bobsreturn2004's VirtualTourist Home Page

My trip has ended.3 weeks ago i returned to the uk.I have learnt a awful lot in the last few months.I have falling in love,been hurt,met some great people,saw loads of bands,was at one with nature,rafted,horsebacked ride,saw a pow concert,got threatened to be shot,visited hollywood,walked across golden gate bridge and much more.
So what am i doing back....good question.Due to my qualifications failing to meet the canadian emigration laws,i have decided to do a degree in hospitality management.I have already pinpointed my day of leaving on August 13th 2011.Canada made me realise that the path i had back here in the uk was a path of nothingness and meaningless.In Canada after the first few months of culture shock,i learned that its there i see a future not here in wales.No disrespect to anyone in the Uk but i felt safer and happier in north America in 9 months than the last 20 years in the Uk.August 2011 might seem a long way away...it will be here before you know it and by then i hope to be packed and ready.

A Big thanks to everyone on this website who has given me encouraging words of advice.Last Monday i was diagnoised with severe depression.
This is a very horrible illness and i so hope nobody has to deal with this as the pain it causes to one self both mentally and physically is horrible.Its like 2 demons battling one another with whats left on the outside.At the moment i have started therapy sessions to find the cause of this and get my life back on track.Each day at the moment is a constant struggle,however i just have faith that one day the pain will be gone and i will be able to smile again.Its the only thing i have is belief.

For those who dont know me Im Gareth,Im 23,I live in South Wales just outside Cardiff.What i do is unimportant, what i hope to do is have my own buisness or work in the travel industry.I also write some short stories when i have time.In my spare time as well as traveling(which i do once every 12 weeks,thats enough time round here), i play squash at least once a week,swim as often as i can and go to the gym.Ive stopped smoking so im eating food like its going out of fashion,favourite dish got to be Scampi,Chips and Salad.Favourite drink thats got to be Beer(Espicially the Finnish Beer Coff)and softdrink thats got to be coke.

Favourite Cities I have Visited
Dublin-People are just great,so friendly,so open.Lots to see and do
Budapest-Good up and coming city
Prague-Never have i seen a place so beautiful
Berlin-Thriving Economic city
Amsterdam-Dodgiest vibrant city in the world
Helsinki-So many good bars so many goregeous looking people
Talinn-One of the few places i want to visit again.
Edinburugh-Good atmosphere
cardiff-its where i live, its got to be good
Port Eynon-This place is the most relaxing place to go,its away from the city,near the beach and very calm.

On April 1st 2003 after nearly 4 years of dreaming i set about making my dream a reaility flying from Cardiff to Alicante for my 1st big trip on my own.To say i was crying is a understatement i couldnt believe that after 4 years my dream was about to come true.
However unlike then i paid 500 pounds for 2 weeks accomodation in a terrible hotel in benidorm and a return flight i never used(why didnt i try bmibaby??).the next mistake i made was rather than look for work stright away i decided to drink like a goldfish, going out every single night, even though drinks in spain are cheap 50 euros a night is a lot.After 7 weeks i was down to my last 400, i was offered a job in a small hotel in Benidorm, i turned it down and went to Alicante.
In Benidorm i had got to know lots of people,had had lots of laughs and made some great friends.I turned that in for a rather gloomy 2 days in Alicante,on day three i was mugged.i stayed one more day but couldnt even face walking down the road so i went home.Since then ive been abroard loads of times either on my own or with friends.It was something i needed to do because i wont let people stop me doing what i love.

1- Sahara Desert- i want to travel from Gibraltar,to Morroco,Western Sahara,Mauritania,mali,niger and Chad.However i need a good few years of travel before i attempt this(Similar to Michael Palins adventure).
2-India-I dont know what it is about India, But it looks so diffrent from The western world,its a chace to experience a diffrent Culture.
3-Antarticia-The only place left in the world,not destroyed by humans.
4-Great Barrier Reef-A chance to snorkel through one of the worlds greatest sea beds.
5-North Korea-One of the worlds most secret states,Must be a unique experience.
6-Grand Canyon-Just a chance to see the worlds greatest rift with not a sole around would be a awsome experience.
7-the Galpagos Islands-The one remaining place in the world where animals rule freely.
8-Easter Island-Just to see the heads.
9-The Great Wall Of China-I want to walk from begginign to end, just camping inbetween.
10-the Lost city of Peru

This is a picture of one of the most beautiful walks you can do in South Wales, Cosmonton Lakes.Be aware though its a old quarry and you should never ever swim there.Still on a nice day the scenery is absoloutley beautiful.Plus theres loads of great walks around.

10 things i like 10 Things I hate

Beer=Best Beer Guiness or Brains SA
Spaghettie =Tastes great any day of the weeek
Motor Sport =except when Schumacher wins but he retires soon
Travel =My first passion in life
Money =we all need it
Rugby=Football pah,In rugby thats where you get the men from the boys
Squash=one of my favourite past times
Swimming =Good for excercising
Movies =Ben Hur,Saving Private Ryan,American Beauty,Terminators,Aliens etc
Music =I have 900 cds.Favourite band at the moment U2