I thought I would make a separate page explaining my travels and that would free up some space in my main posts. Travelling was an amazing and life invigorating experience that has given me so much.
Nearly 4 years ago I made the decision to go after splitting up with a boyfriend I had been with 5 years. I felt the freedom to go and do what I wanted without the heart ache of leaving someone behind. I made the plan to leave in January 2011 mainly so I had 18 months to save and started thinking about countries and places.
Then 3 years ago I booked my flight which was probably the most nerve wracking bit handing over so much money and making the decision feel a lot more real in so many respects.
January 2011 I left for Thailand. I spent 6 weeks teaching English with a grassroots volunteer project in North East Thailand, 70kms from the Cambodian border. I lived with a Thia English teacher who spoke decent English but most people did not speak English in the town and my Thai is sadly lacking. This project just made me love teaching again and had such fun time with the kids.
After that I spent the following months doing the following:
1 week in Hanoi in Vietnam
1 week in Siem Reap in Cambodia to see Angkor Wat
Back to Thailand to travel down the west coast before hitting monsoon weather 2 months early.
1 week in Langawki, Malaysia
Met my mum in Kualar Lumpar for the Formula 1 race before a few days on an island
3 days in Singapore
Flew to Melbourne, Australia where my mum's sister lives April 2011. Mum stayed with us for 3 weeks, in which we saw some of Western Australia and Sydney, before going home. I got a job waitressing for an agency for 3 months before doing 2 months travel from Cairns back to Melbourne. Worked another 6 weeks really hard including the big horse race in Melbourne called the Flemington Cup.
Flew to Auckland, New Zealand in November 2011 where a friend came to travel with me for 17 days. We hired a camper van and travelled the main parts of north and south islands before he left out of Christchurch. I continued to travel for another 4 weeks around both islands before ending back up in Auckland.
Flew to Chile in January 2012. Travelled south to Puerto Natales before crossing the border to Argentina and travelling up the coast back to Buenos Aires. Flew to Rio de Jenerio for Carnival with a friend flying from home to meet me. Had an amazing time then travelled to Paratay, a pretty beach town before going up the Iguassu falls on the border of Brazil/Argentina/Paraguay. Headed back to Buenos Aires where from she flew home and I continued on. Travelled north to Salta before heading over the border to San Pedro Atacama. Then travelled into Bolivia and into South Peru before ending my trip in Lima in April 2012.
In total I was away for nearly 16 months. Travelled most of it on my own apart from my mum and a couple of friends who came out to see me. However most of the time I met and travelled with fellow travellers.
Best City: Rio
Best Country: Thailand and New Zealand
No comments:
Post a Comment