Health and safety

FITNESS AND THE MATURE SOLO TRAVELLER

Categories ALERTS, General Travel Tips, Health and safety, Hot Trips, NIPPY TRIPS, Uncategorized, Wet Trips1 Comment on FITNESS AND THE MATURE SOLO TRAVELLER

OR GETTING IN TRIM FOR MY TRIP

ALERT: I CANNOT BELIEVE I FORGOT TO POST THIS BEFORE LEAVING! IT ALL GOT A BIT (VERY) HECTIC AND THIS IS SO IMPORTANT! FORGIVE ME I’LL HOPEFULLY SORT MYSELF OUT, I’VE BEEN A VERY BAD OLD BIRD.

It’s no good pretending we are as fit as we used to be, and frankly, if you’re going it alone you must get as fit as you can. You obviously should always follow a sensible health regime but hey, we’re not going to be goody gum drops at our age are we? So to rectify the gobbling of heavy meals and the slurping of too much booze and try to get as fit as possible before leaving. For me it’s swimming and the gym and a slightly more sensible diet and dwinky regime.

NO MORE BEER AND PIES REBECCA!

Continue reading ➞ FITNESS AND THE MATURE SOLO TRAVELLER

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INCAS AREN’T SCARED OF HEIGHTS.

Categories ALERTS, Culture Vultures, General Travel Tips, Health and safety, Train Trips, UncategorizedLeave a Comment on INCAS AREN’T SCARED OF HEIGHTS.

OR YES, BUT OLD BIRDS ARE, THEY CAN’T FLY!

OR THE END OF THE INCAS (HOORAY?!)

ALERT:Off to pastures new now. Looking back further in history to what I think are the more interesting predecessors on the lowlands by the sea. I’m going to Trujillo because most people don’t! I will look at the periods from 1200 B.C. to 1470 A.D. when the Inca interfered again. This means the Moche and Chimu and the mysterious Lady of Cao. See you there.

Back in Cusco after the mad train journey, I slept like a baby only to be kicked out of the pretentious hilltop hotel as they had accepted a large group swearing blind I hadn’t confirmed my extended booking. I moved down the street a bit to a new hotel absolutely furious but then settled in to a day of laundry and catching up with el bloggo!

Continue reading ➞ INCAS AREN’T SCARED OF HEIGHTS.

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AT LAST! MACHU PICCHU!

Categories ALERTS, Culture Vultures, General Travel Tips, Health and safety, Hot Trips, UncategorizedLeave a Comment on AT LAST! MACHU PICCHU!

OR I DID IT SOLO DESPITE THE ODDS! BRAVO TO ME!!

Hard work and persistence despite not walking the famous Inca trail. I had booked bus tickets to go up the final ascent, you can walk but it takes about two hours and do you really want to exhaust yourself by doing that before you even enter the site? Not on your Nelly! (ooh Nelly Dean my local, I want a beer now!)

The great Machu Picchu

Continue reading ➞ AT LAST! MACHU PICCHU!

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PISCO SOURS IN CUSCO.

Categories Art Galleries, Culture Vultures, General Travel Tips, Health and safety, MuseumsLeave a Comment on PISCO SOURS IN CUSCO.

OR ALTITUDE SICKNESS AND NARROW STREETS.

Grab hold of a Pisco sour and let Cusco entrance you, add a tasty ceviche and you’re good to go on your first day! This place is full of excellent restaurants and bars to get your teeth into without getting on the phrenetic tourist trail. you’ll have plenty of time for that later! Enjoy and welcome to Cusco.

A waiter preparing me the Pisco house special.

Continue reading ➞ PISCO SOURS IN CUSCO.

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PAINTED TOMBS AND DANGER.

Categories ALERTS, Culture Vultures, General Travel Tips, Health and safety, Hot Trips, UncategorizedLeave a Comment on PAINTED TOMBS AND DANGER.

OR BEING STOPPED BY THE POLICE ON A REMOTE MUD TRACK.

The whole reason I wanted to come to Colombia was for some of its amazing and mysterious archaeology. I’ve been getting it in bucketfuls, and indeed nearly kicked the bucket for one of my most important things on my bucket list ha ha.

The amazing painted tombs of Tierradentro and San Augustins funerary statues were top of my list

Pretending to be brave.

Alert: This trip is not for the faint hearted. The journey is arduous and the final climb up to the tombs harsh. Descending into the tombs is very dangerous, the steps are VERY steep and there is nothing to hold onto and there a sheer drop to the bottom. I was very scared much to the amusement of the guards. I was later told that many people refused to go down into them even after all their exertions to get there. The reason given for the lack of some kind of handrail was that it would spoil the aesthetics of the design! Please don’t consider this if you are scared of heights , are claustrophobic and, if you value your life!

Continue reading ➞ PAINTED TOMBS AND DANGER.

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ALL THAT GLITTERS IS GOLD.

Categories Art Galleries, Culture Vultures, General Travel Tips, Health and safety, Museums, UncategorizedLeave a Comment on ALL THAT GLITTERS IS GOLD.

OR MAMBO AND MAMU SHOWS ALL.

ALERT: MY FLIGHT TO NEIVA IS SIX HOURS LATE SO I PAID FOR VIP LOUNGE TO WAIT OUT THE STORM IN COMFORT. WISH ME LUCK THINGS DON’T GET WORSE! I SHOULD BE KNOWN AS THE TYPHOID MARY OF FLIGHT DEPARTURES! I’M SOOOOOO TIRED ……

It’s been a fabulous first few days in Bogota but tomorrow I must leave for Neiva, but before I do here’s another glut of photos from the very fine Gold Museum, and the Miguel Urrutia Art Gallery Complex MAMU, along with the rest of my shennanagins!

Continue reading ➞ ALL THAT GLITTERS IS GOLD.