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| At the summit of Arthur's seat, over looking the fair city of Edinburgh. Dean in Maasai Shuka, Gillian in her finest Peruvian Alpaca clothes. |
Well here I am sitting in my flat in Springvalley Terrace in Edinburgh, looking at the snow falling outside and shivering from the cold in my Maasai Shuka, its time to reflect on the last 6 months.
I can't believe the six months are over, its seems like no time we were packing up the flat and leaving, now we are unpacking and trying to settle back into life in Edinburgh and look for work.
So why did we go and what did we gain from it ?
The last 6 months are certainly the most memorable in our lives so far. We learned much about ourselves, each other and certainly got an insight into the lives of others around the world. It was great to get out there and meet people from different cultures, talk to them and you realise that people are not really all that different after all.
Once we had left our jobs and jumped on the plane, it felt if a great weight was lifted from us. You don't have to worry about work, your mortgage, bills, your possessions or the latest gadget. You really feel that your life becomes simplified. All you own in the world is the racksack you carry and all you need to worry about is where to go next, where to stay, and what you can discover there. You can go where you want, when you want and there is no-one to stop you !!!!!
Meeting people is really they key to travel. Fellow travellers give you tips where do stay and what to do, and the locals love to tell you about their country and their lives. One key thing is to always give the local language a go - people really appreciate you making the effort and its a great ice breaker. Having an open mind is also very important. Coming from a western country, we have all the in built prejudices that our society has programmed into us. Sometimes you just have to go in to situation with an open mind and judge people as you find them.
We made many new friends throughout our travels and wish them all the best for the future.
Everyone asks, what was the best place we went ? Hard to say, everywhere is so different and has its own unique features. I thought I'd just write a few lines about each place we visited :
Peru
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| Machu Pichu |
Where our whole trip began. I think I said in the blog, we could have spent the whole 6 months in Peru alone !!!!!. An amazing country from the high mountains of the Andes, down to the rainforests of the Amazon basin. Great expeditions for the adventurous, hiking in Colca Canyon, take one of the treks to Machu Pichu, visit the floating island of Lake Titicaca. You'll never be bored in Peru.
Bolivia
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| Volcanoes and Lakes in Bolivia |
We didn't know much about Bolivia before we went, and didn't actually plan to spend much time here, however that soon changed! Similar to Peru, but maybe not quite as developed it was certainly a charming place. La Paz wasn't the big scary crime-ridden city we thought it was, but a spectacular city which literally takes your breath away! At 4000M it is the world's highest city. For the adventurous there are huge mountains to climb or take a mountain bike and cycle from La Paz down through the rainforest on the "Worlds most dangerous road". A real highlight of Bolivia, maybe even the whole trip was a 4 day trip out into the deserts of South West Bolivia and the amazing Uyuni salt flats. Did I mention its super cheap and the beers not bad either !!!!
Argentina
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| Enjoying a drink on the Viedma Glacier, Patagonia. |
Crossing the border from Bolivia into Argentina, was the first big culture shift we experienced. It was like being taken from South America and dropped in Madrid or Milan. The area that really stood out for us in Argentina was Patagonia. We'll never forget the scenery around Bariloche and hiking into the Veidma glacier in El Chalten. Oh, and if you like a BBQ (or an Asada in Argentina) this is the place for you !!!!
Chile
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| Torres Del Paine |
We had a fantastic time hiking the "W" route in Chilean Patagonia, followed by a recovery cruise on the Navimag ferry through the fjords and glaciers. Santiago was a beautiful vibrant city where and we enjoyed taking in the atmosphere of a South American football match.
New Zealand
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| Sea Kayaking in New Zealand |
A real home from home. A beautiful country with such a variety of scenery and people who really love their outdoors and wildlife. It was funny to be in a country the furthest away from Scotland, but one that felt the most like home. Hire a car, chuck your tent in the back and off you go....Sweet as, Bro !!!!!
Australia
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| Christmas down under !! |
This was our half way "break". We spent a fantastic Christmas and new year getting to know Gillian's Australian family. Our first summer Christmas was very special and the new years fireworks at Sydney Harbour bridge were very memorable.
South Africa
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| Cape of Good Hope. |
The real surprise country on the trip. South Africa has undeservedly built up a bit of a bad image, however we found the South African people (both black and white) to be the some of the most friendly we met. A country of real contrasts between rich and poor. The Drakensberg mountains were dramatic rising out of the plains, the wild coast beautiful and the Garden route action packed. In Durban we made some some great friends, and the schools and townships we visited gave us a great insight into the country.
Tanzania
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| Volunteering |
Last but by no means least - Tanzania. We spent a month here volunteering and it was truly a life changing experience. The Tanzanians don't have much but they are the happiest and friendliest people in the world. We made many friends in Arusha, who we hope to go back and visit again in the future. The beaches of Zanzibar were spectacular, and our climb of Mount Meru was memorable, but not as memorable as our weekend with the Maasai!!
I hope you have all enjoyed following us on our travels. I have enjoyed blogging and I am really going to miss typing up my blog via head torch in my tent at night.
All we can say is that its a big big world out there and now we want to see some more!
Adiós amigos y seguro viajes (Spanish)
Kwaheri na salama safari marafiki (Swahili)
Goodbye and safe travels friends
Dean and Gillian
