Tykeblog - The Americas

Here are some highlights.

2005-08-23T19:47:00.000Z

AMERICA - This is what i travelled around in. It's a mustang convertable 4.9 V6. It went like stink up to 110 then cut out.
Shame that.

TIKAL RUINS - This fuck off terantula decides it likes the look of the guides shoes and closes in for a closer look.

BRAZIL - Pele's footprint - Mighty smelly

I've entered a couple for the wanderlust competition in the hope I might win some free flights or a camera.

You can find the competition on their wbsite, its' open to all, if you have some old travel photos that might win a prize.

Old Skool
One of my old skool friends won last year, not that i've knobbled the judges or anything.

Don't enter my photo's or I'll sue you for copyright.

tyke.

Photo diary

2005-08-20T17:05:00.000Z

AMERICAS 2005:

Peru: Peru Feb-Mar

Chile: March -> April

Argentina: April

Brazil: April -> May

Costa Rica: May

Nicaragua: May

Honduras: May -> June

Gautamala: June

Belize: June

Mexico: June -> July

USA: July

Naughty

2005-08-19T08:17:00.000Z

Before I get shot outside a tube station I'd like to point out that the blog has been a innocent victim of a haenous crime. Namely a sabotage by various members of the establishment, namely Che Kee-Poos.

Che took it upon himself to contact my ISP, providing hosting for the blog, and instruct them to block the account. Following a couple of weeks trying to sort it out, I actually had to physically pay them a visit to re-instate my account.

Why?
Would an innocent blogster like myself should find myself target to the evil workings of Che.
Comments please.

Live Streaming Video - Peru

2005-08-02T14:28:00.000Z

Some video's I was unable to develop on my travels.

LIVE STREAMING VIDEO::::::

That's right, if you don't want unknown files downloading onto your computer...
All these files are steaming media and run directly off the server.

From Peru-

UNESCO nature reserve on the grounds of unique ecosystem. Used to export nitrates to the west in the form of 'Guarana'.

Video

Video

Musical passing away. Taken in Pisco Peru

Viewing the magical Nazca lines by plane.

A tour of Nazca cemetary culminating in serenading miner

Country dancing in local village. Canon de Calca.

Cuzco celebrates in the rain

Tyke's travel tips

2005-07-29T10:15:00.000Z

Here are some travel tips for those planning a trip to south america.

1- NEVER ARRIVE AT NIGHT - chances are you'll be making those gruelling 20 hour plus bus journeys, the last thing you want is to be wandering round a strange town with all your stuff at the dead of night.

2- YOU WILL GET ROBBED - depending on your outlook, this may be funny, mildly annoying or a personal tragedy. Keep you passport and sexually integrity intact, these things are more difficult to replace.

3- BRING A RUCKSACK NOT A SUITCASE - it may have handles, but I'm afraid that won't cut it. Lima doesn't have a Marriott, holiday inn, motel 8 or McDonald's. Expect to get sand in your wheels and strange looks.
my advice buy a nice purple rucksack (like mine :)).

4- LEARN TO SPEAK SPANISH - better than waving your arms around, you can make friends and get yourself out of trouble, converse in shops etc. etc.
it costs nothing.
invaluable.

industrial fatwa

2005-07-25T17:36:00.000Z

Sorry bloggers, i seem to have slacked it off there at the end.

Had fun anyhow.

Stayed in Ceasars Palace, Las Vegas and hired a Mustang to transport me cross the states, car not horse.

here's a picture.

will be adding some more images and blogs over the next few days.

don't lose interest.

Just another day at the office

2005-06-15T20:52:00.000Z

No shirt
No shoes
No problem

At Work
Found the frigate birds really off-putting, I'm sure everyone shared my sentiments.

Caye Caulker - Belize

Having been working hard on lonelyplanetexchange, updating the routes and whatnot. The blog has suffered.

Competition
Have some exciting results for the competition.

The winner is:

Stefani Whitehead

from Australia.

You have won the mystery prize, have a peek at it here fingers not included there dude.

When I need to get rid of more useless items from my rucksack, I will let you know.

OK

2005-06-01T15:40:00.000Z

Today's the day I'm going to do some write ups.

Missing gaps

2005-05-28T13:52:00.000Z

I have filled in some missing gaps.

Am waiting for the blogger software to start accepting images again.

For some reason it won't accept Image upload.

Market place

2005-05-27T18:26:00.000Z

What can I say about San Pedro de Sula.

Street market
I was there on a Saturday, street market day.

Much of the southern part of the city area is given to open street trading, which makes for interesting wandering round.

Banks
The banks are tied in with Visa/Plus network, making it impossible if you're using Mastercard.
I had to resort to using the Unibanc forecort machines at Texaco garages.

Tamarindo
Great hostel.

Was there on my own bar Irish girl who had $350 her wallet and cards stolen from a market in SA somewhere.

Story
Irish Girl:

"I had just checked my handbag and all the stuff was there, I turned away and then it was gone.
I had been trying to be paranoid, but I guess I had made a mistake and was not paranoid enough."

Paranoid
There's a trick to being paranoid, if you're paranoid you really shouldn't let other people into your little secret, but rather keep it to yourself.

If you walk around checking your handbag, bag and pockets that you still have your $350 or $500 or whatever - this may be like wearing a big badge saying ROB ME.

Turns out her paranoia gave her away, and she was robbed in a latino market place Iquito, Caracas or somewhere.

Having fun vs Being paranoid
Remeber market places and crowded places are fun but don't take ALL your money with you when you go.

Teller
The Irish girl now has to visit the teller any time she wants to make a withdrawl.

San Pedro de Sula

2005-05-27T17:58:00.000Z

Opt for walk into town, backpack and all. This is my first taste of Honduras.

Armed
After hunting around found lots of armed guards.

Most establishments have at least one armed guard from Coffee houses and Farmacies to Pizza parlours, anywhere that looks like it's making money.

Business
Found this hostel.
Girl moaned to me the fact that they were not getting many guests.
I guess life is tough in business hey.

Nice
Here's a picture.

Road to San Pedro de Sula - Honduras

2005-05-27T17:00:00.000Z

Rescue

This accident had occured on the Pan-American highway, a connection running from Alaska to southern Chile one of the busiest and most important routes in South America.

Rolled vehicle roofwise and watched Landrover logo disappear into the distance.

Was surprised and sort of proud, in a British way that he was able to do that.
Showing Johnny Foreigner Land Rovers' world wide credentials as bastion of hard wearing resiliance that used to be the British way.

After

2005-05-26T16:59:00.000Z

Watching Star Wars third episode tonight, will be moving on by TICA bus up toward Honduras tommorrow.

A town called San Pedro de Sula.

I have my ticket. My watch is set.

Managua - The attractions

2005-05-26T16:56:00.000Z

Don't think Managua is the best place in the world, it has no commercial district, there are no department stores, you will have trouble finding a bank and what development has taken place is on an urban American Car orientated, decentralised multiple business district system making it useless for the tourist.

It is very hot, almost like India.

The Market
Managua does however have an outdoor market the size of Belgium.
You will get lost here if you are reading your Lonely Planet guide at the same time as trying to find your way around.

Here is a picture from the market.

This woman is cooking up some spicey arroz, vegetables and meat.

Other considerations
The people are friendly (don't mention the war).

It is safer than Rio.

Managua - A dream shattered

2005-05-26T16:39:00.000Z

For those that don't know, Nicaragua was George Bush snr's Iraq of sorts.

He pervaded influence in the region sometime in the eightees and things have never been the same since.

Alone
When you walk around Managua there is evidence of the beginnings of something, grand structures, wide tree lined boulevards, totems, monuments etc.

When I walked down here I was alone, completely, not a car, not a person in sight.

I imagine this was built as a symbol of the new Nicaragua, a Nicaragua which was never given the chance to develop.

US sponsored terrorism
Unlike Iraq, Nicaragua was a state where the US sponsored terror. Beheadings, ritual rape, food and water poisoning other general nastieness.
The US sponsored Contra Rebels never actually won a fight with the then Government troops and the battle was brought to the people, quite literally.

Congratulations

2005-05-26T02:11:00.000Z

To Liverpool for winning in Europe, first UK team since 1999 and record breaking five time winners.

\jot.

Hello Nicaragua

2005-05-25T16:31:00.000Z

Have moved on to Costa Ricas northern Neighbour - Nicaragua.

Also moving a timezone and unexpected time calculations has meant that I have been allowed to spend an additional night in Nicaragua's capital - Managua.

An unwanted blessing, after having change thrown in my face by one of the shopkeepers in the name of the Nicaraguan people.

Still, don't let that put you off, it's time for a wander round town.

Con Job

2005-05-25T01:22:00.000Z

Have been robbed for the third time on this holiday.

rob #1
rob #2

Robbery #3
Travelling from San Ramone to Costa Rica´s capital San Jose.

The set up
Girl comes to sit next to me from the front of the bus.
Think nothing of it.
I am a good looking bloke..

After normal girly wriggling, girl goes to sleep waking up just as the bus is approaching San Jose bus station.

The sting
Pulling into bus station in San Jose.

Bus is alighting, people are standing ready to get off.

Money is heard bouncing on the floor under seat, girl turns around looking for her dropped coin.

I allow the girl under my seat to look for it.

Two onlookers gather and gesticulate that I should move to let her find it.

I look for the coin myself, I can't see anything, but let the girl look again, this time standing off the floor completely on my seat.

The onlookers, an old man, and a youngish man, gesticulate that I should come out of there completely.

Having had no luck myself, I let the girl go about her business grovelling on the floor..

This I do moving out into the isle and sideways into an empty seating bay.

We watch the girl look for her coins.

Old man trys to push past me, which I think is stange.

a) because he is old.
b) because there is not really anywhere to go because the girl and I make up pretty much the full breadth of the isle.

I won't move.

He has to struggle past.

I become aware of a movement in back pocket around the wallet region, turn to see younger bloke turn away.

Missing coin issue is rapidly cleared up, girl thanks me and walks off.

The realisation
20 minutes down the road its raining, I go to catch a taxi and realise that the cash in my front pocket has been stolen.

About 20,000 collons. Just over 20 quid.

The trick

Trapping you in the isle

whilst

Getting you to watch the girl find the money

then

letting the old man past, getting you to turn to a different postion allowing access to more pockets.

Had I turned to face the front and let that old man past, I would now be minus a wallet rather than just 20 quid.

Very clever.

The moral

When girls come and sit next to you on a bus, it is likely she is after your money.

Baths at La Fortuna

2005-05-23T17:29:00.000Z

Not forgetting the baths @ La Fortuna, Baldi Baths.
Apart from Caño, this is perhaps one of the coolest things to do ala La Fortuna.

Hot Bath
Volcanically heated, the bar staff will provide free beer if you manage to stay in the hottest pool for longer than 20 seconds.

They recon its over 100 degrees, one guy said 400 (Canadian), but I managed to get a foot in there and not remove a stump.

There are another 11 pools and a series of winding pathways, lamp lit and paved to keep you wandering round.

Best pools
I thought the smelly ones round the bottom were best.

Although you might venture up to the top area where there is a better view of the volcanous mountain and the odd lava flow.

The bar
Barman didn't know what a Mojhito was, then didn't want to bother so I left it.

Rio Frio - Costa Rrica

2005-05-23T16:25:00.000Z

This is a picture of the Rio Frio so packed with life.

Iguana

2005-05-23T16:20:00.000Z

Met this guy.

Pretty friendly.

Caño Negra

2005-05-22T15:51:00.000Z

For those that make it to La Fortuna and are into your naturism, there is no better place in Costa Rica than the place they call Caño Negra.

An area of wetland gaining it´s name from the black volcanic dust tinged water it leaks into Rio Frio which flows on the border between Costa Rica & Nicaragua.

This place you are gauranteed to see animals like:
Caimen
Howler Monkeys
Sloths
Storks
Turtles
Jumping Fish
Bats
Kingfishers
and sometimes the Jesus lizard running across the waterway

For the $30 dollars, it was a sure thing.
You could spot wildlife until you could be bothered to spot no more.

Here are some pictures.

This one is showing a smaller version of the Crocodile named the Caiman which you will find throughout the Amazon and tropical regions.
Lively little buggers they are, there are too many opportunities to see them.
Our boat was able to pull right up to within a couple of meters allowing us to take pictures.

Obviously, this must have given the impression that they were 'friendly' and one of the Canadian tourists asked if they bite (?!)
You know what the Americans say about the Canadians.

We must be some of the luckiest tourists alive.

While we were out, we spotted this Albino Howler monkey.
Our guide had never spotted one of these before and he had been 19 years on the job.

In addition
Got a great tan.

La Fortuna

2005-05-21T14:05:00.000Z

After 4 days on the job I am moving on.

La Fortuna at first seemed like Pucon, Chile.

It has a volcano steaming and spewing lava in the background. I have a picture of the Volcano here.

Which makes an interesting backdrop for the village which is mostly covered with volcanic dust, which you have to watch you don't get in your coffee if you sit outside.

Small change

2005-05-21T00:45:00.000Z

Nothing small about this change.

It's like chocolate money.

Perhaps it helps the locals not to lose it.

Locals are friendly here man, perhaps the friendliest in SA.

Monteverde cloud forest

2005-05-20T00:45:00.000Z

I have taken a tour of Santa Elena cloud forest or Monteverde cloud forest.

Here's a picture of my knee in a hotel in Monteverde to get the ball rolling.

Here are some trees.

That one's a frog to be exact, a dink frog which was resting on a leaf and fell on a girl excited her, more than anything we had seen that day.

It played dead on the floor for a while, then jumped up and walked off (frog marched).

It is no longer than 12mm.