Across the border to Chile and Torres del Paine National Park

The past 4 days have been spent in the pristine Torres Del Paine National Park, staying in the beautiful Eco Camp within view of the towering granite massifs. This amazing location is full of natural beauty and wildlife, remote, wild and far away from Internet and modern conveniences.





At the risk of repeating myself, the wild beauty of this part of Patagonia is awesome. We stayed in very comfortable dome style luxury tents, complete with ensuite bathrooms and wood fire heaters which were very much appreciated at the end of the day.

My dream of viewing the Condor in flight and up close has been fulfilled even though I did not manage a good photo, but hopefully one of my travel companions will have a photo to share with me.


Some of our group of 7 have treked the 22 kms along the Torres trek which ends at the top of a ridge with amazing views of the towers and lake. Unfortunately, the day I did the trek it was snowing near the top and no views could be seen, though we did experience the real Patagonia with its harsh wind and snow conditions. The weather here can change within minutes. On other days we explored the flora and fauna as well as other vantage points for outstanding views and easy walks.


We are now on our homeward journey through Buenos Aires, with a little time left for shopping.

- Marika at Women's Own Adventure signing off

Location:Torres Del Paine, Patagonia, Chile

Going South to the Glaciers

Our adventures have taken us to El Califete and the National Park of the Glaciers. Setting sail aboard a powered catamaran we headed to the very remote Estancia Christina situated on the edge of the Upsala Glacier, accessed only by a 2 hour boat trip (by modern standards) or a 7 day hike. This remote area was a privately run sheep station from 1916 to 1999, when the area became a Natonal Park after the last family member passed away. Percival and Jessica Masters came to the area as pioneers in the early 1900's and built a sheep station and a home out of nothing and on their own. It feels like the end of the world.


We were very fortunate to have the opportunity of spending the night in one of their cabins, with plentiful amounts of wine, food and good company. An adventure experience to be rembered.



The following day was spent at the awe inspiring Moreno Glacier, where viewing platforms provide unsurpassed views of the glacier from several levels. The great thundering noise made by the glacier as it sheds a section into the freezing waters is an exciting sound. We endured snow and sunshine intermittently throughout the day. This is an area of quickly changing weather with 4 seasons in as little as an hour.


The wild beauty and magnificence of the area must be seen to be believed.

- Marika at Women's Own Adventure signing off

Location:El Califete, Patagonia, Argentina

I think I'm in Heaven

We have spent the last couple of days in Bariloche, the northern part of Patagonia. It is very European in style, remindng me of a Swiss village.


Picture postcard beautiful with snow capped mountains and lakes. The scenery and views are simply stunning. You can climb and paraglide here in the summer and ski in the winter. The houses are very northern european mountain resort style. They also have the most amazing chocolate shops...I think I'm in heaven.


Yesterday we spent the afternoon aboard a large catamaran on the lake, exploring islands and forests.


- Marika at Women's Own Adventure signing off

Location:Bariloche, Argentina

Time for some adventure in Iguazu

We have arrived and are ready for some adventure in Iguazu. Even though it is raining we headed off in our very attractive wet weather gear, on the first day for some wet rapelling and flying through the forest canopy on a zip line. With steely determinaion and very little hesitation these ladies clicked on their harness, stood on the precipice of a 15 metre cliff with an overhang, in the rain, and one by one rapelled down to the valley below on a single rope. What brave hearts!


Then came the best and most exhilerating part when we launched ourselves into the tree canopy of the forest along a zip line. WoooHooo ! Through the tree tops!



The next day we spent at the falls, beautiful and so powerful. Iguazu falls are the largest in South America. Not only did we see the falls from the top, but also under the falls in a boat. Wet weather gear was definately the order of the day to see the falls so up close and personal.
A great experience to be had by all.



- Marika at Women's Own Adventure signing off

Location:Iguazu, Argentina

Ah ... Buenos Aires ... at last we have arrived

Known as the Paris of South America for very good reason. Buenos Aires is a beautiful city with many flavours. The people are friendly and the city is full of life. We enjoyed a coffee at the famous Gran Cafe Tortoni situated in the worlds widest avenue, Avenida de Julio. This cafe has been open since 1858 and has been a favourite of many successful writers. We have been to The colourful area of Caminito in La Boca where it is said that Tango was conceived.





With time for sightseeing, taking in a Tango show, discovering how delicious the the local empanada is and shopping (great for leather jackets and shoes), our time in Buenos Aires was wonderful.

Tomorrow we leave for Iguazu Falls and some real adventure.

- Marika at Women's Own Adventure signing off

Location:Buenos Aires, Argentina

Bulgaria, Discover the Unknown Europe

NEW TRIP JUST RELEASED
14 Days departing 18th June 2012 (ex Sofia)

This exceptional and unique journey will see you hiking in the wild areas of Rila and Central Balkans National Parks, walk around the Sacred Seven Rila Glacial Lakes, visit monastries and painted churches, experience the local culture and traditional village life including the annual Enyovden celebrations, taste the Balkan's culinary traditions and cuisine.

This trip also includes the unique Enyovden Celebrations on 23rd and 24th June. This is one of Bulgaria’s most celebrated national holidays, along with Easter, Christmas and St. George’s Day. It is both a religious feast and a traditional folk ritual. The celebrations of this day have mystical pagan roots and are related to the summer solstice, healing waters and wild herbs.
Click here for more details about this trip.

signing off from Marika, Women's Own Adventure

Land Beneath the Wind - Sabah, Borneo

A group of adventurous ladies have arrived for our journey into Sabah, a place teeming with wildlife and natural beauty. They will learn about ancient traditions, Homestay with the Dusun people, Make friends with the orangutans, Witness sea turtles lay their eggs, Trek the Mt Kinabalu Heritage Walk, Be inspired by incredible views, Stay at the Sabah Tea Plantation, Enjoy scouring the local markets in Kota Kinabalu.
Some will endure the ascent of Mount Kinabalu to catch the sunrise at the summit. GO GIRLS!

Information and Slide Night

ARGENTINA EXPLORER, IGUAZU AND PATAGONIA

ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION, THE GREAT SOUTH LAND

Slide and Information Night in Sydney - Wednesday 18th May at the Greengate Hotel in Killara, The Terrace Room at 7pm.
http://www.greengatehotel.com.au/index.html

Please register as numbers are limited, by sending an email to info@womensownadventure.com.au

- Marika at Women's Own Adventure signing off
www.womensownadventure.com.au

Southern India, the last leg of our journey

Someone I met the other day said it so well, that "India should be viewed as a continent rather than a country". I feel that statement is so true.

We have flown from Udaipur to Cochin in the Kerala region of southern India. Upon exiting the aircraft it was as if we had arrived to a tropical island that is so vastly different from Rajasthan. Here the people are much more relaxed, the clothing and architecture not as ornate and the environment very tropical. We were greeted by blue skies and friendly folk. The streets of Fort Cochin are full of small interesting shops where you can feel comfortable browsing without any pressure to buy. Being a coastal town, fresh seafood is readily available by the shorefront markets.
This region of India has a strong Christian influence with many small churches of varying protestant Christian faiths.

Photo of traditional Kerala theatrical performer we had the privilege of seeing.


The next morning we enjoyed a relaxing lunch on a privately owned island


where fruit and vegetables are grown and harvested for their own kitchen. What can I say, except that it was another delicious meal, though the Kerala style of cooking is quite different from that of other regions of India. Here coconuts are plentiful and used generously.


We have had the pleasure of sharing a meal in the homes of these lovely Indian ladies.





Spices of course are used liberally in all Indian meals.


Having spent a relaxing afternoon and night aboard a houseboat on the river, we enjoyed the most spectacular sunset and moon rising with shadows of local villagers passing in canoes and beautiful rice fields along the river. It doesn't get much better.












Our last 2 days are spent relaxing by the beach at the Marari Beach Resort, before it is back home with memories to last a lifetime.

- Marika at Women's Own Adventure signing off
www.womensownadventure.com

Location:Kerala, India

Textiles, Designs and old Indian gentlemen

Our journey over the past few days has taken us from Jodhpur to Udaipur by road with a stop over in Narlai. There don't seem to be any road rules in India, it is chaos on the roads but miraculously we have not come across an accident of any kind, not even a minor bingle and have not seen any road rage either. The drivers are very polite to each other as they drive on the wrong side of the road overtaking at every opportunity with the blast of a horn and minimal use of brakes. Our driver has been sensational, even navigating through tiny back streets of the old town.


While we waited for our transport at a hotel in Jaipur, the Dalai Lama just arrived to speak to a gathering and we were fortune enough to see him.
Jodhpur is well known for beautiful textiles, both block printed and embroidered. The colours and designs of Rajeshstan are stunning in not only the textiles but also in the architecture. There is such detail and intricacy.

We have been introduced to so much knowledge;
How to roll and tie a Turban
How to block print onto fabric
How to screen print designs in so many colours
How to tie and wear a sari
How to create paper from left over fabric pieces
How to drive on Indian roads
How to enjoy a hot oil Indian head massage
How to bargain in the markets
How to tell which is a real pashmina
How to get onto a camel and get off again with dignity
How to ride in a bullock cart under the stars
How to ride an elephant with dignity
How to be humble in temples, both large and small
How to peer through veiled walls as the queens had to
How to eat curry at every meal

I am sure we still have a lot to learn.


At Narlai we have been treated to a bullock cart ride in the evening to dinner under the stars. This was very special as the local villagers decorated their step well with candle lights and an open fire. They positioned our seating around the well while the sound of indigenous music wafted through the night air. The dinner was delicious and was overseen by an elderly Indian gentleman of 78 who had served as a captain in the army from 1956 to 1985. He was so proud to show us his photo in uniform displaying his many medals. These are the kinds of personal interactions that we remember.

Look at the ears on the horse, all the horses have ears like that.








- Marika at Women's Own Adventure signing off
www.womensownadventure.com

Location:Jodhpur, India

Palaces and Elephants

Jaipur as an ancient city was surrounded and protected by Fort Amber, whose walls ran across the hills of the valley and whose palace graced the hillside. Today we rode to the Fort on Elephant back. A wonderful way take in the scenery on the way up the hill as you get a real sense of how life was in this ancient world.



Returning from the Fort with jeeps through narrow streets.


Our next stop was the City Palace, a beautiful and grand building in the centre of Jaipur. Then shopping was the order of the afternoon. India has such an abundance of fine fabrics with beautiful designs and colours.



- Marika at Women's Own Adventure signing off
www.womensownadventure.com

Location:Jaipur, India

Tigers and Bears

On our very first morning in Ranthambore we encountered a Royal Bengal Tiger on our early morning safari through the game park. This large male tiger of over 200kg was resting by the river and took our presence in his stride. We had a very clear view of him at a distance of no more than 15 metres, and we had plenty of opportunity to observe him for over half an hour from our open topped jeep. This photo is the one I took.


All of the animals in the game park are free and wild, however they are accustomed to the jeeps and are not disturbed by them at all. Though our guide did warn us not to get out of the jeep as the tiger could then feel threatened.


We enjoyed an evening game drive by the lake and found lots of deer, gazelle, peacock, samba, crocodile and birds. The evening light and mild weather were just beautiful. Then our last game drive the next morning took us to a different area of the park where we were lucky enough to spot a sloth bear grazing through the forest. This topped of the whole experience for us, feeling very fortunate indeed to have spotted so much wildlife.

After a delicious meal, our luxury tent with a view over the plains, under a star lit sky, was waiting.


Oh, did I mention the camel ride through the local village after lunch?


- Marika at Women's Own Adventure signing off

Location:Ranthambore, India

Oh WOW!

Words are lost as I gaze at the beauty of the Taj Mahal.


A majestic tribute to womanhood, the monument that is the Taj Mahal was built as a token of love. This monument took 20,000 people a total of 20 years to build and the result is an absolutely exquisite, feminine building
which from a distance looks like it is made of white lace, then as you step closer the colours of the marble become apparent as does the detail of the inlays and intricate designs. I have never seen a building so beautiful and so feminine.


Even if we had witnessed nothing else in all of India, the journey is already worth while after only 2 days, and I am sure that my travel companions agree.
- Marika at Women's Own Adventure signing off

Location:Agra, India

Our first day in Delhi, the New and the Old

Delhi, the gateway to India has a precious monument heritage steeped in
history. Of the 1,300 listed monuments of Delhi's ancient and modern cities, we explored 2 of them this afternoon. But first we were in for a real treat with a rickshaw ride through Old Delhi's tiny narrow market streets.







These streets are shared by cars, motorbikes, pedestrians, bicycles, rickshaws and buses, with everyone bustling past each other while trying not to get run over by anything. It was an experience that brought the character of the city to life with the crowded street bazaars. It is certainly a city of vast contrast between the old and the new. Surprisingly the new city is clean, and with 17 million people I have seen much more crowded roads in Bolivia then here.

Yes, this is a photo I took of snakes responding to the music.


We paid a visit to The Laxmi Narayan Temple, a beautiful place of worship for the Hindus, our local guide explained the basics of the Hindu beliefs and way of life while we explored the temple.





Later in the day we walked through the Humayun's Mausoleum and garden tomb. This beautiful building shows intricate Jaali work on windows inside the tomb. In between the sightseeing we had a delicious buffet lunch at the Lalit hotel, and also found time to shop for amazing fabrics and rugs made of the most exquisite silk in the most beautiful colours and designs.

It has been a long journey over here and a full day, so sleep is calling.

- Marika at Women's Own Adventure signing off

Location:Delhi, India

Woman, thy name is entrepreneur...

This great video was brought to my attention by Sue from Inspiring Women.

I love it and want to share it with you.
Please let me know what you think ... Marika

Our India Journey begins in February

On February 6th, 2011 a small group of adventurous women will travel to India with Women's Own Adventure's Indian Safari, The Great Epic Adventure.

You will be able to follow us on this blog, where we will share our journey and photos with you.






Signing off from Marika at Women's Own Adventure (www.womensownadventure.com) - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

What is your personal challenge for 2011?

As women we often place our own personal needs at the bottom of the list. Will you plan time out just for yourself in 2011? Please share your thoughts with us.

Merry Christmas to You

from Marika

Peru, a land of many faces

On my third trip to Peru, I am sill discovering so many more faces to this amazing country and friendly people. I am here as partly work for Women's Own Adventure and partly vacation, to learn more, to improve my Spanish, to experience paragliding in Lima and to spend time with some of the people I work with.

Having arrived in Lima we travelled south 260 kms to Paracas the next day. Paracas is a small seaside village which is the gateway to the Ballestas Islands. These islands are Peru's secret oasis of life in the coastal desert. The coastal landscape is very dry with almost no rain at all year round. Taking a large open speedboat across the water to the Ballestas Islands we spotted a pod of dolphins lazily swimming alongside us in the thick soupy waters. These waters don't compare to our Australian waters at all. There is a darkness and heaviness, a smell and an aura full of life. It invades my senses with the beginnings of life. So many birds  have never seen before, as they dive for food, hover above and perch on the rocky outcrops, share the same space are penguins, cormorant, seagulls, pelicans and others I can't name. Sea Lions are also abundant on these rocks, sleeping in the sun. A humbling experience to be amongst so much life.

Our journey then takes us a little further south to Ica, where the only true Oasis in the actual desert still exists in the whole of  South America. The city of Ica is surrounded by massive sand hills, extending for some 60kms. With little imagination, the locals favourite past-time is sand surfing and sand buggy riding. They build dune buggies big en0ugh for 10 brave hearted people to strap themselves in and have the ride of their lives, speeding across the dunes with hills larger and steeper than any roller coaster ride. Those of us who are unable to master sand boarding (like snow boarding) lying on my stomach on the board and pointing downhill worked even better and faster. Great fun, but probably not for everyone.

A little further south again, brought us to Nasca, home of the amazing Nasca Lines. Many theories exist about this archeological wonder on what its purpose was, having been etched in the ground between about 100bc and 400bc by he Nasca people, well before the Incas came into being. The high plains of the desert area are etched with hundreds of lines and markings, many of which clearly portray images that can only be deciphered from the air. Such images as a spider, condor, hummingbird, dog, monkey and others. So, in  order to get a birds eye view of these amazing images, some spanning 100 metres wide, we took to the air in a light plane. The view was spectacular and the images so clearly visible from the air, it has raised so many more questions in my mind about the diverse culture and history which makes up this remarkable country of Peru.

- signing off from Marika, Women's Own Adventure