The Last Chapter

So it has finished. Back home after a gruelling 6 flights in 4 days, i'm home.

The Galapogos continued to be amazing and the snorkelling with Sea Lions, Sharks ans Turtles was a big highlight. Land wise, nothing beat the Blue Footed Boobies and i mean that too!

We were joined by a group of 8 Dutch people for the last 4 nights on the boat and they were very friendly to us and made a big effort not to alienate us, so my thanks to all of them.

The last 4 months have been an amazing time, seeing lots of great places and most of all meeting lots of great people along the way. My biggest problem is that i have now caught the travel bug and have already got itchy feet.

Thanks to all those that have read this and for the feedback.

Until the next journey.....ta ta.

Late football result just arrived from the Galapogos Islands:

Yacht Rumba 1 Yacht Aida Maria 0

Goalscorer: Richardson (90th min)

Attendance: 3 (2 of which were pelicans)

Life on the ocean waves

ok so the Galapogos does have internet, which is quite lucky as it happens for booking accomadation for our last night in ecuador.

1 of the girls from the truck was on our boat for the first 3 nights and even bumped into 2 of my favourites from the truck on a beach but now it looks like we are sharing with a bunch of strangers. Has been great fun so far, seen plenty of animals and birds, even snorkeled with sea lions (bet you never realised sea lions snorkeled).

Having trouble typing now as i am still swaying as if i´m still on the boat, even though it is most definitely dry land - got 4 more nights to go too.

i here the weather is quite nice back home but wouldn´t swap this for anything.

25th May 2005

Firstly let me say a big congratulations to my Big Bro on Liverpools amazing win in the Champions League final today. I actually cheered every time Liverpool scored (i know i should feel very bad about this and i blame the alcahol).

We are now in Quito and this tour has officially finished, all that is left is the Galapogos Islands. Last 2 days have said bye to quite a few really nice people that have become friends over the last 2 months. There is still a good size left but it is our turn to say bye to the rest tonight as we leave early tomorrow morning (not stopping me having a few beers though).

Quito has a few nice spots but not that many mind. Got to the cinema yesterday, for prob the last time on this trip. Got to see Kingdom Of Heaven this time.

Prob wont be able to update this site over the next week as (hopefully) the Galapogos is internet free. Just over a week before coming home and i look forward to seeing all of you real soon. Ok i`m lying, i really wish i was still out here travelling but you don`t need to know that.

22nd May 2005

Survived the jungle but not after getting the willys scared out of me seeing tarantulas and, worse, cockroaches in my bed just as i was going to get in. Have to say it was great fun during the day. Went to a local tribe and saw their sharman. He did some chants on me to give me good luck, not had any since then - back with the dodgy stomach, lost every game of cards and Celtic losing the league. Not happy.

Tomorrow we go to Quito where the tour finishes and the memories begin and so does our trip to the Galapogos. Had a bit of a scare as Continental cancelled our flight home from Quito but thankfully that has been sorted and get home a whole 15 minutes earlier!

17th May 2005

Now in the final week of this leg of the trip. We are on the outskirts of Tena which is in the Amazon area. Our hotel (well lodge) is actually in the Amazon and has some great views. Tomorrow we are going deeper into the jungle for 2 nights and are expecting to meet plenty of friendly creepy crawlies.

Yesterday we managed to catch up with the truck before it departed. Our taxi driver from Baños to Rio Verde insisted on stopping at all the sites on the way and all 4 of us were glad he did. The highlight was a basket cable car high across a raging river to the waterfall on the otherside.

Thanks to the 2 people who are still reading this!!!

15th May 2005

Not sure if many people are still reading these updates as not had any feedback for ages now. Think i`m only doing this for my own benefit as my personal journal has lapsed a little bit (i`m still in Bolivia in that). I promise to catch up though (but that`s what i always told my teachers, at school, when i slipped behind onmy homework).

The small break away group made it to Baños without any major incidents. One of the buses did drop us off on the outskirts of Riobahmba, miles away from the bus terminal we needed for our connecting bus to here. Thankfully a local bus came along which went there. Definitely worth the effort, not only was Cuenca worth the extra night, so too is Baños. Great little town with a big volcano smoking away on the horrizon!

Had missed the old public transport trips with the locals starring at you and the sellers getting on and off the bus in the remotest of places selling the weirdest things. Plus there is the delightful smells you get, either no deodrant or too much hideous aftershave.

Just over a week left now on the truck and for this trip. No question that i will definitely miss a few people. Have been promised a game of golf with one of the girls so i better start practicing when home, well can`t lose to a girl.

12th May 2005

Welcome to Ecuador. First day we make it in Ecuador we get caught up in another road block. This time the banana farmers were upset over something. Luckily we only got held up by an hour but another tour company got stuck there over night.

Peru finished with a bang. I`m now a surfer dude having been taught by the 1998 Latin American champion surfer (which is a very big thing) I now can rent a board and hit the waves. Have to say i thought it was going to be hard but 1st wave, i was up and made it all the way (turning was a bit of a problem though).

As you may have guessed, we finished Peru on the beach and it was a beautiful place too. Could have done with another day there (needed to ironing out 1 or 2 small surfing problems) but alas no, Ecuador was waiting for us. Before hitting the beach i was looking forward to getting out of Peru, we had been in it for a month and had started to drag but was sad to see it leave, now realised it felt like a good old friend. Thankfully Ecuador looks like as being more of a long term partner.

We are in a very nice city called Cuanca. 3rd largest city in Ecuador and very pictuesque. So much so that I`m staying an extra night here before going to Baños and spending a night there before catching up with the truck. The truck was supposed to go to Baños, which is supposed to be another lovely place but due to the local volcano being on some sort of alert they are now no longer going there. Us volcano experts laugh at these sort of dangers and have decided to pay it a visit. So, keep an eye out on the news for any British tourists missing when it erupts! To be honest I am glad to get off the truck and go back to public transport for a bit, it seems more of an adventure and less like a school holiday.

We have also been told that we are no longer allowed to go to the part of the Amazon we was going to as the government has said too many people are catching too many hideous diseases there. This time i shall be paying full attention as i am in no rush to catch a hideous disease, again. We will still be going into the jungle but a safer part. Still a slight chance that i might get eating alive by Pirahna fish, soldier ants or one of a million horrible things that give you nightmares.