Asia and Australia 2014/15

I'm off again! 

Quite literally started making plans a few days after I got back home, and I think (THINK) this is the final itinerary - only chopped and changed it about 20 times. Leaving myself a fair amount of flexibility with Vietnam and Australia but unfortunately some airlines flying to Thailand require proof of onward travel otherwise they may not let you board the plane. Massive ball ache, especially as I wanted to give myself the freedom to change my plans as and when it took my fancy, but what can you do eh...

Anyway, here's the deal - and yes, I've missed out Burma...was that a mistake? Might use the 3 weeks I've got in northern Thailand to hop across into Yangon for a few days. We'll see. Wherever the wind blows...

OCTOBER 25: London Heathrow - Hong Kong OCTOBER 26 

• Pink dolphins
• Symphony of Lights
• Sai Kung NP

NOVEMBER 2: Hong Kong - Chiang Mai 

• Yi Peng festival (November 6)

NOVEMBER 26: Bangkok 10.20 - Siem Reap 11.30 

• Angkor Wat, Ta Phrom, Bayon

DECEMBER 2: Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City. 

• Ho Chi Minh City
• Nha Trang
• Hue & Hoi An
• Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Sapa 

DECEMBER 23: Hanoi - Koh Samui 

December 24: Koh Samui - Koh Tao (PADI)

January 2: Koh Tao - Koh Phangnan Full moon party January 4

January 7: Koh Phangnan - Krabi Railay Beach

January 10: Koh Lanta
January 14: Koh Phi Phi
January 18: Phuket 

JANUARY 19: Phuket - Sydney JANUARY 20

• Route = Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Fraser Island, Whitsundays, Cairns. 'Sydney to Cairns CRUISER' bus pass STA Travel - Hop on hop off travel in one direction & includes surf lesson at Byron Bay, Atherton Tablelands tour, 1 night Magnetic Island stopover, 3 day Fraser Island guided tour, 2 day Whitsunday Sailing trip & Great Barrier Reef tour. 
• Working holiday!

On the way home...

• New Zealand? (April/May, October/November best time weather-wise)
• Bali

On the travel wish list...

• CANADA: Vancouver, Rockies, Tadoussac - working visa?
• CENTRAL AMERICA: Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Cuba, Dominican Republic
• SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina, Brazil (Rio for Carnaval, Florianopolis, Manaus for Amazon)
• EUROPE - winter: Norway (Bergen for fjords, Northern Lights, polar bears, swim with killer whales in the wild), Prague, Budapest, Berlin
• EUROPE - summer: Italy (Cinque Terre, Rome & Pompeii, Sorrento), Croatia (Split & Hvar, Zadar/Zagreb & Plitvice Lakes)

Travel/holiday destinations...

• Japan
• Antarctica

London - day 22

Written Friday 13 June

So...small change of plan...turns out flights back from Canada are rather on the pricey side, so decided it would be best for now to catch my original flight home (plus I was running out of lenses and prescription stuff which would have been hard to work around). Not sure how I'm feeling about going back if I'm honest - obviously it'll be great seeing friends and fam, but I feel like I'm going to be bored living back in Penn in about a week, if that. Just one thing for it - better get planning my next trip asap!

So, the big question really - did I find my muchness? After a mere two and a half months of travel I'm not sure I can profess to have 'found myself' just yet. However, I have learnt some things about myself that have put me on the right tracks :)

• I'm more of a social butterfly than I thought - you kind of have to be when travelling solo. I'm happy to spend some time alone but I need people around me as well (plus it helps to have support if anything goes wrong). All qualms about striking up conversations with random people have been extinguished, and I've made some good friends through letting go of these inhibitions. The people I've met throughout my travels have been so, so nice that it's been impossible not to feel welcome - big up NY Budget Inn for making me feel like I belonged in the city I settled for the longest ("People like you are always welcome here" / "See you when you come back"). My second home!

• Meeting so many new people also helps you to see yourself from different perspectives. I've been called a morning person (say whaaa?) and told that I'm full of surprises (for some reason people seem to like that I'm a writer and speak a bit of Spanish) amongst other things - not only nice/interesting to hear but also teaches you more about yourself and helps you to see yourself in a better light.

• Two contrasting points up next. Firstly: confidence is way back up there as far as guys are concerned. Travelling is a huge ego boost in this sense - the perfect post break-up remedy! Especially if you (coincidentally) choose places where blonde hair and British accents can get you far - South America and NYC, ladies!

• While it's good to know what's out there and learn more about what I truly value in a man, I'm genuinely happy being single at the moment. Sure, guys add a little fun and drama into the mix but I'm enjoying being independent, doing what I want and focusing on myself for now! 

• Despite having been labelled an 'undercover princess' in the past few weeks, I've learnt that I'm capable of more than I gave myself credit for. I've paddled with sharks, ridden an unruly horse through a swamp, hiked some really challenging trails, endured blisteringly hot and freezing cold temperatures, survived stays in VERY basic accommodation, and much more. I think that travelling solo played a big part in this - ironically when I'm with someone I know I tend to be more on my guard and in less of a position to try new things than when I'm winging it on my own. So glad that I flew out on my own (and single!) - it definitely helped me to branch out, meet new people and push myself to the limit. 

• This trip has confirmed what I pretty much already knew regarding career opportunities - wildlife, photography, travel and writing are my main areas of interest. Part of the reason I'm travelling is to find some sort of direction because I'm not sure that what I was doing before was enough. Not done figuring this out yet - planning on working/volunteering in the Asia/Oz stretch to get some experience in different fields in very different countries before settling into anything permanent. Not even sure whether I want to settle in the UK - waking up to blue skies and friendly people every day has made me seriously consider the possibility of living abroad, particularly NYC or Brazil...

• Finally (either this really is the last point or I'm totally fried from being awake for 32 hours), I know that wherever I go in the world my love of wine, tea, going out and being warm (bed socks!) will stand strong. There are some home comforts and parts of who you are that crossing borders cannot conquer, and that's okay. It doesn't matter that my mum thinks I'm a borderline alcoholic (I'm not), or that my Bolivia/Brazil tour group witnessed me hoarding teabags, downing 3 mugs in a row after a long stint (2 days) without and most probably think that I need to find some sort of tea rehab facility, or that I sat around the campfire most nights in a fleece/anorak combo complete with hat and scarf surrounded by people in t-shirts. Home is where the heart is - someone put the kettle on!

To be continued...

Santa Barbara - day 21

Written Thursday 12 June

Talk about ending the US part of my travels on a high! Some of you may remember I went to Iceland in December to chase the northern lights and do some whale watching but wasn't hugely successful in either camps - saw just one humpback on a 4 hour -20 degrees Celsius boat trip and didn't see any tail flukes. How different it was this time... 

There are approximately 100,000 humpbacks in the world and around 2,000 feed in the Santa Barbara area and nearby Channel Islands around this time of year, so there was a pretty high chance of seeing something good. Within about 15 minutes of leaving the harbour we saw our first pair of humpbacks - a mother and its calf. So so amazing to witness them gliding through the ocean together, both from a distance and up close to the boat. Managed to get a picture of a double tail fluke (by accident of course, it's hard to time these things perfectly) which I'm chuffed with :)

Saw three pairs on our first stop then another four on our second stop which were engaging in a spot of cooperative feeding. Since there was lots of surface action we got to see their top halves as well as more tail flukes, and hear some big vocalisations. One was just metres away from the boat at one point which was incredible - really got a feel for just how massive they are. They were so close at times that we got whiffs of whale breath which was simultaneously cool and gross - researchers call it being kissed by a whale but it reeked of rotten eggs! During the cooperative feeding stop particularly the sea was teeming with life as marine animals took advantage of the humpbacks rounding up schools of fish, meaning we saw hundreds of common dolphins in addition to sea lions and sea birds.

No blue whale sightings unfortunately but that just means I'll have to make another stop on my way home...shame! Spent the rest of the afternoon walking up and down the main street trying to find an internet cafe (to no avail) and napping on the beach. Glad I didn't book to stay here for 3 or 4 days as planned - it's a pretty place, typical beach side town with whitewashed houses and al fresco eateries, but there's not much going on. Long bus journey to LA, met up with my faves for last goodbyes (sob), took a hot shower in a clean cubicle for the first time in a while and bedded down in a double. Luxury!

Big Sur and Santa Barbara - day 20

Written Wednesday 11 June

With sea lions, elephant seals (!!) and huge birds of prey circling the coastline, it was wildlife central today which I was totally chuffed with (of course!). Filled the morning with a couple of short walks along the coast - watched sea lions as they glided through the ocean and stopped at a waterfall gushing onto the sand just metres from the sea. We also spent a considerable amount of time watching the boys build an enormous cairn - effectively a big pile of rocks - on the beach. To be fair it was pretty badass by the time it was finished:

Next stop, elephant seals!! Have been excited about seeing these since booking the trip so was cool to finally see them - practically burst out of the van and made a beeline for the beach. They were AWESOME and there were so many lining the entire shore, flicking sand onto themselves (to keep cool and protect themselves from sunburn) and flopping their way from the sand to the sea in a not-so-delicate fashion. Got a vid which I'll try & remember to upload when I get home :) Fun facts: males grow to 5,000lbs (2,300kg!) and only males grow the long nose (proboscis), after they reach puberty around age 5. Also newly weaned pups are called weaners! LOL.

Two hour journey to Santa Barbara although we didn't actually see any of the town once we arrived. Original plan was to go to the beach but the tide was too high so had another chilled one at camp and a relatively early night. Whale watching tomorrow...!!! Trying not to get my hopes up just in case but secretly I'm ridiculously excited.

Monterey and Big Sur - day 19

Written Tuesday 10 June 

With all the juicy gossip from last night, a lost handbag (passport, phone, camera, money...) retrieved at the last minute and some pretty evil hangovers, it was a very dramatic morning. Was exhausted by the time we checked out! Didn't do too much today, it was mostly spent driving to Monterey - probably a good thing as we weren't up to doing much else! The drive was actually really nice, it was along the coast pretty much the whole way & I'd managed to nab a window seat oh yeaah. Kept an eye out for whales because sometimes you can see them from the shore but didn't spot anything... The scenery was gorgeous: vast ocean, beautiful beaches and flocks of pelicans swooping over the coastline which was amazing to see. 

Finally arrived at the campsite in Big Sur - our tents are pitched slap bang in the middle of a group of redwoods (v tall trees - although have to say I did think they'd be bigger so a little disappointed). Dinner, warmed up round the campfire and bed - absolutely knackered from San Fran!

Oooo on a minor side note...I'm going to Vancouver on Friday (the day I'm supposed to be catching my flight back to London) and then from there plan to do the Rockies & a little village in Quebec which is meant to be good for seeing blue whales! Also booked whale watching in Santa Barbara (our next stop) and a bus back to LA where I can hopefully meet up with the others before we all go out separate ways. Can't believe this tour is almost over, it's gone so fast...actually might be quite sad to leave, have made some really good friends over the past 3 weeks...although SO excited to go to Canada and do some serious whale watching!

San Francisco - day 18

Written Monday 9 June 

Sort of lost track of how much wine I went through last night but from the horrible hangover I imagine it was rather a lot. Tried very hard not to vom as I updated le blog & tried to sort something out for Santa Barbara - to no avail, there's literally nowhere to stay anywhere unless I want to pay $300 a night - then met some of the gang for a wander. Gave my thighs a workout trekking up some incredibly steep hills to the cable car museum (meh) and Chinatown (pretty cool place - nice buildings and murals & a fortune cookie factory). Meant to go to Golden Gate Park but got distracted by H&M whoooops - needed yet another flip flop and sunglasses restock to be fair - then headed to the hostel to get ready and get crunk! Did a good job, we were trashed before even leaving the hostel & it was all downhill from there...! Not gonna lie, memory's a little bit hazy so I'll end it here - plus some of the dramas (not mine!) from the evening are probably not audience appropriate! Feel like I haven't really seen much of the city which is a shame...can't say the same about the nightlife though, we totally smashed it! Wish we had another day here :(

San Francisco - day 17

Written Sunday 8 June

Went to bed feeling really quite unwell - stomach playing up again and absolutely shattered from another long day - but luckily woke up feeling better. Bit annoyed at someone in my cooking/washing up team (we're split into groups of 3) because apparently he got mad that I didn't show for washing up duty, despite the fact that a) I was feeling like crap and b) he jumped straight in the hot tub rather than helping out with the cooking on Thursday... Didn't hear what he said because I practically passed out after dinner but I imagine it wasn't very nice. He did apologise this morning but tbh I'd rather just not have known he'd been bitching. One of the downsides to group treks I guess. So glad we're in a hostel and eating in restaurants for the next 2 days, definitely need a break from camping and some of the group! Blah.

So, San Fran! Stopped off at Treasure Island for lunch - great views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge shrouded in the famous fog. The adjacent collection of tall buildings and the water reminded me of New York :) Drove to the bridge after food and power walked across (it was freezing cold in the fog!) before arriving at our hostel. Proper beds! Clean towels! Wi-fi! So good being back in a hostel for a couple of days :)

Went on a 'sunset sail' i.e. a prelash party boat where we drank wine, ate cheese and watched the sun go down in San Francisco bay. Was so awesome - epic start to a much needed big night out. Gonna be feeling it tomorrow... Also feel the need to document the fact that I had my first corn dog! Had no idea what it was before and obvs it's a must do. It was SO good, deffo on a par with mac n cheese wedges.

Yosemite - day 16

Written Saturday 7 June 

Sunburnt, shattered and torn to shreds by mosquitos and annoying little midgey things: on the outside I may not be looking my best but on the inside I'm smiling, absolutely LOVE Yosemite and all the amazing sights it has to offer. There's even a chapel where people can get married!

Today was a free day woohoo! Voluntarily opted for a 5 mile walk to see Vernal Falls...at 6.30am I wasn't thinking straight and it didn't really twig that it was all going to be uphill until we were standing at the bottom. It went well - my hip hurt on the way up (yes I have turned into an 80 year old woman overnight), my stomach absolutely killed once we got to the top (haven't been on top form the past 2 days) & my shins threatened with splints on the way down. Was it worth it? 

YuhHUH! It was such a hard trek but the views at the top were incredible and we all felt v proud of ourselves. Saw a stellar's jay as well which was cool - limited wildlife round here compared to Galapagos & the Pantanal so I'm taking what I can get! Plus they have mohawks...couldn't resist!

Post hike beach time was definitely well earned. Had no idea Yosemite even had beaches but there are a couple along the rivers. The one we made a beeline for (Housekeeping Camp) was STUNNING, cannot stress enough how good the views are - and how clear the water is. Paddled in the glacier melt and had a chill before heading back to the van to get driven to Glacier Point, where you can look 3,214ft down into Yosemite Valley.

We wanted to go to Mirror Lake as well but the rangers said it had dried up - hardly surprising considering the heat, it's intense! Almost hoping for foggy conditions in San Fran tomorrow, feeling like I need a break from the sun - never thought I'd say such a thing but 2 weeks of 30-40 degree heat is taking its toll! Will definitely regret saying this when I get back to England and it's raining... The other reason I'm excited to move on is because we get to stay in a hostel - proper beds YAY. I have (for the most part) enjoyed camping but I'm also quite glad we only have 3 more nights left in a tent. Bring it on - and a night out too please! Crunk times ahoy!

Yosemite - day 15

Written Friday 6 June

We're here!! So psyched to have arrived! The change in landscape on route was the first clue that we were entering Yosemite territory - the scenery underwent such a radical change at the beginning and end of just a 2 hour drive that we could easily have been in different countries. We're far away from the desert now - dusty orange rocks standing their ground against the blazing desert heat have been replaced with vast shady forests, snowy mountains, shimmering lakes and towering granite cliffs. It looks a lot like Canada, from the pictures I've seen - can't get over the difference. The air also feels cleaner and clearer, think the lack of dust will come as a welcome relief over the next few days.

'Yosemite' means 'where the grizzly bears live' although actually it's smaller black bears that call it home. Haven't been lucky enough to see any but we still had to bear proof our campsite (packing all food and scented products e.g. toothpaste, food wrappers etc in the trailer before bedding down). We did a moderately steep hike to Lambert Point which involved scaling up a rock face in the last 10 minutes! The views were incredible, I was rendered speechless after the initial 'wow' escaped my lips. We sat for ages just staring out at the impossible beauty...I've never seen anything like it before in my life. Eventually tore ourselves away to have a picnic lunch at a stunning lake framed by those famous grey cliff faces. It was a bit too chilly to swim but I was perfectly happy soaking up the view :) 

The next stop was what I'd been waiting for since the beginning of the year...the sequoia grove!!! (Tuolumne Grove.) Was SO excited and they didn't disappoint. I know to some people they're just trees but they're pretty impressive: they can live for 3,000 years, grow to 300 feet tall & the bark of the oldest trees can be up to 2 feet thick. They're one of the oldest, largest & fastest growing trees in the world - and there are only 75 naturally occurring groves of giant sequoias on earth. It's the giant girths of the trees that make them one of the biggest - we're also seeing redwoods in a few days which I think are the tallest. Made the most of the experience by clambering up onto a fallen sequoia (luckily someone had strategically placed a log round the back for this exact purpose) although getting back down was interesting! We also crawled/wriggled through another fallen sequoia which got steadily narrower - dusty work and took about five times as long as it probably should have because we were laughing so much! When I say we I mean the 3 badass girls on the trip (not my words!) - everyone else marched through the grove barely stopping to soak up the rarity of the experience - really don't understand why you'd want to race through such an incredible place? 

Dinner, shower in the scummiest campsite bathroom I've ever seen (puddles of brown water all over the floor, mosquitos in the cubicles, only 2 showers and 1 sink for multiple pitches...the list goes on), campfire, beer & bed. Another big day tomorrow, can't wait to explore some more!!

Zion and van appreciation day - day 14

Written Thursday 5 June 

Didn't end up going for the walk in the end - google imaged it in the morning (Angel's Landing) and on the first row of images there was an almost vertical rock face with chains to pull yourself up - no ta! Plus I've got an annoying blister on my foot and I really don't want to make it worse before Yosemite. Had a lovely lie in (until half 8!) instead which was so good :) Some of the group were banging on about how I'd regret not going - hate when people do that! I know what I want to do and what I don't & can decide for myself thanks v much! Sigh.

Rest of the day was spent in the van, 9 hours of desert driving... Since I was upfront I was on DJ duty -thought I was doing a good job until we stayed playing 'Would you rather...?' and someone posed the question 'Would you rather listen to Jenny's iPod all day every day or have a constant headache?' and someone replied 'Isn't that the same thing?'. Boooo! Drove along the Extraterrestrial Highway - pretty cool although just looked like a regular highway - and then set up camp before sipping beer and looking up at the stars from the hot tubs on our site. Was such a cool experience - despite the very basic nature of the site in general (portaloos, limited running water) could stay here for another night quite happily. Yosemite tomorrow, finally!!

Bryce & Zion canyons - day 13

Written Wednesday 4 June

After getting over the initial and inevitable early morning grump, it turned out to be quite a nice day :) Did an easy hike down into beautiful Bryce Canyon, an amazing National Park home to hundreds of hoodoos (incredible spire shaped rocks). Legend has it they're people who were turned into rocks; science says they were formed by wind and ice - tough one but think I'm gonna side with science on this one. The views from above and inside the canyon were striking - I really had to tear my eyes away from the shapes and colours when it was time to move on. I can see why Bryce is some people's favourite park - from what I've seen so far, it's one of the most unique and eye catching the West has to offer.

Made a stop off at a real American diner on route to Zion which was cool - it had a proper jukebox and snaps of the stars pinned up around the tops of all four walls, plus the standard greasy food and calorific ice cream milkshakes - although needless to say I went for a tea, was getting serious withdrawal symptoms. After 2 days. Although it had been almost a week before that, bad times.

Rocked up at Zion not long after where we were greeted by towering orange rocks and coursing rivers shimmering turquoise, green and blue under the blazing sun. Pitched up, waved off the others as they went tubing down the river and went for a hike with a lovely couple in our group to the Emerald Pools which was hot work but super fun. The upper pool was particularly worth the effort: an incredible sheer canyon face on one side sheltering a trio of shallow natural pools, it looked like a real life Neverland. So glad we went despite the heat - where else would you witness a lizard doing press ups? For serious, I wish I'd taken a video, it was the best thing ever.

Chilled out evening - just as well since we're up at 4.30am tomorrow (on breakfast duty, booo) to set off at 5.45 for a tough hike into Zion. Felt dizzy hiking in the sun today though so not 100% sure I'm going to do it, kind of want to save myself for Yosemite - not long to go now woo!

Moab - day 11

Written Monday 2 June

Lie in, pancakes with maple syrup, sunbathing by the pool all day and Pizza Hut campsite delivery to celebrate someone's birthday - need I say more? Really good day, actually felt like I was on vacation rather than travelling which made a nice relaxing change. Has been so good to pitch in the same place for three days...very chilled. We're in three different places in the next 3 days now though, intense!

Moab - day 10

Written Sunday 1 June 

God only knows how much wine I consumed last night but the worst thing I woke up with was a cut toe. Hangover non existent woohoo - maybe it's because I'm in holiday mode and not letting anything spoil it or maybe it's because the wine isn't as strong here - either way I'm glad I lucked out, nursing a hangover in this heat would be less than ideal. Not that I did much until this afternoon - spent an hour and a half on the blog, strolled back to camp taking in the stunning surroundings (dusty orange slopes with snow capped mountains in the distance) and munching on mac 'n' cheese wedges I discovered in the supermarket - yes they are amazing. NOM.

Ran head first into the language barrier again - asked whether a certain section of the rubbish area was for general waste and got a confused look and a 'no, it's for trash' in response. Dude had NO idea what I was talking about. Got to spend a leisurely hour by the campsite pool before driving to Arches National Park. Made a few interesting stops - one at a huge boulder weighing the equivalent of 27 blue whales balanced somewhat precariously on a much smaller rock beneath, and one at a giant arch which towered far above us and was totes awesome. Did a 40 minute steep uphill trek to see Delicate Arch at sunset - was such a slow and arduous climb that we only just made it before the sun sank behind the hills. While the arch itself was a sight - not to mention absolutely ginormous - the surrounding landscape was equally incredible: huge cave like indentations carved into vast rocks by the wind, a medley of reds/greens/browns/oranges and snow capped mountains set against a beautiful blue sky to top it all off.

Nice chilled out day and looking forward to a v.lazy one tomorrow - plan is to sit by the pool and read from dawn to dusk. Sweeet!

Moab - trip day 9

Written Saturday 31 May

It was van appreciation morning today followed by setting up camp on a very stoney site (that's going to be comfortable tonight!) in the blazing desert heat - seriously don't think I've ever been so hot in my life and apparently it's going to be 46 degrees Celsius at Yosemite!!

Initially we weren't up for too much in the evening because we were so tired but our ears perked up when we heard the rodeo was in town...sweet! Had such a fun night watching the warm up performances, the entire rodeo and dancing like a crazy to some live country music at the end. Also glad we got to go because it felt like we were immersing ourselves in the heart of American culture :) Overall, top night! Yay. Having SO much fun here, can't believe my flight home is in less than 2 weeks. More and more tempted to stay with every passing day...

 

Lake Powell and Monument Valley - trip day 8

Written Friday 30 May

Just as I was about to start writing this post in my notebook, a ginormous black spider scuttled across my hand, shudder. Darted to the safety of the bathrooms to de-stress and on my way back stepped over not one but three cockroaches - and they're not the first we've seen on this campsite! Eeeek - there are definitely downsides to camping, but when it means you can drop by a series of amazing places the negatives get pushed aside and giant spiders become almost (almost) trivial. 

So, today. Today we had a lie in and breakfast cooked for us - living the life of luxury here! - before hopping in the van to go to Lake Powell for some well earned sunbathing time - tbh my arse hurts too much from the horse riding yesterday to do much else! Was a very relaxing morning: sunbathing was followed by an impromptu yoga sesh in the car park and a picnic lunch on the green overlooking the Glen Canyon dam. Sweeet!

Made our way to Monument Valley in a leisurely fashion after lunch. Initially wasn't sure how it could top the incredible rock formations we passed on the drive - I've never seen such strange landscapes - but of course I was proved wrong. Somewhat naively perhaps, I thought that Monument Valley was just what you see on the postcards, but turns out it's actually an entire valley...funnily enough. That explains why we needed the jeep tour then... So once again, something I didn't exactly have high hopes for turned out to be pretty spectacular. It's the kind of places that leaves you in utter awe of the forces and beauty of nature - I can't even count the number of times I caught myself saying 'wow' out loud. The jeep took us on a 2 and a half hour tour around the valley with stops at lots of points of interest. From gaping holes in the roofs of caves and arches to giant standalone rock formations that mirror each other's exact shape (how?!), the entire site was hugely impressive. The only thing that could have possibly enhanced it was a gorgeous sunset...which is exactly what we got. Beautifully lit up by the fiery desert sun, the valley looked even more glorious bathed in a dusky red hue. So cool. Heading back there briefly tomorrow although need to enforce a ban on photos, took about five million today, watch out for a monumental (thank you, I'm here for the next 2 weeks) Facebook invasion...

Cowboy Camp - trip day 7

Written Thursday 29 May

I have to be honest, setting up camp in the Wild West didn't really appeal to me when I researched this trip - I saw it as an obstacle which needed hurdling to get to Yosemite and the Big Sur. However, it's often the things you expect to enjoy the least that end up surprising you... With horseback riding at sunset, a steak dinner, a party barn and a stunning starry night sky, the evening we spent at Cowboy Camp comes second only to seeing Zedd in Vegas.

Riding a horse through the desert was incredible - the barren landscape, flat topped mountains carved into crazy formations by the wind and the piercing blue sky administering an injection of colour into a sandy orange scene that could have been exported straight from the big screen. Followed up by a steak dinner (cooked for us, yay) and the most amazing brownies I've ever had in my life, Cowboy Camp has already way surpassed my expectations.

Party barn time! It was SUCH a fun night: pool, flip cup, karaoke, getting tipsy under a jet black sky bursting with bright white stars (some shooting) and playing dirty Jenga - an awesome game which I'm definitely bringing back to England with me. Each block has instructions written on either side, ranging from tame (All Brits take a drink) to relatively racy (Give the person to your left a lap dance - guess who got this one? And our tour leader was sitting to my left... Luckily the option on the other side was more feasible and less embarrassing/awkward (Convince the person on your right to marry you). Mega fun!

The other reason today was a highlight is because we made a stop that - for me at least - topped the Grand Canyon. Horseshoe Bend is a huge oxbow lake on the Colorado River framed by steep orange slopes about three quarters of a mile off the main road. The walk there in the blazing afternoon heat was pretty tough going but our reward made the hard work worth it - and then some. Horseshoe Bend - a quick half an hour pit stop on our three week road trip - literally took my breath away. I don't know whether it was the vastness, the medley of many different shades of blue or the fact that it was in the middle of nowhere - an unexpected oasis almost buried by long stretches of desert - or a combination of all three, but I was utterly awestruck. Could have stayed there well over the brief snippet of time we had at our disposal but I'll have the image etched onto my memory for years to come - this one's definitely a keeper.