Lima chill-out time

Well… while I had 3 nights at Renzo’s place, I have spent only 1 full day in Lima, and basically… I have seen nothing of the city, except from car in the many traffic jams we had all around ;-)

A quite non-Peruvian haircut ;)

Why? Well, after a needed haircut (quite good, amazingly, I wasn’t expecting much…) I enjoyed the time to be with my friends, eating fantastic ceviches during all Saturday afternoon, with great wines! of course dinner/drinks at night.

My only comment: walking and going around at night within the Miraflores district, which is the nice area of this huge 10 millions inhabitants city, it was very lively, busy and safe.

I will have to come back to at least see a bit more of the old town and few museums around, and of course see again Renzo & Michele, and may be Margaux if she is around ;).

Geneva friends in Lima :)

The team: Michele, Margarita, me, Renzo

1 of the ceviche

Bar deco... Oh yeah, so true!

Partying @ Bocas

Well, what’s really special in Bocas beside the islands, beaches, jungles and surfing, is this cool, low-key and partying atmosphere made by the people passing by. Surprisingly, and in a good way, I had the feeling that most of the people I met would spend few weeks here… to learn Spanish, surf, or just relax, in a quite cheap and easy way to live by.
So that brings a big advantage… after few days, I just start bumping anywhere into people you’d have met earlier, and given the town is small and the bars & restaurants offers limited, it is easy to make friends and go out.

Baracuda
1st place I went to, on my Sunday arrival, bupping into Americans at the hostels… Local “arty” exhibition coupled with a party… There was an electricity shutdown for 30mn, so we ended up in the dark and without music, but the party was still fun & late for a Sunday night!

Barco Hundido

Ohlala… another infamous place of Bocas… a classic set-up with a wood deck over the sea, with a pool beside the bar, a boat wreck 2-3m down (thus the Spanish name ;) and very loud music.

A mix of latin & international music, and I have to say that while I had some great time there, the mix isn’t so great, and the DJ crying loudly in his microphone almost made me death few times.








Aqualounge
What amazingly good parties I spent there! As you have to take a boat to go there, and this is around pools… always went there at night without the iPhone, as the risk (or chance?) to go in the water was very high (and it always happened). Being a day-bar / beach-club too, the dance-floor is open-air, and the 1st party there we had a big storm. I had never danced like this under the rain, and it was so fun. After 2mn dancing you would just be completely soaked, could jumped in the sea, get rinced by the rain, then keep dancing and drinking… this doesn’t happen often, and clearly the 29°C water and air temperatures help to do this!

Iguana
Last bar on the main street (at least when you come from the Tungara base!), this is another good place over the waterfront to party.

It is quite famous for its regular ladies night, as well as for its on-going “iPhone robbed or falt in the sea”. We’re in Panama, let’ts not forget about it, so of course some locals are around and will try to benefit of all the wealth tourists / foreigners are carrying, even if you’re just a young backpacker.


The music mix there is great, it’s easy and very tempting to swim, and waitresses are very nice ☺.
Many good parties of this Bocas time happened there, definitely missing it here now!

The Bocas time
So staying 2.5 weeks in a place I didn’t even know 3 weeks before to go there was not in the world-tour plan, but this combination of nice location, atmosphere, activities, and parties with friends made all the difference.
Sleeping 2 weeks in the same bed has been such a relief that starting to be on the road again hasn’t been that easy… and that’s why I kind of wasted 3 days before to move to Boquete / Costa-Rica. I’ll for sure remember this great time, thanks to all the good friends or just 1h/1 evening / 1 day friendly persons met during this time

Australian life @ Cairns

Yeeeehaaa, so I made it to Australia, flying from Bangkok to Sydney then Cairns in a 17h trip. Quite smooth except that I have been sick most of the trip, probably with something eaten in Bangkok streets just before leaving... not the best experience, but ok, that's part of traveling so fine ;-)

View from the plane of Australia North-East coast

I have chosen to stay in Cairns few days, then do the great Barrier Reef then Sydney for a week. Originally, I wanted to do all the East coast then the Red Center, but this would have been too tiring, and not the best to really enjoy the places I see.

Arriving in Cairns Friday May 24th afternoon, I meet some people in the evening, and we plan a waterfall trip on Saturday. Great to start discovering the North-East Australia area, which is much greener than expected! There are big forests and a broken coast reaching the sea, nice views from the plane then trekking to the waterfall.

Jaap & Allan at the waterfall

Waterfall view

Trying my camera settings on the water flow... 

Cairns partying :-)

In the evening, Jaap and I meet Allan's japanese friends for a fun party in the lively Cairns town, full of backpackers and youngsters :-).
After a great barbecue at Allan's place, we move the Cairns classics of PJ's and Woolshed... a long night!

Yorkey knob kitesurfing beach

On Sunday, tough wake-up at 9am but this is to go kitesurfing on the North beaches, as a good 25 knot wind was planned. The beach is quite nice, with a kind of white sand and a quite shallow bay where we can kite on a flat water. Despite the wind wasn't as strong as forecasted, this was still a great day in the sun & sea, enjoying Australia. Another nice Dutch guy met after the session, who's sharing beers and driving me back to town, fantastic.




On Monday (May 27th), I take easy, rent a bike and go touring Cairns city. Not so much to see, but enjoyable to ride around, see the city organization, various shops & building, waterfront and lagoon, as well as the small Botanic garden.

Cairns esplanade pool

Cairns lagoon view... city in the background
Also, potential risk of crocodiles, wow!!

Tuesday (May 28th), I join a day-tour to the Daintree rainforest & Cape Tribulation. Daintree is a tropical rainforest, reaching the edge of the sea, and is the oldest forest in the world, with very ancient and diverse species of plants, insects & animals.
I was not especially thrilled to go there... but found it very interesting, as this is clearly something we do not have in Europe! Great feeling to walk into this rainforest, with amazing plants & trees. Pictures do not really show how it was, but still posting few ;)
Also, had a brief but interesting contact with the  local Aboriginals Australians, talking a bit about their habits & culture, and of course showing the Didjeridoo!

A crocodile on the shore

Mangrove view

Daintree river delta and coast

Didjeridoo time

Ko Phangan beach & partying

So, after 2 days of intense diving, time to relax :-)
I set-up in a nicer hotel, on the Haad Rin beach, where the Full Moon Parties are happening, and where most of the nightlife is during low-season.

Surprisingly, the beach is really nice! At least before the FMP, from what the locals say.

Taxi &/or fishing boats on Haad Rin beach

The hotel is also really good, directly on the beach with a large pool and nice chalets, it does provide a good improvement from the previous backpackers hostel or the impersonal & cold Dubai hotel :-). Stay there if you come here! (it's Palita lodge, not even expensive)

Most of all, staying 4 nights (four nights!!!) in the same room & bed is the biggest luxury I could dream of!



So, while enjoying the white-sand beach and green bay around, we rent a scooter with Emma & friends to tour the island. While the Chinese temple in the middle wasn't as nice & big as expected, it still provided good photo shots... and an unexpected "15mn meditation" under the guidance of a Russian buddhist-monk living there... interesting! Got a red & white wrist bracelet to "attract luck", not sure it works, but so far I keep it. It just turned pink & white, but ok, fine.

Part of the Chinese temple

Meditation time!
(the unseen part: it is probably 45°C in that room...)

Another day, I also try jet-ski... I (and surprisingly you would tell me) had never tried it! Not a big fan of motorized sports in general, but ok, it was fun for 30mn ;)

Haad Rin beach at night

Haad Rin beach at night... pretty quiet at this time of the month, it is crazy to imagine there are 30,000 night-clubbers on this small pan of sand during the FMP!!

We still have good fun & party at Cactus and around, everything is easy here.

The French & Dutch party crew ;)

Cactus bar... infamous?

A random foam party!

No FMP during the dates I am staying, but still can do a 1/2 moon party, which takes place in the jungle. Quite good, really, the area is nicely prepared and even if there is "only" 4-5 thousands persons, the party is definitely fun, with great, non-commercial house music.

A very colored party :-)

Leaving the island on Monday was a bit sad... I could have stayed a bit longer, i was really feeling well here! But ok, I guess Bangkok deserves few days, so let's keep moving :)

Sunset from sunset beach

Last days in Africa & some thoughts

Oh!!!!!! What a lazy boy I have been since 2 weeks to not post the below. Ok, here it is then :)

WOW (#??), so I have made it, crossed a good part of the Southern Africa continent, doing more than

7,000 km by bus, taxi or truck and flying "only" 2,200 km. Sleeping in more than 21 different places and discovering more than 30 places/cities.
I am ending this RTW (the classic acronym for Round-The-World) part 1 with another 3 days in Jo-Burg then I'll fly out to Dubai... really had a great time there, I will miss it.










In Johannesburg, I got the chance to get my friend Sina from Geneva who unexpectedly took a week-off to fly down there see Aurelien and me too then :-). Good to catch up with friends from home and hear the latest gossips.

Sina and I take the opportunity to see a bit more of Jo-Burg, with quite a trip in the dark side of the CBD district, to see the National Museum... The trip to the museum location was more the highlight than the museum itself: in the middle of this previous central & rich area occupied by whites until the end of Apartheid, buildings are squatted by blacks only since the early 90s, with their own set of rules. Very lively though, but it's true, a bit scary! ;-) You better not be white and/or not from there once night is down.

Inside the museum... nice building, but more European artefacts inside than African ones, it's a pity.  

Sina in admiration of a local contemporary item (no kidding, it was really exhibited as art... I got more pictures...)

 A view on few CBD buildings and a busy market

Views of Jo-Burg from the Top of Africa (50th floor)

We end these 3 days with a good party of course, even though on Wednesday evening it is not that crazy in Jo-Burg!!

Southern Africa
It was so great to discover this world part. I will definitely come back, and want to see few places I could not go to. My highlight, if I only quote one, would be the Namib red dunes...I could get few days there, contemplating this huge but unwelcoming area, where the sun and wind play with the shapes and colors all day.

I'm not going to pretend I know the continent after just few weeks of traveling down there and 5 countries partially discovered... But can still say few points (i hope ;):
- Great to see how the 2 previously-opposed "colors" in South Africa try to live together now, even though it is of course not easy. Many challenges remain, and the gap created with a century of low to non education of blacks make the challenge bigger. I deeply & sincerely hope this keeps improving over time, now that the young "peaches" & "browns" (the new name children learn at school to name whites & blacks, I like it, quite symbolic) are a bit more mixed and live together from a young age.
- The variety of landscape is amazing, and I had never realized that Souther Africa mostly stand as a "mountain" for us Europeans... most of this Africa continent part is indeed standing at 1,000m or more (Jo-Burg is at 1,500m), making it of course a great base for canyons & falls sceneries.
- The special atmosphere of Africa is really great to experience. It sounds to me it can be lay down around 2 points:
   1. "Beautiful Africa": yes, environment and wildlife makes it beautiful, as well as people and their natural joy, songs & smiles. They are right to be proud of being from Africa :)
   2. "This Is Africa": the tougher side... used as an excuse to almost all non-working well situation. Which is basically many things... I think this is however overused, and people live it through like things can never improved. They and we shouldn't accept this, there is always room for improvement (is this the business man talking? not even). Hopefully, in Harare I discovered the (new it sounds) concept of TINA for This Is New Africa, which is meant to give back the optimism and hope vs. TIA. Let's hope it helps.
- On many other points, time has been too short to really understand them and what are the potential developments. But you cannot travel there without hearing about the serious issues on corruption, tribes racism, HIV/AIDS, prostitution / sexual traffics... as anywhere in the world unfortunately, but those seem deeply anchored into some African habits, so I hope they can invent a new way of behaving / living together while growing economically.

Loved you beautiful Africa, see you soon xxx

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