The sun sets on my South American journey
Today I fly to the Big Apple for some very last minute training before my big charity bike ride in a couple of weeks.
I’ve had the most wonderful time here. I’ve met some amazing people, ate some delicious food, ate some not so delicious food and I’ve had the chance to learn about many different cultures as well as learning a lot about myself.
I didn’t get the chance to visit Venezuela but I promise you I’ll be back soon. Angel Falls and the Lost World still sit high on my list of things to do.
I started my travels almost 11 months ago. I’ve visited 12 countries in Central and South America. I hope I’ve shown you not just how beautiful these countries are but just how safe they are as well. I’ve not had one problem since I started travelling. I’ve never felt threatened or unsafe and I’ve met nothing but wonderful people from all the countries I’ve visited and left each one with a full heart.
Turn off the news because the the world is filled with good, kind and generous people.
Muchas Gracias to all the countries I have visited. I’ve loved visiting every single one of you.
X
Thing #10 – Hear the water thunder down at Iguazu Falls
I first saw Iguazu Falls when reading my very first copy of National Geographic. I remember thinking how beautiful it was and was amazed that so many waterfalls could be seen in one place. It’s been on my wish list ever since and it was everything I hoped it would be.
Iguazu falls in one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. 247 separate waterfalls spanning the border of Argentina and Brazil and is considered to be the most beautiful set of waterfalls in the world.
Both Argentina and Brazil have made national parks on either side of the falls which means you can see the falls from every angle.
I spent the day on the Argentina side and then ran over to the Brazilian side the following day before I set off for Rio.
There was a storm the day before I visited the park which is why the water looks brown. Due to deforestation the river, when flooded now runs over soil rather than vegetation so it picks up the debris and turns the water brown.
There is a theory that negative ions created by waterfalls make people happy. I was ridiculously happy that day but I think it was more because of being awe struck at seeing nature at it’s most powerful! I also met some amazing people. Two of which recognised my T-Shirt and came up to ask if my name was Greig! Ha! Love it.
It was great to meet you Jo and Trav.
Definitely one for your lists gang.
X
A change of plan
Adios South America, Hello USA!
The plan was always to travel right the way round South America but I’m afraid an offer has been made that is just too good to refuse.
I have been asked to take part in a 2 day, 140 mile bike ride across the state of Connecticut in the USA in support of The Hole in the Wall gang camp. The ride is called Angel Ride.
The Hole in the Wall Gang camp was founded by the late and great actor Paul Newman in 1988. The camp is a place where seriously ill children can go and forget their worries, make life long friends and feel normal.
The foundation also arranges visits for children who are in hospital by taking camp to them.
Paul’s mantra was a place where sick children could go and ‘raise hell’ and just be kids again. He wanted a place which would provide seriously ill children with a fun filled experiences defined by laughter, compassion and acceptance.
The winter has been very harsh in the states this year and the number of entrants for the ride are significantly lower than previous years. The organisers are worried that people will drop out because they have the mind set that “if I can’t finish the ride, I’m not going to do it”. This will therefore drop funds which will mean less visits to children in hospitals and Angel Ride will have wasted money on orangish the event.
That’s where I come in! It’s been 3 and 1/2 years since I was diagnosed with bowel cancer, I’ve got a blood clot in the vain that takes blood back to my heart and I’ve done no training whatsoever…..in fact the only time I’ve ridden a bike in the past 25 years was to ride downhill on both ‘death road’ in Bolivia and on the jungle inca trail.
The organisers of Angel Ride hope my participation will encourage others to also give it a go. After all it’s not about the riders, it’s about the kids!
This is ridiculously short notice and my trip has now taken a entirely new route. This will be without doubt be my biggest challenge yet. The ride is on the 24th and 25th May so I’ve got just a few weeks to prepare.
My heart tells me I can do it and I hope my body feels the same way once I get going. The first day is 85 miles with a approximately 5000ft of climbing! Yikes!
Most people I have spoken to have said I probably won’t be able to do it. My big brother believes I can do it and I believe in him so I’m pumped and ready to go!
An amazing guy called Andy is in the process of building me a bike to use (See pic).The organisers are frantically looking for some equipment I can use and it’s all very last minute.
The reason I want to do this is because I feel very strongly about charities such as these. Charities which help people directly and concentrate on a persons mental well being.
Places and people like this make all the difference to the life and recovery of a child because it starts making life fun again.
Sponsorship
I have asked you for a lot of sponsorship lately in the form of my head shave for the Leukaemia Foundation, Cancer Research UK and my big brother’s Marathon Des Sables race in aid of Prostate Cancer UK.
You have been so kind and supported me. I would love it if you could sponsor me for this wonderful cause please.
I have set myself a $1000 target. I’m not sure if that is realistic or not as I only have a few weeks until the actual event.
This is my Marathon Des Sables.
I plan to film the camps facilities, the reaction of the children and also see the hole in the wall gang in action in hospitals so I will show you first hand where your money is going.
I have always dreamed about creating a similar camp/park in the UK but for both children and adults. I know I could have used something like this as an adult as well.
Wish me luck gang and thank you for everything.
Sponsor link: https://www.crowdrise.com/Greig-AngelRide2015/fundraiser/greigtrout
x
Religion
I’ve just spent the past week volunteering at a Hare Krishna Eco Yoga Park. Working in the organic garden, eating amazing vegan food and practicing yoga in the afternoons in between naps and reading Game of Thrones (so good).
I only really came here to stay so I could recharge my batteries and stay in one place for longer than a few days but I’ve ended up learning so much whilst staying here.
I was going to start this post with ‘I’m not a religious person’ but then I realised I didn’t really know what the exact definition of religion actually is.
It turns out Religion is….’ the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods’.
When I think about this it makes me realise that except for the worship part, I am actually religious. Although I believe in the Big Bang theory and evolution I also wonder where all the gases came from in the first place to set the Big Bang off. Nothing just appears from nothing. There must be something that created these gases in the first place. What or who that was I have no idea but it’s something I’ve thought about for a long time now.
Although I don’t follow any of the different forms of religions I do respect them. When I was ill many people prayed for me which I was so grateful for. On my 21st birthday the vicar from the town I’m from in Scotland wrote to me to say that they had prayed for this day back when I was ill as a child. I was really overwhelmed by this. If anything I like religion because it helps give people hope and purpose.
When I left on this trip my mum gave me a holding cross so I could hold it so I could think about her and dad whenever I got sad or ill. For me the cross symbolises the love of my parents but for my mum maybe it’s a little something to let her know that god is watching over me. Either way I love it because my mum gave me it.
I knew nothing of Hare Krishna before I got here but now that I’ve learnt a little bit I really like their way of life. There are too many things to mention in one post but what I really like is their diet and the beliefs that shape it.
They live a vegan lifestyle which means they don’t eat meat, fish or dairy products. They do this because they want to live in harmony with the environment. The buildings are made out of natural resources which don’t damage the environment and they get their food from the gardens in the park.
One of the many reasons they don’t eat meat and the one I found most fascinating is because we are not actually born with the tools to kill animals. A lion or a tiger is born with big claws and sharp teeth, designed to kill other animals. Our hands are small with opposable thumbs and perfect for picking things like fruits and berries. If we were try and kill a cow with our bare hands and with no weapon it would be pretty difficult. Our intestinal tract is 12 times our body length (like other herbivore animals) which means meat can take up to 7 days to digest. A lions (or any other carnivore) intestinal tract is only three times their body length so that rapidly decaying meat can pass through quickly. This means that so much energy is spent trying to digest meat. Ever wondered why you feel lethargic after a big roast dinner?!
I’m not sure if I’ll ever be a full on veggie or vegan but this experience has definitely got me thinking about how I’d like to live my life.
I have this image that when we die we go to a big lecture theatre where someone explains everything about the universe, what exactly happened, is there a god and that little question of ‘why are we here?’
Happy Easter gang
X
Tango then rest
Thing #8 – Learn the Tango in Buenos Aires
Well the time has come to film my Tango!
I’ve now had six lessons with the wonderful Lucia and Gerry here in Buenos Aires and I’ve loved every single second of it. These guys are without doubt the best teachers on the planet. They’ve helped someone with no rhythm whatsoever learn to dance. They’ve been so kind to me and have offered to pay for a professional videographer to film my dance for my video. Very excited but also very nervous. What wonderful people.
Please remember 6 hours worth of lessons isn’t an awful lot so please don’t expect miracles gang!:) I’ve watched Strictly Come Dancing (UK version of Dancing with the Stars) for years now and I became addicted to it. I can’t sing, I can’t play a musical instrument and until now I couldn’t dance. Today I’m going to tick off Thing #8 on my list and this was one of the things I was most looking forward to achieving.
It’s showtime! See the video here.
x
A day for being grateful
A day that should have been one of celebration was mostly spent with very mixed emotions.
I spent most of Thursday night getting rid of whatever nastiness I ate that day. As a result I was up all night vomiting and all sorts of other horrible stuff. I unfortunately fainted whilst in the bathroom and my poor friend Kiki found me slumped on the bathroom floor. I think her and half the hostel were woken up by the thud of my head banging off the floor.
I spent most of Friday hooked up to a drip in the wonderful German hospital where I had my check up.
As I lay there I experienced all the feelings I had felt when I was going through cancer;- fear, exhaustion, sickness and anger. As I did when I was diagnosed as a 30 year old I felt it was my fault that I was ill.
Thoughts of having to go home and memories of chemo and radiotherapy all came flooding back. The question of ‘could I ever go through it again?’ also came up.
After about 4 bags of whatever they were pumping into my veins I started to feel better and the doctor gave me my blood results which were all normal. 3 and 1/2 years all clear! Amazing! My life and my trip can continue.
I wanted to share this wonderful news with you yesterday but when I arrived back at my hostel I received very sad news that a young girl called Claire, who’s mum has been following my journey, had died suddenly. She had been suffering from a brain tumour. I have never met Claire or her Mum but I feel very close to them. Claire’s mum, Lynette, would often email me to tell me how Claire was doing and that they were inspired by my experiences. I was so sad to hear this news. We had made plans to all meet when I was in Australia. Claire was so young and I cannot begin to imagine how her family must be feeling right now.
If I’m completely honest, every now and again I’ve caught myself taking my new found health for granted. This day was again a massive reminder of how lucky I am to be healthy and to still be here, let alone be able to do this wonderful trip. Thing #5 on my list was to have an entire day where I didn’t think about cancer. I’m not sure I want this anymore. I don’t want to forget I’ve had cancer now, I just don’t want to be scared of it anymore. I want to be feel grateful that I was one of the lucky ones.
My love and thoughts are with Lynette and her family. I am so sorry for your loss and although we never got the chance to meet, I want you to know that Claire has inspired me to be a better person.
X
6 month check-ups and treats
Tomorrow is my 6 month check up at the hospital. The last time I had my blood checked I was in San Jose in Costa Rica back in September. When I receive my amazing results this time round it will be three and half years since I was diagnosed with bowel cancer. I always tell people how confident I am that the results will be good ones but every six months my sleeping gets worse and I experience thoughts that maybe cancer and I aren’t quite finished with each other yet.
Right now I feel like a machine. I’m the fittest I’ve ever been, I’m outside everyday, I’m doing pretty much everything I’ve ever wanted in life and yet there is still a little part of me that thinks negatively. I often wonder if most people who have been ill feel like this before they go for their check ups.
To help me with this feeling of dread when I go for my check ups I often treated myself to something I love. This treat used to be in the form of a CD from the record shop next to my hospital on Tottenham court road in London. I used to love walking around the record shop looking at all the amazing music and deciding which one I was going to buy.
Of course digital downloads took over so now my treat when I go the hospital is having a cup of hot chocolate.
These things are only small but they made me feel really good and happy.
I’m a big believer in nutrition and eating healthy but I also believe in everything in moderation. I eat healthily more than I eat rubbish but now again I fancy something really cheeky and the way it makes me feel can surely only be good for me…can’t it? 🙂
The moral of the story is that everyone should treat themselves every now and again, especially when you’re feeling down. You deserve it!
I did a little reconnaissance mission today to find out where the hospital in Buenos Aries is and it just so happens that there is a Starbucks across the road! Life is good! 🙂
(This pic was taken when I was in Ecuador and I shared this I promise :))
Little boys lost, tango lessons and the worlds greatest bookshop
As my big brother runs across the desert in the MDS I’ve been getting to know the amazing Buenos Aires. I only came here to take some Tango lessons but I’m now totally in love with the place. Lovely friendly people, Tango nights, an old theatre turned into a bookshop and a cemetery that looks more like a posh housing estate.
The Recoleta Cemetery is like its own mini city where Argentina’s elite are laid to rest in beautiful marble graves. This is where Evita also rests.
Little boy lost
At Sundays market I was walking along I heard a group of people doing a slow clap. When I got closer I saw a police officer holding a child with people standing around him. It turns out that the little boy had lost his parents and this was the way they helped find them for him. They walked down the street and as they did everyone would start clapping. I hope they found them.
Tango Nights
I went to my first Milonga last night which is a Tango dance hall with an amazing live orchestra. If you come to Buenos Aries this is a must see. I absolutely loved it. It had everything that I love, dancing, singing, live music.
That’s me cutting a rug with my dance teacher Lucia who is very very patient! 🙂
As for the Tango lessons, I’m loving them but Frankenstein seems to have taken over my body! I need to get him out. I’m not sure shorts are exactly tango etiquette either. The video for that one should be interesting! 🙂 x
Adios Ryan… Hola Buenos Aries!
The good news is I’ve arrived in the amazing city of Buenos Aries in Argentina. I’ve come here with one thing on my mind…to learn the Tango!
I’ve made no secret of the fact my favourite TV show in the world is Strictly Come Dancing (or Dancing with the stars as it’s known everywhere else). Much to the amusement of my pals.
I love this show as I can’t dance to save my life so I just sit looking at the TV mesmerised by what these guys can do. I’ve always wanted to learn to dance like they do.
I feel it’s now time to unleash the dancer within and show these pros how it’s really done! This could well be my greatest challenge yet!:)
The bad news is my good pal Ryan flew back to the UK after an incredible 10 weeks travelling with me around Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. He’s now off home to continue being the worlds greatest Crime Scene Investigator (he hates it when I say that). People of London sleep easy, the saviour is back at work on Monday. Criminals watch out! 🙂 Thanks for an amazing time amigo.
X
‘Trout and Wine’
Well, I’ve left the beautiful Patagonia and headed north (on one 29 hour bus ride and then a 16 hour bus ride) up to a place called Mendoza in Argentina.
I’ve been looking forward to coming here for ages as it’s wine country and I’m a big fan of my red wine. I don’t drink much anymore so my idea of a crazy night out these days is a nice meal with a cheeky glass (or a bottle if I’m feeling really crazy) of red wine!
The truth is I haven’t got a clue about wine except that I quite like it. When looking at a wine menu I mostly ignore all of the names and types and focus entirely on the price!:). So tomorrow, I’m off on a wine tour with a company called, believe it or not…’Trout and Wine‘ to learn about wine…and taste a wee bit in the process! 😉
When I booked it I asked if I could get a discount for having the same name and the guy gave me a free bottle of wine! For years people have laughed at my name but I bet there not laughing anymore. Instead of laughs, I now get wine! 🙂 x