"Of all the Books in the World, the Best Stories are found between the Pages of a Passport"
As Lottie is playing catch up on the blogging front, having had no computer for over three months, I’ve stepped in to take over and lighten the load.
Our time on the Island of Chiloé had come to end and with heavy hearts, we said ‘Ciao, no vemos’ to our dear travel companion Michael.
Continue reading “The Carretera Austral: 1200 km of unpaved road”
After munching my way through that delicious mushy sandwich I quickly passed out. Through a haze of semi-consciousness I realised our bus had pulled over into a service station and thought maybe the driver needed to stretch his legs. I dozed back off and woke up 30 minutes later to find Max not by my side but walking towards me saying, “You’ll never guess what? We have broken down!”.
The 17 hour long bus journey was remarkably pleasant. We bought “semi-cama” tickets which means your big leather chair reclines and is nearly as comfortable as a bed. We were served an edible dinner (I’m learning not to be picky) within an hour or two and then breakfast in the morning. It’s just like being on an aeroplane but more roomy.
Once in Mendoza, our friends picked us up and we dropped our bags at the house before going to explore the town centre.
Mendoza is a pretty town with lots of green well decorated plazas, restaurants and cool bars.
Continue reading “Wine Town and City Scenes: Mendoza & Santiago”
*FINALLY I have my laptop back so I will endeavour to catch up and inform you about our travels so far…*
Hitting the runway at Gatwick after the long journey back from the Philippines was very exciting. The temperature, a casual 40 degrees lower, was somewhat less exciting. But seriously, I was buzzing to see the family and arriving home to the sparkly frost was far better than rain anyway. Remember that January week where it was crisp and cold and ever-so-beautiful. That was my week at home.
Once at home, first on the agenda was a proper cup of tea made in a pot and a long walk accompanied by the dogs.
I have debated posting this as it feels like a lifetime ago that we took this little excursion. Life has been so busy slash major lack of wifi and WordPress has been a bit of a pain in the butt for me…However it was so fun and I really think that if anyone is considering going to the Philippines, these islands should be on your list and some of the information I have gathered will be really handy.
But first, a bit of the back story as to why we left Boracay.
After experiencing my first tropical Christmas and New Year on Boracay, I can say that it didn’t really feel very christmassy although obviously we had lots of fun and celebrated with the people I regard as our island family.
We woke up slowly and enjoyed the view from our crisp cool bed, with the double doors open and tea in hand.
We begun our day as all days should begin. With an excellent pot of tea, accompanied by an incredible view over the ocean.
We mooched around the villa before making our way down to breakfast.
We have had a really busy few weeks at New Wave Divers with lots of customers through the door. We happily hit 200 reviews on Trip Advisor, further solidifying our Number 1 rating! I have been nurturing my skills as bookkeeper and Max is a tiny amount of paper away from becoming a Dive Master having passed the theory and practical exams.
It has been a busy time for us, although obviously very enjoyable, but I have to say, it was music to my ears to hear that we were going to have two nights at the Shangri La Resort & Spa for some rest, relaxation and spoiling luxury.
With heavy hearts, we waved goodbye to Bamboo Island and travelled to Busuanga Island where we were to catch the plane back to Manila.
On the way we stopped at Kayangan Lake which is, once again, encompassed by gigantic limestone and lush green plants. The lake is recognized as the cleanest in the country and is made up of 70% freshwater and 30% salt water. After the 200 steps, you are faced with a huge blue expanse of water that looks incredibly inviting. We all had a swim before drying off in the sun.
I don’t think the scenery gets much better than this!
To dive, we had to leave Bamboo Island and take the banca boat to Sangat Island which is around 1 hour away. Luckily there was no wind and unlike every other day, the sea was totally still, it could have been a lake. The journey to Sangat was mesmerisingly beautiful. Along the way, not only was the scenery breathtaking but we saw a few huge turtles!
OffSheWanders 