Dave and Shil's Year Of Travel

About Us

Our latest entry

Dec 14, 2011

Nadi, Fiji

Two years ago we came up with the list of countries we wanted to visit on our travels. We had decided that after almost a year of touring, we wanted to our last stop to be somewhere nice and warm where we could just relax. We first thought of Hawaii as it would have been on the way home, however we discounted it for obvious reasons. We then…

Enlarge Close

David Cooper and Charlene Calvert
Last visited:
Nadi, Fiji

Hi Welcome to Dave and Shil's travel blog. We're spending 2011 travelling all over the world. Here is the website where we will be putting most of our photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveandshil Our plan is to first of all visit Alaska to see the Northern Lights, huskies and play in the snow. Then we're off to San Fransisco to warm up a bit! We next go to Buenos Aires and from there travel over land through Chile, Bolivia, Peru (trek to Macchu Pichu) and end up in Ecuador. From…

David Cooper and Charlene Calvert

Welcome to Dave and Shil's travel blog. We're spending 2011 travelling all over the world.

Here is the website where we will be putting most of our photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveandshil

Our plan is to first of all visit Alaska to see the Northern Lights, huskies and play in the snow. Then we're off to San Fransisco to warm up a bit! We next go to Buenos Aires and from there travel over land through Chile, Bolivia, Peru (trek to Macchu Pichu) and end up in Ecuador. From their we fly back to the UK for Justine and Phil's wedding.By this time it will be early May. We'll then fly to Jordan to visit Petra and the Dead Sea, then India and onto Cambodia. We'll travel overland through Cambodia to Vietnam. From there it's onto a few places in China, then Japan, Australia, New Zealand and finishing off in Fiji. We'll then fly home in time for Christmas.

Here are the dates of our flights:

Leave London, UK and arrive at Faribanks, Alaska 7th January

Leave Fairbanks, Alaska and arrive at San Fransisco, USA 16th January

Leave San Fransisco, USA and arrive at Buenos Aires, Argentina 25th January

Travel overland through Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador

Inca Trail in Peru 15th - 18th April

Leave Quito, Ecuador and arrive at London, UK 5th/6th May

Leave London, UK and arrive at Amman, Jordan 16th/17th May

Leave Amman, Jordan and arrive at Delhi, India 31st May

Leave Delhi, India and arrive at Cochin, India

Leave Cochin, India and arrive at Phnom Penh, Cambodia 20th/21st June

Travel overland through Cambodia to Vietnam

Leave Hanoi, Vietnam and arrive at Kunming, China 4th August

Travel in China to Lhasa (Tibet), Chengdu, Xi'an by internal flights or train

Leave Beijing, China and arrive at Tokyo, Japan 15th September

Leave Tokyo, Japan and arrive at Perth, Australia 10th October

Leave Perth, Australia and arrive at Uluru, Australia 25th October

Leave Uluru, Australia and arrive at Sydney, Australia 29th October

Leave Sydney, Australia and arrive at Wellington, New Zealand 7th November

Leave Auckland, New Zealand and arrive at Suva, Fiji 2nd December

Leave Suva, Fiji and arrive at London, UK 14th/15th December

Profile

Blog

Photos

Videos

Messages

recent updates
recent comments

New blog entry posted

Dec 14, 2011

Nadi, Fiji

Two years ago we came up with the list of countries we wanted to visit on our travels. We had decided that after almost a year of touring, we wanted to our last stop to be somewhere nice and w…

New blog entry posted

Dec 2, 2011

Auckland, New Zealand

During the drive up from Franz Josef to Nelson we experienced so many changes in weather. One minute it would be bright sunshine, the next minute heavy rain, then back to sunshine five minutes…

New blog entry posted

Nov 17, 2011

Franz Josef, New Zealand

We arrived in Wellington very late at night and got a taxi straight to our hostel in Plimmerton. Due to our late arrival (and no staff at reception) we were given special instructions telling …

New blog entry posted

Nov 7, 2011

Sydney, New South Wales

We arrived in Sydney in the afternoon and Lauren, a friend and former colleague of mine, came to pick us up at the airport. I last saw her 4 years ago when she finished her travels and work in…

New blog entry posted

Oct 29, 2011

Uluru, Northern Territory

It was 9 years ago since I last visited Ayers Rock, and that visit was with my parents. It was my mum's favourite place in Australia, and my parents still recall the time we cooked up some ste…

Phil True. So very true. Finally a post revealing the truth about Jordan's hospitality. I am sorry to say the kindness of many Jordanians comes with a price. They will rip you off one way or the other, and not only in Petra and the small town of Wadi Musa, where you will be overcharged by 500%, even at the bakery. They have 3 different price tags: 1 for Jordanians, 1 for Arabs and 1 for everybody else. I don't see why "everybody else" are charged rediculous prices for guided tours either. They ask 100-120 JD's per day without a blink of the eye, when over half the Jordanian population earns no more than JD 6000 - 10.000 per annum and the standard of living for Jordanians is 1/3 of the West! No wonder we are all so very welcome (to fill their pockets with JD's). Jordan is full of greed. Best advice ever is indeed TREAT KINDNESS WITH SUSPICION and don't fall for their crap.

Oct 24, 2013 re: Petra, Jordan

Maam "a big wild goose dropped dead out of the sky. This clearly meant that it was okay to eat meat" lol very funny! Maam xx

Oct 7, 2011 on the message board

Riss Inca trail sounds very exciting, although I would have taken that cold shower option :P!Soon back for the wedding?? Enjoy...

Apr 30, 2011 on the message board

neesa ROFL your blogs get funnier and funnier when you get somewhere abit weird or sloppy - too funny! Enjoying reading the blogs - still dead envious of it all!! CTWPoo, you are looking more and more tanned in each picture! xx

Apr 2, 2011 on the message board

barbara cogdell dear david keeping up with your exploits, sounds fantastic. keep save aunty barb xxx

Mar 31, 2011 on the message board

Riss Mingas!!!Where are you now? Give us updates please when you have time. Awesomeness:-)

Mar 4, 2011 on the message board

Helen Hi Coops Looks like you're having a blast. I know it's a bit of a long shot, but if you get chance, the Mendoza region is fab for wine tasting. I can recommend the Terrazas vineyard. Have fun Hels

Jan 28, 2011 on the message board

aunty barb just read your update, sounds fantastic. lots of love aunty barb

Jan 28, 2011 on the message board

aunty barb really enjoying your pictures,hope you are having a great time. lots of love aunty barb

Jan 19, 2011 on the message board

Claire Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday Dear Charlene! Happy Birthday to You! Hope you are having a wonderful birthday. I am really enjoying the updates and the pictures. Only problem is that I wish I was there too!

Jan 17, 2011 on the message board

Jus Hi, Happy Birthday Shil! Looks like you're both having a great time. I'm glad you got to see the Northern lights. There seems to be lots of cute dogs in Alaska, you must love it! I believe you are warming up in San Fran now? x

Jan 17, 2011 on the message board

Aristea Minga, how cold is it?? :-O

Jan 13, 2011 re: photo from

Katelarr Hey Guys, Congrats on seeing the Northern lights, bet they were incredible. Think you were wise to just look at them and enjoy rather than trying too hard to take photos...don't think they'd do them justice. Enjoy the rest of your time in Alaska...Coopslarr you need to have a photo of you in your Blackpool shirt in every country (I don't care how cold it is...make Mr Holloway proud!)

Jan 11, 2011 on the message board

barbara enjoy your pics keep i am keeping up with your progress love xxx aunty barb

Jan 11, 2011 on the message board

Helen You can take the boy out of Blackpool....

Jan 10, 2011 re: photo from

last visited

travel plan

Fairbanks, Alaska 07-Jan-2011
San Francisco, California 16-Jan-2011
Buenos Aires, Argentina 25-Jan-2011
Inca Trail, Peru 15-Apr-2011
London, UK 06-May-2011
Amman, Jordan 17-May-2011
Delhi, India 31-May-2011
Phnom Penh, Cambodia 21-Jun-2011
Kunming, China 04-Aug-2011
Tokyo, Japan 15-Sep-2011
Perth, Western Australia 10-Oct-2011
Uluru, Western Australia 25-Oct-2011
Sydney, New South Wales 29-Oct-2011