Back in the UK!

I have come back to the UK at the best time ever ... the sun has been out and the Olympics has shown off the best that London has to offer and us Brits are in the best of spirits!  It's been like the biggest group hug ever!  And I'm very happy to be here!

1st sight of England!

Best views of London on Hampstead Heath

British Summer time ... In the Pub!

Yeah!  The Olympics!

Beach Volleyball!

What a journey!

4 weeks back in the UK and I can't believe my journey through South America is over.

In 9 months I visited 9 countries, covered over 25,000km (or 15,500miles in old money), stopped in 66 different places (that's at least 66 different beds!) picked up a bit of espanol and learnt countless lessons.  And wrote one blog.

And to commemorate it all I've packed it all into a quick video.

It's been an incredible, unforgettable ride and I am so glad I took the plunge and quit my job, packed up my life into carboard boxes and put life as I knew it to one side to go on an adventure and fulfil a dream.  

The thing that I want to remember now that it has all come to an end is to keep living out my dreams ... acknowledge them, believe in them and don't just fascinate about them, but grab them, make them real and make them happen.  

Here's to the next dream.

The end of the road

Being in Bogota was very surreal, knowing that it was the last place I was visiting on the trip and that I was heading home made it difficult to really appreciate the here and now.

What also made it difficult was that it was cold and a bit grey and also, somewhere along the line I'd picked up the flu!  It really wasn't the end to the trip that I had been expecting!  But despite all that, I wrapped up and set out seeing some of the city.

First stop was to get cultured at the Gold Museum..

And then a wonder around some of the sites.  (not much of a wonder, it was pretty chilly!)

The next piece of culture was the Salt Cathedral.  A cathedral built in a salt mine... hands down, one of the oddest sites I've seen  on the entire trip!

So, after that experience I knew it was time to go!

Colonial Times

Having been blown away by the beauty of Minca I reluctantly remembered that I was had to start heading south ... to catch a flight from Bogota.  Although I had fallen in love with Minca, I wanted to spend my last few weeks of my trip exploring and relaxing in some of Colombia's small colonial towns.  As I've travelled I've found the smaller, quieter places some of the most enjoyable; there are more opportunities to meet local people and there are beautiful places to explore.

I got on my last night bus to a town called San Gil and then headed Barichara, a tiny village out in the hills, renowned for it's cobbled streets, white washed buildings, terracota roofs and a it's beautiful setting in the hills.

After beautiful walk along the Camino Real I reached somewhere even smaller; Guane. A bit like a ghost down with an obsession for goats milk products!

My next stop on my journey to Bogota was Villa de Leyva for more stunning scenery and cobbled streets.

The largest Plaza in Colombia... apparently!

After serious relaxation, I was ready for my final stop- the big smoke of Bogota!