tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38406672888227271872024-02-07T04:40:43.678+00:00Kev and Sarah's AdventureKev and Sarah's travel blogUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840667288822727187.post-64614273542775209542018-12-28T08:11:00.000+00:002018-12-28T08:53:18.034+00:00Varkala - Kerala, India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jwZjNlUGWJ5RFyk29F6_rvXpsMNTM_01OQ7B188NRIXqP3YMqXB1e_KSVGwwvU2qdE7ryn3sBvBX-CSsXQBECuDvSqOtH1XybmhUdjgCKV2N_128nKSi0PeYawPpizTBMCKmdPFvebYu/s1600/93E354E4-861A-42AA-8A82-CADE41CB1375.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jwZjNlUGWJ5RFyk29F6_rvXpsMNTM_01OQ7B188NRIXqP3YMqXB1e_KSVGwwvU2qdE7ryn3sBvBX-CSsXQBECuDvSqOtH1XybmhUdjgCKV2N_128nKSi0PeYawPpizTBMCKmdPFvebYu/s400/93E354E4-861A-42AA-8A82-CADE41CB1375.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);">Time for some beach time!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);">From Monroe Island we happened across a friendly tuktuk driver (who was also an excellent salesman) who convinced us to let him take us via the scenic route to Varkala. It turned out to be a great call as he showed us temples, churches, beaches and colourful local fishing villages along the way.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);">The beaches were golden and unspoilt all the way down the coast and it was great to cut out the main towns, transport interchanges and busy main roads on a direct route to our next destination.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);">Varkala is a small town with a string of golden-sand beaches set up against a high cliff.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);">Perched right along the cliff edge is a narrow road of shops and restaurants. It’s a very pretty setting, and a lovely stroll along the street to browse the shops whilst simultaneously looking out to sea - and what a view! However it is certainly an accident waiting to happen with it being so precariously balanced on the edge! </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);">Apparently in the recent heavy rains and floods that Kerala experienced, there were a series of landslides and so the shops are even closer to the edge now than they were earlier in the year. Some shopkeepers even lost an area of their shop used to hang clothes outside.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-EFcPm4z3xZPDfHECJcUnR-W289hv-N9giiY-vNfDKfCceAQoNrE_hWvCTtcKwh3Ruymtb-HoD77ifvJudkd8U4jdcSeaLSruyZzBzSYzfrBweIx6DS92F2zwqDDDp6q7b0amZw3v308P/s1600/8FE51D31-8ADF-471C-A798-1C2F71826098.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-EFcPm4z3xZPDfHECJcUnR-W289hv-N9giiY-vNfDKfCceAQoNrE_hWvCTtcKwh3Ruymtb-HoD77ifvJudkd8U4jdcSeaLSruyZzBzSYzfrBweIx6DS92F2zwqDDDp6q7b0amZw3v308P/s400/8FE51D31-8ADF-471C-A798-1C2F71826098.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);">The beach is the main attraction in Varkala and is popular with locals and tourists alike, especially as it’s tropical weather in Kerala in winter - compared to cold weather in the north of the country (and even snow in the mountains at this time of year).</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);">The beach is also very popular with westerners so the dress code and modesty rules for ladies are a bit more relaxed and it’s ok to wear a bikini without a constant consideration of whether I should be covering up! To be fair, I am sure I should technically be covered up, as all the Indian ladies were swimming fully clothed (as we saw in Alleppey), but it’s a lot more relaxed here and I selfishly enjoyed having the chance to work on my tan for a few days!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);">The sea is safe for swimming and there are lifeguards on duty - though there are constantly big waves crashing into shore from across the Arabian Sea.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);">I couldn’t quite figure out what the lifeguards were up to, however, as at regular intervals, they would get up and blow their whistles, seemingly pointing at Indian men and telling them to get out of the sea, or move further down the beach. They weren’t telling tourists or families to get out of the sea, just the Indian guys and especially groups of lads! I should point out also that everyone was keeping themselves to themselves and it’s not like the groups of boys were being intimidating or a nuisance, so I’m not sure what the lifeguards were up to - or whether I have just got the wrong end of the stick and imagined this!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);">In any case it was lovely to be able to frolic in the waves and cool off in the sea.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);">Our hotel was away from the cliff area on an adjacent hill and we also had a sea view from our room. Breakfast was served on our own private balconies each morning - a very pleasant was to start the day. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_0asccjlbAK_WPGB-H-DbsswGch6aQYw9fmv-SYPZ7J5d-2Nx8Kqfoqms4Eh-fOsb-HYfynEc9LAhYmMbXF0cIw1mvCgVuBWt4ROh_vNhcMB5S3Wwc7PbQe60DovYxehtEF6w9884kpL/s1600/BC3C84C0-E593-433E-8F0A-3D97337EBF0D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_0asccjlbAK_WPGB-H-DbsswGch6aQYw9fmv-SYPZ7J5d-2Nx8Kqfoqms4Eh-fOsb-HYfynEc9LAhYmMbXF0cIw1mvCgVuBWt4ROh_vNhcMB5S3Wwc7PbQe60DovYxehtEF6w9884kpL/s400/BC3C84C0-E593-433E-8F0A-3D97337EBF0D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);">Most days fell into a similar rhythm, mainly involving sunbathing and reading on the beach, swimming and when we weren’t doing that, we were enjoying the local seafood (huge swordfish, barracuda or grouper on the grill), or a drink and enjoying the view. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);">Happily, the alcohol rules are slightly more relaxed here and most restaurants serve alcoholic drinks, though whether they are doing this discreetly out of sight of the authorities I am not sure! It’s nice to enjoy a refreshing sundowner after a hard day on the beach in any case.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);">The town was lively in the run-up to Christmas, though still fairly quiet in terms of tourist numbers, as we have seen throughout our entire trip. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);">There’s a tradition here for teenagers to dress up as Santa with red robes and masks and take to the streets with loud drums, dancing and wishing people a merry Christmas along the way. We must have seen five groups of Santas in one evening.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);">We decided to try one last Ayurvedic massage and, fortunately for me, I had a better experience than the previous time in Cochin. We were sold a 45 minute treatment, which confusingly went on for 90 minutes - for a princely sum of £10 each! This treatment was a deeper tissue massage than we had previously and involved massaging heated oil into the back and shoulders using herbal compresses. It was pretty good, though it sounded like they were heating the oil in a frying pan - and as I was lying face down I couldn’t see what the therapist was doing - so I was a little nervous they were about to scald me with boiling oil - but it was fine!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);">Whilst I was there, I also got my haircut for £2, which certainly beats having to pay the extortionate London prices!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);">From Varkaka it was homeward bound, flying from Trivandrum to Delhi, then from Delhi back to London. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);">Fun fact about Trivandrum: the zoo there is the zoo that book ‘The Life of Pi’ was based on.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);">It was a chilly 11 degrees Celsius when we landed in Delhi, late in the evening on Christmas Day - good preparation for our imminent return to London! It makes you realise what a huge country India is, to experience such a broad range of temperatures.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);">So, now we’re back home to open our Christmas presents, try and squeeze in a Christmas dinner or two, and stock up on discounted mince pies before they leave supermarket shelves!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0);">Happy new year, everyone!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840667288822727187.post-5106935608323295692018-12-23T04:37:00.002+00:002018-12-28T08:41:12.234+00:00Monroe Island - Kerala, India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisFy9uEZE8DLmE7XfGjNmHnheGI1LL56Yyjhwml-iaVsgpEaI1IfZOF9J6uP1sjSm_hV16eq1G_kA2br3CYY85LRmobK6pyeB8vHZ949QHbOHcM4XOhAguplVs8E7Tfo6twW20w4Bz-rYc/s1600/73639DE9-F66F-4BFC-B222-3CAAF64AFBCF.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisFy9uEZE8DLmE7XfGjNmHnheGI1LL56Yyjhwml-iaVsgpEaI1IfZOF9J6uP1sjSm_hV16eq1G_kA2br3CYY85LRmobK6pyeB8vHZ949QHbOHcM4XOhAguplVs8E7Tfo6twW20w4Bz-rYc/s400/73639DE9-F66F-4BFC-B222-3CAAF64AFBCF.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Time to get out of the town and back to nature! We took a bus from Alleppey down to Kollam and then picked up a tuktuk to Munroe Island; a small island connected by bridges and a boat on an in-land lake.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We stayed in a remote but lovely homestay, which was the only place for us to get meals on the island - fortunately, the home-cooking was of an excellent standard and we had the opportunity to try more delicious Keralan cooking like coconut and cardamom pancakes, Keralan butterscotch rice pudding, tiger prawn curry and more of the classic staples like sambar and avial.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">There are no cafes on the island but Our host, Unni, took us to the “lime soda man” - in the corner of a tiny grocery shop, a local has become famous for his “lime sodas” - a cocktail of fresh lime, chilli, sugar, salt, honey and gooseberry or red grapes, blended together them topped up with soda. They are so refreshing on a hot day and he’s apparently now keeping his shop open until midnight to keep up with demand from hot and thirsty locals and tourists alike! </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0hk1dttKwIyJ5woxvYwWKG4e5Lp8WAMZPn-juEH8ZAWClNrYpyPiu9ifrC9maIXdtiP7EZZqHBeRPx8pYeFjE1wOInQYesQ3MLTPgBbaq6GrFJepx3CxYT9dxeb8T6WyptPOAnxJNT63l/s1600/742ED47F-9EF2-411B-8250-C9302B873263.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0hk1dttKwIyJ5woxvYwWKG4e5Lp8WAMZPn-juEH8ZAWClNrYpyPiu9ifrC9maIXdtiP7EZZqHBeRPx8pYeFjE1wOInQYesQ3MLTPgBbaq6GrFJepx3CxYT9dxeb8T6WyptPOAnxJNT63l/s400/742ED47F-9EF2-411B-8250-C9302B873263.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Unni also took us on a bicycle tour of the island. There are few proper roads and lots of mud paths and short-cuts, so it was great to go with a local or we would surely have got a bit lost!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We visited a cashew nut factory - apparently the nuts are imported from Africa to be processed, which includes everything from roasting, extracting from the shell and grading/sorting by size, colour etc. The ladies doing the sorting invited me to sit down with them and have a go - it’s not altogether unpleasant work as they were chatting as they worked, but it is rather poor pay, with ladies earning the equivalent of around three pounds per day.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfenyq_EJ-7pXd4HuyykW_jDjbjtG0OBHXVu_7q6N7Tw-a2mVx5Acaht6JO00h2qEabS2_0dwVAhAlushFdVm3bf55dNccTNQsKUBy-nkY2M-ncGHkorZa6EYqeAxBzN1zFe6sd95UC29Q/s1600/1704A6F2-7D81-4EDA-93A7-92B683DFFA74.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfenyq_EJ-7pXd4HuyykW_jDjbjtG0OBHXVu_7q6N7Tw-a2mVx5Acaht6JO00h2qEabS2_0dwVAhAlushFdVm3bf55dNccTNQsKUBy-nkY2M-ncGHkorZa6EYqeAxBzN1zFe6sd95UC29Q/s400/1704A6F2-7D81-4EDA-93A7-92B683DFFA74.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">There was a holy festival taking place whilst we were in town and we were lucky enough to see a decorated elephant wearing gold medallions and an ornate gold headdress. The premise is that the elephant is positioned directly outside the door of the temple, so once the prayers and ceremony have taken place, the elephant in all its finery is the first thing the gods will see when they look outside.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Elephants are typically treated well in Kerala and are even kept as “pets” by some very wealthy people. That said I am sure it must be a lonely existence for a lone elephant, no matter how well it is treated. Apparently temples pay good money to elephant owners for their use in religious ceremonies, which in turn supports their decorated and well-respected status.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTqYsg7oWNqfFhwjIKPzsTR2y0nQ_xwrdI-ElJrUcWqiNs7PF0p2Rn2EZkZAyOZk_1uo8nO2RzuXHLrmlOKGfHkC0AostAtKS33hxEtNwco7rROydlIc1-L6006r-UmG5cY7ktwCPGopUN/s1600/6853B159-7621-4B72-A06D-D2BAF868B172.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTqYsg7oWNqfFhwjIKPzsTR2y0nQ_xwrdI-ElJrUcWqiNs7PF0p2Rn2EZkZAyOZk_1uo8nO2RzuXHLrmlOKGfHkC0AostAtKS33hxEtNwco7rROydlIc1-L6006r-UmG5cY7ktwCPGopUN/s400/6853B159-7621-4B72-A06D-D2BAF868B172.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">One evening, Unni’s father took us on a sunset canoe/punting trip through the backwaters, ending with watching the sunset over Ashtamudi lake, then making our way back to the riverbank in the dark in time for dinner. As the sun gradually went down we must have seen fifty eagles in the sky circling above us, and many storks and kingfishers on the riverbank.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">It’s a very beautiful and chilled-out part of the world. All day we overheard music and chanting from the numerous Hindu temples on the island as they sing the holy scriptures as part of their current forty-day religious festival, and in the evenings the air fills up with woodsmoke as the cicadas hum.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">More than ever here, being a Western tourist has been like being a celebrity and the locals are so friendly. Some just stare, others smile and say hello, and all the children wave at us as we cycle past. No selfie requests here though!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Next we’re off to the beach, to Varkala, a popular tourist town set around a high cliff for our final stop on this trip. I’ll write again from there. In the meantime, happy Christmas!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840667288822727187.post-60379056214320484682018-12-19T09:41:00.001+00:002018-12-28T08:40:53.125+00:00Alleppey - Kerala, India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoEY8MK7TAP4asm0ynf3rasxi11xwC2Lh5vVuqVJjx0l4Ea0w6Nn5qL-_43S9H1po5cAPirjH8hXrJxx0dM26QEZ58e87rJuTCegWZuWBw1hEfNdAMZBTnMulVZqM67tlhU9gA_ncfUHEt/s1600/C114D5BF-0728-4D01-83E3-AF273A713817.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoEY8MK7TAP4asm0ynf3rasxi11xwC2Lh5vVuqVJjx0l4Ea0w6Nn5qL-_43S9H1po5cAPirjH8hXrJxx0dM26QEZ58e87rJuTCegWZuWBw1hEfNdAMZBTnMulVZqM67tlhU9gA_ncfUHEt/s400/C114D5BF-0728-4D01-83E3-AF273A713817.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">On to stop number two: Alleppey, a beach town at one end of Kerala’s backwaters.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We took the train down from Cochin, which was an experience in itself. It all started off well and we quickly purchased tickets for an express train for about 70 pence, but the train proceeded to pick up over an hour of delay between us buying the tickets and it arriving at the station so the journey took a little longer than expected.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">However, we were able to pick up a curry and a coffee in the station food court for around a pound each then sit in an air conditioned waiting for 30p and so avoided waiting on the busy platforms in the intense midday heat.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">On board the train it was relatively calm and we found some seats - the biggest shock (though perhaps not a surprise) was the locals throwing their litter out of the open window on to the tracks! Public bins are not a common sight here!</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">At each station along the way and during the journey, food and chai vendors work their way up and down the aisles selling biriyani, doughnuts, chai tea, coffee, cold drinks and crisps - there is never any need to go hungry in India when you have a few rupees in your pocket!</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvytkUSPAi4m0PQq33zt4SDwd-hhodpIp7iTrEz2eIf4LYb_vlP-E0l3f9j_Qy8ZuXgf3ej5rIQ5Hdy7GK5AlbSEwebuWCDJAAzdSG3HsFufqQ2Ib_2TtMwsnJYRuArk6umzX3gRPtexM6/s1600/5416D02A-C2DA-4716-830B-90ACDF801E07.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvytkUSPAi4m0PQq33zt4SDwd-hhodpIp7iTrEz2eIf4LYb_vlP-E0l3f9j_Qy8ZuXgf3ej5rIQ5Hdy7GK5AlbSEwebuWCDJAAzdSG3HsFufqQ2Ib_2TtMwsnJYRuArk6umzX3gRPtexM6/s400/5416D02A-C2DA-4716-830B-90ACDF801E07.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Alleppey is much smaller and noticeably quieter than Cochin - there don’t seem to be many foreign tourists around and locals believe that the November floods put a lot of people off their Kerala holiday plans. Alleppey was one of the towns worst hit by the floods, being surrounded by the backwaters (a network of canals) and we even met some locals on the beach who had lost their home and all their possessions, and their five year-old daughter had to be rescued by a family member, who swam out through the flood waters to save her.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Fortunately now the waters have receded and life is more or less back to normal. The water levels are still quite high but it’s winter here now, which is traditionally a much dryer season so hopefully there will be no further recurrences.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">On arrival into Alleppey, we checked into our accommodation. Our host was a colourful character called Johnson for whom nothing was too much trouble to make our stay comfortable. We were given an upgraded room, had dinner cooked for us and sorted out our houseboat booking.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We wandered a few blocks down to the beach in the late afternoon; the locals like to congregate there at that time of day, once the heat of the midday sun has gone. </span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We were more or less the only westerners on the beach and we soon began to attract quite a bit of interest - this must be what it’s like to be famous! First a group of five or so lads stopped to ask if they could have a selfie with us, then an older couple stopped to chat (and for a photo). We also spoke to a group of ladies who we decided to ask for a selfie for the blog!</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJSQsreana_SbFRF13Va3edMVJrBnk8ahGNNazAZ_ZawnT_qPjtwFtuIk8ZBMbnJbME3JkUvcdJyFl3rwib-WgPrnxi86J7GXke27dQK5KDqyGKY2RXC1rTViQKQtlMJJyFOj45RY5K8-/s1600/8622D7DE-03F7-4AE0-BD2A-E00640FC0633.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJSQsreana_SbFRF13Va3edMVJrBnk8ahGNNazAZ_ZawnT_qPjtwFtuIk8ZBMbnJbME3JkUvcdJyFl3rwib-WgPrnxi86J7GXke27dQK5KDqyGKY2RXC1rTViQKQtlMJJyFOj45RY5K8-/s400/8622D7DE-03F7-4AE0-BD2A-E00640FC0633.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Alleppey has a nice beach, albeit with a warning about swimming in the sea, but I couldn’t figure out if that’s because a lot of Indian children are not taught to swim at school or because it was dangerous. We did go for a wallow in the waves and the sea was so warm!</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I had to make sure I covered up - both in and out of the water - as the Indian ladies were fully clothed on the beach - and in the sea, wading in but not swimming - and I didn’t want to cause offence or unnecessary stares by swimming in a bikini. </span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The town centre is a colourful street decorated with bunting and is busy with the usual tuktuk and motorbike traffic and honking horns. Although only a few blocks away from the beach, the hectic streets of the town feel like a different place.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC8Ds35IbHQI_NngyV9_URGLVQF0UdXsuB7BiEVAMiYr0zJ9W_HeP4OA0aT3S5OahKPUXdyqro0EBYRVm_VOZ47dOyjOyo2u3PFCbtSsN2J_dvEVsKuIgY1x1iElpLv0g93ny0iKiiBkOm/s1600/525E58D1-B178-41EB-B775-B10AF3F26EC3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC8Ds35IbHQI_NngyV9_URGLVQF0UdXsuB7BiEVAMiYr0zJ9W_HeP4OA0aT3S5OahKPUXdyqro0EBYRVm_VOZ47dOyjOyo2u3PFCbtSsN2J_dvEVsKuIgY1x1iElpLv0g93ny0iKiiBkOm/s400/525E58D1-B178-41EB-B775-B10AF3F26EC3.jpeg" width="300" /></a></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">After two nights in Johnson’s homestay accommodation, we booked on to his eco-houseboat and were lucky enough to have it all to ourselves, with our own private captain and chef.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">It was beautiful and serene making our way through the backwaters and lakes, mooring up for meals and spotting birds on the wetlands. We saw eagles, kingfishers and storks whilst lounging on the boat, between reading and playing Yahtzee.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">In the evening we moored at a jetty in an area busy with other boats. It was still very relaxing but with the hubbub of other boaters moored up for the night and passing boat traffic. Houseboat tourism is popular amongst Indian and foreign tourists alike.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We were on the water from midday to nine AM the following morning and our cabin looked directly out on to the water.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">When back on dry land, we took a bus down to our next stop in Munroe Island. We’re heading inland from the other end of the backwaters at Kollam and staying in a rural village on Ashtamundi Lake for some peace and tranquility away from all the traffic, noise and beeping horns in the town. I’ll write again from there.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840667288822727187.post-35427055144428488882018-12-15T16:46:00.001+00:002018-12-28T08:40:39.637+00:00Cochin - Kerala, India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyHAlZk9DTwbLzMYrGjIgWth3eqwFI56ZYBSGbHItn2Iecu43SHxSfaYNv4RpI39JqUrpGyejatFoF58rZBZNcihQBiO0N-ZrUNH4J4FOsTDfNdAmE_uqx3LckmAkoVtfgqro35IL7kHcZ/s1600/985DA699-1CFB-4235-9D5A-735190F5302A.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="994" data-original-width="1600" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyHAlZk9DTwbLzMYrGjIgWth3eqwFI56ZYBSGbHItn2Iecu43SHxSfaYNv4RpI39JqUrpGyejatFoF58rZBZNcihQBiO0N-ZrUNH4J4FOsTDfNdAmE_uqx3LckmAkoVtfgqro35IL7kHcZ/s400/985DA699-1CFB-4235-9D5A-735190F5302A.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">Because of our extensive travels last year, we’ve not travelled too far this year - it’s mainly been European city breaks and a week in Brittany - so we’re excited to be going on a ‘proper’ two-week jaunt to exotic climes!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">I secretly used my air miles to upgrade Kev and I to business class for our flight to Delhi, so we could get some rest on the way and arrive fully refreshed, ready for our holiday; but in reality I think we were too excited and couldn’t sleep, despite having a flat bed on the plane. Still, it was nice to lie down instead of the usual cramped conditions.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">On arrival we had a six-hour layover in Delhi before our onward flight to Cochin so we made ourself comfortable in an airport lounge for a shower and a nap, followed by coffee and some dinner before we departed. We were surprised to see Costa, WHSmith and Subway in the airport arrivals hall and didn’t feel so far from home after all!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">The Air India plane to Cochin seemed to be falling apart with interiors that looked like they’d never been refitted since its inaugural flight in the 1980’s, but with a little faith in Air India’s Star Alliance membership and only a short distance to cover, we were safely delivered to Cochin International Airport, where a friendly taxi driver was waiting to take us to our first accommodation.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">After twenty-four hours travelling we were ready to go straight to bed in our lovely air-conditioned room. Our Homestay was called “Kevin’s Placid Homestay” and our hosts asked if we chose it because of Kev’s name - yes and no I suppose, but it was very comfortable and a great location in the centre of town, in the area known as Fort Kochi.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">On leaving London the temperature was a mild (for the UK) ten degrees, so we had to quickly readjust to the sticky 28 degrees at night and high humidity - but I think I’ll take that over the onset of the UK winter! We were very grateful for the very effective air conditioning in the room, however, despite Kev’s propensity to turn it off in the night when he inevitably gets cold!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">Apparently the temperature here feels like a good ten degrees more than the actual temperature due to the humidity, so our comfortable 32 degrees in the day in fact felt more like 42, which is less comfortable!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">In search of an opportunity to cool down, and making the most of Kerala’s reputation for Ayurveda, we went for an Ayurvedic massage in a nice air conditioned room. As a qualified massage therapist, I try to experience the different types of massage wherever I go in the world but I can’t say that Ayurvedic massage is for me - they basically poured what feels like a gallon of oil over me from a great height, starting with drenching my hair in it. The best part for me was definitely the shower at the end, though it took at least two showers to feel like I’d washed off all the oil! Kev had a slightly better experience, though whether that’s down to having a better therapist, or being less squeamish about being doused in oil, I’m not sure!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">Continuing with our cultural immersion, we booked on to a Keralan cooking class in the following morning and soon realised that Indian cooking is something you learn over a lifetime as opposed to in a three-hour class! There are so many spices and rules about how much to use and the order in which you add them to the dish (in addition to the basics of which spices to use - and not use - for different food types).</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">We made four dishes: sambar, fish curry, anial and coconut chutney and after learning how to prepare them we sat down to a hearty lunch, which was delicious - all the more so for having cooked it ourselves!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">In the afternoon we took a tuktuk to the Kerala folklore museum, where there are three floors of artifacts crammed into every nook and cranny of the building, with each floor displaying Muslim, colonial and Hindu influences respectively. It was interesting and very ornate but they could have done with a building five times the size to display all the exhibits and do them justice.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">To round off our final day in Cochin we went to see a traditional Kathakali performance. An hour before the show starts the audience can watch the performers sat cross-legged on the stage, putting on their make-up; then follows an introduction and explanation of the art form, to help understand the meaning of the dance and in particular the facial movements, and then the show - an hour’s episode of what would traditionally be a performance of several hours that goes on all night! We were quite grateful for the abridged version, albeit a very touristy one and the show was fantastic.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">On holiday and in a hot country it is customary for us to enjoy a cold beer, however Kerala is due to become a dry state, so the sale of alcohol is heavily regulated and restricted. It’s illegal to advertise alcohol and only a very few number of establishments are licensed to sell it - although they are always very busy with locals and tourists alike.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">When enquiring about the nearest bar to get a beer one evening, an ex-pat Brit told us to ask for ‘special tea’ - namely beer served in a teapot and teacups to make it look like tea! We found a bar serving beer in the end and didn’t have to resort to speaking in a secret code but there’s definitely a ‘speakeasy’ vibe to alcohol vending establishments and they are few and far between.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">Next we’re off down the coast to Alleppey, home to the beginning of the network of backwaters to spend some time on a houseboat. I’ll write again from there.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840667288822727187.post-80516158461224550352018-03-17T16:58:00.001+00:002018-03-17T17:32:45.885+00:00When in Rome…<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtSqgG05fIGlUYpS-EtRAt_BWAHSUA7SC18qGlBUBMsYVW1nWfE_15CmRGH5hvXGl-rH6O61tnn_YXklpjtEHuDezRWNPNoUngmz96re4My-R53d2-sXGhqMUgWVew8C6Za22rfq8Uv8c0/s1600/IMG_2840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtSqgG05fIGlUYpS-EtRAt_BWAHSUA7SC18qGlBUBMsYVW1nWfE_15CmRGH5hvXGl-rH6O61tnn_YXklpjtEHuDezRWNPNoUngmz96re4My-R53d2-sXGhqMUgWVew8C6Za22rfq8Uv8c0/s400/IMG_2840.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s been at least three months since we got on a flight and
went on holiday, so must be time to dust off the passports and scratch the
travel itch again! It’s also time to escape the winter weather in London – despite a spring-like week, we have now been plunged back into the snow
with another blast of cold from the east. I don’t know about you but I am
definitely ready for some sunshine and double-digit temperatures now in London!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So off to Rome we went for a short three-night break to cram
in some culture, relaxation and some of my favourite food!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our home in Rome was across the river in Trastevere – so called
because it is across ‘tras’ the river Tiber – or ‘Tevere’ in Italian.
Trastevere is a lively, colourful and extremely busy neighbourhood, with
tourists and locals mingling side by side. Home to hundreds of bars and
restaurants we were spoilt for choice and the standard of food and drink was
generally very high – as you might expect in Rome.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We ate huge pizzas, stretched thin and stone baked; handmade
pasta with delicious carbonara and amatriciana sauces; crispy, deep-fried Roman
artichoke and decadent homemade tiramisus. This is no place to visit if you’re
watching your waistline, though perhaps the several miles we walked every day
might begin to counter the calories as we took in the sights. Perhaps not!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxznGxjGc_Z-svhMpk7irJdZJpWlmS5wf755SK-v0K6l3y3yNwjkMsJ4GjfNn6e_gwq0s7sUNRWZ7AuIMwjlJwOjld3rjlDmPhlgDoO3mWHLkfxBpfOPOAgEyTnLI9rIj0iV-nDu_25Zc-/s1600/ea2f4b8f-e9e4-40d9-9926-cf7b37a8a3df.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxznGxjGc_Z-svhMpk7irJdZJpWlmS5wf755SK-v0K6l3y3yNwjkMsJ4GjfNn6e_gwq0s7sUNRWZ7AuIMwjlJwOjld3rjlDmPhlgDoO3mWHLkfxBpfOPOAgEyTnLI9rIj0iV-nDu_25Zc-/s400/ea2f4b8f-e9e4-40d9-9926-cf7b37a8a3df.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiramisu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As an aside, did you know that carbonara doesn’t
traditionally contain any cream – just eggs, bacon and parmesan? It seems odd
that in the UK it is made with cream. In any case, the Italian version is SO
much nicer. We even found a restaurant that specialises in carbonara (and other
egg-based dishes) and sat at a table overlooking the kitchen as the chefs
prepared our patsa dishes before our eyes. I had a black truffle carbonara and
Kev opted for the prawns with citrus zest version – so good!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsENTkMWz8onXtrXwp6WzjZ4Dddelh-DTG2aV7CWoLOpgiSy3xNuhxtFpS7rdrFcK3pfRhlCdUvH45SCm5NJiznsqfRRS-LXjs3MiwwIBSRHhn_dZaA0B7P-VXyeWn5eeS-mQIsvwmKq3/s1600/IMG_2327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsENTkMWz8onXtrXwp6WzjZ4Dddelh-DTG2aV7CWoLOpgiSy3xNuhxtFpS7rdrFcK3pfRhlCdUvH45SCm5NJiznsqfRRS-LXjs3MiwwIBSRHhn_dZaA0B7P-VXyeWn5eeS-mQIsvwmKq3/s400/IMG_2327.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carbonara</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Even our breakfast pancakes that I whipped up every day from
our little apartment we were staying in tasted somehow better than at home –
probably due in part to the fresh ingredients and higher quality of flour,
since so much Italian cuisine requires a high-grade flour. Anyway, I digress…</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On to the historical and cultural sights – of which Rome
boasts so many it’s almost overwhelming to read the guidebook! Surely we’d need
a month in Rome if we were going to even begin to see everything!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We started with the Coliseum – perhaps Rome’s most famous,
or most popular attraction – and understandably so. Battling through the crowds
of tourists, the first glimpse of the epic coliseum is impressive and the mind
boggles at how it was built without modern day machinery, just human labour.
Coupled with the stories of the battles/entertainment that took place within its
walls, it is a sight to behold and so richly steeped in history.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVcAr62goRnFwEb8Nxir7kLvkN3cFXSpKizJ1NkLgXyyJO_QLxTcvnLVjF9l42EPq_uSeeGEh-_V4trWpWea32QJAhEs5FJUsrkelIVRKX9ZIYEgJAClyq-2I3RGydSOkpixV0X6h_d6az/s1600/IMG_2895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVcAr62goRnFwEb8Nxir7kLvkN3cFXSpKizJ1NkLgXyyJO_QLxTcvnLVjF9l42EPq_uSeeGEh-_V4trWpWea32QJAhEs5FJUsrkelIVRKX9ZIYEgJAClyq-2I3RGydSOkpixV0X6h_d6az/s400/IMG_2895.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Coliseum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8td4i2rWhxZqqkk5pMaD4XtavkK-1WiutJOTRbKyEVvd8BYZXUkcb8hxRh-x-4Hz6cD7l-npRdACuXFR4WJYHlxI0wT0VBKqBsdXjWuFM_XVJ6W4n6FnXYJ9AzyG2RQgcu4AHKaeOsQI/s1600/IMG_2907.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8td4i2rWhxZqqkk5pMaD4XtavkK-1WiutJOTRbKyEVvd8BYZXUkcb8hxRh-x-4Hz6cD7l-npRdACuXFR4WJYHlxI0wT0VBKqBsdXjWuFM_XVJ6W4n6FnXYJ9AzyG2RQgcu4AHKaeOsQI/s400/IMG_2907.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the Coliseum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We continued our stroll through the Forum, taking in the
structures and other monuments of ancient Rome, heading via the elaborate Pantheon,
up to the ornate Trevi Fountain (throw in a coin over your left shoulder and it
means you will one day return to Rome) and down the Spanish Steps. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxaAZwI7bBxzuyfzfiwZJHQomX0hNNlTNcUwD3TB0yP9ODoDw4WvkzyCKFOmQgkkCoRqSjueqosRsf5zv4CSh1g2j_iw0qydU3gBgyH66wR91tBtfVI7lq6DmykxmbTROJCvRUMhyjXlp/s400/IMG_2892.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Forum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfgwNQ27Gds7vtdhJ2GYHG9XcAHCkeBsLrpkBxFxwYGjYq1ItHMjZKLRfPHbp1Y-A4Z07EXS7uet7UnMFHUGL0QuSdAsCRwvVc1SZwrrPRFuTSaeshHBpGr2zfE_xL-6387SFmMHs_KCle/s1600/IMG_2331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfgwNQ27Gds7vtdhJ2GYHG9XcAHCkeBsLrpkBxFxwYGjYq1ItHMjZKLRfPHbp1Y-A4Z07EXS7uet7UnMFHUGL0QuSdAsCRwvVc1SZwrrPRFuTSaeshHBpGr2zfE_xL-6387SFmMHs_KCle/s400/IMG_2331.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<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/AVvXsEgWy2V3-gL1rZeyG-ygixrC3NDhvWZFMqZSrKsJ0v4GLzbJ_Qy-NmGS-0QcUm4ahEJfTo3dcFg7-A5GkUtHh5IrhLtjf2qfgLV7VrxIkbvUmr13Uj5F7xxn7srn3ebij6bI9hEpQgSc0tk5/s1600/IMG_2864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWy2V3-gL1rZeyG-ygixrC3NDhvWZFMqZSrKsJ0v4GLzbJ_Qy-NmGS-0QcUm4ahEJfTo3dcFg7-A5GkUtHh5IrhLtjf2qfgLV7VrxIkbvUmr13Uj5F7xxn7srn3ebij6bI9hEpQgSc0tk5/s400/IMG_2864.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgHsYTyZPV42ou6uo3sgKsqXyZxIvV4n_EhC4TXx9Q79tBb3zvA_5ef6OhP_Vo3vRKdXPdUlMVJ_YeptkCPDcOK-GUYwWp6DcTlSp9xAlKc0vtsmaw1Zeb1xt1SySl-8KDfW8fOe1me1yL/s1600/IMG_2910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgHsYTyZPV42ou6uo3sgKsqXyZxIvV4n_EhC4TXx9Q79tBb3zvA_5ef6OhP_Vo3vRKdXPdUlMVJ_YeptkCPDcOK-GUYwWp6DcTlSp9xAlKc0vtsmaw1Zeb1xt1SySl-8KDfW8fOe1me1yL/s400/IMG_2910.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pantheon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Next, on to
the Vatican city – though we decided against joining the huge snaking queue to
go inside, instead choosing to soak up the culture from the outside.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNdQyESDXhic-IuBCC7rGD1Yu_dJRAZwni9phE9oWBwwgXbZs3I-h11_ich6qKKXZ1hts24tZ4UnBdjt6uGDj3pyxJPP9hiWYdX1pVZMz7JUNh2Qu_pdq0SQeI10Es4AhNQKzR_u-uQBAK/s1600/IMG_2921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNdQyESDXhic-IuBCC7rGD1Yu_dJRAZwni9phE9oWBwwgXbZs3I-h11_ich6qKKXZ1hts24tZ4UnBdjt6uGDj3pyxJPP9hiWYdX1pVZMz7JUNh2Qu_pdq0SQeI10Es4AhNQKzR_u-uQBAK/s400/IMG_2921.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Vatican</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s easy to see why Rome is so well-loved, with its cobbled
streets, beautiful churches and painted buildings – in equal parts decadent and
ramshackle. You don’t need to look far to experience its charm as it’s visible on
every street corner and down every alleyway in Central Rome.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We didn’t quite escape Northern Europe’s weather though – and
used the torrential downpours and thunderstorms as an excuse to bar hop, sampling
some of the delicious local craft beers and locally-produced wines between the
showers. I imagine the city is an entirely different place in the forty-degree
heat of the summer!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At last on our final day in the city, the sun shone and we
enjoyed a day wandering around with the Colegates, who happened to be passing on their way through Italy (next stop Sicily.)
After a final history lesson, pizza and glass of wine in the sunshine, we
headed back to the airport for our flight home, already hoping we can one day
return.</span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-uEhNY_FoINquqTrA430DuRjzax6vL4w24ErP1EQxF9_k3_qhCexF3jNuUdqK9bTn_seBDGA6USMPMvvNLAFuB5oWoYgrXEbfYsc891-MraV4cnsLHOi_mAQWVpXiMzfiojha1xEp6nM_/s1600/80868dfb-ad3f-42f5-90b4-ce0446dc2447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-uEhNY_FoINquqTrA430DuRjzax6vL4w24ErP1EQxF9_k3_qhCexF3jNuUdqK9bTn_seBDGA6USMPMvvNLAFuB5oWoYgrXEbfYsc891-MraV4cnsLHOi_mAQWVpXiMzfiojha1xEp6nM_/s400/80868dfb-ad3f-42f5-90b4-ce0446dc2447.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Colegates - photo courtesy of Caragh!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBkprTYJ-UWYx0BPXv5tAT-Q9YCaX1bjFXvGuGdCo6kppvrUeRLQhdH4gp6qz57jlDG4Uubi1gI4How6W0SuFQYHRxgBx0-pg9SjAzbLadWGUdMD_0aqeTgnVlgFjQbVQaL94k4ZRgAeJ/s1600/IMG_2853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBkprTYJ-UWYx0BPXv5tAT-Q9YCaX1bjFXvGuGdCo6kppvrUeRLQhdH4gp6qz57jlDG4Uubi1gI4How6W0SuFQYHRxgBx0-pg9SjAzbLadWGUdMD_0aqeTgnVlgFjQbVQaL94k4ZRgAeJ/s400/IMG_2853.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840667288822727187.post-58985569521912699052017-08-24T21:26:00.002+01:002017-08-24T21:34:49.744+01:00Perth and Western Australia Photos<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/58543707@N04/albums/72157685524870264" title="Perth & Western Australia"><img src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4346/35947461364_739fdb4f8b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Perth & Western Australia"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840667288822727187.post-27751061429576352402017-08-24T21:22:00.000+01:002017-08-24T21:24:06.262+01:00Hong Kong and Macau Photos<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/58543707@N04/albums/72157681084521755" title="Hong Kong and Macau"><img src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/729/33145164401_1d0f3a305d_z.jpg" width="427" height="640" alt="Hong Kong and Macau"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840667288822727187.post-62536660528798371022017-06-20T12:49:00.003+01:002017-06-20T12:49:43.378+01:00Cartagena (part 2)<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
We decided to spend our last few days in Colombia in
Cartagena, in a nice hotel with cold air conditioning and fast wifi. We even
found one with a small pool on the roof, perfect to cool off and relax after
wandering around in the heat of the city – and in need of a little bit of
luxury for our last few days. Perhaps even more surprising was to find a hotel
that even had a hot water shower, which is something of a rarity in Colombia!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">As we counted down our final few days, we decided to take
it easy and not schedule too much to do. We booked on to a free walk by tour of the old city run
by a local volunteer, who showcased architecture, historical facts and culture
over the course of the two-hour stroll through the city's walled old town. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Some of the fascinating facts we learned were:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->There are twenty-nine bank holidays per year in
Colombia!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Every year there is a competition in the old
town and the house judged most attractive doesn't have to pay any taxes (as an
incentive for all the colonial-style houses within the city walls to keep up
appearances)</span></span></div>
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</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MTqBDYHl_AoKfdeDxqCtGsJrWohtEmlCyzGbozCPQhxecvdxhmn5tF7H2VKP-IGLDcFRU4NhpAQWgj4guz9R6pzasGNw2oIpjPTDF7UhpNP0U2Lny59puyqx-8Om_OUdp_bhJsIDR8sT/s320/IMG_2689.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old colonial style house in Cartagena's old town</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MTqBDYHl_AoKfdeDxqCtGsJrWohtEmlCyzGbozCPQhxecvdxhmn5tF7H2VKP-IGLDcFRU4NhpAQWgj4guz9R6pzasGNw2oIpjPTDF7UhpNP0U2Lny59puyqx-8Om_OUdp_bhJsIDR8sT/s1600/IMG_2689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></a><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We also paid a visit to the crypt, part of the old Santa
Clara Convent - which is now inside one of Cartagena's most premium hotels. The
hotel agreed to keep the crypt intact and to allow public access after the
story piqued public interest: when the crypt was excavated, a skeleton with long
locks of copper coloured hair was uncovered inside, her hair having continued
to grow for 200 years’ after her death. The story was originally featured in Gabriel
García Márquez’ work, "Of Love and Other Demons," a tale which blurs
fact and fiction and is based on this legend.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Famous Medellin painter and sculptor, Fernando Botero, known
for his (often satirical) artworks featuring grotesquely large and exaggerated
people and figures (including his take on the Mona Lisa) has one of his statues
in the main square to commemorate him. It is said if you touch one breast,
you'll come back to Cartagena in a year; touch both and you'll come back in two
years. Touch her fat tummy and it is said to bring good luck! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="550" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHOmtEYBrUuwOWCee3hGfm9Mql5uNn3OL98fW_Reaygrf0VjftrTiQ_mLjyQgOw4__OmY9mYwBrb8yy7SiDZEqI7HQk6IqGwbke8gfW2KkhQ1nJZCNE1MS8RlNmo8mmDqrEGz502rMKUEG/s320/botero+statue.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fernando Botero sculpture</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHOmtEYBrUuwOWCee3hGfm9Mql5uNn3OL98fW_Reaygrf0VjftrTiQ_mLjyQgOw4__OmY9mYwBrb8yy7SiDZEqI7HQk6IqGwbke8gfW2KkhQ1nJZCNE1MS8RlNmo8mmDqrEGz502rMKUEG/s1600/botero+statue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></a><br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1064" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgayjf5-2ZssVydmgMq9t_MhBrg-_Kq25T3jRn_Wsw7WxfnRa58ABXQI6CVPYxZqKeoOWD5gwTQESxR_eTDPG5w-7zT0ZbzPK2VGy50XKDcxatZuq7Dhpybtz1P1zMGmQcPDLJ5FUyOdNBx/s320/Botero-Mona_Lisa.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="283" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Botero's Mona Lisa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgayjf5-2ZssVydmgMq9t_MhBrg-_Kq25T3jRn_Wsw7WxfnRa58ABXQI6CVPYxZqKeoOWD5gwTQESxR_eTDPG5w-7zT0ZbzPK2VGy50XKDcxatZuq7Dhpybtz1P1zMGmQcPDLJ5FUyOdNBx/s1600/Botero-Mona_Lisa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We stumbled across some amazing - and highly energetic
dancing throughout the city. This traditional Caribbean-Colombian
"Mapale" dancing accompanied by fast-paced drumming and clarinet
represents an erotic courtship between a man and a woman. It was introduced by
African slaves brought to Colombia in a Spanish ships. The movements are said
to be based on the movements of the mapale fish when they are out of water.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tbsyW6VvTK0/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tbsyW6VvTK0?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Leaving Colombia, we flew back to Mexico for two nights
in Isla Mujeres before our long flight back to London. Two days on the
beautiful Playa Norte was enough to make us want to stay longer and continue
our travels - but no such luck: reality is ready to resume in London; jobs to be
found and money to be earned!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt6UgPkn_tsYHlkIv9YCfLVvLMl5LIbdgErHEWe-eOC3FzXusp8fo5K82T38r0XyKxwXrQlSrEhP7tkiEIsI886-Z8e1ClH2FR5qJyXmTc_y3SyKky7wcWl3dzPoRAch5DxjfS51WhaIlq/s320/IMG_2693.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue skies on Isla Mujeres seafront</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt6UgPkn_tsYHlkIv9YCfLVvLMl5LIbdgErHEWe-eOC3FzXusp8fo5K82T38r0XyKxwXrQlSrEhP7tkiEIsI886-Z8e1ClH2FR5qJyXmTc_y3SyKky7wcWl3dzPoRAch5DxjfS51WhaIlq/s1600/IMG_2693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></a><br /></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></o:p> </div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840667288822727187.post-60257418073718441892017-05-21T22:53:00.000+01:002017-05-21T22:58:21.755+01:00Palomino<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The next stop on our itinerary was Palomino, a small town
on the Caribbean coast with a lovely beach and laid back vibe.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtVr9ZaHMoRuvfvIeJ3x5b8Kwqa0GfYbgya8t0aAC5eLhq_C8NoT8FB9Y0MGVcTw6e0-wS7KGLtRxrzr5mFi25TRuRL8MkrnIIv2vuCzWSbVCyrp3GqFSdGP1IyyIqbQiOYolLY4d-7wP/s1600/IMG_2654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtVr9ZaHMoRuvfvIeJ3x5b8Kwqa0GfYbgya8t0aAC5eLhq_C8NoT8FB9Y0MGVcTw6e0-wS7KGLtRxrzr5mFi25TRuRL8MkrnIIv2vuCzWSbVCyrp3GqFSdGP1IyyIqbQiOYolLY4d-7wP/s320/IMG_2654.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palomino beach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The beach goes on for miles, but you're not supposed to
swim due to strong offshore currents, however, we arrived to find around fifty
people in the sea - all fine. So, we took the advice with a pinch of salt, only
went in to waist deep and after the waves had broken. It’s too hot to not cool
off!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW3yYEgJHn0Wvlh3NFngzrH8Fra-vvIlmOLKlcCv8826NgV4Rvl1_JCJkQ0e90W284mJv_jHtlWbxyfjeXTPsTxeksI50WVRt5a7v8UihjesGQeSXaMF_LIRM_xSuU2iQG5Z1gUxd_go-8/s1600/IMG_2655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW3yYEgJHn0Wvlh3NFngzrH8Fra-vvIlmOLKlcCv8826NgV4Rvl1_JCJkQ0e90W284mJv_jHtlWbxyfjeXTPsTxeksI50WVRt5a7v8UihjesGQeSXaMF_LIRM_xSuU2iQG5Z1gUxd_go-8/s320/IMG_2655.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miles of beach in Palomino</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">There was glorious sunshine every morning, and we even
had a view of the snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains from the bottom of the
garden in our accommodation. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's hard to believe that it's possible to see
snow up there when we were stood melting down at sea level, in extremely high
heat and humidity! </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's apparently the highest peak in Colombia and you can just about make out the snowy peaks in my photo:</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYaPu53FGs7D6G9Foj-F2cMacqnHANL_ZSkto3oyGy-c8DMtxnZyh8vYgTfG8ECLiquRH2TWNCysBtJWBkY3Imgg1ZC2U2gFH8yFeb9So0bwhyphenhyphenZgu0TAdAmDc44d3TYA4ZhgXYc37Zkm2/s1600/IMG_0517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYaPu53FGs7D6G9Foj-F2cMacqnHANL_ZSkto3oyGy-c8DMtxnZyh8vYgTfG8ECLiquRH2TWNCysBtJWBkY3Imgg1ZC2U2gFH8yFeb9So0bwhyphenhyphenZgu0TAdAmDc44d3TYA4ZhgXYc37Zkm2/s320/IMG_0517.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The snow capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada<br />
Mountains in the distance </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the afternoon, the sunshine would eventually give way
to thunderstorms and torrential rain and the occasional power cut. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The main mud road of the town is characterised by several
large puddles that fill the entire road, so it takes some time to get anywhere,
picking your way around the puddles. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">When it rains, we were recommended to just
go out barefoot to avoid the issue of soaking your trainers or losing a flip
flop in the mud!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We went 'tubing' down the river one day – a much more
sedate affair than in Laos – just floating down the river in a giant inner tube,
with views of the mountains, until we reached the sea. We just had to be sure
to get out before we floated out to sea!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN7YXIVoCexSh1GT33fydzMIK2k2n1fbsQxLBs4z86ZCQyyjc2A6WgWXVqKbY26RkKPGqZTloA0a4AXa2H9emzXGv19hM6ou7hBBRmAImYjPm3p6ozKikmKNWYXVPdKpjDyN9vza3WzlVg/s1600/IMG_2641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN7YXIVoCexSh1GT33fydzMIK2k2n1fbsQxLBs4z86ZCQyyjc2A6WgWXVqKbY26RkKPGqZTloA0a4AXa2H9emzXGv19hM6ou7hBBRmAImYjPm3p6ozKikmKNWYXVPdKpjDyN9vza3WzlVg/s320/IMG_2641.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tubing in Palomino</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Getting to the start point however was a little hairier -
it basically involved getting on the back of a motorcycle taxi whilst carrying
our tubes!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">All in all, Palomino was a lovely place to stay for a few
days. After four nights, we travelled down to Santa Marta, so we could do a day
trip into Tayrona National Park.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once in the park, we embarked upon a six-mile hike along
the coast, which was tough as it was so hot and humid. It's also not possible
to swim on most of the beaches due to the strong currents and big waves so we
had to wait a while before we could cool off.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8Rpl88z8eD-6zX-SUIImRHsSEvQ4g2wa0hSpa6HPq0yTCU2aZR2Cibd5YRHnb0ONYyXigxkzsBjCl0AgLn7e4-vLbx5r63CFHMtlKpS7yLZq0eADzqSn0-P9iKlSHVUwsecMw9SQ8G_U/s1600/IMG_2658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8Rpl88z8eD-6zX-SUIImRHsSEvQ4g2wa0hSpa6HPq0yTCU2aZR2Cibd5YRHnb0ONYyXigxkzsBjCl0AgLn7e4-vLbx5r63CFHMtlKpS7yLZq0eADzqSn0-P9iKlSHVUwsecMw9SQ8G_U/s320/IMG_2658.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tayrona National Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Most of the park has well organised trails with
boardwalks, but parts of the track are very muddy and we had to wade across
three shallow rivers in some parts – I think probably due to the heavy rain
that has been falling.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyBZ9Cz7rYSpUtpTwIKFVA_rOlYjp9NtixDe-G4R0_AfPNffuQeD-OoIXEpqA7y3_1T3Zq0qfPfRjVg23hgFNHpwmOk3haIPEvr_37ke9-cThfY8ddbhnF6NPRsA0728teyX-oWeahRd1n/s1600/IMG_2668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyBZ9Cz7rYSpUtpTwIKFVA_rOlYjp9NtixDe-G4R0_AfPNffuQeD-OoIXEpqA7y3_1T3Zq0qfPfRjVg23hgFNHpwmOk3haIPEvr_37ke9-cThfY8ddbhnF6NPRsA0728teyX-oWeahRd1n/s320/IMG_2668.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rough seas in Tayrona Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">After two hours of hiking, we eventually reached
Arricefes and there's a beach nearby where we could finally swim in a sheltered
bay – where cooling off was much appreciated. The park is stunning – wild beaches, huge boulders and big waves. Well worth the strenuous hiking effort.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIsT_T2_I44wrnCrZJj-MNRrpGXBRz96uIgbzBNEDGEksZSl_aL63FgMbHO5JAtLZyphCSeRQgJKAr1zPMX461hTULUp49XvAqde1xONFvXp7HSDxdZNQEihQOe-prFBK-LNTVcN6i-DRw/s1600/IMG_2678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIsT_T2_I44wrnCrZJj-MNRrpGXBRz96uIgbzBNEDGEksZSl_aL63FgMbHO5JAtLZyphCSeRQgJKAr1zPMX461hTULUp49XvAqde1xONFvXp7HSDxdZNQEihQOe-prFBK-LNTVcN6i-DRw/s320/IMG_2678.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huge boulder cracked in half</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We were glad we decided against the option of hiring a
hammock and mosquito net and staying over in the park – it seemed a fairly horrific
experience – though one that Hannah apparently enjoyed when she visited a few
years ago! Perhaps as we approach the end of our trip the travel fatigue is
setting in and we need our home comforts!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We are now down to our final week – how time flies! First
we’ll head back to Cartagena for a few days, then we fly to Mexico in
preparation for our flight back to London.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Tune in again next week for the final instalment of the
blog (well, for this trip anyway!)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840667288822727187.post-4599024942173077182017-05-16T03:54:00.002+01:002017-05-16T04:04:09.900+01:00Cartagena<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Cartagena is a beautiful, well-preserved old town
surrounded by tall city walls. Much like other old Spanish colonial centres,
it has a really European feel – both architecturally and
culturally – and within the city walls, there were even horse and carts (like we saw in Seville, Spain
and also in Merida, Mexico) ferrying the tourists around.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTome85KBYpPmNDmFgdohtwHB5cO1xMtxrd6qWP3hhqOAsbg3lT4hYysyeKq8yeR1fEzvl2Rxyc65ezxUirfxzN5Vfqxv1DT3Kan5ZMurOJEGDwBaKS8VTDu_pClu6lyC7yLCk9Lc3kGxf/s1600/IMG_2583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTome85KBYpPmNDmFgdohtwHB5cO1xMtxrd6qWP3hhqOAsbg3lT4hYysyeKq8yeR1fEzvl2Rxyc65ezxUirfxzN5Vfqxv1DT3Kan5ZMurOJEGDwBaKS8VTDu_pClu6lyC7yLCk9Lc3kGxf/s320/IMG_2583.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Gate to the old town</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zXjP9rUslFM_CnDYU7mXwMNMUXUVM6sZ5uZcoS3SkxDSXAIaXNEoPWpHW4Vc9vDDRdXs81z-oFNULrUCcXGPwR-VjBwzZ42gz4OJfILgKFBWKZKU8DwoqxvLcXI_0xnRfZwW9Nq7pAfG/s1600/IMG_2604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zXjP9rUslFM_CnDYU7mXwMNMUXUVM6sZ5uZcoS3SkxDSXAIaXNEoPWpHW4Vc9vDDRdXs81z-oFNULrUCcXGPwR-VjBwzZ42gz4OJfILgKFBWKZKU8DwoqxvLcXI_0xnRfZwW9Nq7pAfG/s320/IMG_2604.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Wandering around the narrow streets</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Outside of the old town it’s a different story: the
chaotic suburbs descend into traffic mayhem, diesel fumes and an urban sprawl
where all Cartagena’s residents live. It was quite a contrast travelling in
from the noisy suburban bus station outside of town, into the colourful centre
of the old town. Needless to say we stuck to the centre of town once we’d
arrived!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The city walls are filled with narrow streets, colourful
buildings, brightly painted street art and big shady squares. It’s incredibly
hot and humid so we were grateful for the cold air conditioning in our hotel
room – the first we’ve had in a while and feels like a real treat!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqu7kXkURipCyZ5iuhA3cm68tP5dXSb_XPRD50RoRpt6sbEA5V5mP7M6UDRnxb99aOxCnXwiL7XTm8PKLBpjCMgtqmWl0wh4WsDxcRgiiipYGu-7TtKVRHVF5pGkUh-KM41FxmpS2uzup/s1600/IMG_2599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqu7kXkURipCyZ5iuhA3cm68tP5dXSb_XPRD50RoRpt6sbEA5V5mP7M6UDRnxb99aOxCnXwiL7XTm8PKLBpjCMgtqmWl0wh4WsDxcRgiiipYGu-7TtKVRHVF5pGkUh-KM41FxmpS2uzup/s320/IMG_2599.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">View from the city walls</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The best itinerary in Cartagena is to drop all
sightseeing plans and get lost wandering around the streets of the old town. We
walked miles in the shady streets, popping into shops and cafes for a Colombian
coffee and some air conditioning, and strolling along sections of the city walls, taking
in the city views.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUfKNE_JZZMGP89ixM-6k_Z0WRnNk57HWzFikez2IJeAOe3hwp_-QsWZFLnkQkjjjquwn6qDr3QEG_E6nEa2Nr_HosmrPvXXtxeJWzvd_-Pv_3a-WMj8fX__DCcByocAhXXmjMFeBvAiSv/s1600/IMG_2590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUfKNE_JZZMGP89ixM-6k_Z0WRnNk57HWzFikez2IJeAOe3hwp_-QsWZFLnkQkjjjquwn6qDr3QEG_E6nEa2Nr_HosmrPvXXtxeJWzvd_-Pv_3a-WMj8fX__DCcByocAhXXmjMFeBvAiSv/s320/IMG_2590.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">City walls and sailing boat</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaa00E293FO8HZ-0OP8M61k0Mb_3ASWGwgrl-HXjB_g6lPgDZbFbw4IFjB6D-2nDDMzlWLA8HGKVfo5IvWZjoLwS27juoOrcJdYKMHBDkee1-cpL7z6h1xQGtBmiZPRS1-MlG_3zqgSJj/s1600/IMG_2596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaa00E293FO8HZ-0OP8M61k0Mb_3ASWGwgrl-HXjB_g6lPgDZbFbw4IFjB6D-2nDDMzlWLA8HGKVfo5IvWZjoLwS27juoOrcJdYKMHBDkee1-cpL7z6h1xQGtBmiZPRS1-MlG_3zqgSJj/s320/IMG_2596.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Strolling around the walls</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">All the doors in the old town are much taller than
standard doors as when the city was built, people used to enter buildings on
horseback, so the added height is to cater for the horse and rider.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">People’s homes also used to be marked with a symbol if
they were one of certain occupations – usually the door knocker is in the shape
of one of the following animals to represent the following professions:</span></div>
<ul><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span>
<li><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lion – works for the king<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span></li>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Iguana – rich/noble people<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Owl – doctor<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mermaid – Sailor<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Dolphin – Fisherman<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It was fun to walk around the old town spotting the
different animals, though we’ve yet to see an owl…<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlD-NGHKymgI250VAWLCm_amya2Vo_7fEkL4zONE1hAZ5Mpa_WWJommJbK7Dl0VDFdI4iJXYH32cK1D1R6zrmLZLAEkdL9TcAyiyhJFDC7VgbbI4eEDt18BE71-uze82P4rE-sh7CFOI3/s1600/IMG_2571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlD-NGHKymgI250VAWLCm_amya2Vo_7fEkL4zONE1hAZ5Mpa_WWJommJbK7Dl0VDFdI4iJXYH32cK1D1R6zrmLZLAEkdL9TcAyiyhJFDC7VgbbI4eEDt18BE71-uze82P4rE-sh7CFOI3/s320/IMG_2571.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">A rich person used to live here...</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We stayed in Getsemani, a ten-minute walk outside the centre
and a popular location for backpackers. It’s a vibrant area with lots of great
bars and cafes and generally the standard of food here is really good. We found
a lovely café for breakfast with three resident cats, which serves the best
banana pancakes (even better than mine!)<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNZn7qG9s-lthltHS2qd8oxK8VAQpsbB6oa1EAtucdUg7pkvuCNKaoQZgzzw8EcQ3_PSvYuoP206VpF5GtYaARaOCEnt_xjpPRfhVfLswCihDT1rJQBmrnIRBF0X5Up_9CUDGIzcygyDk/s1600/IMG_2586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNZn7qG9s-lthltHS2qd8oxK8VAQpsbB6oa1EAtucdUg7pkvuCNKaoQZgzzw8EcQ3_PSvYuoP206VpF5GtYaARaOCEnt_xjpPRfhVfLswCihDT1rJQBmrnIRBF0X5Up_9CUDGIzcygyDk/s320/IMG_2586.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Street art in Getsemani</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We’ll return to Cartagena in a week or so, ready for our
flight back to Cancun before we fly home, but in the meantime, we decided to
explore some more of the Caribbean coast and headed north to Minca in the Sierra
Nevada mountains.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg04_kVRLEt1s_8sp-S6JTMGDWlrqnQl6WTBD8bvP6tt7ILiZ8xiAuyYXNl8V6oT_IojoiKpyWoW5loSGDjh60WeJMBqg34mb12bnWTxV6nyNyEJBlDyIDEeQDt_7_zRGq6Lz0q9TNOcGK_/s1600/IMG_2612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg04_kVRLEt1s_8sp-S6JTMGDWlrqnQl6WTBD8bvP6tt7ILiZ8xiAuyYXNl8V6oT_IojoiKpyWoW5loSGDjh60WeJMBqg34mb12bnWTxV6nyNyEJBlDyIDEeQDt_7_zRGq6Lz0q9TNOcGK_/s320/IMG_2612.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Minca, in the mountains</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We spent a couple of nights there and did a spot of
hiking to nearby ‘Pozo Azul’ waterfall for a swim, but our day’s adventure got
prematurely cut short when the heavens opened and we got soaked through. So
much for 100% waterproof Goretex shoes if they get so full of water that you’re
squelching around in them!</span> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTU0ouUL2MamWgND2U0p9Wbj5kqi6dq1mMxyU8N0KrSeDwGhsgpTu4hBitubhb9srkr1iIVldk2q38uLJOhHZXmz6E713P8pXAka-eY9JDhYMsSvQm2bkYkJumMnv1WIWBgSB9HCn0m_vU/s1600/IMG_2620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTU0ouUL2MamWgND2U0p9Wbj5kqi6dq1mMxyU8N0KrSeDwGhsgpTu4hBitubhb9srkr1iIVldk2q38uLJOhHZXmz6E713P8pXAka-eY9JDhYMsSvQm2bkYkJumMnv1WIWBgSB9HCn0m_vU/s320/IMG_2620.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Soaking wet!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">After a brief stop in Minca, we’re now in Palomino and I’ll
fill you in on our adventures here in the next blog post.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840667288822727187.post-625468479750348122017-05-09T03:51:00.002+01:002017-05-09T03:54:21.725+01:00Medellin<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So, on to country number ten! After two changes of plane
in Panama City (one stopover, one broken engine cover) we landed in Medellin.
Known as the City of Eternal Spring, for it’s cool climate – so we were able to
enjoy a few days away from the heat and humidity of the Caribbean coast of
Costa Rica <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– though that said, it was a
different kind of humidity in Medellin as rainy season has just begun in
Colombia, so we had some heavy rain and thunder storms most days.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Medellin is probably most famous for being home to the
late Pablo Escobar, renowned drug-lord and dictator. Unfortunately, the recent
‘Narcos’ series on Netflix has glamorised Escobar’s life, which the local
people are unhappy about as he brought about a lot of suffering, including
kidnappings, murders on the streets of Medellin.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1-cl1x21h-EK3H4ZtxfEG00ZoTGE5lQxs86BtKfCk-gUujP8WC4fmAavjkt2ibd4YvZIANVTfBZk9N9rFwN00lOWiB-c2xeJ0ne6L2p6YyFZ3fEw61hjDe8A7X6S8Xw_z8sV42c5mKXIO/s1600/IMG_2479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1-cl1x21h-EK3H4ZtxfEG00ZoTGE5lQxs86BtKfCk-gUujP8WC4fmAavjkt2ibd4YvZIANVTfBZk9N9rFwN00lOWiB-c2xeJ0ne6L2p6YyFZ3fEw61hjDe8A7X6S8Xw_z8sV42c5mKXIO/s320/IMG_2479.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pablo in prison</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We went on a Pablo Escobar and City tour with Fede, the
owner of our hostel, born and raised in Medellin, and who experienced
first-hand life under the rule of Escobar. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Fede was friends with Pablo Escobar’s
son at school and so spent time in his family home. Unrelated to this, he was
later kidnapped by FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) Guerillas,
held hostage for 17 hours, beaten and released only when his family paid the
ransom.</span></span><o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Fede took us to Escobar’s first family home in Medellin,
the prison that was both built by and housed Escobar and the house in which he
was later shot (apparently by the Colombian Police, though many believe he
killed himself before the police could get to him).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The view from the prison was stunning – essentially affording
Escobar a view over all of Medeillin – and despite being locked up, he could
see exactly what was going on with views over the airports and oversee his
business still being run.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZY5LhYF5f2SJ4ZDlcGcsU4RlAZ8a5yR-9N9FKZitKsKdnnxsLlaXvPnTB1Dr0dcoieVakVUU3_jAPjH9EJ7_poe9aEPOa5fAhP9LnjD2Gqf78eHJFVqQIG53A_1-Yk6_zgpxZ1BtDyI5/s1600/IMG_2485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZY5LhYF5f2SJ4ZDlcGcsU4RlAZ8a5yR-9N9FKZitKsKdnnxsLlaXvPnTB1Dr0dcoieVakVUU3_jAPjH9EJ7_poe9aEPOa5fAhP9LnjD2Gqf78eHJFVqQIG53A_1-Yk6_zgpxZ1BtDyI5/s320/IMG_2485.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Pablo Escobar's prison cell</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">On the tour, we also visited Barrio Antioquia, famous for
being the dodgy suburb, next to a very well-to-do suburb – and one that the
police won’t go in to. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Fede drove us through the neighbourhood pointing out to
us who was selling the drugs, as well as the ‘watchers’ on every corner, checking
for suspicious activity, unknown vehicles and so on… We even saw someone
indiscreetly handing over a roll of banknotes in exchange for drugs in broad
daylight. Fortunately, we viewed all this from the safety of the car and didn’t
stay for long!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lastly, we went to Comuna 13 -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>once Medellin’s most dangerous neighbourhood,
now transformed into a vibrant and colourful district, where local residents
are no longer afraid to leave their homes – and it’s a destination for tourists
alike.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fytCxs95xO5n9jY0R1xKcn45WBYBYDKEWtC9jBlgGBzfA_ieoHMK1FLH51gS0-Yr0SrGPDjp4nSXbcYQNNerdz4JxCq_kpmYMnX9gTzypzgvuh5FfSz5Z8LzJRsH3rgspyHyjwKaLi7I/s1600/IMG_2513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fytCxs95xO5n9jY0R1xKcn45WBYBYDKEWtC9jBlgGBzfA_ieoHMK1FLH51gS0-Yr0SrGPDjp4nSXbcYQNNerdz4JxCq_kpmYMnX9gTzypzgvuh5FfSz5Z8LzJRsH3rgspyHyjwKaLi7I/s320/IMG_2513.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comuna 13<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjloHfBzXDR-tQfedqqFQqlXwJFaHyKQD1e3ikw_5-V-HSJfZj_2NAYnITMuQtOfPrpm_pF_jiNgMibFDPJ_9xFVTl5fcZTjIsGKrEWOXhyotj-JtLuGfNZSj2LQTlTNhFL-5ThSXYlnUVr/s1600/IMG_2517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjloHfBzXDR-tQfedqqFQqlXwJFaHyKQD1e3ikw_5-V-HSJfZj_2NAYnITMuQtOfPrpm_pF_jiNgMibFDPJ_9xFVTl5fcZTjIsGKrEWOXhyotj-JtLuGfNZSj2LQTlTNhFL-5ThSXYlnUVr/s320/IMG_2517.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Colourful Comuna 13 </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The ramshackle brick houses atop one another climb up the
hill, in a very densely populated neighbourhood. Where once the close proximity
of the houses meant gang-members could make a quick get-away (it is said there
are secret passageways between some of the houses to facilitate an easy escape),
then are now painted brightly with street art and a series of escalators run up
through the comuna and the streets are filled with enterprising locals selling
empanadas and mango ice cream, and tourists taking photographs against the
colourful backdrop.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHWlUcBnQbFyhK-3ifMyKHA0qULeWYYwgHAylnkDVnmgdaqgXrs-ewOVNxn_HIgg0uGjJ4NNqUJ6MCtRUpvkCIk2KUwhHW2ho45IYetHsG_z44WZSsO5Bvms1Cs-DyCLdRlUumSmcJU8tP/s1600/IMG_2533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHWlUcBnQbFyhK-3ifMyKHA0qULeWYYwgHAylnkDVnmgdaqgXrs-ewOVNxn_HIgg0uGjJ4NNqUJ6MCtRUpvkCIk2KUwhHW2ho45IYetHsG_z44WZSsO5Bvms1Cs-DyCLdRlUumSmcJU8tP/s320/IMG_2533.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kev posing by the street art in Comuna 13</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We had an alternative view of Comuna 13 when we took a
cable car over the city to Park Arvi, where we planned to do some walking,
however, it started raining heavily pretty much as soon as we got out, so we
stopped for a craft beer and a game of chess at the top then jumped back on the cable car back down as
it looked like the thunder storm and rain was about to settle in for the
afternoon.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXRD3qW0Q6phdszjx5JfEwLwbuxbukX_z-LbSQ-XuMtD7R5RFYOLUZ0n49W4Pm6_vPvvzz1qytfAxax3ZzWwRe56rY-5wr03Gq4dLJYq8s29xrqjfz_oE5ba1YxucJhdwC6Dj4RNKzzSky/s1600/IMG_2455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXRD3qW0Q6phdszjx5JfEwLwbuxbukX_z-LbSQ-XuMtD7R5RFYOLUZ0n49W4Pm6_vPvvzz1qytfAxax3ZzWwRe56rY-5wr03Gq4dLJYq8s29xrqjfz_oE5ba1YxucJhdwC6Dj4RNKzzSky/s320/IMG_2455.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">There’s a great foodie scene in Medellin, along with some
great local and national beers, which we are gradually working our way through!
Favourite so far include Club Colombia, Chapinero Porter from the BBC Bogota
Beer Co. and Medellin brewed ‘3 Cordilleras Sweet Stout’.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4qIbtofqVndeXbdo7YY7a0C51lP3vM0GYva6W9GqG2yoMmchoYN8DiddcKivUlBcbfNaJP6SOHkDKjgFvBsbwhlD7T4nMNbYznHR1WjP4CXoudaaK5Wx7xrNfFkAluw3vBHfumMtDzuUj/s1600/IMG_2438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4qIbtofqVndeXbdo7YY7a0C51lP3vM0GYva6W9GqG2yoMmchoYN8DiddcKivUlBcbfNaJP6SOHkDKjgFvBsbwhlD7T4nMNbYznHR1WjP4CXoudaaK5Wx7xrNfFkAluw3vBHfumMtDzuUj/s320/IMG_2438.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Live from the BBC (Bogota Beer Co)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Next, we are on our way to Cartagena, via Tolu and the
Islas San Bernardos, an archipelago of ten islands in the Caribbean Sea, including
Santa Cruz del Islote, the most densely populated island on Earth – every part
of the tiny island is covered by houses.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PmSJoZsog3Sk0aINa5vNb4endD4dhR3vw_Z0Aj7HEyAiL0VGdx-J-eaXStGiRv1L3GJJS3olFcS1q2UxWetfFOgEHOkGmmOku0AyztoeR6eu2mzHJhlf0Op9ZZlIWhOcGRg7Ny3SVO9e/s1600/IMG_2563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PmSJoZsog3Sk0aINa5vNb4endD4dhR3vw_Z0Aj7HEyAiL0VGdx-J-eaXStGiRv1L3GJJS3olFcS1q2UxWetfFOgEHOkGmmOku0AyztoeR6eu2mzHJhlf0Op9ZZlIWhOcGRg7Ny3SVO9e/s320/IMG_2563.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa Cruz del Islote</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We made a stop on Tintipan and spent the afternoon on the
beach, but unfortunately it meant for sand-fly bites for Kev!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqp9-irtvnchcNIUzs_VQGh2OR5zW4ufJpZ69GrNjE8EH7DD2vKRagyO-G0YJ_OtwxIG5twZjWH02QCabpDqvlGGWu9E_Z6MY8-_1fGhphz_6u-xKunGH3ZPaeGozvMV8f8PCe-9B4HK4/s1600/IMG_2545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqp9-irtvnchcNIUzs_VQGh2OR5zW4ufJpZ69GrNjE8EH7DD2vKRagyO-G0YJ_OtwxIG5twZjWH02QCabpDqvlGGWu9E_Z6MY8-_1fGhphz_6u-xKunGH3ZPaeGozvMV8f8PCe-9B4HK4/s320/IMG_2545.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isla Tintipan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I’ll write again from Cartagena.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840667288822727187.post-91767708671416913142017-04-29T01:28:00.001+01:002017-04-29T01:36:48.181+01:00Bocas Del Toro<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It was a long journey over two days to get from Montezuma
to Puerto Viejo, travelling via the capital, San Jose. Considering Costa Rica
is a fairly well-developed country with a decent standard of living, it is
surprising the condition of the roads, many of which are unsealed, pot-holed
and require a four by four to get around. Even our accommodation in Montezuma
advised leg one of the journey to San Jose would take three hours, where it in
fact took seven! Still, we’re not in any kind of rush, so no problem there.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We arrived in San Jose to torrential rain, thunder storms
and a power cut – it was actually a welcome relief to the high temperatures and
humidity in Montezuma! Our accommodation had a view over Poas volcano, which
had a small eruption a couple of weeks ago – just a bit of gas and smoke – but we
were relieved to pass through without further incident as the area was on alert
for a while, in case of further eruptions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">As we travelled through Monteverde and Montezuma, we kept
meeting people headed from or to Bocas Del Toro, Panama (on the border with
Costa Rica) – to the point where we wondered what we were missing. Upon a
little research, we decided that too we should amend our itinerary (which was
pretty open) to spend a week there and add another stamp to our passports…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So, we hopped on a bus to Puerto Viejo (a journey which
actually took its designated travel time of five hours and not the usual
seven!), the jumping off point for Bocas Del Toro.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
Puerto Viejo is a backpacker destination in its own
right, however – a very laid back atmosphere, miles of coastline, nice beaches,
good surf and hot weather.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_c04c0xyfsJBCpNl-a3coR4oOpSIAlf7arHfrtKI_ECMIPpqAHW8d67psgBsl0qGcLa9F7P40RCnv2zNPS20EE1dMGLz5JRekL8QcNvG9PJ2BqEG9nN-7n2Gi9BoAo3wAmsN3jeAsj2N/s320/IMG_2370.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puerto Viejo - Playa Cocles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_c04c0xyfsJBCpNl-a3coR4oOpSIAlf7arHfrtKI_ECMIPpqAHW8d67psgBsl0qGcLa9F7P40RCnv2zNPS20EE1dMGLz5JRekL8QcNvG9PJ2BqEG9nN-7n2Gi9BoAo3wAmsN3jeAsj2N/s1600/IMG_2370.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></a><br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Puerto Viejo is on the Caribbean Coast, to which there’s
a really different vibe to the Pacific Coast. In addition to the local Costa
Ricans (Ticos, as they like to call themselves) there are also local Caribbean
people, speaking in their own Creole dialect and serving up ‘rice and beans’
and other Caribbean food in their restaurants.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We stayed near Playa Negra, where the sand is black
(burning the soles of your feet as you run down to the sea) and two kilometres
away there’s Playa Cocles, a long stretch of white sand, good surf and nice for
swimming. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJCJdyhgFT5nNMSH9rPYYZhyphenhyphentCOvDf6ymSZkBY1BCZlqnPuqAUR8nDA22h-kQd_D_33tivasmEtH3Yf4whpyqZ30tg_vaBT1Y62MQDvZuPeCm7xJPT5GQTCYOcsi1PqjcxfUNiauFYnL7/s320/IMG_2374.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surfboards on Playa Cocles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJCJdyhgFT5nNMSH9rPYYZhyphenhyphentCOvDf6ymSZkBY1BCZlqnPuqAUR8nDA22h-kQd_D_33tivasmEtH3Yf4whpyqZ30tg_vaBT1Y62MQDvZuPeCm7xJPT5GQTCYOcsi1PqjcxfUNiauFYnL7/s1600/IMG_2374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></a><br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There’s a jungle path to walk between the Playa Negra and
Playa Cocles and on the way, we saw three sloths in the trees! The first two
were sleeping as we spotted them during the day, but we saw the third one at
dusk and he’d just woken up and was having his dinner (breakfast?) Please
forgive the terrible photo – I really tested the limits of my camera in the
fading light and zooming right in. Still, you can still make out that
it’s a sloth and at least it wasn’t moving too fast to photograph!</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcbdW9ilYNzU8aNd3R-wJw1NMPYOg93XMop4-rLbr7FSETwzV_rlqrGSrUMS3CfUt3vgJhZlMToxqxJsm9pji7bt9a6ohfoMZYSnSpSCYklGag9cmKvJgV0FNevrnsZjUSGCYr9KCXDU-q/s320/IMG_2378.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sloth!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcbdW9ilYNzU8aNd3R-wJw1NMPYOg93XMop4-rLbr7FSETwzV_rlqrGSrUMS3CfUt3vgJhZlMToxqxJsm9pji7bt9a6ohfoMZYSnSpSCYklGag9cmKvJgV0FNevrnsZjUSGCYr9KCXDU-q/s1600/IMG_2378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">After a few nights in Puerto Viejo, we took the shuttle
over the border into Panama and then the boat into Bocas del Toro. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Bocas Del Toro is a chain of islands and we chose Isla Bastimentos
for our first stop, as it seemed a bit quieter with nice beaches. It's really picturesque with wooden houses built on stilts over the sea. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqqWWui_ZS9RQDsIRt6eK_BQDSAERDZWXvLkqKQaiqTa3MxXoK_vJ7Ivs25Yyn5NKC5L9DXShFz5hNuMdRU_C6OimOX6TvT4Xbzsg4nWYtrsvrux9DREv1Uaf35J_r5jNaep5hPVFz7Ji/s320/IMG_2388.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isla Bastimentos</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqqWWui_ZS9RQDsIRt6eK_BQDSAERDZWXvLkqKQaiqTa3MxXoK_vJ7Ivs25Yyn5NKC5L9DXShFz5hNuMdRU_C6OimOX6TvT4Xbzsg4nWYtrsvrux9DREv1Uaf35J_r5jNaep5hPVFz7Ji/s1600/IMG_2388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></a><br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">However, we decided to move to a different island after one night due to there being no running water on the island because of a water shortage. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We were allowed to have a short shower from the tank, but basically had to ask the hotel management for permission to use the water. Now, the weather app on my phone told me the humidity levels were at 92% at one point, which makes the 32 degree temperatures feel so much hotter, so you don't feel clean for long – and we decided we just couldn’t live without running water. What divas we are!</span></span> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So, we took a boat back over to the main island and
stayed in Bocas town, which was perfect for us. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">All the nice beaches are a short boat, or bus ride away
and the town has the best food options as well – though to be honest the
standard of food is nowhere near what it was in, say, Mexico!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The closest beach, on Isla Carenero, was idyllic with
calm turquoise water, white sand, palm trees and a restaurant with decking out over
the seas that served the best pina coladas. After a couple of visits there,
however, Kev learned the hard way that there are also sand flies, which made a meal
out him. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Astonishingly, they went for Kev and not me – it is usually the other
way around! At last count, Kev had over a hundred bites and is currently being
driven to distraction by the itching…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguvVBfEmXO2zsoa0te_ONGNvFpVhl34SAMFQsgvtkYqmet-qUCZbZZ9q3F-orXUBfjfNhqLJne_gjXTURMGuRxvlGfAzPEg-YeK77ZF9YajL7ZN3PBHPG9N0q6jna_oPAVAlfB4If3nB83/s320/IMG_2417.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isla Carenero</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguvVBfEmXO2zsoa0te_ONGNvFpVhl34SAMFQsgvtkYqmet-qUCZbZZ9q3F-orXUBfjfNhqLJne_gjXTURMGuRxvlGfAzPEg-YeK77ZF9YajL7ZN3PBHPG9N0q6jna_oPAVAlfB4If3nB83/s1600/IMG_2417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></a><br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The island was also home to some small crabs with one
claw as big as their whole body – I thought it was interesting how some were
right and some were left-handed (or clawed!)<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_ZJGW4OtaBAx2ek8iUOKVPs0skZ7cZCyp-XorkTrFIFM3DnfDZsyoYqrj64_FDkl_scKTXKxZ1UQcQAxg08L3XMufUKG9DkuE_P9Zo8kTH5iAzzrYw8YSJgqoYWGQkxRc3-ZyuXf0Rqv/s320/IMG_2413.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left and right-handed crabs!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_ZJGW4OtaBAx2ek8iUOKVPs0skZ7cZCyp-XorkTrFIFM3DnfDZsyoYqrj64_FDkl_scKTXKxZ1UQcQAxg08L3XMufUKG9DkuE_P9Zo8kTH5iAzzrYw8YSJgqoYWGQkxRc3-ZyuXf0Rqv/s1600/IMG_2413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Fortunately, we also visited some other lovely beaches
without sand flies: Bocas del Drago, which leads on to Playa Estrella is home
to hundreds of orange starfish, which you can see with a snorkel, just a few
feet from the shore. I saw around thirty of them in as many metres, whilst swimming
along the shore.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2sMj9fgLSdkOLeuJVtfQyImE8Rm0KjUv874svQ9dPqNseFHjE5udEdV-YDb32G4-rzICaej8dilcFpOqLo4Zm8EZR9r_rnZSn33i1FfvNjT2-GgPBW1DHw04KRlBtKNujoeADE57iKLjS/s320/IMG_2423.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bocas Del Drago</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2sMj9fgLSdkOLeuJVtfQyImE8Rm0KjUv874svQ9dPqNseFHjE5udEdV-YDb32G4-rzICaej8dilcFpOqLo4Zm8EZR9r_rnZSn33i1FfvNjT2-GgPBW1DHw04KRlBtKNujoeADE57iKLjS/s1600/IMG_2423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></a><br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXgW4LI2DH9ZxkrgfF9r0fp9MC1nOtw64Elnn0TG8au8hzd6N9w9PGkJpzTLlsxTXIc0GvLYcESR9_uC23A2763dSZSDCmH6COdL2A_OOXt9OEg2QZQk-g9aeZ7fJ-CpLSQkeZWfyF_dME/s320/IMG_2429.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starfish at Playa Estrella</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I also thought I’d share with you the famous Costa Rican
(and Panamanian, evidently) ‘suicide shower’ – so called because there is an
un-earthed heating element in the shower head itself and you are advised not to
touch the shower head with wet hands - for obvious
reasons! This is a particularly fine example of one in our guest house, complete with gaffer tape
and a piece of string holding it up! (Note: the accommodation also had a cold-water
shower which we preferred to use!)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqa8wA_1x-eZAiF9OzJGVYJaMU9Gh8fsBYFxOMXoBWeQQT9bEnEMzVfIUJ761vBvJIa0XFS7lUItnm6a-dgo-YqbkmfPv9my6gmyNWGhAf_snIl7n2SlyXJFmbQxB7LLBZH-bxapgnhSd/s320/IMG_2422.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The famous suicide shower!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqa8wA_1x-eZAiF9OzJGVYJaMU9Gh8fsBYFxOMXoBWeQQT9bEnEMzVfIUJ761vBvJIa0XFS7lUItnm6a-dgo-YqbkmfPv9my6gmyNWGhAf_snIl7n2SlyXJFmbQxB7LLBZH-bxapgnhSd/s1600/IMG_2422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></a><br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">After another day in Bocas, we’re heading back to San
Jose via Puerto Viejo for two nights to break up the journey. Then on Wednesday
we fly to Colombia for the final leg of our journey – I will write again from
there.<o:p></o:p></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840667288822727187.post-72900029039100206052017-04-21T03:19:00.003+01:002017-04-21T03:29:11.670+01:00Montezuma<div class="yiv5446038349p1">
<span class="yiv5446038349s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We've spent a lovely week on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica in Montezuma. The cool temperatures we experienced in Monteverde have been replaced with thirty-five degrees, sunshine and high humidity, so it was a bit of an adjustment to make but lovely to be back on the beach again.<span class="yiv5446038349Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv5446038349p1">
<span class="yiv5446038349s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="yiv5446038349Apple-converted-space"></span></span></span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5EjJdOzGUP8C5ikLGIRlVqKnomJuvj2rxK0968eKvZrb0VLcCQa0Yr2GTxfihUXpiUVgl_706r2RJ3ltX1rJ-WMyIq2I894RUzS1b82B0cS5KkWx1iFbVkYBj4Q8ixgwZ9OSlAYTCnmCl/s320/IMG_2278.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Montezuma beach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span class="yiv5446038349s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Montezuma is a lovely, laid back town with a similar vibe to, say, Zipolite in Mexico - lots of people arrive and never leave - and it's easy to see why: endless beautiful beaches fringed by jungle and excellent surf (not that we take advantage of it but it's fun to watch the waves crashing on to the shore!)</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another Montezuma beach</td></tr>
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<span class="yiv5446038349s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We arrived during Easter week (Semana Santa), which happens to be the busiest week of the year for holidays in Costa Rica - and everyone heads out of the city to the coast. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="yiv5446038349s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="yiv5446038349s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Only booking our accommodation the day before we arrived, we were lucky to find somewhere to stay at all, but fortunately we found a real gem of a place: set amongst a mango orchard and backing on to jungle, but just two hundred metres to the town and beach. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="yiv5446038349s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I reckon the locals outnumbered the tourists ten to one, but on Easter Sunday everyone went home and the town was suddenly deserted.</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSTc3mxq7NTsstJEMezN-Do4nAM3eGzuuEPYV9ubq0qdALmjXGaL6-uG1EpzDgSQ5X1YrSwdJdg-8phih_0_yiJofiUCw4eimqqL5SMzaXDlvyQ2MqwqlTS3TEU_Tdl3SOQc5hjVV6UmLF/s1600/IMG_2333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSTc3mxq7NTsstJEMezN-Do4nAM3eGzuuEPYV9ubq0qdALmjXGaL6-uG1EpzDgSQ5X1YrSwdJdg-8phih_0_yiJofiUCw4eimqqL5SMzaXDlvyQ2MqwqlTS3TEU_Tdl3SOQc5hjVV6UmLF/s320/IMG_2333.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kev on a deserted Playa Grande</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQ9-GhxlxdpsqV88s1vY1LsGiCSeY7q8DTi3dieOzc63foBuRsf_UMtn2iQr-Lri1n8u1Se45trAq0LB7OxJhqazxVZk59kdf3QrVPZFs4krdbE4zhQjz8Kqy0rsxETBU8E7tb3V6QZ8X/s1600/IMG_2314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQ9-GhxlxdpsqV88s1vY1LsGiCSeY7q8DTi3dieOzc63foBuRsf_UMtn2iQr-Lri1n8u1Se45trAq0LB7OxJhqazxVZk59kdf3QrVPZFs4krdbE4zhQjz8Kqy0rsxETBU8E7tb3V6QZ8X/s320/IMG_2314.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Practising handstands on the beach</td></tr>
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<span class="yiv5446038349s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We'd wake each morning to the sound of howler monkeys in the trees, howling to each other as they picked the ripe mangoes above our accommodation.</span></span><br />
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<span class="yiv5446038349s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">One morning we had a particularly loud wake up call at 5am, where there must have been at least twenty of them up there - it was so loud and sounded quite ferocious! </span></span><br />
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<span class="yiv5446038349s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The mangoes were so plentiful that the monkeys would pick one, take a couple of bites and then drop it (where it would hit the roof of our chalet with a loud thud!) if the monkeys cries don't wake you the sound of falling fruit will!</span></span></div>
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<span class="yiv5446038349s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In addition to the howler monkeys in the trees over breakfast, we also watched white-faced monkeys in the trees and on the beach foraging for food. They are much less tame than the long-tailed macaques in Asia and weren't trying to steal anything from our bags. </span></span><br />
<span class="yiv5446038349s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">They got quite close to us on the beach - or rather we were sat quite close to the trees they were foraging in, but didn't seem interested in us, which was a relief!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKo4E6mI-03M9B3pd3ZFbSsBsnLovyjI1H_v0s8cIot4Ki04lSkPRUtLaKMnE_J7fu73SLVicSy1Lcp1moY7BWR0Ip-AuLSLX1dyyyWLsATEuWHsgVi-Rq31K3bOMriJE3jB609W3hUSmB/s1600/IMG_2336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKo4E6mI-03M9B3pd3ZFbSsBsnLovyjI1H_v0s8cIot4Ki04lSkPRUtLaKMnE_J7fu73SLVicSy1Lcp1moY7BWR0Ip-AuLSLX1dyyyWLsATEuWHsgVi-Rq31K3bOMriJE3jB609W3hUSmB/s320/IMG_2336.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-faced monkeys</td></tr>
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<span class="yiv5446038349s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The end of our week saw the first rain of the year - an hour's torrential downpour. We had luckily left the beach by then and made it to shelter of a restaurant for dinner.</span></span></div>
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<span class="yiv5446038349s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Bizarrely, the rain awakened thousands of red crabs and the next day as we walked the jungle trail to Playa Grande, all we could hear besides the surf and the cicadas was the sound of crabs scuttling through the leaves.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAxtMnFw26E9zidl9Kf8Xj47zG_03ytSNFn7Hsm2GOBJqXKahj_1AYN_NIOPAzoONtWxccsBhHItlyUjAsAwjap2HtQcY-GFoqYyHlGifY9VIozoRo6m9EomZmSBEMoIp6rKdPfHOtMut/s320/IMG_2358.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crabs!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="yiv5446038349s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As we went to leave the beach later in the day, there were hundreds of them gathering at the entrance to the beach and at the shore, presumably ready to make their way down to the sea. </span></span><span class="yiv5446038349s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Each crab about the size of my hand with distinctive orange legs, purple claws and black back.</span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRXZMY5GMeLikZadp53LyKbr3p8vfpmljZDJuDmswiYTqX6bGrM6FuX_QsYpXu9uDnUP_K4aGvoYVRg-ZjYc3W4KE33G7EaTy1CiDeJ0OQD0jVhkfzd4gGsT5gqmDa6ca4QZu4gVcTfKXh/s320/IMG_2351.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hundreds of crabs!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="yiv5446038349s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Back at our accommodation in the evening we even found crabs scurrying around on the steps leading up to and outside our room on the patio! Sadly, t</span></span><span class="yiv5446038349s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">here were also lots of them squashed on the road. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="yiv5446038349s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have no idea where they all came from, but the town was all of a sudden crawling with them! During dinner we watched as a couple of them stealthily crept into the restaurant, sneaking into a dark corner. I'm not sure if they were looking for food, or the ocean, but the locals didn't seem to be bothered by them.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="yiv5446038349s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The rain also brought out the bugs in their various forms: mosquitoes, flying ants and other unidentifiable insects. I was thinking earlier in the week that there weren't many bugs around considering we were in the hot and humid jungle. Well, here they are now!</span></span></div>
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<span class="yiv5446038349s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As an interesting aside, we have noticed how sand castles vary around the world: in Thailand they build sand temples, in Mexico they build sand (Mayan) pyramids and in Costa Rica they build sand volcanoes! It makes sense but I never thought of sand castles as being a particularly British thing!</span></span></div>
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<span class="yiv5446038349s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Next, we're crossing over to the other side of the country, to Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean coast, by the border with Panama. This region is the home of Chiquita bananas, so think of us next time you're buying your bananas in the supermarket!</span></span></div>
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<span class="yiv5446038349s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'll write again next week.</span></span></div>
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<span class="yiv5446038349s1"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Pura vida! (as they say in Costa Rica)</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840667288822727187.post-50439645402714288682017-04-13T19:50:00.000+01:002017-04-13T19:51:54.507+01:00La Fortuna and Monteverde<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">On to country number eight: Costa Rica! <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">At the airport check in desk, the Aero Mexico staff
member laughed when he looked at photo page of my passport – I asked him what
was so funny (the picture isn’t THAT embarrassing!) and turns out the main
character in a computer game called Starcraft is also called Sarah Kerrigan!
She even looks a bit like me (maybe)!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKzZIPanjzSZtYT1W-3rqFmZjP6mevXe4DA0PP8cW7TWsUh4wYmLTPasl9VFFOMo6Dm163RmMvJf1mJydo1esUA1e2YYx9M_sSk1qqUqsrw0Gkrn4fqYWUpQrhkQ-MQSTHoQQFq-17erBN/s1600/Starcraft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKzZIPanjzSZtYT1W-3rqFmZjP6mevXe4DA0PP8cW7TWsUh4wYmLTPasl9VFFOMo6Dm163RmMvJf1mJydo1esUA1e2YYx9M_sSk1qqUqsrw0Gkrn4fqYWUpQrhkQ-MQSTHoQQFq-17erBN/s320/Starcraft.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lead charater, Sarah Kerrigan, in computer game, 'Starcraft'</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">After a brief overnight stopover near the airport, we
headed to our first destination, La Fortuna.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">La Fortuna means ‘fortune’ and is so-called because when
the Arenal volcano, which looms over the town, last erupted it erupted on
opposite side of the mountain, sparing la Fortuna. I do hope this isn’t tempting
fate when the still-active volcano next erupts (currently next predicted to do
so in a few hundred years).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It is said that only one in two visitors to La Fortuna
actually get to see the peak of Arenal volcano as Costa Rica’s tropical
climate, frequent rain and the sheer height of the volcano means it is often
shrouded by clouds and the view is not great.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4yxuqTDoiIdDPR8bKJRhLTddMXLECazvgDLKpRqZsTitH660VtQD8ibyTF3-fA7VAOCCFL5T6UkYr6-qFPh3KkCRl02w3ptifdEif8pnILAVmKlDNYSUrmU-qnr4UCsMEbIDFSgZdsqY/s1600/IMG_0454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4yxuqTDoiIdDPR8bKJRhLTddMXLECazvgDLKpRqZsTitH660VtQD8ibyTF3-fA7VAOCCFL5T6UkYr6-qFPh3KkCRl02w3ptifdEif8pnILAVmKlDNYSUrmU-qnr4UCsMEbIDFSgZdsqY/s320/IMG_0454.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view of Arenal volcano from La Fortuna</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We went on a ‘two volcano hike’, a five-hour trek up the steep
side of a dormant volcano that sits next to Arenal. The clouds descended the
day we went so the views weren’t great but the hot and humid conditions at the
bottom soon turned into cooler temperatures and swirling mists when we entered
the clouds.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNA1RGF-ROu3EEmgQ8laNO5GUiwoKPUeOT-_fY9LavhsZdPjiYoq4xiFHMOWhJPD6eyWbm7Ys9OarUjIOkqX3jI0xCmSV1s8r9CTPENxvZLSiQkgIYI8AAF0eXmX8z3m8Tofxym2Jxfhc/s1600/IMG_2122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNA1RGF-ROu3EEmgQ8laNO5GUiwoKPUeOT-_fY9LavhsZdPjiYoq4xiFHMOWhJPD6eyWbm7Ys9OarUjIOkqX3jI0xCmSV1s8r9CTPENxvZLSiQkgIYI8AAF0eXmX8z3m8Tofxym2Jxfhc/s320/IMG_2122.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cloud forest hike</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The dormant volcano is now what is known as a flat
volcano – where it has collapsed into itself and formed a fifty-metre-deep by
five-hundred-metre-wide lagoon in the crater, filled with rain water. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvWd9XsS49vkwrIF7FCVOnUhsqeRj39W2UzXmOXO4leisK77HBG6qnDnNb-jVcRK0GWkHnNmByvUr7u-dWU2mAM8IDft3mDzRX-mcF95PfVIeio7RgJLOprCLK-VsIeq74OTw1uz338-2/s1600/IMG_2137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvWd9XsS49vkwrIF7FCVOnUhsqeRj39W2UzXmOXO4leisK77HBG6qnDnNb-jVcRK0GWkHnNmByvUr7u-dWU2mAM8IDft3mDzRX-mcF95PfVIeio7RgJLOprCLK-VsIeq74OTw1uz338-2/s320/IMG_2137.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Posing by the crater lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">After hiking back down the other side of the volcano, we
continued on trails that took us over hanging bridges and on to a waterfall.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The benefits of hiking with a guide meant he pointed out
plants, birds and animals along the way – that would otherwise have been too
well camouflaged for our untrained eyes to spot. We saw a toucan, hummingbirds,
a tree climbing snake, an eyelash viper, a white-faced coati, funnel web spiders,
the famous red-eyed green tree frogs (synonymous with Costa Rica) and heard the
song of nightingales that sounded like a water harp. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">There is certainly a lot of biodiversity here –
apparently five percent of the world’s species can be found in Costa Rica. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsoUPvL7GakLwm4VgFMM4lpkIe2rSDC6SYNLtRWIoh4KQETI5E1I3_IvwlC2o0EhW2IxyA2pqfU5hhFb77g4bILYb8WryYNjceHRXR9pWXfX917mqEUvScXQJpwg9NpHeGXFA23C24-qUe/s1600/IMG_2144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsoUPvL7GakLwm4VgFMM4lpkIe2rSDC6SYNLtRWIoh4KQETI5E1I3_IvwlC2o0EhW2IxyA2pqfU5hhFb77g4bILYb8WryYNjceHRXR9pWXfX917mqEUvScXQJpwg9NpHeGXFA23C24-qUe/s320/IMG_2144.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A tree-climbing snake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">After our hike, we were taken to a river to soak in its
thermally heated (thirty-eight degrees Celsius) water. It was strange to be in
a river as hot as a bath, but lovely to soak our legs and feel clean again after
our long day of hiking.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The following day we fancied another soak in the thermal
water so we went to one of the many nearby hot springs. The pools are arranged
so that the higher up you go the hotter the water – the bottom pool being
around thirty-seven degrees and the top pool around forty degrees. However in a
hot climate, it was a bit too hot to spend too long in the hotter pools and I kept
needing to cool off in the cold plunge pool.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Generally Costa Rica is a bit more expensive than its
neighbouring countries and as a tourist you are more often than not charged in
US dollars rather that in ‘colones,’ the local currency. It’s also the busiest
time of the year – Easter week plus the last month of dry season so it’s busy
with tourists and local holiday-makers alike.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">To keep the cost down, we’ve been eating in the local
cafes, called sodas. Our favourite local speciality is the ‘casado’ – chicken,
fish or a pork chop with rice, black beans, plantain, salad and vegetables.
Pretty balanced and healthy too!</span></span></div>
<o:p></o:p><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-mIN8c3tq-kLmLrmnarkhhT1GgHwMQxRRLqfyPT5c7RESFAdD1ZKEsZ7Xp97qMieCE50Xk9wgKFnCTDDxT-r7bbKpZi9HO3PkkVcePRNuo3xZTPx6uqLRvyayXR6ugXe9GdbqbMUtJE6/s1600/IMG_2168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-mIN8c3tq-kLmLrmnarkhhT1GgHwMQxRRLqfyPT5c7RESFAdD1ZKEsZ7Xp97qMieCE50Xk9wgKFnCTDDxT-r7bbKpZi9HO3PkkVcePRNuo3xZTPx6uqLRvyayXR6ugXe9GdbqbMUtJE6/s320/IMG_2168.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local speciality: casado</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We had a much better view of the volcano on day two,
though the peak was still in clouds. However, when we took our boat transfer to
Monteverde, we were very lucky and had a wonderful clear view.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSMPEgAWpJoxrohyxzlIWEm62ybFKNCI6_HCETE885iMCXUCqYC9zJpSW0hZP_EkdFe9Cn1KeTZdHovHHvVhVrc1MVSOuJtlEDdFV9sdSlg-aezjkLKeVYp1SyLhvrVovaz-nykJ4n8sRw/s1600/IMG_2173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSMPEgAWpJoxrohyxzlIWEm62ybFKNCI6_HCETE885iMCXUCqYC9zJpSW0hZP_EkdFe9Cn1KeTZdHovHHvVhVrc1MVSOuJtlEDdFV9sdSlg-aezjkLKeVYp1SyLhvrVovaz-nykJ4n8sRw/s320/IMG_2173.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We spent our next few nights in Monteverde: hiking in the
cloud forest (which due to the dry season and sunny weather, wasn’t in the
clouds on the day we hiked, but made for lovely walking conditions) </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgII_FEbnkBZocyNdd_EUqvv3kUmRXK5EfPFrkKXOwLiVg5okwoX6SurglW81YZxWCOWRPwQEgef20rY55OpZwCVV7Kd9gyqxTgV_vF5VIcvbO6DNiyirSp3iFCT3f8zPRys61eCbZXuy-9/s1600/IMG_2257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgII_FEbnkBZocyNdd_EUqvv3kUmRXK5EfPFrkKXOwLiVg5okwoX6SurglW81YZxWCOWRPwQEgef20rY55OpZwCVV7Kd9gyqxTgV_vF5VIcvbO6DNiyirSp3iFCT3f8zPRys61eCbZXuy-9/s320/IMG_2257.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRhrPaj1qb_zk0VP-s57_P94vrL4EOuhTZ_KgJoe2ruMnXAPg1nncDR9d0Bt9BZCkwCLqgL1fP6CXvYxY8QvQJEzEJoyuEj6Qo87alHGhA7ZykgZwNwpNaDcTM3PAr0DvEihtnhR38646/s1600/IMG_2248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRhrPaj1qb_zk0VP-s57_P94vrL4EOuhTZ_KgJoe2ruMnXAPg1nncDR9d0Bt9BZCkwCLqgL1fP6CXvYxY8QvQJEzEJoyuEj6Qo87alHGhA7ZykgZwNwpNaDcTM3PAr0DvEihtnhR38646/s320/IMG_2248.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We did
an amazing zip-line canopy tour, high above the tree-tops and reaching top speeds
of one hundred kilometres per hour and including a ‘Superman’ zip line, where
you fly headfirst like Superman!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-Dh2RPJdVufokeuk24nTq1yXfoMmNELP1baHHb3IbcLLcCSvoqf5pDpT8TASiodLbp6SbVVqgrp_8aha7SgXMyBUktWn7N0T_8CgLb70NUmIXLXtu2sODmsJaVzOYKHvjjhvsidPh4HS/s1600/IMG_2206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-Dh2RPJdVufokeuk24nTq1yXfoMmNELP1baHHb3IbcLLcCSvoqf5pDpT8TASiodLbp6SbVVqgrp_8aha7SgXMyBUktWn7N0T_8CgLb70NUmIXLXtu2sODmsJaVzOYKHvjjhvsidPh4HS/s320/IMG_2206.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJy8XdWolQ57C-hrvn-rBvLffUkkafAHCyTx9jY2qDP4QRvsKhod8JAgmpionMJnFJraCyl8WKWf0Wsa_Q6KGbuJcQPqNYV-HRHu5-WSG6qjUVdDVnqj9PyESNBee_a_ZWsmwxVIqHvrK/s1600/IMG_2224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJy8XdWolQ57C-hrvn-rBvLffUkkafAHCyTx9jY2qDP4QRvsKhod8JAgmpionMJnFJraCyl8WKWf0Wsa_Q6KGbuJcQPqNYV-HRHu5-WSG6qjUVdDVnqj9PyESNBee_a_ZWsmwxVIqHvrK/s320/IMG_2224.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I also had the opportunity to do Central America’s
highest bungee jump! A 143-metre cable car jump, where I went off backwards
(for added fun!) There were stunning views from the top and I’d put the jump in
my top three bungee jumps – just a shame it wasn’t a bit higher, with a bit
longer freefall!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigPkBvfCpcu3KKfRgRv-Pjar18USiRkPfZgUd2g_ZLtt_gGpvU-paldTH-aRY6IwaPvGBwuP3NKXnSs1JUaIRVlr0WDXb1SvDqxdEYKZwTY8IvdqR-IQskXL0gUo77F3ZkYgp0PgSOAESj/s1600/IMG_2236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigPkBvfCpcu3KKfRgRv-Pjar18USiRkPfZgUd2g_ZLtt_gGpvU-paldTH-aRY6IwaPvGBwuP3NKXnSs1JUaIRVlr0WDXb1SvDqxdEYKZwTY8IvdqR-IQskXL0gUo77F3ZkYgp0PgSOAESj/s320/IMG_2236.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bungee platform over the cloud forest</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lastly, we went on a coffee, chocolate and sugar cane
tour – Costa Rica being a producer of all of the above. We got to see the
process of each of the above from growing the plants, to harvesting them and
producing them into the finished product – which we then got to sample.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZudR_pSod38jqBWSc9Rnu2BWyB-EK1-VUjb5lzhyibA5Ys6_nlG2Utg_Y_IT301zZOOwO-xsAUWdJZM4RlHEPleYPfOrklF8N_QDi0cdLgq1mKzAERI2nIKBWdahrhMIMFRUDxEPbB4k/s1600/IMG_2185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZudR_pSod38jqBWSc9Rnu2BWyB-EK1-VUjb5lzhyibA5Ys6_nlG2Utg_Y_IT301zZOOwO-xsAUWdJZM4RlHEPleYPfOrklF8N_QDi0cdLgq1mKzAERI2nIKBWdahrhMIMFRUDxEPbB4k/s320/IMG_2185.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cocoa beans</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95GkVyQurW4ZR_JqaA3SglIgiZAKorCCnuxza3ibZy4NXZSE3zYRm7XrO57PcqnW8cmG9rsOkR9j3u0vObvXHKfq6l2CRs3MtGD4u2Vcqs4rJox76Dq2a0COuIS-QGlWSauEpzuyymZR7/s1600/IMG_2189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95GkVyQurW4ZR_JqaA3SglIgiZAKorCCnuxza3ibZy4NXZSE3zYRm7XrO57PcqnW8cmG9rsOkR9j3u0vObvXHKfq6l2CRs3MtGD4u2Vcqs4rJox76Dq2a0COuIS-QGlWSauEpzuyymZR7/s320/IMG_2189.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A freshly picked coffee berry</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here are some interesting coffee facts for you: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The lighter the roast the more caffeine there is
– so a stronger, richer tasting coffee has less caffeine than a weaker tasting
blend! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->There is more caffeine in a cup of tea than an
espresso.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Milk reduces the effect of caffeine so a latte
is not as strong as you might think…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJegfdH-s4z-xpKFQGyX0r21Xd4iyzy8_Y7rjqxZJcNEuX_rTMMyuOdIPAJf5vsAZwgVyg3yK8NBs-tDGCLqB7ZO5csADRckAG7M4i615TyjbyHLIIjKLgxlCFcGDdbKOHMbLWKaQuYgpe/s1600/IMG_2197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJegfdH-s4z-xpKFQGyX0r21Xd4iyzy8_Y7rjqxZJcNEuX_rTMMyuOdIPAJf5vsAZwgVyg3yK8NBs-tDGCLqB7ZO5csADRckAG7M4i615TyjbyHLIIjKLgxlCFcGDdbKOHMbLWKaQuYgpe/s320/IMG_2197.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Caffeine per cup' chart</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Next up we’re on our way to Montezuma for a week of
relaxation and beach time. We’ve been warned it’s where all the Costa Ricans
will be heading for Easter weekend too so it’s likely to be very busy – but also
a nice chilled-out vibe. I’ll blog again from there next week.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840667288822727187.post-30838140093408648142017-04-07T20:54:00.003+01:002017-04-07T20:58:51.617+01:00Zipolite<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We took the six-hour long minivan journey over the
mountains of Oaxaca state down to the coast. It was an incredibly long and windy
journey on mountain roads, but worth it when we arrived on the coast - after
nine days in the city we were ready for the seaside!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WyYh-4jBQDwzDONr7p10pQXJWEb2L4JWDAK_pwoWrKLB1E0gmkVdEI5Dqt6w50SgjF__NsAAgW2VUm8MDDPdwa0HGL5gdKEHxj43_v9S7G7kHxi9-f3V4EyIqciMvCQuvzpkLncQJDGt/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WyYh-4jBQDwzDONr7p10pQXJWEb2L4JWDAK_pwoWrKLB1E0gmkVdEI5Dqt6w50SgjF__NsAAgW2VUm8MDDPdwa0HGL5gdKEHxj43_v9S7G7kHxi9-f3V4EyIqciMvCQuvzpkLncQJDGt/s400/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zipolite beach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Zipolite is on the Pacific coast, which is famous for its
massive waves and good surf. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On certain beaches
though, it is too dangerous to go in past knee deep due to the enormous waves
and strong currents. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4JuIcxd6gnWW1zzWbWPYGcsOj9wfQxT2m8uknqFQRLXL9VCIlVW6_bk5-pL_bTyKOh36KRd9ETzmRxMgXQk_6dkyWPNZfow6booc75xkpIGMbp1TrS6WrMlt0qtaCsQ75jKi6jbrNH4tu/s1600/IMG_2118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4JuIcxd6gnWW1zzWbWPYGcsOj9wfQxT2m8uknqFQRLXL9VCIlVW6_bk5-pL_bTyKOh36KRd9ETzmRxMgXQk_6dkyWPNZfow6booc75xkpIGMbp1TrS6WrMlt0qtaCsQ75jKi6jbrNH4tu/s400/IMG_2118.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset and surf at Zipolite</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In fact, literally translated, Zipolite means ‘Death Beach’
for this very reason! I’m not sure my video quite gets across how big and
powerful the waves are, but it’s certainly an impressive sight.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Even on the beaches, where it is safe to swim, the waves
can still be huge and you still need to take care – on occasion we watched
numerous people being caught unaware and washed in to the shore by a set of big
waves – in addition to surfers who couldn’t even get out to where the waves
were breaking as they kept being washed in!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-GlIuZOdId79-LPv28Ksle7jBCdJGDzECKqVp0TI1L6TMGlV3SR00vOziY7UbAMOgFnNzS1D77gm7MqwFtJaCD7xcmEUo_wUyE5OdkyjrY1c83SIIEgwdqZQe6OMeSz67eXrpN1LT_9Y/s1600/IMG_0444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-GlIuZOdId79-LPv28Ksle7jBCdJGDzECKqVp0TI1L6TMGlV3SR00vOziY7UbAMOgFnNzS1D77gm7MqwFtJaCD7xcmEUo_wUyE5OdkyjrY1c83SIIEgwdqZQe6OMeSz67eXrpN1LT_9Y/s400/IMG_0444.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mazunte beach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In Mazunte we were amazed to see boats coming in to land
on the beach between the waves – check out their method of doing so – though I’m
sure it can’t be very good for the boat itself!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">By an amazing coincidence, Kev’s friend Solveig (who sang
at our wedding) happened to be in Zipolite the same weekend as us, so we
enjoyed spending some time with her and her friend Emiliano. It’s a small
world!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmUzD61pxfOlYi5tw0xZSbKZfoKdTKZH1jq5ouOmO_BZt5nt-_UhhgFXEsWBj3MpnTR4N71RX8jsrDGubhUTd57u5U6W03EXNYTFhvzw6PP5QiYyvMWlotTO4_HbwidBkBtDLuEDitoEe/s640/blogger-image--1666449329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmUzD61pxfOlYi5tw0xZSbKZfoKdTKZH1jq5ouOmO_BZt5nt-_UhhgFXEsWBj3MpnTR4N71RX8jsrDGubhUTd57u5U6W03EXNYTFhvzw6PP5QiYyvMWlotTO4_HbwidBkBtDLuEDitoEe/s400/blogger-image--1666449329.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kev and Solveig</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Pacific coast from Puerto Escondido to Mazunte has a
laid-back hippy vibe – You get the impression that a lot of people come here as
a backpacker and never leave! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Not us though, for it’s time to go back over the
mountains to Mexico City, ready for our flight to Costa Rica - I’ll write again
from there.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840667288822727187.post-51817630251905248212017-03-30T19:36:00.002+01:002017-03-30T19:36:41.395+01:00Oaxaca<span class="yiv3152136057s1"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We’ve spent the last week in Oaxaca City, set
amongst the mountains in south-west Mexico at an altitude of 1600m. It’s a colourful
place, literally and metaphorically, proud of its music, culture and food. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-bwFf-BOQL83rFuUKQ9gL33S24xR-LyEeX9xwZ-izZ7HyBIhFpnc3ti4PjfMj2x0yLModWtv1QhqvxFsOFwALpsN3p3vyGT_CxGLxNo-qcD6FEMoCZScnv5AsNjbrxw2NLQDr2FI0bO1/s1600/IMG_2086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-bwFf-BOQL83rFuUKQ9gL33S24xR-LyEeX9xwZ-izZ7HyBIhFpnc3ti4PjfMj2x0yLModWtv1QhqvxFsOFwALpsN3p3vyGT_CxGLxNo-qcD6FEMoCZScnv5AsNjbrxw2NLQDr2FI0bO1/s320/IMG_2086.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oaxaca's main pedestrian street</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">As in other parts of the country the buildings are brightly painted and the region is famous for its colourful handicrafts, as touted on stalls and by every street corner by enterprising locals.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38Cl0qQZJjBQligx490I8BuZ7XZ4H8PDjtAbtk3InXNNpAZuvaaS4iL8_p-f0e_sctgIaiH3n935UDo6kHD-G6YvBCjyqL3_KUTdyWxTjkn4PL8MVpmBIqBS0naCOuz8Wh_-wDUuQRlVA/s1600/IMG_2117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38Cl0qQZJjBQligx490I8BuZ7XZ4H8PDjtAbtk3InXNNpAZuvaaS4iL8_p-f0e_sctgIaiH3n935UDo6kHD-G6YvBCjyqL3_KUTdyWxTjkn4PL8MVpmBIqBS0naCOuz8Wh_-wDUuQRlVA/s320/IMG_2117.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plaza Santa Domingo</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji9ZZKFPgZE8Q-ux4KbV7D_aRTOttZFbeQCRTJ3lwSiSTfgMVkHnXgTs4DIUoRXH2BxIo8m3wbi3PRH6plUOqYrGIDvFNbxuxJLK29SJyrzo98_0qMCd0uqLGpD7LqdyzQaXWpYbUQe7gc/s1600/IMG_0431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji9ZZKFPgZE8Q-ux4KbV7D_aRTOttZFbeQCRTJ3lwSiSTfgMVkHnXgTs4DIUoRXH2BxIo8m3wbi3PRH6plUOqYrGIDvFNbxuxJLK29SJyrzo98_0qMCd0uqLGpD7LqdyzQaXWpYbUQe7gc/s320/IMG_0431.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of Oaxaca's many churches</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="yiv3152136057s1"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the Zocalo, Oaxaca’s central square, there
is live music every night – from traditional ‘banda’ (Mexican brass band), to mariachi
bands, marimba players and buskers singing and playing guitar or cello. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At any one time in the square, you’re likely
to hear at least two performances going on – I’m not sure how it’s possible for
the musicians to concentrate and tune out the other music – but they are all
keen to earn their evening’s tips!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="yiv3152136057p1" style="margin: 1em 0cm;">
<span class="yiv3152136057s1"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I don’t think I realized how much of the music
I like it influenced by the warm Mexican big-band brass sound. Of course, now
it’s obvious, many of the bands I like are from the southern states in the USA,
not too far from Mexico, so it’s obvious that the influence might creep across
the border. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="yiv3152136057s1"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="yiv3152136057s1"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here’s a track for you to listen to – and for those of you who know
the bands Beirut, or Neutral Milk Hotel – see if you can hear the similarities
(though less so in the vocals!) </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/B9yGAE8vCpE/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B9yGAE8vCpE?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="yiv3152136057p1" style="margin: 1em 0cm;">
<span class="yiv3152136057s1"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Zocalo is also home to many shoe-shiners
and balloon sellers – there are surely too many of them to all compete with
each other, but it all adds to the colour of the square.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfIpJ-vAXbd9HV-FpyCQcs-SuO4uo5hOcR1TTy8Ut621InBJ9rFGuWELBZamDnim2q08KNJb7pvKNTJ3ITXwicNXPuTneAnawARcUaK_O8mtxRsl4CiGVghV8tW3ATx66ruCEKYDu3QyfG/s1600/IMG_0422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfIpJ-vAXbd9HV-FpyCQcs-SuO4uo5hOcR1TTy8Ut621InBJ9rFGuWELBZamDnim2q08KNJb7pvKNTJ3ITXwicNXPuTneAnawARcUaK_O8mtxRsl4CiGVghV8tW3ATx66ruCEKYDu3QyfG/s320/IMG_0422.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shoe-shiners in the Zocalo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCVTk4uCtv7JBjHeYY2bpZE4WVZpArkdUcJm-ECA25__bYKO1a-A0mUzSwaynCisl4ahpMCTMgH_xTiQqH8pxNjpLo4hh3Gl2eKilaP0RlKn-N8OYOGXqR-ub9m4dwpBmjkawxRT11e8lY/s1600/IMG_0423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCVTk4uCtv7JBjHeYY2bpZE4WVZpArkdUcJm-ECA25__bYKO1a-A0mUzSwaynCisl4ahpMCTMgH_xTiQqH8pxNjpLo4hh3Gl2eKilaP0RlKn-N8OYOGXqR-ub9m4dwpBmjkawxRT11e8lY/s320/IMG_0423.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Balloon-seller</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="yiv3152136057s1"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">One day we did a trip to nearby mountain
village, Cuajimoloyas</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> for some hiking and zip-lining. At an altitude of <span class="yiv3152136057s1">3200m it was much cooler and a welcome relief from the
scorching temperatures in the city. A three-hour hike, however, was exhausting
at that altitude, where the air was so much thinner!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw495tt7TRlF0fOLsUsydqQXDC2R69oXt1VxbiBGihBiVYmdGuX_gQvzbNt1_MXlwWHc9cTupSH7YbHoAzhu6T6davYdeOz7J19lVERTpC9E4FRSQ9u9fBtjCJNBwBkrf4YP9Y4-7y46A7/s1600/IMG_0405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghIMmCTGUU4QS0rAWuIcrPhgjo2V71mTvHuKzF4SkxwKgCvZLVujEVgYNVjI5Vd7dJGGdgLf5Evap_JJinmSRZ50o4MoTjujoSCv5mIz1xRlPfcYdyDn7azNIEcCOh7RaVkaWnCH5YDLhc/s1600/IMG_2106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghIMmCTGUU4QS0rAWuIcrPhgjo2V71mTvHuKzF4SkxwKgCvZLVujEVgYNVjI5Vd7dJGGdgLf5Evap_JJinmSRZ50o4MoTjujoSCv5mIz1xRlPfcYdyDn7azNIEcCOh7RaVkaWnCH5YDLhc/s320/IMG_2106.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Cuijimoloyes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbdj5ahfrKd4ib5SgpdVdlGklLNyf7hMK9BDOKxek336gucxZeUK1kQ7Wym9-hLvaNJBXhrGgu7iJ_MDtV5vXEepg9a7Nw8hheu08X33G1_eaN7s4CGy6lxJZaISNRBZMOYrbKTk47Fh12/s1600/IMG_2092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbdj5ahfrKd4ib5SgpdVdlGklLNyf7hMK9BDOKxek336gucxZeUK1kQ7Wym9-hLvaNJBXhrGgu7iJ_MDtV5vXEepg9a7Nw8hheu08X33G1_eaN7s4CGy6lxJZaISNRBZMOYrbKTk47Fh12/s320/IMG_2092.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down on to Oaxaca City</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="yiv3152136057s1"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We ended the day zip-lining from one mountain
village to another – a one kilometre zip line, eighty-metres high and travelling
at 60kmph! Well done to Kev for facing his fear of heights to do this!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw495tt7TRlF0fOLsUsydqQXDC2R69oXt1VxbiBGihBiVYmdGuX_gQvzbNt1_MXlwWHc9cTupSH7YbHoAzhu6T6davYdeOz7J19lVERTpC9E4FRSQ9u9fBtjCJNBwBkrf4YP9Y4-7y46A7/s1600/IMG_0405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw495tt7TRlF0fOLsUsydqQXDC2R69oXt1VxbiBGihBiVYmdGuX_gQvzbNt1_MXlwWHc9cTupSH7YbHoAzhu6T6davYdeOz7J19lVERTpC9E4FRSQ9u9fBtjCJNBwBkrf4YP9Y4-7y46A7/s320/IMG_0405.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zipline from Cuajjimoloyes to Benito Juarez</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="yiv3152136057s1"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The foodie scene in Oaxaca is also something
they are very proud of and it’s possible to eat very well and very cheaply,
with lots of family-run traditional restaurants, food markets and local specialties,
including Oaxaca’s own ‘string’ cheese (a bit like mozzarella), locally brewed
craft beer, stout and mezcal. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjA878wHjwF7TUHTrWPkrKdD4qPf728NrDWKOkLIqJl2s3qfigV2o4GCfrp8vjSZqiensAPD4wS1P8T4sxZLHZSJwRHQrWtcfZqdCrJwJr7Y8SxZpj2umd0Y4pVIG8-IVpisI61sVDW1BR/s1600/IMG_0430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjA878wHjwF7TUHTrWPkrKdD4qPf728NrDWKOkLIqJl2s3qfigV2o4GCfrp8vjSZqiensAPD4wS1P8T4sxZLHZSJwRHQrWtcfZqdCrJwJr7Y8SxZpj2umd0Y4pVIG8-IVpisI61sVDW1BR/s320/IMG_0430.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast of champions!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="yiv3152136057s1"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We enjoyed a meal in the local market – a passageway
full of barbecues serving grilled meat, chorizo, chilies and onions. We got
rather more than we could eat – our limited Spanish meaning we were unsure
quite how much we were getting and the locals taking the opportunity to sell us
things by blinding us with science! The meal was cheap and delicious, however!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="yiv3152136057p1" style="margin: 1em 0cm;">
<span class="yiv3152136057s1"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">This led us to signing up for a crash course in
Spanish – sixteen hours over four mornings – so whilst we’re still very much
beginners, we can at least say a few sentences now and conjugate a few verbs! We’ll practice what we’ve learnt during the
rest of our trip – all of which is in Spanish-speaking countries.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Next, we'll head down to Zipolite on the Pacific Coast next for a spot of beach time. I'll blog again from there.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
</div>
<span class="yiv3152136057s1"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840667288822727187.post-85923351978829050982017-03-25T21:12:00.000+00:002017-03-25T21:12:50.841+00:00Cozumel<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT345TQK9xl4pdKmxuXAMLSGipwOmcKlw2BZnFxv7uJpM0yhrdolPvwOLR7UibYfYyxX1REiyW1Gd0fPNkp9NNU6UXebuRbZs2bvnEYLIwrQd7a76meWMTwto5x6oaFHgglBmG_-E3FrJ9/s1600/IMG_2067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT345TQK9xl4pdKmxuXAMLSGipwOmcKlw2BZnFxv7uJpM0yhrdolPvwOLR7UibYfYyxX1REiyW1Gd0fPNkp9NNU6UXebuRbZs2bvnEYLIwrQd7a76meWMTwto5x6oaFHgglBmG_-E3FrJ9/s320/IMG_2067.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">When we last went to Cozumel in 2012, I swore I’d never do
that ferry crossing ever again – yet here I am back on the boat, on the
notoriously bumpy crossing! <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This time, however, it definitely wasn’t as traumatic – with
live music on board, beautiful sunshine and a lovely breeze out on deck. Fortunately,
my fellow passengers seemed to enjoy themselves too – this is the main point of
difference from your last crossing where it seemed everyone was unwell around
us. We were fine, as always!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The reason that we – and that most people – go to Cozumel
is for the scuba diving. Having not dived for over two years we wanted a quick
refresher and the guarantee of some world-class dives. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJs6_bsNiqtG1CGMCe7n16peqNRYygRkJl-c_JQQR3HcOU1vhYgPit2c0GZcy8Oeug_bLFjbAa2_kRnMjW6A-j3jrvkGX4xEM-m0LTVDJE-BIW_3WNjgk7qnT9gIstcLbZcAfnJqkzRqNx/s1600/IMG_0390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJs6_bsNiqtG1CGMCe7n16peqNRYygRkJl-c_JQQR3HcOU1vhYgPit2c0GZcy8Oeug_bLFjbAa2_kRnMjW6A-j3jrvkGX4xEM-m0LTVDJE-BIW_3WNjgk7qnT9gIstcLbZcAfnJqkzRqNx/s320/IMG_0390.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The weather was perfect for us, and the island was
protected from much of the wind that we had in Tulum.<o:p> </o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I must say it did feel odd diving again and I was a bit
nervous on the first dive, but we felt really comfortable on the second – if a
little cold! It’s funny how even a wetsuit and warm Caribbean water can feel
chilly when you’re under for forty-five minutes!<o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The dives were good, with excellent visibility and a
great variety of marine life. Some of the highlights were seeing a splendid
toad fish, a couple of turtles, a huge green moray eel, some enormous lobsters
and some flounders on the sea floor.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Other than that, Cozumel was much how we remembered it –
a chilled out Island lifestyle (but for the daily arrival and departure of cruise ships) and Mexico's trademark colourful painted buildings and wall murals too. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpEf5KlscdGpgnpwGZaWWd6cBrlSRnv_ctMUNYo1jNByyINsZwIWPT4qDHMTGlaZvW4tQe5RfO54DMmVQnJKGmrqV7NZdfxp6UrEqN7XEYpHgvyAs-QIvBEAD5Vf0zF0BOzHWo4JssX_H2/s1600/IMG_0393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpEf5KlscdGpgnpwGZaWWd6cBrlSRnv_ctMUNYo1jNByyINsZwIWPT4qDHMTGlaZvW4tQe5RfO54DMmVQnJKGmrqV7NZdfxp6UrEqN7XEYpHgvyAs-QIvBEAD5Vf0zF0BOzHWo4JssX_H2/s320/IMG_0393.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRFE2OIWl6L0nREKpD8-1D3FTMg7c0Ms-lA0aYWKzi6VFetpuq7zeuEikrQux1n91buhe4QJX_9JDW35BzJubdYF6yS0HDqaIOWiF-lMsFOM6WnNw78jAiKe71mK0hPK8sQMlLGU_5XGg/s1600/IMG_2080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRFE2OIWl6L0nREKpD8-1D3FTMg7c0Ms-lA0aYWKzi6VFetpuq7zeuEikrQux1n91buhe4QJX_9JDW35BzJubdYF6yS0HDqaIOWiF-lMsFOM6WnNw78jAiKe71mK0hPK8sQMlLGU_5XGg/s320/IMG_2080.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It’s been really hot and when we’ve not been in the
water, we’ve enjoyed walking along the seafront and watching the iguanas roaming
about. We’re enjoying the last of the coast before we head off to our next destination,
Oaxaca (pronounced Wahaca) City. I’ll write again from there.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hasta luego!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840667288822727187.post-11256562878720626062017-03-18T15:54:00.002+00:002017-03-18T15:57:24.978+00:00Tulum<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
A relatively quiet week (in terms of activity) for us this
week as we took time to stop and stay in one place for a while. We’ve been to
Tulum a few times before so we knew we’d be happy to spend a bit of time here.
It’s also a good place to get some work done so we worked and relaxed hard on
the many lovely beaches in the area.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidEtZ4cPBlFqTVbSAwdgUtF4bUlhOPJFPhdgOAfOnXeYz6IJZDE69MnskS1bvFo6a6uY13gnfx9tTXSbbPSdwKZ-PGeseJtPANkQ0rTBHzOdk7R5GdrA8NycjE7-C1ZhvZB8tTrqne0_nA/s1600/IMG_2043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidEtZ4cPBlFqTVbSAwdgUtF4bUlhOPJFPhdgOAfOnXeYz6IJZDE69MnskS1bvFo6a6uY13gnfx9tTXSbbPSdwKZ-PGeseJtPANkQ0rTBHzOdk7R5GdrA8NycjE7-C1ZhvZB8tTrqne0_nA/s320/IMG_2043.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tulum Beach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wNhkDRM9ZvFW9JzQfRSEMc5aapcJoJuzeS2zGGOHn9jCRu2dMRfvZSESmoug_EhUwBKp-eOem-vi8xQnJuEwwsWqT4mryo48A17Lyq-30Kt-PUwqlhlAWtNUsVkXruLXLO9DHtdVrNLM/s1600/IMG_2018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wNhkDRM9ZvFW9JzQfRSEMc5aapcJoJuzeS2zGGOHn9jCRu2dMRfvZSESmoug_EhUwBKp-eOem-vi8xQnJuEwwsWqT4mryo48A17Lyq-30Kt-PUwqlhlAWtNUsVkXruLXLO9DHtdVrNLM/s320/IMG_2018.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Posing on the rocks!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Not so quiet was our week in terms of noise, as our ten-day stay
just so happened to coincide with a ten-day Mayan music festival to celebrate
the harvest. We found out the festival takes place twice a year and in our
case, took place on the exact dates of our stay in Tulum!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Mayans sure know how to party, kicking off around 10pm
and finishing up around 4.30am every night. Lucky for us we were well-equipped
with earplugs and decent noise-cancelling headphones as the music was so loud!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Unimpressed at the lack of sleep on our first night, Kev
took it upon himself to craft a two-page letter to the accommodation
management, written in Spanish (using Google Translate) at 4am – I would pay
good money to see a copy of this letter now and wonder if it made sense in his
sleep-deprived, non-Spanish speaking state!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We have been ‘glamping’ this week – essentially canvas tents
with thatched, cabana-style roof and a real king-sized bed inside. All brand
new and very comfortable with a pool and free bike hire to get around town.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjki5folO1LlgB-hiwNKlZSUKJRDBUZRBQM0N3wIehfKOSOcVaeZm7GRYDFoDQd2cBawnlYxwicN5vdZ1pyhwteUyNXcfz-7dCNksgMXbd8TkPKRIlzaT72RJ8_C3qRzC-ST2m4nPYgmgKk/s1600/IMG_2003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjki5folO1LlgB-hiwNKlZSUKJRDBUZRBQM0N3wIehfKOSOcVaeZm7GRYDFoDQd2cBawnlYxwicN5vdZ1pyhwteUyNXcfz-7dCNksgMXbd8TkPKRIlzaT72RJ8_C3qRzC-ST2m4nPYgmgKk/s320/IMG_2003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kev chilling out in the pool</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We made the most of the bikes to cycle down to the beach and
back most days – a respectable 15km round trip. The beach is stunning, on the
Caribbean coast, but it has been really windy, which has washed in a lot of
seaweed. However, it’s also a nice cool breeze to cut through the heat of the
day and good fun playing in the waves, despite the odd piece of seaweed hitting
you in the face!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6YImMIxczUmgYnx5-osSgm8czu8WHTR-kswJ0Kx_VgXDt47N8x-5B_JmCGBZjZAnONwr2dQJpRRa1pQKKVawFDwnB6nMFDn1GDBEexEpnIoazDRSM4H58BEafrKvon5CMmQNVYz0i0K7/s1600/IMG_2036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6YImMIxczUmgYnx5-osSgm8czu8WHTR-kswJ0Kx_VgXDt47N8x-5B_JmCGBZjZAnONwr2dQJpRRa1pQKKVawFDwnB6nMFDn1GDBEexEpnIoazDRSM4H58BEafrKvon5CMmQNVYz0i0K7/s320/IMG_2036.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dodging the seaweed at Tulum Beach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We also went to visit some of the other beaches and cenotes
just outside of town: Ixcacel beach (also very windy) is where the turtles go
to lay their eggs, though being there in the daytime, we didn’t actually see
any whilst we were there. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91-iqyAxQVK1N3ZjmH3ks4Q9-0Qjw5FOlIWkg7HCf4OZchI7igK7zXRE-uIuOzkZYW31DkFx4FSt9ogCJLKwLIu67j8lF-78Wo0jeps2sQ_QkJCqd6yUMrDpzybohokc5npZTTQoYkUU_/s1600/IMG_2038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91-iqyAxQVK1N3ZjmH3ks4Q9-0Qjw5FOlIWkg7HCf4OZchI7igK7zXRE-uIuOzkZYW31DkFx4FSt9ogCJLKwLIu67j8lF-78Wo0jeps2sQ_QkJCqd6yUMrDpzybohokc5npZTTQoYkUU_/s320/IMG_2038.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turtle Beach at Ixcacel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">A cenote is a fresh-water pool formed when a limestone cave
collapses. There are loads of them in this part of Mexico and are great for
swimming and snorkelling. The colour of the water is just gorgeous too. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8uFr3ss6-acjRMPS6ZCI6avLkxh6_vmeCQ5ZJXro0x2dTgzfOYnMtM_vnP2UD-y9hrILJaUwatKoRD7pDM_u1oypGAh-BxuAZEd-hTGXAUj9-d7G6Hmk-4vy_LVqALyhyxCfA-twAzPXW/s1600/IMG_2040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8uFr3ss6-acjRMPS6ZCI6avLkxh6_vmeCQ5ZJXro0x2dTgzfOYnMtM_vnP2UD-y9hrILJaUwatKoRD7pDM_u1oypGAh-BxuAZEd-hTGXAUj9-d7G6Hmk-4vy_LVqALyhyxCfA-twAzPXW/s320/IMG_2040.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ixcacel Cenote</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kev claims he once saw a baby crocodile in one and today, in
Casa Cenote, we were talking to a scuba diver who had just seen a six-foot croc
during his dive in the same cenote! He said the croc was eating a duck when he saw
it, so wasn’t concerned that it might also be interested in him for lunch, but
I think he must have had nerves of steel to not freak out! </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPrHO5ft4gYIyfnnP00v9Wx8SJcn1mftHoCHnAQtI8Y8XVfTyHXByrcBl7cdLRXBCUufHjv1gTjE3PVgkwHDIteGtjv2GtqFQZyjf4QYfGzmiKa90-UbtCmVhGuYsQwxn8RP6EJYnoqJih/s1600/IMG_2059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPrHO5ft4gYIyfnnP00v9Wx8SJcn1mftHoCHnAQtI8Y8XVfTyHXByrcBl7cdLRXBCUufHjv1gTjE3PVgkwHDIteGtjv2GtqFQZyjf4QYfGzmiKa90-UbtCmVhGuYsQwxn8RP6EJYnoqJih/s320/IMG_2059.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Casa Cenote</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We went for a swim but after hearing
that story we stayed pretty close to the edge, in case the hungry crocodile
comes back out! Sat on the edge, we had our own mini 'fish spa' with little fish nibbling at our toes!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxUGUFmezTzCoBE92RFyLJ-ooUFc_ONxSHO29Zdjn_SZWlBVpTmp23mo-ar_kM8xzThyNIUq1p8EaVyrdiUP7CveqK-j2UnF-eg4EmB2WTr0KK327x0J91wkFsYBDmW07sGesugBmVzEa1/s1600/IMG_2046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxUGUFmezTzCoBE92RFyLJ-ooUFc_ONxSHO29Zdjn_SZWlBVpTmp23mo-ar_kM8xzThyNIUq1p8EaVyrdiUP7CveqK-j2UnF-eg4EmB2WTr0KK327x0J91wkFsYBDmW07sGesugBmVzEa1/s320/IMG_2046.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our own mini fish spa!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We made friends with the owner of a local Mayan restaurant
during our stay. Having planned to just pop in for a quick drink on our way
back from the beach, he kept bringing us tortillas, salsas and Mayan
specialties that he wanted us to try, to get a real taste of the region. In the
end, we didn’t have room for dinner that night, but we did make sure we gave
him a particularly generous tip when only charged us for the drinks.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We went back for dinner again a couple of nights later and
loved the local fresh fish, ceviche, refried beans and other specialities he
prepared for us. We continue to eat well – especially when tacos for two cost
as little as £1.50! </span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFX5Z8dkchf9xm1TiFzKj_fUHgKVCBUdPD4A60dOh850dGyr9nVRg__MuCDCB6edXt5Dplhlar4X5JBUW2795ldXHZycN9CE4Xg3EF2BRvGPFoQl8OWPbuqVidhuw3rf7kRgg3WRcNszu4/s1600/IMG_2030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFX5Z8dkchf9xm1TiFzKj_fUHgKVCBUdPD4A60dOh850dGyr9nVRg__MuCDCB6edXt5Dplhlar4X5JBUW2795ldXHZycN9CE4Xg3EF2BRvGPFoQl8OWPbuqVidhuw3rf7kRgg3WRcNszu4/s320/IMG_2030.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kev and the Mayan family</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The contrast in Tulum is the glut of high-end resorts and
Western-style restaurants versus the local Mexican and Mayan establishments –
there’s a real divide between the rich tourists and the locals, but it’s still
a nice town and done on a budget it is possible to live cheaply – fortunately
we’re still on budget!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Today we head an hour along the coast to Playa del
Carmen, then hop on the ferry across to Cozumel Island – most famous for scuba
diving, and will be our first dives of the trip.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840667288822727187.post-13558480996378470432017-03-10T16:14:00.004+00:002017-03-10T16:14:55.823+00:00Merida<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">On to stop two of our Mexican tour! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Merida is the Yucatan state’s capital and is a lively,
cultural hub in land on the north coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The
locals are really proud of their Mayan heritage and consider
themselves to be Mayan as opposed to Mexican. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Many of the shops and market stalls sell traditional
handicrafts and colourful embroidered cotton shirts, in the traditional style
of their Mayan ancestors and many of the locals still wear these garments today.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQ1WYAPFLhiU9DDBj48LchYCrxYSsi_s5iDpVw1olj-W26Tf2adVyfZk_BYn5NUcw6VSJcfNW2isFbtENQydr6-mMpxpkXBra7gY_Ujihimi3LoK5mz2y5qxP2fuYbI4bEUaJlVf5X8a6/s1600/IMG_1976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQ1WYAPFLhiU9DDBj48LchYCrxYSsi_s5iDpVw1olj-W26Tf2adVyfZk_BYn5NUcw6VSJcfNW2isFbtENQydr6-mMpxpkXBra7gY_Ujihimi3LoK5mz2y5qxP2fuYbI4bEUaJlVf5X8a6/s320/IMG_1976.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main square with the cathedral in the background</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Despite its Mayan heritage, we thought the city itself has a European
feel and it reminded us a lot of Seville or Catania. The city centre is arranged
around a number of shady squares with restaurants with tables outside. There
are even horse and carts – exactly like the ones in Seville – taking tourists
on tours of the city centre. </span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMUrluNiwH3BcWKs4EHw39md1VR44HTJQ52YdZiza5xRb6iTfqtmlbhBcCSjioAXtKbTnUfWivFhCo7RH_tI3S4J2r2EqFTzCaP3daQdcT78nC1KzaF-50lXuh9VpGknx00NVhuWWnfkd/s1600/IMG_1986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMUrluNiwH3BcWKs4EHw39md1VR44HTJQ52YdZiza5xRb6iTfqtmlbhBcCSjioAXtKbTnUfWivFhCo7RH_tI3S4J2r2EqFTzCaP3daQdcT78nC1KzaF-50lXuh9VpGknx00NVhuWWnfkd/s320/IMG_1986.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A shady square by the Santa Ana church</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Apparently when the Spanish invaded Merida they knocked down
several of the Mayan pyramids they discovered when they arrived and used the
materials to build the cathedral and some of the other buildings, hence why it looks and feels a bit Spanish. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi59f92oqIn3s43Z0JncxbEADQ2YklcIrTPPc0eNmUOy-Zkn0_7h_Fi1Zj4GFAbEPwGgT4FFXMwwwmn7xQr4jE_vQjIImZ00UQbQx-Y8Aw96GCn4vkDZeeBpwIWMnBNBjt80PlYQNhQNscg/s1600/IMG_1984.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi59f92oqIn3s43Z0JncxbEADQ2YklcIrTPPc0eNmUOy-Zkn0_7h_Fi1Zj4GFAbEPwGgT4FFXMwwwmn7xQr4jE_vQjIImZ00UQbQx-Y8Aw96GCn4vkDZeeBpwIWMnBNBjt80PlYQNhQNscg/s320/IMG_1984.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another square, another church...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Merida is quite a small city – well, the city centre anyway.
Everywhere is walkable and we only needed a couple of days to see most of the
sights. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">That said, we walked around eight miles a day according to my fitness tracker
– no mean feat in the thirty-four-degree heat and blazing sunshine! It’s good
to know that despite not doing any formal exercise, we are at least getting in
a few miles of walking every day.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">To take a break from the heat we escaped into a couple of
art galleries to take in some local culture and to make the most of the air
conditioning! </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We visited the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Museum of
Popular Art. The latter was certainly an experience, being a very small
gallery, run by a small and very enthusiastic team who spoke no English (and us
with our very limited Spanish), but they insisted we saw every inch of the
gallery including a twenty-minute video, of which we understood very little!
There wasn’t a great deal of content in the museum, but we were really charmed
by the warmth of the locals.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the afternoon, we went for a stroll around the zoo, which
formed part of a nearby park. They had an impressive selection of animals (especially considering
it was free entry) including white tigers, jaguars, lions, crocodiles and
hippos, but I’m not convinced all the animals were living in happy conditions
as we saw a couple of them exhibiting some signs of distress, or certainly
boredom. Hmm.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">There is also a good foodie scene in Merida – many local Mayan
specialities and the standard Mexican fare, like slow-cooked marinated pork, chicken 'mole' (a savoury chocolate-based sauce for meat), refried beans and of course, tacos and tortillas.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It must seem to readers of this blog that we do little
more than eat and drink on our travels – well, it is certainly part of the experience!
Here we had 'chaya' - a green leafy vegetable, very similar to spinach and apparently very good for you - we tried the chaya and lime juice, which was really refreshing.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrhfAoKLYvnxLeUSQj0VKfmtjy8AVBae5HLUyHGPlnGUrRnrRyfGQYERflRAbTnXRreTT2Iae6VeVW4iEAi257NMU1_SSBI1J_kUyjQ__AY4Jv4JGfTveCBI0r9jSsDBTbHu8uJSMRpa0v/s1600/IMG_1999.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrhfAoKLYvnxLeUSQj0VKfmtjy8AVBae5HLUyHGPlnGUrRnrRyfGQYERflRAbTnXRreTT2Iae6VeVW4iEAi257NMU1_SSBI1J_kUyjQ__AY4Jv4JGfTveCBI0r9jSsDBTbHu8uJSMRpa0v/s320/IMG_1999.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A traditional Mayan feast!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We also discovered a good craft beer scene and in one bar we went to, of the
eight local artisan beers on offer, three were stouts, so Kev was very happy!</span></span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YszExfWGEm8OgEmKD8iYHregSumM9aX3ml7I0xDG-2gQ5H2jjIYacRGjcSPhD70GmsqA1YbYjdo0ZkMNIdTaap38Hvoibxs1FoL-5pYaKnZt-OJN6j2JfzdyIRZJ_VI1Ob6U7DFyAqFL/s1600/IMG_1973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YszExfWGEm8OgEmKD8iYHregSumM9aX3ml7I0xDG-2gQ5H2jjIYacRGjcSPhD70GmsqA1YbYjdo0ZkMNIdTaap38Hvoibxs1FoL-5pYaKnZt-OJN6j2JfzdyIRZJ_VI1Ob6U7DFyAqFL/s320/IMG_1973.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Negrita - a trendy Merida bar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Next up we will travel to Tulum, on the Southern coast of
the Yucatan Peninsula – and one of our favourite places in the world. We are
looking forward to spending some time on the beach after our city break. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We’ll
put down roots in Tulum for a couple of weeks, so it’ll also be nice to stop
and unpack our bags for a while, instead of constantly being on the move. I’ll
write again from there.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840667288822727187.post-76957451233310967102017-03-04T00:38:00.001+00:002017-03-04T20:00:26.648+00:00Holbox<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We're back on the road again! After a long flight and a brief stopover in Cancun, we
headed straight to our first destination, Holbox (pronounced hol-bosh)
– as island off the northern coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Holbox, the so-called ‘magical isle’ is an up-and-coming destination<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I</span>ts streets are made of compacted sand, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">he buildings are brightly painted with colourful murals on
the walls<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span>and the main form of transport is golf
cart or bicycle. </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKhWr5pY6E4Vyxif5hDK3wVjZEySd3zMU6-IhsE9L6SyGhjrXz6ImKhCXHPWABJRSjqNpC3SRNdI_eiPJ2lz0cMU0EmLMTkhqEthbFtK2VEvxwCxwA4g5dl8g6DU_pFSEZmoOpMYxawgLa/s1600/IMG_1925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKhWr5pY6E4Vyxif5hDK3wVjZEySd3zMU6-IhsE9L6SyGhjrXz6ImKhCXHPWABJRSjqNpC3SRNdI_eiPJ2lz0cMU0EmLMTkhqEthbFtK2VEvxwCxwA4g5dl8g6DU_pFSEZmoOpMYxawgLa/s320/IMG_1925.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brightly coloured buildings against a blue sky</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0hyphenhyphenCTylxPU_QwzWplTjy6jPzG_ONlUhifS_HnsTGN2xmvn1QWKrot9SunUJxymFucv2kgIA5Tvx4eu5DgRNJjSrMQ2IXglAfIndq-Q8MxbfHfeASxbDOx3zmucZN2NLxYPUnZVjLIvYP2/s1600/IMG_1950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0hyphenhyphenCTylxPU_QwzWplTjy6jPzG_ONlUhifS_HnsTGN2xmvn1QWKrot9SunUJxymFucv2kgIA5Tvx4eu5DgRNJjSrMQ2IXglAfIndq-Q8MxbfHfeASxbDOx3zmucZN2NLxYPUnZVjLIvYP2/s320/IMG_1950.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many wall murals in Holbox</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQu1k4djBr8KP9L0c1reTvNOraYPgHLd_Kgchr-at6QSJdgYO1BuGpwW_H1s4JvaCW7B5xcrKvse9qUzBi2R-M29nAVdorGlR4WOToK75M2l5RtZw3pvrwh7m78_AydF4JYAp1xDoVN1jc/s1600/IMG_1959.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQu1k4djBr8KP9L0c1reTvNOraYPgHLd_Kgchr-at6QSJdgYO1BuGpwW_H1s4JvaCW7B5xcrKvse9qUzBi2R-M29nAVdorGlR4WOToK75M2l5RtZw3pvrwh7m78_AydF4JYAp1xDoVN1jc/s320/IMG_1959.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A colourful pink cafe</td></tr>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The town sits on the northern edge of the narrow island, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">a</span>
white sand beach stretch<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">es</span> most of the way along the northern coast and much
of the rest of the island is jungle (we’ve already got too many mosquito bites to
count!) </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once known mainly as a haven for bird-watchers, Holbox is
home to many large seabirds including pelicans and flamingos (though sadly we didn’t see
any of the latter). </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whale sharks are also spotted in the seas here – but we
didn’t see any of those either! Instead we’ve mainly been relaxing into the
first few days of our trip and enjoying the warm weather again (one cold month
in London is enough to make us forget what summer feels like!)</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ47W5v7UurmGnQRSyI1CMJRYEqTr1zRS46H8Mpb0ksFilzyvmi46VImoGnCg0aU0YDFc4qaHOzFVrY5zJoxKBGx5DIGbWyrYRZf5DxqgDYaWu1RpYQEpGLpBeq5Le3z9Nl5KOGFtRhWyX/s1600/IMG_1940.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ47W5v7UurmGnQRSyI1CMJRYEqTr1zRS46H8Mpb0ksFilzyvmi46VImoGnCg0aU0YDFc4qaHOzFVrY5zJoxKBGx5DIGbWyrYRZf5DxqgDYaWu1RpYQEpGLpBeq5Le3z9Nl5KOGFtRhWyX/s320/IMG_1940.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watch tower on the beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-5G-t5Xx_SwCdv1yrtPreli1CxlLUT16CUhjArV1nzkOI2gwOteBFf4pugU0d8eh9Xm0nUmQIYXJJrRA8x3YYjknLWQbPKmDw_XZBcsJakervE3r8J32uy1SzRvqYmzqOy7H02WgNClq/s1600/IMG_1944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-5G-t5Xx_SwCdv1yrtPreli1CxlLUT16CUhjArV1nzkOI2gwOteBFf4pugU0d8eh9Xm0nUmQIYXJJrRA8x3YYjknLWQbPKmDw_XZBcsJakervE3r8J32uy1SzRvqYmzqOy7H02WgNClq/s320/IMG_1944.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kev takes a dip in the Gulf o<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">f Mexico</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We had a bit of a nightmare accommodation situation on
arrival – a case of a badly managed (read: neglected) Airbnb house that had
recently been trashed by a group of American ‘Spring Break-ers’. Basically, the
whole house was left in a total state and not attended to by the cleaner. To
make matters worse the power wasn’t working correctly, so no air conditioning,
a fan which barely stirred the air and no working plug sockets. The final straw
was popping out for breakfast and getting locked out of our room – where all
our bags were.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We soon realised we needed to get us and our stuff out of
there as soon as possible, but this was easier said than done as there was no
management to be seen and none of the phone numbers we had for them worked! </span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, Kev channelled his inner Tintin/Columbo <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and </span>managed to
track down the owner by visiting a beauty salon who’s business card he found in
the apartment<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span> It turns out the salon was run by the owner’s sister, who
directed Kev to the bar the owner hangs out at. The barman called the owner and arranged for him to meet us back at the house in five
minutes. There’s thinking outside of the box for you!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The owner was really apologetic and quickly offered us a
full refund – then announced that running an Airbnb was too
stressful and that he was just going to sell the house instead!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fortunately, we were able to find another (much cleaner!)
place to stay without any problem and enjoy the rest of our time on the island.
The only slight downside being the live music in the bar across the road </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">until 3am </span></span>every
night! However, it was at least good Cuban/Latin style music, so
there are worse things to fall asleep to (or be kept awake by!)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So far we’ve spent most of our time hanging out at the beach
and enjoying the yummy Mexican food – tacos, burros (like burritos, but bigger),
guacamole, fajitas and ceviche – we certainly won’t be going hungry!</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7CwcOtNffHHVTtykfjNGJzsmdIWWDKeWpB7R44hn5ZOG6TqoQzLoohs8bN8_QNiWvB0Xd0k3IIgGduqoJULYWLx1KIUqx7HLlVEsyBqnUfKr7vsk2OcTsTbzVIGnyowLT7EeVaCkd6gu/s1600/IMG_1965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7CwcOtNffHHVTtykfjNGJzsmdIWWDKeWpB7R44hn5ZOG6TqoQzLoohs8bN8_QNiWvB0Xd0k3IIgGduqoJULYWLx1KIUqx7HLlVEsyBqnUfKr7vsk2OcTsTbzVIGnyowLT7EeVaCkd6gu/s320/IMG_1965.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying some enormous sundowners!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tomorrow we’re heading to our next stop, Merida, the Yucatan
capital – known for its art, music, museums and Mayan culture. I’ll write again
from there…</span></span></div>
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</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840667288822727187.post-37262215352516268222017-02-09T15:37:00.002+00:002017-02-09T15:44:51.277+00:00Railay<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For the last few days in Thailand, we decided to head to Railay for a change of scenery and some more of what Thailand is most famous for: beautiful beaches.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">With tall limestone cliffs and pillars towering out of the water, Railay is stunning and is the classic picture postcard image of Thailand, with wooden long tail boats floating in clear, turquoise water against a sunny backdrop of blue sky and vertical limestone cliffs.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kev with all his bags</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrRgnf5D6ntStmGVedNkli-1I_R_5xjATD1fdgav9iTHLAI4mM-1M7s5WYHGpaRBktz9zqQRKD5ee6ElXpwltGQy2IhBx9kYV31UTAqTFypKlCxXO7pVtN40Eeb5AEpLFAWtaB0Lx_-zG/s1600/IMG_0360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrRgnf5D6ntStmGVedNkli-1I_R_5xjATD1fdgav9iTHLAI4mM-1M7s5WYHGpaRBktz9zqQRKD5ee6ElXpwltGQy2IhBx9kYV31UTAqTFypKlCxXO7pVtN40Eeb5AEpLFAWtaB0Lx_-zG/s320/IMG_0360.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Railay beach</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Railay is on the Thai mainland but is only reachable by boat due to the thick jungle interior. Because of its jungle location, there’s also quite a lot of wildlife in Railay: there are lots mosquitoes around, a constant roar of cicadas and we even saw a water monitor (a giant lizard with a forked tongue like a snake)</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A water monitor dashes into the undergrowth</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Electricity is only switched on at night and only a few of the higher-end resorts have generator power during the day. It’s funny how it feels more remote than Koh Lanta, despite being attached to the mainland.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We had a tip from the owner of one of our favourite beachfront restaurants in Koh Lanta to stay in the next beach along from Railay: a bay called Tonsai - which is as beautiful as the main beach in Railay but less touristy and much quieter. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In fact, I think it might be a bit of a well-kept secret as there was nothing listed on Trip Advisor or Booking.com about Tonsai, so if you were searching in advance for accommodation, Tonsai wouldn’t even be listed, despite the extensive options currently available. A top tip if you are considering heading to the region!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFa_GWrhG-HlK8WHDfDKSgzjVeQcZ7MBlzEHbwdhtdVquaHnZ2Q075aQSANykIEIpLEc_ynwsulzARBukUTpZ8BmZPgHY8iY19XTNuK_UkkkxmfS3-C1wDqONccJkObFfM6UCgaaUWIEtf/s1600/IMG_1885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFa_GWrhG-HlK8WHDfDKSgzjVeQcZ7MBlzEHbwdhtdVquaHnZ2Q075aQSANykIEIpLEc_ynwsulzARBukUTpZ8BmZPgHY8iY19XTNuK_UkkkxmfS3-C1wDqONccJkObFfM6UCgaaUWIEtf/s320/IMG_1885.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tonsai beach</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Railay and the surrounding area are most well-known amongst climbers and the limestone cliffs offer world-class climbing – but Kev didn't fancy the heights and I (with limited climbing experience and having only recently recovered from shoulder surgery) thought it might be too much too soon. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was also really hot and climbing in the full heat of the sun seemed a little too energetic for us! Instead, we opted for a few quiet days on the beach, preparing for our imminent return to the UK.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Limestone cliffs at Railay</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">At low tide, it’s possible to walk around the rocky shoreline to the main beach in Railay West, where there’s a walking street with cafes and a small market. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The footpath leads on round to Railay East, where I had to face my fear of macaques and pass through a group of mischievous monkeys who were trying to steal food from the street vendors – we saw an alpha male steal a barbequed corn on the cob and run up a tree to eat it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It’s a constant battle between street-vendor and monkey – fortunately, it meant the monkeys weren’t too interested in the tourists, but I still didn’t want to get close enough to test out that theory as I’d left behind my monkey stick! I’ll be sure to pack the toy snake on the next leg of the trip!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">A long-tailed macaque</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">From Railay we wended our way back to Bangkok via Phuket, treating ourselves to some nicer accommodation along the way – I think there are only so many days you can comfortably put up with a basic hut with a cold shower! On the plus side, any room with air con and a hot shower is relative </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">luxury so needn’t break the bank!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, it’s London for the next few weeks before we head out on leg two. We’re not looking forward to the cold weather, but it will at least be nice to sleep in our own bed and catch up with people. See you on the other side!</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840667288822727187.post-1210033645590375642017-01-25T10:31:00.000+00:002017-01-25T10:31:17.902+00:00Penang and Langkawi<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXycVsCgaEefzaoLOFqmHyR_riEc3dFzksC3RtP9K0SNKp6jF9h8ggjNanCTa4MCFii553xXm2z6DtHwZMg5CbHqnmzUT4dRM_tEGksz4Nbb7SZeSzD3hadUs5Hc9DwxghuQKL2UZxIAk/s1600/IMG_1852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Onward to Malaysia! We needed to do a quick visa run to extend our time in Thailand until we fly back to London, so we did a short round trip to Penang and Langkawi, which are surprisingly close to Koh Lanta. Unfortunately, we’d already booked flights the long way round before we realised that there's </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">a quicker ferry/minivan option to get to Langkawi! Still, it meant we got to see a bit of Penang as well, which we wouldn’t otherwise have done.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Before flying out of Phuket we had time for a few hours on the beach. I enjoyed watching the planes come into to land low over the sea.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI87DZ-XMeaL_2FAHmWp3FnzRj2L2Je_pFaOL2v90K2i-YwAxPa182nGRbyADUgBJxfbjvj4nEr-fyizGlcW6Mg907y_WqyPO1hJOI9xgq00y1AaBEWVysQDhMKwCWFMRLiDUV2oRFxkFs/s1600/IMG_1709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI87DZ-XMeaL_2FAHmWp3FnzRj2L2Je_pFaOL2v90K2i-YwAxPa182nGRbyADUgBJxfbjvj4nEr-fyizGlcW6Mg907y_WqyPO1hJOI9xgq00y1AaBEWVysQDhMKwCWFMRLiDUV2oRFxkFs/s320/IMG_1709.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plane coming into land at Phuket Airport</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We arrived in Georgetown, Penang to torrential rain – this region of South East Asia really isn’t having the best weather at the moment, but then again it is in the tropics and we are fairly close to the equator. Fortunately, when it does rain – though it is torrential – it doesn’t rain for long so we were soon able to go out and explore.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Georgetown is an old British colonial outpost and still retains many of its original English street names – we stayed in a guest house on Love Lane! Now, much of the city centre is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site with many landmarks dating back to the settlement's establishment in 1786 and including later 19th-century buildings including Chinese shop houses, Hindu temples, Indian Muslim mosques and two of the city's oldest wet markets. (Thanks to Wikipedia, as always, for the historical information!)</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colourful Chinese shop fronts</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The architecture, street art and reputation for being the foodie capital of Malaysia all make Georgetown one of Malaysia’s most popular tourist destinations. We had a great time wandering around Armenian street and the city centre, taking in the ‘famous’ murals of children on bicycles, old Chinese-style buildings and wrought iron cartoon strip artwork on the sides of buildings. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wrought-iron caricatures</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHRkXkFOrnpjCUlEvfZu1q5m6yh1g4whvQAJZ2opGrqhNBVMXjc3AQxHnqQ7tVB-PaKAVM2BMn56dZFfUjsp1iuUwC-wooA32QqSE_QJCSJ8vI19fR4BpTlq6sYRbwyNGBXuBxPUQ8ac3L/s1600/IMG_1761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHRkXkFOrnpjCUlEvfZu1q5m6yh1g4whvQAJZ2opGrqhNBVMXjc3AQxHnqQ7tVB-PaKAVM2BMn56dZFfUjsp1iuUwC-wooA32QqSE_QJCSJ8vI19fR4BpTlq6sYRbwyNGBXuBxPUQ8ac3L/s320/IMG_1761.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Wall murals and bicycles</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">By the seafront, the city extends on a boardwalk on stilts out over the water, in a market selling souvenirs and street food: big bowls of Chinese ramen and durian fruit pastries and ice creams.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE4n1QUwoBze-pTIjqfeBeAW-ki-JEks1u-u4NtFIQavadVQ0VIC6UbhS3IqzFdf-oVNAXa7ZORmjks6em-oo5CgXwxiw87JpnQxhXcTE_lz-07f8Tz7gKKWBhnEGA0Dn_6vJZk5H_uYTk/s1600/IMG_1750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE4n1QUwoBze-pTIjqfeBeAW-ki-JEks1u-u4NtFIQavadVQ0VIC6UbhS3IqzFdf-oVNAXa7ZORmjks6em-oo5CgXwxiw87JpnQxhXcTE_lz-07f8Tz7gKKWBhnEGA0Dn_6vJZk5H_uYTk/s320/IMG_1750.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The seafront market on stilts</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">With Chinese New Year celebrations coming up next weekend, much of the city is decorated in preparation, with red paper Chinese lanterns adorning the streets.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioN4hy5dczScbR2FKTDPhyfu5E5pXyPJqg2qmp5bOGkkbCyigEbPu1GWeCMhMC14lfzFx8zKJJ9vcuA1_H9asEfyBQKZfETY_Njk3l9YFkMCptSZt2db1BG9XCU20XLFDG611OR62gGVXf/s1600/IMG_1726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioN4hy5dczScbR2FKTDPhyfu5E5pXyPJqg2qmp5bOGkkbCyigEbPu1GWeCMhMC14lfzFx8zKJJ9vcuA1_H9asEfyBQKZfETY_Njk3l9YFkMCptSZt2db1BG9XCU20XLFDG611OR62gGVXf/s320/IMG_1726.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chinese lanterns on Armenian Street</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We enjoyed trying some of the local delicacies, including a regional ‘laksa’ (noodle soup) made with mackerel, lemongrass, tamarind, chilli, tomato and thick rice noodles. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There is also some excellent seafood available, cooked in every country’s style at the Red Garden night market. We opted for Japanese teriyaki but could have chosen between Malaysian, Thai, Chinese or Indian flavours. Dishes cost around £2 - £4 so it’s possible to eat very well here for very little.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For a novelty experience and a bit of fun, we visited the Upside-Down Museum – which is exactly what it sounds like – basically, a house arranged upside down and a series of photo opportunities in each room! Very silly but a good way to pass an hour.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upside-Down Museum</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On the way back to our accommodation, we passed this guy – talk about putting all your eggs in one basket! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkD6QDzdyH4z5YmJIP5lw8ARH2Vk7rL7q4lAm9DN27UcMHyXCEr52fVPqkZBxKPzkm7iyRRViEmgcZoDRp8R5LYjeVbvl0Kfshepns_T99MoBP7TvDc-ylzo3voEzbztkwf1ghOBGc6qOv/s1600/IMG_1766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkD6QDzdyH4z5YmJIP5lw8ARH2Vk7rL7q4lAm9DN27UcMHyXCEr52fVPqkZBxKPzkm7iyRRViEmgcZoDRp8R5LYjeVbvl0Kfshepns_T99MoBP7TvDc-ylzo3voEzbztkwf1ghOBGc6qOv/s320/IMG_1766.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Putting all his eggs in one basket!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">After two nights in Georgetown, we took the ferry over to neighbouring </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">island, Langkawi. Langkawi is actually</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> an archipelago of 104 islands, of which Langkawi Island is the biggest. It also has </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">duty-free status, so alcohol is very cheap - compared to the mainland, where its mostly Muslim population do not drink.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kev is pleased about the price of his 'Royal Stout'!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We stayed in the main tourist hub at Cenang</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> beach, with icing sugar fine sand and calm seas to swim in. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pantai Cenang</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We had planned to do some diving whilst we’re here but apparently, Langkawi is not known for its good diving. For a start, visibility is never more than two to four metres at any time of the year! Once again, I think we’ll hold off until we’re in a slightly better dive spot and with better weather. Whilst the afternoon rain and thunderstorms won’t stop the dive trips, it’s always much better when the sun is shining as the colours are better under the water.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A storm brewing...</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We hired a jet ski for a fun way to pass a morning – Kev took to it much like he took to quad biking, so he didn’t much like being the passenger, but enjoyed driving as fast as possible and doing small jumps over the waves!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVPwf1OaGKKmvf6mOYp4tUbeBe_y-byBw_ZfkIe_JvJ9CaiiHwnX2c0k7RE5br1yGua2xuubtzJWbmtMb0vFe9ALvAWmSzsiUqZEGdMzSaveSFShRNzCJLepcW5InQf1Iee2H_2uklSjlf/s1600/IMG_1865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVPwf1OaGKKmvf6mOYp4tUbeBe_y-byBw_ZfkIe_JvJ9CaiiHwnX2c0k7RE5br1yGua2xuubtzJWbmtMb0vFe9ALvAWmSzsiUqZEGdMzSaveSFShRNzCJLepcW5InQf1Iee2H_2uklSjlf/s320/IMG_1865.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jet ski fun</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tomorrow we’re heading back to Thailand (the quick way, this time!) for our last week before we head back to London. Back to Koh Lanta first, then making our way back to Bangkok via Krabi, Railay and Phuket. I'll blog again before we fly home. </span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840667288822727187.post-2379222473505069242017-01-18T14:24:00.000+00:002017-01-18T14:24:00.903+00:00Koh Lanta<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We’ve had a really chilled out ten days on Koh Lanta and most of our days have been spent relaxing on the beach with a selection of books. I think I’ve probably read more in the past two weeks than I did all of last </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">year! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We decided to stay in the same bungalow I wrote about in the last blog post as the location is pretty idyllic and the best beach on the island is a ten-second walk from our front door. The beach is lined with a string of beach bars and restaurants, all offering cheap food and happy hours of varying duration every day, so we have been working our way through most of them and sharing around our custom.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWm44CjXgjTgmjYq1HvST48gCYVN5n-kzNYQCA0hYdHAaCjo0WWsiXg_lVaRbR07FQREZ9sdlHLi_Tqm8k32dg3MbsfohTX_snwXE9CUxXXgQD8BdDR0fpWVZKpgBz06NWWMbnkgAIjorO/s1600/IMG_0296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWm44CjXgjTgmjYq1HvST48gCYVN5n-kzNYQCA0hYdHAaCjo0WWsiXg_lVaRbR07FQREZ9sdlHLi_Tqm8k32dg3MbsfohTX_snwXE9CUxXXgQD8BdDR0fpWVZKpgBz06NWWMbnkgAIjorO/s320/IMG_0296.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset on Khlong Nin Beach</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our day has pretty much followed the same itinerary most days: wake up, have breakfast on the beach, alternating between swim, read and snooze in a deckchair in the shade, lunch, more beach time, a spot of work or blogging as the sun goes down, followed by dinner on the beach. It’s a hard life! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I did however, break the inactivity with morning runs, workouts and yoga sessions on the beach, so I don’t feel quite so guilty about taking it so easy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">One of the highlights of each lazy day is seeing a dog and a duck (an unlikely partnership, I know!) go for a walk down the beach and back again. They might stop for a sit on the beach, or a wallow in the waves on the shoreline, but always together! It makes everyone look twice, smile and invariably take out the camera – myself included.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An unlikely friendship</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The dive boat that got washed in by last week’s storm has been gradually been thrown about the beach and smashed up more every high tide. It’s been quite a mission for the locals this week to clear the wreckage, which concluded with a digger on the beach dragging the remaining sections away from the shore before the next storm rolls in – apparently, that’s expected over the next couple of days. We are hoping that we will have made it safely back to Phuket and on to Malaysia by the time it hits as I don’t fancy that five-hour ferry ride in rough seas!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shipwreck</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We hired a bike for a few days in order to see a bit of the island, making trips to the beaches along the east coast (which are all pretty glorious), over to the old town, with its buildings built on stilts, out over the sea, and down to the national park at the tip of the island. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Koh Lanta Old Town</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I’m not sure if we’ve been fairly sheltered on the beach we’ve been staying on, but elsewhere on the island </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">there are so many macaques. We saw them in the trees on one beach and as we arrived at another roadside beach, a couple of tourists warned us that some monkeys had just chased another couple on the beach. Remembering our experience in Borneo where we were chased by a particularly territorial alpha male macaque, I was very wary that they didn’t get too close. We must have seen twenty or thirty over the course of the day.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm32puByrOtOiF8AqB3YgAs6MtlkP8isww4zaEB4XY2sEMTiM8386OyZryEimBateq1kfI0iAbswn0trckLcvnOTgv_MTZKPeJcxw-R7IkLuMGo-1aA3q0PwZRmpUe4s0nIW1mWYxSDdNM/s1600/IMG_1708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm32puByrOtOiF8AqB3YgAs6MtlkP8isww4zaEB4XY2sEMTiM8386OyZryEimBateq1kfI0iAbswn0trckLcvnOTgv_MTZKPeJcxw-R7IkLuMGo-1aA3q0PwZRmpUe4s0nIW1mWYxSDdNM/s320/IMG_1708.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Monkey steals someone's picnic on the beach<br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Unfortunately, some of the tourists still find it hilarious to feed the monkeys, which is only going to encourage them to ‘attack’ more. Mind you, I once found them ‘cute’ and funny too – perhaps it’s not until you’ve been threatened by monkeys that you realise </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">they are wild animals and not to be befriended. I will certainly be keeping my distance, that’s for sure!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A stick to ward off the monkeys!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In contrast to the hot fierce sun by day, the evenings have given way to a few tropical rainstorms, thunder </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">and lightning – perhaps in a build up to the imminent storm. We were lucky yesterday when we managed to make it back to our accommodation and park up the scooter just seconds before a torrential rainstorm hit and lasted for several hours. It’s funny how quickly the weather can turn in the tropics.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A storm rolling in</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As mentioned previously, we leave tomorrow for Malaysia on a visa run before coming back to Thailand for our final week – I can’t quite believe that leg one of our trip has almost come to an end! We’re planning on visiting Penang and Langkawi in Malaysia</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> but will see if the storm is meant to hit there too and if so maybe visit a different part. It would be great to fit in some diving, but subject to calm seas, I think.</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840667288822727187.post-26377431438213108382017-01-16T12:54:00.000+00:002017-01-16T12:54:59.270+00:00The unglamorous side to travel...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A bonus post for you this week! A fun take on my thoughts on the unglamorous side to travel...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The weeks of planning the far-flung and oh-so-exotic locations, poring over guides books, finding the best beach hut to stay in for the can’t-believe-your-eyes-price – who’d have thought it would be four times cheaper to live on a beach in Thailand (including accommodation and eating out three meals a day), than merely get by in London? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My family, friends, and colleagues were all pleased for me and vicariously excited for my upcoming adventure – but perhaps a little jealous of my escape to the sunshine during the cold, British wintertime…</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This post is for anyone who’s a little bit envious of mine – or anyone’s for that matter – exotic travel plans. Ok, so maybe two months backpacking in Thailand costs the same as two weeks’ in a luxury five-star resort, but long term (budget) travel takes its toll (yes, really!) </span></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here’s what you’re <u>not</u> missing out on:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Lotions and potions:</b> It’s thirty plus degrees in the tropics. This means two things – you can’t go out in the day without slathering on the sunscreen and the mosquito repellent by night. It’s humid, you sweat and your skin is permanently greasy with the creams and sprays, sticky from the salt from swimming in the sea and a little bit of you longs for a temperate climate, where you can leave the house bare-skinned… This is genuinely one of my favourite things about going home!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWaCFVfvp3abSuP-TH0dYy20e0utQOItxC9BIh0ftSvZKxKZTg-qwzBUJ4ltOQ0GoLHqwMGXdeilJEAs-U021zXuKtRTpgpmj7MyvGJZwilvL1-1gLQ9KamqAPbInWKzzVes70tc2MUd1Z/s1600/sun-cream-9534516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWaCFVfvp3abSuP-TH0dYy20e0utQOItxC9BIh0ftSvZKxKZTg-qwzBUJ4ltOQ0GoLHqwMGXdeilJEAs-U021zXuKtRTpgpmj7MyvGJZwilvL1-1gLQ9KamqAPbInWKzzVes70tc2MUd1Z/s200/sun-cream-9534516.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Living out of a bag:</b> A sixty-five-litre rucksack seems a generous-enough size. As you’re packing to go away, its contents are meticulously planned, listed, packed and everything has its precise location in the bag. Fast-forward to the fortieth time I’ve unpacked and re-packed my bag and it’s not quite so orderly – prompting everything coming out of your bag to find the one item I'm looking for. Oh, and why do my possessions seem to expand once I’ve left the country? I was sure I left home with some space to spare in my bag, but it’s all I can do to stuff everything in when I’m on the move.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfda_-FrX5nW8asuWxgaqyGAsA_6YzeVrib0wNHACRgF_QYiilGY3zw5qBMygJnVSJevJvzaneOoj3xnjy92IyeNj0q8iDrGCrtFacpJV8IbH_0JEb-xxS_Q1zqAI-2zTwNafZaeOEaPq/s1600/rucksack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfda_-FrX5nW8asuWxgaqyGAsA_6YzeVrib0wNHACRgF_QYiilGY3zw5qBMygJnVSJevJvzaneOoj3xnjy92IyeNj0q8iDrGCrtFacpJV8IbH_0JEb-xxS_Q1zqAI-2zTwNafZaeOEaPq/s200/rucksack.jpg" width="149" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>The clothing issue:</b> The bag size restriction means that there’s space for precisely one week’s worth of clothes that must be washed every week. Pack extra items for special occasions, or niche activities at your peril! You’ll soon resent packing those heavy walking boots on the off chance you climb that mountain – or the ‘smart’ outfit in case you go somewhere posh (you probably won’t, or if you do then it’ll have to ‘go’ with flipflops). Note the above point and cue jettisoning of any non-essentials once you’re on the move.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOlB1wFvrnBMNhqas1d_JJwsry9HwDCJ4kufp0BMe-j_nnos1zhWDxFk7Zj9CfPzKHaMW6btcMFZUyQHxYNXsjQJpYtL6yozqNA3fhqQ1u1L7HY-NUYjomJPplq80lOSGANMz9sTIUB7h/s1600/laundry-basket-21461466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOlB1wFvrnBMNhqas1d_JJwsry9HwDCJ4kufp0BMe-j_nnos1zhWDxFk7Zj9CfPzKHaMW6btcMFZUyQHxYNXsjQJpYtL6yozqNA3fhqQ1u1L7HY-NUYjomJPplq80lOSGANMz9sTIUB7h/s200/laundry-basket-21461466.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Island time:</b> This probably as much what we love about the island lifestyle as it is a frustration, but when you leave your ordered nine to five lifestyle to travel, it’s hard to leave behind the structure of things (supposedly) running on time and happening when they’re supposed to. Cue transportation leaving when it’s full – or when it’s ready to. Bus journey quoted as taking four hours when you booked but took seven hours in reality? Laundry promised to be washed and dried by five pm yesterday but is still not ready and the laundrette is closed when you go to pick it up the day after? This is all par for the course. Things will happen when they’re ready, so get used to it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Stinks:</b> As much as you might try and avoid any unpleasant smells, it’s a constant challenge when living in a humid climate, and most usually exacerbated by having to pack damp items whilst on the move. Micro fibre towels one of the main offenders and one of my pet hates – as much as I admit they do save space and dry quicker than a standard towel. The worst part is perhaps getting used to the smell – or at the very least, putting up with it!</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840667288822727187.post-85222171837457145742017-01-10T12:20:00.000+00:002017-01-10T12:29:41.325+00:00Phuket<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hi everyone!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A bit of a transition week for us this past week, moving from Koh Chang to Koh Lanta, via Bangkok and Phuket, so a lot of movement but not much to report on the blog and a short post from me this week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We spent our first two days in Phuket in the pouring rain! To be fair it’s only the third day of rain we’ve experienced since leaving London in November, but it does come as a bit of a shock to the system! For us it meant the traffic was terrible so it took us three hours to get to our accommodation in Kata Beach (a journey which should have taken an hour or less), but on the plus side, we got to put our waterproof gear to good use, as up until now, it had been sat redundant in our rucksacks.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kata Beach in the rain</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching a storm roll in</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Kata Beach in Phuket is supposedly the quieter, nicer end of Phuket island, though we still found it very touristy – a bit like being in Palma, Majorca in high season, with lots of British and Russian tourists. With the torrential rain, we were able to experience the beach with practically no one on it – which I don’t suppose is a common occurrence, but on a sunny day – as we discovered the following day - it’s another matter. There are nice big tides here</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> though, so when the tide is out there’s a big beach and plenty of space to find a spot for your towel.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kata Beach in the sunshine</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Glad to finally see the sun come out after two solid days of rain, we – and all the other sun-starved tourists in Phuket – headed to the beach. The sea was a muddy brown colour </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">from the rainfall, so not the picture postcard view you might associate with Phuket, but it was a nice beach nevertheless</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> if a little busy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We had originally wanted to travel to Koh Lanta sooner but the heavy rain and rough seas delayed us. Tour operators advised us against trying to make the four-hour ferry crossing from Phuket and a couple of days later, once the weather had cleared up and we finally arrived in Khlong Nin Beach, Koh Lanta we understood just how rough the sea had been - a dive boat had been smashed up and washed ashore just two days before we arrived!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheslh4_kjZkrIteW9fUDIm40I2p4e_mD5e2hNq_rSks2IvGV63ILID8tpVfGMjLzbY7s7W1N6AwDhc_z6mAutVvkpGJk4gNKVCUlINIstINF8cL4uYQpPOBFCM7HcyN-TteMSd6flfNyy0/s1600/IMG_1673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheslh4_kjZkrIteW9fUDIm40I2p4e_mD5e2hNq_rSks2IvGV63ILID8tpVfGMjLzbY7s7W1N6AwDhc_z6mAutVvkpGJk4gNKVCUlINIstINF8cL4uYQpPOBFCM7HcyN-TteMSd6flfNyy0/s320/IMG_1673.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shipwreck!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Fortunately, now the sun is out, there’s a light breeze and it’s perfect beach weather. Koh Lanta will be our home for the next ten days and we found ourselves a lovely bungalow (read: hut</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">) right on the beach – so close to the shore we can hear the waves from our bed. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ours is the small apex in the middle of the photo</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I hope that will make for a relaxing night’s sleep and not have us dreaming we’re about to be washed away!</span></div>
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