100th Day on the road

Today is the 100th day of my "2005 Round The World" trip. I am celebrating it in a special way in the Peruvian capital of Lima.

Let me recap where I have been since I left my home town, Hong Kong, on May 11th, 2005:

Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Estonia, Finland, Canada, USA, Chile, and Peru. Not bad...16 countries in 100 days. Still ahead to do over the next 84 days are Argentina (possibly to Antarctica), Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Mexico, and Hawaii. After that starts the next phase...Thailand and South Africa.

I truly enjoyed Eastern Europe...I guess the best was Romania, the wineries of Eger in Hungary, and Berlin....oh, the Black Sea coastal town of Sozopol was a gem!! Rural Bulgaria with the donkey carts were memorable without a doubt! Now for Scandinavia, the winner was Norway, particularly the Lofoten Islands north of the Arctic Circle, but also western Norway's fjords and fresh salmon at the Bergen harbour.. Russia...where I wanted to go since I was a child...St. Petersburg stole my heart...ouch. I really enjoyed the charming canals, cathedrals and churches, the people, and just about everything in St. Petes. Going behind the Kremlin Walls was the best of Moscow. Now for Canada and the USA....was great to be back home to meet up with friends. In South America so far done with Chile and Peru...and while I liked Chile, especially the coastal towns of Valparaiso and Viña del Mer, Peru is THE place to be. The 4 day Inca Trail trek to eventually reach the mystic Inca ruins of Machu Picchu must be one of the best experiences I have ever had!!! I must return to Peru to explore the rest of this magnificant country with its snow capped mountains and rain forrests with an abundance of wild life.

Am I glad I decided to quit my job and travel? You bet!!! I am truly enjoying this experience...investing time in my own self...exploring the world and meeting many wonderful people along my journey.

Can I wait to go back to work? Yip, but not until I'm done with my travels...whenever that will be.

Tomorrow I'm flying from Lima, Peru, back to Santiago, Chile, to catch the bus to Mendoza, Argentina. Wine country!! 70% of Argentina's wine is grown in the valleys of Mendoza. Salute!!

Till later Amigos
Adios from Lima, Peru.