Just an update on life

As you have figured out by now, I am very unreliable when it comes to updating my blog. During our trip I ensured to keep you all in the loop and it took some effort to always upload pictures with bad connections to the internet. Since our trip, I haven’t posted anything and it might be because I got sick of it. It did just recently hit me that I should try and make more of an effort as you might want to be kept in the loop on my life in Australia. I finally realised that I did move to the other side of the world and I did leave my friends and family behind. And as much as I love my life here, I miss you all like crazy. I promise to make more of an effort to post at least once a month so you can see how I am.

Since our trip, we had a visit from my wonderful mum. She was here for two weeks in July and it was so great having her here. I love it when she visits and I feel spoilt rotten by the frequency in her visits. We didn’t get to do much as Luke and I were broke from our trip and had to work during the week. But we had great nights and two wonderful weekends together. We went out for dinners and walks in the bush with Wallace. We made dinners and she taught me how to bake a healthy bread that I keep making each week.

I am now ready for the next visit for Christmas. Starting the countdown and preparations for their visit and my brother Christian has already placed a few baking requests in.

Write soon, I promise.

Xx

Valparaiso, Chile

Hey all,

We decided to ceck out the costal city where the English settled, Valparaiso.  The place everyone recommend to go for taking photos and looking at street-art. It does have plenty of amazing photo opportunities and I Bet a person with photo skills would have such a great time in this town. Here are a few of my pics. 

So now I would like to tell you how our day really was as it turns out photos can lie. We visited Valparaiso on the 21 st May, and I recommend you NOT to visit on that date! We arrived after 90 minutes bua ride from Santiago.  Several of the streets were closed and armed army forces was at every corner. As we walk towards the meeting point for a walking tour of the city, we see people protesting in the streets. As we work oyr way through closed street we conclude that the tour must be canceled as the meeting point was busy with guards getting ready for a parade. So we walk the streets alone to check it out and found the places we went to be dirty and feeling unsafe. 

I also found the secret to all the pretty photos have chosen to zoom out the dirr, rubbish and electrical cables. 

When we went for lunch we saw the news that the demonstration that was only a short wall away from us had gone wild. A house was set on fire , thwy had broken into stores and one person had died in hospital. Scared we decided to go up the hills again for further photos before heading off earlier than we originally thought. 

Write soon

Xo

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Hey

We are currently in Rio De Janeiro, and we have another day here before we leave to Chile.

We arrived with the group and spent the first few days with them. The first night we had Brazilian barbecue and went out to a nightclub to party. They party very different to us and the place was full of people from 18 years old to just old. 

The first full day we took a half day tour through Intrepid. They took us to a very interesting Favela, with gorgeous views of Rio.

From the Favela, looking at the rest of the Favela. The little mountain top to the left is where the Christ statue is (cant see as well on the photo)

This is taken from the Favela, looking at Rio. 

We found out that this is thw Favela that Michael Jackson came and visited back when no one visited due to the drugs and shootings in the place. Michael Jackson used this Favela along with most of the locals in one of his music videos.  As a thank you and to remember this they have placed a real life statue of him in the Favela, and there is plenty of street art of the Legendary Michael Jackson as well.  

Michael Jackson real life size statue, must have been short. 

After thw Favela tour we visited Christ the Redeemer on top of the hill. 

That night we said goodbye to most of the people from the tour. A very sad night but we got to hang out with the Irish awesomeness that is Wendy on the last day of her trip (the day after everyone left). We decided to go up the Sugar Loaf Mountain via the cable cars. We had no clouds and sun the entire day. Rio looks great on a perfect day like this. 

View from the first stop of the cable car. 

View from the top of the cable cars on Sugar Loaf Mountain.  

Another one from the top.

Wendy, Luke and I then went to a market close to our hotel in Ipanema before we said sad goodbyes to Wendy. It feels quiet with just Luke and I now. We spent that night watching the sunset on Ipanema beach.

Sunset on Ipanema beach

On our last full day here we went on a free walking tour of downtown and Lappa. We took the subway for the first time in Rio and it was easier to figure out than Buenos Aires.  

Lappa

The famous stairs located in Lappa, Rio De Janeiro.  The largest piece of art by one artist in the world. 

We are now on our way to the last stop of the trip, Santiago , Chile. 

Write soon

Xo

Arrial, Brazil

Hi,

We spent three nights in Arrial in Brazil, about a 3.5 hour drive from Rio De Janeiro.  We had a lot of fun with the group here, for sure. We spent a day on a boat trip, visiting two beaches. 

Arrial from the boat

Another picture from the boat

Us on the boat

After we spent almost a full day on the beach and it was so much fun. 

Write soon, 

Xo

Iguazu falls, Argentina & Brazil

Hi folks,

We have spent two days at the Iguazu falls, one in Argentina then another in Brazil. It was perfect moments of my life. I love water falls.

We also saw a Tucan at the falls on the Brazil side. It was so beautiful that it looks unreal. I thought it was made of wood until it moved. 

We also saw a different type of Tucan on the Argentina side. From a but of an awkward angle.  

Pretty cook birds, and NO I am not a bird person but anyway.. 

Write soon. Xo