My apologizes people, in-between 20hour bus rides and hangovers ( Which I have Kate Burton to thank for that due to the advice to try out the Pisco drink!) actually I was still feeling the affects this morning!: I havent been feeling witty enough to write in the diary. Ant has been consistently nagging me to write something, but I am currently half way through with no help from Emlyn (he REFUSES to help me!! Grrr!). We had such a great time in Bolivia, its hard to put to words! Better stop faffling about and get back to the diary!

Kate!!!!!! u are totally to be blamed for our dreadful hangover today!!! we got absolutely culao (pissed) last nite, from only four glass of Pisco & Sprite!!! (guys, dont say "that all"!! the glasses were almost filled up by Pisco, and only a bit of Sprite was added!) a poor Chilean tree had to bear from my throw ups on its root base!! the consequence from our piss up were: i lost abt 50 quid at the casino (we were drinking while playing blackjack!), and i and Ant had a bust up back at the hotel!! Kate, i'm holding ya for that one day........ although, thank u for the travelling tips in Chile, u really tempt us to go all the way down to see the sky on fire in Torres Del Paine, but the decision for that depends on if we get a car in Santiago or not... we cant seem to fgure out what "huevon" means. we have been asking people, but they just shrugged, giving us expression looks! but we will find out very soon!
Tobes, very cheeeeeeeeeky saying i wouldnt be of any value to the Gods! u like making fun of my poor thin body, eh! not my fault that i got so fast metabolisms! i could say a lot abt ya, but nah, leave..........! we finally got a new charger and battery now, after searching everywhere for them! we re now gonna make sure every minute that we got them with us, putting them up high on the list of priority to remember, above passport and money! speaking of money, 5quid for guessing ur new flatmate - i would guess Samantha. (although, Himel name did pop in my mind, but nah, i dont thnk u are stupid enough to have him, to hear the "sick" word every minute, and his childish manners! :-) if i am right abt Samantha, u know my bank account numbers :-) our spanish isnt progressing well at all, we only know a few ones, although i sometime could figure out some sentences, as there's some similarities from french! our favourite word is "Vamos!"!! (which means "let's go!") and also papas fritas!! (chips!)

guys, so sorry for wasting ur time logging onto our website hoping for a postcard or photos, Bree has been putting it off for a week or so! i THINK (hopefully) she'll get it done by today! photos will come along this in a few days. writing postcards is really getting to us, we never look forward at all to our turn to write them, but it feels soooooo good when it is done, and we feel so proud after finishing a postcard!

Getting off now, going for a ciggie now, to try to get rid of the Pisco flavour from my mouth!! Kate, dont ever think i will forget abt it, even if i wont c ya for a long time!! i might even consider flying to Gaza to get my revenge!

Embles xxxxxxxx

Hi ant! Have been looking at your latest photos and postcards ! Fantastic! Cant believe embles said you treated yourself to half a bottle of wine.

PS Chile is supposedly the closest place on the Earth's surface to Mars.. chich is why they have the most UFO sightings and alien abductions in the world... especially La serena where they always see UFOs!
So be careful of the aliens....

hey guys,
Embles sorry havent been in touch in a while but thanks for all news and emails... it sounds like you guys are having such a wicked time! About chile, well San pedro de Atacama is in the desert and i think its well worth staying and chilling there for a day or two, really nice place with lots of cool restos and bars and food... you can go visit the geysers and swim in the hot springs, take horse back ride around the Valle de la Muerte (its famous cos lots of people used to get lost there and their bones still get found today which is why its called valley of death...) and see the museum with realy preserve mummies. The Atacama is the dryest desert in the world so even the skin and the hair of the mummies is still preserved sometimes! Iquiqie i wouldnt recommend, kind of boring. La serena is quite nice, you can go visit the Pisco factories (Chile's national drink, you have to try it! With sprite it's the best). I'd say best to go down straight to Valparaiso which is amazing, spend a few days there walking through the little artistic streets and up the hills, (they are so steep that they have these old- fashioned cable cars that take you up the hills...) Vina del mar has nice beaches, is just a 10 bus ride up the coats, which is where i was living and teaching english in a school! If you make it there, make sure you go visit Mackay school, and see the music teacher Leo he is a good friend of mine! Santiago is big and polluted and crowded, I wouldnt recommend staying long there. Go south and visit Villarica or Temuco from where you can visit Villarica volcano! Im not sure if they let you climb up, it depends on the time of year etc cos it is still active! But if they let you try and go up, you can climb up to the top then look over the edge into the boiling lava! I didn't go further south than Puerto montt but apparently Chiloe is like a quiet colourful fishing island and the Torres del paine is def worth going for treks and camping etc, supposed to be amazing. Then make sure you go south to ushuaia, the most southern part of the earth where the sunsets make the sky go red like fire!!
Anyway thats all the advice i have, just have lots of fun!
I'm back home still but going to Sicily for a week this next week..
Its not quite Chile but still....!
By the way Chilean slang is very unique... they have their own words! their spanish is faster and less clear than anywhere else so be careful! They say 'si, po... no, po..... everything po" and also "huevon"... go find out what that means! bacan means vee, copete means alcohol, culao means drunk!
Have fun and keep in touch xxx

Hi ant! Have been looking at your latest photos and postcards ! Fantastic! Cant believe embles said you treated yourself to half a bottle of wine. Not long ago you wouldnt have touched wine?!! Hope im not to blame for that!!! Haha ...Looks like you are having a great time, pleased to hear it! Austria was good, bigger draw than the deaflympics surprisingly; i didnt not hit a topspin backhand all week; unbelieveable but not bad results considering?!! Cant wait to have my topspin backhand back once i have metal plate removed .. Anyway will fill you in when i next see you - cant remember when you are home? Let me know; seems yonks since i last saw you. Look forward to catching up with you soon xxx

Full of wisdom words here, Emlyn! Anybody would be so fortunate to be able to catch one of the Burton Clan (especially the Linton Tribe....) Guys - enough of messages on the board, its time for a brand new Post Card and we are waiting with anticipation of another brilliantly written story from the witty Journalist Bree! Whats the punishment for Embles for losing the camera charger for a xxxth times??! A plate full of vegetables perhaps?! Or even to be sacrificed to the Gods (although not much meat for them) Ant - what are you doing lazing around in the train tunnels??! Tampei is only 4 years away and we need you to win Gold!
Got offered a new job in Crawley - Finance Manager for Knorr UK (brand that makes Ragu, Chicken Tonight) so thats why we are moving to Wimbledon (Guess who will be the flatmate along myself and Emma? £5 for the right answer) Booked to go to Portugal at the end of August for a mini-backpacking-expedition from Lisbon to Porto - licking all the vineyards we can find on the route! Apart from that I'm training my ass out for the New York marathon... so you are right I am not too old for travelling! :)
Try to talk to locals (hows your spanish??!) to find "off-of-the-beaten-routes" - which can sometimes be even more rewarding than those touristic traps. Bon Voyage! xxx

Daso! i very sad know you not happy belgium! you must find girl in Belgium make you happy, like Gauthier! if not possible, you can life england with me lot lot lot of beautiful girls, they love you always ask me "how is Daso?" :-) you will very happy in england, leave gauthier in belgium alone boring :-) i ask you how you know write english?? are you translation on Internet?? you clever boy! you must put photo of australia in album very soon because good memory for future happy see photos of Australia!

Jajajajajajaja Jose Velasco! where are you now?? we must meet again for more parties and to see you getting in the clouds again :-) we re heading for Chile soon, and to Santiago in a few days, meet us there for more drinks!

Kate, thank u so much for ur information a couple of weeks ago, we have had a brilliant time in Bolivia, and it's coming to an end, Chile awaits us soon! we're a bit unsure abt which places to go in Chile, maybe u could fill us in a bit, abt San Pedro Desert, is it really worth to see? (as we've seen quite enough deserts so far, and dont have much time at all to go for a couple of days tour around the desert) and Inquique, in the North? which place should we visit by the Lake District? any other tips, please do write them up (u probably have nothing much to do at home, apart from nursering our old folks!)

PrickyBecki! are you trying to compete with how hard the journey we are both enduring? the imaginations i have had of u girls out there in Far East, are: clean clothes, shower everyday, nice food, taxiying around town, gosh, there are so many in my mind at the moment, just cant be arsed to put them all down! but i must say i am very impressed of u girls travelling the Far East, and seeing ur website, u girls are doing very well! the price u saw for a jeep - i could imagine, when the guy saw u girls arriving and looking at cars, he made sure u wouldnt afford them by ripping off the price (as he dearly loves his cars and dont want to see u poor deaf girls wasted away in a car accident 10 mins after buying it! :-) ) anyway, we freaked out when we realised August has come already, the thought of seeing ur faces in 7/8 weeks for a whole year depressed us all yesterday! :-) for those who dont know them silly girls' website of their gruelsome adventure in the Far East, here it is - www.ourtravels.info/rjholmes
Emmmmmmmmmaaaa!! finally a msg from ya! ur "blank" msg a couple of weeks ago, wasnt of much a surprise, like Tobes said, Irish........ and u seem to have something in common with CJ (another irish), the way u both write ur msgs, soooooo boring!!!!!!! :-) new flat near horses stables - sounds good, and i'm sure it's also a convenience for Tobes, he would get better feels from ur upgraded-to-be ass! :-) envying abt us travelling? well, i've got a very experienced big brother, Tobes, who travelled many many places in the world, fortunately and coincidentally u got him before anyone got him, and i'm sure he still doesnt feel too old and would happily breeze u away to experience true travels (without any luxuries, like the luxury B&B with a jacuzzi and a balcony in Arlie Beach in OZ!), get to sleep in windowless rooms, coachroaches, spiders, mostiquos crawling through to suck ur poor irish blood!

awright, think am gonna stop here now and head off for a lovely Pizza! (had enough of vegetable soups and "pollo con arroz" (chicken and rice!)
sorry abt making a bit of fun of some of u, couldnt resist it and am like that when i'm in a happy mood!

Take care for now, keep safe and well!!

Embles xxxxxxxx

Hi. Just saying quick hello as I haven't posted message for a while. No real news! Back at work and getting organised to go away again soon. Girls playing a lot of tennis and spending time with their friends. Robbie's still in London. Hope all's well and still as exciting - am quite sure it is! Looking forward to Bree's postcard with the latest news. Love Mum xx

Just back from Sri Lanka. Martine managed to get through immigration control in the end, after a few scares. Luxurious hotel with huge pool. Food and drink on tap all day long.....surprisingly not fat after lazing round the pool. Beautiful rooms......flowers and petal display on the bed every night. However , not all hard work.....we did get out for elephant rides, spice gardens, lots of temples, river trips, climbed 1000 scary steps to a mountain fortress/ palace, rides in tuc tucs (3 wheeler taxi) and market adventures. Will try and send photos later since my camera packed in , so I'll have to copy Martine's photos.

Loved the reports from Peru...stunning pictures. Off back to work now! Will e-mail later.

Wicked journal - keep checking it and keep those postcards coming.. I love how they are being written!

See you when you get back and your "wonderful" fly bites....

Like my last message? It is in Thai and isnt it great you all dont know what i said! ;-)
YESSSSSSSS YESSSSSSS!!!! Fort i wud never get to see the day!!! YESSSS, please move out of sheffield!! Gonna be the best day of our lives!! ^grins^
14 hrs bus ride?! That is NOTHING! We had to endure 22 hrs bus rides with no seats (yes no seats- just threw us westerners in the back with all the vegetables!). Werent too bad- actually prefer having no seat than a seat!
We also had a peek lookin at cars here- its 4000 dollars for a jeep (2000 quid!).. no way we cud afford that! :-( Manage to find a good buy?
1 KM- 0.6 mile.. And no i didnt look up the internet- have a conversion button on my moby!
Hope that helped! x