Five week summary

Hola,

So its now five weeks since I left on the big adventure so I figure a quick summary (and lots of pictures) are required!!!!

Weeks 1-4 were with Operation Wallacea(www.opwall.com). Iwas there for a medical education on expedition medicine and diving medicine. I had a great time meeting lots of people. Amongst other things I participated in Jungle training, SCUBA diving, canopy climbing, trekking with science teams and lazy days in a hammock with a good book. Unfortunately for me the medical education was not crash hot. However this is probably more unfortunate for them as I plan to write rather convincing letters when i get home, asking for a kind gesture of reinbursement!(I can be quite persuasive!!)Mum hows the spelling there????Is it correct???xxxxx

So after my fourth week I decided to pack my bags early and go and travel central america!!!I made my way to Copan. Here I visited the world heritage Mayan ruins, met some cool people and made palns for Guatemala.

So Guatemala is where I am now. I have been in a village called Antigua in the south of the country. Its a lovely colonial town with many churches to visit, and great markets to shop in. Yesterday I visited lake Aitilan. Again lovely town with markets, and of course, big lake!!! I bought my self a hand made patch quilt that is about three meters squared!My only real extravagence while travelling but something to remind me of my trip for many years to come!

This evening I am planning to travel the 15 hours on a bus to Belize to meet the bird!(thats the lovely gemma!!!!xxxxx) There we plan to do adventure stuff(rapids, hopefully along canoe trip downa river, and drinking experiments!)
Unfortunately I only have five days there before I have to travel the entire way back to San pedro Sula in Honduras for my flights. I know what your thinking, and I tried to change my flights but cause Im a student with STA my flights are not flexable. Oh well, guess I will buy some valium from the local pharmacy and knock myself out the entire journey!!!!!

Quick book review for you all(advise against visiting www.bigcalumonabigadventure.blogspot.com if looking for anything a seducational as a book review!!!!)

The Resurrection men- Rebus detective novel by Ian Rankin - Ross rates @ 4/5
Black Like Me - Modern time classic by John Howard Griffin exposing the truth about racism in the deep south of America. - Ross rates @ 5/5 (mum do they use this is modern studies?

I read some book by some Martina Cole chick - Was pants so not worthy of review.

So now for some pictures, which I might add is not as easy as you might think!
Been waiting ages for these to upload..costing money!!!!!!!!!Getting ready to hit the computer. It keeps speaking to me in SPANISH!

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Right thats been twenty minutes this hunk of junk has been attempting this simple task so Im calling it a day. Sorry again but no photos to entertain.

Anyway hopefully speek to you all soon. I fly back on 9/11 into Heathrow! Cant wait!!!!
Ross
x

Maya Ruins

Morning one and all,

So I since the last installment I have ade my way to the town of Copan, where I have been experiencing the world famous Mayan ruins. Roughly made in 700AD these are pretty impressive figures and plaza!!!

My next stop is a colonial town in Guatemala called Antigua. There Im expecting to do more partying, adventure sports and perhaps doa spanish course!!

Travelling with a guy called Karl from the states. Nice guy that I met in my hotel. However, last night he was demonstrating his break dancing, and stood on a glass and stuck a tiny shard in his foot. So he is away to the doc jsut now to get it out. We all agreed that a real man would just bite his teth and use tweezers, but we must remember he is an american break dancer, therefore a wimp by definition!!!!!

Again no pictures on my sight. None of that amatuer diving, or me surrounded by blondes. Nope this sight is intended to be more culturally in depth and educational!!!!!

Will talk soon.
Ross

Returningto the Tropical island(its a hard life!!!)

Ola!

Well this is me now about to start the final week of my opwall adventure. I know what your thinking! "Was it not six weeks he had planned?" Well it originally was, but I have decided to cut it short as I feel like seeing some new scenery!! heading to Mexico or Belize!

Today Im off to Beunas Aries, a local village, for a party and a opwall vs. local football match!

This morning i watched the sun set from a harness thirty meters off the ground!!!!!(Have learnt canopy acess roping skills!!!!) What a view!!

Unfortunately I cant show you photos as the computers are mince and take ages to uplaod. Its fair enough, I am in the middle of the rain forrest!!!!

So until next time
Ross
xxx

Week @ Base camp

Afternoon one and all!

Well since my last blog not a great deal has happened! As usual I have missed out in all the action while I was away on a two day trek with some canadian school kids. One guy got air lifted for a snake bite and one member had a psychotic break down and threatened to kill another member of staff!!All blown out of proportion by every one(scientists are weird) but needless to say the medical staff(The GPand nurse) brought some sense to the situation!!!

Trek was fun. I thought I was the playstation generation and then I saw this lot!!!!! WOW! They were so unfit!!!

Anyway I spent two days reading my book by a water fall and eating three meals a day. Keep reminding myself that days off are allowed and that its good to relax!!!!

Anyway I wil leave you wit some pictures to browse...
Ross
xx

p.s. no pictures. Computers are a bit annoying!!!!!1

Now jungle trained!!!!!!!

Dear one and all,

Its now two weeks into the big adventure and I am a changed man!
Not only am I jungle trained, but I have experienced first hand what it is to lie on a tropical island and do absoloutely nothing apart from maintain a heart beat below fifty.

Cayos Cachinos(the island) had many school children to heal, many divers to cure and many oportunities to dive!!!! Needless to say i have wangled my way back there for anothertwo weeks!!!

Since my tropical island experience, i have been trained in the art of fire(in a damp rain forest), snare and trap setting, and of course, hammock and bassa sleeping!
In this week experience I wore the same clothes throughout, only ever wore shorts, suffered from perpetual diarrhoea and was named "hardcore" Ross.

Now I am in the relative luxuary of base camp where there is no medicine to do, no real hurry to do anything and all day to tackle this challenge!!!

Perhaps of more significance is the fact I passed my exams with my best grades ever!!!!! So I am able to stay in fifth year and only have seven blocks left!!!!!!!!!

Right time to go,
Sorry no picture , but if I leave this computer to get my camera, really annoying herpatologists will jump on it and "input urgent data!"

Keep it real
Ross
xx

Ladies and gentleman......the exams are over!!!
LET THE FUN BEGIN.

So its been a while since last entry. This is because my life has been dull. No interesting stories. just dull.

"Well this will be a crap blog" I hear you say!! Well things are about to change. HONDURAS is awaiting. I leave in under ten hours, all my bags are packed and I have enough anti mosy cream to bathe in.

Leaving from Glasgow, my plan is to give the gayest air steward a wink, and see if i can get upgraded?Worth a try at least!
from Glasgow i have a quick stop in London and Miami before reaching San Pedro Sula in Honduras.

Dont know what happens when I arrive or where I'm going but I'm sure it will all work out.

Will keep you updated as much as possible. Enjoy our summer here in Scotland! Almost dont want to leave!

Check out the BBC for a glimpse of Honduras http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/country_profiles/1225416.stm

hasta luego!!
(no hablo espanol, but I bought a phrase book!)

Ross

Count down begins

Two weeks and counting.......

I cannot wait to dump all this useless knowledge that i have tortured my mind with over the last two months!!

On top all that there was a fiasco involving my phone(got lost in the Amazon!!!), banks are robbing me in my sleep and it seems that everyone else is either on Holiday or on holiday.

Calum graduated on Monday on a lovely sumers day. This was followed by a rather nice garden party which was folowed by a meal at the chip on Ashton Lane.(This had consequences....2 day hang over!!!)

Yet there is light at the end of the tunne!!!!!Only two weeks until the start of the big adventure!!!

Anyway, back to the books.
Hope every one is well
Ross xx

Oh and Calum(on right of photo) is off to travel the America and Australia for two months!!Safe travels and remember to shop in Express!Great shop in the states!