Martial & El travel South America

We raced through this part, covering 4 countries in a little under 2 weeks… didn’t stop for a second! Hope you enjoy these pics. More to come on Antarctica, and the second half of the trip, some time soon. xxx

Photos on Facebook

southamericanadventure — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 23:36:46 +0000

Finally, we’ve sorted through all our 7500 pictures and we’re now in the process of putting them in bite sized albums, which are now appearing on Facebook.

For a fuller story in pictures, check out the following links:

Paracas and Nazca: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=198238&id=606086334&l=c0a0038ba5

Manu: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=198255&id=606086334&l=d56e4e8ddf

Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=198265&id=606086334&l=8f1b98b5d8

More to come soon – watch this space!

xxx

Hello UK!

southamericanadventure — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 21:56:05 +0000

We’re back!!

After sorting our missed connection at Madrid airport, we finally descended upon a grey, wet and uninspiring London earlier this evening and are now munching through dinner and wading through staggering amounts of pictures. =)

Thank you all for following us so loyally throughout these past months. Your comments and messages have been a real treat – hope you’ve enjoyed reading the blog as much as we’ve enjoyed writing it! The full story in pictures will be up on El’s facebook page soon.

Looking forward to getting in touch again with everyone.

Much love

El & Martial xxx

Goodbye South America

southamericanadventure — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 21:51:09 +0000

And suddenly we find ourselves in the last of our South American days.

We started our day enjoying a luxurious breakfast, sampling some more of the local juice delicacies…

Then, as we only had an afternoon left, we checked out, put everything in storage, got hold of a bodyboard and headed out for Copacabana and Ipanema beaches.

After some inexpert attempts at bodyboarding in the relative baby waves at Copacabana beach,

we decided to exchange these slightly more scummy sands for Ipanema. The sight greeting us there was one of huge rollers bearing all manner of bodyboarders and surfers. So much for the narrow surf of the day before. Seeing as the waves looked far too daunting for our poor skills, we decided to sit at a safe distance and admire the aquatic acrobatics of the locals. Very cool!!

And safe didn’t turn out to be safe either, as occasionally monstrous waves would cooperate to rush over the empty beach in front of us and rush up to meet us, washing us over the beach or pelting us in a shower of sea and salt water. Our ears are still full of sand.

And with that memory (and a serious shower afterwards) we packed up, called a taxi and found our flight to be delayed for 4 hrs. Ah, the joys of travel =) We finally took off at 1.30am, bound for Europe. Hasta la vista, South America…

Hello RIO

southamericanadventure — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:23:59 +0000

A sad wave goodbye to the beautiful beaches of Angra, and we set off in the bus up the coast to Rio. Rio is extremely cool. Boiling, boiling, boiling hot. Impossibly beautiful people everywhere you look. Glorious white sandy beaches, 2 of the biggest RIGHT slap bang in the centre of the city full of surfers and volleyballers. Helicopters everywhere. Markets selling colourful tat, and juice bars at every street corner. A proper holiday city this!

Unbelievably, to us at least, we will be heading home TOMORROW via Madrid and getting into Heathrow some time on Sat afternoon depending on just how much snow´s still around….. Hmmmmm. We are SO in for a shock!

The joys of snorkeling

southamericanadventure — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:20:55 +0000

Again, we were accosted at breakfast by a guy with a boat (seems to happen a lot here!), offering us a trip to the island of Gipoya. We set off, 6 of us in all, on his BEAUTIFUL sailing boat, the Charran. (He later told us he´d sailed the world in it – we were sceptical until we saw the book and picturs he´d had published about his adventures. Awesome.)

We stopped off en route to check out some tiny rocky islands which were great for snorkeling. We leapt off the side of the boat into the clear blue water, masks on, to be greeted by the coral and the little stripey fish below. Fabulous.

On to Gipoya, and another steamy walk through the jungle to Plaia Dentista. We were both suffering sunburnt shoulders, no thanks to the snorkeling, so spent most of our time playing cards in the white sand. Tough life.

Another glorious lunch (unsurprisingly these guys KNOW how to do fish), another lounge on another white sandy beach, another casual swim back to the boat anchored in the bay, and we were put-put-putting our way back to the hostel. Ach. Truly another world from the UK, especially right now.. what´s the temperature there right now, anyone?!

Beautiful Ilha Grande

southamericanadventure — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:15:22 +0000

By 9 in the morning, the sun was already HOT beyond belief. However, the humidity which had haunted us in Campo Grande had vanished, and a cool breeze came in off the sea. Fortune smiled on us when at breakfast we were offered a ride to Ilha Grande with a group of scuba divers staying in the same hostel as us, and we set off to explore the islands in the bay.

Landing at Las Palmas cove, we headed across the hot still jungly island in 20 sweat drenched minutes, wondering whether the struggle of walking in such immense heat would be worth it. Then we arrived at Lopez Mendez. TOTALLY worth it.

A lunch stop in Abraao, another divine beach with a little restaurant serving fish in passion fruit sauce and shrimp and mango salad (DUUUUDE), and we set off in the boat back to Angra.

Halfway, the summer storm of the day hit. Rain came pelting down almost horizontally as the wind picked up and dark boiling clouds rolled in carrying flashes of light and streaks of lightning. After a good while of this on open water, the captain decided enough was enough and we took shelter in a little cove alongside another few boats who´d been caught out. All huddled under the protective cover which was slowly dismantled by the wind (no, we didn´t stay anywhere near dry)

Finally, however, the weather cleared, and the thunder and lightning receeded to a safe distance… even so, the views of the lightning on the way back were immensely cool (and not a small amount terrifying!)

Travelling South

southamericanadventure — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:45:24 +0000

Leaving hot sticky Campo Grande behind, we headed South today to Sao Paolo, Rio, and finally Angra dos Reis, in a journey somewhere round as long as it would take us to cross the Atlantic at the end of the week. Hmmm.

We arrived in Angra after the daily rainstorm but it was still extremely hot. After some worrying moments (we hadn´t actually booked any accomodation yet and everything seemed shut and unable to help us) we found ourselves a ´Pousada´ with space for two nights at least so we hopped on a taxi that drove us through a darkening night to our destination.

On arrival instead of that ´wow´ moment, we found ourselves feeling sceptical. Somewhat shabby looking bay, remnants of mudslides (which had struck here as well), no beach but a mooring wall for boats overlooking slightly scummy water, no promised hammocks and a rather steep price. However, ´la Piece the Resistance´was when we arrived at the attached cafe to be told they didn´t serve food OR drink anymore. At 10 pm after a full day of travel without real lunch or dinner! We looked at each other and knew that was the nail in the coffin!! Especially as an exploration of the nearby area also didn´t unearth anywhere to eat!! Shock and indignation!

…

It´s rather funny what hot weather does to your mood and perception of things after a long day of travel (and perhaps we are growing a little spoiled) … as, ironically, we would wind up staying here for three nights and having a great time! =)