Over view of trip.

365traveldays + 1 as it was a leap year!

'How was you trip?' people ask me, 'Life changing!' is my reply.

Ok, here is the break down,

366 day's,

10 counties

South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Australia (Tasmania),

New Zealand, Chile and Argentina.

Distance

Air = 41,396 Miles

Land = 6076 Miles

Sea = 1498 Miles

Rail = 2904 Miles

Walk = 500 miles of course!

Total = 52,375

(that makes an average of 143 miles per day)

I have now seen roughly 20% of the world in my life to date.

One thing I have learnt from travelling and exposure to other cultures is happiness is about the people we meet, the friends we keep and the family who surround us.

Always remember a smile doesn't need translation in any language or culture.

The hardest part................Home!

Hitting the tarmac at Heathrow I felt a rush of emotion which was indescribable and something I have never felt before. The realisation that the travel chapter was over, the epic life changing journey was taking an other twist and the simple fact of being back where you started from, but being a different person one year on.

Everything zoomed though my head on the final hours of the flight, revisiting the memories from the places I had seen, the faces I had seen smile or weep, the smells and the sounds that I had experienced. Nothing was going to let me re -live those days, nothing was going to take me back to the same situation but the overwhelming joy of knowing you shared it with special and amazing people. Some people I will never meet again and may have shared a simple moment with or they maybe friends for a life time. What ever journey my life takes now I know I will be better because of it and my eyes are wide open for opportunities which may take to places unimaginable.

Being back is the hardest thing to adjust too and I'm not sure where 'home' is for me any more as my heart is scattered all over the world and I ran out of hats!

You may have followed this trip from start to end or your may have just checked in from time to time, whatever I'm just happy to have shared some of the best times of my life with you.

There will be more to come and I can tell you now its not the last time I take on the world, but till the next time I'm just going to sit back and revel in the memories which will never be taken from me, nor the spirit of travel which is in my blood. If I'm sat with you and you see a little twinkle in my eye and the devilish smile on my face, don't worry I'm just in a special place with a special story to go with it. Ill tell you about it all one day but be sure to bring lot's of coffee and at least four cakes:-)

Thank you and be safe

Love Karen x

No crying leaving Argentina...........until I landed in the uk anyway!

Hi there well i have had some photo's kindly emailed to me from friends I made in B. Aries. As most people know now I'm back home in the UK but don't like to leave any unfinished business.

I spent the last week of my travels 'trying' to learn some Spanish and staying in thins beautiful 'Casa' with an elderly couple called Generaldo and Maria Martez. They where so kind and so helpful and really looked after every student in their house in an individual way. As you can see from the photo's above it is amazing, 75 years old and a traditional house of BA. They had a Parrot, Cats and the oldest most gentle dog in the world who was always asleep! (see pic) I will one day return to South America and do it all but that will take a year in its self. Argentina is massive. Buenous Aries is one of the biggest cities in the world and you get lost everyday, even when sober. It has the highest plastic surgery rate in the world and all the Women are in competition with each other to get the best man. The society is that if you can pull the man or woman you want, than you can have them, this is if you are in a relationship, married or not. I find it quite sad that most thins seemed to be superficial but out of the city people are supposed to be more relaxed and real. So these are the people I want to meet, obviously.

Well until the next time I can afford a trip of a life time it's back to the day job but if you do see me note the extra twinkle in my eye, if I'm not smiling just whisper the word Africa.

Thanks for being there and reading.

Love Karen x

To be continued...........................

Ok, ill try to explain the best i can but please remeber im very happy and know this is the right thing for me. I have learn´t a lot about myself this year and even more over the passed few weeks. Im burn´t out, over weight, tired, lacking passion for most things and it has taken me a while to realise i need to rest and be at home. Yes i still want to see the world and i still know its beautiful, amazing and all the passed year has been life changing in every area of my life, but somethings you have to reasses and know what you want not what you expect to want or what others expect you to do. Im stronger now and the memories and friends i have made as priceless, and for everything elce there is NO master card and my handbag with phone, camera, money, cards etc got stollen on my birthday. Now you may think this is the reason i feel like this but is isn´t it was just the final thing to make me realise what i want. Its just stuff im, happy,safe and well. Im not rounding off my trip on a low im rounding it off to recharge and go again in the right frame of mind and seeing everyhting i want to, too enjoy it and the best means possible.
Think this explains but i want to round off my trip with a few photo´s and total mile etc when i get home, but until then in the famous words of the Rolling Stones,

`you carn´t always get what you want, but when you try sometimes, you just might find you get what you NEED!´

Chow x

Argentina is CRAZY, BUSY, MADNESS!!

Hi there everyone,

Im in BA in Argentina and its MAD and I mean MAD!!
Im living with Hellerreyer family, an old couple in ther 70´s but in a beautiful house with a room to myself. You don´t realise how much of a treat that is for me, but if you have travelled for any period of time you will know what im talking about.
PHONE 005411 4772 6384 speak slow when the people pick up as their english is limited, but the message will get through. Leave a mesage if im not in and ill get back to you.

Ill write more when i have more to tell but for now i have finished my first day of Spannish school and my head is spinning. I think it makes sence!

Im living in an area called Palermo, 20mins on the tube out of downtown. Its up market, but safe and little less busy than the other areas so I feel I can cope with it better than the pickle of people in downtown. However the night life here and things to do are plentiful and BA operates at night, things only start at midnight! The next three weeks are costing me a fortune but think it will be worth it for the experience and education im getting.

Miss you all and if it makes you smile it´s cold.

Chow Karen x

Torres and the Navimag

Sounds like an epic doesn´t it, well it was folks, well it was............

Porto Natales is a very small place and I stayed in a hostel called Erratic Rock, loads of travellers, serious walkers and climbers. I felt a little out of my depth with some of the people as there seemed to know what they were doing, but many many ´good eggs´there and 2 people from within 5 miles of Glossop, of all the places in the world!!!! come on! Martin (Ashton) was biking his way around Chile, which in its self is amazing not to metion he was a great guy and good to hear some northern humor again. Also me Hatty, Mark and an Irish girl whom im sat with in the meal photo. We all had a good night in the fantastic pizza place, which hit the hunger just right.

Torres De Panne, is Chile´s most famous national park and I hit it the week it went off season so still good weather but you can never predict that in this part on the world it changes by the hour and less tourists. (winner) The view in the top picture was one of the most breath taking view I have ever seen and on a great day. What you can not see in the picture is the Larma´s that are scattered around the edge of the road and the nothingness which follows. I landed in the airport which is made up of 2 buliding a little better than a shed (so i loved it!) in the middle of feilds. Arrived at the hostal and chatted to loads of nice poeple, ate with 2 older coulpes from the uk. Anyway, blar, blar........................ i listerned to the 3 o clock talk which is about the National park and the routes you can go around. The ´W´or the ´C´ for example which yeah man, hard core etc etc. I just wanted to enjoy and carring a back pack with everything you need to live for 4 days seem to much for me but if i could have shared the load i would have done. Anyway i loaded up with food and everything bar a tent as opted for the Refugios to sleep in but cooked outside with camping stove. (it is a lot better in Africa when your in the heat, i now remeber i dont miss the cold dam uk weather) I walked with my backpack with a weight of 8kg and not to mention the assests of a sturdy girl which im sure would make the treck a little more difficult for two days. Stopping for romantic moments together as in the second pic. .....................isn´t it beautiful people, the most romance i have had in ages. Walking alone i saw so much wild life and really enjoyed that but little sad i didin´t see a Puma but the Black widow spider made up for it, pretty cool. Came out the park a day early as the weather closed in and there was no point in treking for a sun rise where the sun don´t shine...right? I really enjoyed what i did and glad i did it at my own pace.
Chilled and then got ready for the Navimag ferry. This is a 4 days 4 night trip and takes you through the Patagonian channels but 12 hour on the open Pacific ocean. The dull days continued but there were breifings and film to keep you entertained. The people on board where ecletic and really opened your mind you to the different views and opinions in the world. Shared a cabin with 3 people, which was a tight squeeze but we mannaged. The night on the ocean was rough and on the roughness scale they use at sea it was a 7 out of 12, and to lie down was the only was to feel ok. Vomiting was spreading around the ship like some sort of new fashion craze in London. A night for us all to remenber but im still swaying 36 hour after setting foot on land again, and not feeling to good for it.
After the Navimag i didn´t really have a clue what to do but i knew i had to be in Santiargo on the 10 to fly to BA. So Gareth (welsh) and Neil (south African) said they wre heading to Pucon to climb a active volcano so i thought i would go there, which is where i am now and getting the over night bus to Santiago tomorrow. Think going to hot spring tonight, maybe but right now i just want to stop feeling dizzy, i know im blonde but really the room is rocking.

Hope you enjoyed this little story, how are you? what´s your story?

xx

As near to the south pole as im going to get!

Hola!

Sat in a very warm internet cafe in Puerto Natales, Patagonia, Chile and looking at the splats of rain at the window, which is a slightly alien experience for me at the moment.

Where are you? Hope your happy? tell you what go out and do something different or try one thing you have never had before and it could just be the thing to start something new. Sorry still me, waffle, waffle.........................

Anyway...

I flew down from Santiargo yesterday which was like a bus sevice, i´ve never took off and landed so many times with out actually being in the place you want to be. Call me an altitude junky as think that´s what im going to be for a while.

Have got a ´good´ plan i think for South America now, which ill stick too as hate the limb feeling and like to be productive. Wont tell you it all now but will tell about the past wek a little more and the next few days ill be treking, camping and taking in Torres Del Paine, one of the most amazing national parks in Chile. Maybe a bit challenging for me and it´s alittle on the expensive side but thinkill only be here once. Don´t worry Mum im getting kitted out with all the out door stuff i need from the hostal called, Erratic Rock, they know all there is to know about it. After that on Thursday i catch a ferry up the Patagonia Channels up tp Puerto Montt, which weather permitting should be fantastic, not to mention a good way to rest afer 4 days of trecking.

As you may have read i had a good start to Chile and the first photo is Stu and i, on the local drink of Pisco Sour, very very dangerous, shout come with a hazzardous substance lable i think, but they do go down well! National Musuem of Santiago, randome building which was a church. There are many of them as 90% of the nation is catholic, all with acutecture to google at for a good while. Next was a very random FREE night out in Santiargo i went with a lady called Esther from my Hostal, ended up in a salsa club with lots of locals,so i had a blast. The dancing (one of my most passonate of passions) was beautiful and the way they move is so so smooth you can not imagine. The last photo is one of me at a Vineyard..................um yas a common theme, butit was a great day and learn´t a little more about the wine list. Im getting quite a pro at tasting but the cheaper end of the scale i still like best............always said i was a cheap date, te he he!

So that´s it really going to get all my food supplies and other bits sorted today from this small town. Little nervous about the treck but im sure ill be fine, people keep telling me i servived Africa for 6 months i can do anything...............maybe, but im just me no pro or anything.

Are finally some good music in the internet place, it was really getting to me..........oh, talking to myself again............ummm............umumummmmm.........

zzzz zzzz zzzz day dream.

Chow x