Andrew has some interesting priorities for his round the world trip packing. Our latest STA Explorer, who will be using social media to share the tips and tales of his travels with us over the next 7 months, will be visiting India, Mongolia, China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Australia, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru - so some serious preparation is in order.

His first post outlines how he decided on his itinerary and sorted out his visas and insurance with help from the Kensington branch of STA Travel - useful reading for anyone considering a similar jaunt. However, he has also been stocking up on some essential equipment, and with 5 days before departure he decides to do a test run:

I took all of my new gear to Keswick at the weekend to test it out. The mosquito spray was useless, as was the penknife. I sprayed a badger and knifed a squirrel but they were never real threats to my safety. The best thing I took by far was the head torch. Mainly for the fun factor. You feel like you’re in a swot team, when all you’re really doing is annoying people.

Oh dear me. It sounds like this is going to be a very interesting trip indeed. May the outraged comments on his blog from the Squirrel Protection Society commence.

Like many gap year travellers, Nick is determined to make a difference during his months in South America. His latest blog post describes his arrival in Uycho, where he has been teaching kids from the local orphanage and building a wall to defend the town’s local reservoir.

However, volunteering is more complicated and difficult than just crusading in like western knights in armour to sort out the problems of the poor. Nick describes their struggles to deal with hyperactive kids and adults who are, ironically, the opposite:

we were midway through the second week and we still hadn´t had any support from the locals. We were getting a bit tired of the whole ´si mañana´attitude

But with perseverance and a bit of imagination Nick and his fellow volunteers get the kids engaged and finally get going with the wall, learning how to work and play the Uycho way. He’s now headed to Lima and La Paz, so keep on top of his blog and don’t be afraid to leave comments and ask questions if you’re interested in a regular guy’s view of a South American adventure.

Have you seen Tim’s itinerary? He’s really travelling; gadget boy is literally going global, courtesy of some serious organisation carried out by his good self, and some on his behalf by his local STA outcrop in Brighton.

The only problem had arisen was when attempting to get from Bermuda to Cuba, a process divulged in detail in his latest post on Random Projects. For brevity, just take my word for it, between odd flight routes and the US trade embargo it’s awkward. In fact about as awkward as a phone call with Mexican Airlines customer services, a service provided in a language you don’t speak… Tim’s main reason for apprehension regarding calling them realised immediately.

After being unable to sort a flight to fit it with the STA world tickets available and struggling to purchase the only flight suitable (Mexico City to Havana), Tim decided to be decisive:

“I even did a quick tour of local travel agents and basically got told (with a smirk sometimes) that as I hadn’t booked the whole trip with them they wouldn’t help (even after what I thought was some very reasoned debate on my part sometimes). That really was the last straw. Wait till the recession hits them! Then they’ll want my money!

“Hmmm sooo maybe as these agents weren’t saying they couldn’t do it, the one that booked our trip could? Bizarrely only now did I pick up the phone to Julia at STA in Brighton and pop the question.”

Ok, presumably that question was ‘can sort me out with a pair of tickets on this flight’ outside the world ticket, not the question. This assertion is confirmed by Tim who after having tickets sorted for almost exactly the same flight by Julia (good work) he received a second call:

“About 7pm the mobile went, it was Julia again, she’d found the exact flights I wanted originally, same price, all sorted! I wasn’t expecting that!”

Even better work Julia!

Ever since an early understanding that Point Break is, without exception, the best action film ever made, I’ve accepted that surfing is pretty much the coolest way to spend your time.

So when the opportunity arose to cover a few web based travel morsels on the subject, including World Surf Travel Blog, I stepped up. Sadly this site looks a little dormant, no posts since June. Nevertheless, there is plenty of insight (see Inca Cola’s slogan, Peru’s favourite drink - ‘With creativity, anything is possible’) all punctuated by wave walking escapades.

Next up is this short thread from LonelyPlanets’ Thorn Tree Travel forum that ties nicely in with the above, as folks give up their picks for the best Peruvian breaks. Before tackling these though, it’s probably best, in my case at least, to admit beginner status and do as Andy Brook did, have a lesson.

Once up to scratch, the World Reviewer’s Best Surfing in the World page will offer more than just rich pictures of dudes doing their thing in spectacular board and water based scenarios. It’ll be a site full of places for you to get in touch with the ‘source‘.

For the purpose of this post, Mexico is all about cooked flesh.

The poultry in the first instance that comes from the dramatically titled Los Banditos post on the blog of Chris and Lorna doesn’t actually get eaten, just buried. After a smoking and neck breaking that is. Are you thinking Baron Samedi too? Anyway this ritual was performed by what Chris describes as,

“…sort of Catholics, but with extra smoke, candles and some remainder beliefs from the Mayan religions, and minus the priests.”

And after the chicken burying they break eggs on themselves and drink rum and coke, which, rids them of all ills. Sounds voodoo-tastic!

Next up is DC Curry of DC’s Blog, who has been leading a troupe of teenagers across Mexico, volunteering as and when is appropriate. This involved taking some kids for a day out splashing around in a pool before eating steak. Be sure to never swim on a full stomach. The nosh was enjoyed by all, especially DC himself,

“Steak Taco’s make me happy.”

Finally, I’m sure with the recent heat wave across the UK, or brief split in cloud cover as most are calling it, you’ll have attended a barbecue. So what better way to finish, than with a Mexican open air grill, in fact a whole market dedicated to them? Enjoyed for around 12 hours by Chrsitine of Yobosayo, the next 24 were less pleasurable (eugh), and unfortunately there is no word on whether it was worth it…

Time for a new addition to our hall of fame and a worthy addition I feel. Wayne Bernhardson writes Southern Cone Travel, a blog that delivers detail and definite knowledge on the area.

The Southern Cone is literally the cone shape at the southern end of South America and includes Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and parts of Paraguay and Brazil. Wayne has spent almost 30 years travelling the region and is excessively well qualified in the art of exploration; just run your eyes down his about section.

Latest posts include the state of the Argentinean Airline, Aerolíneas Argentinas, what it is like to ride the colectivo (city bus) in Buenos Aires and the arrival of the Paris to Dakar rally in Argentina and Chile, odd but true, due to unmitigated circumstances that led to the suspension of the 2008 event.

Final word though to Wayne himself regarding his grasp of other languages,

“I speak fluent Spanish, less fluent German, serviceable Portuguese and desperation French.”

Desperation French huh? I know all about that…

Once you get over the fact that you’ll now have that classic Sons and Lovers tune in your head for the rest of the day, I suggest you have a peak at our new STA Explorer’s blog. Em is a 20 year old student from Northumbria University in Newcastle who is on an exchange programme for a year in Mexico City, which should be invaluable for her International Business with Spanish course. She chose to take her placement there:

because its just completely different to the UK, with so much interesting and exciting cultural and historical aspects

and she’s already got thoroughly stuck into exploring all of the above. She’s tried local snacks such as las papas and gorditos in the capital Toluca, while wandering the Cosmovitral; she also blogged about her horse trek to the quaint market town Ixtapan de la Sal, taken some amazing photos of the Grutas de las Estrellas cave, and recommended a great restaurant in Valle de Bravos. And of course there’s her latest post about the legendary Acapulco, where she’s been hitting the local bars and clubs and watching the crazy cliff divers.

As Em is there for a year, she’ll be a great one to follow as she discovers what it’s like to live and play in Mexico in depth. Head on over to ask any questions about her experiences with STA Travel, Mexico or indeed drinking cocktails by the yard!