Huangshan Mountain

The Asian Games kindly gave us two weeks on our accreditation as a visa for visiting China so I was determined to make the most of it. It's not often someone pays for your travel and visa to a country that normally involves a bit of effort to get in and out of!

I bought the Lonely Planet and delved in, toying with ideas of seeing Beijing or the Great Wall or stuff like that. But, especially as initially we were being asked to fly in/out of Hangzhou, I decided to stick with the region around Hangzhou (roughly). In the end I was able to book return flights to Shanghai, but I still think it was probably a good choice.

Anyway, I always like to get out of a city I've been in for an event and find some nature, so Huangshan (Yellow) Mountain looked appealing as one of the choices of where to go. It's not too far west of Hangzhou and is on the Unesco heritage list, as are some nearby 'ancient villages', Hongcun and Xidi. My original plan had me heading to Hongcun first, but then I realised that would land me in Huangshan on a weekend, which is specifically warned against by the LP, so I shifted to head to Huangshan first from Hangzhou.

It was an easy train-bus-bus journey from Hangzhou to the mountain, with my suitcase deposited at the 'tourist distribution hub' nearest to the mountain before the second bus. I was helped a bit by a Chinese-American couple who were on the first bus in terms of finding the way to the second bus station - although it's a tourist destination, English language signs are few and far between, and nobody really speaks English. A translation app is essential if, like me, your Mandarin is severely limited. 

Again, following Lonely Planet advice, I'd settled on hiking up the mountain via the Eastern Steps and down by the Western Steps. I'd booked two nights in a hotel on the top of the mountain so I could properly enjoy it - I could possibly have got away with one night, especially if I'd used the cable cars, but I'm glad I took it more leisurely. In the middle day I did the West Sea Canyon loop, which took me down into the depths of a canyon before taking me back up the other side. Going down was busy with people, until the bottom of a cablecar, but it was super quiet after that until I got back up to the summit area again. I also got up for sunrise both days.

The mountain has been a destination for Chinese visitors for several centuries, and there is an immense network of granite steps (apparently 60,000 of them) and pathways to channel you around. Compared to the sorts of paths I'm used to on mountains and hills at home, it was a bit manicured, but the volume of visitors is immense and anything less solid would just erode insanely quickly. The steps cling to the side of the mountains and the gradients are often insanely steep - I ascended 400m in just 1km of walking at one point.

The views from the top are spectacular. I got two sunny clear days, devoid of the 'seas of cloud' Huangshan is famous for, but giving me uninterrupted views of the karst peaks. Sadly the views also make it a huge tourist destination, with many people coming in groups led by guides wearing portable amplifiers. At the top, between the cable car stations, you cannot escape the hordes, even in the week AFTER the national holiday when I'd hoped it would be quieter. I saw people in all sorts of clothes and footwear, including fancy dresses and nice leather shoes; velvet suits; silk shirts; Crocs; and a few others in what you might call hiking gear like me. Some had even dragged up small wheely suitcases. 

The worst was Lotus Peak, the highest point, which was on the way 'down' towards the Western Steps. It was cloudy when I started that day and I was in two minds about whether to bother with Lotus Peak at all, but it was still early and the weather improving when I got to the bottom of the steps up. My map told me it was less than 500m with 100m of ascent, and I scoffed at the sign that told me it would take three hours to get up and down - I'd been routinely smashing the suggested times for climbing things. And indeed it took only about 15 minutes to get most of the way up, before I hit a queue to complete the climb. 

Basically Lotus Peak has two ways up/down and the top is a bottleneck for the two routes to converge, through a narrow cleft that can only fit one person at once. So you have hundreds (if not thousands) of people all wanting to get to the top along narrow paths, and a one-way system at the summit proper. I queued about 40 minutes to get to the top, where the views were admittedly superb, and then decided to go down the other way. The line going up on that other path stretched at least halfway down the mountain and I can't imagine how long those people will have waited for their 30 seconds at the top. Safe to say I was devoutly grateful to finally escape the crowds and start on the Western Steps down (allegedly 6.5km and four hours; actually about 2.5km and less than 90 minutes).

Practicalities:

• From Hangzhou I caught the train to Huangshan North railway station, which was about 90 minutes
• Leaving the station, turn right and follow the signs for the scenic buses. Ask for a ticket to Tangkou (19 RMB) 
• The shuttle bus drops you in Tangkou town, and then you have to walk about 500m following signs for the tourist distribution hub to get the next bus (another 19 RMB) which will take you to the Yungu cablecar station
• The information desk in the Tangkou hub will store bags, 15 RMB per day
• If you have WeChat working or a Chinese number attached to Alipay you can buy your ticket to the mountain at the ticket desk at the entrance to the distribution hub - ask for help. Mine wasn't working, so the lady photographed my passport and that got me through to the bus station. I then bought my entry ticket to the mountain (190 RMB) at Yungu, through the app with help from the nice lady there, after I'd changed my phone number in Alipay!
• Your passport number will be required for all the buses and tickets
  
• Take snacks - food and drink on top of the mountain is expensive, although there's a reasonable choice and water was just 8 RMB for a 550ml bottle
  
• If you have dodgy knees take a stick, or buy one in Tangkou. I didn't, it was okay, but it took three days for my legs to recover ...

The Thames Path: wrap-up

It's the day after I finished and I keep stubbing my little toe which ended up with a blister on it, largely thanks to yesterday's wet socks, I think. However largely the aches and pains of last night are fading and I kind of wish I'd spent today, which has been gorgeous, outside walking again.

I stitched together the whole length of the walk on Strava, which produced a map that is pretty mind-blowing. As one of my friends noted on Facebook, I basically walked across the whole of England. She's a long old river, the Thames.

Strava also told me that I spent a total of just under 64 hours walking at an average pace of 12:30 per km and burned 26,761 calories doing so. My fastest kilometre was the 23rd, at 9:39; the slowest kilometre 136, at 16:29, when I was strolling with friends in Henley.

I'm not sure what my favourite day was - there were so many lovely parts to the walk. Possibly Friday, day 11, which was short and quiet and sunny. Day 5, to Hurley, was stunning though long; and I enjoyed most of day 6 to Reading until I got tired in the last 5k.

Catching up with friends and family en route was also a joy: thanks to Maya, Jane (and Blondie), Karon & Peter, Jon & Laura, Gav, Carrie (and Bella), and Frank & Julia for the company and gifts of food and drink. And to all friends who joined me virtually, as the comments and likes were a great morale boost when I was feeling tired.

My least favourite part remains the short walk alongside the A404 in Shillingford, although the hardest part was the last 2k through fields to the source! 

Things I'm glad about
I'm glad that I did this walk! It was really beautiful and it is immensely calming to walk by a river. It was fascinating watching the Thames change and seeing the variety of houses and boats on it and its banks. For a short while I felt like I was part of a special community of river-dwellers. I definitely fantasised about buying a barge and spending my days cruising the waterways, or becoming a lock-keeper.

I'm glad I took the opportunity to do it in one go while I had the time. I could have paced it out in chunks as many people do, and that would be nice too, but I don't think you'd get the same impact of the river changing.

I'm also glad I left my big camera behind! It would have added way too much weight and my phone does pretty good photos.

Things I wish I'd done differently
I should have carried less stuff (see gear list below). It would have been easier if I'd shed a couple of kilos somewhere.

In an ideal world I would have taken more time, walked more slowly and had a rest day somewhere. However, I had enough issues finding accommodation for the days I did do. It would have been easier from a practical perspective to do this in 'normal times' but then I don't usually have this much free time in summer when things are normal. I would have loved to stay at the lock campsites and that would have made things easier too, but they're all still closed and who knows when/if they'll re-open?

As far as regrets go, that's about it!

What next?
I am now very keen to tackle more of the National Trails, although quite when I'm not sure. They all look fantastic. I also want to try a bit of bikepacking (restricted slightly by current bikes, which are really road-suitable) as I need to get more use out of my awesome tiny tent.

--- 

Accommodation 

Laleham Camping Club - on the path! Friendly, small, volunteer-run site. Facilities were clean and the shower superb. A bit of traffic noise from the M3 nearby.

Hurley Riverside Park - on the path! A large site with excellent facilities including WiFi, friendly, but expensive at £32 for a non-electric tent pitch.

Reading Central Premier Inn - not on the path. Their other branch at Caversham Bridge, which is, was closed. Large comfy room with air conditioning and a bath! Not bad for £39 flexible booking.

The Swan at Streatley - lovely hotel right on the path with gardens by the river. Room was comfortable but a bit hot (there was a fan but it was a touch noisy). Good restaurant and very pleasant staff. However not cheap.

Bridge House Caravan Park - on the path! Small, simple site on the riverbank, lovely welcome, and a good pub (the Barley Mow) next door. A bit of traffic noise from the bridge. Not to be confused with Bridge House sites in various other places on the path.

Oxford Central Backpackers - welcomed me despite my booking being for the wrong day. Have been refurbishing. Decent sized dorm rooms, decent location, not too far from Osney Bridge on the path.

Hardwick Parks - a bit away from the path but the X15 bus runs infrequently from the path at New Bridge (the Rose Revived) to the site. Another big site, also a touch pricey at £28 for a non-electric pitch. Pitch not especially scenic but loads of room. Facilities clean and an excellent shower. Lake for swimming in!

Ye Olde Swan - on the path! Smallish camping field and a glamping field, basic but functional facilities (Portaloos). A little shop selling essentials like ice cream and a wonderful pub opposite where they also rent out paddle boards and kayaks. 

Second Chance Holiday Park - 15 minutes' walk from the path in Castle Eaton (in fact the path goes along the opposite bank). Very quiet, simple, right by the river. Facilities basic but functional and it was only £6 so I can't complain. 

Gear

Osprey 65L women's rucksack - apart from the waist straps rubbing until I worked them out, very comfortable even with a decent weight inside.

Alpkit Soloist tent - worth every penny I paid for it. Pitches really quickly, can be brought down in minutes, and big enough for me and all my stuff!

Alpkit down sleeping bag - maybe a touch too warm but I get a bit chilly when camping. Fairly light and compact. I can't remember which model it is.

Eurohike silk sleeping bag liner - I like that it's easy to wash!

Multimat Superlite Air mattress - I've had this for a while. It's pretty comfy and packs down to a tiny package, but does have a tendency to condensation inside.

Decathlon travel pillow - I need something for my head, and this works well on top of my bag.

Alpkit Kraku stove - a miracle of engineering. It's minuscule and weighs next to nothing. Works reasonably quickly, although not super-fast.

Gas canister - a 100g canister got me through four evening meals, four boils of water for porridge and coffee, and a couple of extra coffees. Having to buy a bigger one to replace it when it ran out was irritating.

Alpkit 650ml titanium mug - the stove and small gas canister fit inside this.

Enamel mug - I should have left it behind and just used the Alpkit mug, although I did use it for coffee.

Sea-to-Summit XKettle - I bought this in NZ. It's brilliant. Metal base and collapsible silicone sides, works as bowl or kettle!

All-in-one plastic knife/fork/spoon.

Osprey 1.5L water bladder - fits in a special pocket in my rucksack.
Travel towel

Clothes

Salomon walking boots - these did well and blisters were minimal except the last day; however they need re-waterproofing.

Bridgedale hiking socks x2 - one lightweight pair, one midweight.

Merino t-shirts x2 - one Rapha, one Icebreaker.

North Face walking shorts

DHB lightweight long-sleeved merino top

Rohan walking trousers - actually only worn in the evenings but glad I had them.

Old t-shirt and leggings as pyjamas 

2x crop-top style sports bras

4x knickers 

Patagonia Torrentshell jacket - thankfully barely needed 

Rohan travel shawl - useful extra warmth or something to sit on, although I could have left it behind without too much stress.
Bikini

Food

6 x Firepot dehydrated meals. All tasty. The dal was especially nice. However ... I might have been better off carrying less stuff and buying more en route.

9 x homemade granola bars, based on this Jamie Oliver recipe with a few modifications.

5 x Moma porridge sachets

Taylors' coffee bags
Jelly Babies for emergencies
All other food bought en route

Other stuff

Factor 50 suncream 

Antibacterial wipes

Hand sanitiser 

Toiletries

Boots Extra Tough Plasters - these really stayed put!

Assorted blister plasters 

Fabric strapping tape 

Anti-histamines, and assorted other hayfever/bite remedies

Ibuprofen and Deep Heat cream - the Deep Heat was buried at the bottom of my bag and I forgot I had it for a day or so. Then I used it once or twice and never got around to it again. It was a good idea, but I could have left it behind.

Matches (and a lighter, but I can't get the darned thing working).

Kindle

Head torch - could have managed without this, it was dark so late. I used it about twice.

Microsoft Surface tablet - for a few work things, a Zoom meeting, and watching a few downloads at night. Ideally would probably not have brought it, it added weight I could have done without.

RAV Power powerbank - chunky but holds a lot of charge.

Samsung Galaxy S9

Tomb and Buddha-spotting

After spending much of my couple of days in Seoul immersed in the history of the Joseon Dynasty, Korea's last ruling royal family before the country became a republic, it was interesting to reach Gyeongju and discover a much older history and the very tangible remnants they left behind.

Long before the Joseon Dynasty took power and over a millenium ago, Korea was ruled by the Silla Dynasty - originally as part of a three-kingdom state, and then once they'd done some conquering, in a 'unified Silla' period towards the end of the first millennium AD. In their capital Gyeongju they built great royal tombs of stone and covered them in earth, and now amid the growing modern city there are loads of these huge burial mounds dotted around. Rather like a team of enormous moles had been very very busy. At this time of year the mounds are the same dried-out golden-brown of most of Korea's countryside, but the pictures of them in the summer are bright green and admittedly much prettier.

Various excavations mean that they've unearthed lots of artefacts and treasures from the mounds and that was the focus of my first half-day or so in Gyeongju as I explored the parks where the burial mounds are situated and the Gyeongju museum, a well-curated collection of the stuff they dug up.

But Gyeongju is more than just burial mounds. The Silla converted to Buddhism towards the end of their era and started carving Buddha statues and Buddha images into rocks all over the place, and you can go exploring in the surrounding area to find many of these. Of course there are also slightly newer temples from the Joseon era too.

Bulguksa Temple is one of these, and one of the nicest and biggest temples I've visited with lovely grounds. In one of the prayer halls there was a service of some kind going on (a man was counting the number of shoes left outside) including the singing of some hymns. It was nice to see the place not just focused on tourism but also a proper living temple.

From Bulguksa I walked up the steep but pleasant 2km path to Seokguram Grotto, where a large Buddha sits serenely in a cave. Unfortunately they've put a big glass screen in front so you can't get very close, and they don't allow pictures, but it was a nice spot. There was a good side-trip from the Seokguram ticket office and car park up a small peak (745m high) with some nice views too and by the time I got back to Bulguksa and found a restaurant for lunch I felt quite satisfied with my morning. Especially as there were quite a few chipmunks along the paths; I don't think I've ever seen wild chipmunks before!

The best day in Gyeongju was the last day. South of the city is a small mountain range called Namsan, where the Silla had a fortress, and where there are lots of carvings, statues and stone pagodas (pillars, really) dotted around the forest. The Koreans love hiking and on an unseasonably warm Saturday the paths were packed with people, mostly middle-aged or older, out for a walk with friends and family. A number of them had small speakers in their bags or pockets and were playing music as they walked, which I do find a little unsociable, but even so there were times when it was me and the forest.

I climbed up from the start at Samneung on the western side of the range to a peak called Geumobong, following the frequent signs and taking a number of small detours to look at carvings and so on. From Geumobong I headed to Yongjangsa, where a stone pagoda sits majestically on the edge of a plateau overlooking the mountains - it was gorgeous. Then I headed down into the valley, across a swing bridge and back up another valley towards a temple called Chilburam where they have some very good Buddha carvings. Chilburam is a small, working temple and I was greeted by a smiling nun who ushered me in for radish tea and snacks served by an equally welcoming young monk with very good English who wanted to know all about my trip.

I ended the walk at Tongiljeon Palace, a more-recently built palace which had some nice photos of the region and some historic paintings telling the story of the Silla. It was a really lovely day.

Getting around Gyeongju

Gyeongju is dead easy to navigate and pretty small - it took me less than an hour to walk from my hostel near the bus stations to the museum. You can rent bikes and electric scooters too if you want. To get to Bulguksa I caught bus #10 from outside the express bus terminal. Buses 10 and 11 do loops from the bus terminals to Bulguksa in opposite directions and the temple is about halfway around the loop so it probably wouldn't matter which one you got.

To get to Samneung I caught bus #500 (a number of others go the same way), from the top of the street which runs along the east wall of Tumuli Park. These buses also leave from the bus terminals I think. I got bus #10 back from Tongiljeon after my hike took me over the Namsan range to the opposite side. 

The Tongariro Northern Circuit

New Zealand has nine 'Great Walks' - eight multi-day tramps and a kayaking trip (it's a journey). When I lived here I did three of the Great Walks and I was keen to do another this trip. After ruling out the South Island due to time, I had two to pick from; the walk around Lake Waikaremoana or the Tongariro Northern Circuit. Originally I'd decided to do Waikaremoana as it's less popular and its remoteness appealed, but it was proving tricky logistically and I didn't fancy the long unsealed road to get there. 

So I settled on the Northern Circuit. This is a four-day or less hike starting and finishing in the village of Whakapapa, nestled on the lower slopes of Mount Ruapehu in the Tongariro National Park. It takes you around Mount Ngauruhoe, across the saddle between it and Mount Tongariro, and then cuts back to Whakapapa past Ruapehu. Like all the Great Walks the track is (reasonably) well-maintained with huts to sleep in at intervals equipped with mattresses, gas stoves, toilets and running water and at this time of year staffed by a helpful Department of Conservation (DOC) ranger. 

Day one

Day one was advertised as a nice easy 9.4km from Whakapapa village to Mangatepopo Hut. As it was a shortish day I didn't hurry off - which meant most of the car parking in Whakapapa had gone, but consultation with the DOC lady in the visitors' centre solved that problem. I ate a solid cooked breakfast at the café in the village, shouldered my pack, and set off.

Although there isn't too much climbing this first day it turned out to be a tougher one than anticipated, largely thanks to the severe erosion of the track. One of the DOC rangers said it had been washed away in a big storm several years ago and DOC have yet to raise the money to repair it. While parts are beautifully board-walked and easy, much of it is basically a ditch and it was tricky walking. It was also incredibly hot and sunny, which meant stunning views of Ngauruhoe ahead but hard going. It was good to get to the hut, which suddenly appeared ahead nestled in a valley just off the Tongariro Crossing track. I then immediately felt totally inadequate as an older guy, German or Dutch, shouldered his pack again and announced he was off to finish his two-day Northern Circuit. He'd managed to get round with just one break and looked fresh as a daisy.

Over the afternoon more people arrived in varying states of knackered-ness and we started to get to know each other. Several of us were doing the circuit at the same rate - four days, three nights - and I was immensely lucky that everyone was lovely. As well as me, there were three youngish American couples, including Nate and Laura who were going to follow the TNC by getting married from a helicopter near Queenstown; a Canadian couple from Ontario; an Aussie couple from Perth; a group of three older Americans from Minnesota, two ladies and a man; and rocking up later on in the afternoon, four 17-year-olds from Wellington who took a very relaxed attitude to the whole thing and spent most of their time playing cards!

In the evening our ranger, Doug, gave the traditional welcome talk. He began in what sounded to me like pretty solid Te Reo Maori, before explaining his job at the hut, taking us through the safety points and other housekeeping. This routine is repeated every night at every DOC hut where there's a ranger. 

As the sun set Taranaki peeped his head over the distant clouds, which was magical, and we all retired to bed. I had to get up in the night and the stars were astonishingly bright.

Day two

We woke to clear skies in front of us but low cloud masking the horizon behind. Doug had told us the previous night that the bulk of the people doing the one-day Tongariro Crossing would be passing through between 6 and 8am, but when I set out at 8 it was still incredibly busy - and remained that way the rest of the distance that our paths coincided. On balance, getting the benefit of less heat was probably best.

The TNC and the Crossing follow the same route for perhaps 8km, climbing up the saddle between Tongariro and Ngauruhoe before crossing the vast South Crater, and then ascending again to the high point of the Red Crater. After that you descend steeply and quickly to the three Emerald Lakes (they're turquoise, really). That's where the paths divide, although Circuiteers can do a quick side-trip to see the vast Blue Lake too. 

The Crossing is known as the Thing To Do in this part of the world and thousands do do it, many vastly under-equipped for a 19km day hike. Most people I saw were in shorts and t-shirts and some sort of trainers. One girl was carrying an umbrella as a parasol. Not everyone or every group had a rucksack big enough to carry food and extra layers, which frankly is stupid as up at the top the weather can change very quickly (as I found out in 2007 when I did this walk with Mum and Dad, the clouds rolled in and it rained for most of the trek). 

The crowds didn't really stop me making progress and speed as I'd wished, despite my bag. I'm quite good at climbing and ascended steadily to the South Crater, pausing for a break and then crossing across to the ascent up to Red Crater. This bit of track now has chains as handrails at one point, which I didn't remember, and a lot of steps. I got my poles out and kept climbing. 

Looking across Central Crater from Blue Lake

 The view at the top was astounding. Red Crater is a deep crater of dark red iron-enriched earth, and below it you can see, sparkling like jewels, Emerald Lakes. Steam comes out from behind the lakes, which are highly sulphurous. 

The descent was something else - and I don't remember this from 2007 either! You have to get down a steep scree slope with a lot of loose stuff and a steep drop to either side. I don't like descending anyway, I hate scree, I hate steep drops, and I had a heavy pack on my back. I went very slowly and was very glad to be at the bottom. 

I did the side-trip to Blue Lake, which was pretty, and then set off to start the two-hour trip to Oturere Hut. At this point I bumped into one of the lads from Wellington who had lost his mates - it turned out later they'd simply descended Red Crater much more quickly and had gone off without him - so we walked the rest of the way together. While initially I was a bit narked at losing my lovely solitude actually he was good company and it was baking hot. He was struggling more than me so it was good to be the one encouraging someone else along! The landscape at this point was unreal, an alien moonscape of rocks and scrubby plants with Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu ever-present looming above us. 

Around 2km out from the hut we bumped into its ranger, Dani, who cheerfully informed us we had "only" 45 minutes left. It was a long 45 minutes but eventually we rounded a clump of lava rocks and there was shelter. 

Oturere Hut is smaller and older than Mangatepopo and a bit more cramped. I was there early enough to secure a prime bunk. Apart from the Wellington quartet, the only others there were a Kiwi guide and her Swiss-German clients walking the circuit in the other direction. The Swiss couldn't speak very good English so I chatted to their guide as I had a second lunch and discovered there was a waterfall just over the ridge where you could splash a bit and freshen up. She said you could go in flip-flops. I believed her. I was silly. It was a narrow, sometimes-steep short path to the top of the waterfall where I found a pool deep enough to sit in, and for a little while I did just sit there listening to the flow over the cliff a few metres distant and remembering the day's walk.

Day three

Day three of the circuit in this direction is blissfully short, only three hours. My bunkroom all slept in past 7 as the rest of the hut and campers were packing up and heading off, and it was nice to have breakfast and pack up in a leisurely fashion. I left along with one of the American couples, Phil and Kaiba from Austin, and we walked the day's 8.5km together chatting sporadically. This was a lovely walk, across the volcanic desert towards Ruapehu before descending sharply into a pretty beech forest. We had a snack by the icy cold fast-flowing river and then climbed up the other side of the forest, to be greeted by the sight of Waihohonu Hut only a short distance ahead. 

The original Waihohonu Hut was built in 1904 and still stands, a corrugated iron shed painted rust-red. The new one was opened in 2010 (there was another in between apparently) and was promptly nicknamed 'Taj MaHut' by the Aussies when they arrived. It's a 28-bunk palace with loads of space, cubby holes for your stuff, big tables inside, picnic tables outside, the works. Best of all are the big picture windows looking out on the mountains. 

Ruapehu on day three

Nearby is the Onehipango Springs, which bubble up out of the ground about a kilometre away from the hut. Phil, Kaiba and I walked there and filled our water bottles from the river just near the source of the spring - the coldest, purest water you could hope to taste. It was divine. Back at the hut everyone was splashing in the river by the campsite, which is also icy cold but with a pool deep enough to submerge yourself in. Everyone came back to the hut looking like they had just had the best experience of their lives - it was so good to feel cleaner and fresher!

While down at the river we heard the first few rolls of thunder in the distance, and much of the rest of the afternoon was spent watching the storn roll over Ngauruhoe and across the valley to Oturere. Eventually it reached us, and the heavens opened with huge raindrops and then hail which bounced off the floor and the tables outside. Luckily we were indoors, oohing and aahing at the lightning and the size of the hailstones. A few trampers were less lucky and arrived from Whakapapa looking like drowned rats. 

Our ranger for the night was called Horse. Apparently it's his real name. His parents were hippies. Anyway he informed us that the next day was the day of the Tussock Traverse, a 26km trail race for almost 1,000 runners from the Desert Road to Whakapapa along our track for the day. We all groaned, having just got over the Crossing crowds, and I decided to make a prompt start to try and miss as many of them as possible.

Day four

I was on the trail by 7.40am, stopping for a brief look at the old Waihohonu Hut before heading out across more volcanic desert landscape on the last leg. The trail undulates up and down but mostly up for a bit, before the trend becomes mostly down, and although the clouds covered the heads of Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe it was very atmospheric - and a little cooler! I made excellent time to the turnoff for Tama Lakes, and decided I had enough time and energy to do the trek up to the Upper Lake. This is advertised as 45 minutes. It's another steep climb up a slope but the ground wasn't too loose, and I got up and back in an hour including a stop at the slightly windy top for a view of another beautiful blue lake nestling under the slopes of Ngauruhoe.

Lower Tama Lake

Back on the track I was now being overtaken by trail runners regularly, but still kept on making decent progress towards Whakapapa. Just under an hour out I stopped at the top of Taranaki Falls, joined by Americans Natasha and Kevin, for a final lunch in the open before the last few kilometres back. My feet were sore, but I didn't really want it to end ...

Overall the TNC deserves its Great Walk title. It's a walk of constantly-changing landscape, with Ngauruhoe constantly at the centre. I met some great people and saw fantastic views and sights. It was a superb four days.

Tips for the walk

• Make sure you book well ahead on the DOC website to get a hut or tent spot for any of the Great Walks. Especially in summer, no booking will probably mean no bed. 
• And get a car park permit from the Whakapapa visitors' centre before you start walking. With this you can park for free in either of the car parks in Whakapapa for the length of the walk.
• The water was drinkable without treatment in all the huts - Mangatepopo and Oturere rely on rainwater tanks, Waihohonu has access to the river but at the moment was also purely rainwater. 
• In summer there are gas stoves in all the huts too so you can get away with just bringing a pot to boil water or cook with. 
• The huts have no electricity sockets (though to cut down on fires, they do have electric lights). 
• Walking poles are very useful, especially if you have a dodgy knee. 
• You can do this walk in fewer days; either starting from the carpark near Mangatepopo Hut, or by combining two legs (or all of them - it's a thing to try and do it in a day). However I liked having the time to be leisurely, and it was nice hanging out in the afternoons with the other trampers and also doing some reading.

Trekking in Colca Canyon

Did you know Peru is home to the world's two deepest canyons? The Cotahuasi and Colca Canyons are situated west of Puno and Lake Titicaca and south of Cusco, cutting into the dusty volcanic landscape and providing a great off-the-beaten track experience for intrepid travellers.

I wasn't quite intrepid enough to go to Cotahuasi, which is harder to reach and needs time I didn't quite have, but I did get to Colca. Originally I was going to do an organised tour from the fairly-nearby city of Arequipa, but a few enquiries demonstrated it was going to be tough and expensive as a solo traveller to find the right sort of tour for me, so I ended up going independently.

In the village of Cabanaconde, where the canyon is at its deepest, there's a hostel called Pachamama Home which many independent travellers seem to end up at. They give helpful trekking advice – its website was a good starting point although they encourage you not to trek solo. Nevertheless I booked a couple of nights there in the expectation of either finding trekking companions or the confidence to just go it alone. I figured it'd be easier once I'd spoken to other people and seen the landscape for myself.

I did the journey from Puno on a slightly expensive ($50) tourist bus which had a grand total of seven passengers, and that included a pair of American ladies suffering from altitude sickness who switched to a taxi at the turn-off for the canyon to come to Arequipa, which is lower down. Luckily one of the two other couples on the bus were also going to Cabanaconde, as when we arrived at the bus's terminus in Chivay, some 50km away, the 1pm public bus did not seem to exist. So I shared a cab instead with the Dutch couple who were travelling for a few months after working in New York.

In Cabanaconde it quickly became apparent that trekking the canyon solo, if you're at least moderately sensible and have some trekking experience, is perfectly safe and doable. The tracks are clear and signposted and there are lots of places to stay. The landscape is beautiful in a harsh, unforgiving sort of way and life looks pretty tough out there; especially at this time of year it is dry and dusty and, at between 2,000m and 3,300m above sea level, vegetation remains scarce and heavy on cacti. 

I had one day before heading into the canyon, so like the rest of the hostel, got up early, caught a bus and went to the viewpoint at the Cruz del Condor. This is a crag where a family of Andean condors live and every morning, more or less, some of them come out to glide among the mountains. On the morning I went there were three out; apparently there were 13 the following day (typical) but none the day after that. Condors are incredible birds, enormous and graceful, and they swooped above our heads for quite some time. It was just a shame that the viewpoint has become the stopping point on most tours' itineraries – there were lots and lots of people there. I wanted to confiscate the cameras or phones belonging to the people using flashes.

Back in Cabanaconde it was a beautiful day so I went for a mid-sized day hike up to some pre-Incan ruins and back to stretch my legs before heading into the canyon. Over dinner I had a nice chat with two fellow solo female travellers – one girl my age, who has left her job and bought a tent and is seeing South America through various treks, and a retired American lady who sold everything and is travelling for as long as she can afford on the hunt for something intangible she hasn't yet found. We agreed travelling was good and really anyone can do it. You just need to make the decision and go!

The following morning it was down into the canyon. My destination, Llahuar, was some 1,200m lower than Cabanaconde and the day's walk was mainly downhill. For the first hour it was quite nice downhill but then I had to get out the walking poles as it got steeper and steeper and more technical, with a lot of loose rocks and stones underfoot. Eventually the path zigzagged pretty much straight downhill at gradients of up to -46 per cent and I was extremely glad when I finally reached the river at the bottom of the canyon and had a bit of uphill instead. By the time I reached Llahuar my right knee, the leg I broke badly some 14 years ago, was really pretty sore.

Luckily Llahuar has some hot springs so I went and soaked for an hour and had a good chat with an American couple who'd also come from Cabanaconde that morning – leaving a little later than me. Then I collapsed in the rustic, basic but comfortable bamboo hut that was home for the night until the simple supper. It was a clear night and for the first time I could really see the stars, something we'd missed on the Salkantay trek.

Sangalle

Day two in the canyon was up and then down again to the 'oasis' of Sangalle. The up was made shorter but tougher by a nice old man in one of the little villages who pointed me off the gravel road and on to a short cut – it was shorter, but it was also steeper, and I cursed him for a while before realising how much distance the short cut had slashed! Four hours later, in Sangalle, I stumbled with my knee very sore into the first of the three lodges I came across, negotiated a bed for the night, and had a very similar afternoon to the previous day's – except in Sangalle there are no hot springs, but swimming pools filled with water from the rivers.

A tour group was staying in the same place and they started the next morning much earlier than I'd planned to. But their getting up woke me up and after failing to get back to sleep I just got up and went for the last leg; 4km straight uphill back to Cabanaconde. Ultimately this was the right decision as it meant the path was in shade and the morning light on the canyon walls was stunning. I made good time, catching up the slower end of the tour group and making it back to Pachamama in time for breakfast before the bus onwards to Arequipa.

Tips and tricks

• You can walk the canyon alone but make sure you have some sort of map (hostels like Pachamama provide basic ones), plenty of water and food. The food provided in the lodges is basic, vegetarian and the portions are not massive, so high-calorie stuff is sensible to carry. The terrain is tricky and you're still at fairly high altitude, so take your time, wear decent boots, and walking poles definitely recommended.
• I got a tourist bus with 4M Express from Puno to Chivay for $50 and then a taxi onwards to Cabanaconde for S/. 100 (split between three) – we negotiated down from S/. 120. The Puno-Chivay buses run once a day in each direction, leaving Puno early in the morning and Chivay at about 1pm.
• I went on to Arequipa from Cabanaconde on one of the regular public buses for just S/. 17. Timetables change, check Pachamama's website for details. It took a while – two hours to Chivay, a quick change of vehicle, and then another four hours to Arequipa. There are no facilities. But it's cheap!
• There's a 7am public bus from Cabanaconde to Chivay-Arequipa which will drop you at the Cruz del Condor for S/. 2. It was packed with tourists and locals, but many of the locals got off before the Cruz del Condor. Going back to Cabanaconde there's a bus which arrives between 9am and 9.20am for the same price.

Salkantay Trek and Machu Picchu

There must be thousands of travellers who have Machu Picchu on their list of Things To See, and it has certainly been on mine for a while. Indeed Machu Picchu was the first thing I planned properly when I knew I was going to be able to go travelling in South America, so expectations were high for the trip.

I spent a lot of time researching the different options available. The Inca Trail is the best-known trek to the site and has the advantage of allowing you to walk right up there. But it's also extremely busy, and when I go walking I like to be able to get away from crowds. After looking at all the common treks, I eventually chose a five-day, four-night walk known as the Salkantay Trek run by local operator Alpaca Expeditions. This walk takes you up over a high, 4,600m pass close to the Salkantay mountain before going down into cloud forest. You sleep the last night in Aguas Calientes, the town close to Machu Picchu, and spend the last day there. It sounded great and after almost five days of acclimatisation in Cusco I was ready to go.

Day one

Day one started early. I was picked up from my hotel at 4.30am and our team of seven other trekkers, our guide Wilson and our wonderful porters and chefs, headed out on a bumpy road towards the mountains.

I hadn't been sure who else would be on the trek. By the end we all agreed that we had been extremely lucky with our fellow trekkers, who were a cosmopolitan group of Americans, Australians living in America, and another Brit who currently lives in Colombia. We were all pretty like-minded, keen to get out there away from the crowds and embrace whatever the trek threw at us.

Meanwhile Wilson was an extremely experienced guide, originally from Cusco although he's also spent a fair amount of time guiding in the Amazon. He spoke good English as well as his native Quechua and Spanish and was brilliant at spotting stuff for us to look at - birds, plants, historic sites - and generally keeping morale up when the going got tough.

First day's lunch

The first day's walk, after a breakfast of bread, fruit, and incredibly scrambled eggs, took us up from a starting altitude of 3,900m to 4,620m as we crossed the Salkantay pass, and then down to 3,800m where we camped. As we started walking there were some clouds but it looked like clearing a bit - but as we climbed up it got cloudier and cloudier and it was raining when we got to our lunch spot. Here the porters had already set up a tent to cook in and a tent to eat in, and we were treated to soup followed by some delicious trout, rice, vegetables and so on. At 4,400m. That quality of food was to continue over the next four days; we had beef stir fry, chicken, tortillas, chips, and twice freshly-popped popcorn as a completely unnecessary pre-dinner snack!

The rain eased off as we finished lunch and prepared for the last climb up to the pass, but the weather didn't clear and the first four of us to reach the top shivered in sleeting snow for a little while until the others arrived. We couldn't see a thing, but we'd made it! At this point Wilson challenged us, taking us off the path and into the rock field closer to the mountain. It was difficult walking over uneven rocks, my hands were cold despite my new baby alpaca gloves, and we couldn't see the glacier properly. We could only hear it, as the rain caused avalanches thundering down in the distance.

Wilson stopped us, and asked us to find smaller rocks and make a heart shape on a flat rock. He then got us all to find another small rock, and handed out three coca leaves each, pouring a few drops of a sort of floral alcohol on our leaves. Then, and this sounds really corny but actually was very moving, he asked Pachamama - Mother Earth - for blessing and guidance. And the clouds started to clear. Within about half an hour we could see something and the sun had come out. We spent a good two hours from arrival on the pass to leaving it, watching the clouds clear over the mountain. It was quite magical.

As we began the descent the clouds rolled in again, and Wilson hurried us up as it got foggier and foggier. We reached the camp just as it was getting dark and visibility dropped. The team had already set up our tents, each under a shelter for added warmth, and dinner was almost ready. We fell exhausted into bed before 8pm!

Day two

We woke to clear skies and the view we'd missed the night before, of mountains all around the campsite, and had breakfast outdoors. There were even pancakes. Before we set off walking Wilson introduced us properly to the porters - chef Cassilios, sous-chef Pancho, and porters Gregorio and Washington (who is Cassilios' son!) We also met the two local guys who were steering our team of horses - or mules - up the mountain with our gear, David and Arnold. It was nice to find out more about the team, who throughout were unfailingly cheerful and energetic and made us feel quite inadequates as they hurried past us with all our things.

Going down ...

And then began what turned into the toughest day of walking. It was beautiful countryside as we descended from mountain to cloud forest, with flowers and birds and butterflies all around and lots to look at. Wilson pointed out various things to look for and it was a good walk down to lunch, but our feet and legs were already aching by the time we'd demolished a feast of lomo saltado (the local beef stir fry) and corn fritters, plus lots of rice and veggies.

Hummingbird

After lunch we descended almost to the glacial river running through the valley we were to pass along, and then climbed up again to the trail. It went up and down, but mostly down, for the rest of the afternoon, and due to erosion was much longer than advertised. We stopped a couple of times in campsites which were buzzing with insects, although they also grew fruit and some of the group bought fresh passionfruit to eat. We were very grateful to finally reach the trail end and a rough road, where Wilson had organised a truck to pick us up for the final few kilometres to the campsite.

At our request he'd also organised a side-trip, 45 minutes in a minibus with the cheesiest soundtrack ever to take us to some nearby hot springs. The springs were a complex of clear pools, outside surrounded by mountains, where we lay and eased our legs for a while before heading back for dinner tired but less achy. That night we slept to the sound of the river rushing by next to us, and woke to more blue skies.

Day three

Freshly-roasted beans

Day three was a shorter day, but involved another tough climb from 2,100m to 2,700m along the 'other' Inca trail, which once ran from the Amazon to Machu Picchu. These days you can't walk much of it, although they're trying to clear more. The path runs uphill past banana groves and coffee farms and we stopped at one of the family-run farms to learn about how you make coffee. In fact we had a go ourselves, first harvesting some beans, then using the machine to take the skins off, then roasting some beans which had already been dried, and finally grinding them. Locally they use the grounds to make a sort of coffee essence which is then mixed with water to produce a smooth, dark brew. We all bought bags of beans or coffee to take home, and such was the organisation that a porter was on hand to rush them back to the road so they could be transported in a van instead of anyone having to carry them.

The path then wound its way uphill, and although the gradient was occasionally tough it was lovely walking with shady patches, great views and lots to look at. After a last steep climb we reached the top of the pass, where the vegetation changed abruptly to a mossy forest and the path descended again to the Incan site of Llactapata. Here a small temple faces the east and you can see the 'back' or western side of Machu Picchu clearly. We spent a while looking at it through binoculars and taking pictures before the last 10 minute descent to our campsite, almost directly below Llactapata with similar views and a really amazingly cute puppy.

The afternoon was ours so we lazed around, looking at the view through the tent mesh and listening to the mules chomping at the grass. Before dinner, and over the obligatory pre-dinner snack we totally didn't need, Wilson talked to us about Inca history so we'd be ready for Machu Picchu. We went to sleep hoping for a bright sunrise.

Day four

Sadly no sunrise was forthcoming, and it rained heavily overnight, but we got some atmospheric cloud effects in the morning instead and the team had baked a cake - yes, really - for breakfast as it was the last morning camping. As you do.

Morning view

It rained most of the day, but it wasn't too bad as we dropped down to the valley floor for about two hours and then walked mostly on the flat for the rest of the day. A lot of it was along the railroad which runs from a hydroelectric station to Aguas Calientes - you can't drive to Aguas Calientes, so anyone who's failed to get on a train to Cusco or Ollantaytambo from there has to walk back to Hydroelectric. All of a sudden it seemed as though there were hordes of people, as we'd barely seen anyone on the trail save for a young Czech couple walking independently. The railroad was nice to walk by, with a river on one side, but with three days' walking in our legs already it seemed an interminable way to Aguas Calientes. It was great to finally reach the town and find the fastest walkers already having a beer by the road!

Our hotel had hot hot showers and soft soft beds and I spent the afternoon mainly lounging, having found a channel showing films in English on the television and not really being bothered to do anything else. We had dinner cooked by Cassilios and the team but in a restaurant and they outdid themselves with a veritable feast. We thanked them and said goodbye, as they were all heading back to Cusco that evening.

Day five

Machu Picchu day! Another hideously early start as we joined Wilson in the bus queue shortly after 4.30am. Although you can't drive to Aguas Calientes, there are buses running you up to Machu Picchu - if you don't want to face the 1.5km hike straight up the mountainside to it! The buses start running at 5.30am but you need to be in the queue earlier to have any chance of making it up there by dawn, when the light is simply incredible.

We were inside shortly after 6am, so the early start was worth it. Already there were lots of people but we did manage to get some group and individual shots without too many others in the background. Weirdly I got asked by one guy for a selfie with him because he wanted to take a selfie with someone from the UK.

Wilson then gave us a comprehensive three-hour tour of the site, including a continuation of the history lesson from the other night and tidbits about what we were seeing. He really knew his stuff and we all learned a lot about the Incan culture, the reason why they made more effort with the architecture and finish of some buildings compared to others, how the buildings were constructed, what historians believe the site was used for, and so on. The Incans did an incredible job building on Machu Picchu and the skill of their masons is extraordinary.

Mostly we managed to find spots slightly away from the worst of the crowds but there was one point, going up the small hill with the Incan 'sundial' on top where it was basically a slow queue - which some people seemed to think they could jump. 

Incan bridge

By just before 10am Wilson had exhausted most of his stories and half our group had tickets to climb the vertiginous Huayna Picchu (the mountain in the background of the photo above). I had decided not to as I'm not good with cliff edges; a decision which the others said was sensible! The remaining four of us split up and I spent some time contemplating the view and also visiting the Incan bridge, which is along a lovely little trail that is actually the end of the Incan trail from the Amazon which we'd walked a bit of on day three. Currently it vanishes on the cliff face after the bridge, but Wilson says that they are working to try and join it up.

By noon we'd been there six hours and it was time to head back into town for lunch, and later the train to Ollantaytambo and then a bus back to Cusco. I slept quite a lot of the way but was awake enough later to catch up with most of our group for celebratory pisco cocktails. It was a fabulous, fabulous trip.

Tips for Salkantay and Machu Picchu

•  I booked my trek way way in advance but some of the others booked much closer to the time. October is off-season and the Salkantay is a trek which is more likely to have space than others. You can't get away with this for the Inca Trail - that must be booked well in advance!
• I did extensive online research over my tour operator and was really happy with the ultimate choice, Alpaca Expeditions. They weren't cheap but they were very professional and they say they look after their staff. Wilson showed us a picture of a tour he guided of Machu Picchu for the porters' families (in Quechua), and he said the families all get Christmas gifts. Senior porters are in charge of coordinating groups of porters from their areas to ensure a fair allocation of work and adequate time to go home and visit families.
• You can walk the Salkantay independently but I'm not sure I'd recommend it - there were points where the track was unclear or the direction unclear, especially when the weather got bad. If you go independently find a good map! 
• For Machu Picchu: a) book your bus tickets in advance (as well as your general entry tickets); b) join the bus queue early; c) take gear for all weather conditions and wear decent shoes; d) have your passport handy because everything's tied to your passport number.

Brazil round-up

I am shamelessly stealing the concept of a country round-up from my friends and fellow travellers Julie and Andrew and their Two Year Trip blog. I've actually been in Peru a week now so a Brazil wrap-up is overdue ...

Why go to Brazil?

I'm not sure I can really say I properly visited Brazil. I saw a very small part of a very big country and to do it justice would need months. Nevertheless, I recommend Brazil for:

• Beaches. The Brazilians do love their beaches, especially in Rio.
• Samba. I didn't go to a proper samba night but the sound of the music is everywhere and I experienced some of the dancing at the Olympic closing ceremony. It's kind of infectious.
• Amazing scenery. From Rio's mountains to the forest of Ilha Grande via Paraty's turquoise sea and Iguacu's astonishing waterfalls, Brazil really is a strikingly beautiful place.

Top three Brazilian experiences I had:

•  A very Olympic/Paralympic-related one: hearing the partisan support of the crowds for their idols, particularly canoe sprinter Isaquias Queiroz dos Santos during the Olympics and Daniel Diaz at the Paralympics. And seeing the ensuing press scrums in the mixed zones after they won medals. Bonkers.
• Seeing Iguacu Falls.
•  Walking to the top of Corcovado to see Christ the Redeemer. The views weren't great that day but it was a lot of fun.

You know you're in Brazil when ...

• There's someone drinking beer at 10am on a weekday. 
• You can't walk 100m without seeing either a) a self-serve restaurant or b) a pharmacy.
• Every meal involves meat, rice and beans. 

What to pack when going to Brazil:

Your tiniest bikini or swimsuit. Everyone else is wearing one, after all. (Don't worry about packing flipflops, Havaianas are ridiculously cheap in Brazil!)

Annoyances and things to look out for:

I can honestly say that I felt unsafe only a couple of times in the whole time I was in Brazil, and by 'unsafe' I mean I felt a little unhappy that I was in a particular spot by myself. I was careful not to carry too much money or my credit cards around, but I did always have my phone and usually my camera - a good Canon DSLR - on me. I tended to keep my camera in my bag until I needed it, and a couple of times I literally got it out, took a picture and put it away again, but I never felt like my camera was making me stand out. I stand out anyway in South America just by dint of being fair-skinned and fairly fair-haired. Not having my camera is not going to make me look any less a foreigner!

That said I did hear about people being robbed in Rio. A colleague had his wallet taken, we think from the 'hippie market' outside General Osorio metro station in Ipanema on a Sunday. It's worth leaving your passport and most of your cards back at your hotel otherwise you do risk them going with everything else. Basically my tip would be to look like you know what you're doing, be sensible, and you'll be fine.

Money: use ATMs inside banks. You may find paying for something with a R$100 note is tricky - I found supermarkets and restaurants were happy to take them but few other places were.

Transport: in Rio, the metro is good and relatively cheap, and easy to navigate, although its destinations are moderately limited. The BRT (bus rapid transit) system is also good but the buses tend to be rammed. The 'Supervia' trains which leave from Central station are also pretty good but do not go at the advertised time. I had no problems on ordinary buses in Rio either, but I did only use them during daylight hours. In Sao Paulo, the metro is excellent and cheap, although annoyingly you have to buy single tickets one at a time when you need them. In both cities Uber was a cheaper alternative to taxis, and saved having to explain destinations! 

What I'll miss most about Brazil:

Probably the people. The Brazilians I worked with were awesome and welcoming and wanted everyone to have a good time. And I did. Obrigada a todos!

How to get from Foz do Iguacu to Puerto Iguazu and back on a public bus

This blog is a bit of a PSA. I spent HOURS trying to verify details of the public buses between Foz do Iguacu in Brazil and Puerto Iguazu in Argentina (and on to the Iguazu Falls). There is very little information online but it's actually fairly easy so long as you're not in a rush.

To get to the park on a public bus from Foz do Iguacu in Brazil is entirely possible: the buses leave from outside the local bus terminal, on the corner of Av. Men de Sa and Rua Taroba. The bus stop has both the Brazil and Argentine flags on it.

There seem to be at least three companies running the Foz-Puerto Iguazu route: Rio Uruguay, Crucere del Norte, and Itaipu. I think the Itaipu buses are supposed to be at 30 minutes past the hour and I got the '7.30' bus which arrived at 7.40ish. However I'd say get the first bus which arrives. It's R$4 single at the moment.

At the Brazilian border the bus will probably stop to let someone off or pick someone up. If you're foreign you need to get off and go through Brazilian immigration. Now a Spanish couple on my bus didn't, and I saw them later at the falls so they evidently got into Argentina. I don't know how having Argentina stamps in their passports will affect them later without the corresponding Brazilian exit stamps, and frankly I don't think it's worth the hassle not to do it.

If you're on an Itaipu bus, get a pass off the driver to get back on again. The bus won't wait. Just complete the formalities, and then go back to the bus stop and just catch the next bus which arrives, which will probably be a different company and you'll probably have to pay another R$4 - but if you wait for the company you started out with you might end up waiting a while. If you have the pass from Itaipu and you end up on a different bus for the Argentine bit of the journey, hang on to it as it may come in handy on the way home!

At the Argentine border everyone has to go through immigration and there's a cursory bag scan, but the bus will wait for all passengers here and it takes no time at all.

My bus driver stopped on a corner in Puerto Iguazu opposite a stop for the falls, but you can also pick up a bus for the falls at the bus terminal. Either way, they're run by Rio Uruguay, they're about every 20-30 minutes, and I was charged A$65 each way. My whole journey including immigration and waiting for buses took less than two hours.

On the way back to Foz just repeat the process in return but with one important caveat: get off the bus in Foz at the Brazil-Paraguay stop which is opposite the terminal on Av. Juscelino Kubitschek. I was on an Itaipu bus and expected it to turn right into Mem de Sa to stop at the place I got on. Instead, the bus carried on and looked as though it was heading to Ciudad del Este and I had to jump off in a random place and find my way home.

If all this sounds like too much of a faff, then I understand taxis aren't too expensive and the driver will help you through immigration. There are also plenty of tour companies doing the trip, but that does tie you down to a specific timeframe at the falls.

Getting away from it all: Ilha Grande and Paraty

After over two months in the hustle and bustle of Rio de Janeiro it was time, when the Paralympics ended, to break out of the bubble and head for some peace and quiet. I chose to start my six-weeks-or-so travel by heading out of Rio to Ilha Grande.

Ilha Grande

This island is pretty sizeable and in retrospect more than two days there would have been brilliant, but I really enjoyed the time I had. Ilha Grande was, according to the guidebooks, first occupied as a pirates' lair (!), then a leper colony and then a penal colony, but now it's all about tourism, in a good way. You can only get there by boat and when you're there there are pretty much no motorised vehicles and when you get more than a couple of hundred metres out of the only really inhabited bit, Vila do Abraao, you pretty much have to hike. It's like someone's picked up a bunch of houses and plonked them on a beach in the middle of a jungle. Wifi is slow, power cuts common and you just have to chill out. There's not much else to do.

Unfortunately it tipped it down with rain on the evening I arrived and all the next day. Nevertheless this was my first proper day of proper holiday so I was determined to get out; consulting the rather basic trail map I'd been given it seemed logical to do a walk which wasn't predicated on stopping by lots of beaches. So I headed out for Dois Rios ("Two Rivers"), which is a semi-abandoned village where the island's main prison was based, about 8km walk from Abraao.

The track is one built by the prisoners and is wide enough for motor vehicles (the island's rubbish truck passed me when I was on the way back), copper-coloured earth embedded with bits of brick, stone, china and terracotta. It went basically upwards for about an hour and then basically downwards for about an hour, with bush/jungle either side, and not much of a view of anything due to the rain. Still it was good to get some serious exercise and I enjoyed walking briskly and overtaking the other crazy people who were also out.

Cachoeira da Feticeira

At Dois Rios an old man popped out of a sort of gatehouse and took down my name and arrival time. I looked at the beach, which would have been incredible on a sunny day, and then found the village's snackbar which was busy with assorted wet walkers and three cyclists. I'd passed and been passed by two of the cyclists, a couple of Brazilian lads, on my walk and they were good company. In fact the place was full of a sort of Blitz spirit as everyone tried to dry off and warm up with incredibly strong, sweet coffee, food, and then glasses of cachaca. It was quite good fun actually.

On day two the sun came out so I walked away from the village to a waterfall, the Cachoeira da Feticeira, which involved more climbing. The track was supposed to carry on to one of the island's larger beaches but seemed to stop, so I meandered back via a small beach near the town instead and had a swim and a chill on the sand. In the evening I had dinner in a restaurant which wasn't just by the beach but on the beach. Ilha Grande's that sort of place and I was sad to leave it.

Paraty

Lots of people said Paraty was worth a visit. At the edge of Rio de Janeiro state, this old colonial town has been preserved with pretty white buildings on cobbled streets with no traffic in the historic centre. I managed to find a pousada (= sort of b&b or guesthouse) which is just outside the centre, so a little cheaper, but it's close enough to be able to just wander in for dinner or whatever.

I feel I probably haven't made enough of Paraty. The guidebook and online reviews give rave reviews of various beaches and a waterfall with a natural toboggan nearby, but in all cases you have to get on a bus or on a tour to get to them, and after so many weeks spending so much time in Rio on buses, in Ubers and on the metro I'm a bit sick of transport. So I just did a 'schooner' tour yesterday - the Brazilian escuna translates as schooner, although there's no sails to be seen sadly on these elegant boats with long narrow prows - round to a few beaches along the coast. It was a beautiful day and nice to be on the water and go swimming in it, although I'm not a massive fan of organised tours as a rule.

Today I was filled with a lack of desire to do pretty much anything. I wandered along to Paraty's nearest decent-sized beach within walking distance, Jabaquara, and sat on the sand and read for a bit although it was overcast all day. And then I just mooched around Paraty's shops and galleries and churches and tasted a variety of cachacas in a cachaca shop. It was nice. I guess I probably still need the relaxation!

Practical stuff

• Getting to Ilha Grande and Paraty from Rio was simple - I booked a transfer with a company called Easy Transfer. They picked me up from my Rio hotel and then, as I was the first in the bus to be collected, drove around Rio picking other people up. There was a couple of hours' drive to the little port town of Conceicao and then a 30-minute boat trip to Ilha Grande. Going on to Paraty, I was on a slower but larger boat back to Conceicao followed by another couple of hours in the minibus to Paraty, where they dropped me at my pousada's door. All for R$145 (£34.50).
• In Ilha Grande I stayed at the Biergarten Suites, which is the private room 'annexe' of the better-known Biergarten Hostel. Quiet, pretty comfortable, a hammock and a couple of friendly cats. Nice.
• In Paraty I've been staying at the Pousada Marendaz, just outside the centre. It's brilliantly-located and pretty comfortable although randomly today appears to have been overrun by a million noisy children - the rooms overlook the interior courtyard, where breakfast is served, and if people are down there talking it carries into the rooms. Apart from that it's been good.
• Going on to Sao Paulo I'm catching a coach run by Reunidas Paulista, at about R$77. I booked it at the bus station a short walk from my pousada but you can book online too. It's going to take six hours. Ugh.

The beaches of Rio

I am not what you'd call a beach person. I don't go on holidays where lying on a beach is the entire aim (although if that's your thing, enjoy). I love water, I love the sea, and I quite like the odd hour or so of sitting on a beach reading or something.

So the fact Rio has a LOT of beaches wasn't really a massive draw, but somehow I've managed to spend a little time on most of them. And so, without further ado, here's a non-beach-person's guide to (some of) the beaches of Rio de Janeiro.

In common

All the beaches have a few things in common: the lifeguard posts, or 'Postos', at intervals along the beach. They're numbered and manned in daylight hours and they have showers, lockers and toilets (which you have to pay for).

They also have great wide pavements running along by the road with segregated cycle/running paths too, making the beaches popular places for cariocas (inhabitants of Rio) to exercise. There are little kiosks/beach bars at intervals, selling beer, fresh coconuts (they drill a hole and insert a straw for delicious fresh coconut water) and food.

Mainly all the beaches have people in common - people of all ages, shapes and sizes, enjoying the sand and sea. They play beach volleyball or Brazil's own 'futvolei', which is a mashup of football and volleyball; they sunbathe; they flirt; they run. And the majority are in the skimpiest of bikinis or shorts. It doesn't matter what your age or figure, a tiny bikini, preferably with a thong, is the clothing of choice on a Rio beach. The total lack of body self-consciousness is rather refreshing. 

Copacabana

The granddaddy of them all, a beach which everyone's heard of. Copacabana runs for 4km, or 2.5 miles, from Leme down to Fort Copacabana. During the Olympics it was the site of the beach volleyball arena and there are loads of beach volleyball pitches the whole length.

Copacabana

It's certainly a nice beach, but it's not my favourite. It's very busy with lots of sunbathers, tourists and hawkers selling you everything from capirinhas to sarongs to sunglasses. The sand is pretty good, but I found nicer sand elsewhere, and because it's so busy there's quite a lot of litter on the beach.

The public loos are good though; lots of them, mostly built semi-underground, clean and safe and only about 50p to use.

I paddled a little in the Copa wavelets but didn't swim. I've read differing accounts of how clean the water is off Copacabana and the general consensus seems to be it's all right but not brilliant.  The waves are biggest in the middle of the beach and towards Fort Copacabana the water is calmer, the beach narrower and a little quieter.

Ipanema/Leblon

Ipanema and Leblon from above

Technically Ipanema beach stretches from the Arpoador rock at the eastern end to the canal which connects the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas with the sea, and then from the other side of the canal to the western-most end of the beach is Leblon. The Leblon end is narrower and I confess I didn't actually step foot on it, but if you sit on Arpoador at sunset (the best time) and look down the beach you can't see much difference!

Ipanema, in my opinion, is nicer than Copacabana. It's quieter and there are fewer hawkers to interrupt the sunbathing. The surf close to Arpoador is bigger and there are more surfers there, but it looked pretty calm in the middle (although again I failed to swim at Ipanema).

A word of warning though to tourists: Ipanema is, especially at weekends, a hotspot for thieves. A colleague had his wallet pinched while browsing a market near the beach and all his cards were promptly maxed out and I've heard of several other cases of theft from Ipanema beach and the surrounding area - which is nice, so attracts people with cash. Lots of good restaurants in Ipanema and Leblon.

Flamengo

Flamengo on a cloudy day

Flamengo beach, north of Copacabana, has a good view of the Sugarloaf and is a nice beach in and of itself, next to a park. However its waters are those of Guanabara Bay, which are more polluted than further south, and several guides recommend not swimming off it.

Barra

Barra beach, out west beyond Leblon, is incredible. It's 18km long, a vast stretch of the softest golden sand you can imagine. It definitely has the best sand of any of the beaches I've visited. It's deep and just lovely to sit or walk on.

Barra at sunset

I did go swimming off Barra; the waves are fairly big even on a calmish day and unpredictable in the sense that they come in from all directions. There are surfing and kitesurfing schools on the beach in addition to the usual beach volleyball pitches.


The road is also quite close to the beach and quite noisy, which makes sitting in one of the bars a little less relaxing than in other places, but only a little.

Barra is much quieter than the beaches closer to the city in terms of hawkers and it's got a more local feel. However development is coming fast - the east end of Barra now has a lot of hotels and the new line 4 of the metro runs out there - so I don't know how long it'll last. At the eastern end there are a number of fancier bars. Towards the west there's a whole section with no pavement, at the moment, and no lifeguard posts for several kilometres.

Pontal/Macumba

Where Barra ends there's a rock (the Pedra do Pontal, per Google Maps) and then a smaller, shorter bay and beach split by another rock in the middle. I think the eastern half is Praia da Macumba. Pontal/Macumba is framed by the Pedra do Pontal at one end and cliffs at the other end and you can drive along the coast road to some even nicer beaches, apparently. If you have a car, which we didn't.

I spent two rather nice days at Pontal, once alone and once with colleagues, and enjoyed them both immensely. It's much much quieter than the other beaches, all locals, lots of families and groups of kids, and the people running the bars along the path seem nicer and more relaxed too. The big thing on Pontal is fish, served fried and hot and eaten with your fingers. I had sardines both times; the second time the four of us shared a big plate of sardines with salad and chips and had a few beers each for R$70 (£16). The lady serving us was delightful, although we couldn't communicate properly, making sure we didn't order too much and keeping the cold beer flowing.

The sea at Pontal is calm and quiet by the Pedra and the surf picks up as you go along the beach, although not dangerously so. There are flags warning of currents but as a confident swimmer I felt very safe out beyond the first breaker - apart from finding it hard to get out of the sea as there's a bit of an undercurrent sucking the waves back out once they've broken on the beach.

Sandwise Pontal is slightly coarser than Barra but still pleasant to walk on, if tricky - it's so deep, it's a real effort to walk! Much better, perhaps, to stroll along the paved path - no cars running along this beach - and then find a spot for a bit of relaxation with the sound of the waves all that can disturb you. Bliss.

My footsteps on Macumba