h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

good choice! Homer and his rosy-fingered dawn or whatever it is...

LL

One of these days I might even finish the book...

lol

I assume from your comments that you've read the Iliad?

I assume from your comments that you've read the Iliad?

yep i'm a budding classicist, so it's kind of a must! heh

i see from your page that you're interested in travelling same here! i'm off backpacking round Greek islands and then to the Cape Verde islands in the summer...should be brilliant!

Madagascar...make sure you write up your trip on h2g2!

LL

I really want to go to unusual places; the kind not many tourists visit. I'd like people to sit up and take notice when I tell them the places I've travelled to.

yeh i agree bout that - tourists always seem to take the charm away...that's why i reeally want to go to Cuba too...

LL

Unfortunately, both Cuba and the Greek islands are headed in that direction. Cuba is one of those places, along with India, that is especially popular with backpacker-type 'adventure holiday'ers.

yeah but the good thing about Cuba is it's probably the only place in the entire world that hasnt been completely monopolised by american multinationals - not even macdonalds! that's bound to change, so it's worth going sooner rather than later... and as for India, obviously there are adventure holidays, but i reckon it's best to sort yourself out without any agency or organisation. which is why i'm not taking a gap year with Gap.

so why did you choose madagascar?

LL

A few factors. Firstly, I had heard much of it as a place to find wildlife. It's referred to as 'The Island Continent' because it has so many species found absolutely nowhere else. Secondly, it's still not that tourist-oriented. Third, they speak French, which is helpful as I am half-French, and am the least inept at the language among my brothers and sisters.
Apart from that, everything I have since heard or read about it looks cool, interesting and exciting.

woh it sounds amazing! i bet you'll have a brilliant time

speaking the language is really useful - it's a reason why i chose Cabo Verde, as i speak portuguese

LL

So am I, if I ever get there. Last I heard, that civil war was pretty cold but still with no sign of ending.

By the way, the Cape Verde islands are sort of off the coast of Africa, right? I think we flew over them on the way to Peru.

i hope you get there some time it'll be unforgettable

yeh Cabo Verde islands are 500miles west of senegal so you prolly did fly over em.

how was peru? whereabouts did you go? any spanish?

LL

Great, all over, lots.
I suppose you want a bit more detail than that . We started in Lima, then went down the cost to Arequipa we spent a few days in Arequipa, in the middle of which we left to visit the Colca Canyon and trek through it. That was aborted early on, for reasons I won't bore you with, so we went back to Arequipa until the next phase of our itinerary.
That took us down to Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca. We actually took a boat trip out onto the lake, and spent the night on an island called Taquile I would honestly call it one of the most unspoiled rural environments around. The locals even still spoke predominately Quechua, the language of the Incas.
After that, and another day or two in Puno, we took the train through the mountains to Cuzco. That was interjected by our excursion to 'do' the Inca Trail to Macchu Pichu, during which I lost about a stone of weight in 4 days. I came out of that feeling (once I had gotten over the lack of sleep caused by our travel arrangements) like a million dollars (or 5 million Nuevo Soles).
We finished the whole thing with the highlight, a week or so in the jungle around a place called Puerto Maldonado. Apart from anything else, we had the best and cheapest food of our trip there. Unfortunately, the conflict between us and our adult 'leader' Andy Bovington came to a head there. A few harsh things were said, unnecessary actions were taken, and in general we had soon convinced ourselves that we were totally in the right. In a way, though, the bitterness may have helped to keep us together. Another group from our school went at the same time as us and did a different itinerary. When they re-met with us at the airport in Lima, we heard how there had been bickering among their group as well, but it had broken down the communication and togetherness of the group. With us, we all ended up banding together to attack our leader.
That's basically it. A month in Peru, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
And lots of Spanish.