| What is your honeymoon Wish List? As avid travellers, we have decided to go on an extended trip to South America as our honeymoon. Please do not feel obliged to purchase us a gift. If, however, you do wish to contribute, you can choose items from our honeymoon wish list below that can be added to our trip to upgrade to a string of highlights, luxuries and amazing experiences, enabling us to turn it into a truly memorable start to our life together. This is our preferred choice of gift, although we do have a conventional John Lewis gift list in case the list below does not appeal. How do I purchase a gift? Mel's mum, Carol (some of you know her as Carolyn) will be looking after the gift list and we will be updating the on-line list, placing "taken" signs against items that are no longer available. Please note that these items cannot be bought directly over the internet. If you decide that there is something on the list that you would like to bestow upon us and want to double-check that it is still available, then you are welcome to give Carol a call. Otherwise, just print out and fill in the "Gift Booking Form" (link on the bottom of the page), and send with a cheque to the value of the gift made out to "Mrs C Johnson" and send to: Mrs C Johnson Broadbridges Cottage The Avenue, Compton Guildford, Surrey, GU3 1JN Tel: 01483 424394 Alternatively, (if you don't have a cheque book or don't trust Mel's Mum not to do a runner), you can put money into our Trailfinders account for the monetary value of the gift you want to bestow. We aren't booking the gifts with Trailfinders, but we have already booked our flights. Any money that is given to Trailfinders will mean that we can use the cash saved on the flights for the gift you have chosen for us. If you use the Trailfinders method, don't forget to let Carol know your choice of gift, or you can still use the booking form, ticking the Trailfinders option listed. |
| Alternatively, our wedding list with John Lewis is now AVAILABLE www.johnlewisgiftlist.com 0845 600 2202 Wedding list number: 203531 |
| Home About us How we met The proposal The Wedding Day The Venue Directions Places to Stay Sunday Lunch? Things to do in the area Wedding list Printable version Confirmation form Free I-POD Honeymoon plans NEW |
| Honeymoon Wish List |
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| Stage 1 New York |
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| First Night Hotel Upgrade - £80 |
| With only two nights in New York you can upgrade us to the suite of our chosen hotel, (well, out of the lobby anyway). Why not help us get the holiday off in style. (Go on - you know John will put Mel in any old Micky Mouse hotel otherwise!) We haven't looked into or chosen the hotel, but we know the date that we will be there, so why not book it for us? Call or email us if you want to know the date! |
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| First Night with a Bang - £40 |
| Why not be the one to make the holiday start with a bang! How about upgrading our bottle of Budweiser to a cold bottle of bubbly for the first night of our honeymoon. Go on, be the first we raise a toast to! |
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| A Meal in style upgrade - £60 |
| Can there be a finer meal than Wendy's? Let's hope so, but we've set our budget for South not North America! Help us make the first night of our whole trip truly memorable with a romantic meal for two at a top New York restaurant. And if you've been to New York and know somewhere special, why not even suggest or even book the restaurant yourself!!? |
| New York & Ellis Island Tour - £40 |
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| Help John drag Mel away from the shops with a tour of New York. Say no to Tiffany & Co, Crate & Barrel, Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Saks on Fifth, Abercrombie & Fitch or any of the others....surely 10 minutes in Wall Mart is all she'll need! It's December in New York. It's cold. Help John upgrade his $1 walking tour to a horse drawn carriage ride. |
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| Do you know something that would pull even Mel from the shops? Why not e-mail and let us know. info@melandjohnsworld.com |
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| Stage 2 Argentina |
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| Fawlty Towers and Manuel come to mind here only it is the other way round. Help us get out of the English "SPEAK LOUDER A.N.D. S.L.O.W.E.R.L.Y" way of travelling. We will be spending 2 weeks in Buenos Aires at Spanish School to help us to fully enjoy the rest of our trip. Private tutorials are £10 for an hour for one of us - and I think we will need them....lots of them! This is a present which will last us for life! |
| Spanish for the utterly useless- £10 |
| Buenos Aires Best Restaurant - £30 |
| Time Out says "If you only have one night in the city this is the Argentinian restaurant to visit". Help us to make the night more memorable by enjoying what we want to eat not what we can afford! (Wendy's again) |
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| I wish I could fly, right up to the sky, but I can't! We can. With your help we can both take an awe-inspiring helicopter trip over Buenos Aires to really see the sights. |
| Buenos Aires Air View - £30 |
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| Christmas Day food and drink - £50 |
| Lost, thousand of miles from home and the ones we love, huddled together in a Buenos Aires soup kitchen, trying to escape the 40 degree heat and not a turkey in sight! Help us to make our first Christmas as a married couple one to remember by either choosing the Christmas Food & Drink option, or the Christmas Day Hotel option. |
| Christmas Day Hotel - £50 |
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| The Igazu Falls lie on the border between Argentina and Brazil. We can see most of the area around the Falls on foot but we want to take the speedboat ride that takes us right under the falls and splashes us with spray.If giving us this thrill of a lifetime appeals, and seeing a picture of us looking like drowned rats will give you a laugh, then this one is for you! This gift can be purchased at £35 for one of us or £70 for both of us...buy 1 and the chances are someone else will buy the other....don't worry, I won't leave John behind! |
| Igazu Falls Experience - £35 x 2 |
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| Overnight in Uruguay - £50 |
| It's only a few hours from Buenos Aires to pop over the border into Uruguay. We don't know much about this country, so all the more reason to go for a couple of days...the guide books say it is well worth it, as just over the border is a wonderful town to explore! Your gift will upgrade us from a rushed day-trip to a relaxed overnight stay. |
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| Penguin Colony visit - £35 |
| Half a million Magellanic penguins breed at Punta Tombo in Argentina (the largest Penguin Colony outside Antartica). Pengiuns are Mel's all-time favourite animal, so she will be over-the-moon to meet Pingu and let's hope she doesn't cry like she did watching "March of the Penguins" ...John thinks they are quite cute too! |
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| Riding through the Argentinian Outback - £65 |
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| "When in Rome", and all that. Apparently no trip to Argentina is complete without visiting an Estancia (Ranch) and riding out to see the amazing scenery on (hopefully) very friendly, nice, not too tall, not too sprightly horses (and hopefully not called Tartan, the one Mel fell off when she was 12 in Wittering.....long story)! This will pay for a whole day for both of us. |
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| Boat tour to Moreno Glacier, Patagonia - £45 |
| "In the distance you can hear loud, sharp cracks, like a gunshot. You wait for a moment. Suddenly a huge slab of ice disappears into the Lago Argentino before your very eyes. Breathtaking." Let us get up close to see this with our very eyes on this boat trip of a lifetime. (If nothing else give £5 for more thermal undies for Mel...) |
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| Will they be able to go to the ends of the earth for each other..... You decide..... Hosterial Linares -£25 |
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| Can't wait to send us to the ends of the earth? This B&B in Ushuaia is as far South as you can go before you drop off into Antarctica. It looks cold. Your gift will pay for us to stay in this hotel which has proper central heating ............ .......please! If you want to have a look at it, www.hosterialinares.com.ar |
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| Entry to the Torres Del Paine National Park - £16 |
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| Stage 3 Chile |
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| Comparable to the Yosemite National Park in USA, the Torres Del Paine covers an area of 45,000 Acres in Southern Chile. ....We will have been travelling for over 2 months, we may need that 45,000 acres of space to get away from eachother by now! Your gift will get us into this amazing park to explore at our leisure! |
| 4 day cruise up the Chilean Fjords upgrade - £45 x 4 |
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| This would make a perfect combined gift with several of you clubbing together, (or just purchase 1 part of it at £45?). Your contribution will get us away from the cows and goats of this working liner, upgrading us from nasty berth cabins to top Class AA accommodation. This boat trip takes us up the coast of Chile on an amazing 4-day trip through Glacial fjords. For more information on where the journey takes us, visit www.navimag.com |
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| Obviously we are only doing this tour for the cultural aspect!! Chile..... apparently some very good wines produced there.....better check....yum, yum! We will be learning all about wine production in Chile, and may just try a few tasters....... (why not pay us back for all the wine you will undoubtedly consume at our wedding)!! |
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| Wine Tasting Tour - £20 |
| Atacama Desert tour - £30 |
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| The Atacama desert is one of the dryest places on earth. Your gift will make sure that we have an abundant bottled water supply and don't get lost and start having mirages about being back in rainy England. Your gift will pay for us to join an organised tour for the day. |
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| If you want to give us the thrill of our lives....here's one way. This gift will buy both of us a Paraglide in Northern Chile over the amazing countryside with a reputable and safe company....a once-in-a-lifetime experience! And of all the other thrill-seeking experiences we have done in our lives, neither of us have ever done paragliding! |
| Paragliding Experience - £55 |
| Special Seafood Meal - £35 |
| Chile is renowned for its seafood. Azul Profundo restaurant in Santiago is considered the best in the country. Lobsters, mussels, crayfish, caviar....we could be in heaven, especially as we both adore seafood! |
| Stage 4 Bolivia |
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| Salt Flats Tour - £50 |
| The Salt Flats of Uyuni are one of the most spectacular scenic regions in Bolivia. This gift will upgrade us from a speedy day tour to a relaxed 2-day tour, taking us deep into the salt flats region on a 4 x 4 jeep to explore this amazing place. www.bolivianexpeditions.com/1daytour.html |
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| Bottle of Chilean wine with above - £10 |
| A special seafood meal in Santiago without the wine? Surely not! Chile is a massive producer of top-quality wine.....let us put our recent wine tour knowledge to the test by providing us a lovely bottle of our choice of chilled vino to go with our special meal. |
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| Accommodation overlooking Lake Titicaca - £50 |
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| Highly recommended, the Hotel la Cupula stands on the edge of the stunning Lake Titicaca on the Bolivian side. Your gift will pay for us to stay in the honeymoon suite for 2 nights, giving us time to relax and enjoy some of the lovely walks in this area. For more information on this hotel, please visit www.hotelcupula.com |
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| Night's stay at La Vispera Organic Farm - £20 |
| Just looking at this place, is it any wonder we want to stay here to replenish and rejuvenate our world-weary energy! La Vispera in Samaipata, Bolivia looks totally gorgeous. It is an organic farm with its own swimming pool and we would be staying in our own cottage here! The Cosmopolitan town of Sampaipata is located nearby. For more information on this hotel, please visit www.lavispera.org |
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| Night's stay at Alaya Cottage - £20 |
| We can stay in our own cottage "Alaya Cottage" amongst sub-tropical gardens, with a swimming pool and hot tub and even massages on-site. Complete luxury for £20 per night........are you jealous yet??! This is a perfect base for exploring this region of Bolivia, with some fantastic walks to be made straight from this hotel, nestled in the countryside. For more information on this hotel, please visit www.solyluna-bolivia.com |
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| Stage 5 Peru |
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| Tour of Floating Islands on Lake Titicaca - £12 |
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The Floating Islands on Lake Titicaca (Peru side) are famous for the indigenous Uros communities that have made the floating islands their home. Your gift will pay for a half-day trip for us to meet these people with an English-speaking guide, finding out about how they live in this remarkable place. |
| Ballestas Island Boat Trip- £24 |
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| This boat trip will take us to see the sealion, flamingo and extraordinary bird colonies on the Ballestas Islands. The trip is 5 hours long and can only be undertaken on an organised tour. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that we will be able to visit the Galapagos Islands, but this is the next best thing for animal and bird life! |
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| Train Ride to Macchu Picchu- £42 |
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| The train ride to the amazing Inca site of Macchu Picchu has got to be a highlight of our trip. This gift will upgrade us from the backpacker train to the 1st class "Vistadome", which is a faster train service and will get us into the Inca Ruins before the crowds arrive. |
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| If you want to buy us an experience unlike any other, why not pay for our entry ticket into the amazing Inca ruins of Macchu Picchu, one of the main reasons that millions of people visit Peru every year. Mel is really looking forward to seeing this for the first time, and though John has been before, he's keen to go again! |
| Entry Ticket to Macchu Picchu - £25 |
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| The Sacred Valley of Ollantaytambo is of one the Inca's most important sites and this day trip will take us to this place which combines rare natural beauty and architectural genius. Taking a tour like this means that we come away actually learning something rather than just looking at nice-looking things we don't understand! |
| Tour to Ollantaytambo, The Sacred Valley of the Incas - £30 |
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| The salt pans of Maras and Moray are exceptional examples of the genius of the Incas, showing a complex irrigation system. This 6 hour tour is a must-see (We have seen a documentary on it and can't wait to get there), so let us go on a tour so we can learn about the history of this from someone who knows about it! www.rundomundo.com/gb/cusco/g-cusco_maras_moray-024.htm |
| Tour to Maras and Moray salt pans - £40 |
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| Colca Canyon Tour - £25 |
| We too, can try and catch a glimpe of a condor flying in the huge Colca Canyon in Peru. This is an amazing tour and quite spectacular and one of the few places in the world you can still see the amazing Condors in their natural environment. |
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| Flight over the Nazca Lines - £70 |
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| Accommodation right on the beach - £60 |
| After all that sightseeing, we will need a rest. This gift will actually pay for a full week's accommodation full-board in a hand-built pyramid teepee right on the beach....Yes, that is a full week....does Peru have dangerous snakes or spiders??? It's had great reviews on the backpacker sites and comes highly recommended. For more information on this accommodation, visit www.katuwira.com |
| In the South-East of Peru is one of the world's greatest enigmas. Etched into the desert floor are mysterious designs and drawings so vast that they can only be properly viewed from the air.....we have got to see this........crop circles in Kent.....eat your heart out! Your gift buys us a private plane ride over the Nazca Lines. For more information on this phenomena visit www.crystalinks.com.nasca.html |
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| Final Stage - Ecuador |
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| Accommodation at Eco-friendly Forest Farm - £48 |
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| Give us the chance to say at The Bospas, an eco-friendly fruit forest farm, 4 hours North-East of Lima. This farmstay will give us an unique glimpse into rural Ecuador and the biodiversity of the Andean Country. We get fed free fruit juice and fruit salads harvested from the farm during our stay, and they organize amazing guided hikes into the local countryside. There is even an on-site swimming pool to keep us refreshed! This gift actually buys us a 4-night stay here. For more information on this accommodation, visit www.bospas.org |
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| Rejuvenation at The Samai Centre Spa - £30 |
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| Yes - we will definitely want to relax by now! This Spa gift allows us to stay overnight at The Samai Centre Spa and indulge ourselves in some well-earned massages, aromatherapy, accupuncture and treatments. At 330 feet above sea level, we really could be "flying high"! For more information on this accommodation, visit www.sacred-journey.com |
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| Honeymoon package at Hosteria La Barquita - £100 |
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| Look at this! Right by the beach these cabins will ensure we have great chill-out time, and quite frankly, we might not want to come home! The honeymoon package is a 2 night, 3 day stay in total luxury! For more information on this accommodation, visit www.labarquita-ec.com |
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| Hiking near Lake Quilotoa & Cotopaxi Volcano - £40 |
| Stunning lakes and the world-famous Cotopaxi Volcano are located in this region and there are very few places to stay right on the spot. Your gift will buy a night at The Black Sheep Inn which is perched on a hillside in rural Ecuador and serves organic vegetarian food and home-made chocolate brownies! It has been voted in the top 10 eco-lodges in the world by Outside Magazine. For more information on this accommodation, visit www.blacksheepinn.com |
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| "The Devil's Nose" Train Ride - £14 |
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| No, not a rollercoaster, but apparently just as thrilling, The Devil's Nose is one of the world's most spectacular train rides, winding its way from Riobamba to Sibambe in Ecuador.......surely it's just like the Orient Express??? Well, maybe not.....but still, we need to do this one! |
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| The Final Countdown (Beach chill-out time) - £30 |
| Our last chance to chill out on the beach before we come home. These bamboo-built huts on stilts on the beach may seem ramshackle, but are actually rather luxurious in a lovely simplistic way. From here we can go snorkelling, horseriding, diving and trekking whilst contemplating why we have to come home at all! Remind us of our lovely beach hut in Goa last holiday by putting us up here. For more information, visit www.andaluzhosteria.com |
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| If you are a sports fan then you will understand why we at least have to try to get to watch a footie match in Argentina. One of John's dreams would be to see the "hand of god" Maradonna play. So why not pay for us to see a match while we are out there. (Mel doesn't even mind too much!?) |
| Carol will collate the gift list which will be given to us before we go, along with the contributions gathered. We will then know what exciting things our guests have planned for us on our way round the globe! We would like to take the opportunity to thank you for your gift. |
| www.trailfinders.com Tel: 020 79 38 38 36 Surname: Brenchley Reference number: 5AUL03 Closing Date: 9th September 2006 |
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| This will take us on a tour of the Potosi Silver mines, the world's largest complex of underground mines, and a highlight of any trip to Bolivia. All the guided tours stop here, so it is certainly a highlight not to be missed. See how we cope with the start of married life together by putting us down a mine and leaving us there! |
| Tour to the Silver Mines of Potosi - £15 |
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| Some Practical Things |
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| Top quality Hiking Socks for both of us - £28 |
| You might think this is a joke, but it is not! Socks for Christmas year on year....but we actually want these. You could be the person we thank time and time again for allowing us the comfort to take that step further walking up a mountain or exploring the glaciers in Chile. These top-quality hiking socks will mean that our feet are (hopefully) never sore and always warm .......may seem like an odd wedding present, but we could be very, very grateful to you! |
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| Upgrade to best insurance package available - £80 |
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| We all like to think that nothing bad will happen....but on a trip like this, the most important thing is to ensure that we have the best insurance in place just in case of any unfortunate eventuality. We would never travel without insurance in place, but your gift will make sure we have the best comprehensive insurance package for our kind of trip.......this gift could make the difference between us having to come home and us being able to stay! |
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| Sony Camera Memory Stick - £35 |
| We have a camera but we know we are going to need some more memory space to store all our pictures. This would make a great lasting present - ensuring that the memories of our trip stay strong long after we come home! |
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| Suite upgrade at luxury hotel - £40 |
| Hotel Altea, in the middle of the Atacama desert, is sheer luxury and the honeymoon suite here even has a jacuzzi to add a bit of fizz to our stay! Your gift will upgrade us from the standard double to the honeymoon suite........ooh! For more information on this hotel www.hotelaldea.cl |
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| We might be desperate for some English culture by now!! Argentina's famous Llao Llao Hotel serves Ritz-style afternoon tea ...a selection of tea and a delicious pastry buffet in their top-class restaurant, surrounded by the wonderful views of Lago Nahuel Huapi. John might even get a decent coffee here! www.ecoadventures.com/hotels/llaollaohotel.html |
| Afternoon tea in style - £12 |
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| Chile boasts over 250 thermal springs and some are open 24 hours for us to gaze at the stars in candlelight........ooh, how romantic! Clearly Mel is loving this idea, and John will probably be running a mile, but what a great gift! (Actually, this will remind John of his days in Japan, where he spent many an hour in the hot "Onsen" thermal springs there, so he will love it too!) |
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| A day at the thermal springs - £10 |
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| Entry to the Parque National Huerquehue - £8 |
| Just look how beautiful this place is! The Parque Huerquehue protects over 12,500 Hectares of rivers and waterfalls, alpine lakes and araucaria forests. Your gift will allow us entry to the Park and time to explore the scenery at our leisure. Your gift will pay for an entry ticket for both of us. |
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| Nestled at the base of the Lago Verde trail, just by the Parque Huerquehue above, is a cozy wooden dream house. Here they serve French-press coffee (John will love you forever if you put us up here). Your gift will upgrade us from the shared backpacker dormitory into a private cabin for a 2 night stay. This way we can explore the Park (above) at our leisure and enjoy a bit of luxury along the way. For more information on this hotel, visit www.tinquilco.cl |
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| Upgrade at Tinquilco Hotel right by Parque Huerquehue - £20 |
| Tour to Tiahuanaco - £18 |
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| This guided tour will take us from La Paz to Tiahunanco, an amazing archaeological site believed to be the capital of the pre-Inca civilization, with megaliths up to 175 Tonnes. For more information, visit www.crystalinks.com/tiahuanaco.html |
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| Isla Del Sol Boat trip - £12 |
| The only way to get to Isla Del Sol, the largest island in Lake Titicaca is by boat. The Island boasts white sandy beaches, Inca ruins and amazing views of Lake Titicaca and on many backpacker sites, it has been described as "the most beautiful place I have ever been in the world". Allow us to enjoy it too! |
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| Cordon Bleu Cuisine at Restaurant Nayjama - £20 |
| ....months out on the road eating fried insects and pancakes......We might need a good meal by now. Celebrity chef Don Roberto runs Bolivia's most famous restaurant...let's hope walking boots and backpacks allowed! |
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| Footie Match £30 |
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| Decided on the perfect gift for us but don't know what to do next? Please go to the Honeymoon Gift Booking Confirmation Form. Booking / Confirmation Form |
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| Home to return to - £1.4 Million |
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| What more wonderful way to thank people upon our return than to welcome them into our new apartment ..... I wonder where we could find such a place....... |
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| Want more time to decide? There is a PRINTABLE version. |
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| Want more time to decide....There is a PRINTABLE version. |
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| PLEASE NOTE THAT THE LIST BELOW SHOWS PRICES FOR BOTH OF US TO ENJOY THESE TREATS (unless specified otherwise). Some of the prices may seem low for what they are....don't forget that this is South America! |
| Multiple Available 16 lessons taken - gracias! (we could do with even more)! |
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| This gift list will remain open until 10th November 2006 |
| In order to avoid double-booking of gifts, we ask if you would mind indicating a second/third choice of gift should your first choice be taken. However, if you leave this space empty on the booking form, Carol will use her discretion to substitute the next nearest item still available on your behalf and will contact you accordingly. |
| Confused by the whole thing / want to give us a gift but don't want the hassle? You are welcome to make a donation to Carol and we will simply add it onto our general travel budget |
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