If I post anymore I will post pics of the run up for the wedding and maybe the actual wedding too. :-)