The End of the Road

Good morning, or aftenoon to all you UK dwellers. Its 9:30am here on the last full day of our south american adventure, sniff sniff. Since my last blog we have travelled to Rio and spent most of the days lounging around on Ipanema beach. We had a tour of the touristy sites on monday, which included Christ the Redeemer (the big statue of JC on top of a mountain), Sugarloaf Mountain (a big lump of rock which looks like a sugarloaf) and the Lapa steps (some steps). Yesterday we went for a wander down copacabana beach, which is very similar to ipanema, just bigger and not as nice. On the whole a nice relaxing end to our 3 and a half month Jaunt. Today we have the champions league final to look forwards too in the afternoon, and maybe seeing a live brazillian footy match in the evening. Then at 9am tomorrow morning we head to the airport.

So. Since our trip has come to an end, time to summarise.

BEST MOMENTS (in no particular order)

1. Scuba diving, both the barrier reef and thailand. Awe inspiring, breathtaking passtime which i will definately continue doing.
2. Arriving on Ko Tao (thailand). After 14hours of flying, 2 days in bustling bangkok, an 8hour bus journey and a 4hour ferry. Arriving on the tropical paradise of Ko Tao, and relaxing in the bath warm sea was a pinch yourself moment.
3. BUNGEEEEEEE!!!! Once (or maybe twice) in a lifetime experience of sheer panic/exhilaration/fear/excitement all rolled into 20seconds of madness. Epic.
4. The Inca Trail, a combination of breathtaking views, rewarding hiking and most of all the camaradary and friendliness of our group made this 7days fly by.

WORST MOMENT

1. The only thing i can think of for this is either attempting to sleep in Singapore airport or the bus journey to the Uyuni salt flats. But im glad we did both, even though it was uncomfortable, it was an expericnece.

BEST COUNTRY

1. New Zealand! Without a shadow of a doubt, the reason there is no NZ specific best moment is because there are too many to list. Pretty much every day had WOW moment, from the wilderness of our 4day treck in the national parks. The jurassic feel of volcanic rotorua with its bubbling pools, the baron lunar landscape of tongariro national park and the jagged alpine mont cook region. World class surfing in Raglan, world class madness in Queenstown and all of this in a country populated with the friendliest people Ive met. Top stuff.

So..... I guess this is it. Its been a blast! Ive thouroughly enjoyed blogging and i hope you have perceviered through my sometimes rushed entries and enjoyed keeping track of our shinanigans.

But WAIT!! If you really cant get enough, or you simply have nothing better to do. Although this is the end for Me and Daves combined travelling, while he is jetting beck to sunny blighty, I am heading to even sunnier Florida, to meet a stange lady who goes by the name of Maddy. So i guess i will probably continue to post the odd blog over the next month. So perhaps speak to you then.

Rich.