Thursday 13 June 2013

Finally, My "Top 10" Lists...


Top 10 Specific Sights
--------------------------
Galapagos
Machu Picchu
Amazon River & Jungle
Iguasu Falls
Perito Moreno Glacier
Torres del Paine
Volcano Villarrica
Uyuni Salt Flats
Tiera del Fuego, Patagonia
Death Road


Top 10 Activities
--------------------
Sledding down Volcano Villarrica on my bum
Snorkelling in the Gallapagos
Sandboarding in Huanchina
Rafting grade 4+ rapids in Banos
Paragliding in Merida
Ice trekking on Glacier Viedmar
Zip-lining over Death Road
Canyoning in Merida
Surfing in Mancora
Boat ride under Iguasu Falls


Top 10 Breath-taking Views
---------------------------------
Experiencing sunset with hundreds of Caiman in Southern Pantanal
Watching huge calvings at Perito Moreno Glacier
The Andes with its mental switchbacks and weird moonlike rock formations
Dune buggying down incredible sand dunes at Huacachina
View of Machu Picchu from guard house
Pure vastness of Uyuni Salt Flats
The Humming Birds and Palm trees in Salento, picture perfect views
The clearest Milky Way I've ever seen, at sea in the Galapagos
Beautiful mountains around Tupiza - incredible colours of terracotta, pink, brown, orange,
ochre, yellow, beige, grey, white and green. Absolutely stunning, a pure feast for the eyes.
Climbing up and beyond the cloud level at Villarrica in Pucon, surrounded by white snow and ice.


Top 10 Boat/Plane Trips
-----------------------------
Galapagos Cruise
Slow boat up Amazon River
Helicopter ride over Iguasu Falls
Brazilian boat trip under Iguasu Falls
Flight over Angel Falls
Los Llanos boat trip, wildlife galore
Flight over Nazca Lines
Beagle Canal in Ushuaia
Southern Pantanal canoe ride
Boat trip in Ibera


Top 10 Lows of Trip
-------------------------
Learning my nan passed away when I arrived in Manaus
Having to put up with sand flies and their horrendous bites.
Pete having to leave the group in Lima
Duncan and Angela returning home in Quito
Suffering from altitude during Lares trek, and feeling like crap
Losing not one, but two, big toenails (vanity reasons purely)
Saying goodbye to ten people at the official trip end date.
Graham leaving the group in Mendoza.
Mist in Rio preventing hang-gliding over Sugar Loaf and making sight-seeing difficult.
Enduring cold showers - as you can see I'm struggling to gather lows here


Top 10 Catchphrases of Odyssey group members
----------------------------------------------------------
Geoff: Lovely Day!
Kirsten: Choppy choppy
Mikkel: Not too shabby
Jeanne: Sort of
Heather: I'm tired
Heather: I'm hungry
Heather: I don't see the point of it
Ken: No, no, no, no, no
Colin: Gee whizz
Tony: Gordon Bennett


Top 10 Most Memorable Odyssey Moments
----------------------------------------------------
The entire Death Road party bus experience
Pete thundering out of the truck cab after the armadillo and both flips flops going flying into the scrub
(cue major thorn impalement in his feet!)
Mikkel catching the Caiman, and freaking out Vanessa ("fuck Mikkel, you dick!")
Mikkel catching the Tarrantula, and freaking out Pete (he leapt a foot off the ground)
Mikkel catching the Snake, and freaking out Kirsten ("fuck off, fuck off, fuck off")
Mikkel catching the Tortoise, storing it in his shower then giving it to Vanessa as birthday present,
gift wrapped with tinsel and everything ..... Hmm I'm seeing a pattern emerging here
Heather getting stuck in the mud en-route to Ibera and Pete putting mud in her ear
Duncan doing Ganham style dance everywhere. Getting mimicked very well by a mime in Cartagena
Heather's futile efforts to save some ducklings from seagulls
The after-effects of Ken and Duncan's drinking neat Cachaca session in the Southern Pantanal


** Disclaimer: no doubt I've forgotten loads of alternative answers, but right now these are my choices.
The lists are subject to change should my memory get jogged! **

No comments:

Post a Comment