Dreams DO come true!!

rottie · 12 January 2006 18:24

As some of you may know already, I’m going in a trip round the world.

I booked all my flights today, my wallet is much much lighter now() but I’m excited like hell()!

I’m leaving on the 19th of February. Flight to Rio de Janeiro where I’m gonna stay for about a week because the carnival starts on the 25th

Then I have to make my way overland to Santiago de Chile, through Argentina.

I’m leaving Santiago on the 14th of March and flying to the Easter Island where I’m staying for 5 days.

Then next destination is Tahiti for a bit over a week.

From Tahiti to Auckland in NZ and then overland all the way down to Queensland from where I’m flying to Sydney.

I’m ariving in Sydney on the 7th of April and then I have over 3 weeks to make my way to Kairns in the north.

Then I’m flying to Tokyo for five days, from Tokyo to Hong Kong for five days.

Next stop is Bangkok for a week.

From Bangkok I’m flying to Bahrain in Persian Gulf.

And finally, on the 19th of May at 17.55 I’m landing at Heathrow…(in case you wanna greet me with a red carpet)

So, that’s the itinerary.

I know that many of LBers have travelled a lot. I’ve never done any backpacking so all the tips and advices are highly appreciated!!!

Especially the South American part because I think that will be the hardest ( I don’t speak Spanish or Portugese)

I wanna use the www.hospitalityclub.org website for accomodation, but if anyone has a lonely auntie living in a big house inTahiti please let me know.

I think it’s gonna be a great adventure, that was always my dream.

Besides - what’s better time than now??

andrew_7 · 12 January 2006 18:44

Well done mate, hope you enjoy it.

Remember not to take any valuables into South American cities. Everything I’ve heard points to rampant theft.

Otherwise take lots of pics and stay safe.

project9928 · 12 January 2006 18:48

When you go to Kairns look out for a company called Ocean Free, they run a sail boat out to the reef and you can scuba dive (but not unattended). It was a good price and a fantastic day out Also you have to go to Australia zoo

Also when you go to Sydney take the ferry from the Quay to Manly Island, Manly is a great place to spend the day, but best of all you get the best view of the Opera House (great photo opportunity see attached ) and the Harbour Bridge.

Hope you have a good time mate and don’t forget to take loads of pics

Attachments

Chrisdee · 12 January 2006 18:55

Be wary of efeminate males asking to come “camping” with you. LOL

Sounds wicked mate good luck with it. Glad to hear your coming back to London. I thought after selling the bike you were off into the blue yonder for evermore.

rottie · 12 January 2006 20:06

Cheers guys! I will stay in touch and miss you lot!

Another thing - does anyone know any good (and free) photo-blog websites?

I want to upload photos whenever I’ll get anywhere civilized, that whoever wants - a family ie, can see the photos straight away. Besides this way the pics will be always secure.

Cezar, no tips about Brazil? Especially anything about transport…

Andrew, I’m not taking any valuables with me apart from my new phone (you know me - gadgetboy )and a camera, and I definitely will kick some a$$es if someone will try to steal them.

Chris, I think I’ll come back, by the time that I’ll get here it will be warm already and I can still go back to Australia in autumn to enjoy the summer.

Has anyone been to Japan? Is it really so expensive? The woman in travel agency was looking for a one week train pass for me, and excluding! Tokyo underground it was £140!

I think I’m excited the most about the Easter Island, when I was a child I was always watching these Explorers TV Programs and Easter Island was like the most distant place in the world for me, like the end of it. And now I’m gonna be there!

project9928 · 12 January 2006 20:08

I have hurd the Japan is very very very VERY expensive!

rottie · 12 January 2006 20:08

Kevin, absolutely amazing photo!!! Really, very impressive!

Terry · 12 January 2006 20:10

Hey nice one mate! The trip sounds amazing! Try and keep in touch! Stay safe as well and we will welcome you back to Heathrow!

Paivi · 12 January 2006 20:19

Hey Rottie!

Glad to see you go! Even if it means we won’t see you for a few months, as you’ll be having a fantastic time on your travels!

For the photo thing, I use photobucket. You can select options to let others view your photos, or you can keep them secret. I’m sure the other guys can give more suggestions and recommendations.

Keep us updated and send plenty of pics! See you at LHR in a few months!

Bon voyage!

Jay · 12 January 2006 20:48

Rottie! We (Foxy & I) wish you all the best with this, it’s a once in a life time opportunity, do it, and have lots of fun! Stay safe and check in regulary with photos and stories for us please, that’d be great! Lucky bugger

djjasoncarroll · 12 January 2006 21:31

sounds like a great trip you got there rottie.

just remember always check for an adams apple

say hi to gary glitter and put a boot/slap in from me if you in his neck of the woods

dancbr600rider · 13 January 2006 00:43

Rottie,

I am gonna miss ya, even though we have never met its been special. Have a great time when you are back let us know.

Avoid the lady boys and have a great time.

Dan

rottie · 13 January 2006 00:53

There is still few Soho-Fridays left and I’ll pop in to say hi!

That’s very nice anyway, thanks a lot!!

Mini_Mo · 13 January 2006 09:18

Rottie you lucky lucky fella.

You’ll have a fab time. Argi is a fantastic place.

Bike2travel · 13 January 2006 10:25

Rottie my friend! You will never be the same after a carnaval in Rio! Trust me!!!

beachbumm81 · 13 January 2006 10:51

Rottie,

Brasil is awesome and having spent about 10 days in and around Rio i wish i was going with you but work commitments and insufficient funds means that i’m stuck in my 8ft square box with a computer making money for someone else!

YOu only need about 4 days to do all the touristy stuff around rio but about 3 years to really appreciate the talent on ipanema beach.

Make sure you take care of your belongings… and its not that dangerous but if you do something stupid then you are more than likely to lose something… jsut keep your guard up and take care. take a good camera as tehre will be loads of photo opportunites… always carry cash on you jsut in case something happens and have a spare wad somewhere else…

best bit of advice… scan your passport and email it to yourself… then if u lose it you can at least prove who you are… similarly copies of all yourcredit card phone numbers in case you have the misfortune of losing them all you know how to cancel them easy!

If you can stay there as its safer at night and much more pleasant than copacobana! although the night market there is quite fun too! good churascario / irish bar / try and get into Nuth / and great japanese that does all you can eat sushi and cooked food for about £4/£5

travelling by bus across to santiago is a bit of a trek but probbaly very worth it…

i suggest the following:

Rio - Parati - Sao Paulo - Foz do Iguazu (Iguacu Falls - greatest volume of water in the world per second (dont miss this)… makes niagara look like a small fountain of the pond in the corner of your garden in london & Itaupu Dam is the largest HEP dam in the world - free 1 hr tours… jsut turn up) then go to Buenas Airas to experience metropolotin life… and amazingly beautiful women (other places to visit are (salta - northern argentina)

from there go through patagonia and travel west into chile then north via Pucon (volanic region where you can climb a volcano and snowboard down! amazing but very tiring) then its about 10 hours on a bus north to santiago…

shame you dont have enough time for peru - lima, machu pichu, loake titicaca, arequipa are all highlights from my trip last year!, salvador=brasil (from what i have heard its the best place for the carnival) and venezuela… another place that has the highest number of supermodels in the world.

The only other place I know about on your itinerary is South East Asia…

Thailand is amazing and I can promise that 5 days isn’t enough to see Bangkok. Let alone the rest of the beautiful and friendly country.

Bangkok:

Floating Market – only on certain days but its such an experience to buy stuff off boats that are in a hurry to go… and everything is so colourful!

Crocodile & Elephant Zoo

All the temples

Snake show!

Mua Thai (Thai Boxing) fight – make sure u go to the local place not the tourist one… at the local one they fight till knockout… no less!

Other places in Thailand…

Then you have chang mai, chang rai (all the golden triangle places) and party places such as koh samui / koh pangan , beautiful beaches such as koh tao / krabi / phi phi, phuket is too commercialised but probably worth the visit.

There is so much to see and experience there that you probably need a full month to do it properly!

Malaysia / Vietnam / Cambodia all also worth staying an extra month for too…

You’re gonna have a blast and if u make it down to penang (Malaysia) have some local food for me… (its where all of my family & lots of old friends live)

Take care mate and enjoy!

Chris

rottie · 13 January 2006 11:02

WOW! That was big and helpful! Thanks a lot!!

The good thing about my ticket is that I can change the dates very easily, as long as there are seats free it costs me £20 to change all the remaining flights.

So if I’ll decide to stay somewhere for longer it won’t be a problem.

Thanks again for the advices! Keep them coming!

hamsterbiker · 13 January 2006 11:13

I know it’s obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people forget about this and get ill-

Only ever use bottled water with the seal intact, lots of people make a quick buck by taking empty bottles and filling them up with the local water. Use it for doing everything, even brushing you’re teeth and always wash fruit before you eat it. There’s a whole list of nasty micro-orgs that would love a party in your alimentary canal!

beachbumm81 · 13 January 2006 11:22

solution to that is just drink beer or canned drinks (remember to clean the top!)

other than that… if u dont like fizzy water… just say… un botellada de agua sin gas por favor!

as every store / kiosk immediate assumes u want fizzy water! yuck!

dont worry about yellow fever jabs… they are super expensive here and are given free in south america if you go anywhere near dagerous areas… or u can pop inot a locla clinic and its free!

C

Bike2travel · 13 January 2006 11:50

Rootie! I will give you the Phone number of my brother in Curitiba (Parana) if you need anything you can call him and he will be there for you! If you fancy go to Curitiba wich is the capital of Parana state you will be welcome to stay in my house and if you send me the dates you will be in south brasil I can see where my brother and friends will be so you can hang out with them and i promise that there you will have a lovely time ! here goes 2 pics of a little party on my moms house for you to sample it: my brother is on white t-shirt