Geoffrey Thompson ! !

Occasionally in life you are dealt a bad blow, and this is mine. I've paid good money to come on an expedition around South America for seven months and I get landed with an Aussie !!

The reason for this additional blog is I've been made aware that the blog now has a wider audience, in Australia, particularly Blaxland, New South Wales. So thought I'd better start including Geoff a bit more in my reports and let the wider audience know what additional hardships I'm having to endure.

Geoff, larger than life normally greets you with a " lovely day " in his booming Aussie accent. Indeed this has become the greeting of choice amongst the overlanders. Much humour is associated with the fact that we're sharing a tent, thereby relinquishing the pain anyone else would suffer. I suppose I've taken a hit for the team, bloody big hit ! Evenings in bush camp follow a similar pattern with Geoff and I retiring normally about 1030 pm getting settled to watch an episode of Mrs Browns Boys which is hilarious. Trouble with Geoff is that once in the tent he thinks no one can hear us and the farting, swearing and toilet humour runs riot, we laugh for hours. We have noticed other tents moving closer to listen to the hilarity last thing at night and as soon as we wake, normally about 0530 much to everyone's disgust. All joking aside Geoff is a thoroughly decent bloke and we've had six weeks of a mixture of mind blowing scenery, adrenaline fuelled activities, hard endurance treks mixed with humour and a growing friendship. He's sixty years old, very fit, think Star Wars, Geoff reckons Han Solo, i reckon more like Ja Ja Blinks, ha ha he's gonna go mad when he spots this :)))

While I'm about it a big thank you to Hannah, Geoffs daughter, for making payment to Geoffs i-pad account, we now have series two of Mrs Browns Boys to watch, excellent.

Anyway a few photographs of Geoff, despite what people say he is a top bloke.

1. Geoff or is it Shrek !
2. Blue steel
3. Geoff stoking the Potjie, Christmas dinner. ( South African cook pot )
4. Conquering Volcano Villerica
5. Both chilling off at Salto del Laga
6. Geoff doing it tough on the W trek
7. Geoff advertising a local tour company.

Seven weeks in, so much has happened, whatever next !

Adios

Tony x