You're in Pucon? Have fun - I had a good time there.

HAHA well I am trying to convince Dave that as the sports intern for Matador, Tubing is a sport. It requires a certain eye-hand coordination that can not be rivaled?. Uhm Yeah. Really.

Southern hemisphere huh? That's awesome. No worries. I escaped the 108 (48) degree weather to come to San Fran for a week. Is it sad that I was excited to pack a jacket? have fun!

Hugs, Lindi
Shameless Blog Promotion: http://metalchick.net/travel

Hi!
Thanks so much for the comment! It's really a shame that you didn't get to know Antofogasta, what a beautiful place!
Where are you volunteering in S. America? I'm looking at a place in New Zealand, Earthwisevalley.org, to volunteer with when I graduate in May. I figure if the economy doesn't pick up I can spend my unemployed time doing some good!
Nice to meet you, halamen,
Hannah

Hi,

wow, you're officially my first comment in my 24h-old profile, thanks for the welcome!

Yes, I've had absolutely great experiences in the Middle-East... I'm afraid I didn'T do it the "adventurous way", as I made lots of preparations in advance, stayed in hotels and hired guides, but it was the only way I would be sure I wouldn't miss anything!

I've seen 4 countries in the Middle-East over the past 10years, but Iran is still my favourite... And despite what people may think, I actually felt safer there than in Lebanon or Egypt (that was in 2004 though...) We all know that the country is not very much integrated into the Western culture (although more than one would expect), but the good side to that is that you really get a total culture immersion like nothing before. And this is a country that is fiercely proud of its roots and history. They can remember how great the Persian Empire once was, and you can also see how they were at the centre of science, medicine and the poetry in the Middle Ages... Esfahan was absolutely gorgeous - you understand why it was considered by many the centre of the world when you see it; you never want to leave it!

And what I actually remember most about Iran is that there is a veneration for their national poets like Saadi and Hafez, the large space provided for water fountains and gardens, dating from centuries ago and still maintained. And they are even more bent on hospitality than other Middle-Eastern people I've seen!

Ok, I must stop, or I'll buy another ticket right now! I totally recommend you visit if you ever have the chance!

hey, thanks for the comment on my blog, i have just started writing, as some travel experiences are too good not to be shared! I am glad you liked it.

Thanks for the welcome notice!! I hope you're enjoying this Texas heat. Another scorcher here in Austin. We should get together a group and go float the river or something to keep cool. Thanks again for the welcome message. Have fun!

Hi,

No, unfortunately I only got the chance to see Jeju. I say unfortunately not because it's nice but because I really wanted to see Seoul too but didn't have time. I was there covering a golf tournament and had to keep sneaking off to go sightseeing!

What other places did you get to see in Hong Kong?

Do I know you? Anyways, how's everything going?

hi halamen!

thanks for the comment on my profile and sorry about the late reply!

the geocaches in new zealand are absolutely fantastic! well, most of them. we do have our fair share of boring urban ones too but that's par for the course... Really, with such amazing landscape and scenery, there are great hiding places for caches. :)

hi

You are the first person to respond to my setting up a profile! So I wanted to make sure you know that I've published my first ever travel article. I'm really excited that it got posted to the home page of matadornetwork.com. Please read the article

http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/06/16/close-encounters-reconnecting-to-animals-through-our-primitive-nature/

please send it around to anyone who you think may be interested

and please please if you have a response, post it under "comments" where the article is. I'm going to pitch to the editors an idea for a series, so readers responses and support will make a big difference.

Thanks!
Azriel

100% worth it.

check out some of the photos I shot over there: http://www.flickr.com/search/show/?q=iceland&w=25534518%40N02 .

Finally, someone else who wants to go to Iran!

OK, I'll take you up on that $50 bet... ;-)
i joined up a couple weeks ago and havent been back since... seems like a vibrant online community....

happy travels!

hi, thanks for the comment. i'm glad you enjoyed the post. i actually just returned from taiwan a couple of weeks ago, and, as my blog illustrates, it was a fantastic and interesting place to live for a bit but i'm happy to be home again! think that's a great part of traveling as well- seeing and appreciating home in a whole new way.

Chile is amazing. I spent most my time around the rivers and creeks there. The Maipo valley is great and just a few hours outside Santiago. Pichilemu is a great beach town, Pucon is a must stop, Futatleufu Valley is one of a kind in southern Chile, so many good places you can't go wrong.

Thanks for the blog comment! I think it's with everyone, not just travelers- thinking about the next vacation, the next Friday, the next time the clock hits 5...I really need to learn how to focus on now, you know?

My book's a sci-fi, about three boys that find out they're clones. There's lots of traveling, kind of like that movie Jumper- they hit London, Paris, Seoul, Sao Paolo, St. Petersburg, Geneva, and Mumbai! It was fun to write. :)

I have a good feeling that speaking only English will not get me very far. Besides, linguistic studies are always good for you, don't you think?

Life's no fun unless you regularly gross someone out by eating something crazy!

Hi halamen,

Kenya is the first stop on a 10-week safari I'm starting on 14th June. I fly to Nairobi, then head to Hell's Gate NP and Lake Naivashu. Not sure how long I have there before going on to Uganda to see the gorillas.

I take it you've been to Kenya before?

Bohol is such a nice place, i totally agree. It's a shame I don't visit it as often as I can considering Tagbilaran is my mum's hometown. You should visit Panglao. Beaches have white sand (though not as fine and powdery as Boracay), but it's more laid back if you really want to get some R&R. Cheers! :)

Austin is a great place to be holed up for a bit, but I must admit, Id much rather be in Peru right about now! I spent a couple weeks in Colombia last month and cant wait to get back south!

Hello there!

I did the island-drive once as well! It's a unique experience :)
Are you currently living or traveling in bolivia?

cheers.

For Mendoza, I recommend staying at Hostel Lao. It's a nice, chill place. It's hit or miss for meeting people, but the staff are friendly and social. I returned about 1 month after my initial stay because I needed a place to crash for 12 hours until I went to Chile. They had no free places but allowed me to hang around, sleep in the hammocks, take a shower, and even invited me to the BBQ they were having that night, all for free!

Mendoza is great for walking around. The tree lined streets and sidewalk cafes (in the warm weather, at least) make for a more serene city experience, especially if you go there after Buenos Aires. For food there is a great Middle Eastern place is you're tired of steak, and jamon y queso.

Lastly, I would recommend renting a bike and hitting the local wineries around Maipu, which is very close to Mendoza. It's a great way to make a day out of wine tasting.

Let me know if you want any more details. Enjoy the trip!

Thanks for the offer, I just may take you up on that. We will be heading to Bolivia (along with Peru, Argentina and Chile) this fall. Once we actually get around to the "where to go" portion of our planning I'm sure I'll want to pick your brain for some ideas and info. Enjoying your blog, too. Talk to you later.

Thanks for the welcome wishes! I also went to Galway while I was in Ireland, it was my favorite city there besides Dublin. Hope you're having fun in Bolivia, sounds amazing. Happy travels!

thanks for the comment! I'm definitely excited about starting my peace corps adventure. I'll update my blog as often as I can while over there!

thanks halamen - you always write the nicest comments. :) so...bike trip in nepal?

Hi!

The photo is what's left of a castle in St Simeon de Bressieux, not so far from Lyon, France. I really photoshopped the pic, but I like the effects. The castle is really an orangeish brick color.

The ruins are great because they're in the middle of a forest. there's a short trail to get there, a small information panel out front, but other than that the place looks like it has just been sitting there untouched for centuries!

Heyo,

Thanks for the kind words. I am actually on a Watson Fellowship, which is a non-academic year of independent study out of the US, studying self expression in traditional musics. I play the violin and mandolin, so Ireland and Brazil were my first two countries. In Turkey I am fooling around with the saz, a long-necked lute. You can check out some of the stuff my band put together before I left at www.myspace.com/darlingside.

Thanks. I really appreciate that. I've written for some online publications and have two more newspaper features going to print this summer in Austin and San Antonio. I have a day job as an editor, so I'm not always ambitous about submitting, but I'm trying to make a more concerted effort. Thanks again.

Thanks for your comments on my blogs, Hal. The Balkans really are a fascinating place with an incredible history. You should get out here soon.

Thanks for the blog comment. I'm new to the site, but I look forward to checking out other travelers' blogs and photos. It looks like you've been to some amazing places. Happy travels.

Hey,
Thanks for the comment. I was just about to ask about exactly which blog Ross was referring to, since there's only empty space in your matador travel blog, but then I found your blogspot- looks like you've got a lot of good stuff in there and I'll have to go back to it when I have more time.
I finally got out of Dublin (thank goodness) and now in Cork, but now I'm thinking about doing some cycling up the west. Have you any experience or advice about cycling in Ireland?

I like your blog, man. Hope you're enjoying matador and using it to plot and scheme on your next adventure!