Barnaby Bear's adventure so far...(2002874)

 

Im having a fun time at Holy Cross biding my time until my next trip

 

 

I arrived safely back at school on Friday. it was lovely to be home. Everything has changed since I left. Mrs. Wilde was at school to welcome me home but she is now in a different classroom. It felt very strange to have a new home. Also I didn't recognise any of the children in her class. They were all different. All my old friends have now moved into a new class. Mrs. Wilde took me into their classrooms to let me see them and say hello. It was nice to see all their familiar faces again. They seemed really pleased to see me back again. They have been following my adventures while I have been away with Anastasia. I arrived back with a lovely big box of souvenirs from my travels. It will be lovely exploring them and reliving my adventures through them with the children. I would like to say a big thank you to Anastasia and her mummy and daddy for taking such good care of me and giving me such an exciting adventure. I'm really going to miss them. They did a wonderful job helping me with my blog which has helped the children keep in touch with me while I have been away.

I have a feeling that I'm not going to home for very long as I have heard that Miss Miller is about to go off on a travelling adventure. I'm going to see if I can talk my way into a place in her luggage. In  the meantime it is so nice to be home again with all my friends here at Holy Cross school.

 

Bye bye Anastasia.. thanks a lot for taking the adventures with me... hope to see you soon

 

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China is a very big country in terms of its size. Very historical and full of characters. .....

 

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The House of Dancing Water: http://www.thehouseofdancingwater.com/en/#/home 

 

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When Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), captured Huizhou, a hermit named Zhu Sheng admonished him that he should 'built high walls, store abundant food supplies and take time to be an Emperor,' so that he could fortify the city and unify the other states. After the establishment of the Ming dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang followed his advice and began to enlarge the wall built initially during the old Tang dynasty (618 -907), creating the modern Xian City Wall. It's the most complete city wall that has survived in China, as well being one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world.

After the extension, the wall now stands 12 meters (40 feet) tall, 12-14 meters (40-46 feet) wide at the top and 15-18 meters (50-60 feet) thick at the bottom. It covers 13.7 kilometers (8.5 miles) in length with a deep moat surrounding it. Every 120 meters, there is a rampart which extends out from the main wall. All together, there are 98 ramparts on the wall, which were built to defend against the enemy climbing up the wall. Each rampart has a sentry building, in which the soldiers could protect the entire wall without exposing themselves to the enemy. Besides, the distance between every two ramparts is just within the range of an arrow shot from either side, so that they could shoot the enemy, who wanted to attack the city, from the side. On the outer side of the city wall, there are 5948 crenellations, namely battlements. The soldiers can outlook and shoot at the enemy. On the inner side, parapets were built to protect the soldiers from falling off.

 

 

Terracotta Army - It was just so amazing, I just can't believe that I was close to one of the world's ancient wonders. As you may know it is also known as "Terracotta Warriors and Horses". They are a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China after its unification. It is actually a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in over 2000 years ago. Yes 2000 years ago! Qin's purpose was to help guarding his empire in his afterlife.

The figures vary in height, according to their roles, with the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots and horses. They were discovered in 1974 by some local farmers (from family: Yang) in Lintong District in Xi'an, who were digging a water well.

And guess what? I met one of the farmers who discovered it! I was so happy and surprised as I did not expect to see him. So of course I asked for a photograph and his signature. How amazing is that? I bought a book about the Terracotta Army with famer Yang's autograph as a present for Holy Cross, hope all of you can read it.

 

 

After visited Hua Qing Hot Spring in the afternoon, we wacthed a fantastic Tang Dynasty Dancing. I was totally melted by the gentle and beautiful moves and the amazing unique Chinese music. No matter the King loved it so much. Let me share this with you. 

 

It was on the 14th of August. I visited a very romantic place called Hua Qing Hot Spring.

Huaqing Hot Spring is famed for both its dainty spring scenery and the romantic love story of Emperor Xuanzong (685-762) and his concubine Yang Guifei in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Its long history and location among the wonderful landscapes of Xian should entice any visitor to visit and bathe in this hot spring.

It is said that King You built a palace here during the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC-711 BC). Additions were subsequently made by the First Emperor Qing (259 BC-210BC) and Emperor Wu during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-24). During his reign, the Emperor Xuanzong spent dizzying amounts of his funds to build a luxurious palace, changing its name to Huaqing Hot Spring or Huaqing Palace. Over the course of 41 years in his days, he visited the palace as many as 36 times. The palace thus has a history of 3,000 years and the hotspring a history of 6,000 years! Ranked among the Hundred Famous Gardens in China, it also has the status as a National Cultural Relic Protection Unit and a National Key Scenic Area.

ei, one of the most beautiful ladies in that period. 

 

On the 13th of August 2011, I travelled to Huayin where Mount Hua is located.

Mount Hua is a mountain range in southern Anhui province in eastern China. The range composed of material that was uplifted from an ancient sea during the Mesozoic era, 100 million years ago; the mountains themselves were carved by glaciers during the Quaternary. Vegetation on the range is thickest below 1,100 meters (3,600 ft), with trees continuing until 1,800 meters (5,900 ft).

The area is well known for its scenery, sunsets, peculiarly shaped granite peaks, Huangshan Pine trees, and views of the clouds from above. Huangshan is a frequent subject of traditional Chinese paintings and literature, as well as modern photography. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of China's major tourist destinations.

 

The Longmen Grottoes or Dragon's Gate Grottoes)  are one of the finest examples of Chinese Buddhist art. Housing tens of thousands of statues of Buddha and his disciples, they are located in Luòyáng city of Hénán province,in China. The images, many once painted, were carved into caves excavated from the limestone cliffs of the Xiangshan and Longmenshan mountains, running east and west. The Yi River flows northward between them and the area used to be called Yique ("The Gate of the Yi River").The alternative name of "Dragon's Gate Grottoes" derives from the resemblance of the two hills that check the flow of the Yi River to the typical "Chinese gate towers" that once marked the entrance to Luoyang from the south.

There are as many as 100,000 statues within the 1,400 caves, ranging from an 1 inch (25 mm) to 57 feet (17 m) in height. The area also contains nearly 2,500 stelae and inscriptions, whence the name “Forest of Ancient Stelae", as well as over sixty Buddhist pagodas. Situated in a scenic natural environment, the caves were dug from a 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) stretch of cliff running along both banks of the river. 30% of the Grottoes date from the Northern Wei Dynasty and 60% from the Tang, caves from other periods accounting for less than 10% of the total. Starting with the Northern Wei Dynasty in 493 AD, patrons and donors included emperors, Wu Zetian of the Tang dynasty, members of the royal family, other rich families, generals, and religious groups.

In 2000 the site was inscribed upon the UNESCO World Heritage List as “an outstanding manifestation of human artistic creativity,” for its perfection of an art form, and for its encapsulation of the cultural sophistication of Tang China.

I was glad that I can make it here. 

 

 

I heard a lot about Shaolin martial art before but never seen it in my life.  This time I could see it right so close before my eyes. Every move was so fast and powerful. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw a Shaolin student threw a tiny needle through a piece of thick glass, and popped a balloon behind the glass without shattering it (only creating a tiny hole)!! They call this martial art: Iron Finger. They can even make holes on a tree with their bare fingers!! For my own safety, I would not upset  any Shaolin student - just joking.

The Pagoda Forest you see here it is at Shaolin Temple. It refers to the 228 stone or brick pagodas built from 791 AD during the Tang Dynasty through the Song Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty, Ming Dynasty, and Qing Dynasty. The levels, or storeys, on the pagodas must be odd numbers (from 1 to 7) and are based on the achievements of the Buddhist masters they were built for. The era the pagodas were built in affects the shape (round or square) and the number of sides (4 or 6). The pagoda forest in Shaolin stands at the foot of Shaoshi Mountain and is one of the largest pagoda forests in China. It was named a national scenic spot in 1996.

 

 

 

After  many big feasts in Zhuhai, I was fully charged and ready for my next destination - Kaifeng. Kai in Chinese means open, Feng means close. It is located along the southern bank of the Yellow River. The Chinese also call the Yellow River as ' the cradle of Chinese civilisation' as its basin was the birthplace of ancient Chinese civilisations and the most prosperous region in the early Chinese history. However in the past Yellow River flooded from time to time. In the old days people could not predict the flood. So the city was destroyed when the flood came, the city was buried. So it was like a closure. Years later, people moved back to the city so they 'Opened' the city. In the past, Kaifeng was totally covered by sand left by the flood that had occurred 6 times. So there are 6 layers and 6 ancient Kaifeng cities  buried right underneath the today's Kaifeng ground.

 

 

 

One of the old Chinese sayings goes 'Min Yi Shi Wei Xian' which means, for people, eating comes first. I totally agreed and enjoyed every single minute of it. There is another old Chinese saying goes  like ' Ru Xian Sui Shu'. If I translate it by words would be, going into a village, adapting its culture. wow, I absolutely threw myself into the Chinese eating culture. I can forget my waist line for a little while.. hahahha

 

It has been 2 years since Anastasia's last visit to her grandparents. They were so happy to see her again and of course, a new friend - me. Their warm and loving welcome made me feel so homy. Happiness can be so simple... and the food was so yummy...
 

Pictures shown above are traditional Cantonese breakfast called Yum Cha. Loads of little dishes, range from savories to sweets. Can't believe that we can eat so much... for just a breakfast.

 

After 8 and a half hours' flight, we arrvied Hong Kong -eventualluy. But I was told this was not the end of our journey. Going to Mainland China we needed to take a ferry across Southern China Sea, then we will arrive our first destination in China- Zhuhai where Anastasia's grandparents live. 

 

After 1 hour's driving we arrived Dammam Airport. First we needed to take a short flight from Dammam to Doha in Qatar (45 minutes). Because there was no direct flight from nearby city of Ras Tanura, to Hong Kong, we had to stop over in Doha, then from Doha took a connect flight to Hong Kong.

Picture shown above was having our luggage waited at Dammam Airport. Definitely can't wait!

 

Yes, I was so ready - everything was packed. I was so looking forward to my next adventure - Hello China, I'm coming!

Picture shown above was about to leave Ras Tanura in Saudi Arabia, taken in Anastasia's house front yard, on the 8th of July at 13:00.

 

On Wednesday the 25th of June 2011 I travelled to Bahrain with Anastasia's family. We went there by taxi. 

(In Saudi, the weekends are Thursdays and Fridays. This is because Friday to the locals is a day for their main pray in mosques, just almost similar to us going to church on Sundays). The 'weekend' on my title above was referred to Saudi's weekend.

Bahrain (Arabic: ‏البحرين‎ Al Baḥrayn), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. (The same royal family as Saudi Arabia but it is a separate country). 

Bahrain means "two seas" in Arabic. As the island is in the middle of a bay, the two seas referred to lie to the east and west respectively.

Saudi Arabia lies to the west and is connected to Bahrain by the King Fahd Causeway. It took us 1.5 hours from door to door (Anastasia's house in Ras Tanura - Saudi, to the hotel in Bahrain). 

Like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain is an Islamic country, but pork products and alcoholic drinks are available there (but not in Saudi, by the way). In Bahrain, just like in the western world, women are free to work and mixed with men in social life. They are also allowed to drive and don't have to wear Abaya (it's a long, black gown like overall) if they don't want to.

In Bahrain, people also pray 5 times a day but all the shops and restaurants are still open as normal during these times. 

We stayed in the Gulf Hotel. After we checked in, I decided to have a bath. It was ever so nice. I felt fully recharged afterwards and ready for our 'food hunting'. We went to a Brazilian grill restaurant (in Brazil it is called: Churrascaria). It was my first experience enjoying this kind of serving: the staff, with a long skewer full of meat, came to our table from time to time offering various grilled meat/seafood, ranging from chicken, pork, beef and lamb, to many kind of seafood, all marinated in different sauces. They were all so freshly cooked and yummy. I liked it a lot. 

The next day, we went to a water park in the city centre called Wahoo. It is like a 'water heaven' with indoor and outdoor parks. Wow, it was a huge, FUN-tastic park with lots of water activities and facilities. A place that you could spend a whole day there easily. Loved it!

On the last day of the weekend (Friday, 27 June) we went to see the Grand Mosque of Bahrain in the morning. It is called: Al-Fatheh Grand Mosque. We couldn't go in, unfortunately, because it was Friday and the locals were about to pray in the mosque. We then headed to a place called:  Marina Bay, played in the sand with Anastasia and had some BBQ, it was so so hot, as always, so we had to stay under the shade pretty much most of the time to avoid the sun-burnt. 

In mid afternoon, we went back to the Gulf Hotel, checking out and waiting for our taxi to take us back to Saudi. It was time to go home.

I really enjoyed this trip. It was very relaxing and we could breathe the air of freedom.  

 

 

Anastasia's family lives inside an expat's compound. I think the compound is as big as the city centre areas in Plymouth. There are lots of facilities inside the compound, like swimming pools, gyms, golf course, hospital, schools, shops....I was told there are over 3200 residents here. They come from different courntries all around the world, just like a mini U.N.! Anastasia's house is next to a private beach. So whenever she was free she took me to the beach.. I so enjoyed it! 

 

We arrived the country on the last week, before the school breaks for its 3rd trimester. It was also when the annual Field Day took place. I joined Anastasia for this big event. It was such a great fun. 

 

It was on the 4th of March. I had another stamp on my passport - Entry to Saudi Arabia. 

 

My adventure this time was to The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I companied Anastasia's family relocation. On the 4th of March 2011, we arrived the desert!! . Luckily it was not very hot - about 20 degrees. Perfect! 

I was told Saudi Arabia has the world's largest oil reserves and is the world's largest oil exporter. It is is the third-largest country in the Middle East by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the third-largest Arab country. I am looking forward to explore more about this country. 

 

 

I have finally arrived home to Plymouth! I had an amazing time in South America and met lots of interesting people. I have had my passport stamped in every country I have visited! I can’t wait tell you all about it when I come back to school!

 

To get back to the UK I had to stop over in the USA in Houston, Texas. It was a long wait before I could catch the next plane to Heathrow, London so I treated myself to a hearty American breakfast!

 

When I got back to Rio I carried on exploring. I plucked up all my courage and decided to go hang-gliding over the city. Driven to the top of a high mountain, I was strapped to a glider that looked like a large pair of wings. Together with my guide and a friend who came with me for moral support, I ran as fast as I could off the runway and launched myself into thin air. Rather than falling however, I found that I was flying! Firmly attached to the glider, I saw Rio looking very small below me. Though a little scary, it was also incredibly exciting!

During my last days in Rio, I relaxed on Ipanema beach and visited a poorer area of Rio, known as a favella. The houses are all jammed in closely on a small area of land so walking around the streets is like walking through a maze. I met a man called Carlos who lived in the favella I visited. He told me that although the people living here don't have much money, they are a strong community and do their best to look after each other. Carlos took me to a school in another favella community and I got to meet some of the children there.

Afterwards, I took a cable car to the top of Sugarloaf mountain, so called because its strange shape looks like an old fashioned sugar mould. The views of Rio from here were fantastic and it was a lovely way to say goodbye to the city.

I was very sad to leave the following evening when I boarded the plane for the final part of my adventure. 

 

 

I wanted to see a bit more of Brazil so I visited the historic town of Paraty on the Costa Verde (Green Coast). I explored the old part of town where all the Portuguese colonial churches and buildings have been excellently preserved. Walking along the quay, I saw a lovely line of brightly coloured boats waiting to take tourists to explore the tropical islands dotting the bay. I met a boatman who let me look around his little green and red boat.

 

Rio de Janerio is a huge, lively city nestled among the mountains on the south coast of Brazil. It is home to some of the most well known landmarks in the world including the statue of Christ the Redeemer, which stands on the top of the tallest mountain in the city, the Corcovado. The weather was really hot and sunny so I spent the afternoon relaxing on the famous Copacabana beach watching the big waves crash on the sand and drinking refreshing coconut milk out of a coconut shell!

 

After a very long bus ride from Buenos Aires, I arrived in the hot, humid jungle town of Puerto Iguazu.  I visited the blue and white Triple Frontera (Triple Frontier) monument which marks the area where Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil meet. Not far from Puerto Iguazu are the famous Iguazu falls. Thousands of litres of water from the Rio Iguazu (the Iguazu river) pour over the cliffs creating these magnificent waterfalls. The biggest waterfall is called Garganta del Diablo (The Devil’s Throat). The water crashes over the edge with a great roar, sending up so much spray that you can’t see the river at the bottom. The moisture in the air combined with the sunshine to create a beautiful rainbow.

 

From Buenos Aires, I took a big ferry across the River Plate to Colonia de Sacramento in Uruguay. This little historic town was great to explore. I climbed to the top of the old lighthouse to see the view and relaxed on a beach by the river.

 

Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, was amazing. I enjoyed visiting the landmarks of this lively city, including a marvellous Tango show and Recoleta cemetery, where a lady called Eva Peron (Evita), is buried. She did a lot for women’s rights in her country and is famous all over the world. I also visited a very colourful street called the Caminito. In the past, the people who lived there couldn't afford paint to protect their houses so they used the bright colours used to paint the fishing boats. The Caminito is in the La Boca district which is famous for its football team, Boca Juniors.

 

I have arrived in Ushuaia, one of the most southerly towns in the world! On the way here I stopped off to see the penguins of the Magellan Straits who say hello to you all! They are very funny to watch as they waddled back and forth to the sea to catch fish.

In Ushuaia I have been on a boat trip on the Beagle Channel. It was very windy and cold because it is so far south but I saw some lovely views.
 

 

I camped with my friends in Torres del Paine National Park. We went for a walk to see the famous towers, three huge pillars of granite that are the skeletons of mountains that were eroded away over millions of years. We also met Gauchos, the local horsemen and went horse-riding with them as well as taking a catamaran to see another huge glacier known as the Gray Glacier.

 

From Bariloche I took an aeroplane south to El Calafate. Here I went to visit the Moreno glacier, a vast wall of blue and white ice that is exceptionally beautiful. The Moreno glacier is rare as it is one of the only glaciers that is still growing rather than shrinking due to global warming. While I was watching, a huge pillar of ice broke away from the glacier face and crashed with a loud splash into the lake below. It was a magnificent sight.

 

Rather taking another bus, I decided to cross from Chile into Argentina through the lake district by ferry. The scenery was spectacular and I saw lots of snowy volcanoes, glaciers and tall mountains as we sailed across the calm, aqua blue lake. After several hours I reached Bariloche in Argentina. Here I went bike riding in the sunshine and tried one of Argentina’s famous steaks. Delicious!

 

I had a lovely Christmas lounging by pool and enjoying the views of the mountains and lake from my posh hotel. On Boxing Day I climbed an active, smoking volcano! It was hard work climbing up the steep sides through the ice and snow. We climbed right up to the crater! Instead of walking back down, we zoomed all the way to the bottom on toboggans!

 

The lovely weather in the Santa Cruz region makes it perfect for growing grapes to make wine. I took a tour around a vineyard and winery to see where the grapes are grown, picked and fermented to make wine.

 

I have spent the last few days in Valparaiso and Santiago. Valparaiso is a colourful city of  higgledy piggledy houses along the coast. I had a lovely time wandering through the brightly painted, twisting streets and riding the clunky funiculars (like lifts on tracks climbing the steep hills, saving people from having to walk up them- a marvellous idea after the Inca trail and its many steps!)

Santiago is the capital of Chile. I took another funicular ride to the top of Cerro San Cristobel hill where I could see all of Santiago spread out below me. The day was so clear I could see all the way to the snow capped peaks of the Andes mountains in the distance. What a fantastic view!

 

Spent a lovely day at a beautiful beach with white sand near Copiapo. The sea was lovely and clear but my friends told me it was very cold.

I then travelled to La Serena and took a tour of the Elqui valley where they grow grapes to make Pisco brandy.  I also went to another observatory to see the stars and got to look at the moon through a telescope.

 

I have now reached Chile! I am still in the desert so it is very hot and dry. In this quiet town a long way away from any big cities there is less light pollution so you can see many more stars in the sky. I went out to an observatory in the desert where a fascinating French astronomer used a laser pen to point out different constellations such as Orion and Gemini.

 

Stretching as far as I could see, the vast salt plains of the Salar de Uyuni (Salt Flats) was an awesome sight but so bright I had to keep my sunglasses on almost all the time. Out of these fields of salt rose strange shaped islands inhabited by giant cactuses, at least 30 times taller than me, that were hundreds of years old. Whilst on the salt flats we got to stay in a hotel made entirely out of blocks of salt. It was a very unusual place!

 

Potosi is a mining town that used to be famous for its silver. There is no silver left in the Cerro Ricco (Rich Mountain) anymore but people still mine it for other minerals such as Zinc. I didn’t go down the mine because I don’t like dark cramped spaces but my friends went right down inside the mountain to see what it would be like to work there. Though they got to blow up some dynamite which was scary and exciting, they said it was very hot, uncomfortable and dangerous. I don’t think I could be a miner, I prefer the fresh air and sunshine.

 

La Paz is the highest capital city in the world. I had a lot of fun exploring its winding streets, browsing the Witches Market, run by women who sell all sorts of herbs and natural medicines as well as some odd statues and charms. Whilst there, I went for a drive along the World’s Most Dangerous Road (the one that was on Top Gear). The road was built into the cliff and was incredibly narrow. One side rose up into a towering wall of rock. The other side was a massive drop into the jungle below with nothing to stop you from falling. We had to be very careful and listen to our guide but although it was dangerous, it was still a lot of fun.

 

We visited the islands on Lake Titicaca, the highest navigatable lake in the world. First we visited a community that lived on islands made of reeds that they build themselves. They were amazing. We stayed with a local family over night on Amantani Island. They invited us to a party where we got to dress in traditional local clothing, boys wore Ponchos, the girls bright skirts, white blouses and beautifully embrodered shawls. I really enjoyed the dancing and the local music.

 

The Inca trail is a long ancient journey through the mountain passes of the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu, the ruins of an important Incan city right up in the mountains. It took us four days to walk from the start of the trail to Machu Picchu. We had help from a team of porters who carried our tents, sleeping bags and spare clothes so we only had to carry a small bag of things we’d need during the day. They also cooked us delicious three course meals! Though they were carrying packs that were taller than they were, they ran the trail effortlessly. They were amazing people. We climbed up and down the steep mountain passes, walking through cloud and jungle, passing other ruins on our route. There were an awful lot of steps and it was very challenging but the beautiful views and the sight of Machu Picchu at the end made it all worth it!

 

Colca Canyon is a beautiful place surrounded by mountains. I made friends with a grumpy alpaca called Manchas (Spots in Spanish), who I had a very pleasant conversation with despite his attempts to spit wads of grass at any passing human. The steep sides of the canyon are perfect for Condors to nest in. These huge, very graceful birds are rare and we were really lucky to see one circling around us. It was an exciting and impressive sight!

 
Arequipa is a beautiful city made from white volcanic rock. It is home to Juanita, an Incan princess who was sacrificed at the top of a volcano to please the Incan mountain gods. She lay perfectly preserved in the ice until a nearby volcano erupted and melted the snow around her. She now lives in the Arequipa musuem. Though she is over 500 years old, her hair, skin and clothes are very well preserved.

 

Hola!

From Lima, I journeyed to the Peruvian grape growing town of Pisco and went on a boat trip to the Ballestas Islands to see a vast colony of sea birds and sea lions. It was very smelly because of all the bird poo but the sea lions lounging lazily on the rocks were funny to watch.

That evening we drove through the desert in a large comfortable old car to Nazca. The following morning we got a bird’s eye view of the desert from a small plane when we took a flight over the famous Nazca lines, giant pictures drawn in the sand that are over 1500 years old. There were drawings of spiders, trees, whales and dogs, but unfortunately no bears which was a little disappointing. My favourites were the picture of the monkey with the curly tail and the hummingbird with the long beak!

Love Barnaby Bear xx

 

Hola

I've arrived in Lima, the capital of Peru. It is a very busy city that is home to over 7.5 million people. I have spent the day exploring the museum of the Spanish Inquisition and the dark tunnels below an old San Fransciscan monestary that was full of old bones! Creepy!

Love Barnaby Bear xx

 

Hola!

I have continued to travel down the coast of Peru and am now in Huanchaco. I have been to visit two ancient temples called Huaca de la Luna (temple of the moon) and Huaca del Sol (temple of the sun) that were built by the Moche people who lived in this area over 2000 years ago. They decorated their temples with fascinating coloured pictures that have been so well preserved in the desert that they are still clear today. I also visited the remains of a palace in the ancient city of Chan Chan, once the capital city of the Chimu, built in about 1300AD. Here all the walls were decorated with pictures of sea animals and fishing nets as the people who lived here made their living from the sea.

Love Barnaby Bear xx

 

Hola!

I arrived safely in Peru after a long drive. I am now staying right next to a long golden beach in a town called Mancora. It is beautiful here. The weather is hot and sunny and the waves are huge so brilliant for surfing. I have spent a lovely day sunbathing, watching the surfers and drinking cold coconut milk out of a large coconut shell.

Love Barnaby Bear xx

 

 

Hola (Hello in Spanish),

When I left the jungle, I spent two days in the resort town of Baños, where I relaxed and recovered from my mosquito bites! My travelling companions went off to bathe in the hot springs (or Baños) which give the town it´s name and make it well known all over the world. I don{t much like water as it makes my fur all clumpy, so I stayed behind at the hotel, had a massage and sat on the balcony watching the waterfalls. It was very peaceful.

I am now in Cuenca where I have been to look around the ancient Inca settlement of Ingapirca. Though it is over 500 years old, the sun temple where the Incas used to worship, is still standing. A friendly and very wise llama gave me a tour of the site and showed me where all the ancient houses used to be.

I am going to bed early tonight as I have a long day of travelling ahead of me tomorrow. I will be leaving Ecuador and going to Peru!

I hope I can find some of Paddington´s friends!

Adios for now

Love Barnaby Bear xx

 

Hello,

The most exciting place I have been so far has been the Amazon jungle. I went trekking through the rainforest with my jungle guide Yimi. He showed me a lot of exotic plants and even made me a crown from a palm leaf. I also went for a trek through the jungle at night. It was really scary being out at night with all the snakes and spiders! I was glad when I eventually tucked up in bed under my mosquito net! Yimi also taught me a lot about the local Quechua people who live in the jungle, showing me how they build traps to catch their food and make a strong alcoholic drink call chicha, which made me feel very sleepy!

Love Barnaby Bear xx

 

Hello,

I stayed over night in London. In the morning I got to ride on the tube on the way to Heathrow airport! I love flying and spent most of the long flight looking out of the window at the clouds (though I also slept some of the way too).

After 16 hours I arrived in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. Though I was tired after my long flight I couldn´t wait to start exploring.

I  rode the Teleferico up a huge mountain to 4100m and climbed the steep and scary spire of the Basilica de Voto Nacional, a big beautiful Cathedral at the heart of the old part of Quito. It is unusual as instead of having ugly gargoyles carved around the outside of the church, it has all manner of creatures found in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, including, anteaters and cuy (big guinea pigs)!

I then travelled to the market town of Otavalo, where I went shopping.

Love Barnaby Bear xx

 

 

Hello,

I left Plymouth on 24th October and travelled to London on the train. We stopped at Paddington station so I went to share a cup of tea and some marmalade sandwiches with my friend Paddington Bear. I told him all about the adventures I was about to have as I travelled around South America. Paddington is originally from Peru and so he has asked me to say hello to his friends when I arrive there.

 Love Barnaby Bear  xx