Rio De Janeiro

Rio is one of those cities that really can not be explained in mere words or pictures. I had heard so much in regards to the atmosphere, culture and crime before I even got off the coach that I felt like I already knew exactly what to expect. I was wrong. The second we got off the coach, we went for an orientation walk along the famous Copacabana beach. 4km of beautiful sandy, perfect beaches with great surf waves - just like the postcards. It was the atmosphere of the place that got me, it just so happened to be a national holiday (one of many apparently) and the whole place was buzzing with such warmth and energy I instantly fell in love with the place. As we walked along, there were live Carioca shows and a marching band playing the traditional steel drums. Whereas in England we get protesters, the Brazilian version seemed to have a theme of supporting all the singletons out there and celebrating.

First things first - the primary thing anyone tells you about the city is the crime, the favelas, and the fact that you WILL get killed, stabbed, robbed or all three. Rest assured none of those things happened to me or anyone we knew out there. Be sensible and stay out of the troublesome areas and you will be hard pressed to find anything regarding crime. Maybe I was lucky, but even when I was at a favela party I saw less fights than you would see on an average evening out in my home-town.

Sadly the Corcovado was covered in scaffolding when I was in Rio, but the view from the top was still something to behold. It is such a dynamic city and the shape, nestled in between mountains and sea perfectly mirrors this. My personal highlight, however, was ascending to the peak of Sugar Loaf mountain and seeing the city at night. Incredible.

The people are among the friendliest I have encountered in a major city. The trend does seem to be that when in a major city, rudeness increases ( look at London) but here the people are incredibly inviting and willing to assist you. Rio is a city of contrasts however. The well publicised favelas take up a vast quantity of the surrounding land, and are generally situated adjacent to the central houses. A central Rio apartment could cost you up to and over $1,000,000 - whereas abject poverty is literally just around the corner. Whilst all too keen to impress the tourists, it felt almost as if the favelas are slightly embarrassing to the locals. Twice I saw children barred from entering the centre. Although, it is hard to tell whether this was because of the past issues with crime etc. Rio is a city changing, and never before so much as now - what with the impending World Cup and Olympics. Brazilians are a fiercely nationalistic and proud people, and Rio is no different.

Rio is vibrant, brilliant, extraordinary and utterly exhilarating. One minute you could be sitting on the beach, the next you could be drinking all night and partying with the locals in the favelas until morning. It is a truly beautiful city in the most remarkable surroundings - but to counter the old phrase of 'every dark cloud', in this case the lining is anything but silver - with deep economical problems for a society that rapidly seems to be out of place with the ideal Brazil and Rio are trying to promote.

Cities: Bangkok

Of the cities that I have been to, three really stand out as my personal favourites. Bangkok, Xi'an and Rio De Janeiro. I have tried my best to narrow down to one but as each of these cities are just so different to each other its impossible. Looking back at the sentence I have just written I think it gives a good explanation as to why I loved each city - they each have a completely unique personality to them.

So many cities can fit into one of two categories and can almost be seen as pretty much one identi-kit building after another. One that springs to mind is Kuala Lumpur. Whilst I did enjoy the time I spent there, (the Petronas Towers are spectacular) I never got the feeling that the city had a personality. It seemed to me like a big patchwork consisting of influences from every culture that mixed together to create a clean, but not particularly engaging environment. Both myself and Lauren came away with the feeling that the city had lost all sense of being a Malaysian city, and tried far too hard to become a European metropolis, without any of the history.

One city that can in no way be described as soulless, however, is Bangkok. One one hand you have the incredible Grand Palace, Wat Arun and Wat Pho, and on the other you have Khao San road - both the most touristy and intensely Thai area I have ever been to. The buildings and temples are brilliant, as the locals are keen to point out. Although keep an eye out, as most of the time a friendly passer-by informing you about the opening times of a certain attraction is most likely a scout for the main scam in the city. DO NOT get a tuk-tuk without first arranging a price, destination and agreement by the driver not to take you anywhere else. Generally they will try anyway though - if that's the case, get out and get a taxi on the meter. To be honest, unless you want to go out of town or head to the financial district - walk. None of the main central sights are further than a 20 minute walk.

It is a sad fact that tourists are the prime target for dodgy tuk-tuk drivers and people looking to make a quick buck out of you - but don't let that put you off for a second. Apart from the few looking for any opportunity to rip you off, the vast majority of people are there to be friendly, helpful and love sparking up a conversation (whether you want to or not!)

The food in Bangkok is amazing, as expected, but try to find places just off of Khao San. The food is generally better quality and cheaper literally 5 minutes walk from the centre. The local specialities never fail to impress, just watch out for the Thai yellow/red curry. They bring about a whole new meaning to the words: Hot food.

People

Cambodia is amongst the poorest countries in the world, it is a country that is slowly recovering from the Khmer Rouge atrocities just 35 years ago and still run by a government that despite claiming taxes provides zero public support. Be it medical, financial, work, housing or education. To get a child into school for one day it costs one American dollar. To put that in perspective, the average income of a family is just over 1 dollar per day. So, in most cases it is a choice between education and food.

As such, the level of child poverty and homelessness is one of the highest in the world. It is a very difficult place to visit coming from such an affluent background in comparison.

Despite all this, I have never before met a more friendly, accepting, interesting nation of people. Everyone speaks fluent English, even the 5 year old children trying to get you to buy some of their bracelets, books etc. They are always willing to help you, give advice (for a tip!) and look out for you. Understandably, tourism is the main trade for Cambodia and the people know that. We come to their country with money and they are more than happy to take it off you! But there is no resentment, no hostility and no aggression towards the tourists. Yes, the hassle can get unbearable but when you understand how life is for these people, you see that there really isn’t much of an option.

It is hard to really explain why I loved the Cambodians so much without sounding pretentious and hippy, man. But they truly are amazing people, and if you can go anywhere in Cambodia – make it Siem Reap. Home of Angkor-Wat and the incredible ancient temples.

Getting around

Getting around the world is very different wherever you are. We can't all simply hop on a plane and point to the next destination. For one, the average gap year student would be financially crippled in about a week. But logistically, in many places flights are simply not an option. Here I will try to illustrate how myself and Lauren got around in each of our travels and what, in my opinion, are the best ways about it.

Again, this blog is prone to purely subjective opinions and as such I wouldn't take my scrambled ramblings as gospel!

Europe:

Best method is by train. Interrailing is possibly the best way to get around. Usually you can get around for one fixed price and have a number of destinations. That way you can both get to any place you want in Europe, but have all your travel pretty much sorted.

Definitely check it out as it is a million times cheaper than just paying for flight after flight.

Driving is also an option. However, renting is pretty damn expensive and here is a big no-no. NEVER RENT A CAR IN ITALY. The system is totally corrupt. All you need is a google and you will see loads of cases of extra 'charges' such as speeding etc. sent months after the car was returned. Suspicion is that the rental companies are in league with the police and getting extra money in from the tourists - but obviously that has been met with vehement opposition. Thanks Berlusconi...

South East Asia and China

There is only really one main method to get from place to place in Vietnam and China – night trains. They are pretty cheap and as such I would definitely recommend getting either 2nd or 1st class. Cattle class is just that. Not ideal but when you want to get a long way away, driving is not an option and flights are almost impossible to get as well as vastly expensive.

Thailand and especially Cambodia don’t have the greatest infrastructure and as such you will mainly be stuck in coaches. The quality isn’t great but hey, that’s kind of the only option! You can book either private or normal coach. My advice would be to go for a slightly nicer quality coach as 1. The ride is not awful, 2. Not as overpriced as a private coach.

Cambodia’s roads are bad. Expect a 6-hour coach ride where normally it would take 2. Luckily, the country is small so 7/8 hours is probably the longest ride you will have to endure. One thing, be careful when organising a coach trip, try to get official assistance, as there is a lot of corruption regarding rides. Keep an eye on your stuff and tip the drivers/ helpers. Not much, but something.

Finally, the roads are insane. Vietnam traffic especially. Rule one: DO NOT DRIVE YOURSELF. You will only end up completely lost or in a pile of scooters and death. The locals know how to do it – with zero regard for safety or road rules. I had no issues, but keep an eye out. You find yourself quickly adapting to the nature of traffic, and the that the only way to cross from one side of the road to the other is to simply step out and walk. Don't hesitate, don't stop, and the motorists will simply arrange themselves around you. Terrifying at first, immensely satisfying once successful.

South America

One method is used above all else – Coaches. South Americans love to use coaches – it is not uncommon to have a 24hr coach trip. The ride is great though, usually you get food, drink, toilet facilities and a really comfy chair with leg room. Far cheaper than flights and the only way the locals travel.

If you must fly, Lima to Cusco is the most necessary. A flight is not too expensive and only takes 2 hours. Compare that to the 26hr coach trip and any money is worth it!

Other than that, driving is also an option, but not in Brazil. They drive terribly, as do the Argentinians and the chance of death on the road is horrifically high. I could bring up the statistics, but this is a family blog.

My Camera

When it comes to photography, I would have to classify myself as an enthusiastic but very much amateur photographer. The camera I used was the Panasonic Lumix G1. I found the camera perfect for first-time buyers in regards to an SLR. It was the smallest and most lightweight SLR on the market until recently I think (Lumix G2 has just been released, and looks fantastic) and it makes for a great middle ground between standard digital camera and full blown huge money machines.

I used it for almost all of my pictures and found it very versatile and adaptable to the situation. The standard Auto function seems to know what situation the camera is in at all times but if you have a play for just 10 minutes you will get to see some of the things it can do.

My personal favourite setting is colour mode, where you can adjust the brightness, colour saturation, red/blue preference etc. It helps create beautiful photos a the single click of a button. Also, the standard lens is brilliant and works perfectly with the 12.1 Megapixel camera. 16:9 is a great help too.

I would recommend and of the Lumix's through the entire range as they are not only affordable, but also high quality and versatile cameras. Also, if you do want an SLR, don't go lower than 12mpx, for less you may as well get a standard digital camera like my girlfriends, which is actually fantastic and a third of the price.

Costs

So, firstly one of the most common things that our cousins across the Atlantic have asked me is just how did I manage to afford all my fun and games. Over there, the term 'Gap year' doesn't hold much resonance. As I have travelled, it has become increasingly apparent that travelling young is a privilege that many English people enjoy whilst others can only wonder how and why.

A great example came in my tours across South America, where I had a conversation with a Belgian man who had only just had the opportunity to travel in his late 20s - and that was young on average. He told me that the common philosophy of the Belgians and I suspect many nationalities as well, is that you must get the 'important' things sorted before you can begin to have fun. A job, a car, a wife, a home. Those are the priorities, sooner you manage to achieve these, the sooner you can be frivolous.

Makes sense, when you think about it...

But anyway, I digress. You might notice that happening a lot, please bear with me!

How did I manage to have so much fun this year? Basically, savings. I had a bit saved up after University and my parents gave me some money for my 21st. That pretty much covered the cost of my trip to South East Asia. Before that, I have always had a part-time job since 16 and have never been a particularly big-spender. When I spend a big amount of money, generally it is on trips abroad.

For South America, as soon as I got back from my first trip I went back to work and did as many hours as possible. Pretty much every penny I earnt went towards my trip.

The main reason I can do it is because of the fact that I am still at home with parents. Once I finished university I came home and decided to take a year out travelling before searching for a real job in the real-world. My parents have been brilliant in supporting me - no rent (yet!) and free food. So, my only real outgoings are drinking and travelling.

Now sadly, the year is over and I am on the search for a proper fulltime job and putting my degree to some good use.

I'll not be able to get away in the next few years now because of this, but I've definitely got the 'travelling bug' and will probably be looking to get away in the next few years, taking a sabbatical from work or something similar.

In my eyes, the reason I could do this is because I am still young, worked hard, and fortunate enough to have patient parents!

I hope I haven't made it all seem like I have had all these funtimes without putting any effort into it, thats really not the case. If you work hard, have time, you really can do anything and go anywhere.

Welcome all!

Well, here is my first post for my travel blog. Whilst I have already had many fantastic travels, I have never actually got round to recording my thoughts and experiences in any meaningful manner.

So here it is, I imagine it will be messy, uncoordinated and confusing, but that's just how my brain works. I aim to discuss where I've been, what I've done and what my favourite aspects of travelling were.

I have also been asked a fair few questions regarding travelling, at work (Millets, yeh!) and on the wide world of the web. As such, I would like to address said questions and try to answer and expand on whatever is asked of me.

I'm clearly no expert, and there is an incredible world out there that I have barely scratched the surface of, but from what I have encountered so far I would love to share with you. So, here goes. I'll do my best to be eloquent and accurate, but as this is an e-blog, don't expect the most perfect prose!