Tour Title: Southern Cross
Tour Company: G Adventures
Tour Leaders: David (05/12-19/12/2009), Jose Valdivia (20/12-30/12/2009) and Edgar (31/12/2009-17/01/2010)
Cities Visited: Rio De Janeiro, Ilha Grande, Paraty, Iguassu Falls, Itaipu, Bonito, Pantanal, Santa Cruz, Sucre, Potosi, Uyuni, Salt Flats, Uyuni Desert, La Paz, Puno, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, Taguile Island, Cusco, Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo, Inca Trail, Machu Picchu, Arequipa, Colca Valley, Nazca, Pisco, Lima
Countries Visited: Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru
Dates: Saturday 05 December 2009 to Sunday 17 January 2010
Duration: 45 days
Tour Type: Classic
Tour Itinerary (PDF) and Journal Entries
Nathan's Insights
World Traveller: 7 Continents, 90 Countries, 871 Days Overseas
Pages:
About | Countries | Tours | Trips | Bucket List – Done | Bucket List – To Do | Airport Lounges | Flight History
Travel Categories:
Flight Reviews | Lounge Reviews | Destinations | Short Breaks | World Trip 1986 | World Trip 1998 | World Trip 1999-2000 | World Trip 2006 | World Trip 2009 | World Trip 2009-10 | World Trip 2010 | World Trip 2011 | World Trip 2012-13 | World Trip 2015 | World Trip 2016 | World Trip 2017 | World Trip 2017-18 | World Trip 2018 | World Trip 2019 | Australia 2022 | World Trip 2023 | World Trip 2024 | World Trip 2024-25 | World Trip 2026-27
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I’m now nine months into a twelve-month health and fitness program I commenced back in November 2025. A big part of this is an early-morning 2-hour walk as the sun comes up, and this gives me time to reflect on life in general and matters like my progress on this health plan.
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Official Name: Swiss Confederation
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Established: 1291
Population: 8.3 million (2019 estimate)
Country Size: 41,291 square kilometers
Religion: Protestant (51.3%)
Languages: German, French, Italian, Romansh
Capital: Bern
Order of Visit: Sixteenth
First Visit: 31 May 2006
Last Visit: 7 June 2006
Duration: 8 Days
Times Visited: 1 (2006 with another visit planned 2026)
Next Planned Visit: 08 December to 15 December 2026 (8 days)
Highlights: Lake Lucerne, eating delicious Swiss Chocolate, admiring the stunning Lauterbrunnen Waterfalls, enjoying the high-altitude scenic train to Jungfraujoch (Top of Europe), and standing in awe before the snow-capped mountains.
Places Visited: Lucerne, Lauterbrunnen, Bern
Planned to Visit: Basel, Interlaken, Murren, Zermatt, Zurich
Switzerland Journal Entries
First Published: 02 January 2010 | Updated: 02 August 2026 -
Established: Treaty of Verdun – August 843, Republic – 22 September 1792
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Population: 67,076,000 (2020 Estimate)
Religion: 57.5% Roman Catholic, 35% Non-religious, 3.5% other faiths, 3% Protestant
Language: French
Capital: Paris
Order of Visit: Tenth
First Visit: 24 April 2006
Last Visit: 08 July 2006
Next Planned Visit: 7 December 2026
Duration: 18 Days
Times Visited: 1 (2006, planned 2026)
Highlights: Chateau De Versailles, Climbing the Eiffel Tower, Disneyland Paris, Notre Dame Cathedral, Moulin Rouge, The Louvre, Arc de Triumph, Auguste Rodin’s House, Sacre Coeur Monument, Night bike ride along the Seine River, Promenade des Anglais, Beaches at Cannes, The Palace of the Popes (Avignon)
Places Visited: Avignon, Cannes, Paris, Nice
Planned to Visit: Strasbourg
Frances Journal Entry
First Published: 02 January 2010 | Updated: 31 July 2026 -
Official Name: The Federal Republic of Germany
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Established: 1871 (German Empire), West Germany and East Germany 1949, Reunification 1990
Population: 83,166,711 (2019 estimate)
Religion: 31.7% Protestants, 31.2% Roman Catholics
Language: German
Capital: Berlin
Order of Visit: Thirteenth
First Visit: 11 May 2006
Last Visit: 09 April 2024
Next Planned Visit: 01 December 2026 to 06 December 2026
Duration: 23 Days (includes 8 days for planned 2026 visit)
Times Visited: 4 times (2006, 2013, 2024 and 2026)
Visit Highlights: Heidelberg Castle, Attending a World Cup Football Match (Munich), Fruenkirche Church, Glockenspiel Clock, Beer Gardens, Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin Wall, Hitlers Bunker, Bebelplatz (infamous book burning site), Reichstag Dome, Berlin Bomb Bunker
Places Visited:Berlin, Frankfurt, Heidelberg, Munich,
Planned to Visit: Duesseldorf, Cologne, Koblenz, Rüdesheim, Mainz, Speyer
German Journal Entries
First Published: 01 January 2010 | Updated: 21 July 2026 -
New plan: Christmas Market – Cologne, Germany I unexpectedly had to make new plans for my upcoming world trip commencing in November 2026 (see Trip Plans). Trafalgar contacted my last month and advised that thir Best of Greece tour in December wasn’t going ahead. I was very dissappointed to say the least.
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Seven months into twelve month health and wellness focus I can see success is in sight After completing both Stage 1 (01 November 2025 to 09 April 2026 i.e. 160 days) and Stage 2 (10 April 2026 to 13 June 2026 i.e 65 days) it is now time to create and commence the final Stage 3 of this one-year plan.
The major goal of Stage 1 was getting to a Body Mass Index under 30 (for me that is 91.7 kgs) and Stage 2 was a BMI under 25 (76.4 kgs).
I now need to create Health and Wellness Stage 3 goals to focus me between today and 10 November 2026.
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After 224 days, commencing 1 November 2025, today 13 June 2026, I’ve completed Stage 2 of my Health and Wellness plan having achieved a body mass index reading of 24.9 (considered healthy) so I’m no longer medically consider overweight / fat.
I’ve made a significant investment in myself during this time starting with a blood pressure (BP) reading of 156 over 102 (stage 2 hypertension) and a weight of 127.1 kgs.
Today (13 June 2026) however my BP was 115/76 (normal range) and weight is 76.4 kgs (normal for males 175 cms height).
This investment should hopefully pay off with more enjoyment of my post retirement years (see Transition to Retirement)
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As I get closer to retirement (January 2029) I increasingly start focusing on how to spend the remaining time working and immediate plans post-work to give you the freedom while I have a health to enjoy myself.
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Official Name: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
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Established: 11 April 1921 (Emirate) / 25 May 1946 (Independence from United Kingdom)
Population: 11,484,805 (2035 estimate)
Country Size: 89,342 square kms
Religion: 95% Islam (official religion), 3% Christian
Language: Arabic
Currency: Jordanian dinar
Capital: Amman
Order of Visit: Ninety Second
First Visit: 24 November 2024 (planned)
Last Visit: 04 December 2024 (planned)
Duration: 11 Days
Expected Highlights: Exploring historical Petra site, visiting Dead Sea, Sleeping under the stars
Cities: Amman, Wādī Mūsá, Petra, Wadi Rum
Jordan Journal Entry
First Published 01 June 2026 | Updated
Nathan's Insights 